Always an adventure in Amman. I'm not sure what's going on with the jetlag business but waking up at 4 am every day most likely will not materialize into further happiness. I heard the call to prayer again and that did make me happy. I still smell of Dead Sea water. No matter how much soap and how many showers, smelling good might take a little while.
Today was exciting as we drove to the University for a tour to find out where we were going to be for the semester. It is a beautiful school, and after registering for classes and trips, we were able to see a small section of this sprawling campus. It is dense with trees that give some semblance of northern california, as well as water fountains and ornate buildings. I think I will be okay here.
We registered for classes and I also requested a "peer tutor". This entails a Jordainian student from the university hanging out with and speaking to me 2-3 hours a week solely in Arabic, and going out into Amman to use vocabulary and help me improve. In essence they buy friends for us here.
I find out about classes tomorrow and will keep you up-to-date.
Next weekend I will be going to Aqaba, Wadi Rum and Petra on a three-day excursion laden with camel rides, scuba diving, rock climbing and bedouin people. Elated. We have a selection of four trips to chose from including two "eco-walks", desert castles and a tour of biblical Jordan (which was my choice) October 24th, baby! Although, I have to admit that the charms of desert castles (including visiting a castle on the Iraqi border) are tempting, yet I abstain (it is Ramadan, afterall).
Speaking of Ramadan, the subtleties of sneaking food are becoming more and more interesting. Downing the "Ramadan survival food packet" that we are to stuff and hide away from the outside world and sneak out only when we are about to faint and/or hiding behind a big tree branch is becoming a series of laughable occasions. We have begun a sort of "Snicker solidarity" in the computer lab today using our bodies as shields from those around us observing the holiday. This turns into "Shh, quickk! just turn around for one second I have to take a bite, I'm going to die, hold on!" Followed by a "Crap, someone's coming, just down it!"
Being respectful comes with a hefty laugh, not that it is all fun and games. If you are found disrupting the sanctity of Ramadan, you can be kicked off campus or have you student ID card removed (guess who read her student handbook). We do try hard, but 7am to 7pm is a bit too long for those of us not observing and not trained in 12 hour stretches without drink and food.
Otherwise, today we went to the U.S. Embassy which dismantles any illusions you may have had about the powers of our Great Nation. We were very explicitly told that the ease with which you may be jailed is astounding (being in the presence of drugs (a club where you are downstairs and ecstasy is being rolled upstairs included), insulting the king, forgery) and there is nothing the Embassy can do to bail you out. Abuse and corruption run rampant in behind those bars. Have fun!
For Iftar tonight they took us to a stunning restaurant decorated with canopies, water falls, beautiful landscapes with long family style sprawls of lamb, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, apple-yogurt dips, falafel, pita....hummus... followed by shisha (of course) and shai (tea).
They will always ask: Cahua? Shai? - Unless you plan to be up for 40 hours, chose the shai. The Jordanians LOVE zucar (sugar). They put more zucar than shai in the cup. They love honey, they love to stuff you with zucar pastries covered in honey.
Otherwise, I have to say, the highlight of today was very simple. A couple of us decided to check out the local grocery store and it took every ounce of courage I had not to whip out my camera- I am the ultra-tourist trying to suppress her energy in this country. Barrels and barrels of beans and rice, yogurt and arabic peanut butter, pepsi and cheetos with arabic writing. There is virutally no English in the grocery store on any product. New word of the day "Kem?" -How much?
Tomorrow we finally move into our apartments and homestays, bismillah because another day in that room might prove quite suffocating.I am so happy here. The honeymoon phase is still in action. Tomorrow will begin "real life". We, the apartment seekers (versus the homestay-ers) are going to have an enlightening experience I feel. The homestay get a close-up view of the every day life of the Jordanian family, while we make the experience happen for ourselves. There is so much to gain from both experiences.
I'm excited to survive without a soft cushion, barter for groceries and visit the souke this weekend.
I will keep you updated on the housing situation tomorrow as well as classes. Definetly well past bed time. The internet is impossible here, the fact that I've had it at all two days in a row is a miarcle.
Ma'sa al-kheir!
