some on Abdemahdi

I have to say a bit about Dr. Abdelmadhi Alsoudi. He is the sociology professor at the University of Jordan who answered the first email I sent to about 6 or 7 faculty at JU. I looked up faculty (mostly sociologists/political scientists/psychologist) whose interest and speciality most aligned with my oral history project, asking if they had any suggestions or recommendations by way of contact people to help me find refugees and/or to get more information on them. Abdelmadhi was the only one who answered my email. We communicated for about six months before I arrived in Jordan; he's advised me on my getting a teaching position at JU, housing, and some on Jordanian culture.
It just so happens that he is also on sabbatical this year, and will be teaching at the University of Denver--my Alma Mater! Abdelmadhi left for the states (to present at a Middle East conference at the University of Utah) the day after I arrived. How likely is that--I come to Jordan and he goes to Utah, at the same time? On his last day in Jordan, instead of spending time w/ his friends and family, he took me around the university, introduced me to the chair of the English Department, Dr. Hani Elayyan, and to the chair of the sociology department, Dr. Mohamed El-Daks. Later that night we went to dinner and I met his beautiful wife, Aysha, and his daughter, Lina. With the Alsoudis living in Denver this year, Lina will be graduating from high school in the US. She is very precocious. Her English is excellent (with hardly an accent), she is smart and informed and very mature. I want to adopt her!! At the least, I hope to host her to come to UVSC, although I suspect that she will get accepted to an ivy league school. . . . She is so adorable and passionate. If the world has a future, it will be because of young people just like her. She has already been to the US to a seminar where young people from around the world gathered to discuss world and social problems, and to develop cultural understandings.
I feel so lucky to have met Abdelmahdi; the circumstances of our meeting and the ways our lives are intersecting almost seem like fate. I really wanted to help him find housing in Denver, but there are few furnished rentals, within walking distance to the university, in Cherry Hill school district (the best in Denver), and in the price range they need. His dean at DU promised to provide housing for him, but that fell through. It makes me a bit ashamed of the hospitality (or lack thereof) foreigners often find in the US.
I have included Abdemahdi's home page as a link, for those who want to read some of his papers. He has an especially good one on the US/Middle East relations.
Aysha and Lina will be leaving for the US in a few days. The Alsoudis are a wonderful family and I am only sad (selfishly) that they won't be here while I am here. . . .