Day 20
I'm still alive and doing fantastically. Besides the hot weather I have no qualms about this place. Of course hot weather will always happen so no use in complaining about that. Today is the holy day and so a few of us took the bus up to Al-Husn to meet with the Arab branch in Northern Jordan. It's about an hour trip. Then it's 2.5-3 hours of church in Arabic! It's exciting how much more I understand from week to week. Last Friday I'd made it known I could play some church hymns when after the first hour I got to that piano and played some music in between Sacrament and Sunday School. One of the branch members was prompt in asking if I'd accompany for the following week. That's exactly what I did. And it was fantastic. A couple of the other students that come to the branch with me gave talks in Arabic. Today during Sunday School I got to know the youngest man in the branch, Haadi, 16. We chatted in Jordanian for awhile. I told him how I joined the church and he talked a little about getting his patriarchal blessing yesterday. Great kid.
As for my other adventures here? I found what will be my guilty pleasure whenever I want to treat myself. There's a mall called City Mall and some of the clothing stores there sell clothes well beyond any price range I'd ever consider. But I don't go to buy them, just to touch the nice fabrics and admire well made stuff. I did find a pair of yellow pants for what would be $10 in the states. It was on sale.
Taking taxis around here is always an adventure. More often than not you find a nice driver who doesn't try to overcharge you and the ones who do, you just get right back out and find another, there are plenty. I've eaten lots of different local food (well mostly just falafel and shwarma, well also some kebab).
Let's talk about my typical day, since I'm confident Mom wants to know what happens in my life here. I wake up anywhere between 5-7 am depending on the day and eat some flatbread with cheese and honey for breakfast. Long showers are a luxury here and so when a shower does happen it's quick in and out. Some time is spent studying for class and by 8 I'm on my way to the institute, which is a short 5 minute walk down the road. Speaking appts, writing appts, then class for 2 hours with Ibrahim. This guy is SO much fun! He's short and full of life and laughter. We never go a day without laughing in his class. We take a break at about an hour and I sometimes chance the time and run down 4-5 floors to grab some falafel from a little place just outside the institute. Mmmmmm falafel. It's my taco bell of the Middle East, and if you know me, I'm all about those chicken burritos at T-bell. After class with Ibrahim it's an hour of class with our program director Dil. We spend some time griping about what's bothering us and part of the time is spent working on whatever news article we were assigned for that day. The rest of my day I usually spend in homework, going out on the town for shwarma or some new restaurant and talking with whatever random citizen I seem to pass by. Some of my favorite places here in Amman so far include :Wast ilBalad, a downtown market place. Rainbow st, the most hip/happening spot of Amman for young people (also the place to which I'll go for a sing-a-long screening of Across the Universe in a local cinema tomorrow night) Always I enjoy malls and being around clothes.
I really ought to spend more time documenting the individual adventures. That will happen more as my life has settled here.
Not my most eloquent of posts but I hope you get some small idea as to what is happening over here in my life.
I'm still alive and doing fantastically. Besides the hot weather I have no qualms about this place. Of course hot weather will always happen so no use in complaining about that. Today is the holy day and so a few of us took the bus up to Al-Husn to meet with the Arab branch in Northern Jordan. It's about an hour trip. Then it's 2.5-3 hours of church in Arabic! It's exciting how much more I understand from week to week. Last Friday I'd made it known I could play some church hymns when after the first hour I got to that piano and played some music in between Sacrament and Sunday School. One of the branch members was prompt in asking if I'd accompany for the following week. That's exactly what I did. And it was fantastic. A couple of the other students that come to the branch with me gave talks in Arabic. Today during Sunday School I got to know the youngest man in the branch, Haadi, 16. We chatted in Jordanian for awhile. I told him how I joined the church and he talked a little about getting his patriarchal blessing yesterday. Great kid.
As for my other adventures here? I found what will be my guilty pleasure whenever I want to treat myself. There's a mall called City Mall and some of the clothing stores there sell clothes well beyond any price range I'd ever consider. But I don't go to buy them, just to touch the nice fabrics and admire well made stuff. I did find a pair of yellow pants for what would be $10 in the states. It was on sale.
Taking taxis around here is always an adventure. More often than not you find a nice driver who doesn't try to overcharge you and the ones who do, you just get right back out and find another, there are plenty. I've eaten lots of different local food (well mostly just falafel and shwarma, well also some kebab).
Let's talk about my typical day, since I'm confident Mom wants to know what happens in my life here. I wake up anywhere between 5-7 am depending on the day and eat some flatbread with cheese and honey for breakfast. Long showers are a luxury here and so when a shower does happen it's quick in and out. Some time is spent studying for class and by 8 I'm on my way to the institute, which is a short 5 minute walk down the road. Speaking appts, writing appts, then class for 2 hours with Ibrahim. This guy is SO much fun! He's short and full of life and laughter. We never go a day without laughing in his class. We take a break at about an hour and I sometimes chance the time and run down 4-5 floors to grab some falafel from a little place just outside the institute. Mmmmmm falafel. It's my taco bell of the Middle East, and if you know me, I'm all about those chicken burritos at T-bell. After class with Ibrahim it's an hour of class with our program director Dil. We spend some time griping about what's bothering us and part of the time is spent working on whatever news article we were assigned for that day. The rest of my day I usually spend in homework, going out on the town for shwarma or some new restaurant and talking with whatever random citizen I seem to pass by. Some of my favorite places here in Amman so far include :Wast ilBalad, a downtown market place. Rainbow st, the most hip/happening spot of Amman for young people (also the place to which I'll go for a sing-a-long screening of Across the Universe in a local cinema tomorrow night) Always I enjoy malls and being around clothes.
I really ought to spend more time documenting the individual adventures. That will happen more as my life has settled here.
Not my most eloquent of posts but I hope you get some small idea as to what is happening over here in my life.
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