Sunday, April 21, 2013
On my own
This should have been uploaded on Sunday... Internet problems.
Last night I said goodbye to Tim. It was a long day of saying goodbye, hugs, and not so successfully holding back tears, but eventually we headed out in the cold rain to the bus station to send him on his way to Tel Aviv. When I got back to my apartment there was a pack of wild dogs chilling outside. I guess that's who I have to keep me company now.
The weather has been extraordinarily craptastic here. There was a legitimate thunderstorm with hail here yesterday. I didn't even think that was a thing here. I'm not the only one confused. Everyone is saying this weather is worse than winter. I just hope that this rain means a front is moving through and there's sunshine and warmth on the other side. I'm sick of my apartment being cold and damp. There was a mosquito buzzing in my bedroom last night. I assume they're breeding in the window condensation, or even just in the air, since it's so damp in there.
Speaking of wildlife in my apartment, I killed a centipede and a millipede one after another two nights ago. It was like a petting zoo for exotic creepy crawlies. As long as that's as exotic and creepy as it gets though, I will be extremely grateful.
So this week starts the countdown. I have 10 weeks to get my work done here. That includes figuring out how to get the price down on my water samples (which turned out to be about 5 times as expensive as I budgeted for), collect said water samples (which involves finding a local technician to do some soldering on my borrowed autosampler), get them analyzed here and shipped back to Purdue, conduct several days worth of surveys, and try to prove myself useful to the organization I am working with. Somewhere in there I would like to find a way to engage in some community service. There's a UN women's science training facility nearby my apartment. I have no idea what they do there, but I feel drawn to the place every time I pass.
Last night I said goodbye to Tim. It was a long day of saying goodbye, hugs, and not so successfully holding back tears, but eventually we headed out in the cold rain to the bus station to send him on his way to Tel Aviv. When I got back to my apartment there was a pack of wild dogs chilling outside. I guess that's who I have to keep me company now.
The weather has been extraordinarily craptastic here. There was a legitimate thunderstorm with hail here yesterday. I didn't even think that was a thing here. I'm not the only one confused. Everyone is saying this weather is worse than winter. I just hope that this rain means a front is moving through and there's sunshine and warmth on the other side. I'm sick of my apartment being cold and damp. There was a mosquito buzzing in my bedroom last night. I assume they're breeding in the window condensation, or even just in the air, since it's so damp in there.
Speaking of wildlife in my apartment, I killed a centipede and a millipede one after another two nights ago. It was like a petting zoo for exotic creepy crawlies. As long as that's as exotic and creepy as it gets though, I will be extremely grateful.
So this week starts the countdown. I have 10 weeks to get my work done here. That includes figuring out how to get the price down on my water samples (which turned out to be about 5 times as expensive as I budgeted for), collect said water samples (which involves finding a local technician to do some soldering on my borrowed autosampler), get them analyzed here and shipped back to Purdue, conduct several days worth of surveys, and try to prove myself useful to the organization I am working with. Somewhere in there I would like to find a way to engage in some community service. There's a UN women's science training facility nearby my apartment. I have no idea what they do there, but I feel drawn to the place every time I pass.
Monday, April 15, 2013
In commemoration of my 2004 BGR Nalgene
You were a artifact from my past and showed everyone just how old I am for having attended Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) so long ago when they still handed out high-quality gifts to freshmen. You served me well through hot summers working with the NRCS and many international travels. You might have maintained a strange odor of rotting onions which constantly caused me to wonder whether you were carrying disease, but I trusted you to keep me hydrated. I hope you are in a better place now, for while I was in a rush to get off the bus and through Qalandiya checkpoint, I left you on the bus. My good fortune would have it that I found that fateful bus, but someone had taken you. Hopefully to a better life.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Home sweet Ramallah
Tim and I have been so busy that it seems like we've been here for way for than two days.
After spending an exhausting day at Petra on Wednesday - we busted our asses to see almost everything that place has to offer - and accidentally sleeping until 11am the next day, we hustled down to the border crossing. The border was surprisingly easier than usual, and we got through in 5 hours.
The first night in Ramallah, I was able to see my apartment and get the keys. Yesterday morning we moved all of my stuff in and walked all over town to collect things to make the place a little more like home. My apartment is in the basement of a five-story building, so the view is not exactly stunning and it's pretty cold at night, but there's satellite television and basically everything that a person needs to be comfortable. There's a cute garden area just outside my window, but the door that exits to it from the stairwell looks like someone detonated a brick of C4 in the door handle. Tim bought a crowbar to try to pry it open, but I think it's going to require someone with a plasma cutter to get that thing open. The trek by foot into the city center is pretty long, but the route is beautiful, and since I'm not going to be running while I'm here, the hike up and down hill should offset my intake of hummus and Nescafe 3-in-1.
The original plan for today was to visit Bethlehem, but there were no buses running there today although there was a bus waiting to go to Jerusalem so we got on it. We stayed for a few hours, wandered the Old City, and enjoyed falafel sandwiches and the Grade-A people watching that is Christians on a Holy Land tour. Tomorrow we will try Bethlehem again.
Sunday begins the transition from vacation to business. I think it is going to be a challenge to be here on my own, but I have no doubt that it will be a positive experience for me and my career.
After spending an exhausting day at Petra on Wednesday - we busted our asses to see almost everything that place has to offer - and accidentally sleeping until 11am the next day, we hustled down to the border crossing. The border was surprisingly easier than usual, and we got through in 5 hours.
The first night in Ramallah, I was able to see my apartment and get the keys. Yesterday morning we moved all of my stuff in and walked all over town to collect things to make the place a little more like home. My apartment is in the basement of a five-story building, so the view is not exactly stunning and it's pretty cold at night, but there's satellite television and basically everything that a person needs to be comfortable. There's a cute garden area just outside my window, but the door that exits to it from the stairwell looks like someone detonated a brick of C4 in the door handle. Tim bought a crowbar to try to pry it open, but I think it's going to require someone with a plasma cutter to get that thing open. The trek by foot into the city center is pretty long, but the route is beautiful, and since I'm not going to be running while I'm here, the hike up and down hill should offset my intake of hummus and Nescafe 3-in-1.
The original plan for today was to visit Bethlehem, but there were no buses running there today although there was a bus waiting to go to Jerusalem so we got on it. We stayed for a few hours, wandered the Old City, and enjoyed falafel sandwiches and the Grade-A people watching that is Christians on a Holy Land tour. Tomorrow we will try Bethlehem again.
Sunday begins the transition from vacation to business. I think it is going to be a challenge to be here on my own, but I have no doubt that it will be a positive experience for me and my career.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Friends suddenly appear
Today was a day of sudden appearances from people and hilarious encounters...
#1. I went to buy some oranges. Started picking them out. Random grocery store employee approaches me and *I think* he said "these are juicer" and insisted that I get some other ones.
#2. I wrote down the address of my afternoon meeting incorrectly. Fortunately, my taxi driver, Tariq, was amazing and drove me around until...
#3. Sudud, a friend and employee of the place I was looking for, was walking down the street and helped me find the right place.
#4. After waiting forever to find a taxi, Walaa, a student at the meeting I was attending, gave me a lift back to my hotel, and on the walk into my hotel I ran into...
#5. Mohammad. Anyone who's been to Amman with me knows Mohammad who works downtown at a touristy gift shop. He got me a cup of tea and we chatted for a while. He showed me how to use public transportation to get to the airport (which I'll never use again, but it's good to know it exists).
#6. Tim arrived! Yay!
#7. Another Mohammed, with whom I had a very nice phone conversation with, is going out of his way to provide some critical support to my research.
And by the way, Tim unknowingly tipped someone the equivalent of 14 USD to steal his bags and put them in the truck of the taxi at the airport. I don't think he wants anyone to know that.
#1. I went to buy some oranges. Started picking them out. Random grocery store employee approaches me and *I think* he said "these are juicer" and insisted that I get some other ones.
#2. I wrote down the address of my afternoon meeting incorrectly. Fortunately, my taxi driver, Tariq, was amazing and drove me around until...
#3. Sudud, a friend and employee of the place I was looking for, was walking down the street and helped me find the right place.
#4. After waiting forever to find a taxi, Walaa, a student at the meeting I was attending, gave me a lift back to my hotel, and on the walk into my hotel I ran into...
#5. Mohammad. Anyone who's been to Amman with me knows Mohammad who works downtown at a touristy gift shop. He got me a cup of tea and we chatted for a while. He showed me how to use public transportation to get to the airport (which I'll never use again, but it's good to know it exists).
#6. Tim arrived! Yay!
#7. Another Mohammed, with whom I had a very nice phone conversation with, is going out of his way to provide some critical support to my research.
And by the way, Tim unknowingly tipped someone the equivalent of 14 USD to steal his bags and put them in the truck of the taxi at the airport. I don't think he wants anyone to know that.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
12 hours in Frankfurt and finally in Amman
This being the second time I have spent 12 hours on a layover in the Frankfurt airport, one might have thought I would have figured out where the all good restaurants and sleeping places are. Turns out I'm extraordinarily lazy and spent most of the day in an empty arrival hall where all the restaurants were closed. I stayed there up until my gate number was announced and trekked over to the buzzing section of the airport with veggie paninis and beer. Damnit. All this time was not lost though. I memorized all the programming on the Frankfurt airport news and lifestyle channel - from the flamboyant architect who has transformed a 19th century cement factory into a luxury home to interesting ways to prepare schnitzel to some successful local soccer team with a memorable celebratory dance - and I consumed an entire bag of dried fruit.
The new airport in Amman is very nice, but I feel like it takes away the experience of arriving here. Everything is so clean and organized and you're not overwhelmed by strange smells as soon as you get off the plane.
Looking forward to Tim arriving tomorrow!
The new airport in Amman is very nice, but I feel like it takes away the experience of arriving here. Everything is so clean and organized and you're not overwhelmed by strange smells as soon as you get off the plane.
Looking forward to Tim arriving tomorrow!
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