Syriac Studies

I really am doing something wrong in terms of comms here. So this morning I ask around at breakfast about the Syriac classes. Various responses got sent around the tables. The thing is I talked to Fr Sibby the canonist I quite get on with as much as I get on with anyone. He told me he thought it was either today or tomorrow. Thing is I met teach on my way back from the Post Office shut today must be a festival. He says Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays at 8.30 in the library immediately after breakfast. After debating that I probably wouldn't be able to follow I tried to suggest that we wouldn't know until I sat in on a class but after some struggle and I think losing my equanimity he agreed to let me sit in on the class and that I should get the notes from sibby or Naiju. Even Naiju seemed reluctant until I said well the teacher had offered to help if the students were busy so I guess I'll have to ask him then. Got the notes now photocopied by friendly young thing at the internet cafe. No idea why simple things get to be this hard. The Syriac looks basic but rigorous. 38 short sentences to translate into Syriac. I assume they can't be translating them all but I am happy to do so because at a glance requires only to know the noun in the emphatic state with some genitives. And the second set agreement with gender and some personal pronoun enclitics. Even if I weren't top of the class by the first class I have the time to excel in a month. I might do better to get text books from Fr Jose and study the rest of my time on my own. I seem to irritate people and Syriac is something I do not need others to help me with. But why. Ah well. Perhaps Jose will explain else it doesn't matter. Another reason to study at Kottayam within ten minutes of my arrival there I had three grammar books, a peschitta, and the offer of a Dictionary. I was held back only by the weight. Here it's dumb looks Syriac oh yes is that a language hmm maybe the lecturer is in Kenya on retreat. They are only trying to help me with my equanimity