Jordan Trip Details

We had our orientation for the Jordan trip the other day – I am SO excited! The other students going on the trip all seems nice – it looks like a good mix of undergrads and postgrads, and I’m hoping we’ll all get on well.

The trip is the Al Sadi Changing Lives Program, which works to expose UK university students to Jordanian and Middle Eastern culture. Our itinerary is still being finalized, but it looks like we’ll be doing some cultural things as well as some volunteering type things. We’ll be going to the Dead Sea, as well as the Citadel in Amman, and then doing some volunteering with children at Gaza Refugee Camp, and meeting the UNICEF Regional Team.

(Unfortunately, we won’t be able to make it to Petra, since it’s quite a long trek from Amman and we have lots of other things planned. Definitely a bit sad about that, since Petra has been on my list of places to see for forever, BUT it just gives me a good reason to go back to Jordan one day.)

I’m a bit nervous about what to expect, but I’m also beyond excited….now to do some shopping to make sure I have some appropriate clothes (it’s going to be HOT!) and to get some Jordanian dinar. Wish me luck!

 

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Going to Jordan!

Super exciting news to share!! Back in June, I applied to participate in an exchange program with the London Middle East Institute to go to Jordan for 10 days next month….and I just found out yesterday that I was accepted!

As kind of a funny story, I applied really last minute, and completely forgot to tell my mom about it – until yesterday (oops!). She’s totally on board though, and it sounds like a really cool opportunity.

There will be an orientation meeting in a couple weeks where I’ll get more information, but I’m absolutely so excited. I’ve been interested in and studying the Middle East for so long now, and I finally get to actually go there!!

 

 

Tania Saleh/Cairokee Concert

So yesterday was Canada Day (woot woot!), and I spent it enjoying the festivities in Trafalgar Square – iced caps and timbits and poutine and a sea of red and white!

BUT, I also was able to spend the evening at an amazing concert at the Barbican to see Taniah Saleh, a contemporary alternative Lebanese singer/songwriter/visual artist, and Cairokee, an Egyptian rock band.

I’m still getting into Arabic music, so I wasn’t familiar with these artists until I went to the event last night, but it was absolutely spectacular! I highly recommend checking out their websites and youtube videos and giving them a listen. (I’m absolutely terrible at taking pictures/videos when I’m at these things, otherwise I would have shared my own!)

Any other artists like these to recommend?