Touchdown

Salaam,

I am going to copy some of an email I sent to my family here - sorry if you've read this before, just not much time to rewrite now.

After 2 delays, my cell phone dying and MacBook charger being left at the Burlington security (Arrrghhhh)... I finally made it.

I cant even begin to think about what to say right now. The flight was good... the flight attendants were unlike any women ive ever seen - exotically GORGEOUS. When I first saw them in the gate at JFK, I had no idea they were Royal Jordanian flight attendants--they appreared like a classic army of beauties from the 70s in matching ensembles and were perfectly groomed. Red skirt suits, matching black hats with hair neatly pinned and perfect makeup. Oh and 3inch black pumps... everything identical. They treated us way better than the WestJet or JetBlue I am now used to. About an hour into the flight when my sleeping pill was just kicking in.. a woman asked me "chicken, beef, or fish" I was like "what?" Who still serves meals on planes???? I had no idea. So I had this lovely (for plane food) chicken marsala with veggies and rice, salad, bun with butter and gruyere cheese and some berry pound cake which was very good. What???? I slept as best I could, for I dont know how many hours...but I slept for sure. I woke up about 10 mins before they turned on the lights.. I had just realized the had closed all our windows and primped our pillows while we were sleeping. WEIRD. Then a woman came around with hot towels to wake us up. (PS - there was a flight prayer on the tv screen)

Then another meal... scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, croissant and bun with jam, fruit bowl, banana/strawberry yogurt and OJ and coffee. Haha...

I can't explain what it was like when I realized I was flying over the Meditteranean Sea... and then the most eastern tip of the shore over Tel Aviv near the Gaza strip then Amman. The airport was interesting... borderline rickshaw but not quite, size of the Burlington one but with MEGA security. There was exchanging money... which I'm, pretty sure I got screwed on, then the visa line, then customs line... then downstairs to get your bags. When I realized I was one of the last people without my bag... some baggage belt kid came over to me and asked me how many bags I was looking for, I told him one, he looked at my baggage ticket, and then at the same time I looked up and saw it.. and he did too. Then he took it, and I was assuming he worked for the airline, and told me to follow him, which I did and then he put my stuff through security... they insisted on scanning my film... I have no idea if its screwed out not now. And then all of a sudden I realized he was trying to take my luggage all the way to whereever I was going. I tried to get him to drop my stuff and said, "I'm Ok, I'm Ok, I can take this," and he just dropped it and looked at me as I walked away and he said, "tip tip tip," so I handed him 2JD, which I realized now is like 10bucks... Grrrr. Ohh well.. Damn Gary for leaving me.

Then I walked out into the arrivals area and there were Muslims everywhere crying for their newly reunited families... it was crazy... then through the crowd I saw some skinny kid, probably early 20s with a sign with my name on it. I was like, "Yesss," cause if he wasn't there, I was going to have to wait 6 hours there for Gary. So I got in his car and I realized where I was... in the Middle East. Everything... everything... everything... is different. We drove past tanks and soldiers out of the airport. The air is about 65 right now... not bad. I can tell though it gets HOT.. and it's dark so I can't really see much. All the buildings are white... all of them. The things that we would think are tacky back home like velvet and chandeliers in every room, are common. I saw so many things on the 30 minute drive to ACOR (American Center Oriental Research... more on that). Then we passed a huge fireworks display... apparently that's common, too. One of the girls I met today told me that fireworks are a nightly thing. I asked why and she said they used to fire their guns into the sky for fun, and banned that when bullets were coming back down and hurting people - DUH! So now fireworks are for fun.

I read that its impossible to pretend you know how to drive around Amman, and I can see why. It's laid out on a series of hills and everynow and then theres a crazy "circle" like a roundabout that everything it attached to. Lot's of honking and passing. We get to Acor and it seemed nicer than I thought, although I wasn't expecting so many people in suits to be standing around. I wasn't quite sure where to get in and I was told I would see a security soldier who would tell me, but someone pointed and I went in. I was met my Janet, a tiny Asian employee here. I wasnt expecting ayone to be here when I got in, I was just told to find my key in an envelope and go to my room.

She briefed me where to go and helped me with the small elevator as I stood with my luggage, it was noisy upstairs and I could tell something was going on. A couple with a security guard came to stand by the elevator and Janet said he could go first. And he said, no, I could go, I have all this luggage... and then she insisted he went first, I thought "Whatever," and the couple went in and their guard spoke into his sleeve and pressed the buttons. Once the door closed Janet turned to me and said, "that was the Prince Hussan." I was like HOLY SHIT! I've written papers about the royal family! I guess the director of this place is having some sort of party here tonight... not really sure the details.

Anyways... I found my room, and on the way I passed 2 girls sitting at a dining area on my floor, waved and asked if I was on the right floor. They were very nice and around my age or younger. My room is more than I thought it would be, but it's nothing fancy... don't get me wrong. Gary was right when he told me it was like a glorified dorm. I have 2 twin beds, 2 HUGE armoirs, a fan, lamp, bureau, and desk. And my own bathroom which I wasnt expecting. WORD! I told Janet I would be back to talk to her and on my way back I stopped and spoke with the 2 girls, Sarah and Jackie, and they were very friendly. They are studying at the University of Jordan for a semester and are from a military school in Pennsylvania. I think I learned more from them in 10 minutes than I could have spending hours on Google and reading books. Even one jumped up to ask "Michael," who has a Mac, if he has the same as me so I can use his charger. I'm sitting in the seminar room now to email, which has about 10 computers with internet free to use when the room is available. There is coffee and tea downstairs and a huge kitchen for breakfasts we make ourselves, toast, eggs, cereal... and then everyday theres a big lunch. We can take water from pitchers in the kitchen to our rooms, cause can't drink the tap water. And each floor has it's own private kitchen for personal food, and a room for ironing (and I bought a travel iron!) and a fairly equipped living room with tv, dvd, couches, tons of games and books. I can see how it's easy for Americans to feel comfy here.

OH MY GOD! Michael just came to find me in the seminar room here, and is letting me borrow his MacBook charger... sweet. He also said there was a MacStore here. The people here are really really nice so far.

I will post pictures and more tomorrow. Goodnight whatever time it is!
Jenica