It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

We just got back from the country of Jordan. Brett received a research grant from VCUQ in order to explore one of the many countries of this region, so Abbey and I tagged along. We learned so much which makes sense since this was research Brett was doing! One of those things we learned is that even though someone recommends you visit a country because they think it is so beautiful and wonderful doesn't necessarily make it so. There are many beautiful, even breathtaking places in Jordan, but our overall experience did not suggest beauty and grace. To me, Jordan is a very impoverished yet resilient country. The city of Amman is dirty and run down. The economy there is not as strong as it is in Qatar, so that is reflected in the older architecture and the unemployed citizens.

In contrast to the depressing scenery though, the people in Jordan are warm, friendly, and so proud to show off their country. A physics professor at VCUQ, Khalid, who is from Jordan and sold Brett on the idea of traveling there wanted us to come and visit him at his home in northern Jordan in a city called Irbid. He even told Brett he would cook for us. He also told Brett that instead of hiring a driver from a driving service we should let him find us a good driver, one of his friends who would know the better places to show us and be much less expensive. This was our first wrong turn on the road to a relaxing vacation!

After we collected our luggage and checked through airport security in Amman, we were greeted by Khalid's brother Ahmad (pronounced Ahkmud, heavy on the "h" and on the right in the photo below). Ahmad is a medical doctor and was quick to let us know this fact, because he recently passed the board exam in Jordan after finishing medical school in the Ukraine. I was quite surprised that a doctor would be taking the time to show us around his country, but I tried to take it all in stride. Then we walked out to the car and met our driver Abed (on the left in the photo below) who speaks hardly any English at all. By the way, the car was an Obed (who knows what kind of car that is, but it is something like a late model Toyota). So the three of us squeezed into the back seat of the Obed while Abed drove and Ahmad began explaining our situation. (Try to say that last line three times fast!) Now you must know that Ahmad speaks English but not as well as he speaks Arabic and Russian. From his explanation, we realized that Khalid was not yet in Jordan, still in Qatar, and would not be in Jordan until after our trip. So my mind began to detect a few flaws in the grand plan that had been cooked up for us.

As we drove into Amman I was very surprised to see the dusty scenery, the trash everywhere, and the impoverished conditions. From all previous descriptions, I had been expecting to see a green landscape filled with modern conveniences and nippy weather. That was not the case. Now I probably sound like a spoiled American who wanted the perfect vacation, but trust me, even the beige landscape of Qatar is more beautiful than Jordan's because the people take care of it.

Our first stop was a Roman ruins site in the heart of Amman. As we stepped out of the car into the filthy park/square we could see lots of boys and men milling around selling things to each other, riding broken down bikes, playing, grilling meat, and in one instance relieving themselves (luckily Abbey didn't notice the man zipping up his pants), which explained the urine aroma.

The Roman Theatre is part of the ruins of ancient Roman Philadelphia and served as a necropolis. Unfortunately it was closed because of Eid, but the "guard" at the gate named Mohammed was quite a hustler and gave us his "free" tour around the outside of the site and then guided us to the gift shop. We proceeded to admire the antiques there and the beautiful jewelry. Abbey was treated like royalty throughout Jordan with people calling her princess, and Mohammed ended up giving her a few little items from the store as we left (I'm sure his commission more than covered the freebies). He even posed for pictures with us and became our instant best friend. He was so nice to us but very mean to the little boys milling around us wanting a piece of the action, and he fiercely shewed them away. The best part of this site was being able to look up to the highest hill in Amman and see the pillars of the Citadel, and then look down at our feet where we were standing on moss covered stones thousands of years old. Mohammed called the Citadel the sister site to the theatre.

The next stop on our trip was the city of Irbid, Khalid's hometown. Even though our host was not in town, we were scheduled to stay in the "nicest hotel" there. On arrival, we realized that the mosaic in the lobby was the nicest feature of the establishment. We smiled through the eventful night of scary accommodations which were close enough to the elevator that we heard every sigh and electrical fuse popping with each elevator run. Brett didn't sleep much, but we made it through that night in one piece.

When the sun came up the next day I looked out our window and was struck with the contrasts of Irbid. The beautiful morning sun brushed the tops of the buildings around us, but the filthy empty lot next to the hotel had all the remains of the revelry the night before where men had been sitting around open fires yelling and carrying on. A slanted shelf that was hung on the wall in our hotel room seemed to be symbolic in some weird way. As we walked out of the Al Joude Hotel, we knew that we would be able to laugh about this experience soon, but we were happy to be moving on to a better setting.






So there you have our first day in Amman. I will have to blog later about the continued adventures of the Kearneys in Jordan, but for now that is enough to relive. I have to say this was a time in our family where we really pulled together to create a positive experience for each other. Brett was superman as he forged through all the hitches that came up. Abbey was so brave and so strong to smile through all the culture shock and lengthy stares from the native Jordanians. Even I surprised myself as I continued to see the beauties around us and recognize the enriching experience this would be for us. I hope I can in some way communicate the complexity of this trip in these posts, because it is already helping me to see the layers of understanding that are required when you visit a new country.

Wet Weather in Doha

Well, we found out that it actually can rain here, and these photos are proof. The day before this, Brett and I had been talking about the fact that we had not seen any lightning or heard any thunder since we moved here. There was a day we saw a few sprinkles, but other than that it has been completely dry since our arrival. Mother Nature really put on a show for us yesterday to make sure we had the opportunity to change that. The streets flooded, the dirt was saturated, and there were many traffic problems. There was even some hail reported at Souq Waqiff. The biggest problem is that there is no where for the water to drain in Doha. The city is not set up with a sufficient drainage system, so rain water builds up quickly in the powdery dirt during one of these violent desert storms. It was a good day to stay home and read a book, so that is exactly what we did, and listened to the results of the billowing, dark clouds in the sky. We are told that this is just the beginning, so we will be looking forward to more wet weather.

Establishing a Reputation

Yesterday Brett was eating lunch with a colleague and they got to talking about their reputations as professors. Since Brett is new at VCUQ the students have been unsure about what to expect from him. Well, I think that has changed. Half joking and half serious Brett told his friend that he wants to be known as the meanest professor on campus. Some students were sitting close to their table, and one of them piped up with, "Bunnies are meaner than you are!" So much for that tough teacher reputation.

Look What We Did! Well, Mostly Brett

I keep waiting for Brett to post this on his blog, but he just hasn't had the time. Because we moved to a country that is pretty much colorless, and because the villa we were assigned has a drab sand/beige motif, we decided a little color would help our mood and at the same time help us bond with our new temporary home.

So we set about doing a little decorating. And boy do I have the right husband for this! Brett took pictures of the wall, manipulated them on the computer with photo shop, and designed a fun graphic mural for our living room. The colors were risky, and I was a little hesitant, but Brett's confidence with color is unsurpassed, and I have to say he was right. There were moments (like after the third time going back to the paint souq with the same can of paint and asking them to try and actually mix the color we ordered) when even he lost hope that we could pull it off. What follows is the true adventure of home improvement. (Thanks goes to Abbey for providing the video with her new birthday camera.)

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

It might not be what we would paint in our house back in Utah, but in Qatar it works. It has been a fun project - probably more fun for me and more work for Brett. The best part is being able to show off my husband's artistic talents. He rocks!!

A Blessed Day

Here are some photos of a very important day in our family, and especially important for our Abigail.

For those of you far away: we thought of you every minute today and felt your love. Abbey had a few tears last night, realizing again that her sister and brother were not going to be with us, but this was a great opportunity to talk about one of the blessings of the Holy Ghost and how he can comfort and bring good feelings to us from those who love us, on the other side of the veil and on the other side of the world. We were also able to read some heartfelt words from Abbey's grandparents during the meeting, and that helped all of us feel close to them.

Note to our Bountiful Shadows Primary Leaders: Do you notice the towel at the beach with Abbey's name on it? Thank you so much for wrapping her in your love on this beautiful day.

When we were home for the wedding Kristy sent a special gift with us to give to Abbey today. She will receive it later when we Skype with Kristy and her family. It has her name and today's date embroidered in the corner. Kristy said that is represents the Holy Ghost and how he can be a comforter in times of sorrow, loneliness, and worry. Our inspired bishop said some of the same words in his talk about the Holy Ghost. It is a beautiful quilt made with love. The flowered material is significant in our family. It was originally part of a laundry bag my sister Yvonna made for me when I went off to college. Then it became our family "Gunny Bag" with glued on eyes who ate leftover toys in messy rooms as our oldest two children were growing up. Then the bag got sent off to BYU with Kristy. Now it has found its way into Abbey's life in this treasure.

The beach was a brilliant setting and the weather was perfect. The water of the Arabian Sea will be locked in our minds forever.

Our friend Jesse pointed out that the sun came through the clouds at the climax of the event - what good timing. Felicity said, "See Abbey, God loves you."

To respect the requests of our host country, we are not giving details of what this meeting is, but you all know, and we trust you can fill in the blanks. I will have to share the particulars in an email to come. We love all of you!