Jordan is Jammin'. Petra is Prime.

Jordan is definitely an Arabian country. People actually listen to Arabian music on the streets. People looked like how I imagined Arabians. There was a bunch of people smoking their water pipes. There were camels everywhere. The place looked like a desert. There were even quite a bit of Filipino people, which I was not expecting. There was even a guy that could tell that I was Filipino, so he started talking to me in Tagalog. It was a pleasant reminder of my roots. Also, males were definitely the dominant force in this country, which I was expecting. I wanted to watch the Portugal vs. Spain game with a couple of other people out on the town in Amman, but it would have been a "stupid" thing to do (breaking Brother Harper's rule #3). Soccer is a big deal in Jordan and I knew the streets of Amman would have been filled with crazy guys. I felt like it wouldn't have been safe for me, especially because I am a little girl, so I didn't go out that night.

I almost applied for the Jordan International Development internship for this spring/summer instead of the BYU Jerusalem Center. I really want to get a career in the international development field, so I wanted to get some experience with that. However, spiritual growth trumps a resume building experience. So I chose the Jerusalem Center. Besides, one of the main reasons I went to a BYU school is so I could apply for the Jerusalem Center program.

Petra is the shiz! This place is breathtaking. To have carved structures out of sandstone is remarkable. The most glorious parts of Petra is the Treasury and the Monastery. I wish we had the whole day in Petra. I would have sat in front of each of these structures for hours just to take it all in. I know that my pictures will not justify the experience at all. The temperature was only in the 90s so I wouldn't mind staying there all day. Yesterday in Jordan, the temperature under the shade was 107 degrees. I was ready to go back to the Jerusalem Center after being in that heat all day.