RIP

Goodbye ice bucket - you were the best purchase I ever made.

Welcome Susan and Willy!

Credit for the furniture moving (and creation of a Willy hideout) goes to Dad. Credit for the beautifully organized closet goes to Mom (and the local dry cleaner who donated maaaany hangars). Credit for the bed-making goes to me. Your new abode awaits.  

Burnt out Lights

My fluorescent kitchen light finally burnt out (its been flickering for months), forcing me to cook dinner by flashlight.  Since I can't figure out how to pop the lights out, there might be a few more nights like this:

checking on the spaghetti noodles

Vindication

The fifth straight day of 100+ degree weather has, according to the Jordanian government, led to a significant increase in power usage city-wide, draining the power infrastructure's ability to cope. The decision has been made to institute city-wide blackouts. 

I feel so vindicated that I don't even mind that I spent the afternoon reading with only the flickering light of a flashlight (it was too hot to sit outside or even open the shades to let the sun in). 

Take that crazy-mean neighbor who accused me of draining all her power with my "excessive" AC usage!

Sadness

My Mom left this morning, along with Nancy. As I drove back from the airport, it felt very quiet and lonely. 

It has been lovely and wonderful and happy and fun to come home everyday to company. I enjoyed introducing my parents and Nancy to all my favorite places in Jordan (and Israel and Egypt). I enjoyed the domesticity of deciding what to eat for dinner, the discussions of the little and big things in life, and the companionable silence of lounging and reading on the couch. 

I have been looking forward to this trip for so long, I feel a little bereft, now that its over. Thanks for putting up with me, Moms, for cooking and dog-sitting for me and for waiting for many, many repair-men over the last month. As Abe Lincoln (may or may not have) once said "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother".

Power Play

True Story:

Tuesday, I picked up my Mom and Nancy to bring them to the Embassy for lunch.  We left 2 lights and an AC unit running (we couldn't find the remote to shut it off).  We went from lunch to the Olive Wood Factory where we made several large donations to the Jordanian economy.

I dropped the ladies back off at 4:15 and went back to work, to finish out the day.  They called at approximately 4:16:30 to tell me that the power to my entire apartment was out.  My mother worked with the local guard to locate the doorman/apartment keeper/watchman, who flipped a switch in the basement, restoring power to my apartment.  He doesn’t speak English but used hand motions to indicate that the dials on my apartment’s electricity meter were spinning very fast. 

While this issue was being resolved, a neighbor in the building came and began to berate Mom.  She got in her face and began shaking her fingers, school-mistress style, reprimanding her.  She said she had ordered the doorman to shut the power off to my house because my house “was using too much electricity” and "draining power from all the other houses in the building".  She repeatedly told Mom that she must “promise to stop using too much electricity”.  Mom (good for her!) refused to make such a silly promise and eventually walked away.

I, of course, was incensed when I heard what was going on and promptly marched down to the Embassy housing office and reported the whole incident.  A phone call was made to the doorman, much Arabic and hand-waving ensued, and the guy at the housing office said the power would not be turned off ever again, that he would send technicians out first thing in the morning to examine my circuits, etcetera, etcetera.  

I love this country - nowhere in America could someone arbitrarily decide to cut their neighbor's power supply to "teach them a lesson" and not only feel that it was perfectly acceptable but convince the building supervisor to actually do it.

Israel

I ventured to Israel with my Mom and our good family friend Nancy. We saw...so much...and they saw even more after I returned to Jordan (booo for work!!).

Some of the highlights of the trip included:

1. A visit to Jerusalem Pottery where I bought a mirror...I am starting to get nervous about where I will put all my purchases when I no longer have a 1400 square foot house.

2. A stop at the Austrian Hospice for apple strudel and then schnitzel and potato salad (yes, that's the order we ate it in). It was so good, we didn't even stop to take a picture.

3. A visit to the Church of St. Anne, where we tested the acoustics. They were perfection and made Nancy and I sound wonderful.

4. A monk at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre who kept the crowds moving through the "tomb" with brisk clapping and shouts of "yes, yes, you're done and move".

5. A drive to the Galilee with a stop at a (probably) real oasis. It was an average temperature of 112F so we didn't linger at any of the New Testament sites (which included the Church of the Loaves and Fishes, the Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, and Nazareth) but I very much look forward to going back next spring and lingering for awhile.

6. A visit to the Western Wall where we found out that the "lampshade" style of fur hats can cost up anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 (!).

7. Church at the BYU Jerusalem Center where Elder Holland (who was there with his family on vacation) gave an impromptu talk. I don't really go in for the cult of personality that sometimes surrounds church leadership but he spoke simply and thoughtfully and I came away with a resolution to be a better person.

8. Several trips to my favorite place in Jerusalem, the falafel guys across from the Damascus Gate. As always, it was delicious and even as I type, I am craving their blend of falafel, tahini, cucumber, tomato, and french fries.

Can't wait to go back!

Graffiti

I have been kinda loving the street art lately...some of my favorites:

If I Could Choose a Place to Live for Forever

It would be in the Turkish Airlines lounge at the airport in Istanbul.  It has everything I need:

vaulted ceilings

a huge entertainment center playing Jack White

servants in black ties bringing you whatever your heart desires

ample storage space

a huge library with a pool table

a chef who does made-to-order noodles

flowers in the bathroom

and best of all, an endlessly replenished supply of Diet Coke

Battle of the Muezzin

I took a quick trip to Istanbul this past weekend, leaving Mom and Daffy the Dog at home bonding with each other.  On my way back to the hotel, I stopped in the square in between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to listen to the Muezzins for the two mosques battle it out for best "Call to Prayer".  

(note: the Muezzin in Turkey do the Call to Prayer in Arabic, resulting in a rather cute "Akbear" instead of "Akbar")

Let Freedom Ring!

Moms and I headed to the Embassy's Fourth of July celebration.  


Along with hot dogs, face-painting, excellent music from one of the Branch's (very brave) Young Women, and carnival games galore came a fireworks show.  I shed a very soft but patriotic tear during the grand finale.

A New Friend...

I am dog-sitting for a friend.  Daffy, the dog, is very friendly, affectionate, and loving.  She also really hates being behind shut doors and is not afraid to turn on the "sad eyes" when she suspects she is about to be shut up: