tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70137422011-07-08T08:59:58.461-05:00Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-17766247901832346872010-09-16T14:46:00.002-05:002010-09-16T14:48:39.520-05:00

Well, I did a great job of reading for 15 minutes each night for 2 weeks but then slacked off a little. I've been prioritizing my workouts over reading but am now finding a better balance. The farther I'm getting into Cleveland, the less I'm annotating and unfortunately, I'm not getting inspired to write anything about what I'm reading there.In spite of that, I'm recommitting to blogging about

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-39893745595606048432010-08-22T21:40:00.002-05:002010-08-22T21:54:39.754-05:00

The first week of reading is over and I'm pretty happy with how I did. My goal is to read at least 15 minutes everyday. It's not a lot of time but I find that I often end up reading for longer and on those rare days when time is limited, I at least get a little bit done.I'm starting through my reading list with Cleveland's "History of the Modern Middle East" because it's a classic and is

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-27637213518581616442010-08-15T12:24:00.002-05:002010-08-15T12:41:19.060-05:00

I'm starting to get excited about this PhD thing! I've been brainstorming all week, thinking about what I can do to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into (this will also, incidentally, prepare me to apply for a PhD). Here's what I've come up with:1. Make a reading list2. Read (taking notes and starting source list)3. Look for conferences that are coming up that I might be interested in

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-4420048329036442172010-08-07T20:25:00.003-05:002010-08-07T20:44:17.059-05:00

I'm finally ready to put into words the idea that has been percolating in my head: I think I want to go for a PhD. As usual, this is one of several ideas running around in my head but I'm serious about it enough now to actually say it out loud.I love my job working for the Army but it's not in the field I've dreamed of working in for the last eight years. I can easily see myself transitioning

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-54805331860690370122007-08-13T13:42:00.000-05:002007-08-13T13:48:12.205-05:00

It's official. I am done with my masters degree. Two years of studying is giving way to a job hunt and the question: "what is the grand plan"? I'm perusing the job market having made the decision to stay in New York for at least one additional year and while many of the jobs look interesting, I keep wondering if they are really going to take me in the direction I ultimately want to go. But

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-34115427497257126182007-07-01T20:01:00.000-05:002007-07-06T06:43:14.773-05:00

I watched the Constant Gardner today and was horrified to discover myself feeling like I know nothing about the world. The movie, set in Britain and Kenya tells the story of a diplomat whose wife is killed when she attempts to uncover a corruption conspiracy that reaches high into British diplomacy. I thought of the numerous friends I have who are currently working as development workers in

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-35716950382288010272007-05-08T15:02:00.000-05:002007-05-09T01:01:53.448-05:00

There was just something about today: something about the shade of sunlight, the temperature, and a scent in the air. Something about the woman in Starbucks wearing a stunning sage green abaya and matching veil. Something about finishing a book that reflected on one American woman's assimilation into Iraqi life and how much it pained her to leave. There was just something about today that made

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-6439476041416318262007-04-19T08:00:00.000-05:002007-04-19T08:08:01.264-05:00

My condolences go out to anyone who lost a loved one or knew someone who lost a loved one at Virginia Tech this week. It angers me to read news articles that repeatedly state things like "there was no indication that this was coming" when teachers sensed something was wrong but school officials did nothing to address their concerns. When did we stop taking warnings seriously?! There's ALWAYS

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-26682343598996199192007-01-18T09:34:00.000-05:002007-01-18T09:49:22.986-05:00

I signed up to take a class this semester from one of the greatest theorists in international politics. Naturally, because he holds this title, everyone else wanted to take his class and so promptly at 2pm yesterday 40 of us crowded into a tiny little lecture hall expecting to be hear a super-human lecture by the super-human man. Even I, who have been stared down by Muhammed Ali for saying he

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-85373810075821634582007-01-15T10:19:00.000-05:002007-01-15T10:21:16.393-05:00

Last fall I made the best decision of my life: I switched to all things MAC. Already a huge fan of the cosmetics, I decided it was time to expand my love of MAC to the computer as well. And I've yet to regret that decision.This weekend, my decision was gleefully reinforced. Need I say more?

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1161710068954654112006-10-24T12:03:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:05.587-05:00

With various deadlines for PhD and fellowship applications coming up, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do after I finish my masters degree in May. At the most basic level there seem to be two choices: settle down, or keep living the life of uncertainty. Settling down would mean either entering a PhD program, finding a job and renting or buying a home/apartment.The life of

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1151358688530589892006-06-26T16:51:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:05.369-05:00

Today was my first day at my internship and it can be summarized with one word: enchanting.Working in a building that was the setting for so many inspiring classics - enchanting.Being completely frustrated that people kept interrupting my required reading because the subject is so interesting - enchanting.Being asked by the Executive VP to sell her a pencil and then having her making the comment

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1150459995151727122006-06-16T06:57:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:05.109-05:00

So much has happened in just one short week. Last Wednesday I was starting to get very nervous because I had not found an internship for the summer yet. And just when I thought it wasn't going to happen I got an email from one of my professors. An unpaid job opening at the UN. Jumped on it, and two hours later was an unpaid copy editor! This is the UN, I thought it would be harder to get

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1148253181594865652006-05-21T17:14:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:04.641-05:00

So I was asked to participate in a discussion/presentation on religion and international affairs. The topic was left open-ended so we could take whatever angle we wanted to. Since we all look at the world through the lenses of our identities, I prefaced my comments by stating my three lenses/identities:1. Christian2. Athlete (runner/swimmer)3. International Affairs grad studentThe primary

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1146522852790385862006-05-01T17:13:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:04.372-05:00

It's film festival season here in New York and yesterday, my Arabic tutor and I decided to go buy tickets to a new hot Egyptian film that's showing. We're talking a HOT MOVIE! When we arrived to buy tickets for Friday's showing, there was a line around the block for a showing starting in fifteen minutes. If this was a movie from anywhere else, such a line would be uninteresting and un-noteworthy.

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1146364155952557462006-04-29T21:27:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:04.142-05:00

In the spirit of my upcoming Economics exam which will use material from the textbook written by the new Fed Chairman, Bernanke, I thought I'd share this little gem. Enjoy!

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1145599589780354662006-04-21T01:00:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:03.000-05:00

I have the greatest Arabic tutor! He brings me such interesting things to read every week. This week it was one of my favorites: proverbs! I was surprised that a few listed on my sidebar were in the ones he brought me. He was surprised I knew them (just like he's always surprised when I pull a fast colloquial phrase on him). Here are a few of my new favorites:If you want to confuse a man,

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1142899087577713952006-03-20T18:56:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:02.187-05:00

I don't know when it happened but the birds on my campus are officially insane. Perhaps they are suffering from the Avian flu or perhaps they are straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie....whatever it is, I almost got decapitated by one flying by this afternoon. No joke...it missed my head by about 2 inches!

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1142804573557994832006-03-19T16:32:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:01.874-05:00

I'm missing my Jordan this week. I miss it every week but this week more than usual. Something about being on vacation with old friends, smelling old smells of earth and water and simplicity brought back memories of moments I wish I was still living in.My year in Jordan seems so far away...another lifetime really because so much has happened since I returned. It's funny because I still find

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1142177663853099282006-03-12T10:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:11:01.177-05:00

This was the first week where I actually felt I lived up to my name. Usually I put up a big fit with the midterms. They sneak up on me and are chaotic and I struggle and fight with them, they begin to overwhelm me and then I finally conquer them - sending them to their deaths.But this semester, I realized that I AM a siren...hello....I'm supposed to woo men to their death with a flick of the

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1140541304285901642006-02-21T11:47:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:59.940-05:00

In just one week of having a new work schedule I have clearly seen how trusting in my limits and capabilities is so important. I don't know how I ever questioned what I needed! In just one week of having a consistent sleep schedule I have become tremendously productive, I can concentrate in class, I have energy to actually put thoughts together in a conversation, and I find myself able to do more

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1139017999400850362006-02-03T20:35:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:59.085-05:00

One of the things I love about my job is I get to co-instruct college beginning swimming with one of the greatest coaches of all time. The reason I put him in that category and the reason I love teaching with him is because he has a great handle on how to help students process and overcome fear. This week the challenge to the students was to determine what they were bringing to the water with

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1138598901660117092006-01-30T00:22:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:58.774-05:00

Living in New York City is like swimming. In swimming one of the most important rules is that whatever you give to the water it gives back. If you give it fear and hesitation, it gives you unreliable support. The harder you push the water the more forcefully it responds. New York City does the same thing. Whatever you give to the city it gives back to you. If you treat it nicely, it treats

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1138329176435752712006-01-26T21:28:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:58.440-05:00

I've decided that this blog is more of my personal journey but because of the great presence exercise has taken in my life, I'm starting a new blog to chronicle my journey on that front. I'd say more but the blog already says it all.

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1137950805144572362006-01-22T12:05:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:58.252-05:00

It's about that time of year when the first wave of New Year's resolutions dropouts start. Thankfully instead of dropping off my resolutions are more concrete and I'm more motivated than ever. I'm not liking where my blog has been going as of late (since the anger-provoked Habeela emerged) but I needed to write those entries for a reason. But now that reason has been transformed into a higher

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1136152267598181562006-01-01T16:34:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:57.446-05:00

Happy New Year to you all! In light of this wonderful season of resolutions, the current thread of thought that I've been posting lately seems to be right on track. Anger: as already observed, it really is a powerful force of change if we as individuals can harness it instead of letting it overcome us and embitter us. I think there are attributes of anger that play a critical role in

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1135918284001931672005-12-29T23:42:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:57.229-05:00

The wrath of the Habeela has been provoked. I'm more angry than I have been in 10 years. The circumstances that have stoked the fires of anger are not important. What is important is the fine line between anger controlling me and me controlling my anger (by controlling it I mean harnessing it into a source of healing and empowerment). I could wax eloquant about healing and empowerment but quite

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1135378799752044712005-12-23T17:36:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:56.536-05:00

I apologize for the long lapse of silence. There have been many things going on in my life including finals, deleting a paper (thankfully only 6-8 pages long), trying to get home to my family in the midst of the New York transit strike, and enough external stress to cause any sane person to entrench themselves in solitude away from their blog.Thankfully I've emerged victorious from finals (I

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1134046434091710882005-12-08T06:54:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:56.041-05:00

After a year away from the gym and two years away from the pool, my old loves have started begging for my attention. Last night, after having only been swimming two times this semester, I had the perfect swim. Usually by lap 2 my alternate breathing has fallen apart and by lap 5 I'm hitting my first threshold and the power strokes are waning. By lap 8 the alternate breathing was starting to get

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1133742096267961202005-12-04T19:19:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:55.096-05:00

There is FINALLY snow in New York City! And given the flurry of Christmas buzzing around the city, it's one of those perfect Christmasy days that makes you want to sing about roasting chestnuts and sitting by a fire.Happy holidays everyone!

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1133181768091416522005-11-28T07:38:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:54.541-05:00

Have you ever found that lesson that you have to reteach yourself everyday? That you have to rediscover everyday? And life helps you find the strength to relearn the same lesson today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. And if you choose to continue relearning the lesson, life becomes more enriching.I'm learning that lesson. It's painful and rewarding all at once. It scares me because the lesson

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1132139921100519232005-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:53.834-05:00

Up until Saturday last week if you had asked me how it was going in the big city I would have smiled smuggly and told you I felt I was really beginning to get the hang of things here. I'm starting to understand the subway system, I'm mastering the three minute conversation with perfect strangers, and I've made friends with the bus drivers and regulars on my route. And I'm acutely aware that one

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131892414449431952005-11-13T09:07:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:53.628-05:00

"Tell me what you brag about and I'll tell you what you lack" --Spanish proverbWell, I'm stuck on this question of the test. Because I know what I brag about and I know what I lack. Bragging for me usually turns out to be making melodramatic comments about the most retarded things and it comes off really badly. Like nails on a chalkboard.And I'm struggling because facing what I lack - accepting

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131806521504264092005-11-12T09:27:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:53.364-05:00

This is a test of your ability to learn the lessons life has decided to give you. The duration of this test will be as long as you live and the questions have been randomly selected from your previous experiences. They will deliberately test you on material failed in previous sections of the test. Questions are not multi-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or true/false: they are aimed at testing your

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131555704609661782005-11-09T11:48:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:53.078-05:00

I'm having one of those yummy days of complete and utter content. A day where I feel like I'm going to explode from the happiness I feel. The weird thing is, nothing much has happened to make me this darn happy! At least, the things that have happened don't seem to add up to this much joy. Maybe it's because I realized today that there are some people in our lives who unknowingly help us find

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131479897858816582005-11-08T14:36:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:52.855-05:00

It's amazing how obvious things jump out at you when you suddenly stop trying to control things, breathe deeply and accept ambiguity and uncertainty. Take today for example. Out of the middle of nowhere I suddenly realized that in the development of any relationship, the amount of interest is directly proportional to the amount of communication. Hence, the "game" that all people play at the

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131413081077116542005-11-07T20:02:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:52.655-05:00

Have you ever had those days where if you were to create a picture for your emotions you would be standing on the bow of a sailboat in the middle of the ocean with the wind whipping past you as you cruise into the unknown? That's how I feel today: liberated, inspired (no, don't think Titanic, think Brokedown Palace - and yes, I know it's cheesy).Why? Because I've let go. I've "made my

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1131334757495783482005-11-06T22:20:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:52.388-05:00

If you're reading this blog in anticipation of seeing the nice Lauralea that everyone knows and loves, don't be surprised to find that not all of the blogs paint such a rosey picture. Lauralea has decided that she will get no where in her life by being nice and stereotypically predictable. This disclaimer may turn out to be useless as she may say nothing scandalous at all. Or, she might horrify

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1130537873306621062005-10-28T17:07:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:51.396-05:00

This morning after racing down the street to catch the bus, I collapsed into a seat and was happily observing an adorable little boy who was talking up a storm to his mom who looked strangely like Cynthia Nixon (Miranda on Sex in the City)...no, wait, she WAS Cynthia Nixon! I was thinking the looks were uncanny and then she opened her mouth to speak and it was her! Well, what do you say to the

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1130411658914539522005-10-27T06:11:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:51.131-05:00

"You don’t have all the answers. Give yourself time. Grant your inanition [emptiness]. Breathe.“…and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7)."--Michaela LawrenceAnd there's even more.

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1130149197965230722005-10-23T23:10:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:50.879-05:00

It's official, the satirical news source, the Onion, is now a valid source in university discussion classes! As part of my indoctrination into the grad school world of international affairs, I am required to take a conceptual foundations class that includes a discussion section where we sit pontificating about the downfalls or wisdom of people like Locke, Hobbes, Mearsheimer, Betts, etc. Last

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1128119652858294412005-10-01T05:30:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:50.468-05:00

"Don't assume that lack of feedback is the same thing as negative feedback."Source: http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFP_per.htmlIt ought to be perfectly obvious but just as many other "obvious" things, it isn't always.

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1127905981293099812005-09-28T00:07:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:50.196-05:00

I almost feel that the audacity of this needs no explanation or introduction. I am simply stunned at the imperialistic, ethnocentric stupidity! And who still believes that we have the Middle East's best interests in mind? There are definitely things which need to change in Middle East culture just as there are definitely things that need to be changed in American culture. But to insist that

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1127599075374609332005-09-25T04:45:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:49.937-05:00

About a month ago, I was packing my belongings and getting ready to leave for New York. I was rather nervous that I wouldn't like New York or that I would find grad school full of pretentious people who were only interested in inflating their own egos.What I've found here in the last month, however, are tons of people who see the world the way I do and who actually understand the way the world

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1126394473052694772005-09-10T18:10:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:49.757-05:00

My first week of classes are over and I am thoroughly excited about what I will be learning in my program here. The teachers are interesting and knowledgable, the students are interactive and intelligent, and nobody seems anything the same way.But while I'm overjoyed at these wonderful things, I am also faced with several tensions that I believe will be both challenging and rewarding. The first

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1124906843305061302005-08-24T12:59:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:49.560-05:00

My first few days in my new city are already gone and I have a strange surreal sense as though I haven't quite left home. I'm sure in about 2-3 weeks I'll have an "oh! I'm not in Kansas anymore" moments (just about the time I actually go to Kansas) and then my true adventure of city life will begin.The new apartment is cute and cluttered right now and I am so thankful that my mom came to help me

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1123278008843910702005-08-05T16:27:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:49.054-05:00

Well, I know I have been sorely delinquent with posting updates but in my defense, I am skeptical that anyone is reading my blogs so what is the point. In the event that someone does care what my stream of consciousness is, I think I will attempt to do a better job at keeping up with the blog.Since returning from Jordan, my summer has ben filled with re-entry shock, watching dryers, reading

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1119043904179673572005-06-17T16:28:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:48.884-05:00

It's hard to believe that my nine months in Jordan are already over and that I managed to get on a plane and come home. Since arriving in the States, the reverse culture shock has left me more amused than anything else. Impatient people who insist on taking the most difficult path somewhere, or talking to people about how e-Bay is selling Britney Spear's pregnancy test (really, people....). I'm

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1114516687199608322005-04-26T06:52:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:48.470-05:00

I've decided that because the bodyguards, Anas and Hammad, have done such a good job this year, I'm going to bring them back to America with me. Unfortunately, they won't be coming to New York with me. Instead, Hammad will be going to Virginia and Anas to Florida. They've been placed with the Fulbright Teaching Assistantship program and will be teaching Arabic in a university. The dynamic duo

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1110465135900017462005-03-10T09:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:48.034-05:00

1. When your mobile dies, your friends offer to give you their phone until you get a new one.2. When you have been standing in the rain for ten minutes and no taxis will stop for you, a nice woman offers you a ride even though it's out of her way.3. When you take your mother to a tourist place, the man who sells tea and coffee insists on giving you gifts instead of taking money for the tea.4.

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1105968627991228962005-01-17T08:28:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:47.583-05:00

It was so nice running into you at Petra on Christmas Eve. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your holidays and I know it meant so much to Christine to see you. I hope we run into you again sometime!

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1100077142285790322004-12-15T04:37:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:46.115-05:00

I've been receiving complaints from people because I haven't been showing pictures of the people who are important to me here in Jordan. Since posting pictures is complicated, here's an introduction to just a few of the people who have been significant to my time here so far. Foreigners The de Gourvilles: Curt (husband), Beverley (wife), and Curtis (son) welcomed me into their home when I first

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1101984208658213782004-12-06T13:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:46.730-05:00

Yes, that's right folks....in spite of changing my location, no version of a hijab (the traditional Muslim veil) can hide those gorgeous blonde roots that everyone suspects I have. This week's moment of hilarity comes to us from the joy of having space heaters run by gas tanks that have to be replaced. I was sitting in the comfort of my room with my little space heater happily burning and

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1101719047536570162004-11-29T04:58:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:46.551-05:00

Thanksgiving in Jordan was almost exactly the same as Thanksgiving in the States except that my pie had full-cream condensed milk in it and the men watched soccer instead of football. I would say that the people at Thanksgiving dinner were also different but my family is notorious for having a mix of people at dinner so I felt right at home with the three Canadians I lived with for the first

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1100681914505634462004-11-17T04:52:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:46.309-05:00

I know I haven't written anything for awhile so here is just a quick post to tell you all that I'm well and alive. We had a week off school in between Arafat dying and the end of Ramadhan. It's an absolute joy today to come back to school where all the nescafe stands are open, everyone is standing about with tea or coffee in hand, the smell of cigarette smoke is in the air, and I know that

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1099385701496266752004-11-04T13:49:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:45.886-05:00

As with every place I've travelled I am most amused by the small things: A cop, directing traffic, changing 1 turning lane into 4 (even though the road we're turning onto only has two lanes). Or the pimp-taxi that's falling apart but has red velvet seats and black fringe hung from the ceiling in the shape of a heart (I was surprised he did have the pimpin' black disco light that is so popular in

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1099385380096686802004-11-02T04:39:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:45.658-05:00

Yesterday I was leaving class when a girl jumps out in front of me and starts speaking very fast arabic. After telling her to slow down I pieced together that she wanted to know if I would help her learn English. Because she doesn't speak any English I thought this will help me with my Arabic. So we sat down and start talking. She asks me about one of my language partners (my "happy eye-candy

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1098489198349402052004-10-22T17:16:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:45.435-05:00

They say that in Washington DC it's not about what you know, it's about who you know. In comparison, however, Amman makes DC look like the city of intelligence rather than the city of networks. Since arriving in Amman, I have experienced this in many different ways but never so clearly as this week. I started my apartment hunt in earnest this week. Of course here in Amman, there are limited

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1097155584677136322004-10-07T08:15:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:44.536-05:00

The first week of school is over and I am trying to find my brain which seems to have fled from me right after I took the placement test on Monday. I know my brain was with me when I took the placement test because I managed to test into the second level of Arabic. But after that everything is a blur with only a piece of understanding every once in a great while. I think my brain must be

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1096893296356707442004-10-04T07:06:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:44.332-05:00

When moving to a new country, one always faces the inevitable "catch 22". It changes from person to person and from country to country but it is always present! In moving to Jordan, I have faced numerous "catch 22s". For starters there was the male-female "catch 22": It is not appropriate for me to go to interviews by myself but going with one male presented impressions of couples/dating/

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1096891411560437122004-10-04T06:43:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:44.130-05:00

I hate job hunting! But what I hate more than job hunting is job hunting in a foreign country. I am used to job hunting where I go out, make appointments, attend interviews, and sell myself through my resume and my words. Not in Amman. In a week and a half I have visited 6 gyms. Out of those six gyms I visited one alone, visited five with two male friends, and was only asked relevant

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7013742.post-1103620268526837132004-01-17T03:57:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:10:47.315-05:00

My friend Christine spent Christmas with me here. I did my best to show her around and thought that the best thing to do would be to spend a nice afternoon at the Dead Sea, drinking tea with my friends. So Anas, Rashid, Marwan, and I took her out one Friday. The boys built a fire, put the sugar and water in the teapot, boiled the water, added the tea, and boiled the water again. It was made

Habeelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340055935889970661noreply@blogger.com0