All good things come to an end, this is true even for English classes and summer internships.
After six weeks of classes, our English lessons had to come to an end both because the semester was over and because Ramadan was scheduled to start shortly thereafter. This semester my English class was a bit of an anomaly. I somehow ended up with a class of nine men and one girl. It was hard for me to figure out how to adjust from daily life where "you absolutely do not talk to Arab men you don't know" to coming to a male-dominated class where I am the authority figure. I think overtime I won the respect of the class especially when I invited them to teach me about their culture and I mentioned that I was taking Arabic lessons. Having Carly in class with me was also helpful both to me and to my one girl who had become very reserved in class. I do not think teaching is my calling but I am greatful for the chance to learn from my class as much as they learn from me.
On graduation night, the center was packed with all of our students, some of their families and all the Americans. I say "all the Americans" because we had a team from Oregon visiting for the week. So this team in addition to the nine teachers, and a few friends who came by for the party, there were about twenty of us. Each of the teachers awarded their students their certificates of achievement and were met with thunderous applause. After which, the teachers were called back up unexpectantly to receive thanks and a box of sweets as tokens of appreciation from the center. Once all the formalities were done, students were invited to hang out and play word games led by the visitors from Oregon in the classrooms. When all the games and the impromptu jam session finished, English classes officially shut down until September.
For the summer interns, time in Jordan had come to a close as well. Of the eight of us, only Kara and I would be staying here past the summer. As a way for everyone to debrief and prepare for this, our advisors Sarah, Jessie and Lisa took us all to Wadi Rum. "Wadi" like we talked about before means a valley or area where a river caused a change in the landscape. There was probably once a river here that shaped some of the stone and cut through the valley but it has long since dried up. "Rum" means high or elevated, which is easy to understand when you see the rock structures that make Wadi Rum such a popular place to visit.
Though it is literally the middle of the desert, Bedouin people still live in and around Rum. When we arrived, we were met by two Bedouin men, Abdullah and Attalla, who would be our drivers and guides through the sands. After a quick stop at the gas station in Rum village, we set of on our adventure. First stop was an unusual rock. You might wonder what made this rock different from all the ones around it; nothing, except that someone long ago decided that it was the right rock to write on. Thamudic inscriptions ran down the side of this rock and only this rock. Thamudic language predates modern Arabic and shows up in various places between the Arabian and Sinai peninsulas. This Semitic language was used only between the 4th Century BC and the 3rd Century AD. Next it was back in the jeep to Khazali Canyon. The eight of us along with Lisa's girls climbed onto the ledge in the canyon to see how far we could go. At the center of this canyon was a water spring but none of us were willing to climb up the scant footholds to see the water. We climbed up and down the time worn rock for a bit then we were off. Racing each other, our jeeps bounced over the sand dunes and up the paths that pervious adventurers had left us. A few more natural wonders astounded us along the way like the natural Jebel Umm Fruth rock bridge and the simple beauty of the red sand beneath our feet. We stopped for a time of debriefing on top of a sandy hill where we spreading out a blanket to sit on. We shared the snacks we had brought while we discussed what we had learned about the culture, each other and ourselves. We sat and talked, watching the sunset until it was time to press on to our camp site.
There are several camp sites that can be rented in Wadi Rum with varying accommodations. I had figured on staying in a tent but we were all pleasantly surprised to find that our site had running water and toilets. Our host, with help from our drivers, made dinner for us in the ground. I have heard of people burying meat in charcoal to cook it in the states but burying in the sand was something new for me. Also, I had not seen a multi-tiered platter like the one our host puled out of the hole in the ground. He had prepared chicken with vegetables in the charcoal for us. Some of us opted to sleep out under the stars but Laura, Kara and I decided to share a tent instead. We were up with the sun the next morning for a breakfast of fruit and some more debriefing. Soon it was time for us to head back to the village. At the village, some of the girls took advantage of the opportunity to ride a camel. We heartily thanked our guides and headed back to town. Though it is not a World Wonder, Wadi Rum is considered a World Heritage Site and it is easy to see why.
As Kermit the Frog said "Life is made up of meetings and partings" and life in Jordan is no different. After coming back, we had only a few days and then Laura and Becky headed home to the states to finish their last year at college. Likewise, the next day Carly, Katie, Jessica and Mindy boarded a plane bound for the US. At the same time, Kara was headed to Rome. The way Visas work here, you can only stay in Jordan for six months and then you have to leave the country. At her six month mark, Kara had planned to go to Rome and meet up with her mother. This left me in the house alone for a week but it was alright. The team took care of me and I was able to navigate town on my own successfully. I am glad though that Kara is back now.
Ramadan officially started July 10th. Life here is very different now. Fewer people are out during the day because it is so hot, and fasting from food and drink for sixteen hours makes the heat all the more unbearable. Kara and I went out with our friend Yara at 8:00 the other night and the streets were completely empty. This is because at sundown iftar begins. Iftar is the breaking of the fast when families gather together to eat and read the Quran. Generally this falls between 7:30 and 8:00 at night. The call to prayer will sound from the mosque and people on the street will shoot off fireworks in celebration of breaking the fast. Shops will be closed from 7:00 until about 8:30 so that the workers can eat as well. Taxi drivers will even pull over to the side of the road to eat and drink whatever they brought with them for this time. Fast begins again in the morning at 4:30. A few nights now I have woken up at 3 am to the sound of someone beating a drum while walking down the street. They do this to wake up those who are fasting so that they can eat before sunup. I understand why this is an important job but 3 am is really early. I planned on having so much free time during Ramadan but somehow the days keep getting away from me. This is my excuse for why this post is so late. Don't worry though in two weeks life should get exciting again and I will do my best to keep you all updated. Ramadan Kareem!
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/WadiRum?authkey=Gv1sRgCPnB6azzkPGWPA#
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
World Wonder #2: Petra
To distract you from how far behind in my blogging I have become, I will now dazzle you with one of the Wonders of the World. If you've been following me for a while you know that while I was in Ireland I had the opportunity to see Giant's Causeway, a natural wonder. Now in Jordan, I have had the chance to travel to another wonder: the Red-Rose City of Petra.
As I have done in the past, I tried to research Petra so that I could explain who built it and why. The problem is no one actually knows. It is believed to have built by the Nabeteans in the late 300's BC. However, records are sparse regarding the early masonry and ownership of this place. Constructed at the opening of a wadi or natural canyon, the first building is called the Treasury or Siq. What treasure did it hold? No one knows. More than likely it was only actually used as a tomb and if we stretch the truth a bit we can conclude that whoever was buried there was buried with his treasure. I mean, it's a pretty amazing place to be laid to rest, he must have been a king of some sort. Who he is and what was (or was not) buried with him remains part of the mystery. Similarly, the final building on the path is known as the Monastery. This is most apparently a misnomer because this building is only one room deep and could not serve as the housing for the religious leaders of the Nabeteans (if in fact they were the ones who started it all). Maybe this is part of what makes Petra a wonder: the anonymity of its founder.
Scattered betwixt the staggeringly ornate carved buildings are a few Roman remnants. Like everyone else who has stumbled upon Petra, the Romans were exceedingly impressed with its architecture. As they had the habit of doing, the Romans set up shop in the same area in order to make use of the surroundings and the locals. They did not stay for very long though. Rome was very good at building water ways to the areas that lacked natural springs and Petra was no exception. However, after a series of earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings and the water pipe system Rome decided it smarter to leave Petra and went off to focus their efforts on more habitable lands.
Petra, though uninhabited, seems unable to remain out of the public eye for very long. It hosted the end scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The Treasury serves as the backdrop but since the actual building only houses three rooms, the remainder of the scenes are shot on a Hollywood set (sorry to disappoint you). Despite this press, it was not until 2007 that Petra was considered a World Wonder. Between 2000 & 2007 the New 7 Wonders Foundations worked to weigh various landmarks across the globe to see which was worthy of the title. Petra beat out many contenders, most notably the Statue of Liberty and the Pyramids at Gaza (Gaza retains an honorary status as one of the Ancient Wonders), and is counted among the Taj Mahal in India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Collesum in Rome, The Great Wall of China, and Machu Picchu in Peru.
Our journey began at 7 in the morning. As we traveled north, we had to stop on the side of the road and appreciate the view that we had from the top of the mountains. There wasn't a sand storm that morning per se but we could see the dust moving and playing with the colors of the horizon. I believe we started our journey through Petra around 10:30. Gene and Zead led our group of seven American girls (Kara, Laura, Mindy, Katie, Carly, Jessica and I) along with Gene's son Rubbia down the sandy road into the wadi. Naturally carved canyons offer both a wonder of their own with all the colors and formations, along with relief from the sun. Like I said, Petra is in the middle of the desert and any relief is always welcome. Along the way there were carvings in the rock that let us know what to expect up ahead. We exited the wadi to find ourselves in front of the Siq. They have closed the Siq to the public so all we could do is look at it. All around us buzzed tourist groups, trinket salesmen and locals who make a living providing camel, donkey or horse rides to visitors who do not want to hike the trail. After an appropriate amount of appreciating, we moved on from the Siq.
Evidence of the Romans was right up against the original carvings. The Roman theater was right across from some "apartments" that are carved in the red sandstone that gives Petra its name. The Roman road offered our legs a break from dredging through sand. While making our way up the road, Jessica found a friend in the little boy who was selling rocks beside the roadway. He was elated to make the sale and she was glad to make his day. Next up, were more Roman remains: Hadrian's Gate and the temple. These were the last sites on flat terrain; if we wanted to continue on we had to hike up the sand covered stairs or rent a donkey. I was determined to walk the whole thing and did so. Jessica, Katie and Gene joined in my uphill march while the others rented donkeys. Gene called this being a "hiking purist", I called it a questionable life decision. I must say though, the donkeys only beat us by five minutes which is impressive if you consider we were climbing up stone stairs under the noonday sun. Once we caught up, it was down a different set of stairs to the Monastery. We had brought along fruit and snacks for the journey and the Monastery served as our hideaway from the sun as we ate. Finding some natural 'footholds' we all climbed into the Monastery. Inside of this huge building is only one room with no furniture or fixtures, no ornaments or decorations, and no apparent purpose. The stark difference between the highly ornate outside and the four plain walls inside reminds me of what someone said about white-washed tombs: the outside looks great but the inside is empty and only houses rotting bones (Matthew 23:26-28).
If you think you like apples, let me say you have never tasted an apple until you have hiked five miles uphill in the desert and then, when you finally get a rest, you bite into a bright green apple. The granny smith apple I had in the Monastery was the best apple I've ever had in my life. It's funny how the arid times make the mundane things spectacular. After our short break (it certainly felt short) we jumped out of the Monastery and continued up to the End of the World. The view from the top most peak we were able to climb is known as the View of the End of the World. It certainly felt like it. That's not to say we looked over the cliff and saw into space; rather when you looked around from the top of the cliff it felt like if you looked for long enough you could find the end of the world. As if to make this point, Gene pointed out a white dot on one of the mountain tops opposite us. That white dot is the final resting place of Aaron...yeah that Aaron: brother of Moses, head of the priesthood, featured in the pages of scripture. Again our enjoyment of the view was brief and then we turned around to journey back down the trail we had just painstakingly climbed (not to complain). Going down is always easier than going up but the steps were still sprinkled with sand and sure footing was a bit trickier to find. The road that we walked down to the wadi is a steady three mile uphill on the way out. Laura and Zead decided since they had had enough exercise that day and rented horses to take them out. Laura's horse was named Indiana Jones, in case we had missed the connection between the franchise and the place we had visited. So figure the road in and out is about three miles one way, the hike through Petra is about five miles one way which makes a total of approximately sixteen miles covered in one day. Not bad for a wee stretch of the legs.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Petra?authkey=Gv1sRgCO7IqOKbwPKZ1QE#
As I have done in the past, I tried to research Petra so that I could explain who built it and why. The problem is no one actually knows. It is believed to have built by the Nabeteans in the late 300's BC. However, records are sparse regarding the early masonry and ownership of this place. Constructed at the opening of a wadi or natural canyon, the first building is called the Treasury or Siq. What treasure did it hold? No one knows. More than likely it was only actually used as a tomb and if we stretch the truth a bit we can conclude that whoever was buried there was buried with his treasure. I mean, it's a pretty amazing place to be laid to rest, he must have been a king of some sort. Who he is and what was (or was not) buried with him remains part of the mystery. Similarly, the final building on the path is known as the Monastery. This is most apparently a misnomer because this building is only one room deep and could not serve as the housing for the religious leaders of the Nabeteans (if in fact they were the ones who started it all). Maybe this is part of what makes Petra a wonder: the anonymity of its founder.
Scattered betwixt the staggeringly ornate carved buildings are a few Roman remnants. Like everyone else who has stumbled upon Petra, the Romans were exceedingly impressed with its architecture. As they had the habit of doing, the Romans set up shop in the same area in order to make use of the surroundings and the locals. They did not stay for very long though. Rome was very good at building water ways to the areas that lacked natural springs and Petra was no exception. However, after a series of earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings and the water pipe system Rome decided it smarter to leave Petra and went off to focus their efforts on more habitable lands.
Petra, though uninhabited, seems unable to remain out of the public eye for very long. It hosted the end scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The Treasury serves as the backdrop but since the actual building only houses three rooms, the remainder of the scenes are shot on a Hollywood set (sorry to disappoint you). Despite this press, it was not until 2007 that Petra was considered a World Wonder. Between 2000 & 2007 the New 7 Wonders Foundations worked to weigh various landmarks across the globe to see which was worthy of the title. Petra beat out many contenders, most notably the Statue of Liberty and the Pyramids at Gaza (Gaza retains an honorary status as one of the Ancient Wonders), and is counted among the Taj Mahal in India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Collesum in Rome, The Great Wall of China, and Machu Picchu in Peru.
Our journey began at 7 in the morning. As we traveled north, we had to stop on the side of the road and appreciate the view that we had from the top of the mountains. There wasn't a sand storm that morning per se but we could see the dust moving and playing with the colors of the horizon. I believe we started our journey through Petra around 10:30. Gene and Zead led our group of seven American girls (Kara, Laura, Mindy, Katie, Carly, Jessica and I) along with Gene's son Rubbia down the sandy road into the wadi. Naturally carved canyons offer both a wonder of their own with all the colors and formations, along with relief from the sun. Like I said, Petra is in the middle of the desert and any relief is always welcome. Along the way there were carvings in the rock that let us know what to expect up ahead. We exited the wadi to find ourselves in front of the Siq. They have closed the Siq to the public so all we could do is look at it. All around us buzzed tourist groups, trinket salesmen and locals who make a living providing camel, donkey or horse rides to visitors who do not want to hike the trail. After an appropriate amount of appreciating, we moved on from the Siq.
Evidence of the Romans was right up against the original carvings. The Roman theater was right across from some "apartments" that are carved in the red sandstone that gives Petra its name. The Roman road offered our legs a break from dredging through sand. While making our way up the road, Jessica found a friend in the little boy who was selling rocks beside the roadway. He was elated to make the sale and she was glad to make his day. Next up, were more Roman remains: Hadrian's Gate and the temple. These were the last sites on flat terrain; if we wanted to continue on we had to hike up the sand covered stairs or rent a donkey. I was determined to walk the whole thing and did so. Jessica, Katie and Gene joined in my uphill march while the others rented donkeys. Gene called this being a "hiking purist", I called it a questionable life decision. I must say though, the donkeys only beat us by five minutes which is impressive if you consider we were climbing up stone stairs under the noonday sun. Once we caught up, it was down a different set of stairs to the Monastery. We had brought along fruit and snacks for the journey and the Monastery served as our hideaway from the sun as we ate. Finding some natural 'footholds' we all climbed into the Monastery. Inside of this huge building is only one room with no furniture or fixtures, no ornaments or decorations, and no apparent purpose. The stark difference between the highly ornate outside and the four plain walls inside reminds me of what someone said about white-washed tombs: the outside looks great but the inside is empty and only houses rotting bones (Matthew 23:26-28).
If you think you like apples, let me say you have never tasted an apple until you have hiked five miles uphill in the desert and then, when you finally get a rest, you bite into a bright green apple. The granny smith apple I had in the Monastery was the best apple I've ever had in my life. It's funny how the arid times make the mundane things spectacular. After our short break (it certainly felt short) we jumped out of the Monastery and continued up to the End of the World. The view from the top most peak we were able to climb is known as the View of the End of the World. It certainly felt like it. That's not to say we looked over the cliff and saw into space; rather when you looked around from the top of the cliff it felt like if you looked for long enough you could find the end of the world. As if to make this point, Gene pointed out a white dot on one of the mountain tops opposite us. That white dot is the final resting place of Aaron...yeah that Aaron: brother of Moses, head of the priesthood, featured in the pages of scripture. Again our enjoyment of the view was brief and then we turned around to journey back down the trail we had just painstakingly climbed (not to complain). Going down is always easier than going up but the steps were still sprinkled with sand and sure footing was a bit trickier to find. The road that we walked down to the wadi is a steady three mile uphill on the way out. Laura and Zead decided since they had had enough exercise that day and rented horses to take them out. Laura's horse was named Indiana Jones, in case we had missed the connection between the franchise and the place we had visited. So figure the road in and out is about three miles one way, the hike through Petra is about five miles one way which makes a total of approximately sixteen miles covered in one day. Not bad for a wee stretch of the legs.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Petra?authkey=Gv1sRgCO7IqOKbwPKZ1QE#
Friday, June 28, 2013
The Importance of Rest
Something that I perhaps took for granted or simply ignored before coming here was the need for rest. Since I arrived, each member of the team has emphasized the importance of taking time to rest and step away from all the work and worry of life here. My American mind set pushes back: "I have to get this, this and this done on time and then I can crash over the weekend." Especially coming out of a college atmosphere when I would go to bed at midnight to wake up at 4 AM to finish a paper or project, I felt that rest was a luxury and not one that was high on my list. It took being physically exhausted to the point of having to turn over my English class to one of the other teachers for me to realize that rest was not a footnote but a reoccurring theme in every chapter.
Life here is hot, busy and highly interactive. Everyday we go out in over 100 degree weather to work in the community and lend ourselves to our neighbors. Please understand, this is not a complaint, rather it is an explanation of the conclusion I was forced to make. I mention the heat because it is a constant and is the most physically draining aspect of stepping outside the house. We walk to and from the grocery store up the street then we are ready for a nap. Even while writing this post in my house, I had to get up to refill my water bottle in response to the thirst that always seems to be an issue. There is also the added stress of the language barrier that separates me from my neighbors here. Though I have planned an all out assault on this barrier by stepping up my language classes in the next month, the fact remains that my expectations in this area should be low. I am still unsure whether I have accepted that limited victories in this area are all that I will accomplish in a year. Other workers have been here for five or more years and are still meeting regularly with a language tutor. Even if somehow I manage to be able to converse with my neighbors here, I still will not be able to read or write Arabic (like I said, limited victories). I have enjoyed the big group activities as well as the small group visits, don't get me wrong. However, when three of us were on a visit that lasted nearly five hours this week, all of us were feeling rather drained afterwards. The stress of the day might go unnoticed at the time but it will quickly wear you down.
So how have I found rest? Leo Tolstoy equated rest with happiness in this way: "Rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor — such is my idea of happiness.” This list exemplifies my idea of happiness perfectly.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/SunsetOverTown?authkey=Gv1sRgCPKctb74o8v8dA#
Life here is hot, busy and highly interactive. Everyday we go out in over 100 degree weather to work in the community and lend ourselves to our neighbors. Please understand, this is not a complaint, rather it is an explanation of the conclusion I was forced to make. I mention the heat because it is a constant and is the most physically draining aspect of stepping outside the house. We walk to and from the grocery store up the street then we are ready for a nap. Even while writing this post in my house, I had to get up to refill my water bottle in response to the thirst that always seems to be an issue. There is also the added stress of the language barrier that separates me from my neighbors here. Though I have planned an all out assault on this barrier by stepping up my language classes in the next month, the fact remains that my expectations in this area should be low. I am still unsure whether I have accepted that limited victories in this area are all that I will accomplish in a year. Other workers have been here for five or more years and are still meeting regularly with a language tutor. Even if somehow I manage to be able to converse with my neighbors here, I still will not be able to read or write Arabic (like I said, limited victories). I have enjoyed the big group activities as well as the small group visits, don't get me wrong. However, when three of us were on a visit that lasted nearly five hours this week, all of us were feeling rather drained afterwards. The stress of the day might go unnoticed at the time but it will quickly wear you down.
So how have I found rest? Leo Tolstoy equated rest with happiness in this way: "Rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor — such is my idea of happiness.” This list exemplifies my idea of happiness perfectly.
- Nature offers the most noteworthy marvels and stirs in the soul of man praise to the Creator of such majesty. I find the sandy mountains and the salty sea shores of my new home to be no exception to this observation.
- Any one who knows me knows that I can not live long without a good book. Currently I am reading four (and would recommend all of them): A Separate Peace by John Knowles; A Damsel in Distress by PG Wodehouse; Bleak House by Charles Dickens; and Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by Randolph Richards & Brandon O'Brien. Each of these books offers a mental escape from the day for me that far surpasses anything I might find on the TV or Internet.
- Music has served as a great way to fill the silence when resting or working around the house. Sometimes I listen to it just to listen and other times it serves as white noise to keep my mind from wandering too far.
- Lastly, I cannot separate correctly loving my neighbors from taking time to rest. I highly value my time with people here but I have come to value my times of rest in the same way. I am even excited for Ramadan to start in two weeks because it will afford Kara and I the time to rest after saying goodbye to many of our American friends who are returning to the states, the closing of Green Creations for the time of fasting and the end of this semester of English classes.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/SunsetOverTown?authkey=Gv1sRgCPKctb74o8v8dA#
I'm Already Behind
Sorry everyone, I'm already behind in my posts. It is only because so much has been happening here in the past couple weeks.
First off, I finally made it to the Red Sea. Nearly all the girls from the English classes, both students and teachers, rented a bus and went to South Beach outside of town. I was particularly excited about this because, as luck would have it, I had only one girl in my class and was not connecting with the other female students much. Being invited on this trip was really encouraging for me and served to show all the girls that I'm their friend too. About twenty girls piled into this small bus where we rocked out to American and Arabic music the whole way there and back. The local girls remained covered when we went swimming, so we Americans tried to adjust our swimwear accordingly. I wore yoga capris and a long sleeved black shirt. The water in the Red Sea is salty but it did not feel gritty like ocean water. We all walked in to about our waists and a few brave souls jumped off the pier. The cool water was definitely a relief in the 100 degree weather. After wading for a while we walked up to the pavilion we had claimed and shared food. I had made brownies, like an American, while the other girls brought more traditional snacks: grape leaves, cheese filled dough, a dessert called "Lebanese Night" and pound cake. Afterwards, some of Becky and Laura's students tried to teach them how to dance and the rest of us cheered them on. We even tried to play a game of 'dare' but it was short lived. With the day quickly cooling off as the sun set, we returned to the water to soak our feet and enjoy the view. Upon coming back to town, promises were made for visits and goodbyes were prolonged. It was truly a great day of just getting to know some new friends outside of class and all the other work I've been focusing on. I can not wait to see what my friends plan for us to do next.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/ToTheBeach?authkey=Gv1sRgCLiFnon35-_29AE#
First off, I finally made it to the Red Sea. Nearly all the girls from the English classes, both students and teachers, rented a bus and went to South Beach outside of town. I was particularly excited about this because, as luck would have it, I had only one girl in my class and was not connecting with the other female students much. Being invited on this trip was really encouraging for me and served to show all the girls that I'm their friend too. About twenty girls piled into this small bus where we rocked out to American and Arabic music the whole way there and back. The local girls remained covered when we went swimming, so we Americans tried to adjust our swimwear accordingly. I wore yoga capris and a long sleeved black shirt. The water in the Red Sea is salty but it did not feel gritty like ocean water. We all walked in to about our waists and a few brave souls jumped off the pier. The cool water was definitely a relief in the 100 degree weather. After wading for a while we walked up to the pavilion we had claimed and shared food. I had made brownies, like an American, while the other girls brought more traditional snacks: grape leaves, cheese filled dough, a dessert called "Lebanese Night" and pound cake. Afterwards, some of Becky and Laura's students tried to teach them how to dance and the rest of us cheered them on. We even tried to play a game of 'dare' but it was short lived. With the day quickly cooling off as the sun set, we returned to the water to soak our feet and enjoy the view. Upon coming back to town, promises were made for visits and goodbyes were prolonged. It was truly a great day of just getting to know some new friends outside of class and all the other work I've been focusing on. I can not wait to see what my friends plan for us to do next.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/ToTheBeach?authkey=Gv1sRgCLiFnon35-_29AE#
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Speaking of Weddings
Two weeks in and I've already had the opportunity to attend a wedding.
One of the programs that the center does is called Well Fit. It is a health and wellness program that offers classes to both men and women in kick boxing, aerobics, zumba and other workout regiments. Those who attend the classes from the community have developed close relationships with the workers at the center who teach the classes. As a result, this past Wednesday every worker at the center was invited to the wedding of the son of one of the ladies who attends the aerobics class.
A short time ago this couple came together with their family to celebrate their engagement and sign a contract binding themselves to each other. This contract symbolizes that they agree to honor one another as if they were married but they marriage is not official yet. If this contract is broken before the marriage celebration, the woman would be considered divorced but the man would not be. On the woman's identification papers it will say "divorced" but the man's will continue to say "single". This however was not an issue for this couple and after the engagement celebration the family made all the preparations for the wedding.
We arrived at the reception hall in time to claim a table and greet our friends. Since this wedding was segregated by gender, once inside all the women uncovered and showed off their party clothes. Many of the dresses of the younger women were just like what you would see at a high school dance in the states. I even spotted a girl wearing the same dress I wore to my senior prom. Soon the DJ started playing Arabic pop music and the girls took to the dance floor. We were exhorted to join in the dancing which we reluctantly did for a short time. It was not so much the dancing that gave us pause, rather it was the scrutiny we were under while on the dance floor that made us a bit uneasy. The way that many engagements and marriages start is when a mother notices a girl at a public event like a wedding reception. The mother would be watching the young girls to discern which were modest, respectful and suitable for her son to marry. In response to this mindset, mothers with marriageable daughters would dress up their daughters and "position" them at the right parties where searching mothers of would-be grooms are sure to see them. If a mother notices a girl who fits her criteria, she will make inquiries about her and let her son know that the search is on. The dance floor felt like the bright light of a microscope that we were all fitted under. Despite this and the fact that none of us knew how to dance, it was fun to let loose with the girls for a bit.
After about an hour and a half of celebrating an announcement came over the pa system in Arabic and the women quickly sat down and put their coverings back on. It was time for the bride to arrive. This arrival was unusual, according to my friends, because the bride was accompanied on one side by her mother and father, and on the other side by the groom's father (the groom's mother had been at the party since the start). The groom was not part of this procession. As they entered, a prayer blessing in Arabic played over the pa. This type of blessing, I am told, is recited at a wedding, birth or the start of something new like a new job or moving into a new house. After the prayer, the fathers left and the bride took her place on the stage in front of us all. There was a great photo op and then she came down to the dance floor to celebrate with her friends (who were now uncovered again). This went on for a bit and then another announcement came on signaling the arrival of the groom. The bride went back out to meet him and all the ladies covered back up. The bride and the groom entered to a similar prayer blessing played over the pa system.
The couple walked through the hall and up onto the stage for the exchanging of the rings. This was a tradition that I particularly liked: both the man and the woman receive engagement rings at the signing of the contract to be worn on the right hand. At the wedding celebration, the groom moves the bride's engagement ring to the other hand and places a wedding ring on her right ring finger. She moves his rings as well. A friend of mine explained that having the ring on each hand tells the story of your lives together. My friends here were also aghast that in the states the man does not wear an engagement ring.
The groom then presented the bride with her gold. The gold is an adornment for the bride but it is also insurance for her wellbeing. If, for whatever reason, the couple was to divorce, the gold is her's to sell, etc., so that she might live on her own. Other types of jewelry are given as gifts but these pieces from the groom are presented and put on the bride during the celebration. The dancing continued but some of the more reserved women went to dance in the corner out of the line of vision of the groom. Soon, a giant cake was wheeled in. I counted eight or nine tiers but there may have been more. The bride and groom took hold of a huge sword with which they cut all of the tiers. At this point, the tradition was similar to what might happen at an American wedding: they took a piece of cake and fed it to each other. Similarly, they were given goblets with some sort of green (non-alcoholic) drink which they held out for the other to drink out of. The photographer never stopped snapping pictures of every action of the couple or turn on the dance floor. We received cake, chocolates and pop to sugar us up and keep us energized as the party went on.
I was very glad to have this opportunity to see how the community, especially the women, act outside of the center and out from under the public eye. I look forward to getting to know this place and the people here better through interactions like this in this next year.
Monday, June 3, 2013
New House
Marh'aba
I moved into a new house last Wednesday with three other girls who are working at the center. Here's a quick gallery of the house. Also, there's a picture at the beginning of the men's celebration of a wedding. Like most other things, the women and men are separated to celebrate wedding ceremonies. The women were inside somewhere having their own dance party while the men partied it up outside under the lights. The picture does not do justice to the light display that they had set up. Later in the night they shot off fire works.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/NewHouse?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6JzZez9J3xNQ#
This is what the men's party looks like during the day (minus the men & the party):
I moved into a new house last Wednesday with three other girls who are working at the center. Here's a quick gallery of the house. Also, there's a picture at the beginning of the men's celebration of a wedding. Like most other things, the women and men are separated to celebrate wedding ceremonies. The women were inside somewhere having their own dance party while the men partied it up outside under the lights. The picture does not do justice to the light display that they had set up. Later in the night they shot off fire works.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/NewHouse?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6JzZez9J3xNQ#
This is what the men's party looks like during the day (minus the men & the party):
More to Learn
In order to survive in a new culture you have to learn the rules. Slowly I am accumulating a list of what is polite, how to act in public and expectations others have of you. These cultural norms would not be given a second thought by those who live here but if broken are liable to cause problems. I will give you my short list that is in no way conclusive nor does every rule apply to every situation.
1) Day to day schedule
As I said before, the weekend here is Friday-Saturday. Thursday nights are like Friday nights in the states: everyone is out and about celebrating the start of the weekend. Fridays are the days when the Imams teach at the Mosques in the morning so the town is pretty dead until the afternoon. On a daily basis, most everything calms down between noon and four because of the heat (especially because it is the summer). This week's forecast is calling for temperatures above 110 every day. As a result, most families eat their big meal in the middle of the day; the food is prepared in the morning when it is still cool. Dinner is a much smaller meal eaten at a later time (sometimes not until 8 pm).
2) Ramadan
There are special rules for any religious observance. In the Muslim world, Ramadan is that time of year when everyone fasts from sun up (about 4:30 or 5 am) until sundown (about 7 pm) everyday. Once the sun does go down though, families and sometimes whole streets celebrate and share a big meal. If visits happen during Ramadan, they will usually happen at night when a meal can be shared (more on visits later). Special considerations are given to children, pregnant women and those who are sick. Children are not required to participate until they are ten years old. If you are not observing Ramadan, you still need to be respectful to those who are. It is illegal to walk down the street eating, drinking or holding food. Because I am a foreigner, I would not be jailed but I would still get in trouble. This year Ramadan will run from the first full week in July until the second week in August. The center will be shut down during this time and I am not sure what exactly we will do during this time.
3) Visits
This is how you know you are friends with someone - they will invite themselves over to your house or they may invite you over to their house for a visit This is a time to see one another without having the distractions of the outside world but also a chance for the host to practice hospitality. The guest must bring a gift for the host/hostess to the visit. This may be something simple like sweets or fruits, or it could be something fancy like a tea set. The budget of both parties should be taken into account when considering a gift because gifts are reciprocated when the host returns the visit. Usually the second gift will resemble the first, so you do not want to buy something too expensive for your host to purchase in return. Homemade gifts are acceptable as well. In any case, your gift should reflect your relationship with this person who was gracious enough to accept you into their home. Also, it is better if the gifts are things that the entire family can share. You may choose to bring an additional gift specifically for your friend who extended the invitation too. The division of men and women is expected during these visits. If I were visiting a friend, no boys older than fourteen would be allowed in the same room with us. If her husband or father wanted to meet me, he would briefly come into the room and introduce himself, exchange a few words and then leave again. The separation of men and women is a time honored tradition so much so that some houses (like mine) have two front doors. This was to offer a way for a man to enter his house and avoid seeing the women who were visiting in the room connected to the other door. During the visit a meal will be served. If a visit is understood to be much less formal or is not long enough to accommodate the serving of a full meal, a meal is not needed but something to snack on should be provided. For a meal, all of the food is brought out and laid out on the table. This could be a tall table with chairs or a floor set up with couches depending on the style of the room. The meal will last for a while as conversation flows and your hosts encourage you to eat more. Water will be offered along with other drink choices but it should not be offered as the only choice because it is common and you want to offer your friend the best. When the meal is done and cleared away, often a sweet tea will be served. The next course is dessert which may be fruit or any type of prepared dessert. The serving of coffee signals that the visit is over. It is not so much a statement of "Ok you need to leave now" but instead "I release you from having to stay any longer, if you need to go that is fine." If the time is mentioned, your host does need you to leave sooner rather than later. If you need to leave by a certain time, make that known to your host up front, even when planning the visit for they may ask you to come on a different day so that you can stay longer. Expect these visits to run anywhere from two to four hours at a time.
4) Dress
As a woman, I have set rules about how I may dress while in Jordan. No, I am not required to wear the head scarf but I am expected to observe the modesty rules when going out into town. My shirt sleeves should reach at least to my elbows; likewise, my bottoms need to reach beyond my knees. Having your hair pulled up is preferable if it is not covered. Regular scarves should be worn if your neckline dips at all. You should not leave the house with wet hair. The stipulation is that, because of ritualistic washings, a woman with wet hair just got done purifying herself after having relations with a man. So if you leave with wet hair, it is a sign that you just did this and did not have the time to dry your hair. This tradition is not usually observed in this day and age but the stipulation remains. Like all rules, observing them is more for your benefit and safety than anything else.
5) Some good things to know
- When you get into a taxi, you always enter from the right side. Women sit in the back unless there are more than three and men sit in the front.
- When you pick up fruit in the super market, there is a separate register where you take it to be weighed and priced before you take it to the front register to pay for it.
- They don't eat pork here so don't ask for it.
- All times for scheduled events are tentative so if something was to start at 6 it will probably start closer to 6:15.
- You shake hands, offer something, receive something, etc. with your right hand.
- In Arabic there are different verb forms for when you are addressing men than when you are addressing women. If you mix these up they will correct you.
- There is very little if any physical contact between men and women. If a man offers to shake my hand I may do so but I could never initiate the action.
- The Jordanian Dinar system takes its values out three decimal places. So your bill may say something like 7.083
These are my basic rules and observances for daily life here. I kept trying to explain some of these rules to my nephew but he insisted that they are just doing it wrong here. I disagree, as I keep telling him, it's not wrong just different. Luckily, I enjoy learning about differences like these. I will never blend in here but I can learn how to respectfully live along side the people who call Jordan home.
1) Day to day schedule
As I said before, the weekend here is Friday-Saturday. Thursday nights are like Friday nights in the states: everyone is out and about celebrating the start of the weekend. Fridays are the days when the Imams teach at the Mosques in the morning so the town is pretty dead until the afternoon. On a daily basis, most everything calms down between noon and four because of the heat (especially because it is the summer). This week's forecast is calling for temperatures above 110 every day. As a result, most families eat their big meal in the middle of the day; the food is prepared in the morning when it is still cool. Dinner is a much smaller meal eaten at a later time (sometimes not until 8 pm).
2) Ramadan
There are special rules for any religious observance. In the Muslim world, Ramadan is that time of year when everyone fasts from sun up (about 4:30 or 5 am) until sundown (about 7 pm) everyday. Once the sun does go down though, families and sometimes whole streets celebrate and share a big meal. If visits happen during Ramadan, they will usually happen at night when a meal can be shared (more on visits later). Special considerations are given to children, pregnant women and those who are sick. Children are not required to participate until they are ten years old. If you are not observing Ramadan, you still need to be respectful to those who are. It is illegal to walk down the street eating, drinking or holding food. Because I am a foreigner, I would not be jailed but I would still get in trouble. This year Ramadan will run from the first full week in July until the second week in August. The center will be shut down during this time and I am not sure what exactly we will do during this time.
3) Visits
This is how you know you are friends with someone - they will invite themselves over to your house or they may invite you over to their house for a visit This is a time to see one another without having the distractions of the outside world but also a chance for the host to practice hospitality. The guest must bring a gift for the host/hostess to the visit. This may be something simple like sweets or fruits, or it could be something fancy like a tea set. The budget of both parties should be taken into account when considering a gift because gifts are reciprocated when the host returns the visit. Usually the second gift will resemble the first, so you do not want to buy something too expensive for your host to purchase in return. Homemade gifts are acceptable as well. In any case, your gift should reflect your relationship with this person who was gracious enough to accept you into their home. Also, it is better if the gifts are things that the entire family can share. You may choose to bring an additional gift specifically for your friend who extended the invitation too. The division of men and women is expected during these visits. If I were visiting a friend, no boys older than fourteen would be allowed in the same room with us. If her husband or father wanted to meet me, he would briefly come into the room and introduce himself, exchange a few words and then leave again. The separation of men and women is a time honored tradition so much so that some houses (like mine) have two front doors. This was to offer a way for a man to enter his house and avoid seeing the women who were visiting in the room connected to the other door. During the visit a meal will be served. If a visit is understood to be much less formal or is not long enough to accommodate the serving of a full meal, a meal is not needed but something to snack on should be provided. For a meal, all of the food is brought out and laid out on the table. This could be a tall table with chairs or a floor set up with couches depending on the style of the room. The meal will last for a while as conversation flows and your hosts encourage you to eat more. Water will be offered along with other drink choices but it should not be offered as the only choice because it is common and you want to offer your friend the best. When the meal is done and cleared away, often a sweet tea will be served. The next course is dessert which may be fruit or any type of prepared dessert. The serving of coffee signals that the visit is over. It is not so much a statement of "Ok you need to leave now" but instead "I release you from having to stay any longer, if you need to go that is fine." If the time is mentioned, your host does need you to leave sooner rather than later. If you need to leave by a certain time, make that known to your host up front, even when planning the visit for they may ask you to come on a different day so that you can stay longer. Expect these visits to run anywhere from two to four hours at a time.
4) Dress
As a woman, I have set rules about how I may dress while in Jordan. No, I am not required to wear the head scarf but I am expected to observe the modesty rules when going out into town. My shirt sleeves should reach at least to my elbows; likewise, my bottoms need to reach beyond my knees. Having your hair pulled up is preferable if it is not covered. Regular scarves should be worn if your neckline dips at all. You should not leave the house with wet hair. The stipulation is that, because of ritualistic washings, a woman with wet hair just got done purifying herself after having relations with a man. So if you leave with wet hair, it is a sign that you just did this and did not have the time to dry your hair. This tradition is not usually observed in this day and age but the stipulation remains. Like all rules, observing them is more for your benefit and safety than anything else.
5) Some good things to know
- When you get into a taxi, you always enter from the right side. Women sit in the back unless there are more than three and men sit in the front.
- When you pick up fruit in the super market, there is a separate register where you take it to be weighed and priced before you take it to the front register to pay for it.
- They don't eat pork here so don't ask for it.
- All times for scheduled events are tentative so if something was to start at 6 it will probably start closer to 6:15.
- You shake hands, offer something, receive something, etc. with your right hand.
- In Arabic there are different verb forms for when you are addressing men than when you are addressing women. If you mix these up they will correct you.
- There is very little if any physical contact between men and women. If a man offers to shake my hand I may do so but I could never initiate the action.
- The Jordanian Dinar system takes its values out three decimal places. So your bill may say something like 7.083
These are my basic rules and observances for daily life here. I kept trying to explain some of these rules to my nephew but he insisted that they are just doing it wrong here. I disagree, as I keep telling him, it's not wrong just different. Luckily, I enjoy learning about differences like these. I will never blend in here but I can learn how to respectfully live along side the people who call Jordan home.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
On the Road and in the Air Again
Graduation from college introduces many into the "real world" of the workforce and/or marriage. For me graduation meant it was finally time to pack up my life again and farewell Emporium. This time the airline made provision for two suite cases so 90 pounds of essentials were packed, space-bagged and weighed several times in preparation for spending a year of my life away from home. Not only would this be a much longer stay than my time in Scotland but I would be stripped of nearly every familial thing. This time I was headed to the Hashemite of Jordan.
Graduation occurred on the 11th of May. On the 19th of May, my family packed my suitcases into the car and we headed for Pittsburgh Airport. The day before I enjoyed a celebration with many of my friends and family who all came to wish me well and offer words of encouragement and caution. This Sunday, my parents, little brother, aunt and myself made our way to Pittsburgh after saying final goodbyes to Buncle, my big brother and his girlfriend. We dropped my aunt at her home in Ford City and then set our course for Primanti Brothers in Coraopolis. This side trip served to allow Jamie, Mama Dillon, Candice and Meagan the opportunity to see me off. After which, Meagan led my parents to the airport. Once we got my boarding pass and checked my bags, I said goodbye to Mom, Dad, Seth and Meagan, and went through the secondary security check point that had been set up to deal with the overflow of people in the airport. I flew out of Pittsburgh at 4:10 pm and landed in Chicago at 4:30 pm. The actual flight took an hour and a half but the time change absorbed the hour I would have gained.
In O'Hare airport, I struggled to find the 5th Terminal. I kept following the signs to the tram but after that they signs stopped. Finally I boarded a tram to see where it would take me. It turns out 5th Terminal is in a separate part of the airport only accessible by tram so this was a good move on my part. After finding the airways I was flying with (Royal Jordanian) I waited in line until they began giving out the tickets to the passengers without luggage (my luggage was already checked and I did not need to transfer it myself). Thus began my four hour waiting game in O'Hare during which I failed to locate any coffee. Sitting and observing the people I would be traveling with I noticed a woman sitting opposite me wearing the hijab saying her late afternoon prayers in her seat, saying the words under her breath and bowing in her seat at the right time in her prayer rhythm.
We boarded a bit late. Originally I was placed in an aisle seat but one of the stewardesses asked if I would mind sitting by a window so a family could sit together in the center seats. I did not mind and moved. I sat beside a personable guy named Karim. He tried to quell my fear of flying by explaining the miracle of human flight which would have astounded people who lived a hundred years ago. It is not the flying part that I worry about, it's just the taking off and landing part that gives me a heart attack every time. This flight in particular would take twelve hours and result in a seven hour time change. During which time I watched Great Expectations and Lincoln, played angry birds and passed out occasionally. Also, I made the mistake of choosing fish for my in-flight meal (don't do that). At last, we reached Amman airport at 5:30 pm Jordanian time. A kind woman coming off the plane in front of me instructed me to exchange some of my money before going up to the visa desk. Failing to answer the one question I was asked (where I was to stay in Amman) did not affect my eligibility for a one month tourist visa. It was quickly stamped for 20 Dinar and the attendant welcomed me to Jordan.
Going down the escalator, every one who had just exited the plane crowded around the baggage carousel and waited for our luggage to come into sight. I waited in particular for a hour before my purple duffle came up the conveyor belt. Another hour passed before it became apparent that my second suitcase was not going to appear. I was forced to go to the baggage department and make a claim that my bag was left behind. This was also difficult to do because I did not have an address in Amman nor a phone number to give them. The woman at the desk took what information I had and gave me the phone number of the office in the airport to call. Maybe in a few days they would have my bag.
Exiting through yet another security check point (this made five) I walked out into the main lobby pushing my duffel and my carry on bag in a cart. Luckily the family sent to pick me up had been patient and waited for me those two hours. I followed them out to their car, the father pushing the cart, the little boy riding in the basket and the mother trying to make small talk with me. I say trying because I was severely jetlagged at this point and upset about my bag. Loading my things into their car, we set off through Amman, which was lit up by this time since the sun had gone down. I tried to take in all that I was seeing from the camel sellers to the Starbucks coffee shops. I was unsure how long we had been driving for when we arrived at the apartment I was crashing at for the night. The family unloaded my bags, saw me inside, greeted my hostess, wished me a good night and departed for their home. Jennifer, my hostess, showed me around the apartment, helped me wrestle my bags through the hall into the room I was staying in, made me some peanut butter toast and kindly explained to me some of the rules about living in Jordan.
1) You cannot flush the toilet paper. The used paper goes in a waste basket.
2) You cannot drink the water out of the tap.
3) Water is a precious commodity so try to keep showers, etc., short.
Then I called my mother to let her know I was alive, showered and slept. I heard the call to prayer when I was talking to my mom and again at 4 am though it didn't quite wake me up, I just remember hearing it then falling back asleep.
The next morning, Jenifer put me on the 8 am bus. This bus ride was going to last four hours so I brought a book along. This bus ride was going to last four hours so I brought a book along. I noticed along the way that unleaded regular gasoline was priced at 9.30 JD (remember that 1 dinar = $1.43 US). While waiting for the bus, Jenifer to me that we would drive two hours and then the bus would stop. I was not to get off or worry about it, this was just a smoke break for whoever needed it. Then the bus would drive on for a bit before reaching a security check point. Here we would most likely have to get off the bus, have our passports checked and our luggage x-rayed. However, when the time came, an officer boarded the bus, looked at identification, took four people's ID's to check them and waved us on. I could not believe my good luck at the time. Upon arrival though my luck seemed to change. The bus left me off at an unusual spot and the girls coming to get me did not know where I was. Jenifer had given me some cell numbers in case of emergencies but I had no phone to call with. while I was standing worried and baking in the sun outside of a hotel, a kind man who worked inside came out and gave me a chair to sit in. I asked him if I could borrow his cell and he lent it to me and disappeared. I called Sarah first but as she did not answer, I called Jocelyn (the second number on my list). She picked up and called Sarah with my approximate location. At last, Sarah, Becky and Laura found me after calling from across the street "Are you Anna?!"
After having lunch with others who work in the center, Sarah took Becky, Laura and I back to the apartment we were sharing. Sarah tried to explain what my schedule would look like for the next week and various things that I'm sure were important but I was so jetlagged at that time all I could do was smile and nod. She and Becky left to get some provisions and I napped for about three hours. When I awoke, Becky made chicken tacos for the three of us and we left to head to the Life Center. I followed their lead quietly as they hailed a cab and gave our destination to the driver. A taxi ride is about .75 JD I think; sometimes you give them 1 JD and don't get change back but other times they give you change.
At the Life Center that night we were hosting and teaching English classes. Becky and Laura had already been teaching for a week. Luckily Tim, the teacher of my class, came that night to teach because I was in no fit condition to do so. The class consisted of about fifteen intermediate students: twelve men and three women. I was paired with the young lady beside me and we discussed our favorite English words and how much we both liked Harry Potter movies. That night I was unable to get to sleep until about 2 am since I had napped for so long in conjunction with the time change.
The next day we headed to the center in the morning by taxi again. This time we went to the neighboring Green Creations building. Here twenty women work to make jewelry, scarves, hand bags and other things from recycled materials. I was unable to communicate with many of them however because we did not speak the same language. Rana sought to fix this problem later that morning. She took Becky, Laura and I upstairs to give us our Arabic lesson for the day. Once again my house mates were a week ahead of me but I gave it my best shot. We were learning question words and the names of the days of the week. "Esh bookran?" or "What is tomorrow?" has become my favorite question since I still cannot keep my days straight. Also, I learned that my name is going to cause some confusion. If asked "Esh ismik?" ("What is your name?)" I would respond "Ismee Anna" (Literally: "I am me"). I thoroughly enjoyed Arabic lesson but jetlag had destroyed much of my mental capacity for that day causing me to struggle to remember what I had learned. After lesson, we enjoyed charcoaled chicken with pita and humus for lunch.
Before heading home, I was invited to the home of Gene and Jessie, two of the workers at the center. Sarah came along as well and the four of us went through all of my orientation material. We went over do's, don'ts, tasks, and precautions while we drank Turkish coffee. On the way home I noticed a big tented pavilion being set up with flashing lights. Sarah explained that it was the men's half of a wedding that was happen that week. The men would celebrate outside and the women would be inside somewhere else having their own party. Soon after returning home from this visit, I headed out again with my house mates and Kara, my soon-to-be house mate. Kara has been here since January but is living in another house at the moment. This Wednesday the four of us are moving into a different house together. This particular Wednesday night (the 22nd) the four of us were heading to Luke & Jocelyn's for dinner. Instead of sharing a taxi, Becky decided we were going to have an "Amazing Race: Jordan." She and Laura would catch a separate taxi and race Kara and I to our destination. We agreed and watched them walk off further down the road to find a taxi. Soon a taxi pulled up and the two of us got in. Kara called Luke and handed the phone to the driver. Luke gave him directions to the house and we arrived in about three minutes. Becky and Laura had not arrived which meant we won. This was all well and good but after fifteen minutes we began to get worried. Soon Laura called Luke and explained that they had mixed up the directions, gotten out of the taxi in a spot they did not recognize and had been walking ever since. Luke told them to get a taxi and he would give the driver directions like he had for Kara and I. They did finally make it to dinner that night but Kara and I won the first round of Amazing Race: Jordan. That night when we got home we saw the flashing lights from the wedding and the fireworks they set off later that night.
Thursday morning we went back to Green Creations as that was the destination of our weekday mornings. This time, Kara set me to work cutting aluminum pop cans so that they could be punched in various shapes and made into earrings. I did this from 9 until about 10:30 then after tea break, Gene went over English curriculum with me in preparation for the class I would be teaching that night. Sarah stopped in to let me know that my bag was at the airport and we were going to go get it that afternoon. It felt good to have all of my things but I still haven't really unpacked since we are moving in a few days. That night Tim came back to sit in on the class but I was to teach. Our lesson was on habits and daily routines. We got through the material but they told me I talk too fast.
The weekend here in Friday-Saturday instead of Saturday-Sunday. I was able to catch up on some sleep and reading but jetlag still persists. Friday night the four of us had a girls night and watched Thirteen Going on Thirty while enjoying stir fry that Becky and Kara had made. Saturday we had a going-away party for two families that work in the center who are returning to the states. We had lamb with rice and chick peas for lunch while some people made speeches about how much they were going to miss the two families. The party was over much sooner than we had expected so the four of us girls decided to go exploring in the city. We found Gloria Gene's coffee, which is an Australian chain that has made its way to the Middle East. Brands like Caribou and Starbucks are only found in the capital. The poor cashier did his best to spell our names on our receipts but we ended up Lora, Kora, Ina and Bake. Afterwards we walked around and found a restaurant for dinner. Laura and Kara decided they were not hungry so Becky and I split a mixed grill plate of chicken and beef with fries and pita.
Wish I could say that I'm over the jetlag but I'm still having headaches every afternoon and am constantly tired. I am hoping that I can put this aside to teach English tonight since Tim won't be here tonight to offer a buffer.
H'amdu lilah
Graduation occurred on the 11th of May. On the 19th of May, my family packed my suitcases into the car and we headed for Pittsburgh Airport. The day before I enjoyed a celebration with many of my friends and family who all came to wish me well and offer words of encouragement and caution. This Sunday, my parents, little brother, aunt and myself made our way to Pittsburgh after saying final goodbyes to Buncle, my big brother and his girlfriend. We dropped my aunt at her home in Ford City and then set our course for Primanti Brothers in Coraopolis. This side trip served to allow Jamie, Mama Dillon, Candice and Meagan the opportunity to see me off. After which, Meagan led my parents to the airport. Once we got my boarding pass and checked my bags, I said goodbye to Mom, Dad, Seth and Meagan, and went through the secondary security check point that had been set up to deal with the overflow of people in the airport. I flew out of Pittsburgh at 4:10 pm and landed in Chicago at 4:30 pm. The actual flight took an hour and a half but the time change absorbed the hour I would have gained.
In O'Hare airport, I struggled to find the 5th Terminal. I kept following the signs to the tram but after that they signs stopped. Finally I boarded a tram to see where it would take me. It turns out 5th Terminal is in a separate part of the airport only accessible by tram so this was a good move on my part. After finding the airways I was flying with (Royal Jordanian) I waited in line until they began giving out the tickets to the passengers without luggage (my luggage was already checked and I did not need to transfer it myself). Thus began my four hour waiting game in O'Hare during which I failed to locate any coffee. Sitting and observing the people I would be traveling with I noticed a woman sitting opposite me wearing the hijab saying her late afternoon prayers in her seat, saying the words under her breath and bowing in her seat at the right time in her prayer rhythm.
We boarded a bit late. Originally I was placed in an aisle seat but one of the stewardesses asked if I would mind sitting by a window so a family could sit together in the center seats. I did not mind and moved. I sat beside a personable guy named Karim. He tried to quell my fear of flying by explaining the miracle of human flight which would have astounded people who lived a hundred years ago. It is not the flying part that I worry about, it's just the taking off and landing part that gives me a heart attack every time. This flight in particular would take twelve hours and result in a seven hour time change. During which time I watched Great Expectations and Lincoln, played angry birds and passed out occasionally. Also, I made the mistake of choosing fish for my in-flight meal (don't do that). At last, we reached Amman airport at 5:30 pm Jordanian time. A kind woman coming off the plane in front of me instructed me to exchange some of my money before going up to the visa desk. Failing to answer the one question I was asked (where I was to stay in Amman) did not affect my eligibility for a one month tourist visa. It was quickly stamped for 20 Dinar and the attendant welcomed me to Jordan.
Going down the escalator, every one who had just exited the plane crowded around the baggage carousel and waited for our luggage to come into sight. I waited in particular for a hour before my purple duffle came up the conveyor belt. Another hour passed before it became apparent that my second suitcase was not going to appear. I was forced to go to the baggage department and make a claim that my bag was left behind. This was also difficult to do because I did not have an address in Amman nor a phone number to give them. The woman at the desk took what information I had and gave me the phone number of the office in the airport to call. Maybe in a few days they would have my bag.
Exiting through yet another security check point (this made five) I walked out into the main lobby pushing my duffel and my carry on bag in a cart. Luckily the family sent to pick me up had been patient and waited for me those two hours. I followed them out to their car, the father pushing the cart, the little boy riding in the basket and the mother trying to make small talk with me. I say trying because I was severely jetlagged at this point and upset about my bag. Loading my things into their car, we set off through Amman, which was lit up by this time since the sun had gone down. I tried to take in all that I was seeing from the camel sellers to the Starbucks coffee shops. I was unsure how long we had been driving for when we arrived at the apartment I was crashing at for the night. The family unloaded my bags, saw me inside, greeted my hostess, wished me a good night and departed for their home. Jennifer, my hostess, showed me around the apartment, helped me wrestle my bags through the hall into the room I was staying in, made me some peanut butter toast and kindly explained to me some of the rules about living in Jordan.
1) You cannot flush the toilet paper. The used paper goes in a waste basket.
2) You cannot drink the water out of the tap.
3) Water is a precious commodity so try to keep showers, etc., short.
Then I called my mother to let her know I was alive, showered and slept. I heard the call to prayer when I was talking to my mom and again at 4 am though it didn't quite wake me up, I just remember hearing it then falling back asleep.
The next morning, Jenifer put me on the 8 am bus. This bus ride was going to last four hours so I brought a book along. This bus ride was going to last four hours so I brought a book along. I noticed along the way that unleaded regular gasoline was priced at 9.30 JD (remember that 1 dinar = $1.43 US). While waiting for the bus, Jenifer to me that we would drive two hours and then the bus would stop. I was not to get off or worry about it, this was just a smoke break for whoever needed it. Then the bus would drive on for a bit before reaching a security check point. Here we would most likely have to get off the bus, have our passports checked and our luggage x-rayed. However, when the time came, an officer boarded the bus, looked at identification, took four people's ID's to check them and waved us on. I could not believe my good luck at the time. Upon arrival though my luck seemed to change. The bus left me off at an unusual spot and the girls coming to get me did not know where I was. Jenifer had given me some cell numbers in case of emergencies but I had no phone to call with. while I was standing worried and baking in the sun outside of a hotel, a kind man who worked inside came out and gave me a chair to sit in. I asked him if I could borrow his cell and he lent it to me and disappeared. I called Sarah first but as she did not answer, I called Jocelyn (the second number on my list). She picked up and called Sarah with my approximate location. At last, Sarah, Becky and Laura found me after calling from across the street "Are you Anna?!"
After having lunch with others who work in the center, Sarah took Becky, Laura and I back to the apartment we were sharing. Sarah tried to explain what my schedule would look like for the next week and various things that I'm sure were important but I was so jetlagged at that time all I could do was smile and nod. She and Becky left to get some provisions and I napped for about three hours. When I awoke, Becky made chicken tacos for the three of us and we left to head to the Life Center. I followed their lead quietly as they hailed a cab and gave our destination to the driver. A taxi ride is about .75 JD I think; sometimes you give them 1 JD and don't get change back but other times they give you change.
At the Life Center that night we were hosting and teaching English classes. Becky and Laura had already been teaching for a week. Luckily Tim, the teacher of my class, came that night to teach because I was in no fit condition to do so. The class consisted of about fifteen intermediate students: twelve men and three women. I was paired with the young lady beside me and we discussed our favorite English words and how much we both liked Harry Potter movies. That night I was unable to get to sleep until about 2 am since I had napped for so long in conjunction with the time change.
The next day we headed to the center in the morning by taxi again. This time we went to the neighboring Green Creations building. Here twenty women work to make jewelry, scarves, hand bags and other things from recycled materials. I was unable to communicate with many of them however because we did not speak the same language. Rana sought to fix this problem later that morning. She took Becky, Laura and I upstairs to give us our Arabic lesson for the day. Once again my house mates were a week ahead of me but I gave it my best shot. We were learning question words and the names of the days of the week. "Esh bookran?" or "What is tomorrow?" has become my favorite question since I still cannot keep my days straight. Also, I learned that my name is going to cause some confusion. If asked "Esh ismik?" ("What is your name?)" I would respond "Ismee Anna" (Literally: "I am me"). I thoroughly enjoyed Arabic lesson but jetlag had destroyed much of my mental capacity for that day causing me to struggle to remember what I had learned. After lesson, we enjoyed charcoaled chicken with pita and humus for lunch.
Before heading home, I was invited to the home of Gene and Jessie, two of the workers at the center. Sarah came along as well and the four of us went through all of my orientation material. We went over do's, don'ts, tasks, and precautions while we drank Turkish coffee. On the way home I noticed a big tented pavilion being set up with flashing lights. Sarah explained that it was the men's half of a wedding that was happen that week. The men would celebrate outside and the women would be inside somewhere else having their own party. Soon after returning home from this visit, I headed out again with my house mates and Kara, my soon-to-be house mate. Kara has been here since January but is living in another house at the moment. This Wednesday the four of us are moving into a different house together. This particular Wednesday night (the 22nd) the four of us were heading to Luke & Jocelyn's for dinner. Instead of sharing a taxi, Becky decided we were going to have an "Amazing Race: Jordan." She and Laura would catch a separate taxi and race Kara and I to our destination. We agreed and watched them walk off further down the road to find a taxi. Soon a taxi pulled up and the two of us got in. Kara called Luke and handed the phone to the driver. Luke gave him directions to the house and we arrived in about three minutes. Becky and Laura had not arrived which meant we won. This was all well and good but after fifteen minutes we began to get worried. Soon Laura called Luke and explained that they had mixed up the directions, gotten out of the taxi in a spot they did not recognize and had been walking ever since. Luke told them to get a taxi and he would give the driver directions like he had for Kara and I. They did finally make it to dinner that night but Kara and I won the first round of Amazing Race: Jordan. That night when we got home we saw the flashing lights from the wedding and the fireworks they set off later that night.
Thursday morning we went back to Green Creations as that was the destination of our weekday mornings. This time, Kara set me to work cutting aluminum pop cans so that they could be punched in various shapes and made into earrings. I did this from 9 until about 10:30 then after tea break, Gene went over English curriculum with me in preparation for the class I would be teaching that night. Sarah stopped in to let me know that my bag was at the airport and we were going to go get it that afternoon. It felt good to have all of my things but I still haven't really unpacked since we are moving in a few days. That night Tim came back to sit in on the class but I was to teach. Our lesson was on habits and daily routines. We got through the material but they told me I talk too fast.
The weekend here in Friday-Saturday instead of Saturday-Sunday. I was able to catch up on some sleep and reading but jetlag still persists. Friday night the four of us had a girls night and watched Thirteen Going on Thirty while enjoying stir fry that Becky and Kara had made. Saturday we had a going-away party for two families that work in the center who are returning to the states. We had lamb with rice and chick peas for lunch while some people made speeches about how much they were going to miss the two families. The party was over much sooner than we had expected so the four of us girls decided to go exploring in the city. We found Gloria Gene's coffee, which is an Australian chain that has made its way to the Middle East. Brands like Caribou and Starbucks are only found in the capital. The poor cashier did his best to spell our names on our receipts but we ended up Lora, Kora, Ina and Bake. Afterwards we walked around and found a restaurant for dinner. Laura and Kara decided they were not hungry so Becky and I split a mixed grill plate of chicken and beef with fries and pita.
Wish I could say that I'm over the jetlag but I'm still having headaches every afternoon and am constantly tired. I am hoping that I can put this aside to teach English tonight since Tim won't be here tonight to offer a buffer.
H'amdu lilah
Monday, December 26, 2011
What I Learned
Top 50
- God is sovereign over all - that includes everything from airplanes to the future
- To plod is the job
- I can survive in a different country
- Reading your bible everyday does matter
- Journaling helps
- Dolphins are shady creatures
- Somethings are not pronounced how they are spelled
- A new appreciation for the Psalms
- It's ok to not know where you are going sometimes
- There are times when a holy face punch is required
- How to eat with chopsticks
- Church hats are cool
- There is such a thing as too much Jane Austin
- When you get to the station and the train is no where in sight, don't freak out
- What donner is
- I like tea
- Take extra batteries for your camera when you go out on field trips
- It is not a good idea to watch Titanic with a bunch of girls
- You can have a blue slush at any time of day
- Sometimes Ben & Jerry's makes it all alright
- You alight from trains
- You birth from boats
- The meaning of hospitality
- Not having a TV is a good thing
- You should really spend your pense before they take over an entire counter top
- It is a bit pointless to check the weather in Scotland
most days it will say high of 45 with a chance of rain - How to make frosting
- I hate flying
- Though I do not like flying, I much prefer it to taking the ferry
- I like running in the mornings
- When someone asks you "Which is better: Ireland or Scotland?" don't answer
- Nobody likes Turkish Delight
- There will be Sticky Toffee Pudding in heaven
- Every house needs a dance party room
- When you are the foreigner, you are the one with the accent
- Sometimes it's not ok to say "pants"
- Not everyone takes the time difference into consideration when they schedule things
- You don't need to take pictures of everything; sometimes it's worth it to just stand there and marvel
- When you want milk in your coffee, ask for a white coffee
- It is not a good idea to run down a hill
- Not to buy MAC eyeliners off of ebay
- The Twilight movies are crap...but I think we all already knew that
- A cord of three strands is not easily broken
- Real men wear kilts
- Be wary of adventures that entail crawling under pine trees
- You really only need four pairs of shoes
- How to be prepared for the afternoon of life
- Do not leave yams sitting out for four days
- Read the reviews of a recipe online before you start baking
- I do not like Irn bru
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Some Places We Missed: Pollok County and the Burrell Collection
The next Wednesday adventure we had took us to Glasgow. Sam took us this day first to a grand house within the city. While this house, its grounds and the museum are seemingly located in the middle of the woods, it is actually less than twenty miles from the center of the city. While walking around the house (we didn't go in) we were able to glimpse two of Scotland's mascots: a Clydesdale horse and some Highland Cows.
Next we made our way to the museum that houses the Burrell Collection of Art. The building itself has huge windows that allow the visitor to see the beauty of the woods outside while studying the man-made beauty inside. This collection features many pieces of art ranging from Rodin, Degas and Cézanne, to late medieval art, Chinese and Islamic art, as well as relics from other ancient cultures.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/PollukCollection?authkey=Gv1sRgCPr7u_3AgIawFw#
Some Places We Missed: Glencoe
For the geeks like me, you'll be interested to know that they filmed part of the third Harry Potter movie (Prisoner of Azkaban) in Glencoe.
We stopped for lunch at the nature observatory in the midst of the mountains and woods. There, I had the best hot chocolate in the world. After lunch we wandered the paths for a bit longer than we were allowed to I guess since when we got back the doors were locked and we had to James Bond our way back to the cars on the other side of the building.
All in all, it was another day of being awestruck at the creation of a Lord who cares to know my name.
By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
-Psalm 65:5-8
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Glenco?authkey=Gv1sRgCITVhuSo88PdNA#
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Some Places We Missed: Dollar and Castle Campbell
When Graham took us out again, we traveled north to the town of Dollar. Outside of Dollar sits Castle Campbell among the Ochil Hills. The picturesque setting has drawn many people, famous Scots such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, to frequent the numerous paths through the hills above the town. It is hard to imagine that the castle was originally known as Castle Gloom and the two streams nearby are named Care and Sorrow. Indeed, the name "Dollar" comes from the Celtic word for sadness. When you survey the hills, woods and streams surrounding you are left without any plausible reason why such a place would be given such a depressing name.
Having seen several castles at this point, the four of us decided to go for a wee hike instead of exploring the castle and Graham decided to wait at the bottom for us. Now when I say "we" what I really mean is Casey, Graci and Josh. By this time I had been battling a cold for the better part of the week and after trekking up the first hill we conquered I thought I would surely die. Not letting me be discouraged, Graci decided to tape our adventure so that we could look back on it later and see all that we had accomplished that day. We hiked for what seemed to me like a very long time but was in fact only about an hour. At one point, we looked back and saw a hang glider take off of one of the peaks and drift slowly down towards the town. I thought for sure he was going to land in someone's garden but he passed out of our sight so we'll never know where he ended up.
On the way down, Graci and Casey thought it would be a good idea to run down the side of the hill. This resulted in Graci face planting into the path and scraping up her hand (I know she does not mind me telling you this story because it is after all on tape and can't be denied anyway). Watching this whole ordeal unfold in front of me, I thought for sure that she had broken something and that we were going to have to find a way to carry her down the hill. Nevertheless, we made it back down the hillside and to the carpark without any rap music or flash dancing. All in all, it was another day of marveling at God's creation and good craic.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/CastleCampbell?authkey=Gv1sRgCNPPz-m75Ze-hwE#
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Some Places We Missed: Wallace Monument
'This is the truth I tell you:
of all things freedom’s most fine.
Never submit to live, my son,
in the bonds of slavery entwined.’
The week after our visit to Stirling Castle, Gram was kind enough to volunteer to take us out on our field trip. This trip took us to another historical site in Stirling, the Wallace Monument. As you can guess from the name, this is a national monument erected in honor of one of the patrons of Scottish freedom, Sir William Wallace. Now first and foremost you must put out of your mind the image of Braveheart that the name William Wallace conjures up. Yes, the movie Braveheart has made known to the wider world the story of Wallace's fight for freedom and is a good film; however, many liberties were taken with the film (like every other 'historical' film that is made) and it should not be looked to as an authority on the life of this man. Also, the Scottish accents in the film are dreadful. I suppose that's what you get when you mix an Aussie accent with an attempted Scottish one.
Wallace enters the pages of history in the year 1297. By this time much of Scotland was occupied by the English and the Scottish people were heavily taxed and oppressed by these usurpers. Things came to a boiling point in this year when Wallace killed the English Sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig. The following years were filled with guerrilla warfare on the part of the Scots, led by Wallace and Andrew Murray. Murray had been leading a revolt in the north and brought his band of rebels southward to join Wallace's growing number of like minded men.
of all things freedom’s most fine.
Never submit to live, my son,
in the bonds of slavery entwined.’
The week after our visit to Stirling Castle, Gram was kind enough to volunteer to take us out on our field trip. This trip took us to another historical site in Stirling, the Wallace Monument. As you can guess from the name, this is a national monument erected in honor of one of the patrons of Scottish freedom, Sir William Wallace. Now first and foremost you must put out of your mind the image of Braveheart that the name William Wallace conjures up. Yes, the movie Braveheart has made known to the wider world the story of Wallace's fight for freedom and is a good film; however, many liberties were taken with the film (like every other 'historical' film that is made) and it should not be looked to as an authority on the life of this man. Also, the Scottish accents in the film are dreadful. I suppose that's what you get when you mix an Aussie accent with an attempted Scottish one.
Wallace enters the pages of history in the year 1297. By this time much of Scotland was occupied by the English and the Scottish people were heavily taxed and oppressed by these usurpers. Things came to a boiling point in this year when Wallace killed the English Sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig. The following years were filled with guerrilla warfare on the part of the Scots, led by Wallace and Andrew Murray. Murray had been leading a revolt in the north and brought his band of rebels southward to join Wallace's growing number of like minded men.
On September 11 of that year the most notable victory of Wallace's career occurred. The English army was making its way across Stirling Bridge in order to advance northward. Once half of the Englishmen had crossed, the Scottish rebels took out the bridge and slaughtered the English who had managed to get across. At the end of the day, 5000 Englishmen lay dead but the victory was bitter sweet for Wallace. His cohort, Murray, had been mortally wounded in the battle and died a few months later. After this stunning victory and unprecedented success of the revolt, England declared Wallace an outlaw while the Scots made him a knight.
After a year of this humiliation, King Edward I of England marched his forces north to meet the presumptuous Scottish forces that dared to challenge his claim to rule their land. Edward's forces captured Edinburgh and thrashed Wallace's forces at the Battle of Falkirk in April 1298. Following this defeat and a few dismal attempts that followed there after, Wallace resigned the post of Guardian of Scotland to a more politically minded man, Robert the Bruce.
William Wallace found himself now on a different side of warfare than he might have expected. He traveled to Europe serving as a diplomat for the Scottish cause. He visited various royal courts, particularly that of France, to draw support for the cause of the Scots. He received no such support and was indeed betrayed several times during his journeys. Wallace returned to Scotland in 1301 with the promise of French support that never came.
With no outside support, many Scottish nobles recognized Edward as their king in 1304 but Wallace refused. The very next year, William Wallace was betrayed and captured at Robroyston, near Glasgow. He was quickly transported to England to stand trial in Westminster Hall. Two charges were leveled against him: being an outlaw and a traitor. He simply stated that he could not be a traitor since Edward had never been his king. Nevertheless, he was found guilty and sentenced to a horrific death. I will spare you the details since I am sure my mother is reading this and does not want to know the particulars. In the end Sir William Wallace was beheaded and drawn-and-quartered. His head was placed on a pole on London Bridge while his body parts were strewn through out the land. Parts of him were sent to Newcastle, Berwick, Perth and Stirling. Edward wished this to be a message that he had destroyed the man but he had in fact strengthened the Scot's resolve to throw off once and for all the yoke of England. They would do so at a later date under there new king, Robert the Bruce.
The Wallace Monument was initiated in 1856 on top of Abbey Craig outside of Stirling. It was finished in 1869 and opened on the 572 year anniversary of Wallace's victory in the same town. To ascend the interior of the monument visitors much cautiously make their way up a narrow spiral staircase. This was all well and good for me until Graci observed while we were on the second floor that if there was a fire we'd surely never get out. On the first floor of the monument Wallace sword is displayed. This double handed sword had been preserved at Dunbarton Castle until the completion of the monument. It is a staggering 66 inches long and would no doubt live up to its name and require any wielder to use both hands. From the dimensions of the sword it had been deduced that William Wallace had to have been at least 6 foot 6 inches tall with arms like tree trunks. Within it's three interior levels it houses not only the story of Wallace's life and aim, but also tributes to other notable Scots such as Robert Burns, Dr Livingston, George Buchanan and John Knox. The top level of the monument gives way to a tremendous view of the surrounding hills and towns. I think William Wallace would have found this an appropriate feature to his monument: the opportunity for all to stand and behold his beloved Scotland for miles in every direction. This was the country for which he fought and died, and a country he thought worthy to do so for.
That day we also attempted to visit Cambuskenneth Abbey. This abbey is located near the castle and is where James III and his wife Margaret of Denmark were laid to rest. However, when we got there we found that it was closed for the winter months and we had to settle for admiring it from afar. Not to be discouraged, we made our way closer to the castle so that we could explore the graveyard that abuts it. We got a better look at the Covenanter grave sites and monuments of the graveyard than we had from our previous visit to the castle. There was a monument to the Younger Margaret and her sister Agnes as well as several statues of different men who led the movement. Also, there was a pyramidal shaped monument dedicated to the Covenanters. When my mom was here she asked me if I now know more Scottish history than American history and I don't think so. I just find the thread of history very interesting and it excites me to see how it intertwines with other parts of history especially where you would not expect it: case in point Covenanter graves next to Stirling Castle.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/WallisMonument?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHpzKGMz_a1Bg#
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/WallisMonument?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHpzKGMz_a1Bg#
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Some Places We Missed: Stirling Castle
As I've already mentioned Stirling Castle in my adventures with my mom, here I will only seek to give some history of the castle. Stirling Castle's first contraction dates are unknown. It is first mentioned in history around the year 1110 when Kind Alexander I is said to have dedicated a chapel there. It remained in Scottish hands until 1174 when Richard I of England defeated King William I of Scotland. Richard demanded all the castles in Scotland be signed over to him however it remained uninhabited by the English afterwards. Many years later when the Wars of Scottish Independence began, the English occupied Stirling and held it as a military strong hold. After a year they were defeated and driven out of the castle by Sir Andrew Murray and William Wallace following the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Scots were only able to hold the castle for a year before having to abandon it after an English victory at Falkirk. The Scots were not to be outdone and laid siege to the castle under Robert the Bruce. In 1299 the English garrison within was forced to surrender yet again. The castle exchanged hands throughout the Wars of Independence which lasted for sixty years. It was not until 1375 that the castle returned to and stayed in Scottish hands. The family name most associated with Stirling Castle is that of the Stewart monarchs. It was under the early Stewarts, such as Robert II and III, that the castle was built up and expanded. In 1424 Stirling Castle was made part of the marriage settlement between James I and Joan Beaufort. James gave the castle as a gift to his queen and it became tradition to do so in the Stewart family. After James was murdered in 1437, Joan and her young son James II sought refuge in the castle. James III was later born in the castle. The next four Stewart kings (all named James) greatly added to the castle to make it worthy of their great family. This contraction lasted from 1490 until the early 1600's. In 1543, following the death of James V, his baby daughter was brought to the castle for safety. She was crowned Mary, Queen of Scots, that year though she was still an infant.
Stirling remained the foremost residence of the Stewards until Mary's son James VI of Scotland became James I of England and took up residency in London. Afterwards, the castle became little more than a military fortress and only housed one last monarch, Charles II of Scotland. The castle was used as a prison at times, even housing some of the captured Covenanters. The Stewarts were falling out of power in England however so James VII decided to store huge supplies of gun powder at the castle. In the later Jacobite Rebellions, Stirling did not play a featured role. Edinburgh was now the seat of power and was desired by those wishing to rule Scotland. However, during the second Jacobite Rebellion in 1745, after being defeated at Edinburgh, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highland garrison retreated to Stirling Castle. They were easily defeated and were forced to flee further northward.
The castle then fell under a different ownership, that of the National War Office. From 1800 until 1964 the castle served as the barracks of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlander regiment. Naturally, many of the grand rooms were converted into hospitals, mess halls, and powder magazines. The castle is in fact still the headquarters of the Highlanders but the regiment is not garrisoned there anymore. Efforts have been made since the 1960's to restore Stirling Castle to its former glory. Many of the lodgings and halls have been refurbished, the art work salvaged and, recently, the tapestries preserved. The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries have been completely restored and now hang in the Queen's Presence Chamber. It is predicted that all construction at Stirling Castle should be finished by 2014.
Some Places We Missed: Loch Lomond
Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
It seems that everyone after seeing God's handiwork that is Loch Lomond is inspired to convey it's grandeur in some way.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/LochLomond?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCGwcGF5b7yoAE#
Some Places We Missed
Hello all! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States. My apologies to you all for being so behind in my posting. This week I will most certainly catch you all up on the parts of Scotland that I have visited. Some places I have posted the pictures to in the past but I did not say anything about them so I am seeking to rectify your curiosity about the lovely images you have seen. The sites I hope to describe to you are Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument, Castle Campbell and Dollar, Glenco and the Pollock Country Park and Burrell Museum in Glasgow. All right, here we go!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Adventures with Mama Chris Part IV: Visit to the Capital
The final day in our journeys led us to the capital city of Scotland. We boarded the train yet again Thursday morning but this time we went in the opposite direction than we had the rest of the week. Our destination was the city of Edinburgh this day. For everyone reading this from America, please know that the name of this city is not pronounced like it is spelled. It is in fact pronounced Edinbura. If you were to say "Edinburgh" here people would look at you funny and definitely know that you were American (if your accent didn't already give that away).
In Edinburgh, the only site we were set to visit was the Castle. This castle still serves its original purpose in housing the royal family when they are in Scotland. It also is the site of various festivals and military services throughout the year.Like Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city. It seems like all the streets in the town angle up to the castle in the same way that they say "all roads lead to Rome." Uniquely though, Edinburgh Castle sits atop an extinct volcano. It is the most expansive of the castles I have visited in my abroad to be sure. The oldest part of the castle is the Saint Margaret's Chapel which was built in 1251 AD by King David I. Though every castle has cannons, Edinburgh Castle has Mons Meg, a super gun (called by some the Atomic Bomb of its time). Since the royal family still lays claim to this castle it is no wonder why it is the home to the Scottish crown jewels. Sorry, no pictures are allowed of the actually crown jewels but it was very interesting to see the history of this part of Scottish heritage and what all it represents.
One of the buildings within Edinburgh Castle is the Scottish National War Memorial. This cavernous building lays near the heart of the Castle and hold the records of military personnel starting in the early 1900's. This was another building where pictures are not allowed to taken. Inside various regiments are honored with displays of their regiment coat and a full listing of the personnel in that regiment throughout the years. This was Remembrance Week in Scotland; this is much like Veterans Day or Memorial Week in America. People purchase and wear poppies around to show their support of those who are serving and have served in the armed forces. Visiting the War Memorial during this week was particularly special for me, being a foreigner, to remind me what the week was about. The military is honored in various ways throughout the castle through paintings, representations of weapons through the years and even a grave yard for military dogs.
After we toured through the castle we tried to make our way to Princess Street. I had been to Edinburgh before but much of the city was under construction. Much of what I usually gaged my whereabouts off of I did not recognize and long story short we were lost for about an hour. Finally we set our selves straight and got to where we needed to go. Somehow we got done with everything we set out to do about an hour earlier than we had anticipated. We needed to be back in Airdrie by six that evening because we had been invited over to the Pastor Andrew's house for dinner. We enjoyed having dinner with all six of the Quigly's that evening and the time of family worship held afterwards. It felt strange to see my mom here with everyone I have befriended in these past three months. God certainly blessed my mother's trip and we had a wonderful time. She speculated soon before leaving the next morning where she would have to travel next to visit me. I guess we all will just have to wait and see.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/EdinburghCastle?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiZjJzt9dmnCg#5673494772307922002
In Edinburgh, the only site we were set to visit was the Castle. This castle still serves its original purpose in housing the royal family when they are in Scotland. It also is the site of various festivals and military services throughout the year.Like Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city. It seems like all the streets in the town angle up to the castle in the same way that they say "all roads lead to Rome." Uniquely though, Edinburgh Castle sits atop an extinct volcano. It is the most expansive of the castles I have visited in my abroad to be sure. The oldest part of the castle is the Saint Margaret's Chapel which was built in 1251 AD by King David I. Though every castle has cannons, Edinburgh Castle has Mons Meg, a super gun (called by some the Atomic Bomb of its time). Since the royal family still lays claim to this castle it is no wonder why it is the home to the Scottish crown jewels. Sorry, no pictures are allowed of the actually crown jewels but it was very interesting to see the history of this part of Scottish heritage and what all it represents.
One of the buildings within Edinburgh Castle is the Scottish National War Memorial. This cavernous building lays near the heart of the Castle and hold the records of military personnel starting in the early 1900's. This was another building where pictures are not allowed to taken. Inside various regiments are honored with displays of their regiment coat and a full listing of the personnel in that regiment throughout the years. This was Remembrance Week in Scotland; this is much like Veterans Day or Memorial Week in America. People purchase and wear poppies around to show their support of those who are serving and have served in the armed forces. Visiting the War Memorial during this week was particularly special for me, being a foreigner, to remind me what the week was about. The military is honored in various ways throughout the castle through paintings, representations of weapons through the years and even a grave yard for military dogs.
After we toured through the castle we tried to make our way to Princess Street. I had been to Edinburgh before but much of the city was under construction. Much of what I usually gaged my whereabouts off of I did not recognize and long story short we were lost for about an hour. Finally we set our selves straight and got to where we needed to go. Somehow we got done with everything we set out to do about an hour earlier than we had anticipated. We needed to be back in Airdrie by six that evening because we had been invited over to the Pastor Andrew's house for dinner. We enjoyed having dinner with all six of the Quigly's that evening and the time of family worship held afterwards. It felt strange to see my mom here with everyone I have befriended in these past three months. God certainly blessed my mother's trip and we had a wonderful time. She speculated soon before leaving the next morning where she would have to travel next to visit me. I guess we all will just have to wait and see.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/EdinburghCastle?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiZjJzt9dmnCg#5673494772307922002
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