Dead Sea instructions

The Dead Sea, Jordan
Saturday, February 22, 2013

We made it to the Dead Sea at last! After a hurried morning of lesson planning, we made the 45-minute drive down to the Amman Beach Club on the Dead Sea. The club is open to the public and although entrance is not inexpensive, it's certainly a lot more reasonable than the 5-star hotels up the beach. Bobbing like corks at the edge of the sea were a bus load of central European tourists and a few locals, too. A was very wary of floating in the Sea itself. So, after a short (and very amusing) dip in the Sea, we spent the rest of our time by the pool, which includes a delightful view of the sea and some tasty ice cream.

Read to your Rabbit

Madaba, Jordan

Saturday, February 23, 2013

In a time and place impossibly long ago and far away, we took A for her 2-month check-up at the pediatrician. After checking her over, the doctor made his recommendation: start reading to her. I almost burst out laughing. "Are you joking," I asked, "She's only two months old!" But he was serious. At that appointment--or another one around that time--we picked out a book to take home called "Read to your Rabbit." The theme of the book was "read to your child and someday s/he will read to you." Both our doctor and the book were right. Thank you, Dr. D! And thank you, Papa, for all those hours of reading...

Syrian sweets

Madaba, Jordan
Friday, February 22, 2013

Yesterday one of my students brought a box of sweets to share with my geometry class. I was surprised to see it was from Syria. "How did it get here?" I asked. "Friends brought it," he said. Somehow shocking to think that this box of sweets made it from Aleppo. There are currently over 285,000 Syrian refugees taking shelter in Jordan--89,000 of whom have crossed over the border since the beginning of the year. And a box of baklava. Feels like we should have savored it longer.

I heart geometry

Madaba, Jordan
Thursday, February 14, 2013

Often it's a tough job to make geometry theorems at ALL interesting to my students, especially when we've learned about 15 new ones this week. In an attempt to celebrate Valentine's Day somehow in geometry class--and learn something too--I made these cookies. Students had to recite the theorem on the cookie and then, of course, they got to eat them.

I have never EVER seen so many hands raised at once in geometry class...

Neighbors

Madaba, Jordan

Sunday, February 3, 2013

One of the hardest things about moving is giving up ones favorite neighbors--especially when one leaves them behind in another country. I sorely miss my neighbors in Ulaanbaatar! We recently got new neighbors and, after welcoming them with bread and advice about the tricky washing machines, I received these stunning flowers as a thank you. Treasure your neighbors!