So here we are finally starting to settle down here in Amman, Jordan. It was not at all what I had expected. I guess that I had this romantic notion of what the Middle East would look like. Contrary to popular belief, Amman is very modern. Of all places that I thought I could escape here in the Middle East there still is a Foot Locker. Ha – maybe I should see if I can get a job there!! The city is pretty clean and the bah-sheesh (tip) monster has disappeared. We actually had our first dinner with a Jordanian family. It was an interesting experience. We actually had to go to a part of town that we’re not really supposed to go to. Philip’s friend, Ahmed, came to take us to his familie’s house. I didn’t understand anything that was going on but Philip was having a really good time and I was able to get the gist of what everyone was talking about. We ate malubeh which is roasted chicken with wild rice, a pickled cucumber salad and a cheesy concoction which ranged between cottage cheese and buttermilk. It was extremely good. Afterwards we went to a local zoo there and mundane animals that we see all the time back home are considered exciting creatures in Jordan. We saw raccoons, dogs, quail and chickens. It was a very interesting experience. I am glad that we have made a friend. We also went to Wastel- Baled which is the center of town. There were some ancient Roman Ruins there. We were able to climb around everything and look at the whole city from that tallest point in town. Overall I think that I am going to like Jordan. There are still some kinks that I am trying to work out. There is a huge water shortage here and actually the first week that we lived here we had NO WATER for 5 days. Our apartment reaked of porta potties and 6 smelly adults. Yummy! Since then we have adopted the girls camp method of if it’s yellow leave it mellow etc and the husbands go and fill up water bottles when they go to school so we have a stock pile in case that situation should happen again. I am also learning to hand wash laundry (I think that by the end of the summer I will be a pro at this). I am also trying to learn how to entertain myself. I can’t go out without Philip or at least 3 women so it has been challenging to sit in the apartment all day watching Arabic tv and reading. I am hoping that once we get comfortable with everything here we will be able to find things for me to do and I will know what fun activities there are here. For now just know that we are doing well, our bowels have finally calmed down and we are enjoying learning and trying new things. We are going to the south this weekend because Jordan’s Independence Day is on Sunday so there are no classes. We will write again soon. We miss you all!!!

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The Adventure Continues

Our recent adventures have truly let us feel how small we really are in this large world. As we got off the plane it felt like we were in a painting of some sort. There was desert everywhere and palm trees springing up here and there. I felt like I was in 1001 rabbit tales (dad you will know what I am talking about). We were driving around this crazy city nearly missing the cars in front of us when all of the sudden (small pause) there they were: THE PYRAMIDS!!!! It is truly a humbling experience to witness this magical feat that was put together thousands of years ago and is still standing today. They were gigunda sized. We felt like we had stepped back in time. It was pretty funny to see the occasional foreigner who obviously didn’t get the memo about dress standards among the camels and the Bedouin men(by this I mean women wearing shorts so small that they would get the double take by American standards, in a country where foreign women are already viewed as “easy” by Arab standards). We were able to see things that one only reads about in high school history books but never thinks actually exists. I have to tell you that the Sphinx was actually a lot smaller that you would guess. You could probably climb it if you wanted to.
One of things that Philip enjoyed the most was Karnak Temple. It was a huge temple built for the God Ammon-Ra which consisted of enormous pillars and some interesting ties to the Mormon religion. Can’t really tell you here but if you want to know more you can pay a small fee to the fund of Big B and The Blonde Wonder (jk). We also saw this huge temple built by the only woman to ever rule in Egypt. It was layered into a large rock overlooking Cairo. How can one comprehend all this, especially when it is packed into a few days?
Now I feel I can be sarcastic. Among all the beauty and wonder that is the Middle East, there were some things that we wish we were prepared for first. Here it goes:

BIG B’S LIST OF THINGS TO BE PREPARED FOR IF YOU EVER VISIT CAIRO

1) A lot of people will expect tips for everything meaning if you go across a street and someone says hello, they will expect a tip. I am exaggerating a little here but let me share some experiences with you. When we were at the train station waiting to go to Luxor, I, Big B, couldn’t even go to the bathroom without first tipping the woman blocking the door. I felt like a first grader trying to sneak past the cooler fifth grader who was blocking the bathroom door trying to steal your lunch money. One guy that was sweeping the street just doing his job asked for a tip or “ba’sheesh” as they call it, from people in our group. Things like this can be a real hassle when you are not prepared for it.
2) You and the local traffic are in an interesting game of chicken, and whoever chickens out first could wind up in a lot of hurt. There are no traffic signs, lights or even lanes and as a pedestrian you could wait at a curb until your golden anniversary. Eventually you learn that you just walk out into oncoming traffic (no you are not reading this wrong) and if you maintain a good pace and you have really good awareness you can successfully cross the street and still have all your working body parts (although the first time you do this you might lose your bladder). Cars are very aware of pedestrians and even though they tail one another closer than you would tail someone who just cut you off, we never saw any accidents.
3) Egyptians are some of the friendliest people that you will ever meet but if they start telling you that you can’t go that way or that those people over there are not nice to Americans, this just means that they want you to go visit their shop which is obviously not where you are going. The easiest way to avoid this is by placing your hand over your heart and saying thank you, no. At first I thought “wow this guy is so nice or thank you for giving us this vital information” but when we actually took someone’s advice and followed him to where our friends allegedly where we wound up in some crazy shop being asked to buy random stuff and needless to say our friends were not there. Just note that for later.
4) Do not be offended by the garbage that is EVERYWHERE! When I first saw the amount of garbage that was everywhere I felt like the naked Indian from Wayne’s World who cries when he sees how dirty the park has become after Waynestock. It is something that you have to overlook while you are out here. If you feel strongly enough though maybe you should invent a large broom or vacuum cleaner that can go through and tidy up the city. Write to your local governor and see what you can find out.

Well I think that I have said more than you wanted to read. Hopefully this entertained you as well as gave you some insight into Cairo. Don’t cash in your tickets to the Middle East just yet. These tips were simply meant to help you understand that you are not in Kansas anymore and maybe help you know what to expect when you come to a place like this. It is dirty and beautiful, busy and calming, old and new, scary and inviting, all at the same time!!! I would recommend the hasty voyage over here to see these things for yourself before the opportunity passes you by.

(Next week I will tell you about Amman!! Stay tuned)

First Blog Attempt

Hey Everyone,

This is our first experience with the blog world, so be patient with us. Our battery is almost dead now, so we've got to go. Expect Pics and other fun stuff soon!