A Light Dusting

I think it is because I am really beginning to feel how close I am to leaving but the last few weeks I feel my arabic has made leaps and bounds. I am pretty sure I am just sad about leaving and therefore feeling more connected and a part of jordan (and it a part of me) as each day goes on, I am really going to miss it here.

Tomorrow is Laith, my host nephew's, birthday! He is turning 9 : ) Jackie and I are going to make a cake for a hafla (party) the family is having on thursday. I think my house in the states is going to feel so boring compared to here! Well, I guess I have the whole family at christmas to transition from the arab life style back to american but its sure will feel quiet for a while. I have gotten used to returning home to seeing at least 5+ faces staring at me as soon as I walk through the door. Matthew and I will certainly have lots of bonding time (heh heh heh).

I have been running around downtown getting christmas presents, studying for my finals, and getting out with my friends before we are scattered about the states. Actually a friend from high school (and even as far back as king open!) came to Jordan this past week and I had a great time showing her some chill spots in Amman.

Also earlier this week Tala, Laith, Amal and I went to the grand opening of a mall because Maher
works for the company who owned the mall. He had made a video that was playing on the electronics floor and written up all of the printers price tag cards. His were by far the best, all the information, a little color, proper english, it had everything. It was a nice affair with a red carpet tent, fireworks, music, so it was a good night.

We are having some pretty crazy weather right now. Not only rain but it might even snow!! We will see, I really want it to snow just so i can take a picture and prove it to people in the US (this is not to be cofused with positive feelings for snow, i do not miss it in the slightest. But alas, I am sure i will get my fill when I get back to the US). I will leave you with todays weather icons i saw when i logged onto weather.com at 9 am and 3 p today:

It sure is getting cold!!

geeet moneyy!

Finally a company is honest about their values!! I am researching construction companies that are major players in different middle eastern countries and i came across this on a company in Libya and thought it was just sooooo great compared to all of the companies who claim to be saving the world

My Heart Will Go On

Man the weekend feels good! I am especially happy because my mom just changed my flights so instead of having an 8 hour lay over in JFK only to fly to DC and have a 3 hour layover and THEN get to boston i am now flying to JFK, have a 2.5 hour layover and flying straight to Boston. what a lifesaver! Additionally i will now be arriving home on the 22nd instead of the 24th so inshallah i will not be a jetlagged mess on xmas eve.

today some friends and I went to wild jordan, a restaurant that is run by the ecological something something part of the government. It is an effort to make jordanian tourism more green and sustainable, the restaurant is one aspect. It was interesting because for my internship class we read a case study of wild jordan but I had never actually gone. All the food is healthy, organic, and harvested/cooked in ecofriendly ways. The seven of us were seated in what seemed to be the hallway but it was nice anyway. On the way to get a cab we walked up rainbow street, which has a lot of cafes and hang out areas for shebab (guys), and I saw a group of guys huddled around a man playing an accordian playing my heart will go on!! i couldnt keep from laughing, it was so great.

Only 17 days left...I cant believe it. I have to write a case study on Al Jidara (where I intern), take a final for Amerca and the Arabs, a spoken and written 3mia final and a written and listening fousha final. Seems like a lot to pack into 17 days, oh yea and i have to pack too!. My time here has been amazing but I am really excited to go home. Not that I am unhappy in any way, I love my life here, which I know is because of my amazing host family, but I cant wait to see everyone back in Cambridge. It is not like each day was a challenge or that I could really pinpoint one thing but living here was harder than I thought it would be. Nothing in particular, and not bad, just different. I think because I had such an amazing time in Korea I thought that being here would be easy, but there is a difference between 6 weeks and 3 months. Regardless I am still really excited to go to Korea. I think it will be completely different from here but my experiences here will help me living away for so long as well.

I am slightly worried (well not really) about Korea because I think I have a complacent attitude, like oh, i have lived there for 6 weeks, I know everything, its going to be super easy, whereas coming to jordan i knew i was starting from scratch and going to struggle. I need to keep telling myself that i shouldnt get full of myself and assume i know everything (even though i do know everything) so i can have the best experience ever instead of letting myself down. At least I am aware of this and can pull in the reins if I ever feel that i am trying too hard or get frustrated because i feel like i shouldn't have the new comer problems. I am planning to stop in Hong Kong on the way there to see my best friend lukas, who studied abroad near shanghai this semester and will be in hong kong next semester. I am also planning on getting to Korea a little early to meet up with some guys from Drexel who are there working in Hubo lab but will be leaving as soon as my semester starts and of course my korean lab boys.

ah but i still have my wonderful time hanging out in cambridge until february! I will slave away in the Harvard mailroom to make ends meet and hopefully just spend the whole month hanging out with people i havent seen and wont see for a while. ALSO I WILL TURN 21!!! ALHAMDULILAH! I have already told my dad that since i spent a semester in a muslim country and will then be legal i plan on spending the whole month of january in a drunken stupor. i will be accepting donations to this cause...youll know where to find me in cambridge soon enough! until then i gotta hit the books and earn my As!