13

Okay, this is way overdue. I know.

I've been stuck in teaching mode, which is an excuse. More accurately, my initial fears of being a blogger are being realized. It's hard for me to stay at it.

But, I know, I have things to share. So here's a quick one. (I'ts 7:25 a.m., and students come in 15 minutes...

I know I haven't posted since Jordan. It's a very interesting country, one I'd recommend visiting if you have the travel bug. It's very modern, has a well liked leader by the people, and politically is one of the closest aligned countries to the U.S. in the Middle East. You'll feel comfortable and welcomed.

And Petra is awesome. It's no surprise to me that Jesus' cup ended up there in The Last Crusade. It's a top 5 world spot imho.

Since, school has started and is going strong. It's weird...students here are so different than in the U.S. The nuances are hard to keep track of, but what works there methodigically does not work here. Students want to learn, just like at home, but the systems that help that happen are way different. There is definitely a different cultural mind at work, and it's hard to adjust to.

But I'm adjusting.

Outside of work, everything is awesome. I've been to Sharm, Jordan, and last weekend the white desert. It's an area toward the center of Egypt, and it's incredible. We slept under the stars and it was about 50 degrees Farenheit. I loved every minute of it. (No bugs, no scorpions, nothing to bother. Just a beautiful night.)

There was also dune rolling, campfire music, etc. Photos top left.

Planned trips are to go to Dahab (Sinai) soon and later Cyprus. Might work a trip to Yemen in there as well...we'll see.

Not much else to add. I'm settling in to the grind, have joined the gym here at school (was starting to feel a bit soft), and am plugging through. I'm learning Arabic 2x per week, 2 hours per session. Have learned many pronouns and nouns, some adjectives, but have finally started working on verbs and conjugations. It's really crazy, but I'm doing well with it and need to find more chances to immerse and practice.

I'm going to start looking for volunteer opportunities to fill one or two nights per week. Then I'll be about as busy as I was back home. :D

Yearbook is a mess. Please don't ask - unless you want a written rant.

Hope all is well,

Foster