One way I'm reminded how fast my time here is going is how long it's been since my last blog entry, which feels like last week. I wanted to share more information and observations about the culture, this time a little about the people living here.
HOSPITALITY
Even before arriving here I have often heard of how hospitable the Arab culture is. Guests are viewed and given special courtesy in the Arab culture. The other day a taxi driver, who married a German woman and worked with a US company in Germany for 30 years, was briefly explaining how guests are viewed as special. He said that as Arabs fight/mistreat other Arabs, they will take special care of guests to make sure they are happy. When visiting numerous Jordanian homes, the host always makes sure the guests have everything they want. I have heard that the Bedouin, or the people who still live off the land, will sacrifice one of their sheep if a guest comes to visit them as a sign of honor to their guest. When visitors came to Jordan and contacted the Rotaractors, they were always taken good care of. During Ramadan, once I ordered a nice grilled-kebab dinner and while I was waiting I started talking with the cooks/workers. They then invited me behind the counter to partake in their dinner with them. By the time my dinner was finished I could barely touch it!
During my time in Jordan, I have never been "stuck" in any bad situation. Even in the beginning of my time here, when I barely knew anyone, I could always count on someone around me to help me out. While I was in the process to obtain my residency here, a Jordanian helped me understand what document I had with me and helped explain what to expect. When touring around Jerusalem, I met an Arab guy who was going to the same gate in Jerusalem as me. When he found out I had no idea where I was going but wanted to see the major holy sites, he helped me get a map, shared the info he knew and also asked a shop owner he knew to help point me in the right direction. The assistance I often received in such times was never done in an act of trying to earn money; in fact, offering money is often insulting.
CULTURAL IDENTITY
One important point that a Rotarian helped point out is that a very large percentage of people living in Jordan are actually Palestinian. This means they were either born in or their parents/grandparents were born in Israel/Palestine. I also want to point out that whether you refer to the area as Israel or Palestine, you will unavoidably upset someone. The Israelis don't like to acknowledge Palestine, and the Palestinians don't like to acknowledge Israel. The UN commonly uses the title "Occupied Palestinian Territories." After World War II many Palestinians were forced to leave their abandon their homes, business, and land, creating several hundreds of thousands of refugees. As additional wars/conflicts happened, the conflict over "whose land is whose" became more difficult which leads to the current day challenge.
The Palestinians consist of both Muslims and Christians, a point that some of my Christian-Palestinian friends have said is unknown to many. Bethlehem and Nazareth for example are two cities not commonly thought of when you talk about Palestine/Israel. Palestinians often maintain refugee status in whichever country they settle in. There are 1.9 million refugees registered with UNRWA, living in Jordan (out of a little over 6 million people). There are limits to what the refugees are allowed to do; a friend doing research on some of Jordan's policy decisions mentioned a "Jordanization" effort, which reduced Palestinian participation in various sectors, the major one being the military. Most of the cab drivers I have had told me they are from Palestine originally. Currently, Israel heavily restricts travel into the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza for Palestinians. Shortly after my trip there for Christmas, a cab driver told me he was from Bethlehem. When I excitedly shared how beautiful I thought it was there he was upset because I, a foreigner, could get into his home town but he couldn't. Another friend of mine, whose parents were from Palestine originally but they grew up in Saudi Arabia, became noticeably sad when some of the people at our table were talking about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and possible solutions. When I asked him what his thoughts/feelings were, he shared how hard it is just to hear it talked about. He mentions how his family had a strong business in the land before and his family had a very strong reputation. When he went to visit, he explained, everyone treated him with incredible respect because of who father and grandfather were. He's fearful of losing his family history and heritage when he has kids, since they are unable to live in their home town.
Among the Arab culture there are several different subcultures. Identifying with your nationality is only one of many here. The non-Palestinian Jordanians I have noticed are often quite proud of their nationality. There is even a strong pride in which city you come from. Two of the major cities I hear Jordanians often boast about are Salt and Irbid. Religion is also an identity many are extremely proud of. The Christians and Muslims get along very well in Jordan; the Christians, though a minority, are often some of the wealthiest people.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Culture الثقالفة
After reflecting on my blog I feel there is so much I could share that I haven't. Living in Jordan has become so regular for me, I often forget that what might have become normal to me- or the new experiences I continue to have that don't surprise me as much as they would a first time visitor- still remains a mystery to people who have never been to Jordan or any other Arab country.
Now that the new semester is starting and I continue to meet many new students who just arrived I am reminded of various aspects of the society and culture that are unfamiliar to many. Below I will mention one of the many parts of the culture that I've thought of recently about commenting on. I will continue to think of topics and write more, and for any readers out there can think of other things for me to add, or would like me to add on something I said, please comment and mention those things. If you find yourself slightly embarrassed about asking something and don't want the comment to be viewable by anyone else, feel free to email me: gregdistic@live.com.
TRAFFIC / TRANSPORTATION
As I mentioned a long time ago (so it seems at least) crossing the street was a chaotic and frightening experience. Having lived here for a while I developed the skill and confidence that keeps me from seeing my life flash before my eyes, as often is the case with the 'newbies.' With a population of over 2.5 million people, the roads are quite chaotic at times. Although, compared to when I was in Cairo, which has a population of over 8 million, Amman seems like nothing. My developed skills are definitely practiced everyday I go to my internship. As far as I can recall, crosswalks are non-existent. When there is the occasional pedestrian bridge or tunnel, they are often very far apart. So it simply takes walking into the street at just the right time where you will get past the first 'lane' and wait until the next car passes in the following lane until you reach the other side. TIP: find a speed bump which are sometimes common, as the slowdown in traffic will be slightly more likely.
I did not have the chance to rent a car, but my friend Houston did; he said it was definitely a new and quite different experience. Another American classmate of mine had a car from his company and I've been able to see how his driving assimilated into the Jordanian way. While there are some lines painted to form lanes, they are rather optional. When no cars are around, people will often tend to dive in the middle of the street. Amman has seven major circles which have been a major venting point for many Jordanians I've met. The 'rule' for circles, as it has been explained to me, is "whoever is in the circle gets the right of way". However, as I have often thought my taxi would be considered "in the circle" he would stop and other cars would go.
I was born in New York, but since I grew up in California I cannot make an accurate comparison, but here the horn is used much more often than back home. Even when I am going to bed (or as I type this at 11:30pm at night) there is never a minute (and rarely 30 seconds when I count) when I do not hear a honk. It is sometimes used as it is in the states, a warning for others; I've also seen taxis honk to let pedestrians know they are empty; and I have also seen a few taxis honk (with passengers in them) honk at attractive girls walking on the street.
If/whenever I do return to Jordan for a job or further study, one of the top items on my to-do list is buy a car. While taxis are convenient and not too expensive (especially compared to the US) I get so tired of riding in them. However, for anyone traveling here for a short time, taxis really are a great way to travel. You must make sure they run their meter (unless it is after midnight in the really early morning, which prices must be negotiated. Even so, prices anywhere in Amman can easily be negotiated to no more than 5JD, which is still most likely too much). I also just heard (and notice) a new taxi system here, called "Mumayez taxi". I don't know who owns them, but apparently you can call a number and have them pick you up from where you are. Someone was telling me that you can have multiple stops/a schedule and at the end you pay the bill. They too run a meter, although it starts slightly higher than the normal yellow ones. However, after midnight they will continue to run the meter and not require you to pay more than it reads.
I still have not yet explored the buses, as many others haven't. Their routes are constant and there are quite a few of them in Amman, however their schedules seem to be quite irregular. Oftentimes, buses will leave when they fill up...which could take 20-30 minutes or even an hour. When walking along the street, you will also have a guy standing in the door way of the bus shouting at you to see if you want to get on the bus.
For traveling long distances there are many ways to travel. There are a variety of major tourist bus companies which are much cheaper than taxis; these buses are a lot similar to Greyhound or similar ones in the US. There are also small buses that can be found which are even cheaper, but the size and comfort is much less. Service taxis (white cabs) can also be taken from major bus/transportation stations; although often they will be more pricey. I have also heard from friends who took a taxi to the Dead Sea (30 minutes away or so) that the driver continued to complain that they need to get back since he said staying at the Dead Sea was losing him business...although in reality he probably made more money on that one trip than he makes in a day.
Now that the new semester is starting and I continue to meet many new students who just arrived I am reminded of various aspects of the society and culture that are unfamiliar to many. Below I will mention one of the many parts of the culture that I've thought of recently about commenting on. I will continue to think of topics and write more, and for any readers out there can think of other things for me to add, or would like me to add on something I said, please comment and mention those things. If you find yourself slightly embarrassed about asking something and don't want the comment to be viewable by anyone else, feel free to email me: gregdistic@live.com.
TRAFFIC / TRANSPORTATION
As I mentioned a long time ago (so it seems at least) crossing the street was a chaotic and frightening experience. Having lived here for a while I developed the skill and confidence that keeps me from seeing my life flash before my eyes, as often is the case with the 'newbies.' With a population of over 2.5 million people, the roads are quite chaotic at times. Although, compared to when I was in Cairo, which has a population of over 8 million, Amman seems like nothing. My developed skills are definitely practiced everyday I go to my internship. As far as I can recall, crosswalks are non-existent. When there is the occasional pedestrian bridge or tunnel, they are often very far apart. So it simply takes walking into the street at just the right time where you will get past the first 'lane' and wait until the next car passes in the following lane until you reach the other side. TIP: find a speed bump which are sometimes common, as the slowdown in traffic will be slightly more likely.
I did not have the chance to rent a car, but my friend Houston did; he said it was definitely a new and quite different experience. Another American classmate of mine had a car from his company and I've been able to see how his driving assimilated into the Jordanian way. While there are some lines painted to form lanes, they are rather optional. When no cars are around, people will often tend to dive in the middle of the street. Amman has seven major circles which have been a major venting point for many Jordanians I've met. The 'rule' for circles, as it has been explained to me, is "whoever is in the circle gets the right of way". However, as I have often thought my taxi would be considered "in the circle" he would stop and other cars would go.
I was born in New York, but since I grew up in California I cannot make an accurate comparison, but here the horn is used much more often than back home. Even when I am going to bed (or as I type this at 11:30pm at night) there is never a minute (and rarely 30 seconds when I count) when I do not hear a honk. It is sometimes used as it is in the states, a warning for others; I've also seen taxis honk to let pedestrians know they are empty; and I have also seen a few taxis honk (with passengers in them) honk at attractive girls walking on the street.
If/whenever I do return to Jordan for a job or further study, one of the top items on my to-do list is buy a car. While taxis are convenient and not too expensive (especially compared to the US) I get so tired of riding in them. However, for anyone traveling here for a short time, taxis really are a great way to travel. You must make sure they run their meter (unless it is after midnight in the really early morning, which prices must be negotiated. Even so, prices anywhere in Amman can easily be negotiated to no more than 5JD, which is still most likely too much). I also just heard (and notice) a new taxi system here, called "Mumayez taxi". I don't know who owns them, but apparently you can call a number and have them pick you up from where you are. Someone was telling me that you can have multiple stops/a schedule and at the end you pay the bill. They too run a meter, although it starts slightly higher than the normal yellow ones. However, after midnight they will continue to run the meter and not require you to pay more than it reads.
I still have not yet explored the buses, as many others haven't. Their routes are constant and there are quite a few of them in Amman, however their schedules seem to be quite irregular. Oftentimes, buses will leave when they fill up...which could take 20-30 minutes or even an hour. When walking along the street, you will also have a guy standing in the door way of the bus shouting at you to see if you want to get on the bus.
For traveling long distances there are many ways to travel. There are a variety of major tourist bus companies which are much cheaper than taxis; these buses are a lot similar to Greyhound or similar ones in the US. There are also small buses that can be found which are even cheaper, but the size and comfort is much less. Service taxis (white cabs) can also be taken from major bus/transportation stations; although often they will be more pricey. I have also heard from friends who took a taxi to the Dead Sea (30 minutes away or so) that the driver continued to complain that they need to get back since he said staying at the Dead Sea was losing him business...although in reality he probably made more money on that one trip than he makes in a day.
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