So here’s my next installment of Israel. Sorry it took me so long to get another thing posted – I’ve been kinda busy, and again, the internet’s not that great. I hope you guys enjoy these! I’ll try to get the Israel pictures done, because this Friday through Sunday we’re going to Petra! Love ya’ll, ma salaama!

So me and several friends went river-hunting in the middle of Jordan. Well, by the Dead Sea, so not exactly the middle. It was SUPER hot until we found the magical river, by which grew tons and tons of gorgeous flowers and trees. When the river (which was surprisingly cool) got a little bit deeper, we found dozens of crabs in it, both large and small. It was kind of weird – I never imagined huge crabs to be in the Middle East. What do crabs eat, by the way? We were trying to figure that out. I’m sorry, though, my camera died (of course) right before I found my first crab. Anyway, it was so much fun exploring, getting deeper and deeper into the canyons, hearing only the sound of trickling water…

Here are some more pictures of Israel! Sorry I could only get 9 loaded this time. But due to popular demand, I will be taking pictures of my family either today or tomorrow, and will be doing a blog entirely on the fam I’ve been staying with…for a month now…ha. Yeah, it’s about time. Anyway, I love you all lots!

Yay! Here they are! I love the internet on campus – SO much faster and safer! -sigh- This is my first installment of Israel pictures. There will probably be 2 more after this, so I hope you don’t get bored. But there are videos! Two of them, as links at the bottom of the pictures! (Remember – I can’t post more than 7MB at a time, so they’re not too long). I’ve got enough pictures for at least 6 more blogs on Israel alone, but not all of them are interesting or good (sometimes the photographer was a bit tired haha). Enjoy!

Yes, I’m back from Israel, and with 356 pictures! I still have pictures from before the Israel trip to post as well, so get ready for a lot of them! Also, just FYI – I’m still trying to find out how to publish all of them. The internet from my house is incredibly slow and often doesn’t work, which means I’ll need to bring my laptop to campus instead. Inshallah this will happen today and tomorrow.
Love you all! Thanks for your support!

Well hey there! I’m back, and this time without the homesickness. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice – it was much needed and all of it was brilliant. I’m pretty sure getting over homesickness was 95% accomplished by people at home. Weird how that worked. Anyway, here are some more pics to tide you over – they are of birthday parties, mansaf (chicken, rice, goat milk & butter that you eat with your hands), more friends, travels, night scenes, etc. Mom, thanks for sending my camera charger and glasses! I’m SO happy to be able to take pictures now! And with Israel exactly a week away, it was just in time.
Oh, funny culture thing: Clothing stores in Jordan are all EXACTLY the same. They’re all very small, the clothes are something you’d would’ve seen in the 90s, and they advertise these clothes on WAY too many mannequins (the only reason I remember how to spell that is because of a band called Jack’s Mannequin..) But what I love about these cheap-to-America-but-nice-and-’hip’-to-Jordan stores are their names. They’re all named cheesy things like “Midnight” or “Eternity” or “Black Star” or…what was another one…oh yeah, “Angel Dust.” And they all have the exact same horrendous shiny, sequined, cheap clothes! It’s great! Oh, I saw a coffee shop called “4 Elements” the other day, with a slogan that read “Black as Hell, Dark as Death and Sweet as Love.” Um, wow. That sure makes me want to drink their coffee. Ha. Aaanyway, here are the pics. Oh! I HAVE tried to post video, but just recently discovered why it wasn’t working – I can only post 7MB at a time. So bear with me as I edit the film I have before I post it.

…for Liz to be homesick. And not just any homesick. The intense, don’t-want-to-leave-my-room homesick, the I-want-to-shout-at-the-next-Arab-I-see homesick, and the get-me-out-of-here-NOW homesick. I thought it wasn’t going to happen because I made it through the first month just peachy (“mishmishy” in Arabic). But now I can’t believe I’m here for another 2 1/2 months, and I don’t really WANT to be. Anyone have any helpful tips on how to overcome?

Here’s a map of EXACTLY where I am. And I drew on it! And labeled and starred and everything else! It’s also moveable, so feel free to move Enjoy

So, here are some pictures of me ‘n my Arab peeps on campus, at the University of Jordan. Um…what else to say…oh! Tomorrow around 4pm I move in with my new family for the rest of the summer! Hopefully I can get my camera charged by then so I can take some good pictures of them & my first entrance into my home for the next 3 months.
Oh quick funny story – so I was helping this Arab girl with some of her English. She was trying to say the phrase “I have never eaten it (an apricot)” but it kept coming out “I have never been eaten.” I though it was funny.
Some pictures are of me at one of the oldest Catholic churches in Jordan, and me standing next to the oldest known map of Israel! It’s TILED into the floor! How cool! Oh, and that giant stone is like the kind that would have been in front of Christ’s tomb. I was on top of Mount Nebo when it was taken. You know, Moses’ mountain? Wow, it was amazing, and I could see Amman, the Dead Sea, and Palestine from the top at the same time – they were only a 35-min drive away.