A quiet Friday ...

Fridays are the best days of the week in the Muslim-Arab world.  The first day of the weekend; a day to completely relax - and for workaholic Americans, it's a great day to force a halt to the madness of work, work, work.  Here, it is relax, relax, pray (for mostly all Muslims, especially the men at Friday prayer), and home to spend with family, and relax more.  And then go out at night and relax with friends in the cool evenings of Amman.

It is certainly how I spent most of my Friday - relaxing, hanging out with some Christian friends of mine while my Muslim friends were at prayer, and then back to the hotel to relax some more. 

I look forward to hearing from the students as to how they spent their first full Friday in a Muslim country.  Many said they were staying with their host families; some were invited to weddings; some were just off to discover more of Amman. 

Saturday we will be in Salt all day, and Sunday it is back to classes and guest lectures.  So I probably won't post again until Sunday evening.  Meantime, happy weekend to you all, here in Amman or there in America, or wherever you are reading me.  I wish you a relaxing weekend, whichever days it happens to be for you.


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