It's getting harder for me to blog the longer I live in Amman. My life has become so ordinary. To me at least. Just like I wouldn't blog from back in Champaign or Carbondale, I'm starting to feel the same way about Amman. Which is actually a shame, because I'm still having some new and interesting experiences that I'm sure y'all would love to hear about. I also managed to severely dehydrate myself, which made for a very bad past week. Note to all: If one lives in a desert climate and starts working out four times a week, one should increase one's water intake. I did not. I think I came close to needing to be hospitalized. But at least now I know why I've been so tired lately and getting frequent muscle cramps.

So last Saturday, I attended my first Jordanian wedding. Weddings here in Jordan are relatively similar to Christian weddings in the States, except that there is no ceremony. Only a reception, but the bride wears white, the groom wears a tux, and there's a giant, white wedding cake. I've wanted to go to a wedding for a long time, but I wasn't too jazzed about this one, because teta only asked me if I wanted to go a few hours before we left, and I had nothing to wear. I did my best, but I was vastly underdressed. Jordanians like lots of bling, and while I never went to prom, I imagine the dance floor looked pretty similar to a high school prom. Except without boys. Yep, this wedding was segregated. Which was kind of a big deal, enough so that my host dad wouldn't even go. The segregation was interesting to see though - when we first got there, the men were in the same room, but they left shortly after, and then all the outer clothes came off - hijabs, jackets, etc. until the women were only wearing skimpy little dresses. I find it interesting how, out in society, this culture is so conservative, but yet so laid back behind closed doors. You should have seen how some of the women were dancing - and in front of their grandmas' too! Another CIEE student was there, so we were dancing, and let me tell you, I sure felt uncomfortable dancing to Shakira in front of teta . . . that is until she came out and danced with me. My teta rules. Oh, and I took an awesome video of the bride and groom dancing, but I got yelled at about it because the bride had taken her hijab off, so I guess I'll have to refrain from posting it here. Sad face.

Also last Saturday, I started English conversation club at the organization where I work. Volunteers from the center came in, and we just sat in a circle and talked. I was thrilled, because there were some really outspoken and politically minded young women that showed up; they seemed like a lot of fun. Most of the young women I meet here seem to have no interest in anything other than hair and nails and maybe Twilight, so it was really refreshing to talk to these girls. Plus, I've hit a goldmine of information on Jordan. I'm really lucky to work where I do, because most Jordanians don't talk about politics, but the center is very politically involved, so that's all we do talk about. I'm learning so much about the way this country is run - it's fascinating. I'm so incredibly, incredibly lucky to be working at a political organization in the Middle East at a time like this. Jordan isn't obviously in the thick of it, but still I feel like I'm in the middle of history in the making. Going to work, and having all these people around you pushing for change, believing in their cause, trying to make their country a better place to live . . . it's really fucking cool.