First day on the job!

Today we started class, along with the other 40 thousand students that attend UJ. WHOA its really really different. If before I thought I had been "stared" at a good amount, now it's constant. I can't tell you how crowded the campus is and how different it feels since just before Ramadan. I've also noticed a lot of differences attending a Middle Eastern University:

1. People smoke everywhere, the streets, sidewalks, cafes and even in the class buildings... I even saw a kid smoking right next to a huge non-smoking sign... smoking is just a major part of the culture, its unbelievable. (Surprisingly, the average Jordanian lifespan is longer the average Americans... I have absolutely no idea how with all the smoking)

2. Everyone keeps their cell phone or phones on and loud. Most phones here are prepaid, so many kids have 2 or 3... if you thought talking on your phone in public is bad in America you have something coming to you... here you can talk wherever and whenever, and its actually rude to not pick up your phone even if your in class. Texting is also very popular, both my professors today probably texted at least 3 or 4 times during the class periods, and yes the text messages are LOUD arab ringtones/ songs too.

3. Here you wait for your professor no matter what... theres no ten or 15 min rule. You wait and if your professor shows up with 5 mins left in the class, you're expected to be there for those 5 mins.

4. While many of you think the arab community is backward and traditional, I was surprised to see many girls in popular American styles. The girls who did choose to veil were also very stylish, sporting high heels, full make-up, bright colored and patterned veils and lots of accessories. The veil is popular but also a MAJOR fashion here.

5. Guys here act like they rule the world. You better move out of the way because men have the right of way. The guys are also really fashionable and almost too pretty for my taste.

6. Holding hands is a must... but only with friends of the same sex. Boys here walk hand in hand and greet each other by kissing on the cheek, they ARENT homophobic (like most American boys) Girls hold hands too, or link arms. You NEVER see a boy and a girl holding hands, it's a BIG no no... you can differentiate the couples because they walk as close as they can without touching, it is so cute and really innocent. I like the cultural views on PDA here, and I know once I get back to the states I am going to be in total shock of the male/female interactions.

7. School is for learning, but also a major place to socialize, kids hang out around campus even if theres no class because they dont want to go home. There really aren't dorms here, Arabs believe in living at home until marriage, so school is ALWAYS a zoo, and there are people playing games, eating and just sitting everywhere you look.

My internship also started today. It went rather well, although the cab got lost again.... I had my boss write in arabic special directions to the building on a sticky note, so in the future I should be okay. I arrived, had tea with my co-workers, got some information to read about the company and their goals, and had more tea. After that I met Majed, who's the assistant that I will be working under. He showed me my desk (which is awesome by the way) and WE had tea. After tea for the third time, Majed told me the office was ordering lunch out (which is a big deal here and I got super excited) I then learned we would be ordering McDonalds (fast food is really popular here, and often a "special" occasion, every fast food place delivers too.... these guys on motorbikes bring you whatever you want, it's nuts) Anyways, I havent eaten McDonalds in who knows how long, but I ordered a salad, I didnt want to be rude. After our food arrived, we all sat down and my co-workers had a ball talking to me about university, America, my friends and my life in general. They were all SHOCKED that McDonalds was not "the best restaurant in America" contrary to popular belief. It was really neat to branch out and talk to Arabs who arent involved in my program, I really am excited to practice my Arabic in another setting, and just experience another side of the culture. After lunch I bet you cant guess what we did... we HAD TEA!!! It's such a cultural thing, you think the british are bad, geeze Arabs must have every tea thats made on earth, and then some. I finished my reading, wrote in my work journal for class and then Majed drove me home (he insisted for 20 mins and told me I was on his way). I can't begin to describe how generous Arabs are, and how they will instantly take you under their wing and treat you like a good friend or member of the family. My ride home with Majed was very sweet, he showed me some good restaurants and coffee places (thank god no tea places) and told me if I needed anything he'd be right around the corner. He also told me I was his daughter for the next 3 months so I would have to come over and meet his wife for dinner. He was so sincere and immediately made me feel at home, I'm really glad I'll be working under him for the next few months.

Other than that, my day was pretty uneventful. I do feel very lucky though, because Ive escaped some pretty recent dangers. Yesterday, my roommates and I went to downtown Jordan and shopped in a souk. It was marvelous, and there's tons of great stuff, however the cab ride over gave us a big scare. We fortunately just missed being in a large accident that was on the front page of some of the newspapers this morning. We were driving down the road, heard a crash and saw the van next to us spin out of control and hit a guardrail. All the cars behind us stopped short and there was a really big pile up. If we had been a few seconds behind where we were on the road, we would have gotten hit. Thankfully, we did not, but unfortunately, we saw the whole thing first hand right out the back window. Allhamdulelah (thanks be to god) we are all okay. I also turned on my computer today and saw a big article about the Cairo Airport having a big bomb scare, two days after I had left Egypt to fly home. Scary huh? Thanks for all the prayers guys, and keep em coming!!!

Tonight we are having dinner with our landlords. They've really reached out and been our "semi parents" here. They made us dinner the night we got home from Cairo, and continue to bring us food or tell us to come for dinner. For tonight, we are having Arabic BBQ, I must say Im excited, our landlords are really great cooks, however they like to prepare some strange things. Hopefully the meat will be easily identified haha, Arabs tend to cook some strange things. Hope everyone's doing well at home! Ill post again soon. Ma'salaama!

Egypt Days 3 and 4

The third day we all were in Egypt we went to the famous National Egyptian Museum, which holds millions of artifacts from ancient Egypt and the King Tut exhibit. Obviously the Tut exhibit was the highlight of the museum. Inside we saw the famous Gold Mask that the king was buried in and thousands of artifacts that were found in his tomb, that was discovered in 1922. He was known as one of Ancient Egypt's greatest rulers. Unfortunately, no flash photography was allowed, hence no Tut photos, I suggest you Google the Egyptian Museum if your interested in everything I saw.

After looking at mummy's, tombs, jewelry and learning more of the history of Egypt, we were all pretty pooped, so we headed back to the hotel for some R and R. Again, thanks Dad for the sweet hookup.

Our last day in Egypt was only a half day, we headed to "Old Cairo" and viewed the Coptic part of town. This area is VERY traditional so we all had to wear appropriate clothing and cover our heads during certain points. Coptic Cairo was an area for Christianity before the Islamic Era, the churches were absolutely beautiful as were the gardens and graveyards. We visited St. Georges Church, the monastery and a Muslim mosque. The mosque was the highlight for me, it was amazing to see people worshiping, kneeling on the ground, giving praise in such a different way. In Egypt you often notice men with bruises on their foreheads, it's a sign of piety and devotion to Allah. Basically, these people pray so hard (true muslims kneel and bow to the ground, 5 times a day) that they bruise their foreheads from touching the ground. It's very typical to see men in Egypt with these bruises, and also very respected. I really enjoyed going into the mosque, even though I only saw a small part. (Men and women pray separately and the women's side is much much smaller).

After our adventures in Old Cairo we headed to the airport and flew back to Amman. I really enjoyed my trip to Egypt, I saw a great deal and was in good company. I am also very thankful to be back in Amman, where life moves much slower and people are not always in a rush. I hope everyone likes my pictures as well as the posts. Please, please, please read more about the places I went if you're interested, it's amazing how much history there is in places like Egypt, we often forget our young America is in the big scheme of things.

I'm happily spending the rest of Eid in my aparment in Amman, tomorrow we all are going to go out and explore the city a little. Maybe try and visit a souk downtown sometime later this week. All I know is everyone is excitied to be able to EAT and DRINK in public, finally everything will be opened! It's crazy to think I've been here for almost a month (gasp) the 25th will make it official. I hope all is well at home, I miss everyone and everything more than you all know. Everyday I am thankful for what I've been given, this experience has made me realize how easy my life is back home. Although I miss everything, I'm looking forward to life in Amman, "post Ramandan style", can't wait to experience so much more here. I'll post again soon. Ma'salaama!

Egypt- Day 2 "Barbie does the Citadel"

Day 2 Egypt was just as packed as Day 1. We woke up early and headed off to the Citadel, a national Egyptian monument that was built for the Army and to protect Cairo from invasion. We stepped out of the cab and immediately noticed the place was SWARMING with kids. I felt like I was one a third grade field trip, with no teachers. Loads of kids were running everywhere, climbing, fighting and being very obnoxious. Yes I know Mom, I was a kid once too.

Anyway we walked up the hill to the top of the Monument and went through a military museum. All the time being harassed by young prepubescent boys who kept calling me "barbie". The nickname stuck and my whole Citadel experience revolved around young kids following "barbie" around the monument, I seriously felt like a celeb, kids wanted to take pictures with me and everything. Yes Forrest and Beka, I am just super cool with the teenagers over here in the Middle East. We hung around the top of the Citadel for a while and enjoyed the view of the city, and then went through a gorgeous Mosque. After about an hour of being followed, we decided we all had enough of the "celeb" experience and went to a popular 600 year old souk to check out some shopping.

We arrived at the Khan El Khalili Souk just as everything was opening. MY oh MY, it was amazing. Bustling with people, I really enjoyed the experience. The market was filled with endless corners of shops and little corridors, with millions of food/tea stands, souvenirs, and tables and tables of trinkets. Basically you get to "haggle" with the shop owners about how much your willing to pay for items, I got pretty good at it by the end of the afternoon and will be very prepared for the souks in Amman. Anyway, I spent a good amount of money on some great gifts! It was a great afternoon for us girls!

We ended up meeting some other kids from our program in Amman for dinner in Cairo at a wonderful Egyptian restaurant. After which we rode on a "faluka" or boat on the Nile. The city at night is even crazier than during the day, the nightlife was booming with families and teenagers. The personality of Cairo can only be described as "non stop", the city was a great adventure for all of us!

Cairo = CRAZY Day 1

Marhaba! I just got home last night from an exciting few days in Cairo, Egypt. The experience was jam-packed and very busy to say the least. Cairo was originally where I thought I wanted to study abroad, plus my professor at Villanova is Egyptian, and he was the one who inspired me to study this language and culture. After choosing Jordan, I knew Egypt was the ONE place I had to see while staying over here and I can proudly check it off my list!

We arrived in Cairo late Friday night to our beautiful Marriott hotel. It was located in the heart of downtown right on the Nile. The view of the city lights was breathtaking and I can't say THANK YOU enough to my Dad for our wonderful, comfortable, western room. We woke up early Saturday morning and traveled south, to the older set of pyramids, known as the "step" pyramids or the "saqqara" pyramids. These are located near the town of Memphis, and are some of the oldest stone structures known to man. The drive out of the city gave me a good idea of the typical Cairo lifestyle. Staying in the nicest part of town was very decieving, because a lot of the city is very impoverished, we drove through some of the poorest parts of town on the way to saqqara and I must say it opened my eyes to how many people live. It almost felt like a time warp, people were riding horses, donkeys and pulling karts with cattle. Almost no one had shoes, and everywhere you looked there were people pumping water with hand pumps, getting the water from the ground. No one looked remotely clean, and many people were making carpets, plowing crops, or carrying jugs on their heads. I was amazed at how different life was 12 miles out of the city. Anyway, Saqqara was very neat. Right in the heart of the desert, you can see the city of Cairo off into the distance. We had a nice look in the museum and walked around Saqqara and saw the ruins for a while.

After Saqqara, we experienced the "meat" of Egypt, the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. The Pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and happen to be the only wonder that survives fully intact. Again, I can't fully put into words how amazing this place is. It truly is one of the most incredible things to see. It blows my mind that they pyramids are still standing today, and I can't even begin to imagine how they were constructed in 2560 BC. I mean these structures are HUGE and 100 percent man made, it honestly is mind boggling to think about. We drove to the "tourist" photo spot, took some pictures and then ventured towards the Pyramids and slowly made our way around. We had a great time climbing on the base rocks, taking goofy pictures and trying to escape local "hagglers" who were trying to do anything to take our money. I unfortunately was taken advantage of by a small 6 year old Egyptian girl who gave me a pyramid for free and then whose mother rushed over and begged me for money. So whoever gets the little pyramid for Christmas, there's an interesting back story. The hagglers in Egypt typically are poor people trying to make money selling random things or just telling you they'll take your picture. We all learned very fast that people would do anything to take our money and keeping to ourselves was the best bet. I honestly was a little turned off by the begging and harassing, but I guess it comes with the territory. After walking around the pyramids, we actually went in one, which was a scary experience. Basically you walk into this dark tunnel, and then slowly climb up these wooden ladders that are on an angle to fit inside the pyramid. People are going both up and down these unsturdy things and theres barely any light. To make things better, the air is so hard to inhale because there's no ventilation and probably thousands of years old. Claustrophobia was a total understatment of how I felt. I was FREAKING out. Never the less, the pyramid didn't fall to the ground with me inside and I made it out alive. It was crazy, and I'm sure would not be acceptable by America's building standards haha.

After the Pyramids we checked out the sphinx, which is a mythological creature with a lions body and a man's head. Again, how they built this statue blows my mind, but it was really neat to see. After leaving Giza we headed over to the Papyrus Museum.

Papyrus is a plant that grows in the Nile Delta region and was used by people to make the first paper. Before the plant, people carved everything into stone, so, its discovery was KINDA a big deal. The word paper in most languages is related to the etomology of the word Papyrus. It's significance was also seen in places throughout the bible, most importantly it was thought the bassinet that carried Moses to Egypt was made from the Papyrus plant. The list goes on and on but the plant started a new revolution for the beginning of many items today (baskets, hats, tools, fences, roofs, ropes, trays, mats, fuel and paper). After seeing a demonstration where paper was made, we looked around and bought some beautiful Egyptian Art that is traditionally painted on the papyrus paper. It was really neat to see, because many places in Egypt sell "fakes" that are painted on banana leaf paper.

We returned to the hotel exhausted and went to a local restaurant on the Nile for dinner. Bed time was soon to follow. Day 1 was a huge success, and our first day in Egypt was incredible.

ER in Amman?!?!

Today marked the last day of classes before break! The city is so busy getting ready for the holiday, it's amazing! I finished class, hit the gym and headed to my apartment to tackle some laundry (another LONGGGG process).

Unfortunately, this evening my roommate Alison started feeling really awful and was experiencing major stomach pains. She was thinking it could be appendicitis, so I went with her to the ER to get things straightened out. Jordan is known for very good health care, and our experience totally confirmed that. I actually think the ER in Jordan does a better job than the ones in America, it was quick and she was seen by a doctor within minutes, even without proper insurance. Thankfully, it was Gastritis, propbably caused by the major change in diet and semi-fasting we have been doing throughout the days here. She was given an IV and they did some blood tests and within an hour we were at the pharmacy picking up a stomach prescription. The male nurse who saw Alison was SO incredibly sweet, and apparently graduated from UJ last year, he was quite interested in our Arabic Studies. The language barrier was not a problem, THANK GOODNESS, but was actually very entertaining... for example,when he wanted Alison to lay down, he said to her, "Please go to sleep now, you need to sleep" I really couldnt help but laugh. He also let me stay in the room for everything and didnt mind one bit that I was around.

Now, I'm just back in my apartment getting things ready for my trip to Cairo. Alison and I leave tomorrow night, and we will meet our roommates, who fly out tomorrow morning. It will be nice to not have to rush to the airport and to sleep in! We have 4 nights in Cairo and then the rest of next week back in Amman. The end of Ramandan is Saturday and will be followed by a week filled with family gatherings and tons of food. It's almost like Christmas here, everyone puts up bright lights and it's their time of the year to be thankful for life's blessing. It's really neat to experience this part of the Arab culture. Although not eating and drinking in public is really hard, it really makes you thankful for the food you put on your table at night.

I will def take lots of pics in Egypt and do a ton of shopping! If anyone wants anything please let me know! Hope everyone back home has a nice weekend! Ma'salaama, Ramadan Kareem!

It's a good day to be in Amman!

AHHH so today was a VERY good day in Amman. I found out that I got an internship with a subgroup of the company I interviewed with last week! I'm very thrilled and honored that they accepted me! I have a meeting with my new "boss" tomorrow and will go over all the logistics over a nice cup of qawa (coffee)! Basically, the group focuses on the water issues here in Jordan and is working on sustainability and purification! I get to work on govt proposals to improve the water system and may even get to give a few presentations! Either way I'm thrilled to be interning in a foregin country, what a blast!

I also got a surprise care package from my mom today, I must say, I was the envy of all my classes! I think I was the first person here to get an American package, how spoiled I am! THANKS MOM so much for all the sweets and pictures, I'm wearing the necklace now :) Everything you sent made me smile (and almost cry for that matter). While I've been so stressed lately and the days have been like a roller coaster, it all came together today, and I finally am beginning to feel like I'm settling down.

Tonight my roommates and I are going out for an iftar dinner, argeelah and some tea. I'm excited that we dont have to cook and do dishes! Later this week Ramandan ends and basically the "Arabic Christmas" begins. We have ten days off, starting from the 17th and continuing til the 27th. Everyone celebrates ending the month of fasting with tons of food, music and parties! My roommates and I are heading to Cairo, Egypt from the 18th to the 22nd with a bunch of kids in the program, we will be back in Amman for the rest of the break. Thanks to my Dad, were staying in a great hotel in downtown Cairo overlooking the Pyramids! Can't wait to take pictures and update about my next trip. I'll post again before I leave! Thanks again Mom for being so thoughtful and supportive, my roomies and I are muching away on candy watching some arabic film now! Thanks Dad for all the travel help, can't wait to experience Egypt! Love you guys! Ma'salaama!

Petra Weekend!!!

Wow, so lately I've been super busy. Let me first start with this past weekend. Our program took us to three popular tourist attractions in Jordan for a three day long excursion. I think the idea was to get all 80 of us together for some good old "Arabic style" bonding, which most definitely occurred. The trip was AMAZING but also proved to be one of the longest, most tiring weekends of my life.

We left Amman early Thursday morning and drove 4 hours south to an area known as "Wadi Rum". Along the way we made a nice pit stop at a Arabic rest stop, which honestly was a HUGE tourist trap, selling over priced tea, golden camels, and arab garments. Needless to say, many people in my program spent way too much money on items that could easily be purchased here in downtown Amman for about 2 or 3 American dollars.

Wadi, which means "valley" in arabic and Rum which means "high or elevated" is the biggest valley in Jordan. It's very famous for it's beautiful mountains, red sand and Bedouin inhabitants. The Bedouins are a group of nomadic Arab desert dwellers who continue to live and thrive in Wadi Rum. They're extremely hospitable, but choose to maintain a very secluded lifestyle in the desert, away from the outside world. Anyway, once we got to Wadi Rum, we ate lunch at the welcome center, lathered on sunscreen and set out into the desert on camels, YES CAMELS, for a 3 hour ride. Let me remind you again, that there was 80 American students, setting off on 80 camels, it was crazy. Camels are not the nicest creatures, they actually are VERY stubborn and I found them terrifying. They make this noise which sounds like a dying man, and often refuse to follow the instructions of their trainers, which are of course barefoot bedouin young men. The guys honestly ranged in age from about 12 to 23, and they got paid a total of 5 JD for the three hour hike. Can you please just imagine a 12 year old boy, with a large stick, yelling at a camel in some crazy dialect of arabic, while I'm trying to get on the camel's back and not pee my pants at the same time, because the camel is HUGE and making dying man noises. Yup, that's pretty much how it went. The ride was pretty rough, and again the camels were stubborn so it was quite intimidating. One girl's camel ran off, well sprinted off with her on its back and another girl's camel threw her off... mine thankfully was good, I was praying the whole time! Not only did I have to get on the camel once, but three times, because we stopped at three different places to let the camels rest and to take note of the GORGEOUS scenery. I will probably say this way too many times in my blog, but words and pictures cannot describe how quaint and beautiful the Wadi Rum desert is, I wish I could have taken a movie for everyone at home. It was so incredible to see a vast area of land, untouched by people, that endlessly stretched for miles and miles.

I was humbled by the experience, I've never seen anything so amazing. I imagine it resembles the Grand Canyon, everything was so big, and when looking into the distance I almost felt like I was looking at a picture, the colors were so bright and vivid. After our three hour camel ride, we arrived at our resting place for the first night, a Bedouin camp at the desert's edge. YES, all 80 of us camped with nomadic Arabs in the desert. The night was filled with food, traditional argeelah(hookah) and stars. The stars were unbelievable out in the desert, better than anyplace I've ever seen. The camp was nestled in the mountains so besides the huge bonfire, everything was pitch black. I've never felt so small. The night ended with some circle dancing around the fire, and a not so nice sleep in a tent on sandy mattresses. Hey, but what an experience it was.

The next day we woke up early, ate in the camp and piled on to what they called 4 by 4's. Basically, it was a pickup truck with benches in the back. We spent the morning off-roading through the mountains/desert and visiting magnificent stops along the way. It was CRAZY and when I say crazy I mean it, numerous times I thought trucks were going to roll over, and the guys in my program totally egged the drivers on by hooting and hollering, so of course no speed limit was observed and many times the drivers would race each other or cut each other off. I think my driver was probably 14, and I can honestly say, at times I was scared for my life, but hey, it was another experience that I lived through and with no seat belt haha. Once we reached civilization we drove to the southern most tip of Jordan, to a Port called Aqaba. Right on the Red Sea, the town looked like it could fit right into the Caribbean. It was hot, sunny and there were palm trees everywhere, not to mention the water was a beautiful shade of blue and you could actually see straight to the bottom! We all ate lunch, then got on boats and spent the afternoon snorkeling. It was of course, fun in the sun, but the amazing thing was in the middle of the sea you could look around and see Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Jordan. Although I probably won't make it to those other countries, I can at least say I saw them! After boating we re boarded the buses and drove to Petra, where we camped in another Bedouin camp for the night.

Saturday morning we woke up extra early and prepared for our Petra Adventure. Petra is an archeological site that was first discovered in the mountains of Jordan in 1812. The city dates back to the 18th dynasty of Egypt and was once inhibited by the Romans. People lived in Petra on and off until around 1985 when it was deemed a World Heritage Site. Petra is said to have biblical connections through the dead sea scrolls and certain passages in the bible.

We left the camp and hiked 4 hours through the mountains, entering Petra from behind. It was a really hard hike, and was a problem for the non athletic kids in my program. It was really amazing though, again with all the mountains, plus along the way there were ruins of towns, left over uninhabited homes, and arabic messages carved into rocks. I was so elated once we finally reached the "rose-red city half as old as time". I honestly can't put Petra into words, I hate to be lame but you really need to experience it for yourself. It's hard to believe that people lived there and it's even harder to believe they carved a massive city out of stone during that pre-historic time. It was again, humbling, and I was and will continue to be in awe of Petra. After seeing everything in the city of Petra we left through the entrance, which basically is a path between two huge mountains, the path is probably 2 miles long and seems never ending. I think entering that way into Petra makes it that much more amazing, you're just walking through mountains and all of a sudden you walk into this huge open space and carved into the mountains is a beautiful city, it's mind boggling.We then drove back to Amman, exhausted from the two nights of desert camping and all the adventures, everyone was pretty quiet for the 4 hour ride back.

I will honestly remember this weekend for the entirety of my life. I can't put the experience into words, although I have tried to here. I feel very blessed I have seen places most people have never even heard of. The beauty of Jordan is again impossible to put into words. It's rustic, untouched by man and totally a sight that will never be forgotten in my mind. I know my pictures can't express the beauty, but I hope everyone can see that there IS beauty in the Middle East that ranges from oceans to mountains to lost cities. This area is NOT just a big sand box filled with dirty people who are religious extremists. Rather, this area is filled with successful people, some who live in unimaginable ways and have done so for centuries. These people don't know the hate or stereotypes of the outside world. These people are proud of their culture, heritage and home. They show it to outsiders with an open heart and mind. I only hope people will embrace this culture and visit more of the middle east, because it has SO much to offer us. I really was amazed by my time in the desert, I hope my post will inspire people to research these areas, or study them, or hey, maybe even travel, if not here, anywhere. Going abroad offers so much, I've learned there is such a BIG world outside of America. Ma'salaama for now...

Petra Pics

Wadi Rum Pics

What a day

Well, today was an interesting day to say the least. We all started classes on Sunday(which is equivalent to the American Monday... Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend over here) and things have been, um unorganized to put it nicely. Most of the campus is shut down because it's Ramadan, therefore the Arab students don't start school until late this month. There's no eating, drinking or smoking in public, ANYWHERE and if you're caught taking the smallest sip of water, you could be arrested. There's not too much to stress about because almost every place is closed, the dining halls, local college hangouts/restaurants, fast food places, stores and most buildings on campus. So even IF you wanted to find food, you most likely wouldn't. Our program has allowed us to start our classes early, probably because we are all scrambling to learn "real" arabic, by "real" I mean the stuff that's spoken on the street. Formal Arabic doesn't get you very far, and the cab drivers just LOVE to listen to all of us butcher words. While we're all trying to find our way around town and campus, most families are fasting, sleeping most of the day and eating most of the night. Fasting from dawn til dusk is extremely hard, I'm trying my best to understand why and often struggle with the concept. Muslims believe in fasting during Ramadan mainly to understand how less fortunate people feel. They believe it teaches patience and self control. Not only is it a "fast" from eating and drinking, but also thinking negative thoughts, cursing, or talking about people. It makes you stop, and really think about each and every thing you do, it also makes you appreciate the value of everyday life. I'm not fasting because I'm a Westerner, but the limitations placed on society apply to ALL, so at school, it's no food or drink for me.

Today, I had my first "alone in a foreign country experience". I got an interview with a local NGO called Engicon. They're an environmental engineering consulting firm that deals with many issues in the middle east, such as the sustainability of water and goods, roads, buildings and cross cultural communication. I started the day very excited and super nervous. During my break I read their website for the millionth time and brainstormed questions that I thought I may be asked. I chose the "professional business look" instead of the "trendy college student" and thought I was very prepared, I seriously looked the part. Well, my interview was at 4 and in a part of the city I had never heard of, I got into a cab at 245 and quickly learned my driver did not speak a lick of English and had no clue where I was going. Thankfully, I had written the address down, in Arabic, for just this reason. After 30 mins of driving around old Amman, the cab driver pulls over and he gets out, leaving me sitting in the cab alone for close to ten mins. He had gone to ask directions. By this time, my professional business look consisted of me covered in sweat, totally stressed because I couldnt communicate with my driver. He just kept saying "NO ENGLISH" and mumbling under his breath. We FINALLY got near the building and I got out and walked the rest of the way, 45 mins in a hot cab, after a stressful encounter and I was READY to kick some butt. I walked into Engicon and immediately noticed I was very overdressed. Everyone was in jeans and a t-shirt and I was a sweaty-business-mess. My interview went well I guess, it's hard to say. I guess because it really wasnt much of an interview, but more a conversation. I talked to a project manager about random things and then she told me she'd let me know by Thursday if I got the job, I honestly thought she was just warming me up for the big boss, who would do the interview. My 45 min cab ride was NOT worth the 10 min convo about the weather in Amman, haha it was umm quite unusual and very informal. So... we will see if I get the internship, en sha allah! My cab back was the opposite then my cab there. The driver spoke english very well and had the AC blasting on the artic chill level. He was a little too friendly and kept giving me his cell phone numbers and telling me he could tutor me in Arabic if I ever needed help. This guy looked older than my Dad (no offense Big Ray) and I was EXTREMELY glad when he pulled into my neighborhood. OH MY, what an experience, and all alone, although I was texting my roommate Alison the WHOLE time haha just in case I needed backup.

Once I got back, Alison and I (well mainly her) braved the 50 yr old green Toyota washing machine to try and get some much needed laundry done. HAHA oh dear, another crazy experience. We had no idea how much soap to use so we just kinda guessed. I was picturing a movie scene where the laundry overflows and suds are soaking the floor, thankfully that did not happen. The washer worked okay but after that we went through the process of : washing the extra suds out of our clothes in the sink, wringing out the excess water, putting 4 or 5 pieces into the "spin dry" for 5 mins, then taking the damp clothes from the spin dry and placing them on a drying rack. Let's just say, it was a process and I MISS DOING LAUNDRY IN AMERICA. Every time you use your big washer and dryer, esp the dryer, think of me, wringing and spinning my clothes to death!

Tomorrow is our last day of class for this week, we have a program trip to Petra and the Desert on Thursday for the weekend. CAMEL RIDES WHOOO HOOO!!! haha its going to be intense, but Ill be sure to document the whole experience. Petra is considered one of the new wonders of the world, you may recognize the amazing village carved into mountains from some popular American films (Indiana Jones). Check out the link for more info! Anyways it will be a few days before I post again, but I hope everyone is doing well in America. Ma' salaama for now!
http://www.visitjordan.com/Default.aspx?Tabid=63

All Settled in!

Good morning from Amman! I am currently the only roommate up so I thought I would take a few pictures of my new apartment and update my blog!

Our apartment is located in the SAFEST district of Amman, in Al-rahbiya, directly across from the Israeli Embassy. Needless to say, there is a ton of "secret police" and armed gunman all around. We have a gated apartment that is on a huge hill, with a beautiful view of the city, esp at night. We also have a garden with a lemon tree, so once the fall progresses, we will have fresh lemons all the time! The apartment is HUGE, it basically is three apartments connected, 2 of which are for me and my 4 roommates. The third is our landlord's, an elderly couple originaly from Canada, who have already adopted us as "their daughters" for the semester. It's honestly the best of both worlds, we have the ability to interact with a family, like a homestay, but also the independence of living alone and shutting the connecting door. The female landlord has already driven us to the supermarket, made us tea, and baked us sweets!

The apartments are very big, with a ton of space ( 2 kitchens, 3 baths, 2 living rooms, 5 bedrooms) the five of us are leaving the connecting door open and treating it more like one big apartment rather than two smaller ones. This way we have to clean half as much! My roommates are all very sweet, and from great US schools. Lina is actually arab, shes from UC San Fran. but honestly fits right in here because of her family heritage. It has already helped a lot in terms of communicating with the outside world. Our first night she got on the phone and ordered us all Chinese Food using her fluent arabic skills. Shes here to learn how to read and write formally. Alison is from NYC but attends Johns Hopkins and is an International Relations major. Soraya is from Florida, but goes to Tufts and also is Persian, so shes very educated on the arab ways. Vanessa is from Washington State and attends Georgetown, she is an Arabic Language Major, so she's very, very brave, and will stay the whole year. All my roommates are different, but we have had a good few days together. Last night we cooked our first apartment meal, which consisted of salad, chicken and rice! It took us a bit to figure out how to use the stove and oven, but it was very tasty in the end!

I have already developed a HUGE appreciation for the American ways. Jordan is a landlocked country with a bigggg water problem, so conservation is a major part of life. All apartments and homes are delivered water once a week, the water is stored in tanks in the basement or on the roof. If you run out, you pay a hefty fee. So that means, laundry is done once or twice a week (if lucky), showers are limited to 3 or 4 minutes , and toilet paper is NOT flushed and typically not even used in most places. You must throw it out in a waste basket next to the toilet or there is a small hose provided to clean yourself off. This makes small everyday jobs a lot harder, washing the dishes, or even your hands is a process. Americans really REALLY take water for granted.

Surprisingly, oil is also sparse. Everything runs on gas, which is delivered once a week, if you run out, you pay extra. This means cars are very very expensive and usually jam packed with 6 or 7 people, with small kids on the laps of adults. The typical Arab culture has no "formal" time schedule, it is very laid back, you arrive when you arrive and if your late it's the norm. However, once you get into a taxi or car, mass chaos breaks lose. The driving here is insane, its no wonder my program forbids us from renting cars. There are no street lines and yield signs, people just drive like crazys. They say 10 people die each day in Amman from trying to cross the street, SCARY huh? The statistic for car accidents is even worse. Driving is an interesting experience each and every time.Walking is also an experience, esp. if your an American girl who is not covered. We were told not to make eye contact or smile at men, because that is seen as an open invitation for sex. It's very hard not to look at men when they are constantly beeping their horns, or cat-calling at you. It makes me almost wish I was back in America where only the real scum-bags forwardly hit on you. We also must cover up our legs and arms to the elbows, or else it is considered "haram" or shame. It's tough to dress modestly when its warm outside and when in America girls can walk around half naked, and it's the norm. It really makes you respect yourself and the female form ALOT more. It's hard to feel like I'm below a man, but culturally I have to respect the norms and keep my head bowed and try not to draw attention to myself. I think we've all gotten use to the stares, yells and beeps while walking down the street.


My classes start tomorrow, so I will def update again sometime soon. The university is very pretty and my schedule seems pretty lax, I'm keeping my fingers crossed thats the truth. It will def. be nice to get back into a schedule. I think today, my roommates and I are going to try and get internet in our apartment, since we are currently mooching off of some unsecured network in the area. Alison and I are also going to also try and join a local all female gym. I hope everyone is doing well in America! Ma'salaama!

Jordan Pictures!!!