Week 3

My oh my, it has been over a week since I last blogged!  I am now more than half way through this program!  This last week and a half was hectic and crazy.  Moving, site visits, midterms, Petra and Wadi Rum.  There’s so much that I want to share with you all.   As I mentioned before, our group of 18 students moved to the Gardenia Hotel, but guess what?!!!! We still had the same internet issues, intermittent connection and at times it wasn’t even working at all.   So the group decided to move back to our original hotel.  The Arena Hotel.  And since the move back, the internet has gotten better.  It was a very tiring weekend.  So here I am, back at the arena hotel, no longer in my original room on the second floor but now I am on the fifth floor with all of my other classmates.  I hope that for the rest of this trip there will be no more moving! 

This week our site visits included the JHAS headquarters, (Jordan Health Aid Society), and Al-Basheer Hospital.  At the Al-Basheer Hospital, I was given a tour through the labor and delivery and pediatrics building.  Being able to see firsthand, the differences in the health system between a developed country (US) versus a developing country (Jordan) is just astonishing.  It has opened up my eyes on how healthcare can have such variation but still maintaining the  overall objective of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and illness.  By the way, an interesting culture difference, I wanted to mention is that women who are in labor are by themselves.  Husbands and family members do not assist or provide emotion support to the women at their bedside.  That was an interesting cultural difference that I had to absorb.  

JHAS

Al-Basheer Hospital

Being here in Jordan is not all about fun, well, maybe some fun, but there is also the studying.  We had midterms this week and I am definitely glad that was over.  In less than two weeks we will have our finals exams too!  We are moving at lightning speed and I’m really surprising myself on how well I am able to keep up.  It’s plenty of hard work, but its also rewarding at the same time.

From Friday morning to Saturday evening, we were able to relax and enjoy our mini trip that flew by way too quickly.  We spent Friday afternoon at Petra and then spend the night at Wadi Rum in a tent!  Words can’t describe how graceful and gleaming my surrounds were.  I kept asking myself if the mountains, and the views were real because it was truly unbelievable.  Being able to ride a camel before sunset, watching the sunset from atop of a mountain, camping in the middle of the desert, and riding in the back of a pick-up truck between mountains was all breathtaking.  I never knew such extravagant scenaries existed. 

next three photos are on the way to Petra 

Lindsay, myself and Claire

after 3 and a half hours, finally at Petra!

Notice how close the two walls are.

The Famous Treasury

about an hour away from Petra this is a campsite in Wadi Rum

Riding camels before sunset.

Watching the sun set on top of a mountain.

more pictures of the desert

and more...

Yippee!  to our amazing time in Wadi Rum!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! I have plenty more so if you are interested in seeing more pictures, please feel free to let me know!  Until next time, I will be studying hard and continuing my remaining two weeks here in Jordan. Have a great week everyone.