Filming day

So I got really sick! Sunday I only got a couple hours of sleep and woke up to my alarm for school and decided I would take a “sick day.” And since I’m technically a volunteer apparently I have unlimited! Had the worst sore throat for a couple days then came the runny nose and cough, but the cough was so bad to the point it was very painful to do it. Did go to school Monday even though I probably should have stayed home another day. Been taking every home remedy we can think of this includes 10 different vitamins (yes my mom is Dr. Quinn and packed them with me) +2 liquid thingers from mom +zinc tablets +straight fresh garlic +honey +salt water gargle +salt vinegar gargle +shots of lemon juice +cayenne pepper +emergen c or airborn +juice! Might be it or might be a couple more, I have started to loose track! Anyways today I’m feeling so much better and its only day 5 of the cold! Hardly had to cough or blow nose, throat it doing good my voice it just still not good. Every now and then it goes completely but mostly just raspy & low. So enough about that!

Mr. Horchak came in Sunday night but we didn’t see him until Monday evening and all had a nice dinner with him and then headed to the hotel to meet Clay & Clint (the video guys). Today they came to the school to film. It was the oddest thing. I learned that the school totally shuts down when visitors come. They stack the classrooms how they want them. In art we got 5 kids in the morning and then went very slow getting started. Then I realized we were waiting for them to come film us. We started the project and put one thing on the cards to look like they had already started. We then sat and waited… the teacher said this is what they do when visitors come and sometimes they wait an hour. We ended up sitting there in pretty much silence not doing anything for at least an hour maybe more. Finally when they came into our class room the teacher started working like she had been going the whole time. I had 2 kids to help with the project and she had 3, I think she forgot because she ended up helping one of my kids first and then starting on her own. My kid took a couple minutes to finish his (with not much help from me since he was old enough to do it himself) and then I was done and just sat. So it made for I’m sure pretty exciting TV. I’m sure they only need a couple seconds of me working but I was disappointed that we didn’t get to interact with the kids on film. Since we can not speak to them we mostly get to know their funny personalities (good & bad, but mostly always humorous) as well as their smiles and high fives and saying “hi” a hundred times a day since that’s the only word they know in English). I feel like in the effort of them to control & contain the environment; they lost the realness of the children and their personalities. It was funny to hear that they do no learning when visitors come and sometime the kids don't even get to eat. I don't think all of them go to today but since its Ramadan it's not as big of a deal. I guess this has happened before because they had the system down. I got to peak in on ceramic class and make some flowers with the kids, I loved it! I can't wait until I get to go help out there (if they let me). Anyways, oh well we will see what they come up with I guess! It will be a nice memory for us to have the video to remember all the kids.

On another note only 4 days till Ramadan is over!!! So excited! And tomorrow will be our last school day with it! We actually are getting this Thursday off as well for what we call, “National Swine Flu Day.” So we made it up but I guess the government said there is no school so the holiday Eid (we get all next week off for that) will be extra long since the swine flu has been gaining power over here. Last I heard there were a little under 200 confirmed cases, I think in Amman. Not sure and I think that was this weekend when I heard it.
Tonight we went to the Iftar at the school where the others are work (ABS). Princes Sarveth was there and we got to say hello to her and shake her hand. There was a nice traditional Arabic band playing music and we had a nice dinner.

Going to bed now, need my sleep to heal! Tomorrow is the last school day of the week and then we are going to Jerash afterward. I’m sure there will be photos for that! Haven’t taken much lately. Of course after Petra this Friday there will be more!

Peace out brussel sprouts.