More experiences with the Jordanian postal system and host family updates

Yesterday was a pretty full day, although it didn't seem like it at the time. I headed out to the post office in Wast al-Balad to pick up the camera my parents had sent me. I tried reading the signs as I stepped inside and, well, I could obviously sound out the words but they were all unfamiliar to me. I asked someone behind the desk and he told me to go to the second floor. Well, there was a set of stairs as well as a mail room and it looked like the mail room had two floors too. A young Jordanian guy who was picking up his mail offered me some help, although I was a bit reluctant to be following him into the sparsely-populated mail room! Eventually I deduced that going up the staircase outside, even though it wasn't marked, was the right way to go. But that was only the beginning.

I presented the guy at the counter the slips I had been given notifying me of my package. He sent me to a room where one man took down my information and traded my slips with another one that my dad had filled out in the states to ship the package here. Someone got my package from the storage room, then I waited until the customs officer was free to open my box and survey the contents.

Well, I was a little worried that I'd be taxed to kingdom come because of the high tariffs that Jordan levies on electronic imports. The officer teased me and asked me how much I thought I needed to pay. I replied that I was over prepared -- I had 100 dinars on me! He laughed told me I only needed to pay ten dinars, since I was nice and that he didn't think I had a lot of money because my dad had sent some in my package. What a relief! Anyways, he handed me more forms to get signed by the director, which I had to show to the customs officer again. He finally gave me another slip and told me to go to the third floor to the head haunch-o and pay my fees. The whole process was extended because I didn't always understand all the directions they gave me at first and I ended up waiting in a few lines that I didn't need to. Finally I brought all the slips I had accumulated back to the records keeper and got my package. Whew!

Since I was in Wast al-Balad, I thought I'd have another look at the shops. After exchanging the money my dad had sent I got a few more Ramadan lanterns and some baklava for my friend's host mom, since that was the day I was going to meet her host family and see if I wanted to live with them next semester or not. I was a bit bogged down with bags and packages and my money was loose in my bag since I didn't want to put it in order for everyone to see! I decided I need to organize myself in a private place, so I went up a few flights of stairs to a more residential level. There was one shop and its keeper on top of the first flight of steps, but I didn't think too much of him. I ducked into a small flight of side stairs that seemed to lead to an abandoned apartment, but what I could see was just piles of wood and other scraps. Of course, this guy walked up the stairs and asked me where I was from, then proceeded to tell me that the abandoned apartment was a cinema and I could come and see it if I liked. Really? Do I have "stupid" written on me somewhere? I absolutely hate people sometimes. I feel sometimes that there are so many restrictions on women in this region because in reality, too many men are absolute creepers and feel like they can take advantage of any girl that comes their way. It's disgusting.

Anyways, I took a taxi to the King Abdullah Mosque, since it's near where my friend lives with her host family. It was a bit of an ordeal to meet up with her, but we got to her house eventually. It's more of an apartment, since there's three floors all belonging to different families. Annette's family lives on the ground floor. Her mother was very sweet and sat us down in the living room to have those awkward first conversations. After the initial shyness, I felt more comfortable, especially as I got used to hearing her Arabic. She speaks a little English, but I'm glad she was speaking Arabic to me consistently. After all, I'm here to learn Arabic! She fed us this delicious yogurt-y soup with squash stuffed with beef. We ate it with rice and little strips of pasta mixed together. It was sooo good, but I couldn't finish the portion she gave me. She did make me finish all the squash though! She was not happy when I told her that I've lost a lot of weight since I've been here. I whispered to Annette, "And the force feeding begins!"

The girls came home from school around 3:00 and greeted me with a mixture of shyness and hospitality. The oldest daughter is ten and the middle girl is seven. They have a seven-month-old-baby too, who is SO adorable. Annette says that he's a really good baby and isn't fussy at all. Her mom just put him in his little walker and he strolled all around the house! The middle daughter, Lara, is obsessed with playing Uno, and although I hadn't played for a while, it came back to me soon enough. The oldest, Sara, is very calm and patient and Lara is really bossy and bubbly. They reminded me a lot of a few of my cousins in the Philippines. Annette and I played with them for a while, then went out to talk to her mother for a while before I left. She said that if I chose to live with them, it wouldn't be a problem at all. I think I'm going to do it too. It'll be an adjustment being around kids all the time, and there'll definitely be more distractions, but I think it'll be a good change. I won't have as much free time to feel lonely.

Anyways, I've got to go grocery shopping for the next couple weeks. And maybe test out my new camera!


'Til next time,
Van

---

Part of trip: Jordan: Take One

---