The Coolest Day Ever!

On Saturday, I crossed 2 things off my bucket list!

The plan for the weekend was to go to Wadi Rum and Aqaba. The plan then changed to Wadi Rum and Petra. The plan changed again to Madaba. Essentially, we didn't really make plans until the very last minute, so we were in a bit of a pickle- we only have 3 weekends here and there is so much to do in so little time! Me being me, I felt a bit under the gun and did everything I could to make sure we went SOMEWHERE.

We didn't want to rush the whole Petra/Wadi Rum thing because they're a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. We decided not to do Aqaba at the time because there isn't much to do there other than sit and relax. We figured that going to Madaba would be our best bet since it's about 30 minutes to an hour away from Amman and we wouldn't need to worry about staying in a hotel. The only problem is that we had no idea how to get to Madaba on the cheap. So Stephanie, Nick, and I decided to get up early on Saturday and wing it.

The night before, Stephanie asked if she should pack a swimsuit in case we went to the Dead Sea (which isn't very far from Madaba). I almost said no, but changed my mind thinking that it was very possible that we could be going there. I texted Nick to pack one, as well.

We were very fortunate- on Saturday morning we flagged down a taxi, asked if he'd bring us to Madaba, and he said yes! He offered to bring us to Mt. Nebo afterwards. We also expressed an interest in going to the Dead Sea, and he agreed to that too- for the sole price of 50JD! ($70...that's a good deal).

Our cab driver's name was Adeeb. He was very helpful and kind. We're totally hiring him again!

So our first stop was Madaba, which is famous for its mosaics. We spent an hour there. We first went to St. George's Greek Orthodox Map Church. It was absolutely beautiful! There were so many icons and mosaics! It's called the Map Church because there is a mosaic map of the Holy Land on the floor.

Here is a clearer picture of the map:

Some mosaic icons and painted icons:

We then attempted to get to the burnt down palace, but we couldn't find it. So I bought myself a Jordanian Barbie instead :-)

After spending an hour in Madaba, Adeeb drove us to Mt. Nebo, the mountain upon which Moses stood to have a view of the Promised Land given to the Israelites by God. As such, Mt. Nebo looks out onto holy land! 

Here is a map of what we were looking at:

And here is the view:

It was so beautiful that this picture doesn't even do it justice. It was absolutely incredible to actually see a place/places where so many religious and historical events happened.

And, of course, we got a picture of the 3 of us:

Cool fact about me: Moses is my favorite religious figure. He was such an awesome dude who did awesome things. I'm honored to have walked on the same ground upon which he walked! He is also said to have been buried by God Himself on this mountain.

After oo-ing and ah-ing at the wonders of the Promised Land, we got back in the cab and headed to the Dead Sea. I was very excited to go because I've wanted to swim in it since I was a kid. Bucket list item #1 of 2 of the day!

On the way to each of our 3 stops, we saw camels. I'm not the biggest animal lover, but I reallllllllllly like camels because they are cute and fuzzy! I was very excited to see them :-)

The camels in this photo are wild camels. Some we saw were owned by Bedouins.

Unfortunately, we had to pay 16JD each to get into the Dead Sea. It was a lot of money just to go swimming, but it was totally worth it. It was like a resort though- it had a massive pool and then the sea, so paying money made more sense. The majority of the people there just swam in the pool. Nick, Stephanie, and I changed into our swimsuits, lathered up in more sunscreen, and then booked it down to the sea.

Okay, so EVERYONE knows that the Dead Sea is VERY salty. Duh. So you know, but you don't really know until you are actually in it. When you go to the beach and you get salt water in your eyes or mouth, it's painful/gross. If Dead Sea water gets in your eyes or mouth, you beg for death. I didn't go underwater or anything, but I dipped my hair in the water (not really smart, but it was hot, so whatever). That plus sunscreen plus sweat (because it was really damn hot) equaled pain, so for a good 10 minutes, I kept my eyes sealed shut. I decided to grab a water bottle and I kept it in the water with me to dump on my eyes or mouth in case and salt water got into them. I imagined the Dead Sea to be a cool, refreshing temperature, but it was like bath water. I guess I should've known better since we were in the middle of the desert and whatnot. 

Some tips for the Dead Sea:

1. Don't shave the day you decide to go. (Thankfully our friend Silvia warned us beforehand.)

2. Don't go in if you have any open cuts.

3. Don't go underwater.

4. Bring a bottle of fresh water in with you in case you get salt water in your eyes or mouth.

If you don't follow these tips, you're in for a rough time.

Floating in the Dead Sea was SO COOL! Stephanie and I determined that it is impossible to drown in it. If you do, you deserve it. You just bob there like a buoy. It is also impossible to touch the bottom once you get in past your waist. You can even sit in the water.

Ta Da! That's me floating!

We were in the water for quite a while. When we got out, we immediately rinsed off in the outdoor shower. I, then jumped in the pool to further rinse off/attempt to cool off. The pool water was really warm, too. So warm that it wasn't refreshing at all. However, the lack of salt in it was quite nice.

We then changed back into regular clothes and headed back to Amman. Along the way, we saw a man with a camel, and Adeeb stopped the car for us and invited us to ride it! Bucket list item #2 of 2!

I was so excited!!!!!!!

The standing up and sitting down experience was rather crazy because you lurch forward and backward until the camel is either standing or sitting. The saddle comes equipped with a stick-like thing to hold onto so that you don't fall off.

All in all, Saturday was a really awesome day full of fun and excitement! :-) This upcoming weekend, we are going to Wadi Rum and Petra!

The Independence Day Saga

There was no way I wasn't going to celebrate the independence of my country, regardless of not physically being there.

The original plan was for me, Stephanie, Nick, Silvia, and maybe Saria to go somewhere, eat America food, and do America things. I also wanted to meet up with Lena, so plans weren't really set. As such, plans were WAY different.

I woke up from a nap around 6pm. Stephanie had made prior plans, but we had heard from Lena, so we figured that I'd go alone to meet Lena and that Stephanie would come later. I caught a cab at 7ish and gave the information to the cab driver. I thought that the name of the building I was going to was on the paper. I learned differently a little later on.

So we get to the destination area (one of the landmarks given to me was a pharmacy). I just had the driver dump me there and I went into the pharmacy to ask for further directions on foot. Apparently, the name I was given was the name of an area, NOT a building. No big deal, right? Wrong. I didn't have a working Jordanian phone, and my iPhone wasn't picking up wireless signals. So there I was, somewhere in Jordan, but in the right neighborhood, but still confused. A very kind Jordanian woman who spoke fluent English offered to drive me to the UN. Normally, I'd say "no thanks", but she was a woman and she was smaller than me, so I took her up on the offer. I figured if push came to shove, I could knock her out if she tried any shenanigans.

We drove to the UN, thinking maybe this party thing was there, but it wasn't. I then borrowed the woman's cell phone and called Lena, who gave us more detailed directions, including her standing on the balcony and waving her arm around in the air. I thanked the woman and made it to my destination. It turns out that the destination was Lena's apartment, NOT a government building. Whoops.

Lena's friend, Munir came to pick us up and we drove to the American Embassy. At this point, Stephanie wouldn't have been able to meet up with us because she could only get in with government employees. 

As typical Americans would do, we ate hot dogs and drank soda. There was even a fireworks show!

After the fireworks ended, everyone started to go home, but Lena, Munir, and I stayed for a gathering at the Marine House on the Embassy base. Although not many people were there, much fun was had by all!

I wasn't allowed to take pictures on the Embassy base due to security, but I was allowed to get a picture of Lena and me at the Marine House gathering.

I think I can fit in with government employees quite well!

So the hostel at which I am staying has a curfew of 11pm. That only means that it isn't staffed after 11. If you are going to get back later than 11, you have to tell the ladies at the desk. Before I left, I told them that I might be late but that I'd try my best to get back on time. I ended up getting back at 11:05. I was thinking that maybe someone might still be at the desk. I buzzed the entrance buzzer and nobody answered. I tried to get the hostel's wifi on my phone, but it didn't reach outside. I ended up walking around and asked a woman if I could borrow her phone to make a call. She kindly let me, but nobody answered. I tried buzzing in again and then just sat there hoping that someone would come by the door. I then remembered that the McDonald's had wifi, so I ran over, sent Stephanie a text message (you can do that on iPhones abroad if there is wifi), ran back, then FINALLY got in.

Okay, so maybe the saga isn't THAT saga-y, but keep in mind that I was alone, in a foreign country, struggling with the dialect, and without a functioning phone. Needless to say, I bought myself a cheap cellphone. All in all, I had a nice, American Independence Day in Jordan!

A Class Update and an Adventure with Lena

Now that I have actually had class, I can say that I like it. The teacher isn't using the textbook that I used throughout college, so I'm especially happy! We are instead using a book that seems to have been developed by the center. Whatever, I like the structure of it, so it's all good!

The class size has changed since day one. There are 5 of us in Modern Standard- the 3 Americans, Saria, and the Scottish guy, Nick. I like it better because we've formed a closer-knit friendship. We've gotten lunch together the last few days. Yesterday, we went to a place called Lebnani Snack. The shawarma was awful. We went again today for lunch, but I wasn't hungry, so I just got strawberry mango juice.

Yesterday, Stephanie, Saria, and I met up with my friend Lena from home. She invited us to see a Flamenco dancing show at the Al-Hussein Cultural Center with her, so we decided to take her up on the offer!

Theatre etiquette in Jordan is different than American theatre etiquette, fo' sho'! People were taking pictures with flashes, which is an American no-no. A lot of people also talked, and many forgot to turn their cell phones on silent or vibrate. As a performer in my younger years, I always knew flash photography could be distracting, simply because I was told and because I can put two and two together. I never actually experienced the distraction until yesterday...and I was in the audience!

Catching a cab back was a nightmare. We were going to eat shawarma on Rainbow Street, but it was getting late and we didn't let the ladies at the hostel know in advance that we'd be late. So, we ate at a Turkish restaurant right next to the hostel instead so that we'd get back before the 11:00 curfew. We will hopefully meet up with Lena again tonight to celebrate the 4th of July.

Another observation for the record: there are a decent amount of pale, blue-eyed Jordanians. I'm still clearly a foreigner, but I blend in better here than I did in Morocco.

So since today is Independence Day, and we have plans to celebrate the freedom of our country this evening with Nick and Silvia American-style. We'll see how well "American style" goes, so I'll have to let you know after tonight. Why is the Scot celebrating with us, you ask? Why not?

An Update on Life

Due to a leaky toilet, I had to move rooms today. I was bummed out because I really liked the room, however the toilet was either unable to flush, or able to flush but pouring water everywhere. So, I had to suck it up and move, because a functioning toilet is a necessity. I was very fortunate in my room change...my new dorm is HUGE!

So if you want to visit, I have room! I even have a separate kitchen area!

The big cylinder looking thing in the top center is the water heater. I have to flip a switch to take a hot shower, then turn it off when I am done.

Some other cool things from Jordan that I've noticed:

1. There is actually a fairly large Christian population! I have seen multiple churches.

2. Weekdays are Sunday-Thursday. Weekends are Friday and Saturday. 

Mass is at nighttime because people can't go in the morning since they have to work. Friday is the holy day in Islam, so it makes sense that the weekend starts then.

3. Jordanians are very fashionable- especially the women! I brought plain-looking, modest, comfortable clothes and I feel like I look like a slob compared to the natives. Even the women who wear more traditional clothing look like divas. 

Amman is 7 hours ahead of Washington, DC. As such, my day is about halfway over when my friends and family back at home are waking up! It's very strange. It's 10:30pm right now and I was bummed that not many friends are online to chat...That's when I realized it's only 3:30 and everyone is still at work!

In regards to my education, I started class officially today. Yesterday was placement exams...it was perhaps the hardest test I'd ever taken. I didn't even finish it. Luckily, everyone else felt the same way, so I didn't feel as bad. I am in the intermediate level class with 8 other students. One of the girls in my class, Silvia, went to college with a friend of mine from Morocco! The cool thing is, she goes to New College of Florida, so it's an even smaller world since that school is not very well known. So Stephanie, Silvia, and I are the only Americans. Our Danish friend Saria is also in our class. One woman is from Turkey, and she does not speak much English, so we communicate with her in Arabic. Another girl is from Switzerland, and the other is from the Czech Republic. There are 2 guys in the class- one is from Scotland and the other is from Canada. The Canadian was apparently born in Potomac, which is only 20-30 minutes from home! Class so far is good. I mean, I've only had class for one day, so I don't have much basis to judge. Tomorrow we are starting to use the infamous Al-Kitaab 2, but we are starting from chapter 1, meaning that this will be the 3rd time that I'll be going through the opening units of that book. As a result, I may have to move classes, but we'll see. We have class for 4 hours a day, but it's totally tolerable. We have class in 45-50 minute increments, then we have a 15 minute break. I think this is genius, since going much longer in one sitting can really fry your brain. Class starts at 9am and goes to 12. In that time, we study Modern Standard Arabic. We then have an hour off, then come back for dialect class from 1-2. 

Today was a pretty low-key day. I just went to class, had lunch, went to class again, came back and took a nap and washed my clothes. Our hostel has a dryer! It isn't that great, but it's a hot commodity, as a lot of places don't really have dryers. Aside from that, I hung out with Saria and Stephanie and we practiced Arabic vocab and just talked.

The three of us went to the grocery store before sunset to get a few things. Stephanie and I decided to buy Kinder Joys; a chocolate candy that has been rejected by the FDA. It was delicious! It comes in the shape of an egg- one half has the chocolate, the other has a toy. I got some crappy plastic that makes a "treasure chest" with the case. Stephanie could make hers into a car with her egg case.

The white stuff is white chocolate. Milk chocolate is underneath. The two things in the middle are chocolate balls, but have the texture of the stuff in a Twix bar. For some reason I can't think of the word at the moment.

My godbrother, Fawaz, and his wife Lena are in Jordan! Unfortunately, I have not seen them yet, but I hope to soon!

I also don't know when the wedding is. I am really excited about it, though.

Stephanie and I also plan on traveling on the weekends. More on that when we actually sit and make a decision...

Three things I am bummed about:

1. I haven't found anywhere to bargain, yet. As such, I have presents for nobody, including myself. I have an itch to fight for prices and I just can't scratch it, yet!

2. People can totally tell I speak English. Not all of them know I'm from the United States, because a lot of people ask. I pretended one time that I didn't speak English and it worked well, but it doesn't help much that Stephanie and I are both very loud when we speak, and we speak English to each other. When I talk to people, I speak Arabic, but they respond in English. That's annoying, especially since I am clearly a competent Arabic-speaker.

3. The call to prayer isn't very loud, so I don't hear it as often as I thought I would :-(

Aside from those 3 bummers, (and the previous toilet issue), life is good! The food is AMAZING! I don't think I'll ever get sick of it. (But we'll see how I feel by the time I come home.) Also, apparently the tap water is highly chlorinated so as to avoid impurities and prevent bacteria growth. I still will not drink it. My tap water-drinking experience in Morocco scarred me for life. Besides, the water is so chlorinated that it's easy to form kidney stones. Word on the street has it that passing a kidney stone is more painful than giving birth. I haven't done either at this point in my life, but I really don't want to have a basis of comparison.

More later!

The Mystery of the Massive Hijab

A very popular hijab style in Jordan looks as such:

Stephanie and I think it's very pretty, but we couldn't figure out what it is that makes it so large! Your hair would have to be at least 10 feet long for your bun to be that big. I thought maybe they made a bun from another scarf and then put the hijab scarf on top of it. We still weren't sure.

We consulted with our new friend, Saria, from Denmark. She wasn't sure, either. It wasn't until we went to the market that Saria solved the mystery:

The poofy things that look like flowers are clips. You just put one (or 5, maybe) under your hijab, and voila! It's massive! Thanks, Saria, for solving the mystery!

I'm Here!

Greetings from Amman!

So Stephanie and I thought we had a 6 hour layover in Vienna...apparently it was 2. Good thing we stayed in the terminal anyway!

I've decided that language #5 will be German...it sounds cool and I've wanted to learn it for a while, anyway.

When we were getting ready to board the plane, the airline workers told us to wait to the side. I figured maybe we needed to go through extra security measures. Apparently, they wanted to upgrade us to Business Class!!!!

It was so awesome! We were treated like princesses! We were offered a newspaper, a beverage, an aperitif, and then a fancy meal!

I had the shrimp curry and it was DELICIOUS! 

So anyway, the flight to Vienna was loooooooooooooong. We were supposed to take off around 5:30, but we didn't until about 6:10. The flight lasted 8 hours and 20 minutes...the longest I've ever been on. Fortunately, the cabin temperature was decent, so I wasn't marinating in my own sweat. Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep AT ALL. I tried and maybe dozed off a bit for about 30 min, but some family of about 8 decided that it would be fun to play musical airplane chairs and were constantly up and about. The flight attendants almost killed them. I wish they did. Why was it so obnoxious? They were loud. And I was attempting to sleep. And the father wanted to sit in the empty seat between me and some Austrian man. I was not happy. He sat there for maybe 20 minutes, got up and moved to another seat. Thank God the Austrian man was nice and did all the moving, because I would've strangled him.

So anyway, we get to the Austrian airport, and we're sitting, and it's fun.

Okay, back to the flight to Amman. I slept for about an hour, Alhamdullah. Then we landed and went through customs (which was surprisingly fast), got our luggage, and met up with our cab driver. The director of the language program, Fadi, came with him. Both of the men were very nice. 

We got to our hostel, Barakat Hostel, around 5pm. We each have our own separate rooms, but we're on the same floor and pretty much right next to each other. Our rooms are very nice! They came equipped with drawers, a bed, a desk, a TV, a bathroom, and best of all...AIR CONDITIONING!!!!

Hooray for western plumbing! However, as you can see, the shower is right next to the toilet, with no curtain. That's fine, but I just have to leave the toilet paper and trashcan outside of the bathroom. And the shower doesn't have much water pressure, and we all know how thick my hair is, so it took me about 10-15 minutes to shower last night, whereas I normally can take a shower in under 5 minutes. (I also had to wash espresso out of the shirt I wore that day, so I just took it into the shower with me haha).

After we got slightly settled into our rooms, Stephanie and I went to get some groceries (aka, mainly toilet paper). We went to an internet cafe to tell our families that we're here and safe, and then we had shawarma for dinner.

We then came back to the hostel to shower and go to bed. We were in zombie mode--I had about an hour of sleep total and I was ready for bed. So yeah, I went to bed at 9pm on a Friday night! (2pm EST). I woke up at about 3am and was wide awake, but I managed to get back to sleep about an hour later. I woke up for real at 10:30, and then Stephanie and I went exploring! We went to Rainbow Street and got juice and just walked around. Not many people were out, so we'll have to go back at night sometime.

A few things that I've noticed thus far:

1. Jordan seems to be more modern than Morocco, whereas I originally thought it was the other way around.

2. Amman is a huge city. I could walk around everywhere in Rabat, maybe take a taxi to some places. Here, we have to take a taxi to get to the other end of the city.

3. Although the Jordanian Dinar (JD) has a higher value than the US dollar, things around here are still pretty cheap!

Wilkommen from Vienna International Airport!

At around 3:00am Eastern Standard Time, Stephanie and I arrived in Vienna. We are really freaking tired. It is currently 9:52 here in Austria, so 3:52 in the US. Unfortunately, neither of us got much sleep on the plane. I dozed off from time to time, but I never got real sleep.

Oh, apparently we're boarding now for Amman. I thought we had a 6 hour layover. Whoops. More later!