This is Manal and her lovely family. Manal is the one on the couch in the lovely traditional dishdashe. To her right is her husband and her 5 beautiful children are on either side and in front. Manal and her friends and family welcomed us all in to her home and prepared a delicious and traditional Jordanian feast including mansef, a rice and lamb or goat dish that is absolutely delicious. Manal really outdid herself! Hummus, tabouleh, mansef, stuffed grape leaves and stuffed zuchinni, to name just a few of the dishes. After, we enjoyed tea and coffee with another tradition in Jordan; kanafe, which is a cheese desert with a sweet breaded topping. We all enjoyed ourselves immen
sely, and as usual ate far more than was actually wise! I was grateful that we spent an hour or so after walking along the nearby shops, letting the food that I'd indulged in so extravagantly settle. As we walked, Maysoun explained that her mother lived nearby, and would like to have us come visit for fresh lemon drink. Maysoun's mother is just as sweet and warm as Maysoun herself. What a delightful person! I fell in love with her immediately and it is evident that she and Maysoun are very close. The Jordanian version of lemonade was brought out on a tray, served in small, delicate looking glasses. Jordanians are big on fresh fruit drinks. You can buy them almost anywhere and watch as they take the fruit, whip it up in a blender, and pour it in to a glass. Mango is a big favorite everywhere, but my personal favorites are the mango/strawberry mixture and the lemon. They often add just a touch of mint to the lemon, and it's never very sweet, but it's so delicious! The evening was lovely and cool, and as we sat outside with the scent of the jasmine perfuming the air, sipping our lemon drinks and eating ice cream, I couldn't help thinking that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right at that moment. Again, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be experiencing all this. Truly, I've made friends I will never forget and will always want to stay connected with. I only hope to return very soon to visit with all of them again.
sely, and as usual ate far more than was actually wise! I was grateful that we spent an hour or so after walking along the nearby shops, letting the food that I'd indulged in so extravagantly settle. As we walked, Maysoun explained that her mother lived nearby, and would like to have us come visit for fresh lemon drink. Maysoun's mother is just as sweet and warm as Maysoun herself. What a delightful person! I fell in love with her immediately and it is evident that she and Maysoun are very close. The Jordanian version of lemonade was brought out on a tray, served in small, delicate looking glasses. Jordanians are big on fresh fruit drinks. You can buy them almost anywhere and watch as they take the fruit, whip it up in a blender, and pour it in to a glass. Mango is a big favorite everywhere, but my personal favorites are the mango/strawberry mixture and the lemon. They often add just a touch of mint to the lemon, and it's never very sweet, but it's so delicious! The evening was lovely and cool, and as we sat outside with the scent of the jasmine perfuming the air, sipping our lemon drinks and eating ice cream, I couldn't help thinking that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right at that moment. Again, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be experiencing all this. Truly, I've made friends I will never forget and will always want to stay connected with. I only hope to return very soon to visit with all of them again. 
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