First, to all my family who has known of Patrick's issues with school, he just got a report card that was all great grades. This is huge people. So proud of that boy.
So I've had an emotional high and low today. First, when I had that internship class yesterday, I found out that their guest speaker knows people I know, and as a result, I have some instant, new, and GROWN UP friends to start hanging out with. Considering I'm missing grown up conversation, this is huge. It turns out that she also knows the guy who owns the Turkish restaurant that I eat at all the time. We've met as a business transaction many times, but I don't remember him, nor he me. He told me to come in and tell them I know him, so they can give me free food. Yes, one day, all of Jordan will feed me for free. I'm working on it one citizen at a time. I've still not bought dinner for myself more than twice here.
The issue with my friend that made the cultural faux pas the other day is really been a big deal -- sort of. The reason I know my adoptive family is they are related to a student. This student and I are friends, but I no longer have classes with her, so I never see her. She invited me over a couple times at the beginning of the semester, and since then, I've been good friends with this family, and not really had anything to do with the other friend at all. We just don't see each other.
I mentioned one night that I had to leave my adoptive family's house to study with a friend, and my adoptive family said I should just bring her there. I didn't that day, but then Sunday, I brought her. We learned a lot, and one of the older family members showed up towards the end of our visit. He asked my friend if she had a boyfriend back home, and she told him that they were engaged. Right before we left, the older teenage cousin showed up. I've met him before, and he's such a great kid. He's 19, and always smiling. He asked for my number so he could help me if I needed it. I didn't really think I needed his help, but I was polite and gave my number. It's socially ok, because I'm married and have kids of my own, so I'm totally off the market. Then he asked for my friends number...and she gave it to him. Since she's not married...she is NOT off the market, and is giving out her number to strange new men of this family (even one who is still a teen) when she's engaged. By the next day, my original friend, who introduced me in the first place, text me that we needed to talk. According to her, all the family was very upset. She'd even heard from family back in America about how she was being this duplicitous person.
The first friend told me that my other friend can't come back. I'm still welcome, probably, but my friend is not.
Then today, I couldn't get the person I usually talk to from my adoptive family on the phone. I was just sick, because I thought maybe it was ruined for me too. I really love being around these people. Over there, I feel part of something, and am no longer homesick. Eventually, she called me back, and I told her I was so sorry. She told me I was her sister, and not to worry about it. She wanted me to stop calling Grandma T by her first name, and start calling her Mama. Mama is always the one ordering some male member of the house hold to take me home, and dictates to the family how to best take care of me. Today, the teenage boy was back, and Mama did not allow him to go home until I'd finished a massage on the family member with the frozen ankle, and I was ready to come home. Poor kid had worked on his feet for the last ten hours, and was so tired. But he was a good sport, and when he dropped me off, he, as always, told me to call him if I needed anything at all. He wouldn't drive away until I seemed to enthusiastically agree.
The older family member who stopped by Sunday, called the second friend. He confirmed that we were supposed to do lunch on Saturday. In all the worry, I'd forgotten that we'd committed to it. I'm a little wary of it, since so many other people are upset, but this is at a different house. She is insisting on going, and I am debating on whether I go or not, because I don't want to be part of whatever new mess she creates for herself.
AAAaaahhhhh...the drama.....
So I've had an emotional high and low today. First, when I had that internship class yesterday, I found out that their guest speaker knows people I know, and as a result, I have some instant, new, and GROWN UP friends to start hanging out with. Considering I'm missing grown up conversation, this is huge. It turns out that she also knows the guy who owns the Turkish restaurant that I eat at all the time. We've met as a business transaction many times, but I don't remember him, nor he me. He told me to come in and tell them I know him, so they can give me free food. Yes, one day, all of Jordan will feed me for free. I'm working on it one citizen at a time. I've still not bought dinner for myself more than twice here.
The issue with my friend that made the cultural faux pas the other day is really been a big deal -- sort of. The reason I know my adoptive family is they are related to a student. This student and I are friends, but I no longer have classes with her, so I never see her. She invited me over a couple times at the beginning of the semester, and since then, I've been good friends with this family, and not really had anything to do with the other friend at all. We just don't see each other.
I mentioned one night that I had to leave my adoptive family's house to study with a friend, and my adoptive family said I should just bring her there. I didn't that day, but then Sunday, I brought her. We learned a lot, and one of the older family members showed up towards the end of our visit. He asked my friend if she had a boyfriend back home, and she told him that they were engaged. Right before we left, the older teenage cousin showed up. I've met him before, and he's such a great kid. He's 19, and always smiling. He asked for my number so he could help me if I needed it. I didn't really think I needed his help, but I was polite and gave my number. It's socially ok, because I'm married and have kids of my own, so I'm totally off the market. Then he asked for my friends number...and she gave it to him. Since she's not married...she is NOT off the market, and is giving out her number to strange new men of this family (even one who is still a teen) when she's engaged. By the next day, my original friend, who introduced me in the first place, text me that we needed to talk. According to her, all the family was very upset. She'd even heard from family back in America about how she was being this duplicitous person.
The first friend told me that my other friend can't come back. I'm still welcome, probably, but my friend is not.
Then today, I couldn't get the person I usually talk to from my adoptive family on the phone. I was just sick, because I thought maybe it was ruined for me too. I really love being around these people. Over there, I feel part of something, and am no longer homesick. Eventually, she called me back, and I told her I was so sorry. She told me I was her sister, and not to worry about it. She wanted me to stop calling Grandma T by her first name, and start calling her Mama. Mama is always the one ordering some male member of the house hold to take me home, and dictates to the family how to best take care of me. Today, the teenage boy was back, and Mama did not allow him to go home until I'd finished a massage on the family member with the frozen ankle, and I was ready to come home. Poor kid had worked on his feet for the last ten hours, and was so tired. But he was a good sport, and when he dropped me off, he, as always, told me to call him if I needed anything at all. He wouldn't drive away until I seemed to enthusiastically agree.
The older family member who stopped by Sunday, called the second friend. He confirmed that we were supposed to do lunch on Saturday. In all the worry, I'd forgotten that we'd committed to it. I'm a little wary of it, since so many other people are upset, but this is at a different house. She is insisting on going, and I am debating on whether I go or not, because I don't want to be part of whatever new mess she creates for herself.
AAAaaahhhhh...the drama.....
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