"Is that a giant turkey?"

Ahlan! Until I settle into a routine, it's going to be really hard to write much here. Things have been really hectic, and I'm exhausted. I haven't even been here a week, and I've moved into a new apartment, started at a new school, and met way too many new people. All in a developing country in the Middle East. My brain hurts to say the least. I cannot wait for the weekend (which is Friday and Saturday here).

THINGS I'VE LEARNED SO FAR

The adhan (call to prayer) currently sounds at 3:30 am every morning. And in case that one didn't wake you up, or you were about to fall back asleep, another one sounds 20 minutes later. Hence, I wake up at 3:30 and do not yet fall back asleep.

Eating fast food twice on your second day in Jordan = meesh tayyib (no bueno). I got sick. And then I had to take a 3 hour, 20 page exam written entirely in Arabic script. With an oral exam directly after. Where I accidentally said "dos turistas" when I couldn't think of how to say 2 tourists in Arabic . . . awkward.

Toilet paper always goes in the trash can. Not the toilet. Yep. It smells. Especially when one has food poisoning.

No one walks. No sidewalks. Cars everywhere. You take a cab. And on average 15 people die per week in traffic accidents. Pedestrians and passengers. It isn't safe either way.


So I'll leave you with some picture of my excessively nice apartment. And one of a dead lamb. Or possibly one of the vulture like creatures from Dark Crystal.

"de-jaaj"

Note: United Airlines sucks. My flight did get delayed. And the airline did lose my baggage. Thanks guys!

I arrived in Amman in the middle of the night, so the first daylight view I got was looking out my hotel window. Best view ever.


This is especially great because the word "de-jaaj" (chicken) is one of the first words you learn in Arabic, which I always thought was super random. And then I get here and see this. So it maybe explains why the Arabic textbook authors think the word for chicken is need to know vocab.

I want to write more, but I can't seem to form sentences right now. Sleeping has not been easy. I went to bed around 10pm last night, but woke up at 3am and couldn't fall back asleep. I finally gave up at 5:30 - took a shower and now I'm here. I feel exhausted, but completely wired at the same time. And it's not like I can just nap whenever. I have a full schedule. More orientation presentations this morning, and we move to our apartments this afternoon. Then tomorrow morning I have my Arabic placement exam at 8:30am . . . etc., etc., etc.

A Little Bit About Jordan.

Hi y'all! . . . (probably just my parents). It's the moment I've been holding my breath for for a year and a half now! Time to pack my backpack and put my traveling shoes back on. My blog is officially off it's (very long) hiatus. I'm leaving for Amman, Jordan today, which will be my home for the next seven months as I study Arabic at the University of Jordan. With my laptop and camera in tow, I'll be recounting every amusing bit of my stay . . . or at least posting some pretty pictures!

Wait . . . where's Jordan again ? . . . aren't they Muslim? . . . why on earth are you going there? . . . wouldn't England or like, Costa Rica be a better option? . . .

So, when I went backpacking solo the fall before last, people drove me up the wall with all their "are you sure that's safe??????" comments (condescending stare goes here). As you know, I returned in one piece. Without any bad experiences. Except Prague. However, that's more just because Prague sucks. But that's another story. Anyway, this time the comments have steered away from concern for my safety and more into the realm of just silence. The awkward kind. I usually assume it's because people's brains are racing to try to figure out if Jordan is in Africa or Asia. Or Europe if they're really bad at geography (read: dumb). Maybe it's because they think that Jordan is a country populated entirely by terrorists. Or maybe they had never even heard of Jordan and previously thought it was just the name of their child. I don't know what's going on, but it makes me uncomfortable, and the next person who asks, I'm telling them I'm studying in London. That way they can ask me to take a picture of Big Ben or some other bullshit and it will all be okay.

Jordan isn't in the news much - so I realize most people don't know much about this small, quiet country. I didn't know much about Jordan until recently. So here's a little bit about the place I'll be calling home for the next seven months. Jordan is in the Middle East. It borders Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria. Egypt is super close too. It is a democratic monarchy with a predominantly Muslim population. It is not teeming with terrorists. If you think that, then you need to stop watching Fox news. Nor has it been a player in the recent "Arab Spring". Jordan is a safe, stable country, with reputably warm and welcoming people. It isn't without its faults (largely influential tribal population, outdated interpretations of Islamic Law, etc.), but I shouldn't be in harms way studying there. Tourism is it's biggest source of revenue - you may have heard of a little place called Petra? Yeah, that's in Jordan. So are numerous opportunities for swimming, diving, hiking, rock climbing, and numerous other outdoorsy activities. Jordan is a huge draw for the adventuresome outdoorsman and thus perfect for me. Unfortunately, the country is a little light on the ancient ruins or fabulous Islamic architecture known to other parts of the region, but I'm sure it'll do.

So anyway, my flight leaves at 9pm tonight, and my stomach is in knots. Mostly for silly reasons, like being afraid my flight will be delayed or the airline will lose my luggage. I'm supposedly being picked up at the airport by a representative from my program, and I'll be pissed if something happens and I miss them and I have to take a $40 taxi at 10 pm to the hotel instead. Undoubtedly, things will go fine, but it doesn't stop me fretting.

I'm extremely proud of my packing abilities, especially since I was packing for seven months (no easy feat), so I'm going to leave you with a picture at my awesomely rolled and bagged suitcase.


Thank you, hefty.

Hi Jolly's Outpost

I wrote yesterday's post from Quartzsite's lone internet "cafe", Hi Jolly's Outpost, best described by my cousin, Kait, who said "it's the little building that looks like you could tie your horse out front" when I asked where to find it. Straight out of Oregon Trail this "cafe" is a tiny, ramshackle house with an espresso machine on the kitchen counter and three tables shoved into what I presume used to be the "living room." I base this assumption on the fake wood walls and ceiling, as well as the carpeted floors. My personal favorite touch was the similarly carpeted porch. I took as an invitation to take off my shoes as I blogged.

Upon arriving after my walk through the hot Arizona sun to get there, I was in the mood for something refreshing and inquired after iced coffee, despite the fact that it wasn't on the five item menu. My response from the 45-year-old, seen better days, "barista" was a blank stare. "It's just ice and coffee," I ventured hopefully. After another awkward moment of her confused expression, she responded. "We don't got ice." Okay then. Hot coffee it is. Which reminds me of another classic response Allie and I encountered today on our walk. We were in search of golf tees for Kait, and after asking one proprieter, he replied (in the most hick accent you can think of): "Here in Arizona we cut the tops off water bottles to use as golf tees." I guess that's a no, then?

I came into this trip with the hope that I would meet a lot of quirky, interesting people, instead of a bunch of burned-out homeless kids, so I was happy to meet two guys last night that were actually worthy of an intellectual conversation. Daniel and Justin are world travelers who decided to do some backpacking around their own country for a change. They're camping here for at least a month where they found work setting up an RV park. It was nice to talk to some guys who also understood how different your outlook on life became after you had traveled outside the country. Daniel had actually spent the last six years in South and Central America and was having a particularly hard time adjusting to things back home. Sitting around the fire trading stories from abroad really got me itching for my backpack again. I have a feeling I'll do everything in my power to get somewhere one more time before I head back to university in the fall.

Some crazy bum joined us around the fire last night, and he had me laughing so hard I was in tears. Apparently he spends all day sitting in his tent listening to AM radio, so he was actually fairly intelligent and certainly knew what was going on around the world. Except that EVERYTHING was a conspiracy theory. Like that Hurricane Katrina was manipulated by the government so that it purposefully destroyed the South. Or that the Rockafeller family eats gold. I also learned about this substance called Ormus (which he tried to explain to me how to make) that makes a scale go up instead of down and disappears when put in a frying pan over an electric stove. I ended up asking him about aliens because I figured he might have been "abducted" or experienced some strange shit, but instead he replied, "Oh, no, no, no, they don't come here no more. It's like this. Most of us don't go to the jungle 'cuz we don't wanna hang out with no monkeys, right? They don't wanna hang out wit us." Possibly the best analogy ever, no?

GRRR. I'm trying to upload photos, but the internet here at the camp is painfully slow . . .

"The hippies had it right." Right????? Hmmm.

Quartzsite, Arizona is pretty much exactly what I thought it would be, but I didn't expect the feelings that it brought up inside of me. Immediately upon arriving at our campsite Thursday night, we were greeted by 15 odd "hippies" in all matters of dirt, dishevelment, and blank stares. My immediate thought about these people was that they were all a bunch of losers, but the more I think about it, the more I ask - is it really any worse than the way most Americans choose to live their lives? Are those that live through meaningless jobs, unhappy marriages, and the control of conformity really any better when we don't even know what the point of life is? Shouldn't we all just do what makes us happy???? Why should we do something just because society is telling us to?

The main problem I have with this lifestyle is the choice to take from anyone that offers a helping hand, just so the traveling lifestyle can be perpetuated. I spent yesterday at a Christian homeless shelter, where I got condescending stares because I refused to eat their free meals. I don't need handouts - I pride myself on being an able-bodied person who can provide for myself. Especially when there are tons of starving children in America who don't yet have the ability to provide for themselves. It's partially this particular Christian church's problem for perpetuating the problem by letting these people take from them, but I put most of the blame on this nomadic underworld of "hippies" that somehow feel like they're "beating the system", yet gratefully take from all these people that represent "the system." It especially bothers me that are so sure that their way is right and that because they found this out, they are above the rest of society.

I don't fit in here - it's obvious - my clothes aren't soiled, my hair isn't dreaded, and my vocabulary spans more than 20 words. I realized that would happen, but what frustrates me is the rude way some people have treated me for being different and not living my life in the same way they do. I thought the whole "hippie" thing was about peace, understanding, and acceptance - so why are they shunning me for being myself? I love who I am, and I'm confident enough in that to do what I want and not what other people want or expect me to do, so shouldn't they respect that? Wake up and realize that the world is never, ever, ever going to see eye to eye, and the realistic thing to do is just respect everyone for their differing opinions.

While I think traveling is essential to discovering who you are and what you want out of life, I've also decided that there are two important guidelines when on the road: Respect and Self-sufficiency. Before I went backpacking in Europe I read a lot of blogs that said how important it was to always keep yourself clean and presentable, as well as respectful of locals no matter where you were. You have this amazing opportunity to travel, and you shouldn't ruin it by disrespecting those who don't have the same opportunities. Plus, you're never going to experience another's culture to its full potential if you don't first respect it (even if you don't agree with it). In addition, I think everyone on the road should practice self-sufficiency. That isn't to say you should refuse something if it's offered to you out of kindness, but you shouldn't rely on other people for everything or expect to subsist only on other people's kindness.

Roswell. Hee.

Sitting here in the Roswell, New Mexico Motel 6 right now. I'm jazzed. Tomorrow, Allie and I are totally planning on being the cheesy tourists taking pictures next to whatever hokey attractions they have going on. We already passed the "Alien Walmart" coming into town, and Allie insisted on driving up and taking a bunch of pictures of it. Including one of a Walmart employee standing in front of the alien murals painted in the windows. Welcome to America.

We didn't originally plan on going through Roswell, but as we were heading into Amarillo, TX the weather started to go south so we veered south (you like that?) in hopes of something better. Unfortunately, it's almost as cold here as it was back in Lawrence, and that's why we ended up in a motel. The wind is blowing so violently that our van was rocking as we sat in the parking lot. Staying in a motel is cheating a little bit, but it'll be nice to get a good night's sleep since we have over half our journey to complete tomorrow.

I spent most of our drive between Amarillo and Roswell totally creeped out, between the desolate roads, oppressive darkness, and choice of conversation topics. Once we figured out we'd end up stopping in Roswell, the conversation inevitably turned to extra terrestrial life, government cover ups, the size of the universe, etc. - basically just all matter of topics that you can throw into that "unknown" category. I started to get shivers down my spine as we drove through darkness down a rather deserted highway, jumping at every tumbleweed that crossed our path. It wasn't long before I was gripping the steering wheel maniacally, peering into the blackness, and expecting to see some alien materializing in front of me. Damn that imagination of mine.

I would love to write more, but I'm pretty much falling asleep at the keyboard, and my ability to form coherent sentences is failing . . . hopefully the next time I update, I'll be to my destination!

"Whore-house Arizona"

Where I'm going: Quartzsite, Arizona

Which is apparently : "HOME OF THE WORLD FAMOUS GEM AND MINERAL SHOWS AND GENERAL SWAPMEETING"

What I'm doing there: Visiting my cousin. SWAPMEETING. Mingling with people who think it's still the '60s. Living out of a van. Possibly not showering for several days. Wandering into the desert to have some sort of spiritual experience. Basking in the sun while the rest of the Midwest freezes to death.

Sounds fabulous right? I'm braiding my hair, donning my tie dye, and adding American Beauty to my iTouch as we speak.

How did this come about you might ask?

Back in August my cousin, Kait, bought a school bus, painted it blue, and decided to make it her home/glass blowing studio. She left her hometown of Lawrence, KS for the west coast, but not before marrying her boyfriend in a river - probably the best wedding I'll ever be a part of, but that's another story completely. Anyway, due to cold weather they recently migrated down to Quartzsite to try to sell some of their art. Meanwhile, I came to Lawrence to visit my grandma for the holiday, and it was here that Allie, Kait's mom, asked if I wanted to road trip down to Arizona for a couple of weeks to escape the cold and visit her daughter. With nothing awaiting me back home except my freezing bedroom and reruns of CSI on Spike, I immediately said yes and started packing my bag.

We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning - a good 23 hour drive that will take us down through Witchita to Amarillo and then over to Albuquerque, Flagstaff, and Phoenix, before finally reaching our destination. We'll be driving through four states I've never even been to. I'm terribly untraveled when it comes to even my own country . . . but I guess I have to start somewhere. I've packed light, comparable to the "backpacking through Europe" Liz, not the usual "pack three times as many outfits as you'll actually wear and ten times as many hair products as you'll actually use" Liz, but I am bringing the laptop in order to do some better blogging. Hopefully I'll have Wi-Fi so I'll be able to post - it would suck not to be able to capture in writing the odd hilarity that these next two weeks will inevitably bring.