Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,
I can't believe it has been 4 weeks since my arrival here. If I keep this up, I will have a total of 3 blog postings for my whole trip. Haha. I figure it's better late than never. Its kind of like exercising. It's like gosh, I haven't worked out in a while, should I work out today? is it really going to make a difference? In the end....it does (i hope!!). On that tangent I have been swimming again in the university pool during the girl's hour on sundays and tuesday. It's so nice. I was worried that the water gave me some kind of sickness but actually I think the purified water I was drinking in my house was to blame.
In the States we take water for granted. Here i have to always go out and buy water. I feel like I'm thirsty alll the time. But juice here is really cheap and drinking juice in USA is kind of a luxury (at least for me...because i'm cheap!!!!).
It's about to be 2am here. I have exams in the morning, and then a pretty full afternoon (visitng Shariah professor to help my lawyer friend, making a trip to safeway to buy some goods for our weekend trip to aqaba, read over the essay for women's issues "club")... Hopefully I will also have time to spend with my brother tomorrow evening (who know's where we will eat this time!)
I ate at Hardeez yesterday for the first time and it was awesome. I had a real taste for MEAT and i got this philly steak burger? Ayub got a combo with a burger and a chilli hotdog and a drink. If you know me you know my obsession with hotdogs. haha. It really lived up to my standards =P. hence, why I need to get back on the exercise routines.
I ran out on the track the other day. The track here is pretty darned nice. Ayub says if you run sprints its th emost effective way to get into shape..inshallah khair.
I have been surprisingly busy here-which is i guess contributing to the feeling that time here is passing by in lightning speed. I feel pretty settled in now and honestly I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of all the things I have to do when i get back to the states inshallah. It will definitely be bitter sweet.
I haven't done a lot of self contemplation lately because all that is going on and it seems I can never get a quiet minute to myself (all the girls in the group have become pretty acquainted with each other and most of us stay on the same floor so our apartments have become one big house it seems). The people in my group are people I would not be close friends with in my life in the states-because of our differences. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy their company, its just soo different. In the US I only have muslim friends so its different having only non muslim friends at the moment. But i am thankful for this opportunity to branch out and meet new /different kinds of people. At the end of the day we are all humans.
Despite the degradation of Jordanian society I could see myself pretty happy living here. I have to say the food is quite a consolation prize haha. I do love America a lot though. If only I owned the airlines and could travel whenever I wanted...
Degredation of society you ask? Eh, I guess you could claim the same in every society except here I feel a lot less safe walking around than I do in the states despite it being a "muslim country" and all. Well at least at night. But then again I don't really walk around at night in the usa..hmmm..
It's kind of like being in highschool walking outside. You always have to be alert and watch out for jerks who are gonna try and start something with you. A few of the girls in my group have gotten "grabbed" by "young men" on the street. Even I have been followed on my way home in the evening. Its so weird. I think its because a lot of the men here are stagnant and don't have much to do...I just don't know how hte society can accept such behaviour though.
Other than that though its pretty nice. They say its generally safe -and i guess some people have accepted getting your booty grabbed or BASA'd (inside joke) as part of everyday liviing. Haha. Not me. I have been dressing extra modest when I go out. Seems no one is off limits.
Alhamdulilah.
The weather here has been pretty spectacular for semi arid dessert. Of course in late afternoon it gets pretty hot but in the evenings its quite lovely. I have taken to having a mid afternoon siesta (around asr time) and it is going to be a habit i have to kick when i get back in the states haha. I know my mom will not be pleased. But hey, isn't taking a nap after asr sunnah? And it allows me to stay up later to do my work when i would otherwise be procrastinating during the day doing other menial things. So its get some rest or procrastinate...may as wel get some rest =P.
Until next time. Hopefully I can "blog" again before departure time. Ha.
<3 kawthar
