Pictures from Wadi Rum

A couple of weekends back, we decided to do a girls trip to Wadi Rum. We spent the afternoon touring the desert in a jeep. We did some hiking and climbing and finished by watching the sunset over the desert. That evening we had a delicious bedouin dinner back at our camp before heading to bed. In the morning, we had breakfast before driving back to Amman. Highlight: the stars.

Wadi Rum Desert-scape

Our tents in Wadi Rum

The girls

KAS and OBL

I went in to the office (because I can say that I go into 'the office' now) to talk to the director about my hours and duties earlier this week. I was assigned my first project which I am very excited about. I will be organizing a roundtable conference on the Hariri tribunal... in Lebanon. Will I be going to the conference? Yes I will. In addition to organizing the conference, I will be working on co-authoring a couple articles with the director. I am looking forward to picking out a couple topics to research and write on. I am also excited about being able to organize this conference (not to mention travel to Lebanon). After the initial meeting with the director, I was pretty sell assured that I had made the right decision regarding which internship to take.

In other world news, Osama bin Laden's death has had a few interesting effects on life here- nothing extreme. I have had people ask me about my feelings about OBL's demise. Some people have just wanted to express their opinions. One woman that I now work with came to my desk to ask about my feelings and then tell me that she didn't really think OBL died and that it was a ploy of the US government. Peter and Adam (both British) expressed their shock at the joyous response of Americans. The KAS director (a German) was surprised to hear that OBL's death would boost President Obama's public opinion. He said: "that would never happen in Europe."An additional repercussion was the cancellation of both regional Fulbright research conferences. One was to be held in Amman the other in Rabat. Both were summarily cancelled due to a fear of retaliatory attacks against Americans.

I have to admit that I have found my own feelings on the issue to be somewhat nonsensical. My immediate reaction to the news was surprise and, I am embarrassed to say, happiness. I think that my happiness stemmed from my all too human desire for revenge for the 9/11 attacks. Rationally, however, I know that OBL's end is not an end to terrorism, extremism or hatred towards the United States. Bin Laden's death marks a symbolic victory, a morale boost, for the US, more than a strategic win. As many analysts have noted, Al Qaeda is much larger than Osama bin Laden and was organized to survive the death of OBL. And so it will.

Internship Search

     I began my search for an internship a couple of weeks after my session at Qasid ended. I sent about a half dozen resumes and cover letters to various organizations operating in Amman. I received replies from the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies, Freedom House and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (a German political foundation). I interviewed with all three organizations and was offered internships with all three. A couple of days after I interviewed with these three, I received a request for an interview from the Arab World Center for Democratic Development and Human Rights. I turned down the interview- mainly because I didn't think it would be as interesting as any of the others.
     I spent the majority of last week trying to decide between positions with Freedom House and KAS. The work with Freedom House sounded much less interesting. I would essentially be working as an assistant to one of the project managers doing menial work. With KAS, I would have the opportunity to write articles and potentially have a project assigned to me. Basically my dilemma came down to this: more interesting work and autonomy with KAS or generally boring work with the more notable Freedom House? Ok so there was another factor in mind- taxi fare. It adds up when it comes to an unpaid internship!
      My days of deliberation have produced this result: I am taking the position with KAS. Inshallah I will begin this week. I am anxious to work and to have a daily schedule. I am looking forward to researching and writing and being generally productive. I will post more on my internship after I have started.

Long Time...

Ok. I know it has been a long time since I have written a post. I have no excuse! So I am going to take the next couple of posts to give a few general life updates.

Teaching English

     About a month ago, a fellow Fulbrighter advertised a position teaching English to Iraqi refugees through the Jesuit Refugee Service. I was interested so I went with her to the school in Ashrafiya to check out the classes and meet the students. I decided to give it a whirl and try my hand at teaching. First, a little more background on the program. JRS offers afternoon classes in English, French and computer sciences for Iraqi refugees. The program runs buses to different parts of Amman to collect the students and bring them to the school building and then take them all back after the classes are over. Currently, there are about 200 students that attend the courses ranging in age from 10 to 60 years old. The classes run from 330pm to about 630pm Monday through Thursday (so that both Christians and Muslims can observe their holy days). I share the three English conversation classes with a British woman who teaches Mondays, my Fulbright friend who teaches both Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have Wednesdays.
     I have to admit that I was quite nervous the first day I taught. I had prepared a goal-setting and expectations exercise for the students. In retrospect, I am very glad I started with this activity. Essentially, I wanted to know what the students wanted me to teach them (having little idea where to begin myself). The three classes had similar requests: American slang, idiomatic expressions, synonyms, pronunciation, grammar and quizzes among other things. Since that first class, I have begun every class with 2 or 3 idiomatic expressions before diving into a discussion or group activity. So far, I have taught them expressions such as "same old, same old," "to lock horns," "basket-case," and "jack-of-all-trades." I intend to eventually teach them "muffin top" and "two shakes of a lamb's tail." I have found that some of the best activities for class are semi-controversial group discussions. They like to argue! As one of my students explained to me- "we all have an opinion!"
    After teaching for several weeks, I have a better handle on the class compositions and strengths and weaknesses of the students. My first class has only about 15 students. Most of them are between 40 and 50 years old. This first class is great to teach because of the size and because the students are all genuinely interested in learning and participating. My second class is slightly larger with about 20 students. Again, most of them are between the ages of 40 and 50. This class is the most advanced and enthusiastic about learning English. There are two men (one about 28 and the other about 40) who sit next to each other and consistently disagree about everything for comedic value rather than actual opposing views. This playful antagonism gets the rest of the class involved in the jokes and the "disagreements" which ultimately makes for a more enjoyable class. My third class is my most difficult. There are about 40 students in this class, most of whom are 22 years old or younger with more young men than women. The age range isn't a problem by itself. This is compounded by the low level of competence in the English language. Essentially, a large portion of the students should be in a beginner class rather than an conversation course. So, the students who don't understand sit in the back and cause problems. There have been a number of times where I have just stood silently waiting for the ruckus to stop before continuing. I have had a couple of instances with the young men. For example, one stopped me in the middle of class to say "teacher, you're pretty." Another time, a couple of boys stayed after class to ask to take my picture. Of course, I told them no and that this was an inappropriate request. Aside from these instances, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. The students are, more often than not, enthusiastic, respectful and eager. It is surprisingly rewarding to hear a student use an idiom I taught them. They have endeared themselves to me. I fully intend on continuing on teaching there until I leave.
    Last week, I had a long discussion with the director of the program about placing students in their levels. Until now, the program has simply placed students into classes based on how the class schedule has worked out. This method has made my teaching experience much more difficult. I have to plan a class with multiple ability levels in mind. So, after talking with the director, we decided to administer a conversation placement evaluation. I developed some basic questions and a scale for evaluation for all of the teachers to use. So, last week I went to help with the placement exams for the incoming students- about 300! The process was much easier than I expected and made easier still with the help of the other teachers. My hope is that the classes for the next term will be more uniformly organized in terms of ability level.
    This week is my last week teaching this term. There is a graduate ceremony and picnic for all of the students that I am very excited for. I honestly never thought I would enjoy teaching this much. Future career? Nope- not that much fun.

Bugs make for free dinner!

Early last week, Peter took his visiting friends to the Dead Sea. I couldn't miss the opportunity to lay in the sun so I accompanied. We decided to pay the 25JD to enjoy the private beach and pools of the Holiday Inn at the Dead Sea. The weather was lovely and I was able to get a little sun before lunch. For a bite to eat, we picked the pool side cafe. All five of us ordered hamburgers. Once they arrived and we were part way through our meal when I noticed little bugs crawling around on the plate. Once I took the top off of the hamburger I saw bug bodies smashed into the cheese. After a quick check, the others found bugs on their plates also. So, we called over the waiter. I pointed out the dead insects. He quickly whisked away my plate to cook me a new one. The manager brought my meal back out, apologized and informed us that all of our meals were on the house. Before leaving, the manager asked for a phone number so I passed him my business card. We continued our afternoon at the hotel with little thought of the incident.

Later that same evening, I received a phone call from Outdoor Outlets manager at the Holiday Inn. He apologized for our experience at lunch and invited all of us back for dinner at the Below 393 restaurant. After consulting the 4 boys, we arranged to go back to the hotel for dinner on Thursday evening.

So, on Thursday we drove the rental car back to the Dead Sea. At the hotel, we were greeted at the entrance by the same manager who had originally contacted me. He walked us down to Below 393 where we were seated by the manager of the restaurant. We lost no time looking through the menus and picking our our meals. I had no intention of ordering an extravagant meal until the 4 boys convinced me that it was clearly our right to eat well. So, we started with a bottle of wine and carpaccio for our starters. I had never had carpaccio before. It was excellent. I must say that I didn't think that raw meat could ever taste so good. Following the carpaccio, we all had steaks for dinner with a bottle of red wine. The filet mignon that I ordered made for the best meal I have had in Jordan. It was superb. After enjoying a leisurely dinner, we had creme brulee for dessert. By the end, I could barely move I had eaten so much. But it was well worth it. The meal was superb. Throughout the course of our meal, the manager brought the Food & Drinks manager and two sous chefs to speak with us and apologize for our previous bug experience. We assured them that the dinner we were enjoying more than made up for it. After calculating, we realized that the hotel had spent between $350 and $400 to make up for our bug-y lunch. Fine with me.

For anyone who comes to Jordan and wants an excellent meal, I will immediately think of this dinner and send them straight to the Dead Sea and the Holiday Inn there.

Additional Photos from Egypt

Pretty in Pink

Napping at Al-Azhar Mosque

Egypt = Awesome

On Wednesday after my final exams, I flew to Cairo for a 5 day stay in Egypt. I had a wonderful time. I am not going to recount everything that I did in Egypt but I will certainly detail the highlights.

The Pyramids
First, I had no idea how close the Pyramids were to Cairo. Suddenly, on our drive to Giza, the Pyramids appeared over the skyline of the edge of Cairo. The contrast was quite spectacular. Needless to say, the Pyramids were breathtaking. I can easily understand how they are considered one of the Ancient Wonders of the World. We spent about 3 hours exploring the three pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. We were able to climb the Great Pyramid (Pyramid of Khufu). The passageway was narrow and at about a 35-degree angle. Essentially, wood panels had been secured to the slanted stone passageway. Walking up, I had to crouch and bend so as not to hit my head (although I did anyway). Anyone with a touch of claustrophobia would not have enjoyed this experience. At the end of the passageway was the King's Chamber. This is the room with the remnants of the Pharaoh Khufu's sarcophagus.

Aside from climbing inside the Great Pyramid, we spent the remainder of our time walking around the outside of the Pyramids. From what everyone said, there should have been many more tourists but due to the recent turmoil, tourists have been deterred from traveling (not me!). There were a couple of incidents where Egyptians wanted to have their pictures taken with us. I had mine taken with a group of Lebanese school girls. I also posed in front of a tank with an Egyptian soldier. Why? Just because.

My other new experience at the Pyramids was riding a camel! Even though I have been living in Jordan for over 6 months, I had not yet ridden a camel. Well, that has since been changed. There seems to be a wandering herd of camel at the Pyramids and for a small fee you can climb on one and lumber around for a few minutes. Camels are perhaps the most awkward creature I have ever encountered. The way they move (and run, in particular) is just funny. 

 

 Alexandria 

On Sunday, we were scheduled to take a train to Alexandria to visit my friend Ahmed whom I met through the Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) hosted at Miami last summer. Another SUSI-er, Nada, was going to go with us. Unfortunately, I woke up on Sunday morning with strange stomach pains that kept me in bed for a while. At the last second, I decided I should get up and at least try to make it to the train station for our 900am departure. So, we ran. However, while on the metro on the way to the station, I was pretty nauseous so we got off for a few minutes until the next train came. About 5 minutes from the station, Nada called to inform me that the train had just left.

We met Nada at the ticket counter to see about getting tickets for the 10am train. There weren't any tickets left. Nada suggested taking a local mini bus. She said, "my mom would kill me if she knew." So, obviously, we decided to take a mini bus. The trip up was easy. I dosed off on the way but, 2.5 hours later when we made it to Alexandria, I was feeling pretty sick again. We met Ahmed and I told him what was going on with my stomach. He ran to a pharmacy and got me some medicine. Then, we headed to get lunch because I hadn't eaten anything and, of course, couldn't take any pills on an empty stomach. So, Ahmed got us into a cab and directed the driver to a restaurant right on the Mediterranean. First of all, the sea was beautiful! The restaurant sat right on the edge with a beautiful view. We walked in and Ahmed arranged for a display of fresh fish so we could pick our own. We ended up getting a selection of fish, shrimp and squid. It was quite an experience. When the food finally came out, I was very ready to eat, not least because I wanted to pop a pain killer. There was so much food! Ahmed showed me how to eat the fish (because they were served whole). I wasn't very good at it. Nada opted not to eat the fish because it was too messy and she wasn't going to try to tackle it with her head scarf on. 

From lunch, we walked to the Bibliotheca Alexandria. This library is built on the remains of the Ancient Library of Alexandria (another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World).  The Ancient Library of Alexandria was supposedly the largest collection of documents and manuscripts of the ancient world. We were unable to enter the library so we simply explored the modern architecture of the outside. 

After the Library, we took a cab to a caste that sits on the water. It was a beautiful view. We bought ice cream at Alexandria's most famous ice cream shop. Ahmed introduced me to rice and milk with ice cream on top. The combination was surprisingly delicious. At about this time, I started to feel pretty ill again. So, we decided to get in a cab and head somewhere where we could sit, check up on the referendum results and have a drink. So, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out before heading back to the train station to get our train to Cairo. 

Tahrir Square and the Egyptian National Museum

On Saturday, we visited Tahrir Square and the Egyptian National Museum. We set Saturday aside for this because we thought there might be a little excitement with the referendum being held. However, we later learned that the voting took place in schools which dispersed the population to various parts of the city. Our day started by taking the metro to the Egyptian National Museum, a strangely pink building located directly next to the burnt building of Mubarak's party headquarters. The museum contained plenty of ancient artifacts. The most popular exhibit was filled with the gold accessories of Tutankhamen. 

After spending a few hours wandering around the museum, we walked outside and down the street to Tahrir Square proper. We saw people with Egyptian flags painted on their cheeks, tree trunks painted the colors of the flag, people waving or wearing the flag. We were approached by excited Egyptians wanting their picture taken with us and the Egyptian flags that we bought. I could tell how excited they were! 

General Observations

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Cairo. I noticed how happy the people were compared to Jordanians. People had a sense of humor about everything. Shopkeepers would joke with you even if you didn't want to buy their wares. People volunteered to help us with directions or basically anything before we even needed to ask! The population is so much poorer in Egypt but I think not having the 'burdens' of Jordanian wealth has made them a happier people. 

Also, Cairo felt like a much more vibrant city with so much more to offer than Amman. For example, one evening we went to a jazz club for a concert by a Brazilian band. That would never happen in Amman. There were restaurants upon restaurants to try out with any kind of food you could imagine. 

Khoushri (basically Egyptian fast food) is delicious.

Dental care needs to be stepped up in Egypt.

Everything was so incredibly cheap! 

 Also, everything was so incredibly dirty!

Nada, me and Ahmed

At the Pyramids.

Pink= museum. Charred= Mubarak's party HQs

Painting Flags

Khoushri

 

Tahrir Square and happy Egyptian girls :)

Blog for Jordan

March 12. Blog for Jordan Day.
I am blogging for Jordan today!

Movie Debut

About a month ago, the Fulbrighters were informed that there would be a film crew coming to Amman to working on making a movie titled "Fulbright Revisited." As far as I know, a wealthy former Fulbrighter left money to make a film documenting how the Fulbright experience changes a person's life. Two commissions were selected to appear in the film. Obviously, the commission here in Jordan was one of the two. I believe the second commission was in Jamaica, but don't hold me to it. So, for about the past week, a crew has been doing interviews and taking footage of Fulbrighters doing various Fulbrighter-ly things in Jordan.

The crew spent a morning at Qasid which is where I made my movie debut. Don't get excited. I was shot having a conversation (that would be talked over) in front of a sign for Qasid. Later, the crew came into our classroom and did some filming there. I don't suspect that much will come of the literary conversation in Arabic that they taped. But, fingers crossed!

While the video might not be out for a while, here are a few snap shots of what the film crew might have picked up:

Rivka, Caryl, Tom (hidden), Ustath Fahdi

Dr. Mohammad is giving us a lesson.

Ilyas's brain hurts.

Craig, Ryan and Leah

Rivka, Carol, Tom (hidden) and Ustath Fahdi

Jamil. Aviators. Arabic.

Petra by Night

Thursday after class, Ryan (from my Qasid class) rented a car to drive to southern Jordan. The plan was for Ryan, Leah, Shadea and myself to drive to Wadi Musa (Eng: Valley of Moses) to meet Betsy and her visiting friend in time for the Petra by Night tour. After picking up the rental car, we endeavored to make our way out of Amman. However, the task is not as easy as it sounds. The system of circles, underpasses and overpasses are difficult to learn as a daily taxi passenger rather than a regular driver. Instead of 15 minutes, we used all of about 50 minutes to find our way out of the city. Aside from this, however, the drive down was uneventful. Thankfully. The roads outside of Amman are notoriously dangerous.

Wadi Musa, the town associated with Petra, is very different from Amman. First, the city is much smaller. Second, the place is saturated with tourists and the accompanying hostels, restaurants and gift shops catering to the visitors. Unfortunately, the population of Wadi Musa has yet to be accustomed to the presence of foreigners. The taxi drivers have no qualms about cheating visitors. Young men unabashedly call out to passing young women (such as those in my group). Finally, the weather is notably warmer in Wadi Musa- just a few hours drive south of Amman.

We pulled into Wadi Musi in plenty of time to check into our hostel (Petra Gate Hotel). Betsy and her college friend were waiting for us. We quickly put our things in our room and made our way to the entrance of Petra where there were some restaurants. We ate a quick dinner (in my case, lentil soup and hummus) and headed for Petra's main entrance. The Petra by Night tour leads participants down the long, winding, votive-lit siq in silence. The walk takes about 30 minutes and the silence is enforced. Perhaps the most spectacular part of the walk is the impressive view of the stars. I have never been able to see the stars as clearly as that night.

The walk concluded in front of the Treasury. The Treasury is Petra's most ornate and most recognized facade. Most associate it, rightfully, with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For the tour, a couple hundred of luminaries had been placed in front of the Treasury. Rows of rugs had been placed on the ground for us to sit on. As we sat, we listened to a Bedouin flutist and a Bedouin guitarist (although he wasn't playing a guitar and I can't remember what the name of the instrument was). We enjoyed the program, which lasted about 20 or 30 minutes before we walked back up the siq.

By the time we got back to our hostel after the walk, we were all tired. So, we crashed. I slept like a log. I think it is because there weren't any birds to bother me. In the morning, we ate a quick breakfast at the hostel and headed back to Petra. After walking together for a couple of hours, the group split. Betsy took her visitor on a hike up Jebel Haroon (Mt. Aaron). Shadea and I wandered around a little more before heading back in order to make our way to Amman.

At the hostel, we asked about the local buses that run from Wadi Musa to Amman. The woman at the hostel reception desk directed us to the bus station. Unfortunately, however, the bus station was vacant. I had completely forgotten to factor in Friday prayer. Buses certainly wouldn't be running until after noon. We had a couple of hours to wait. So, I called the hostel owner. As it turned out, he knew a cab driver that wanted to drive to Amman to visit his daughter who went to university there. He agreed to drive us for a reduced rate.

I was certainly glad to get out of Amman. Petra was a wonderful reminder of the beauty of Jordan. I need more such reminders. Akrum suggested visiting the north- Um Quaiss, specifically. So, this weekend, we'll be renting a mini-bus to take us up north to enjoy a picnic and the greenery. I am looking forward to taking in the contrast between southern sand and northern foliage.

Jordanian Definition: Picnic: A meal prepared and taken by the side of the road (Airport road is a popular selection) on any patch of grass able to be found. 

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

The Hammam PLUS Gold Shopping

Yesterday, Shadea and I went to Al-Pasha Turkish Bath (click for pictures from the website) . This experience should be on everyone's bucket list. We arrived for our 2pm appointment and were immediately ushered into a locker room where we changed out of our clothes and into bathing suits. From there, a woman led us through the hammam. How can I accurately describe it? The hammam had about 10-12 marble tables around the perimeter where women were being either scrubbed or massaged. In the middle, was a stone hot tub. On one side of the hammam, there was a small alcove for showering. The ceiling had stained glass pieces that softened any natural light shining through.

Our first stop was a cave in the back of the hammam. A woman gave Shadea and me a washcloth that had been sitting in the refrigerator before pulling back the curtain that covered the entrance to the cave/ steam room. The steam room was suffocatingly hot. The steam made it almost impossible to breath and even more difficult to see. The cave had two levels. I tried sitting on the higher of the two but I only managed for a minute before I had to sit lower. After about two minutes, Shadea and I tried to leave but the same woman told us that our time in there wasn't up and turned us around back into the steam room. She placed the cloth over Sheada's hair. I followed suit. Somehow that helped. Another few minutes passed and a second woman brought us cold hibiscus juice. It was the consistency of a slushy and tasted like a sweeter cranberry juice.

After another few minutes, our time in the steam prison/cave was up. After rinsing off in the shower, the hot tub was our next stop. For all I know the water in the hot tub could have been boiling but it didn't feel as hot as the steam room. We soaked for 10 minutes or so before I was called to be scrubbed. Before I forget to mention, the marble tables are a "no-tops-allowed" zone.

So, on to the scrubbing. The woman threw some warm water on me and then grabbed a slightly rough cloth and started scrubbing literally from the bottoms of my feet to my head. At some point, she lifted up one of my arms said "look!" and pointed to the skin that was no longer attached to my body. Once she was satisfied with the amount of skin that had been removed, she got a loofah and some soap and cleaned me from head to toe. Finally, I was rinsed in warm water and then sent to the showers to rinse off again.

After my shower and another brief intermission in the hot tub, I was called to another marble slab for massage time! I don't know how long I was on that table being pushed, pulled and bended but I do know that it wasn't nearly long enough. I could have stayed for another hour at least. But, that wasn't an option and I was sent to the showers for a final rinse. After this process, all I wanted to do was sleep- I was so relaxed! Sleeping, however, wasn't an option. We were on to gold shopping!

So, after paying the 25JD for the hammam experience, Shadea and I took a cab from Rainbow St. to meet Akrum. Akrum is the antithesis of any negative stereotype of young Jordanian men. He is so kind, thoughtful and incredibly helpful. Case and point- he agreed to go shopping with Shadea and me!  We were scheduled to meet Akrum in Jabal al-Hussain, the commercial area of Amman. There, the streets are lined with clothing shops, restaurants, and, most importantly in this story, dozens of gold shops.

Akrum took us from shop to shop where we looked through earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces and anything else you can think of that might come in gold. If we were interested in the price of something, we (or sometimes Akrum) would ask the shop keeper to weigh the item. From the weight, he would calculate the price of the day. These shops don't even consider carrying anything less than 18 carat gold. Most often, the jewelry is 18 or 21 carats.

In several of the stores, we saw girls about my age with their families. Akrum explained that, more than likely, these girls were about to get married. They were there with their mothers and the mothers of the groom to settle the dowry- in gold. Akrum went on to say that men are getting married later simply because marriage is so expensive due in part to the tradition of pre-marriage gold.

While Shadea and I were looking around for our respective jewelry, Akrum was shopping for 'Eid gifts for his sisters. So, brothers, take a leaf out of Akrum's book. He got his sisters each a gold initial for 'Eid.

After we were finished shopping, we got knafeh. Knafeh is a Arab pastry made from very fine pastry, sweet cheese, honey and usually pistachios. There are several different types and all are worth sampling multiple times. The knafeh and conversation was the perfect end to a great day.

A Jordanian Father...?

There are two things that happened yesterday that I would like to share:

First, during a cap ride from Abdoun to 7th circle, I had the nicest exchange with my cab driver. I got in the cab and told the older driver where I was headed. He asked where I was from and once I told him I was American, we launched into a conversation about Arabic and English. He told me I was a clever girl for learning Arabic so well- after this statement, I couldn't help but to like him. He shared with me some essential phrases in Arabic and asked me for advice about learning English. He said I was funny (obvious truth). Then, he proceeded to tell me about his 6 children (4 boys and 2 girls all my age or older). Here's the kicker: he tells me that while I am in Jordan he will be like my father- that if I need anything I am to call him. If I have any questions about Arabic or about anything else- I should call him. I probably will sometime.

Second, we had a few guests over for dinner. Two of them were Fulbrighters that had been deported from Syria not 48 hours ago. Their crime? Who knows. It was interesting talking to them about their experiences in detention and leaving Syria. Surprisingly, they had been contacted by the foreign minister who told them that they could return to Syria and the deportation would be erased from their records. At the time I spoke to them, they were debating whether or not they should return to Syria versus staying in Jordan. Kind of a surreal story, isn't it?

48 Minutes in Palestine

On Thursday, Betsy and I went to the Royal Cultural Center to see the play "48 Minutes in Palestine." From what we had heard the play would be in ammiyya. We made sure to arrive plenty early. Our previous experiences dictated that if we didn't arrive early enough we would end up sitting on the floor. So, in the 30 minutes before the start of the play while waiting for the doors to open, Betsy and I glanced through the play's program while doing some people watching. The most eventful site was a man with a comb-over/ mullet- you can use your imagination. Needless to say, I took at picture on my phone. At about 5 minutes until the posted start time, people began crowding around the door. We took the hint and joined the crowd. When the doors opened, we weaved through so as to secure two of the seats that had backs- the rest were simply benches. After finding our seats, we waited a few minutes for the play to start. 

As it turns out, the play was not in Jordanian ammiyya. It wasn't in fousha. In fact, there were no words at all. In the end, however, the play was more powerful in its silence. The opening scene involved a woman sitting on a mat on the floor (her bed) writing in a journal. Surrounding her was a circle of rocks which depicted the boundaries of her house. In addition to the mat, she had a chair, a backgammon board, a basket of fruit and a flower growing out of a pile of rocks. A minute or two into the play, a weary looking older man arrives outside her house and wanders in. She gives him much needed water. After drinking the water, the man presents the woman with a piece of paper- a marriage contract. Metaphorically, the contract represented the British White Paper. She is immediately displeased and drags his suitcase out of the house. He brings it back in and this struggle continues. Finally, the man wins and begins unpacking his suitcase and scattering his belongs around the house. She tries to put his things back in his suitcase. In essence, the play continues like this. There are struggles back and forth for power. Little by little, the man wins more space in the house. The woman is relentless in her struggle. She refuses to accept the arrangement. Every time the man takes more space or does something unjust, you just want to yell out for her- to help her. Each time the woman would retaliate at the man, the audience would applaud for her. The play ended, 48 minutes later, with the woman standing defiantly outside of her house on the pile of rocks where her flower used to be. The man is inside with all of her former belongings. I enjoyed the play. I enjoyed listening to the crowds reactions. The silence was powerful. I wanted to call out on her behalf- the man was being such a bully!