One Month... WHAT?

Can I just say something crazy? I have less than a month left here is Jordan. It's pretty insane. Things are coming to a close at school. The students have finished final examinations and are no longer attending school. New teachers are being interviewed for next years staff. The final newsletter for the school year is out. It's hard to imagine that in a few short weeks I'm going to be back in the States. I'm excited to see my family and friends again, though I am sad to leave all the relationships I've made here.

Has it really been a month?

 It's hard to believe that I've been in Jordan for over a month now. Sometimes it feels like I've been here for so much longer. It feels like it's been years since I was in Akron at Orientation. But, at the same time I feel like I just got here. It feels like just yesterday I was standing in downtown Amman for the first time, marveling at the little blue lights that decorate the street. It's been quite a month. I started to learn the layout of Amman. I took Arabic Language lessons. I visited Ancient Roman, and Byzantine, and Islamic ruins. I saw Irbid and Husn for the first time. I went to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Mount Nebo, and Madaba. I attended a Lebanese indie band concert in the Roman Ampitheater. I made friends with many interesting ex-pats and a wonderfully welcoming Palestinian family. The craziest part is that at after all of that I moved into the YWCA in Husn (which is a 15 minute car ride away from the Arab Episcopal School), started living on my own, and finally started volunteering at the Arab Episcopal School.

On Saturday morning, I moved all of my possessions into the living room and ran to my last Arabic class. After that I said my goodbyes to my classmates, made promises to let them know when I visit Amman, and hopped into the Country Reps' car. We dropped Caleb off at the airport shuttle to take him to his new home, and set off to Husn. The Country Reps helped me move my bags into my room, walked around the town with me while I found grocery, said their goodbyes, and left me on my own. My Saturday night, I was officially living on my own at the YWCA.

I enjoy the independence of living on my own. I like making my own schedule and routines. I enjoy the opportunity to explore the town at my own pace. But, it's a challenge as well. I'm still learning what amenities the YWCA has, and its schedules. I know where I can store my food. I've built up my bravery to light the gas stove with the lighter, even though I think I've going to burn myself every time. I figured out how to use the showers, though I've been taking cold showers since I still don't know when the hot water is actually on. I figured out where I can buy fruits, vegetables, hummus, and bread. Meat it still an issue because most of what I've found in the stores here is processed (i.e. chicken nuggets, that sort of thing.) I've discovered that cooking for one is not nearly as much fun as cooking for several, and thus have become extremely lazy about actually making food for myself. Since Saturday, I've made 3 or 4 salads and eaten too much pita and hummus. Can you blame me for eating so much hummus and pita though? It's so good, and super cheap! I get the hummus fresh from a shop down the street and a kilo of pita still warm from the bakery a few doors down for less than $2 combined. I've made pasta a few times as well, but until I get a better plan for buying meat I don't think I will do much actual cooking.

Monday was my first day at the Arab Episcopal School (AES). I felt pretty lost most of my first day. School has been in session for several weeks now and the schedule is pretty routine for everyone else by now. I just tried to follow along. I'm working with the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 7^th grade English classes. I love being around kids and teaching. All of the classes are fun. The 1^st graders all clamor for my attention and want to tell me what things are called in English. The 2^nd graders have started trading the Arabic names of things for the English names with me and desperately want me to call on them when I help with conversation. The 3^rd graders impress me every time I'm with them, with their vocabulary and their quick grasp of English grammar. The 7^th grade is silly, and has much better reading comprehension than I had after 3 years of high school French.

With all of the classes, I particularly work with the low vision students, helping them write and making sure they are paying attention and comprehending. In the lower grades I've also been assisting with conversational English and checking work in and out of class. I'm supposed to run a conversational English class once a week, I'm not sure what exactly that entails but I'm excited. Tomorrow I'm going to start assisting with the English correspondence in the office.

There is no doubt in my mind that the next 10 months at AES is going to be a challenge, but I'm excited to face it. I love every minute I'm with my students, even when they are driving me up the wall. I can't wait to look back in July and see just how far both my students and I have come.

(I apologize for the lack of pictures, my internet here is too slow to load them. I will post some the next time I'm in Amman or when I have access to faster internet.)

One month to go!

The countdown:
17 days until I leave my summer job.
23 days until MCC Orientation begins.
30 days until I fly to Jordan.

You know what that means? In exactly one month I'm going to be in Amman, Jordan! AHHH!!!

Hanging out at the beach

I was at work yesterday when this realization hit me. I almost needed to sit down for a minute. I cannot believe how quickly this summer has gone by. This summer has been exactly what I needed. I've been able to hang out with my family, earn some money, spend time with my friends, and make some new ones. And, of course, wear all my non-Middle East appropriate clothes (basically all of my dresses, skirts, and shorts). Though I am starting to miss doing research (seriously, what is wrong with me?), I haven't been able to do as much research on Jordan as I wanted to this summer. I'm definitely looking forward to starting Arabic lessons and adventuring around Amman.

I am now in the last minute prep stage. I'm trying to figure out what I have, what still need to buy, and how I'm going to pack it all. I have one last appointment for some immunizations tomorrow. What else do I need to do? I'm not sure. I'm sure my parents will start lecturing me about things I'm missing soon enough.