Our bags are packed!

We have packed our bags, triple checked the weight, checked in online, and are ready to head back to family and friends with open arms. As I look back on this year abroad, I chuckle at our crazy experiences when first moving here (arriving during Ramadan to an apartment with a broken fridge and oven realizing no restaurants are open during the day and it was illegal to eat in public during daytime hours), shiver remembering our icebox apartment during the winter (I swear I wore a hat, scarf, sweatshirt, and blanket and was still not totally warm), giggle with delight reminiscing about our travels to countries nearby, and ponder what I have learned about my cultural sensitivity. I don't think many people have this rare opportunity to leave their job, put everything in storage, and move across the world for a year ready for an adventure of a lifetime. But I have learned so much about myself, my husband, what we can handle together, how we can roll with the punches with smiles on our faces, and know that I will have this amazing experience to tell my grandchildren. To those of you we have met here in Jordan, you have made this year so much more interesting and fun. Your smiling faces are imprinted in my mind and soul. To those back home who have supported us through it all, you have made this year immensely easier knowing we had someone to lean on even if it was via the internet or skype. To those who may come to this part of the world one day, let us know as we have some great tips. It is an amazing place full of rich culture ready to share with those with open minds and open hearts.

To amazing travels!

Ramadan teapots?

I am not too sure what these are but we found them while walking around the Balad downtown area the other day.  I fondly call them the Ramadan teapots.  Seriously, I would so not be surprised if somehow these huge metal things held tea for special occasions like Ramadan. 

Only in Amman...Only in Amman!

Breaking the fast…anywhere

Tonight we ate dinner at an Asian restaurant and broke the Ramadan fast. Strange I know, but they had a special Iftar dinner buffet with dates to boot. So we figured why not! I have to say, it was great! A little sushi, a little noodle soup, some egg rolls, and veggies sizzling in the wok, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

That time of year again...

Well it is that time of year again...Ramadan is here.

Last night, they looked to the moon to show if it was time and every country within the region was happy to declare the start. It is interesting, how Ramadan changes every year by the lunar calendar and is not a set date like most Christian holidays. For the past two months leading up, we have seen tons of Ramadan commercials, special movie programming, clothing sales, and the normal holiday excitement. The twinkle moon and star lights have gone up in apartment windows with pride.

It shall be interesting to experience the holiday of fasting during the day at the beginning instead of the end, as we did when we first arrived to Jordan last year. Abstaining from smoking, eating, drinking, and chewing of gum during daylight hours from the first call to prayer at 4am to dusk seems almost impossible to me. It shall be interesting to see the chaos that ensues as dusk nears when everyone rushes home to their family iftar meal. I think I shall watch that from a distance.

Happy Ramadan!

Bethlehem - Day 3

As we boarded the bus for the 20 minute trip to the city of Bethlehem, I wondered if it was going to be a different feeling than Jerusalem. The bus was supposed to go through the checkpoint and then we were to walk 10 minutes to the city center. But for some reason, the bus bypassed the checkpoint and we were dropped off in the middle of the city. After asking a few locals on where to go, we meandered through the streets feeling totally at home. It looked and felt like Jordan. Which was a little strange as Jerusalem didn't have that same feel.

The door is straight ahead and looks like a window on the floor to the left of the parked car.

We located the Church of the Nativity, the place where Jesus was born, and entered. It was interesting as the doorway to enter was actually just a small square opening. I thought it was strange at first but after doing some research found that they made it that way to make people literally bow to come inside. Also, it was a great way to stop soldiers and horses from entering because the entrance was so small. Once inside, you could see the trapdoors in the floor showing the original mural flooring. It was amazing. There seemed to be tons of tour groups from all over the world gathering to see the site of Jesus' birth. As we stood in line with 300+ people, we listened to all the different languages being spoken around us, Spanish, Russian, German, English, French, just to name a few.

After the over hour wait in line with some pushing and shoving, skipping of line, and other usual touristy line antics we made our way up to the stone stairwell that led to the small room of Jesus' birth. The room itself, the size of a small bedroom had a small fireplace type memorial with a gold star on the ground marking the place of birth. I didn't feel the Holy Spirit as I had felt it when near the Anointing Stone in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre but it was still pretty neat.

Our next mission was to haggle with a storekeeper to get an olive wood manger scene made in Bethlehem. We visited many stores up and down the city center but still came back to "the one." Rob, the best haggler ever, was able to get the price within our range and we happily walked away with our prize.

Since, as I mentioned above, we didn't go through the checkpoint to get in, we had to go through it to get out, which was a little daunting to me. Not really knowing what to expect, we made our way to the crossing. As we passed "the wall" I got a little nervous. The wall surrounding Bethlehem is twice the size of the Berlin Wall topped in places with barbed wire with lookout towers everywhere. I have to say the graffiti was intriguing while beautiful at times, it also showed the frustration of the trapped population at others. The crossing itself was deserted when we went through but the process was yet again long and tedious.

Once we returned back to Jerusalem, we had an enjoyable lunch and set off to walk the Stations of the Cross. To give you an idea of what you are looking for, it is a medium sized round metal plaque hung up on the wall with the Roman numeral of the station. I think the obvious Americans strolling around with their faces upturned looking at the high walls gave us away most of the time. For those of you looking to do this, I highly recommend a tour guide because even with the Stations of the Cross pamphlet we purchased which included a map, loads of help from local shopkeepers, and attempting to follow large tour groups, we still spent over an hour trying to just find stations 8 and 9. They were so hidden, I felt like we were on a scavenger hunt with really vague clues. I have to say, after everything was said and done with screaming pain in my knees from going up and down uneven stone stairways, probably original cobblestones, and so many alleyways I couldn't keep track, I don't think I could have ever, ever, ever carried a cross of any size or weight through all of that. It really made you think about the meaning of the walk and how thankful we should be.

As I look back on our trip, I feel so blessed to be able to see and experience the powerfulness of both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I don't think I can give it justice by attempting to describe the feeling you have when you are there. So if you have a chance to go, I highly recommend it.

Rob's Birthday

If you know my husband, you know food will be involved in a proper birthday celebration. Not just any food, but really good food. Thankfully, on our first evening in Jerusalem, we found an amazing outdoor mall right outside of the Jaffa Old City gate. It was a little wild to go from the Old City cobblestone alleyways to this modern shop riddled, Gap and Body Shop toting wonderfulness. Can you tell I have been in the Middle East a little too long? As we leisurely explored the air conditioned stores walking hand in hand smiling at the young families with their cute strollers passing by, it seemed everyone was either pregnant, with a newborn, or walking with a tiny toddler yarmulke barretted to their little head. Adorable, I must say.

The Old City - Jerusalem - Day 2

The following day, we explored the Old City and all the religious and historical sites it contained. The Old City is actually a labyrinth of cobblestone alleyways, small stone roads, shops of all types, surrounded by a huge stone wall. The city itself is divided into four quarters, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian. We started off the morning visiting the Jewish quarter and the Western Wall (otherwise known as the Wailing Wall).

Both men and women were so focused on their prayers they hardly noticed my presence. I was surprised to see they divided the sexes with a 6 foot wall. I, of course, being of curious mind HAD to see the other side, so I peeked over the wall by standing on a nearby chair. Keep in mind, other ladies were doing it too, so it wasn’t just little ole me peeking over. The difference between the two sides was very obvious; the men were praying loudly rocking back and forth very intently while the women were serenely sitting reading the Torah and they say women are more excitable. From there we took the wooden, raised tunnel up to the Temple Mount to see the Dome of the Rock in the Muslim quarter. I quickly threw on my scarf to cover my arms and we headed in. The Temple Mount area was much larger than I had expected. I guess it could hold well over 500 people during prayer time but today it had a quiet stillness about it. As we walked around the corner, you could see the gold top glowing in the distance.

We sat for a while just taking everything in before heading off to see the Mount of Olives. As you can imagine, the Mount of Olives is, you guessed it on a mountain nearby, so we decided to take the bus up to the top. Thankfully we did so, because it was a steep climb even for our small bus. Once on top, we overlooked all of Jerusalem and could see the entire Old City. To think of what has happened in this city and surrounding areas, is so powerful. As we walked down the road, we ventured into a few nearby churches. My favorite was a Russian Orthodox church that has now turned into a convent. We walked up right as it was closing and we persuaded the nun to let us in. She advised I needed to cover with a garment but I was so confused as to what I needed to cover…arms, hair? Turned out, my pants. Who knew?

I tied my wrap around skirt on and we explored the grounds filled with flowers and plants. The church itself was amazing. Our final destination on the Mount of Olives was Mary’s Tomb. It was probably the most “tomb like” with stairs leading down into a dark cavernous area with an actual tomb of rock guarded by a church deacon. As we headed back to the hotel, it was time to celebrate Rob’s birthday properly with a great meal.

The Old City - Jerusalem - Day 1

After dropping our bags and seeking out sustenance, we quickly made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. From the outside, it didn’t look that impressive but what it held was so much more amazing. As soon as you walk in you see the Anointing Stone where it is said Jesus was laid before his burial. When we walked up, there were people surrounding it, kneeling with tears in their eyes, and laying their hands on it. As I neared it, something welled up inside me that I had never felt before. It was so surreal. To be somewhere so holy, it took my breath away. We walked around the churched dazed, feeling so blessed to be there; it seemed every room held a presence you couldn’t describe. By the end of our four day trip, we realized we came to the church every day drawn to it like moths to a light. If you ever have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it.

The Anointing Stone