va-cay-cay
hello loves! sorry i haven't updated in a million years. a lot has been happening in the past month. a few days before leaving for jordan i had a break-in. i came home to find hangers (previously with my clothes on them) all over the flat, my jewelry taken, my deoderant and makeup gone and.... my wonderful macbook stolen. i usually lock up my computer but i had been working on my reports (due three days later) and had just finished so i just left it on the table with my papers... gonegonegone. it was a lot for me to comprehend.. i called my parents shaking and crying and it was awhile before i could 'get myself together'. but, the police came and fingerprinted and my school was really amazing.. they gave me the next two days off of school and i just worked in the computer lab for... i think 30 hours total and.. i finished them on time! i have NO idea how! i had been working on those reports for months and months and i managed to redo everything in a matter of days! a miracle! but, it wasn't an easy one!
so, then i took off for jordan.. and it was amazing! i have never been to the middle east before so i was really excited to try something different! however... when i arrived at the airport in jordan.. NO BAG. my bag never arrived. so, all of the clothes/jewrly that wern't stolen in the break in.... were in that bag. it was a huge blow... i only had the clothes on my back and an extra pair of underwear. i'm really really upset that my bag is missing.. it had my favourite jeans.. skirt.. work clohtes.. shoes.. things for school.. one of my students portfolios... sigh. i think the bag is still in johanasburg (that darn airport is the worst in the world, i swear) so i'm going to inquire about it the next time i'm there.
ANYWAYS... once we left the airport a cab took us to the hotel. the view along the way was really cool. it was the weekend so families had set up picnics all along the roadsides. the hotel we (another teacher and i) stayed at was really nice.. 5 stars.. with a beautiful view of the city (Aammon). the pyp conference that i attended was great, very helpful and i made contacts with wonderful teachers from around the world! i learned a lot about assessment and how it is implemented into the classroom using the pyp framework. very coo1! i'm thankful that i was able to attend. after the conference i was able to do a bit of traveling and i got to go to the dead sea! amazing! we jumped in and smeared mud all over ourselves! and they aren't joking... it is SALTY! i got some in my mouth and instantly started to puke. gross! so much salt! but, it was a really beautiful and touching experience. they say that this was the place where Jesus was baptized (the dead sea was previously connected to the jordan river) and i was able to see the hills where he spent his 40 days and 40 nights. i called my parents and had a little... moment.. with them.
then, a few days later i went to PETRA! wow! wow! wow! i was blown away! i had no idea what i was getting myself into! it was so majestic and intricate. the patterns of the rocks and the designs of the temples... holy moly. i took about a billion pictures and i'll try to post them as soon as i can.
i also was able to spend a few days walking around Aammon. The shops sell some really cool things! My favourite memory is when i was sitting in a coffee/hookah shop drinking 'turkish coffee' (strongest stuff i've ever tasted!) that overlooked an old roman-style amphitheater. wow!
for the most part my 'jordan experience' was very positive. i was able to see and do a lot of amazing things, i met cool people and now i have a little bit better understanding of the middle east.
and.. now i'm back in gabs, in the warm sunshine. i've been bumming around for a few weeks (i was suppose to plan a trip to south africa, but i've been lazy & loving it!) it's been wonderful to just sit at home.. planting things in my garden.. going on long runs (and i also joined a gym!) and eating out at the cool restaurants here. a nice little stay-cation. BUT, next week, i am going to... CAPE TOWN! hurray! i'm so excited! i've been wanting to go to cape town for FOREVER! it will be cold, but that's ok.. if i can survive a chicago winter, i'm sure i can survive cape town in the 'cold season' haha.
anyways, that's all for now! cross your fingers that my missing luggage will show up! and, i'll try to post pictures & update again soon! tsalma sentle!
so, then i took off for jordan.. and it was amazing! i have never been to the middle east before so i was really excited to try something different! however... when i arrived at the airport in jordan.. NO BAG. my bag never arrived. so, all of the clothes/jewrly that wern't stolen in the break in.... were in that bag. it was a huge blow... i only had the clothes on my back and an extra pair of underwear. i'm really really upset that my bag is missing.. it had my favourite jeans.. skirt.. work clohtes.. shoes.. things for school.. one of my students portfolios... sigh. i think the bag is still in johanasburg (that darn airport is the worst in the world, i swear) so i'm going to inquire about it the next time i'm there.
ANYWAYS... once we left the airport a cab took us to the hotel. the view along the way was really cool. it was the weekend so families had set up picnics all along the roadsides. the hotel we (another teacher and i) stayed at was really nice.. 5 stars.. with a beautiful view of the city (Aammon). the pyp conference that i attended was great, very helpful and i made contacts with wonderful teachers from around the world! i learned a lot about assessment and how it is implemented into the classroom using the pyp framework. very coo1! i'm thankful that i was able to attend. after the conference i was able to do a bit of traveling and i got to go to the dead sea! amazing! we jumped in and smeared mud all over ourselves! and they aren't joking... it is SALTY! i got some in my mouth and instantly started to puke. gross! so much salt! but, it was a really beautiful and touching experience. they say that this was the place where Jesus was baptized (the dead sea was previously connected to the jordan river) and i was able to see the hills where he spent his 40 days and 40 nights. i called my parents and had a little... moment.. with them.
then, a few days later i went to PETRA! wow! wow! wow! i was blown away! i had no idea what i was getting myself into! it was so majestic and intricate. the patterns of the rocks and the designs of the temples... holy moly. i took about a billion pictures and i'll try to post them as soon as i can.
i also was able to spend a few days walking around Aammon. The shops sell some really cool things! My favourite memory is when i was sitting in a coffee/hookah shop drinking 'turkish coffee' (strongest stuff i've ever tasted!) that overlooked an old roman-style amphitheater. wow!
for the most part my 'jordan experience' was very positive. i was able to see and do a lot of amazing things, i met cool people and now i have a little bit better understanding of the middle east.
and.. now i'm back in gabs, in the warm sunshine. i've been bumming around for a few weeks (i was suppose to plan a trip to south africa, but i've been lazy & loving it!) it's been wonderful to just sit at home.. planting things in my garden.. going on long runs (and i also joined a gym!) and eating out at the cool restaurants here. a nice little stay-cation. BUT, next week, i am going to... CAPE TOWN! hurray! i'm so excited! i've been wanting to go to cape town for FOREVER! it will be cold, but that's ok.. if i can survive a chicago winter, i'm sure i can survive cape town in the 'cold season' haha.
anyways, that's all for now! cross your fingers that my missing luggage will show up! and, i'll try to post pictures & update again soon! tsalma sentle!