Just Arrived

I arrived at King’s Academy yesterday evening. The view from the taxi of sprawling dessert juxtaposed with forestation efforts and historic architecture mixed with more modern houses springing up from the sand was captivating. It was obvious I was in a part of the world unlike any other I have visited, and I wanted to drink it all in. Upon arriving at the grand gates of the campus, Nayab and I were warmly welcomed and showed to our rooms. We then proceeded to a lovely dinner under the deepening sky where we met the other fellows. In a whirlwind of new, strange scenery, an incredibly beautiful campus, the pick-up game on the soccer stadium under the lights- and stars- and jetlag, my first night was certainly overwhelming.

Today we began our tasks of readying the school for the arrival of the 260 students who will be joining us in a couple of weeks.

Nayab, Pamela and I ventured out of the heavily guarded, perfectly manicured campus today to see what everyday life on the streets of Madaba looked like. As wonderful as the sights were- the glowing stars overhead, the shops closing down and people rushing to meet each other after work- the taste of downtown Madaba was out of this world. We feasted on typical street fare- kabob, falafel, and chicken shawarma- and let me tell you, local style is definitely my style. Not only was the food incredible and the atmosphere that wonderful blend of comfortable and foreign, but also the prices were unbeatable! Each sandwich we shared was about 20 cents!