In February of 2007 the State Department had an Entry Level Officer conference in Amman. Basically, they got Junior Officers from posts around the Middle East, sent us to Amman, and stuck us in a conference room for a few days while we got to listen to people talk about how awsome the Foreign Service is, how important the work we're doing is, and how significant of a challenge Iraq poses to the Service as a whole. Fun stuff.
However, there was one part of the conference that dwarfs all others both in terms of interest and significance. About half of us in attendance had the opportunity to have an audience with King Abdullah. Now, I know that a lot of people don't approve of his reign, and he ceratinly has more than his fair share of challenges, triumphs, and mistakes, but I was honored to have the opportunity to shake his hand and hear him speak, at lenght, on his take on the situation in the Middle East. It was a priceless opportunity, and one for which I am grateful.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Amman 2004
We actually stayed in Amman in two different stretches in 2004. At the beginning of the "Final Trip" that capped off our semester Study Abroad, we spent a few nights in Amman. Amman was also the city we were flying out of, so we spent a few more days there at the end of our study abroad.
Much like Aqaba, Amman stood in stark contrast in our minds with Egypt in general, and Alexandria in particular. While Alex grew to feel like a claustrophobic port city, Amman was a sprawling, relaxed mountain town, the hills covered with limestone-faced houses. It was particularly pretty at sunset.
My starkest memory from these trips to Amman is from when we were on top of the mountain where the old city of Ammon was during biblical times. The tour guide pointed out that the long valley to the west, which is where the modern city mostly sits, was the beginning of the ancient road that connected Ammon to Jerusalem. It's also the best route for an army invading from Israel to take.
It's entirely possible, then, that that was were the Israelite army was attacking when Uriah was sent to the front lines. It was kind of eerie, thinking about the history that had occured in the vicinity of where I was standing. Indeed, I had that feeling many times throughout Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Much like Aqaba, Amman stood in stark contrast in our minds with Egypt in general, and Alexandria in particular. While Alex grew to feel like a claustrophobic port city, Amman was a sprawling, relaxed mountain town, the hills covered with limestone-faced houses. It was particularly pretty at sunset.
My starkest memory from these trips to Amman is from when we were on top of the mountain where the old city of Ammon was during biblical times. The tour guide pointed out that the long valley to the west, which is where the modern city mostly sits, was the beginning of the ancient road that connected Ammon to Jerusalem. It's also the best route for an army invading from Israel to take.
It's entirely possible, then, that that was were the Israelite army was attacking when Uriah was sent to the front lines. It was kind of eerie, thinking about the history that had occured in the vicinity of where I was standing. Indeed, I had that feeling many times throughout Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Sharm al Sheikh 2004
Sharm al Sheikh is an incredible place. I have this theory that there are three Egypts: Tourist Egypt, mostly in Cairo and at various other touristy places along the Nile; real Egypt, where the Egyptians actually live and work; and the Sinai, where rich Europeans and Arabs go to sunbathe and scuba dive. For a few days, we got to pretend we were rich Europeans or Arabs. Well, not really, but we did get to snorkel. My goodness, I've never seen anything so amazingly cool in my life. The reefs were set up as though they were a forest of miniature plateaus, maybe 30 or 40 feet in diameter with canyons about 20 feet deep and 10 feet or so wide in between them. The reefs themselves were 15 feet or so below the surface, so the bottom was 35 feet or so (give or take - I'm horrible judging distances in the best of times, and underwater without my glasses on are not the best of times.)
The fish swimming around in the reefs were painted with every color of the rainbow. They were every size and shape. I spent most of the time holding my breath as long as I could so I could swim down in the canyons. It felt like another world. I wish we had a camera we could take under water. The pictures would have been marvelous.
The fish swimming around in the reefs were painted with every color of the rainbow. They were every size and shape. I spent most of the time holding my breath as long as I could so I could swim down in the canyons. It felt like another world. I wish we had a camera we could take under water. The pictures would have been marvelous.
Mt. Sinai 2004
We had the opportunity to go to Mt. Sinai while we were in Egypt for our study abroad. We spent pretty much the whole first day on the bus driving from Alexandria to a hotel near the mountain. Then, after just a few hours of sleep, we drove to St. Catherine's monastary at the base of the Mount, in time to start hiking up the mountain at about 2:30 am. We had to leave that early so that we would get to the top of the mountain in time to watch the sunrise.
About two thirds of the hike up the mountain the path is wide and level. It goes through several long, lazy switchbacks as it crawls it way up the mountain side. However, the last third of the hike is much more rugged. there is a series of stairs that a monk in the middle ages carved into the rock to allow for an easier climb to the top. However, being hand carved hundreds of years ago, these stairs are very steep, uneven, and crumbly. It was a bit of a challenge, but nothing insurmountable.
Then I started to notice what some of the other tourists were wearing. (There were several dozen other people on the mountian - ours was but one of many different groups making the pilgrimage to the top that morning.) Most of the other tourists seemed to be from Russia, and I noticed that a significant number of the ladies in the other groups were wearing high-heeled sandals. I was flabergasted. I mean, sure, the hike wasn't that bad, but why make things harder for you than you need to? Many of them struggled to get to the top in time for the sunrise. There's a lesson for life in there, I think.
Once on top, we only had to wait half an hour or so for the sun to rise. It was beautiful. The land is remarkable for how rugged and lifeless it appears. There is no green - only brown. There are no smooth curves - only rough, jagged rocks. I gained a greater appreciation for the travails of the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness.
After the sunrise we had a testimony meeting. I'm sure we weren't the first group to do that, and I'm sure we won't be the last, but it felt like something special, to bear testimony and sing hymns on top of Mount Sinai.
Once we got to the bottom of the mountain again, we toured St. Catherine's Monastery
. Highlights of the tour included the burning bush (they claim that it is in fact the burning bush that the Lord used to speak with Moses), a room full of bones (I think they exhume the remains of monks from previous generations when they run out of space in order to have room to bury the newly dead), and a shelf with the remains of the monk who carved out all the stairs to the top of the mountain back in the Middle Ages. Fun stuff.
About two thirds of the hike up the mountain the path is wide and level. It goes through several long, lazy switchbacks as it crawls it way up the mountain side. However, the last third of the hike is much more rugged. there is a series of stairs that a monk in the middle ages carved into the rock to allow for an easier climb to the top. However, being hand carved hundreds of years ago, these stairs are very steep, uneven, and crumbly. It was a bit of a challenge, but nothing insurmountable.
Then I started to notice what some of the other tourists were wearing. (There were several dozen other people on the mountian - ours was but one of many different groups making the pilgrimage to the top that morning.) Most of the other tourists seemed to be from Russia, and I noticed that a significant number of the ladies in the other groups were wearing high-heeled sandals. I was flabergasted. I mean, sure, the hike wasn't that bad, but why make things harder for you than you need to? Many of them struggled to get to the top in time for the sunrise. There's a lesson for life in there, I think.
Once on top, we only had to wait half an hour or so for the sun to rise. It was beautiful. The land is remarkable for how rugged and lifeless it appears. There is no green - only brown. There are no smooth curves - only rough, jagged rocks. I gained a greater appreciation for the travails of the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness.
After the sunrise we had a testimony meeting. I'm sure we weren't the first group to do that, and I'm sure we won't be the last, but it felt like something special, to bear testimony and sing hymns on top of Mount Sinai.
Once we got to the bottom of the mountain again, we toured St. Catherine's Monastery
. Highlights of the tour included the burning bush (they claim that it is in fact the burning bush that the Lord used to speak with Moses), a room full of bones (I think they exhume the remains of monks from previous generations when they run out of space in order to have room to bury the newly dead), and a shelf with the remains of the monk who carved out all the stairs to the top of the mountain back in the Middle Ages. Fun stuff.
Las Vegas 2005
Katie's little sister, Emma, came down to visit us in Utah for the month of July in the summer of 2005. We did all sorts of fun stuff while she was visiting. One of the highlights was Vegas.
My buddy Russ Bennett was from Vegas. He and his wife, Mindy, were pretty much Katie and my best friends in Provo. They were headed down to Vegas for the weekend and invited us to come along. We got to stay at his parent's house and they showed us around town. It was a very enjoyable (and affordable!) way to see the city.
We spent some time in most of the major hotel/casinos. The Venetian looked like a Disney-ified version of Venice (it was way to clean) and the Bellagio's garden was astounding. Their water and light show at night was pretty cool too. Katie and Emma even got their picture in front of the famous Little White Chapel.
By far the coolest part of the weekend was when we got to go to see the Blue Man Group. Russ' dad is a dentist; one of his customers managed one of the casinos off the strip; that casino happened to be part of the same group that owned the Luxor hotel/casino, which is where the Blue Man Group was performing; he was able to get Brother Bennett a number of complimentary tickets; so, we got to go to an incredible $115 show for free! Talk aobut hook-ups!
My buddy Russ Bennett was from Vegas. He and his wife, Mindy, were pretty much Katie and my best friends in Provo. They were headed down to Vegas for the weekend and invited us to come along. We got to stay at his parent's house and they showed us around town. It was a very enjoyable (and affordable!) way to see the city.
We spent some time in most of the major hotel/casinos. The Venetian looked like a Disney-ified version of Venice (it was way to clean) and the Bellagio's garden was astounding. Their water and light show at night was pretty cool too. Katie and Emma even got their picture in front of the famous Little White Chapel.
By far the coolest part of the weekend was when we got to go to see the Blue Man Group. Russ' dad is a dentist; one of his customers managed one of the casinos off the strip; that casino happened to be part of the same group that owned the Luxor hotel/casino, which is where the Blue Man Group was performing; he was able to get Brother Bennett a number of complimentary tickets; so, we got to go to an incredible $115 show for free! Talk aobut hook-ups!
Aqaba 2004
After several months of living in Egypt, Aqaba seemed to be almost a fairy tale land of calm cleanliness. It took a long day's drive in the bus and on the ferry to get there, but we sure felt like it was worth it.
Looking back, it's almost comical at how relaxed Katie and I felt when we walked down the streets of Aqaba. Until then, we hadn't even realized the tension we'd been carrying with us in Egypt. Now, don't get me wrong - I loved my time in Egypt. However, there's something about being around so many people in such a chaotic environment that, over time, creates a fair amount of tenstion. Aqaba is where that tension started to drift away.
Looking back, it's almost comical at how relaxed Katie and I felt when we walked down the streets of Aqaba. Until then, we hadn't even realized the tension we'd been carrying with us in Egypt. Now, don't get me wrong - I loved my time in Egypt. However, there's something about being around so many people in such a chaotic environment that, over time, creates a fair amount of tenstion. Aqaba is where that tension started to drift away.
Al Alamein 2004
During our study abroad in Alexandria, the whole group went out to Al Alamein for a day. Alamein is the site of the decisive battle in the North African theatre during World War II. It was the first battle that the Germans lost, and set in motion the events that, in the end, resulted in the Axis powers being driven out of North Africa. There is a very peaceful and respectful military graveyard there, and a neat little museum. There's even a separate grave/monument/mausoleum sort of a thing for the German soldiers.
I was very touched by the rows of grave markers, standing guard over a stretch of land that really isn't all that much to look at - mostly dust and dirt and rocks, with the occasional scrub bush. The men who gave their lives in Alamein weren't anywhere near their homes. They weren't even anywhere that look remotely similar to their homes. But they fought and died nonetheless; the fought for what they believed in.
I was very touched by the rows of grave markers, standing guard over a stretch of land that really isn't all that much to look at - mostly dust and dirt and rocks, with the occasional scrub bush. The men who gave their lives in Alamein weren't anywhere near their homes. They weren't even anywhere that look remotely similar to their homes. But they fought and died nonetheless; the fought for what they believed in.
Friday, June 29, 2007
St. Louis 1994
The Yoder's lived in Saint Louis when we were at Grissom. I'm pretty sure Richard was stationed at Scott AFB at the time. When we moved from Grissom to Germany summer of 1994, we went to stay with the Yoder's for a few weeks first. Mom and the younger kids stayed down there while Allen, Court, and I went to EFY at Western Illinois University. I don't remember much of St. Louis, but I remember playing a really cool fantasy themed platform type game on their Sega Genesis. I wanted one.
Chicago 1993
That summer, Dad took Allen, David, and me to Chicago for a few days. It was a sort of extended guy's night out. We got to a great start by stopping at the store for chocolate milke and donuts. Whenever dad was in charge of food, you knew it would involve chocolate milke and donuts. :o)
While we were there, we went to a White Sox game. They played (I think) the Rangers, and it must have been one of Nolan Ryan's last games because there was a huge to-do between two of the innings about him and his career and such. I liked the hotdogs, but I thought the game was pretty boring. I've never been much of a baseball fan.
As a side note, after that whenever I played RBI baseball I'd always try to play with Nolan Ryan on my team.
Other memories from Chicago include:
While we were there, we went to a White Sox game. They played (I think) the Rangers, and it must have been one of Nolan Ryan's last games because there was a huge to-do between two of the innings about him and his career and such. I liked the hotdogs, but I thought the game was pretty boring. I've never been much of a baseball fan.
As a side note, after that whenever I played RBI baseball I'd always try to play with Nolan Ryan on my team.
Other memories from Chicago include:
- A nifty 3-D video game thing that involved putting a helmet on and seeing a world made up of polygons. There were three of four people connected into the same system, and we had to try to shoot each other. My glasses got all fogged up, so I couldn't see anything and got killed pretty quick.
- Going to the top of Sears tower. I was disapointed that there was a plastic shield up that kept me from spitting or dropping a penny over the side. What a bummer.
- There were big posters of those trick 3-D images at a mall we went to. The kind where you kind of have to let your eyes unfocus in order to see the image. I never could get those to work.
Indianapolis 1991-1994
We went to Indianapolis several times as a family when we lived at Grissom AFB. The primary attraction was the Children's Musem. There was a massive water clock in the lobby; it must've been at least 40 feet tall. There were several floors, and each one had a different theme. I was in heaven. So much cool stuff to learn, so little time to learn it all.
Paris 1997
In the Fall of 1996, my Junior year in High School, a bunch of kids from the drama program at a French High School in Paris came on an exchange trip to visit us at Ramstein. They were there for a week. We were all paired up with a French student. My guy was Thomas. Really nice guy - very friendly and polite. I remember taking him to the rec center on base and playing pool with Joey, Dimitri, Chris, and everyone else. They also all attended the homecoming football game, which they seemed to enjoy quite a bit. I don't remember if they were there for the homecoming dance though.
Anyway, towards the end of the school year - sometime in March or April, I can't remember exactly when - we visited them in Paris. It was about a four hour train ride from Ramstein to Paris. The central train station in Paris was huge - the first big train station that I remember. (I'm sure I was in pretty big train stations in Japan too - I can't remember.)
I stayed with Thomas, which was nice. I remember one of our guys - Paul Thomas, had to stay with a girl. I can't remember why, but the guy who had stayed with Paul wasn't available. It turned out that Paul had to sleep on a couch in the girls bedroom. It was pretty awkward for him.
We spent the bulk of our time during the day going to Paris' touristy places - the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysee, Montmarte, Notre Damme, stuff like that. After about 10:00 or so in the evening, our teachers, Mrs. Fong and Mr. Nukula, would go back home with the French teacher, and we would all go out to experience the nightlife with our hosts. A lot of crazy memories from that - a guy hitting on me in a bar (first time that'd happend to me), crazy dance parties, a rave, a bunch of other stuff. I pretty much felt uncomfortable and out of place the entire time. Fortunately, there was another LDS kid there, a good friend of mine named Nick Reed. He and I spent a lot of time wandering around since we were tired of watching everyone else get drunk.
One of my favorite things to do in Paris was to go to the top of the Arc d'Triomphe and watch the traffic going through the circle at the base of the monument. There was literally no rhyme or reason to the traffic patterns that I could distinguish. Every car seemed to simply go where it wanted to. Considering that there was room for about 6 lanes or so of cars, it created quite the chaotic driving scene. But, miracle of miracles, I didn't see any accidents. This was my introduction to crazy driving.
A funny story about Nick at the Arc. The Arc is in the middle of a massive traffic circle. Underneath the Arc is a metro line. When you walk around the Arc, there are massive grates covering holes that go the 50 or 60 feet to the metro line. Nick is terrified of heights. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that these grates were there until he was stuck in the middle of one of them. Poor guy was petrified. It seemed to take him forever to be able to move to get off the grate.
Anyway, towards the end of the school year - sometime in March or April, I can't remember exactly when - we visited them in Paris. It was about a four hour train ride from Ramstein to Paris. The central train station in Paris was huge - the first big train station that I remember. (I'm sure I was in pretty big train stations in Japan too - I can't remember.)
I stayed with Thomas, which was nice. I remember one of our guys - Paul Thomas, had to stay with a girl. I can't remember why, but the guy who had stayed with Paul wasn't available. It turned out that Paul had to sleep on a couch in the girls bedroom. It was pretty awkward for him.
We spent the bulk of our time during the day going to Paris' touristy places - the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysee, Montmarte, Notre Damme, stuff like that. After about 10:00 or so in the evening, our teachers, Mrs. Fong and Mr. Nukula, would go back home with the French teacher, and we would all go out to experience the nightlife with our hosts. A lot of crazy memories from that - a guy hitting on me in a bar (first time that'd happend to me), crazy dance parties, a rave, a bunch of other stuff. I pretty much felt uncomfortable and out of place the entire time. Fortunately, there was another LDS kid there, a good friend of mine named Nick Reed. He and I spent a lot of time wandering around since we were tired of watching everyone else get drunk.
One of my favorite things to do in Paris was to go to the top of the Arc d'Triomphe and watch the traffic going through the circle at the base of the monument. There was literally no rhyme or reason to the traffic patterns that I could distinguish. Every car seemed to simply go where it wanted to. Considering that there was room for about 6 lanes or so of cars, it created quite the chaotic driving scene. But, miracle of miracles, I didn't see any accidents. This was my introduction to crazy driving.
A funny story about Nick at the Arc. The Arc is in the middle of a massive traffic circle. Underneath the Arc is a metro line. When you walk around the Arc, there are massive grates covering holes that go the 50 or 60 feet to the metro line. Nick is terrified of heights. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that these grates were there until he was stuck in the middle of one of them. Poor guy was petrified. It seemed to take him forever to be able to move to get off the grate.
Niagra Falls
The summer of 1994 my family took a road trip from Grissom AFB India to upstate New York. Most of our time was spent visiting church history sites, but we took a day to visit Niagra Falls. I dont' have many memories of the falls themselves. What I remember most was Drina Yoder's oldest son was with us. When we were on the Canadian side of the border, he ran into someone who spoke Spanish. He had served a Spanish speaking mission, and had a quick conversation with the other guy. I think this was the first time that I observed someone I knew speaking in a foreign language. It was pretty cool.
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