Day to Day at the YMWA

Here’s the post we know many of you have been waiting for!

We have been here in Jordan for about 4 months now, and now that we have our routine down, we thought we would share it with you.  Here’s a run-down of our average day working at the YMWA Center for Special Education:

5:30am -  Our alarm goes off for the first time and, depending on how tired we are, we hit snooze 2 or 3 times.  We finally get up and ready, and we are out the door by 6:20am.

Our view for 3 hours a day

6:25am -  The bus arrives at our building, except when it’s late (which is often).  Then begins our 1 ½ hour bus ride to work.  After our stop, we wind through west Amman, picking up about 25 students and 10 teachers.  When we are almost finished with the route, some of the teachers get off the bus and pick up falafel sandwiches for breakfast (including us most days).  We arrive at our final destination around 7:55am.

8:00am -  School begins!  Amber heads to the art class in the school section, and Darren heads to the woodshop in the vocational section.

Working in the art room

Amber’s day -  After arriving, I head straight to the art room in the school section, where I lay out the materials for the first class.  We have done so many projects!  Here are a few: drawing, finger painting, egg carton creations, paper mosaics, play dough sculptures, and using dirt/sawdust/leaves to make textured pictures.  Which children come to art class depends on the time and day of the week – each day we get a different grade level from the school section or the preschool section, six grades in all.  From 8:20 to 10:00, I have three different groups of children (in 30 minute classes), all from the same grade.  From 10:00 to 11:00 is my lunch break.  Three days a week, I have recess duty, so from 11:00 to 11:20 I keep an eye on the kids while they play.  From 11:25 to 12:50, two more groups come in for art class.  The days go by fast when you have so many different groups of kids coming in.  

Working in the shop room

Darren’s day -  My typical morning starts off in the shop office, eating a bit of bread and falafel and having a glass or two of tea with the guys.  After we’re finished, we split up to get at our individual work.  So far, I’ve worked on wooden toddler toys, cooking utensils, weaving looms, and tea server sets.  Projects I have not worked on include chairs, tables, picture frames, cutting boards, and more children’s toys. In the shop class, there are about 10 students (all boys) who help out where they can: carrying and stacking, sanding and clamping, assisting with machinery… anything that’s not complicated or dangerous.  At about 11:00, everyone finishes what they’re doing, gets cleaned up, and heads to the cafeteria for “breakfast.”  For the students it may be breakfast, but for me it’s lunch.  The meal period is pretty short, about 15 or 20 minutes, and then we head back to the shop.  School is over in a couple hours, so the rest of the day goes by pretty quickly.

KG kids sleeping on the bus

1:00pm -  School's out!  Like the bus ride to school, the bus ride home is well over an hour.  The kids can be pretty wound up, so it’s a constant battle to keep them somewhat quiet and in their seats.  After a while, though, some get dropped off and others fall asleep.  Most days we get home between 2:30 and 3:00.

This is pretty much our routine, Sunday through Thursday, with the following exceptions:  On Tuesdays we have our Group 1 English class, which consists of 6 of the vocational students who have some knowledge of English, but not much.  With these students we work on numbers and letters, basic greetings, colors, animals, etc. On Wednesday, Darren takes Group 2 English class, which is 3 of the more advanced students.  With this class, we work on vocabulary, as well as reading and writing skills.  Also on Wednesday, Amber goes with the school section to the city sports complex, where she instructs a few students in tennis, which she played in high school.  Thursdays are also slightly different, in that the vocational students get an hour of free time after lunch, and everybody gets off at about noon.

We love the staff that we work with and enjoy our jobs, but what really makes the difference is the students: they are always there, smiling and laughing, even though they have no idea what we are talking about.  When we come in, they are always happy to see us and ready to great us with whatever English they know.  Several of them ask about past volunteers (Lena, Emily, Kelly, and Jamie) daily. We know that when we leave the school, we will leave behind an imprint on the student’s lives, and next year they will ask where we are, too.

Hosting our first Thanksgiving (in Jordan!)

Part 1: The land of no gourds

Getting ready for Thanksgiving was quite the ordeal!  In one week, we visited every shop that carries imported American foods in Amman (some of them more than once), and still weren’t able to find everything we were looking for.

For the meal, we split up the dishes, so everyone was able to contribute.  Darren was in charge of the turkey.  Stella had stuffing and sweet potatoes.  Amanda had mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, for which she had a hard time finding the crunchy little fried onions that go on top.  A friend of hers went to several stores to look for her (to no avail), but she finally found them the night before Thanksgiving.  Amber was in charge of gravy (which was easy enough) and dessert (which turned out to be more work than any of us expected).  The plan was to make four pies: a chocolate, a lemon, a sweet potato, and a pumpkin.  After visiting three different stores, we had all the ingredients for 3 out of the 4 pies.  Canned pumpkin (or fresh pumpkin, for that matter) was not to be found anywhere!  Then, finally, the day before Thanksgiving, we found a place that was supposed to get pumpkin in the next morning.  The only problem was that we were all at work, and who knew how many other Americans were looking for it too.  Luckily, our boss let us off school early so we could go and get some before it was all gone.  Once at the store, we asked the manager, who told us that there was a mistake with the shipment: even though it was listed on the shipping manifest, there was no pumpkin on the truck.  So, alas, we only had three pies. Two of the piecrusts shrank a bit, but luckily the size of the pie doesn’t affect the taste.

Part 2: International guests and an American meal

In preparation for Thanksgiving, Amber had her kids at school make hand-print turkeys, and brought some home for decorations.  It was so cute!  Also, we re-arranged our living room to be better suited for conversation, and borrowed Stella and Amanda’s table to make room for the food and the guests.  At about 6:45pm, as we were finishing everything up, our guests began arriving: two Jordanians (our boss and her husband), two Australians (our neighbor, who let us use his oven, and his friend from work), and an American co-worker of Amanda and Stella.  Some of our guests contributed food, some brought us beautiful flowers, and some gave us fancy chocolates to say thank you.  After everyone was here, we started out in the living room and enjoyed getting to know one another.  At one point there must have been at least five different conversations going on at once!

For the meal, we had the whole works: from the turkey, right down to the cranberry sauce (American style, from the can).  Everyone enjoyed trying new foods, even though not all of the new tastes agreed with their taste buds.  It was nice to have so many people to share this meaningful day with, and so much food to eat (we are sure to have leftovers for several days).

Part 3: Giving Thanks

In recognition of the fact that it’s called Thanksgiving, here are some things that we would like to give thanks for:  First, for the amazing opportunity we’ve been given in Jordan, and the paths that led us here.  Second, for our wonderful families, without whose love and concern we would not be where we are today.  Third, for the supportive and flexible staff of United Youth Corp.  Fourth, for all the friendly people in Jordan who make our stay so pleasant.  And for everyone who takes the time to read our blog posts.  Also, for the beautiful sunset we had before dinner.  Thanks to everyone for all you do, and above all, to God, without whose blessings none of this would be possible.

Israel Trip

“Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” – Psalm 122:2

After returning home to Amman on Wednesday night, we can now echo these words that King David wrote some three thousand years ago.  But that’s getting a little ahead of ourselves.  Why don’t we start at the beginning?

"Tree of Life" Mosaic

Sunday morning we got up a 5:30am (which is no big deal for us, but you can ask the other girls how they felt about it if you like) to put the finishing touches on our packs.  We were picked up by a friend of a friend who drove us to the King Hussain/Allenby Bridge, where we started the 4 hour-long process of entering Israel.  We arrived on the Israeli side of the bridge around noon, and caught a bus to Jericho, to see what it had to offer.  We went to what they call Old Jericho, or Tel Es Sultan, which contains the ruins of the ancient city.  Unfortunately, it is not all that well excavated, so it wasn’t as impressive as we were hoping for.  After that, we walked (about 2 miles) to a place called Hisham’s Palace, a ruined Islamic complex just north of town.  Now, this sight was a must see for us because we bought a mosaic that depicts the same scene as one found on a floor in the palace’s bathhouse.  These newer ruins were more impressive than the older ones, and it is amazing to imagine what it looked like before being leveled by an earthquake.

Damascus Gate

From Jericho, we managed to find a cab most of the way to Jerusalem.  We say “most of the way,” because, from the West Bank, you can’t get into the city without passing through a security checkpoint.  From the checkpoint, a local man drove us the rest of the way.  He unknowingly dropped us off exactly where we needed to be: right outside the Damascus Gate, and just a short walk to our hostel.  We were quite pleased when we discovered this!  We stayed at the New Palm Hostel, and would recommend it to anyone who is traveling on a budget.

Western Wall and Dome of the Rock

After some much needed rest, we set off on another day of adventure.  We passed through the Damascus Gate, the most impressive gate of the Old City, around 9am and made our way to the Western/Wailing Wall.  We observed the masses praying at the Wall and what we think was a bar mitzvah.  Right above the Wall is the Temple Mount (home of the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock), so we decided to do that next, and it was a good thing we did: after being there for only 30 minutes or so, men started yelling at the tourists (a.k.a. non-Muslims) to leave.  We would have liked more time, but we were lucky to have been able to get in at all.  Once we descended the Temple Mount, we made our way to the city of David, which is located south of the Old City, just outside the walls and down the hill.  Our main objective for the city of David was to go through Hezekiah’s tunnel, which we did.  After winding our way through the dark, wet, and cramped tunnel for 40 minutes, we were able to turn off our flashlights and emerge at the Pool of Siloam.  Even though there is no light in the tunnel, it was a highlight of our trip!  The old Pool of Siloam is not entirely excavated, but it’s amazing to think that we were standing at the site of one of Jesus’ miracles (John 9:1-7). 

Inside Hezekiah's Tunnel

As we exited the city of David, we took a footpath that led us through the Kidron Valley, below the Mount of Olives.  While waiting for the Garden of Gethsemane to open, we climbed to the top of the mountain and stopped for lunch.  We then proceeded to the main viewpoint on the Mount of Olives, were you can see all of Old Jerusalem and a beautiful view of the Temple Mount.  The Mount of Olives is linked to the coming of the Messiah for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, so thousands upon thousands of people (estimates say approximately 150,000) are buried right on the slope of the mountain in order to be the first resurrected.

After we were done soaking in the view, we made our way down to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Of course it’s impossible to know if this is actually the right place, but some of the olive trees have been dated (insert corny joke from Darren) at over 2,000 years old.  After this event-packed day, we made it back to our hostel, got a bite to eat, and then went out to explore the little shops of the Old City.  That night was especially busy, and the markets were a cacophony of shouting stall-owners, bartering shoppers, and passing tourists.

Garden of Gethsemane

The following day was the first day of a major Muslim holiday (Eid Al Adha), so all of the Muslim section of the city was closed.  Fortunately, all the things run by the Christians and the Jews were still open.  On this day, we paired off and did our own things.  We went first to the Garden Tomb, one of the proposed sites of Jesus’ burial, which would have been a beautiful and relaxing place if it hadn’t been for the several huge tour groups that showed up.  After that, we were off to the Citadel, also called the Tower of David (although it was not built by David), which houses a museum on the history of Jerusalem.  It’s ironic that Jerusalem (literally “City of Peace”) has been the most fought-over city on the planet: taken from the Jebusites by the Israelites, besieged by the Assyrians, pillaged and destroyed by the Babylonians, re-settled by the Jews, captured by Alexander the Great, fought over by the Ptolemys and Seleucids, captured then destroyed then rebuilt by the Romans, captured by the Muslims and ruled by several dynasties, taken by the Crusaders, retaken by the Muslims, handed back over to the Crusaders, taken by the Muslims again, passed through several more dynasties, handed over to the British, then seized by the Jews.  Phew!  God really meant it when He said “I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples…a very heavy stone for all peoples” (Zec 12:2-3).

After we were finished there, we walked down to the Valley of Hinnom, (a.k.a. Gehenna, translated “hell” in bible verses such as Mark 9:47, used as an ancient garbage dump and incinerator), which is now a beautiful park.  We spent quite some time just sitting and listening to the wind in the trees, enjoying the smell of the grass, and the sound of the birds in the distance.  For a place called “hell,” it’s ironic that it was the most relaxing spot we visited.  Once we felt revived, we walked the length of the valley, up through the City of David, and back into the walls of the Old City.  We then went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally the most accepted site of Jesus’ burial, and had a quick look around.  When finished there, we walked the streets of the Old City, looking at the shops again.  That night, we were very thankful to have a bed to sleep in after another long day of walking.

To keep the theme of walking, that was exactly what we did the next day.  We started the day by walking to the bus station about 2 miles away, where we caught a bus to Ein Gedi Wildlife Preserve.  You can find it in the bible in 1 Samuel chapter 24.  We spent several hours hiking, looking at the waterfalls and springs, and keeping an eye out for animals – so much beautiful scenery, flora, and fauna.  We left there around sunset, heading to Masada, but due to a mix-up, our stay there was canceled, and we came home a day early.  We arrived at our apartment safe and sound on Wednesday night, around 11pm. 

Ein Gedi

Ein Gedi

So, as mentioned, we can now say "Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!”  It was definitely a site to behold – there’s no place quite like it – and it is a trip we are sure to remember for the rest of our lives.

An Eventful Few Weeks

Alright, so a lot has happened since our last post…

On the work side of things, we have had several visitors come through the school.  One group was the model UN, a group of international teenagers, which came in as a service project to help out in most of the classrooms and do some painting of the outside walls.  After the service portion of the project was over, they brought in a clown and a DJ to entertain the students.  Not much got done, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.  The next set of visitors we had was HRH Princes Sarvath, along with some guests that she was hosting from the US and the UK.  It was a stressful but rewarding day.  Amber was talking with one of the visitors, who encouraged her to go back to school and get her masters in occupational therapy.  We’ll see how far that idea goes in the future.

Next up was the Charity Dinner for the YMWA.  The décor for the dinner was amazing, and the table decorations, ambiance, and atmosphere were perfect for the charitable evening.  Once guests started to arrive, we were asked to assist in selling raffle tickets.  We sold all the tickets we were given, meeting and speaking with many of the guests in attendance.  We were even granted an audience with HRH Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath.  We were able to take a few photos and have a quick conversation with Prince Hassan, where he recapped a story of Princess Sarvath with a former student from the YMWA.  We also met their daughter Princess Rahma, who is now the acting head of the board for the Center.  The meal was finally served at 10pm and (Oh man!) it was definitely worth the wait.  Well, most of it anyway: the first course had shrimp, which we didn’t eat, but there was also salmon in an amazing sauce and very tasty vegetables.  The next course was a mushroom risotto that was also very tasty (Amber picked out her mushrooms and then ate it).  The main course, the best of them all, was a fillet cut of US beef, with herb crusted mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables.  It was one of the most tender and delicious steaks we have ever had.  Lastly, desert was mocha-flavored ice cream with chocolate mouse.  It was all really nice, even if the impatient waiters had a hard time waiting until you were done to take your plate/drink.

During the Charity Dinner, we were invited to a Polo game the following day, the proceeds for which were to go to flood victims in Pakistan.  The school sent a driver to take us out to the game, and we got an early start, but got a bit lost on the way, making it there just in time.  It turned out, however, that our timing couldn’t have been better: as we were about to go through the entrance gate the guards told us to wait a minute because the royal motorcade was arriving, and when the prince and princess drove through, they stopped, rolled down their window, and asked us if we were having problems getting in!  After that, the guards were all smiles!  The game itself was a bit slow, but still quite impressive – beautiful and well-trained horses and quick, accurate players – and definitely worth going to, even if only to say we’ve been.

Also, this past Tuesday was Election Day here in Jordan, so everyone got the day off work to vote for members of parliament.  We, of course, took full advantage of a free day, renting a car and taking Stella with us back out to Madaba.  Once there, we met up with our friend from school and two of his friends, and then drove to a place outside the city called Umm Ar Rasas.  This ancient Roman town was destroyed by an earthquake sometime after the Byzantine period, and is home to the largest mosaic in Jordan.  After returning to Madaba, we purchased our own mosaic – a replica of one found in Khirbet al-Mafjar (just outside Jericho), hand-made by our friend, and commissioned just for us – which now decorates the sideboard in our dining room.  It is beautiful, sturdy, and personal, which makes it a perfect, life-long reminder of our time here.

Visitors!

After telling everyone who wants to come see us, or anyone who is simply passing through that they can stay with us, someone took us up on our offer: this past weekend, we hosted our first official guests!  After hoping the directions we gave them to our apartment were good enough, two young ladies from America (one on her way back from Australia) and one young man form Australia, arrived on the evening of Friday, October 22, just in time for dinner.  They were grateful to have beds to sleep in and a washing machine for their laundry, and we were grateful to see some new faces and hear native English-speakers.

The guy from Australia, Antoine, had to catch a flight first thing on Saturday morning, but the gals, Heather and Sophia, stayed. We spent a nice, relaxing Sabbath, where the girls increased our church attendance by 50%.  That evening, we were all invited to our neighbor’s apartment for a potluck and meet-and-greet for ABS faculty (and UYC volunteers).  It was fun, and we had some amazing lamb, among other things.  After that was over, the six of us (volunteers and guests) went back to our apartment and played a card game called Dutch Blitz.  It was pretty intense, and since we figured out that the two of us are terrible at it, we let the girls finish up without us.

We were really hoping to show our guests around a bit, so we talked to our boss, and she graciously let us have Sunday off work in order to spend the day doing just that.  First thing Sunday morning we rented a car!  It was our first car rental in Jordan, and Darren’s first time driving in a foreign country.  It was a great experience, if a little intimidating.   

We spent most of the day in Jerash, which is just a short drive away.  When we were done there, we had an amazing lunch just outside the park, and then started our drive toward the border with Israel, the girls’ next destination.  On the way to the border we drove past Ajlun castle, which was nice to see from a distance, and will surely be nicer close up when we go back to explore at some point.  The country drive was breathtaking – mountainous and tree-covered near Ajlun, turning into desert and canyons, then giving way to the low, fertile Jordan river valley.  We dropped the girls off at the King Hussain Bridge (or as close to it as we could get), so they could make their way into Jerusalem, and then we drove home.

Looking at Ajlun Castle

Also, we were not able to rent the car for only one day, but for two days minimum, so we drove to work on Monday, and to Madaba afterwards.  One of the staff members at the school lives there, so he showed us how to get there.  He also showed us his mosaic workshop, and then took us on a tour of Madaba, which we enjoyed very much.  It turns out that Madaba has a lot more to offer than we originally thought: lots of cool mosaics, an archaeological park, and a school for mosaic production and restoration.  Unfortunately, we forgot our camera, so pictures will have to wait…

New Content on Our Blog

We are pleased to announce the following new content on our blog:

• Related Sites widget on our sidebar, linking to the official UYC Jordan Project 2010 blog and to Amanda Hendee's personal blog
• Photo Gallery tab, opening a page filled with lots of our best photos
• Marathon tab, opening a page where you can follow our progress as we train for the Dead Sea marathon in April

Enjoy!

Feast Highlights - Touring Jordan

Just two weeks after the start of school, we already had to take time off of work for the fall holy days.  We were delighted to have the Ericksons and the Registers for the Day of Atonement, and even more so to have 120 people from all over the world celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles with us in Jordan.

After starting off from Amman, Jerash was our first stop.  Jerash, a city of the ancient Decapolis, is the largest and most well-preserved Roman city in Jordan.  It was very awe inspiring to walk through the remains of a city that is over 2000 years old, yet still so intact – the gates still standing, the streets straight, the forum whole, and the theater still functioning. We wished we had more time to explore, so we will have to go back to this site before we go home to the States.

After that was the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is a very unique place: the water is so heavy with minerals and salt it feels almost like baby oil on your skin, and you float with no effort.  However, it is hard to completely relax while you are floating in the Dead Sea, because you are constantly worried about the water getting into your eyes.  Unfortunately, this happened to Amber; fortunately, they place a lifeguard on the beach, with a big bottle of fresh water, who will gladly rinse out your eyes.  If you ever get the chance, you should go and give it a try (minus the water in the eyes, of course).

Next up was Pella, another city of the Decapolis.  Darren really liked this location because it wasn’t as touristy, and they just let you wander around the ruins.  It was well over 100 degrees that day and Amber was battling dehydration, so she sat in the shade and watched him explore the ruins.  This is also a place we would like to visit again, to go explore and rummage around the ruins some more.

Our fourth stop was the grandest of them all – Petra was simply amazing!  We only had a few hours to explore, but we could have easily spent a week in Petra.  It was so amazing that it’s hard to put into words.  It’s almost like a miniature Grand Canyon, but with enormous monuments built right into the stone: beautiful variations of color and constantly shifting geography inlaid with hauntingly empty yet amazingly complex architecture.  Since pictures are worth a thousand words, we will let them explain further.  We also rode camels while we were in Petra – enjoyable, but not at all like riding a horse.

That night we went to Aqaba, where we stayed at a beautiful hotel.  We were so impressed with it that we skipped the tour of Wadi Rum to just chill at the hotel and take full advantage of its several interconnected swimming pools.  Also, what a view of the very blue Red Sea!  While we were in Aqaba, we had the chance to go scuba diving.  It was our first time, and Amber was really nervous at the beginning: she was a little worried to be under that much water.  Luckily she had a very patient dive instructor that made sure she was ready before taking her further down.  Darren, on the other hand, was completely calm about the whole thing and really excited to go.  He wasn’t able to see as much, though, because he had to take off his glasses.  Fortunately for us, we found someone else who was there to give us pictures.

After we left Aqaba, we went to Mt. Nebo, which is the location where Moses was able to look at the Promised Land even though he was unable to enter.  Yes, the view was amazing, but the landscape has changed some since the time of Moses.  Seriously though, they say you can almost see the Mediterranean on a clear day.

 

Last, we went to Madaba to see the world’s oldest mosaic map, one of the Holy Land, which is housed in a Greek Orthodox church.  It was nice to see, but all the decorations of the church were distracting from the splendor of the mosaic map.

We saw and heard lots of inspiring things, and had an amazing time.  We still have trouble believing we’re here, in a land so rich with history and so much promise for the future!

Iftar, iftar, and (maybe) more iftar

So, we had our first authentic iftar the other day.  Here's how it went:

One of our bus drivers, who we have been spending lots of time with because of running here for a blood test, there for a security check, somewhere else for ID photos, invited us to his brother's house to eat that night.  When we arrived, we were greeted by the family: 8 kids, 2 parents, 1 grandparent, 1 cousin, and 1 uncle.  Everyone was incredibly nice, and the baby was adorable!  It was a beautiful evening, so we sat on cushions on their patio.  The main dish was one huge plate of chicken and rice, with some kind of sticky dough underneath and a yogurt sauce to drizzle over top, which was pretty tasty.  They were nice and gave us separate plates, but we wouldn't have minded digging in with the rest of them.  They also set out some bowls of cucumber and tomato salad, which was absolutely delicious (Darren ate a whole bowl by himself), and some slightly spiced noodle soup.  There were also stuffed grape leaves and stuffed squash.  A little while after the meal they brought out tea and fresh grapes, and we sat and talked for quite awhile.  Then the girls asked Amber to go inside and help prepare dessert, which turned out to be a less than stellar idea because they asked so many questions she almost burned what she was supposed to be watching.  In the meantime, we all had coffee - yes, they do tea followed by coffee - and then the goodies were ready: little balls of fried dough which we had never seen before, but tasted similar to funnel cake.  After talking a little more, we left for home.

On the way home, he invited us to his sister's house for post-iftar tea in a couple days.  That time, we took Amanda and Stella with us.  After meeting more of the family, we picked fresh apples, figs, and grapes at their house and drank tea and 2 types of coffee:  Turkish/Arabic coffee = not so bad and Bedouin coffee = not so good; we were thankful for small cups.  Once again, the family was incredible, and they insisted that we let others know that Arabs are nice people and treat us Americans like family, which they certainly did!  They would have kept us all night, but we finally got home about 1am.


Tonight was another school-sponsored iftar, with teachers and students.  It was about like last time, but with some exceptions: we got to invite Amanda and Stella along, we know some of the staff better now so we didn't sit alone, and we didn't have any coffee.

On Wednesday, the last day of Ramadan, we should be having one last iftar, but we don't have many details yet.  We will see...

Jordan: Day 10

We have been in Jordan for 10 days now, and we are getting more used to our surroundings. 

Here are a few pictures of our apartment. 

Our kitchen

Our living room

The view from our building

We went to the YMWA School for the first time on Sunday.  We received a short tour of the facilities and cell phone for local use.  However, school is not in session and we don't have anyone to call here anyway.  Seriously, though, the staff members we have met all seem very nice.  Luckily for us, some of them speak English; one of them has even promised to teach us some Arabic, which we could greatly use.  On Monday, they took us to a clinic to have our blood drawn as part of the work visa approval process.  Our bus driver had us cut to the front of every line, and we turned a 2 hour visit into 30 minutes.  It really wasn't that bad, but Amber has one gnarly bruise on her arm from where they drew blood.

Ouch!

Tuesday night, we attended our first iftar with the students and faculty of the school at Ramadan park.  The experience was an ordeal from the beginning.  Our bus driver (not the one that took us to the clinic) overslept and was consequently running late picking everyone up.  The ride to the school was extremely nauseating as he tried to make up for lost time, which, thanks to a tight alley he tried to squeeze down, only made us later.  After meeting up at the school with the rest of the group, we set off to the park only to realize our driver didn't know how to get there.  Then, 2 hours after leaving our apartment, we finally arrived at the park.  The meal was very good, and they even sent us home with plenty of left-overs.  We were offered our first Arabic coffee, which we accepted.  After drinking, however, we were scolded twice: first because we cheered with it, and second because we drank it during our meal.  So keep that in mind if you ever come to Jordan: only cheer with alcohol and wait til after the meal to drink your coffee.  The bus ride home was just as interesting!  We got lost again and there were a few more close calls.  That said, it was better than the ride there.  For all of our complaining, the experience was very positive, and we are both looking forward to the start of school.

We just hung out around the apartment the rest of the week.  We did meet some of the neighbors, but that can be the subject of another post...

Sleepless in Amman

We arrived safely in Jordan on Thursday, and thanks to a hot and sleepless night, here is our latest update:

Our flight from Chicago to Amman was a rather uneventful 12 hours; however, we were amazed at how many children were on board.  Apparently this is common for flights to/from the Middle East, as we were told we were lucky - there are usually more!

At the airport, we were caught off guard by the exchange rate: we were under the impression it was favorable to us, but apparently the US dollar is worth less than the Jordanian dinar currently.  After absorbing our initial shock, we proceeded through the visa and immigration counters with no problem.  Baggage claim, on the other hand, took us a while.  Thankfully, all four of our bags came through without a problem.  Unfortunately, this was not the case for one of our party: Stella's bags caught the wrong flight and took a day longer than the rest of ours to arrive.  They are now in Jordan, but how they will be delivered is still uncertain.

Our driver was waiting for us near the exit, and although he was a little upset he was going to be late for iftar, he still seemed in good humor.  We arrived at our apartment safe but a bit nauseous from our first encounter with Jordan driving.  It's not that there are no rules (our driver was quite adamant that there are, and that there are police who enforce them), it's just that drivers take things like lanes and speed limits as suggestions more than requirements.  One thing that can be said in their favor, however, is that they at least know the correct side of the road for driving!

The temperature has been our second shock: at around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the locals are surprised and over-heated as well.  Hopefully things will get back to normal soon, because there is no air conditioning and we can't wear shorts or tank tops outside.

With our move to Jordan we have upgraded our living space from a one room flat to a three bedroom apartment with a good size kitchen, dining room, and living room.  However, our refrigerator and washing machine are almost comical to look at.  The refrigerator is 1/2 the size of what we are used to, and the washer is 1/4 of the size.  We were supplied with some basic food items: milk, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit, etc.  The food has surprised us by its lack of preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.  Who knew that food could taste so real and fresh!  We have enjoyed every bite/drink so far.

We found out several days ago that we will be working at the Bunyat school for the handicapped. Upon our arrival to our apartment we were contacted by them and will be picked up and given a tour of the school on Sunday.  More to follow then.

Here We Go!

We are just a few hours away from our flight to Jordan. Our stuff is all packed, we are hoping we have everything we need and that nothing essential is left behind, and we are on our way to the airport.  Wish us luck, and pray for the best!

Orientation Overview

Questions, questions, questions... some answered, some created, and some remain.

Orientation went quite well.  The Fearless Four (as we were dubbed by Mr. Erickson) were assembled for the first time, at the Erickson's home near Minneapolis/St. Paul.  We received amazing and plentiful food, and we received invaluable information essential to our upcoming adventure in the Middle East.  It was nice to finally sit down face-to-face with everyone in this year's team, and to learn from someone who has many years of personal experience living and working in Jordan.  On Friday, we primarily covered the history of the region and the project; on Saturday, we covered the need for and purpose of the project; on Sunday, we had a special guest.  This last session, one of the most helpful, came from one of last year's volunteers: Kelley Schreiber shared some of her experiences, both challenging and rewarding, and we were able to ask lots of detailed questions. 

The biggest question remaining is still "Where, exactly, are we working?"  Of course, we know that wherever we end up, it will be for the best.  Perhaps this will be answered before we leave... insha'allah, as the Arabs say, meaning "if God wills." 

Also if God wills, we will run in the Dead Sea Marathon in the spring, like last year's volunteers.  Not everyone is thrilled at the prospect, but so far everyone has agreed.  Of course, with this agreement comes the added cost of quality running attire and the search for such attire, not to mention the months of training we know are ahead. 

That about does it for now.  We will keep you posted...

Preparations for Jordan

On May 19th we got life-changing news, and NO we are not pregnant!  After waiting patiently for what seemed like an agonizingly looong time, we were told of our acceptance to the United Youth Corp Jordan Project.  Jordan Project...as in moving half-way around the world, trying to learn Arabic, and convincing our friends and family that we aren't crazy.  Accordingly, we are now trying to visit as many friends and family members as possible before we leave.

We were very surprised that we had been chosen for this great opportunity, even overwhelmed at times, and have been preparing ever since.  It's amazing how many details need to be addressed before leaving the country for a year - everything from finding Auto insurance to studying Zionism!  Finally, we are almost done with the preparations.  All that's left is orientation and final packing.  We'll keep you posted...