i am sooooo bored

Well, that's really only for this particular block of time, and even then and exaggeration slightly, but my Ramadan class schedule on Monday/Wednesday is really obnoxious. I have class from 8:50-11:20 in the morning. Then 2-3:30. This is made worse by the fact that I am the only one in the program who has this second class block. So, basically, I have decided to take over the internet in the university's language center for this period of time. The silver lining? Ramadan is (in theory) ending tomorrow. In shah Allah. At least, the country has decided it is enough to declare the national Eid al-Fitr holiday to begin tomorrow (which, apparently, is the first time in Jordan's history for this to happen. Normally, holidays starts and ends are just called as they happen). So, if the moon decides to cooperate with the national government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ramadan ends tomorrow and the Eid begins. In either case, I'm not going to class tomorrow. I'm going to the Red Sea for my birthday. Woot.

Other stuff to make up for (since I so rarely post).

1) I am switching families. Today, at 4:30. I don't know too much about the new one, other than that there are 4 of them (mother, father, 13-year-old son, 6-year-old daughter), and a very vague idea of where they live in the city. We'll see how this goes. I have pretty mixed feelings about the move, since I've grown quite attached to my current living situation, let alone the simple stress of needing to readjust to a different family and schedule. I think having kids in the house will be interesting though, and hopefully help out the language some.

2) Amman got "cold." It rained (well, the dots on the ground connected) here on Saturday (which actually is a legistics/safety nightmare, because so many of the cars here are old, so in the summer they leak oil, which boils into the burning hot road, then when it rains, it's traffic slip-&-slide!). It has since been sort of cloudy every morning, with a breeze. This was described to me yesterday by someone as "wintry," which seems to be beating a Providence winter.

3) On Saturday (despite the torrential rain in this horrible Amman winter), we had a trip down to Mount Nebo (said to be where Moses is buried), and Madaba (the Christian center of Jordan). Basically, this trip consisted of seeing a lot of mosaics (pictures hopefully forthcoming), as well as now being able to say that I've seen the West Bank. We did have really good food in Madaba though. Like, really good food. It was pretty amazing. The experience was kind of aggravating due to the fact that our guide was very into talking every single minute of the day to us, which is probably a cultural notion on what a tour should be, but one that I am not warming to. This included by the end of the day him making us translate soccer fan jokes into Arabic with him on the bus back. He kind of took teaching us Arabic to be his number one goal for the day, which is fine, but he also assumed that we spoke no Arabic, so he'd repeat everything at least 5 times, then make us repeat it back to him, which is really annoying when you want to know where the bathroom is. Anyhow, I can now legitimately say I have seen the Holy Land, which is possibly the best part of the trip.

4) Random observations of Jordan:

The buses: I try to take buses to/from the university everyday, because they're cheaper. That said, they're a pretty amazing system. They don't really have routes per se (well, the government ones do, but I've never actually bothered to take one of those), so you just ask someone when they're pulling up if it's going to where you're going. Then, the inside is normally somewhat threadbare in terms of the seats, but then will have thick, dark green, faux-velvet curtains, and often lots of black tastles hanging from the ceiling. Best buses ever.

Grammar exercises: For my class on the Qur'an, I'm currently using a Saudi textbook for 3rd grade religion, which is a very fascinating cultural experience in and of itself. Qur'anic Arabic differs significantly both from colloquial Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic (unsurprisingly, as those two have evolved from it for 1,400 years). As a result, the textbook often just needs to explain the grammar and vocabulary in the Qur'an. My favorite drill on this so far was on the emphatic (which doesn't really exist in English, but Arabic has many ways to make it, especially in Qur'anic Arabic. Basically, all it does it emphasize whatever the sentance is saying). So, my drill was just on putting two variants of the emphatic in one sentance. It would give two words, and you had to put them in the construction, "The BLANK is in the BLANK," then, "THE BLANK IS IN THE BLANK!" Same exact form, everytime. However, the words to be inserted were things like, "sinners/hell," so "The sinners are in hell." "THE SINNERS ARE IN HELL!" Or, "believers/heaven." "The believers are in heaven." "THE BELIEVERS ARE IN HEAVEN!" There was a complete page of these things. I'm not sure it helped me with the grammar per se, but I'll definitely think of where the sinners are whenever I see an emphatic from now on.

Proverbs: For our colloquial class, one of our textbooks is on phrases, proverbs and adages in the Arabic Arabs use a lot of these when they speak (eloquence is much more emphasized in Arab culture than in the US for example, and quality of speech is as, if not more, important often than what is actually said). That said, it has some pretty great examples, some of which are closer to English than others. Like, "The son of a duck is a good-swimmer," ("Like father like son"), or "Turn the jar upside-down on its mouth and the girl still resembles her mother." Some are fairly universalist, "Ignorance is its own enemy," or "Speech has a taste like food" (Watch your tongue!). Some of them though, are rather unfathomable, like my personal favorite, "A lover's hit is a raisin." I think this means something like, "Sometimes we fight with those we love as we get closer." I mostly just say it as an excuse to hit someone else in the program.

Food: Living with an Arab family has given really interesting insight into Arab eating habits. Food is always a collective affair (proverb: "The one that eats alone chokes."), so whenever something is brought out by the family, not only for meals (2 a day, breakfast and a lunch-dinner thing at about 3), but also a whole slew of snacks that last for the night, that's what I'm going to eat for a snack (and to get enough food for a day). This has led to some interesting food options, like, 9:30 pm. Whole cucumbers. Or 8:30 am. Beans. Or, 5:00pm. Sweet pancakes stuffed with cinnamon and walnuts soaked in honey (albeit better than cucumbers. The beans are pretty awesome too though.). Also, food has meaning (which it probably does in the US, but I'm too tired to think of an example). Like, serving guests coffee ("Thanks, but it's time for you to leave."). I guess that's like getting coffee in the US as a code for dating now that I think about it. I don't think we ever ply food as a means of kicking someone out though.

Ramadan: Did I mention Ramadan is supposed to end tomorrow? Cool.

updates

In case no one has noticed, getting internet in Jordan (during Ramadan) is a bit harder, so my posts have definitely been fewer and farther between. For that, I apologize, but today is a good one. Because I spent my weekend (meaning Thursday, Friday and Saturday) doing the ultimate Jordan tourism experience! Beginning with the authentic Jordanian camel ride in Wadi Rum (just like Lawrence of Arabia!), before the authentic Jordanian Bedouin tent overnight in the desert (again, just like Lawrence of Arabia!), snorkling in the Red Sea over an authentic wrecked Israeli tank-turned into a coral reef (probably not just like Lawrence of Arabia!), and then touring the authentic Nabatean ruins of Petra (real old stuff!). Well, despite all of the shmarmy "authenticity" (which is my least favorite word in the English language I have discovered), it was actually really cool to see all of this stuff, if a bit rushed for three days. Luckily, now that I know how to get to all of the places, I can go back and have a slightly more leisurely, less touristically-authentic trip later. That is, when I don't have tons of homework (all last night I fought with the internet in Gloria Jean's cafe to research the burial of infant girls in Jahiliya [pre-Islamic] Arabia. Christina can vouch; she accidentally skyped me during this battle]. By in large though, everything is going well (although my stomach this morning decided it wanted to hold its first revolt againt my body by suddenly throbbingly hurting. Nothing some pepto bismol and immodium can't cure...). I must say though, in the last two days I've seen enough sunrises over deserts to last for a few days... I need some sleep.

And the reward:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100192&l=1d43a&id=1013451

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100199&l=1b999&id=1013451

That's right, so many photos they didn't fit into one album.

a week in review

With everything that has been going on (see last several entries), I actually feel like I have been quite negligent in writing to everyone about the mundanities of life here (I may have just made up that word, but it seems appropriate, and my English language skills aren't so hot right now, so we'll all just have to make due). In that spirit, here are a couple of my recent musings on Amman that have yet to make it into a typed version. In no particular order, I present:

1) Outside of my host family's house, there is a row of trees and plants. One fig, three almond, about six olive, and three massive grape vines. All of which are currently covered in their respective products. Deserts do grow stuff.

2) Two days ago, Chris and I were talking to Nawwal (our host mother) who kind of opened up to us for the first time, assisted no doubt by the fact that 'Issa's medical condition has stabilized and that he is back at home looking better. She informed us that we're really good students because we're clean. Coming from a Jordanian woman, this compliment is pretty amazing. Jordanian houses are completely cleaned from top to bottom everyday (like, moving furniture to scrub the floors, removing all the pictures to wash the walls, etc.). She also showed us the information on the previous students they've hosted, including the discovery of the host family briefing on "So an American is going to be living with you..." Highlights: "If your American student wants to be alone in a room periodically, it is not because they are angry or sad. Americans are used to occupying space alone." Or, "Many Americans are not used to be touched often, especially males, so find a manner of greeting your student that both of you are comfortable with."

3) New program. The new program is actually going really well for me (aside from the fact that I had to redo most of the same orientation activities, just in formal Arabic this time). I feel like I have a lot more in common with the majority of the group, which is also much smaller (9 students), and Chris has switched programs as well, so even if I have to move, we'll still see each other plenty. Also, as we got back our new placement exams yesterday (much more difficult than the previous), it was a nice symbolic confirmation of the fact that I'm in the right place. Through whatever act of higher power, I got the highest placement score on this exam, and will not only be taking the History of Jordan and Arabic Literature in Arabic this semester, but Dr. Najeh (our program's coordinator, and an amazing person) said he wanted to do a special class with me, which, per my previous request, will probably be religious/Qur'anic Arabic. So yeah, good decision, even if I don't get concentration credit for it.

(re)orientation: the remix

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098976&l=46f83&id=1013451

go for it.

internet: the priceless commodity of my culture

Good morning everyone out there,

I am currently waiting for my new program's orientation to begin (I guess that's re-begin for me at this point), and am using the wireless of their hotel's lobby shamelessly.  Jordan's internet infrastructure does not quite live up to what we are used to as Americans for whom instant communication and accessibility seems to have become less of the privilege that it probably should be, and more of a necessity.  In the spirit of Ramadan all around me, I am trying to reorient (the word just keeps finding applicability in my current life) myself less to the things I think I need (e.g. the internet, food, water, etc) and more to the things in life that really matter.  Not always the easiest of exercises, but I have begun to appreciate the insightful depth of this particular tradition of fasting: it's not about denial of the self, or even willpower, but rather a conscious observation that the things that seem so important in our day-to-day lives might actually be just the opposite.  Yes, we do need to eat, drink, and communicate, but how often?  How much of our lives can and should be spent in pursuit of a relationship with these instead of cultivating other relationships (e.g. family, friends, or, most importantly especially within this culture, God)?

I leave you with this thought today as it has been in my head a lot over the past few days.  For anyone who has not heard, my family is now struggling with a sudden and unexpected death.  I can't offer any advice, and I can't offer any real consolation, although I wish I could.  All I can offer is my own experiences, which right now are very much reflected in the sentiment that there is plenty in life that is more important than food and water.

new study abroad

Hey all,

So, my biggest update is that I have (somewhat) been kicked out of my study abroad program in Amman for one of the stranger reasons under the sun: I was too good at Arabic. On my Arabic placement exam last Sunday, apparently the top level class was supposed to place within about 70-75%, which the rest of the class did. Somehow, I got a 92%. Go State Department Critical Language Scholarship! The downside to all of this is that they no longer really had a way for me to take Arabic within in the program, so the director and the language director asked me to move into the intensive, Arabic-only program. Which means that starting on Sunday, when a new group gets here (though this one is significantly smaller, 7 people instead of 69), I'll be going through another orientation (week three) with them, before signing away my right to English-language communication for the second time this year, and enrolling in all-Arabic classes. Unfortunately, this also means I have to move from my current, very nice family, as Chris and I have both been living there, and apparently he contaminates my Arabic-only-ness or something, so I'll be finding a new family, as well as meaning that I probably won't be getting any credit from Brown towards my degrees when I get back. Looks like spring semester will yet again involve taking five classes.

ramadan begins

Hey everyone, so I have a bunch of updates, which hopefully will be correctly formatted. I have yet to find a convenient wireless spot, so I am using an internet cafe computer, which has an obsession with punction moving from right to left, which creates interesting looking English sentances from time to time. So, we'll see how that turns out.

Anyhow:

1) I moved in with a family, who live in an area very near the university, that no resident of Amman has ever heard of (Hay al-Baraka), but it still a very nice taxi/ bus commute (nowhere in this city can be reached on foot by virtue of the heat and the traffic and the hills). They are a Christian family (somewhat split between Orthodox and Catholic) and at home lives Nawal (the grandmother, aged 61), Issa (the grandfather, aged 71) and Carole (one of their daughters, 31). The other four daughters are all married and live in Amman somewhere, and their only son is off in Bahrain. So, kind of the exact opposite of my mother's family. While very nice, I have not seen much of them, as the morning after Chris and I got there (the two of us are living with them), Issa was hospitalized. He had had a stroke three months ago, and apparently his white blood cell count is very high, and, from what I understood, I think he's on dialysis. Hopefully, he'll get better in the near future. According to our resident director though, they're still very excited to have us there; it's just currently a little awkward.

2) The university: We also getting ready to finally start classes next Sunday, so we've had plenty of tours of the university and orientation stuff going on. Yesterday was Arabic placement test day, where I learned that this might not be the right program for me in terms of Arabic lessons, as my Arabic appears to be a lot stronger than most of the other participants, and my oral exam kind of degraded into a rambling conversation about what I, as a Religious Studies major, thought of the Da Vinci Code, followed by an affirmation that I speak fine. So, yeah, we'll see what I can do to get a little better Arabic practice in academically, but my current thought is trying to find another Qur'anic memorization class.

3) The city: Amman is huge and entirely made of light yellow sandstone buildings, and is very modern. That about sums it up. It's also really hot. However, there are a lot of very cool little areas for one to find here, like the Arab sweet store Habiba, where the best kunafa of my life is on sale (it's like melted mozzerella cheese with dough on top, pistachios, and rosewater, which is actually delicious despite that description. also, i have no idea how to spell that cheese). Getting it is also an experience as the store is about four feet wide, and filled with tons of people. Luckily, as always, a kind old Jordanian man pitied me and helped me understand how to get some, for which I profusely thanked him in Arabic.

4) Ramadan: Ramadan mubarak everyone! The holy month began this morning, meaning that all Muslims, from before sunrise to after sunset do not eat, drink (including water and medicine), or smoke. In fact, said activities are henceforth illegal here on the street, so I am also engaged in my Ramadan fast, even though I live with a Christian family, until the cannons fire tonight letting everyone know that the fast has ended. This continues for a month.

So yeah, that's what I'm up to. Once I work out a way to do wireless, we can start skyping/ I can put up some pictures again!