Brief Home stay in Jordan's South Badia

Tomorrow I will venture about 5-6 hours south of Amman and lunge into a five day home stay with a Bedouin family living in a small village by the name of Grain (it is an arabic word that sounds just as the English word grain is pronounced). Although I know very little about the family so far today each student was told where their home stay families live and we were given a general idea of what the family was like.

I am SO excited. Of the 23 students in my program 11 are headed to the Southern Badia. Jordan has three Badia regions which are basically rural areas where small Bedouin villages are. The other 12 students are will be staying in northern Badia villages, most being right on the Syrian border. I would have been happy with being placed in the Northern Badia as well but let me tell you why I am so thrilled about my southern Badia family!

The father of the family is a Sheikh (leader of a tribe) named Sheikh Hussein Abu Nweir. He is well-known in the area and Dr. Raed described him as one of the most wonderful people he has ever been in the presence of. He is also running for a position in the parliament for the upcoming election! I hope my facts are right on this. I know he is running for something but I'll have to add more detail after I return. The family is supposedly really large, like most families in the Badia. I'll be buying some candy and surprises for kids after school today to bring to them.

Another reason for being excited is that a lot of Southern Jordan is dramatically beautiful, dry, red, deserts that most people could never even comprehend what life in this environment is like. Can't wait can't wait can't wait!! I will hopefully have lots of pictures and things to say about the experience after I return on Monday...