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

Jordan, Part II

It's that time again. Despite my experience last summer, and my firm decision on those last difficult days in Jordan to never return, I've arrived safely in Cairo, Egypt for a week long vacation before my summer program begins at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan.

Along with a few of my fellow classmates, we have decided to do things differently this year. For me, that means forcing myself to experience as much of Arab culture in Jordan as possible; it will be my goal to make myself uncomfortable by using as little English in country as possible. It's really the only practical way to do things. If I've decided to learn this language, as I have, then I must capitalize on the opportunity that has been given to me. Pure and simple. I won't make any promises that you won't hear me bitch and complain, I'll only say that I hope it's apparent in my posts throughout the summer that I am happy to be learning.

People sometimes ask, "Why Arabic?" and I think this may be a good place for me to answer that questions, once and for all. This was never in the plan, that's what I should make clear right up front. I have no personal connection to the Middle East or it's people or the language they speak. I couldn't have told you what Arabic even looked like four years ago. It's not the best story, and I could probably exaggerate to make it sound more epic, but I really just happened upon my decision to study one the hardest languages in the world. As a sophomore liberal arts major without any language credit, it was between the most popular language at Ole Miss, Spanish, or Arabic as part of the first program at Ole Miss funded through the new Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. For me the choice was easy, I wanted a challenge. And here I am, three long years later, in the Middle East for the second time. I'm as shocked as anyone, to be honest. It's been a long journey and I know it is just getting started, but I am determined to reach some sort of fluency in this language as soon as possible.

My travel experience on the way over went off without a hitch, and I arrived in Cairo around 3:00 p.m. local time yesterday. As a reminder for those who want to contact me, or those of you that I want to contact, we are 8 hours ahead here so let's try and plan accordingly. My friend and classmate back at Ole Miss, Amina, is hosting me in the city. She has lived here all her life, attending the American school where her mom teaches and directs the aquatics program. Amina is helping her coach this summer, and I actually joined them at the pool today to help Amina's friend out with the kid's program. I even got a few laps in after that, which was really nice.

I am staying in a family apartment and it is so nice! Air conditioning, hot water, kitchen, all the amenities I might need. I couldn't imagine a better set-up for my short time here in Cairo. Over lunch today, I think Amina and I will discuss my options in terms of seeing all that I can in the next few days. On the list right now: Giza and the pyramids; Felucca ride on the Nile; Tahrir Square and the Cairo Museum; The Cairo Jazz Club; The Citadel; shopping in one of the famous bazaars (markets); and visiting 26th of July Street (because that's my birthday). All of this is subject to change and who knows how much I will get done. For now, though, I am happy and contempt to be experiencing Cairo from a native's perspective.

I miss everyone already and will keep you updated as much as possible.

Salaam,

-Skander

I'm alive!

This is long overdue. The last few weeks have been a series of ups and downs, but I’ve definitely found my place here. In an effort to save a little money, my diet has consisted mainly of shwarma and falafel for quite some time now, with the occoasional Mcdonald’s meal, of course.I really wish we had a kitchen in our hotel. It would have been nice to cook some meals every once and while, but oh well.

Since you last heard from me I’ve visisted some of the most amazing sights Jordan has to offer (i.e Petra, Aqaba, and Wadi Rum) and had what I would consider my most important birthday yet: 21! Let’s start there. After class on Monday I skyped with my family. It was nice to see my mom, sister, Dad, and our beloved dog Cocoa. It was early in the States so everyone was getting ready to begin their day. My brother, Adam, was beginning his new venture as a football manager for Madison Central High School so there wasn’t much time to talk with him or my Dad, as he was driving him to the high school that morning. Due to some technical difficulties with my mother’s skype account, she woke up my sister to use her computer then we all talked for a while. It was so nice to hear from everyone and get to see their faces. My family means the world to me and I love and miss them so much. It will be nice to get back to my comfortable home.

After I talked with my parents it was on to the grandparents. It was great to hear from them as well and talk to them about a possible birthday present. I will be going to Voodoo Fest in New Orleans this year because of their generosity. I love them so much. It was the best birthday present they could ever get me. I’m extremely excited. Me and some of my best friends will head down for the festival in late October and spend three days listening to some amazing music and enjoying one of my favorite cities in America. Thanks, Nana and Grandy!

I still haven’t told you about our long weekend trip. So a couple of weeks ago I had a very short three-day week before leaving for the trip. Unfortunately I got sick for the first time the day before we left, but it wasn’t that bad and allowed me to skip a day of school and watch movies, something I can always appreciate. It took me a good minute to get over the stomach problems but it by no means ruined my trip.

We began our trip in Petra, one the “new” Seven Wonders of the World. It’s also where they filmed “Indian Jones and the Last Crusade,” if you’ve seen that movie. The first day we spent lounging around our hotel. There was a nice pool and some of the guys and I went exploring in what was surely a restricted area behind the hotel. But, hey, we didn’t get caught and it was a lot of fun. That night we had a nice dinner at the famous “Cave Bar” in Petra. The name pretty much gives it away, but it’s basically a 2,000 year old Nabataean tomb that has been transformed into a pub. I met some Canadians who were traveling and actually got to plug in my Ipod later in the night and let the Arabs here some real American music. Good times.

The next morning we were all supposed to meet down in the lobby at 6:00 a.m. to begin our tour of Petra, but a few of us decided we needed a couple more hours of sleep. So, after a nice buffet breakfast we headed that way around 10:00 a.m. and actually saw some of the group on their way out as we were headed in. It’s a long walk down the historic Siq before you reach the ruins of Petra. When I turned the corner and had the first ruin in sight it literally took my breath away. This place is amazing! Here’s a picture. It by no means does it justice, but better than nothing.

It was hot that day and being late we didn’t have time to see everything, but I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth. For students it only cost 1JD for a ticket, everyone else pays much more. Student discounts are always much appreciated. I like being a student.

A few ours later we were back on the bus for the short two hour bus ride to a desert named “Wadi Rum” in the midst of a stunning mountain range. We stayed in a traditional Bedouin camp and were served a traditional meal and provided with entertainment in the form of a talented Udd player and traditional dance. There were also Arabic wedding festivities to be had between two of the members of our group. All in good fun, of course, but it was hilarious. I’m getting ahead of myself. Before the night began, we took a trip in the back of a few trucks to a large sand dune below one of the mountains. After much difficulty (sand is not easy to climb!) I made it to the top and the view was spectacular. Also, this sounds weird, but the sand moved like water! It was the strangest thing but because it is so fine grained, it just seemed to flow like a stream. After a couple minutes we were called back down so we woudn’t miss the sunset.Running down the sand dune was so much fun! The sand lessens the impact of your stride and makes it really easy to go full steam ahead. I wish we had had more time and a sand board.How cool would that have been?

A few minutes later we were watching one of the most amazing sunsets I have every seen in my life. I was in a pensive mood and definitely had a moment. I have been blessed with some of the most amazing opprtunities in my life and I hope that I haven’t squandered this one missing all things American. I have learned more about myself and gained more patience than I ever thought was possible. My best friend in the world told me that the frustration is part of the experience, that I will come back so much of a stronger person. I think she is right. I started to gain some perspective sitting there watching the sunset, however fleeting that moment may have been. I digress. We slept in tents that night and I got to enjoy an amazing night sky. It was a simple evening but probably one of the things I will remember most. Here are a few pictures:

The next morning it was off to the beach at Aqaba! We stayed in a five-start resort with an amazing pool, delicious food, and a 10-foot walk to the beach. I was in heaven. Some of the group went snorkeling but a few of us stayed behind to enjoy our new home for the evening. That night we had a little hotel party in one of our rooms and after a while Katharine, Antonia, and I went down to the beach for some good conversation. There’s nothing quite like the beach at night with good company, so relazing and refreshing. I slept like a champ then woke up to room service: real pork bacon (for the first time in over a month!), French toast, and fresh squeezed orange juice. I splurged, what can I say. I was reading on the beach quickly after breakfast and got some sun before we boarded the bus for the long bus ride back to Irbid. Here’s a picture from Aqaba. Try not and be jealous.

What else? Class is going well, although I’ve let my grades slip a bit. I have a solid week of classes left and can hopefully redeem myself on the final exam, but at the end of the day, all is well. I came here to improve my speaking skills and have done just that. It’s like pulling teeth sometimes, as language learning often is, but I feel much, much more comfortable holding a conversation in Arabic and am looking forward to sharing my new vocabulary with my friends who speak Arabic at the Brittany Store in Oxford. I think they are going to be impressed.

Today in class I planned out the rest of my trip. It was therapeutic. Tomorrow I’m going to make my last trip down to Amman to finish up my gift buying, see Inception, and eat some Chinese food. On Saturday I think some of us will visit the ruins at Jerash and the historical Ajlun Castle. Then it will be time to start our last week of school here. It’s only a four-day week because we will be testing all day on Thursday. Please keep me in your prayers on Thursday. It will surely be a rough day. After the test, though, my friend Sarah and I will travel to Tel Aviv then Jerusalem for the weekend. I’m excited about getting in some last miunte beach time on the Mediterranean and staying at a roof-top hostel in the old city of Jerusalem. When I get back from my weekend trip, it will be time to pack the bags and get on a flight back to America. For all who are curious, my flight leaves at 2:55 a.m. the morning of the 10^th and I’ll be arriving in Jackson around 6:00 p.m. that same day.

I made the conscious decision to really focus on my studies this next week and learn all I can before my departure. It will be so nice to be home again, though. I love and miss you all.

Salaam,

-Alex

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. All is well. We returned from an amazing long weekend trip to Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba last evening and I have been swamped with homework today. I promise an extensive update is coming in the next few days.

I miss my family, friends, and good ole Mississippi, but we only have three short weeks left. I'm going to try and savor the experience from here on out.

Until later!

Salaam,

-Alex

Do I look German?!

I must look German. About ten people yesterday asked me if I was from Germany, no kidding. Do I look German?! I also got told that I look Jordanian for the first time yesterday. That was a cool thing to hear.

To be honest, I’ve kind of been avoiding the blog lately due to my negativity. I’ve been homesick and nothing seems to be going my way: was excited to find out we get out of school a week before expected, but there’s no way to find an earlier flight home; class has been rough; I’m sick of not being able to communicate with anyone around me; I’m tired of the feeling ostracized everywhere I go; the town we live in is quite possibly the most boring town in the Middle East; and there are a few issues with our group… enough said. We have a long weekend coming up and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m really excited about the trip to Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Petra. Also am trying to keep things in perspective. Only 30 days left… I can do 30 days. It sucks I won’t be spending my 21^st birthday in the states but you win some you lose some. I’ll get over it.

I have a lot to catch everyone up on:

First, at the beginning of this week a few of us went and helped in a kid’s camp sponsored by the Catholic Church with the priest we met last week. It was an extremely fun and rewarding experience. I cannot remember the priest’s name for the life of me because I never really picked up on what to call him. It seems like a simple thing but he had like five different names: one the kids called him, one the adults called him, the name for priest in Arabic, and I think the name for father in Arabic. Very confusing for an American, so we’re just going to call him “Father Abu” from now on. So, Father Abu picked us up at the hotel right after class on Tuesday and we headed to a small, Christian village about 5km outside of Irbid. I was really impressed with the facilities when we got there. Father Abu explained that it was his second parish, so he converted it into a campus for kid’s activities, camps, and the like. This was the first of three camps he would be hosting and was for the younger children, 7-11 to be exact. We ate our second lunch when we got there and were introduced to the two guys we’d be working with the rest of the afternoon. They were around our age and seemed to be part of the Jordanian equivalent of the Boy Scouts. Our first task was to organize some water games for the kids. We filled up water balloons and tossed around ideas on easy games. After some misunderstanding we settled on a game and formulated a plan to secretly barrage the kids with water balloons from the roof. All went off without a hitch and the kids had a blast!

After that, we were put in charge of the game station in their afternoon rotation. It tooks some trial and error (“Duck Duck Goose” failed miserably and dancing the “Macarena” was awkward) but we found a few games the kids seemed to enjoy. Before we left, Father Abu wanted to take all of the kids on a walk up the mountain to get them tired before bed. So off we went, all 100 something kids and only a few adult chaperones. No counting, no lines, but a mad rush up a windy road to the top. I don’t think this would have gone over well in the States. I made a few friends and learned a lot from the conversations I had with kids. They are much more understanding than adults and don’t ask hard questions, so it’s always encouraging. Father Abu gave us a gift of Holy Water Olive Oil from Jerusalem before we left. It was a nice gesture, to say the least.

We had two extremely difficult tests yesterday and I didn’t do so well… that’s all I’m going to say. So after school I was excited about taking a trip to Amman to see a movie. I’m juts going to go ahead and come clean: I went to see Twilight, don’t judge me. What can I say? It’s boring here and it seemed like my best option. Plus if you didn’t know, I read the books. Once again, all of you haters can back off. Seeing this movie in Jordan reaffirmed the simple fact that Jordanians are, on the whole, completely more immature than Americans. It has to do with the culture here and the separation of the sexes, as my friends and I were discussing earlier this week, but in every single kissing scene during the movie the theatre erupted into laughter, with whistles and catcalls going on for minutes after the scene had ended. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was a a theatre full of 12-year old girls, but most people I saw had to be at least 20. I was annoyed. It was kind of entertaining at the same time, though.

When I left the theatre I came to the startling realization that the buses back to Irbid had stopped running. I asked a cab driver how much for a ride back to Irbid and he said 50JD! I felt lost. There was no way I was paying that much. It should only cost about 1JD to get back to Irbid, max 3JD. There for a second I felt really stranded and started to worry. No one around me spoke good enough English to understand my question and my phone was about to die… what to do?! I sat around twiddling my thumbs for a while contemplating my predicament before deciding to head back inside on a hunt for someone who spoke English. My saving grace came at a coffee shop. His name was Alazim and he just so happened to be an Arabic Instructor during the school year and knew exactly how to help. So off I went, following a complete stranger, hopping into a random bus, getting off at a random stop and following another stranger, then hopping into a random cab with the hopes I would make it back to Irbid. Long story short, I made it home safely and met some nice people along the way. We got back in about 35 minutes. It usually takes about an hour and a half. As scary as the ride was, I was happy to get back quickly.

I really like Amman. It’s so refreshingly western. Significantly more women are uncovered than covered and society seems to be a bit more liberal and free-thinking. I wish we were studying there. So, a man who was riding with me in the cab asked me an interesting question on the way back last night. To paraphrase, he asked me how my time in Jordan so far has changed my impressions of the Middle East. I’m still thinking about that. I think I’ll have an answer later this week.

Salaam,

-Alex

All is Well

Tonight was incredibly refreshing. The girls and I went to the 6 o’clock catholic mass in a village near Irbid and met up with the priest who has arranged for us to assist in a kid’s camps sponsored by the church. After an awkward introduction (long story), we attended mass. The church was beautiful. We had no clue what was going on during the service, save for a few words here and there and the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hymn singing. It was all a cappella and led by one of the nuns. I picked up on the melodies as best I could and actually was able to follow along in the Arabic hymnals (no notes, just words) with some help finding the page numbers.

After the service, we were invited to dinner with the priest and a few members of the church. The food was amazing: spaghetti, fettuccini, fish and vegetables, cream corn, and a nice bottle of red wine. They also had salt, pepper, and fresh Parmesan on the table, things usually missing from Arabic meals. The conversation was enlightening and we had an opportunity to work out the details on our role in the kid’s camp. Basically, tomorrow we’re going to help prepare for the camp and work through some American children’s songs that we’ll teach to the children. I’m very excited.

All is well. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Independence Day. We’re trying to hunt down some fireworks at the moment. Wish us luck.

Salaam,

-Alex

The Honking Continues...

Let me apologize to those World Cup fanatics who may be reading, but I am just about sick of this world-wide competition. It would be fine if I was in America and could sit peacefully in my condo and avoid the pointless screaming and fighting over the wins or loses of each person's favored country. Instead, I am in a country where there is nothing to do, absolutely nothing, except for watch the World Cup at cafes all around the city. There's simply no escaping the madness. Hours and hours after the games crazy people scream and honk while hanging out of their windows waving the flag of the team who reigned victorious on any particular day. It just gets old...

Today I went to Amman with a fellow classmate of mine from Taiwan. His name is Nathan. I really wanted to see "Prince of Persia" but it wasn't playing so we had to settle for the new Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz movie "Knight and Day." The plot was ridiculous and the acting sub-par, but I've been bored and love the movies so we had a good time. After the movie we had some lunch then headed back to Irbid. I need to do some homework tonight and get organized for the week but not really in the mood.

Tomorrow we begin our fourth week of classes and I feel like I'm finally in a groove with the whole school thing. Our tests are difficult and the grammar is frustrating but I'm learning. It's also nice to get to practice everyday on the streets, as frustrating as it can be sometimes.

Cultural notes: A large majority of taxi drivers play Qu'ranic recitation in their cabs. It can be eerie at times, to be honest. Opportunities in music education are virtually non-existent except at the University level. It breaks my heart to think about all the kids who have had no opportunity to study music in this country. Arabic music uses quarter-tones a lot, which makes the piano kind of obsolete. And I learned three of the main scales they use. All very interesting.

I think I told y'all that I was looking for some community service to do while I was here. Well, today while I was in Amman the guy I wrote my interest letter to called me at the hotel. I'm about to call him back. I really hope something works out!

Happy Fourth to everyone back home. Party hard for us. We'll be in class...

Salaam,

-Alex

The Good Life

Life in Jordan is growing on me. I have thoroughly enjoyed the weekend so far and may make a trip to Amman tomorrow for lunch and a movie. Prince of Persia, perhaps?

Last night we met up with a friend of ours from Yale, Jesse, who is teaching applied-English at one of the local colleges for the summer. After dinner (lamb kebabs, grilled onions and tomatoes, pita, hummus, and two random bowls of what seemed to be salsa), Jesse invited us over to his friend’s house. She is an American teaching English, as well. We had an incredible time, to say the least: met some really cool locals who spoke good English (including my first set of Arab twins), learned some new words, and enjoyed a few games of beer pong.

We spent today at one of our professor’s homes in the village of Sum. Their hospitality was incredible. If anything unites Southern American culture and Jordanian culture, it’s the hospitality. We arrived at her home and we’re introduced to the family. Shortly thereafter, her husband served us shots of Arabic coffee. I’m still wired, as that was the first of many times I got served the incredibly strong coffee. After an hour of sitting around chatting we sat down for lunch: chicken mansaf. It was delicious but I mistakenly drank the warm laban (fermented yogurt/milk-like sauce) thinking it was my water and have yet to fully recover. The thought of it makes me feel sick. Disgusting. After lunch, we were served hot tea with sugar and mint then brought a large platter of assorted fresh fruits including apples, bananas, oranges, and cucumbers (?!). More tea after the fruit then we moved into the sitting room for a few rounds of apple-flavored Argeela (aka sheesha/hookah/hubbly bubbly). This room was made for some mad chill-time. There was a table for the coals in the center with floor cushions/couches on every wall. Juice and desert came about half an hour later. We were stuffed. Somehow or another we got on the topic of music and the husband insisted that one of the other guys who plays the guitar and I take a shot at the Udd. We failed miserably, but it wasn’t completely our fault. The instrument was way out of tune and neither one of us had any clue how a Udd is supposed to be tuned. It was interesting, though. A few of us, me included, took a quick nap before heading to a traditional Arabic engagement/wedding celebration, which was the purpose of our trip in the first place. From what I understand, we attended the public announcement of the couple’s engagement at which the two families grant blessing upon the relationship. When we walked up, the girls went with our professor into a building for dancing and the guys stayed outside with the husband to observe the “ceremony.” We were served more food, a local favorite called "kinafa" (basically bread with cheese and honey) and more coffee while at the party. The engagement period is for the bride and groom to become better acquainted with eachother and work any problems out before the actually marriage, which usually occurs about a year later. They do not live with eachother during this time but are actually recognized as a couple by their religion. At least that’s what I understood but could be completely wrong. Let’s just say that the marriage process is, like most things, much different here. When we got back to our professor’s house we were served our final course: honeydew and watermelon. One of the guys in our group asked for salt to put on his watermelon and the entire family thought we were all so strange.

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the café near or hotel, where I am now actually, because the Internet is so much faster than the hotel. They always bring you a water bottle when you sit down, too. I like that. It’s incredibly loud at the moment due to the World Cup game between Ghana and Uruguay, go figure.

A few more cultural notes: Toilet paper is elusive and it’s a real problem. I just can’t get into the bidets. Too much information? Hope not. A large majority of cars and all of the taxis here are manual. And have I told you they use their horns incessantly? It’s very normal to see guys showing affection to one another: holding hands, locking arms, greeting each other with alternating kisses to each cheek three times, etc. Girls marry young, like 17 young. Families usually leave rebar sticking out on the top of their houses to avoid paying taxes on the property, as it’s considered “under construction.” Quite clever if you ask me. More to come later…

Miss y’all.

-Alex

Thoughts...

Thus far I feel as though I've been updating you all on my travels in Jordan, without really speaking my mind. It's unlike me, so prepare yourself from some rambling tonight.

Life here is so different than in America. There's no conception of an 8-5 job, work is an all day affair beginning and ending late due to the constant need for tea and cigarette breaks. It's completely normal for families to pull over on the side of the road and have a picnic. Everyone litters. The call to prayer is broadcasts five times a day and can be heard throughout the city. My classmates and I are constantly inundated with the phrase, "Welcome to Jordan!" on the streets. Fresh meat hangs in storefronts all around the city. The only form of entertainment is hookah, coffee, and good conversation. Girls are really only welcome in cafe's that display "Couple's Welcome" signs. The whole country really just feels like a boy's club, but none of it is done in spite. Sure, Arab men may have their negative attributes and so many of the cultural norms are antithetical to American ideals, but it doesn't negate their legitimacy, just makes them harder for us (as Americans) to understand. Women are respected here, they really are, just in a different way. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part I feel as though women and somewhat revered. Still don't fully understand the complex situation that is women's rights in the Middle East, but my time here has been encouraging. Being a male, however, I don't know if I have a right to feel the way I do.

I've had a really productive day and want to tell you all about it. Ok, first, I've been searching for a piano since I got here but have had zero luck. Everyone looks at me like I've lost my mind when I ask if there is a piano anywhere on campus that I could play! But today I talked to our program director and he got me an appointment with one of the teachers at the music center on campus tomorrow afternoon. He didn't really specify if that included an opportunity to play the piano, but it sounds really interesting and he told me they had a lot of "musical devices" over there, whatever the hell that means. Maybe I'll learn to play the Udd or something!

Also, I've been really bored in the afternoons to say the least. Well, I was thinking and decided to talk to someone about maybe doing some community service while I'm here. Maybe working with kids at a camp teaching english or music. I would even be willing to do some yard work or road side clean up. Don't really care just feel like I should at least try and make a difference while I'm here. So the man I was talking to about my interests in community service called a friend of his at one of the local churches and they asked that I write a letter explaing my interests/qualifications and said they would get in touch with me. Exciting stuff! They mentioned a kid's camp or something and I really hope that works out. I think it would be good for the kids to spend some time with an American and know that I would benefit even more than them. The older I get the more I realize that kids make my heart warm... most of the time, that is.

Oh, let's talk about driving here. First, people use their horns incessantly... so annoying. Everyday there is a wedding caravan, or four (more like 12) in the city and everyone in the group of cars honks as loud and as much as possible. Also, the University has been holding graduation over the past week, another excuse for people to scream and honk with their graduates hanging out of the window or standing up through the sun roof. I feel like it's wrong to be upset with them for this, as I realize graduation is a big deal, but seriously, they could tone down the honking. Oh, and how could I forget the World Cup and its accompanying festivities. Crazy driving, flags out of the window, of course more honking, and crazy teenagers doing very dangerous things in their vehicles. Second, their aren't really lanes here per say. Everyone just makes their own path, using their horns to inform other cars or their plans to pass. Third, Jordanians have no patience for pedestrians. The American sentiment that pedestrians have the right of way is, by all means, NOT true in this country. It's get out of the way or get honked at then hit. And fourth, traffic signals seem a bit optional. I mean, not really, but they definitely aren't as strictly adhered to as in the states.

Food... oh, Arab food. Most of it is delicious, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love a good lamb shwarma sandwich, or some refreshing hummous and ful with fresh vegetables and tea. But, as my friend Katharine and I were discussing the other day, they just don't seem to understand the concept of a full meal, complete with a salad, main course, two sides, and bread. Perhaps we aren't getting the best read on food in Jordan because we have to eat out every meal. Who knows?

On Friday one of our teachers has invited us all to her home for a traditional meal, with the caveat that only Arabic will be spoken. I'm getting used to that caveat. It will be a good time. I can appreciate a home cooked meal in any country.

I'm tired and need sleep. Finally have gotten into a routine and feel settled. Time is flying by, now. I'll be home before I know it.

Miss you all.

-Alex

Good times...

I can now say that I’ve been to the sight of Moses’ death and Jesus’ baptism, along with swimming in the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. We had a great time yesterday to say the least. We started at Mt. Nebo and got some great pictures before touring the site of Jesus’ baptism. It’s crazy to think that I was in the same general area as Jesus, John the Baptist, Moses, and so many other people from the Bible. It was somewhat surreal. At the end of our tour we stopped at a beautiful Greek Orthodox church on the bank of the Jordan River. A few of us decided to go swimming and were closely monitored by a Jordanian guard to ensure we didn’t cross into Israeli territory. The river has dried up significantly in the recent past so it was probably only 15 feet wide or so where we took our dip.

After that, we returned to our bus and headed towards the lowest land point on earth: the Dead Sea. I think it’s what we all looked forward to the most. For $10JD we spent around three hours at the public beach, which included access to a large pool as you don’t want to spend too much time in the sea itself. Words cannot describe the way you feel when swimming in the Sea. Because of the insane concentration of salt in the water, you float! I don’t mean that you just feel a little more buoyant than normal; I mean that you can literally sit Indian style or stand up straight or lie on your back in the deep water and be completely comfortable! I learned the hard way that the water also stings really badly if you get it in your eyes or nose. Not a good feeling at all. You can’t really stay in the Sea for too long or it starts to bother your skin, so after a bit we all headed up to the pool. I’m sure you’re all wondering about the obvious clothing dilemma that may face some Muslim women in a pool. To be completely honest, everyone seemed quite normal with the exception of a few wearing full-body wet suits or long one-pieces. It was just really nice to get to sit out by a pool and relax for a couple hours. On the way home we stopped in Amman and got some Chinese food, which was a really nice change of pace food wise.

I’ve been swamped with homework lately. It’s not the most fun thing in the world but hopefully I’m learning a lot.

Happy birthday to my Dad… I love and miss you a lot.

Six weeks left. I think I'll make it.

! سلام

اسكندر

Update

Our trip to Amman yielded quite a few good things: wonderful pictures, good steak, gifts for a few special people back home, and another great experience to add to the book. Our cab driver on the way down explained to me that he had three wives, whom he referred to as madams, with ten kids. I couldn’t tell if he was kidding and really don’t think he was. Who knows, it made for some good conversation as he asked me if any of the girls on the trip with us (Antonia, Katharine, and Sarah) were my “madam.” I explained they were not, and he seemed baffled by they prospect of me being “only friends” with the girls. There were also two Sri Lankan ladies in the mini-bus with us. One lady stayed on the phone the entire time and got all up in Sarah’s space, as she explained once we arrived to Amman. Oh, and at one point I was employed as a make shift parking brake. We pulled over to let the Sri Lankans out and my friend, the bus driver, said: “You’re foot, here!” while pointing at the brake. After getting over the initial confusion, I happily placed my foot on the brake to keep us from rolling away.

The hotel, more of a hostel, we stayed in only cost each of us 7JD (about $10) for the night and it included wireless, a semi-working shower, and free breakfast. I’d say that’s a pretty good deal. No air conditioning, but you seem to get over that luxury while visiting other countries. It also makes you feel a little dumb for your insistence upon air conditioning in the states… I mean, most of the time (except 100 degree/100% humidity summer days in Mississippi), a fan and an open window will do the trick. Sorry for insisting upon 70 degrees at the house, Dad. I’m learning.

What else? Just two days ago one of the guys from another group, Akhram, whose family is from Irbid invited us to his family home for dinner. His mom cooked a wonderful meal, actually the national dish of Jordan: mansaf. It’s lamb cooked over rice with a fermented yogurt sauce. May not sound appealing, but it was actually really delicious after I got over the amount on bones/fat present in the meat. We were then served cake, fruit, and coffee; all Arabic style, of course. It was great to get a look at home life in Jordan and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I think they want to invite us back and know we would happily accept the invitation!

For those who care, mainly my parents, I made a 9.5 out of 10 on our first test! Hopefully I can keep it up because we have three more tests over the next few days. We’ve been here for about 2 weeks and have about 7 left, which seems like such a long time! Definitely starting to miss a few things about home…

Best news of the week would be that I think we’re going to the Dead Sea this weekend. It’s probably the thing I look forward to the most, although I’ve heard it’s not the nicest place in the world. Still an experience. I’ll keep trying to upload pictures, but no promises.

! سلام

اسكندر