Sent 7/24/06

Hello all!

First of all, thank you sooooo much for all of your emails, I will try and return as many as I can, but it is getting dark and we can't be out after dark. HOWEVER, they just opened this beautiful new internet cafe in OUR TOWN!!! woo hoo, AND today it is FREE!!!! (however, I was just told it is only here for a week, it will be moving onto another town on Thursday...)

Second, I promise I am completely safe in Jordan. I know when you watch the news, you see the map and Jordan is right there, but we are truly safe. Darcy our country director is in constant contact with the embassy, and they monitor the situation very very closely. If there were any threat at all, I promise you we would be on the first plane out of Jordan. But for the time being, things are safe here.

That being said.....Jordan is amazing and I am loving it! Funny language story...I apparently spent the first week thinking that "ana bidi" meant I like. I told my host family I liked their house, their furniture, their carpet, their food, their country, their children (really, when it is one of the two verbs you know, you use it a lot). However, I then found out on Monday that it doesn't mean "I like" it means "I want". Ooops. (I have since explained it to my host family who thinks it is hilarious).

Some people have asked what we are doing, so here is our typical week:

Tuesday-Thursday
8-10 language class (and I am talking intense!)
10-1 Al Manar center (center for children with disabilities)
1-3 Lunch with families and sometimes a nap/studying/reading
3:30-7:30 another intense language class
8 Dinner with families, watch bad American movies (has anyone seen "Cadet Kelly"???)
10 Go to bed

Friday
Day off, who knows!

Saturday
Language and cultural classes 8-1, and 3-7

Sunday
Go to Irbid with the whole group for many many many hours of cultural training, safety and security, and health workshops.
Monday
In Irbid until 5, then back to Huwarra.

I have managed to get sick already, and it was not pleasant, but luckily only lasted for two days. My host family did try to force feed me a bowl of yogurt with garlic in the morning while I was still sick, but I managed to convince them that it was a bad idea.

Sorry this email is so random, it is actually dark out now, and we have to leave.
Maybe tomorrow I will have time to respond to individual emails.

I love you all very much
Jessica