Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Lost in Tranlsation

So today was a special event for many of the fourth years on the dig - their graduation. It was exciting, and fun, and of course has led to a lot of surprises for them as well. First to come was at lunchtime today, when our pottery analyst, Sheri, brought out pound cake to share with everyone as a congratulatory gift. 

However, something must be understood about customs in Jordan to understand why this led to the hilarious events of dinnertime. Here, when you give out a gift in celebration, it's usually for a special occasion for YOURSELF. So the restaurant owner thought that it was Sheri's birthday! At first, when a cake came out, we didn't realize what was going on, thinking it was a gift for the graduates. However, when the candles were lit, we thought it must be her birthday as well, and sang to her. She blew out her candles and was given the first piece of cake. When the lights went back up, she said, in a rather confused voice, "Just Clap, everyone." It was so silly.

But we had cake! Twice in one day! Such fun.

They also bought her birthday gifts, which just serves as further reinforcement of how amazingly sweet, welcoming, and inviting the people we've met so far are. For someone who's virtually a stranger, the people we've met are certainly willing to go the extra mile on our behalf.

With love from Jordan!