Today Was A Mess

Here is a list of things that went wrong:

1. They clean the stair cases with water and we basically had to walk through/around a small waterfall to get out the door. My shoes got soaked. 
2. We attempted to make dinner and spilt half a bag of uncooked rice all over the (gas) stove and floor. If it's being cooked anyway we can still eat it right? Yes. Also, it took far longer than it should have to cook and when we finished the outside was overcooked, but the inside was undercooked. We ate it anyway. *A side note: the rice came out sticky. Isn't that some kind of accomplishment?? 
3. We don't have a can opener and so had to resort to using a large knife to hack away at the can. No one was harmed in the process and I wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary. 
4. While doing dishes my roommate Christine broke a bowl. The box said 6, we started with 4, and now we have 3. 
5. Our toilet BROKE. It already flushed when it wanted to, about once a day, and today the handle came clean off. We can't flush our toilet.
6. The people are coming tomorrow at 8 am to fix it. We should probably be up before them and dressed. We don't have class till 1030. 
7. My lunch bag became filled with ants suddenly this evening because I had a small chocolate bar in it. 
8. We got assigned an essay at 930 at night, due tomorrow. *Luckily for us, this was moved to a due date of Sunday, however I had already completed it by the time I received that message. 
9. We went to bed at 4 am, so the lack of sleep is really starting to make us delirious  But it makes us laugh at things that aren't really funny and have a good time either way. 

No matter what, I always remember that life is good and I am thankful every minute that I am here and have this opportunity. These will all be memories soon enough that I can look back at and laugh at.

A Night of Dancing

Last night the ten students and two professors got dressed up because we were going out - and by out I mean we attended a dinner and reception hosted by the administration of JUST. We were told we would be graced with the presence of the President of the university, however someone was sent in his place. No worries, less formalities I had to deal with. I was able to wear my beloved outfit of all black - black dress and black cardigan accented with gold sandals and a gold necklace. This necklace I bought in the other day from a Syrian, which was distinguishable by the goods he was selling - Free Syrian Army bracelets and flags. I loved the necklace and though I don't know for sure who he is or what is affiliation is with Syria, but sometimes I like to think I do my part to help someone out.

We were worried about the chill of the night (yes, that happens here, so why didn't I bring heavier sweaters??) but it ended up being of no concern because of the amount of fun that we were having. To begin, we danced and danced the traditional dance of the region (mainly Jordan, Syria, and Palestine) called the Dabke. It is a repeating set of steps that was not channeling to master personally. But the simple steps I was taking was no where near the effort it requires to do the more exciting Dubke. So everyone holds hands and gets in a circle and you go around and around until the music stops. You move your body with the beat of the music and just feel the rhythm  But in the front of the line were these young men, students at the university, who fly through the air practically. The jump and squat and move in a way I could not imagine myself doing, especially in a long dress or skirt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81SQNZLiOSM

If you watch this link, at around 20 seconds you will see what I am talking about. This is not from last night, just a reference to see how cool this dance is.

We met out language partners last night as well. We will be paired with students at the university in the coming weeks to help us practice our Arabic first hand with other Jordanians our age. It was a great idea on behalf of whoever actually thought of it and I know it will come in handy.

Before we left and after we returned, I ventured out onto the roof of our apartment building. I am on the top floor and so the door to the roof is only up  few stairs. It was a breathtaking view.

The second picture posted is to the north of us. The mountains in the back are the border between Jordan Syria. There is a town on the top of one of the peaks. We are not sure what country it lies in. There is no signal that from where we are that there is conflict just across those mountains. In fact, most of the time it is very quiet where we are. It is just hard to fathom that something so detrimental to a country and a population can lie so close to where I am, yet I wouldn't even know the difference. For my safety, I am glad. But for the intelligent part of my that is craving more knowledge about the crisis, I wish I could learn first hand. But I am in reality and so a news source will have to do. 

This afternoon, my roommates Christine and Vanessa, and I took a walk around the campus because it was such a beautiful day out, almost chilly by Jordanian standards! We went to admire the library and it is the most beautiful structure I have ever seen. It is more of a colosseum than a place to study. We took a lot of pictures there and just walked around. So here are a few:

Can you tell we are studying hard? 

Best Day Yet - First Experience Of A Souk

Yesterday we visited a souk  which is an outdoor market. Picture vendors in New York City but just streets and streets and streets worth of them. You can find anything and everything there - and for cheap. It was great. I found some jewelry from a Syrian vendor who must likely fled from the civil war (he was selling Free Syrian Army gear). I also bought another duffel bag to use as a larger carry on because I know I will be bringing stuff home with me, especially for the prices items are sold at. So we walked around for a few hours, looking into all the shops. There are some things I cannot go home without, such as a new scarf. There are shops dedicated to the selling of scarves in Jordan (because many women wear the hijab here) and they sell beautiful scarves. However, on only my fourth day here, I couldn't bring myseld to spend a chunk of money already on scarves. I need to hold onto my self-restraint while here.

In the farmer's market portion of the souk  there is fresh, organic (mostly) fruits and veggies and they are some of the best tasting produce I've ever had. Seeing all the colors lined up is such an experience in itself. They have barrels of spices on every corner, and the smell is wonderful. Everything is so natural and from the earth here. I wish this was the norm in the US. But the one thing I have to talk about is the kindess of the people in the market. The group of us would walk into a store and use the casual, slang greetings and people's faces would light up. They don't expect us to know such slang, as most people learn formal Arabic, or none at all. It is a great feeling to know that they know that we have taken the time to study Arabic to be able to communicate with the people of Jordan. It makes me feel like I am doing something right by going out of my way to understand, appreciate, and learn the language and culture of here. And with our Arabic we would be able to respond to the ever-present question of "Where are you from?" And we would reply with "Amrika!" and they would want to talk more than ever! To see Americans coming to their country and learning their language seems to brighten their day! And some vendors would even be so kind to give us free things, such as chocolate or grape leaves. We felt terrible but they insisted. So generous!

But one of the best parts of the souq was when we bought nan. It was my first experience with the bread and it was god-sent. So simple, yet so tasty and only a quarter of a dollar for 2 large circles probably a foot and a half in diameter. The bread stayed warm too, as we perused the goods in the market. Such a simple activity, but one that made us all so happy.

I love Jordan. The people, the culture, today's weather, the food. Everything. 

However, nothing compares to the beauty of our first sunset here in Jordan. What a great welcome to a great country.

Family dinner at the Yemeni restaurant! They even serve Pepsi in old bottles. It is so yummy. 

Pepsi, for those who think young. 

Here we go....

So I decided to start a blog... this is a challenge I hope I can keep up with. My journal just isn't cutting it on its own i guess. So today was our third full day in Jordan and we didn't have class because the weekend is Friday & Saturday in the Middle East. All us students slept late, due to a mixture of our professors seemingly energy-inducing tea and the heat of the day. Over sleeping is going to be a problem I foresee, because getting out of bed is HARD in this heat. Finally I got out of bed, as did my roommates with the intent on going to the gym. So at noon and the sun's highest point of the day, we walked to the gym, only to realize the doors were locked. (However, we later discovered that there were side doors that were unlocked) - so that was a bust. Instead, we did most of our homework and polished off the rest of the fruit salad. It lasted a day and a half - this is a problem. I need more fruit! Good thing we can get great tasting bananas, grapes, and pineapples at the market tomorrow, inshahallah.

We ate dinner at a traditional Yemeni restaurant and the food was amazing. Actually, the food in most places here (everywhere so far) has been great! Very different concoctions of food but wonderful nonetheless. The best tasting hummus you'll find anywhere with only the freshest of pita bread to accompany it.

The past 2 days we have spent our nights on the town at a hookah bar called B12. I wish there was something similar to it in the states. It is so chill and so nice inside! There are these beautiful hanging lanterns form the ceiling. And they make fresh juice there. I'm pretty sure it is pureed fruit, not squeezed, which makes it even better.

Other notes so far in the 4 days we have been here:
- Our toilet broke but we fixed it with 2 spoons and some teamwork - don't ask questions.
- Tips for living in a city: buy a broom and use it to carry grocery bags (thanks Vanessa)
- Time is non existent here. Bed is whenever you feel like, probably sometime in the wee hours of the morning
- If you can drive in Jordan, you can drive anywhere. With no rhyme of reason to anything people do, I'm surprised there aren't more accidents. Good thing we are in a bus and are bigger than most of the cars. Fear us citizens of Irbid. Also, there are apprently no rules when driving. You want to hang out the window? Go ahead! There's only 5 seats in the car? So that can fit about 8 people. Use your cell phone! Drive fast!

There isn't a care in the world here. It is amazing.