Week 2: June 5 - June 11
Tuesday, June 5:
Today we set out again to distribute ATM cards, but this time was even more fun because we had more Caritas workers with us in the car and it turned into a two-hour fun road trip! We went to the center and distributed cards after a training to about 70 refugees. A part of the day that was a little strange was: while we were distributing ATM cards, visitors on behalf of Catholic Relief Services came in to talk to us. There were Americans and Europeans, and it was different to be a part of something rather than visiting. This was a nice moment because it helped me solidify that I am part of Caritas now.
On the way home, we stopped several times to buy tomatoes, a plant used for making hummus, and even apricots from a man’s tree. It was hilarious how much food we had accumulated, but it was so much fun!
I rested for a bit when I got home then headed out to the Latin School to teach the third and fourth grades. I taught them a game called “Follow the Leader” and they loved it. They got super involved and were extremely innovative. It’s also a great game for situations with a language barrier because it is purely physical. If you want to use this game, here is a link: https://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/follow-the-leader.
At night, Areen, my roommate, brought her boyfriend over and we had a great time hanging
out with him and comparing music tastes.
Wednesday, June 6:
We did distribution today in Zarqa and it went very well! I enjoyed spending time with my coworkers Claudia and Peter and Dareen because they are so much fun to be around and they are constantly making jokes.
After work I went to the Latin School and worked with the 5th and 6th grade which is completely different but enjoyable. Many of the students in these grades moved to Jordan recently and it is difficult to learn a language the older you are. The girls in the class were extremely confident and I admired that. They boys were full of energy and one specifically was amazing at spelling in English. While I enjoy working with younger grades, the 5th and 6th graders are usually 12-14 and I found that they are more mature and more engaged in the lessons I provide. I was excited to see how many students wanted to be the leader in games we played.
Though it was a long day, I went to the soup kitchen at night to help serve iftar to the beneficiaries. And it was great because I got to see my friend Fatima after a week and we had the chance to catch up. It is hilarious, because in the evening there’s not much to do at the soup kitchen after everyone is fed, so we all just go out in the garden and people have a smoke while I drink a cup of tea. The work culture here is very different, but I like it because breaks are essential to a productive work day.
Thursday, June 7:
Finally, I got to sleep in the morning and boy did my body need it. I took a placement exam at Ahlan World this morning and I was placed in level 2 Amiyé, the dialect, because she said I understand Amiyé but I respond in Fusha, the modern standard Arabic. I went to the Latin school to teach 5th and 6th grade about colors. I wrote different colors up on the board and had them tell me how to say it in English, then I wrote the colors but scrambled and they had to use the letters present to spell it correctly.
I loved my time coming home on the bus with the kids again because they make me smile and laugh.
When I arrived home, I told the bus driver that I wasn’t sure if I would see him again, but he insisted that he pick me up in the school bus the next day ha-ha. What a cool ride. Then I went out to dinner with a girl who I had met on the plane ride to Jordan and who has worked and lived in Jordan for 2 years, so she knows the place well. We had some delicious food at a great restaurant called Old Town in Jabal al Weibdeh. After dinner, Martin and I drove to a pre-wedding party for our friend Shady and it was such a great time. There were probably 30 people there singing, dancing, and chatting. One of my favorite parts of the night was when Shady’s groomsmen had to play games for the audience’s enjoyment.
I met a lot of great people and laughed a lot; especially when we got to step dancing and Rami and Shady started this intense dance with jumping, etc. I slept soundly from being partied out.
Friday, June 8:
While most people don’t work on Fridays, the Latin School still runs on Friday. The bus driver who drives me home every day graciously offered to drive me to school today which was extremely generous and it was nice because I got to spend more time with the kids. Today I taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade mainly in body parts and colors through games like Simon says and matching activities. It was a bittersweet day because today was my last day of teaching and I was truly going to miss the students. The usual group of kids on my bus came to my classroom and one girl showed me that she had written my name, (مريانا ) “Mariana” in Arabic (because of my middle name) and the other kids insisted that I write my name on their arms.
Though our bus was always a little chaotic, they were the most loving kids and always told me about their day, asked me questions, and kissed my cheeks on the way off the bus (a traditional greeting and way to say goodbye).
After the bus dropped me off at home, I had lunch with Areen and Martin. Though Areen is he head chef of the house, for this lunch, I made the chicken and Martin made the sauce – true teamwork. After lunch I went to the airport to fly to Beirut for the weekend.
I arrived in Beirut and took a taxi to my Air BnB, but when I arrived (after a 15-minute drive) the driver asked me for $40 and I freaked out a little bit. I tried talking him down and said I’d go into my house to get more money but he followed me into the house. I argued with him for a while and eventually he gave up and took $30. It was a rough start to my stay in Lebanon but my recommendation for anyone else leaving the airport in a taxi, make sure you ask how much it will be before you get in.
Though that was difficult, I was excited to see my friend Mohammad who lives in Beirut, and who I met in my Arabic class at Georgetown. He picked me up with his brother and his cousin and we went out to Mexican food. I was surprised how good the burritos were! Then we went to a pub and I tried the Colonel beer. It was a nice night.
Saturday, June 9:
Though exhausted from a long week, I was determined to make the most of my limited time in Lebanon. So, I woke up, crossed the highway next to my building in order to get to town, and ate at a lovely French café called Coin Perdu for a thyme croissant and a caeser salad. Then I joined a walking tour called alternative tours and I met a great group of people. We didn’t visit the touristy sights, but it was a great experience because our guide shared his personal experience growing up in Lebanon and how the war impacted him. He also told us about the Lebanese government and the different neighborhoods of Beirut mostly divided by religion.
Halfway along the tour we stopped to try Armenian sandwiches and they were delicious! On the tour I was saying how there’s a building at my school named after Rafik Hariri and another girl said, do you go to Georgetown? Turns out she graduated from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service a few years back and studied abroad in Jordan. I met another girl who went to school in Jordan, so they could offer me advice for things to do in Amman!
After the tour I walked around with Mohammad catching up and we even went to a diner and had burgers. At night, Heta, a girl from the group, and I went to dinner at the Enab restaurant and it was incredible. So delicious and unfortunately, we could not finish our meal. After the meal we walked around and ended up at the Demo bar which I highly recommend if you are even looking for a bar with a good vibe and great music. We continued walking around and ended up hanging out at her hostel where there was a live band performing. It was a great first day in Lebanon.
Sunday, June 10:
Today I was set on visiting all the must-see places in Beirut, so my first destination was the national museum. However, my Uber driver to the national museum was the kindest man and drove me past all the typical landmarks and stopped so I could take a photo. The national museum was fascinating and there were so many ancient artifacts that blew my mind.
I had some chicken shawarma at a nearby snack shop across the street and it was delicious! However, the best part of my day came next when I went to pigeon rock on El Corniche, which is a gorgeous path along the water. I saw the rocks from the road, then decided to hike down to where the rock met the water and I am so glad that I did. I ended up meeting a woman and her husband who were really kind and sat with me and chatted in Arabic. Then when I got down to the water I saw a bunch of guys swimming around. Two guys saw me and invited me to swim with them. After much persuasion, I joined them and the water was perfect. It was actually warm. We swam around and I even met a guy in the water from Idaho!
After a bit, the guys offered to walk me back up to the road and we hung out for. A while. I had a nice drink by the breath-taking view, then I called the same Uber driver and he drove me home free of charge and offered to drive me to the airport. When he came back to take me to the airport, he had purchased juices for us, which was very kind.
After all the travel, I eventually got home to Amman, Jordan. I had trouble calling an Uber so I decided to walk out of the airport until I found a cab. Along the way I bumped into a man who had just returned to Amman from completing the Hajj in Mecca, and he asked if I wanted to share a taxi. Thank god for this man because he pulled over car after car negotiating prices. Usually it costs 25 JD ($37) to get to or from the airport but this man negotiated 10 JD ($15) for me. We found a random van of these two guys one from Jordan and one from Algeria. It’s moments like these when I love travel so much: because of the different people you meet and the stories that they share.
Monday, June 11:
Today we went to downtown for distributing ATM cards, just me, Claudia, Peter, and Dareen. I love how every time we go to a new center the process goes as follows: We walk into a building and when someone I’m with recognizes someone from the center, they go over and kiss their cheeks and ask how they’re doing, then we take a seat and are offered coffee or tea. We are always greeted by the best hospitality, and that is something I really appreciate about the culture here because everyone always has time to talk to you, unlike in Los Angeles, where everyone always seems to be in a rush.
After work, Peter drove me to Ahlan world for my first dialect class and it was great but very hard. When doing 1 to 1, there’s nowhere to hide, and there’s no one else to catch you if you fall which can be intimidating.
That night I went to the Mercy Restaurant/ soup kitchen to visit Fatima and the other guys and it was great as always. I decided to continue the night by walking around Jabal al Weibdeh, a cute neighborhood near the kitchen and I went to a café called Rumi café which is overpriced, but tons of people go from Jordan and there are always ex-patriots there. I met some nice girls at the café, then on my way home I bumped into a guy that works at the kitchen. He always works at a different café nearby and he offered me tea, which I gladly accepted. It is always great to bump into people you know because then you feel more at home in a place.
Today we set out again to distribute ATM cards, but this time was even more fun because we had more Caritas workers with us in the car and it turned into a two-hour fun road trip! We went to the center and distributed cards after a training to about 70 refugees. A part of the day that was a little strange was: while we were distributing ATM cards, visitors on behalf of Catholic Relief Services came in to talk to us. There were Americans and Europeans, and it was different to be a part of something rather than visiting. This was a nice moment because it helped me solidify that I am part of Caritas now.
On the way home, we stopped several times to buy tomatoes, a plant used for making hummus, and even apricots from a man’s tree. It was hilarious how much food we had accumulated, but it was so much fun!I rested for a bit when I got home then headed out to the Latin School to teach the third and fourth grades. I taught them a game called “Follow the Leader” and they loved it. They got super involved and were extremely innovative. It’s also a great game for situations with a language barrier because it is purely physical. If you want to use this game, here is a link: https://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/follow-the-leader.
At night, Areen, my roommate, brought her boyfriend over and we had a great time hanging
out with him and comparing music tastes.
Wednesday, June 6:
We did distribution today in Zarqa and it went very well! I enjoyed spending time with my coworkers Claudia and Peter and Dareen because they are so much fun to be around and they are constantly making jokes.
After work I went to the Latin School and worked with the 5th and 6th grade which is completely different but enjoyable. Many of the students in these grades moved to Jordan recently and it is difficult to learn a language the older you are. The girls in the class were extremely confident and I admired that. They boys were full of energy and one specifically was amazing at spelling in English. While I enjoy working with younger grades, the 5th and 6th graders are usually 12-14 and I found that they are more mature and more engaged in the lessons I provide. I was excited to see how many students wanted to be the leader in games we played.
Though it was a long day, I went to the soup kitchen at night to help serve iftar to the beneficiaries. And it was great because I got to see my friend Fatima after a week and we had the chance to catch up. It is hilarious, because in the evening there’s not much to do at the soup kitchen after everyone is fed, so we all just go out in the garden and people have a smoke while I drink a cup of tea. The work culture here is very different, but I like it because breaks are essential to a productive work day.
Thursday, June 7:
Finally, I got to sleep in the morning and boy did my body need it. I took a placement exam at Ahlan World this morning and I was placed in level 2 Amiyé, the dialect, because she said I understand Amiyé but I respond in Fusha, the modern standard Arabic. I went to the Latin school to teach 5th and 6th grade about colors. I wrote different colors up on the board and had them tell me how to say it in English, then I wrote the colors but scrambled and they had to use the letters present to spell it correctly.
When I arrived home, I told the bus driver that I wasn’t sure if I would see him again, but he insisted that he pick me up in the school bus the next day ha-ha. What a cool ride. Then I went out to dinner with a girl who I had met on the plane ride to Jordan and who has worked and lived in Jordan for 2 years, so she knows the place well. We had some delicious food at a great restaurant called Old Town in Jabal al Weibdeh. After dinner, Martin and I drove to a pre-wedding party for our friend Shady and it was such a great time. There were probably 30 people there singing, dancing, and chatting. One of my favorite parts of the night was when Shady’s groomsmen had to play games for the audience’s enjoyment.
I met a lot of great people and laughed a lot; especially when we got to step dancing and Rami and Shady started this intense dance with jumping, etc. I slept soundly from being partied out.
Friday, June 8:
While most people don’t work on Fridays, the Latin School still runs on Friday. The bus driver who drives me home every day graciously offered to drive me to school today which was extremely generous and it was nice because I got to spend more time with the kids. Today I taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade mainly in body parts and colors through games like Simon says and matching activities. It was a bittersweet day because today was my last day of teaching and I was truly going to miss the students. The usual group of kids on my bus came to my classroom and one girl showed me that she had written my name, (مريانا ) “Mariana” in Arabic (because of my middle name) and the other kids insisted that I write my name on their arms.
Though our bus was always a little chaotic, they were the most loving kids and always told me about their day, asked me questions, and kissed my cheeks on the way off the bus (a traditional greeting and way to say goodbye).
After the bus dropped me off at home, I had lunch with Areen and Martin. Though Areen is he head chef of the house, for this lunch, I made the chicken and Martin made the sauce – true teamwork. After lunch I went to the airport to fly to Beirut for the weekend.
I arrived in Beirut and took a taxi to my Air BnB, but when I arrived (after a 15-minute drive) the driver asked me for $40 and I freaked out a little bit. I tried talking him down and said I’d go into my house to get more money but he followed me into the house. I argued with him for a while and eventually he gave up and took $30. It was a rough start to my stay in Lebanon but my recommendation for anyone else leaving the airport in a taxi, make sure you ask how much it will be before you get in.
Though that was difficult, I was excited to see my friend Mohammad who lives in Beirut, and who I met in my Arabic class at Georgetown. He picked me up with his brother and his cousin and we went out to Mexican food. I was surprised how good the burritos were! Then we went to a pub and I tried the Colonel beer. It was a nice night.
Saturday, June 9:
Though exhausted from a long week, I was determined to make the most of my limited time in Lebanon. So, I woke up, crossed the highway next to my building in order to get to town, and ate at a lovely French café called Coin Perdu for a thyme croissant and a caeser salad. Then I joined a walking tour called alternative tours and I met a great group of people. We didn’t visit the touristy sights, but it was a great experience because our guide shared his personal experience growing up in Lebanon and how the war impacted him. He also told us about the Lebanese government and the different neighborhoods of Beirut mostly divided by religion.
Halfway along the tour we stopped to try Armenian sandwiches and they were delicious! On the tour I was saying how there’s a building at my school named after Rafik Hariri and another girl said, do you go to Georgetown? Turns out she graduated from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service a few years back and studied abroad in Jordan. I met another girl who went to school in Jordan, so they could offer me advice for things to do in Amman!
After the tour I walked around with Mohammad catching up and we even went to a diner and had burgers. At night, Heta, a girl from the group, and I went to dinner at the Enab restaurant and it was incredible. So delicious and unfortunately, we could not finish our meal. After the meal we walked around and ended up at the Demo bar which I highly recommend if you are even looking for a bar with a good vibe and great music. We continued walking around and ended up hanging out at her hostel where there was a live band performing. It was a great first day in Lebanon.
Sunday, June 10:
Today I was set on visiting all the must-see places in Beirut, so my first destination was the national museum. However, my Uber driver to the national museum was the kindest man and drove me past all the typical landmarks and stopped so I could take a photo. The national museum was fascinating and there were so many ancient artifacts that blew my mind.
I had some chicken shawarma at a nearby snack shop across the street and it was delicious! However, the best part of my day came next when I went to pigeon rock on El Corniche, which is a gorgeous path along the water. I saw the rocks from the road, then decided to hike down to where the rock met the water and I am so glad that I did. I ended up meeting a woman and her husband who were really kind and sat with me and chatted in Arabic. Then when I got down to the water I saw a bunch of guys swimming around. Two guys saw me and invited me to swim with them. After much persuasion, I joined them and the water was perfect. It was actually warm. We swam around and I even met a guy in the water from Idaho!
After a bit, the guys offered to walk me back up to the road and we hung out for. A while. I had a nice drink by the breath-taking view, then I called the same Uber driver and he drove me home free of charge and offered to drive me to the airport. When he came back to take me to the airport, he had purchased juices for us, which was very kind.
After all the travel, I eventually got home to Amman, Jordan. I had trouble calling an Uber so I decided to walk out of the airport until I found a cab. Along the way I bumped into a man who had just returned to Amman from completing the Hajj in Mecca, and he asked if I wanted to share a taxi. Thank god for this man because he pulled over car after car negotiating prices. Usually it costs 25 JD ($37) to get to or from the airport but this man negotiated 10 JD ($15) for me. We found a random van of these two guys one from Jordan and one from Algeria. It’s moments like these when I love travel so much: because of the different people you meet and the stories that they share.
Monday, June 11:
Today we went to downtown for distributing ATM cards, just me, Claudia, Peter, and Dareen. I love how every time we go to a new center the process goes as follows: We walk into a building and when someone I’m with recognizes someone from the center, they go over and kiss their cheeks and ask how they’re doing, then we take a seat and are offered coffee or tea. We are always greeted by the best hospitality, and that is something I really appreciate about the culture here because everyone always has time to talk to you, unlike in Los Angeles, where everyone always seems to be in a rush.
After work, Peter drove me to Ahlan world for my first dialect class and it was great but very hard. When doing 1 to 1, there’s nowhere to hide, and there’s no one else to catch you if you fall which can be intimidating.
That night I went to the Mercy Restaurant/ soup kitchen to visit Fatima and the other guys and it was great as always. I decided to continue the night by walking around Jabal al Weibdeh, a cute neighborhood near the kitchen and I went to a café called Rumi café which is overpriced, but tons of people go from Jordan and there are always ex-patriots there. I met some nice girls at the café, then on my way home I bumped into a guy that works at the kitchen. He always works at a different café nearby and he offered me tea, which I gladly accepted. It is always great to bump into people you know because then you feel more at home in a place.
Comments
Post a Comment