Four-eyes?

I've been having eye issues.  Not extreme ones, but I've been having trouble focusing, especially at a computer screen and especially at the end of the day.  I decided to visit an eye doctor in Madaba, and the doctor here at King's Academy set up my appointment and arranged for a bus and everything.  So, I met the bus at the designated place.   It was full of King's staff riding back home to Madaba.  I was the only female, and caught myself just in time before taking the only seat next to a man.  (Women and men are not allowed to sit next to each other on the bus.)  I waited for them to shift around and then got two seats for myself.  They were all very curious about me--I could tell, even though no one spoke English.  A young man asked my name in broken English and had me write it down on a piece of paper.  When we got to Madaba, this man agreed to accompany me to the eye doctor's.  I didn't know how to express my gratitude with the language barrier.  We couldn't really converse, so we'd just laugh at each other every once in a while.  He was delaying his own return home to help an ignorant American.  And good thing I had him, or the trip would have been a fiasco.  I never would have found the eye doctor's, for one, which was hidden in nooks and crannies of the street and up a half dozen staircases.  We finally found the eye doctor where I had an appointment, my comrade spoke to the staff in Arabic and found that the doctor just wasn't there (typical).  So we went to another eye doctor where I waited an hour to be helped.  At one point my very nice escort left the waiting room and I wondered where he was going.  He came back with bottled water and mango juice for me!  I finally saw the doctor and the doctor said my eyes are within the most unique 10% he's ever seen, which I did have some sense of previously.  I don't know exactly what these numbers mean but one of my eyes is "negative" and one is "positive" so the two lenses will be very different.  It looks like I probably will get a pair of glasses since my insurance now is very nice and will cover them, but part of me is stubbornly resisting the idea of admitting my non-20/20-vision...Anyway, it was fun to have such an ordinary experience in a new place, because it didn't feel ordinary at all!

Another something that isn't ordinary: this recent email from the US embassy.  I think there's no real alarm.  I'll just perhaps delay any trip I had planned to Aqaba in South Jordan.

September 25, 2011 

    

Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens

Subject:  Emergency Message to U.S. Citizens Regarding Travel to Southern Israel and the Surrounding Area

There is a credible threat of increased terrorist activity near the border between Israel and Egypt.  Due to the proximity to the border area, surrounding areas adjacent to the Gulf of Aqaba in Israel, Egypt and Jordan could be affected.  U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise caution and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling in this region. U.S. citizens planning to travel in this area should monitor local news sources to find the latest information on the situation, as it can change unexpectedly. Mission personnel have been instructed to notify the regional security office if they plan to travel to the area. U.S. citizens in Jordan are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy.  By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.