Bitza Arabi

Hayley, I found pizza that could compete with Settebello's

My family took me to lunch at Pizzaria al-reef today. I got the Magherita "bitza" and it was the best pizza I have ever had. The decor of the restaurant was a mix of arab and country styled italiano. Every meal is a lesson for me. I love learning new words and being able to communicate even better. It was great to see more of the city today. We went to the tool store and the Mall after lunch. I even met a former BYU student at the petrol station. He was a really cool guy. My host Mother Fida is very good friends with his family too. Everyone seems to be connected here.

Most of the gang together

Today I was able to meet up with Melody and Matt (aka the married couple) and see there very chic flat. Annie and her sister Leila met us at my house and we took a taxi to Mekkah street. I have been trying to pay very close attention to the roads so I can give clear directions to the taxi drivers when I am alone. I will be taking my first cab alone tomorrow. I think I know what and how to say the directions.........eh maybe.

Amman became real for me today as I got out into the city more. The weather has been really nice and I felt comfortable walking around the bustling streets. A bunch of us took off towards a market place to get some falafel at Mattam Hashim and the famous Kunafa of Habiba. The meals were extremely tasty and not too expensive. After that we headed back to M and M's place to wait for Annie and James to arrive. It was good to get the group together( me, james, and robert) i will miss them while they are in mafraq and i am in Amman.

I am starting to feel the jet lag kick in so I will leave on this note........I still love Amman. It has been exciting and challenging getting to know the area and talk with all sorts of people. I look forward to the rest of this week. should be interesting................................................

Jordanian Hospitality

The kindness I have been shown over the past two days has been immense. I got to Amman with 5 numbers from strangers who insist I call them if I ever need a hot meal and good conversation while in Amman. It did not surprise me to discover my hosts, the al-Issa family, were just as kind and wonderful. Abdullah, his daughter joud, and Annie were there to meet me at the airport and Abdullah insisted on going to the cafe. I ordered the chocolate mousse and it was heaven. The water they served comes all wrapped up and purified. Due to the poor water system in Jordan I have to watch the kind of water I drink. We sat, ate, and talked for over an hour. we really were on Arab time. After dropping Annie home, I arrived at my new home and met Hamouda and Fida. Fida showed me to my room and found this freshly painted pin-striped room with brand new beds and fancy floral sheets. Fida and Joud, my auntie and little sis, did it all themselves. I spent my first evening talking with Abdullah and bonding over some yummy hummus and falafel. Amman is beginning to feel a lot like home. shukran li dyafitkom

A new camera for jOrdon

Above is the first picture my camera has ever taken.

I decided that getting a camera for Jordan would be a good idea. This Nikon CoolPix would be the first non disposable camera I have ever had. At the beginning of my search for the perfect camera, I consulted with my very knowledgeable camera man, Tyler. I asked him, "what would be the best camera to get for Jordan?", and he responded, "how much are you will to give to the Jordanian pick pockets?" I realize there is a high probability that my Coolpix could get hijacked but I am a risk taker. I will not let this camera out of my sight.

Hipsters and a little culture

Tonight Aly Jenkins called me to go check out this art exhibit downtown but then we saw that the shows ended at 9. It was 9:16. Luckily, I spotted this great little Indian/Pakistani shop called Bollywood. Not only did I find great hipsters shopping around in the market, I also found some great treats. The store was a small shop and I noticed that one of the sales ladies was following Aly and me around the store. She was the cutest lady! She is from Nepal and that is about all the personal info I got out of her. She led me to some great treats though. Some of the packages had Arabic writing on them so i read one package that said "Mango Kream." The sales lady pushed me to get some choco biscuits instead. What a cool lady and place. i need to go back soon and peruse their selection of Bollywood film!

Jordan A Go

I know it has been a really long time since I have blogged but here is the update.

This week has been really hectic but surprisingly productive. I finalized my flight intinery and will be flying out of Vegas May 9th. Amman, Jordan, here I come.
I cannot wait to get over to the Middle East and get to work. I am convinced that it will be the hardest but the greatest adventure ever.
I hear so many conflicting stories from people who have lived and visited the mystical region of the Middle East. Jordan is an interesting place because it is a country where ancient and modern come together. Amman is becoming more and more "westernized" but the people still identify with their traditional roots. As part of my internship I will be keeping journals and documenting all my experiences. So, keep an eye out for future posts. Internet access will be a little sketchy but i should be able to post once a week. Until then.......Ma' asalaama. (Bye)