And the countdown begins...

In less than two weeks I'll be boarding a plane for America. What can I say about the last few weeks since my last update? I've celebrated a birthday, taken my first practice LSAT, witnessed the killing of a large rat in our apartment, had another round of tests, and travelled to Amman to do a bit of last-minute shopping. But mostly, I've just been hot and bored.

At this point in the trip, all-things-American are constantly on my mind: I miss my family, I miss my friends, I crave good ol' southern cuisine, I long for the freedom of my own culture, I'm ready to drive myself around again, and I look forward to the comfort of air conditioning...

As I've said before, my roommate Cullen and I share the same birthday so we celebrated in grand style last week. It was Cullen's 21st, and I made it a point to give him the best birthday possible in a country where 21 is just the same as any other birthday. One of my favorite professors here, Rijan, delivered us a cake as our friend Bobby-Joe cooked up a delicious chicken gumbo for the group. We were all impressed by his culinary skills and thoroughly enjoyed our meal after a long four hours of cooking. After dinner, we had a few drinks and played some cards while listening to some of our favorite American music. Later in the evening, my roommates and I took a walk around the city to try and up-the-ante on our night. To say we did just that would be an understatement. After sleeping in the next morning, we unfortunately had two tests to take. I did well, and am hoping that my grades will be a significant improvement from last year.

Last week, we had a run-in with a large rat in the apartment. As much as I like to say I'm not afraid of rats, my actions in the moment indicated otherwise. Cullen and Matt went chasing the thing out of the apartment and down the stairs while I stayed put on top of one of our chairs. Sure enough, a few minutes later Cullen showed up grinning and holding the dead rat with pride. A good story, indeed.

I also took my first practice LSAT last weekend. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was long and challenging. I made a decent score for my first time, and am looking forward to improving upon that base-score in the next couple months while I prepare to apply for some of the most prestigious Law Schools around the country.

Yesterday I went to Amman for the first time and purchased a few gifts for my parents, grandparents, and friends. I'll have to say, as much as I love to gift, a few of my friends may be disappointed in me this year. Put simply, I just don't have as much money as I did this time last year. I'm satisfied with the few gifts I did buy, however, and am excited to pass them out when I get home.

After a long day of studying, I think I'll get some dinner and watch a movie before calling it an early night in preparation for our last week of school! Wow, it feels good to say that.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer vacations! I'm looking forward to doing nothing for a few weeks before school starts in late August. See y'all very soon...

Salaam,

-Alex

The Adventure of a Lifetime

After class on Wednesday, we departed for our long-weekend trip to Petra, Aqaba, and Wadi Rum. The week was cut short to allow us ample time for the adventure to Jordan's most memorable locations. Around noon, we began our 4.5 hour drive to the small desert town of Wadi Musa, home to the magnificent ruins of Petra. We arrived at our hotel in the early evening, which allowed us a few hours poolside to soak up the sun and experience a bit of much-deserved relaxation.

Antonia, Bobby-Joe, Qua and I headed into to town around 8:00p.m. for dinner at the "Sandstone Restaurant" where I ordered a lamb-tomoatoe dish recommended by our waitress. After an enjoyable evening at the "Cave Bar," an old Nabatean tomb converted into a wonderfully interesting place to have drinks with friends, I retired for what was to be an early morning wake-up call and long day of hiking and exploring.

Unlike last year, I actually woke up in time to take the short walk to the gates of Petra with the group. After paying the very affordable entrance fee of 1JD for students and locals (it's 90JD for foreigners), we made our way down to the sandstone corridor (known as the Siq) which winds through the mountains leading to the first and most well-known monument in Petra: The Treasury. The passageway is lined with cool little decorative niches in the walls, and an intricate series of dams and aqueducts that the Nabateans used to prevent flooding and transfer water. If the Nabatean engineering is not enough, then the geologic nature of the sandstone surely impresses even the most skeptical of visitors. As we rounded the last bend of the Siq, I was once again blown away by the beauty and scale of The Treasury. Pictures cannot do this place justice. It's label as one of the "New Seven Wonders of World" is surely deserved, if only for this magnificent structure. But the real wonder of Petra is the monument known as Al-Deir in Arabic (The Monastery). Before making the grueling hike up to Al-Deir, a few friends and I explored the Urn Tomb, one of the many Royal Tombs that gets its name from the urn-like structure at its apex.

After a few photos, and a brief time inside the dark, empty tomb, we headed down Colonnade Street towards the base of the mountain where Al-Deir is located, perhaps one of the greatest structures known to man. I did not make it to the site last summer, and am so very thankful that I had the privilege this year. I am still in awe of the design and scale of what awaited us at the top of this mountain, and cannot for the life of me figure out how they Nabateans carved these monuments out of the mountains with such precision. Al-Deir was well worth the long hike. A short climb up a hill at the top provided us with what the sign called: "The Best View in Petra." I would say it lived up to its name... the panoramic view of the Wadi-Arab desert and mountain ranges on the outskirts of Jordan and Palestine was breathtaking.

After such an eventful and fulfilling day, only the long hike back to our hotel stood in our way. We complained, sure, and by the end of it I could barely walk, but I wouldn't give up the experience for anything.

That afternoon, we loaded the bus again for our short trip to Aqaba. Petra may have been amazing, but I was looking forward to spending time lounging on the beach and swimming in the large pool of the 5-star Intercontinental Hotel. A vacation spot, indeed, I spent the night in the company of friends and woke up to a breakfast of fresh squeezed OJ, American Coffee, pancakes, and real bacon (my first taste of pork in over a month). You can imagine, I was a happy camper. After an early check-out, we got a bit more time to spend on the beach before we departed in the late-afternoon for Wadi Rum.

I wasn't that excited about our return to the desert camp of Jabal Rum, but actually ended up having a great time. Literally the minute upon our arrival, we were shuffled into the backs of two 4WD Toyota LandCruisers (the vehicle of choice for desert-dwelling Bedouins) and sped off into the desert to catch the sunset. We were taken to a neat double-bridge rock formation, then got to climb a large sand dune before running down it full-speed-ahead. It's a lot of fun, if you've never tried it!

After sunset, we were served a dinner including Mansaf and an assortment of dips and salads. The meat was prepared in traditional Bedouin-style: underground in make shift ovens using oil drums and coal. The party after dinner included lots of dubka (the popular Arab dance style, something akin to river dance without the fast foot movement) and a mock wedding. It was fun, but sleep overcame me so I went to bed early.

The next morning, after a light breakfast, we made our way back to Irbid and arrived in the early afternoon. School started again today, and I realized that I only have three weeks left before our final exams! I'm excited about learning as much as possible in my last few weeks, but am definitely ready to get back home and see all of my friends and family.

Hope all is well. Keep in touch!

Salaam,

-Alex

It's Jordan, folks...

This is long overdue, so my apologies. It's not really that I've been too busy to update, I just haven't really been in the mood. As simple as it may sound to write a short this or that about the daily happenings here in Jordan, I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to my posts so it's somewhat of a task. I thoroughly enjoy it, though, and am glad to know that people are keeping up with my trip back in the States.

What a different experience I am having this year! And by different, I mean better. Seriously, my time here is flying by and it's crazy to think that in a few short weeks I'll be returning home. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited and ready, but it's not the same kind of desperate longing for everything American that I experienced last year around this time.

Last weekend we took our first trip to Mount Nebo, Jesus' baptism sight near the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. Although we visited the same sites last year, I was happy to get out of town for the day. Irbid hasn't changed much since last summer, meaning it's still as boring as ever, so any adventure on the weekends is much appreciated. And an adventure we had... on our way home, the bus ran out of gas. Now, I know you're probably thinking, "How could the bus run out of gas? Don't they have a gas gauge or something? Wouldn't they have thought about that?" My response can only be, it's Jordan folks. These things happen. At first the driver thought the engine had overheated, but after a short investigation it became apparent that the bus simply needed fuel. We spent about an hour waiting for the driver to return after hitch hiking to the nearest gas station, and during that time a few of us wondered to the other side of the road and climbed on the roof of an old building to watch the sunset. You get used to these kind of problems over here and learn to take them with a grain of salt and make the best out of any situation, as we did. Our peaceful experience ended after about 20 minutes when an old man, apparently the owner of our newly discovered perch, and his two rabid dogs came and told us to get down and leave... he turned out to be a nice man, but didn't want to have anything to do with a bunch of Americans trespassing on his land, much less climbing onto his roof. A short time after that encounter, our driver returned with a few gallons of fuel and we were on our way once again.

This past week we celebrated the fourth of July by hosting a party at my apartment. Our entire group came over, along with a few of our friends from France who are teaching here at Yarmouk for the summer. We cooked cajun shrimp, burgers, and peach cobbler for everyone and even shot of some fireworks to celebrate the occasion.

Words can't express how grateful I am to have a kitchen this year! My friend Antonia and I have been cooking a lot. Produce is very inexpensive, so with a few essential ingredients from the grocery store we've been able to make spaghetti, mexican casserole, chicken teriyaki, and fried rice. I'm also getting really good at making grilled sandwiches on the stove.

One complaint I have about the apartment is it's lack of air conditioning, and the fact that there isn't even a fan in my bedroom! A few weeks ago, the weather was pretty fair, especially at night; now, however, it's brutally hot ALL the time. So, we keep the windows open and turn the fan in our living room on high, but I still sweat all night long and have the hardest time falling asleep. I can't wait to get back to my 68 degree house in Oxford, and promise to never take that luxury for granted again. We also have a lot of bugs to deal with at night. I spend hours trying to kill mosquitoes every night and it's really starting to get annoying. Oh well, nothing I can't handle.

This week we have our second round of tests and I'm hoping to do a little better than last time. I think it's possible, especially considering the fact that we'll be departing for our little vacation on Wednesday! Wadi Rum, Petra, and Aqaba are all on the agenda, just like last year. It was the highlight of my time in Jordan last summer. I'm going to make sure and experience more of Petra this time, soak up my time in the breathtaking desert of Wadi Rum, and live it up on the beach in Aqaba!

Until later,

-Iskander

A feminist? In Jordan?

With a little encouragement from my grandparents, I've decided it's time for another update.

Today we all attended a lecture (in English) on the Feminist Movement in Jordan by Rula Quawas, a highly intelligent and provocative professor from Jordan University in Amman. Her presentation was interesting, to say the least, and I'd like to share the high-points. As we all know, Jordan, and really all Arab countries, are male-dominated societies. Religion and culture dictate this reality. But why? To be quite honest, until today, I don't know that I have allowed myself to ask the hard questions needed to understand the complex dynamic between men and women in this country. Let's consider a few things before jumping into a more sociological understanding of the current situation for women in Jordan: 1) Women did not gain the right to vote in Jordan until 1972, some 52 years after their counterparts in the West. 2) Because less than 5% of the population here is Christian, society is dominated by Islam. On the ground, this means dealing with Sharia Law, a legal-system completely lacking the involvement of women. Men interpret scripture, make the laws, and prosecute offenders of the law. 3) Save for a very small number, women are not represented in the political system. In most cases, they aren't even allowed to discus political issues; that is to be left to the men with requisite knowledge. And 4) women are considered the"sole custodians of their family's honor." As Prof. Quawas said, quite bluntly, "family honor rests in the daughter's vagina." As shocking as that may be for some of you to hear, it pales in comparison to how shocked I was to hear that word uttered by a native-Jordanian women.

Prof. Quawas explained that Jordan is ruled by a tribal system, which emphasizes family honor above all else. She explained the smallness of Jordanian society, and how much it is affected by what she called "gossip mongerers." I couldn't help but think about the prevalence of gossip and some form of "family honor" in the American South, maybe not so much today, but surely in the recent past. Here, however, these ideas are taken to the extreme. Consider this: The practice of "honor killing" is still in place around the Arab world, in however small a number. Basically, if a woman jeopardizes the family honor by some sexual deviance (sex before marriage, infidelity, etc.), then it is incumbent upon the family to kill the daughter in order to salvage the family name. The practice is antiquated and uncommon, especially in Jordan, but it's legality under Sharia law reflects the idea of women as objects as opposed to thinking individuals who deserve respect of autonomous decision-making. In some cases, women are imprisoned in a last-ditch effort to protect them from their own families, referred to as "administrative detainees." Another atrocious yet much more common act is that of "virginity tests" before marriage. Because of this reality, Prof. Quawas explained, some women travel to other countries to undergo "sexual reconstruction" before they are married.

Speaking more broadly, Prof. Quawas discussed the societal differences between the East and West, and how those ideas help to reinforce gender ideas. In the Arab world, society is much more collectivist, as opposed to the idea of "individualism above all" in Western society. She said, "the idea of self-hood, and even more so of self-love, is almost completely lacking in the female population of Jordan." Prof. Quawas conceded that she has only recently come to the realization that she cannot empower women, but only give them the tools and knowledge to free themselves from society's bonds. "It is just as much about 'un-learning,' than it is about learning" she said.

And perhaps the most enlightening idea in her presentation was that "protection is a conspiracy committed against women" in Jordan and throughout the Arab world. We have been focusing on these issues in all of our Arabic classes the past week or so, and I was struck by something one of my favorite professors (a man) said a few days ago that may shed some light on why this was such a revolutionary idea for me. In one of our classes, he seemed surprised by my emphatic position that women should receive ALL of the same rights as men. So he countered, "but women are weak and can be easily taken advantage of if not protected by the man." The words "weak" and "protection" came up so many times in his explanation, as to stifle debate completely by saying this is just how things are, and how things will always be. It's not that this man is a bigot; not that he doesn't love his wife; not that he thinks women are any less than men... it's simply that society has taught him that women are and will always be dependent upon men to survive in the world. Prof. Quawas gave a brilliant rebuttal to this line of thought, citing the late American civil-rights activist Frederick Douglas who once said, "If we cannot stand up, let us fall down!" If women are always expected to be dependent upon men, then how will they ever grow and learn to live and think for themselves? In my opinion, this is the most important question Jordanian society needs to ask itself. Until then, I fear women will remain second-class citizens.

I hope you found some of that as enlightening as I did. In other news, we have our first round of tests this week. Wish me luck! Also, we'll be taking our first trip this weekend. On the schedule is Mount Nebo, Jesus' baptism site on the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. We visited these sights last year, but I'm excited to go again and take a few more pictures this time.

Hope all is well in the States. Missing everyone, as always. Until later...

Salaam,

-Alex

Second Week Is Almost Over?!

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow we will finish up with our second week of classes. My apologies to those of you who are more interested in my blog posts than others (i.e. my family), I just haven't really felt the need to update it too often considering how uneventful things have been here on the front-end of the trip. They will surely get more exciting, and when that time comes you will hear every detail of my adventures.

I have established a pretty good routine. It's so nice having an apartment with a kitchen and washing machine. As crazy as it may sound, when things get boring I very much enjoy being able to clean up, wash clothes, cook, etc. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but while I'm here it's definitely the truth.

On Monday a few of us got out and threw the frisbee around, one of my favorite things to do back in the States. I, of course, forgot my disk at home, but luckily one of the guys here plays for the Ultimate Team at Ole Miss and brought his along. We also had a University dinner last night to welcome all of us in the Arabic as a Foreign Language Program at Yarmouk. There are a lot more people here than last year. It's pretty cool being a veteran of the program; people seem to look up to us, and it's nice being able to show the new students around Irbid. I am amazed at how much I remember from last year.

In my free time, I have been reading a lot and watching a lot of pirated DVDs. I finished up with Carl Sagan's sci-fi novel "Contact" and was actually really glad to be done with it. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but for a large part of the book I had no idea what was going on; a lot of science and math talk, and if you know me, you know that's not my strong point by any means. Now I've started "The Help" and haven't been able to put it down. I love how it's set in Jackson because I can picture everything perfectly. I also have found a new favorite T.V. series:"Modern Family". If you don't watch this show, you should. It literally makes me laugh out loud hysterically.

Off to finish up with some homework, then maybe grab some food. Hope all is well in the States, I miss everyone but time is flying by. I'll be home before I know it.

Until Later,

-Alex

Early Mornings

It's 6 a.m. in Jordan and I can't sleep. I guess I'm still jet lagged... everyday around 5 in the afternoon I succumb to the urge to nap, and sometimes I don't wake up until morning; that happened yesterday. Maybe if I can resist for one day and wait until a normal hour to sleep I'll get back on schedule, but for now I'll just have to deal with the weird hours. It gives me some quiet time alone in the morning, which is much appreciated.

Today will be our third day of classes. Our program this summer is a bit different than last year, and I like it so much better. The best change? No grammar! We are focusing more on dialect, speaking, and listening. These are the areas where I'm best, and I also think they are so much more beneficial than reading or writing. At the end of the day, fluency comes down to one's ability to communicate with real people. I already can tell that this summer is not only going to be easier, but also more beneficial. All of us who attended the program last summer (Matt, Cullen, Antonia, Bobby Joe, and I) plus two of the new students (Chase and Byron) placed into level-four, the highest level the language center offers. Our professors are great, too.

I'm having some difficulty uploading my pictures from Cairo, but I promise I didn't forget and will get those on here as soon as possible.

Salaam,

-Alex

Irbid

Back to Irbid, once again. I'm way too tired to give a complete update right now but wanted to let everyone know that I made it to my final destination for the next two months. Cairo was awesome, despite a few mishaps, and I'll try and upload a few pictures tomorrow from the pyramids and such.

We're living in student apartments this year and they're simply amazing, definitely an upgrade from our hotel last year. We have a full kitchen, washing machine, t.v. and extensive cable package, hot water, and wifi! I'm living with my buddies Matt and Cullen and we're all in agreement that it's nice to have a place we can call our own. We went and got some groceries today and are already planning "family meals" with the rest of the group.

I arrived in Amman around noon yesterday and spent the day waiting for everyone else to arrive before our pick up at 10:00 p.m. It was a long day in the airport, but as most of you know, I can sleep just about anywhere at anytime so was able to catch some shut eye. It was also nice to catch up with Antonia while we were waiting around.

Our first meal in Jordan was delicious. We stopped by a local restaurant and were treated to all of the things I missed the most: fire-baked flat bread, hummus, ful, chicken shwarma, falafel, and tea. I've missed the food more than anything so took the liberty of stuffing my face. When we finally got back to Irbid around 2:00 a.m. (it took an hour longer than usual due to the festivities surrounding Jordanian Independence Day yesterday) we got unpacked and settled in our new place, then headed straight to our favorite internet cafe "Qasabji" to skype with a few people back home. I don't know if it was the best idea but being so late my roommates and I decided to just stay awake until our meeting at 9 a.m. this morning. I'm starting to regret that decision just about now, can hardly keep my eyes open. The plan is to make it a few more hours, then pass out until morning. We have a big day tomorrow as we'll be taking our placement exam so I want to get a good night's sleep.

Until Later,

-Alex