Mansef

"The only thing Jordanians care about is mansef" - my teacher Mohammed

Mansef is the national dish here and it has become my favorite meal whenever we go out to eat. What is mansef you ask? Well, if you were to be served mansef at someone's home, they would bring out a small coffee table sized platter covered with a five inch layer of flavored rice and pie nuts. Then on top of the rice you'd see pieces of a lamb and possibly the lamb head sitting in the middle of the rice mound. On top of that they pour a yogurt like sauce.

Then you and your hosts would sit Indian style in a circle around this delicious feast and eat it using only your right hand. You don't talk unless you want to risk letting someone eat part of your share of rice and lamb meat while you're flapping your gums. You know someone's finished when you see them lying immobilized on their back. Unfortunately I've only eaten it like this once about five years ago in Irbid and yes it was very messy, but yummy none the less. We were invited by a random taxi driver to go eat mansef at his home not too long ago, but Melanie was not crazy about the idea of going to eat dinner at a random stranger's home. I can't say I blame her, but I must admit I was very sad to turn down an invitation to eat mansef. I took his phone number in case Melanie changed her mind, but no dice.

Luckily, Al Quds restaurant serves excellent single portion sized mansef and I try talking Melanie into going there every chance I get. I tried and failed earlier today, but I'll give it another shot tomorrow.

These are the days

I love America and appreciate it so much more after living abroad these last nine months and I cannot wait to come home and see family and friends and start the next chapter of our lives. I can't wait to eat ribs, drink beer, and watch football. At the same time, I must remind myself and my lovely wife that these are some of the best days of our lives. Being back in the states for a few days last week was great, but I felt at peace upon our return last night when we walked into Quds restaurant and I ordered and consumed two plates of delicious mansef for less than $15 and then took a service taxi back to our apartment for about seventy cents. Yes the streets here are dirty, sidewalks hazardous or non existent, and there is constant noise of some kind and there is no system and little regard for safety. These things made me crazy when we first arrived and the noise part still does, but the bottom line is that we are living a relatively stress free existence here. Sure we have no air conditioning or washing machine in our new apartment after having been promised that both would be here over a week ago and sure I have to hand wash the dishes every night and then dodge cats jumping out of the dumpster when I throw the trash into it every evening. But every day here I get to focus on studying Arabic full time, which makes me so happy and fulfilled, especially when I watch and understand Al-Jazeera or read a newspaper or book with minimal use of a dictionary. Every day here is a day away from work and meetings, phone calls, emails, and office politics. Every day here is a vacation from family pressures to start having kids. Every day here is a day away from CNN, Fox, and reality television. Every day here is a day living to do what I want to do and I must never forget that and I must cherish and soak in these last three months. When I come back I do want to find a job and work and I do want to start a family, but for now I will and must enjoy this.