But by way of a short summary of my recent adventures, I'll mention some of the highlights. A few weeks back I had the opportunity to go on a fun little hike (it was indeed very short, but rather challenging - well, perhaps slippery and precarious are more accurate descriptors) to Wadi Zarqa Ma'in, near the Dead Sea. A wadi is a canyon or valley, "zarqa" means blue, and "ma'in" may or may not refer to water - I'm not sure (it's not the normal form of the word, if it is - and yes, I'm learning Arabic, and yes, I do know the word for water in Arabic). In any case, there's WATER! It's a trail that follows a small stream for about a mile and a half until you arrive at a nice little waterfall. We did some scrambling up wet rocks, more slipping down them on the way back (I did manage to bruise my hand in one particularly desperate struggle to keep my grip), and waded through little pools along the way where wet pants and shoes could not be avoided. It was while I sat complaining about my heavy wet pants that my friend pulled out her handy-dandy Swiss army knife and offered me the tiny scissors. Well, I availed myself of them, and now I have cutoffs! They're great!
I haven't made it out of Amman since then, except for this last Friday when I visited the North Jordan branch of the church up near Irbed. I was delighted with the amount of Arabic I understood (although, lest you mistakenly believe me to be anywhere near fluent, this comprehension amounted to roughly general topics and about every fourth or fifth word - and this is a vast improvement from every tenth word or so a while ago), and I enjoyed the wonderful people I met. I tagged along with Niki Bradford (more on her later) for a stake leadership visit, so that I could invite the Young Women to camp (which I am in charge of!) in two weeks. Good thing I went! No one even knew about it. Clearly lines of communication are much less connected than I had hoped. But apparently no young women attend church currently anyway, so, with my senior companion, Lindsey, I went knocking doors and got to visit with two young women (although only one is a bona fide member of the Church - the other one has a father who won't let her join). It felt so much like being on a mission again, that I almost felt giddy! Sitting there with a poor but loving family who had nothing, but insisted we drink orange soda as we chatted, understanding only snippets of the conversation, and watching Lindsey - the sincere and loving way they talked to her and about her, and her love toward them in return - it was a treasured moment. I do hope some of the young women are able to come - and I said so in my broken Arabic!
Another Saturday I joined some of the branch members at the Jordan River for the baptism of our new friend Joseph. It was beautiful, although I do think he was rather dismayed at the muddy water, and even more so at the muddy bottom that kept causing him to slip and slide as he ventured in. Mackenzie, a new member of only a couple of months, baptized him. It was a great day.
So, other than another exhausting cold and a couple of trips with the Bradfords to the American Embassy pool, life here has been rather quiet and routine: up at 6 to finish homework I should have finished the day before; off to school at 9:15 for 9:30 class; back at 1 (or 2 if I had to stop to buy groceries or other things) to make lunch; a nap about every other day; dinner - sometimes out with friends, usually here at home - and some homework; calling the family or catching up on YW camp; bed by midnight. It turns out I don't mind getting up at 6. It's quiet, cool (yes, it has warmed right up! so I open the door/window to my balcony and let the cool breeze flow - and the bright morning sun is lighting up the golden buildings all around me is an added bonus), and good justification for a nap in the afternoon.
Now for the top 10 list. I'm going to divide it into top 5 things I grumble about and the top 5 things I smile about on a regular basis.
5. Grumble-worthy - I'm a spoiled American and I miss some of my conveniences: blender and/or mixer in the kitchen; decent cooking supplies in general; my car (I don't love carrying groceries home, nor having to get a ride home from activities in the evening because it's not safe for a woman to be alone in a taxi in the evening); a shower with a head that I don't have to hold (while I rather like the shower heads with hoses for their mobility, this one won't stay upright in its holder, so it sprays only the wall; thus, I have to hold it the whole time - but I've developed a system where I let it rest on my shoulder when I'm not using it, so I still get the benefit of the warm water! I know - spoiled!).
5. Smile-worthy - the MUCH lower cost of living here: the apartment (which I've had various taxi drivers tell me is highly overpriced) is about half of what the same would cost in Boston; the food is generally cheaper, and fresh vegetables easily accessible on almost every block; every restaurant I've been to, except American ones (yes, I gave in and went to Applebee's - and it wasn't even worth it!), offers their food at very reasonable prices.
4. The gas, water and vegetable trucks that drive by about every half hour, from 7 am to sometime in the early evening, each with its own little catchy (stick in your head like the song that never ends) tune to announce its presence to anyone in need of its services. The problem is that they don't have the decency to go somewhere else during my naptime!
4. Exploring new places - I've had such fun on the trips I've had!
3. I've become a murderer. Yes, Amber, in the kitchen (nearly every morning) with the tissue. Most mornings, although we keep the kitchen quite clean, I find a small but steady stream of tiny ants exploring the culinary opportunities. They pay for it with their lives. I grab a tissue, beg their forgiveness and explain that I simply can't have them going back and bringing their friends - and I smash them quickly and efficiently. Today the work of killing took place in the study room (the empty bedroom) as well. I'm going to have to be vigilant about crumbs from here on out.
3. The weather (finally). Oh, the glorious sun, the cool breeze! So far, no AC needed.
2. The toilet paper situation. Yes, another way that this Jordan experience reminds me of my mission (in addition to the lack of a car, the ants, the struggle to understand people - and communicate in any sensible way back, when I talk to them (at least in the early weeks and months of my mission) - and incessant exhaustion of learning a language all day) is the fact that I have to throw my toilet paper in the waste basket instead of the toilet, where it belongs! Apparently the Jordanian sewage system is not set up to process anything but human waste. (Don't tell anyone, but I totally flush my toilet paper at the church and at my friend Niki's house - I can't see that anyone else throws it in the garbage (the evidence would be rather obvious), and I sure don't want mine to sit in there all alone for her to find later and wonder about!)
2. The small victories: moments I do understand, am able to use a new word or phrase appropriately, etc.
1. My top gripe: the fact that, when I get in a taxi (at least 2-3 times a week), I have to hope he doesn't strike up a conversation with me (and if he does, either lie or just give him the evil eye and refuse to talk), because it will probably lead to him telling me how beautiful I am, or that I have beautiful eyes ("please take off your glasses (sunglasses), you're eyes are so beautiful!), then asking if I have a husband and then boyfriend (I have become a liar (I unabashedly claim a boyfriend in Boston, and have even made up a name - and STILL they tell me I need an Arab boyfriend), as well as a murderer - two of the commandments shot, with "Love thy neighbor as thyself" in serious jeopardy during some of these taxi rides). I need to find a ring (I didn't bring any of my rings with me, darn it!) and fabricate an even bigger lie regarding my single status.
1. BUT my number one joy in Amman: the people. I know - I'm a confusing contradiction (in so many ways!). I really have met wonderful people - at church, at school, and even in the taxi. One driver insisted that I not pay him - he just welcomed me to Jordan and wished me luck in my studies. No ogling, no slipping me his card - just good will.
So, there it is folks. This week I'm headed to Petra and Wadi Rum with my adopted family here. Niki Bradford befriended me my first Friday, and I spent the next three Fridays at her house - it started to seem like the weekly thing. Now we get together other times, and other families have had me over on Fridays - I've been so blessed! Her kids are adorable (if crazy competitive, sometimes violent, with each other), and her family so open and welcoming. Such a gift. I also have gotten to know their friend Lindsey who lives with them - also single (quite possibly in her early 30s or late 20s - not sure) and a fun, sincere and loving soul who I have enjoyed getting to know. Anyway, it's off to explore the deserts of Jordan! Look for amazing photos in coming days!
For now, you can enjoy these from adventures past.
Wadi Zarqa Ma'in
Oh, and I sat down on a chair that crumbled under me. Not very thoughtful of that chair for one who is self-conscious about her weight! (In my defense, the chairs have a rough time of it, since they have to scrape along the hard tile floor every time you sit down and stand up, and it puts a lot of pressure on the joints - which is where this one gave up the fight.)
Dinner with friends at Sufi restaurant on Rainbow Street - had Mansaf for the first time (the famous Jordanian rice and meat dish). Delish!
On our way to swim!
Our little branch here has had two baptisms in the last few months! Not bad for a place where the church has no proselyting missionaries! Both of them are Americans who found the Church on their own and became convinced of its truth. The baptisms are performed in the only place they could be: the Jordan River, of course! The Baptism site has been reinvigorated since the Pope's visit in 2000, and various churches are under construction (which made for some irritating background noise during the ceremony).
Visiting the North Jordan branch - Lindsey is ahead of me walking with Haneen (one of the young women we went searching for), who adores her.
My first stab at a (knock-off) tres leches cake. Yeah, I'm eating quite well, thank you.
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