Joy!

Monday morning is here...and I am still in Amman! Yeah! Last week we found out that the kids have all of this week off for Easter break and I got a great deal on changing my ticket. The story is a little more complicated than that, but the lovely result is that I'll be here all week. My hubby was a little sad that I wasn't coming home, but he's very excited that I get this extra time.

Yesterday was the celebration of Easter in this part of the world - they follow the Orthodox calendar. We had some friends over for an extravagent potluck meal that was a wonderful time! We had an egg hunt for the kids, ate too much food, and finished with lovely desserts. A great day for many reasons!

We don't have much planned for this coming week, so I'll put up some misc. pictures I've taken and that I've gotten from my sister. We hope to do one, maybe two, small excursions, so we'll see how our time goes. I got all my shopping done last week, so this week can just be time together with my sister and with the kids.

I'm very happy! Also, my cold/sinus infection/whatever is finally clearing up! I've been sick since April 3 or 4, so this has been a long haul. I haven't ever been too sick, though, so that's been a blessing. I'll work on miscellaneous pictures today. Missing all of you!

Just another Friday

My sister and I have continued to have a great time! Her husband took care of the kids after school one day this week so we could power shop, and did we ever have fun! It was like years ago when we were both single. Lovely! I do love her kids, and her husband (as well as mine), but I do suppose as her kids get older we'll get more and more time like that - just the two of us doing stuff we used to do. ;-)

Today - the first day of their weekend - started off quite normally. Dad made pancakes (a great whole wheat recipe my sister uses) and we headed off to t-ball. After that our adventures started. We headed to the Dead Sea Spa on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea. This is a fancy hotel that sells admission by the day if you're not staying there. This is the kids' favorite place to go for a day of fun. It is about 45 minutes from my sister's house, so just a short jaunt. Boy howdy, I can see why the kids love this place. OK, it is an amazing location for the adults - right on the Dead Sea beach, a wonderful view of Israel (if it isn't VERY hazy like it was today), a nice snack bar, etc. But for the kids...4 fun pools to swim in, 2 water slides, and a kiddie pool with a playground right in the middle of it. We had a wonderful time swimming, playing, diving, doing all the fun things you do at the pool. We ordered lunch poolside and just chilled. A very fun day to spend with my niece and nephews.

Unfortunately, the day didn't end great. Within 15 minutes of being home, one kid has a fever and another kid has thrown up. Well, so much for all going smoothly. Nevertheless, a fun day and a great memory (hopefully) for all of us.

I head home on Monday and am feeling quite sad about that tonight. I think next time I come, I'll come for several months and just move in. My sister said that would be all right so, in a few years after I've saved up enough for another trip, I just think I will. ;-) I'll wrap things up this weekend, and keep you all up to date. Thank for all your comments! xo C

Wadi Rum - our 2nd day there

Our night having passed peacefully, the moon watching over us
all the while, we awoke to an amazing day! I was the first awake in camp (having been awake most of the night - that delicious tea!). Joshua was the next to wake. He sat up in his sleeping bag and stretched, looking around to see if there were any other eyes open. I smiled at him and he smiled back, sleepily, remembering his mother's admonition of the night before to be very quiet unless the sky was very bright in the sky. That was definately not the case - the sun was barely up. It was only about 6:20 a.m. Joshua asked me if he could have a sesame seed biscuit from the night before and I said yes. He took one from the bag and left the camp enclosure to go play quietly on the sand dunes. I decided I'd had enough of my sleeping bag, too, and followed him out there. The sand was so cold! I was surprised by that. It was wonderful watching the sun finish its rising standing on the top of the sand dune in the nearly complete silence!

The morning proceeded quietly enough. One by one we all awakened, and eventually ate our simple breakfast of boiled eggs and pita bread with "triangle" cheese and jam. (Triangle cheese is a processed, spreadable cheese very common in Europe and the Middle East, usually eaten at the morning meal.) Ali, our host's son and overnight guard awakened and made us fresh tea, then headed back to Rum for the morning.

How happy we all were to see the day come! It meant climbing, hiking, playing and exploring our immediate area. We found 2 fairly recently eaten sheep, a goat's hind leg, lots of desert beetles, and lots of giant rocks to climb. My sister's boys (Joshua and David) are fearless climbers, and they made us all a little nervous as they scampered up rocks to heights of 30 ft. or more! They needed help a time or two descending, but all was well.

In the late morning, before it got too hot, we all went for a walk. The kids didn't want to go very far, but I walked a ways down some 4x4 tracks that led east of our camp. I followed them to the top of a hill (read "sand dune") that afforded an amazing view of Wadi Rum - more than we could see from our camp which was in a slight valley. I had only taken my SLR (actual film) camera on this walk, so I have no pictures of that wonderful view to post. :-( I was surpised by how much vegetation there is - lots of little bushes and tiny flowers springing right out of the sand. The bushes lose most of the their color by late spring, but there is always at least a little green, I'm told. Surprising, yes?

The rest of the day was occupied with more of the same - climbing, playing in the sand, reading in the shade, drinking LOTS of water!



Our camp under the overhang of this huge rock!











The great dune just outside our camp. The pinker sand is loose, just as one would expect it to be. The lighter sand is totally dry and very hard-packed.

David and Joshua playing on our dune...

David's artwork - drawn with a light-colored rock. He had just learned the phrase "artist's canvas" and used it to describe his work.

On our walk...

I know I don't have great pics of Wadi Rum, so if you want to look at way better pictures than mine, here is at least one website...

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Jordan/South/Aqaba/Wadi_Rum/

Night in the desert

a tall kerosene lamp stands guard over us
rugs laid out under the overhanging rock
strong, sweet tea to welcome us
portions bigger than any of us can eat
camels trodding past
moon, rocks, sand, stars
absolute silence

the beautiful children
my sister's voice lilting on with a bedtime story
Hannah tiptoeing in her pink footed pajamas

the moon coming over the rocks
quieting down for bed
clean face and feet

to sleep in a Bedouin camp
we dream of Arabia
no longer mysterious to our children

Wadi Rum - our Bedouin camp (Friday and Saturday)

Warning: long entry!!

We arrived at our guide's camp around 6:00 p.m. After our bumpy ride through the desert (Toyota truck pictured), it was lovely to be on solid ground again. :-)

Before getting into the nuts and bolts of our camp, let me say this...

When we walked into our camp's enclosure, tears came into my eyes and I could hardly contain myself. It was so beautiful, so amazing, so wondrous to be in a real Bedouin camp, to see the colorful mats and rugs, the teapot, the satchel hanging from a rock. I was overwhelmed by the experience, and it had just begun. I felt so privileged to be in that place and to be seeing all my eyes could take in. I can't really describe what I was feeling, but it was an amazing moment of authenticity, of wonder, and of awe at this world of great variety in which we live.

These Bedouin guides maintain semi-permanent camps at the sites that are traditionally their families' camps. Our guide told us that in the past, the Bedouin had tamed much of Wadi Rum. They'd once established water reservoirs, figured out irrigation systems, grown wheat and vegetables. This is no longer true; in fact, very few Bedouin in the Wadi Rum area still survive via their traditional methods of grazing goats and camels, etc. Most now use the tourism in Wadi Rum as their means of support. These camps stay up most of the year, and still look much the same as they always have. We got off the truck and started hauling our stuff into the tent area. The entrance to this semi-enclosed area is just to the right of the tent you see in the first picture, between the tent and the rock.

The following pictures try to give you a sort of 360' view of our camp's area, with the entrance at the south end of the camp. The tent's door (2nd picture) is barely visible because of the sun glare - just next to the small white table - between the black striped fabric and the tan fabric. The tent's sides can be lifted in the afternoon's hot weather. The tent is very warm at night and stays cool during the day until early afternoon, even in the heat.

The third picture is directly opposite the entrance to the camp. A shelf holding some traditional Bedouin items is pictured on the left, and on the right is a big pile of blankets and thin mattresses - the items traditionally used in (and out of) the tent for sleeping and lounging. We brought our own sleeping bags. As my sister said, "I like to know I'm the only thing sleeping in my sleeping
bag." Get it? Bugs, etc.

The next picture shows the same pile of mattresses and blankets, but also shows where various rugs, etc. are laid out as a seating area. Yes, just like you've seen in the movies, they have no chairs and sit on the ground for meals, entertaining, etc. We slept right where those mattresses on the right side of the picture begin. We took more mattresses from the pile, laid them side by side, and put our sleeping bags on top of them. We could have slept in the tent, but the temperature was perfect for sleeping under the stars.

As you can see in the next picture, the tent faces a rock overhang. This overhang totally protects the camp from the sun until about 11:30 a.m. Even after that, one can sit in the shade close to the rock until about 2:30 p.m. This was a wonderful, beautiful place to sleep, with the rock over part of us, able to look out the the expanse of sky above us.

The next to last picture shows Hannah running into the camp's enclosure. The last picture shows the great sand dune just outside the camp's enclosure. The boys immediately unloaded their toy trucks, climbed the dune and started playing.

OK, so now you can picture where we were staying. After unloading the truck, we got our stuff a little organized, sent the kids off to play, and began relaxing. Soon our guide and his son arrived with the traditional welcome - very strong, very sweet black tea and sesame seed covered cookies. I love that tea and, unfortunately, drank too much and then couldn't sleep, but more on that later. After this traditional Arabic welcome (by the way, it would have been very rude of us to either refuse the tea or not sit down with them to enjoy it), our hosts prepared dinner for us. We didn't have to wait long before that was laid out for us. The traditional meal served to visitors in Wadi Rum is Makloubi - upside down in Arabic. Chicken, eggplant, and cauliflower are placed in a deep pan and covered with rice and broth. After it is all cooked, it is turned out on a large tray and served...in HUGE portions! I was embarrassed at how much I left on my plate. My sister told me this is a part of Bedouin tradition and hospitality - generosity is a cardinal virtue among the Bedouin people. If they served us any less, it might imply they were cheap or unable to provide for us. Our Maklouba was served with a cucumber, tomato, and yogurt salad which I watched others mix into the rice - I did the same. The dinner was delicious!
After dinner, our guide left us, but with a guard. Hospitality being so important to this people group, they wouldn't want their guests to have a need or face any kind of danger without someone there to provide for them. Our guide's teenage son stayed with us. As he heard us winding down, he came into the camp enclosure to get some mattresses and blankets from the pile. After asking if we needed anything at all, he walked a little way from camp, made his bed, and slept there under the stars. He was close enough if we'd needed anything, but plenty far away to give us all the privacy we needed.

It was an amazing night! As I said above, I couldn't sleep much at all because of drinking too much of the wonderful tea. Usually, when I can't sleep I toss and turn and get quite irritated. Not so this night. I was almost content to be awake, lying under the stars. I knew I was going to get to enjoy the moon and stars more than anyone else. Every time I rolled over, awake again, I would smile, seeing the moon crossing the sky. In fact, the moon was almost full, and so we hardly saw any stars. At one point, the moon was so bright that I put a shirt over my eyes to make it darker. Incredible, wonderful!

The highlight of the night was this...upon waking, I sat up and looked around our camp. The moon had risen above the large rock under whose outcropping we were sleeping, and was shining on the tent like a spotlight. Oh, how I wish I was an artist and could render that image in paint or pencil! It was so beautiful! Something about it touched my heart deeply and once again, the tears flowed down my cheeks.

So a fitful night slowly turned into dawn. I watched the sky gradually lighten, the boys wake up one by one, stretching, looking around them with quiet smiles. My sister had told them, "If you wake up and the sky isn't very bright, you must be very quiet!" They obeyed. I followed Joshua out to the sand dune and thus our day began.

Wadi Rum - the drive in (Friday, April 18)

We were hoping to get a good jump on our afternoon and arrive in
Wadi Rum by 4:00 in order to have time to do a little hiking and playing on Friday, but we left Amman a little later than we intended. We stopped to fill-up with gas and bought delicious falafel sandwiches to take with us. These were the typical falafel as many of us have had, wrapped in fresh pita bread with cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, pickles, and a tahini sauce. Yummy!

Pic #1: FIRST VIEW OF WADI RUM FROM THE HIGHWAY
Disclaimer - many of these pictures were taken from the car, so they aren't great quality!

By the way, "wadi" means a gully or stream bed that remains dry except in the rain season - so dry most of the time. There are a lot of Wadi this and thats if you look at a map of Jordan. We were headed for the village of Rum which is in a wadi - thus, Wadi Rum.

Pic #2: Getting closer!

Our drive would take us about 4 hours pretty much straight south from Amman, including a potty stop for the kids. It isn't a particularly remarkable drive, but as I love seeing countries from cars, I enjoyed it. The whole drive is through desert. Although Amman has quite a bit of green, it pretty quickly disappears once you get south of the road to the airport. A lot of those trees were evidently planted to look good for visitors arriving - and it does! On our drive, there weren't ever too many miles between villages - probably never more than 20. Almost every village has a sign welcoming you and then saying goodbye. There wasn't much variety in architecture, but that's been true in Amman, too. Sorry no pics of small villages - my camera was in the trunk!

Pic #3: Leaving Rum village (taken from the back of the truck)

After about 3 hours of driving, you climb a long hill, and as you come over that hill you see the Wadi spread out in front of you. It is breathtaking even from a distance! The view of Wadi Rum goes past the horizon, so you can only see a little of it. (See pic 1 above). It is amazing to see these monoliths rising out of the desert. Another 1/2 hour and you take a turn to the east and head toward the Wadi Rum visitors' center. This is a pretty new building with very clean and modern bathrooms - lovely! The area known as Wadi Rum is a national park, environmentally protected (somewhat), with a very small fee by U.S. standards. The drive from the highway to the center is about 20 minutes. We called our guide on the phone and he told us where to meet him in the village of Rum where he lives.

SIDEBAR: I'll tell you how this guide thing works if you live in Jordan or know someone who does when you get the privilege of visiting.... A large percentage of the Bedouins who used to live in Wadi Rum and still populate the area now survive off the tourism

industry. They drive jeeps in and out of the wadi, take people to their families' permanent camps, and act as hosts, caterers and tour guides. An amazing and adaptable group of people. My sister and her husband have a favorite guide they've used many times. They are quite comfortable in their relationship with him, trust him absolutely, and very much appreciate his excellent service. We gave him a call, told him when we wanted to come, what meals we wanted him to provide, and that was that...almost. A slight glitch in this expedition: their usual guide was full the night we wanted to stay (with a group of 20!), but his brother's camp was available.

OK, so we stopped at the visitors' center, paid our fee, headed on

to Rum and met up with our guide. Although my sister had never met him before, she recognized him right away - he looks just like his brother! He loaded our stuff into the back of his 4x4 Toyota truck, we all piled in on top of our stuff, and we headed out to camp - about a 20 min. drive.

I couldn't really imagine what camp was going to look like. I had a hard time picturing what the terrain was going to turn into. I couldn't believe all these sandstone giants rising straight out of the desert. Quite a sight to see! The desert is a true desert - dry, bare, nearly devoid of vegetation, beautiful colors of sand, lots of wind. We arrived in the

afternoon (and it is still spring), so it wasn't too hot. The air was

starting to cool and it was just lovely. The jeep ride was a little topsy-turvy for someone who doesn't like feeling out of control in a car. The driver was more than competent, but the feeling of alternately sinking into sand, skidding on sand, and bumping along on very hard-packed sand was a little crazy! We very quickly lost sight of the village and headed out into the wadi where we saw very few other people. We passed a few other camps, and so I began to get an idea of where we were headed and what it would look like. We did pass a man on a camel with his small camel herd. I wish I had asked our driver (our Bedouin host's eldest son) to stop so I could take some good pictures, but I'm hoping to get more pics from my sister since she has seen so much more of

Jordan than I have. It was quite a sight! I can't really describe how beautiful this place is. I'm hoping a few of my pictures will ate least be able to convey a little of it. I'll also try to find a few websites that might have better pictures than me.

I'll sign off for now. Tomorrow I'll load pics of our camp and talk about that. xo!

Back in Amman

Well, we're back from Wadi Rum. It was an AMAZING trip to an almost indescribable place. I am TO TIRED to write much at all, so I'll just say a few things. The landscape is almost impossible to describe, so I hope my pictures do it at least a little justice. The sand, the desert, the huge rocks or mountains - whatever they are - just incredible! We're home now and tomorrow I will post pictures and tell what we did. Lots of fun. A wondrous memory we created.

Staying at home

Hi, again, from Amman, Jordan. My goodness, didn't my sister and I wear ourselves out yesterday in the heat! Last evening, when it turned cool, we went to one of my sister's favorite Arabic restaurants. It is located in a village just outside Amman. The drive there, and home, afforded beautiful views of the countryside. On the way home, we saw one of the very large mosques all lit up - so beautiful! The restaurant is in an old house - beautiful stonework, an enclosed garden eating area, and an eating area on the roof. My sister ordered all her favorites for me and we had way more than we could eat, but it was wonderful tasting so many different things. Our amazing meal began with little bowls of hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara (a spicy dip made from peppers, tomatoes, crushed walnuts, etc.), and a salad called fattoush (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, small pieces of fried pita bread and parsley in a lemon and garlic salad dressing. Of course, all of this and the following dishes are served with pita bread, often made to order. Our main course was lemon and garlic marinated grilled chicken, an eggplant casserole made with bread, yogurt, and other yummy things, and a kidney bean and sauce dish. Oh, everything was just too good!


Today we're just hanging out - doing laundry, playing with Hannah (3 yrs. old), taking the boys to school, picking them up. Just a quiet day at home. I'm still getting over this cold which has taken another turn for the worse. I've had a low-grade fever for a couple of days, and so today I'm just going to rest.


We had a lovely time on the front veranda this morning, watching the turtles, petting the cats, watching Hannah run and play. Such energy! My sister and I ate watermelon and just chilled. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow. Our trip to Wadi Rum has been postponed a day, giving my body an additional day to get even better. I plan on a long nap, a quiet evening, and a similar day tomorrow!

Sightseeing in Amman - the Citadel

Yesterday on our sightseeing excursion we visited the Roman amphitheatre (the large theatre), the Odeon (smaller theatre), and the ruin known as the Citadel. All 3 were very interesting and fun to visit - despite the heat. ;-) Once again, if you want more information, go to http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/jordan/amman/citadel.html. I don't have much info other than tidbits. To the left are columns from the Temple of Heracles. Note my sister and Hannah standing at the base of a far column to show scale! Imagine erecting these columns and the structure that must have accompanied them with the technology available in 162 AD! The picure to the right is also part of the Temple of Heracles. I liked the details on these columns.

The above website has a map of these items so you can have an idea of their relationship to one another. The Temple of Heracles is on a slightly lower elevation with great views of Amman! There was an amazing view of the amphitheatre we'd seen earlier.

We moved on to the Umayyad governor's palace (8th century). This building's dome (visible in the next pic) is a reconstruction of what it looked like. The main entrance on the opposite side of the building (this picture is of the back of the building) looks almost identical. There also pictures of the inside of the dome, with the wooden structure showing. It might have been covered with some metal when constructed in the 8th century.

"The Hill of the Citadel (where all these structures are located) was occupied as early as the Neolithic period, and fortified during the Bronze Age (1800 BC). The ruins on the hill today are Roman through early Islamic. The name "Amman" comes from "Rabbath Ammon," or "Great City of the Ammonites," who settled in the region some time after 1200 BC. The Bible records that King David captured the city in the early 10th century BC; Uriah the Hittite, husband of King David's paramour Bathsheba, was killed here after the king ordered him to the front line of battle." copied from the above website

There is also a large cistern on this site. "Located to the right of the vestibule, it was the primary water supply to the governor's palace. At 5m deep and 16m in diameter, it would have held just over 1,000 cubic meters, or approximately 250,000 gallons, of water. The cistern was fed by rainwater through an inlet channel, and could be entered for maintenance by the stairs shown in the photo. A column, whose stump is standing at the bottom of the cistern, measured the water level." copied from above website


There is also the remains of a Byzantine basilica, constructed in the 5th-6th centuries AD. An amazing place to visit!

Sightseeing in Amman - the Roman theatres

My sister, her daughter, and I followed our plan and almost left the house on time! We ran 1 errand (moms always have errands to run, don't they?) and then headed to downtown Amman to the Roman theatre there. We didn't go on a guided tour, so if you'd like more information, please go to http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/jordan/amman/th01.html/amman/th01.html. You can get lots of great info there and better pictures than I have. I had a slight camera snafu, but I have some pictures.

Picture above: To the right is a nice, hilly park filled with trees, tables and chairs for people to enjoy. It must be filled to overflowing during the cool evenings. (Sorry, no pics.) The entrances to the large and small theatres are to the left of the wall you can see in the far left.

The left side of the ruins hosts the smaller amphitheatre (next 3 pics). This theatre was built by the Romans in the late 2nd century AD. The lower seats of this monument, which could accommodate up to 500 spectators, have been restored and it is used occasionally for concerts.

I enjoyed this little amphitheatre as much as the large one. Both were very neat! As to the camera snafu, I thought I'd taken quiet a few more pics on my digital camera than I did, so you just don't get too many pics! Better luck on my next outing.

We're pretty sure that the large theatre (pictured below) was built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (169-177 AD). The large and steeply raked theatre could seat about 6,000 people. It is built into the hillside, and oriented north to keep the sun off the spectators. It was amazing being in such an amazing ruin. It is so acoustically sound that if you stand in the centre of the front area and speak in a normal voice, you can be heard all the way to the top of the theatre!

The left-most picture is the colonade that was (and partly still is) in front of the large amphitheatre. The other 2 pics are of the theatre itself. The middle one is just one side of the theatre. I couldn't get the whole thing in my camera frame!

We were very bad girls and forgot both sunscreen and hats, so we're both a little pink in the face, but we're all right. We were HOT, but had a good time! I'll post about the citadel/palace tomorrow. Time for bed!

Philosophy

So, I've been planning this trip for how long? Saved the money, bought the gifts, planned my ticket and time of travel to be just perfect for my sister's family. A couple of days before I left I got a cold and was so thankful to God that I felt good for travel and my first week here. That pesky cold has resurfaced complete with fever, sore throat, etc.

I'll throw this out into the void. Do I believe God is sovereign or not? Do I believe He orders all things? I do. So I can either be irritated that I'm sick, or I can rest in Him, believing that He knew I would be sick while I was here. (This is a personal lesson I've just recently been learning in a new way.) I will literally rest and do even less sightseeing that I'd thought and try to get better. I need to be well, you see, because in the upcoming days we have 2 very important events - one primarily for me, and one for the kids.

Thursday evening we leave to go to Wadi Rum, a beautiful part of the desert, filled with empty riverbeds, cliffs that seem to rise out of nowhere and rock formations of beautiful colors. I'm very excited! We will go camp there for one night and do the Bedouin thing - at least a tiny taste of it.

A few days after that we're going to the Dead Sea Spa Hotel where the kids love to go!! That day will be all about swimming pools, silly slides, and playing with the kids. This is one of their favorite outings. We'll have a blast. Anywhoo, I'd better rest in my heart and in my body to save up for these two events. I know they'll be extra special if I feel good.

We need to go to the grocery store, though, so we'll at least do that today and maybe the downtown fortress ruins. I'm actually excited about both! I'll get back in bed while my sister takes the kids to school, then be ready to jump up and join the fray as soon as she returns.

More later!

A new week in Jordan

Today was another very quiet day. My brother-in-law was gone today, so my sister and I got the kids ready for school (usually his job). We hung around this morning and just did house stuff. We had a rather hectic afternoon picking-up both boys from school, going out to lunch, running a few errands, and getting home. Maybe it just felt hectic because today's weather was very summery. After days of wanting two layers despite the sun, today was HOT! I wanted to be in short sleeves, but that wouldn't have felt appropriate here in this culture.

For those of you wondering, many women in Amman do not cover their heads. Of course, there is a large percentage who do, but most women wear very modest clothes - long skirts or pants that are not tight around the hips, long shirts with long sleeves. There is a particular portion of the population who feels comfortable in just about anything, but they are the exception.

In order to fit in culturally (as much as is possible for this gringo), I've chosen to dress as my sister does - the long skirts or pants and long shirts. In the house I can wear whatever I want, so I brought a couple of pairs of capris with me, too.

Tomorrow my sister and I actually have a PLAN to get out of the house and see a sight or two. I'll make sure to take pictures and get those loaded for all my friends reading along. I've learned a few phrases, some more helpful than others. I can say, "cheese with cumin," (learned that in the store yesterday), "I don't speak Arabic yet," (although my pronounciation must be terrible because no one understands me), and the usual "thank you" and "excuse me." My sister is a patient teacher, but I'll be heading home long before I begin to master even one sentence!

More tomorrow! C

Quiet day

Not much to report from Amman! We had a very quiet Sunday. We all slept in a little bit (me most of all!) and had a big waffle breakfast. My sister has this great waffle mix recipe that she got from the More With Less cookbook - wonderful and healthy! I use it at home myself. ;-) After that we read books to each other. Joshua is reading through the Little House books and is enjoying them immensely. We also played Little People, had a picnic lunch outside in the yard, did a little laundry, watched a video, and just chilled. Quiet, lovely, relaxing! Tomorrow we'll probably get out a little more. This trip is turning out to be exactly what I wanted - mostly family with a little tourist stuff. Might not be as exciting for all of you, but I'm loving it!

I do miss my hubby and kitties, but my sister's family has 2 cats who are getting extra love from me. Sis' and I have had some great conversations about life, husbands, etc. I know those will continue. It just isn't the same over the phone, is it? This is a treasured time and it will be so hard to go. I love her and miss her so much!

Downtown Amman

My sister, Hannah and I took our first trip to downtown Amman. It was a very cloudy day, dust clouds. If it was just regular clouds, it would have cleared off by noon. As it is, even mid-afternoon the sky is overcast with a yellow hue. This is "dust season" says my sister, but it is also the best time of the year to visit because the weather is so mild (long sleeves all day, sweater at night), and everything is green for a short time.

We ran downtown to exchange money. They have a gentleman who has been doing this for them and their friends for several years. He is trustworthy and meets them in a convenient place. Quite a service! He makes a good living doing this. We drove downtown to a predetermined place. When we saw him approaching, we just pulled over to the side of the road, he walked up to the car window, we exchanged greetings and money. He was wearing a suit, spoke just a tiny bit of English and was very friendly.

Amman is a city originally built on 7 hills - yes, like Rome. Lisa and Dan's area of town isn't as dense as these pictures, but on the outskirts of downtown, the apartments and houses are packed together as you can see here. They've really figured out how to use all their space, even the steep hills.

Downtown Amman felt a lot like the town we grew up in. Seeing all those little shops and alleyways made me want to hop out of the van and go shopping! I'll have to do that another day...maybe when Hannah isn't with us. My sister and I will probably leave Hannah with a sitter for a couple mornings and try to do some powershopping. ;-) Sisters and shopping. Sounds pretty good to me.

My cold has turned into just a tiny, nagging cough, but I'm sure it won't last long. I'm sleeping well and am pretty much adjusted to the time here. I think of all of you very often! Hope you're enjoying this. Write me!

Amman

First impressions of Amman:

I really am in the Middle East! The architecture looks as one would expect, and yet it is a delight to my eye to see buildings so different from those we're used to. Most houses are actually multiple family dwellings - usually one family per floor for middle to high income people. My sister's family lives in a house like that. (More on that another time.)

The stores are sometimes in a clusters like at home, but are often scattered among other businesses. It is strange to not be able to tell what kind of store a business is - sure wish I read Arabic!

It is as dry and dusty here as one would expect; however, the Jordanian government planted many trees in Amman and it certainly makes it beautiful. Families love to come have picnics along the side of the highway where all these trees are. The women, being inside most of the day, love to be out in the action in the cool evenings and enjoy the green of the trees. It is quite a site to see so many families setting up picnics along the side of the road. It seems loud and dusty to me, but it is just where they want to be - in the middle of things!

The traffic is certainly different from in the U.S. with lanes being optional, etc., but it is nothing like Jakarta or Manilla traffic. Much more civilized. My brother-in-law and sister are adept at maneuvering in the confusing melee and I'm very thankful to not have to take the wheel.

People are the same as everywhere in the world - some are friendly, and some just keep their heads down and are busy. Lisa's world is very welcoming of me and I'm delighted to meet them! The businesses she frequents know her and are very helpful and friendly. Lovely to see.

The boys are back in school today, so it is once again Hannah, my sister and I at home. (Friday here is like Saturday in the U.S.). The work schedule goes from Sat, Sun, Mo, Tue, We, Thur, then Fri off. The boys go to a school with a lot of Westerners, so they have Friday off to honor the local system, back to school on Saturday, Sunday off to honor the foreigners who attend school. Sounds strange to us, but it is their norm.

Let me know if you want more or less detail, and what kind of info and pictures you want. Have questions? Put them as comments - I'm checking every day! Love to you all!

Far away land...

I came into the house, opened the window to let in the cool air, and I heard the mosque's call. My heart stirred and I felt both right at home and so far away. The familiar sound of the mosque called up that sense in my heart that sometimes almost overwhelms me - where do I really belong? My childhood experience, growing up overseas (16 years in Indonesia), has made me so different from most of the people I spend time with, most of my friends. But, I've lived in America long enough that most of the time no one can tell just how different I am. Do I want to seem the same? And just how different am I still?

Sometimes I feel like I'm losing the Indonesian part of me. Sometimes I feel it's gone. I don't like that. I do have a choice, though. I can do more Indonesian things, try to replant those roots back in my garden. This trip is bringing that up for me once again. It feels good and bad.

So I'm far away from home, my hubby, my life in CO. I'm not that far, though. Today we went to the boys' t-ball game. Moms were there with younger siblings, there were coaches milling about, and all the kids were so excited about their 2nd t-ball game. It was tons of fun, as was the birthday party we attended this evening, complete with pizza, cake and ice cream.

An amazing day, to say the least. The best parts of me and my past colliding with many of my fears. To my journal I go, and another good night's rest.

P.S. Check out my little Matt Holliday!

Is it Thursday?

So here I am, happy and content! How much happier could an aunt be with these three beautiful kids looking at her first thing in the morning?

Hannah (3) is wondering why I slept so late (about 7:30) and if we'll have time to finish the book we started last night (Little Mermaid). Check out her curly, beautiful red hair! She stayed home with my sister and I today. We played, read, napped, talked, ate lunch, did a little shopping, and eventually picked up the boys from school.

Here's David (5) getting ready for kindergarten. Yesterday was pajama day, so they all wore their PJs, brought a snuggle buddy, and a blanket. David wore his favorite Superman PJs and looked very dashing!

Joshua (7) is finishing up some paperwork for a field trip next week - to the zoo! Joshua is a very physical kid - he runs, throws balls, etc. like a 10 year old. I think he might be quite an athlete, as was his mom.

I had a good time shopping with Hannah and my sister yesterday. We went to their neighborhood fruit/vegie market and bakery - both within walking distance. The bakery is run by 2 Iraqi brothers and is filled with delights - both sweet and savory! I will have to exercise some self-control and limit my pastry snacks. I would, however, like to try a bunch of the treats, so Lisa said they could put together a box of 1 of each for me. I might just do that!

It was a nice day of just hanging out. Tomorrow is the beginning of the weekend and we have t-ball, a pizza party, and gifts to give out. ;-) I think I'm going to get away with not much jet lag, but my cold might be coming back. We'll see. Lovely to just relax and be...

I'm here (long entry!)

Hi, all, from Jordan! It was an amazing journey - without trouble or toil!

I had a few things to do Tuesday morning before I left for the Denver airport, so I accomplished them (including buying a small package of fresh blueberries to hand carry), and then was picked up by my good friend, who, with my sister, drove me to Denver.

Checking in was a snap, except that I was a couple pounds overweight, so I had to remove a few of the gifts for my niece and nephews. That was disappointing, but I'll just send them with the next person. I was hoping to have my sister and her hubby hide those things until Christ mas or birthdays, so it wasn't too disappointing. They were going to be delayed gratification anyway. My flight from Denver to Chicago was uneventful, but delayed because of rain and thunderstorms over Chicago. No worries, though. I had 2 1/2 hours in Chicago.

I got off the plane and hustled over to the Royal Jordanian Airlines ticket counter. I had to leave security, go to another terminal, then check in with their ticket counter, and go back through security. I got to the Royal Jordanian ticket counter only to discover quite a mob of people standing in line to check-in. The poor RJA employees - all their computers were down - totally down. They were having to call the INS about every passport, hand-write all boarding passes, and check in all luggage by hand. People were impatient, angry, worried about missing their flight. Of course, RJA delayed the whole flight so we could all get on as the problem was theirs. I decided to just be patient and wait quietly. Getting irritable wasn't going to speed up anything!

I got on the plane and was happy to discover that I had no one sitting next to me. I was in a section of just 2 seats, next to the window (planned so I could lean against it and sleep). The empty seat next to me gave me just enough room to stretch out and relax a little more. I kept looking out the window as we left the midwest and was witness to an amazing lightening storm in the distance. It went on and on. The view from 30,000 feet was spectacular, lighting up the clouds and affording quite a show of nature's power and beauty. I was glad we were heading away from that lightening, but was very glad to have scene it!

I had a nice meal, read for a little while, took my OTC sleeping pill, unpacked my amazing compressible/expandable camping pillow (a gift from Tim), and actually got about 7 hours of sleep (interrupted and restless, but 7 hours nonetheless). I woke up to bright sunshine and read for an hour or so while waiting on breakfast. Despite the delayed flight out of Chicago, I arrived only about 1/2 hour late. There were my bags (unmolested), and there were my sister, her husband and their 3 beautiful kids waiting for me!! Wondrous! Oh, my heart leapt in my chest!

We drove to their home (quite expansive and lovely!), I took off my shoes, and we all just relaxed. It was soon time for the kids to go to bed, so we brushed their teeth, got them ready and tucked them in. Sister and I could not, of course, resist staying up just a little too late talking, but she wasn't up too long.

It was only about noon my time, so I unpacked, discovered I was VERY HUNGRY (it had been about 8 hours since "breakfast" on the airplane), had a snack (translate foraged in their refrigerator in the dark), read for a little while, took another OTC sleeping pill, and went to bed, hoping to get right on track and beat jet lag. I unpacked not only my clothes (of which I brought very few), but the many gifts I brought from myself and other family. I must say I felt just like Santa Claus! I couldn't wait until this morning to give some of the gifts away. :-)

I'll sign off for now! I'm here, happy and content to just BE with these lovelies.

The morning of

Well, all bags are packed, I'm ready to go...what's that song in my head?  It's about 7:00 a.m. and I'm all set for my big trip!  I slept great, my cold is much better, and everything here is ready.  What else can I say?  I'm acting like I'll be gone 3 months, but it's only 3 weeks.  I'll miss Tim for sure, and my friends, but some of them I might not see in 3 weeks anyway.  ;-)

My sister and a good friend are taking me to the airport with lunch on the way.  That should be fun.  I've weighed and measured my bags and they are all within limits.  I had room for almost everything family wanted me to take, as well an additional pair of shoes for me.  What else could I ask for?  Save travel, but that's the norm.

Next time I write I'll be in the Middle East!  

Last minute

Well, I have 2 more nights at home, 1 more day to get stuff done, and now I've got a cold.  Cherry on top - I've got a little fever with this cold, so I've felt wiped out the last 2 days!  Not much getting done, to say the least.  Tim has absolved me of any housecleaning duties before I go, and I only have 1 or 2 errands to run.  That means tomorrow I can take my time packing, select things wisely, and still have the evening to relax.

Strange that I don't feel very excited, and definitely don't feel ready for my big trip.  I wonder what that's all about!  Part of it is the unknown.  I've never visited my sister for this long.  I've never travelled this long by myself.  Don't know why that would be putting a wet blanket on my emotions, but whatever.  

Tomorrow is another day - my last day at home.  Then I'll be with my sister and those amazing kids!  OK, now I'm starting to get excited!

The big trip

sort what gifts I have room to take (sent from all our family to my sister)

decide what clothes I'm taking

pack both suitcases

choose some photos to take

buy one more travel outfit

finalize bills, etc. here at home

do our taxes

go to Bible study

clean the kitchen

go see La Boheme

spend tiny bit of time with Dad and Janice

see my in-laws

get a few medicines

do more laundry

stock up the fridge for Tim

What a relief - hardly anything left to do!  ;-)

The plan

This one wants a husband, that one wants a friend, another desires a child.  We all spin, twist, weave our way through the universe, seeking the path, seeking the desires of our heart.  What brings us comfort?  What brings order to our lives?  My days are increasingly filled with new friends, laughter, comfort, self-assurance, reminders of who I am and what I love to do, yet I continue to neglect some of the old relationships that are most important to me.  

I would say, "Tomorrow I will endeavour to do better," but tomorrow (practically) I leave for my big trip.  I can still makes some small gestures.  That I will do.  

As for the big picture...I know "from whence cometh my help."  I know where my center lies.  It doesn't make my hard times, my heart struggles disappear.  It just makes them easier to bear.

Morning

I wake up to a new morning...amazing!  The sun shines through my sunroom into my kitchen.  I can see the shadows of my fingers as I type - clickety click.  My fat cat sits in the sun bathing, watching for birds that catch bugs in the yard.  My old cat is settled in his window seat, his head curled under himself.  

Is morning the best part of the day, when everything is quiet, and the day is brand new?  What will I do today?  Will today be a quiet, lazy day at home, or will I spend the day running errands?  My today will be special because I'm having lunch with my sister and a friend - Korean food!  And tonight is my hubby and my favorite TV show - Top Chef.  We love it!  So already, this will be a great day.  And the sun is shining, I'm getting ready for my trip, I feel good (no headache).  What else could I ask for?

Until...

I'm in a sort of limbo until I leave to visit my sister.  I have a lot I need to accomplish, have made myself a schedule, and am just working down the list.  I feel quite pressured to get all this stuff done.  It is Tuesday evening, though, and I haven't gotten everything accomplished I'd hoped to either yesterday or today.  That means I'm already a little behind, and I've only got 6 more days to get *!?& done.  I think I need to just keep focused. 

Today, however, was a good day (despite not getting everything done).  I had 2 big computer-based tasks to accomplish.  One was done by 9:00 a.m. (yeehaw!).  That left plenty of time to tackle the other one, even having scheduled coffee with a new friend (old soul) in the middle of my day. And that time spent with her was well worth it!  It feeds me to connect with someone in such a real, transparent way!  I felt no sense of rush, of time passing.  It was as if we've known each other for a very long time.  It felt like days spent with my very best friends.  

I know God's timing is perfect, but it seems odd that He wouldn't have brought me and this new (old soul) friend together earlier in our tenures here in this town.  After all, she's leaving in just 18 days - for Texas (poor thing).  But, as she reminded me, think of all He accomplished while we were both feeling lonely.  We both learned more about leaning on Him, about who we need to be, about how to get on the right path and stay there.  

Yeah, God's timing is perfect.  See how He accomplished deepening both our relationships with Him?  And that's the relationship that will stick with both of us all our lives.  Amazing how He works things out for us. 

And why do I keep calling her "old soul"?  Because she feels like an old friend to me.  She feels like someone who could stick with me for a long time.  She brings to the table a sense of self, a depth that lots of people don't carry with them.  Those beautiful eyes of hers convey her SELF, her true person.  I don't know if words work this out, but there it is.  "Old soul" - new friend.  

Whew!  That's a long write tonight.  I'd better take this old body to bed and get some rest.  I have a lot to do tomorrow!  ;-)  Until then...