So, I went to the desert for the weekend and notable events included a bedouin dance party and sleeping under the stars.
I had an exam this week and I did fabulously.
I only have 8 more days of class.
I'll write a long, heart-felt, wrap-up blog before I leave.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
It doesn't matter whether or not you're studying. You're always learning about life.
At the time, it feels like WAY more than you EVER wanted to know. The lesson is why people do the things they do - it's not hard to understand, but sometimes it's hard to accept - so, some people choose not to understand. As for me, I'm working on accepting, since acceptance is the first step to recovery. =P
Okay, enough of the heavy. Update: I am very happy in my new home. I looooove my new zamila amreekeeya Monica; I really enjoy spending my entire life with her, from dawn to dusk.
My new host mother Lana is the WOMAN....she's so strong. Her husband lives and works in America, and she's been raising the kids on her own for the past few years. She resists every attempt by her family to get her to move in with them. They don't understand how she can manage a house on her own. They obviously don't understand much. She encourages her daughter Zaina to continue to be BA at soccer, even though, once again, she gets a lot of people asking her how she can support her female child playing sports....the same people who just don't understand. She's good for a quality discussion.
I'm halfway through my second session of classes. The days seem to alternate - one day I'll feel like the all-knowing Queen of Arabic, and the next it seems like I know absolutely nothing at all. And vice versa. That's the mark of learning, right? Learning. Learning, learning, learning. I can't even begin to tell you. L. E. A. R. N. I. N. G. If you ever want your head to feel similar to a stuffed animal that somebody left on the stuffing machine for too long, enroll in an AMIDEAST summer intensive Arabic program. I MEAN THIS IN A GOOD, AMAZING, WONDERFUL WAY.
I miss my cat soooooo much. Roommates: if you read this, please please please give her a hug for me.
I have $100 left in my bank account for the next 2.5 weeks, which translates to about 70 JDs - let's just say it's one of the many reasons I am relieved to be coming home soon.
I <3 Jordan at night.
Ma-Salaama, Shukran for reading my stream-of-consciousness blog entries.
Okay, enough of the heavy. Update: I am very happy in my new home. I looooove my new zamila amreekeeya Monica; I really enjoy spending my entire life with her, from dawn to dusk.
My new host mother Lana is the WOMAN....she's so strong. Her husband lives and works in America, and she's been raising the kids on her own for the past few years. She resists every attempt by her family to get her to move in with them. They don't understand how she can manage a house on her own. They obviously don't understand much. She encourages her daughter Zaina to continue to be BA at soccer, even though, once again, she gets a lot of people asking her how she can support her female child playing sports....the same people who just don't understand. She's good for a quality discussion.
I'm halfway through my second session of classes. The days seem to alternate - one day I'll feel like the all-knowing Queen of Arabic, and the next it seems like I know absolutely nothing at all. And vice versa. That's the mark of learning, right? Learning. Learning, learning, learning. I can't even begin to tell you. L. E. A. R. N. I. N. G. If you ever want your head to feel similar to a stuffed animal that somebody left on the stuffing machine for too long, enroll in an AMIDEAST summer intensive Arabic program. I MEAN THIS IN A GOOD, AMAZING, WONDERFUL WAY.
I miss my cat soooooo much. Roommates: if you read this, please please please give her a hug for me.
I have $100 left in my bank account for the next 2.5 weeks, which translates to about 70 JDs - let's just say it's one of the many reasons I am relieved to be coming home soon.
I <3 Jordan at night.
Ma-Salaama, Shukran for reading my stream-of-consciousness blog entries.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
People aren't always what they seem...but I still have faith in them.
Wellll....I had a slight problem with my current host family, involving...I won't go into details. I've been moved to a new place. I feel awful about my old host mother and the kids...I know they must be really upset. But, there's nothing I can do about it. I couldn't stay there. I didn't feel comfortable. I hate when things like this happen...but they happen. Also, I left most of my clothes there and I have to wait for an Amideast representative to go and pick them up. I should get them sometime later today, but seriously. I just want clean underwear NOW.
I'm now at a new place. It's just a mother, Lana, and her two children. The father lives in America. I really like it a lot. Lana is wonderful, and so are her children. I have my own room, AND there is another American student living here. Her name is Monica. She's awesome. I hate to say it, but I can already tell that I'll be much more comfortable here. Things are more low-key. It's only women and babies. I have much more privacy. Inshallah, pictures of my new family will be up soon. I'm not going to the wedding I was going to go to with my other family, but I'm going to a DIFFERENT wedding today with my new family. Go figure. Lol. Monica is loaning me a dress.
Tomorrow I'm going on a second trip to the Dead Sea with Amideast...very excited about swimming. I'm swimming so much this summer - I didn't think I would be at all. I love swimming. Actually, I've realized, I need swimming. I've totally lucked out.
It's really hard for me to express myself in this blog without being too explicit about current events in my life. All I can say is that I try not to hate people for their actions - I try to feel sorry for them. It's hard.
I guess it would seem to an outsider like this has been a super traumatic transition for me, but it really hasn't, for some reason. I'm just glad I'm where I am.
I'm now at a new place. It's just a mother, Lana, and her two children. The father lives in America. I really like it a lot. Lana is wonderful, and so are her children. I have my own room, AND there is another American student living here. Her name is Monica. She's awesome. I hate to say it, but I can already tell that I'll be much more comfortable here. Things are more low-key. It's only women and babies. I have much more privacy. Inshallah, pictures of my new family will be up soon. I'm not going to the wedding I was going to go to with my other family, but I'm going to a DIFFERENT wedding today with my new family. Go figure. Lol. Monica is loaning me a dress.
Tomorrow I'm going on a second trip to the Dead Sea with Amideast...very excited about swimming. I'm swimming so much this summer - I didn't think I would be at all. I love swimming. Actually, I've realized, I need swimming. I've totally lucked out.
It's really hard for me to express myself in this blog without being too explicit about current events in my life. All I can say is that I try not to hate people for their actions - I try to feel sorry for them. It's hard.
I guess it would seem to an outsider like this has been a super traumatic transition for me, but it really hasn't, for some reason. I'm just glad I'm where I am.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
I am currently eating a cucumber whole.
This is because I'm trying to diet. Because for the past two mornings I had free breakfast at a hotel in Aqaba and I am ashamed of the number of pastries I ate.
The Red Sea is beautiful. The water on the beach is very clean and the resort I stayed at with Trent, Shereen and Emily was fabulous. We could only afford it because one of our study abroad program helpers got us a deal. I spent the entire time just swimming and laying in the sun. It was great.
My trip is more than halfway completed now. My first round of classes is over, and my week-long break is nearly over. I start up again on Monday. I'm glad because, frankly, I am slightly bored just sitting in my bedroom in Amman. It doesn't take much, hey?
I'm not going to lie, I really miss home. I miss Michigan, and the Great Lakes, and trees, and my cat, and my family, and my friends, and MTU, and Houghton, and Suomi, and the Portage, and McLain State Park, and the farm, and Pelkie, and the Sturgeon River, and Taco Bell, and people turning off the TV and the lights when they leave the room.
That said, I'm still going to enjoy my time here as much as I can because I only have five more weeks. Tomorrow I get to go to a wedding party (yay!), and soon the World Cup will be over and I'll be able to get into restaurants without a minimum charge again (double yay).
The Red Sea is beautiful. The water on the beach is very clean and the resort I stayed at with Trent, Shereen and Emily was fabulous. We could only afford it because one of our study abroad program helpers got us a deal. I spent the entire time just swimming and laying in the sun. It was great.
My trip is more than halfway completed now. My first round of classes is over, and my week-long break is nearly over. I start up again on Monday. I'm glad because, frankly, I am slightly bored just sitting in my bedroom in Amman. It doesn't take much, hey?
I'm not going to lie, I really miss home. I miss Michigan, and the Great Lakes, and trees, and my cat, and my family, and my friends, and MTU, and Houghton, and Suomi, and the Portage, and McLain State Park, and the farm, and Pelkie, and the Sturgeon River, and Taco Bell, and people turning off the TV and the lights when they leave the room.
That said, I'm still going to enjoy my time here as much as I can because I only have five more weeks. Tomorrow I get to go to a wedding party (yay!), and soon the World Cup will be over and I'll be able to get into restaurants without a minimum charge again (double yay).
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