Jordanian hospitality is world renound and I have really gotten a sense of it in the last couple of days. This strong sense of hospitality that is ingrained into the Jordanian culture is something that comes from the bedouins, who are known for their accommodating nature. Even if you are foreign and don't speak the language, if you come up on a tent of bedouins, they will invite you in for some tea and snacks.
Here in Amman, I've seen this in action. A few days ago, I went with my host sister to the Dead Sea in the evening because she had to go there for work. On the way, her car began to make noise and a "stop" light on the dash began flashing. We pulled off the road by a little snack stand and waited for her friend to come get us. While we we there, a man pulled up to the stand to get a pack of cigarettes. He saw us sitting and asked what was wrong. Najwan told him the car wasn't working and he proceeded to pop the hood and look around. He couldn't figure out what was wrong, but the fact that he stayed for about 15 minutes trying to help said a lot. You probably wouldn't see something like that happen in many other places in the world.
Yesterday, I took the public bus for the first time. I really hate the taxis because the drivers tend to be creeps with snowflake fever... but, I managed to get on the right bus, and the driver knew I was nervous so he kept telling me where we were, where to get off, etc. A bit before my stop, a woman sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I was going to the 7th circle. I said yes, and she said she was going there, too and that she would take me and tell me how to get home. We got off at the stop together and she walked with me for a bit and we talked until it was time to part ways. Her name was Rasha and her kindness amazed me and completely made my day. Doing something small like that can mean the world to a foreigner. It made me feel like I am actually welcome here and that no one (for the most part) is out to get me. Similarly today, a couple of older men saw that I was looking nervous and helped me find the correct bus.
This welcoming and hospitable nature is something that makes Jordan and its people unique and is a huge part of why I am really beginning to like it a lot here. It is a social obligation to be this way, but they are still very sincere about it... it is natural for them because its. This, combined with the closeness that families and friends share here, makes for a really interesting environment. The social life is really a bit too intense for me right now and I am still getting used to it; but it is nice at the root of it. Aside from smoking and staring, visiting friends and family is a Jordanian national sport. There are always people coming in and out of the house or we are going to someone's house. I think this is the first night since I've been here that we haven't gone somewhere or that someone has came here; but it is still early. I would not be surprised one bit if 5 people just showed up in the next hour or so. Not to mention, sometimes you will go over to someones house and it is just you and them. Soon, their entire family will begin to trickle in and before you know it a little tea and snack gathering with 4-5 people turns into 10+ people with kids running around and playing. I've only been here one week and I already feel like I've met half of Amman. I think it's nice that people are so close and connected, but it's waaay too extreme here for me. I love my personal space, time and freedom- ALOT- and I find this social protocol overwhelming right now; but in general, I like the idea of it. I like how close they are and how much they care about one another-- even strangers. It makes me sad in some ways because I see such social decay in America. We let one another fall by the wayside without blinking an eye. I'm not trying to make a huge moral argument here that we should start taking in homeless people and take care of everyone else all the time, but would it hurt us to make small gestures to one another or reach out a bit more? We become so concerned and wrapped up in our own lives and dealings that we forget about those around us. We are very closed off from each other and fear everyone we don't know; sometimes to very extreme levels. When is the last time you spoke to your neighbor? Do you even know your neighbor's name? What's more, have you ever sat and had a drink and shared some small talk with your neighbor? As a hermit and person with loner tendencies, I am guilty of this as well. I couldn't handle the intense social life that is the norm here ALL the time-- it has only been one week and I already feel burnt out from it. But, I think I can take away some things from this and reach out more to those already in my life and those who aren't. I think too many Americans lose sight of what is important and those who define them... I don't want to be that way. Just something to think about.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Good food, boring post.
Yesterday I had one of the most amazing meals. It was mansaf-- Jordan's national dish. Basically, mansaf is served on a massive platter and everyone eats from it. On the bottom, there is very thin bread; almost like a crepe(except not sweetened). On top of that is rice with spices and pine nuts toasted in oil, and then there is either chicken or meat on the rice. Then to top it off, a very pungent, dried yogurt is made into a gravy-ish mixture and it is poured over the top. The fun thing is that this dish is eaten with the hands. Specifically, only the right hand because the left is the toilet hand. You eat only from the section in front of you, and you take a bit in your hand and roll it into a ball. From there, you curl your index finger around your thumb and place the ball on top. Then you kind of flip it into your mouth without letting your fingers touch your lips- this so you can reach back into the plate and your fingers aren't considered dirty. Mansaf is total comfort food and it was incredible... I did a good job of making the balls and eating without touching my fingers to my lips once I got used to only using one hand. Here is a photo of mansaf I pulled from google. Ours looked very similar to it; except on a much larger platter with the bread on the bottom.
I began colloquial Arabic class today and it went well, except for the taxi driver taking me to the wrong university. I still don't understand how that happened. Nothing else too exciting to report... the weather really sucks. I should have brought some more sweaters! But the good news is that it begins to get warm in March :)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Al-Jumma in the Kingdom
Welcome to my travel blog documenting my time here in the Middle East! Today is Friday, so we have the day off. The week begins on Sunday here; with Friday and Saturday being the weekend-- Jordan is a Muslim country and the Islamic 'Sunday' is Friday. It will be difficult getting used to going to school on Sundays from now on!
Everything is going very well so far. Thank God orientation is over. It was helpful in some aspects, but in general it is nice to be done and living with my family. During the days of orientation we were pretty much just in the hotel and at the university listening to power point presentations and not really getting to see much of the city. But, I arrived at my host family's place last night and I love it here already. The mother, Ghada, is very kind and helpful. She has a daughter and two sons- Najwan (28, Nimer (21), and Tareq (14). I am sharing a room with Najwan and I really like her so far. It is also good because everyone speaks excellent English, but they said once I begin learning more Arabic they will speak it more to me so I can practice. Right now it is a bit useless because I don't know that much; not to mention I know even less of the Jordanian dialect. Their home is about 30 minutes by bus from the University and it is kind of old, but nice and cozy nonetheless. The rooms are huge and very spacious-- waaaay bigger than my home in the US. They even have wifi and said I may use it so that is also great. The only issue is the smoking. Smoking is a national sport in Jordan and this family must be gold medal winners, haha. They really only smoke in the sitting room, so it's not that bad, but it is difficult to get used to. I've been here only one night and my chest already hurts a little. I could probably switch homes, but I like this family a lot so far and feel comfortable here, so I don't want to risk going somewhere that is crappy. I like the kids and can see becoming friends with them. Plus, I will learn to put up with the smoke because you just can't escape it here. I never thought I'd miss the smoking ban in the States. Maybe all of you can start collecting money for the lung transplant I will need when I return. I also lucked out because the family is not Muslim. Granted, it would have been very interesting to live with a Muslim family, but I don't know if I could handle it. They tend to be very very strict, especially with female students-- even to the point of not allowing them to wear shorts in the house to bed.
Last night was a lot of fun. I got here and was able to relax for awhile, then Ghada's sister Samiyah came over and took us to the home of a family friend. Once we were there, their children and grandchildren came over and soon the house was full of children and people. It sucks because I know so little Arabic, but everyone was very kind and made an effort to talk to me. I was nervous and kind of quiet, but I think they understand. From what I can see at this point, the family dynamic here is very interesting and I like it at a lot. At the same time, I can see how it may become very overwhelming and too confining at times. Jordanian families are very close and spend a lot of time together; and huge gatherings like last night are commonplace. It is not like in the US where families only get together on holidays. I really like this emphasis on closeness and family because they are the most important people. Friends can disappear in an instant and place their loyalty elsewhere, but family will always be there. There is a trade-off though. As Najwan told me last night, sometimes she just wants to go live alone in a small place and get away from everyone for awhile. However, living alone here and being unattached is looked down upon and is socially unacceptable, so many people don't do it. Children typically live at home until they are married, so it is not unusual for people in their early and late 20s to be living at home.
The people here are great so far. Very welcoming and helpful. I like the Jordanian spirit a lot and think they are generally very good people.
As I said before, the week begins on Sunday, so that means I will start class in 2 days. We will only be having colloquial Jordanian Arabic for now until Feb. 10, when other classes and Modern Standard Arabic begins. I love the University of Jordan so far. The campus is very big and beautiful with lovely landscaping. There are many trees, bushes, plants, flowers, etc. and lots of nice sitting areas. The buildings are also nice- especially the language center, where I will be spending all of my time. It's the newest building and was built with a large grant from the Japanese government. It's the pride of the University and important figures and dignitaries who are visiting the University are always given a tour of the center. I think I will be very happy studying there... and fortunately, there is a womens' gym nearby that I plan on joining to work off the 200 pounds I've already gained in the last 4 days.
I will also say some words about the political climate since many of you are concerned for my safety. Really, Jordan is safe because of it's excellent intelligence and secret police force, but it is in a bad location. The situation in Gaza is really fueling a lot of anger here because of the amount of Palestinian refugees here in Amman. There have been many protests and riots, but I don't have to worry if I stay away from them. There was also a bombing in Beirut this morning, but really, when isn't there a bombing in Beirut?! This is not to say that bad things don't or won't happen here, but it is not as likely as elsewhere. Honestly, the biggest safety issue here is cars; or rather, getting hit by one. 10 Jordanians die each week from accidents and getting hit by cars. I thought people drove insanely in Russia... the drivers are on crack here. I have a greater chance of getting ran over than of getting my body blown apart by an IED on the commute to school. The second risk is earthquakes, though they usually only have small tremors. Jordan is conveniently (sarcasm) located between the Asian and African plates, so it is in a fragile position. There will be "the big one" someday, so lets hope it's not during the next 5 months. Really, I feel safe here as long as I behave smartly; i.e. not breaking curfew, dressing appropriately and not going places alone if I can help it (especially at night).
Well, I suppose that is about it for now-- below are a few pictures. Keep reading, as I will update this as often as possible. I miss and love you all!
Everything is going very well so far. Thank God orientation is over. It was helpful in some aspects, but in general it is nice to be done and living with my family. During the days of orientation we were pretty much just in the hotel and at the university listening to power point presentations and not really getting to see much of the city. But, I arrived at my host family's place last night and I love it here already. The mother, Ghada, is very kind and helpful. She has a daughter and two sons- Najwan (28, Nimer (21), and Tareq (14). I am sharing a room with Najwan and I really like her so far. It is also good because everyone speaks excellent English, but they said once I begin learning more Arabic they will speak it more to me so I can practice. Right now it is a bit useless because I don't know that much; not to mention I know even less of the Jordanian dialect. Their home is about 30 minutes by bus from the University and it is kind of old, but nice and cozy nonetheless. The rooms are huge and very spacious-- waaaay bigger than my home in the US. They even have wifi and said I may use it so that is also great. The only issue is the smoking. Smoking is a national sport in Jordan and this family must be gold medal winners, haha. They really only smoke in the sitting room, so it's not that bad, but it is difficult to get used to. I've been here only one night and my chest already hurts a little. I could probably switch homes, but I like this family a lot so far and feel comfortable here, so I don't want to risk going somewhere that is crappy. I like the kids and can see becoming friends with them. Plus, I will learn to put up with the smoke because you just can't escape it here. I never thought I'd miss the smoking ban in the States. Maybe all of you can start collecting money for the lung transplant I will need when I return. I also lucked out because the family is not Muslim. Granted, it would have been very interesting to live with a Muslim family, but I don't know if I could handle it. They tend to be very very strict, especially with female students-- even to the point of not allowing them to wear shorts in the house to bed.
Last night was a lot of fun. I got here and was able to relax for awhile, then Ghada's sister Samiyah came over and took us to the home of a family friend. Once we were there, their children and grandchildren came over and soon the house was full of children and people. It sucks because I know so little Arabic, but everyone was very kind and made an effort to talk to me. I was nervous and kind of quiet, but I think they understand. From what I can see at this point, the family dynamic here is very interesting and I like it at a lot. At the same time, I can see how it may become very overwhelming and too confining at times. Jordanian families are very close and spend a lot of time together; and huge gatherings like last night are commonplace. It is not like in the US where families only get together on holidays. I really like this emphasis on closeness and family because they are the most important people. Friends can disappear in an instant and place their loyalty elsewhere, but family will always be there. There is a trade-off though. As Najwan told me last night, sometimes she just wants to go live alone in a small place and get away from everyone for awhile. However, living alone here and being unattached is looked down upon and is socially unacceptable, so many people don't do it. Children typically live at home until they are married, so it is not unusual for people in their early and late 20s to be living at home.
The people here are great so far. Very welcoming and helpful. I like the Jordanian spirit a lot and think they are generally very good people.
As I said before, the week begins on Sunday, so that means I will start class in 2 days. We will only be having colloquial Jordanian Arabic for now until Feb. 10, when other classes and Modern Standard Arabic begins. I love the University of Jordan so far. The campus is very big and beautiful with lovely landscaping. There are many trees, bushes, plants, flowers, etc. and lots of nice sitting areas. The buildings are also nice- especially the language center, where I will be spending all of my time. It's the newest building and was built with a large grant from the Japanese government. It's the pride of the University and important figures and dignitaries who are visiting the University are always given a tour of the center. I think I will be very happy studying there... and fortunately, there is a womens' gym nearby that I plan on joining to work off the 200 pounds I've already gained in the last 4 days.
I will also say some words about the political climate since many of you are concerned for my safety. Really, Jordan is safe because of it's excellent intelligence and secret police force, but it is in a bad location. The situation in Gaza is really fueling a lot of anger here because of the amount of Palestinian refugees here in Amman. There have been many protests and riots, but I don't have to worry if I stay away from them. There was also a bombing in Beirut this morning, but really, when isn't there a bombing in Beirut?! This is not to say that bad things don't or won't happen here, but it is not as likely as elsewhere. Honestly, the biggest safety issue here is cars; or rather, getting hit by one. 10 Jordanians die each week from accidents and getting hit by cars. I thought people drove insanely in Russia... the drivers are on crack here. I have a greater chance of getting ran over than of getting my body blown apart by an IED on the commute to school. The second risk is earthquakes, though they usually only have small tremors. Jordan is conveniently (sarcasm) located between the Asian and African plates, so it is in a fragile position. There will be "the big one" someday, so lets hope it's not during the next 5 months. Really, I feel safe here as long as I behave smartly; i.e. not breaking curfew, dressing appropriately and not going places alone if I can help it (especially at night).
Well, I suppose that is about it for now-- below are a few pictures. Keep reading, as I will update this as often as possible. I miss and love you all!
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