Holy Land Touristing

To all my followers.....hold on just a little bit longer. The pictures are coming. Internet is just not what it use to be here in the Holy Land.

For Mom: I AM SAFE AND HAVING A BLAST. Love you and miss you.

A frozen tundra no more

Fact: The Middle East does experience seasonal changes. It gets cold here....even comparable to a brisk Provo evening. My household has experienced this fact firsthand due to our lack of central heating in our home. For weeks it has felt like a frozen wasteland with visible oral condensed water molecules spewed from our mouths. Things have been miserable.

The Solution

Finally, there is heat. We have warmth. Of course there is the chance that we could die from asphyxiation from our propane-fueled space heater....I take that over hypothermia. Life is grand in here in Jordan. 

Away for a few days

Day One: Rainy Amman

Windy Karak

Musical rababa player with a shifty salesman brother.

Walking through the Siq up to the Treasury

Bedouin Army Man

The most dignified cat I have seen in Jordan so far

nationalistic pit stop

watchman

Southern Utah?

Tourist Ants

This is Audi....like the car

jeeping in Wadi Rum

Camel keeper.

It was good to get away this weekend and get some touristing in before we all have to buckle down and study hard for impending finals just around this month's corner. Like all vacations, the end is always the sweetest part. After long days, exorbitant soda prices, and crowded public places, I am so glad to be back home in my frozen tundra home.
This weeks goal: get our apartment's heater working. 

No more junk.

Meet Galayet Bandora.

The Rachel Ray inspired rubbish bin.

Toasting up some pita.

Finished product.

So, I have been in Amman for two months and I made my first real grocery trip to the store today. Honestly the shopping culture here is not like back home. I am use to those big trips to Costco and stalking up for the next 6 months on pantry goods but here people make nightly trips to the local corner store rather than the big French chain store. Tonight I made a visit to my local store for more than just my usual Pepsi and galaxy bar fix. Instead, I bought supplies to prepare my favorite easy food in Jordan. 

Ingredients:

Tomatoes(bandora)

Onions

Green Peppers

Chili Peppers

Eggs

Garlic

Olive Oil

and 

Wheat Pita

Best eaten with hands.

All prepared for less than 2 American dollars.

Dumpster Dog

Last night, Jordan and I heard the sound of distress coming through the window from the street. The other night I had met a little puppy out on the street and it followed me for a bit and I knew it had to be the same dog. Street animals are not an uncommon resident in any Jordanian neighborhood. However, a dog is! The majority and the mangiest of the street critters who frequent the local garbage dumpster in Jordan is the cat. I do not have a soft spot in my heart for the diseased felines of Amman but this pup from the other night was special. Jordan and I hit the street in search of the little guy/or girl. We were about to give up the search when we saw some neighborhood  shabab(youth) kicking the dog and causing it to cry out and seek refuge under the dumpster. The boys had run away by the time we got to the little pup. Jordan was able to fish her( we found out latter that it was in fact a little she pup) out from underneath the refuse receptacle.

It was love at first sight for Jordan. He swept her up in his arms and brought her immediately inside. I must say that I am usually opposed to bringing rabid street animals into homes but like I said previously this dog was different. She was scared and covered in dirt, filth, and grime. Jordan washed her till the water ran clear and he fed her some chicken and we got her some water. She was exhausted from the evening's events and went straight to bed out on the boy's balcony for the night.

I was excited waking up this morning with hopes of taking Hiba (puppy) for a walk or teaching her some tricks. Dreams fizzled out as the boys informed me that the puppy's owner had come for the dog. The guys came across the little kid while playing tag football in the street. The little boy swore he didn't know anything about the dogs misadventures and promised to take better care of her. A little while later the boy returned asking if they had the dog again. The irresponsible brat had lost Hiba again. If I find her again, I will not be giving her back. I hope I see/ or hear from the pup soon.

Koshari!

Delicious Egyptian street food in Amman. Due to popular demand more Sami pictures will be posted. Layla, pass this blog onto your mom. Sami isn't good at letting her into his Jordanian adventures.

Blog Fever

For those interested in seeing what my apartment looks like here in Jordan click here. There is a lot of blogging happening on this study abroad. Most of us are saying the same things and doing similar activities. Makes post like these easier with other people doing all the ground work. So check them out.