You'll get the hang of it! I'm sure your friend is a wonderful teacher, plus you have his grandmother too! If you ever need any more advice, just let me know Good luck with everything!
Aww! That's so sweet. Egyptian Arabic is easier in my opinion (maybe because I've been speaking it since I could talk). Just be careful because we don't pronounce our q's! The alphabet is hard, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easy! I was confused when I first saw them change shapes. How long have you been learning it?