Every Burp Helps

Wow! Luke, Katie, Kim, and I got a great sense of Jordanian hospitality tonight. Everyone on the team has had nights like this. At 6:00 we met two students at the Center. The two students are both well-placed professionals meaning they are in management. First, we went to a well-known (at least to Jordanians) hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Abu Musbah in the old town Amman. We were treated to "arroz", meat (lamb) & spices in a roasted pita. It was amazingly delicious. During the meal we had good casual conversation.
From there our friends took us to Al Quds (The Jerusalem) Restaurant for the dessert they usually eat called kishck alfariah. It is a milk based thick pudding with pistaschios & almonds covering the top. Again, a great treat with more talking.
After a while we got up to get coffee at a coffee shop. It turned out to be the oldest coffee shop in Amman, dating from 1924. To get in we went down an alley, through a narrow door, and up a flight of narrow stairs. We had Arabic coffee and tea. The sunset call to prayer came during the meal. Our friends took turns going to the mosque to pray. Kim and Katie were the only two women in the place.
We walked around downtown. Most of the street shops were open and bustling. We stopped in a gold shop long enough for Kim to pick out a nice 22 caret gold ring. We also stopped in an upscale watch shop that one of our friends worked in the parent company of. It was hot in the store, and we eventually headed out for a fruit shop. Luke, Katie, and I had what were basically smoothies that were very filling. During this visit the night call to prayer came, and again our friends took turns going to prayer. By now it was about 10:00 PM. The second one back from prayer pushed "passing fruit"(?) on us, and we were all completely stuffed! When we found out that they intended to take us to a dessert shop for knaffa, we had to polite decline.
After walking a bit more, we returned to the car, said goodbye to one friend and the other took us for a ride to where he worked. At this point it was about 10:30 PM and the neighborhood where his office is was packed with pedestrians! He drove us to a shopping center parking lot that had set up a huge playground with inflatable slides. He said, "Today (meaning Thursday) is Children's Day." So, especially during the summer, families stay out very late, talking, walking, eating, and bringing the children to playgrounds. Very different from the US!
When we finally got back to the apartment, we found we were the first group back. We were still all uncomfortably full. I let out a burp and said, "Every burp helps" to general laughter.
The rest of the team came in over the next half hour. We all had great times talking to the students we have met who have befriended us.
Well, it's 1:00 AM, and we leave at 7:00 for Petra.
Grace and peace,
Michael

The Week is Finished - One Week Left!

I think we all agree that the second session is going faster than the first. I think it is probably because we know the students better and we are more comfortable teaching. Every night some of us are going out with students. Meanwhile, we are all very concious that our time in Jordan is running short. One week from now we will be on the airplane from Amman to London!
Tonight most of us are going out with people we have met. Tomorrow we are leaving at 7:00 AM for our trip to Petra!
Thank for praying for us,
Michael