Final Destination

Sorry I haven't written for almost a week now. The Internet here has been very slow and not allowing me onto my blog site.

Anyways, so what have we been up to?! Well, all of our stuff came 3 days ago and we got our car 2 days ago!! Yeah! It feels great to have our stuff!! When Aisha saw her toys and "Momma's car" she was more excited than I! She now loves going for rides in our car and for evening walks in her stroller!

We also got our apartment painted (hired someone to do the work because there wasn't enough time to do it ourselves). Tomorrow, we will go to the apartment and start putting things together! I can't wait to get my life back together!!!

Omar has his 3rd tooth coming in on the top left. He is also scooting himself around anywhere he wants and starting to babble BABABABABABA! Aisha is behaving much better with the threat of taking away her favorite bear and little more patience from Mom.

The title to my blog today is called "Final Destination" because I wanted to tell you all about the journey our belongings went through to get from Milwaukee, WI to it's final destination: Amman, Jordan!

We spent 2 weeks packing everything we own and not in the usual fashion. Usually, when one packs to move to a new home, they just throw everything in boxes and pack breakables a little more securely. Well, who knew how our stuff would be treated going across seas. So we packed everything in plastic bins and a few things in cardboard boxes. We fit things securely to make sure nothing would break on its journey. We wrapped our furniture in large plastic wrap (imagine large, heavy duty suran wrap). We threw blankets over our couch and mattresses. Lastly, we stored breakables like mirrors, glass from the coffee tables and our computer in our car after wrapping them all with bubble wrap and plastic wrap.

I have to mention the fact that we did all this with a 2 year old who wanted to 'help' by throwing everything in boxes or taking everything out of boxes. We also had a 3 month old who needed to be fed at least every 2 hours. In addition to them needing love and attention from Mom and Dad. Many times I thought about running away and never coming back as the 2 kids screamed and cried for attention at the same time and I was having mixed feelings about the move.

Packing our things was the first step, we then had to figure out a way to get our packed stuff on to the back of a semi-trailer. We didn't have any family in the area and had a few friends offer to help, but the timing didn't work. Although, thankfully we did have one of Yanal's friend who was able to help load our stuff. Then we posted an add on craigslist.com to hire a few helping hands. We had many many responses and called back 4 other men to help.

Next was figuring out how to get the heavy furniture and the car up on to the back end of a semi (6 feet in the air).......the company offered no ramp!....and no one rents ramps that is tall or sturdy enough to hold the car.....trust me I called everyone! So...now what?! Yanal and the other men lifted the things up to each other and we called a tow truck with a flat bed to put the car in the semi.

Lastly, we had to figure out how to organize everything inside the semi so that things would be most secure. Again, who knows how things will be traveling overseas! We were stressed about this, but were happy to find out the semi driver was a big help in this department! We had to pay him, but it was well worth the money for his insight!

Yeah! The semi was packed and off to Chicago. From Chicago the semi would load onto a train and head to the west coast. On the west coast our container was put on a cargo ship and went across the ocean. The ship made many stops along the way and eventually ended up in the Aquaba, Jordan port. This trip took around 2 months for our stuff to get from Milwaukee to Aquaba. From Aquaba port our stuff was to go through customs to check everything that was in the container is allowed in Jordan and then it was put on a semi truck again and brought to Amman, Jordan.

In Amman, our stuff had to go through Customs again and paperwork had to be filled. We had to bring our passports and all sorts of documentation had to be done to prove that it was going to the right people. Now we have everything sitting in our apartment, yet our car still needs one final piece of documentation for complete release...although it is in our possession.

Tomorrow, I will be opening our boxes and bins to find out how our things survived the trip! So far, I know that the plastic bins are mostly busted from the top and many of our things like the couch and the mattresses are very dirty despite the covering we tried to provide. I am hopeful that we will be able to clean everything and the bins look worse than they are. I am certain that some things are broken, but most things are hopfully just fine. I will find out tomorrow and let you know! Either way I am thankful that our things are here and will soon be a part of my life again!

A Month of Fasting

Tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan! Ramadan is the Islamic month where Muslims around the world will fast from dawn to sunset. Those of you who know me, know that I have been fasting during this time for 8 years now. I really, truly enjoy fasting.

Fasting during Ramadan is much different than any other religious fasting that I know of. As mentioned, we fast from dawn until sunset for a month, which this time of year means roughly from 4:30am until 7:15pm.

During this time we do not eat anything, drink anything (including water), smoke, have sexual contact, or indulge in anything that is ill-natured or in excess. Fasting is meant to teach us patience, modesty and spirituality. During this time we ask forgiveness for our sins and pray for guidance. By refraining from everyday evils we try to better ourselves through self-restraint and good deeds. During Ramadan we also offer more prayer than usual. It is not uncommon for Muslims to stay up all night either at home or in the Mosque praying and reading the Quran.

Ramadan is a time of reflecting and worshiping God. Not only does the fast include physically refraining from the things mentioned above, but also requires the avoidance of obscene thoughts and sights. Purity of both thought and action is important.

The fast is a deep personal worship in which we seek a raised awareness and closeness to God. The act of fasting is to put aside worldly activities and to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Fasting allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity.

Ramadan is a time to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, establishing a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others. Giving to the poor and needy is common practice.

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. Some
Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, which are held in the mosques every night of Ramadan, during which 1/30 of the Qur'an is recited; therefore, the entire Qur'an would be completed at the end of the month.

Those exempt from fasting include the elderly, children before puberity, mentally ill, chronically ill, pregnant women, nursing mothers, women who are menstrating and those who are traveling.

There Once Was a Little Girl....

"There once was a little girl, who had a little curl right in the middle of her forhead. When this little girl was good, she was very, very good. But when she was bad, she was horrid!"

My Grandmother and Mother use to tell me this riddle when I was young.....I am now telling it to my beloved little 2 year old, Aisha. Wow! Who knew terrible two's were like this! I am at my wits end with her some days....who am I kidding, most days!

From the moment we woke up today she was hitting, kicking and sitting on her 6 month old brother! The jealousy she has for him is unbelievable. If Mommy is holding him, she wants to be held. When Mommy is feeding him, she wants to be fed. When Mommy is tickling him, playing with him, loving him; you got it, she wants the same. "Put BooBoo (Arabic for baby) here!" she demands as she points to the crib, bed, floor, anywhere other than near Mommy.

Powerstruggles....When I tell her "NO!", it becomes a game. The look in her eyes could kill me somedays. It's like she is telling me without saying a word, "I know you don't like this and what are you gonna do about it?!" And then she adds, without saying, "And whatever it is that you do about it, I don't care!" Again with her baby brother, she sits on him --> I tell her NO! --> she sits on him again --> I tell her NO! --> she then she looks right at me and WALKS on him! Seriously, if I'm not already crazy, I will be soon!

The other kicker...she listens to her Daddy! Great, I'm glad for him, really I am....but WHY WON'T SHE LISTEN TO ME!

So what am I doing about it. Obviously nothing that is working...yet....LOL. I have tried calmly explaining why she can't or shouldn't do certain things. I have nervously screamed at her when I fear she is going to hurt her brother. I have taken away her most prized possession...her bear...this one seems to work the best so far. I have also given time-outs a try and I'm not sure about them yet. I give her undivided attention when he takes naps, but honestly this only makes it worse. When he wakes up she is even more demanding!

If there is anyone ANYONE out there that has some advice for this tired Mommy, please help!

.......I know.....I know.....the tone to my post tonight is not the greatest, so I must add the flip side. This evening she was hugging, holding and kissing her baby brother. I know she loves him dearly, really she does. I also know she's only two years old and can't fully express herself and her impulsive behaviors yet. She was also the sweetest little girl tonight as we were getting ready for bed. As I put Omar to bed, I heard her giggling as she and Daddy watched Tom and Jerry. The sweetest giggle that put a grin across my face and tears in my eyes. I love my little girl! She really is the greatest, sweetest, cutest little lady you will ever meet! And when she said, "I LOVE YOU" for the first time tonight to both Mommy and Daddy...I remember that the hardest things in life are also the most cherished!

Keys to Our New Place!

Well, it's a done deal! We got the keys to our new apartment last night! We won't be moving in for probably a couple weeks, but we have the place!! As you can see by all my '!!!' I am very excited! Since I still cannot post pictures, I will tell you about it:

Bedrooms
The Master Bedroom is good size with a full bathroom, a balcony and a terrace. The kids will each have their own rooms, Aisha's room will have a nice view of Amman and Omars will have a view of a cement wall (but what does he care?!).

Bathrooms
As mentioned, the Master Bedroom has a full bathroom. There is also a full bathroom down the hall for the kids. Lastly, there is a small guest bathroom that has nothing more than the necessities. All the bathrooms have nice tiles floors and walls.

Kitchen
The kitchen is beautiful! It has solid dark-wood cabinets (which are not common in apartments in Jordan). The countertops are granite and there is a stainless steel sink. There is a place for a dishwasher (something else hard to find in Jordan). There is a balcony off the kitchen to sit and have coffee in the morning. Both the kitchen window and the balcony have a view of Amman.

Living Room
The living room is good size. It has three areas which will be the place for the TV and couch, the office and the kids playarea.

Area of Town
Seems like a very nice and quiet area. The apartment is settled next to many other apartments, yet there is privacy. There is a nice shopping area within a 10 minute walking distance a grocery store and a mall not to far away. The neighbors seem to be young families like ours, so hopfully we can meet some people too!

I am so happy to feel like things are starting to fall into place! We have been literally living out of suitcases for 3 months now. All of our belongings should be coming on the ship from the US sometime this week too! Tomorrow we are going to the apartment to clean and pick colors for painting and carpet! Again, we probably won't actually move in for a bit yet, but at least we are getting close to doing so!

Burkini!

Burkini?! When I first saw the word Burkini this week in the news, I thought what the heck kind of a word is this? Now I own my first Burkini..lol! I don't know if Burkini is the proper name for it or just the one the media is using. Anyways, get to the point you say, what is a Burkini!? It is an Islamic swimsuit. For those of you who don't know....Muslim women dress modestly (well most of them do anyways), but just because they dress modestly doesn't mean they don't like to have a fun afternoon swimming. So came about the head to ankle or neck to ankle swimsuit, i.e. Burkini. I have been wanting to buy one, but in the US they are around $80.00-$120.00 and I wasn't interested in spending this much $$. For years I have been wearing just a long sleeve cover for my 'regular' American swimsuit and pants when I go swimming...not the most comfortable, but it works. Anyways, I have to say that I LOVE MY BURKINI and I only paid $18.00 for it!

What did I do with my Burkini? Yanal and I took Aisha to the Amman Waves Amusment Park! What a blast! It's a large waterpark with 3 different types of swimming pools, many waterslides and a food court.

The first swimming pool we went to was for younger kids. Knee deep, full of spraying water with a jungle gym right in the middle! Aisha got into it a little bit, but she didn't like the water spraying in the air because it often got into her eyes.

From there we went to the waterslides....gotta love this story....so there are huge waterslides that whip around like the ones in the US. I wasn't sure if Aisha would be tall enough to go down the slide with me, but we waited in line to find out. When we got to the top I asked the man if Aisha was too little to go down the slide (remind you she is a petite 2 year old) and he's like "Oh no, no problem!" I told him which slide we wanted to go down and that we would go together. Silence..."Oh no," he says, you have to go one by one!" WHAT?!?!?! He seriously thought I was going to let my little, petite, sweet, nervous, shy, beautiful girl go down that huge scary waterslide all by herself!!!!! "No" I told him, "we want to go together." "Nope, one by one" he said again....and that was the end of that idea!

Then we went to the regular pool to swim. We put Aisha in her innertube thingy and she had a blast 'swimming' with us!

We saved the best for last! The last pool we went to was the Wave Pool. Here they had the music blasting and Aisha, of coarse, LOVE IT! My little lady loves to dance and she was showing everyone her moves! The pool is a graduated pool so it's easy for kids to play in and the older kids/adults can go to the back where it's deeper. Every hour or so they have a guy over the loud speaker yell "Attention" to let everyone know that it's time for the waves! Everyone heads to the wave pool and jumps the waves! Aisha LOVED IT, she jumped waves with Mommy. I don't know what was cuter, swimming and jumping waves with her or watching her show off her dance moves!

We spent around 5 hours at the park. The good Mommy that I am remembered to put sunblock on my daughter. But for anyone who doesn't know me, I never put sunblock on myself....oops....I forgot the Jordan sun is a bit more intense than the MN and WI sun.....ouch! I don't think I will forget myself next time :-)

Here's a website of the waterpark...I'll also post our own pictures when able.
http://www.ammanwaves.com/

Things That Are Different

Again in response to your questions. Someone asked, "What things do you find different?"

Breakfast
Nearly every morning for breakfast we have hummus (chick pea dip), fava bean dip, olive oil with thyme and sesame seeds, different cheeses, tea and pita bread.

Supper
Supper is a variety of different foods. Many meals are cooked with rice, lamb or chicken, and/or a vegetable sauce. There are always many vegetables served, either in its natural state or in a salad.

Laundry
Currently, I am doing my laundry in a washing machine and hanging the clothes to dry. We have a dryer here, but it's down 3 flights of stairs, so I find it easier just to do it this way. Laundry here is much different than the States. Many people still wash their clothes by hand. Those that do have a washing machine, have a very small washing machine. (I wash two small loads everyday). Most people do not have a dryer, so they hang their clothes outside to dry. Everywhere you look you see clothes drying outside.

Visitors
Every night the people here either have visitors at their home or they are a visitor at someone elses home. It's fairly formal. This time of year it is hot during the day, so people love to sit outside at night. When they gather together, they mostly sit outside and hang out. There is usually some sort of food or dessert served. The food can range from fruit to an entire dinner. They always serve tea and coffee, and sometimes they serve soda as well. People venture out after supper and stay out pretty late, usually midnight or so. The kids all come too, bedtime is not as important as it is in the States.

Fresh Produce
My in-laws have a garden around there home. The garden grows things such as grapes, peaches, apricots, mint, lemon and newly planted bananas. They also have a farm that grows anyhting that you would find in the grocery store. Fresh fruit and veggies are served around here all day. If the fruit starts to go bad, then they make juice out of it. My daughter is always hanging out in the back of the house eating the grapes from the vine :-)

Gotta run, Aisha just woke up from her nap!

Family Update

Hello out there! Just a family update tonight.

Aisha
She finished her round of antibiotics and is well again, Alhumdillah. She is in the best of moods the last few days now that she is feeling better and eating again!

She has learned how to con nearly everyone in the house (except for her Momma) into getting her icecream. She will ask and ask and ask and ask, as a 2 year old does, until someone caves in. I'm pretty sure she had 2 watermelon icecream thingies today and 2 yesterday and I know she had some the previous days as well....when will she get sick of them or sick from them?!

She has also learned about Ramon Noodles and decided that they are the best thing next to Mac-n-Cheese, rice and fruit (her other favorite things to eat). Mommy and Daddy are glad to find something else to fill her picky little tummy!

We are starting the potty training thing again..she has sat on the toliet a few times without any results. At first she was happy to sit on the toilet like the 'big kids' but now she has decided that she wanted nothing to do with it again. One of her 2 year old cousins who just learned how to 'pee in the potty' is coming over tomorrow morning to 'teach' Aisha how to do it!

Omar
He is over his sickness too and now he is teething. He currently has 2 bottom teeth and I think he is getting more on the bottom. He's been irritable, drooling, pulling at his ears and chewing on everything, so pretty sure another tooth or two will coming sometime soon!

He continues to LOVE his walker! Remember the walkers they use to sell in the US....the ones where the kids could actually move around the house? Well anyways, he can get around everywhere in that thing and he thinks it's the greatest thing ever! He has even learned how to chase after a soccer ball! He bumps it with the bottom bumper and then chases after it and bumps it again! I have to get it on video and post it sometime...it's very entertaining!

Yanal and I
We found an apartment that we really like. We need to talk to the owner about the details. We're not even sure what the exact price is yet....everything here is negotiable, including rent prices! We have been trying to get a hold of the guy for a few days but he has been out of town, so hopfully we will hear from him sometime this week. I hope it's a go, because it's really cute, good size and good location! But if it's a no, well then we'll just have to keep looking! I know the right one will come sometime or another.

That's about it for now! Have a good night...I'm heading to bed!

New Look!

Hello everyone. As you can see, I have a new look to my blog! What do you think?! There was so many to choose from. I chose mine with my daughter and Grandmother in mind.

I chose the poka-dots and stripes because of my daughter, Aisha. As we are searching for apartments, Aisha keeps reminding me that she wants her room with "dots'. Then she tells me that her baby brothers room will be have 'stripes'! She didn't come up with these concepts totally on her own, but she hasn't forgotten them. Everyday she reminds me of "Asiha dots" and "Booboo stripes"!

I also liked this design because it is named Orchid and my Grandmother loved Orchids and I loved her! So it's a winner in my opinion! Hope it looks good too :-)

In Response To You!

Hello. I am writing today in response to your questions. Thank you everyone for your feedback! It's fun for me to hear what you like to read about!

Q. If I get pregnant over here, what is the citizenship of the baby?
A. If I had a baby over here, the baby would obtain dual citizenship.
Reason: Both my husband and I are American citizens, so the baby would easily get US citizenship. Also, my husband has Jordanian citizenship, so all of our children can and will have dual citizenship.

Q. What I find most challenging?
A. At this point in time, I have lost my independance. Not for any other reason other than because I don't know my way around town yet, I don't fully speak the language yet, I don't have my own apartment yet, my car and other belongings are not here yet. These are all things that will come with time...thankfully, they will come....I just need patience in between this time and that time.

Q. What are the open markets like, the smells and sounds?
A. For those of you who don't know, here's a little background. Jordan has very few grocery stores like ours in the USA. When you go to get your groceries, you do so in specialty stores. For instance, when you need bread you go to the baker, when you need meat you go to the butcher, when you need spices or coffee you go to the spice store, etc.

The bakery is great...smells of freshly made bread fill the air. The bread comes right out of the ovens, so nearly everything is hot and fresh. There is not your standard American bread, so that will take some time to get use to...what to use for French Toast??

The butcher...I don't go there. I use to be a vegetarian. Though I find these stores to be more humane than the thousands of animals being slaughtered in slaughter houses across the US, I still am not comfortable around dead animals. I can tell you that from outside the butcher store you see the entire animal hanging in a cooler window. The animal was slaughtered that day or possibly the day before. You tell the butcher which animal you want and which pieces and he cuts them up for you as you request.

The spice store...yum! Probably my favorite place to go. The spices range from salt, allspice, cumin, saffron, cardamon, pepper, cloves, etc. all found in their natual state. There are herbs such as sage, mints, thyme, teas, etc. Many types of coffee including Turkish and Arabian. Many of the spices stores also have nuts and seeds that are roasted and flavored. The spices, herbs and nuts are all in large bags or bins. You scoop out as much as you need. The smells and colors are amazing!

Fruits and vegetables....there are specialty stores for this as well. However, you can also find farmers sitting with their trucks on the side of the roads selling their crops.

This type of shopping is titius, but fun at the moment. There are also small 'Mom and Pop' stores that sell things like you would find in a grocery store...milk, eggs, cereal, yogurt, etc. I'm sure as time goes on I will use both these types of shopping and also go to the grocery store. BTW-grocery store has much higher prices, so most people avoid them.

That's all for now. My little guy needs his Mommy!

What do you think?!

Okay, so I am doing this blog as you obviously know. This is my first time 'blogging' and I'm looking for feed back. Do you like the content? Do I write too much, too little? What kinds of things do you like so far, what don't you like so far? What are you interested in reading about...the kids, everyday life here, the culture......What do you want me to write about?! Give me some ideas, so I can keep you interested :-) I miss you all! Take care, Bethany

This and That

Hello. Not much going on the last few days. Tonight we are going to look at a few apartments...send us good vibes (as Patty at SFH would say)-HI Patty, I miss you!!!

Aisha is still stuggling with illness, but seems to be getting better. She was spiking temps for 24 hours and now they have leveled off. Most of the day you wouldn't know she was sick; she runs around playing and singing. However, she has some sores in her mouth and throat, which make it difficult for her to eat or drink and she sleeps alittle more than usual.

Omar had his 1/2 birthday yesterday! We didn't do anything, it's not necessary, but it's fun to think that he is 6 months aready!! Where does the time go??! I nicknamed him "Trouble" because this little man is into EVERYTHING! He is so much more busy, interactive and aggressive than Aisha ever was at this age. Maybe because he is a boy or maybe just personality? He is so much fun!

Yanal's work is going good so far. This is his 3rd week. They have started him on a few projects, which are keeping him busy. He went to a forum 2 hours south of Amman yesterday. His boss has mentioned a few times that he is interested in getting Yanal involved in many areas of JIB (Jordan Investment Board), i.e. his work, so that sounds great! http://www.jordaninvestment.com/

I spend my days at the house with my in-laws and the kids. Aisha and I are working on counting 1-10 in English and Arabic and this little 2 year old almost has them both down perfect! Amazing her Mommy all the time! Omar and I are working on keeping his stomach full. He has such an appetite, which means he is always eating!! He is eating all sorts of food now. He eats rice and oatmeal cereals, mashed rice, vegetables and fruit and he continues with Mommy's milk and formula...I just can't keep up with him! Otherwise, I look forward to Yanal getting home from work so we can all 4 hang out. We go out most nights to get something sweet, visit family, to look at apartments or get groceries.

What about you?! What are you all up too?! Write to me on my email, facebook or my blog and tell me what's new!

Going to the Doctor in Jordan

Okay, Aisha spiked a temperature today, so I had to bring her to the doctor.

Going to the MD here is so different than the states. It is truly the biggest thing that makes me anxious here. I'm not anxious because there aren't good doctors here...that's not it at all. There are many good doctors here; infact, there are an over abundance of MDs in Jordan. The thing that makes me anxious is that, being a nurse, I know there are great doctors and there are really, really bad doctors. Am I wrong sister Nurses?!

As a nurse in the states I hand picked my doctor, my husbands doctor and my pediatrician....I knew all of them on a personal level, I trusted each of them and I knew they were great practitioners. So now we are in Jordan....there are so many MDs to choose from and the entire healthcare system is different. You just show up, no appointment necessary, and see any MD. I know little of the language; however, many of them speak English so that's a plus. Their examinations are short, their history & physicals are near to none, there is no follow up and you always leave with a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic....ALWAYS!

In the US, we try so hard to not over prescribe antibiotics that it makes question the necessity of their presriptions here. But what can a mother do? In less than one hour her temp. was elevating (no temp. needed to be taken, she felt as though she was on fire), refused to take her medicine, take a bath or put a cool washcloth over her head, she was tachycardiac and becoming lethargic! Off to the MD we went. Honestly, this Mommy was nervous for the first time since she was in the NICU.

All in all, the MD was really nice, spoke English, listened to my concerns, did a quick exam, said she had an infected throat and sent us home with a script for NSAID suppository prn and of coarse and antibiotic! When we got home, she 'gracefully kicked the crap out of me' as I place her suppository, her temp came down to normal, she took her antibiotic, ate lunch, took a bath and is now sleeping comfortably! Alhumdillah (Thank God), she is doing better and Mom can relax!

Top 10 Reasons You Know You Are In Jordan...

10- Young children try to sell you kleenex when you are waiting for the stop light to turn green.

9- Men hold hands publicly, they are not gay, it's normal.

8- The call for prayer (Athan) is echoed through the hills 5 times a day and verses from the Quran are read numberous times a day also. People turn off their TVs and radios during the Athan out of respect.

7- Store owners will leave the store unattended to pray and know that their mechandise will not be stolen while they are away.

6- It is common to drive near huge villas (mansions) and see a young shepperd on his donkey herding his sheep down the same street.

5- People who have nearly nothing will offer you everything they have when visiting them. Hospitality is one of the most important qualities in Arab culture.

4- When you go to a party (wedding, engagement, graduation, etc.) it is common to see everyone up dancing, singing and having the time of their lives throughout the day and into the night - not one of them have had even a sip of alcohol.

3- The streets are so crowded with cars and people it takes forever to get anywhere. To me it looks like mass confusion, but no one else seems confused.

2- The butcher shops display their meat in the store front window. Literally, a few lamb carcasses hang from their windows and you go point to which lamb you want and they will cut it up for you how you want it.

1- Not many people here pay attention to time. Everyone has at least one clock in their home, hanging on their wall, but the batteries have stopped long ago!

Many things in Jordan are different from the United States. I'm sure a Jordanian who came to the US for the first time would find fun things like this to write about too.....maybe I can get a list together from those that have travelled to the US! Sounds like fun, I will try to do that!!