At Home in Amman

I am so excited to be in Jordan! Jordan is so efficient and clean and not humid or broiling hot (high of 86, not 116)!

The JBCP sent a car to pick me up from the bus station, and helped me check into a hotel near their office. I'm staying in a primarily residential neighborhood right down the street from the JBCP offices. The room -- a suite! -- is beautiful and the hotel staff is very helpful and caring. I'm not used to staying in hotels with lots of creature comforts (cable, air conditioning, Internet, laundry) but I'm sure I'll adjust quickly. See pictures here.

Friday and Saturday are weekends in Amman, so the JBCP offices are closed until Sunday. I used the day to settle in. First on the agenda was stocking the apartment with things I'll need to live and look professional for the next few weeks.

I took a taxi to a big mall with a Carrefour, a gigantic French department store that sells everything from groceries to appliances. The mall was new, fancy, and very Western, with a huge theater showing recent American movies, a Virgin megastore, and even a TGI Fridays.

I love Carrefours, and was elated to have a good reason to spend hours wandering the store. I bought some toiletries and food for the week, then spent a happy afternoon nesting and working.