Amman the Beautiful

One week in! It's crazy to think that I only arrived to Amman a week ago today (Sunday) and already it feels like I've always lived here! There is so much that has happened, and I would love to write in explicit detail about all of it, but then a)my poor fingers would fall off and b) even if I did manage to write it all down, no one would have the time or patience to read it all. So if I write about something ever in this blog that you want to know more about, just let me know! I'm sure I will talk your ear off about it haha.

So I guess I will just go in chronological order:

The Traveling days: My very long, exhausting flight was fairly uneventful, minus some rudeness by JFKers and about an hour of turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean. I managed while in Frankfurt to find a 'leisure area' where you could lie down in these comfy chairs and sleep...so that's what I did. I met up with two guys on my program in Frankfurt also, and  we stuck together through Jordanian customs and baggage claim when we got to Amman at 12:30 am last Sunday. Sunday was pretty much spent sleeping and getting to know my room mate at the hotel in Amman....also it rained a ton. DC levels of rain. Apparently it snowed too, but I didn't notice that.

Monday: This was our big touristy/orientation day with CIEE. The students were split into different groups and taken around the city....we went to the Royal Automobile Museum, which was cool (I guess, since I'm not much of a car person haha). Later we had lunch at this really delicious restaurant in downtown Amman (I have not really tasted any food here that I do not like!) and walked to the Roman Ampitheatre, which I can easily say is the only thing that has literally taken my breath away when seeing it. Pictures do not do it justice:

Here is a view from the Citadel, which is opposite the Theatre:

What was really amazing, walking in and around the Theatre and the Citadel (which is pretty much old Roman ruins/pillars that is on a cliff overlooking the city), is how old everything is. Yes, Europe is old.....but this place is Ancient:

By the end of that day, everyone was exhausted, but overall pretty excited that this was the city we are now calling 'home.' 

Tuesday was more orientation...we visited the University of Jordan, where we are taking our classes, and took our Arabic Proficiency Exam, which caused the stress levels of everyone to shoot up. It was super hard, but I managed to place into the level I wanted. 

Wednesday was spent at the hotel all day, where we went over safety and our homestays....then that evening we were picked up by our host families. I was nervous, but looking back, I had no reason to be! I love my host family....the oldest, my host sister, is also a student at UJ and speaks extremely good English. The brothers are more shy, but I think once my Arabic gets better, we will be able to talk more. The mom and grandma are very sweet and try to talk to me in formal Arabic haha. The dad works alot, but when I see him, he is always very pleasant. 

The weekend I spent mostly with my host family, even going to a lunch with their cousins and played a game of 'war' with cousins and my host siblings (war as in toy guns and chasing each other around the house). I also hung out with some of my friends from my orientation group....we went to a new mall in the city, where if I ever feel in need of American clothes, that's the place to go. Also.....there is a Pinkberry frozen youghert shop there. WIN! 

Today, I started my Arabic classes (oh yeah, the week in the Middle East is Sunday-Thursday, since Friday is the Holy Day in Islam). and on Wednesday, my Area study classes will begin. I'm excited because I got into a Arab Women Writers class which sounds super interesting! 

I think this will have everyone pretty much caught up....again if you want to know more, just ask! Also, if you want to see more pictures, here is the link to my online album: https://picasaweb.google.com/100472439429054300759/Amman?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLP9lvv_2eysDQ&feat=directlink

Ma Salama!

And Here We Go!

Well, it's the night before I begin my long journey to the Middle East (emphasis on the long, it's 27 hours total, with two 6-7 hour layovers in JFK and Frankfurt....not that I'm looking for pity or anything haha).

My one big suitcase is all packed and just a couple of pounds short of the maximum (yessss!), my carry on is stocked with a weeks worth of clothes, just in case, and my backpack is filled with entertainment.

All of this points to the undeniable fact that, I am indeed getting on a place tomorrow and jetsetting to Jordan for four months. And yet, it is still unreal to me.

I'm not stranger to traveling....as most of you know, I took a gap year between high school and college, to live in Germany for a year, a year that I loved and have never regretted. I do recall a similar feeling on the eve of my trip to Germany, of it not sinking in. It didn't sink in until I got off that plane and all of the signs were in German first, English second. It became real the next morning when I woke up in a bed that wasn't mine, to the sounds of German conversation.

I expect it will be about the same for this journey too. However, there are so many differences between when I went to Germany and what Jordan will be like...I say this because I probably won't be mentioning Germany as a comparison too much after this post. For starters:
1) I was 18 and traveling by myself to Germany.....For Jordan, I am 21 (going on 22) and going with dozens of other American students, some of who I know and am friends with (Shout out to Sabreen!!!)
2) German vocabulary---pretty much English with a heavy accent. Arabic vocabulary---not so much.
3) As my mom says, in Germany, no one would have guessed that I wasn't a native German....just look through my pictures as proof. Blonde, blue eyed, fair skinned....my German heritage is pretty obvious. Now I am going to the Middle East, where I know light skin and blue eyes do exist, but I will be in the minority.
For these reasons, I want to try to separate my experiences in Germany from my upcoming experiences in Jordan.

Don't get me wrong. I am so excited for this challenge....I look forward to the day when I can just glance at an Arabic word or sentence and inherently know what it says without sounding it out. I look forward to meeting the people, befriending Jordanians, getting to know the other program participants, bonding with my host family, and seeing the sights that the area has to offer.

I am excited!!!!!!

But I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Sometimes even terrified. Most of the time, these emotions have to do with the culture shock I will be facing and the uncertainty of how I will be treated as a woman. I know that cat calls and flirtation will occur, and probably nothing more serious than that. I've pretty much come to terms with this. But it's still nerve wracking, to know that this is a very patriarchal society. It will be a huge adjustment for me and my fairly outspoken feministy ways. But it's part of the challenge. So I look forward to everything I mentioned above, but I especially look forward to seeing how I grow as a woman and a feminist. What new perspectives I will gain.  

But enough with the heavy musings! I hope you all will enjoy this blog, as I document my new life in the Arab world.  Now, wish me luck to be able to sleep at least a little on these upcoming plane rides!