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.