Dance Playlist

Thanks for your ideas everyone. Here's what we pulled together for the party.

In No Particular Order:

Let's Dance: David Bowie

Paper Planes: M.I.A.

Beggin': Madcon

Ignition (Remix): R. Kelly

A-Punk: Vampire Weekend

Rock Your Body: Justin Timberlake

Promiscuous : Nelly Furtado & Timbaland

Dick In a Box (feat. Justin Timberlake)

Shake It: Metro Station

Seven Nation Army: The White Stripes

Boom Boom Pow: Black Eyed Peas

Oh My God: Ida Maria

American Boy (feat. Kanye West): Estelle

Bohemian Like You: The Dandy Warhols

Hey Ya: Outkast

1 Thing (featuring Eve): Amerie

Always On Time: Ashanti & Ja Rule

What's Luv? (feat. Ashanti): Fat Joe

Get Right: Jennifer Lopez

No, No, No : Damian Marley, Eve & Stephen Marley

Ride Wit Me: Nelly featuring City Spud

Magossa: Amadou & Mariam

I Wanna Be Your Lover: Prince

Lova Shak: The B-52's

The Fear: Lily Allen 

Tierra Santa: Los Pinguos

Beast Of Burden: The Rolling Stones

Brick House: The Commodores

Me Gustas Tu: Manu Chao 

Hoah: Calle Real 

Move On Up: Curtis Mayfield

Ya Mama: Fatboy Slim

One Step Beyond: Madness  

Dum Diddly: Black Eyed Peas/Dante Santiago

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough : Michael Jackson

Lebanese Blonde: Thievery Corporation

It's Your Thing: The Isley Brothers

September: Earth, Wind & Fire

Who Is He: Me'shell Ndegeocello

Bongo Bong: Manu Chao

Snoop Doggy Dog and Dr. dre - Its Like This And That: Snoop Dogg

Someday: The Strokes

night fever: Bee Gees

Mala Vida: Mano Negra

Sexy MF: Prince

C'mon N' Ride It (The Train): Quad City DJ's

Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Big Love Club Mix): Booty Luv

Nuthin' But A G Thang: Dr. Dre

Arabic Selection

Ya Dala Dallaa: Sabah

Natalie: Macadi Nahhas

Leila: Macadi Nahhas

Habina: Rachid Taha

Ne'Oul Eih: Amr Diab

Rohy Mertahalak: Amr Diab

Dehket: Amr Diab

Yunis: Mohamed Mounir

NaygiriBeh: Mohamed Mounir

Wehkaitak Eih: Amr Diab

Ya Rayah: Rachid Taha, Khaled & Faudel

Abdel Kader: Rachid Taha, Khaled & Faudel

Khalliouni Khalliouni: Rachid Taha, Khaled & Faudel

The Farewell Party

Aid work requires moving around a lot, as do other international jobs. For family-type positions, it's usually a 2-5 year post. I suppose fresh blood is needed: avoiding complacency or "burn-out." Expats are expected to need a break to return home.  

But we don't usually go home for long, like a lot of other families who find themselves choosing to stay in the expat world. It's a way of life, a sub-culture between cultures. And it's those vagabonds, the mixed-up misfits from all over who make up this expat community, that are the draw for me as much as the work or the stimulation of a new country and its people. For the socialite in me, I can't get enough of hearing about their varied lives, and lucky me when I find myself becoming friends with some of them.

Like any group of outsiders, we gravitate towards each other. We need each other, and we know where to find each other. From a family perspective, it's about housing, schools, shopping, doctors...we don't have much time to figure it all out. It's a networking frenzy, and out of it some key contacts develop into friendships. No one is there long enough to forget the early months of being so alone and unknowing and overwhelmed. We introduce ourselves to the newbies, invite them along, and start explaining everything we think could possibly be helpful.

And this is a long introduction to get to the farewell party for Falastin and Adam, which was, if I may say so, a very nice party. Falastin was my Arabic teacher, my pilates coach, my car-pooling buddy, and my friend. Her daughters are the same age as my kids. She grew up in Nazarath, a Palestinian community controlled by the Israeli government. She used to work for an NGO that specialized in capturing and producing the Palestinian side of news stories. She risked her life for her work. She stood in front of loaded rifles pointed to her chest and told the man pointing it where he could put it. She also is extremely fashionable and has a most impressive collection of spike-heeled boots. Her husband is a Danish correspondent to the Middle East. After a year and a half of seeing them several times a week and talking to her nearly every day, they are moving to Copenhagen. 

That's the downside to this odd expat life. You jump feet first into friendships, and then suddenly someone has to move on. And as wonderfully appealing as the invites to visit friends around the world are, you know it's not going to be easy. Still, you have to be open to the possibility, to hope you have the chance to make it happen. You mark the leaving with a celebration, and you feel lucky to have known them at all. 

Bye for now, Falastin! 

Falastin's shot of me as I take the one above.

Falastin with Andrea (amazing cook, architect, founder of an NGO working 10+ years in Iraq, mother of two under 3, connoisseur of the finer things, from the forests of Bavaria--my well-organized, generous co-host & friend) 

Rikke (Danish), Johanna (Irish), Falastin (Palestinian), Mette (Danish), me (Chattanoogan)

   

Releasing our breath after sucking in for the show-your-pilates-belly body-by-Falastin shot.

Sharon (Sierra Leonian), Miriam (German), Kathryn (Texan)

David with Amar (in foreground), brother of Ghaith who is D's sister Bradley's husband. (whew! all that to say - we have the pleasure of having family in Amman!)

Mission Accomplished

Just hosted first ever baby shower, and it was a success! ...due in large part to Fe--I must give credit where credit is due. She makes my life possible, what can I say??

Being away from the States, I missed out on the wave of baby showers, so kind of fumbled my way through this. Add to that the complication of guests coming from different countries and so having different expectations of what a baby shower is supposed to be like. I consulted the guest of honor and built it around that: she opened the gifts in front of everyone, we played a kind of game, we drank mimosas, no kids were allowed. 

And the weather was FABULOUS. Or I should say that it remains fabulous... Ah, spring! Windows and doors wide open, bright light, warmish breeze. How could anyone not feel in a good mood?

Must say I appreciate even more Lisa (and Connie!)'s efforts on the shower they held for me before Miles was born. All the beautiful details. Personally, I find all the details a little hard to keep track of...no matter how many lists or automated reminders. In the end, I love how all the ladies chipped in and helped out to make it go smoothly. It really is the only way for me to be able to enjoy it...to be able to let go and receive help. I just can't control everything or else my mind never settles down.

And it is a special kind of pleasure to throw a party for someone else! So glad I had the chance.