Going to Syria

It’s Eid al-Fitr (the celebration at the end of Ramadan that lasts 3 days). I’ll be going to Syria (Damascus) with some friends from the language center (Houston, Andrea and Jennifer) until Thursday! There was a suicide bomb that went off a few days ago…call me crazy since it was still an act of terrorism, but it will not be as dangerous as I know many people back home will think. It hit a government building, the exact intensions unknown at the moment. Given it being Eid and such an event having occurred, I have a feeling security is going to be more strict than I might ever witness during my year here.

School is moving along well. I’m still learning, although each day there are hundreds of new words thrown at me wit’s so hard to keep up. Today I went to play soccer with some friends…I did really well considering I haven’t seriously kicked a ball since High School. Ramadan was a good experience…but I’m glad it’s over, since it will be easier to grab some food or a drink out in public during the day. Things were more calm than usual, although you could tell the stress of hunger and thirst on some occasions…especially on the road, before dinner.

I had another Iftar at an orphanage with Adeeb, the president of the Rotaract club I’ve been volunteering with. We’ll also be starting some fundraising and outreach programs sometime, and after sharing that I’ve had some experience doing so, I will be helping out quite a bit I’m sure. I also volunteered with a Jordanian community service group called Action Committee at an Iftar with refugee children, with my friend Andrew. I will upload pictures after I return from Syria. The kids were very enthusiastic to talk to us, and we had a great time.

The other day some friends and I went to some ruins in Amman (Roman and Byzantine). Those pictures will also be uploaded after I get back from my trip to Syria. Stay tuned…

Ramadan Continues

It is very interesting to observe the different views about Ramadan by those not practicing the traditions of Islam. While Jordan’s population is vastly Muslim, there is a decent sized Christian community, as well as those who don’t practice all traditions of Islam. One evening a friend, Houston, and I were being polite and rather diplomatic to a taxi driver, asking him how his Ramadan was going and wishing him all the best; he used rather colorful language expressing his vast dislike for the month. Many have mentioned how much of an inconvenience it was for those not fasting, since practically all restaurants are closed and it is illegal to eat and drink in public. To those who may be traveling here in the future during Ramadan: there is a Subway sandwich shop not far from the University that is open, and the other day I went to a nice restaurant/bakery in Abdoun called Crumbs which even had a license to serve alcohol. There is also an extremely popular restaurant/café/book store called Books@ Café in the downtown area that is usually open during Ramadan. Although, apparently the restaurant was recently shut down for the rest of Ramadan by the ‘intelligence police’ (the Mukhabarat, whose name is somewhat feared by many Jordanians). I heard someone mention it was because someone was dining and drinking alcohol on the outside patio, and was seen and then reported by a neighbor…others have speculated the reasons were out of dislike, since Books@ has a considerably ‘liberal vibe.’ Books@ is definitely a good place to meet other ex-pats, and seems to be a good place to make a few connections.

School began on Sunday. The language test placed me in level four! To no surprise to me I moved down to level three after the first day, since the expectations far exceeded my skill level. Many of the students I met during my first month Language Training had to move down at least one level, sometimes two. The Language Center’s placement test is definitely not too accurate at assessing student’s levels. Also, there aren’t enough levels to put students into. My class has over 30 students and so does the level four. The variation in skill level also has some students in between the existing levels, as the class they are in is too hard, but the class under them is too easy. I find myself somewhere in the middle of my class as far as skill, and hope as the semester goes on I will be able to move up a little more.

I went to an Iftar at an orphanage on Sunday with two others from the Rotaract Club of Amman-Petra. It was a good experience. There are a few more planned that I hope to attend. We delivered the food, helped set up/arrange things in their dining room, talked to some of the kids for a little bit, ate when the mosque sounded the Idaam (the call to end the fast), I took a few pictures with the kids and then we left. It was a little shorter than I anticipated, but was good to show a group of kids that others are out there thinking of them. Here are some pictures I took:

Last night I went to the annual Bingo night one of the Rotaract clubs hold and had a lot of fun. There was a magician who put on an entertaining show, as well as a small band that played for a little bit. Tonight I have a few parties/events that I’m invited to and am attempting to figure out how to divide up my time among them all. Tomorrow I’m going to the Dead Sea as well as a Desert Castle along the way with a friend, Alex. I’m pretty excited to finally see somewhere outside of Amman!

Late Update

I thought I had posted this blog before, but could not see it...so I'm copying/pasting it from the Word Doc I had originally written, and then posting a separate and more recent update:

So Ramadan is has been going on for the last week. So far, it’s going alright. The other day I actually ended up fasting until dinner unintentionally, since I was out and about all day with Fawwaz. We went to Popeye’s chicken (imagine that!...I’ve never been there back in the State’s). Some restaurant chains have a dinner “buffet” during Ramadan. It was quite an experience. Everyone was eager to get their food, so there was no order to it. The place was full of a lot of younger kids who all were much more excited and lively after eating…one kid had a guitar and started playing it. Despite the no-smoking signs, and the no-smoking law that Fawwaz mentioned, the place soon became smoke filled, from kids probably around 14 or 15 years old. Last night I went to an Iftar at the hotel I stayed in the first month with the receptionists I had frequently chatted with. We had Musakhan, a Palestinian dish of bread with oil, cooked onions, chicken and spices and many other smaller appetizers, such as Sambosak and Kobbah (stuffed pastries/really fine dough with meet, cheeses or vegetables), soup, salad, dates (which I brought) followed by very delicious peach/fruit custard and Quatayef (very similar to small pancakes, stuffed with nuts, coconut, sweet cheeses or spices, which are fried and dipped in a sweet sugar water/sauce.) Needless to say I was very stuffed!

The other day I also went to my first, temporary host counselor, Yousef Bashton’s house, for lunch with his family, another Rotary Scholar who just arrived (Jennifer) and Liana. We had a lot of great food, none of which I remember the names of! We spent a while there, and had a terrific time. His brother and sister were their, along with his uncles and aunts, two nieces and his mother (who is 91). His mother was incredibly sweet, but unfortunately is pretty frail and kept forgetting things. She took a liking to me and kept asking me the same questions over. The whole family time made me reminisce back to when my family went to go visit our relatives back in New Jersey.

I’ve been going out to cafes or the huge mall (Mecca Mall) with some friends on occasion during Ramadan. One night some of us in the Rotaract went to a restaurant to celebrate someone’s birthday. While it was still quite warm outside and we were right next to a speaker for the live band that was playing, I had a great time. Being strongly into music and having played trumpet and guitar and been in a few bands, I really appreciate and enjoy the difference in music here. The singer at the restaurant sung all popular songs and many people would sing or clap along with the beat. During one song the singer mentioned locations (cities in Jordan and sometimes countries) and the people in the crowd would cheer when he sung their home town. Towards the end my group tried to request America for me, but he was finishing up. Music as part of the culture here is considerably different than in the U.S. Here you will find a wide mix of generations enjoying the same folk songs. There are much less obvious differences in a group’s musical taste by appearance. Back at home in the U.S.A., I would often see people walking around in the style unique to their musical preferences…such as the people into hard rock, rap, hip hop, emo, etc.

I am still waiting for school to start. Wednesday I have my language test and Thursday an orientation at the Language Center. So life has been relaxing. I had gone to Mass (in French) the other week with another Rotarian who is Catholic, Omar. Omar’s mother is Lebanese and so he is proficient in French (due to the French influence from after WWI), and enjoys going to that mass. While I have never studied French, I could still pick up a few words here and there since it has many similar “cognates” to English. It was yet another nice international experience for my memories.

End of Language Training

So...about that first night at my apartment. Little did I realize how hot it was going to get in my room. The heat, along with the sound of traffic with the windows open, were unbearable. Around 3:00am I walked over to my hotel room, which I had fortunately not checked out of because of my fear that something like this would happen. I cranked up the air conditioner (a luxury about the hotel I will miss) and slept for a few hours until I had to go to my last day of class.

My one month language training course is over. I'm glad to be able to have the relaxation time. For anyone ever considering coming to Jordan for a language training: I went to the Ali Baba International Center / Language Institute. It's a small, private company operated by Dr. Ali al-Hajj. He is very helpful, accommodating and enthusiastic about the success of his program. The cost was reasonable considering it included lodging and three meals for the duration of the program. The tuition however, is slightly more than what you would pay for University of Jordan summer Arabic class(es). However, the guidelines for the language training for Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars allows only one month, which was not available at the University. I mostly had a one on one session, which was not the original plan; but since each of the other students studying during the same time as me were at different levels, and so there was none of us could be in the same class. The lessons totaled 80 hours and were mostly Modern Standard Arabic (what is used for formal communication such as in the news, government and occasionally between people who don't understand each other's dialects.) I requested to a little bit of the colloquial for purposes of getting around on the street. While my Arabic professor was extremely nice and encouraging, she spoke very poor English. On occasion she would mis-translate words, which makes for confusion later on. There are plenty of teachers Dr. Ali knows, so one could always switch if needed. Here are some pictures:

('Ablah is on the right)









(Me studying)








My apartment is coming together nicely now. I bought several more things today. Since I got a fan I've been able to sleep at my apartment. I still have cockroaches, but I think there are less now. If they're not gone soon I'll get my own spray/powder and take matters into my own hands. The washing machine is "semi-automatic" meaning I have to dump buckets of water into it during the wash cycle, then drain it, then fill it up with more water to rinse and then drain it again. The dryer is a really small spin cycle only, so I hang the clothes up for another few hours to fully dry. While it's much more time consuming than I'm used to, it saves me from having to pay for dry cleaning everyday. Here are some pictures I took of the place...excuse the mess:





Ramadan starts on Tuesday. Life will be very slow during the daytime, as Muslims are required to fast from food and beverages from sunrise until sunset. One one of the receptionists at the hotel I was staying at invited me and some of the other hotel workers over for Ftoor (the big dinner after sundown). After a couple weeks I'll be volunteering with the Rotaract club to feed and hang out with the kids at orphanages.

Apartment!

Alright so now I’ve fully moved everything over from my hotel room into my apartment. This will be my first night at my new place. One of the other American students I met, who will be studying at the UJLC, helped me move my last bits of shopping bags and what not over; which brings up a cultural tidbit I thought I’d share. Though considerably more Western than many of the other Arab states, there is still a considerably conservative attitude towards male/female interaction. Lauren and I had to wait for one of the landlords to get my key back from the maintenance, and when he and a neighbor realized a girl was about to enter my apartment with me, there was a little bit of a concerned attitude that she might be sleeping here. After I made it clear that she was just helping me, he was ok with it and said if anyone asked to tell them him and the landlords knew. One common thing to do here, for foreigners or not, is to tell those concerned that the person is your spouse or relative. One time coming back from church, a friend and I were about to get into a taxi. The driver noticed a police woman there in need of a taxi and so gave her precedence. The police woman was fine with us sharing the cab, since she was going the same way, but the driver was adamantly against it.

While I'm still obviously a foreigner, I’ve received a few compliments on my Arabic from Taxi drivers. I still frequently speak in broken sentences, but on occasion my pronunciations and ability to get my point across is sufficient to fill the sometimes-awkward silence waiting to arrive at your destination. One night I went to a party with Liana and some of her friends and the taxi driver actually thought I was Arab! It’s most likely because it was dark and he only caught a quick glimpse of my facial hair, and I had only mentioned the destination. My confidence and language ability has definitely improved in this first month. I highly recommend taking the opportunity to take a 1 month language training for all Rotary Ambassadorial scholars. Not only to develop your language ability, but to learn the landscape and to give yourself time to really set up things before getting bombarded with school.

I have moved into my apartment...tonight will be the first night sleeping here. I wasn't able to get a fan so I'll (continue to) be hot. I took a few pictures and will be taking more once fully settled, and posting them when I can. It was a little upsetting at first when I noticed the cockroaches here...they'll be spraying tomorrow, hopefully. Fortunately these critters are pretty small. I remember gargantuan cockroaches at my last office. Alright, time to stop thinking about them 10 minutes before I go to sleep.

I went to a Rotaract club meeting (for my non-Rotarian readers: they're a group of 18-30 year olds sponsored by a Rotary club that get together for social activities and community service work). I'll be volunteering during Ramadan with them (the holiest Month for Muslims, when they fast from sunrise to sunset) to help coordinate Fatoors with some of the local orphanages. We’ll be setting them up and joining them for Fatoor and will be spending time talking and playing with the kids. I’m excited!

What's the Arabic word for Bureaucracy?

No matter how many of thousands of miles away I leave the U.S. I find that bureaucracy is inescapable. With registering for the UJLC and applying for residency here in Jordan, I’ve probably lost several gallons of sweat due to walking back and forth to different administration buildings in the heat. I actually have quite a few things yet to do to submit my application for residency, so it is far from over. Plus, come next semester I’ll have to do the school registration once again.

Lately I’ve been a bit homesick. I’ve been thinking a lot about my family and friends. After re-reading the nice letter my Mom gave me, and looking at the wonderful pictures she included, I really felt it the worst. The pictures of me and my family when we went golfing, and of my family, Bridget and I at my Knights of Columbus 4th degree ceremony, really made me wish I could go back to old times. When I was 16 and went to Germany as an exchange student for a year, I remember missing my family at first too. This time however, with a lot of my friends, many of them are going to move on with their lives. Already, since I got here, my friends Robert and Allison got married. One of my best friends, Nick, proposed to his girlfriend and will most likely get married while I’m gone. I’ve considered flying back there for the wedding, but I would have to use my own money and round trip tickets are just too much, especially since when I get back I will most likely not have a job for a little while and with how bad the dollar is doing. Bridget and my sister, Jessica, are graduating. My sister will probably stay in town, but Bridget may end up finding a journalism job in another State. I’m also curious where my future will take me, after this year. One of my biggest wishes is that I would come back with some type of job in International Relations, working between the U.S. and Middle East. My Dad would often say “you’re not coming back; you will get a job before coming back, and most likely work on the East Coast or overseas.” If he is right about the job, I do want to return home to see everyone.

As always, my Arabic class is still a major challenge. The speed has picked up, but unfortunately I think it’s going a little too fast. I don’t have enough time to really memorize all the new words. Yesterday we went over several body parts and today twice as many objects/parts of a house. She had me draw “me” and label myself with the new words as well as drawing and labeling all the parts of a house. This is a very good tip for others who are more “visual learners.”

I went to a Rotaract meeting last Monday. There was a guest speaker who presented on “Energy Work.” Without wanting to really misrepresent his beliefs, he explained his beliefs on energy and healing. It was interactive and there were some interesting debates/questions; especially since there was a doctor and pharmacist. I met the secretary and past president of another Rotaract club (Amman-River I believe). Everyone was very nice, and I’m definitely looking forward to participating with them.

I’m hoping to move into my new place on Sunday. I need to talk to Fawwaz to see when he is available to go with me to settle and sign the rental contract. He tried to have me read it by myself, but after spending an hour I barely managed to get a few sentences into it. A nephew of my Dad’s coworker, Khalid, who is living here was a huge help in figuring out the terms. I’m excited to move out of the hotel for many reasons…my own food, no loud crowds of sports teams, a washer machine (instead of washing my clothes in the bath tub as I have been doing), better internet, not having to hear the same mix of music-consisting of songs from Titanic, this very weird European-passionate-club-type song, a very oriental sounding song and a song from Kill Bill 2 and many other "classics"- all day and every day in the hotel, the comfort of my “own place” and I’m sure many others.

Update x 2

Hello again, to all and any readers! This blog is actually both a blog I wasn't able to post on the 14th due to the poor internet connection, and then one for today (the 16th)

AUGUST 14th:
While the many Arabic marriage celebrations have often been an annoyance as far as trying to sleep (which I have recently remedied: falling to sleep while listening to my iPod), the procession into the hotel is full of energy and very exciting. Last night I was in the lobby as a Palestinian marriage procession (you can usually tell by the color of the Kafir (traditional head scarf) often worn by the attendees or musicians, so I’ve learned. The black one is the Palestinian and one specific pattern of red is the Jordanian. As the procession came in they had musicians with drums and a trumpet and someone singing on a megaphone. The many attendees as well as everyone else in the lobby joined in singing and dancing. Earlier that day I met a large group of Jordanians who are here on some type of project. They were very friendly and at one point I had about 8 different people crowded around me, helping to translate the dialogue in my school book. During the procession a couple of them came over to me and I joined in clapping with them. Afterward many of us were gathering in the lobby to chat about all sorts of things. One of them is going to take an English proficiency test soon, and I will probably help tutor him, and he me in Arabic. Unfortunately the internet connection won't let me upload the video. I'll try another time.

Today I went with Khalid, the nephew of one of my Dad’s coworkers, to look for an apartment. The first couple weren’t too great; either they weren’t too clean or too expensive. We found one right at the North Gate to the University for really cheap and with all the attributes I was hoping for. Fawwaz, my Rotary counselor, had raised a couple questions about it and we might go double check on Saturday to make sure everything is fully covered and to get it in writing. They were going to call Khalid in a week as well, since I still have a little time left at this hotel. There were plenty of options for me to move out, but this so far appears to be the best option. We’ll see!

August 16th

I went with Fawwaz back to the same apartment complex today and pretty much have an apartment lined up for myself. The resident moved out yesterday. It's a little smaller (but still an ok size) and should be a nice home for the year. It's a studio for 230 JD, with water and electricity included, a small but decent kitchen, an ok bathroom with a washer and "dryer" (which is a spin cycle only). They can also run a cable to my room for an internet connection at 1 JD/day...if it's not too slow then I'll go for it, if not Fawwaz says I can subscribe to a local plan for cheap as well. It's right next to the North Gate of the University and there are plenty of restaurants and shops around, including a mini super market in the lobby on the bottom floor. It'll take a little extra cleaning up on my part, and I'll need to go shopping with Fawwaz soon for some items. I'm definitely looking forward to my own place!

The group of Jordanians that I've met in my hotel are in a training seminar and are part of an NGO called Shabakat Al Ordon (___ of Jordan). I met their counselor/trainer and might look into what they do more too. Everyone I've met are so nice and love chatting with me. One guy, Ahmad, is helping me with my Arabic and I help him with his English, since he's taking the TOEFL test in a month. Another guy invited me to his city Madaba sometime where we'll eat the traditional Jordanian dish Mensif. I actually had it today with Fawwaz for lunch, and it was pretty good. It's lamb over rice in a yogurt sauce. We also shared Knaffa, an Arabic cheese dessert-Knaffa. It is a warm dessert of cheese inside crushed wheat with sugar and some crushed pistachios on top. There is another kind with some sort of small noodles on top which I'll have to try soon. Very delicious.

In a little while I'll be going to a Rotary meeting at the Amman-Philadelphia club. (Philadelphia being the name given to Amman during the Egyptian rule). Last year's scholar, Liana, is going to introduce me to a Rotarian she met who is somehow involved in working with refugees, and thought I'd be interested in talking to him. I definitely look forward to getting involved here.