AMMAN FAREWELL

It's hard to believe, but my 4-month semester of Arabic refresher here at the University of Jordan is almost up. Tomorrow (May 20) is my final final exam. After our weekend I'll be on the road to Egypt ... if I can get my very belated Jordan visa renewal successfully in my passport tomorrow when I visit the Residency and Borders Office.

(My current visa expired April 30, but it takes at least two weeks when you apply, so when I went May 18 to get the promised extension, they still hadn't received the OK to extend it. It's not clear if I'll be allowed to leave the country with a technically expired passport, so this is a very unwelcome obstacle to face just days before my departure.)

Part of my reason for coming to Jordan was to scout for possibilities in the region for September. I'm happy to say I sent out a good 15 job applications, including three applications for academic study in September at American University in Cairo(AUC). And, now days before leaving town, after a nail-biting month when nothing much seemed to be happening, I have a few positive signs on the horizon.

Current status:

* Accepted into the Master's in Arabic Studies Program at AUC for September (no scholarship at this point, so at my own expense)

* Was recently contacted via long-distance call by the EFL director at a university in Kuwait who seems impressed with my CV. In progress, but possibilities.

* Have gotten very positive feedback by the EFL director at a branch of American U. Cairo for part-time or even full-time hire. (Will be meeting her for an interview in Cairo soon.)

* One university here in Jordan has sent my CV to their US affiliate HR office asking for my name to be "short-listed" for EFL jobs, but no word in several weeks.

* Still many unanswered emails and letters of inquiry to universities in the region.

I had planned to stay in the region after Arabic classes for part of June to travel and meet people and visit various educational institutions, but it gradually dawned on me that missing my only sister's 50th birthday on such a slim pretext was not good family solidarity. So, I have made my peace with pulling up stakes earlier than expected and heading back to California for her birthday June 6. Meanwhile, I have also contacted some old Aramco Brat acquaintances who live and work in Arabia still, and they have enthusiastically agreed to act as sponsors for her to come back to our hometown Dhahran and visit for the first time since our family left in 1977! (33 years) I've been back to see it several times in the years since, but Annie never has. As a special gift, it's hard to beat that! And she can go anytime during her 50th year - it's just as special.

Anyway, may soon be writing a blog posting from the US! See you soon ...