Yes Virginia, it does rain in Jordan.....

It doesn't happen often and usually doesn't last very long, but it does rain here in Jordan. This weather marks the beginning of winter. : / 

This is about halfway to my apartment

One of the professors said that it usually only rains for a couple hours.....well, it has been raining since 8:30-ish this morning. It now is 5:15 and I think it is starting to clear up. 

Well, in this weather, it is near impossible to get a taxi or a bus. And, if you do get a taxi, a lot of times the driver will want you to pay extra because he knows that its raining and you are desperate to get a ride. I learned all this the hard way today.

My friend, Pat, and I were supposed to go to Jabal Hussein to go shopping with one of her Arab friends. We were supposed to meet her friend, Hiba, at 4:00, so we planned to catch a taxi near Pat's apartment at 3:45. Well, we got out there and it was still raining, not too bad mind you. After waiting 15 minutes, we decided to walk up to the main street and try to catch a taxi there. After about 10 minutes, during which it had started to rain harder, we decided to walk (it takes about 5-8 minutes) up to the University to try and catch a bus.

I lost count of how many times I got splashed by cars

By the time we get there, we both are soaking wet, but we still wanted to go shopping, so we were going to try to find some transportation. After another 10-15 minutes, we still haven't found anything, it is now after four, and even if we were to get inside a mall, it would take forever for us to dry out. Pat's friend called us, and Pat explained to her that we had been trying to get transportation but there wasn't anything available and if we could reschedule. Hiba was understanding, and we're going to try again at a later date. 

When I first walked in, all wet, cold and pathetic....but smiling

Pat and I walked back to our neighborhood, even wetter than before (since a couple of cars drove by and splashed us). We went our separate ways, and I headed back to my apartment. Thank goodness I don't live on a hill that doesn't have continuous sidewalks or real gutters. Oh, wait........I do. 

Notice the difference between wet and dry

Thankfully, I had my fleece jacket on, so my other shirts only got partially wet, as you can sort of see

I started going up the hill, careful to avoid puddles, and I was doing a good job. Then, as I was jumping across a puddle, I hear a car coming and I think it's turning towards where I am, so I stop myself from following through the jump, and instead one foot lands in the aforementioned puddle. So, now I'm soaked through, I can't see clearly through my glasses, and now one of my shoes was waterlogged and all squishy when I walked. 

I decided that if I have to be soaking wet, I might as well have fun with it

I get home, and look at myself in the mirror (actually, it was my reflection in the elevator walls) and I can't help but laugh. I looked all pathetic, and like I had drowned. I get into my apartment, strip off my soaked clothes, put on dry, relatively warm ones, and stuffed newspaper in my shoes to help dry them out. While I was getting the newspaper, I, thankfully was looking at what I was tearing up, and saw a picture I had to save.   

For those who are too uncultured to know, this is one of the players on my football team. Yes, I have my own football team. The Chelsea Football Club, from Chelsea England

At this point, I'm still cold, and I think it'd be nice to have soup or turn on the oven and just sit in front of it, then I remember, we're out of gas.......