Markets, Mark, and Mosquitos...

Hello all...It's terribly hot here today, and it was the same last night...drove me CRAZY...got up to wet a towel in the sink so that we could be a little cooler. There was NO sleep last night. Tonight we will have a fan, so it should help with the night sounds (white noise) and the moving air, which should make a difference, you know? (I HOPE SO!)

Yesterday morning, Aria took me to the Arab market here (the locals, not the tourist market), and it was WONDERFUL...The market stalls are very, very close together (touching)...big tables and open boxes of fruits, veggies, and the carcasses of the meat hanging above (but be sure to duck...they're not that high!) Aria knows who gives the best deal on all the things she buys, so we passed others who had what she wanted, but not at the price she was willing to pay! Even groceries are haggled! The idea of 'personal space' is different here as well. In a public space, Americans typically give a little room and preserve a sense of the individual while going about their day. It's not that way here; when you are in a public space, you might be jostled a little as others try to get past you, but they are always very polite and it seems not so much being in 'your space', but just going about their day in an area that tends to be so small that if someone should sneeze in Beit Sahour, someone will bless them from Manger Square! It gave me a distinct sense of safety and intimacy, as if all here are pulsing with the same heart, the same blood, and the same life...a huge family. I have only had two people walk up to ask me to come to their stores, and that was so politely done that I never felt 'accosted'. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but the children don't even come to me to ask for sheckles! Aria helped me in so many things...showing me how to haggle (without arabic, it's impossible for me), how to select things from the market, and what kinds of things many women here wear (Accessories are a big part of their dress for the day.)

Aria has just mentioned that she is going to see a friend and would like me to go along, so I will make this closing quick...classes have not been going well and Mark is very upset. I don't know what will happen, but neither of us is used to troubled resources and little support. I'll talk more about it later, but I am hoping that you can give Mark some words of encouragement.

I love you all and we're missing home and our families very much...

* Have I mentioned that the mosquitos are the size of VW cars here? I swear, I'm a liter lighter because of the little demons...*

V : )