1. I just checked my bank account-- I got $100 in cash from a Jordanian ATM... but really, it's $141.24 in American dollars. ouch. Serious serious ouch. I just sure wish I would've brought more money with me, that's all... I found some amazing gifts I wanted to bring home for my mom and for Nate (only those two so far.) But one was 250jd and the other was 140jd... roughly $300 and $170 American dollars (ish.... you can tell my math is super precise ;D). Which... I can't spend. But I'll be damned if they weren't amazing gifts. SO. I'll head to the market soon and see if I can find equally amazing gifts.
2. Speaking of my mom and Nate... I never realized how much I communicate with my loved ones everyday... This lack of technological advances/ability to call, text, email at will is really cramping my style. Even when Nate skypes me, I cry. haha. I guess it's easy to miss people and things and places when you're 8 hours and thousands of miles away with limited internet and extremely expensive phone service...
3. Today we had a 'short day' on the site. Wes and I have found a happy agreement- he's digging and I'm sifting. I love sifting. I like to find bones and then talk about them with Dave Byers, our fieldsup. In the spring, Dave is offering zoology- which I will take, and be stoked about. I just really like bones. I like when archaeologists can learn about the history of a site from bones.
3a. We also have a "senior staff" team member named Christy who gave a presentation about ethnography- which totally interested me. I think I might have to sit down with her and have some tea. (Or soda... since it's her work to go talk with villagers and drink tea.) In her presentation, she mentioned Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea- and I nearly peed my pants with joy... After all, I did just give a 15 minute presentation on Greg and his life's work a week ago. (A presentation that I got a 98% on, might i add.... My teacher even said it was an incredible presentation.... But hey, I'm not tooting my own horn or anything ;D)
3b. SO I guess that's something I need to look into- ethnography.
4. I hit my head on the cave ceiling at least 4 times today. The last time I "cried like a man" according to myself, and Heidi, one of my fellow cave dwellers. We were carrying guffas of dirt for sifting- and I cracked my skull on the entrance of the cave, she immediately was like "Melanie- are you okay? Give me that, sit down." She's a sweet girl. But I didn't sit down- my eyes watered, I breathed deep for a few seconds, and then life went on. See? I cried like a man. haha :) But dang if my head doesn't hurt now....
5. Petra is interesting. The viba is totally different from Amman- you can totally tell this is a tourist city, and that's how they make their money-- dumb tourists who can't haggle and waste their money on things they can buy for 20jd or less somewhere else... Pretty much, it just seems these shop owners capitalize on whatever they can- pretty girls looking at jewelry "This is 15, but I give to you for 12." (said to me on a ring I almost bought! But since he offered me 12, I didn't want to push my luck and haggle lower and get thrown out. haha) Or, they make haggling deals with you, but "forget" to give you back your change... One of our team actually had a shop owner try to buy his boots off his feet. Crazy. Petra is crazy. I didn't buy anything. I don't have the money for it. It's far too expensive here.
6. Wes and I haven't been finding too many crazy awesome things- besides bones. After the cow bones, we've found some awesome tiny shells, and some tiny ribs and vertebrae and such. Today, Wes uncovered like, a donkey scapula? I don't know if that's even the right word- but it's part of the jaw/face. Pretty awesome. One of our cave squares found like.. half a donkey jaw bone with teeth and everything. (Wes and I found some tiny rodent jaws... which I thought was pretty awesome.. lol) But other wise, nothing ground breaking today.
6a. I'm still wondering when this cistern became a dump. And how such large cow and donkey bones ended up at the bottom of said cistern... Did the cistern become a dump because the water dried up? Or did people dump stuff in it when it was a cistern? And furthermore, why would they do that? If the cistern was a vital source of water- why would they dump bones and jewelry and pottery in it? It just doesn't make much sense. I'm still hypothesizing on this one.....
7. I should go to bed.... although we're sleeping in for 2 extra hours, it's still early! Instead of 4am, we're getting up at like... 6am. Which if I go to bed late, 6am will be suuuuper early.
8. So, today, I bid you adieu, and I think I will start writing little notes in my field notebook so I don't forget them by the time my blog writing comes around.... I know I have more to write, but I've forgotten by now. No worries... must be the concussion ;D hahaha... just kidding. Maybe. ;P
goodnight, neverland!
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