Feynan, Jordan
While staying at Feynan EcoLodge I was invited to see how bread in Jordan was made by a local Bedouin family. I have now learned a few words in Arabic but certainly do not know how to communicate.
But sometimes all you need is a smile.
Here Um Khalid invited me in with a warm smile to show me how she makes the bread I have been devouring at the lodge. It is this thin doughy deliciousness that she throws onto the heat with ease.
She then asked if I wanted to try but turns out I will never be a baker. Mine was thick and chewy – and not in a good way. After a few bites I could not pretend to enjoy it.
We had a lot of laughs and didn’t need to speak the same language to know I would never have a future making bread. Fortunately the children who were dancing around in excitement were only too gracious to take it off my hands.
I really wished I could have stayed longer at Feynan. It seems like such a special place. The family was so gracious and I was jealous when I heard someone had been here recently to volunteer to teach English at the school.
If only I had the patience to teach.
Isn’t it amazing how much you can communicate with just a smile??? That’s what’s amazing about human beings…
I’m sure it is just some technical error in your breads. Next time you’ll get it. 😉
Hey there , I’m really becoming a fan of your writing , you’ve got a way with words as the song says , and speaking of songs there’s a song about Canada by the best arabian singer ever , Fairuz called , a little house in Canada , check it out ,my invite is still standing to visit Fuhais .
Keep up the good work 🙂
My wife’s a teacher. She has infinite patience, and she makes really good bread.
You may have stumbled across a secret formula here.
You’ve had such cool experiences in Jordan. Don’t think I’d be much good at baking the bread, but would love to give it a try.
Don’t worry, I think making bread is one of the hardest things do to… Don’t give up just yet 😉
Its probably just want of those things that requires a little more practise. I bet it smelt delcious 🙂
Smile is like a universal language. It gives people the warm and friendly feeling and sometime it’s the way to go on communication (even you don’t speak a lot words) 🙂
A smile is our secret key to successful travel – it helps us navigate when we don’t know what the heck we’re doing, communicate when we don’t speak the language, and make friends along the way. Amazing how many doors a smile can open. 🙂
I think we often get so wrapped up in ourselves we forget what a difference a smile can make.
Ayngelina, the expression in the second picture says it all! It’s touching to hear that even with a language barrier a smile was able to communicate for you.
I love this kind of bread and I could have tons of it! I never tried to make some but I am sure it’s not so easy…
I am happy that you are enjoying the Middle Eastern friendliness 🙂
I love your photos, specially the one with you eating the bread, I can tell that it wasn’t so good LOL
A smile can do wonders when traveling (and charades I’ve gotten very good at charades)!
These are often the best travel moments aren’t they? Simple pleasures. No need to talk, just appreciate and smile. Jordan keeps moving up my travel wish list! You can tell you were having a great time there…looks like fun.
That first photo is fantastic!!
I just hope someday I’ll get to taste that bread too. Love the photos!
that bread looks so much fun to make…but that could just be my pyromania inclinations…
It was fun but I really was so terrible at it all.
What a great experience. Sharing things like that with the locals is what living is all about. 🙂 Never mind you being jealous of the English teacher – I’m jealous of you!
This sounds like great fun! Even though your bread didn’t turn out quite right… And as an English teacher, I can tell you you’d be surprised about where patience can come from!! Thanks for sharing.