I am no longer homeless!

After looking for only one day... we found an apartment for us in Amman! Apparently it wasn't so difficult since this is the down season - which also means we got the place for a mean price :). Thursday morning we went to visit it around 12 and really, the place was perfect. The building is all hotel apartments - which is common here apparently. The first apartment had three bedrooms, a big living room and a nice sized kitchen. The second apartment was two smaller apartments with a door that opens between them. Ziad (the owner) said he would give us both for the price of room. So that apartment had four bedrooms - two doubles and two singles, 2 living rooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens. Not bad. Essentially we were sold on the idea, especially because we were desperate for a place to live!

Munther thought it would be good to check out a second place just in case. We drove about five minutes away, got out at a youth hostel area and then were immediately surrounded by about 30 boys our age. We exchanged names, they laughed with us (or at us?!?!) and then one guy played an American rap song on his cell phone and danced. After that brief scene we boarded the bus again to go back to the apartment because Munther just wanted to scare Ziad to give us a better price! So without signing a contract or negotiating terms - we moved in one hour later with all our things. Thank goodness for Arab hospitality!

While waiting to move in we flipped a coin to see who would get the "better" apartment (aka the one with the two singles and 2 living rooms). The boys won. But then somehow we decided the girls needed it more... I think we convinced them because the kitchen ceilings were lower in the bigger apartment and Khalid and Nasr would hit their heads since they are both well over 6 feet. So the girls got the big apartment! We thus far have moved all the furniture (similar to bachelor pad furniture which is hilarious) into the one room and the table and chairs together into the other room. So we have a nice living and dining room now! I also bought two posters today, one that has the ENTIRE Quran on it (Muslim holy book). That is impressive too considering how long the Quran is - although it is nearly impossible to read because the script is so small! Then I also got a poster of the hajj in Mecca (where millions of Muslims go to the main mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in their lives).

I am sharing a room with Seja (aka H'anan, Anan or Amel) - she can't make up her mind on what she wants to be called quite yet either! Then Selowa and Reem have the singles and Leyla & Sara have the other double. So far we are all getting along well so I am very content up to this point!

On the topic of constant name changing... I came up with an idea on Friday on how to choose a name (finally). I shall ask everyone from Jordan I talk to which name is best. ُWhen we went to eat lunch at a restaurant, after ordering I asked which name was better - Lana or Ferah. The waiter laughed and said he was too biased because his fiance's name is Lana. So then I asked the man at the juice counter on the street. First he said Ferah was better. Then when i asked if Ferah or Yasmine was better he went "ohhhhh yasmineee ism helowe!" Which basically means a beautiful name loosely translated. This continued for two more people, one for Lana and one for Ferah - but (thankfully) both also liked Yasmine more! So... im done. Yasmine it is. Most importantly too, I can pronounce this one :).