frank's birthday

frank turned 9 today, though he will tell you he's 12. either way, he's divisible by 3. we had the privilege of being invited to and attending his birthday party this evening (even though we had never met him). he attends the local church we do here in ashrafiyya with his parents. they wanted us to come and meet him. we were more than happy to join in the party, as we are party people...holla.
it was 98 degrees today (and, ironically, nick lachey performed downtown at the amphitheater this afternoon). no one has air conditioning, including us. so, needless to say it was hot in the apartment. add to the heat about 15 5-11 year olds and 10 adults, and there is a lot of hot air floating around the place.
we knew no one. what i mean by that is, we were not friends with anyone at this party (although, everyone is a friend we've come to learn around our neighborhood). we are the new foreigners in the neighborhood, thats about it. but, it turned out to be a lesson in etiquette and family interaction that was priceless.
things we learned:
1. when someone arrives to the house, everyone stands up and greets them
2. its almost impossible to explain to someone that you don't drink this or that, so you just drink it
3. every drink is served on a tray
4. when coffee (turkish, black) is served, it is the indicator that you are free to go whenever, as this party is OVER (leaving before this point needs a good excuse)
5. when someone leaves the house, everyone stands up to say goodbye to them
6. kids are expected to take care of themselves while their parents visit with each other...therefore the kids see what they can get away with behind their parents' backs
7. they sing happy birthday in english and in arabic while the candles are lit (see video)

frank's english tutor is leaving monday for awhile and we were able to step in to help him out with his english homework. this is why we are here. this is why we exist. this is why we dropped everything and moved to jordan for such a short time. to make an impact in whatever small way on someone's life. and the opportunities just keep falling into our laps. al hamdu lillah.