OFF☼I☼GO: December 2010

December 17, 2010

Dear Everyone:

Two days ago was my birthday and today I got to go to the Dead Sea. Since I’ve been in Jordan I’ve wanted to go there…so today, day 54 of being in country I got my wish. It was a beautiful day in Jordan for a scenic ride down King’s Highway through the capital city of Amman and to points south to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a lake. No waves…but lots of salt and minerals. It was a great trip with other Peace Corps Volunteers and Jordanian Peace Corps training staff who planned the trip and made it happen for us.

I didn’t float in the salty Dead Sea, but I waded In with my flip flops on because the bottom is very rocky, and got wet up to my knees. It was a beautiful day - the weather was perfect… Lots of other volunteers and Jordanian Peace Corps staff did go floating. You have to be careful to not open your eyes in this water, because of all the salt it will really sting. It happened to a couple of people who went rushing out to the shore to rinse their eyes with bottled water – OUCH!!!

Ppictures going to be posted on Facebook, so if you are not on facebook, please find someone who is my friend on facebook that can show you the pix. There are some great shots of scenery of the country of Jordan on the way to the Dead Sea and then again leaving…pictures taken from the bus which aren’t bad. This country is desert and mountains and it is beautiful. I am happy to say that now in my life I have been to one more amazing place, called the Dead Sea which is the lowest point on earth in elevation. Well, there is not really elevation…it is how many feet below (?) sea level…that’s how they measure elevation right? I didn’t see the official sign that says it’s the lowest point because the Dead Sea is long and we were not at the place where they actually have that sign…but trust me were at the lowest elevation on earth. We were at a free beach…so we had to descend down a rather long rocky and sandy hill to actually get to the water. I had a Jordanian young man who works for Peace Corps make sure I was taking a safe passage down the hill as it was rather steep. He was doing reconnaissance for me going down and showing me the safest paths to take down. We had a wonderful time at the “il bahar el mait” (which translates to the sea that is dead). I not to take the full “plunge” that day the reason being it was explained to me that there wouldn’t be anywhere to really rinse off too well, even though actually it turned out that where we were was near to a hot spring kind of waterfall where you could actually rinse off – you will have a lot of salt and mineral crystals on you all over your skin and hair…then you will have to get all of your wet clothes off on the bus you came on – parked on the side of the road with the curtains closed…changing out of soaking wet salty clothes to clean clothes. I decided to save the floating experience in “il bahar el mait” until I can play tourist with the daughters and book a hotel room on the sea where you don’t have to treacherously climb down a steep embankment and then when you are done floating you can go back to your nice room and get a nice shower and change in privacy. All in all a great day tho…the young people of our group having so much fun and adventure and letting there be no holds barred…that is what being young is about. You can see in the pix if I get them posted how much fun all the people in my group was having.

After we departed from that place we drove into the city of Amman for about 2 hours or so to get a good meal…and 11 of our group opted to go with our Jordanian guide to none other than good old American Pizza Hut! Can you say

Y U M M Y??? yes it was so yummy to us…a veggie lovers and 2 meat lovers pizzas…garlic bread w/ cheez and salad…diet pepsi!!! Our bus eventually found its way back to our villages where we were dropped off to our most gracious host families. Not before we stopped yet one more stop in Amman to what the Jordanians called the “best bakery in Jordan” - the bread here in Jordan is really amazing – it like no bread I have ever had in the US. The Arabic word for bread (this is transliterated… hubis…long U …strong H Hubis…maybe more like:

Hue-biz. Anyway their bread is at every meal…and at a lot of the meals the bread is your utensil and you don’t get a fork or spoon.

So as I finish up this e-mail it is the next day… December 18, and one week before Christmas. On next Saturday December 25 we will be at Al alBayt University for what they call “center day” I do not know how busy they are going to make us be in classes and sessions since they do know it is our Christmas and they are going to let all of us American Peace Corps trainee/volunteers be together on this day. We will be spending the night there that night so en shall ‘ alla ah (in God’s will ) there will be a lot of skyping going on and phone calls back and forth from the USA to Jordan and vice versa so people can be in contact with their families…for many of the young people it will be the first Christmas away from their families. So thanks be to God (Allah) the technology exists to let people be able to spend some phone time or some computer time with their families over such long distances from far away places!

Some have been sick…some have had to take several days off to recuperate and again en shall ‘allah

I Have not been sick at all. As a direct result of all of your prayers…I have been so blessed and covered in prayer. So thanks thanks thanks to all of you for all the prayers and please keep them coming. As well I will be praying back for all of you.

On December 27^th they have invited all Peace Corps Volunteers in country to the American Embassy in Amman for a traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and the trimmings…some home town comfort food for sure, and they are putting us up in a hotel that night. It had better be turkey…I have my mouth ready for some turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

The best best best of everything to all of you. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!! Please please please enjoy the time with your families…enjoy what time off you have from work…mostly the teachers in my life have more time off than others. Don’t know about all the non teachers since Christmas Day is on a Saturday…hope whatever time you have is blessed and safe and loving and warm and Happy!!!

ALL MY LOVE FROM JORDAN…MISSING ALL OF YOU!!!

Love,

Jo Peace Corps Jo

Aunt Jo Joanne

AND ...Christmas is not so much on my radar right now...I am not missing all the pressure of American Christmas and all that I am not doing to get ready,,,

We are going to a conference tomorrow Monday (12/13) to meet my Jordanian counterpart from where I will be assigned and living. We are having what they call a counterpart conference in Amman, the capital and then we will be traveling to my city, which is called Mafraq. I will be working in a special education center there.

Christmas is going to - well on actual Christmas Day the 25th here at the university and then on December 27 all Peace Corps Volunteers are going to the American Embassy in Amman for a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. On January 1 we move out of the homes of our host families. On January 4 we swear in and then we will be official Peace Corps Volunteers. We move to our permanent sites on January 5th.

I miss you all so much and want you all to appreciate having each other near as family and don't worry so much about all the trimmings and trappings and hustle bustle - just being able to sit near each other and visit w/ each other and hug each other means the whole world!!!

LOVE and PEACE TO YOU ALL!!!