So, I know some of you already know my 'Rochester Weather Theory,' which states that, whenever I move somewhere new, that place somehow has record breaking weather. I think it's just Rochester unwilling to leave me alone. Here is the proof:
1) Winter 2008/2009: I had moved for the first time in my life, to Germany. The area I lived in was known for mild winters. That year, Wurzburg had the most snow in recent memory.
2) Winter 2010: My Freshman year at AU. Snowpacolypse. Need I say more?
3) Winter 2012: Amman had an unfathomable amount of rain last week. As in...DC would be ashamed. As in, it rained so much, that some of the streets became like small rivers/waterfalls since the city is so hilly. Never had I ever imagined that I would regret not packing my rain boots. But, wow, did I!
I didn't take any pictures last week during this crazy rain, but just trust me...I think a couple more weeks like last, and Jordan's water shortage may be solved (but probably not).
Last week was all classes and getting more adjusted to this life. I tasted some of Amman's 'nightlife' on Friday , by going to do karaoke with some friends, which was so much fun! Even though I do have a curfew (I was home by midnight), I realized I can still go out, just within reason. Which, is totally fine with me.
On Saturday, I met my peer tutor, set up through CIEE, Hanan. She will be helping me with my dialect conversation skills for the semester. We completed a scavenger hunt on Saturday.....some of the things we had to find:
1) Winter 2008/2009: I had moved for the first time in my life, to Germany. The area I lived in was known for mild winters. That year, Wurzburg had the most snow in recent memory.
2) Winter 2010: My Freshman year at AU. Snowpacolypse. Need I say more?
3) Winter 2012: Amman had an unfathomable amount of rain last week. As in...DC would be ashamed. As in, it rained so much, that some of the streets became like small rivers/waterfalls since the city is so hilly. Never had I ever imagined that I would regret not packing my rain boots. But, wow, did I!
I didn't take any pictures last week during this crazy rain, but just trust me...I think a couple more weeks like last, and Jordan's water shortage may be solved (but probably not).
Last week was all classes and getting more adjusted to this life. I tasted some of Amman's 'nightlife' on Friday , by going to do karaoke with some friends, which was so much fun! Even though I do have a curfew (I was home by midnight), I realized I can still go out, just within reason. Which, is totally fine with me.
On Saturday, I met my peer tutor, set up through CIEE, Hanan. She will be helping me with my dialect conversation skills for the semester. We completed a scavenger hunt on Saturday.....some of the things we had to find:
At the Gold Market
Bought a poster of Kind Abdullah
At the 'Fish Market'....maybe
Needless to say, it was quite fun and I hope meeting with her will help my Arabic along!
Now for some general Jordanian culture information, so I don't have to explain throughout the next four months:
1) House shoes are a must. Apparently, feet really gross Jordanians out and it is rude to have the bottom of your foot facing another person. So I make sure to always have my feet cover, in the slippers I brought with me.
2) Family is immensely important. Visits from aunts, uncles, cousins is a daily occurrence, and they are all very close to one another.
3) Food is also important....but meals not so much. What do I mean by that? Well, I am very well fed here, and always offered food. My host mom is constantly making sure anyone in her house has eaten, and even if you have, she will probably make you a sandwich anyway. But, sitting down to an entire family meal, like we do in the States, is more rare. Eating together at the table doesn't happen much, which I think is due to 2 reasons: everyone has very different schedules and so much of the day is spent with family anyway, that sitting down to a meal does not carry the same significance as it does in the West.
4) The TV is always on. From the moment someone in the family wakes up, until the last person goes to bed, a Turkish/Mexican/American show is on, or a movie, or Arab Idol. This, however, does not stifle conversation. In fact, there will be times, when the tv is on and blaring, but no one is paying attention, but instead talking to each other.
5) Jordanians, and perhaps Arabs in general, are very emphatic and passionate. Since being here, I've heard heated arguments, from which there would be no coming back from in America, turn to laughter and resolution within two sentences. Like I said, family is very important. And Jordanians will argue and be angry, but never forget that this is their family, so there's no point in holding a grudge or being overly offended. Maybe something I should pick up on while I'm here....
Well, this week's blog wasn't very focused, but trust me, it's alot of things that were on my mind that I wanted to share. I'm really looking forward to this coming weekend though....a weekend trip to Wadi Rum and Petra!
Ever seen Lawrence of Arabia or Indiana Jones? Then you've seen both Wadi Rum and Petra. We will be riding camels, sleeping in a Bedouin camp, and taking a tour of the ancient city of Petra. Expect some great pictures!
Fantastic Abs. Really enjoyed reading this. Miss you<3
ReplyDelete