Thoughts I Thought on Sunday

They have oranges here that have green peels!!! On the outside they look like big limes, but they taste just like normal oranges!

Even though it’s frustrating to have a curfew and live so far away from everything in the world, I find that I really like being part of a family. I realized that the only family that I’ve felt pseudo-adopted by since leaving Seattle is Kristi’s, and I like that feeling of the parent-child dynamic, and wondrously stocked kitchens, and other things. It is comforting in a way I probably shouldn’t need at age 23, but alas, I still like being a kid sometimes.

I really don’t like eating with my hands. Especially not in front of experts.

Burger King has an iftar special: long chicken sandwich, hamburger, fries, soup, pop, and water for 3.250JD, which is about 4.50USD. Oh my god, I can’t imagine eating so much fast food after fasting all day; sooo gross. But my friend and I are going to try it tomorrow just for the sake of doing iftar at Burger King. Burger King! We’ve heard that Pizza Hut and KFC also have iftar specials…

I knew that someone in the group was bound to be true bff material, and I think I found her yesterday. How do I know? We’re taking the same two area studies classes, and she’s buying the required reading for two other classes as well, just to read for fun (I only got the readings for one extra class). We both want state department internships in central asian countries, any 'stan will do. We both idolize the same random former ambassador, me because he is friends with Ambassador Bell and came to speak for the World Affairs Council, her because he is an alum from her school and spoke there. She took Latin in high school, and a few minutes after we had been talking about languages, she took a break from studying to write down a list of the languages she wants to learn. And finally…we’re both going to India (with two other girls) more because the flight was so cheap and we thought it would be funny to go to India, than because we had some long-standing need to go to India.

So yeah…I’m going to India! Right at the end of the semester in December. I don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going, other than the fact that we fly in and out of Delhi. I just hope it will be an exciting adventure and that funny things happen.

At the coffee shop near the university that I go to most days, they ask your name every time you buy something. I don’t know why, but they type it in the register and it shows up on your receipt. On Friday, the cashier asked my name, I said ‘Kreesteen’ and he goes, “Okay…C…R…” and before I had time to correct him, the guy at the espresso machine yells over, “No! K!” I felt really special.

This leads me to something else, which is my annoyance with the fact the other girl in the program with my name gets all annoyed when people mispronounce her name. Is it really that big of a deal? I’ll correct people if I feel like it is someone who needs to know my name like my program director, but not bitchily like she does. I actually like being called different things; it makes me feel like I have multiple identities!!

On to the most important thing. Yesterday after I left for the afternoon, Rana, one of my program directors, visited my family to find out what things I was doing wrong and in what ways am I a bad host daughter. But apparently they have no complaints!!!!! I went to the office before class, incredibly nervous, and as I walk up to Rana, she gives me her default deadpan stare. I hesitantly ask, uh...so...how was, my...family...? She maintained the severest expression, until saying, "well......they love you!" I don't think such a powerful sensation of relief has ever rushed through me before. Rana said she asked over and over in every way possible, trying to find any thing that they have a problem with, but there was nothing! Wow. I'm awesome.