An old theater and a mosque

Week 2…still alive and kicking. First week of classes. First week of home stay. First week of real Jordanian life (or at least my attempt at it). And I’m lovin it! Granted, I have 600 pages of reading to do and a five minute speech in Arabic tomorrow… but hey, all in due time right! You’d think a kid from America trying to find his place 6000 miles away would have difficulty getting adjusted. But no, the people here almost make it their job to help you feel welcome and comfortable…even if you can’t understand anything they’re saying. Granted, crossing the streets may be a life or death experience, but other than that…

So a friend’s host family invited a group of use to go to mosque this past weekend. And I went. It was really a great intercultural experience. No worries guys, I’m not converting, but it was interesting to see a religion and culture very different than my own. The whole service: 45 minutes. The room: 400-500 men strong. The culture: very warm and inviting. The experience: priceless. The service was all in Arabic and I was proud of myself for being able to pick out some words here and there. Afterwards we went back to the host family’s home (greeted with apple pie and tea – this country’s staple) and just talked. It was a refreshing experience to talk about the role of religion in this family’s life and in this country in general. It's conversations that these that make my experience worth it.

Jordan is really a fantastic place. Rich with a long history and dynamic people, it is still trying to define its own place in the world. I learned the other day that street names were just introduced a few years ago. Go into any taxi and tell them your street name as a destination and you’ll get a blank stare in return. Even worse, try giving them your street address number (just distributed last year), and they’ll laugh. This city is just putting itself together in so many ways. A country just created over 60 years ago is still in the making. Water comes to the house once a week and is used sparingly. Propane trucks come door to door distributing gas. Oddly enough, they play music to get your attention. Not regular music, but ice cream truck music…seriously! Imagine sitting in your house and hearing off-tone ice cream truck music, only to find a truck with tanks of propane in its bed.

And the people are proud…very proud. Streets are shrouded in Jordanian flags. They drape from buildings, light posts, windows, cars, everywhere. And people are very proud to call themselves Jordanians. Yet there are definitely underlying tensions that have not fully flushed themselves in creating a cohesive Jordanian identity. With a population of 6 million people, Jordan is comprised of almost 60% Palestinians. This makes the distinction of whether you are Jordanian Jordanian or Palestinian Jordanian very important. The same goes for the small Christian minority here, who themselves are very proud of themselves. But the divide between these two groups is strong, so strong in fact that the consequences for a Muslim woman married to a Christian man can be fatal.

But at the same time this place has a history far older than its contemporary exterior. I traveled to the Roman Amphitheater this weekend and saw over 2000 years of history at the heart of downtown. The Amphitheater was incredible…you could feel its history pulsing in the crumbling columns and historic architecture. It’s amazing to think about the sophistication of these people who built these magnificent structures without the use of modern technology. The Amphitheater has this really awesome effect down at the bottom in which two people stand on either side and speak into the walls and you can hear each other! Awesome I know!! Ok, so I think you need to actually be there to get the full effect, but that’s the idea.

I’m starting to branch out a little, exploring the city a bit. But I’m still feeling somewhat confined, if not by the huge group of Americans that I’m drawn to hang out with, than by my own inhibitions about being the awkward American. Hopefully, as I get more comfortable, I’ll be able to break out of the “American bubble” (as we’ve dubbed it). For now though, I’m having a good time.

Downtown on a Friday afternoon...lots of people and oddly enough lots of shoes.

A picture of the city from the top of the amphitheater.

The Ampitheater...really impressive.

My host bro and host cousin. That facial expression is priceless! He's like that all the time.

A little taste of home: Subway, McDonald's, and Burger King. You can't see it in this picture but the subway has a delivery truck.