| Our travel to Amman, Jordan was
certainly an eventful one. As musicians checked-in with American
Airlines at RDU, some were informed that their seats were not
available! A quick scramble ensued and it was thankfully resolved by
having around half the group rerouted via London (with a 12-hour
layover!) before heading to Jordan. The remaining musicians followed
the original itinerary, which was to fly directly from JFK to Amman.
This change in the flight plan caused the "London group,"
as it came to be known, to arrive in Jordan about 7 hours later than
originally planned.
The group that flew directly from JKF to
Amman arrived as scheduled and were delighted to see the familiar face
of Maestro Fouad Fakhouri at the airport. Fakhouri, along with Dana
Sakkijha from the National Music
Conservatory(NMC) (http://www.noor.gov.jo/nhf3.htm)
helped us collect and load our luggage onto the awaiting bus. We
were then taken to the King's Academy (http://www.kingsacademy.edu.jo)
where we would be staying for the next week.
The King's Academy is a brand new co-ed
boarding school that is the brainchild of His Majesty King Abdullah
II of Jordan. Set in Madaba, Jordan, the campus is a beautifully
landscaped oasis with unique architecture modeled after the Deerfield
Academy in Massachusetts (where His Majesty attended). The men and
women were housed in separate dormitories, as required by the school.
The second group arrived around
midnight only to find their luggage missing from the airline. They
were informed that their luggage would show up in the next several
days. The next morning (05/16) after breakfast at the
academy's cafeteria, several chamber music groups took the
opportunity to rehearse for their upcoming performances. At 2 P.M., we
headed to the outdoor flea market of Souk Jara. We spent about 3
hours exploring the market's antiques, pottery, and handicrafts.
Many musicians bought souvenirs for family and friends.
We returned to the Academy at 7 P.M. just
in time to catch dinner. Tomorrow promises to be a packed day with
two chamber music performances scheduled, as well as our very first
rehearsal with the NMC
students. -----------------------------------------------------------------
|
