Dream another dream, this dream is over!

Well, I'm sitting here in the peace corps office with the others who are COSing tomorrow (Gilbert, Melissa, and Ami... and honorary Adam who is going to the airport with me).
I finished my meeting with our financial guy and got my ticket in hand, my money in my pocket (oh, and I get a per diem for travel which was handed to me in AMERICAN DOLLARS), and am ready to go. In about an hour I meet with our country director for a final meeting in which she signs our description of service, congratulates me, and I am officially out of the peace corps.
It is SOOOO surreal! All the volunteers are going out tonight to celebrate with a fancy dinner. My bags are packed and while they are going to be overweight (I was originally going to take an extra checked bag for Adam... since he is traveling to China... we were able to get his stuff into my bags and the cost for an overweight bag is less than for an extra bag) they are ready.
The peace corps called a cab for us which will pick us up (us being Gilbert and I... who have flights to paris 20 minutes apart and the same flight from Paris to Atlanta) in the morning and take us to the airport!
So, this is my last post from Jordan and my last post in the peace corps!
I can't believe that in less than 48 hours... I will be home! Can't wait to see you.

Oh... and as a final note... not that it matters... but i got an advanced-low score on my final language exam. A lot of people did better than I did but i am just happy i hit the advanced mark!

Ry

Last Blog from my site

So... i have finished packing, am waiting for some co-workers to come visit, and then there will be a goodbye dinner at abu aimans and thats that! I am giving his son the laptop tonight at dinner so wont have access to email or blogging tonight so wanted to do this now.
I leave for amman tomorrow morning at 5:30!!! and then, its just last minute wrap up before I fly home!
Can't wait to see everyone!

WORST ARABIC JOKE EVER!!!

HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Ok, I am probably going to be the only one reading this that finds it funny! But thats ok... cause isn't my blog ultimately about me anyway.

Where is the only place you can safely and publically order cocaine?? IN JORDAN!!!

Ok, explanation (and, for my fellow PCV's here... you had better already be laughing... oh, and no, i didn't come up with this! Kudos to Ami for being much more quick witted than me).

In Arabic, there are three ways to look at nouns... the singular, pairs, and anything more than 2.
The conjucation is pretty much the same... lets take the the word for chair (Korsi).

One chair= Korsi

Two Chairs= Korsain (ain being the way to make something into two)

More than 2 chairs= Korsat (at being the way to make something three or more)

So, following this model... you have a can of coke... COKEAIN (which sounds like cocaine) and Cocat (which just isn't funny).

So, now my new thing is to ask for "cocaine" when i go into a restaurant. Of course, since cocaine is also the drug here you just say it with a big smile on your face and hold up 2 fingers! and then the waiter laughs with (or perhaps at) you.

And, as a cultural note... the word Taliban... This came from the word Tulab (which means student)... the word Taliban came out of the fact that it was started by two students... being Tulabain!

Thoughts as I pack

Well, my packing is being finished up... I have one room completely cleaned out (of course, that means my sitting room looks like a bomb went off... but i'll deal with that tomorrow) and as I pack, I have listened to one song more than the others. Andi, another volunteer, put this song on my IPOD but many of you probably already know it. It is from Sesame Street... and Ernie sings about how he doesn't want to live on the moon. So these are my thoughts exactly... happy to have been here... but wouldn't want to stay forever.

I Don't Want To Live On The Moon
Written by Jeff Moss
1978 Festival Attractions, Inc. (ASCAP)

sung by Ernie (Jim Henson)

Well, I'd like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air
Yes, I'd like to visit the moon
But I don't think I'd like to live there
Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I might like it for one afternoon
I don't want to live on the moon

I'd like to travel under the sea
I could meet all the fish everywhere
Yes, I'd travel under the sea
But I don't think I'd like to live there
I might stay for a day there if I had my wish
But there's not much to do when your friends are all fish
And an oyster and clam aren't real family
So I don't want to live in the sea

I'd like to visit the jungle, hear the lions roar
Go back in time and meet a dinosaur
There's so many strange places I'd like to be
But none of them permanently

So if I should visit the moon
Well, I'll dance on a moonbeam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I'll wish I was home once again
Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I may go I'll be coming home soon
'Cause I don't want to live on the moon
No, I don't want to live on the moon

Almost done

Well, i have just over a week left in my village. To be honest, it is kind of surreal. I am starting to go through the "this is the last time I will ever have lunch at this persons house"... or "this is the last time I will ever take this bus ride from Amman back to my village". I am truly ready to get home but I just cant believe that this signifigant experience in my life is coming to a close. The group of friends that I have made here has really changed my life. I am lucky that two that I am close to live in the bay area (in fact, Gilbert and I are on the same flight from Paris to Atlanta...then he's going to LA for a while)... but I can't believe that after another week, I am not sure when I will see some of the others again. Kind of hard to wrap my mind around.
But it is time for us to go. I have done 4 training workshops with the new group of volunteers and they are all eager and ready to go. I wont find out which one will be assigned to my center until the 10th, but all of them are very experienced.
So I'm here in my village till the morning of the 13th and then up to Amman for the last two days of bloodwork and paperwork and so forth.... and then home on the morning of the 16th.
I am coming home to a very busy time. I have two great friends that have offered to let me stay with them my first year home so I will be at my mom's until Sept 1st and then down to San Ramon. And I will be busy with the start of college, start of work, and getting ready for Erin's wedding! I'm a little nervous to jump headfirst back into all of this... because i know I'm not the same person I am when I left for Jordan and I am not sure how I am going to readjust with relationships, friendships and so forth but I am sure it will all work out in time.

Can't wait to see all of you

Update

Well, I know people stateside have been worried about me. I have recieved several emails and calls from close friends and i do appreciate the thought.
At the beginning of last week, when Israel declared war on Hezbollah and began destroying Beirut, I did think there was a chance we would be evacuated and sent home. However, like many events in the region, Jordan continues to remain the calm in the eye of the storm.
Remember, we do not boarder northern israel or lebanon and therefore, the majority of the fighting and missiles are not in a region that is threatening to us. However, we have still been kept on our toes. Peace Corps, ever vigilent to where the volunteers are, has recently become even more involved. Sad to say, kind of like a lockdown. Not in that we can't travel, but in that we must inform Peace Corps of our ever step. While a bit annoying, I understand the necessity. My thoughts are as long as Syria does not get directly involved in the fighting, it will stay calm where we are. However, if Jordan does get involved, I can see the peace corps considering evacuating us as many of the volunteers live in villages close to the syrian boarder (I think the closest volunteer is only like 5km south).
So, for now, life goes on as normal. However, i am going to have one unmet goal over here directly as a cause of this turmoil. One of the things i had wanted to do was go to the famed jerash music festival this summer. It is held every year, is internationally known, and brings many of the best performers from the middle east to perform. I saved vacation days and was planning to go at the end of this month. However, because so many of the performers are Lebanese, the music festival has been postponed indefinitely/cancelled in the wake of the fighting. this is the first time this has happened since 1982 when the israel/lebanon conflict occured last time.
I am sad i wont be able to see it, but that is life in this part of the world.
Oh, and on a happier note... for those of you who have not gotten the news... I officially recieved my tickets home. I will be flying from Amman, to Paris, to Atlanta and then to Oakland arriving in Oakland (providing I make all my connections) at 11:36pm on the night of Aug 16th! Can't wait to see you all

Its been a while...

I have been horrible at blogging... i realize that. Since i last blogged, we have had the 4th of july party, and the j10's have arrived (although, in all fairness, that just recently happened).
As for me, with the end of work has come a very big down period. Luckily this will end next week as I am going to be helping with the training of the new volunteers. However, last year at this time, I knew i would be going back to work in the fall. Considering i know that I will be leaving before school starts, and school is my primary reason for being here, I am feeling a bit restless and ready to go home.
However, that is not why I am writing. I wanted to just reassure everyone that things were still calm here. I am also reading online about the Israel/Lebanon conflict that, true enough, is escalating. Between the action in the Gaza strip a few weeks ago and this now, it is a tense time here. I would just ask that everyone please keep us in their prayers. This is a hostile time in a hostile place in the world... and I just continue to pray for peace on all sides.