After a very dull and internet-free weekend last week (internet died for 2 or 3 days; so I got some prime "family time"...sitting in front of the tv watching painfully stupid shows), things are starting to pick up again. Tonight I'm going to a jazz concert; tomorrow is either a concert or watching the last game between Egypt and Algeria; Thursday I'm going to a party with Shireen (where I learned bellydancing last time; she's having another party); Friday I'm going to the university by 8 because my Islam class is touring the tombs of the Prophet's Companions; Saturday is the CIEE Desert Castles tour. Then the week after is Thanksgiving (I'm organizing a thanksgiving dinner for whoever wants to come; I think it's gonna be about 20) and Eid. I want to know when Eid is!!!!!! I can't plan whether or not I'm going to Israel until I know that!!! grrrrrrrrr. The official holiday will be announced some time between 1 week and 2 days before the holiday. So I'm making tentative plans and we'll see what happens. If it doesn't work I'm going to Karak and maybe a few other places around Jordan, so I won't just be sitting the entire time. And I'm gonna see a sacrifice which is gonna be the experience of a lifetime! I'm really excited. :)
On Dec. 8 there's a dinner for all the host families and hosted students. One of the things that's going to happen there is a couple of those students are going to perform Dabka, traditional Middle Eastern dance, for the families. Of COURSE, that includes me. :) :) It's gonna be fuuuun!!! The one downside is it means that for the rest of the semester I need to be at the university starting at 8 every day, but oh well. Sleep when you're dead. ;) Dabka is actually a lot like tap so it's pretty easy for me. It drove me NUTS when Ala' was teaching it in culture club; she has no idea how to count off or count with the music. But it'll be doable, and we'll have enough time to practice and learn it.
Sooo I do believe I found a sport I could really get into. I have now seen the Equador football (soccer) game in Equador, a Greek game in Greece, and the Egypt-Algerian game last Saturday. OOOH MY GOD THEY"RE CRAAAAAZY!!!!!!!! Egypt and Algeria define enemies; the Algerian bus got stoned so a bunch of the players were wearing bandages on their heads and hands; and there were so many fouls in that game I think the ref just stopped calling them. He also was obviously pro-Egyptian, so maybe one flag was played the entire time. It was a really dirty game. But Egypt one, got a point in the 1st minute and in the last. Which means the game on Wednesday is the decider who gets to go to the Cup (world cup? Just between Middle East teams? Not completely sure...) and it's gonna be even more nuts. Exciting! :)
I'm also getting things ready for when Molly and mom come up. God, that's actually soon! :-\ Oh this is a funny story--I went to Al Manar, the hotel I stayed at at the beginning of CIEE, to get a room. And of course, it's Jordan, the guy gave me a discount on the room ("Look at this sheet, right here, this is the price it's supposed to be. But I'm going to give you a special price. Special price.") and after he took down all the information he asked where I was from. Turns out he lived in Chicago for about 20 years and moved back because of his family (his dad was old, etc etc). And we compared America/Chicago and Jordan/Amman, and he told me a delicious Iranian place I need to eat, and it was just great. Only here.
Another "only here" story, I have a taxi that picks me up basically every day. He picked me up once, on a day it was POURING out; and after that "you're like my daughter. If I need a taxi anywhere, for anything, just call and I'll be there in half an hour." So yesterday or the day before we were listening to Middle Eastern music, and it just wasn't doing it for him. So he put on his son's cd/tape. The first song on that mix is "H hey you you I don't like your girlfriend. No way no way I think you need a new one..." I'm so glad I knew him because I'm not supposed to laugh in taxis. THEN, a few songs later, was "We are the champions" and I made some comment, and told him I know this song VERY well and like it, and so he blasted it at full volume. These are all the popular songs now in America, yes? I <3 Jordan.
Here's a pic from the race a while ago.
Ain't it sexy? you know it is ;)
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