My Faithful Companion

My dog, Ellie, has been my loyal companion for almost 5 years now. When I was recovering from neck surgery after a car accident a few years ago, she was by my side constantly throughout months of recovery, standing guard and sensing when I was in a lot of pain. In fact, she is so keyed in to my emotions that she picks up on even the slightest change in my demeanor, whether it be happy or sad, frustrated or angry, tired or scared, and she responds appropriately. We’ve often joked that if we could just get her a “Service Dog” vest, she could go everywhere with us! 

Ellie was missing "Mom," so rested her head on my slippers till I got back.

 

Ellie was an 11-month old rescue dog when we got her.   We researched her breed (Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier) and chose her specifically for that breed’s temperament, versatility, and hypoallergenic coat.  She supposedly does not shed, but my husband would beg to differ about that. Whatever hair she does leave behind is minimal, however, and she’s just so darn adorable that we forgive her for her hair loss anyway.  After a rigorous pet adoption process via a purebred rescue in California (that even included a home visit beforehand by local Wheaten Terrier breeders!) we were approved to adopt “Polly,” who we renamed “Ellie,” in October of 2007.   She flew to us all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio.  So, we are committed to being her caregivers and loving companions. My history as a dog owner is nothing to be proud of.  Sometimes due to circumstances beyond my control, or due to lack of training on my part because I was a single working mother of two with no spare time, and other times because I didn’t properly research the breed that I chose, I ended up finding new homes for dogs I have owned in the past.  In any case, before we chose Ellie, I made a commitment to care for her until her last breath. 

Ellie playing with my daughter in the snow this February

Playing dress up with my daughters.

How will her presence affect a smooth transition among a household and society that is not as adoring of pets as we crazy Americans are?  There are no Petcos or PetSmarts in Jordan. Big box stores for animals, where the pets can actually accompany you into the store?  You MUST be kidding!  Canine couture and accessories for pets?  Seriously? Dogs atop beds or couches? Disgusting AND unsanitary! Speaking of unsanitary, there are no "poop-scoop" laws there, so I will be sure to bring a stock of plastic baggies to clean up after her messes.  Though I have yet to see a dog kept as an indoor pet there, I have noticed many that are kept as guard dogs, or that are allowed to roam freely, or are wild and run in packs, scavenging, once the sun has set.  Between wild dogs roaming at night and the nocturnal screeching of cats in heat, poor pampered Ellie wouldn’t stand a chance out of doors overnight. She barely knows how to bark!

Watching an episode of The Office with me.  

I cater to Ellie’s very delicate appetite.  She often goes on food strike for days on end, with apparent appetite loss and malaise, often accompanied by gastrointestinal issues.   It is then that I whip up some exciting culinary delight to tempt her taste buds.  I’m afraid my poor mother-in-law will faint in disbelief if she ever witnesses this! I worry that my dog will be a point of contention, yet leaving her behind is not an option. 

Which reminds me…I need to seriously look into transport options for her. I already know that Jordan does not require canines coming into the country to be quarantined.  That was a relief!  We also have a good veterinary clinic close to the house where we will take her, and they handle dog grooming and boarding as well.  

Eventually, I’m sure Ellie will adapt to her new environment, despite the changes in her routine and with the warmer climate and new cast of characters. In the meantime, I have begun coaching her on proper Arabic doggie etiquette, and I’m confident she will charm her way into the hearts of her new family in Amman in time.   As my husband often reminds me, things always seem to have a way of working themselves out in the end!

Goodnight, Seattle and Sabaah al-khayr, Amman!

~M.

Redefining Boundaries

Up until now, I have not mentioned my two daughters and how my move to Jordan will affect them.  My eldest daughter is a 17-year old senior in high school and, though accepted into a great state university here in Washington, she recently dropped a bombshell on me and my husband.  She asked if she could defer her acceptance at the university here for one year, and join me in my move to Amman.  Her intention is to pursue other education options, namely acceptance to an American university abroad.   We will support her in her efforts, but like anything worthwhile, it's not going to be easy!  In any case, we are both so happy she has chosen to join us there, and we are sure the exposure will be life-changing for her.

My sweet little girls, photo taken in 1999.

My two daughters with me in Amman during the Summer of  2011

My youngest child is a 15-year old daughter.  She is an adventurous spirit, and eager to seek out dreams of her own!  She decided she wanted to live with her father in September of 2011, and now lives with him in the Palm Springs, CA area.   I can’t believe it’s been almost 8 months since she left my home.  Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that this has been one of the most painful things I have had to endure in my life thus far.  Letting her go from my home, trusting that she will be in good hands, and will make good choices for herself have been constant worries of mine these past 8 months.  Missing her on a daily basis has been a common theme throughout my days and often sleepless nights.  Deciding to move to Jordan to join my husband, roughly 3 years ahead of our planned timeframe due to my daughter’s move, fills me with feelings of guilt, regret, and sadness.  Though I know we will see each other at least three times a year when she is on breaks from school and we meet in my hometown to spend time together, or when she comes to stay with us in Jordan during the summers, I can’t escape the feeling of loss that I feel.  Teenagers, by definition, are explorers; they are exploring themselves and the world around them, outside of the family unit.  With this exploration comes a necessary separation from the people and things of their childhoods.  This translates into less frequent communication with "Mom."  It all boils down to redefining boundaries, sometimes against a parent's own will!  Perhaps this will change over time.  I can only hope.


In the meantime, my hopeful heart embraces both of my daughters with a fervent mother's love.  I cheer them both on as I watch them embark on their own exciting journeys.

I felt that sharing this very personal part of myself was necessary, as I am sure to be mentioning my children in future posts, and it seemed a necessary piece to the puzzle that is my life.


Goodnight, Amman, & good afternoon, Seattle!


~M.

A Level 4 Language

I've been thinking a lot about how difficult it is going to be to master Arabic, and how I will need to do this in order to fully participate in and appreciate life in Amman, and to eventually land a job once I move there. Today, I Googled (yes, that is a verb!  My husband thinks I am crazy when I use it as a verb) "how long will it take to learn Arabic fluently?"  I just love Google.  One article I found broke  languages out into levels, Level 1 being the easiest to learn and master, and Level 4 the most difficult.  Well, Arabic is a Level 4.  Within those levels are 5 levels of proficiency.  Oh, joy!   With so much on my mind these days in terms of preparing for my big move, I still have this nagging feeling that I should probably be devoting a bit of time to trying to learn some basic Arabic.  Currently, my Arabic skills are limited to favorite food dishes that my mother-in-law prepares and some other food items, basic pleasantries, who/what/why/where/when words, and the vocabulary words of a toddler.  On my last trip there in February, I learned the word "ball" while playing on the floor with my one year old nephew.  I'd since forgotten it, but my husband retaught me yesterday.  Phew!  I know I probably sound like a Neanderthal as I grunt out single words in Arabic, trying to show off my linguistic prowess.  I must sound laughable!

After my first trip to Amman in 2009, I "invested" in a complete Arabic language program from Rosetta Stone.  I was so excited and I sat myself down to tackle Lesson 1 on basic vocabulary.  I learned a few phrases and when I shared my new skills with my husband, he said I might be better off learning colloquial Arabic as what I was speaking was the equivalent of speaking in Shakespearean English.  In short, I would sound ridiculous if I went around Amman speaking in this very formal manner.  So, undeterred, I purchased an audio-only CD version of colloquial Arabic lessons on my next trip to Amman, despite the fact that the set did not come with an illustrated booklet of a man in a red car, or a woman drinking a glass of milk, or a boy on a bicycle or a girl eating bread.  Upon my return to the U.S., I burned the CDs onto my Mac and laptop, and saved them to iTunes, adding them as a playlist to my iPod Nano.  Surely, if I surrounded myself with Arabic at least 45 minutes a day, as I did chores or walked my dog perhaps, this beautiful and poetic language would seep into my brain by osmosis, I thought.  I was sure this  actually might work if I could just get past the overwhelming feeling that mastering Arabic was an insurmountable task.  Epic fail.  Life got hectic, I put it off, and now here I am, with only a little over 3 months to renew my commitment.

Good, and better.

My intentions are good!

According to the article I read, if a person devotes 6 hours a day, 5 days a week to learning a foreign language, in 8 weeks (240 hours), he or she could be at a 1 or 1+ proficiency level in one of the "easy" languages, and to do the same in one of the "difficult" languages, it could be accomplished in 12 weeks (360 hours).  Sure, no problem!  (Here is a link to the particular article I read, though there are many other sources.  http://clta-gny.org/article/how_long_does_it_take_to_learn.htm).  I was encouraged to read that once immersed in a particular culture and language, one could pick up passable skills in a foreign language in roughly six months time.  I can DO this!

My girls and I lovingly refer to the way our family in Amman speaks as "Arablish" because most conversations are sprinkled with English words when an Arabic word equivalent is hard to come up with or simply not available, or just because the mood strikes them.  I imagine I will be speaking my own form of "Engbic" myself in a short while.  In the meantime, I'm sticking close to my young nieces and nephews there who are so excited if I can say even one word in Arabic, and who cheer me on enthusiastically when I do.  I'm also going to be holding my sweetheart to his promise to speak to me only in Arabic...that is, until I become frustrated and it starts to tick me off!  I may not be basking in the sun, eating a fig whilst reading Darwish or Gibran in Arabic or even singing along to Fairuz anytime soon, but I look forward to the day when I can!

Oh, to be able to read these in Arabic!  

Good night, Amman and good afternoon, Seattle!

-M.

Sensory Overload

Welcome friends!

Well, I'm taking my first stab at writing a blog entry.  In roughly four months time, I will be relocating to Amman, Jordan from Seattle, Washington.  7000 miles, give or take.  That's 10 time zones.  The move has been in the long-term plans for 3 years now, but the actual date is creeping up so fast that I am starting to feel a whole range of emotions as the reality sinks in.  I was born and raised in Washington State.  Most of my immediate family live within a 10 minute drive.  My beloved husband, however, lives in Amman!  Thus, the big move, and much anticipation as I look forward to our life together there.  I'll be putting down some new roots, and sinking my feet in the sand there, so to speak.

This blog is intended to help me stay connected to my family and friends once I am so far away.  Many of my family and friends have shown an interest in my travels to Jordan over the past three years.  With any luck, I will keep them informed and perhaps even mildly entertained as I blather on about my new life there.  

Here are a few photos, from here and there, that capture some of the sights that are meaningful to me. These are some of the things I will miss about home, and some that I will look forward to seeing and experiencing in my new surroundings. 

Memorial Day observance in Portland, Oregon

We hear the call to prayer from the King Hussein Mosque near our home in Amman

Our camp at Lake Mayfield in Washington State

Amman police officer keeping order during a typical peaceful Friday protest

Sunset view from the park in Amman where I will soon be taking my walks

A doorway in the town of Madaba, Jordan

My dog, Ellie, cooling off in a spring-fed creek in my hometown

My husband and me at The Citadel in Amman, Jordan 

Moss covered trees, cedar boughs and freshly fallen leaves in Washington

Spectacular Mt. Rainier in Washington State

Downtown Seattle, Washington

Sunset at The Dead Sea in Jordan

Rain drops on maple leaves in my hometown

Two men walking through The Siq at Petra in Jordan

As the time here in Washington grows short, I am starting to look at everything with a fresh eye.  I'm taking in the color of the grass and of the flowers, and viewing beautiful Mt. Rainier with even more awe than before, watching power walkers strut down the boulevard near my home with vigor.  I am listening to the frogs and birds with a keener ear.  I am smelling the dirt and damp leaves and grasses as my dog runs beside me off leash.  When I drive by the river that runs through my town, I no longer take it for granted, for I know I will miss it, and the delicious salmon that I have tasted from its waters.  Preparing to sell all of the camping gear that I will no longer need brings many pleasant memories of summer camping trips with my daughters, rich with sensory delights. As of late, when I stop by to see my parents, and walk into my childhood home with all its familiarity, I realize that I will miss these impromptu visits to see my parents who live just a few miles away.  Opening Mom's refrigerator and cupboards, searching for...what?  I'm usually not even hungry, but it's become a habit.  These are some of the sensory experiences that I will miss from my hometown.  Oh, Seattle skyline, how you will be missed!  Courteous drivers, you will be missed even more.

Jordan has its own sights, sounds, and smells to experience.  Amman at sunset is a sight I've grown to love.  Most of the structures there are made with locally manufactured stone, and are very light in color.  Various shades of white and cream homes and buildings make up the overall color palette of the city.  When the sun sets, the buildings take on a pinkish hue and it is just spectacular.  I'll never forget my first trip there, and how I told my husband that the middle of the night "call to prayer" woke me, and how I found it enchanting.  Like a grandfather clock, I've since learned to sleep through it, but every now and then, it still wakes me and I find a certain comfort in its (sometimes) melodious sound.  The first time I thought I heard the "Ice-cream Man," I was sadly informed that it was actually the "Gas Man" driving through residential neighborhoods selling propane to the homeowners.  What a buzz kill that was.  I was ready to go grab some change and get myself a Nutty Buddy.  I would be remiss if I left out the auditory thrill of the occasional crack of a shotgun aimed at the night sky, in celebration of a wedding, a graduation or the like.  Downtown Amman, or "Balad" is still a novelty to me.  I enjoy walking around Balad to people watch and to see what the vendors are selling.  My favorite smells are the fresh spices sold in bulk.  My nostrils are tantalized by the scent of cardamom, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Arabic coffee.  Oh, and shawerma!  That might need to be a whole blog entry of its own.  Yes, I think so.

Goodnight, Seattle.  Good morning, Amman.

~M.