So, let me describe what I'm doing right now. I'm sitting by a computer in an internet cafe on Ashrafieya hill in Amman. Amman is, so I've been told, built on seven hills. Ashrafieya is the tallest of these and the population who lives there is the poorest (so I fit right in.) I'm eating what's called a Falafel sandwich and drinking a coke. I am describing this because I expect to spend a lot of time here blogging for all of y'all (that was for you Braydon) and eating the same thing. I don't actually like the sandwich too much, but it costs the equivalent of a quarter and I don't hate it either; beggar's can't be choosers, after all. I'll likely be online a lot: internet costs .5 JD (or around $.70) per hour. Pretty reasonable.
The flight was the way transatlantic flights usually are, but no worse. The horrible movies did nothing to distract me from the large number of wailing or squealing children, so once my Ipod ran out of batteries I wasn't really able to sleep. I read a lot in my biography of Stalin, though, which I recommend to anybody who has 1) a bunch of time, cuz it's long, 2) an interest in one of history's most neurotic megalomaniac murderers, and 3) a strong stomach. I've read slasher novels that didn't creep me out so much. However, it did help to pass the time. Anoher thing that helped was some really heartwarming notes that were sent along by some great friends. Yes, guys, I caved and read them all (not the birthday one, though), but don't worry, I'll be reading and rereading them over and over as the days go by. Just think of me as Reuben from Ocean's 13, with yourselves in the role of Basher.
My living arrangements are the basement apartment of a home owned by a lady named Regina (pronounced with a "guh" not a "juh" because she's German). It has a seperate entrance, and a bathroom that a Roman legionary might recognize. The toilet is functionally a hole in the floor with a little rough patch on either side so your feet don't slip as you squat. You have to flip a switch on the wall outside the room to activate the water heater an hour in advance before you go to shower. This isn't really a big deal though, since I'll be taking a lot of cold showers; it's crazy hot around here.
I've got a bunch of neighbors that I'll probably be spending a lot of time with, given the fact that I know about 3 words of Arabic and will eventually have to buy something or I'll die. Across the street there's a family from Herefordshire (sp?) England, with 3 almost sinfully adorable little kids. Nearby live Reti and Annandien, 2 ladies from New Zealand will be involved in teaching English with me for the next few weeks. I was picked up from the airport by an Australian gent named Rick Weymouth, who kindly gave me a small walking tour of my immediate area. That's how I found falafel sandwiches, and also a bakery where I can get fresh, warm flat bread at almost all hours of the day. With those two, plus a little rotisserie where I can get a whole chicken at a moment's notice, and a little shop owned by Abu Farrah, a Jordanian who speaks passable English, I'm guessing that will be a lot of my diet for a while. Wicked cheap, and no trans fat; who could ask for anything more?.
I've had a couple of rough moments today, firstly in the airport in Detroit. I was wandering around looking for some food and I walked past a flight back to Minneapolis. I had a nasty spasm of temptation to just rush to the ticket counter and put a ticket home on plastic. That one passed quickly, but once I got here and it really started to sink in that I have taken [reverb] THE BIG STEP [reverb] I actually shook a little. Might have just been fatigue... maybe not. At least, I took a nap and felt better.
I'll post some pictures when I get the chance and the technology permits. Grace and Peace to everyone.
Lyrics of the day:
Leavin' on a Jet Plane
Don't know when I'll be back again...
