Why Not???

WHY NOT? Shop

I'm always up for an adventure and knew that I needed to take advantage of a long weekend (the prophet Mohammad had a birthday). So we went online, booked a ticket, and jetted off to Jordan.  Now unless you don't have a passport (shameful), there is NO reason why YOU can't book yourself a trip to somewhere phenomenal so don't start whinging about your boring life...

Everyday was a highlight of the trip - though dipping my head into the Jordan might have been one of the most entertaining for the others... or jumping in the back of the Jordanian's truck for a photo shoot... or perhaps it was the mud wrestling at the dead sea?

The first stop was Madaba - in one small church we saw a "carpet" mosaic.  This "carpet" mosaic showed the fish swimming as fast as possible AWAY from the dead sea saltiness!!

See the fish in the top right? ? ? In the river? It's swimming AWAY from the Dead Sea.

Next we headed to Mount Nebo where we looked across the valley, remembering Moses and God's people.

just catching a ride to the next spot... :)

After hanging out with Moses, we headed to the baptism site.  This is when things got wet after I dipped my head in the Jordan river...
self baptisms are allowed in most churches, right?


Obviously we stopped at the dead sea for a swim float!  I took full advantage of the "free mud", probably making me look 25 again! No wrinkles ANYWHERE on my body!






We finished the day by driving down to Petra where we met some local boys, ate delicious falafel's and hung out at the ghetto cafeteria until way too late.  Early the next morning we headed into Petra.  The entire experience was phenomenal, the treasury is the most photographed part of Petra, however the highlight was hiking up to the monastery!!   I learned that I'm unbelievably scared of riding donkeys up stairs carved into the side of a mountain.  I'll skydive, ride alone on an elephants neck, heck - travel alone in the middle east... but ride a crazy ass up a mountain? NOPE!

My wedding came next in the Wadi Rum, following a beautiful sunset over the desert... What's most interesting is that many people believed (from my facebook updates) that I ACTUALLY married a guy I just met!!! Don't worry, I'm only married according to some Bedouin traditions - and some wonderful Bedouin lady even stood in as my mother... or perhaps crazy aunt!

Jerash was the last 'tour' part of the trip - I hadn't realized the Romans had built so many cities around the middle east... part of their world domination tour I guess.

Amman sightseeing was cut a bit short by torrential rains (whoever says it doesn't rain in the middle east is a liar) but we still were able to see more Roman ruins and explore the downtown markets.  I'm not convinced that I want to move to Jordan anytime soon, however it was great to see the different cultures and religions all wildly accepted - we even came across a yoga store off Rainbow Street - many people would never believe a New Age store would exist next to a Christian bookstore in Jordan!!

Moral of the Story:  When in Jordan be sure to hit up Books at Cafe on Rainbow Street for a coffee and dessert in a chill environment!!

inappropriate attire

if I can do this, so can you!!

Last week we had sports day and I was responsible for two sports "stations"... BUT, I woke up late and wasn't really thinking when I threw an abaya over my pj's and scrambled to get ready.  I definitely was a favourite though when I led the kids in push ups, sit ups, and the wheelbarrow race... all dressed in abaya!!  I think that the students and teachers have some new respect for me... either that or they think I'm crazy.

 

sixteen, seventeen, eighteen....

lice or rabies?

My grade 2-C class is full to the max.  With only 21 working computers and 26 students - the class turns into chaos as they fight for computers and argue over who gets to wear the headsets.  Most of the class is spent listening to kids yell, "miss misS miSS mISS MISS" until I rush over next to them.  Usually the problem is something simple... a pop-up on their screen or the volume on their headphones is turned down.  I prefer these problems to the constant tattle-telling that goes on.  I even had one kid proudly tell me that yes, he did hit her, but he said he was sorry right afterward (in a tone implying that he could do whatever he wished, so long as he said he was sorry).

Lice or rabies? Which would you prefer?  20 minutes into class, the students brought me their mousepad.  I couldn't figure out the problem, I mean - who cares that there is a black speck on the mousepad?  I reckoned one kid had drawn on it with a pen and really didn't care... and then it moved.  The black speck was MOVING across the mousepad and the kids told me it "fell from her head". . . What the heck???

Two hours later I was doing my mandatory break supervision.  The sandstorm was gone and I had no excuse to play sick.  As I was patrolling the litter ridden playground, looking for misbehaving kids to punish with cleaning duty, I heard "miss misS miSS mISS MISS" and five kids ran over, grabbed ahold of me, and dragged me over to Ali.  This little 6 year old had another child in a death grip and was going all turrets on him.  I pried them apart and Ali turned on me.  Kicking and flailing, I tried to calm him.  All attempts to reason with him were suspended when he turned and BIT me. SERIOUSLY? 

so now I'm left with an itchy scalp and vampire venom coursing through my veins...

will a doppio espresso kill the poison??

white lies

The sandstorm started about 10 minutes before the kids were meant to go on break.  But did that cancel break?  Unfortunately the kids didn't seem bothered by the sand (apparently kids like getting dirty) and it was just me out there wincing with the piercing grains of sand pummeling against my body.  Now I'm dirty and covered in sand.  I think I actually look like I'm in my 30's...  I'm pretty sure that recess is canceled during blizzards, rain, and hailstorms... why not during sandstorms???  Would it be horrible if I told them I'm allergic to sand so that I don't have to go out there again tomorrow?