If anyone reading this is interested in reading more, go to my new blog at:
http://jordanround2.blogspot.com
Thanks!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Ending with a bang...
My last few weeks here have definitely been fun and exciting so far. I've been going out far more than I have before, and now that the warmer (and now hot) weather has come, there are more events going on throughout Amman. Last week I went to an Arabic music concert which was held in the ruins of the old Roman Ampitheater in downtown Amman. A bunch of us went down to the main floor area and joined the shabab (Arabic youth) in some dabke (Arabic dancing). I don't really know how to do it except when watching the shabab around me. Although, it doesn't help when they are doing a few different types of dabke, or are looking at me when I seem to know what I'm doing and in reality don't!
Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee came to Jordan for a visit and I attended a dinner with the Rotary and Rotaract clubs. It was very nice to meet him. I don't have a copy of the photos that were taken when I was with him, but will hopefully get them soon. The dinner was very long and towards the end it seemed like he was falling asleep!
The other week the Pope came to Amman on a trip to various holy sites in the region. Omar, the Rotarian I go to church with, took me to the airport to wait with the crowds to greet him on his arrival. Unfortunately, he was either sped past in a tinted security vehicle or was escorted via military helicopter. Thousands showed up and were very disapointed. He held a public mass in the Amman sports stadium with tens of thousands in attendance. A priest of my parish came to Jordan a few weeks before and tried to formally request that I be one of the recipients of communion from him. Unfortunately, for some reason my request was not acknowledged by the local coordinators and I received no response. The mass was very nice and the thundering enthusiasm of everyone was very nice to see. After the mass Omar and I went to the Baptism site where His Holiness spoke and gave his blessings for the building of two new churches on the site. The King and Queen as well as Prince Ghazi who is the custodian of the site were in attendence. Security for that week was extremely tight, with armed troops and humvees with the mounted 50cal on the back all throughout the city.
I also went out to a unique place for dinner called Abu Musa, where they serve miscellaneous parts of a sheep. So we tried various parts of the head (the cheek, tongue, eye and brain) as well as pig intestine, feet and stuffed stomach. While all of it wasn't bad, it wasn't seasoned too much and most of it tasted very similar. After getting over the textures (especially the eye), the food was manageable. Later on that night however, we did go to Hashims (a very famous Hummus and Falafel restaurant).
Another night I went Salsa dancing with some Bulgarian girls and other friends from the Language center. It worked out great because the girls and I didn't know how to salsa dance. One girl, Magdena, and I managed to figure out a basic step pattern for ourselves and improvise the rest. Later that night we went back to our friend Eamon's place, where the adventure continued. We ended up getting stuck in the elevator. Fortuantely, it was just the doors that wouldn't open...so after a while of trying to pry open the doors and figure out the locking mechanism we freed ourselves.
Last weekend I went to Aqaba with some friends. We rented a car and I finally drove in Jordan! Talk about an adventure. Lanes exist in theory (and in paint on the roads) however, drivers seldom drive within them, and often find ways to make more lanes than there should be on any given road. There are also many circles throughout the city which is a major source of disorganization. The highway out of Amman are tolerable. They are the one main area in driving that is often regulated by traffic police: there are many speed traps along the way to Aqaba where traffic police use a radar gun to catch anyone silghtly over the limit. However, the innovative Jordanian drivers came up with a system to circumvent this. Cars coming from the opposite direction will flash their lights to warn drivers of an upcoming speed trap, so temporarily the speedlimit can be followed. Needless to say, driving, like many other things, feels like a game where the few rules that do apply can be bent.
Recently there have been many going away dinners. Last night I went to a cafe/bar and walked around the beautiful Jabal Amman area (which has a very European city feel to it). The best part of the night was splitting a half kilo of Shawarma from the most famous shawarma place in Jordan (Shawarma Reem) in the middle of the busy circle.
Next weekend I leave to Bahrain. When I get back I have a day and a half until I go to the airport to begin my trip home. On my way home I will be meeting up with a friend in Germany for a few days.
The president of Rotary International with the presidents of Jordan Rotary clubs
The Pope's visit to Jordan:
A night of new foods...
Salsa dancing with some Bulgarians and getting stuck in an elevator...
"Dancing" the Dabke with some shabab
Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee came to Jordan for a visit and I attended a dinner with the Rotary and Rotaract clubs. It was very nice to meet him. I don't have a copy of the photos that were taken when I was with him, but will hopefully get them soon. The dinner was very long and towards the end it seemed like he was falling asleep!
The other week the Pope came to Amman on a trip to various holy sites in the region. Omar, the Rotarian I go to church with, took me to the airport to wait with the crowds to greet him on his arrival. Unfortunately, he was either sped past in a tinted security vehicle or was escorted via military helicopter. Thousands showed up and were very disapointed. He held a public mass in the Amman sports stadium with tens of thousands in attendance. A priest of my parish came to Jordan a few weeks before and tried to formally request that I be one of the recipients of communion from him. Unfortunately, for some reason my request was not acknowledged by the local coordinators and I received no response. The mass was very nice and the thundering enthusiasm of everyone was very nice to see. After the mass Omar and I went to the Baptism site where His Holiness spoke and gave his blessings for the building of two new churches on the site. The King and Queen as well as Prince Ghazi who is the custodian of the site were in attendence. Security for that week was extremely tight, with armed troops and humvees with the mounted 50cal on the back all throughout the city.
I also went out to a unique place for dinner called Abu Musa, where they serve miscellaneous parts of a sheep. So we tried various parts of the head (the cheek, tongue, eye and brain) as well as pig intestine, feet and stuffed stomach. While all of it wasn't bad, it wasn't seasoned too much and most of it tasted very similar. After getting over the textures (especially the eye), the food was manageable. Later on that night however, we did go to Hashims (a very famous Hummus and Falafel restaurant).
Another night I went Salsa dancing with some Bulgarian girls and other friends from the Language center. It worked out great because the girls and I didn't know how to salsa dance. One girl, Magdena, and I managed to figure out a basic step pattern for ourselves and improvise the rest. Later that night we went back to our friend Eamon's place, where the adventure continued. We ended up getting stuck in the elevator. Fortuantely, it was just the doors that wouldn't open...so after a while of trying to pry open the doors and figure out the locking mechanism we freed ourselves.
Last weekend I went to Aqaba with some friends. We rented a car and I finally drove in Jordan! Talk about an adventure. Lanes exist in theory (and in paint on the roads) however, drivers seldom drive within them, and often find ways to make more lanes than there should be on any given road. There are also many circles throughout the city which is a major source of disorganization. The highway out of Amman are tolerable. They are the one main area in driving that is often regulated by traffic police: there are many speed traps along the way to Aqaba where traffic police use a radar gun to catch anyone silghtly over the limit. However, the innovative Jordanian drivers came up with a system to circumvent this. Cars coming from the opposite direction will flash their lights to warn drivers of an upcoming speed trap, so temporarily the speedlimit can be followed. Needless to say, driving, like many other things, feels like a game where the few rules that do apply can be bent.
Recently there have been many going away dinners. Last night I went to a cafe/bar and walked around the beautiful Jabal Amman area (which has a very European city feel to it). The best part of the night was splitting a half kilo of Shawarma from the most famous shawarma place in Jordan (Shawarma Reem) in the middle of the busy circle.
Next weekend I leave to Bahrain. When I get back I have a day and a half until I go to the airport to begin my trip home. On my way home I will be meeting up with a friend in Germany for a few days.
The president of Rotary International with the presidents of Jordan Rotary clubs
The Pope's visit to Jordan:
A night of new foods...
Salsa dancing with some Bulgarians and getting stuck in an elevator...
"Dancing" the Dabke with some shabab
Monday, April 27, 2009
The end is coming...but it's not the end!
Life has picked up pace again and this time it isn't slowing down. My time in Jordan is coming to an end (a little over 6 weeks now). However, I now have a job with the NGO I have been working at! I am a Program Manager at the Czech NGO People In Need. My responsibilities will include managing/overseeing/monitoring a project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) titled "Building Bridges Between Local Government and Civil Society". The project aims to help foster community participation in the democratic process in the Lower South of Iraq (in the Basrah, Missan and Thi-Qar provinces). I will also continue to work on the pilot project I was starting to work on as an intern which is a psychosocial capacity building which aims to improve the psychosocial support in a local community in Gaza. Following the pilot we will assess the project's strengths and weaknesses and will hopefully develop and receive funding for a longer term project. So far the Gaza project has been very challenging as the Israeli authorities and political situation does not make it easy. We are hoping to receive access into Gaza to do a one week assessment, which up until this point has been impossible. It has been and will continue to be a challenge, but I have enjoyed it and know that I will continue to for some time to come.
Unfortunately, this semester at the University Jordan, Language Center has NOT been enjoyable. While I don't like saying anything negative, for future Rotary scholars or other potential students, a few comments on the Language Center might be helpful. When I first came to Jordan my ability in Arabic was limited to a few words of formal/modern standard Arabic. While I am able to communicate my point across in many (not so technical) situations, albeit with poor grammar in most cases, and I am able to understand even better, I could have received a much better education in Arabic. I would say that my first semester in the Language Center's level 3 was the most helpful out of all Arabic training I had here. There was a book which helped keep a decent amount of structure in the class, and the two teachers I have were helpful and understanding. For my last semester I am in level 5, which is terrible. We have 3 teachers, only one of which I would say is terrific. One of them is just "ok" and the other is terrible.
To start out there is a very poor language assessment test and consequently poor placement of students in an appropriate level. In each class there are often a wide range of levels on different aspects of the language (some can speak, some know grammar, some just know spoken Arabic). Somewhat understandably (becuase of the poor replacement test) the first two weeks are often spent with students moving around to figure out which level they feel comfortable with. During the semester there is very little organization, including no real plan for what a student should accomplish in one semester. The beginning levels sound like they are not bad for those with very poor Arabic skills; and perhaps the later levels are best suitable for more advanced students since the classes mostly consist of receiving articles and going through the meanings. However, for those in the Middle, such as me and many of my friends, it was not as effective of a program as we had hoped. I also don't only want to blame the Language Center; I know I have been very busy as well, and learning such a difficult language takes a lot of work. In addition to this, the language center was a great place for meeting friends and having a nice experience in Jordan. Nearly every weekend there are trips around the historic and tourist sites throughout Jordan. They also have a "language partner program" where you can sign up and be matched with a Jordanian who can offer to tutor you in Arabic as you tutor them in your own language.
Not that I want to advertise a program over another in Jordan, since I feel others should see them for themsleves, I have often heard good reviews about Qassid, the French Cultural Center and the Spanish Cultural Center. I also heard there might be classes at the British Council, and if lucky there are also private tutors who know the language (although this is not approved for the Academic year scholarship in my understanding).
Since my last post I went to Um Qais, a beautiful city up North where there are more Roman ruins. Since coming here I have become a little less fascinated by them however. However, I really enjoyed the beautiful nature which is incredible this time of year up there. The little bit of late-rain Jordan received helped. Last weekend I also went to Petra with the Language Center this past weekend, which was nice. Unfortunately Petra is so large, a day trip is not enough to see all of it. I went back up to the Monastery, and ended up riding a donkey for a small stretch, which was very fun. I never got to ride a camel yet, although there is a nice sized trek across the desert from Wadi Rum to Aqaba which sounds fun. Another time perhaps!
I come home June 11 and will be returning back to Amman around August 10 +/-. I know it is still over a month away and there will be plenty of other fun times to experience, but excitement for coming home has definitely started kicking in!!!
Some pictures from Um Qais:
Some pictures from Petra take 2:
Some pictures from my new office/bbq with them:
Unfortunately, this semester at the University Jordan, Language Center has NOT been enjoyable. While I don't like saying anything negative, for future Rotary scholars or other potential students, a few comments on the Language Center might be helpful. When I first came to Jordan my ability in Arabic was limited to a few words of formal/modern standard Arabic. While I am able to communicate my point across in many (not so technical) situations, albeit with poor grammar in most cases, and I am able to understand even better, I could have received a much better education in Arabic. I would say that my first semester in the Language Center's level 3 was the most helpful out of all Arabic training I had here. There was a book which helped keep a decent amount of structure in the class, and the two teachers I have were helpful and understanding. For my last semester I am in level 5, which is terrible. We have 3 teachers, only one of which I would say is terrific. One of them is just "ok" and the other is terrible.
To start out there is a very poor language assessment test and consequently poor placement of students in an appropriate level. In each class there are often a wide range of levels on different aspects of the language (some can speak, some know grammar, some just know spoken Arabic). Somewhat understandably (becuase of the poor replacement test) the first two weeks are often spent with students moving around to figure out which level they feel comfortable with. During the semester there is very little organization, including no real plan for what a student should accomplish in one semester. The beginning levels sound like they are not bad for those with very poor Arabic skills; and perhaps the later levels are best suitable for more advanced students since the classes mostly consist of receiving articles and going through the meanings. However, for those in the Middle, such as me and many of my friends, it was not as effective of a program as we had hoped. I also don't only want to blame the Language Center; I know I have been very busy as well, and learning such a difficult language takes a lot of work. In addition to this, the language center was a great place for meeting friends and having a nice experience in Jordan. Nearly every weekend there are trips around the historic and tourist sites throughout Jordan. They also have a "language partner program" where you can sign up and be matched with a Jordanian who can offer to tutor you in Arabic as you tutor them in your own language.
Not that I want to advertise a program over another in Jordan, since I feel others should see them for themsleves, I have often heard good reviews about Qassid, the French Cultural Center and the Spanish Cultural Center. I also heard there might be classes at the British Council, and if lucky there are also private tutors who know the language (although this is not approved for the Academic year scholarship in my understanding).
Since my last post I went to Um Qais, a beautiful city up North where there are more Roman ruins. Since coming here I have become a little less fascinated by them however. However, I really enjoyed the beautiful nature which is incredible this time of year up there. The little bit of late-rain Jordan received helped. Last weekend I also went to Petra with the Language Center this past weekend, which was nice. Unfortunately Petra is so large, a day trip is not enough to see all of it. I went back up to the Monastery, and ended up riding a donkey for a small stretch, which was very fun. I never got to ride a camel yet, although there is a nice sized trek across the desert from Wadi Rum to Aqaba which sounds fun. Another time perhaps!
I come home June 11 and will be returning back to Amman around August 10 +/-. I know it is still over a month away and there will be plenty of other fun times to experience, but excitement for coming home has definitely started kicking in!!!
Some pictures from Um Qais:
Some pictures from Petra take 2:
Some pictures from my new office/bbq with them:
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Underneath Jordan
One of my favorite parts of Jordan is actually found underneath it: the aquatic life in the Red Sea. Aqaba is the only coast Jordan has to the sea (save for the Dead Sea which doesn't have any aquatic life due to the high concentration of salt). This weekend I went to get my Advanced Open Water scuba diving certification. I've went on four dives in Aqaba before and each time was completely amazed by the rich life. I went on five total dives to receive the certification which included two wreck dives, a deep dive and a night dive. As usual I had trouble with equalizing my ears, but all of the dives were amazing. The coral in the Red Sea is amazing. It is really sad to see a lot of trash under the water. Also, among the concerned diving community there is a lot of worry on the impact of development on the health and life of the coral. I'll post pictures soon to give a little taste of what can be found, but pictures cannot replace the feeling of weightlessness and tranquility when diving. For anyone wishing to travel to Jordan, I highly recommend at least a short trip to Aqaba to snorkel near the coral, if not to do a "discovery scuba dive" which allows you to actually go under the water with the equipment and feel what it is like to dive.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Overdue update
I've become quite busy and distracted that updating my blog has become rather difficult. Here is a brief account of what I've been up to and what the future might be looking like.
School has been keeping me busy, although the University of Jordan Language Center has really become a major disappointment. Last semester I enjoyed level 3 much more than I do this semester. The teachers were nice and enthusiastic and since there was a book it was much more structured. For level 5 I have three teachers, only one of which (Hanan) I really enjoy. She keeps the class interested and actually has a personality, making some jokes or humorous comments; she is a lot more capable of explaining things in different ways. Our teacher for media and listening is quite lazy and does not bring too useful content to study (save for a few articles for the one media Arabic lesson we have a week). She also does not really do a lot of teaching and has us students come up to write out new words that we don't know and sits down while telling us it was written wrong on the board (while one might think it is a teaching method, it is clear that it isn't a method). The third teacher we have for reading/writing and whatever else the class is supposed to entail has improved a little since the beginning. He is still very poor at explaining confusing words or concepts, speaks a mixture of both formal Arabic and a very strong "rural" spoken Arabic. He's become a little less critical of us in terms of "where we learned Arabic" and when we don't know something that in his opinion we should know (which in the beginning was very insulting the way he spoke to us), but he still has a weak personality.
My internship is going great. One of our program managers, an Iraqi refugee status who was waiting for his resettlement date, recently learned he can leave April 9th. This actually opens up a huge door for me, as my previous Head of Mission and her replacement both would like to keep me. I might have good news in the next few days! It will be sad to lose him, he was very friendly, funny and sounded like a great employee, but I am very happy to hear he finally is able to be resettled. The previous Head of Mission's mother actually offered and will be hosting him. I can't begin to imagine what it is like to be in his position...imagine being relatively well to do in your country and then having politics really turn your country upside down to the point that the security situation forces you to leave in order to stay alive, making a life in the other country for a few years and then being one of the few who are accepted and approved to be resettled, even more so to the country that initiated the process from the beginning. Not that this reflects any politics in terms of my thoughts on the war, as they are mixed, but I hope anyone reading this can try to put themselves in that perspective, especially if/when you meet a refugee (particularly an Iraqi).
I went to Ramallah for a meeting with the UN Education Cluster group for Gaza. My Head of Mission wanted me to go in person and to talk to the major organizations to help find out some logistical information on the project I've been working on developing for Gaza. The trip itself was alright, except for the really rainy, windy and cold weather that started last Monday night when I got there until I came home the next day. The meeting turned out not to be incredibly productive and we basically found that the cluster group has a lot of internal coordination issues to work out; many of the big time INGOs and UN Agencies didn't even show up, which would have been a lot more helpful as well. The little information that was there to find out was at least a little helpful though, and if nothing else it was a nice experience. If I remember to come back to it in another blog entry, I will cover the complexities of going into Israel, as the security is quite high.
I arrive home June 11th and am quite excited. I've been having a lot of dreams about it actually, and I think subconsciously I'm a lot more excited than I feel on the surface. I'm sure that will change. I do look forward to going to Bahrain with the Rotaractors and then visiting Germany for 6 days with one of my best friends in the U.S. before coming home. As time continues to fly by I'm sure I'll only keep getting more excited...
School has been keeping me busy, although the University of Jordan Language Center has really become a major disappointment. Last semester I enjoyed level 3 much more than I do this semester. The teachers were nice and enthusiastic and since there was a book it was much more structured. For level 5 I have three teachers, only one of which (Hanan) I really enjoy. She keeps the class interested and actually has a personality, making some jokes or humorous comments; she is a lot more capable of explaining things in different ways. Our teacher for media and listening is quite lazy and does not bring too useful content to study (save for a few articles for the one media Arabic lesson we have a week). She also does not really do a lot of teaching and has us students come up to write out new words that we don't know and sits down while telling us it was written wrong on the board (while one might think it is a teaching method, it is clear that it isn't a method). The third teacher we have for reading/writing and whatever else the class is supposed to entail has improved a little since the beginning. He is still very poor at explaining confusing words or concepts, speaks a mixture of both formal Arabic and a very strong "rural" spoken Arabic. He's become a little less critical of us in terms of "where we learned Arabic" and when we don't know something that in his opinion we should know (which in the beginning was very insulting the way he spoke to us), but he still has a weak personality.
My internship is going great. One of our program managers, an Iraqi refugee status who was waiting for his resettlement date, recently learned he can leave April 9th. This actually opens up a huge door for me, as my previous Head of Mission and her replacement both would like to keep me. I might have good news in the next few days! It will be sad to lose him, he was very friendly, funny and sounded like a great employee, but I am very happy to hear he finally is able to be resettled. The previous Head of Mission's mother actually offered and will be hosting him. I can't begin to imagine what it is like to be in his position...imagine being relatively well to do in your country and then having politics really turn your country upside down to the point that the security situation forces you to leave in order to stay alive, making a life in the other country for a few years and then being one of the few who are accepted and approved to be resettled, even more so to the country that initiated the process from the beginning. Not that this reflects any politics in terms of my thoughts on the war, as they are mixed, but I hope anyone reading this can try to put themselves in that perspective, especially if/when you meet a refugee (particularly an Iraqi).
I went to Ramallah for a meeting with the UN Education Cluster group for Gaza. My Head of Mission wanted me to go in person and to talk to the major organizations to help find out some logistical information on the project I've been working on developing for Gaza. The trip itself was alright, except for the really rainy, windy and cold weather that started last Monday night when I got there until I came home the next day. The meeting turned out not to be incredibly productive and we basically found that the cluster group has a lot of internal coordination issues to work out; many of the big time INGOs and UN Agencies didn't even show up, which would have been a lot more helpful as well. The little information that was there to find out was at least a little helpful though, and if nothing else it was a nice experience. If I remember to come back to it in another blog entry, I will cover the complexities of going into Israel, as the security is quite high.
I arrive home June 11th and am quite excited. I've been having a lot of dreams about it actually, and I think subconsciously I'm a lot more excited than I feel on the surface. I'm sure that will change. I do look forward to going to Bahrain with the Rotaractors and then visiting Germany for 6 days with one of my best friends in the U.S. before coming home. As time continues to fly by I'm sure I'll only keep getting more excited...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Culture الثقافة: Food!
A fun topic, since I enjoy cooking and appreciate unique tasting food, I decided I'd mention the food here. I didn't take pictures of food but uploaded some photos of some of the below-mentioned dishes.
Jordan does not claim many unique dishes, however there is the number one national dish worth mentioning: Mansef. For the nationalistic Jordanian, Mansef is national symbol, held close to the heart. It consists of rice topped with pine nuts and/or almonds, parsley or other green garnish, lamb cooked in It is often eaten traditionally the Bedouin style, with the men standing around the tray, one hand behind their back and the other to grab a chunk of meat and rice, made into a ball and with the tip of the thumb 'popped' in the mouth. In Bedouin tradition, it is common to sacrifice a sheep especially for the guest. Also, as a gesture of honor to the guest, the guest might be offered the head of the sheep, including the brain, eyes, tongue and any other part (cooked of course). In all of my experiences in modern-Amman I have not seen or heard of such situations. However, if I'm lucky someday I will get to visit a more traditional Bedouin family.
Another major dish in Jordan (as a result of the major Palestinian population)is the dessert Knaffe (Kanafa). It originates from Nablus. It baked mixture of either fine or rough flour/water mixture with a lot of butter or oil with sweet cheese in the middle with a very sweet sugar-rose water syrup on top. Many people enjoy to tell you where you can find "the best Knaffe", although in my experience it all is very tasty.
Other traditional Arabic food that you will find throughout the region are: hummus (ground chickpeas, tahina/sesame paste, oil and sometimes other stuff), foul (pronounced 'fool', which is ground up falava beans with oil, lemon and other stuff), tabouleh (parsley salad with lemon juice), falafel (friend ground up chickpeas and spices). You can also get all sorts of fast food items such as burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, french fries and of course the Western Fast Food places are located all over. Amman will be getting a Chili's soon and already has major names such as: McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Popeyes Chicken, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Papa John's and many more.
No matter what food
Jordan does not claim many unique dishes, however there is the number one national dish worth mentioning: Mansef. For the nationalistic Jordanian, Mansef is national symbol, held close to the heart. It consists of rice topped with pine nuts and/or almonds, parsley or other green garnish, lamb cooked in It is often eaten traditionally the Bedouin style, with the men standing around the tray, one hand behind their back and the other to grab a chunk of meat and rice, made into a ball and with the tip of the thumb 'popped' in the mouth. In Bedouin tradition, it is common to sacrifice a sheep especially for the guest. Also, as a gesture of honor to the guest, the guest might be offered the head of the sheep, including the brain, eyes, tongue and any other part (cooked of course). In all of my experiences in modern-Amman I have not seen or heard of such situations. However, if I'm lucky someday I will get to visit a more traditional Bedouin family.
Another major dish in Jordan (as a result of the major Palestinian population)is the dessert Knaffe (Kanafa). It originates from Nablus. It baked mixture of either fine or rough flour/water mixture with a lot of butter or oil with sweet cheese in the middle with a very sweet sugar-rose water syrup on top. Many people enjoy to tell you where you can find "the best Knaffe", although in my experience it all is very tasty.
Other traditional Arabic food that you will find throughout the region are: hummus (ground chickpeas, tahina/sesame paste, oil and sometimes other stuff), foul (pronounced 'fool', which is ground up falava beans with oil, lemon and other stuff), tabouleh (parsley salad with lemon juice), falafel (friend ground up chickpeas and spices). You can also get all sorts of fast food items such as burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, french fries and of course the Western Fast Food places are located all over. Amman will be getting a Chili's soon and already has major names such as: McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Popeyes Chicken, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Papa John's and many more.
No matter what food
Friday, February 27, 2009
Culture الثقافة: The People
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.
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.
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