Christmas traditions? I don't know

So Christmas turned out better than I thought, and much better than last year. I think last year I spent Christmas studying Arabic alone in my apartment…not that is was bad, just not quite what I was used to. Anyway, I pretty much pictured this Christmas being the same. However, Christmas eve, after work I went to play squash (which I am getting quite good at) with a couple friends. Afterward, one of the guys invited me to come over to his house for Christmas eve with his family (just his mom and sister) and another friend. It was a lot of fun. They are Christian and so they celebrate Christmas. I love it when I get to go to people house here and meet their family, it is my favorite part about living here, especially now because I can converse well in Arabic. Arab families can be so much fun and friendly once you get to know them…I love it. I stayed there until about 11:30.

Christmas morning was very nice as well. I went to the church for their Christmas service. Most of the service was singing, which was really great because I got to sing Arabic Christmas songs. There are some hymns in Arabic that are absolutely amazing, and today was the first time I heard the Arabic Christmas carols (some were translations of our carols, some where Arabic originals). After the service a big group of people went to visit the pastor and have Christmas cookies and Arabic coffee. I made it back to the apartment around 2pm and spent the rest of the day listening to sermons and studying Arabic, until it got late enough here to call my dad back in Alaska.

I am sorry I did not take any pictures of the ‘holiday events’ here, but here is a picture of the biggest Christmas tree in Jordan. It is in a village called Fuheis, the only majority Christian village in Jordan. It is kinda neat. I saw this when I went to visit a couple friends who live there.

I am hoping to make a trip to Jerusalem for the new year to visit the Hollidays and the Shakkours. Hopefully the recent fighting won’t shut down the borders, but you never know…such is life in the Middle East.

cars, shoes, and oil production

yeah, I know, it's a weird title, but it will make sense by the end. I didn't have any one thing that I felt deserved an entire post, so I decided to post a few different things that have been on my mind.

The first is a left over from the recent vacation we had here. During the holiday I rented a car for two days so that I could take a couple friends to a couple places here in Jordan. At first I was somewhat hesitant because driving in Jordan is VERY different than in Alaska, probably as far opposite as it could be. However, I decided to go for it anyway since the car came with insurance. As it turns out it was easier than I anticipated, and I happen to be a very good Jordanian driver (though for those of you who already doubt my driving, it is probably best you never come driving with me in the middle east). I actually had alot of fun just driving around. I didn't realize how much I miss driving. I was like an adventure just being in the car. (that is for you Brian). The car was a Puegot 206. It is a nice car.

Thought number two, President Bush's shoe dodging ability. Who knew that the aged president was so quick and nimble at avoiding projectile footwear! You can imagine that this video has been on every single computer and TV screen in the arab world. People have been asking me for the last three days "hey did you see what happened to Bush?? what do you think?" I tell them I am very proud of my president, he displayed remarkable agility, and a sense of good humor to boot... By the way, for those who don't know, taking off and throwing your shoe at someone is the biggest insult you could perform in arab culture, and being called a dog is one of the most insulting things you could say. The fact that this guy is still alive says something about freedom of speech by American standards and that which existed under Saddam.

Thought number three; I recently read that OPEC is cutting oil production by 2.2 million barrels/day, which sparked my interest to see just how much oil is produced per day around the world. The number varied a bit depending on the source, but a rough estimate is about 80 million barrels per day. To give you an idea of how much oil that is, Lake Erie (the world's tenth largest lake) is about 4137 million barrels. That means that in around 50 days the world produces "one Lake Erie" of oil. Or for those in the Mid East, it is 'one Dead Sea' in 16 days. Now, in case that doesn't shock you, this is oil PRODUCTION, not oil extraction. In general, oil production is not a very efficient process, and thus a large portion of the oil extracted is either unusable, wasted, or reinserted into the ground.
I guess this is just food for thought next time you fill up your car, buy an imported product (shipping is the largest use of crude oil in the world), or use a plastic product...

The Dead Sea

Why I love Google Earth

So the holiday break here is now officially at an end here in Jordan, but I ended up being able to go out more than I had originally expected. Definitely more than I did last year. The first three days I spent in the house studying arabic and doing some computer work. The next day a couple friends from Lebanon came over to Jordan, so I spent the day with them visiting people in Amman and a couple of the neighborhoods close by. However, the day after I had been planning a two day camping/hiking trip with a number of the guys from the church and friends from the university. So in preparation for the trip I had to find a nice place to show them. Most Jordanians have never done any kind of exploring of Jordan. Their idea of camping is to take a bunch of stuff in a car, stop on the side of the highway, and have a big meal then sit around. Anyway, a friend of mine has a couple books about hiking here in Jordan that she let me borrow, they have almost all of the valleys along the dead sea in them. So I found a valley that sounded interesting and semi-easy and went to Google Earth. About a month ago I bought a subscription to google earth and some extra software so that it can be integrated with my GPS, all told it was only about 35$. I found the valley on Google Earth, zoomed in, mapped the route on the software, then transferred it to my GPS. After than I downloaded the satellite images to my cellphone, since I don't have a basemap of the middle east on the GPS. I zoomed in and got fairly detailed images of the route (not that all this was nesecary since I had the cooridinates and since it is a valley/canyon which makes it difficult to get lost...but it was cool anyway). By the way, the valley we walked in used to be part of the land of Edom, near the border of Moab.

I spent the night before the trip shopping for supplies, because I knew if I let them do the shopping we'd end up carrying way too much stuff (as it turns out they bought a bunch of extra stuff anyway). We left the next morning, drove past the dead sea, passed al-Karak (a major stronghold from the crusader period with a huge castle), and arrived at the valley entrance via the GPS marker. The hike was alot of fun, though the trail turned out to be more difficult than expected due to higher than average water levels, and some of the less fit guys had a hard time. We ended up only walking about 3 miles in (which took 4 hours) then stopping, set up camp, had a big dinner, and played cards via moonlight and flashlights. The next morning we walked back to the cars and headed back for Amman. Overall it was a fun trip and I got to know the guys alot more personally, and got to show them some of their country. I will post pictures of the trip later.
Anyone interested in exploration and cartography, especially if you live overseas, I highly recommed the Google Earth/GPS option. The addition software I got was called "ge2gpx".

Ok, I am done rambling. signing off.

Sound Bytes

HAPPY HOLLIDAYS!!

...well at least here in Jordan (and the rest of the muslim world). Tomorrow is the big Islamic holiday of the year, called the holiday of sacrifice ('eid al-adha), which is based on when Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, but God stopped him. The story is the same in Islam, except for the vital point that muslim believe the son was Ishmael, not Isaac, even though the name is never mentioned in the Qu'ran. Anyway, what it means to me is that I have a week off of work. Holidays here are spent visiting the vast amount of family members, of which I have none, so I am kinda left out of the holiday scence. I will probably spend the majority of the vacation sitting at home studying/working on the plethera of things I have to do. Although I plan on renting a car for a couple days and trying to get a few friends together to go hiking in one of Jordan's scenic/historic places.

I've been trying to do alot of memorization work lately. Here is a sample of my apartment wall. Every week or two I tear down the verses and put new ones up. Also, I recorded one of the verses for anyone who is interested in knowing what Isaiah 53:3-6 sounds like in Arabic. It is actually very beautifully translated, I would say it carries the same weight and significance as our King James....umm apparently adding a sound file was not as straight forward as I thought. I was able to upload it to the location below, but can't seem to get Blogger to play the file itself. Perhaps some of your more experienced bloggers can tell me how. Thanks

http://www.box.net/shared/qcbe2q2eax

Thanksgiving alone?

I took the day off of work today so that I could study arabic at the University and see a few of my friends. During the day one my arab friends told me, Happy Thanksgiving. I said thanks, but I don't plan on celebrating it. I told him that I really only celebrate one holiday anymore, but I celebrate it every day of my life. He asked, what is that? I said Easter (Easter in Arabic is called 'Resurrection day' if you translate it). After about ten minutes my friend went to class and two girls came over and said, I heard what you said about easter, are you a Christian. I said, not in the traditional sense. They asked what I meant so I explained why I am the way the I am, and why I can celebrate Resurrection day every day of my life, and what that means...that simple opportunity is better than any festival this life can offer.

I have learned from my time here that Christ is truly my all in all. Sometimes I feel alone, but I am never alone. I may sit in my room every night with no one to talk to, but I still hear His voice. I might not see the smiles and laughter of friends, but His joy still fills my heart and soul. I may eat only the simplest of foods, but I have the Bread of life to sustain me.
No, I am never alone. My best friend is always with me.

Revival of the sportworld

So its been almost three months since I've played any real sport, besides working out in my apartment, which is pretty limited. However, two weeks ago one of my friends asked me if I had ever played squash. I said no, but that I had heard of it. Anyway, I went with them and borrowed a raquet. It was alot of fun (squash is the British cousin of raquetball). As it turns out I am pretty good at the game, I think from playing badminton with my dad a lot. We've been going twice a week now, and today I decided that I like the sport enough to invest money and buy my own raquet (about 80$) since you can't rent them at the gym. There is a group of guys that go with us, so it's been a great way to get to know them as well. It feels so good to get out and do something physical again. Sports are one of the biggest things I miss here in Jordan.

I don't really have much else to say. I'm trying to focus on studying formal arabic more. It is difficult because in every day conversation I never use it. But if I ever want to read and write I have to know it. Plus if I don't keep studying it I'll forget it. Strange to think that you can forget a language when you speak it every day...that's arabic for you.
By the way, sorry for stealing the title Tobi. We don't have (or obey) any kind of copyright laws here in the Middle East.


These pictures are unrelated to the post. I took them a couple months ago. They are of the southern desert. This is where they filmed Lawrence of Arabia. The bottom pic is bedouin tents.

one long week over

So tonight was the end of the big nanotechnology conference (that was a pun if anyone caught it). The conference ran from about 8am to 6pm each night, after which we went and had dinner, usually at the hotel where most of the visiting speakers were staying. It was very interesting, and I met lots of interesting people, and learned lots of stuff. My role in presentation turned out to be pretty small, only about 15 minutes. In response to a comment, the research I do is debatably important, because it is being done by lots of other people with much better research labs than mine, but it definitely has the potential to change our lives (imagine shrinking your electronics to 1/10th their size for beginners). I don't think I'll be famous any time soon. Although this week I met and had dinner with Dennis Hastert (former speaker of the house), the head of the Drug Evaluation Research in the FDA, the Prime Minister of Jordan, and a number of high ranking scientists. Basically, I just act and talk like an important person, dress nice, and people pay attention...but the fact remains that I am really a nobody, and I am glad for it. I don't like playing pretend.

since the conference is over, and this photo was displayed I can show it. The picture you see is actually Copper metal particles under UV light (aka black light). The red dots are clusters of nanoparticles, which glow red under UV (which normal copper does not do). Pretty cool huh?

Olives and Nanotechnology

So its been a absolutely crazy last two weeks. Tomorrow starts the kickoff to the big international conference on Nanotechnology and Commercial Applications that is being hosted here in Jordan. There is a total of about 200 experts from the field coming from all over the world. We have been working like crazy to try and get the results of my current research finalized so that I can publish it. Normally that wouldn't be an extremely difficult thing, however, I just started getting desired results from the experiment about 3 weeks ago. Long story short, it is very difficult to prove and finalize the production of metallic particles that are 50 nanometers big, that is 2000x smaller than the human hair, or about 20 times larger than the DNA double helix (for you biology nuts, or nurses :) Nevertheless, somehow I managed to get my research project on the schedule (probably cause the professor I work for is one of the organizers). I wish I could show you some pictures of the work, but the research is still under international IP rights...In addition I've been doing some extra work on the organizational side of things (Arabs need all the help they can get). This is the main reason I came back to the University this semester. After this conference things will slow down significantly for me, to the dissatisfaction of my professors.
On a somewhat disconnected topic I've been using my mp3 player alot while working in the lab, and I am very happy with it, especially the 25 hr battery life. Thanks to Sam Hammet for the recommendation.

Anyway, back the world of the macroscopic. Last Friday I spent the majority of the day preparing and bottling olives. I made four different recipes. They are mostly similar, but vary in salt concentration and some of the extra ingredients (like putting honey in one). The olives I bottled had been first soaked in water for one week, and as it turns out they will start to cure in ordinary water, because when I opened the bottle the lid shot off and hit the ceiling...pretty cool. After I rinsed them one more time I started "bruising" the olives with the hatchet or cutting them with the knife. This allows the curing brine to enter the olives. After the olives were bruised I put them in the bottles, using a different recipe for each bottle.

I also made an attempt using the Chemical method, of soaking olives in Sodium Hydroxide (20mL NaOH : 1 L Water). I soaked the olives in the NaOH solution for 12 hours, then in water for 12 hours. I repeated this process two more times. After the second time the olives were pretty much devoid of any sour taste. After the third time they pretty much devoid of any taste at all, except a slight hint of soap flavor. So I cut them open and let them soak for another 24 hours to remove the remaining Lye. Afterwards I bottled them in a special brine. Supposedly, after they have been Lye-cured you can put them in the brine and they will take on the flavor of whatever is in the brine after about 3 days. We'll see what happens .
I also dry cured some black (ripe) olives, using a dry salt recipe. I simply cut the olives, put them in a large plastic bowl and smothered them in salt. I was told that they will be ready in about 4,5 days.
Overall I bottled about 7 liters of olives, and still have some left over (like another gallon). I think I'll probably end up throwing them away. If I could send olives over seas I would...

OK, I'm tired. I'll try to post after the conference.
Thanks for the comments everyone.

What is man that thou art mindful of him?

I have noticed a great fault in myself. It is a faulty memory. I find that I so easily forget who and what I am. I forget who it is that has made me what I am, and who keeps me from becoming in reality what I am inside. I seem not to remember what I would be were if not for the grace of God, and that it is only His grace that keeps me from slipping.

When you live in third world or developing nations it can become all too easy to start looking at the people around you with some form of inferiority because they are uneducated, or because they are dirty, or 'uncivilized'. I hate the fact that my flesh wants me to believe that. I know that in my flesh there is no good thing. If there is anything good in me, it is not because of me. I know what I am; a worm. how can a worm be proud? he can ever only look up from the dirt in which he lives. Yes, a worm, I would be so lucky.

Today I renew my affirmation that it is truly by the grace of God I am what I am. I know that I am nothing. Yet, this knowledge leads me, for the millionth time, to ask the question, "why God, if I am nothing, have you given everything for me?" I think this question is the most wonderful thought that ever blessed the heart of man, for to me it is that very question which gives me the answers to my life.

Life is amazing and wonderful, if for no other reason than because we don't deserve it. Nevertheless we have it, and we have it because of Love. I pray I never take that for granted.

Olives Olives Everywhere

Although growing up in a place like Alaska affords an individual an incredible amount of privileges that 48er's and many other people don't get to experience (hunting, fishing - real fishing I mean, hockey at 20 below, ice fog, road kills, northern lights, and so much more), at some point the average alaskan realizes that he/she is lacking in some areas of knowledge and experience, which the rest of the world considers average [however, the things we learn as Alaskans far outweigh the things we lack...there is my alaskan pride :) ]. I remember when I went to Puerto Rico and learned, to my youthful surprise, that coconuts do not grow like I see them in the store, but rather are covered by a thick green husk. I remember my first few days in Chicago and learning that I had no inherent knowledge of how to ride the transit system (which turned out to be very easy). And last year I remember learning that Olives, depite looking very tasty while still on the tree are, in fact, incredibly bitter. The first, and last, time I tried it I thought I had been poisened and immediately spit it out, though the aftertaste lingered for almost an hour. Ever since that time I have been inquestive as to how those little fruits go from being so terribly nasty to the delicious olives I have eaten so often here.

So, that is my elongated preface to saying that I finally learned how to pick, prepare, cure, and serve Middle Eastern olives (which differ greatly from the black olives you buy in America). First the boring scienctific explanation behind why olives are so bitter to begin with (I put this first so you can as easily skip over it...I know some of you cringe when I say the words "science" and "explanation" because you think it will go on forever...for which you have ample and legitimate reason for such an opinion). As it turns out Olives (speficially the juice) contain a strong akaline acid called glucocide which causes them to taste so bitter. In order to get rid of the bitter taste the natural pH of the olive juice has to be severely reduced or completely neutralized. Traditionally this has been done by cracking the olive skin and letting them soak in water until the nuetral pH of the water dilutes the acidic pH of the olive. Another method is to use a weak base to accelerate the neutralization process. The most accessible, common, and safe base is sodium chloride - NaCl (household salt) or potassium chloride - KCl (sea salt). After a period of time the glucocide is leached out/neutralized and the olive becomes pleasent for consumption...see that wasn't so bad :)

Anyway, back to the story. It is olive season in the Middle East and I was talking to a couple friends about olives. One of my friends owns an olive orchard and brought me a bottle of olives their family prepared. However, that didn't satisfy me cause I wanted to learn HOW to do it myself (also a trait very strong in most Alaskans). I was invited by another friend, who a owns a small garden with olive trees, to come and pick as many olives as I want. So this saturday I made the trip to East Amman (the poor district of Amman, and 2 hour bus ride) to meet with my friend and her family. We spent lots of time talking, eating, and drinking tea with way too much sugar (standard arab hospitality, which always seems above and beyond to me). They helped me pick about 3 gallons of olives, which was way too much but they insisted emphatically. They also gave me a bunch of fresh mint, rosemary, and maraweesh (I don't know the english name). Then taught me how they traditionally prepare and cure the olives. In return I taught them how to play cards (I was incredibly shocked to learn they didn't know how).

When I got home I rinsed and seperated the olives. Some are green (unripe) and some are black (ripe). The only difference is the curing time, as more ripe olives are softer and have less akaline acid. I have read a number of sites on the internet that describe different ways to prepare the olives, and have decided to make an experiment out of storehouse of olives I now have. Most of the methods are similar, but they use different concentrations of salt, curing times, and various flavor additives like lemon, vinegar, rosemary, basil, etc. Another method which I am going to try is to use Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), aka Lye, which is a moderately powerful base, that is supposed to take the curing time down from a month (using salt) to less than a week. Because of its caustic nature many people don't feel comfortable using corrosive chemicals that emit hydrogen gas. I, on the other hand, felt I had to try it (since I use to use NaOH to create adoloscent mischief I thought maybe I could put my powers to use for Good). Plus, it just so happened that I've got about 10 kg of NaOH sitting my laboratory at the University.

I will keep you updated on the process and results of the various tecniques and recipes. I am exctied, I feel like knowing how to cure my own olives is a vital part of my middle eastern identity...it's like being alaskan and not knowing anything about blueberries or cranberries or raspberries...shameful haha.

A Child's prayer

I don't know why he named this A Child's Prayer. Perhaps he did not have the conventional meaning of the word in mind...
The poem is much prettier when you read it aloud and with proper timing (emphasis on the last syllable of each stanza). And in order to make it rhyme properly you have to read it with an english accent (otherwise 'come' and 'home' sound weird)...Or just enjoy the poem as is :)

A CHILD'S HYMN
Charles Dickens

Hear my prayer, O heavenly Father,
Ere I lay me down to sleep;
Bid Thy angels, pure and holy,
Round my bed their vigil keep.

My sins are heavy, but Thy mercy
Far outweighs them, every one;
Down before Thy cross I cast them,
Trusting in Thy help alone.

Keep me through this night of peril
Underneath its boundless shade;
Take me to Thy rest, I pray Thee,
When my pilgrimage is made.

None shall measure out Thy patience
By the span of human thought;
None shall bound the tender mercies
Which Thy Holy Son has bought.

Pardon all my past transgressions,
Give me strength for days to come;
Guide and guard me with Thy blessing
Till Thy angels bid me home.

free write poetry

I wrote this a couple weeks ago, it still needs revision, let me know what you think. It's not a poem exactly, and its not an essay...I stole a bit from Yates and Shakespeare, but they wont mind.

What is life, tis but pain

Sorrow surrounds every choice we make. Even our purest intentions carry the weight of life's aching burdens: I have felt the wound and sorrow of knowing one who is lost to us, whose journey on this frail earth has ended; The pain of lonliness, whose wounds dig into our heart, and so often seem our only companion there; The agony of fear and doubt, always reminding us of our haunted past and paralyzing our dreams or tomorrow; The anguish of a defiled conscious, returning to us the wounds we have afflicted on those we love and tearing open the scars of yesterday; The hell of innocence lost, a paradise ripped away from us by our own hands, leaving only an intangible memory of what once was.
This is the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.
But let it not be in us to despise life's pains and count them an evil thing, for in so doing we scorn life itself. For I had not known love except I had known loss, and the same arrow which stings our heart with grief has barbs which fill our soul with joy; The same parting that bears the bitter taste of hell offers also to us the eternal scent of heaven; The torment of fear's dark oppression leads to the flowering of hope's glorious light, for one only knows the morning's sun if he has seen her shadow in the night; Those memories which torture our thoughts with the fog of yesterday likewise harbor its joys and its blessings, and the same mist which shades the lily grants to it the morning dew; The guilt of our defiled conscience, while we think it our enemy is in truth our most faithful friend, for how shall the sick be cured except he know his ailment.
It is true, life is pain, but while this pain veils the image of a paradise lost by Sin and announces the death earned thereby, it evermore reveals to us the beauty of Life and the Paradise which is purchased by the sacrifice of everlasting of Love.

Back from Lebanon (again)

Well, I finally feel confident in saying that I am recovered from the slew of bugs that I had caught, and it happened just in time (usually does when the Lord is involved) for my trip to Lebanon. Tuesday was the first day of the holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, which means everyone spends the holiday with their family and visiting relatives...so for foreigners it means that you spend alot of time sitting at home. All the more reason that made it a perfect time to head to Lebanon. Lebanon, by the way, is a much more open society. Nevertheless, the night before I left one of my jordanian friends came over and spent most of the day on wednesday with me, and another friend came over that night and watched a Bosnian movie with which (he is Bosnian-Palestinian), which made me really happy since it means I am slowly getting integrated.
Anyway, the trip to Lebanon was very good, despite the bus bomb that had went off the day before I arrived (it was up in the north, and far away from Beirut). When I arrived to the hostel I met this young guy from Australia who is working for the kings boarding school in Jordan. He is a pretty impressive young man. He is 20, spent 2 years in China, a year travelling in southeast asia, runs two NGO's, and has a plethara of 'friends in high places', including the president of the American University of Iraq. Anyway, we went over to Baalbek together. Baalbek has the world's tallest standing Roman pillars. The next three days I spent travelling and in meetings, all of which went well. I made it back to Amman Monday morning and went immediately to work. Life seems much brighter now that the weather has cooled off, sickness is gone, and Ramadan is over. Hope everyone is doing good back home.

No matter how many Roman ruins I see, I never get tired of them. Just look at the sheer size of these 2000 year old buildings.

still kickin

Hey everyone, this is just a quick note to let you all know that I am still alive and doing alriht, despite not emailing anyone. A couple weeks ago I thought I was over being sick, but turns out it was only the beginning. I ended up cathcing a bad flu and laryngitis to boot. I'd saying im almost recovered, but I don't want to jynx myself. Anyway, I'll write more later.

a book review

Obviously I have too much free time. I've never posted this often...don't get used to it. As soon as Ramadan is over I'll be lots busier.

Funny, the things we do in highschool, and hate, are the things that we end up repeating later on by our own desire and volition. Life’s irony never ceases to cause me to chuckle.

During my recent indisposedness (those times when you are conscious, but wish you weren’t cause you don’t have the energy or drive to do much of anything) I took the time to reread A Brave New World. It has been several years since I last read it. The book was just as (or more so) thought provoking, innovative, inspiring, and insightful than I remember. However, it was also more vulgar and, at parts, arguably inappropriate than I recall as well, and would therefore caution anyone reading it to be guarded about some portions (they may be simply skipped over, which is what I did).

For those who don’t know the plot or background I am not going to give much of it. Suffice it to say that it takes place in an unforeclosed future time where society is filled with genetically prearranged classes of people, preprogrammed to reproduce their assigned task. Happiness and comfort of the individual is the end all of human, or social, existence. Men and women are biologically conditioned to not think of anything that might lead to unhappiness, such as: love, guilt, hope, God, pain, etc. They are conditioned to indulge their basic whims and carnal desires, and to not deny themselves any pleasure. Basically, it is the Solomon of Ecclesiastes, but without chapter 12 or the realization that it is vanity (those undesirable consequences are silenced by drugs, which have no ill side-effects).

Anyway, in my opinion the book is insightful (nearly clairvoyant) because it captures the essence of the Humanistic society. In contrast to the Orwellian society, which is dominated by Fear and Repression of human freedoms, Huxley (the author) shows a society repressed by the unlimited access to human indulgences and freedom from consequence. I feel that Huxley, not Orwell, plays a more probable dirge to which our “free”, post-modern society is marching. It is a society which has all the pleasantries, trinkets, and amusements, yet without any of the prerequisites or consequences. It is a spoiled society, but yet so spoiled as to be ignorant that they are missing anything. I think it relates quite appropriately to western ‘civilization’.
I would sum the book up by a quote from Gibran Khalil Gibran; “Verily, the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral”.
Often we think that satan is trying to make the world full of bad people. The truth is, we do that ourselves. Satan, is trying to make us numb, soma sucking infants; anesthetized to the pain and guilt of our sin, as well as to our potential for good works. He is a roaring lion, but his roar may be the quiet offering of a bit more comfort, a little less self-denial, and a few more worldly pleasures…

Well that was my nerdy, academic post. I really do love good literature, it is such a thought-provoking (and for me, spiritual) exercise.If you want to understand the cartoon completely you'll probably have to read the book...I just didn't want to post without a picture...I guess I've been conditioned that 'pictures are good'.

Insomnia no longer a myth

I’ve always taken it for granted that I have never been seriously effected by jet lag…but I guess this last week has made up for it. Until today, I haven’t slept past 4am for the past week, no matter how tired I seem to feel. Even then it is broken sleep that lasts about two hours maximum. I attribute a large portion of this to being notably sick, sicker than I can remember being for a few years. I had considered going to a doctor, but a few days ago started to feel like I was getting better. It was one of those times when you wish your mommy was around...I am almost fully recovered now. So, between the jet lag and the sickness I had quite a lovely first week back in Jordan. I am glad that I at least had a place to lay down and not be bothered, even if it was 90 degrees in the apartment. The thing that was most annoying was that exhausted, nearly unconscious feeling you have when you are so tired that you can’t get anything done, but for some reason can’t sleep either, so you end up kinda existing in a semi-conscious stupor. The bright side (actually there are lots of bright sides) is that the first day I was here I went and bought a blender and a bunch of fruit. So, I’ve been eating smoothies for about 50% of my diet…they are ssooo good. And of course there is humus.
Things are going well here (despite my little sissy boy whining about insomnia and sickness). I started work a couple days ago. Working hours are officially 8-2, which really means about 9-1, so pretty easy start. Yesterday and today I was able to see a number of my old friends at the university. It was really nice to see them again. I saw a couple of the new language students struggling to learn the basics of Arabic, which made me feel pretty good, but that didn’t last very long, because about later that day I was talking to a friend on the phone. We were just discussing how the summer and telling stories, when in mid-sentence, she said to me, “you need to take some more Arabic courses”. Blunt and to the point…I thanked her for her arabness, and assured her I planned on improving my Arabic.
Well, I better get back to doing some productive (now that I can). Adios muchachos

A rough start

Well, I made it back to Jordan safe and mostly sound. The flight back (12 hours) was packed, and it was my luck to have a group of handicapped children sitting behind me who really didn’t understand why you are not supposed to beat on the back of the seat in front of you…oh well, no one likes to sleep on airplanes anyway. At least I had my new mp3 player (it’s a Sandisk knock off of an Ipod model, but less expensive and NOT Apple). Eventually the kids went to sleep and I was able to nod off for a couple hours. I was pretty tired since we spent the whole day walking around New York, or taking buses, subways, and ferries. I thought the transport system in New York was great: cheap, quick, and easy to use…maybe it’s improved since last year J.
When I arrived to Amman my friend picked me up and we had dinner together then went to see my apartment. This is where the fun really began…The apartment was supposed to be finished and everything ready, or so I had been informed. Now, anyone who has any experience in the Middle East is a fool to think that everything will ever go according to plan (no matter how simple that plan is). I was expecting some problems, but I had called and double checked before coming to make sure things were in order. Nevertheless, when we arrived at the apartment (about 10 pm) I discovered that the apartment was far from ready. It did not even have electricity or water hooked up, and the resident guard (a guy who watches over the building during the nights) said it probably won’t be done til end of Ramadan, which translates into ‘not until at least a month after Ramadan’. It was 10:30 at night, but that didn’t stop us from going around the neighborhood looking for apartments. Arabs are night people, especially during Ramadan. Everything was high priced and I was too tired to make a clear minded decision. My friend graciously offered (actually ordered) to let me stay at his place that night. He has internet at his place and so I tried getting in contact with my old roommate (who is in the states now) to see if the old apartment was open. Since I couldn’t sleep more than about three hours I ended up catching him on MSN around 4:30 am. Come to find out the old apartment was vacant, but the key is with his uncle (who lives in Amman). He said I could stay there until things work out. So the solution was easy enough: try to get some sleep, get up, contact his uncle, and go and get the key. Problem solved right? Nope. When morning rolled around (with no sleep thanks to jet lag) I couldn’t get a hold of the uncle, so I went with my friend to his work and then walked around Amman until 2pm when he got off work. Normally I like going into downtown Amman, however this time was not so fun. The temperature was around 100 degrees, I had almost no sleep for two days, I was catching the standard nasty cold that always comes when I change climate zones, and the worst part was I couldn’t eat or drink anything in public (which in Amman is everywhere). Needless to say, I’d had better days. Nevertheless, my spirits were high, and I tried to just embrace the hardship (with a fair amount of success). That afternoon we still had not got a hold of the uncle, but we found out where he lived, so after a short rest, my friend took me over the place. My roommate was supposed to have called him and let him know the situation, so everything would go smoothly…smoothly if anyone was home. As it turns out the uncle and all his family were away in Saudi Arabia and no one could get a hold of them.
Our options were running low at this point. Luckily, in the middle east families are well tied together, so I called my roommate and he got in contact with all the relatives he could to find out if they knew anything about the apartment key. I guess at this juncture the Lord figured the trial was sufficient and that my patience was sufficiently increased, because my roommate called me back and said that a cousin of his had a spare key and I could come pick it up that evening. So, after dinner with my friend we grabbed my stuff from his place and went to the apartment. I am so glad that I had my friend there to help me, the whole situation would have been much more difficult without him. He was incredibly helpful and hospitable. A real friend.
So anyway, that is my story about my first two days back in Amman. Had I not been tired and sick it probably would have been an average experience in Jordan. Nevertheless, I am thankful the experience, and the gracious watchfulness of the Shepherd in leading me through every challenge. It is truly comforting to know that God never stops looking out for His sheep.

Well, I better wrap this up. I start work tomorrow by the way. We'll see if things work out in that arena...

Here is a picture from the trip to New York

P.S. can someone email Brian's email address, I seem to have misplaced it...

There it is, the Big Apple...its a strange place, people: 14 times the population of Alaska in 1/2,000 the space

See how wierd it is...they won't even let you stand in this city. This is brother Shorter breaking the law haha.

A list of highlights

Since I am not sure when the next time that I will have access to the internet will be I figured I better make a quick post (quick because it is midnight and I'm tired) about the last week here on the east coast. It has been an incredibly fast week, but I've been able to see a little of the east coast (and it doesn't seem as different as I anticipated), and meet lots of great and interesting people. Here is a quick list of highlights (maybe good or bad) as I see them
- Meeting the Hammetts and/or getting to know them a little better. I really had a great time with them all and was able to learn alot. For instance I learned Sam has a hard head and plays defense with it in basketball...
- Meeting the Shorters: I left for New Jersey on saturday morning and have been staying at the Shorter's residence since. It has been a lot of fun. They really treat me like part of the family, and I kinda even feel like part of the family. Mr Shorter speaks a little bit of Arabic, which was really cool. It really is too bad I am always leaving the people I would like to stay longer with...
- Giving presentations and speaking at the Hammett's and Shorter's. Both nights went well. I ended up speaking all day in New Jersey. During the evening presentation I spoke for almost three hours, including the Q and A session. The people seemed to be very interested in the material.
- Getting to see some of the sights and do different things: I went to Philidelphia and will got to New York tomorrow. We went canoing today and then bowling afterwards. On sunday I met some great Korean people and they invited us for authenticate korean food, which was really good.

OK, there is lots more, but it will have to wait. I'll leave you with a couple pictures

This is me at the Liberty Bell...its kinda dark...

This is a statue of ol' George, our first President, standing next to bro. Shorter's daughter Christian. I had fun harassing her, it reminded me of my sister. While I was at the museum I learned that Washington was like 6'4"...I didn't know that. Guess you learn stuff at museums

A look back in time

So I am going for a personal record by posting two days in a row.
I am having a really good time here in PA. The meeting wednesday night went really well. I was teaching about Islam and a young muslim girl was there that night. We were able to have a long conversation after the meeting. I've spent most of my time here between pastor Hammett and George and Kristin. Ronnie left on vacation before I got to meet him...so I guess that means I have to come back, eventually. I got to play volleyball a little bit today with their schools volleyball team, it was fun. Every time I play sports I realize how much I love physical activity.
I got some new website building software and am going to start trying it out...should be fun, if I find the time. I think physicists should be able to make time. OH! I met Kristin's brother, who apparently is also my long lost brother! He thinks physics is actually interesting (not just faking it to humor me) and can talk about 'why and how stuff works' for as long as I can (though we didn't test it for George and Kristin's sake). He even dislikes Walmart. He works in IT, so I guess it is given that he is a nerd, but we both agreed we are actually geeks, because we like sports as well which, for those who are interested in these useless technicalities, is the difference between a nerd and a geek.
Anyway, I'm gonna stop now before I further incriminate myself.

This picture is in loving memory of Aaron and Tobi (lots of love) and all those who went on the Chena dome survival trip. You may have to enlarge the photo to see it.

Outside Alaska, inside America

I guess not everyone will agree with that title, but probably cause they are not alaskan. I figure that any time you have to spend 10 hours on a plane you must be in a new country...I arrived safe and sound (as sound as I can be) into Philadelphia and rode back to Emmaus with the Hammetts. I got to meet pastor Hammett and had a good time with him and George. I've almost met the whole family.
I had a really great last week in Alaska, except for the fact that it was the last week. My brother came up from Juneau and stayed for four days. We didn't do anything especially exciting, but we didn't need to. Any time with my brother and dad is special. It was hard saying good bye to everyone (again), but it was kinda short and sweet and I was busy enough that I didn't have time to think about it much, which always makes it easier for me. It seems like each time I leave it becomes easier. I don't know if that is a good thing or bad...some of both I suppose.
I am looking forward to the week here on the east coast. I am not sure if I will do anything specific, but I'm sure I'll get to meet alot of people, which is the part that I love the most of any new place.
Anyway, here are some randomly arranged pictures:

Left to right (obviously): Monk (brother), Dad (dad's are always just Dad), and Me. I love this picture. I have very few moments when we are together, and I miss it very very much. I learned so much about life from my dad and brother...

No post would be complete without a picture of my neice. It is old, but she's still cute. The dog is my dad's new puppy.

This is a picture from our Denali trip (with George and Kristin)...One of the many reasons Alaska is amazing.


These two pictures are from the Chitina trip. The mountains are incredible...I wish the Middle East had some.
I actually don't fillet fish very often. My mom is so good at it that it was just foolish to do it when she is around, nevertheless I know how to do it, and was even able to fool Rebekah into thinking I knew enough to teach her...she actually did a good job (good student, not teacher).

a very late post...no real excuse

Well, I guess I have been on blogger vacation for the last six weeks or so. It goes by so fast. I would tell you all about the drama in my life, but I don't think that I really have any, and if I did I couldn't make it sound very interesting or exciting...maybe I'll hire Aaron to write stories about me; he's said that is going to do that some day.
So, here is a quick list of things that have happened that have stuck out in my mind from the past month and a half:

1. Spending almost two weeks in Ninilchik. I got to see my mom, sister, and niece (who is super cute, funny, and all around great). I realize more and more how lucky I am to have a family, even if I don't get to see them very often; I love them lots. I also got to spend a day commercial fishing (pics included). I've not fished for three years, but nevertheless I hadn't lost any of my knowledge of skill on the boat...I guess that is what 8 years of experience does for you

2. Missions conference at the home church. It was an incredible time; very challenging, very focusing, as well as fun. I enjoyed being able to get to know the Hammetts (or two of them, the rest will follow).

3. Spending time with my friends here in North Pole. I'm sure I don't do a good job of showing that I enjoy being around them, but I really do, and I know I am going miss that (again) when I leave.

4. Being able to work with my hands again. Luckily Alaska has no shortage of opportunities for physical labor. I got to tear down some trees, help build on houses, and other fun things from my past which are non-existant in the Middle East

5. Going hiking through the howling wind and fog. It was a little cold and alot windy, but the hike up to the bomber with the guys was a fun trip. It will make a good memory and a good story (now the Arabs will really think I'm nuts).

6. Preaching once a week and doing some outreach. It has been good to get back into the practice of preaching and doing outreach (both of which I can't do in the east, due to circumstance)

Well, I am sure that there are more if I thought about it. I'm certain that going to Chitna will make the list, as well as getting to know Sam and Rachel, though the experience will be especially fun (or funny at least) after someone throws Sam in the river.

OK, here are a few pictures of past events:

Me cathcing fish like you are SUPPOSED to catch fish, with big nets. Fishing, by the way, is supposed to be work, not recreation. I love commercial fishing

My mom can fillet fish better than anyone I have ever met. She gets gold for speed and effeciency.

Left to right: Hannah (sister), Devynn (niece), Me, Mom (moms are always just mom)

My Mom and I on our bushwhack hike into the Caribou Hills.

Heading down south

Well, it is hard to believe that I have been back in Alaska almost a month. I really don't know where the time has gone. I am having a great time being here, and am really excited to go down and see my mom and sister in a couple days. I've been trying to stay up with Arabic by reading news articles and watching some news clips. The other day I finally got a hold of my Sudanese friend here in fairbanks and we went and had coffee together. It was great to speak arabic again, and I was happy that I could understand him so well, because he speaks the sudanese dialect. I am hoping I will get a few more chances to hang out with him before I go.
It is also really great to see all my old friends in Fairbanks/North Pole. I wish I was able to spend more time with everyone, and hopefully I will be able to. I know that time is going to continue to fly by, and that soon I will be leaving again. But hopefully I'll get a couple hiking trips and volleyball games in before I make for the Middle East again.
I don't really have anything important or amusing to say...not even an interesting story, sorry. Here are a few pictures. One of the place I am staying in, and another one of...my niece, surprise! (from a couple weeks ago)

OK, well I don't have much else to say. Things are going pretty well here in Alaska. Things continue to go well with my roommate, although he is up on the slope right now. It is so GREAT having almost 24 hours of daylight. Alaska is the coolest place on the planet....but it could be better if they spoke Arabic and had humus and falafel, but I guess nothing is perfect.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the Jerusalem, Dubai, Oman trip.

This is another picture of Dubai. The tubular looking thing hanging out of the sky is the indoor ski slope...Dubai...

This is the Dubai downtown skyline. Those buildings are TALL

This is a little harbor that we visited in Oman. We went on a short little cruise on one of these boats and saw some dolphins.

This is a picture of the Shakkour family (all of them). I always have such a great time when I am with them. It was so much fun being there when all the kids where home. I had alot of fun...shukran ktiir

Back in Alaska

Hey Everyone, this is a quick post just to let you know I made is safely back to Alaska (after traveling for 42 hours from Dubai). Things are going well. I've got a really nice place to stay (and I'll post pictures of it later) with a very nice roommate. It is a little strange being back in Alaska, and it is taking me a little to readjust to life here. Luckily I was only gone about a year so readjustment is going pretty smooth, but there are certain things that are weird, like the way people drive here and the fact the everything works and that no one speaks Arabic. I actually miss speaking Arabic very very much, so I am going to try and find some one here that is Arab.

This is a picture of downtown Dubai from the beach. It is a crazy place; man made islands, indoor ski slopes, gas that costs 60 cents...

This is what was waiting for me in Alaska, my niece! she was really different than the last time I saw her, but apparently she somewhat remembered me. She likes cats, which she calls 'meow meow'.

I'll post more later, or try really hard to anyway.

Back from the Past

Well, I finally made it over to Lebanon. Most other foreigners who have been here more than two or three months have gone to Lebanon. They call Beirut the Pearl of the East, and now I know why. It is much prettier than any of the other countries I have seen in this region, probably because it is on the ocean. Anyway, I had last Thursday off from work because it was Labor day in the Middle East, so I took the opportunity to go. I originally wanted to go through Syria, because it is cheaper than flying, plus it would be neat to at least see Syria. However, going through Syria requires waiting at least six hours at the border to get a Visa, and I didn't feel like I had that kind of time to waste, so I just bought a plane ticket. The plane ride is all of about 40 minutes long from Amman to Beirut...hard to imagine I flew across three countries in that period of time. When I arrived I went and found the hostel which a friend recommended in the old city of Beirut. It was a nice hostel, and only 7$ a night. Right after I hitched a bus down to Saida (aka Sidon) and hung out there for a few hours then hitched another bus down to Soor (aka Tyre) and stayed until dark then caught a minibus back to Beirut. Tyre and Sidon are pretty incredible. The modern cities are built around the ancient ruins of the old cities and they are all right on the ocean front. Here are a couple pictures, but they hardly do it justice.This is in Sidon. The ruined castle was a Crusader castle from around 1100 AD.

This is part of Tyre. This part used to be the island stronghold, which Alexander built a bridge to in order to destroy it. The ruins you see are RomanThis is the Hippodrome in Tyre. It is the largest known Roman hippodrome in the world, almost 500m long.

The next day I want to the American University of Beirut and talked to the Physics department chair about the possibility of working or studying there (AUB is considered the best school in the Middle East) and after he found out my GPA and GRE score and that I graduated from UAF (which he knew of the Physics program there) said that my chances are pretty good. Not that I am going to go to AUB, but it is nice to know that its possible. After that I met up with bro. Abdou Issa, father of Silas Issa. We spent the evening together and had a really good time.
Saturday I met up with a friend who I had met in Jordan during the UN training course who works with an organization for the protection of nature in Lebanon, and we went with a small group of school kids to eastern Lebanon. It is a really pretty area.

Sunday I spent all day with the bro Issa and the church. It was very encouraging to see them and talk to them. I was even able to give a small lesson. After the service Bro Issa found out that I knew a little about music and had me go over to their song leaders house to tell him everything I knew about reading music and about leading music. I don't know a whole lot, but it was much more than he knew, and it seemed to generally help him. Thanks to Dawson, Rebekah, and Heather for teaching me the little that I know. This is me with bro Issa and his wife (on the left) and his sister's family (on the right)

I guess that is all for now. Until the next time. By the way I come back to Alaska the 30th of May...time just goes to fast. I hope you guys have the weather all ready for me :)

Time never slows down

The other day I realized that I only have a month and a half before I fly back to Alaska. I don't know what happened to the last seven months...I feel like I got robbed somehow. Then again the last two years have kind of been a blur. It is hard to believe I lived in Monterey for two months, Chicago for a month, Jerusalem for two months, LaCrosse for two months, and Amman for seven, as well as visited a number of places in the States and a couple places in Europe. That is not to mention all the people I have met and made friends with…yeah, blur is the best way to describe it. But I think I’d have it no other way. There is something exhilarating and refreshing about living life as a nomad of sorts. I feel like it forces one to depend on your faith in God.

I finished the UN training course on Renewable Resources. Overall it was beneficial, although I didn't learn a whole lot of new information on the scientific or technical aspect, but then I didn't really expect to. I did meet quite a few people who are working in the field here in the Middle East, and especially Jordan. One of them said there is a good chance I could get a job when I come back working in Solar Cells. I also got to meet quite a few neat people, some of them who I am sure I’ll stay in touch with here in Jordan. When I came back to the University I had all kinds of work stacked up for me in the lab. Which, in a strange way, makes me feel good because it means I am trusted enough to depended upon. Then a couple days ago the professor I work for officially asked me if I wanted to come back next year and work as a full time research assistant. She said she is happy with my ‘scientific observations’. I had the feeling that if I wanted to stay on as a researcher that I could, but it is good to know that it has officially been offered now.

It is starting to get really warm here. Last weekend it was in the 90's. If this is what spring is like I am not too heartbroken that I won't be here for the summer. The funny thing is that the only ocean nearby is the Dead Sea, which is on average 10 to 15 degrees hotter than Amman. I actually don’t consider it a real sea, cause it has no fish in it.

Well, I guess thats about all I got to say about that…

Here is a picture of the UN group I was with. This is in front of the Rangers building. The Rangers are Jordan’s environmental police, like the EPA, but with no real authority.

Finally, a post...

They seem to just be getting farther and farther apart don't they? Things have going well here for the last month or so. I have been super busy at work in Physics Department. It seems I am still the only proficient at using the "new" microscope, which is over four months old now. We are at a breakthrough stage in one of our research projects (electro-chemical deposition of silicon nanomaterial, in case there is any science nerds reading this), so we have been trying to compile all the results, which means I've been putting in extra hours in the lab trying to get all my samples analyzed and arranged. I am hoping that the article we have written will be published in a science journal (probably in the US or Europe). Having your work published is a huge step in terms of being a researcher, or being taken seriously as a physicist. In short, it looks good on the resume...I really hate saying that, and thinking that way, but the reality is, that is the way the world works. I start my UN training course tomorrow for Renewable Resources, which lasts for one full week. It should be pretty interesting. I am hoping it will develop into some strong future work opportunities.
Things around Jordan are going pretty much as they have for the last six months...I am still trying to figure out what people do in their free time (which they have quite a bit of). The best I can figure out is that they spend the majority of their time socializing, which mostly consists of visiting one of the 500 cousins they have in the area. Since I have no family here I am kinda left out of that aspect of society, so I spend weekends studying or bugging friends to come over or go to the park (which they agree to occasionally). This weekend a group of four of us went to one of the greener areas of Jordan, which also happens to have an ancient ruined church located in the mountains. The church was built around 400AD, and is believed to be located on the mountain Elijah had his showdown with the prophets of Baal. It was a neat trip, but one of my friends had never been hiking before and after 5 hours of crisscrossing hills and valleys thick with brush he got pretty tired and started complaining. The idea of hiking for fun is still strange here in the Middle East...I am working on improving its popularity.
I can't believe I am leaving in less than two months...it is really strange to think about. I think it is gonna be kind of a shock coming back to America. Me and a friend were discussing today how I am going to survive without hummus (which is like my primary food group here). I'm sure I'll re-adjust quickly, but it is strange to think about all the differences there are. I am really looking forward to being able to do some physical labor. My hands haven't been legitmately dirty for a long long time. People here think I'm nuts for missing stuff like that, but I know you fellow Alaskans know exactly what I mean.
Here are a couple of pictures from the trip we took to Tel Mar Elias (also known as Mount Elias, not to be confused with Mount St Elias...it is much smaller and has no snow)

This picture is from the top of the mountain, and is overlooking the West Bank, Israel, and a small portion of Syria.


This is the other three people that went on the hike with us: my friend from the states, my roommate, and a Jordanian friend from the University