The Perfect Souvenir.

I have an exam in less than an hour but I don't think I'll have another opportunity to post before I go back to America! So, quickly:

-Two days ago I decided to get a haircut because they're cheaper here and Patricia recommended this salon (or saloon, as they call them here). I noticed that the stylist was cutting off a lot of hair but I decided to trust him, and thought that even if it turned out badly it would just be funny and I could somehow salvage it, so I didn't intervene. Well, after all the styling and blowdrying, there is no better way to describe my new coif than by calling it a mullet. It's hilarious. I won't be including photos, but look forward to seeing it upon my return to America. I can disguise it pretty well, but I think it's the perfect souvenir.

- Over the weekend some friends and I went to some hot springs that are pretty famous in Jordan. Upon arrival we noticed that all of the women were in the water fully clothed. I had to borrow my friend's swim trunks and wear my shirt in the water... I don't know why I haven't come to expect these things. After the springs we went to the Roman bath, which is just a swimming pool of hot water, hair, sweat, and general body odor. The baths are separated between men and women and I was the only girl in our group, so I got to enjoy it alone. After that we stopped by a panoramic view of the Dead Sea where, on a clear day, you can supposedly see Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and other cities nearby. Then we stopped by Mount Nebo which was nice but sort of unremarkable. I then proceeded to accidentally delete my photos from the entire day, so I won't be including any here...

-Last week the ladies gave me a traditional Arab dress and necklace. They then forced me to do a photoshoot with Farah and Deena. Photo included. The design is beautifully hand-stitched, I'm still in disbelief that they gave me such a nice gift.

-Tomorrow the program is officially over! I don't leave until Monday night, so from Friday to Monday I'll be traveling around Palestine with my friend Santiago. We will definitely visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and hope to have time for Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus. I'm so excited! I think it will be the perfect end to my semester here.

-I have also included photos of my three Arabic teachers. Dr. Najeh was our colloquial Arabic teacher and the boss of the CIEE Arabic program. He is hilarious and by far one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. Rabia'a (on the left) was our listening teacher, so we only had her twice a week for about an hour. We would listen to stories and answer questions. She was also wonderful and funny. Hala (on the right) was our Modern Standard Arabic teacher and we spent A LOT of time with her, about 7 hours per week. She was so patient, kind, and helpful, and she also had a great sense of humor. I will miss them all.

Water Hike, the Pope, Avoiding Studying

This blog has proved to be an excellent means of avoiding my studies... So here goes, another update!

Last weekend we went on a hike in one of the many wadis (valleys) here in Jordan. The one we were in is filled with water, so it was basically a river/creek with tall rock walls on either side. It was really deep in some places, so a few of us chose to wear life jackets... Okay, just Patricia, one other boy and I decided to wear life jackets and I am now sporting awesome tan lines as a result. It was a really fun and active day, and a welcome change from yet another trip to see ruins. Unfortunately we spent the entire day in water and we couldn't bring cameras, so I don't have any photos to post.

As some of you may know or have read about, the Pope came to Jordan this weekend. I didn't really plan on going since I saw him a few years ago at the Vatican and I thought I clearly expressed this to the ladies. When I came home from school one day to find them excitedly waving tickets in my face I knew that communication had failed somewhere along the way, and that I had no choice but to attend. So I arose this morning at 4:40 am to walk to the stadium and arrive by 5:30. There I met Chris and we went in and got seats, realizing that arriving at such an hour was completely unnecessary. The ladies had told me that phones and cameras weren't allowed so I didn't bring mine, but of course everyone had them. The whole affair really didn't feel like a religious ceremony or church service at all, as people waved flags, chanted and cheered the entire time. The service itself was interesting and half in English, half in Arabic. After the communion we tried to leave but no one was allowed to leave until ol' Benny left, so we were stuck in a large mass of sweaty people in the sun for about twenty minutes. Then there were no taxis so I walked the whole way home, which was exhausting. Luckily when I arrived home the ladies had cooked my favorite meal of stuffed squash and eggplant and then I took a most excellent nap. For a more informative description of the purpose of his visit, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/world/middleeast/09pope.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=pope&st=cse

This week all of our final papers are due, of which I have two. I also have my Arabic take-home exam due and my speaking, listening, and colloquial exams. That, of course, does not include the FINAL final exam which is next week. It's pretty cool having five exams for one language.

Since I don't have any really entertaining news, feast your eyes on this:


She's not ACTUALLY drinking the beer, the bag was sitting there (yes, the ladies enjoy a cold brew every now and again) and she started messing around in it and acting like she was drinking it. Yet another reason why Farrah is the baby of my dreams. She can barely talk but knows my name now and always smiles and laughs at me (just like everyone else in this country, but it's cuter when she does it). Apparently when I'm at school she says my name and tries to go into my room. I always look forward to cuddling with her when I come home from a long day in class.

ALSO: last week there was a "thank you" dinner for all the host families. It was at a really beautiful nice restaurant, and Margo and Marina came with me. Here's a nice photo from it:

I was also informed that the ladies told someone who works for CIEE that I'm their favorite girl they've ever hosted. Lately I've been sort of homesick and spending less time in the house (partly due to the lack of internet) so I was delighted surprised to hear this news! I daresay I will miss them when I come home.

Well that's all the time I can waste, but I hope everyone has a happy Mother's Day!!! Especially mine!