Sunday, June 26, 2011

I was given a fish, peed on, and danced... Just another day in Amman

     Well, I can assume from the title that you must realize I have had a very, very, very interesting last few days here in Jordan. But before I get into the story of the last few days I have a bit of a social commentary that I feel I need to get out there.
    
Over the last three weeks here I have noticed a very negative attitude from the Jordanians and I know that may sound odd since they are really known for how nice they are. Though the key is that it is not me that the negative feelings are being aimed at, it's other Arabs. In particular, or at least in my experience, it is aimed at the Egyptians living here in Jordan. And yes I know some people might read that and ask, “How can they even tell them apart?” It is very simple. It’s that the Egyptians speak a different dialect and have a very different accent. But if you ask some Jordanians they will tell you they just “know who is different.”
    
I have been pondering this for a while now and I was finally given an answer that has satisfied me. It’s a superiority thing. All Arabs think that they are better than Arabs from other places. It is by no means a racist thing. I mean, it real can't be, they all consider themselves to be Arab. The best way I can describe it is kind of the way Americans think they are better than Canadians. I mean we Americans have no reason to think we are better, we just do. And in the same way as any American will listen to CĂ©line Dion sing and enjoy it and not care that she’s Canadian, Jordanians do the same. I mean most of the media is Egyptian and the top rated soap opera in Amman in an Egyptian one. So I found that it is not hatred or dislikes of Egyptians, Jordanians just think that they are better; it’s a cultural thing. I hope that that makes sense. I don’t want to come off as Jordanians are unkind people. They are amazing. It’s just part of Arabic culture.
    
So now to get on to my adventures over the last few days. You see, I put my social commentary first so you would have to read it to get to the story and I knew the title would hook you in. After one of my Arabic classes Kirby, Laura, and I went to our favorite restaurant to get something to eat before class. It’s this really good Yemeni place that mainly serves Arabic bread and things to eat with said bread; it is amazing and you really need to try it sometime. So as we sat there and at our table with our food, a man at the table near us started talking to us. We could catch a few words of what he was saying and what we believed he asked us was, “Do you like fish?” We responded with “naam,” which means yes. Well, he then proceeded to give us his fish. Now, I am not talking about like a fillet of fish from Outback or Red Lobster I mean a whole fish... head and all. As you could guess we were quite surprised by this but very appreciative. It was just one more sign of how amazing the place and culture is here.
    
Now to the part I am sure you really want to hear about... the peed on part of the title. Not my favorite story at the moment, but it could have been worse. So at noon I woke up, which is extremely early here on Friday, and Saif, Kirby, Jeremy, Peter, and I went swimming. And to remind those of you who don’t know Saif, Saif is my roommate from Iraq, Jeremy is a teacher at CGE and Peter is from the UK here studying Arabic at a different school. Also, Peter's Arabic is really good because he spent two years at Edinburgh and spent the last year in Syria studying. So the pool, or as it is now here the water park, was really interesting to say the least. We all had to pay 6JD, which is a little less than 9USD, to get in and when we walked in everyone was getting out of the pool. Now this was not a big pool maybe twice the size of a normal home swimming pool, but there were, well, A LOT of people in there but all getting out. Why? Well, the pool had to close for at least a half hour for the call to pray which is tough to miss because it is right next to a mosque and the loudspeakers. So when we finally got in the pool we learned very quickly the water was very cold, not like kind of cold, I mean ice cold. But soon I was swimming around and I found out nearly as fast as I learned how cold the water was that they don’t get many foreigners at this pool. I met a whole lot of people who wanted to talk to me in both Arabic and broken English, so that was a really neat thing.
     But after about an hour in the pool I made my way to the side to talk to Saif and there it happened. I saw a small stream coming in to the pool and I looked up and there looking right at me a tiny little boy, maybe 3 years old peeing on me…  while I was in the pool… not a great moment. So I quickly swam away as soon as I realized what was going on and of course everybody got a huge laugh out if other than me, but now think about it, it must have been pretty darn funny to see. But I guess the kid couldn’t have now better because he was so little and the word for bathroom and pool are the same word, “Hammom.” I could see how a child could get confused. I just wish he would not have gotten confused with me in his “line of fire.”
     Now for the cool part, as Kirby, Saif and I walked back from Jeremy’s back to our apartment we noticed a big commotion right up the street from our house so we went to see what it was. It turned out to be a graduation party and it was really neat to see everybody dancing in some kind of line dance where they all hold hands and go around in a circle and there some feet movements and what not. I was cool to watch, but then they noticed us and a few of them ran over and grabbed me and Kirby by the arms, Saif declined to go with them, and took us to the dancing line. So of course all of the Arabs got a kick out of watching us try to dance, but in that moment I realized that this is one of "those things." That is why I am here: to experience things like this. I cannot put in to words how awesome of a thing this was for me and I can promise I will never forget it. It was just another day here in Amman, Jordan.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The lowest point on Earth, the highest point of my emotions

     The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and the saltiest sea in the world (10x saltier than the oceans to be exact) and I was there. I got to swim in the Dead Sea. How awesome is that? It’s pretty awesome. The feeling of the water is so indescribable. It is similar to swimming in like baby oil, but in a good way. I really can’t describe it. It is just something you have to experience for yourself. One piece of advice I can give is to make sure that no matter what you do, do not ever get that water in your eyes… it might just be one of the most painful things one can endure. Also, the water tastes really bad so don’t get it in your mouth either. Another really weird experience that came out of the water at the Dead Sea was that it got in my ears and was, well, really odd. I felt like my ears were, well, popping and like bubbling. I know how weird that may sound but that’s what was happening.
     After that we went to a wadi. Wadis are like little rivers or creeks that lead to the Dead Sea. The only difference between a wadi and a creek are the wadis run though massive canyons. We went to Wada Mujib which I was told is the 2nd most well known in the area next to Wadi Rum. The only way to describe Mujib is BREATHTAKING in every sense of the word. It was an amazing hike up the creek until we came to the first rapid. There was a small water fall only like 12 feet high and we had one rope and seven people. It was pretty dangerous, but it was no big deal for a master hiker like me, cough cough. Let’s just say it was a tad bit of a struggle for me, but it was definitely worth it.
    
My classes have been going pretty well. My spoken class is great and I really think I am picking it up pretty well. Classical on the other hand is a whole different ballgame. Kirby and Laura are picking it up really quick, I mean they are leaving me in the dust with classical. But I feel like I am doing really well with spoken and that’s a good thing, but I am learning so much about the language and the cultures of this place; I love it. I miss everyone back home so much, but I don’t want to leave this place yet. I just can’t. I feel like the culture is pulling me in and it won’t let go and you know I don’t want it to, not yet at least.  I know, I know, I should have much more to say, but hey I'm a very busy person. I am thinking maybe more posts, but shorter in length. Oh well, I don’t know, but I am loving life here and I only wish everyone I know could be here with me.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Week One

     As I sit here thinking about my first week in Amman, I have so many great thoughts about this amazing place. Also, I know I was going to try to post something everyday, but with my studies I have found that that is going to be impossible. I am hoping it will be more like two or three times a week. So back to my experiences here. I attended my first Arabic church service. I had a little headset thing that was playing a translated version so I could understand and I am once again reminded of how startlingly different Christian churches are around the world. I was told that this was the biggest Christian church in Jordan. So, I being from a relatively small Christian church in the states, I'm thinking this is going to be one those "super churches" with thousands of worshippers. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. It was a small, two or three room church, with maybe 75 people and that's being generous. It was probably closer to 55. Even though they were a very small church and I could understand maybe half of what the translator said, the power in that room was amazing; it nearly brought me to tears. Just knowing that a few hours to the North, South, or East they could be killed for what they are doing...
     In stark contrast to the small Christian church I had visited earlier, I went to see the King-Hussein Mosque. This place was HUGE in every sense of the word. It was made completely of marble and was a spectacular sight to see. While I was not there during the service, I was able to look around the whole building - which took about a half hour - except for the prayer room because that is reserved for Muslim men. Speaking of that, Laura was not even allowed in the mosque because she was not covered from head to toe. This was something that gave me a reality check because this place is at times so westernized that you can forget you are in an Islamic country with very strict rules.
     Oh, I went to my first Jordanian home a few days ago which was just like everyone said it would be. While they didn't serve dinner due to how late it was, they had snacks, tea, more tea, more snacks oh more tea, more snacks, and more tea. They just keep coming and when you say, "No thanks, I'm full," they bring you more. I left thinking I could never want food again, but it was a tremendous experience.
     In other news, I started my first Arabic classes. By the way, it is SO hard. My teacher, Dr. Ramadan is a great teacher; he has a P.H.D. in teaching Arabic. We got through the alphabet and some greetings in Fhusa, or classical Arabic, and we start spoken Arabic on Monday. For those who don't know, which is probably most people, Fhusa is what they speak on the news and in the newspaper and about 65% of Arabs understand it. While spoken, or ammea, is different for each region of the Middle East and other Arabic speaking countries. So Fhusa is a lingua fraca amongst the well-educated Arabs because someone from Jordan and someone from Saudi Arabia would not be able to understand each other very well because they both speak their ammea Arabic.
     As far as food goes, I had some killer humus and zambusik and of course I ate too much shrawma. But, I tried one thing that stands out among the rest because of the hype that surrounded it and then it had an utter fall from grace in my eyes: TURKISH COFFEE. I was looking forward to that Turkish coffee, but it tasted like hot dirt water. It was so bad. I don't know if it was just the place where I got it or what, but it was terrible. So unless you like dirt, I would not recommend Turkish coffee.
     So what are my plans for the weekend? Well, I am going to Wadi Mujib, basically the Arabic Grand Canyon, and the Dead Sea. It should be pretty awesome and I am really looking forward to it. There will be many pictures, I promise. I will try to have another blog up soon. Thanks for reading.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Day Three

Today was really eventful. I got to go see the Ruins at Citadel and they were amazing. I didn't know what to expect when I got there, but it was truly breathtaking in every sense of the word. You could feel the history in this place and for me that is one of the greatest things you can experience. That place had been home to so many different types of people. I mean it was the Roman city of Philadelphia. A massive statue to Hercules was built at this place. The museum that was there so different than any type of museum that you could ever imagine. This place held artifacts from the time of Moses all the way through the rise of Islam. That's a few thousand years of history in one small building. I took over a hundred pictures and I wish I would have taken more. The images of the old ruins are like nothing I have ever seen before. The view of the city from the ruins is something that I cannot put into words; the pictures I take don't do it justice. The city sits on seven hills, but the Citadel was built on a hill in the center of Amman, or Philadelphia, whichever you prefer. WOW! I don't know what else to say. I was at the ancient ruins of the Roman Empire. What else do I need to say? Also, I know this blog is a pretty short one, but it's late here and I have my first classes tomorrow. Plus, I didn't eat anything too interesting today. I mean, I did have some really good shwarma, but not much more than that.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Day Two

     Well, even with the window closed the 6 am prayer woke me up once again. I don't know if it is because I am a light sleeper or if it is actually that loud. I don't know, maybe I'll get used to it and be able to sleep through it at some point. I planned on making eggs and having some leftover rice and chicken from last night only to realize that while I do have the stove top, I don't have pots or pans to cook anything in. However, we do have a pretty awesome toaster, so it looks like it's peanut butter toast for me this morning.
     We don't really have any plans for today. I think we might try to go downtown today if we can get Jeremy to go with us and help us find our way around. If not, we might give it a shot all by ourselves. I don't know yet. It's about 11 am here, so we are just chillin' out now.
     This place is so amazing. Even in the very short amount of time that I have been here, I am growing very fond of it. The culture is just so radically different, yet so fundamentally similar. Yes, I know how weird and impossible that sounds, but I am having that thought so often. Why am I saying this now? Well, my apartment is very close to the local mosque and now they are playing the Friday sermon over the speakers. While I don't understand a word of it, it is amazing. The bustling neighborhood I am living in is silent and the sermon is all you can hear; the powerful voice blasting over the loudspeaker is overwhelming. The passion, the power, and the energy in the voice is so, so... I don't know. I can't describe it. Just no words come to mind to describe this. This is why I am here to attempt to figure out and learn as much as I can. So much of this place feels so similar to me and just like, the voice, I can't describe it. This is a place and a culture everyone should experience at least once in their lives. I don't know if what I just said makes sense to anyone, but it makes sense to me.
     So I didn't get to go downtown today, but I would say it was still a pretty productive day. I took a nice walk around my neighborhood and met a few Arabs that seemed really nice and spoke some English, but not too much. Even better though, my Arabic is getting better. So that's great.
     We went back to Jeremy's house for lunch. It was pretty good. It was breaded beef bits and cucumber and corn salad. After that we chilled out at his house and talked about what the classes are like. He gave us a brief overview of some culture missteps that would be best to avoid, like shaking hands with a woman. Also, he told us some simple phrases that we are going to need to know. It was really nice to sit and relax for awhile.
     I have a new roommate! His name is Safe. He is from Baghdad. He speaks pretty good English. It's not the best, but we can communicate, so it's all good. Plus, he can help Kirby and I with our Arabic. That's a major plus.
     We went to pick up some really authentic Jordanian cuisine today for dinner and it was quite authentic. The meal was mostly different types of bread with a few different fillers to put in the bread. The bread reminded me of a really thick and chewy quesadilla shell. The fillers were really good. One was a spicy beef mixture that was very similar to taco meet with some Middle Eastern flair. The next was, or at least I was told and not inclined to believe, an egg and tomato mixture. It was very tasty, but I really have no idea what was in it. It was good, but I ate so much.
     Once again I am shown that it is truly a small world. It really is. Today, while at Jeremy's, I met two guys who I have links to. One was from West Chester, Ohio. That's not too far from New Richmond. Then, the second guy I met, named Brennen, graduated from Campbellsville University, the college I attend. I just think that it is truly amazing that I can go 8,000 miles away from my home and still find people with that kind of link to me. It may be a small world, but I still wouldn't want to paint it.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Day One

     Well, it is day one in Amman for me. I landed at around 5 pm (or 10 am back home) and met my guide, Rami, and my roommate, Kirby. They seem pretty cool. Last night Rami took us to this chicken wrap/sandwich thing place and I ordered what is called a "shwarma." It was pretty tasty, but I have my doubts that it was all chicken.
     I slept like a baby too. It was by no means the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, but it wasn't the worst either. So I have no complaints. One thing I found so amazing, yet very annoying was the 6 am prayer loudspeakers. By the way, when I say loudspeakers, I mean LOUD. They go off all throughout the city and I left my windows open, so I heard it loud and clear. It's about 9 am on June 2nd and someone is coming to take Kirby and I to breakfast. I sure hope so too. I'm hungry.
     Jeremy, one of the teachers here, came to pick us up and took us to his house for a breakfast of eggs and fruit. Then we met Laura, the third student in our group, and went to pick up supplies. It was pretty easy to get what we needed. It seems to me that English is very much ingrained in society. I mean, all the boxes had both English and Arabic translations. Well, we are going back to his house soon for lunch. It should be pretty tasty, at least, I hope so.
     It turns out, lunch was really good. We had chicken stuffed in pita bread with tomatoes, onions, and an awesome cucumber sauce. I was told it was more of a Greek food than Jordanian, but it was really good. After we hung out for a little while, Kirby and I came back to our apartment, which is really pretty nice. We just kind of chilled out for awhile. We don't have much to do right now because classes don't start till Sunday. Saturday we are going downtown to visit a history museum, I think. As of now though, Kirby and I are left to fend for ourselves.
     Dinner was awesome. It was some chicken and rice dish and I have no clue about the sauce, but it was good! Kirby and I just started walking around the main street and the food looked pretty good. I mean, we can only speak a couple words of Arabic, not enough to really order correctly, so as of now we have to go to places that have a lot of pictures so we can point to what we want to order. The people here are so friendly and helpful though, so it wasn't too bad to get what we wanted. Also, I have just noticed by reading through what I wrote that I am eating a ton of chicken, but it's really cheap and tasty, so it's okay.
     After we ate, we wandered around the rest of our neighborhood. I am in the Northern part of the country, very close to the University of Jordan, the area called Juebaha. I don't know what it means yet, but I am hoping to find out. Walking around wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for all of the hills. This area is so hilly, it's crazy. In our walking, we found a pretty cool little mall. Well, it's called a mall here, but it's more like a really nice indoor flea market. On our way back, we found a little ice cream stand and got some ice cream. It wasn't anything special or different, just cool and refreshing after a long walk around the neighborhood.
     So what is going through my head right now, after my first day in Amman, Jordan? Well, it's really hard to explain how I feel. This place is really amazing. The food, the people, and the culture are all different than what I am used to and I feel so blessed to be here right now and know that it was the right decision for me to come here. But, on the other hand, I do miss my family, friends, and girlfriend and it is very hard to Skype or e-mail back and forth because I don't have an Internet connection in my apartment. So I have to go to places and pick up a Wi-Fi signal. Plus, my computer is being difficult so I haven't been able to get on Facebook yet, but that's not a big deal, I guess. Not to mention the problems with the bathroom! It's really weird. Let's just leave it at you can't flush the toilet paper in Jordan at all and there is a water hose thing attached to the toilet. That's all I'm going to say about that.
     I hope to, at some point,  get much deeper into the cultural aspects of Jordan. I don't think that would be appropriate right now because I haven't been here long enough, in my opinion, to have any commentary on the social workings of Amman. I hope to have a much greater understanding of this amazing place. That's all I have to say for day one.

Introduction

     Mahabra! That's hello in Arabic and, unfortunately, about all of the Arabic that I currently know. Normally this would not be a big deal, but I am going to spend ten weeks in a country that speaks Arabic: Amman, Jordan.
     My name is Logan. I am a 6'2'', white, curly blond-haired, and blue-eyed boy from New Richmond, Ohio and I am going to Amman, Jordan to study and learn the language and cultures of the Middle East. I understand that I am by no means going to "fit in" in Amman. I'll actually stick out like a sore thumb, but that's alright. There's not much I can do about that.
     Why am I doing this? Most of the people that I have told about my trip get this surprised look on their face and say, "Why in the world are you going there?" For me, the answer is pretty simple. That question alone is the reason why I am going. There is such a negative connotation towards everything in the Middle East in America and I hope to change that. Every time that I would hear an anti-Middle Eastern statement it was made more clear to me why I was going there.
     I am posting this blog to keep my friends, family, and anyone else who might be interested informed on what I am doing over here. I hope at some point to have some social commentary on the people and the culture here in Jordan. Really though, I am using this as an online journal to chronicle my everyday activities and to get whatever thoughts that might be running through my head out.
     Also, I won't have the best Internet access while in Jordan. So if my posts don't show up everyday, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to get something posted everyday while in Amman, but I can't make any promises.