America Abroad

It felt good to go home.  I loaded up in the taxi told him we wanted to go to america and he took us there.  On the 4th of July we attempted to get as much American spirit, Apple Pie, and Baseball as possible.  The only way to do this, without going to the newest State of the Union next door, was to go to the Embassy for their community day.  It was not nearly as entertaining last year, unless one was 6 years old.  There were clowns, face painting, and what seemed like a knock off of telletubbies mixed with Dora in oversized costumes performing in Arabic.  The pool looked appealing, but that who conscious thing about there being a water shortage for half the country, and the Americans frolicking in aqua bliss did not sit right with me.  We did meet some pretty cool people.  One guy was an air force attache who helps the Jordanians spend the military gift we give them every year.  We got to talking about how Jordan is still one of the few places in the world that being American automatically gives you rock star status.  Another guy just got out of Monterey Defense Language School, who had an interesting perspective.  We talked to a business man who was somehow involved with moving between Amman and Baghdad.  The ambassador was not there, and neither were the FSOs who I normally talk to.  They are having new assignments (Which sucks for our program.)  I did get a chance to meet some people whose blog I have been reading.  They are FSOs in Amman, one is Economic and the other is consular.  Their blog is www.danandduffy.blogspot.com  We ended up playing hot potato with water balloons.  There is nothing as satisfying as watching American Foreign Service Officers, Jordanian soldiers in combat fatigues, American students and little kids of both nationalities tossing water balloons to each other.  If I ever become head of any country, water balloon diplomacy will become the new foreign policy directive.  

After we all got off of american soil, the host families came to pick up the students.  That involved a lot of ferrying up and down stairs and small talk with them.  Everyone should have an amazing time.  Most of these families are LOADEDDDDDDDDDDDDD with money.  I think a few of them have indoor pools. (Did I mention a water shortage?)  some still do not have families, or they families were on vacation, so in honor of our nations birthday we did the most american thing we could think of after the embassy party.  We went bowling, then to McDonalds.