Merry Christmas

I am getting ready to head to Jordan, so I wanted to wish everyone a very happy Christmas.

Megan's parents finally arrived after a nightmare trip of canceled flights, (almost) rioting people at the Jordan airport, a failed bribe attempt by their taxi driver when they got pulled over, and a lie that their daughter works at the embassy. I'm sure they are so happy they came to the Middle East! Let's hope all the bad things are out of the way, and that we'll have a safe and fun trip to Jordan.

I will probably pop in an internet cafe a few times, so I'd love to hear from you! Will take lots of pictures. Love to all.....

Christmas trees

I thought this was a great picture with the ornaments on one tree and the oranges on the other. I always knew those oranges in our stockings didn't come from the North Pole!

Noel, Noel

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. I won't say it looks like Christmas since we were all running around in light jackets, soaking up the sun yesterday, but I'm definitely getting in the spirit of the season.

Today we had our Christmas service at church, before everyone heads out to far corners of the world. They had people from each area of the world read, so I was the North American. I though they should have picked Megan because she is a better (and louder) public speaker, but I held my own. I also sang a solo which should tell how desperate we are for talent here. I practiced so much, but was very nervous. I didn't do as well as I'd done in practice, but it was OK. I think it's the first solo I've ever sung, not including our karaoke adventures at Stockmans!! I think the congregation was just happy that one of our sweet, but totally tone deaf Filipino girls didn't sing again!

After church I had an open house which turned out well. I even have a Christmas "tree" with lights and ornaments and icicle lights. They really make the gold on the pillars shine!! I even got some of the kids playing Scrabble, so it was truly a joyful event for me!!

I have 2 1/2 days left of school, then it's break, glorious break. I still have one school bazaar (where I have to sing Christmas carols), one community time with the students, and one staff breakfast to survive, then I'm sleeping for 2 days!!

I will be in Damascus until Christmas day, so I will try to write before I leave...If not, a very Happy Christmas to all!

Ode to Chagness

You may talk of milk and honey, when you've got a lot of money
And you're not too stressed 'bout paying all your bills
But when it comes to teaching, you may have to do some reaching
Even if it takes you far from home and friendly hills.
Now in Syria's sunny clime, where I've never spent much time,
I have little taste for risky foriegn offers,
My little niece called "Chag", picked up her hat and bag
And ventured there to bolster up her coffers.


It was "Chag, Chag, Chag"You red-necked little educator "Chag"
Winter here is kinda cold and ugly as a troll,
but "The desert's hot as Hell", my Darling Chag.

Now the bathing suit she wore, was nothing much before,
And rather less than half of that behind ,
For a twisted piece of rag and a tattered carpet bag
Was all the gear she had the time to find.
She landed in Damacus, she didn't stop to ask us,
if we thought she ever would return.
You can bet your blooming nut , 'cause I feel it in my gut,
that she's there to stay, a time to teach and learn.


Again, it's" Chag, Chag, Chag".
You squiggy nosed delinquent, little Chag
I've loved you when you hit me
And even when you bit me.
You'll always be my favorite, cuddly Chag.


When God rings the final bell, and I find myself in Hell
Serving double time in labor for my sin .
You'll be squatting on the coals, reading books to poor damned souls,
I'll wink at you and flash my toothless grin.

Yes, it's "Chag Chag Chag"
My long lost little sweetheart, pretty Chag.
Though I've belted you and flayed you
By the living God that made you,
I'll look forward to great lessons from my Chag.

New Vendor in Damascus

There once was an uncle named, Curtis,

Who thought changing jobs wouldn't hurt us.

He's now serving tea,

As plainly you see

with now no time to pervert us.

******************


May the fleas of a thousand camels abide in his armpits.

Comments

I have limited access to my blog, but I think I have changes it so anyone can leave comments, not just those who have registered. Try it out!! All the cool people are doing it.

Making Sense of the Nunsense

I am CLEARLY a pilgrim in that picture. Us Puritan woman wear the white bonnet as a sign of our virtue and Godliness. I know the ship says Nina, but Mayflower was much too long to put on such a small, humble ship. I didn't think the Mahoney brothers would even notice the ship. They do have a history of not seeing vehicles on the side of the road, especially in foreign countries.

About the only wildlife I have seen in Syria involves stray cats, but this week alone, I've encountered two rare, virtually unseen animals. I think they both say a lot about the effects of growth hormones on animals.

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. Christmas is right around the corner! I'd love to get a few Christmas cards (big hint). Remember my address here is Damascus Community School, Channin Becker 428 Thunderbird Rd Box 149, Phoenix, AZ 85022. I can get photos as long as the envelope has enough postage!

Happy Thanksgiving

From across the global...a very happy Thanksgiving to you.

Ode to Bob's

The taste of grease soaked in a bun,
A trip to Bob's Burgers, great family fun!
Whoever said Disney was the best place on earth,
Never ventured to Bob's to quench their great thirst.
To wait a few hours, a small price to pay,
For the joy of sitting on the asphalt all day.
Never mind when Poopa gets tired and cross,
It'll all be forgotten with the fries and the sauce.
The milkshakes are real, only freshest of dairy,
But what's in the meat? Don't ask, it's quite scary.
Ah, the memories of Bob's, but oh, such a pity,
that we can't meet more in our sweet, Baker City!!

Palmyra

This weekend I took my first big trip outside Damascus. A couple of veteran teachers, Evelyn and Lynn, and Lynn's daughter, Chaeli, Megan and I hired a car to drive us. It was a nice, new 4 wheel drive, the only problem was, it only held 4 passengers. One of us, usually Megan and Spunky, ended up riding in the back with all the luggage. The Syrian man who owned the car kept telling us, "it's new, very nice" and we kept telling him, "yes, it's very nice. For 4 people!". It wasn't a bad ride despite that little issue. They let me play singing games in the car.

We stayed in a nice, little hotel right on the Palmyra's ruins. Palmyra is an ancient dessert oasis that was located on the Silk Road. In it's heyday, it much have been one spectacular place. There were hardly any tourist there, and the ruins just lie out in the the open, no fences, no parking lots. The town is quite small and tourism is about the only thing the town has, so we got haggled a lot. The people are really quite nice despite the desperation. The oasis is something. All you see is desert forever then there's this big, green area with water just springing up from the sand. Damascus look green and lush after two days in Palmyra.

We took a camel ride. I know I swore I would not ride a camel, but it was actually pretty fun. It was a little hairy when the camel got up and down, but once we were riding, it was actually more comfy than riding a horse. I could probably be talked in to during a caravan into the desert for a few days.

We visited the castle and a tomb. We walked on top of the tomb which made me very nervous, but the pictures turned out great. They aren't too blurry from my shaking.

Just Another Weekend

I was supposed to go to Palmyra this weekend, but the trip got cancelled, so I am staying home and doing mundane weekend-type things.

The commissary at the American Embassy got a new shipment in, so a group of us walked up there and invaded the place. A lot of the stuff you can get in Syria, but other things you can't or they are very expensive. The commissary can be spendy too since they have to ship all the stuff over to Lebanon and then truck it from there. It's a good place to pick up pork product when you so need a slab of bacon. I also get cat litter and food there. I saw this sign on the way there. It's my favorite sign here yet because Syrian's love to drive with one hand on the horn, one on their mobile. It drives me crazy! We decided that the Syrian pastime was seeing how close you can come to a pedestrian without actually hitting him. I seriously think they speed up when they seem people crossing!

I went out last night to the Marine Bar. It's not quite as exciting as Stockman's on a Thursday night, but what we lack in entertainment, we made up for in teeth and a high school education.

This next week is our BIG Harry Potter Halloween. This school goes all out. Since they don't have Halloween in Syria, it is the kids' only chance to have this experience. We are turning the school into Hogwarts, complete with Diagon Alley were the kids decorate their own brooms, wands, "Boo" bags, eat snacks in the Great Hall, play Muggle Quidich, and trick-or-treat (of course). I am going to be Tonks, so I'm tie-dying a Weird Sister t-shirt and tights, wearing my robe, and painting my hair pink. We'll work on the spikes, but I think my hair might be too long. Look for the pictures at the end of the week! Our director is going to be Dumbledore, and he wasn't' too happy to hear that he might be gay!

Wishing you all a happy weekend!! If you haven't registered with Google so you can make comments, please do. I miss hearing from all you!

Great Adventurette

Here I am looking oh-so outdoorsy! These rocks were beautful, but also very sandy. I didn't want my pants to get dirty. Nice picture though.

Look Over Jordan and What Did I See?

I'm back from my exhausting, yet amazing trip to Jordan. We took a taxi from Damascus to Amman, Jordan (which cost about $20 each) directly after school on Thursday, and spent the night in Mad'aba. We picked Allison's sister, Jody up at the airport. She lives in Egypt, and flew over for the weekend.

Our first day we visited Mt. Nebo, the sight where Moses saw the promise land. It is near the "Moses Spring" where he hit the rock with a stick and water poured out. We then drove down the rode a bit to the site where Jesus was baptized. The actual spot is now dry because of dams, but we did go to the river where they baptize people today. In the picture, I am getting water at this site. Right across the river is Israel. If you check out my Shutterfly, I took several pictures of this. It's the closest I'll come to the Holy land for quite awhile. Both sites were amazing. To think that I was standing where Jesus, John, Moses stood is beyond words.

Next we departed from our spiritual journey to hit the Meridian Hotel on the Dead Sea. We were all jonesing for a burger, so we went to "Champions" at the hotel. It was a spot-on replica of an American restaurant. I could have been at Chili's in Portland. We had the best nachos and burgers, then walked down to the sea. We didn't swim because we were so hot and tired from all the holy sites, and we didn't want all that salty residue on our skin. We headed south to Petra and checked into our lovely, Amra Palace Hotel.

I LOVED Petra. I actually didn't know what it was before, but if you've seen Indiana Jones, this is the place! It's a Nabetaen city that was carved out of the rocks in the canyons and hills of that area. The Nabetaen's were very ingenious and created aqueducts, underwater reservoirs, and beautiful carvings. The pictures don't do it justice. We actually stayed there one day longer than we'd planned. The last night, we slept in the desert in a Bedouin camp. It was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time.

It was a long trek home, but definitely worth it. We got back late Monday night, and had to be at work the next morning. I figure I can sleep anytime, but a trip to Jordan is a rarity. I can't wait to go back.

Will post my pics on Shutterfly ASAP!!

Whirling Dervish

You can throw a whirling dervish out of whirl, but how do you solve a problem like Maria? Isn't that really want we've all been pondering these many years. You probably could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl, but I don't think you'd want to. They might get tangled in their long robe and fall on you. That would be awkward.

Our PTA Iftar last night was really nice. The WD were pretty cool, but that's their only move (oh look, more spinning), so you wouldn't want to watch them for long periods of time. I am not sure how they do it without getting dizzy because they don't "spot" like a dancer would. They almost look like they go into some sort of trance, but then they stop suddenly without stumbling and falling like we used to as kids (or like an uncle Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named after too many drinkie poohs).

This weekend is there is a big party out at the Shell Club (as in Shell Gas). It's supposed to be the nicest one of the year, besides the galas. I'm just going because I heard chicken fajitas, and when they mentioned margaritas, they didn't hurt matters either. It's out in Mezze which is sort of a suburb of Damascus where a lot of Shell employees and other well-to-do people live.

And...can't leave a blog without mentioning cats! Habibi is back. The vet and I enticed her back in with canned cat food and mother's guilt. The vet went to Lebanon this week and picked me up a scratching pole and some little toys. Lebanon must look like one big Wal-Mart because people are always saying, "oh, I'll get that next time I go to Lebanon". Anything not found in Syria is sure to be in Lebanon. Anyway, Habibi is back, ready or not.

Here I Am!

I case you were wondering, this is where I am. This is a bulletin board they put up in my old classroom. My CASS kids probably know Middle Eastern geography better than most American adults. I'm sure Derek has MapQuested and Google Earthed me already, and could tell you exactally how to get to my house! The other Derek would probably move to Syria to stalk me, but I'm sure he's too busy showing Ashlee the ropes.

Weeked Fun

I had a busy weekend. Thursday night started out with a birthday part at the Marine Bar. It was about as wild as the Marine Bar gets, which means a few beers, they guys play pool, and if things get real crazy, we dance. Home at 1:00, alone.

Friday night my neighbors, Maureen and Rene, had a party at their house. It was very convenient for me since I only had to walk across the hall. Maureen is from Beaverton, can you believe that? Rene is a Salsa dancer, so that was fun.

Last night we went into the Old City to have pizza. They are tearing Straight Street up, and it's a mess. Megan wanted to pick up one of the rocks because she thought it'd be neat to have part of the Old City. I didn't think the broken up concrete was all that old. You have to dig about 5 meters down to get to the real Old City because they just build on top of the old rubble.

I am trying to tame one of "my" cats. I've named it Habibi. She's so cute, and let's me hold and pet her, but when I shut her in, she went nuts. I let her out after the third time she banged into the glass door. We'll see what the vet says. She might just be a nice outdoor cat who comes in to visit occasionally.

Love your comments. My Uncles are trying to get a rafting trip together, anyone interested. Please apply to Curtis or Moe!!

I Love Rugs!

This poem is dedicated to my wonderful Uncle Curtis.

I love rugs in my home.
I love rugs where ever I roam.
I love rugs with lots of color,
I love rugs like no other.
I love rugs from the souk,
Rugs can cover stains of puke.
I love rugs and rugs on rugs,
The yearn to buy more (on eBay),
tugs and tugs.
I even love rugs for the hallway.
Just like my uncle, Curtis Holloway.

Remembering Steve

A year ago today, a terrible tragedy occurred in my family. My cousin Steve sadly lost his battle with mental illness, and took his own life. Today I’d like to remember Steve, not for how he died, but for how he lived.

Steve is my cousin by marriage, but in all my memory, Steve has been a part of our family. I actually have no memory of trips to Baker without Steve being involved. He was a great, big cousin to us visiting Nebraska kids. Steve took me on my first kayak ride down the Powder River, and rushed us to the beach so we could see our first ever sunset on the beach.

Steve loved a good discussion. We rarely saw eye to eye, but he was a great debater, and was very passionate about what he believed in. And did Steve ever love a good, long story (which he told with the same passion he debated with)! Steve was a details man, and never forgot on iota of information. It would drive me crazy and awe me all at once. Steve could remember times, dates, amounts, and historical events like nobody I knew!

Steve was the hardest worker I’ve ever known. He could work rain or shine, and was so loyal to Christensen Electric, even toting their logo on all his clothing! He was known as a gentleman, in the building where he worked, and was admired for having a genuine goodness that is not often found.

Most importantly, Steve loved his family. Steve was a devoted father and husband. There wasn’t anything Steve wouldn’t do for his family. He was a wonderful provider, and worked so hard to make a home for them. They are his true legacy.

In all my heart, I hope that Steve has finally found his peace. I hope he is in Heaven, hanging out with Noah, discussing cubits or throwing a few horseshoes with David. Maybe he’s even found someone who likes the Farming game! That would definitely be Heaven for Steve, and we all know that game does take an eternity to play!

Lisa, Joel, Holly, Carrie, and Jenny, I love and miss you, and want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Channin

30 Days

This weekend we had the school's 50th anniversary celebration. Make sure you check out Shutterfly to see all the pictures. Now that I am able to download onto my computer, I hope to get a little video made to put on my blog.

This weekend I spent 8 hours moving to a new classroom, so the classroom picture is of my old class. Needless to say, I was very upset about being called at home at 10 o'clock on my Sunday to come pack boxes of books. Of course, being the shy person that I am, I barely said a word! OK, so I didn't throw things. Well, maybe I tossed a few books into boxes with excess force, but whatever!

The weather is finally starting to cool down! I actually opened my doors to let the breeze in. Of course, the weird, walleyed cat thought it should come in too. It has one eye that looks up. I can't decide if it's cute or really creepy!

Today is my one month anniversary of being in Syria. I think I've learned about one Arabic word/phrase a day. If I keep it up, I may be able to speak to 3 year olds by the end of the school year. The men at the taxi "store" next to my house always greet me, so I learned to say, "good morning" and "good evening". The one guy was so excited he gave me a big high 5! Yea, I'm cool.

Tonight was our elementary school open house. No parents came to my table. I felt like the little kid trying to sell lemonade when nobody wants to buy. One of the teachers sat down and chatted with me so I didn't feel like quite a loser.

Don't forget...3 days until Ramadan!

I Am a Winner

A "special" thanks to Curtis for this picture. At last my secret is revealed and the burden lifted from my shoulders!

Things That Tick You Off in a Foreign Country

The director just put a handout in our boxes about the stages of adjusting to a new culture. They are happiness (tourist stage), hostility, humor, and home. Well, I am still loving it here, but I have to say, there are some things that seriously irritate me. It's not the big things, like taking your life in your hands everytime you cross the street or the clerk stalking you in every store. No, it's the great invention called electricity! I cannot tell you how much trouble I have here with all things that plug in. Most of the appliances are made for European homes, so the voltage is correct, but the plugs are too big. So, I go to the store and buy adaptors and a power strip. Problem solved? Oh, no, no, no my friend. That would be EASY! Some of my appliances work with one adaptor, but not the other, but only in certain outlets. Any guesses why? Me either. So today I toasted my waffles in the "room with no purpose" because the outlets in the kitchen don't seem to like my new toaster. I bought the power strip so I could plug in my hairdryer and table lamp at the same time, but again, it doesn't fit in the socket in my bedroom.

Then we get to the air conditioners! I guess I shouldn't complain too much because the living room and bedroom ACs work wonderfully. The AC in the kitchen has a mind of it's own, however! The remote says it's blowing at 70% at 16 C, but every time I try to turn the percentage up, it raises the temperature. 16C should be freezing me out, but instead my kitchen is roasting. Every once in a while the temp changes in 31 (which is 80F ish), so I think that is the true climate of my kitchen. The sad things is....the instructions are all in English!!

I have now conquered the gas stove and oven, which is good. I am about 90% on remembering to turn my water heater on and off. The hot water heater also heats the water for the radiators, so if I forget, the nice, warm, tropical climate in my living room is a good reminder!

Meg and I went to Cham City Center to go shopping yesterday. It's the biggest and nicest shopping center in Damascus. It really is nice too! It has a nice electronic store and supermarket where nobody stalks you as you shop!! There are many clothing stores, but I too busy getting the basics (mixing bowls, vacuum, toaster) to bother with clothing just yet. The mall isn't as adventurous as going to the Souks, but it's much more convenient.

The Gang's All Here

At last, all the staff of DCS has arrived in Syria! We started school 9 days late, and had to have a few subs, but the first week went well. Initially I thought I was going to have to teach a high school psych class, but that teacher made it in time.

Last night (Thursday) we had a Welcome Back party at our director, John's, house. It was the first time we had a chance to meet the returning teachers and the first time that we were all together as a staff. It was also the first time I had Mexican food in Syria, and it was soooo good. Afterwards a group of went to the Marine House (Bar) and had some drinks and played pool and Foosball. I seriously lack in any Foosball skills-how sad is that?!

Today has been a lazy day. I went to church this morning then came home and took a nap. I woke up and watch The Sound of Music (yes the REAL one) then came to school to call Laura and Mom. I hope you didn't get in trouble Laura!! Fridays are pretty quite since most of the stores are closed. There is a nice Christian shop on the way home from church that is open. They have the widest range of alcohol that I've seen, but I feel really wrong buying booze on my way home from church!!

Tomorrow my friend, Meg, and I are going to Cham Center, a big shopping center. I have a long list of things to get, including a vacuum. I hear it has the best super market in Damascus. I'll let you know. Shopping is always an adventure here. So far I've figured out what the purpose of most products are, but there are a few things I'm unsure about. I also bought a new camera this week so look for some pictures and, possibly, video in the next week!

Thanks for all the comments! It's great to hear from everyone back home.

Daily life

Well, life is starting to feel pretty normal now. I am establishing all
the little routines like going to work, working out, shopping. I love
walking to work in the morning. The streets are pretty quiet becauseSyrians
tend to stay up late and sleep in late, so it's usually a few men
washing cars, the guards, and me. The guards all recognize me and we
always exchange pleasantries. It's good to be nice to the men holding
AK47s!

School starts tomorrow! The maintenance crew has done an
amazing job with the school grounds. I wish I had a before and after
picture. It is really had to keep things looking new and clean in such
a hot, dry climate.

Somehow Meg and I got signed up to lead worship at church on Friday (that's when we have it since
Sunday is a workday here). I guess people were happy that we could sing
and speak English clearly. Bless their hearts, but the Filipino women
who are singing now are very difficult to understand, and none of us
are quite sure which song we are singing (even after they start)! Our
little church is called All-Saints of Damascus. It's very small, and
doesn't have a minister right now. The past minister was American, and
couldn't renew his visa anymore. They have ministers who want to come,
but they live in "Occupied Palestine" (or Israel as we know it)and are
not able to come to Syria.

Make sure to leave a comment! I am having them sent to my email address now-the site is blocked, but I got around that!

Bludan

Yesterday we (all 33 of us) took a charter bus to the city of Bludan which is Northwest of Damscus, in the AntiLebanon mountains. We ate at a wondeful restaurant that had a spring running through it. It had nice canvas canopies to keep the sun off, and it was so nice and cool. They served us TONS of great, Syrian food. We had so much, that when the brought dessert (fruit) they put it on the two table next to us, and we moved to the other tables. There simply wasn't room at our tables. I don't think I've ever been served quite so much food! I tried almost everything-hommos, taboola, baaba ghanooj, tahina,chicken, lamb-except the raw lamb (I don't know what it's called here)!

Can you find me in the pictures? Look on the right side half way down the table! The stand on the left that looks like a tin can is actually called "Hubbly, Bubbly". It's has a little bit of tobacco with a lot of flavoring, such as apple, rose, strawberry, and people smoke it. It's all the rage right now, and you see people having a hubbly bubbly after meals or with coffee. It isn't obnoxious like cigarette smoke unless you are in a tiny cafe and everyone is doing it.

Keeping Tabs

I am on Shutterfly. If you'd like to see my pictures, you can log on using my email address (chagnesinsyria@yahoo.com) with a password seechannin. My friend, Megan, was kind enough to forward some photos she's taken in the neighborhood, so there's some pictures taken here, even though I don't have a digi cam yet!

Today I bought a rug! Carol, a teacher who has been here 15 years, took a few of us to a wonderful rug dealer, Elias, down in the Christian Quarter of Old Damscus. He had some of the most beautiful rugs, so if someone could lend me $5,000, I'll get the one I really wanted. I got a nice, big, beautiful rug with white and blue. It makes the house feel much warmer since all the floors are marble. I have been working hard in my "garden" to get the fountain and lights cleaned. They turn the main water supply off at 4 pm, (which I didn't know) so I haven't filled my fountain yet. I thought the lights were all tin, but when I started cleaning them, I realized there ware glass panels that were just filthy. The one I finished actually looks really nice. Any advice on growing jasmine?

Today we are going to the commisary at the Embassy. I don't know if I'll join since we can get most everything in the Souke or at the shopping center. I would like to get oatmeal and Slenda! Not sure if it's work $100 membership fee.

Mosque

This is the Omayyad Mosque in Old Damascus.

Right now I am unable to check postings, but please keep writing, I'll be able to get them eventually!

The Road to Damascus

After two very long, but uneventful days of travel, I have arrived in Syria. There is so much to tell about that I don't even know where to start!

THE CITY-Damascus has about 3 million people, and it is very busy and crowded. The traffic is insane with cars weaving every which way, people clinging on the back of trucks, no carseats, gawdy buses painted every color and adorned with mirrors, and the occasional horse and cart. The funny thing is, nobody seems to be stressed and I haven't seen an accident! We went to the Old City to the Souke or market. We visited the mosque, but since I don't have my book with me, I can't tell you the name. We went down the road called Straight to the house of Ananias. I'm sure when Paul was there, the 1970 Cadillac was not parked on the street!

MY HOUSE-It's big, about 1,500 sq feet with high ceilings. The furniture in my bedroom is huge and white lacquered. Nice. From what I've seen, I scored with the aparments. I have 1 1/2 baths (yes, Chad I do have a toilet, two infact), 2 bedrooms, a dining room, living room, kitchen, and 2 verandas with fountains. One is in front on the street, so I don't really use it, but I am going to get the fountain in the back going and try to revive the jasmine and palm trees.

THE SCHOOL-Talk about security! The school really is a compound with a security door and turn stiles. Once inside it is like a little college. There is a nice gym that I used last night after I locked myself out and had to wait for the key!My classroom is small, but very well equiped. Of course, I will only have 5-6 kids at a time, so the size isn't important.

SYRIANS-The people here are so friendly and easy-going. Some of the other teachers have taught in Qatar and Saudie and even they are shocked.

SHOPPING-Whoever told me that products were hard to get here, lied! I even found Tide and Downy, Laughing Cow cheese, and Kraft mayo (alas, no Best Foods). I live right by the Guess store, and can't wait to go in there. My neighborhood has lots of shops, cafes, spas, hairdressers. Yes, I already found a hairdresser-my #1 priority!

Lots of love to all!!!!!!

The Countdown

My wonderful family and friends helped my move out of my apartment, and my belongings are safely stowed in an undisclosed location in Eastern Oregon. All went smoothly until Butch and Penny hit Baker County and their truck (with all my stuff) broke down! They had to be towed into Baker, and Butch spent the better half of the morning trying to put a belt in the truck. Their help and generosity is great appreciated!!

Holloway Cousins

Pictured above are: Challey,Channin,Lisa and Maureen. This picture was taken July 21, 2007 at the Bartshe Cousins Reunion.

Catherine Creek

This is the bridge at Catherine Creek. It's one of my family's favorite places to picnic. Every time we come here we build at least one dam across the creek. I'm not sure if that is really good for the eco system, but we have a dam good time doing it!

Baker City

I have been hanging out in Eastern Oregon with my family. We have had a great time. My cousins went camping at Anthony Lake, but I just went up for the day. Nine of us set out to hike to the peak of Gunsight Point. Only 5 made it, but we had fun and felt very outdoorsy since we didn't have a trail to follow. Last night we went bowling. Guess who bowled a 163? It must have been a fluke! My friend, Maggie, Railsback, is coming on Monday, and we are going camping for a few days.

Wallowa Lake

Laura and I just spent four wonderful days at Wallowa Lake. We rented a yurt, so we weren't exactally roughing it, but we did cook over the fire. Camping, city girl style. I just figured out how to add photos, so I will add those soon! We took the tram up to the peak of Mt. Howard, and spent a beautiful afternoon hiking around and taking in all the views. We went into town and few times and did some shopping. It's such a cute little town. I decided I was going to move there when I got back from Syria!

We are taking off on Thursday for British Colombia to visit my friends Anna, Gray and Andrea, friends of mine from Manarola. Will take (and post) pictures next time!

Getting ready

I thought I'd set up my own blog so everyone can keep up with me when I leave for Syria! I have 6 more days of school, then I'm off for the summer! I have joined the 21st century and bought a digital camera, so check back to see picture of Laura and my trips to Wallowa Lake and Victoria BC, the Bartshe family reunion, and the birthday/Bon Voyage party.