Telling it how it is.

Today was the longest day in the history of longest days. After a relaxing long weekend in Aqaba, I returned to a full day of classes including two presentations. Tomorrow is the doomsday of both my Modern Standard and Colloquial Finals, so I went to a café to study with a friend. After several hours of productive studying, periodically alternating with hookah and conversation sidetracks, I hopped in a taxi to head home. The driver was nice and seemed normal, asking about my Arabic skills and if I could understand the lyrics to the song on the radio. As we turned a corner, a woman was crossing the street. As if right out of the documentary on harassment I had seen earlier in the semester, he leaned out the window to holler some unsavory epithets. Then he turns to inform me, “She is a bitch.”

            Of course my jaw dropped and I instantly responded, “Ya haram!” “What, she is not nice. What is haram?” I quickly informed him of his rude behavior and how unkind and hurtful that word could be, but he only responded, “Isn’t this what you do in America?” I eagerly informed him that we respect women in America, and that he should do the same. When he blew me off, I asked if he had sisters. He said no, so I asked if his mother had taught him to respect women.  He laughed and said he lived by himself in the middle of the ocean. I insisted, “Even the fish know to treat women with respect.”

            I’m sure he was not used to such a dramatic response to his typical catcalls and he could that I was not very happy. He apologized and said again that he knew this was not normal in Jordan, but it must be normal in America. I was quick to assure him of the opposite. After months of stares, whistles, whispers, and direct confrontations of “pretty lady” and “yes, please,” I had about had it. As he pulled to the front of my building he apologized again. I assured him it was okay, but that he should not talk to women like that.

            Although I’m sure he’ll be back to his catcalling ways tomorrow, I feel so invigorated that it doesn’t matter. I got to say exactly how I feel and finally got to let go and tell an immature, rude niswangi (literally translated: woman lover) exactly what his problem was. Although I did it as diplomatically as possible, it was a completely therapeutic experience. He asked why, when I was “so young”, was I studying so far away from home and I assured him, “Don’t worry, I’m learning here too.”

Differences

As I sit working on homework, I'm gonna procrastinate by making a list of things that are noticeably different in Jordan :)
1. Call to Prayer: Five times a day, hearing the call projected from all the mosques in the area. The call to prayer also differs from place to place. It was cool to hear it in Aqaba, Istanbul, and Izmir as well as Amman.
2. Taxis and Traffic: There are basically no enforced driving laws in Amman, it's insane. The honking in incesssant. In taxis, women should sit in the backseat. Also, it's typically not a good idea for women to get real chatty with the drivers because marriage proposals are not uncommon. On the other hand, it's often a great chance for guys to practice their colloquial. Also, it's important to make sure the taxi driver uses the meter properly and doesn't try to screw you over, which happens all the time.
3. The Seperation of the Sexes: Walking on UJ campus, its easy to see the seperation. Most of the time it seems as if they don't go to class at all and just spend all day staring awkwardly at each other, with occassional harrassing cat calls. Apparently calling a girl a duck or a banana is enticing...
4. Food: I want my damn french toast/pancakes/waffles already! Although my host family doesn't eat the typical zait and zatar for breakfast, they usually skip it all together.  Lunch is typically as expected. Dinner, however, seems to be at  4pm in my house, which is very strange for my appetite clock. Still, that means we have a little snack and tea at about 8 or 9 every night, and I will definitely try to bring that back home with me. Oh, and in case I didn't mention it: breadbreadbreadbread, chicken and rice, rice and chicken, ricericerice, breadbreadbreadbreadbread. And no milk.
5. Clothes and Style: For guys: black leather jackets are a must. Hair gel is preferred. Lots of it.
For girls: Hijabs are the norm, but are not everywhere. Makeup, especially a lot on the eyes is a good thing. Legs should be covered, therefore jeans (typically very tight) are typical. But even a hint of a clavicle indicates your surely deviant attitude. It's also interesting to note than even under the long form-hiding trenchcoats worn by many girls, sparkly colorful high heels can often be found underneath.

That's enough for now, but I'm sure I'll hit another procrastination streak soon!

Spring Break in Turkey

Friday March 30th:  Slept in, had a wonderful breakfast including milk, coffee, and pancakes (!)
                                 Topkapi Palace and Harem (!)
                                 Hohum lunch with a stunning view of Sultanahmet
                                 The Blue Mosque (!)
                                 The Basilica Cistern
                                 Exploring the Great Bazaar
                                 Night out on Istiklal, Celebrating Christian's Birthday
                                 Came back to the hotel and watched UK in the Final Four (!)
Saturday March 31st: Same wonderful morning as before, including more sleep
                                    Spa and Pool with Hannah and Alex (!)
                                    Kebab lunch in Sultanahmet
                                    Hagia Sophia (!)
                                   Wet, blustery ferry ride across Bosphorous for dinner in a floating restaurant
Sunday April 1st: More pancakes and coffee
                             Sunny walk to Bebek on the coast-quite expensive/bad food, but beautiful view (!)
                             Istiklal Take II- Best Night of the Trip (!) and UK wins the NCAA Championship
Monday April 2nd: I love pancakes and coffee.
                                Spice Bazaar
                                Mexican lunch?
                                Ferry Ride Take II- Much improved, including an old fashioned ice cream shop
Tuesday April 3rd: Drive to Gallipoli Memorials
                               Troy Ruins
                                Long drive to Izmir-Finally crashed at Helin's house
Wednesday April 4th: Sleep is good. Wonderful breakfast on the back porch.
                                     Wine tasting in Shyringe (!)
                                     Cereal for dinner, fell asleep early
Thursday April 5th: Sightseeing in Izmir, courtesty of Helin's Mom's Boyfriend
                                 Dinner with Helin's Mom's and her friend Charlotte-Efes and Pizza
Friday April 6th: Breakfast courtesy of Helin's Mom--can you tell I've missed breakfast?
                            Shopping in the Izmir Bazaar, with Chay and Argila
                            Dinner where Helin's Mom's Boyfriend sings, quite beautifully I might add...
                            Ice Cream Stroll to Clock Tower Square, where we were acosted by Turkish teenagers and babies--excellent end to and excellent week.

Real Life

     I spent today in a huge Starbuck's on the wealthier side of town, trying to get some work done. I had a nice view of the city, and although the internet was awful, I was pretty productive. Two of my friends showed up and studied with me for a bit. Then we walked next door to a really nice restaraunt called Blue Fig, met up with another friend, and had a delcious fun dinner. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a ceasar salad that much. We said goodbye and caught our cabs, only to be met by sirens and armed vehicles. I check my phone to see a text telling us to avoid the circle near the Ministry of Interior due to protests. Apparently, the last time there was a protest in this area, someone was killed. Fortunately, my taxi driver was already planning to avoid the area. As we passed the exit to the circle, I could see about three armored humvees, with machine guns on top, filled with swat officers.
     I made it home to my apartment fine with only half a dinar more than usual in cab fare. Nothing else out of the ordinary. I'm watching August Rush on tv, about to skype my mom. It's just very weird to think about what's going on outside while I sit in front of the tv on my laptop. Everything you see on your tv and more is really happening. They don't show what's happening in Syria in America, to the extent that I see on the news everyday. The blood and the tears are all too real. The frustrations are growing and are obvious. We live in a pivotal time, make sure you know what's going on.

Aqaba, Snow, and Ruins

     Where to begin? Where to begin? I know it has been a while since I last posted, so I apologize if this post is a little all over the place, but I promise to be more constant in my postings from now on :) I have done so much since I last updated! I have been to Aqaba two weekends in a row (!), visited Jerash and Umm Qais, survived a cold, planned my Spring Break, experienced the most snow Amman has had in 9 years, and managed to avoid tribal fighting/political protests on campus! All this, along with the busy daily life in Amman.
     First off, Aqaba is paradise. Imagine living in a huge city thats kinda dirty and filled with people, and being able to hop on a super inexpensive bus for a few hours and arrive in a beach/port city with warm breezes, clear blue seas, and an unbelievable view of the Sinai penninsula. The first weekend I went with five other friends and we stayed at a really nice hotel and just relaxed and chilled on the beach. It was fantastic and just what I needed to relax. The second weekend, I went with one friend who was already scuba certified and a couple others that were finishing up their certification from the previous weekend. Unfortunately, I had gone out the previous night to celebrate "Leap Rage" (February 29th) in the accumulating snow and caught a bit of a cold. So, thanks to my hard headedness, my sinuses were blocked and when I tried to go scuba diving, I was unable to equalize my ears and had to stop to avoid a burst eardrum. No worries, I made the best of a humdrum situation and went snorkeling the next day with my friends who had arrived in Aqaba via running the Dead2Red marathon. Right off the beach, the snorkeling was absolutely stunning! I can't wait to go back!
     The second weekend that I went to Aqaba could not have been better timing. That Wednesday it started to snow that afternoon and they went ahead and cancelled school for Thursday. Instead of taking the 4pm bus as planned we went ahead and hopped on the 1pm bus because we didn't have class, which ended up being the last bus that left due to the weather. While we were in Aqaba, Amman experienced about 3 inches of snow, which doesn't sound like a lot, but in Jordan, that's a blizzard! That Wednesday, the weather was absolutely insane. First the rain turned to sleet/hail, then a nice orange sandstorm blew through campus (which I safely watched from my classroom), finally followed by snow. The snow was welcomed by screaming and running around. Shababs (young men, also used in place of hooligans) love getting into snow ball fights.
     Which brings me to the next big point, bringing a gun to a snowball fight. The next Sunday I stayed home and slept thanks to my annoying cold. Fortunately, I missed a snowball fight that unexpectedly included a guy getting shot in the foot for throwing a snowball at the wrong dude. It's important to note that the two guys were from opposing tribes. Apparently in Jordan and Amman, native Jordanians are still organized into familial tribes. A few days later there was a fight between two tribes again; I am unsure whether they were the same tribes from the snowball fight. As in all good stories, the fighting reportedly began over a girl. A few other fights have broken out, but no CIEE students, or any other non-tribal related people, have been involved. Also, there had been a few protests around the city that we were warned to avoid, but today there was one at the center of campus. CIEE is making sure to keep us off campus when there are disturbances possible and make sure we are informed and stay safe. There is no real danger, but it's good to be smart.
     Last weekend, along with spending another fun night on Ranbow St., I went downtown on Friday to eat some delicious falafel at the famous Hashem restaurant and then we hiked up to the Citadel to enjoy the beautiful weather. On Saturday, there was a day trip to Jerash, a city built alongside the ancient Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, and to Umm Qais, a ruined Hellenistic-Roman city on top of a hill/mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Israel, and the Golan Heights. It was very cool to see all the ruins, and especially amazing to look out over the Sea of Galilee to the Golan Heights.
     Spring Break is in a bit over two weeks! In shah Allah (God willing), I will be going to Istanbul for the week with several of my good friends from CIEE. We plan to explore the city, see the ruins of Troy, check out the city of Izmir (when one of my friend's mom lives), and maybe check out a Greek isle nearby. There should be tons to do and I can't wait!
     Overall, I am doing magnificently. Although it can be easy to become distracted by little things, it is even easier to sit back and realize where I am and what I'm doing. So now that I've gotten the past two weeks onto record, hopefully my blogging will be more consistent and organized. Thanks to everyone who's following my adventures, I miss you all!
xoxo -O

Further Adventures

I have been living in Amman for almost a month now and I am having the time of my life. I can't believe that I am basically a fourth of the way through my semester. Even on days when I do just basic things, everything is still brand new and interesting.

     Last weekend I went on an overnight trip with CIEE to Wadi Rum and Petra. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I got to speed through the valley in a caravan of 4x4s, climb around and explore the sand dunes and mountains, and finish our trek to our Bedouin camp by camel. Then we watched the mesmerizing sunset from atop a nearby mountain, and enjoyed a delicious dinner and hookah. After a chilly night we drove to Petra. Once you get to Petra, it's a three mile walk in to the Treasury. We fueled up on a delicious lunch at the hotel in the basin of the lost city and then started our climb. It was 900 steps up to the Monastery and then some up to the top of the mountain. Although it was amazing to see what man had been able to achieve, it was ever more stunning to see what God had created. I made sure to document all the beauty and the pictures can be seen on my Facebook. I was absolutely exhausted when we finally got back from our vigorous weekend; the lack of sleep made it a little hard to get up for school the next morning.
     Although the beginning of the week was a struggle, I managed to pull it together and do well on my first Modern Standard test. On Jordanian hump day (Wednesday), I went out with some friends. It was really nice to be able to relax and let loose with my friends. I have been very lucky to meet so many cool people in the program. The next night, we went to Rainbow Street again for another good night. Rainbow St. is a really cool place with lots of restaurants, cafes, and bars. It's probably the most western place in the city and a nice place to forget about all that studying.
       I've spent this weekend avoiding the cold and rain/sleet; it even snowed just north of Amman today! I was supposed to go to a small village today and help fix up a girl's school, but the snow cancelled our travel plans. As much as I love volunteering, I was happy to stay in my warm bed this morning. I really needed this weekend to catch up on sleep, relax, and get some work done, unlike last week. I'm missing my parents a bit and am jealous of their vacation to Florida. Also, I recently found out my uncle is sick, and although he should be fine, I can't help but worry. For my next post, I'd like to write about something more specific e.g. studying outside of a women's college, Arabic food, or Jordanian culture. If y'all have any specific questions or ideas, please let me know! Until next time :)

xoxo -O

Everyday is an adventure

Apparently, living daily life in Amman is exhausting. The past week or so I've just been getting used to my new routine and life, but I'm sorry I've haven't posted more.

This week is my first full week of class and I'm already pretty tired. I have Modern Standard Arabic everyday, Colloquial Arabic three times a week, and my area studies courses twice a week. Classes are all going swimmingly and I am very fortunate to have excellent teachers. My MSA teacher is funny and makes coming to class at 8:30 worthwhile. My International Relations professor is currently also an advisor to the Prime Minister of Jordan, in addition to being an excellent teacher.

The campus is beautiful, but huge. Walking in between classes can take up to twenty minutes! On Wednesday, it absolutely poured and I forgot to wear my rain boots. With the lack of a drainage system in the city, my toms were completely sopping--no fun. It's weird not being able to go back to my room during breaks in between classes. I end up spending a lot of time in the coffee shop near the CIEE center, along with several other students. On Sundays I go to a form dedicated to the Ten Forms in Arabic Grammar, which sounds boring, but is extremely helpful and the teacher is outstanding. I plan to meet with my peer tutor (a UJ student who is a native Arabic speaker) in between classes on Tuesday and Thursday. She is 19 and is studying English and Italian. I hope to get to know her more over the semester, and definitely improve my colloquial skills. I joined a women's gym, along with other CIEE students, not only for managing stress and the extra pounds I'm sure to pack on with all this delicious new food, but for the sauna, steam room, and unlimited hot showers!

Last weekend was fantastic, but way too short. On Thursday, I stopped by a Wings & Rings place with some other students, but opted for a coffee and hookah cafe with a few select people, sans all the other Americans. Then, we went to a bar called La Calle for an excellent night of dancing with friends and meeting new people. The next morning I ventured downtown with my CIEE neighbors to explore the Friday Markets (souks). It was the first beautiful day we had, after a week of rain rain and more rain, so I took plenty of pictures. Supposedly there are weekly demonstrations near the markets on Fridays, but everything seemed pretty low key. Since the beginning of the Arab Spring, there have been over 4,000 protests in Jordan. After exploring the souks, I attempted to get some reading done. That night, I followed the advice that another student got from a guidebook and went to a restaurant off the beaten path. We had drinks, smoked hookah, and had some delicious cheese fondue. It was a very swanky place and a very cool discovery. On Saturday I met my peer tutor and went around Amman on an ice breaker scavenger hunt. The weekend went by so fast and I was not happy that Sunday (the first work day in the week) came so soon.

This weekend I'm going with the CIEE group to Wadi Rum for an overnight trip and then to Petra the next day. The trip will be complete with a camel ride through the valley and a night spent in a Bedouin style tent. I promise to take plenty of pictures and keep you all updated!

xoxo -O

P.S. Some of my proud accomplishments include figuring out the bus system to school, learning to blow smoke rings, and going to the gym three times a week :)

Settling In

     Marhaba!

     What a week it has been! I have traveled thousands of miles, gone through the program orientation, and moved in with my host family in the past seven days. It has been a bit stressful and I haven't had much down time, but I'm learning new things every minute.

     My first flight was cancelled due to thunderstorms in Atlanta, but my dad helped me figure everything out so I left only two hours late, and instead of getting in at 7pm, I landed at about 1130. I ended up being the last one to arrive,  but my roommate for the hotel was still awake when I got there, which was nice. The next day we woke up early and spent the whole day on a tour of the city including the American Center of Oriental Research, the Royal Automobile Musuem, and the Citadel. I was so tired that first night that the call to prayer didn't wake me up, so I was up on top of one of the many huge hills at the Citadel, in the middle of the ruins of an ancient mosque when I first heard it. If it hadn't already been bitterly cold and windy, I would have definitely had goosebumps. The next day (Tues) we went on a tour of the University and took the gruelingly long Arabic placement exam. That night, some of the students who had already been there a semester tok the new students out for a fun night.  The next morning (Weds) we had several information sessions and then packed up and got ready to meet our host families.

     My family is wonderful! My host parents have me call them by the first name and I have a little three year old brother who is a real character. He is incredibly smart, but doesn't really listen to anybody. He only speaks colloquial, so I will have to practice talking with him. My host dad's sister also lives in the apartment; she doesn't speak much English and seems to be shy, but when we do talk, she is very sweet. I have my own room, which is fantastic. There is no heat, so the house if freezing most of the time, but I have a heater to help. The other day I swear I could see my breath while I was in my room. Water is limited, so I have to take quick showers and always be aware of what water I use.

      On Thursday, we had academic orientation and found out our schedules. I will have an intensive Modern Standard Arabic class, a colloquial Jordanian class, and two electives: Islam in the Modern Context and International Relations/Diplomacy in the Middle East. After a little trouble with finding my way back to my homestay, I went out to the huge City Mall with my family, where they met up with some other relatives and went to a Dave & Buster's type place for kids, where all the kids played. The mall was super crowded and everybody was pushy, so while I was glad I went out with the family, I was so tired and glad to get to sleep when we finally got home at about midnight (my little brother seems to never sleep!).

     This morning everybody slept in and then we had brunch, which was delicious. Luckily, there are several CIEE students in my neighborhood, so four of us met up and explored the area a bit.  In Amman, the weekend is on Friday and Saturday and most shops are closed on Friday for Friday Prayer at the mosques. The wind and rain forced us to retire to a coffee shop near the University, but it was nice to spend some time with them. As for now, my family seems to be taking another nap and I'm relaxing in my room by my heater.  Language classes start on Sunday and my electives start on Wednesday. I'm not too worried and am looking foward to improving my language skills as much as possible. I've made many new friends so far and can't wait to find out who will be in my classes. Hope all is well in the States!

xoxo -O

Pre-Departure Jitters

     So I leave for Amman, Jordan in exactly seven days and am really starting to get nervous. I'll be gone for almost four months, which is about the same length as a normal semester, but being in such an unfamiliar place with so many unknowns is scary. I know I'll be fine, but for the moment I have the jitters.
    I'll be staying with a homestay family, who I'll meet after a few days, and I'll be studying at the University of Jordan in classes with other American students. I will be intensively studying Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial Jordanian. I also hope to take a course of Islam in the Modern Context and a course on International Relations and Diplomacy in the Middle East. Through CIEE I will get the chance to travel all over Jordan, including Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba. With luck I might be able to visit the West Bank and Jerusalem, and maybe even Beirut or Istanbul.
    Internet will be iffy, especially Facebook, so I plan on using this blog as my source for keeping in touch with my friends and family during my time abroad. I hope everyone can follow and send me good vibes while I'm overseas. If you wanna send me come than just a comment, you can email me at obgriffin91@hotmail.com.
xoxo  -O