We thought we'd catch you up on the holidays as we get settled into our new place.
During pre-service training, we all spent a few days learning how to take buses on our own and visited volunteers around the country who were just about to complete their first year of service. We were lucky to visit a married couple, along with another married couple also going through training. We visited the beautiful city of Salt, an inspiring couple of volunteers, and had a short but sweet makeshift American couples retreat. It was lovely to say the least.
We tasted the local falafel, walked around the quaint souq (city center), and saw engaging teaching in action. This couple created a curriculum for Peace Corps, based on interactive critical thinking, called Brain Camp. It is taught as both an intense summer camp and as an ongoing after-school program. We were grateful to spend our time with these folks. We also have continued gratitude of the PC doctor, as this was when Anne began a first dose of antibiotics... we’ll spare you the details.
Back to that happier note, our taste buds were treated to long-lost homemade meals of spaghetti, vegetarian curry, and crepes with Nutella. In the evening, we talked about our experiences so far, possibilities that lay ahead, and the wife’s recent trip back to the States. She returned for a book tour. Before coming to serve in PC, she had done extensive research for her colleagues’ book on religions’ roles in American culture. Check out their book: American Grace We look forward to reading it.
The way religion effects culture is especially interesting to us since we currently live in a very religious region where the call to prayer rings out from all directions five times a day and idea of separation of church and state is not even dreamed of- at least not in our experience, in the villages. The government actually has a branch that decides who the imam of the mosques will be- so the power is not radical &/or abused. Jordan has criminal and civil, as well as, religious courts to settle legal matters. A common reply to asking how someone is doing is, Alhamdu’lilah! This literally translates to Praise be to God, it is an authentic literal expression, and it is said all day long in various situations. If you ask any children- in schools, on the street, anywhere- in Jordan how they are doing, the reply is an immediate, adorable, resounding chorus of Alhamdu’lilah!
During pre-service training, we all spent a few days learning how to take buses on our own and visited volunteers around the country who were just about to complete their first year of service. We were lucky to visit a married couple, along with another married couple also going through training. We visited the beautiful city of Salt, an inspiring couple of volunteers, and had a short but sweet makeshift American couples retreat. It was lovely to say the least.
We tasted the local falafel, walked around the quaint souq (city center), and saw engaging teaching in action. This couple created a curriculum for Peace Corps, based on interactive critical thinking, called Brain Camp. It is taught as both an intense summer camp and as an ongoing after-school program. We were grateful to spend our time with these folks. We also have continued gratitude of the PC doctor, as this was when Anne began a first dose of antibiotics... we’ll spare you the details.
Back to that happier note, our taste buds were treated to long-lost homemade meals of spaghetti, vegetarian curry, and crepes with Nutella. In the evening, we talked about our experiences so far, possibilities that lay ahead, and the wife’s recent trip back to the States. She returned for a book tour. Before coming to serve in PC, she had done extensive research for her colleagues’ book on religions’ roles in American culture. Check out their book: American Grace We look forward to reading it.
The way religion effects culture is especially interesting to us since we currently live in a very religious region where the call to prayer rings out from all directions five times a day and idea of separation of church and state is not even dreamed of- at least not in our experience, in the villages. The government actually has a branch that decides who the imam of the mosques will be- so the power is not radical &/or abused. Jordan has criminal and civil, as well as, religious courts to settle legal matters. A common reply to asking how someone is doing is, Alhamdu’lilah! This literally translates to Praise be to God, it is an authentic literal expression, and it is said all day long in various situations. If you ask any children- in schools, on the street, anywhere- in Jordan how they are doing, the reply is an immediate, adorable, resounding chorus of Alhamdu’lilah!
{first incline in a while}
{salt: clicky, clicky}
{award-winning youth center}
{ping pong champs}
{beautiful yellow stone everywhere}
{yes please and thank you}
{couples retreat 2010: shaylyn, james, pete, katie, us}
{pcv james teaching the youth of jordan}
{a view from the souq}
{so small we missed it}
{strollin’ down heritage trail}
{man chat in the farsha shop}
{patient kitty at the butcher shop}
{note to self: most PCVs don't get this view}
{made with love, almost made me cry}
When we returned to the weekly training center, we de-briefed on our site visits and were treated to a thoughtful and appreciated Thanksgiving pizza party.
{the cartoon turkey taunts us}
{awesome people}
{one veggie, one chicken. just like thanksgiving}
