Last Sunday we had an official tour of campus. On the first day of summer classes the campus was dramatically different from the day before. Everywhere you looked there were students congregating. Only 40% of students from the academic year attend summer school classes, which makes me curious about how crowded campus is during the rest of the year. [Warning student affairs-y moment] I was really surprised at how comfortable I felt on campus, despite the fact that I was the odd one and received a lot of curious gazes. The campus of University of Jordan is no different than a university in the States.
Additionally, there are a lot of women on campus. I didn’t really think much about it, but most of the men go to private universities or attend abroad. As one could probably assume, two-thirds of the women wear hijabs. But to my surprise, they are extremely fashionable and have fabulous colors and patterns. It is really funny how I wear long pants and shirts that come to my elbows and I feel so exposed. I’ve never really been in a situation where everyone is doing something and I feel as if I am the odd one. It is a new feeling, but that is part of the reason I came here. I wanted to experience something very different from what I am used to. I hope this will someday help me work with students who are coming to the US and feel out of place.
We began classes on Monday the 22nd. Each morning at 8am we have Arabic class. This class is supposed to be learning the Jordanian dialect (amia) rather than Modern Standard Arabic (fusshah). Many of the other students have taken a bit of Arabic, while 5 of us knew nothing. I am sad to say I still have learned nothing. Actually, I have learned random words, which have not proven to be any help to me. Our teacher doesn’t speak English, which is fine, but we don’t have any system to the words we learn. He also writes in Arabic script, but did not teach us the alphabet. The word frustrating comes to mind when I think about my Arabic class, but that would be an understatement. Each morning I prepare myself to feel like an idiot for an hour and a half each morning. I am now taking my Arabic skills into my own hands…Arabic for Dummies is my new afternoon companion.
The other course we are taking is Women and Leadership in the Arab World. The course topics are interesting, but not exactly what I was expecting. I was hoping to use my “leadership expertise” (haha) a bit more. Most of our conversations revolve around politics…We have very interesting readings, but I have read three 200+ page books in the last two weeks. Again, in my naiveté I expected to have more time to explore Jordan, but alas no. I spend a significant amount of time in class, then doing my homework, teaching myself Arabic…and if I have time eating falafel. For a bit I was a depressed about the academic situation.
To combat these frustrations I have jumped at every opportunity to experience Amman and Jordan. I was able to go to an unknown Palestinian art gallery and meet some interesting and fabulous global scholars. I took a lot of pictures during this venture and enjoyed being out of the University area and meeting new people. The valley between East and West Amman was gorgeous at night. As the sunset prayers echoed through the hills I could see the speckled green lights of the mosques throughout the city. I found this new experience was very calming and helped me realize what I really enjoyed about traveling-exploring.
Speaking of exploring…food is always an interesting way of exploring. I am a big Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern food fan and I eat a lot at home in the States. Ordering food is always an adventure-you never know what you are actually going to get. I ordered a chicken sandwich and wanted fries to go with my meal. I had seen the words pomme frittes at the grocery store, which is the European name for fries, and asked for those. The cashier was confused, so I asked for fries. Again, he had no idea what I was asking about so I asked what fries were called in Arabic…batata (which actually means potato). This the cashier understood and he responded with sandwich or bucket in English. I said sandwich and I received a batata sandwich- a lovely Panini style sandwich comprised of cheese and French fries. Sadly, I have to admit it was pretty tasty. The obscene amount of carbs I ingested promptly caused me to fall asleep.
Being in Jordan has helped me appreciate produce. Why is that, you may ask. Well, I never realized how much salad I eat until it is not available. The Middle Eastern idea of a salad is tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers covered in cheese and peppers. There is the occasional salad with a sprinkling of cabbage or lettuce. I was and continue to be gravely disappointed in the availability of vegetables. It is now laughable to think I was going to be a vegetarian for the summer-this is unheard of in Jordan. There are no vegetarian restaurants. One would expect the grocery store or market to offer more variety in greens and other vegetables-no such luck. I found some zucchinis, but very strangely they were hollowed out! I can only posit that these are to assist in preparation of some complex Arabian dish, but I was distraught nonetheless. Oh, what I wouldn’t do for a proper salad!
Part of our class work requires us to volunteer at a local NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) focused on women’s issues or empowerment. In the midst of my frustration this has been another unexpected source of comfort. I am working at the Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women (because of the long name I will refer to it from now on as the Forum). This is a small office, of four employees, which supports women to create their own businesses. Women can apply to use office spaces called incubators for up to two years as they begin their endeavors. As well, the Forum offers training sessions to help supply women with the skills to succeed.
For the summer, Julia and I, will be creating a new expansion of their membership program-youth members (talented and creative college students). I am really excited about creating the benefits, programs, and recruitment/retention strategies for this new cohort. Jordan has few resources and I think the first cohort will revolve around aspiring future professionals who are interested in solving the countries issues of oil, water, and energy. This excited me as well because a country with 9 solid months of the sun pounding down upon them is ripe for the cultivation of solar energy….
The women of the Forum are so kind. Some don’t speak English it has inspired me to overcome this language barrier-despite our ineffective class. Dina, the membership manager, is 7 months older than me. She is going to give birth to a new baby boy any day now (with any luck on July 13th). She is so funny and talented. We have a lot of fun talking about how funny husbands are, and wonderful too! Everyone finds if interesting that I am here without Tristan. Women don’t travel without their family here, so I am a foreign wonder. I think even my classmates don’t understand it. It is a special part of our relationship, which I think only Tristan and I can understand. J
There is a really great Gomez song called See the World that says “see the world, find an old-fashioned girl, and when all’s been said and done, the things that are given are the things that you want”…
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