Two Stars for Peace

A couple of weeks ago, Betsy was contacted by a pair of Germans who had read her blog and were interested in soliciting her opinion on a peace plan for the Israel- Palestine conflict. The plan is outlined in the book "Two Stars for Peace: The Case for Using U.S. Statehood to Achieve Lasting Peace in the Middle East." The book is written by Martine Rothblatt, a lawyer and founder/ CEO of United Therapeutics. Essentially, the book proposes that Israel and Palestine should become the 51st and 52nd states of the United States (as the title would indicate). The pair of Germans had planned a trip to the Middle East and Betsy agreed to meet with them. So, this morning, Betsy, Kristin (Betsy's roommate from college), Akrum, Peter, Adam (a friend of Peter's) and I all went to meet the pair at a local cafe. The conversation that ensued surrounded the obstacles, difficulties, and prerequisites for such a plan to work or to even be considered. I wouldn't know where to begin in trying to rehash all of the complications of such a plan. The book is worth a skim mainly for entertainment purposes. Needless to say, I was entertained for a few hours this morning as we debated this hypothetical scenario.

The Turmoil and Triumph of Change

After 18 days of protests in Tahrir Square (Cairo), the protester's prayers were answered: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned and handed power over to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Here in Jordan, thousands gathered outside of the Egyptian embassy to celebrate the success of their Arab brothers in Egypt. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. Betsy, however, was able to take part and remarked on the general excitement of everyone at the "party."

In my media Arabic class, we have discussed the situation in Egypt extensively. The Jordanian perspective seems to be support and excitement for the Egyptian people. At the same time, however, there is little desire for the same kind of revolution in Jordan. The important difference being that dissatisfied Jordanians are not calling for a change in the system of government or its leader (King Abdullah II) but rather for the government to do more re unemployment and the rising cost of food and fuel. I am continually amused by American news stations reporting on Jordan. I don't think I can emphasize enough how calm Amman is. The "protests" could be more accurately described as public gatherings.

What I cannot deny, however, is that change is contagious. Citizens of Bahrain, Algeria and Libya have begun to protest with the hope of similar results. On a less serious note, I have to give credit to Libya's Muammar Gaddafi for announcing he may join in the protests... against himself. Crazy or genius? I think genius.

In other interesting news, one of Jordan's strongest tribes, the Bani Sakhr tribe, staged a sit-in on the main road leading from Amman to the airport. The tribe has accused the government of withholding lands rightfully belonging to the tribe. This is an interesting depiction of the strength of tribes in Jordan.

In more personally related updates, Valentine's Day was a couple of days ago. Arabs seem to like Valentine's Day. All of the area flower shops had huge stuffed animals in the windows. The florist closet to the apartment had lit up red hearts on the sidewalks surrounding the shop. In the cab home from class on VDay, I passed "Savana Flowers." The florist had lined/ piled up stuffed Valentine's bears outside of the shop. At 4th circle, young men were selling individual flowers at the intersection so that people could buy them while waiting at the traffic light. Celine Dion and Enrique were the soundtrack of the day.

Qasid classes are going well. I had midterms a couple of weeks ago. I did well, thankfully. I am really starting to notice improvement especially when I work one-on-one with my tutor. My tutor and I discuss everything from current news items to baking to grammar. I am leaning towards substituting tutoring for my Qasid classes after the end of this term. I am finding it hard to believe that I have less than a month left of classes at Qasid.

Expect updates more frequently than they have been coming this past month :)

Level Four. Week 2.

This is my second week of Level 4 at Qasid. This term, there are 10 people in my class (this is quite a jump from my 4, sometimes 5, person class last semester). Ten people give the class a much different dynamic. There is a noticeable range of ability even within ten people. Some are better at vocabulary, some at speaking, some at reading and some at making the class fun. The range of skill means that I have an ability to learn from my peers in addition to learning from the instructors. 

Level 4 is divided up in to two parts. For the first portion, Fahdi teaches literature. So far, we have read a couple of short stories in addition to writing a short story of our own (that had to use symbolism!). My story was pretty ridiculous. It was about a tree. I think I can leave it at that. The second section of class is media taught by Dr. Mohammad. For the first week we discussed women's issues and women's rights. This week we are covering the environment and next week is Jordanian history and civilization.

Supplemental courses haven't started yet so I don't have as much work to do as I did during the middle and end of last term. My free time is a little difficult to deal with. I am thinking more and more about trying to find a way to take piano lessons here. The more I think about it, the more I think it would be a good idea. I feel an acute need for a creative outlet.


In other news, riots broke out in the southern city of Ma'an last week. The riots began after two men were killed as a result of rivalry between Bedouin tribes. Protesters were upset about the failure of Jordanian authorities to arrest the those behind the killings. Ma'an is a stronghold of local tribes and is traditionally defiant of the central government. To read more about the riots: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=33187

Betsy showcasing a POMELO

Apples to Apples goes gangster? In Jordan?

Arabic Scrabble success!

Back to Amman

Please pardon the delayed post. I have just returned to Jordan from my 2 week trip to my home in Ohio. I spent my two weeks hanging out with my family, visiting friends and generally trying to relax. Here are a few things about the United States that I forgot how much I enjoyed (in no particular order):

- Hot showers (hot water in general) on demand
- Driving
- The regulated and quiet flow of traffic
- Sleeping without the squawking of the birds in the Bird Garden
- SNOW.
- Grocery stores with every possible food item you could want
- Wal-mart
- Patterson's Cafe in Oxford
- American coffee
- The toaster in my house
- NPR
- My family (obviously)
- The clothes dryer in my house
- My friends (obviously)
- Real loaves of bread!
- Lines that people wait in

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at home. I wish it could have been longer but I took what I could get and I am glad that I did. Now that I'm back, I will begin classes again this week. Level 4 here I come! I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of Arabic. Two weeks off couldn't have been good for my language skills... I guess we'll see!

Oh and now that I have an awesome camera (thank you, Jonah) you can expect a few more pictures.

Hashim's: Dining Like a Jordanian

Yesterday, it rained. Who am I to say that the day of prayer on Thursday didn't bring about the favorable weather? At the very least, however, the rain was a most needed coincidence.

Today was the first day of the Islamic New Year: 1432 AH to be exact. Schools, banks and government offices were all closed (Qasid included). So, with my day off, I went to the gym. And for the first (and only) time in my life, I was asked if I was an Olympic athlete. So here's how that story goes: I was doing my thing at the local women's gym to which I am a member when one of the trainers approached me. She asked, "Where did you train before this?" I wasn't exactly sure what she was getting at so I asked for clarification. She said, "What sport, what country did you train at before coming here? The Olympics?" She was quite earnest in her questioning so I tried very hard not to laugh outright. Instead, I let my jaw hang for a solid 3 seconds before telling her that I worked out at my local gym in the United States. This seemed to be the answer she was looking for because she nodded her head several times and said, "Oh, yes, the United States." I am still unclear as to whether she understood my answer to mean that I simply enjoyed working out (as I intended my answer to mean) or if she took it to mean I was an Olympic athlete for the United States. At any rate, I have never been so flattered in my life.

After my gym excursion, Betsy, Shadea and I headed to the Balad to get food. But not just any food. Hashim's. Hashim's has quite the reputation. It is known to have the best falafal and hummus in all of the city. It is on the list of "must eat" locales in Amman (along with Al-Quds for falafal and Shwarma Reem for Shwarma). Hashim's is clearly a popular destination because any time I want to go downtown, I simply direct my cab driver to Hashim's. The restaurant is located in a rather inconspicuous alleyway. There are plastic tables and chairs set up in the alley and in one garage-like covered area. Upon being seated, paper mats were placed in front of us and a piece of pita was placed on the mat. Now, for the menu. Hashim's serves a total of 3 or 4 items. We ordered hummus, falafal, foul and potatoes (aka French fries) along with tea. I was not disappointed. The food was fabulous. I absolutely stuffed myself. After my experience there this afternoon, I will gladly perpetuate the restaurant's reputation and "must eat" status.

In other news, Mossad has been accused of perpetrating the shark attacks on tourists in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt. This BBC news story gave me a good laugh: Shark Attacks not Linked to Mossad says Israel

صلاة الاستسقاء

Prayer for Rain. 

Perhaps this is the best way to characterize my last two weeks. 

Jordan is unbelievably dry. So dry, in fact, that today has been deemed a day of Salat al-Istisqa' or Prayer for Rain. Thousands of Jordanians communed at several places across the country in order to perform the Islamic prayers asking God for rain. The Minister of Islamic Affairs urged Jordanians to increase their prayers and charity work so that the land might be blessed with rain. Additionally, in preparation for today's day of prayer, the Ministry suggested fasting for the three days leading up to today. Jordan's situation as one of the most water impoverished countries comes in stark contrast to America's profligate attitude towards water. A Jordanian friend was talking to me about the very real question that faces many Jordanians of my generation: will there be enough water in Jordan to sustain myself and my family in the future? In many places in the country, water isn't being delivered to houses because there simply isn't any to deliver. For more information check out this Amman News article: Thousands of Jordanians Pray for Rain

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It was rightly pointed out to me that after the conclusion of Jordan's parliamentary elections last month, I failed to post anything on the outcome of the elections. In an attempt to remedy this, I will relate a few of the more important election results. First, Jordan's main opposition party, the Islamic Action Front, boycotted the Jordanian elections because of unfair election laws. The Islamic Action Front (IAF) is unofficially affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. There were still some IAF candidates that ran in the elections except under the guise of being an "independent" candidate. The absence of the IAF in the elections has a number of important repercussions for the elections. Most importantly, Jordan is considered the most democratic society in the Middle East. However, with the boycott of the major opposition group, this claim falls under considerable scrutiny. For, how can any elections be free, fair and democratic without a challenger? 

In all fairness, the election laws in Jordan are unfair. They favor the rural population and subsequently the people that are most likely to support the monarchy. While, the laws assisted in making the elections less than fair, another equally important factor is Jordan's patriarchal society. Clans in Jordan run at least one (often multiple) candidate for Parliament. Members of the family are then practically bound to vote for a fellow clan member. Sometimes, this is because family members legitimately believe that having a clan member in parliament will benefit them personally (this can be a safe assumption). Other times, members are bound by family loyalty and honor to vote for their clan member. Additionally, and most unfortunately, there is often a lot of vote buying that goes on during the elections. That is, candidates will agree to pay you if you take a picture with your cell phone of you voting for them and then simply send them the picture. Only exacerbating all of these factors is Jordan's new system of sub-districts. This is probably the most difficult point of to explain because I (nor any other Jordanian I've talked to) can explain the system. Essentially, however, the sub-districting created substantial voting distortions. For example, in sub-district 1 of district 3 a candidate might win with 2500 votes but in sub-district 3 of the same district, a candidate with 4000 votes might lose. Beyond this general unfairness, the drawing of districts and sub-districts are nothing less than the definition of gerrymandering. These are but a few of the problems that plague the election system. I could quickly become prolix on the subject of inveterate discrepancies in the election system but I think that I will leave that to a research paper or other forum.

In other election information, Jordan's parliament employs a system of quotas. Seats are set aside specifically for Christians, Circassians and women. Important in last months election was the success of female candidate Reem Bedran who was able to secure a parliamentary seat that was not a female quota seat. Reem was highly praised by everyone I spoke to about her. She is a well-educated economist and also the daughter of a former Prime Minster of Jordan.

Additionally, on election day, there were outbreaks of violence around the country. For a good account of the days events in this light I highly recommend reading Live Updates of Jordan's Parliamentary Elections written on the most well known Jordanian Blog: The Black Iris.

I will be happy to field any additional questions about the elections to the best of my abilities. You know how to contact me.

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Thanksgiving. What a wonderful holiday! The Fulbright House organized a pot luck Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey and pumpkin pie. Everything about it was wonderful. I think, though, that my favorite part of the evening was just gathering with fellow Fulbrighters for no other reason except to celebrate Thanksgiving. Apparently, the wife of the director has been hoarding pumpkins for months in order to make homemade pie for all of us. From firsthand experience, it was wonderful.

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Last weekend, the Columbia University Middle East Research Center hosted an Iraqi Maqam concert. Maqam is a specific type of Arab music. Iraqi maqam is a category in and of itself and is considered by some to be the most perfect form of maqam. A traditional maqam concert includes a singer, a santur (zither), a djoze (spike fiddle) and a tabla (drum). The concert was well attended by an audience of (from what I could tell) wealthy, educated Iraqis who would sing and occasionally sway along. I was one of perhaps 8 westerners in attendance. I think the best way to describe Iraqi maqam would be to just tell you to go to YouTube and find a sample. Truly, it was a unique form of music.

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Finally, I will address the question: why does today's day of prayer characterize my past few weeks? The answer is this: I feel as though I have been working so hard for the past weeks (and months) and I am just waiting, hoping and praying for the downpour. I am waiting for the actualization of my efforts. I am fully aware that any answer to my prayers won't come in the form of a torrential downpour nor will it come in the form of over-night fluency. Most realistically, I probably won't fully appreciate what I am learning everyday until I am years removed from this experience. Every day I learn a little more but concomitantly I am reminded of how much there remains for me to learn. 

God, send the rain.

Cyprus: Yes, Please

Saturday morning, Betsy, Maryam, Meghan and I left Amman for Cyprus. Qasid gave a generous week-long break for 'Eid al-Adha (a Muslim holiday remembering the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael for God) so we took the opportunity to travel. I arrived back earlier this afternoon after 5 days in Cyprus. There is too much to talk about in one blog post so I will post the highlights.

Background on Cyprus Cyprus is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. In the 1960s and 70s, Cyprus experienced some violence between the Greek majority and the Turkish minority. Both Greece and Turkey have assisted their respective ethnic groups. Currently, the island is divided into the Republic of Cyprus in the west and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey) in the east. The two are divided by the Green Line which runs right through the capital of Nicosia. 

Car Rental We thought it would be a good idea to rent a car. Lonely Planet Cyprus said that buses and taxis were a pretty unreliable way to see the country. Additionally, our travel plans included exploring Cyprus's mountains. So, we rented a tiny Hondi Colt. Betsy and I took on the position of driver. The only difficulty being that Cypriots drive on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. At first, driving was a little strange but after a little bit, driving on the left side of the road became comfortable. Looking back, I don't think we would have seen nearly as much as if we had not rented a car. Driving allowed us to change our plans depending on our mood or the weather. 

Pafos Our apartment was in the Cypriot city of Pafos. Pafos is a beach town on the west coast of the Island. Pafos hosts a couple of archeological sites namely the Tombs of the Kings (a serious of elaborate below ground tombs) and the Archeological Park (an expansive park with uncovered mosaics, a ruined fort and an amphitheater among other things).

Limassol  On our first full day in Cyprus, we had every intention of trying to hit the beach (because of the 80-degree weather). However, the weather looked pretty overcast so we decided to drive to Limassol instead. On the way there we stopped at Petra Tou Romiou also known as Aphrodite's Rock. According to mythology, Aphrodite was born out of one of Uranus's testicles which was cut off and thrown into the sea. This supposed location is Petra Tou Tominou where the shoreline is littered with huge rocks. The location is a popular attraction for those interested in mythology. The hillside was decorated with hearts outlined with rocks collected from the beach. We spent about 45 minutes here posing on one of the rocks like Aphrodite. Many of the other tourists found us pretty amusing. From here we continued on to Limassol, another beachfront city on the southern coast of Cyprus. Limassol was less touristy than Pafos but also contained a few historical landmarks such as the castle where Richard the Lionheart married his fiancee. We spent a few hours here before driving back to Pafos.

Troodos Mountains The Troodos Mountains are a mountain range located in the middle of Cyprus. We decided to take advantage of the opportunity to hike to drive up to the mountains and scope out a trail. On our way up the mountain, we stopped briefly at a winery to sample some Cypriot wine. This was a good decision. Our hike in the mountains was 7 km and took us about 2 hours to do. It was a beautiful taste of autumn. The temperature in the mountains was down to a cool 65 degrees. I enjoyed the ability to walk outside in a skirt that showed my knees. It was refreshing. 

Nicosia The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia (locally, Lefkosia). We drove to Lefkosia after our hike in the mountains. Our objective was to see a little of the city but also to cross over to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. We parked inside the Old City walls of Lefkosia on the Greek side. A quick 10 minute walk led us to a commercial pedestrian street lined with restaurants and stores. On one end of the street was the Green Line and the pedestrian crossing. Crossing the border seemed to be an everyday affair. In order to leave, we presented our passport and filled out a sheet of paper with our name and nationality. Then the guard stamped our paper and we were welcomed to Turkish Cyprus. As soon as we crossed, the dusk call to prayer sounded. We walked around the Turkish portion of the capital looking at a few of the sites and stopping in a shops here and there. Before crossing back to the Greek side, we sat and had a beer and watched the people. Thankfully, the cafe accepted Euros as well as the New Turkish Lira. Visiting both parts of Lefkosia was probably the highlight of my visit to Cyprus. The city was more European than anything else. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. I enjoyed strolling the streets and seeing the effects of an ethnicity on a city.

Food in Cyprus During our stay in Cyprus, we made breakfast at home and packed sandwiches for our lunch. We ate out a few times for dinner. Perhaps the best meal in Cyprus was at Mother's Kitchen. We found a recommendation for this restaurant in our Lonely Planet guidebook. The restaurant was located down an alleyway in Pafos. We arrived at the restaurant at about 6pm and were the only people there. A 55 or 60 year old Cypriot man greeted us and sat us at a table in the back of his restaurant. The restaurant looked as though it was an expansive kitchen/ dining room. Oh, and there were about a dozen cats being fed at the same time. We all ordered the special. The special that night was beef and chicken slow cooked in a traditional Cypriot oven with potatoes and vegetables. The meal was excellent. There was more meat in that dish than I usually eat in a week or two weeks in Jordan. Needless to say, after dinner we decided to walk for a while to help the food settle. The second restaurant of note was St. George's Fish Tavern, another recommendation from the Lonely Planet. The tavern was right on the ocean with a beautiful view. I ordered fresh salmon. I was happy to have plain grilled fish. I think it tasted better because I was watching the sun set over the ocean. 

Other: There was a strange smelling tree in Cyprus that made everything smell like yeast. Also, Christmas decorations were already up. They seemed pretty tacky considering the 80 degree weather and Santa in full winter clothing. We ate bacon our first day in Cyprus! There was a toaster in the apartment we rented. It was nice to be able to wear skirts that showed my knees. I loved the clean air and the smell of the ocean. I forgot how much I liked to drive! Essentially what I am getting at is that I had a really good time in Cyprus. And now, there is less than one month between me and Oxford, Ohio!

Maryam, Betsy and Meghan

Travel partners!

Ruins in the Archeological Park

Aphrodite was born here!

Pedestrian street in Lemissol

Dinner at Mother's Restaurant