Around town

Yesterday afternoon, I traveled downtown for the first time with Jonathan and Mary Ellen. The trip began right outside of my apartment with a long descent down the Al-Rainbow Street stairs. The hills here in Amman remind me a lot of Ithaca's; I'm hoping this will keep me from becoming too homesick! Once we reached the bottom, I felt like I had entered another world entirely. The shops each specialize in one item or set of items. For instance, Mary Ellen needed some sheets, so we entered a store no bigger than my kitchen at home that only sells bedding. The shop keeper makes everything there himself. Mary Ellen picked out some sheets and a comforter and agreed to come and pick them up later. When we returned, he threw in two hand-sewn pillows that he had literally just finished for free. The entire trip cost her around JD35, or $48.

Something I find really interesting is that piracy is not illegal here, and so there are DVD shops where you can find literally any movie you'd be interested in watching for only JD1.

Traffic is interesting... there are cars everywhere! Before coming here, Christina was telling me about how she was going to have to drive to her job and how that was nerve-wracking. I now understand why that would even be a concern. Drivers are crazy here. I can actually hear my dad yelling at other cars when I'm riding in a taxi. Though there are lanes on most streets, no one really obeys them. Sometimes on two-lane roads people will either drive directly down the middle or drive three to a lane. Crossing the street is interesting, too. One has to trust that drivers will see you and stop for you. Insha'Allah.

This morning I was both excited and nervous to go to my first rehearsal, only to find out when I got to the Conservatory that it was cancelled yesterday afternoon. Welcome to Jordan!

Tomorrow, Chih-Hao, Yoo Jin, Jonathan, and I are headed up to the Citadel and to the Roman theater. I'm really excited.

I'm still trying to get on some kind of regular sleep schedule. I'm forcing myself to stay awake until at least 10 PM tonight.