Pieces are coming together

One key difference in the way life is going for us this time in Beirut (as opposed to last time), is that we are much better positioned to take advantage of all the richness the city has to offer. For example, it has been quite easy for me to get into a cello school. Even though my electric cello is working out quite well, my teacher thought it best that I have an accoustic so I can practice on those dimensions and bowing techniques.

Therefore, off to the cello store I went. As with many things in Beirut, it turns out that the lutheir and I shared a mutual friend and an interest in Chinese. He even put me in touch with some Mandarin classes through the Chinese embassy. Sadly, my timeslots are filling up quickly, and I probably won't be able to take advantage of that (but I digress). The point is, I am now the proud owner of this beauty:

The instrument has a soft, rich tone. Particularly warm in the C and G strings, which I prefer. The A is well-rounded and not harsh. It is a bit on the quieter side, but projects nicely.

In other news, I've had my first run with a local rugby team. They were very welcoming and really fun to work with. While there will be a bit of a learning curve switching over to rugby league rules rather than rugby union, it looks pretty reasonable. With this opportunity, my extracurriculars will focus on Arabic, cello and rugby (and Internet spaceships with Eve online for some downtime).