Home Sweet Home

I have been in Chambersburg for my Thanksgiving break which has been lovely - I love spending time with family and friends, the only downfall is that I came down with some sort of sinus/flu thing on Thursday evening.  Luckily, I can just spend time at the house with my family and I have had some great friends stop by and drop off supplies like medicine, ice cream, fruit, and soup  :o)


I'm hoping that by tomorrow, I feel a lot better as I will be heading down to Kyle and Val's for the evening so I can get to BWI on time Monday morning. 

I know that everyone has been posting about what they are thankful for etc, so I won't make a huge list.  What I will say is that I have plenty to be thankful for at every moment throughout my life.  It's easy to get caught up in worrying, in worldly views - instead, we should focus on the good, have faith that things will work out, and be thankful for everyone and everything around us. 


Ok - enough of that, I will write more soon, just wanted to get an update on here since it has been awhile!

The Month of Giving Thanks

Ok - so I am cheesy and think that every month should be about giving thanks but I have been particularly hit with this November's overwhelming "Give Thanks" theme.  Maybe it is because I work with amazing kids everyday that have to go through more in a day than most of us do in a year - maybe it is because I am extremely blessed to have a job, have a wonderful roommate, good friends, fantastic family, etc. - the list could go on and on.  On the other hand, maybe it is because when we take the time to stop and look around, we will see goodness all around us - how can we not be thankful for that?!  A person holding the door for another, someone giving back a cell phone they found on the floor of a restaurant......the whole 'Pay It Forward' idea.  


I think we all have moment where things look like the worst, or at least we dramatize them in that way but in reality, things are going pretty well.  I am having one of those moments I think....haha.  My job is going great and I am settling in well to the Boston area......it's just hard meeting people and making friends, etc.  


In other news, I had a lovely afternoon with Mark yesterday, we went to a cafe down the street where I had some delicious hot chocolate and enjoyed wonderful conversation - then I hung out with Katie this afternoon and walked around downtown Boston, enjoying soup and books and chilly weather  :o) 


The cats are continually crazy, playing with everything but mostly with their toys.  I am thinking about being mean and dressing them up for the Christmas holidays, haha.  We'll see! 


I am looking forward to a visit from Miss Lyndsey Mulholland this coming weekend, I'll be able to show her around the city and see just how well I know how to get around  :o)  


I'll update soon, miss everyone! xoxo

Happy Halloween!

It is Halloween here in Somerville (and around the country) but hopefully, kids will venture out into the fall chill to collect candy and other goodies from all the neighbors here on Summer Street!  Angela was great and stocked up on candy so I am making dinner this evening - attempting a recipe for steamed fish that Soetji let me borrow before I left Jordan last March.  We'll see how it turns out!


On Friday afternoon, the town of Melrose, MA (where Roman Music Therapy Services has their office) - they shut down Main Street from 3-5 pm and all the local businesses owners came out to give candy to the local trick-or-treaters and let me tell you, there were about 1500 of them!  I saw a few Marios, tigers, baby dinosaurs, princesses......you name it and they were there!  It was a really great way to get the community together and a nice way for me to meet some local folks.  


I spent the afternoon with Angela yesterday, wearing a Michigan State sweatshirt to support, only to watch them lose terribly to Iowa.  It was a sad game to watch but luckily, Penn State won later in the evening!  


Going to spend a bit of today session planning for my first Early Intervention groups tomorrow and hopefully enjoy some relaxation in front of the TV  :o)


Talk soon!

Fall Fall Fall

I definitely feel in the fall spirit after this weekend!  I spent Friday evening out on the town with Katie, my lovely friend from Michigan (aka - Pearse and Mary's cousin), then went apple-picking in country on Saturday with some work folks, followed by an apple cider donut with hot chocolate on the side!  Then of course, because Halloween is coming up, Angela and I went to one of her co-workers houses for a Halloween "Dress as a Beverage" party so I went as Shirley Temple and Angela went as Blue Moon.  Don't worry - pictures will be posted eventually. 


The weekend continued today with a brisk walk down to the Charles River to check out the Head of the Charles Regatta.  Tons of rowing teams come from all over to compete!   I finished the day by cooking my favorite Arabic dish, Kousa Mashi and using the leftover zucchini for zucchini bread.  We'll see how the bread tastes tomorrow but the Kousa Mashi (stuffed zucchini) was delicious!  


The cats explored all items being made in the kitchen and Sammie discovered her love for zucchini. Nermal just napped through the entire event which was much easier.  


Things with the job are going well - still learning how to approach music therapy with this new population.  My dad was wonderful and sent me a few new music therapy books to help me gather research and materials so hopefully that will help as well!


Alright - off to bed, will update more soon!   

As Time Goes By

I always end up discussing time and my fascination with how we perceive time, etc.  Well, I won't bore you with that but I am excited with how things are moving here in Boston - slowly getting used to routine, new people, life on my own, so all in all, pretty good things!


My schedule at work is slowly getting busier, adding new contracts/clients but I am hoping to find another part-time job, just something little to bring in some extra cash.  We'll see what happens!


Since I have been here a few weeks, I thought it was finally time to post some pictures of my apartment and of course, pictures of the cats!  They have been little trouble makers as of late - getting into the toilet paper roll, behind the washer and dryer, and getting up on the counters in the kitchen.  Luckily, we have a spray bottle of water which they seem to highly dislike so the training continues.    :o)


My Bedroom!

The Bathroom  :o)

The Kitchen area

The living area connected to the kitchen

And of course, the kitties!

Hope you have a great week and I will update more soon!! 

And p.s, I had the best butterscotch pudding I have ever had at Finale in Boston, a lovely dessert place!!

xoxoxo

Learning Curve

I guess there is always a learning curve with a new job and I am slowly feeling out this new position.  I am working in a lot of schools with classes, kids with special needs which is a very different setting for me than my previous training and experience.  Luckily, I usually meet my challenges and work hard to provide the best services that I can - I am hoping that I can get my creative mind in gear and get with the picture for this position!  


In other news, I have applied for a few on the side positions to give some extra cash flow and give my brain a break from the therapy end of things.  One possibility is a paper store, the other a coffee shop - either would be fine for me, we'll have to see what the hourly rate is like.  I am hoping that I made the right choice in moving to Boston.   I had applied for a few other jobs but this is the one that came through!  I am just hoping I am following the right path, direction for my life - I think I am but it just takes time to readjust to a new situation and culture.  I should have plenty of practice with this from Jordan - but surprisingly, Boston is proving to be just as difficult if not more difficult for the transitions because of all the small nuances and differences instead of the stark differences the Middle East had to the States.  


Enough of my blabbing...haha.  The kitties had their second round of vaccines today and should be doing well from now on, got a healthy report card and let me tell you, they just keep getting cuter!  For some reason, they love laying on top of my clean laundry in the basket; however, they never sleep on the dirty laundry when it's sitting there, hmmmm?  


Please send prayers for transition and decreased anxiety over new job, new people, new life.  


Sending love xoxoxo

Losing My Mind :o)

Sometimes I feel as though I am already losing my mind.   Case in point:  This afternoon, I went to my car, opened the door, set down my purse on the seat (with keys, wallet, cell phone) inside of it, and promptly shut the car door with it locked.  Luckily, the gas station next door has wonderful people working there that let me use the phone and call my insurance company for roadside assistance.  The story then gets better!  As I was waiting for the locksmith to get here, nothing happened and then nothing happened.  I called the insurance company again and they said that the locksmith showed up and I wasn't there - not true!  I was with my car the whole time, so yet again I am waiting for another locksmith. They finally showed up and the guy was very nice, apologized and unlocked the car quickly.  


Long story short, don't lock your keys in the car!  It's such an annoying problem but in all honesty, it gave me a few hours of time just to be quiet and sit.  I literally couldn't do anything, go anywhere, call anyone so I had time to just be. 


My first official sessions on my own will take place tomorrow so I'm a bit nervous!  Excited to be out there providing music therapy but nervous that I will be rusty.  I have my sessions planned out so I hope that helps. 


Anyway, signing off for the night - will talk to you soon!  xoxo

Weekend in the City

Although technically my second weekend in Boston, it is my first weekend with an unpacked room and as you can tell, I am writing a blog entry on a Friday night, living the life.  I enjoy relaxing after a week of work though  and there is so much to do, I'm sure I will find something for tomorrow! I am getting up and going to the gym in the morning and then am going to a flea market fundraiser at one of the local schools where Roman Music Therapy Services provides sessions.  The flea market proceeds go to the music therapy program, how cool!  


Today at work, I observed my boss providing an early intervention program for parents and children ages1.5 to 3 - sooooo cute!  And the best part is that music therapists can really provide an age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate approach to the classes which will benefit the children so much more.  


On a side note, I am attaching a picture of the cats doing their typical afternoon nap.  They are about 12 weeks old now and acting crazy!  They love playing with each other, destroying my dress pants with their claws, and also wrecking my brand new sheets :o) 

Will update more tomorrow!  night night!

1st Day of Work

Today was my first day on the job and I have to say that I love it so far!  I had forgotten what it's like to be around people that are excited about music therapy and the benefits it has for so many different populations.  I will get to work with babies to older adults and everything in between which will be stimulating for my brain and give me lots of great experience!


My commute is only 15 minutes, not really a commute and driving between clients won't be that bad as long as I have some good tunes to listen to.  Maybe I'll get into books on tape.  :o)  My roommate also arrived back and we seem to be getting along just fine - is it weird that we both bought horseradish hummus separately?  From Trader Joe's?  haha


Anyway, short update today but I will be getting more and more into work and my routine here in Somerville!  


Oh and the kittens are adjusting just fine - they sleep all day and go crazy at night, how fun :o)

Weekend Events

As much fun as unpacking stuff is, I made the time to take a few breaks throughout the weekend and enjoy some of the local events in the area!   On Saturday, Mary and her cousin Katie and I went to the Union Square Fluff Festival where everything was centered around MARSHMELLOW FLUFF!  They had whoopee pies with fluff, fluffernutters, weird tasty saltines with fluff combos (nacho cheese and fluff, etc.) and they had fluff merchandise of course!  I got a fluff magnet for my fridge to go along with roommates Michigan State magnet.  Someone send me Penn State gear! 


The kittens have been busy exploring the place, making lots of noise at night, and waking me up early. Hmm....I will have to break some of these habits but they are so darn cute while they are doing them.  


Yesterday, in the midst of my unpacking party, I decided to walk to the train station (took me about 20 minutes) and ride into the city for a free Boston Pops concert in the Common!  How awesome is that?!  A wonderful free concert in the middle of a Sunday afternoon.  To finish the afternoon off, Mark and Katie and I went to a lovely little cafe (of which I forget the name) in Beacon Hill and enjoyed some hot chocolate as it is starting to get chilly up here already!  Hello Fall.  


I'll keep you updated with more - I know it's a bit different than my Jordan Adventures but I'm sure I'll have something worthwhile to tell you about   :o) 

Day One - Officially

I am officially in Somerville, MA - living in my new apartment with two kittens, lots of stuff, and chaos.  Just the way I like it!  I have yet to really unpack but that is what tomorrow is for.   Sean and I had an excellent adventure on our drive up yesterday, luckily with no troubles or much traffic.  I am so blessed to have so much support from family and friends!


I will be sure to update more but for now, I just wanted to post on the blog and let you know that the Jordan Adventures are not over - they have just transformed into The Somerville Chronicles~ I hope I can bring you just as much excitement with the chronicles as I did with my Jordanian fun.


Look forward to it!  Until then  :o)  Sending love

No Way to Prepare

No one tells you how to prepare for life events - transitions, deaths, accidents, joyful moments, changes......no one lets you know how hard it is going to be to move on from a place or live in the go-between, waiting zone of life.  No one tells you how to prepare for a friend's untimely car accident or unknown recovery stages.  No one tells you that nobody in your life will notice or care how difficult of a time you might be having.  No one prepares you that in the moments when you need people the most you are alone - and in those joyous moments, people can't wait to be by your side.  No one tells you.  


Luckily, we're not completely alone, otherwise I don't think I would be alright at this current moment in time; however, that doesn't take any of the pain away - the misunderstanding, the envy, the resentment, the anger, why questioning.  I have so many blessings in my life, I can't even count them but sometimes, life happens and you won't understand.  Faith is the center and has to be, without it, we would drive ourselves crazy trying to figure things out. 


All I know is life is WAY WAY too short to sweat the small stuff.  I know I'm quoting some cheesy bathroom reader book there but it's a true statement.  Our time here is so fleeting; we can't afford to waste it with anger, jealously, miscommunication, resentment, unforgiveness, self-loathing - instead, we have to move past those things and hold onto the goodness that fills people.  The joy in every moment, even the bad ones and push forward.  Even when we don't feel like it, loving those around us that might not love us.  Life is too short, cherish it and cherish those around you.  

Don't Worry, Still Writing :o)

I decided that I would continue my blog because I am still on an adventure, maybe not a Jordan Adventure - although I think my Jordan adventure will impact the rest of my life. 
I can't explain the way my brain is wrapping itself around the idea of being back in the States.  Small moments make me miss Amman more than I ever thought possible and the people there.  At the same moment, I am glad to be here and spending time with loved ones that I missed dearly while I was gone.  


I guess we can never predict life and that is a beautiful thing - however, it is hard to get used to.  I sometimes wish that we had a glimpse into what was coming next.  Currently, I am searching for and applying for jobs across the country.  All I know is that I am passionate about what I do but the bottom line is that I want to help people.  Hopefully that will happen no matter where I am.  


Enough serious talk - I will post pictures soon of my last travels in Jordan as well as my travels thus far in the States. 


Talk soon!

Last Day in Amman (for awhile)

Wow- I did not think I would be writing this entry on March 22nd but here I am, at Julie and Soetji's, getting ready for bed and ready for a 12 hour flight tomorrow which will put my Stateside again.  My life in Amman, Jordan has had so many seasons, it feels much longer than 8 months - I have grown personally and professionally in so many ways, and experienced another culture, completely different from my own.  In saying goodbye to people, I realized how quickly I have gotten to know wonderful, caring people here - in a country where I knew no one at first.  Funny how life works that way.  


I feel as though my time in Jordan is not finished yet, so who knows, but I am hope I will return to this part of the world.  Music therapy is such a unique tool that can be used in so many ways with various populations here, especially with victims of trauma.  I hope to continue music therapy work in this region of the world in some way.   


It is such a strange mix of emotions as I prepare to leave this place, a place that I have gotten to know over the months, and move half way back around the world to have place of familiarity, friends, and family -  I will share stories of my time in the Middle East; however, it will be interesting to note how the only people that really will understand are the ones that have experienced it with me.  I have so many pictures of amazing places and people that I want to share about and I also want to share with people what the Middle East is really like, as opposed to what is shown to us on the news.  Ever culture has its stereotypes and I want to try and break those, in whatever way I can.  


Looking out over the city today, I felt sadness as I said goodbye but felt joy knowing I will be returning with new knowledge, new experiences, and partially a new me to share with people.  


I will be back Jordan- but until then, goodbye and farewell to an amazing Jordan Adventure.  

Always Changing

Sorry that it has been awhile since my last entry.  Things have been very up in the air as of late and it has been a challenge to get to a computer.  Mom and Bill arrived on Friday, March 12th which has been wonderful.  We received sad news on Saturday morning that my Grammie passed away. She had a quick decline in health and it has been hard to be away for that.  Luckily, it was a blessing that my mom and I were together and we were able to speak to Grandma one last time on Friday night.   So strange being away at this time - will be home next week so that will help in processing.  


In other news, my parents are still here and we are going to see some sights in Jordan tomorrow.  I will update more soon, just wanted to put up a brief entry.  Miss you, xoxo

Everything Changes

Well folks, as usual, life is always surprising and ever changing.  Sorry for the rather vague title description but I'll try to give a bit more clarity while I write.  Due to some changes at work, for both professional and personal reasons, I have resigned from my position.  What this means is unsure yet but I will be looking into possibly opportunities here in Jordan as well as back in the States.  I will for sure keep you updated on the details.  


In other news, I had a wonderful two days of sessions.  I am following through with my clients over the next few weeks as that is the ethical and responsible thing to do for their own closure and well-being.  It's amazing how music can reach areas of yourself that you never thought would be revealed, or maybe didn't realize existed.  Such a beautiful thing to watch people begin to heal emotionally  :o)   That's when I know that I love what I do.  As a friend put it yesterday, there are people to help in every corner of the world, we never have to worry about finding those in need.  Sad but true.  


We went to dinner last night at this place called Noodasia, ate a delicious meal, and also found out that they offer 'Sushi-Making Class' on Saturdays!!!  How cool would that be, how funny that I would learn to make sushi in Amman, Jordan. After dinner, we went to get ice cream and of course, I order a scoop of chocolate, then realized I wanted more, so order a scoop of Oreo and then, when the guy behind the counter offered hot fudge, how could I refuse?!   :o)
In the moments we sat and ate our ice cream, I laughed harder than I have in months, over silly silly jokes and spilling ice cream on myself.  Excellent use of my time, seriously 


Alright, more updates to come, talk with you soon.  miss you much, xoxoxo

Another Rainy Day

Boy does it rain in the desert!  Who would have thought?!   I have been sitting inside on my lovely Friday day off, getting caught up on e-mails, paperwork, and reading.  I have started working with a client that suffers from neurological issues to I need to get caught up on the current research in music therapy and these issues - I love challenges and this is definitely one that will be so great! 


The weeks have been going faster and faster as sessions, class, and symphony take up my time.  Sessions are intense-I think groups are often more energy consuming because I have to make sure I am watching for everyone's reactions, responses, etc. to the music experiences and with the language barrier, I am listening to the psychologists and translators in Arabic/English - whew!  I am tired when I get home.  Feeling more and more like an adult though.  It's funny being in that place between young adulthood and feeling grown up.  I wonder if any of us actually feel grown up?  There are always moments of doubt no matter who we are or what we do, that's life.  It's about having the confidence to push through and trusting yourself.  


It's exciting to know that people are really hearing about music therapy here in Amman and wanting more information.  Julie and I have been getting calls and inquiries about music therapy services from all over the place.  We really need more music therapists!  


Hope to write more soon.  Miss you lots, xoxo

The Middle

Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just try your best,
Try everything you can.
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey,
You know they're all the same.
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now.
Yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else.


Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just do your best,
Do everything you can.
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts
Are gonna say

~ Jimmy Eat World

Good Ole Time Management

Who knew that I would somehow become just as busy in Amman, Jordan as I have been in previous places in my life?   For moving to a place where I knew no one, I sure have lots to do now!  I have wonderful friends, pretty lucky in that respect, and I have also successfully made myself busy busy with music therapy work, teaching, playing in the symphony, and singing in choir.  Trying to find that balance between work and relaxation as well.  Is this what adult life is like, seeking balance all the time?  :o)


Work has been going so well.  My work with different group sessions has been emotionally intense but very rewarding and such a learning process for me.  The psychologists at the center interact with me more and understand more of what music therapy does with their clients, awesome!  Just for your own enjoyment, I'm putting a link to a youtube clip that I am in.  This was a segment on "Good Morning Egypt" a few months ago - talking about music therapy with the kids I was working with in the fall.  Hope you like it!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvML4dskAGk


I still think the most important thing that I am missing right now is an opportunity for personal counseling as well as clinical supervision.  As the only music therapist working clinically, I am not receiving feedback on my work or able to discuss issues that come up during the therapy sessions.  I have been reading about folks doing long distance supervision but I need to find someone that has worked with trauma victims or is at least aware of the different types of issues that can bring up.   


Anyway!  Enough about work. What else is going on?  The weather has been unbelievable so Aimee and I really enjoyed the week by taking walks outside, played soccer yesterday, sat outside the other night at read a book, quite nice.  On Fat Tuesday, we got doughnuts, two each!  And sat out in the sunshine eating them before our work day began.  I tell you what, doughnuts are the way to go for a feel good breakfast, you just won't feel good later  :o)


Today, I have a symphony photo shoot - getting new advertising pictures taken etc. so hopefully I'll be able to send or post some of those pics in the future.  Then I have my second class meeting of Psychology of Music, the course that I am teaching at the conservatory.  The first class meeting was on Monday when I introduced the syllabus and course information and let me tell you, the students were a bit overwhelmed but they are excited.  All of them completed their first reading before class so we were able to have a productive class discussion on human musicality.  I feel like a teacher!  And oddly enough, I really enjoy teaching, I thought I would hate it but I truly enjoy teaching, mentoring others, seeing them understand and be successful.  


Alright, off to the photo shoot - I'll write more soon.  Miss you and love you - xoxoxo

What a Week :o)

Let's see - where do I begin?  My week was a mix of work and play with visitors mixed in!  On Sunday last week, orchestra rehearsal was cancelled in the evening for the Winds Section so Aimee and I went to church (Catholic Mass) in all Arabic, very cool, and then we did something really silly.  We ate dinner at Chili's.  hahahaha.  But it was delicious and we thought since it WAS Superbowl Sunday, we were allowed to go to an American chain. Don't judge us!  :o)  Then the week really got started with sessions, work meetings, orchestra rehearsals, choir rehearsal, going to the gym, etc.  The week just flew by!!  On Wednesday, a music therapist that I met in Israel came to visit and was able to observe one of my sessions- it was so wonderful to have an actual music therapist give me suggestions and feedback about the session, woohoo!  She stayed until today and had a wonderful time in Amman, it's so good to connect music therapists working in the area.  There are a few of us and it's comforting to have the support around the region.  I also met a dance/movement therapist that will be here for 3 weeks starting today and she will hopefully be able to come and do some partner sessions with me for some of my group sessions!   


In other news, I have been eating healthier or at least trying to.  The availability and price of veggies and fruit here in unbelievably cheap so I need to take advantage while I am here. The weather has started to get warmer - at least for this week - so Aimee and I have made the walk down to our favorite smoothie place "Fruit Salad".  You can order almost any kind of smoothie and it's fresh fresh fruit, no additives or anything = delicious!  We also came across an awesome Lebanese place today where we grabbed lunch for $3 for the both us - really great pastries and sandwiches, yum!  Sorry to always talk about food but I love the food here.  The spices are soo different and it's great to try the different dishes from the neighboring countries.  Iraqi food is at the top of my list right now.  I'm hopefully going to learn how to make a few of the dishes as well as bring back/send back with my parents, some of the local spices so I can share the food with you when I get back!  


I have been reading as much as I can about counselors working with victims of trauma and torture and also about how the counselors can protect themselves from getting tired and burnt out in those situations.  Interestingly, in most of the articles, 85% of more of the counselors interviewed/surveyed said that their spirituality (whatever that may be) was the most effective coping mechanism during their time working with these difficult populations.   


Alrighty, better get to work but I will write more soon.  Miss you and sending xoxoxo!

Comfortable-Uncomfortable

Sometimes I go through my days in Amman and they fly by so fast, I don't even really take in the fact that I am living in Amman, Jordan. I have this amazing opportunity that at the same time, is taking a big toll on me emotionally.  On the way to work, I see the rolling hills of Amman with the distinctive Middle Eastern architecture, with the crazy trucks and taxis speeding about, with a mix of modern to traditional people all over the place and I smile.  Yesterday, I was talking with a friend of mine who was working here and recently had to go back to Baghdad because his work permit expired due to miscommunication and disorganization.  He was chatting with me on facebook chat and all of the sudden, a beautiful peace came over me as I realized I have WONDERFUl friends here from all over the world.  A year ago, the Middle East was a place on the map that I heard about through corrupt news programs.  Now, it is a place that I can call home - the people are friends, colleagues, that I respect and can call good souls.  That isn't too say that everything about my life here is perfect - in fact, lately it has been far from perfect.  Within my job, there are a lot of issues that I could never have imagined, that do not really exist in the States because they are more cultural - and it gets to the point where I wonder how much of myself I am losing along the way - trying to make Music Therapy work here.  


I hope that when I return to the States this summer, I am a better person because of the struggles and joys I have experienced here.  I guess the only way to find out is to stick it out and be thankful for the opportunities that I do have.  Music therapy is really working here which is awesome, I hope that in the coming years, it really can flourish!  


In other news, I went to a trivia night last night that my friend Amit hosts and let me tell you, we were so close but came in at Third Place :o)   Candy was the price so I was perfectly content with that.   The quiz night is held at this English pub but the chef actually cooks wonderful Indian food as well as traditional English dishes, quite funny but delicious!  


I'll write more soon!  Sending hugs, xoxoxo, miss you and love you lots.   

February?!?!

I absolutely cannot believe that it is February 2nd - feel like I am in the twilight zone or something with how fast the time is flying by.  I picture where I was last year at this time (beautiful S.C) and it feels like yesterday.  Sigh, I wonder if life will always go this fast?  


I had a wonderful weekend this past weekend, went on a retreat with the new choir I joined and we went to the Dead Sea.  The two days were packed with bonding experiences, rehearsals, LOTS of food :o), and laughs.  A nice perk was the comfortable bed I was able to sleep in and the running hot water, oh the simple things that I miss.   One moment of the retreat made me chuckle - as I walked out of the front doors of the hotel (Holiday Inn Resort, which was awesome!) there was a bedouin man and his camel, just sitting, waiting for someone to take him up on a camel ride.  The camel was perfectly seated, it was almost like he wasn't really there - it looked so perfect!  But also so ironic, a camel in front of a fancy resort.  Moments later, a herd of sheep made their way down the Dead Sea Highway and I smiled, realizing how many things I have gotten used to that are seem so strange to my friends and family at home.   Another moment of the retreat that was beautiful was at the end of the retreat during our last rehearsal - we sang a Sufi Melody in Arabic with simple harmonies and then would land on the tonic note and hold it out - the a drone, then people took turns improvising and singing a song or melody that was spiritually significant to them.  In the choir, we have people from ALL different faith backgrounds so it was just beautiful to hear everyone expressing what was in their heart and watching the others show so much respect for each one.  AMAZING.   :o)


Things with work keep developing as well.  Sessions at the center start today and I am working with adults as well as children this spring, we'll see how it goes- I really hope that the organization of the sessions is better with the psychologists, I want the best for the clients.  I also will be working part-time at a school for children with special needs, the board approved hiring me today so I will hopefully start next week.  Just a few hours a week but it will help Julie with scheduling and give the students in the BA program more opportunities to observe.  Start teaching next week - college class!!  I am prepared, I just hope it goes well, we shall see.  


I have some great mile markers to look forward to this spring as my Mom and Bill are coming to visit in March, Gwen in April, and Bernie and Joan in June!!  Visitors will for sure make the time fly even faster than it is already going.   Alright, better get to work but I'll post more soon!!  Sending hugs, xoxo, love you and miss you!

more pictures!

I almost forgot to update you guys but I wanted to let you know that I am putting pictures up on Picasa web albums - facebook is slow and does not let me upload easily and the Tumblr site is one picture at a time.  I will still post pictures on these sites but the Picasa Site will have full albums from my travels etc.  :o)   Hope you enjoy!


http://picasaweb.google.com/fairchild.maryellen

Jordanian Birthday :o)

Well, it's officially my 24th birthday (although technically I have to wait 2 more hours for it to be the exact time according to my mother) but it has been a wonderful day thus far.  The festivities started yesterday when I went shopping for a new outfit to wear at night, going dancing!!!  A group of about 6 of us went dancing where the music was insanely loud and there wasn't much space to stand, haha, but we had a great time laughing and dancing away to crazy techno beats.  I obviously need to work on my dance moves but I held my own  :o)   This morning then consisted of our weekly football (soccer) match where MY team won!!!  I of course missed all my shots on goal but I was pleased with my performance, we have intense competition, hehe.   After football, we enjoyed some breakfast/brunch at Crumbs Bakery and I had a delicious birthday cupcake for dessert.  Everyone is so sweet, calling and writing e-mails from afar, I feel well-loved.  


It's hard to be away from close family and friends, I'd love to see people and just be able to sit and talk, give some hugs away but soon enough, that time will come.  I am always blown away by the people around me and how blessed and lucky I am to have such support in my life no matter where I end up.  That has to be from the power above because I am somehow surrounded by fantastic people in every area of life.  Thank you to everyone for keeping in touch with me since I've been away - I have enjoyed every moment of e-mailing and blogging and calling with bad skype connections :o)  


In other news, things with the job are up in the air so I will keep you updated.  The actual work is much better in the organization factor this semester but some other issues have risen since the funding came through.  Hopefully, things will work out for all parties involved and for the well-being of the clients.  Julie and I are doing a workshop about Music Therapy for another NGO called the Center for Victims of Torture, meeting with their staff of 15 people which is exciting!  They are very interested in learning more about music therapy and how it can be incorporated with working with torture victims.  


In the music scene, we had an amazing symphony concert on Wednesday in conjunction with the Cairo Symphony.  I am hoping to get my hands on one of the recordings and post it for you to listen to, get a little glimpse of the Amman Symphony Orchestra.   AND, I auditioned for and made an arabic/english choir that will be singing throughout the spring, a perk being we have a retreat next weekend at the Dead Sea, sounds good to me!  


Alright, going to see Avatar in 3D tonight so I better shower!  :o)   Sending xoxoxo, miss you and love you, thanks for all the birthday wishes, made my day!

Be Careful What You Eat

No really, I mean what the title says.  If you come to the Middle East, especially Egypt, be very careful what you eat!  Ever since I got back from Egypt at the end of November, I haven't been feeling quite right.  Finally went to the doctor and I have four medications. ah! to deal with the mess in my stomach.  I'm not sure what I ate that started this whole thing, but the food in Egypt was delicious, so no regrets here.  :o)


Been spending time getting better so quiet days, doing work from home.  I have preparations for the Psychology of Music class I am teaching spring semester, as well as preparations for my new work at the Institute for Family Health.  The groups I am working with are more serious populations in collaboration with the psychologists on board at the center.   I am hoping this will be a good experience, positive for both the clients and myself. We shall see.  


In other news, my friend Amit is back in town so it's trivia night tomorrow night, woohoo! I need to get my brain moving a little bit.  Aimee is finally feeling much better and we are both excited about the upcoming concert on January 20th.  The music should be great and some members of the Cairo Symphony are joining us on one of the pieces.  


I am trying to take some more quiet time for myself in the new year.  For example, I really haven't been spending time making music on my own.  I don't sing or play as much for fun so I want to increase that as well as increase my quiet time at night to sit and read, relax, before bed.  It's tough because I want to catch people back in the States online but I was staying up way too late to do that.  My new schedule will work, I promise  :o)   I will still be in touch, don't worry. 


Alright, back to work, will update soon!  miss you and love, xoxo

Adventuring through Israel/Palestine Part 2

December 27^th – a few days into the trip and another day in Jerusalem.  Took pictures of the Wailing Wall and then entered the Dome of the Rock platform area.  We couldn’t go into the Dome of the Rock but got pretty close, after going through 2 metal detectors to get there!  Headed to the Tea Room for breakfast where I had a delicious chocolate and banana filled pancake – YUM!  Next stop – the Tower of David Museum where they have a great history of Israel exhibit.  I left Joe there to go meet Tsvia, an Israeli music therapist, for lunch.  She and I had great conversation about her work there and her dreams for music therapy in other areas throughout the land.  After finishing lunch, Joe and I finally walked the Ramparts walk and came down at the Mt. Zion church which is home to the place of the last supper (Coenaculum) and Mary’s place of eternal sleep.  Spent some quiet time praying and reflecting there.  Then back to the hostel for a break, then wonderful Arabic dinner that night – hummus, Arabic salad, and vegetable soup!  I packed up my bag for my next leg of the trip up to Nazareth and we went to sleep.  Next morning, we attempting to find the holocaust museum and finally were successful after trying two different city buses.  Not being able to read or speak Hebrew was a bit difficult; I kept trying Arabic and forgetting where I was.  The holocaust museum – Yad Vashem, was very well done, a relatively new museum, it documented the timeline of the holocaust very well, including the lead up to events, showing that it didn’t just happen overnight.  It was very factual but also very emotional with actual artifacts and pictures, interviews, etc.  To finish the day, headed to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem and put Joe on a bus to the border, me on a bus to Nazareth.  There happened to be two people from my hostel in Jerusalem on the bus to Nazareth and it worked out great that they were there.  We tried to stay in a convent there but it was full, so we shared an apartment that one of the congregation members rents out.  Jamal was the owner’s name and he and his family loved having us.  The two people that stayed, left after one night but they were replaced with two more people from Germany and a lovely woman from Poland.  I spent my first day in Nazareth by myself, hiking around and exploring the town which is much more built up than I thought it would be.  I visited the Basilica of Annunciation and St. Joseph’s church, then wandered the street through the vegetable markets, got some delicious hot chocolate and more falafel (best food ever) and went back to the apartment.  I actually watched a movie that night, Finding Neverland, and it was the first time in awhile that I was by myself, relaxing.  Quite wonderful actually. 

December 30^th rolled along and my new German and Polish friends decided we should all go to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee together.  That worked for me since they had rented a car, made it easy.  Seeing the Sea was amazing, took lots of pictures and we visited the Church of St. Peter, connected to the story of Jesus calming the storm on the sea.  Beautiful mosaics were there and everyone in the group took their time going through the church.  For the rest of the day, we traveled north around the west coast of the Sea, visiting Caphernaum, the Church of Multiplication of Loaves and Fish, and the Mt. of Beatitudes.  All of these biblical sites were wonderful to see, different than what I pictured in my head, but amazing to be there.  It was raining the entire day but that didn’t stop us one bit.  In fact, when we dropped the car off at 4, we were in Afula where we caught the bus to Nazareth; however, it was an express bus that stopped 5 miles outside of Nazareth!  We just walked the rest of the way which worked out great.  For dinner, Matias made spaghetti and sauce and we ended up watching “Freedom Writers”.  It was like we were a little family, sitting there with our cups of tea, watching a movie together.  It was interesting, a theme throughout my trip, how people connect with each other and interact in such caring ways.  Really, the whole trip reinforced my silly idea in my head that the majority of people just want to love others, really, I know that sounds like a naïve idea but I stand by it. 

Leaving Nazareth, I caught a taxi to Afula and then was standing at the Bus Station when a guy approached about taking a taxi bus to Tel Aviv instead for the same price.  I was hesitant but a guy that spoke Hebrew said it was legit so I got in, paid $5.00 and rode the 2 hours to Tel Aviv.  Arrived, got out my map, and starting exploring the very western, European Tel Aviv.  Stopped in this crazy mall area and got lunch, then continued on to the beach!  It was so lovely to just sit on the beach, watching people, enjoying the sun, stuck my feet in the Mediterranean Sea, found seashells, and took plenty of pictures.  After relaxing there for about two hours, I picked up my bags once again (I looked like I was living on the street, with my little bags) and explored some more of the city.  I ended up finding this 24-hour breakfast place called “Benedict” and had one of the best dinners ever.  I had eggs benedict (with BACON! And salad and it came with a glass of champagne which was appropriate since it was New Year’s Eve of course.  Then headed to the hotel to hopefully meet up with Mark.  We didn’t really have any way to communicate so I was going by the e-mail I got two weeks before, stating that he would be at the hotel around 9 pm.  To my relief, he showed up at 9:20 pm and we spent New Year’s Eve sipping on wine and watching people around us, then watching the London New Year’s Eve celebration on T.V  :o)

Ok, I think that is enough information about my trip for now.  There are so many small moments and experiences that are just so hard to explain in this format.  I will never forget them of course, and I kept a journal through the trip.  I can’t believe that I was really there, in the Holy Lands, the places talked about in the bible, places I have read about and seen pictures of.  I was there, and I enjoyed every second of it.  

Adventuring through Israel/Palestine Part 1

How do I begin to explain my trip through Israel and Palestine?  It began at 7:30 am on December 24th as I was picked up by Ahmad and driven to the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge crossing which is only 40 minutes from my house.  At the border, there were people everywhere, most were American and I was overwhelmed!  I hadn’t seen that many Americans in one place for 6 months – I almost felt a bit of cultural shock because of it but I met some interesting people along the way.  A couple that I met is from the States, in their mid-fifties, and they now live and work in Kuwait, the job market was better there and they love it!  I also met a few people my age that are living and working in Amman doing various things like teaching English, accountant, contracting, etc and we ended up sharing a bus to Jerusalem and catching a bus to Bethlehem.  A running theme throughout my trip was that I happened to arrive in places just in time to catch the next bus/taxi/whatever to my next destination.  Felt like it was fate to travel there.  Made it to Jerusalem by 11 am and Bethlehem by 12.  Getting to Bethlehem from Jerusalem required a trip through one of the many checkpoints; however, the one we went to was at the wall – this monstrosity of a wall between Israeli and Palestinians, causing the conflict that we all read about every day.   I took some pictures of the many places of graffiti on the Palestinian side of the wall, most pointing to peace as the answer with phrases like “Palesisrael” written in bright colors. 

Finally in Bethlehem, I met up with some of my friends from Amman that had travelled there the day before.  Without cell phone service, it’s always fun trying to find people but we managed and found our hotel, the Alexander Hotel.  The couple that owns the hotel is a wonderful Palestinian couple that was so excited to have us stay there – wonderful stories, got a Christmas hug from the husband, Joseph, and great breakfast the next day. Meanwhile, on Christmas Eve, Joe and I headed up to the church of the Nativity which was amazing.  I would like to go back when there are less people but just to be there, see the place was great.  I managed to get down into the grotto where they say Jesus was born, touched the star and took a few pictures.  Then, as we were getting ready to leave, the Franciscan friars began chanting and performing part of the service into the grotto – I filmed just a small clip of that because their voices were so beautiful echoing through the church.  The church of the Nativity is connected to St. Catherine’s which is home for the friars.  After fighting some of the crowds some more, we navigated the windy streets of Bethlehem, following a cross in the sky, to find Christmas Lutheran Church and went to the 5 pm Christmas Eve service there.  The service was a combination of Arabic/English/German and was powerful to hear, the sermon was wonderful, focusing on the shepherds journey and the impact the birth of Christ had on them, then the letdown they felt as they returned to their fields and tried to tell people what had happened – the experience that they held onto throughout their lives and how it affected the rest of their lives in a powerful way.  At the end of the service, we lit candles and exited the church singing Silent Night in our respective languages and as we reached the door to the outside, the Muslim prayer call began, what a weird feeling, but everyone kept singing – focusing on the moment.  Then, after the service, headed down to Manger Square where the first ever rock concert was happening.  Bethlehem at Christmas was more like New York City on New Year’s Eve, the excitement level was so high and it was beautiful to see all different types of people mixing together.  I had some cotton candy, yum! And then stood to wait and see if we could hear the mass at the Church of the Nativity.  While standing and waiting, a soldier was standing directly in front of me on the other side of the small gate.  His huge gun hit my leg a few times but he had a gentle smile and was enjoying the evening as much as everyone else.  The military presence throughout my trip was shocking – everyone is required to be in the military at age 18 for at least 2 years, women and men, and then you can be called to duty at any time until you are 40 years old.  A quiet Christmas Eve dinner of hummus, mutabbal, and chicken followed and then Joe and I read the Christmas story from the book of Luke :o)

I woke up on Christmas day VERY sick but I was determined to continue with my trip so I slowly walked up to the Church of the Nativity in the morning to find a Greek folk music group playing and singing in the square.  People began to crowd around and then began to dance in a circle around the group – I dragged Joe in and we danced with everyone, feeling the same beat, such an awesome experience.  After this, we sat in St. Catherine’s for a few so I could rest; my body was not happy with me, and listened to a choir practice which sounded great. From there, I wanted to see the Milk Grotto, the place where they say Mary and Joseph stopped with the baby Jesus and spent the night.  Took a long walk back through the town of Bethlehem on the small back roads and ended up back at the hotel to say goodbye to Joseph and his wife and son, then caught crazy bus “21” to Jerusalem – back through one of the checkpoints, and found the Hebron Hostel in the Old City of Jerusalem, right in the Muslim quarter.  I promptly took an hour nap, didn’t feel any better, but needed to go find dinner.  We found an AMAZING pizza place, go figure, and bought 2 slices each with some fresh squeezed orange juice and enjoyed our little Christmas Dinner.  Took it easy the rest of the night and I went to bed early early to try and get healthy for the rest of the trip. 

On the morning of the 26^th, I woke up feeling slightly better and decided to explore the Old City.  Joe still with me and being a good sport, explored with me.  We tried to do the Ramparts Walk on top of the wall but could not buy tickets on Shabbat – the Jewish holy day, so we went to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) which was extremely powerful.  We could not take pictures that day but could watch and pray.  I went back later in the week to get a few pictures but at the same time, it is a holy, sacred place for the Jewish faith, I didn’t want to stand around taking a million pictures while they are trying to pray.  The tiny slips of paper shoved into the wall hold thousand of prayers that people bring everyday from all over the world.  I found out that you can e-mail the Western Wall and they will print your prayers and put it on the wall for you.  Mark, my good friend from home, brought prayers from his family and put them on the wall, called his grandmother and told her he was there, she was so excited.  After seeing the Western Wall, Joe and I continued our trek to the Mount of Olives where we visited the Garden of Gethsemane (some of the trees are ones that were there during Jesus’ time), the Basilica of Agony, the grotto, Virgin Mary’s Tomb, and hiked up to the place of Ascension.  On our way up the Mount, which was very high!, we saw the vast Jewish cemetery stretching across the east side of the hill.  At the top of the Mount, I got some great pictures of the Jerusalem skyline and also found fantastic falafel for lunch.  Probably not the best idea for my then uneasy stomach but it tasted wonderful! Took a picture for you, don’t worry :o) Continuing the day, we headed back to the city to enter at the Lion’s Gate.  From there, you can follow the “Stations of the Cross” including 9 stations of where they think Jesus walked with the cross to the site of Calvary.  I tried to document the entire trip with pictures so keep your eyes posted for when I put those up.  Each step of the way was a spiritual journey – picturing Jesus finding his way through the small streets, crowded with people, carrying his heavy burden – falling, getting back up, having tears wiped away, seeing his earthly mother, being spit on, feeling the weight of the cross the whole way.  The last 5 stations are located at/in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  There, they believe was the place where the cross stood, Jesus died, was washed, and put in the tomb.  The church is ornate and filled with mosaics and shrines. I stood in line to see the tomb – then followed my way around the church at my own pace.  As I was getting ready to leave, the Franciscan friars began their service throughout the church which echoed and was beautiful.  At the end of their service, the Armenians began to sing, the melding of the voices and the differences in the music echoed together in the church, pretty cool.   After the Stations of the Cross, Joe and I headed back to the hostel to relax, then had pizza and hot chocolate for dinner.  On the way back to the hostel after dinner, this lady approached Joe with a sweet drink for free, her friend didn’t like it so Joe said “sure!”, how funny  :o)  To end the night, Joe and I played some cards, hehehe, we get intense with card games.