Hello All! I have no internet, so I am blogging in Microsoft Word until then. Hope everyone is doing well! The trip over was overall uneventful. No ale at Heathrow, but I did stop by a restaurant and get some breakfast. Found my gate easily. It was a struggle staying awake though. I think the only reason I stayed awake was the competing desire not to get robbed. Arrived safely in Jordan around 8:30 pm. No troubles through customs or with finding the CIEE guy. Got to our hotel, got my cell phone (called Colin and got cut-off, left lazy Mike a message.) Hotel room is nice (well not really, but I’m comfortable). We got an initial welcome briefing today, language placement test tomorrow, and I should be moving in with my host family Thursday. (No mom, as of this exact moment I still know nothing about them.) Surprisingly, our initial orientation took place at a resort overlooking the Dead Sea! When I can upload them, the pictures will not do any justice to the landscape! I can also say I got to see Palestine! I have a great photo that I think is a good representation of the “Holy Land.” With the mountains in the background and the Dead Sea in the foreground, a pillar of light was poking out of the clouds and illuminating a spot on the sea. Following our briefing, we went down to the shore of the Dead Sea. Although it was the “coldest day of the year” in Jordan (warm enough for us), we did a little “floating” as they say. We definitely have to come back when its hot out! Its true what they say. When I got out past the first few feet of water, you just float on the top of the surface! If you lay completely flat, the top layer of your body pokes out of the water. I also did the cliché “rub dead sea mud all over your body.” Apparently its known for its healing properties (lotions, soaps, spa treatments made from Dead Sea mud extract), so imagine me as a mud ninja! Only my eyes were poking out! Its this thick, nearly black mud that sticks to your body! Tomorrow we will tour the University and get access to the university network. Hopefully an email will be sent soon.
Love you all!
FUN FACT: Families in Jordan put on their best outfits when going out to eat at McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. It is a luxury not many people here can afford. Kind of puts the world in a different perspective.
Hah. We're sell that mud at work. Have fun Bettis!
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