Learning on the fly

In the last six hours, I've learned the following about Dearborn:

1) The local public transportation system is, even by locals' standards, laughable. The bus stops give no indication of a schedule, a route or what buses stop there. Helpful!

2) No handshakes, please, we're Arab women. While volunteering in town, I met a young Arab woman who I greeted with my name and a hand to shake. In turn, she put her right hand over her heart and bowed slightly. That's how they roll. Now I know. (She then went back to business...putting some of her make-up on another volunteer)

3) I've also been fortunate enough to meet a very informative local who drove me around town pointing out good places to food shop and eat (she now lives in the Bay Area), discussing the history of the area (there's been not only white flight because of blacks, but because of Arabs) and who has helped me better understand how the Arab community has flourished here.

4) I also stopped into a local bakery where I'd like to work. My contact there wasn't in, but I picked up a slice of chocolate mousse cake, two petitfours and another chocolate treat for...$2.50! A delicious steal.

Last night I combined all chapters written so far into one document, standardized the names of my characters (I had changed my mind a few times on one, though she may undergo one more change) and will now go back to finishing up the final three chapters.

Tomorrow I look forward to canvassing through various parts of Dearborn and picking my friend's brain some more.

9, 10...

First drafts of chapters nine and ten, though short, are done. Have started eleven.

I recently met a literary agent who laughed at my 5 days in Dearborn. Rightly so. I thought about it all some and think I may have found a way to do a month-long run there relatively soon. Will post when I know for certain. All in all, I'm happy with the book's progress and how the story's working out.

I continue to read more Christopher Buckley, this time Florence of Arabia which has a great premise (finding peace in the Middle East through the emancipation of the region's women). The story, though, becomes rather intricate, which I don't think to that extent is necessary for my work. Buckley does do a good job of working in Arab cultural and historical references; something I need to work on.

Eating My Words

I'm a cook. My story takes place in a town with the biggest Arab population in America. I know next to nothing about their cuisine. That's about to change. I came across some recipes lately and I'm gonna put some Arab cuisine in my mouth to make my experience and those of my characters richer and more accurate.