The Good and the Bad

As my days in Amman are coming to a close, I thought that I would make up for the lack of blog posts by starting on a list of things I love and don't love about life in the Hashemite Kingdom.

Loves: 

- Evenings of sun and fresh summer breezes

- Throwing around words like Yalla! and Haram! to sound like an authentic Arab. 

- Making fun of America

- 80s music at Books@Cafe

- Palestinian art

- Talking politics with the locals 

- Sunsets at the Wadi Rum desert 

- Sudanese kitchen staff that teach you Arabic and dance 

- Taxi drivers that sing old Bollywood songs when you tell them you're Indian

- Shawerma/Falafel shops run by Arabic families 

- The amazing/brilliant/kind-hearted expatriate community
- Potluck dinners on old-Ammani rooftops 

- Crazy land ladies that ask you how your legs are so hairless

- Turkish coffee and Nescafe 

- Talking to women MPs as new election laws were being passed right under me

- Little boys riding donkeys at Petra 

- Colleagues that call you "Habibti" 

- Still being able to bully Dhruv from half way across the world

- The other interns (especially the British ones)

- Ranting about feminism/Republicans/Steven Harper/general human stupidity with Akunne 

- The ready availability of high-waisted khaki pants

- The best roommate in the world: Anushka

- Working in the castle that is CUMERC (Told ya I would help promote it Noor!)

- Mint Lemonades 

- Free time

- Late night car rides with Diala 

- Smiling at the adventures of my fellow travellers (Loran-ers, thats you!) 

- Open air markets with Bedouin jewelry

- Dinners at Shawermize It! with the Columbia crew 

- (Almost) Daily Facebook chats with Steven and Greg and Amy

I don't have a hate list - or at least, they seem too insignificant to write down. It is not until you start to consciously appreciate the little things that you realize not only what an amazing summer you've had but also how much you've grown. 

Yalla to Canada and new adventures! Ma Salama Jordan. Insha'allah, we will meet again.