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March 29, 2005

Happy Easter!

This Sunday I decided to go to church. Although it was technically Easter, I decided to go because I wanted to have another adventure. I didn't exactly know where the church was so I hopped into a cab and left it up to the driver to figure out where I was going. Luckily, he knew exactly where my landmarks were so it wasn't too much of a problem. Of course, he spent the entire ride trying to convince me he was the nicest person on the planet and that I was the nicest girl on the planet but at least we got there in one piece.

I was a bit early for the 6:30 service so I decided to take a walk around the block. However, when I arrived back at the chruch there was still no one there and the service started in 5 minutes! A couple of minutes later a guy pulled up and began to chat with me about being in Jordan until the Pastor guy came out in his robes ready to begin the service. Once inside, I sat down and quickly began to realize that the entire service was going to be in Arabic. The cool part was that I understood some of it and that the church uses a regular ligurgy that I could follow along with out of the hymnal. I also got to sing the hymns because they sing them slow enough that I can keep up. The service only lasted an hour but it was beautiful and I enjoied being there. Afterwards I drank tea in the reception hall and chatted with the Finnish youth director and Pastor Samir who both speak fluent English.

At first I was a little uncomfortable being the only foreigner at the service but the service was so small (about 30 people) that everyone was really friendly. I think I'm going to go back again and hopefully I will understand more each time. And maybe not stand out so much!

When I got home that night, my family hugged and kissed me and wished me a happy Easter. My host mom even cooked me Easter sweets. . . now I can't wait till the real Easter rolls around!

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March 27, 2005

An Average Week in Jordan

Besides my exciting stories that I have posted the last few days, this has pretty much been an average week in Jordan. I have spent most of my time either learning some form of Arabic or trying to apply for summer jobs. Neither seem to be going very well at the moment.

I will never know enough Arabic for my teachers here to be satisfied so I have just accepted that I will learn as much as I can. As for the job prospects, I didn't get the one that I really wanted so I am looking for other possibilities. I am trying to find something in non-profit management or development so if you know of anything. . . :)

Other than that I am just enjoying my time here. Watching a little Star Academy and hanging out with friends. Last night I got pulled over in a cab by the highway patrol. It wasn't very eventful except that they driver thought I knew Arabic so he rattled off why we were pulled over (there really was nothing obviously wrong) but all I could do was nod my head and say "uh-huh" over and over. It definitely boosts the ego when someone thinks you actually speak the language. Of course, just as many times the cab driver asks me in English, "Where are you from?" so I guess I don't blend in as much as I wish I did.

This weekend I explored the belad (downtown) more and got to look at some traditional Jordanian dresses. I am hoping to buy one before I leave but they are a bit pricey. I'll just have to save my pennies. Next weekend we are going to Aquaba for a couple of days. Annie and I are hoping to even out our tans from the Dead Sea trip. Right now we look awefully funny!

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March 26, 2005

The other other side of Amman

This weekend I had the opportunity to go out with my host sister, Tamara. Our parents were out of town so we go to go wherever we wanted. Of course, we aren't very wild so that meant going to a cafe in Abdoun and then to Chili House (a fast food place) for dinner. We met up with Annie after a bit and had a pretty good time.

What was so unique about this outting, however, was how different it was from my adventure to Wox a few days ago. I have kind of realized that if a Jordanian speaks better English than they do Arabic then they aren't really the type of Jordanians I can to Jordan to meet. When we went to Wox everybody spoke in English even when the Jordanians were only speaking with each other. However, this weekend (especially after Annie arrived) most of the conversation took place in Arabic. Annie tells me that my host sister is pretty crazy (the exact wording is "she is such a goober"). Mostly, she just says off the wall stuff and likes to have a lot of fun but it is all done in a very Jordanian way. At one point we ordered a plate of nuts to snack on but there was some miscommunication and we ended up with crushed peanuts that are supposed to go on the top of icecream. It was a pretty crazy adventure trying to explain what we really wanted even though my sister speaks fluent Arabic. The snobby Abdoun girls would have never approved any of this.

After the cafe, we all headed over to Chili House to eat dinner. After about an hour, Tamara got a phone call and Annie translates that two guys are comming to meet us. At first we thought that one of them was my sister's boyfriend but we quickly realized that this was the first time she had met him. Instead, it was the boyfriend of my sister's friend, Manar. Tamara was really paranoid that Annie and I would think she was an immoral girl but I actually thought that the whole situation made her seem more human. Instead of blindly following her parent's rules, she tries her best to live a little but doesn't push the boundries so far that she could end up in trouble. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the not-so-cool crowd but experience what an average Jordanian girl experiences.

Anyways, I always knew my host family rocked. This is just proof.

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March 24, 2005

The other side of Amman

Well, the other side of Amman is really East Amman (the very, very poor part of Amman), however, in today's post I am talking about the extremely western Jordanians that I have recently encountered.

On Tuesday night I went to Wox (the only real chinese restaurant in Amman) with a group of Jordanian girls that have been attending our dialogues. They are some really cool girls but I wasn't quite prepared for the experience. Not only did they have their own cars but they were listening to uncensored American rap songs as they spoke in fluent English! It was really interesting to see girls my age that can stay out late and hang out with guys and just be open about their society. The Chinese food was great and it was nice to talk with people who aren't afraid of us ruining their morals.

One of the interesting things that the girls mentioned was that most of the were Christians. Now, I don't know if that makes a big difference but they seemed to think that it does. It does reinforce the idea that Islam, as a religion, is very concerned with appearances but Christianity seems to be a more individually based religion. Because Christianity focuses on a personal relationship with God, it doesn't make a huge difference what you wear or who you are seen talking to. I don't know much about Islam, but I do know that it makes a very big difference who you talk to and what you wear here in Jordan. It is interesting to see/hear about what goes on behind closed doors and realize how hypocritical people can be. I know that this is also a problem in the United States but it is magnified here when a completely covered woman is sneaking around to see a boy. The difference between what she appears to be and what she actually is seems to be a whole lot bigger here, at least in the Muslim population.

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March 21, 2005

Cultural Observations

Being in Amman for so long has really given me a rosy picture of American culture. I get so frustrated at Arab guys staring at me and everyone thinking I am a spectacle that I sometimes forget that Americans can do that also.

This weekend I was chatting with an American guy who is studying at the language center (but not through CIEE) about the differences in culture. His sister had visited earlier in the year and he had to tone down her outfits because she didn't understand how much attention she was attracting. I definitely agreed with him and all was going well when he turned to me and said, very bluntly, "I wouldn't let my sister go out in that." Now, we were on our way home from the beach and I had a skirt on that goes to the middle of my calves and a regular t-shirt on. I had a sweater in my bag but I didn't think I needed it while I was riding on a bus with a bunch of international students who are mostly from Europe and America. At first I didn't think anything of the comment but later in the conversation I began to feel really uncomfortable. Basically, the entire converstation after that comment was about how he couldn't control his staring at girls anymore. He said he had been in Jordan so long that he had become more sensitive to girls walking around in a more western outfit. Mind you, he has only been in Jordan for about 6 months.

Although this guys was full of excuses as to why he stares at girls, it really reminded that lots of American guys are not better than the Arab guys I encounter. American guys just hide it better. I really don't think that there is any excuse for a guy to be staring at a girl because of what she is wearing. I know that I will never understand what guys think and that girls should be more concious of what they wear but I don't care how long you have been in Jordan, it doesn't give you the right to treat me like an object.

Although all of this was an uncomfortable experience, it did remind me that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the ocean!

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Crazy Holidays

Today is Mothers Day here in Amman. Yes, it is about two months early but all holidays here are crazy. Hopefully I'm gonna pick up some flowers for my host mom to say thank you for doing my piles of laundry, cooking me amazing meals, and translating my broken Arabic into acceptable sentances. I should probably also pick up a card for my real Mom also seeing as they won't be around when the real mothers day arrives.

Another interesting but messed up holiday here in Amman is Easter. Because there aren't many Christians around and those that are around like to stick together, Easter isn't until the beginning of May when the Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate the holiday. I was really confused when my Mom (real one) said she was sending me an Easter card already because Lent just started around here last week.

The deal is that Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December (according to the Roman Catholic Chruch) and Easter is celebrated according the the Eastern Orthodox Chruch. I really think this is a great deal because it symbolizes the cooperation that is needed all over the globe. Even though this is a regligious issue, the groups were able to come to an agreement that is acceptable to everyone. No one had a fit because it violated their religious beliefs, instead they rationalized it and put more emphasis on their similarities rather than on their differences. If more groups were willing to make sacrifices like this, we may end up with a peaceful world!

Anyways, it just goes to show what is possible in a region where religion seems to divide people rather than unite them.

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March 20, 2005

Where is my present?

If you are ever in Jordan, I would recommend buying all of your suviners from a chain of stores called Al-Afghani. The one on Gardens Street is particularly nice. :)

Today Annie, Rob and I went to Al-Afghani to pick up some stuff ordered. We had been three times to look at stuff and order stuff and today was the day that everything was going to be ready. Now, the first time we went to pick up stuff they ended up over charging me for my necklace so they were being pretty nice to us this time. I ended up getting a really good deal on some very nice presents. My friend Annie speaks fluent Jordanian Arabic so she did all the dealing for us in typical Jordanian fashion. One of the typical things to do is to ask for a present if you feel like you are being overcharged. Annie, of course, insisted that we each get a present and wouldn't let the guy forget that he owed us something nice. So, before we could leave, we had to look at the entire store again (just incase me missed something we wanted) and wait for them to find us some presents. On our way out, Annie asked again and the guy reached back behind the counter and picks out three very large tissue paper balls. We were kind of excited to see what was inside, but we politely waited until we were outside. So, standing on the curb we opened our wads of pink tissue paper only to find the ugliest vases you have ever seen waiting for us. The guys in the store must have laughed for hours while wrapping those things up and I know we got a good laugh out of it. Anyways, the moral of the story is: if you ask for a present, be prepared to dispose of it rather quickly.

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March 19, 2005

Oh the pain...

I just go back from the Dead Sea and am in quite a bit of pain. Beyond the pain of the slight sunburn I received, there is a stinging sensation over most of my body. There is so much salt in the Dead Sea that you can literally smell it from several yards off shore.

My friends and I decided to go with the Language Center at the University today to the Dead Sea. It was a very economical trip because we didn't have to pay for a taxi to take us there and we went to the public beach which is only 2jd per person. The public beach was an experience in itself because we were the only people in bathing suits there. Basically, my friends and I took our clothes off quickly and dashed into the water so that we wouldn't be stared at. We were still stared at but at least we did our best to not create a scene (the Russian girls in bikinis took care of that). It was quite a sight to see fully covered women sitting on the beach watching their children and husbands swim. It was especially funny when those women were wearing high-heels because they looked even more uncomfortable. Almost no one was swimming anyways so I guess it doesn't bother them as much as it would bother me.

Once we were in the water it was just about the craziest experience I have ever had. Basically it is like sitting on one of those noodle thingys that you play with in pools except there is no chance of falling off! In fact, you are more likely to float too high and fall over. You can just paddle around floating on the top of the sea without any fear of going under. My thought was that it would be really easy just to swim over to the Israeli side (it would be much cheaper than crossing the border) but of course the giant machine guns made me think differently. We didn't swim for very long because it really is painful but it was definitely a memorable experience.

One word of advice though. . . don't try to put your head under! Not only is it nearly impossible but it is also really painful. My genius friend Rob did just that and ended up cutting his foot on a rock while stumbling around blindly looking for a clean towel to wipe his face on. His foot was fine but the incident made for great pictures of a very unhappy Rob.

If it wern't for the fact that I have an impossible test tomorrow morning, I would say that today was an amazing day!

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March 16, 2005

The Local Wildlife

I found an article entitled "Third-Grader Commutes to School by Mule" today on CNN and it reminded me of Jordan. Yesterday on my way to the US embassy, I saw a mule and a heard of sheep in Abdoun. Abdoun is not only in Amman but it is also the richest part. It was good to have a laugh as I was driving toward fortress USA. Enjoy the article!

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Long Week in Amman

I found out this morning that I did not get housing at Brandeis for next semester so my thoughts aren't exactly focused on Amman right now. I also was supposed to hear about my summer job but I haven't gotten anything yet. I truly hope that isn't a bad sign.

My schedual is topsy-turvy this week because of the advisors being here. Tonight my Biblical Arabic is canclled because the advisors are coming to our home stays for dinner. For me, that means I have several hours to kill before I need to go and pick them up. I probably should go home (because I am not feeling well) but I really don't feel like watching Arabic language TV or explaining why I am home early.

Yesterday I went with Rob to get my second passport so that I can go to Israel. There is a slight problem with this system however. Aadl (one of the boys in our program) went to Israel this weekend and forgot to get a visa before he left. The only border where you can't get a visa is the Jordania/Israeli one that is convienient to Amman. Instead of entering at the King Hussein Bridge, he had to travel all the way up to the northern-most corner of the border so that he could get back into the country. When he asked Sally (our resident director) how he can get a visa in Amman, he was told that he cannot get one here and must enter and exit and one of these incredibly inconvenient crossings. The whole second passport deal depends on us being able to get a visa to re-enter the country on our second passports. If we cannot do that then Syria will see the re-entry stamp from the Jordanian border and they will know that we have been to Israel. All of this means that we would not be able to go to both countries even with a second passport. Hopefully this will get resolved but I am a little mifed that Sally didn't warn us even though she knew the entire plan.

On Monday I have my first Arabic exam in grammer so I will spend the weekend studying. Well, after I go to the Dead Sea with the Language Center at the University. And hopefully my housing and summer job situation will work themselves out.

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March 14, 2005

Quick! The advisors are coming!

This week a group of about 20 study abroad advisors are coming to visit my program and evaluate it for their home institutions. Basically, we are now required to dress nicely for our meetings and participate in class. We have to go to all these receptions and act like we are respectable. It's not really that bad, but it is annoying because they expect us to impress these people.

I think what is hardest for me is that I at the point where I just don't care about being happy in Jordan. Right this moment, I just want to make it through.

This weekend, my friends and I are going to the Dead Sea with the language center. Hopefully this will be fun and worth riding a smelly bus with all the language students. I have noticed that the CIEE students are anywhere from 5-15 years younger than the average language student so that could be interesting. Even our teachers refer to us as "shabab" or "youth" because we kind of stick out. One of the guys in my class is 40 years old! That's twice my age! So yeah, it's an interesting group.

On another note, it has been incredibly cold here lately. I am wearing a skirt today because of this lovely advisor reception tonight and I am very very cold. It was actually warmer in Boston last night than it was here. This 'desert' thing is quite misleading. I am sure it will be unbearably hot soon enough, however.

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March 13, 2005

Oh Yeom Al-Ahad

I realized that yesterday that while my weekend is ending (at around 7pm on Saturday night) all of my friend's weekends in America are just starting! This Sunday=Monday thing is for the birds. Actually, I'm just bitter today because I didn't want to go to Arabic class.

One of the most interesting lessons I am learning here lately has nothing to do with Jordanians, however. I am really amazed at the other students in my program. My area studies classes have basically become nap hour for them as they refuse to participate in any discussion that the teacher tries to have. The hours before and after class are spent whining about how bad the teacher is and how aweful class is. Instead of looking for the reading, they complain about how they don't have it and are too lazy to go to the library. Maybe Brandeis is unusual, but I have had to go to the library and share one copy of the book many times. I guess they have never been required to be active in their education. How they made it this far in college is beyond me, however, and I am quite disapointed that the students here aren't excited about being here. I had assumed that if you took the risk in coming to Jordan then you were excited about the Middle East but I think I assumed wrong.

Anyways, all I can do is keep doing the reading and hoping that the teacher notices that someone in class is prepared. . .

Posted by rcollins at 9:33 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 10, 2005

Summer Camp?

One of my Brandeis friends studying in London for the semester told me that he doesn't want to go back to Brandeis because it feels like summer camp compared to his study abroad experience. I thought this idea was quite interesting because he went on to explain that he has less independance at Brandeis and just feels sheltered there.

Maybe it is the program I am in, but I feel the complete opposite. Abroad I go on group trips where we have to all stick together. Our resident director has even named us 'Salahef' or 'Turtles' just like we were third graders going on a school trip. Here, I have to call home if I am going to be late and I need permission to go out on the weekends. Boys aren't allowed over to my house and I am not supposed to be in public without one.

At Brandeis, I come and go as I please. I am given responsibility and I get to wash my own clothes. I go away on the weekends and most of the time I don't tell my mom. I live in a suite with boys and no one has a problem with it. Somedays I can't wait to get back to Brandeis and go about my normal routine because of all of this, even though I am enjoying my experience here.

I hope that my friend will find the independance he needs when he gets back to campus. I also hope that he can appreciate each atmosphere for what it is. Brandeis may feel like a bubble sometimes but that doesn't mean that there aren't ways to avoid that feeling and make exciting things happen. Both Brandeis and Abroad are worth it, you just have to put a little effort into the process.

Posted by rcollins at 11:03 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

More Like Home

So after two and a half weeks of Arabic class, today's lesson started to feel a bit more like home. My teacher was rambling on like he always does and he says at one point, "Shakespear was from the Middle East." "His real name is Sheik-is-pear!" When I heard this, I started cracking up. It was meant as a joke, and it is pretty silly on its own, but it is even funnier because my Arabic teacher in the States says the exact same thing! It was good to have some comic relief this morning.

I have decided that I am extremely tired of chicken and rice. Every meal I eat is some form of chicken or rice or both. This cycle is made even worse by the fact that the cafeteria at the University only serves weird soups, salty spagetti, and chicken and rice. I have taken to just eating pita and hummus but that isn't quite the healthiest diet around. Tonight I am going to try and remedy this problem by going out to Indian food with Annie and Rob. I was aiming for chinese but the restaurant needs reservations on Thursday nights (similar to Friday nights in the states).

On Saturday, Annie, Rob, and I are going to the belad (downtown) and then are going to bake some cookies. I love the sweets here but I also want some plain chocolate chip cookies. This may also help remedy the chicken-and-riced-out feeling I have right now.

Posted by rcollins at 10:49 AM | TrackBack

March 9, 2005

I'm Buying a Burqe

Right now I am sitting in the middle of a smoky internet cafe across from the university called University Internet. It has become my regular hangout because everytime I try to use the computers at the university I get yelled at for chatting. Interestingly, the cafe has a specific room for women known as the VIP room so that women don't get harassed while they are in the cafe. (It took us forever to figure out why we were always put in there until we realized it was painted pastel pink for a reason) Today, however, my friend Haley and I are in the men's area because they were out of room in the women's area. While it isn't so bad during the day (because the day crowd usually is doing work or playing games) the weekends and the evenings can be quite interesting.

The cafe isn't the only place I have had encounters with men staring. The university is the worst place because guys just sit on the side of the path watching the girls walk by. As an American I stick out even more than a Jordanian girl so it becomes quite uncomfortable at times. The worst experience I have had was about a week ago when I went to take a picture of the language center. There were some grown men cleaning windows and they started whistling and yelling rude comments at me. Wearing conservative clothing doesn't help either because they sill know we are American and we still stik out.

After watching tv around here for quite some time now, I really think that these perceptions of American women come from the movies that are shown over here. Most of the movies shown wouldn't be allowed on American TV because of violence, language, and sexual content. Although I feel uncomfortable with these movies, my 13yr old host brother sees no problem with watching these aweful movies. He is lucky because he has actually met American girls and knows they aren't just 'easy' but most Jordanian men aren't that lucky. No wonder they think we are such immoral people.

However, buying a Burqe is another problem because I really don't want to be disrespectful. I feel like buying one as an uncovered woman just to take home for fun may not be the best way to show Jordanians that Americans are good people. Well, I will try my best to sort this one out while I still can.

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March 8, 2005

Hallelujah

This Sunday I decided to take the trip to a local chruch for their weekly service. I went with Haley's family so that I wouldn't be all alone and so that I wouldn't get lost on the way.

I arrived at the church (that looked more like a house) around 6:50pm for the 7pm service. They have limited translation services so Haley and I needed to sit where we could get headphones with the English translation. The entire service was in Arabic except for a special presentation made by a visiting group which was then translated into Arabic by the Pastor. It was neat to sing in Arabic and I did recognize some of the words because songs are pretty standard around the world. Lots of them use words like "king" and "love" and "Jesus" which I just happen to know. They also sang a song that we sing at home that is only a chorus of Hallelujahs. It was nice to feel that we were all worshiping together even if I couldn't understand exactly what they were saying.

The church is not the denomination I am used to (it was Assembly of God) so things were a bit weirder than even I am used to but it was nice to see. Two other girls from the program were there and it was good to see them. I didn't get a chance to meet many other people because I had about two hours of homework I needed to get done for the next day and it was already 9pm and I was exhausted. (Having my sister get up and turn the light on at 6am three days a week is not good for my sleeping habits.) Hopefully next week I will get the courage to go to the Lutheran church that I found in Amman. I'm a bit wary because I don't know where it is but if I take my time I might be able to find it.

Last night was my first night of Biblical Arabic. We went through some of Luke and read it both in English and Arabic. It is a welcome relief from regular class because the teacher had no problems with translating into English. The real problem with my other Arabic classes is that they try to define Arabic words with other Arabic words. Of course, if I don't know the common one then I probably don't know the obscure one and so I stay just as lost as I was before. I am hoping that Biblical Arabic will help me at church and in class because I will have a wider vocabulary in general. That does mean that I will have to study, however, and right now that isn't too appealing.

The Biblical Arabic teacher said we get to go to the baptism site soon and I am really excited to go. It is such a cool experience to be in such a holy land even though most people don't think of Jordan as holy. On our trip last week we passed the river that Jacob wrestled and angel for the name Israel and we saw the Sea of Galilee. It is awe inspiring to see these sites and replace the pictures I had in my head with real ones.

Man, I picked a cool country to visit!

Posted by rcollins at 6:56 AM | TrackBack

March 6, 2005

Trip to the North

Yesterday, I went on a trip to the north of Jordan. My friends and I saw Um Quais, Ajloun Castle, and the ancient city of Jerash. All three are ancient ruins and are pretty neat to see.

Um Quais is a Roman Decapolis city in the northwest corner of Jordan. From the city we could see Syria, the Golan Heights, and Israel. The coolest thing was a tunnel that connects the city with another Roman city that is about 100km away! We wern't allwoed in the tunnel but it is still neat to see it and to think about all the work that that it must have taken.

The second site, Ajloun Castle, was one of the best sites we have seen. The guide didn't seem excited but I definitely was. It was the first site that looked like it was actually livable. The castle was restored so that it had lighting so that we could see all of the details. Although some people thought it was just touristy, I am convinced that castles must have had some type of light and even, walkable floors. Although there were modern materials making these things possible, I think it is worth it to get the full effect of the castle.

The final site, Jeresh, is another Roman city. It is a larger Roman city and is a beautiful site. Every fall there is a month long singing and dancing festival there and they still host events like graduations in the theatre. The site even has a hippodrome where they used to race chariots. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

After Jeresh, we went home to Amman and I got a ride home with Annie's aunt. At home I got to watch Assad, the Syrian president, talk about Lebanon. It was neat to see it from the Arab perspective but I didn't understand much of the Arabic. My family did explain to me some of what he was saying so I could understand the major points. I think it is amazing to be here while all of this is happening but hope that it will all work out peacefully.

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March 3, 2005

Second Passport

I decided that I needed a second passport so this morning I went with Rob to the American Embassy to get one. Arriving at the embassy was one the most unreal experiences of my life. Basically, it is easier to get into the White House than the American Embassy in Jordan seeing as there is no tank outside the White House. We had to leave all of our electronics including cell phones and Rob's extra batteries with the front gate because they aren't allowed inside.

Once through the several different security points, we were ushered into the American Citizen area complete with cushy chairs and reading material. To get to his area, however, we had to walk through the 50 or so Jordanians trying to get visas and other various things in the "non-American" area. It was like something you would see in the Elis Island museum. There were scores of people just sitting around waiting for their number to be called. And they kept calling people up to get finger printed so that they could get a visa to go to a country that doesn't even seem to respect them.

It was also interesting that it took Rob and I about an hour to get our stuff done but it could take all day for a Jordanian to get anything settled. On one hand, I felt a sense of entitlement seeing as it is my embassy but I also feel like the layout is specifically designed to treat Jordanians as second class people. It is hard to decide whether or not the embassy should be designed like that or if I should be completely outraged.

After getting applying for our second passports, Rob and I decided to skip the rest of Arabic class (we had already missed half of it) and go downtown. I hadn't been yet so it was cool to walk around and look at all the stuff. I bought some Kefiays and an Arabic music cd. Rob bought some mens dress shirts for a dinar and a half each! It's amazing what you can get there and I hope I can go back with Annie so she can help me bargin. Although, I am not a fan of bargining. It is quite an art and I just get frustrated when I can't explain what I want or how much I want to pay. I feel like even though I bargin, I get ripped of anyways. I will definitely enjoy going back to the states and paying a fixed price. Things are so cheap here anyways, however, that I don't know if I will ever buy anything again at home. I will definitely miss my $.45 lunch of falafal and soda.

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March 2, 2005

Traveling the Region

I got an e-mail today that says I am not allowed to travel to Lebanon without premission from my program 24 hours in advance. Usually, they approve it about a week in advance just so that they know where we are. However, because of the recent developments in Lebanon, the program is putting tighter restrictions on our travel. I was never really excited about going to Lebanon but it is interesting to so how quickly the situation can change.

Travel to Syria is another option, however. We are allowed to go, but we must find some way to get the visa which is almost impossible and quite expensive. And, if we want to go to Israel, we have to get a second passport so that the border guards don't see our Syrian stamps. The second passport is also expensive and takes a few days to get. The real question is whether or not I want to go through all the trouble of getting a passport and visa just in case I decide to go.

My friend Annie has an even bigger dilema because she has both a Jordanian and a US passport. She came in on her US passport which has a Israeli stamp in it so she cannot go to Syria unless she exits the country and comes back in on her Jordanian passport. This is really hard to do, though, because she has to find a country that will let her in with an Israeli stamp and then let her out on a different passport. So far, the only country we have found that will let her do this is Egypt but going to Egypt is quite a long trip. It will be interesting to see how we get this done.

Anyways, I know for sure that we are making a trip to Jerusalem in a few weeks so I need to know soon whether or not I should get my second passport. Looking forward to being surrounded by Jews again. . .just kidding. ;) Looking forward to exploring the region!

Posted by rcollins at 7:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 1, 2005

Trend Towards Democracy

Yesterday I had my first real Prospects for Democracy class. It was interesting only in the fact that he gave us reading that completely contradicted his personal research and beliefs. Normally, I would be impressed that he was willing to introduce conflicting ideas but he didn't seem to understand that they conflicted.

Basically, the reading was claiming that liberalized Autocracies, like the one here in Jordan, are the governments least likely to embrace democracy because they can appease the people while still maintaining ultimate control. This means, that altough it looks like Jordan, Egypt, and Morroco are moving toward free democracy, they are actually gaining more control and moving away from freedom. The article cites examples from Jordan in the late 90's when there was a crackdown on freedom of the press. Although the article was a little out of date, it did have a point.

My Prof's research, however, claims that there is actually a liberalizing trend in the Middle East. It found that most Arabs want democracy and are more open to a secular government than we westerners would expect. He claimed that liberalized autocracies will not last and even went so far as to say that if they last 10 more years he would be surprised.

While both arguments have their point, I was not quite satisfied with either of them. In order for Democracies to work, the process must satisfy the people. This seems like it would be easy, but satisfaction is hard to acheive in Democracy. Even in America, there are millions of people disatisfied with their government. American's, however, respect the process enough to stand behind any government that elected by the people. The Middle East, however, does not have the same history and there will be a long struggle trying to satisfy the voters.

Posted by rcollins at 7:36 AM | TrackBack

Stipend Day

The most exciting part of today will probably be getting my stipend for this month. I still have a little under half of my last stipend left so I am very excited to actually have some extra spending money around.

In other news, I have been spending several hours a night on Arabic homework and I think I have reached information overload. My brain just doesn't want to soak up anything else. I am learning lots of new words but they just don't seem to stick. Although, it seems as if everyone else in the class is having the same experience and I know for sure that out of the Americans in the class, I am less confused than some!

This weekend the AMIDEAST group is going on our northern trip. I don't know any of the details yet but I am not as excited about this one as I was the last one. There are no camels to ride and I had plans to go to the Belad (downtown) and look at fun Jordanian stuff. That can definitely happen latter but it is still a little disapointing for now.

So I ended up missing out on the photography class at Wild Jordan because AMIDEAST had a lecture on Sunday and our normal meetings are on Tuesdays in the middle of the class. However, I am not disapointed because I found out that the Biblical Arabic class is being moved to the evenings because so many people had conflicts. Yes, this means I will be taking another Arabic class but it also means that I will get the opportunity to study the Bible in Arabic/Aramaic and visit Mt. Nebo and the baptism site. And it is all free!

Posted by rcollins at 7:20 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack