ISP Week Two and the Beginning of Week Three

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