Leave A Legacy

Take a look at our fundraising Campaign to assist the development of the school we are working with here in Zarqa, Jordan.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Leavealegacy?a=938161#share

This image is a snap shot of the renovations which are currently underway to create two new classrooms for Grades (Years) 1 and 2.

The school also has a new Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/LegacyLearningCentersInternational

Power cuts and water shortage!

Last night, around 11pm, the temperature of our apartment was around 35*C, with the air outside a little warmer.  We were lay on our bed, enjoying the a/c, watching a DVD before crashing out for the night.  Then it happened... the electricity cut out! 

I felt my way to the children's room to where I could just about see the faint glow of their wind up torches.  I took the torches and checked the fuse box to find all was okay there, we looked out of the window to see that the whole of Zarqa was in darkness.  Oh dear, no electric means no fans, and NO A/C!! I flash the torch into the bathroom just before going in for pre-sleep wee and an ugly black cockroach froze to the spot in the middle of the floor.  Okay so its pitch black and if I move my torch the little thing will scarper and I won't be able to use the bathroom for the night out of fear, "Riiichaaaard."  Just as Richard manages, after several attempts, to splat the poor thing I catch sight of another in the open hinge of the door-frame.  The shoe isn't going to work for this one, but if I move my torch he will disappear... Richard takes over with the torch as I go to find the bug spray (remember, all of this is in complete darkness apart from the small torches we keep needing to wind up to keep them lit).  I find the spray but a soon as I spray the cockroach he runs out of sight behind the door.  I stood outside the bathroom, torch pointed at the floor to watch he didn't escape.  Richard lost the cockroach a number of times, it was like find him, spray, loose him, find him again, spray, loose him again, until eventually we (I mean he) got him!! By this point the whole apartment was intoxicated by the fumes. 

Okay, so now we can use the bathroom and get to bed.  We lay in bed creating puddles of sweat, even with the window open the air had no movement to it.  A few moments later George wanders in, wanted to cwtch up, 3 in the bed... as much as I love my son, I really did not want any skin contact in the heat of last night.  A short while later a few more footsteps and we also have a Lilian in our bed. Four in the bed, not sure how to survive this heat...help! Most of us have finally dropped off to sleep and *CLUNK* the a/c kicks back in, the lights come on, it didn't last long though. We were back to cooking in our bed in no time.  The electric was on/off several times throughout the night, but thankfully on when we got up in the morning. 

We went to school for the final day of the summer programme, all was going well until mid morning... another power cut!! No fans, no lights, no internet!! Everything carried on as normal-ish, we were just dripping with sweat constantly.  Then, to add into the mix, we turn on the tap at the school, to wash the dishes and nothing came out! Fraser went upstairs to check the 3 tanks on the roof to find that they were completely empty.  The first time this has happened in the 3 years they've been there.  The tanks are filled on a weekly basis, but it seems the pressure must have been too low and the water didn't make it up to the tanks!  To end on a positive note, the electric did come back on!  And we've got our torches ready in case it cuts out again tonight.  It's all character building apparently. 

Thanks for reading.

Visa Extension...

We have been in Jordan for 3 months!! Time has flown and dragged at the same time, as we have been super busy with school and making new friends, but missing our friends and family so far away.

Today we were due to go to Amman and extend our visas for another 3 months, after which we will need to exit the country and then reenter in order to begin the whole process again!  We were half expecting it to be an ordeal, as it was last time. But it seems that Amman is much more organised than Zarqa. So we spent half an hour filling out some simple forms and a brief chat with a member of staff, and now we have to return in 2 weeks to confirm our visa and stamp our passports (which we have been guaranteed will be fine).  We were also told that if we take a letter confirming that we're volunteering at the School we can get a visa for a year, which would take away all this back and fore visa hassle. So lets just pray they keep their word and it can be that simple!!

We're grateful that today was so straight forward and want to say a big thank you to Auntie Bekah for Lilian and George's magazines, we saved them for today and they were a welcome surprise!!

The Falafel Sandwich

The first Saturday after the end of the school year, Puanana had a call from a company she has contact with in Amman called SkyLark http://www.skylark-jo.com/ who were looking for a last minute Native English speaker to teach English on their summer programme for 4-6 year olds, as their teacher had just pulled out. I (Abi) spoke to the company director on the phone and went into Amman with Richard on Sunday to meet her, and then began the 2 hour English class on that Monday! It really was last minute. I took Richard with me as I wasn't used to travelling on my own and took advantage of my parents visiting for someone to take care of the children.

Half way through that busy first day we arrived back in Zarqa bus station and were due to go straight to the school to attend an end of the year staff debrief. We were very hungry and unsure if there would be anything to eat at the school, so we bought falafel sandwiches from one of the many street vendors there. We took our food to the school where Mum (Ann) was preparing some food, so we very kindly cut up or sandwiches so they could be shared with the rest of the food. I think that only four of us were unlucky enough to have some Falafal sandwich, because the week to follow was far more than we'd bargained for...

It hit me first early Tuesday morning, glued to the toilet seat, then in the evening came down with a fever. When you're feeling cold and shivering in 35 degree heat you definitely know that something's wrong. The next morning, with a bout of vomiting thrown in the mix, Richard ventured into Amman to take my English class. But then he also began to get the rumblings, along with Mum and Dad (Ann and Tim). Then the penny dropped, as we took turns racing back and fore the bathroom - The Falafel Sandwich!

Mum and Dad began they're journey home to Wales Thursday evening, still with gripes in their bowels, reminding them to never be too far from a toilet. And for us, despite being I'll, life goes on! Saturday morning I was anxiously going back into Amman to teach another English class. Back and fore the bathroom 4-5 times before I left, I feared I wouldn't last the journey. But I survived as I discovered I could hold it in. Woohoo!! What a revelation! I just felt physically very weak and still needed a bathroom whenever I could find one.

So on Monday, seven days after the first of my dreaded symptoms, after losing 10lb in weight, both Richard and I feeling at all time lows, I went to a pharmacy and bought an antibiotic a good Doctor friend (you know who you are) recommended.  Within a day we finally felt hungry again, began to see reason, and stopped being quite so cranky with each other and the children.  Richard went from one day being filled with self pity and home-sickness to the next day devising plans and visions for the future.  So now we know what to avoid, we hope to stay away from this kind of trauma and anguish in the future!

Author: A.E.