Night Life: Picnic in the Park

We had planned on a quiet supper at our flat to pray and talk, but were invited to an impromptu picnic by some friends. Excited to introduce our visitors from the states, we eagerly accepted the invite and started packing for the feast at the park.

There are numerous parks spread throughout the city- some developed with entrance fees and carnival-style rides (correction: VERY sketchy looking rides... um, safety checks??), while others are little patches of grass with a few benches scattered about. While on the whole they all look a bit rundown and uninviting, at night, these places are "hot spots" crawling with people- families with kids, blankets of friends, men, women, children, all sprawled out across the ground until all hours of the night.

We met at a rather developed park, with a ridiculous amount of life-risking kiddy rides, where parents would stuff their kids in frighteningly old _________ (Fill in the blank with any form of transport: planes/boats/cars, etc) without a second thought. We opted to steer clear of said rides and joined the countless number of families gathered on the grass. After spreading out some sheets, we lounged about, enjoying the cool night air and munching on typical American potluck food: potato salad, pasta salad, egg/tuna salad sandwiches, watermelon and cookies. It was a wonderfully pleasant night of connecting with friends.

Half-Marathon Update: We ran 9 miles on Friday... it was hot, we were tired and our legs felt like millstones. Otherwise it was a GREAT time! (note sarcasm) We are, however, enjoying being in "better shape", but our schedules and the mileage are beginning to wear on us... We're trying to hang in there!

Visa Update: Jess' passport was dropped off at the visa office yesterday. While the official said it would be ready in sa'a'een(2 hours); Eddy decided to forgo the wait and check back today. InshaAllah!

Photos: Our crew at the park... A close up of the tastey eats at our picnic... Us, a relaxing night with friends... Eddy, Mike and Peter... Uncle Eddy had little Hudson, Mike's 1 year old, during the eating time-- nothing like wet jeans covered with partially chewed food...