Study Abroad

The point of a study abroad program is to study abroad and so a description of that study will follow.  I take four classes that happen five days a week (Sunday through Thursday).  On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday I have three hours of Arabic between two different classes.  Than on Monday and Wednesday I have Arabic (one class) for an hour and a half and then two area studies classes which are about an hour and fifteen minutes long.  First class I will describe is my Arabic class that consists of learning modern standard Arabic.  A little background for those who do not know what modern standard Arabic means.    Arabic has various types but the three main types are: modern standard, colloquial, and classical Arabic.  Classical Arabic is the Arabic that is in the Qur’an, old texts, and is really only used by imams (Islamic teachers) on a daily basis.  The second type of Arabic is colloquial Arabic.  This Arabic has its roots in modern standard Arabic (will describe in a minute) but is specialized to each region.  Example is a Jordanian speaking their Colloquial dialect won’t be understood by an Egyptian who only knows the Egyptian Colloquial dialect.  Another way to put this is that Mexican Spanish is different than Argentina Spanish even though they are both speaking Spanish.  Although with Arabic the differences are a lot bigger than the Spanish example.  This is when knowing modern standard Arabic is helpful.  This Arabic is the proper Arabic that newspapers, news anchors, business people, etc. use.  This type is used because modern standard Arabic is standard (hence the name) throughout the whole world.  So I currently am taking modern standard Arabic five days a week at the Intermediate II level.  With this Arabic I could travel anywhere that Arabic is spoken and be able to get away with speaking, but would be laughed at (not literally) because I am talking so proper.  This Arabic is the foundation for any learner of Arabic including native speakers.  This Arabic is where all the grammar comes from and is the Arabic that is supposed to be taught to kids when in elementary school.  So needless to say there are days when it can be quite frustrating especially in dealing with mrfuya, majruur, mnsuub, ten forms, etc. (all different Arabic grammar terms).  On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday I also do attend my other Arabic class which is known as Jordanian Colloquial dialect.  Simply put it deals with everyday Arabic with very little grammar.  Let’s face it, when talking with friends or shopping at the souk you are not going to get corrected for not having the right grammar.  That is why the local dialect does not have much grammar.  This class is really neat because this stuff I can take right away and go practice with the local Jordanians.  Sure I could do that with modern standard Arabic, but again it’s not that common to speak like that on a daily basis.  Yes, of course there are quite a few similarities between modern standard and the Jordanian dialect so I am only learning one other language and not two.  In fact, the Jordanian dialect is supposedly the closest to modern standard Arabic and for that reason is one of the easiest dialects to grasp.  Not sure how true that is because there are days that even the Jordanian dialect is hard to learn.  A neat aspect about both of these classes while here abroad is the class size.  Both of these classes only have three other students.  So basically it’s three other guys, me, and the teacher.  With this we get a lot of practice in speaking and the various other items that learning a language requires, and so that is real neat for this program. 

Most of my studying is studying Arabic but I do have two other area studies classes.  First one is called “Islam in the Modern Context.”  This class does not go over the basics of Islam (five pillars, different sects, PBUH, etc.) but assumes that we already know these basics.  Instead this class covers topics such as: Islam and democracy, globalization of Islam, Islamic art, women’s rights, Sufism in Islam, environment and Islam, bio-medical advances and Islam, etc.  This class is taught by a Muslim so she does give some good insight; however, this class can be boring on some days. 

My second area studies class is titled “America and the Arabs.”  This class in the simplest form takes a look at how America is perceived by Arabs and vice versa.  This class does dig deeper and looks at foreign policy and does go along the lines of a political science class.  So one of my first political science classes and now I know why I am not a political science/ international relations major.  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the class but too much repetitive reading and one item can be described in so many ways with everyway being right.  Criminal Justice does not do this that much, and the very simple fact is, if it’s against the law than it is not right (very basic idea).  This class is neat too because the fact that on some class periods Jordanians attend class and we debate/ discuss certain topics.  In fact, this is the only class that is with other Jordanian students (sometimes), and all of my other classes are with Americans in the study abroad program.  Plus this professor is a pretty funny guy who some people believe he is a part of Mukhabarat (Jordanian secret police a.k.a. intelligence agency) because of the stories of who he rubs shoulders with and knows on a personal basis.  Overall he is a good professor that keeps the subject for that day interesting. 

A note on how Professors are treated in Jordan.  Typically a professor would sit at the front of the class, lecture, expect the students to pay attention, and to not be questioned in regards to authority of what they are teaching.  This does not happen for us in the study abroad program though.  These professors are hired by the study abroad program along with the university (since they do have classes of just straight Jordanians) and so the program does give them a little bit of background of how university classes work in America.  One thing that does stay constant and is just a Jordanian custom is interruption of class.  This happens in multiple ways of which include the professor answers their phones, a co-worker walks by and it is necessary to greet them and ask how they are doing, etc.  These are common occurrences and are a part of the Jordanian culture.  Another thing that has occurred on multiple occasions is the professor buying/bringing food for the class.  I have had coffee, tea, hard candy, chips, Kinaffha[ (Middle Eastern Desert),etc. from all of my professors.  This kind of hospitality and willingness to share food is real common for any Jordanian and not just with the professors. 

So this has been a description of what academic classes I am taking while abroad.  Honestly though I do not think I learn the most at the University.  I learn more by interacting with the locals and experiencing the culture in many different fashions.  The academic work is a good foundation, but when I leave for the semester I will remember more of my interactions with the locals.  A good example of this is the other day the conversation with the taxi driver on the subject of Israel and Palestine.  Here this subject everybody has a strong opinion about this particular subject, and that does make sense because of the proximity.  Not only that, but a lot of Jordanians consider themselves to be Palestinian.  Sure I have learned what the various academia have to say about this subject, but to hear from a local and get a little understanding on how the locals feel about this subject, I think is a lot better to take away from this experience.  Not just on that subject but on various things ranging from complicated to not complicated.  So studying does happen but I do prefer to meet locals and interact with the general public. 

In a future post I will describe how university social life is different than in the United States.  This has a lot to do with the religious and cultural customs associated with Jordan.  For now this has been a look at my classes and what I am learning.  Besides this studying five days a week I do get the chances to travel on the weekends and see more of Jordan.  This weekend I went to Jerash (about 45 minutes north of Amman).  In Jerash there are a bunch of Roman ruins.  Plus this upcoming weekend I get to go on a sponsored trip with CIEE (my study abroad program) to various desert castles (located east of Amman).  So I will describe these other learning experiences throughout various posts in the future.  Plus I am planning my vacation (will share details later).  We get a week off starting November 3^rd right after midterms for all of my classes.  I will be busy studying and planning the vacation. I will write latter when I have time.  إن شاء الله

Danger!

Traveling to and living in the Middle East does pose some dangers for anybody who is not from this area.  There is one danger that is more dangerous than any of the other dangers.  This danger is not terrorist attack, gunfire, fights, or weapons.  It is also not the heat (it is actually quite nice right now weather wise), the cold (at least not yet), the rain (what is that?), smog, snow (will probably happen after I leave), or dust.  Also it is not camels, donkeys, horses, sharks, fish, birds, sheep, lamb, wild stampedes, snakes, or scorpions.  It is not the food, the locals, not knowing some of the language, disease, nor bargaining for cheaper prices.  It is not my fellow Jordanian students, my competition at soccer games, my fellow card players, nor my professors.  That is a vast list of dangerous items but there is one thing missing on that list.  The most dangerous thing I will encounter while in Jordan is the vehicle.

            This is because of multiple reasons.  First one is that vehicles here do not have seatbelts.  If there is a seatbelt it is usually half missing or does not click, and so now I don’t even look for a seatbelt.  On top of this are the crazy Jordanian drivers.  The roads here do not have any markings for lanes (except for a few roads).  So without these markings it is a free for all to get to the light and create your own lane, and when the light does turn green whoever is the fastest off the line gets to make a whole new lane if they wish.  Naturally drivers do fall into some sort of lanes.  That does not mean a vehicle will be on one side of the road and will stay over there, but on the contrary they will force their way over to the other side.  Plus a horn is a necessity in Amman.  Horns are used to let people know that taxis are vacant, to prevent from getting hit, part of a wedding procession, to celebrate Jordanian futbol victory and mainly just to be honked.  You will be going down the road and the driver will just start honking for no apparent reason.  It’s like an itch that every driver has to scratch.  So if you don’t have a horn than you attempt to do the same thing with your brights, but let’s be honest you are not that well equipped to be driving in Amman. 

            Plus another danger in regards to vehicles in Jordan is crossing the roads as a pedestrian.  There really is no right of way for pedestrians in Jordan.  Crossing roads does happen for me on a daily basis and more than once.  Since Amman does not have that many sidewalks crossing the road and playing froggerhappens daily for everybody.  In the morning to catch a taxi to head towards the university I need to cross two roads in order to be on the correct side to be picked up.  Crossing roads I have learned quickly or else I would not have made it in Amman or would always be late looking for the pedestrian bridges or tunnels.  The key to crossing the roads is to not hesitate and do not expect the cars to give you the right away.

            So vehicles are the main danger in Jordan.  Let me describe how I get back and forth from school.  Cross two roads in the morning to get on the correct side of the street.  Take a taxi to duwar medina (city circle).  From there I cross the street a few more times and take the bus the rest of the way to the university.  So taking a taxi in Amman, Jordan is not expensive at all, and one could get anywhere they want for around two and a half dinar or less.  My taxi to duwar medina is only one dinar.  Than the bus only costs maximum of fifty qirsh (cents).  My bus costs thirty qirsh.  The bus that I typically take is not like a big city bus most people are familiar with.  It basically is close to a big passenger van.  To get on the right bus you listen to the guy by the door yelling out the final destination and if not sure you could always ask in Arabic if it will get you to your destination.  That same guy yelling the destination is the guy you pay, but not when getting on the bus.  You sit down and when the bus starts moving he shuts the door and goes around collecting the money.  His title is known as the controller and on the way he calls out the name of the stops.  Besides collecting money and calling out stops this guy also directs people where to sit if the bus is full.  This mainly has to do with guys sit with guys and females sit next to females.  This comes from the society in general for everything not just sitting on the bus.  So when the bus is full it is typical for me to stand by the door because I get off at one of the first stops.  There are also big city buses which I have taken a couple of times, but it takes a lot longer to get places.  Plus in the morning these buses are pretty full and just keep driving right by.  Since there are multiple types of busses there are also multiple types of taxis.  The most common one that majority of people takes is the yellow taxi that everyone thinks of when they think of a taxi.  Then there are airport taxis which are the only taxis that can pick people up at the airport (any taxi can go to the airport, but these ones are the only ones that leave the airport with people).  Then the final type is a taxi known as a serviz.  This type of taxi is a white taxi that only travels on certain roads.  It basically is like a bus that stays on the same road and people (up to four) can get on and off any place on that road.  This taxi only costs thirty qirsh so it is cheaper but none of these do run by the university.  I can take these taxis by my house to get to downtown, or if I am downtown to get home.  This is because I happen to live off of a major road that stretches along ways.

            So, for forms of transportation and my daily commute it will be the most dangerous thing that I encounter while in Jordan.  I have my first paper due later this week so I have been busy working on that.  Besides that I have been attempting to make my plans during the break that occurs in November.  Plus I have learned a Jordanian card game which isn’t that hard to play.  The pictures posted were from the Southern Jordan trip that I want on two weekends ago.  Just a side note, the camera stopped working (lens wouldn't open; don't worry it is getting fixed now) so I personally did not get any pictures of Petra.  Luckily I know some people who did, but am still tracking down some photos.   Need to do a little bit of research for my paper and then am off to class.  Will write latter.   إن شاء الله      

Pictures Of Southern Jordan Trip

Community Tent in Beoudian Camp

 Camp at Dana Reserve

 Wadi Rum

 Wadi Rum

 View at Dana Nature Reserve (not my picture)

 Dana Reserve

 Camp at Wadi Rum

 Petra Monastary (not my picture)

 (not my picture)

 Petra Treasury (not my picture)

 (not my picture)

 Wadi Rum (not my picture)

 Wadi Rum Sunset (not my picture)

الغذاء الجيد في الأردن

Well it has been about a month since I have been in Jordan and I figured that is a good amount of time to describe some of the food that I have eaten.  The main staples for food are rice and some form of bread usually pita bread.  A typical day of eating consists of me waking up to breakfast that usually consists of an egg (either fried or hard boiled), lebona (a sweet yogurt), butter, jelly, vegetables, bread, oil, and seasoning to dip the oiled bread into.  This meal does not have silverware but instead you use the pita bread, break into pieces, and grab the food with the bread.  The lebona is really tasty and I could eat plain because the fact that it does somewhat remind me of sour cream, and so I feel like I should have grown up here so I could have eaten it more often.  Lunch I eat at campus either at the cafeteria or at one of the places around the university.   The cafeteria food is decent and I usually get rice (I don’t get tired of this staple food), hummus, pita bread, lebona, salad (not a green leaf salad), chicken, soup, and sometimes dessert.  I don’t eat all of this on the same day but these are usually the options they have available on a daily basis.  The salad is basically cut up vegetables with a slice of lemon.  It does remind me of Pico de Gallo (not spicy though) and typically I mix it in with the rice.  This food does feel me up and only costs on average about a dollar (sometimes less or more if I get a dessert).  If I eat off campus the food I typically eat are falafel sandwiches, or schwarma.  Falafel is a vegetarian sandwich where chick peas are mixed together with spices and put on bread (pita or sub bread) with usually hummus and tomatoes.  These sandwiches cost thirty cents each.  Schwarma is a type of meat that is also made into sandwiches.  It’s hard to explain with words but Schwarma sandwiches consist of the meat being sliced up and put into the sandwiches, usually with a sauce and pickles (this being the most basic with the price going up by adding more to the sandwich).  A typical price of a basic Schwarma is about sixty cents.  Around campus there are American fast food places such as Mcdonalds, Burger King, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, and Subway, but I avoid these places because they are more expensive and I came here to try other food.  There are other places around campus that serve pizzas, chicken sandwiches, fresh smoothies with good fruit, and just about anything one would want to eat.  Dinner I do eat at home and after saying hi to everybody, I put my bag down, and then I am sitting at the table eating.  Dinners do vary each night but with majority consisting of rice, vegetables, and a little bit of meat.  The dinner in the picture that I did post the other day is called‘malfoof’  ملفوف.  For this dish the rice is rolled up into the brown looking thing which does also have a small amount of meat.  Plus on that night I had the salad mix, pita bread, and a soup that was basically like a chicken noodle but with no chicken. ملفوف  is actually the first dish I had the very first night I was at my homestay.  On another occasion I had this dish and Lebanon was also on the table so I was dipping the ‘malfoof’ ملفوف into the lebona.  Other dishes that I have had include spaghetti (not much flavor to the sauce), rice and chicken, rice and beans, chicken sandwiches that were deep fried (only American type dish) with homemade fries, and rice with various types of soups.  After eating dinner I usually go on the patio and talk about my day; however, after a short time I am presented with a plate of fruit and or vegetables.  This change daily to include: banana, cucumber, apple, grapes, fig, pomegranate, tomatoes, rhl (a fruit grown in Iraq), orange, and other types that I can’t think of off the top of my head.  Than shortly later I am presented a glass of shaee (tea), which I also do get with every breakfast.  Now this tea is not from tea bags but is a legitimate good tea.    

Now these dishes are the common dishes that I eat on a daily basis but I have also had some of the specialty dishes that are unique to Jordan.  The main dish of Jordan that every Jordanian knows how to cook and loves to eat it is called “mansaf.”  This is the picture with the huge plates sitting on the table on the patio.  This happened to be during a big party and so they were feeding fifty people, and that is only half of the food with the other half still in the kitchen being plated.  So “mansaf” basically is rice with lamb spread out around the dish topped with almonds and pine nuts.  On top of all of this the juice (a dairy product) that the meat is cooked in is poured over the top of everything.  I ate this the traditional way at the party which goes as follows.  After being put together including the sauce poured all over the top, the plate is put on a table.  Standing around one platter is about six to seven people.  You reach in with your right hand (it is rude to eat with the left hand) and grab a piece of the meat off the bone and put it on some rice.  With this meat and rice you proceed to roll it into a ball.  This is where having a lot of sauce does come in handy.  Once in a ball you put it in your mouth and continue with another piece.  During this process the host is walking around pouring more sauce onto the platter so that way it is easy to roll into balls.  Once done you do go and wash your hands.  Another interesting fact about mansaf is that is proper to leave the head of the animal in the center of the plate.  This is done as a sign of respect to the guest.  You might be able to see that in the picture that they all had the heads in the center of the plate, and though this does seem like it would ruin your appetite in fact it does not.  “Mansaf” was good to experience but I am glad it is a special type meal because of how unhealthy it is to eat.  Unhealthy because the fact that the sauce they kept pouring all over the rice is basically the fat off of the animal.  Another popular dish is called 'maglooba'   (upside down).  It is named this because it is rice cooked with various vegetables that once done the pan is turned upside down for it to come out onto the plate.  The picture I posted of this dish is a big helping because this is when I was up at Aljoun with the school project.  In fact both times (two weeks ago and yesterday) in Aljoun after working at the school this is the dish we were served.  After working we head to a local persons house and eat what they cook which both times have been 'maglooba'.  It is also served with various side dishes to include chicken, salad, lebona, vegetables, and other typical side dishes that accompany Jordanian food.   Both times in Aljoun have been my favorite meals because that fact that in the smaller villages such as Aljoun they put more and different types of spices than in Amman.  After these meals we are given 'shaee fea nanna' (tea with mint).  One can get this anywhere in Jordan and is quite common to have tea with fresh mint leaves in the tea itself.

These have been the food that I have eaten at my house or at other people’s houses but I also have been to some famous restaurants in Amman.  First one is named “hashems.”  Everyone knows where “hashems” is located (downtown Amman) and is basically a small little place that only serves a few items.  These items are: falafel, hummus, fuul, pita bread, tomatoes, and onions.  Except for falafel sandwiches (usually eaten on the go) that is all that they serve and all of this only costs about 1.75 Jordanian dinars.  A neat story about Hashems is that the King does eat there and the first time he was there he told the owner (the guy sitting by the register) that he wants what the locals eat.  The owner replied in a respectful way by saying that is good because that is all that I do serve.  Another famous place in Amman is known as “Reem Cafeteria.”  This place is located on the second circle (a traffic circle) and is always busy.  It does not matter at what time of the day, and in fact both Hashems and Reem I believe are open twenty-four hours a day.  At Reem they only serve sandwiches that are: a roast beef type meat, grilled onions, tomato, and a sauce in a pita sandwich.  The other night I had two and that filled me up.  Not sure on the price because I did not pay but a local Jordanian friend did but I am sure it does not cost much.  This place is also known by everyone in Amman and like I mentioned earlier is always busy.  So basically when it comes to these restaurants, if one wants falafel you go to Hashems, but if one wants meat you go to Reem Cafeteria. 

 Here I have mentioned my typical day of eating along with some other famous places in Amman, but there is so much more to try.  I will keep trying different dishes and other places in Amman.   Plus there are desserts that I will wait to describe another time too.  Classes are starting to pick up with papers starting to be due. I will describe university and school stuff in an upcoming post.  Need to head to class so will write latter.   إن شاء الله         

Pictures of House, Service Project, and Food

 Living Room

 Kitchen

 Bedroom

 Patio

 Mosque (on way to Aljoun)

 School we are repairing

 Maqloobeh (up-side down dish) eaten after working at school

 Dinner one night

 Breakfast

 Standing outside the vegetable and fruit souk in downtown Amman

 Mansaf

 Mansaf for fifty people

Sand, Camels, Bedouin Camping

This weekend we were able to get out of Amman and go visit the famous sites of Jordan. Our study abroad group took three busses full of people to Dana Nature Reserve, Wadi Rum, and Petra. We left Friday around noon and didn't get home to Amman until around eight at night on Sunday. Our first day we took a three hour bus ride to Dana nature reserve which is South of Amman. This area is a protected environment where we went on a couple of hiking trails. Since this area is a protected place not all 135 of us were able to camp down in the reserve so some people ended up going to a hotel. I was able to camp which was neat to eat outdoors looking over these big rocks. At night it did get a little cold but inside our tents it was comfortable. At night there was a group of us who were in the main tent playing cards ( I taught them "Up the River, Down the River"). The next day we woke up and made our way to Wadi Rum.

On the way to Wadi Rum we stopped at a castle by the name of "Shoback Castle." This castle is the first crusaders castle built in Jordan. It was not completely intact but you could definitely see a lot of the castle. I think the neatest part of this castle was the view it provided since it was located on top of the tallest hill around. After this we made our way to Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum is essentially a vast deserst but with huge boulders/ mountains. It kind of is like Picacho Peak in Arizona but with more mountains, more sand and less greenery. Plus at some places the sand was a bright red color. This place is well known by people who are familiar with Lawrence of Arabia because the fact that he named the famous mountain (seven pillars of wisdom) one time on his travels. After eating at the visitors center restaurant we went in the back of trucks and went "four wheeling." We didn't get that crazy and it was more like driving out in some sand dunes, but of course with a better view. We did stop along the way multiple times to climb, have tea, and take pictures. At one of the stops there was writing on the mountain that indicated to the caravans (which was real common way of transportation in the old days) on which way to go. After "four wheeling" for about two hours we pull up to a bunch of camels. Before getting on the camels they gave everybody a ( كوفية ) "Kuyfea" which is the head scarves to protect from the sun and the sand. In Jordan the color of these "Kuyfea's" are white and red while the Palenstinain version is black and white. I had already been wearing one both days which was nice becasue "four wheeling" it did ge dusty. Riding the camel I think was the best part of this trip. So to have camels in big groups like that does mean that some will be cranky and not want to cooperate. Luckily my camel was one of the best camels that was there in the group. Getting on a camel is easy considering the fact that they are laying down. So you just sit down and than the person leading the camel tells it to get up which sometimes is done be pushing its feet. Most of the camels had some sort of saddle that did look similar to a Western saddle but without stirrups. Going up some people were freaking out because the fact that they don't go straight up but insted back feet first and than front feet, so for a brief moment it seems like you might fall off going forward. The way the camels work is that a Jordanina owns a a few camels and they lead you along. So essentially your camel is tied to another camel. My ownere had two camels so it was just me and one other person for most of the time, and towards the end he tied another camel to the other side. It costs a lot of money to own a camel (around 2000-5000 Jordanian Dinars). My person leading us along was the son of the owner so he was about fourteen years old. About five minutes into our two hour long camel ride he gave me the reigns and let me drive the camel the rest of the way. He basically was tired of leading and I guess it looked like I knew what to do. It is actually quite simple and is like a horse except for the fact that camels our fatter and taller than horses. Camels do go slower but at some points we did get it going quicker. After the camel ride we had dinner at a Bedouin Camp where we were sleeping that night. The dinner is a traditional Bedouin way of cooking which is they cook it underground. After dinner they showed us how to do a Bedouin dance which we weren't that good at. After that a couple of us walked outside of the camp to lay down and look at the stars. The next day we rode a bus for about an hour to arrive at Petra.

We pulled into the visitor center and walked down a ways along the souk in Petra. This area was basically where all the caravans went through onto the various places. Plus this area had many people living there and staying for many years. The Monastery (which is the main part of Petra most people know about) is the first big building you see, but to get there it is about a two mile walk through this canyon. Along this canyon our tour guide pointed out various objects. Once getting to the Monastery that is the beginning of the buildings and from there it is another three mile walk to the restaurant at the end. Along the way it basically was houses, tombs, an amphitheatre, and places like. that. In fact Petra's history is only about ten percent known because it is all in fact underground. For them to start excavating it would mean closing down the tourism for many years. They did close it down at the beginning of the Iraq War because people were not coming to Jordan and they found three important tombs directly underneath the Monestary. After eating at the restaurant we had two and a half hours of free time to do what we wanted. Most of the people climbed to the top of the mountaing right by the restaurant (it ended up being about 900 steps) to see the view and there was also a building up on top of the mountain. After this free time we made our way to the bus and proceeded to make our way home to Amman.

It was a fun weekend and now we are back in the city. Not hearing all the traffic and honking of horns for a couple of days was a nice bonus of the trip, but now we are back at school with the sound of horns and traffic not far off. Need to start preparing to write an essay for one of my area studies class. I will discuss food next post, but I figured I should share my weekend adventure first. Will post pictures of some of the food and my house today, and will eventually post pictures of the trip after downloading them on my computer. Will write later this week. In sh’Allah. ( إن شاء الله