Since my last update I have completed all my interviews and have begun writing my report. I have to admit, I did interview an impressive group of individuals: the former foreign minister, a former Jordanian ambassador to the United States, a well-known newspaper journalist, a former member of parliament who was also the minister of several ministries, and a professor at Jordan University. In addition to these interviews, my project adviser was the former deputy prime minister and head of the Royal Court.
The interviews and research I have conducted have been interesting and eye-opening. I have learned a lot about Jordan's role in the War on Terror and how the American foreign policy in the Middle East has been affecting that role. With only five days left to put this report together, I have been feeling rushed and under a lot of pressure. I don't know how, but on November 30th at 5pm when the assignment is due, I will have completed it.
I am also now less than two weeks from the end of the program, and less than three weeks from my return home. Recently, I have noticed myself developing a level of comfort and appreciation for this place that I never had before. I believe this is because I have not been in class everyday for almost seven hours a day, and have been able to create my own schedule, allowing me to spend some more time with my host family and go out to meet people for interviews. On Saturday, my host family and I joined the rest of my classmates and their host families for a group dinner sponsored by our program at a local restaurant. My family and I had a great time eating-the food was delicious, by the way, meeting other families, and introducing my friends and family members to each other. I was glad my entire family could join me, as well as my host sister and her husband, who do not live with us.
The week ahead will involve a lot of writing. On Friday, I will be having lunch with Mohammed and his family. We had to cancel our lunch last week due to scheduling conflicts. Saturday morning I may go with my host brother to his university in the city of Salt, so he can show me around and allow me to see university life on his campus.
After we submit our projects in Sunday, we will present them in 30 minute presentations to the rest of our class. Also, next Monday after presentations I will be joining some other students and a teacher on a trip to a Palestinian refugee camp near downtown Amman. This is an experience I've been looking forward to since my arrival in Jordan.
That's about it for this past week. The end of the semester is coming up fast and there is still a lot to do. For now, I'll get back to writing my report.
Salaam Aleykum
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Update: Week of 11/9-11/17
There's not too much to discuss this week. I spent most of my time conducting research for my independent study project, as well as two interviews, which provided me with plenty of information and interesting point of views on my topic-Jordanian Foreign Policy with Regard to the War on Terror. I find myself enjoying this month off from classes. I prefer to create my own schedule, rather than follow the rigid program that we were prior to the ISP period. During the week we would be in classes from 9-4pm. Many of us would stay after to do homework before going home, not allowing us much time to do anything else. Since classes have ended I've begun my days a little later. I usually head to the gym everyday and then begin researching or interviewing, going wherever I need to go, enjoying my new found freedom.
I spent the weekend going out with my host brother and one of my American friends to play pool at some local billiard joints. While I was never very good at the game, and lost most of the rounds, I do think my pool skills have improved somewhat.
Going back to my project-I have been shocked at the accessibility of former government officials here. One interview that I will be conducting in the future is with one of Jordan's former foreign ministers. I was given his phone number, and I scheduled an interview by simply calling him myself. These officials are much more accessible than government officials in the states. It would be nearly impossible for me to get an interview with figures such as Colin Powell or James Baker back home.
That sums up the past week, and this week will most likely not be very different. With just two weeks left to complete my project, I will be conducting a lot of research and some interviews. This coming Friday I will be having lunch with Muhammed, who I met back in September when I was invited to have Iftar at his home(see This Past Week: 9/7-9/14 and Weekend in Aqaba). Last Friday marked the beginning of my last month in Jordan. It's hard to believe I will be returning back to the United States in just four weeks. I have been loving my time here, but it will be nice to be home for the holidays.
Salaam
I spent the weekend going out with my host brother and one of my American friends to play pool at some local billiard joints. While I was never very good at the game, and lost most of the rounds, I do think my pool skills have improved somewhat.
Going back to my project-I have been shocked at the accessibility of former government officials here. One interview that I will be conducting in the future is with one of Jordan's former foreign ministers. I was given his phone number, and I scheduled an interview by simply calling him myself. These officials are much more accessible than government officials in the states. It would be nearly impossible for me to get an interview with figures such as Colin Powell or James Baker back home.
That sums up the past week, and this week will most likely not be very different. With just two weeks left to complete my project, I will be conducting a lot of research and some interviews. This coming Friday I will be having lunch with Muhammed, who I met back in September when I was invited to have Iftar at his home(see This Past Week: 9/7-9/14 and Weekend in Aqaba). Last Friday marked the beginning of my last month in Jordan. It's hard to believe I will be returning back to the United States in just four weeks. I have been loving my time here, but it will be nice to be home for the holidays.
Salaam
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Election Night, the Last Week of Classes, and the Beginning of the ISP Period
The first week of November marked our last week of normal classes, and more importantly, Election Day. With many of us being Political Science or liberal arts majors, it was very important for us to watch and view the results of this year's presidential election. Most of the group reserved hotel rooms for the night in different parts of Amman to watch the results as they came in. I joined a group of eight other students and rented a suite for the night, equipped TV's in every room and internet to ensure that we were always updated with the most recent results. Due to the seven hour time difference, many of the results did not start coming in until 1 or 2 am. The final results were announced around 6:00 am Amman time. Needless to say, none of us got much sleep that night.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the results. I was upset to hear that some of the local candidates I had supported lost the election. It was these losses that were the most upsetting for me. However, I'm remaining optimistic. It will be interesting to see how the next two years unfold.
Thursday the 6th also marked our last day of regular classes. That Monday, we took the Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) final exam, and on Thursday we made Arabic presentations for our local dialect (Amia) class.
The conclusion of class now means the beginning of the Independent Study Project, or ISP Period for the remainder of the month. For the next three weeks, we will be operating on our own schedules to conduct research and interviews necessary to complete our projects. The topic I have chosen to research is Jordanian Foreign Policy with Regard to the War on Terror. I have spent the past three days reading through online journals and other academic articles on this subject. I am also fortunate to have a project adviser who was once active in Jordanian politics. We met for the first time today and he has already provided me with significant help, setting up two interviews for me this week and next week, and providing me with additional information on my topic. I look forward to working with him over the course of the ISP Period, and conducting my own research on Jordan and the War on Terror.
The week ahead for me includes and interview, and hopefully a short break from my research with a day trip to various sites in northern Jordan on Friday. Check back at the end of the week for more updates.
Ma Salaama
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the results. I was upset to hear that some of the local candidates I had supported lost the election. It was these losses that were the most upsetting for me. However, I'm remaining optimistic. It will be interesting to see how the next two years unfold.
Thursday the 6th also marked our last day of regular classes. That Monday, we took the Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) final exam, and on Thursday we made Arabic presentations for our local dialect (Amia) class.
The conclusion of class now means the beginning of the Independent Study Project, or ISP Period for the remainder of the month. For the next three weeks, we will be operating on our own schedules to conduct research and interviews necessary to complete our projects. The topic I have chosen to research is Jordanian Foreign Policy with Regard to the War on Terror. I have spent the past three days reading through online journals and other academic articles on this subject. I am also fortunate to have a project adviser who was once active in Jordanian politics. We met for the first time today and he has already provided me with significant help, setting up two interviews for me this week and next week, and providing me with additional information on my topic. I look forward to working with him over the course of the ISP Period, and conducting my own research on Jordan and the War on Terror.
The week ahead for me includes and interview, and hopefully a short break from my research with a day trip to various sites in northern Jordan on Friday. Check back at the end of the week for more updates.
Ma Salaama
Excursion through Southern Jordan
October was a very busy month. The week following our return from Egypt was spent, in addition to my Arabic studies, working on a case study to prepare us for our independent study projects. I conducted my case study research on the preservation of Palestinian identity in Jordan through food. While this is a subject I had never put much though into before, what I learned was interesting. There is a very emotional connection to food that ties Palestinians living in Jordan to their original homeland. They not only use food to distinguish their own identity from Jordanian identity, but also to distinguish local identities amongst themselves. In Palestinian culture, Arab names often indicate where someone is from. By knowing an individual's last name, Palestinians can determine where someone is from, and therefore, determine what kinds of food they like to eat since certain Palestinian foods originate from certain cities and villages in Palestine, such as Nablus, Hebron, and Jenin.
During our week back, I also attended an engagement party for a friend here in Amman. With over one hundred other men, we gathered into cars and cargo vans and drove to the hall where the party was being held. The event was completely segregated by gender. The men were in one room, and the woman were in another, with neither side interacting with each other throughout the duration of the party. The party began with members of the family (male only, of course) greeting all the guests as they arrived. After sitting down, a Muslim ritual was conducted in which a verse from the Quran was read, and then it appeared (although I don't know for sure, so don't quote me on it) that the group prayed after the reading of the Quran. After this, some cake was served and the rest of the evening was spent socializing and congratulating the future groom as he greeted every table. The party was surprisingly short, and I was expecting some music, dabke, and a large feast, but that did not happen. The purpose of the engagement party was to be just a social gathering of both sides of the family in order to honor the future bride and groom. The music, dancing, and big feast will happen at the wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding is in April, so I will be unable to attend it.
The week of October 19th was spent traveling through southern Jordan. We visited some well-known locations in Jordan such as the castle in the city of Karak, the Nebatean ruins at Petra, the desert of Wadi Rum, and Jordan's only port city of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which I had previously visited in mid-September.
Our trip began with a stop in the city of Karak. Karak is known for being a politically active city, as many of Jordan's top political leaders come from Karak. Karak is also well-known for its politics because the it is the center for the Baath Party-the political party of Saddam Hussein, in Jordan. Any revolutions that have been attempted throughout Jordan's history tend to have originated in Karak. Luckily, they have been unsuccessful, and revolutionary sentiment, when it does occur, tends to remain in the south, and rarely spreads to the northern cities such as Amman and Irbid. In Karak, we visited Karak Castle, famous for its former status as a Crusader stronghold.
Following our visit to Karak, we traveled further south to the town of Wadi Musa, where the famous ruins of Petra, the ancient, 2,000 year old capital of the Nabateans is located. Arriving at the entrance around 7 am, we walked through the Siq, a narrow gorge that leads to the the ruins. As we reached the end of the Siq, the famous treasury building, carved into the side of a mountain appeared. One of the seven wonders of the world, all of Petra's buildings are carved into the sides of mountains and cliff faces, with only one free standing building in the entire city. My tour of Petra began with a long morning hike with a friend up a set of stairs, roughly one thousand or so, that led to a sacrificial altar on the top of a mountain. As we climbed, Bedouins perched on different portions of the mountain attempting to sell souvenirs helped us find our way to the exact location of the altar. At the top of the mountain we were met with an incredible view that allowed us to see the entire ancient city. After hiking back down the mountain, we explored the rest of Petra, looking at ancient churches, marketplaces, and temples. After spending the morning in Petra, we traveled to the desert of Wadi Rum.
Our visit to Wadi Rum was my favorite part of our trip through southern Jordan. After spending the afternoon settling into our desert camp and experiencing the many sand dunes the desert has to offer, we spent the night in the camp, enjoying the company of the staff and each other. They cooked us a delicious dinner that evening, complete with chicken, lamb, salads, rice, and bread. We then sat around the campfire while the staff played us some Arabic music and hosted a mock wedding celebration with two students from our group. In addition to the music and mock wedding celebration, we received Debke lessons from one of our academic directors just before eating. It was the first time I had danced the Debke in about a year, so naturally my dance moves were a little rusty. After wondering through the desert that night with some friends, we went to bed and woke up early the next morning to watch the sunrise. After breakfast, I enjoyed a camel ride through the desert, an experience I could not leave the Middle East without.
Our next stop was the city of Aqaba, Jordan's only port city located on the Red Sea near Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This was my second time in Aqaba, as I had already spent a weekend there in mid-September. I again had the opportunity to go snorkeling in the Red Sea, and this time around I made it out of the water with no sea urchin spikes in my foot. We had another enjoyable night in Aqaba as we returned to some of the same locations we went to during our first visit in September. After being treated to a great fish lunch the following day, we left Aqaba that afternoon and headed north to spend the remainder of the day and night at the Feynan Eco-Lodge.
The Feynan Eco-Lodge is part of the larger Dana Biosphere Reserve. Dana is Jordan's largest nature reserve, covering vast areas of desert, mountains, and valleys full of different types of rare animal and plant species. The Eco-Lodge, designed to be completely environmentally friendly is isolated from any type of real civilization, making it literally in the middle of nowhere. Electricity is non-existent, and any lights in the lodge are solar powered. All meals are vegetarian (and they were delicious), and the lodge is lit only by candlelight at night. We spent the day exploring the lodge, and during some spare time, I climbed a nearby mountain with some friends. After dinner, we ventured off into the desert for a two hour night hike with one of our directors.
The following morning, after the group went on a morning hike (I stayed back at the lodge, due to stomach problems...again), we made our way back to Amman, but not before spending an afternoon at the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea, which is composed of such a high salt density that there is no real life (hence the name), is divided between Jordan and Israel, with a very small portion in Palestinian territory. With Israel clearly visible on the other side, we floated effortlessly in the water as the high concentration of salt kept us from sinking beneath the surface. It is almost impossible to touch the bottom, making it hard to gauge how deep the water really is. After washing a nice, thick layer of salt off our bodies in the fresh water showers on the beach, we headed back to Amman; arriving early that night.
Our journey through southern Jordan allowed me to see and do many things I cannot do back home, and I had a lot of fun in the process. In many ways, I found our excursion through southern Jordan to be more enjoyable than our visit to Egypt.
During our week back, I also attended an engagement party for a friend here in Amman. With over one hundred other men, we gathered into cars and cargo vans and drove to the hall where the party was being held. The event was completely segregated by gender. The men were in one room, and the woman were in another, with neither side interacting with each other throughout the duration of the party. The party began with members of the family (male only, of course) greeting all the guests as they arrived. After sitting down, a Muslim ritual was conducted in which a verse from the Quran was read, and then it appeared (although I don't know for sure, so don't quote me on it) that the group prayed after the reading of the Quran. After this, some cake was served and the rest of the evening was spent socializing and congratulating the future groom as he greeted every table. The party was surprisingly short, and I was expecting some music, dabke, and a large feast, but that did not happen. The purpose of the engagement party was to be just a social gathering of both sides of the family in order to honor the future bride and groom. The music, dancing, and big feast will happen at the wedding. Unfortunately, the wedding is in April, so I will be unable to attend it.
The week of October 19th was spent traveling through southern Jordan. We visited some well-known locations in Jordan such as the castle in the city of Karak, the Nebatean ruins at Petra, the desert of Wadi Rum, and Jordan's only port city of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which I had previously visited in mid-September.
Our trip began with a stop in the city of Karak. Karak is known for being a politically active city, as many of Jordan's top political leaders come from Karak. Karak is also well-known for its politics because the it is the center for the Baath Party-the political party of Saddam Hussein, in Jordan. Any revolutions that have been attempted throughout Jordan's history tend to have originated in Karak. Luckily, they have been unsuccessful, and revolutionary sentiment, when it does occur, tends to remain in the south, and rarely spreads to the northern cities such as Amman and Irbid. In Karak, we visited Karak Castle, famous for its former status as a Crusader stronghold.
Following our visit to Karak, we traveled further south to the town of Wadi Musa, where the famous ruins of Petra, the ancient, 2,000 year old capital of the Nabateans is located. Arriving at the entrance around 7 am, we walked through the Siq, a narrow gorge that leads to the the ruins. As we reached the end of the Siq, the famous treasury building, carved into the side of a mountain appeared. One of the seven wonders of the world, all of Petra's buildings are carved into the sides of mountains and cliff faces, with only one free standing building in the entire city. My tour of Petra began with a long morning hike with a friend up a set of stairs, roughly one thousand or so, that led to a sacrificial altar on the top of a mountain. As we climbed, Bedouins perched on different portions of the mountain attempting to sell souvenirs helped us find our way to the exact location of the altar. At the top of the mountain we were met with an incredible view that allowed us to see the entire ancient city. After hiking back down the mountain, we explored the rest of Petra, looking at ancient churches, marketplaces, and temples. After spending the morning in Petra, we traveled to the desert of Wadi Rum.
Our visit to Wadi Rum was my favorite part of our trip through southern Jordan. After spending the afternoon settling into our desert camp and experiencing the many sand dunes the desert has to offer, we spent the night in the camp, enjoying the company of the staff and each other. They cooked us a delicious dinner that evening, complete with chicken, lamb, salads, rice, and bread. We then sat around the campfire while the staff played us some Arabic music and hosted a mock wedding celebration with two students from our group. In addition to the music and mock wedding celebration, we received Debke lessons from one of our academic directors just before eating. It was the first time I had danced the Debke in about a year, so naturally my dance moves were a little rusty. After wondering through the desert that night with some friends, we went to bed and woke up early the next morning to watch the sunrise. After breakfast, I enjoyed a camel ride through the desert, an experience I could not leave the Middle East without.
Our next stop was the city of Aqaba, Jordan's only port city located on the Red Sea near Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This was my second time in Aqaba, as I had already spent a weekend there in mid-September. I again had the opportunity to go snorkeling in the Red Sea, and this time around I made it out of the water with no sea urchin spikes in my foot. We had another enjoyable night in Aqaba as we returned to some of the same locations we went to during our first visit in September. After being treated to a great fish lunch the following day, we left Aqaba that afternoon and headed north to spend the remainder of the day and night at the Feynan Eco-Lodge.
The Feynan Eco-Lodge is part of the larger Dana Biosphere Reserve. Dana is Jordan's largest nature reserve, covering vast areas of desert, mountains, and valleys full of different types of rare animal and plant species. The Eco-Lodge, designed to be completely environmentally friendly is isolated from any type of real civilization, making it literally in the middle of nowhere. Electricity is non-existent, and any lights in the lodge are solar powered. All meals are vegetarian (and they were delicious), and the lodge is lit only by candlelight at night. We spent the day exploring the lodge, and during some spare time, I climbed a nearby mountain with some friends. After dinner, we ventured off into the desert for a two hour night hike with one of our directors.
The following morning, after the group went on a morning hike (I stayed back at the lodge, due to stomach problems...again), we made our way back to Amman, but not before spending an afternoon at the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea, which is composed of such a high salt density that there is no real life (hence the name), is divided between Jordan and Israel, with a very small portion in Palestinian territory. With Israel clearly visible on the other side, we floated effortlessly in the water as the high concentration of salt kept us from sinking beneath the surface. It is almost impossible to touch the bottom, making it hard to gauge how deep the water really is. After washing a nice, thick layer of salt off our bodies in the fresh water showers on the beach, we headed back to Amman; arriving early that night.
Our journey through southern Jordan allowed me to see and do many things I cannot do back home, and I had a lot of fun in the process. In many ways, I found our excursion through southern Jordan to be more enjoyable than our visit to Egypt.
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