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...