Finally...

Ok, so my bags are all packed.  Goodbyes have been mostly said. Classes are done, thanks goodness...
I'm so ready to fly home.

I'm sitting here, with almost nothing to do all day.  I have a few gifts that I still want to buy. And barely anough money to get around... lol.  I don't want to have to pull out more money before leaving. 

Its very strange, I'm wondering if all the things that annoy me...If I will miss them. 

Today is election day on campus.   Its a huge deal.  Campus is postered like you cannot imagine.  Seriously, you cannot imagine.  I almost garentee you have never seen anything so extravangent.  Posters the size of cars strung between trees and off buildings.  Posters layering on tops of each other, covering every surface available. Students wearing name tags with the faces of their candidate.  Voter turnout is close to 100% I've heard... And if you get the position, you get paid....Tribalism is a huge issue. And I imagine,  that could explain the police flocking the area. I can even pick out the undercover guys.  Without trying.  That is how extravagent this is.   But after a while, its kinda homey.  This crazy people are (almost) endearing.

Likewise, I'm pretty good at catching taxis by now. I can get where I need to with little incident.  Its an accomplishment.  They sometimes are far more hassle than I could ever want, but I never have to dig my own car out of the snow!

Buying fruit will be a new experince too.  Instead of my cute little man and his small fruit stand, with old fruit seasonal only, for really cheap.. I get Meijer.  It is what it is. 

It will be strange.  I am excited to shower more often, and be able to do laundry more... not that I neccessarily will... lol.  But there are just the little things that make daily life an accompliment and a cultural expeirence that I think I will miss.

But, I get back watching TV and listening to music.  Which seems really dumb, but go without it as a comfort or destresser long enough and even watching reruns of "Friends" was amazing once or twice...(I've never watched it in America...)

Or getting to dress up again. I am so excited to dress up and go out. 

I've concluded life here and at home have different kinds ups and downs.  Here, my daily ups and downs are about getting around.  Buying lunch. Finding the right store. Communication. But at home, its about people relying on me.  About work and school and family and friends. Balancing going out and class. Its just that the challenges seem easiler because they're more familar.

100 and a half hours.

Yes I did the math.  I will be on American soil in 100 and a half hours from right now. A few days, a presentation, an exam, packing my bags, buying some christmas presents (yes, just like home with last minute shopping), saying goodbyes, creepy picture taking of random strangers...(so I remember what it looks like here!) and IF there is still room in my bag, I am stuffing it with sweets!

So then head to the airport at 3 am.  And travel for 16 hours. Which isn't bad, I only have one layover for 2.5 hours.  So barring any craziness, I will be home so soon!

So get the Christmas stuff ready, here I come!

I'm leaving...

On a jet plane...


This time next week, I will be on a plane, somewhere between Detroit and Amman.


Going home for Christmas.  It will be cold there. But I can't wait.


See y'all soon :)

central heating anyone?

OK... so you have this central heat source.  Then you run something like pipes from that central source, to places farther away. Then they get warm too. 

This concept has yet catch on in the Middle East. 

Its 50* out and I'm freezing.  Why?

There is no heat inside so its not like you go from a warm car to a short walk outside to a warm building. You just live in a 50* world. Gets to you after a while. They have no central heating. Like there is a space heater in the living room, and the doors all get shut and the living room is the only place you can sit.  And then you jump into bed under literally pounds of blankets.  Like you’re under the x-ray blanket at the dentist. Enough you don’t move in your sleep.  I wake up stiff daily. Bc I literally can't move.

Just sayin'.

FYI...

There are 3 new posts today, including when I went to Jerusalem.

P.S. I went to Jerusalem...

So, Please, read away folks.

Love thy neighbor, even the stranger

I love the people here.


For instance, just now, I went to the bathroom.  I washed my hands.  There was soap! I should have known, this meant something else would go wrong... yep, soap, but the hand dryer didn't work. So I sighed, and wiped my hands on my jeans, like most every time. ( Bathrooms here have very different... (low) standards...) But the girl who was standing there fixing her hijab, stops me, gets in her purse and hands me a tissue to dry my hands. How sweet!


Stuff like this happens all the time.  Random acts of kindness.  The force feeding is really just them loving you.


Or yesterday, driving back from Israel.  Our taxi driver stopped for gas, and came back from paying with a juice for all 4 of us girls in the car.  For free.  Just bc it was a long drive and dusty and he was nice.


There are things that really annoy me.  Like shabab (guys) yelling harassments of "I love you or I miss you or pretty girls" consistently. But so much more, you get the good stuff. And its great.


Like our whole time in Israel/Palestine. We made friends like every 10 minutes.  Seriously. And its got many reasons, sure.  And there are people who are not my friend as well.  But there is just something you have to experience and appreciate about the people.


And I love it.

SNOW DAY

I am having a snow day. Are you having a snow day? Do you even have snow? I'm in the Middle East!


Yesterday the forecast literally was for sandstorms.  (Violent, windy, no visability sandstorms...) But today... Slushy, rainy, nasty snow.  And before you think, snow? Please, what like, a centimeter of dust?  Let me say, this is just like home. And that makes me quite upset because I was quite thrilled not having any winter weather.  It can stay in Michigan.  I loved that it was still in the high 60s.  LOVED IT.  Now... well, I have no clothes for this.  Grrrr.

This is the view from our taxi this morning.  He was very clear that we were crazy to go to school and that it was closed  and that the road might be too.  He was right. 

So the streets are flooded. And its crazy.  And you can't get anywhere. And my shoes are completely soaked. Bc we had to cross a lake to get to a cafe. A LAKE. Its like a high of 40* today, so we'll see how the day turns out. But it started really cold and wet.  Maybe you can tell I have a huge pet peve about having wet feet...But I get out of an exam i'm not gonna study for, and I lose a class I really wanted to go to, so I didn't have to study as much... So I'm actually really disappointed in the snow day. 

But who else gets to say they had a snowday in Amman?

:)

That really Holy and really Contested city....

So I'm back from Jerusalem safe.  Oh hey! Btw, I'm going to Jerusalem for the weekend!

OK, so it was amazing.  I am so glad I went.  I think it was my favorite place I have been the whole time abroad.  That includes any of Lebanon, Egypt, or trips within Jordan.  And I've basically gone somewhere like every weekend. So I feel I have a decent frame of reference to make my "coolest city" claim.

So we went to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We stayed in really interesting hostel inside of the old city, in the Muslim quarter. (I think)  So that was sweet. And we made a ton of friends by using our Arabic with the right people. (Basically, not those who spoke Hebrew....)  People just LOVE to talk with us in Arabic and figure out what 4 random American girls are doing wandering around without a guide and speaking Arabic.

There was green all over! Like grass and trees and living things!  That was neat.

We did most the Holy stuff. Which was cool, but I have my suspicions about some of the authenticity.
Like Church of the Sepulchre, supposedly it has where Jesus's body was prepared with oil before burial, where the cross was, the tomb of Jesus, where Mary fainted upon seeing him, where the body was taken down, the prison where he was held.... like, how can this all be inside a football field sized church?  But I got into this discussion with some less religious people, and decided that for me, I guess its less about this is the exact location and more about here is a location where you can direct you emotions.  Like making a grave for someone lost to sea, they aren't there, you can't talk to them, but it gives a place for consolation, or whatever you need to express.  ( I mean, I seriously doubt Jesus was born on Dec 25, but that doesn't make it less Christmas for me and more a celebration of some left over paganism. )

Or Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born (there is a star on the floor for the spot...), and the manger ( I saw it.) This one is cool, it has 3 orders worshiping there. The Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Franciscan order.  Its one of the oldest churches around. Its where Bethlehem broadcasts Christmas Eve services from (well, the plaza outside). And also, HUGE.

Also really impressing was seeing the wall and an Israeli settlement. The wall Israel is building is 8 meters high and supposedly (700 km) long ( I can't find actual length). There is barbed wire, turrets, and automatic guns.  For perspective, Berlin's wall (which I have seen a piece of) was under like 3.6 m high and 140 km long.

Very different. The wall is proposed to circle all of West Bank. Its built inside the boarder...like putting a fence inside your neighbor's yard and calling the grass yours.

We did get to see work by Banksy, a British artist who did a bunch of Murals around the area in protest.  Things like a peace dove wearing a bullet proof vest with sights set on it, or a little girl patting down a soldier.  Its very intersting and he's got bits all over that are in reference to the local place where he tags. Like I know he has work in the UK, New Orleans, this Wall, elsewhere.  He's basically just  a grafitti artist, sneaking around, putting up his message.  Sometimes, governments take it down.  He doesn't seem to care. Just wants to make the statement.

Anyway, I loved the trip.  I would really love to go back.  It was great.  (They have soy milk there!)  IDK, I hope that things settle so that travel is less intimidating.  And that I do get to go back.  There so much to do, not just touristy.  Its just a fascinating place.  I might even (wait for it!) consider living there for a short time.  (Please, do not post and tell me not to.  Do not post and tell me its dangerous.  Do not post and tell me all these things I do not want to hear.  Bc I do not want to hear them, and I do realize all these things you would warn me about...Thanks, love the non-snarky-but-upfront-and-still-cautious-me.)
 But I love other comments!!! Love them. And btw, pics are up on FB.

What to wear...what to wear...

Ok. Lets talk about clothes.  Specifically here on university of Jordan’s campus because it varies on what part of town you’re in.

Probably 80% of the women here cover their heads, either with hijab (the scarf-55%) or niqab (the veil- like 15%).   So the girls wearing hijab are either wearing abbayas or “normal” clothes.  Abbayas can be the long robes basically.  Normally black, possibly with decorations on the cuffs or back. They’re a gulf influence in dress.  They cover everything, and girls still wear the same kind of clothes I do underneath, jean and a shirt or whatever.  Then really similar to the abbaya are these long trench coat jackets.  They come in all colors, but serve the same purpose as the abbaya, cover everything.  Again, underneath are full outfits.  Because whenever the men are gone, at home or at a friend or aunts house, the jackets and abbayas and off.  (And they’re just regular girls, wanting to look cute!)

             Next there are just regular clothes.  Skinny jeans are totally in and probably the most common as everywhere else in the world.  The trick is that they cover with long shirts.  Tunic style, which is in anyway, is most common. But anything can go long, shirts, jackets, sweaters, doesn’t matter.  So long enough to cover their backside, and then long sleeved and high necked.  Hijabs are scarves wrapped around your hair and neck, and commonly tucked into the neckline of your shirt to cover anything in the front of your neck to chest.  They might wear any thing over a long sleeve and many will even wear tight clothes, like a tight long sleeve with a halter-top over it, or a vest. So as far as the girls who wear “regular” clothes, the style can vary as much as the person, based on their comfort level showing their body.  Which really is no different from the States. A lot of girls wear skirts too.  The peasant skirt is super popular and comfy. (And far cooler than jeans in the heat! But their jeans are far thinner than ours, too…)

A majority of girls choose either the trench coats or just full coverage clothes.  But might I point out, they match impeccably.  Always.  Scarves have the exact same tones as their shirts, as their belt, as their shoes.  It’s really an art. I can’t imagine how many scarves they have to have to pull this off.

There are the girls who are either Christian or don’t choose to wear hijab. They wear the same clothes as I would basically.  Jeans and tee shirts.  Still, shirts must have some sort of sleeve; cap sleeve is pushing it.  And necklines are not low.  But there’s little difference in their appearance and mine. (Clothes at least…)

 Most girls are wearing gladiator sandals or ballerina flats.  And they have huge purses. On campus, girls never (or anyone but us foreign Americans) carry backpacks. Boys carry nothing or maybe one book. 

Boys wear jeans and a tee shirt.  Maybe a sweater.  Or button up or zip up.  Casual.  You never see gym clothes, even in gyms its kind of a stretch sometimes.  No hats.  Rarely you’ll see a man dressed traditionally in the long white dress and headscarf.  These do have pants underneath.  Boy clothes are boring. 

No one is wearing dress clothes like we think of business casual or business. Its nothing like that, which I found in England.  This is just nice clothes. Cute things. We wear cardigans and tee shirts with skinny jeans, but not sweatshirts.  Its not hard to fit-in in that manner. 

The farther you go out from the University and to East Amman or to more rural areas, the more covered you’ll find girls.  But that’s logical.  I work in a refugee camp, and most of them wear the full hijab and abbaya.  Mostly the all black. 

As far as me, I wear jeans everyday. And usually a shirt that comes to at least my elbows.   (Depends on how hot is it!) Because I’m obviously foreign, and on campus, 100* days I wear a tee shirt.  And maybe roll my jeans to capris. Today I have on jeans, flats, a tee shirt and long sleeve layered with a nice sweater.  Probably the same as I be wearing in Moore hall.   I’ve never had any issue with dressing inappropriately.  And I’ve never had to cover my hair, been asked or expected to.  They understand its not my religion.  Its not my beliefs.  And as long as your generally respectful, there’s not an issue.  (Ok, there was the one time we toured a mosque and wore hooded abbayas.  So for one hour in a mosque, I was covered.)  There are girls o my program that push it further.  They might wear short skirts with leggings or even leggings as pants. But it seems to fly ok.   I mean, its not the best idea, but they aren’t attacked in the street or anything.

The idea to take way is simply they choose to wear clothes that are respectful.  You should do the same.  You aren’t expected to fit in perfectly, trust me you will stand out. But it’s not hard to try.  And really, its not forcing you to cover in a bad way, it’s a mentality that you are special and should keep that a secret from the world because you are beautiful.   So embrace it and appreciate a culture that tells women you  are pretty without trying and without flaunting and grabbing for attention.  It’s a nice change. 

History lesson

Ok so the region of the Middle East was sliced up but the western powers into the nations that exist today in the early 20^th century with only vague concern for what the people wanted and what would be feasible to govern.   Jordan is no different.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was establish in the late 1940’s out of Transjordan by the British.  They made Abdullah I king.  He fully expected to be placed in charge of Syria shortly and only kind of cared about this Jordan idea.  So he decided to plunk down the capitol of his new “temporary” kingdom in Amman.  (Amman was close to the boarder so he wouldn’t have to move far.) 

            Side note, his brother, Faisl got Syria for a while, but ended up with Iraq.  They're part of the Hashemites, who trace their linage back to the Prophet.  

Amman has been around for thousands of years. This area is the beginning of civilization.   But Amman at the turn of the 20^th century was a bit of a mess.  A few earthquakes  in the proceeding 50 years had turned a lot of the city to rubble, and what was left was small village really.   When the king arrived, there was nowhere for him to begin his reign, so he hunkered down in a train car to rule the country.

Since then, Amman has flourish.  But there has been some serious influx of people arriving that overloaded the city’s infrastructure and capability too.  The region’s constant wars and Jordan’s consistent status as a calm neighbor makes it a great place for refugees, especially from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that shares boarders.   So refugees begin pouring in to the city, absolutely overwhelming what exists and something has to be built to contain it all.  So, city planning out the window, Amman explodes. 

Roads are build anywhere they fit and houses and shops are squished anywhere people have the money and space to put them.  Currently the population of Jordan is about 6 million.  2 million are Jordanian. The other 4 million are Jordanian Palestinian.  (It’s a huge source of conflict and stress and the cause of the civil war.  You don’t talk about it here.) And then there is still the million of refugees who are not citizens. They certainly stress the city and resources.   Most are Palestinian, many are Iraqi. But there are others as well.

Jordan is far better off than many of its neighbors. The way the Middle East was divided up after the WWII and occupations and colonization, account for many of the tensions we are still seeing.  You cannot build nations out of people who inherently hate each other. So Jordan’s society is mostly homogenous.  Jordan is a stable country, with peace treaties with all its neighbors.  Jordan plays a balancing game between pleasing the international community, with which it has good ties; its local neighbors, and their expectations; Israel with whom its strategically needs good relations; and the Arab and Islamic world, who also have expectation of this Islamic monarchy.   The whole Middle East is a balancing game.  And Jordan is a fulcum. 

ok.. lets finish Egypt...
day four. Family Farm.
We wake up.  Get dressed.  Watch things get slaughtered.  Yep.
Basically spend the morning eating foul (kinda like bean dip and bread) on one side of the porch, while 2 cows and a ram were slaughtered on the other side.  It was interesting.  Ya see, Eid al Adha, the whole reason we had a week off, is a muslim holiday, celebrating the end of the pilgrimage. ( Ya know, Mecca? Look it up.) As part of it, they slaughter in remembrance of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son, and God providing an animal instead.  Christians and Jews have about the same story.  So they portion out the meat in thirds to their immediate family, extended family or friends, and the poor.  Its a requirement.
And you have to slaughter a very specific way, the most humane way possible. Its really similar to Jewish Kosher meat practices. And all Islamic meat has to be done this way.
So we watched our dinners go from mooing to cooking. It was interesting.  Only the smell bothered me, by the end of the day from all the blood.  And the flies. Everywhere.
And then there was a huge feast.  Its was kinda like Thanksgiving.  They have certain foods every year. And the uncles and aunts kept trying to feed everyone more, not just Anna and I.  Although we got the most attention.
Then we had to head to Cairo to catch the train.  Our friend Sara's cousin's drove us, and even insisted on taking us, not to our train, but to our seats on the train, to make sure everything was set. It was really sweet.
Overnight train to Luxor. Slept, kinda. It was hard, bc the train makes stops all night long, so they don't turn off the lights, and people are getting on and off the whole time.  But I woke up in time to watch a beautiful sunrise.  So that was really neat.

Day five Luxor.
Luxor is split in 2 by the Nile.  So the ancient Egyptians lived on one side, and built all their tombs on the other. We end up joining a tour group to see the west bank of Luxor.  This had Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Hapshtsots tomb, Colossi of Memnon, and other neat stuff.  And lots of it.  This stuff was the kind of thing you go to Egypt for, the painting on the walls of the whole process of mummification, and gods, and myths.  It was amazing.  But you cant take pics. So you'l have to believe me.
Then we ditched the group, ate lunch and tried to see 2 things ourselves.  Thats it, 2 things.  The temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.  Well, we managed to take the back way, thereby seeing the real side of Luxor, like people's homes and such. Basically, we walked like 45 minutes down the correct road, its just not the tourist version.  opps.  But really nice people kept reassuring us, yes, that way. So we continued.  Then we managed to come up on the back side of the Karnak temple complex and have to walk all the way around... pain the in the...  The temple complex was totally neat though, huge. It wasn't just one temple, but a whole huge complex of old temple-y things. Then we did Luxor in the dark. Which turned out awesome. Ended up meeting up with our friends from school who happened to also be in Luxor for dinner, so that was cool.
Then we caught the train back to Cairo.  It was about the same as the train there, but I was ready for it, so I slept better.

Day 6 Cairo
Arrived and went to see the pyramids. We rode horses.  You can walk and see them, but they're kinda far apart.  And you dont get the views.  So, We rose around for a few hours, with this crazy tour guide.  Got to TOUCH a pyramid! Again, you can't usually get close to them. There is a rope around the perimeter about 10 yds around the edge.  But the tourist police guard saw me go find a rock that was obviously off the pyramid, and take a pic touching it.  So then he let me and Anna over the rope and take pics touching the middle pyramid.  Heck yes.
And we saw the sphinx.  It was pretty neat.  Hear lots of explanations about why its missing the nose.  The most popular is that Napoleon's troops used it for target practice and blew it off. Also, possible someone pried it off bc locals were worshipping the Sphinx.
So we ended up that evening wandering around the downtown area for some local food. When Sara's cousins called us! They ended up picking us up and taking us out to coffee and then driving us to the airport.  Once again, they took us as far as they could go to make sure we were safely on the right flight. It was really adorable and just another case of arab hospitality.
But the Egyptian guys wouldn't let me through the first round of security to the check in desks without a confirmation of my ticket. Like, ya know how you often have the print out of your ticket, but you have to arrive and get the real one? well, i have misplaced the paper, but you just hand over your passport and no big deal... Not in Egypt.  They held me back, and sent some guy with my passport to check that i was on the flight I said I was on. It was frustrating,  bc its not like I can go any farther if I'm not on a flight and I can't get a ticket there anyway.  Like, if that  is your security measures, stop wasting time.  And then, as we're waiting for our flight, the gate is open, so we walk through to sit down.  There is security here, but no one operating it.  They are just sitting there watching us,  and a few others. And one of the guard is sleeping...But after a few minutes inside our gate, we all get hustled back out, and told to wait a half hour, until they open and run us through security.  Ummm...maybe the sleeping person should have stopped us?  Then, finally, we're about to board the bus to shuttle over to the plane.  And there is a guy going through everyone's passport's again, just hassling and even pulled someone out of line. So we're a bit nervous, like, what's he gonna do to us? what is he looking for now? I mean, there is nothing in our passports that would bother Egypt but still.  It gets to us, and he just waves us through with a smile.  Another case of being a white girl.

So Egypt was really great.  We did amazing things.  We def got the best treatment b having the hook up through Sara.  Getting to share Eid with a family is a huge deal, and it was really cool.  Its like bringing someone who's never had Thanksgiving home with you. They were overwhelmingly welcoming. And the stuff from the ancient Egyptians is just like is looks in the movies.  Surreal.  Especially the painted stuff. Cairo is so overwhelmingly crowded I really don't think I can accurately share that.  Its like an ant farm.  Really. Imagine a Bug's Life, inside the hill.  Then make every one bigger and trying to drive a car or sell something or be somewhere else. But again, I just love Jordan.  Its so much more chill than Egypt, but still has a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor.  And they aren't as used to tourists, so you don't get hassled as much.  I mean, you don't blend in much better, but they don't see you and always assume they can screw money out of you.   Its just more chill.

Things not readily available in the Middle East...

-Plump, fresh, beautiful fruit.
-Soy products, like ice cream.
-Reeses Pieces.
-Medium sized bottles of pop. Its cans or liters folks.
-High speed internet
-Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert
-Change.  And here I mean the kind that goes in your pocket.
-English speaking taxis drivers. CIEE lies.
-Steak.
-Pumpkin
-Granola bars
-Pasteurized milk

Ok, so many of these this exist here.  If you can search for them.  And pay for them.  But not all of them. And I am not getting access to most of them. At least not easily. So.

And I know I still have another half of Egypt to tell y'all about. But its a crazy week. No, its a crazy last month here.  Everything it due.  At once.  Ya know.  So.  I'm working on it.

What I did in Egypt part 1

Ok. So Egpyt.
Day one.  Cairo:
We checked in to our hotel and our they sent one of the receptionists out with us to buy an egyptian sim card and direct us to the good shopping.  Her name was Imam and she was amazingly helpful.  We walked really far it seemed, but it was probably just how crowded everything was. The people walk BETWEEN cars!  In the STREET! We nearly got hit a few times, even by motorcycles. You gotta be on your toes.
Then our hotel set us up to see the pyramids' light show, for free, from a rooftop near the pyramids.  There are houses built right up to the edge. Its not like a giant desert.  And many of the houses have horses, or camels, and such for tourists.  Really interesting feel. So we watched the show, it was great, but kinda hard to hear. I'd recommend going. Then we wandered around the shopping near our hostel, bought cake and juice, went back and ate and went to bed.  It was far more exhausting than it sounds.

Day 2. Cairo.
Went to see Coptic Cairo. We rode in the ladies only cars n the subway. Really cool. And the Coptic stuff is all these interconnected Churches and synagogues and maybe even a mosque all walled together.  So yu enter and walk down streets and alleys to get one to another.  It great.  We saw where the Holy family stayed when they fled to Egypt to hide from Herold. Also, the hanging church, which was kinda suspended, hence the name.  (You have to climb up stairs over air, and it used to be more back in the day.) Also, a synagogue that was really important somehow...
Then we did the Egyptian museum.  I saw mummy eyelashes! So we did the extra mummy rooms, which were neat.  Also, lots of old mummy stuff.  But sadly the place is very disorganized and not labeled.  Lets just say any American or British Museum curator cries thinking of it.

Then we took the train to Alexandria. (2 Hours) Anna's old arabic teacher Sara, a fullbright scholar, met us and took us around with her mom to show us Alex at night.

Day 3 Alexandria
Went to the library, which they call biblioteca. Which means library in Spanish. (And French and those other related languages I think) And I asked why it isn't called mecteba, which is arabic for library.  And they said, "Because it so much more than a library! Its a research center, and conference center, and planetarium, and..."And none of them knew biblioteca meant library anyway.
But it was impressive.  Its not the original, its about 200 M further inland, bc the old one is lost in the sea.
Also, we went to a juice bar to boreo shakes.  Oreo and strange peanutbutter tasting nut shakes. Delicious.
That night we went and played arcade games and laser tag with Sara's cousin, fiance, and his friends. Good times.

Day 4 road trip
Pretty much drove. We went to the family farm to Eid. It was a long drive.  And, like every thing in the middle east,  We left at 9 am.  So the car was packed by 10.  We were at her aunt's house to pick up something by 10:45.  We got on the road about 11:30.  Made it to Cairo at 3.  Dropped of someone.  Headed to the Farm. Arrived as dusk fell, about 5:30.  Just in time for everyone to break the fast.  Then dinner, and chat time.
       Late that night, I made banana bread for everyone. That was a mess.  They dont have measuring cups in the Middle East.  At all. So we started guestimating.  And then the oven was a gas stove.  So there was no way to guess temp. My bread was dark brown on top in 15 minutes. ( It should take an hour to cook.) So we covered it and turned the oven way down and let the residual heat solidify the inside.
        It turned out ok.  Not prefect.  But as they don't have banana bread in the middle east either, no one knew it wasn't the most delicious banana bread ever!  We passsed it arond to family, who were very skeptical, and some we even had to beg to try it.  But most came back for seconds. :) Success, I'd say.

Ok, I'll tell more later.  I have stuff to do.  :)

Mail

Ya know how college kids loooooove to get mail? Like we check the mail box in the lobby of the dorm at least every day. Sometimes twice if we get there before mail in even in. And then, when there is something in the box, yahoo! And we get super excited, even if its just junk mail, because it for ME?!

Study abroad kids are pretty much the same.  Except we check our email. or FB. Just to make sure the world is still going on over there.  Bc when I'm not in a place, it tends to stand still in time (in my head, you know you do this too).

Just sayin.

;-)

Back in Jordan

Ok what a fantastic week.  Quick highlights:

*I touched the middle pyramid!
*played laser tag with some fun egyptians, including an Army officer.
*watched a cow get slaughtered
*ate it later that day
*went inside tombs of kings and queens and princes thousands of years old
*slept 2 nights on a train
*ate a ton of dessert
*managed to tour Egypt half unplanned with just Anna and it miraculously worked amazingly


Ok there is waaaaay more.  But you'll have to check back!

Traveling for Eid!

Ok so I'm off to Egypt for a week! Wish me and Anna luck as we travel around the oldest country with really neat old stuff.  Here I come Pyramids and Sphinx and library and Alexandria and Valley and the Kings and the Queens!  So travel mercies, please.  But pictures will be up on FB as soon as I can, Promise!  we return on the 18.  Talk to you soon!

Violence and election results! (That title is to get you to read the whole long thing...)

Ok so election are over. Halas.

It was interesting for sure.  Quick highlights, I went and watched my family vote, there were some "riots", voters turnout was quite low, and the gov't calls the whole thing a success.

So for starters, my family had a nice big lunch with supposedly good food.  (Remember the koosa and aineb? stuffed grape leaves and stuffed zucchini? Also, the most disgusting thing I've ever had and the only thing I haven't been able to eat here, sheep feet.  More on that later. )

So after lunch, they loaded in to the 2 cars to go vote.  Mom, dad, all three sisters, and brother-in-law, and me.  We drove all the way around the neighborhood to the local school.  (Which is only a 10 minute walk I do almost every day...) Managed to park among the chaos of supporters handing out pamphlets.  As if now that I'm walking in to vote is the time to advertise? Why weren't they doing this last week in front of the supermarket?

So Brother-in-law can't vote here, because they live in another city, but since they only got married over the summer, sister still has to vote in this district. So (after being told to turn off cell phones) we traipse up to vote.  Each classrom has individual pooling stations. There's a long table with 3 men, filling out paperwork of some sort.  I know it must have been in part to keep track of who already voted, but there was a lot more paperwork than just that it seemed.  They had tried to roll out a new computer system that tracked everyone by their version of a "social security number".  But it crashed. Surprise!

Then, they ended up going back to the old way of cutting the corner of your license to prove you already voted. So I watched my oldest sister (19) as she went in a little booth, similar to ours at home and wrote the name down.  Then came out and put it in the big clear ballot box.  And that was it.

It was pretty uneventful. And inside the school was empty.  No lines to vote or anything.  I mean, only one person per room wasn't an issue.  There were police all over, but they were certainly unneeded here.  My neighborhood is primarily chill, a lot of Ex-pats, Christians, and then more moderate Muslims. So no real chance for violence here.

Elsewhere in Amman, there was some violence as the poll results started coming out. It was based on tribal violence, which is still a big issue in Jordan. (Its why UJ campus has gates around it, too many fights involving non students, so only students can get in now.)

Its my understanding, that tribes are recognizable by family name.  And even if you've never met someone in the fight, if its your tribe, young men will just jump in.  They hear about it and come running, dropping what ever was going on, not asking why there is a fight, just supporting the tribe. These are possibly the strongest ties a person has in this region, esp as gov'ts fail and you have to rely elsewhere. Family has to support you.

So the "riots" which the largest consisted of maybe 30 guys (So don't picture hundreds in the street!) throwing rocks, or maybe getting in fights with other tribes because one is celebrating a victory and the other, sad over a loss, feels made fun of because the first group is happy. There's a lot of emotion going on here. Another "riot" was 10 guys celebrating in the street.  I mean, yeah they had pipes or chains, and damaged some cars or buildings, but nothings massive, at least here.

There were celebratory gunshots all over the city, til like 2 am, a police guard hut got burned down, and a few fights.

And I should say, never at any point did I feel in any danger. For one, I'm not a young Jordanian man in a tribe.  I have no ties. But I wasn't out in places to be concerned really either.  I spend the night studying in Starbucks with a few friends and took a taxi home.  By the time I got home, the local school was deserted, and its was only an hour after polls closed. (Remember 7 to 7? and they're allowed to remain open 1 hour if there are still people who want to vote.)

But outside of Amman, there were a few larger incidents, a highway near Irbid got blocked and cars were actually overturned or severely damaged. People had to turn around and find other ways home.  Police say this was the strongest violence. And Madaba also saw some serious violence.

There are some candidates who claim the gov't interfered with the polls.  And maybe in the sense that certain candidates were told to run in easier districts.  Also, waiting to hear voter turnout numbers form non-gov't sources. Like I said last time, voter turnout was supposed to be low. The gov't reported 53% this year, down from 58% last year, saying they were surprised but pleased with the numbers.  I've also heard Amman turnout was like 30%. We'll see. The gov't seemed to say overall they felt the  citizens were responding well, and showing they wanted to participate and make changes. It sounds like a lot of happy gov't nonsense. But ya know. Gov't say these things.

The majority of winners are first time officals.  Some have served before and just had wild popularity and success.  I know of at least one woman who made it in without the woman quota and off votes alone.  The breakdown is mostly Muslims, but there are a scattering of Christians too. Surprising to me, even in the 2 cities with the largest population of Christians, only 1 of 4 officials were Christian.

It was interesting to watch people respond to the poll results.  Fo instance, my family who had voted were turned in tot he radio and TV all night and in the morning, waiting to hear.  Other people's families wanted nothing to do with the elections and considered it a joke and a waste of time. My friend Sarah's dad voted for the first time, only because his friend dragged him along.  They had an interesting conversation where she congratulated him and he didn't see it as a big deal. He had been saying all along voting wasn't important, and people here only vote because they know someone, or their friends are doing it.  Many people believe they shouldn't vote because it won't matter.  Things will not change so why waste time? I've probably heard this most.
Which personally is frustrating, because I believe if you never make the move, no things won't change.  At least try, because if you and everyone who believes as you do are voting for the same person, or similar beliefs, it still sends a message that change is wanted, and encourages it for next time.  Its a really interesting phenomenon and cycle. Don't matter, don't vote, you'll never be heard. If you don't bother trying, you shouldn't have the right to complain.

Ok so this is a much longer post than I thought. Opps.  I guess politics does that to me. Y'all should have know better. The elections were exciting.  Different from home in so many ways. But absolutely fascinating to observe.  And discuss. And it really sparks conversation about the importance of voting when you don't think your voice is heard or change is possible, or how tribalism effects candidate quality or selection, (just because he is my cousin, doesn't mean he isn't the best candidate...), or even the violence that we wouldn't see in the States. Celebratory gunshots? Please.

So it was a really cool experience to be here for.  And observing was as cool as everyone said it would be, even though I was skeptical. (I mean, watching people vote? Yea!....)  But it totally was.  And continuing to follow what happens next, does parliament dissolve immediately or what? will be neato.

Election day

So today is election day in Jordan.  The best part? National holiday!  So I had the chance to sleep in ( didn't work, but I tried...) and all day to bum around.  Bumming around translates to Homework, planning my trip to Egypt next week, and some family time. And I know I get good food because I saw them make it yesterday and my sister and her husband are visiting today.  Hurray!  Koosa and makanek?  (zucchini and rolled grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat.)  Possibly my favorite dish. Its those darn grape leaves...

So election day is kinda an interesting phenomenon.

They are electing the 16th parliment in the Kingdom.  Jordan is still a monarchy.  But the nice kind.
 There have been posters up with candidates faces, names, and a short slogan. But only for about a month.  There are these huge election tents that candidate have for rallies up around town too.  But no commercials or anything else that I've seen.  Some flyers and newspaper ads. Nothing huge.  Voter turnout is usually around 50%, but this year the Islamic Action Front (a political party of the Muslim Brotherhood) is boycotting the elections.  So turnout is expected to be lower. There have also been problems in the past with vote buying.  It seems like citizens have little faith in the gov't making change.  So many don't vote for that reason.  But tribal/ethnic/family ties are still super strong and people vote along those lines, rather than necessarily the "best" candidate.

Also, the US embassy put out a warning of possible tribal or ethnic violence or demonstrations. its happened in the past, but the Kingdom has really tried to increases security to prevent issues.  And I've heard both that roads might be closed and that traffic will be a breeze.  Because either no one will be out because they don't vote so there is no one in the streets today, or demonstrations shutting down transportation.  There have also been a lot of volunteers trained to watch for issues and vote buying.  You can be jailed for 7 years if caught.

"This year’s elections will see a total of 763 candidates, including 143 women, vying for the 120 seats of the Lower House of Parliament, 12 of which are reserved for women under a quota system."   http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=31695 


This article is interesting if you really want to know more.  There are academics from around the world here just observing the elections.   I'm hoping to go with my aunt to watch her vote.  They vote in schools, just like we do at home. And voting goes all day, 7 to 7.  So those who want to vote really can.  and those who don't... well, we get to enjoy a free day.

I'll try to remember to let y'all know how the elections turn out.  I mean, it is a big deal and all....

What to wear...what to wear...

Ok. Lets talk about clothes.  Specifically here on university of Jordan’s campus because it varies on what part of town you’re in.

        Probably 80% of the women here cover their heads, either with hijab (the scarf-55%) or niqab (the veil- like 15%).   So the girls wearing hijab are either wearing abbayyas or “normal” clothes.  Abbayyas can be the long robes basically.  Normally black, possibly with decorations on the cuffs or back. They’re a gulf influence in dress.  They cover everything, and girls still wear the same kind of clothes I do underneath, jean and a shirt or whatever.  Then really similar to the abbayya are these long trench coat jackets.  They come in all colors, but serve the same purpose as the abbayya, cover everything.  Again, underneath are full outfits.  Because whenever the men are gone, at home or at a friend or aunt's house, the jackets and abbayyas and off.  (And they’re just regular girls, wanting to look cute!)

             Next there are just regular clothes.  Skinny jeans are totally in and probably the most common. (as everywhere else in the world right now!)  The trick is that they cover with long shirts.  Tunic style, which is in anyway, is most common. But anything can go long: shirts, jackets, sweaters, doesn’t matter.  So, long enough to cover their backside, and then long sleeved and high necked.  Hijabs are scarves wrapped around your hair and neck, and commonly tucked into the neckline of your shirt to cover anything in the front of your neck to chest.  They might wear any thing over a long sleeve and many will even wear tight clothes, like a tight long sleeve with a halter-top over it, or a vest. So as far as the girls who wear “regular” clothes, the style can vary as much as the person, based on their comfort level showing their body.  Which really is no different from the States. A lot of girls wear skirts too.  The peasant skirt is super popular and comfy. (And far cooler than jeans in the heat! But their jeans are far thinner than ours, too…)

A majority of girls choose either the trench coats or just full coverage clothes.  But might I point out, they match impeccably.  Always.  Scarves have the exact same tones as their shirts, as their belt, as their shoes.  It’s really an art. I can’t imagine how many scarves they have to have to pull this off.

There are the girls who are either Christian or don’t choose to wear hijab. They wear the same clothes as I would basically.  Jeans and tee shirts.  Still, shirts must have some sort of sleeve; cap sleeve is pushing it.  And necklines are not low.  But there’s little difference in their appearance and mine. (Clothes at least…I still stand out regardless...)

 Most girls are wearing gladiator sandals or ballerina flats. And a lot wear heels.  And they have huge purses. On campus, girls never (or anyone but us foreign Americans) carry backpacks. Boys carry nothing or maybe one book. 

Boys wear jeans and a tee shirt.  Maybe a sweater.  Or button up or zip up.  Casual.  You never see gym clothes, even in gyms its kind of a stretch sometimes.  No hats.  Rarely, you’ll see a man dressed traditionally in the long white dress and headscarf.  These do have pants underneath.  Boy clothes are boring. 

No one is wearing dress clothes like we think of business casual or business. Its nothing like that, which I found in England.  This is just nice clothes. Cute things. We wear cardigans and tee shirts with skinny jeans, but not sweatshirts.  Its not hard to fit-in in that manner. 

The farther you go out from the University and to East Amman or to more rural areas, the more covered you’ll find girls.  But that’s logical.  I work in a refugee camp, and most of them wear the full hijab and abbayya.  Mostly the all black. 

As far as me, I wear jeans everyday. And usually a shirt that comes to at least my elbows.   (Depends on how hot is it!) Because I’m obviously foreign, and on campus, 100* days I wear a tee shirt.  And maybe roll my jeans to capris. Today I have on jeans, flats, a tee shirt and long sleeve layered with a nice sweater.  Probably the same as I would be wearing in Moore hall.   I’ve never had any issue with dressing inappropriately.  And I’ve never had to cover my hair, been asked or expected to.  They understand its not my religion.  Its not my beliefs.  And as long as your generally respectful, there’s not an issue.  (Ok, there was the one time we toured a mosque and wore hooded abbayyas.  So for one hour in a mosque, I was covered.)  There are girls in my program that push it further.  They might wear short skirts with leggings or even leggings as pants. But it seems to fly ok.   I mean, its not the best idea, but they aren’t attacked in the street or anything.

The idea to take way is simply they choose to wear clothes that are respectful.  You should do the same.  You aren’t expected to fit in perfectly, trust me you will stand out. But it’s not hard to try.  And really, its not forcing you to cover in a bad way, it’s a mentality that you are special and should keep that a secret from the world because you are beautiful.   So embrace it and appreciate a culture that tells women you  are pretty without trying and without flaunting and grabbing for attention.  It’s a nice change. 

Residency and bureaucracy.

I'm going to try to apply for residency tomorrow.  That should be interesting. Jordanian bureaucracy is kinda a joke.  Like, CIEE has spent weeks trying to get our residencies, then the gov't finally said ok, all you need is this 1,2,3... so we all go to the police station and they process everything and its seems great.

I mean, a few weeks ago, we were bussed in giant groups to a police station with all sorts of paper work, proving we live here, we attend school, we have our passports, visas, ect.... we sit around for hours on end waiting for it all to get done.  Finally we get in to be seen by the one lady who is typing something and looking at our passports. 

She takes a look, makes a show of it, writes somethings down, moves to the next, then its my turn, and these random Egyptian guys get to just cut in front of me and be seen by her.  WTH?  Ok. Ok.  Then she takes my passport, and as its in her hand, another batch of Egyptians come in and cut me!  Humph!

Then, I get ok-ed.  And the 2 kids after me get shown out without her really going over their passports. Why? She just needs to see they exist as people. OOOOOOOOOOoooKKK.

Then 3 days later they decided nope, actually, we needed them to all be fingerprinted, too.  So no residencies. There's no actual rules, its all whims and changes daily.

And might I point out CIEE does this every semester? Why are there no set rules for foreigners and residency?

 So we're gonna try again.  Its just to make life a little bit easier. So as we travel we don't need to purchase visas or since we are here longer than we are allowed, we dont have to pay the fee for overstaying our visas. Plus its an adventure.

The visa I did purchase is a 3 month visa.  But its only good for one month of residency at a time.  So I basically can only live in Jordan for 30 days at a time, then I have to leave and return.  But its good for the whole 3 months.  (And only because CIEE did get that part cleared.) But since I'm studying for 3 and a half months, I will overstay my visa.  This is a fee of like a dinar and a half a day. Not crazy. But also, since I'm traveling to Beirut and Egypt  in the next month, there's other logistics involved in the visa and we might need to purchases another one. So this will hopefully make life easier.

Maybe. Cross your fingers. 

A stranger's wedding

Last night I went to a wedding.  It was pretty neat.  Really different.  It was a traditional Islamic wedding.  So there was no mixing of girls and guys.  Except the groom and some of the bridal family.  So girls are all upstairs in this beautifully decorated room.  There’s a dance floor that lights up, there’s a giant ornate couch for the couple.  There’s a video projector set up with pictures of them from childhood (like 3 each, grad parties put this to shame.)  But the video screen was also necessary for all the intense camera work going on, capturing every moment of what seemed to be apprehension on her face and polite smiles from him.  Plus, the girls get music and dancing.  Guys seriously just sit around and talk for hours.  I mean sheesh. At least give them a hooka.

So all the women are there, and some take off hijab and their abbayyia or overcoat thing and start dancing or at least relaxing.  That was fun.  We got dragged out on the dance floor with all these belly dancing ladies, looking like silly Americans.  (Who supposedly cannot dance by nationality) Whatever.  It was fun. I’m trying to figure out how to move like that.  Shaking and stepping and all. 

Then the couple appears.  There’s a rush for scarves and coverings.  The couple enter, and the camera crew is there (2 ladies with nice big camera and giant spotlights on top.) This was some of the most ridiculous camera work I’ve ever seen.  No joke.  Like fades in between shots and overlaps and what they had the cake, they centered a frosting heart and imposed the bride's face.  Creepy.  Like the stuff we do messing around before show that Sykes would kill us for.  Even with a goofy weatherman.

They did a few dances.  A slow romantic one.  Then a faster Arab style, where she mostly dances and he stands around bobbing. Like how boys in the states don’t have to do much.  Both mothers got to dance as well as sisters.

They cut this beautiful cake...with a sword.  A sword.  It was huge.  And silly. But so it goes. /we got cake.  It was pretty yummy.  I don’t think it was the same as what they cut.  Different colors and no time to serve.  Eh.

They also fed each other a piece.  Then sipped orange pop.  Yeah.  Like giant wine glasses full of orange pop.  They did the cross arms, feed the other one, there were straws.  It was strange.  She managed to look pretty doing it, but he looked a fool.

Later, he gave her presents of gold.  Lots of jewelry basically.  Ring, a few necklaces, earrings, bracelet.  And he put it all on her.  Funny to watch a guy try to put one piece of jewelry on a girl.  But several? Hilarious.

Hey also did a bit where they fed candy mints to the people they love and appreciate.  First they fed each other.  Then the other one’s mom.  Then sister.  Then they started finding other people in the crown.  Grandmas. Aunts. Whatever.

Oh yeah, at the beginning, there’s this long procession.  There’s traditional music being played. Bagpipes, drums, maybe a flutes thing.  Idk. (The bagpipes are an influence from Iraq, who got them from the Brits way back when... I believe, that’s how it was explained to me.) So everyone gathers around and the bride is completely covered in what looked like a KKK robe.  I mean, it’s a white niquab  so you cant even see her eyes.  But poofy because she is wearing a wedding  dress.  The dress underneath was strapless and glitzy and huge.  Pretty. So as the music is played, the group slowly moves forward.  The bride and groom are in the middle, because there’s giant male dance party in front of them.  The groom’s family (I think) dance like fools for the wedding.  Something like that.

So we left around 11:30 ( we got there at 9).  Yet to happen, the groom’s male family and maybe the bride’s too, come up to the ladies' room and dance or something.  Take part in the celebration.

So over all it was fun... I mean, I went and danced at some random wedding where I only knew the American girls who managed to also get invited. I think… Anna my “cousin” ’s peer tutor (who invited us) is friends with the sister of the groom. Yeah. That’s how I got in.  Don’t worry, we got plenty of looks as we stood outside waiting for her to arrive.  Like, why are there white girls at my wedding?  Eh.  We enjoyed it.  

Birthday shenanigans

I spent Saturday meandering Amman with my besties.  We had 6 of us, Anna, Sarah, me, Phil, Seungah, and Suze. It was Anna and Sarah's birthday this weekend, and since Beirut fell through and then camping in the desert fell though, I got to plan a day of activity.  I loved it.  We kept them in the dark the whole time, like just arriving places without any hints.  It went great!

So we started the the big blue mosque.  Its the Abdullah mosque, and its huge, and welcomes non muslims for once.  Its was really pretty, and neat to be inside.  Us girls had to wear abbayias, which are like choir robes with a hood to be covered. But we were all dressed appropriately underneath anyway, not like some of the other tourists. Wow. So we told them we were students in Amman and they waved the entry fee. (hich is good because its way to much for all you get.) Speaking in arabic to them, even just trying, opens all kinds of doors.  Its crazy. As a matter of fact, we got free tea from a shop owner bc Phil struck up an arabic conversation.  It happens a lot.  I drink random tea at least once a week with these folks...people just love to share it. :)

Then we went downtown and just walked the shops and streets.  We found a great framers market-ish place.  It was hidden between building and huge.  Every kind of food imaginable.  And just the smells and sights and sounds of a crazy, busy middle eastern local market. Fabulous.

Then lunch at a great little localish place. We had really traditional fancy foods and just split all the plates. Then lots more walking and we grabbed some kanaffah.  Which is an amazing cheese and sweet desert. Famous too.  Then we went to the King Huessain park. Its huge and full of roped off grass and trees.  The only ones in Amman. lol. Along the way, Seungah, Phil and I stopped and grabbed a cake at the best cake place in Amman.  Amazing.  Its has all sorts of sweets.  Really fancy and fun. Animal shaped cookies and tiny deserts too. 

So we meet the other 3 girls at the park and we all just dived into the cake. Miraculously, after all this food, we demolished the cake.  Quickly.  Good thing we had also picked up huge water battles. We just sat around and hung out in front of the fountian until church.  

 What a day.  I can't eat anything, I swear I'll burst. But there's nothing better than spending a day touring the city with friends.  

Transportation. And might I recommend life insurance....

So the driving here is crazy... there aren’t really rules to driving it seems.  Its entirely plausible that the cab or any other car will be in the middle of the road, in both lanes, speeding past anything it can pass…seatbelts are not worn.  And the number 2 killer of people in this country is traffic.  A lot of them pedestrians.  Crazy. 

I’m not sure I can really capture the crazy that is driving here. Its terrifying.  I don't think speed limits are even enforced.  And you see more cars broken down and being fixed on the side of the road then imaginable.  Like, don’t they have preventable maintaince? I’ve only seen 2 auto places, and they might have been the same.  

Once, we got in a cab, started to drive, there was a bad noise, he pulled over, got out, checked the tires, and then kept going.  I did manage to ask if there was a problem and got just a headshake.  But nothing bad happened.

So to catch a cab is pretty easy.  The meter starts at .25 and you can get most places in the city for about 2 dinar. More than that and the cabby is screwing you.  Roads are everywhere. Not like home where roads follow sensible patterns of parallel and perpendicular.  These could go in any direction. Curves. Hills.  Diagonal. Anything goes.  I’m impressed with how you can find anything.  Oh and I should point out, you need darn near exact change for cabs.  Like you might get in and find they miraculously have no change and you end up tipping more than the fare… besides there is no tipping.  If its 1.70 JD, you might give a 1.75 because the coin is easy that way, but its just rounding.  Like you always go to the nearest 5 at least.  You don’t deal with pennies. So there’s that.  Change is a big problem.  Don’t get in a cab without anything smaller than a 10.  A 5 might be doable.  Just stick to having singles and some change is possible.  There’s an art to  it. 

 Traffic is always a problem.  The city is split into neighborhoods, jabels (hills), and duwars (traffic circles).  But they don’t really understand how to use a traffic circle. So that’s a mess. These things are like 3 or 4 lanes wide (you’re never sure because no one is in a lane…) and you can’t ever get through.  4 way stops would be more effect it seems.  At least that would have a pattern.  There are traffic cops that wave and whistle.  But I don’t think they do anything. I mean, no one really pays attention to him or her, and it doesn’t seem to help.

Then there are busses.  You can take a bus to a lot of places both in and out of the city, you just have to read the side to see where it goes, or listen to the control who will yell where its going.  The control is a guy who takes your money, yells destinations, and makes sure ladies get a seat.  The buses take forever, so don’t try it if you're in a hurry, but they are way cheaper.  Like 30 piaster will get you most places. Sometimes 50. But still, I can get home from school for either .5 dinar (plus a bit of walking) or 2 dinar in a cab. I know which I’d prefer, but the cab is so convenient. (By the way, piaster is the change for a dinar.) To catch a bus, there are specific bus stops you can wait at.  (Like one at school or one in one of the major circles) or you can wait for one to pass and flag it down.   But you have to be intense at flagging or you’ll get ignored.  Sometimes they’re crowded, and sometimes they seriously stink. But really, it’s not bad. 

We even took a bus to a nearby city, Madaba, last weekend.  Its an hour drive one way for .6 dinar.  way cheap and convenient.  But they don't leave at a time, just once they full enough.  So schedules must be flexible. 

 Then there is those who are lucky enough to have a car.  Cars are super expensive; like a 200% tax.   So even for a used, older car, you’re gonna pay way more than you ever thought.  So it’s definitely a luxury. And I’m not sure, but I doubt there is much in the way of driver’s training, which accounts for some of the “driving”.  When I get in our family car and put on my seat belt, my little sister laughs and insists I don’t need that here.  I’m telling you though, here is where I need it most!

I've had it explained to me that you are only responsible for not hitting anything.  Not for things not hitting you.  And it makes some sense.  But I don't think I’m convinced that people know the rules, because I’ve seen more accidents here and heard more screeching tires than ever before.  So lets just say, driving is a risk every time. 

Let's say I appreciate driving at home more than I ever expected.  Having my own car is way better than constant public transportation.  And the simplicity of explicit road rules that are followed are an absolute gift. Trust me. 

internship day 1

Ok.  So I went to the actual place I’ll be doing my internship for the first time.  It was an adventure.

To start, I meet at the main CARE Office.  That’s the international group that is placing me further with a local CBO (community based organization).  So my CBO is in the Palestinian refugee camp.  There’s little to no English there, so CARE is sending me with a translator.  How cool is that?  So I get to the CARE office and we get in their car and head off to the camp.  So in the car is their driver, an official lady from CARE who speaks good English, my translator who is only 20, and her mother, because as she put it, “Mom wont let me go out alone”.  Oh yeah and me.

So it takes forever to get there.  And as we drive, not knowing where we’re gong at this point, I start to know my translator.  She’s amazing.  She’s Iraqi, maybe a refugee.  She’s taught herself English and her English is definitly the result of watching movies.  Or maybe she’s just that much trouble.  She’s wearing skinny jeans, a rocker tee, huge sunglasses, and hot pink nail polish.  And no make, or at least an actual natural look unlike most the girls here.  And she’s beautiful.  Smiling and dimples and all. Short bobbed hair.  And her mom looks typically Muslim.  Black dress pants, a nice flowy white top, and hijab. So I have to wonder about how adventurous this girl is.  As we start to chat, and get to know each other, we launch in to everything.  Let's just say she doesn’t hold back.  Everything from wanting kids, to having been stuck in Baghdad, to not wanting to be held back by society, to how very much a part of that society she is, and more.  She has enough personality to go around.

We arrive (finally!) and there’s more smiling women, fully covered, some wearing niqab (which is everything but the eyes).  But I know they’re smiling because once we’re sure there are no men, the veil lowers and it fits just like a hijab.  Which I didn’t know until now. Everything is done in Arabic and over my head, so I just sit patient and smile whenever someone looks at me.  Then we got a tour of the place.

It’s a few floors, but there aren’t screen or glass in the windows.  And the whole place is just a bit dirty.  Rundown, but its in that part of town. Its also a mess.  Like stacks of anything, precariously piled nearly everywhere.  Looks like a job for me and my organizing. 

It all ends up being just another introduction meeting and I still don’t know what I’ll be doing.  Bt I have an Arabic speaking shadow to follow me. By the end we were holding hands and just giggly. 

By the way, girls and guys (within their gender) hold hands and cuddle all the time here.  Like its not weird to see 2 guys holding hands and strolling down the street.  Or laying ones head on the other’s shoulder.  Whatever.  Its still strange to see for me, mostly the guys, but its very common place. Strange like different, not strange weird anymore.   I mean, I guess everyone like to have physical contact to feel close to each other. And since you can't cuddle with the other sex, you gotta get that attention somehow. 

I apologize.

I know all my posts are super long.  Like you need an intermission snack break midread. But let's face it.  If you know me, and I assume if you're reading this you do, (if not, get out, creep.) y'all know I like to talk.  and I like details.  And there's so much going on here!  And I try to edit them down.  I do.  I fail.  But I try. So thanks for sticking it out.  Maybe start bringing fountain pop and a bowl of popcorn and settle in a bit. I mean, some of these, might just be that long.
:)

Tackling an Internship

Let us pretend you fly around the world.

Then you decide it would be really cool to have an internship on the other side of the world. 

Let’s make it an internship with a NGO. (Non governmental organization, think non-profit)

I mean, you’ll learn a ton, and help make the world a better place, right?

Ok. Here we go.  Betcha didn’t know what you were in for.

          Let’s say you have an important meeting to determine said internship.  Lets have it at the 4 Seasons Hotel, the swankiest place around. Suppose said meeting is at 3:00.  As the American, you prolly arrive 2:50. And only that late because traffic was mess.  You can never find a quick taxi around here…But ten minutes early is respectable.  Shows you care and are responsible. Dedicated. Punctual.  Some one they can look forward to having on the team.   So you sit and wait for your potential boss.  Wait. Wait. The waiter asks if you’d like something.  Not knowing how this should go, you decline, maybe assuming you shouldn’t get something until your potential boss does.  Or what if they don’t order anything? Then who pays? How rude…besides waiting to see what they order clues you into to what you should order. 

Finally. Your potential employer strolls though.  You discreetly check your watch, 3:15.  Confused and perhaps a bit miffed, you stand to warmly greet this stranger.  If you’re lucky, you don’t get a handshake, but a series of check kisses.  That you can’t pull out of until they do or it’s rude.  (Like, you only want to kiss me 4 times? Sad face, ok….)

Then your potential boss breezes though, finds a different seat, order a drink and asks why you haven’t?  Hmmm….ok lemonade please.

So you sit and discuss not what the internship will be or anything, but how your boss came to be in this position. A snippet of personal life story.  You find out crazy details, like your boss was mugged in Spain, and later had dinner with the mugger’s mother.  Your boss continues then wants to know about you.  Why are you in the Middle East? Ok, I got this.( But when do we talk about the internship!?)

So then a short discussion of what the organization does , their role, benefactors, ect…then you ask so what will I do?

Well, now, I’m not sure of that yet, but you have the position. Huh?

Ok. So – uh oh your new boss checks the time, and realizes there is a meeting in 10 minutes across town…makes a call, “might you mind if we move that back a half hour? Ok.”  Takes the bill. Drops you off near you home, so your taxi fare is cheaper. And agrees to call later this week with more details.

Wow.  Mixed message much? So turns out Arab time works different.  Even for things like class and business.  Like 15 minutes late is no big deal, where do you have to be that’s so important anyway? Relax.  Have some Shai (tea).  Actually, some kids showed up to offices early and secretaries didn’t know what to do with them.  Like that’s how rare it is.  10 minutes early and the secretary doesn’t know where to seat you.  

So the whole thing is just a different style.  Things will get accomplished, so why worry?.... right

My internship started like this.  3 weeks later, I have finally scheduled a meeting with the person who runs my local CBO (community based organization) where I will be actually working. Yeah.  Last week, I managed to get an appointment at the main office to figure out the other details, like which CBO.  Minor things…

I know its about embracing culture and here the culture says don’t worry, things will happen, probably all at once, but at Jordanian pace. Unfortunately, for an internship when I’m only here for 3 months, that pace is a bit too slow for accomplishments. Its been a real process.  Like pulling teeth from a large monster made of molasses in January.  Slow and difficult and strange and new.

Hopefully I can get you an update of what my internship will be in the near future since I have this fantastic meeting tomorrow. Details don’t seem to be a priority, so we’ll see.  Also, many organizations here, the idea of intern is foreign and they don’t have real job descriptions. 

For instance one of my friends was told by her boss, “I don’t like the term intern.  Create a title for yourself.  Use manager of something. I don’t know, get creative.” 

No joke.  I mean, awesome for your resume. But groups are unsure about having to pay interns, even about stipends, or what the role should be or afraid we’re there to steal jobs.  It hard to explain nope, here is free labor.  Do as you will with them.

And might I point out, that lemonade? Nothing but lemon water.  No sugar.  Not sure what the means, but I kept adding sugar cubes from the tray meant for tea.  At least it was fresh, I guess…