Middle East Madness

I'm in Amman, at the Peace Corps Office, and my ears are going crazy because of the altitude. I'm usually at 1500 ft below sea level, and currently I'm somewhere above sea level, and my ears aren't happy. My allergies have also started acting up, and the combination of ear discomfort and allergies in Jordan is nearly unbearable. Except for two things: the first is that there's a Israeli tv station playing March Madness games live (yes, I'll have to either stay or wake up ridiculously late/early, but I miss basketball, and Georgetown has a chance to make me proud), and the second is that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. Now, unfortunately, I won't be celebrating this marvelous holiday as I'd like to be. It is a holiday (every Friday is), but I'll be home, eating rice and reading Steinbeck (Just started Grapes of Wrath, and it's awesome). Other books I'm read recently: Great Expectations (for the 2nd time...it seemed a good thing to read while serving in PC Jordan....), A Map of the World (great book, thank you Oprah's book club), Lovely Bones (also for the 2nd time, also very good),and Three Junes (I really loved this book).
I found an abandoned newborn kitten under a dumpster a couple weeks ago. I took him in, fed him milk from an eye dropper, and made him a nice warm box. He cried all night, and I took care of him. I named him "Harami" which means theif in Arabic, Jiyoung named him "Scramble 2." Unfortunately, he died after 4 days. It was a great four days, though. It really gave me (daily) purpose in life, unlike my work, which gives me a lofty, detached purpose---something like helping children, or changing Jordanian mindsets about American women, or whatever. The cat was something tangible. Real. So now that he's dead, I'm thinking of getting a plant. Cause that feeling of actually being productive was really exhilarating.
Speaking of the Middle East, Israel has been very naughty this week. They stormed a West Bank jail (it looks so close to my village on the maps on the news...well, it is really close to me) and took all the prisoners out. I'm still confused about the whole incident, for several reasons: 1)were the prisoners going to be released? if not, why not leave them in jail? 2) why did the Palestinians blame the US, UK, and Australia? (destroyed a bunch of UK buildings and kidnapped Australian, British aid workers, burned US flags) 3) I saw British and American flags burned yesterday, but not one Israeli flag. Why?
I'm not pointing fingers or calling anyone crazy, but the whole situation just seems...well...crazy. On all sides.
I'm trying to get computers for my center. It's not going very well. Anyone want to donate computers?
Book club going well.
English classes going well.
Took a trip to Aqaba with the girls. If you're lucky, I'll get pictures up here today.
Ok, I gotta go.
Peace in the middle east.
And somebody take some shots for me tomorrow.
Please.
Thank you.