This week is the halfway point of the semester. Things have been going really well thus far. My Arabic is progressing. Our Standard Arabic (or Fusha) teacher Ghadeer is pretty cool. I did really well on our midterms last week. Colloquial isn’t going quite as well, because it’s not nearly as interesting to me and I really don’t speak it very much. My area studies classes aren’t too bad either.
Living here really isn’t that different than living back home. I haven’t been cooking very much, so most nights I go out. My favorite food here is shwerma, which is basically shavings from a big hunk of slowly-barbequing chicken in a wrap with mayonnaise and sometimes other things. They’re served in little snack shops which are pretty ubiquitous throughout the city. The best place I’ve tried is this small shop by the university, which puts lemon in it and is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. There’s also one by our house (the Gazelle Restaurant) that puts cheese on it, which is really good too. As far as traditional Middle Eastern foods go, I also eat a lot of falafel, which is some type of fried vegetable meal. Of course there’s a lot of pita, hummus, and babaganoush as well. For American food, I eat at Subway and a couple decent pizza places on a regular basis. The restaurants here are laid out differently than in America. Usually the food is prepared in front of you on the ground floor and then the dining room is upstairs. Occasionally the upstairs will be reserved for families only. The food here has been pretty good, though the flavors really aren’t all that much different than they are back home.
Spring break is coming up in a couple weeks. I’m going to be going to Egypt with three other kids from the program. Right now our plan is to take a ferry from Aqaba to Nuweibah in Egypt, then a bus to Cairo where we will spend a few days. We’ll also be taking the train down to Luxor and possibly getting to Alexandria before flying back to Amman. I’m a little wary because I’ve heard nothing but terrible things about Egypt, especially Cairo. It has essentially been described as hell on Earth: dirty, smelly, loud, and unfriendly. Egyptians in the Middle East are a lot like Mexicans in America (or Poles in Britain, Turks in Germany, etc.). It’s perhaps a bit more defined here though, because Arabs absolutely look down on manual labor and are also unashamed about racism.
Until spring break, things should be a little calmer. Hopefully I will have a little more time to write.
PS: No offense to any Egyptians who may be reading. >.>
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Wadi Rum
This weekend our program took an overnight trip down to Wadi Rum, one of the most beautiful places on Earth and also the setting for the hit film, Lawrence of Arabia. We left Friday morning at about 8:30 in two busses. It was about a five hour drive, including a rest stop. The drive south of Amman was not particularly interesting, though it was my first time truly in the desert.
We didn’t arrive until the early afternoon, when we were dropped off in the middle of the desert. There we all hopped into the back of a bunch of pick-up trucks for a tour of Wadi Rum. We stopped off at a bunch of cool rock formations and climbed up this really big dune. In the end we watched a sunset off of another rock formation. Finally at about 7:00 we came to our campsite. We had a buffet dinner, which was really good and satisfying. Everyone hung around the campground for the rest of the night. Some people danced, others sat around a bonfire. I ended up playing rummy and then strolling through the desert with a few other people. On Saturday we got to ride across the desert on a big herd of camels. That was pretty cool. Camels are really interesting animals with a lot of personality. We got back Saturday night. Definitely a memorable experience.
The temperature was surprisingly cool for the desert. During the camel ride, there was a brisk wind and I got cold; but I also had forgotten my keffiyeh and got sunburned. When you're on foot or camelback in the desert, it's hard to tell how far away anything is. You can see something in the distance for hours before actually arriving there. Wadi Rum is an impressive place. The scale is just so big. It’s hard to describe without seeing it in person. Wadi Rum used to be underwater, but as the water retreated it took the sandstone with it, so now all that’s left are the towers of rock. Eventually, in tens of millions of years, all the rock will erode until eventually there’s nothing left.
We didn’t arrive until the early afternoon, when we were dropped off in the middle of the desert. There we all hopped into the back of a bunch of pick-up trucks for a tour of Wadi Rum. We stopped off at a bunch of cool rock formations and climbed up this really big dune. In the end we watched a sunset off of another rock formation. Finally at about 7:00 we came to our campsite. We had a buffet dinner, which was really good and satisfying. Everyone hung around the campground for the rest of the night. Some people danced, others sat around a bonfire. I ended up playing rummy and then strolling through the desert with a few other people. On Saturday we got to ride across the desert on a big herd of camels. That was pretty cool. Camels are really interesting animals with a lot of personality. We got back Saturday night. Definitely a memorable experience.
The temperature was surprisingly cool for the desert. During the camel ride, there was a brisk wind and I got cold; but I also had forgotten my keffiyeh and got sunburned. When you're on foot or camelback in the desert, it's hard to tell how far away anything is. You can see something in the distance for hours before actually arriving there. Wadi Rum is an impressive place. The scale is just so big. It’s hard to describe without seeing it in person. Wadi Rum used to be underwater, but as the water retreated it took the sandstone with it, so now all that’s left are the towers of rock. Eventually, in tens of millions of years, all the rock will erode until eventually there’s nothing left.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Long Weekend
This past weekend was pretty eventful. A lot of people on our program went traveling to such exotic places as Aqaba, Beirut, and Damascus because Monday is the Prophet’s birthday, giving themselves a four-day weekend (though there is class Sunday). I was not feeling that and stayed around Amman.
Friday morning I went to the Friday market (“sook”) in Abdali bus station with the Year-long student across the hall. We were both looking for new shoes, though I ended up not finding anything. There was an interesting array of items for sale there. The shoes were for the most part slightly soiled, but they had some really interesting pairs that would sell for a lot of money new back in America. The same can be said for the rows upon rows of clothing that were available, though there were a lot of really cheap things and knockoffs drowning it out. In addition to clothes, there was also a lot of random housewares for sale, and for some reason a lot of stuffed animals as well.
After leaving the market I went to a soccer match. We met up at this Jordanian's house where we took taxis to the game. There were seven of us in all. The game was being played in Amman International Stadium, which is the biggest in the country. Unfortunately, we got split up and ended up sitting on opposite sides of the field.
The match was being played between Faisaly and Wahdat, the Celtics and Lakers of Jordanian soccer. Also, Faisaly is considered to be a Jordanian team, while Wahdat is considered Palestinian, though both teams are based in Amman. Our group was in the Faisaly cheering section. I’m pretty sure this was part of the Middle Eastern version of Europe’s Champions League, but I never got a clear answer on that. Anyway, Faisaly needed a win to continue on and had just apparently come off of a bad loss. They came out playing pretty badly though, and all the fans in our section were pretty bummed out.
Towards the end though, things started to get more exciting. In extra time one of the Faisaly players managed to weave through the defense and score. The crowd in our section went nuts. People started running around and hugging each other. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera, but this Youtube video of another Philadelphia team (fun fact: Amman was called Philadelphia during Roman and Byzantine times) pulling out an important victory in the final seconds sort of sums up what happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8onB6Lm64.
Afterwards we went to a hookah place and played a game called “Turnab”, which is like a simpler version of bridge. I left early though, since I had signed up for a CIEE trip early the next day. We were going to Lake Ziglab, which isn’t really much of a lake, more of a small reservoir. It was about a two-hour drive through the Jordan Valley to get there. Once we arrived we paddled across in inflatable boats. Then we followed the stream that fed the reservoir up through the mountains. We ate lunch at this waterfall and then hiked back.
Sunday wasn’t quite as interesting. I went to classes in the morning and then did some work in the afternoon. On the holiday I went to Jerash, the best-preserved Roman city in the Middle East. While there, I got to watch the show at the hippodrome that they put on. It included a demonstration of Roman military and gladiatorial techniques, as well as a chariot race. The city itself was really cool. It was nice to see actual Roman ruins after reading and studying so much about them in school. I got back in the evening and ended up going to bed pretty early since I had an 8:00 class Tuesday morning. That was my weekend.
Friday morning I went to the Friday market (“sook”) in Abdali bus station with the Year-long student across the hall. We were both looking for new shoes, though I ended up not finding anything. There was an interesting array of items for sale there. The shoes were for the most part slightly soiled, but they had some really interesting pairs that would sell for a lot of money new back in America. The same can be said for the rows upon rows of clothing that were available, though there were a lot of really cheap things and knockoffs drowning it out. In addition to clothes, there was also a lot of random housewares for sale, and for some reason a lot of stuffed animals as well.
After leaving the market I went to a soccer match. We met up at this Jordanian's house where we took taxis to the game. There were seven of us in all. The game was being played in Amman International Stadium, which is the biggest in the country. Unfortunately, we got split up and ended up sitting on opposite sides of the field.
The match was being played between Faisaly and Wahdat, the Celtics and Lakers of Jordanian soccer. Also, Faisaly is considered to be a Jordanian team, while Wahdat is considered Palestinian, though both teams are based in Amman. Our group was in the Faisaly cheering section. I’m pretty sure this was part of the Middle Eastern version of Europe’s Champions League, but I never got a clear answer on that. Anyway, Faisaly needed a win to continue on and had just apparently come off of a bad loss. They came out playing pretty badly though, and all the fans in our section were pretty bummed out.
Towards the end though, things started to get more exciting. In extra time one of the Faisaly players managed to weave through the defense and score. The crowd in our section went nuts. People started running around and hugging each other. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera, but this Youtube video of another Philadelphia team (fun fact: Amman was called Philadelphia during Roman and Byzantine times) pulling out an important victory in the final seconds sort of sums up what happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8onB6Lm64.
Afterwards we went to a hookah place and played a game called “Turnab”, which is like a simpler version of bridge. I left early though, since I had signed up for a CIEE trip early the next day. We were going to Lake Ziglab, which isn’t really much of a lake, more of a small reservoir. It was about a two-hour drive through the Jordan Valley to get there. Once we arrived we paddled across in inflatable boats. Then we followed the stream that fed the reservoir up through the mountains. We ate lunch at this waterfall and then hiked back.
Sunday wasn’t quite as interesting. I went to classes in the morning and then did some work in the afternoon. On the holiday I went to Jerash, the best-preserved Roman city in the Middle East. While there, I got to watch the show at the hippodrome that they put on. It included a demonstration of Roman military and gladiatorial techniques, as well as a chariot race. The city itself was really cool. It was nice to see actual Roman ruins after reading and studying so much about them in school. I got back in the evening and ended up going to bed pretty early since I had an 8:00 class Tuesday morning. That was my weekend.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Snow Day
Sorry it's been so long since the last entry. Ironically enough, classes were canceled yesterday because of snow. The weather this weekend has been really bad: cold, wet, and windy. It didn’t really snow today aside for briefly in the morning, and there was no accumulation at our apartment, but I guess the threat was enough to close things down.
On Saturday I went to the Dead Sea with my roommates and a few other people. Because of the weather, it may not have been the best day to go. It was cold and rainy in Amman and cloudy and very windy at the Dead Sea, though probably about five or so degrees warmer. Nevertheless, it was still a good experience.
We left at around one in the afternoon and took a cab to a bus station near downtown. We then boarded a bus bound for the Dead Sea. It was only about a forty-five minute ride, and that was with several stops. We were dropped off along the side of the road near the Dead Sea. There we met a Japanese student named Kira who was traveling across Asia. He decided to join up with us. After walking for a bit we came across this empty playground. We decided at that point to turn off the road and go toward the sea.
We then proceeded to walk down the coast for a few kilometers. It was slow going because the mud was really thick. It ended up caked all over my shoes. Along the way we came across a guy on a horse who offered us rides. Unfortunately, it ended up costing ten dinar. After a bit longer we came across some guys in a truck who offered to take us to Amman Beach, which was our initial destination but it would have cost an extra dinar each to get there on the bus.
There was a long and fruitless discussion with them about logistics, but we ended up going to the road and hitchhiking. We wound up in the back of a mostly empty delivery truck, but the driver apparently didn’t understand where we wanted to go and dropped us off about 10 kilometers too far. Another van took us to Amman Beach, but by that time we were all really tired and weren’t going to swim so one of the shuttles took us back to Amman.
Amman Beach felt like it has a similar atmosphere to the beach in America. There were resorts, hotels, and restaurants. It was empty, however, either because of the weather or maybe it’s out of season. It really felt just like the ocean, not the lowest point in the world or the Holy Land. This also marked the first time I had been outside of Amman since arrival. It was fun just improvising. That’s not really something I’ve had a chance to do in my limited past travels. Hopefully this is the last weekend that is rained out and from now on we'll be able to enjoy all that this country has to offer.
On Saturday I went to the Dead Sea with my roommates and a few other people. Because of the weather, it may not have been the best day to go. It was cold and rainy in Amman and cloudy and very windy at the Dead Sea, though probably about five or so degrees warmer. Nevertheless, it was still a good experience.
We left at around one in the afternoon and took a cab to a bus station near downtown. We then boarded a bus bound for the Dead Sea. It was only about a forty-five minute ride, and that was with several stops. We were dropped off along the side of the road near the Dead Sea. There we met a Japanese student named Kira who was traveling across Asia. He decided to join up with us. After walking for a bit we came across this empty playground. We decided at that point to turn off the road and go toward the sea.
We then proceeded to walk down the coast for a few kilometers. It was slow going because the mud was really thick. It ended up caked all over my shoes. Along the way we came across a guy on a horse who offered us rides. Unfortunately, it ended up costing ten dinar. After a bit longer we came across some guys in a truck who offered to take us to Amman Beach, which was our initial destination but it would have cost an extra dinar each to get there on the bus.
There was a long and fruitless discussion with them about logistics, but we ended up going to the road and hitchhiking. We wound up in the back of a mostly empty delivery truck, but the driver apparently didn’t understand where we wanted to go and dropped us off about 10 kilometers too far. Another van took us to Amman Beach, but by that time we were all really tired and weren’t going to swim so one of the shuttles took us back to Amman.
Amman Beach felt like it has a similar atmosphere to the beach in America. There were resorts, hotels, and restaurants. It was empty, however, either because of the weather or maybe it’s out of season. It really felt just like the ocean, not the lowest point in the world or the Holy Land. This also marked the first time I had been outside of Amman since arrival. It was fun just improvising. That’s not really something I’ve had a chance to do in my limited past travels. Hopefully this is the last weekend that is rained out and from now on we'll be able to enjoy all that this country has to offer.
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