Final Thoughts

As I sit in my house, in the middle of a Northern Virginia suburb, it's weird to think that just a few days ago I was thousands of miles away in a Middle Eastern country. It almost feels as if it didn't happen. (It did though, I promise!) 

The JMU in Jordan study abroad program has been one of the most difficult, most thrilling, and most educational experiences I've ever had. Though I've had some classroom instruction on the Middle East, nothing compares to actually traveling there and seeing it firsthand. It's one thing to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a textbook. It's a completely different thing to have conversations with actual Palestinians who have had to flee their homes. 

I still only have a surface level understanding of all the complexities surrounding the Middle East, but this trip was tremendously helpful in bringing all the events that I hear about every day to life. This trip also affirmed my passion for the Middle East and I'm even more convinced that I want to work in this region. 

Here's just a few of the things that I took away from my trip: 

- I can converse in Arabic! (Very, very basic...but still!) 

- Jordanians are extremely helpful!

- Mint leaves in tea are delicious! 

- I never got used to Sunday being the Middle Eastern Monday.

- Everything is so close in the Middle East.

- You get used to the call to prayer pretty quickly

- You will never be hungry if you stay with a Jordanian family

- Riding a camel hurts after a while 

- You can't beat fresh shawarma! 

- You will always feel dusty

- The World Cup is awesome here! 

- Traffic laws are just suggestions

- Cold water is a luxury

- Sleeping on the roof is the best! 

- You feel extra patriotic when you see Red, White, & Blue while overseas 

Finally, I learned that yes, there are many problems in the Middle East. But there are problems everywhere in the world. As a nation, we need to educate ourselves about the culture, the religion, and the politics of the region. We can't continue to cling to stereotypes if we want to move forward with our foreign policy. 

It was an unforgettable experience and I fully intend to return someday.

Ma'salaama! (Goodbye!) 

Catherine A. 

Amman Citadel & Turkish Baths

On our last day in Amman, some of us wanted to explore the city one last time. Most places were closed because of Ramadan, but some of the major tourist places were still open. We decided to visit the Amman Citadel. The Amman Citadel is located on one of the hills of Amman and features a variety of ancient architecture.

Umayyad Mosque

Interior of the Umayyad Mosque

In the afternoon, we went to experience a Turkish Bath in Amman. These baths were extremely popular throughout Islamic history, and continue to be popular today. Traditionally, brides and grooms visit the Turkish Baths before their wedding. 

When you begin the bathing process, you enter a sauna to sweat off as much dirt as possible. It was the hottest sauna I've ever been in. At first I couldn't breathe because of the hot air. But once you sit down it's a little more bearable. 

After the sauna, we sat in a large hot tub. It was so relaxing to just sit in the hot water and sip cold pomegranate slushies. One by one, the bath workers took us aside to give us a really good scrub down. It was kinda disgusting to see how much dirt they were able to get off of us. 

The final step was a full body massage. That was the best part of the entire treatment. When it was over, my skin felt smooth and clean all over. It was the first time since coming to Amman that I didn't feel dusty. It was a great way to unwind after a stressful week studying for finals. 

Catherine A. 

Ramadan Kareem!

Around the end of the second week of this trip, the month of Ramadan began here in Jordan. For Muslims, Ramadan celebrates the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad and it is observed by fasting from sunup to sundown. In Jordan, eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is prohibited and most restaurants and shops are closed. Ramadan affected some of our day-to-day activities – such as going out for shwarma at lunchtime – but it’s also allowed us to see the holy month practiced in its entirety.

The sun goes down in Jordan around 7:57p.m. Every night around that time, a cannon shot sounded to signal the beginning of iftar or the breaking of the fast. Traditionally, the fast is broken with dates and water. Packaged dates and sealed cups of water are available in most places for this purpose.  

We’ve gone out a couple times as a group for iftar. The restaurants are usually packed, but no one begins eating until the prayer ends. Then, the feasting begins. Muslims here will have iftar and then a few hours later, they will have suhoor, which is the meal they eat before the sun rises.

In the U.S., Ramadan is still widely practiced by Muslims. But since we are not a predominately Islamic society, it’s not the huge cultural event that the majority of the city participates in. There are signs wishing everyone a “Ramadan Kareem” everywhere. Special Ramadan products and sales are all over the malls.

At night, when we’re out and about, we see large numbers of people going around enjoying delicious food, going shopping, and spending time with family and friends. It’s been a very educational experience being in a Middle Eastern country for Ramadan. It’s given me an entirely new perspective on the way Muslims celebrate one of their most treasured holidays. 

Biblical Jordan

Before we came to Jordan, I was especially looking forward to the trips to various biblical locations. The Middle East has such a rich history surrounding important religious events for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. On out last weekend here, we set out to see Jesus' Baptism Site, Mount Nebo, and Madaba. 

I'm not completely convinced that anyone can know the exact location where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. But it was still exciting to know that the baptism occurred in the general vicinity. The Baptism Site was very simple, with a small pond marking the spot where Jesus was said to have been baptized. The Jordan River itself was barely a creek in various places. It was a very surreal experience to be in the area where such a momentous event took place. 

Baptism Site

Jordan River

Afterwards we drove to Mount Nebo. That was my favorite stop on the Biblical Jordan trip. I thought there was more legitimate historical backing for this site, so I was more convinced that Moses actually stood on the mountain. The view was absolutely incredible. I could almost imagine Moses standing there surveying the Promised Land. 

View from Mount Nebo

Our last stop was Madaba. In my Art & Architecture class here, we read an Arabic passage about the mosaics in the church of Madaba. I loved being able to see it in person. We also walked along the streets of the city of Madaba to buy souvenirs. It's customary to haggle over prices here in Jordan. Most of us got things at a significant discount. 

It was a great final trip!  

Catherine A.

A Typical Day in Amman

So far I've only been posting the exciting parts of my time here - the trips! Day to day life here has become fairly routine with classes, homework, and such. But I still manage to have adventures here and there! Here's a typical day for me:

7:00am - Wake up! After the first few days, I no longer woke up to the 5 a.m. call to prayer from the nearby mosque.

7:30am - Breakfast! Every morning is pretty much the same. Pita bread and a bunch of different things to dip it into. My personal favorite is yogurt with olive oil and leftover hummus. Sometimes we have falafel, eggs, or pastries. There are always freshly cut tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. And of course, tea with mint! (I bought myself a box to take back to the U.S.)

8:00am - Catch a taxi! Our street isn't very busy in the mornings so sometimes we have to a walk a few minutes before we find one. We're getting to be pros at giving directions though. We can direct the driver to the language academy using only Arabic now!

8:30am - Conversation class! This is by far the hardest class I have ever taken. I now have a small taste of what it's like to try to keep up with a class in a language you don't know very well. I have major respect for all my international student friends now. My class has only two students, counting me, so lately we've been practicing conversations you might have at a store or at a restaurant. Today, I was able to carry on a conversation without looking at my notes. Progress!

11:00am - Art & Architecture class! I've always loved art so I've been thoroughly enjoying this class. It integrates Islamic history with the artistic trends from the Prophet Muhammad's time until modern day. The class is taught in English but we often read Arabic texts about architecture.

1:00pm - Head home! After being in class since 8:30am, I'm usually exhausted by lunchtime. Before Ramadan, we would sometimes stop by a shwarma place near the school but that's closed during the day now. Our host family usually has a delicious lunch waiting for us when we get home. Today we had mansef, a traditional Jordanian dish made out of rice, lamb, and a yogurt-based sauce.

2:30pm - Study! Boring. At least I like what I'm studying, so that helps a little. Depending on the day, I'll work until bedtime only stopping for dinner and the occasional tea with mint break. It doesn't help that the internet only works intermittently here since a lot of my homework is online.

? - Depending on the day (and if there's a quiz in the morning), we'll go out sometimes to explore Amman at night. So far, we've gone to a couple cafes to watch World Cup games. There's so much energy in the cafes where people watch the matches! It's been great to be here for that.

9:00pm - Dinner! Our family eats dinner late so we're usually pretty hungry by this time. We usually have pita bread again and sometimes chicken and rice.

12:00am - Bedtime! Jordanian guys like to drag race around the circle in front of our house, so that's the sound we fall asleep to every night. Screeching brakes, spinning wheels, and the occasional loud smash. I'm used to it now so I usually fall asleep right away.

I can't believe I only have four more days of classes here! It's gone by way too fast. Next time, I'm definitely staying longer. 

Catherine A. 

Red Sea and Aqaba

The drive to Aqaba was incredibly hot. It kept getting more and more humid as we neared the Red Sea.  It was so beautiful though! I was so excited to see the Red Sea, since it's the site of one of the greatest miracles in the Bible. 

When we finally arrived, we checked in at the Radisson. The five-star resort was a huge contrast to the Bedouin camp we stayed in the night before. Even though it felt like most hotels I've stayed in before, there were a few things here and there that reminded me we were still in the Middle East. For example, the dresser in the room was marked with the qibla (direction of Mecca) so that people would know which way to pray. 

Swimming in the Red Sea was amazing! The water was so clear that we could see all the coral and marine life swimming around underneath us. In the evening, some of us took a boat ride down the coast. The bottom of the boat was transparent so we got a good look at the reefs and sunken parts of boats. On the opposite coast, we saw parts of Egypt and Israel. Everything is so close here in the Middle East! 

We walked around downtown Aqaba for a little while afterwards and got some shwarma. When we got back to the hotel, we hung out outside with the group to watch the belly dancing show. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening after a weekend full of adventures. The next morning, we packed up for the five hour drive back to Amman. 

Catherine A.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum was absolutely incredible! Located in southern Jordan, Wadi Rum is the largest valley in the country. It’s been the location of several films, including Lawrence of Arabia. The scenery was alien-looking in several places and reminded us of the surface of Mars. When we arrived, there were jeeps waiting to take us to a Bedouin camp for the night. It was fun driving out to what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

We got to the camp just in time to catch the last rays of the sunset. It was breathtaking!

Afterwards, we were served a traditional Beduoin meal of chicken cooked underground. Although it tasted a little like dirt, it was still very good. The lights in the camp were turned off around nine. 

I’ve never seen the night sky like that before. We could see the Milky Way stretched out across the vast, open sky. I saw multiple shooting stars and the occasional satellite. I feel asleep staring at the sky in the middle of the silent, Jordanian desert.  

In the morning, we had breakfast with the Bedouins and then packed up for adventures in the desert. Our first stop was to a natural rock bridge formation. We climbed to the top to take pictures. Going up wasn't hard, but it was a little nerve-wracking going down. The view was great though! 

Our second stop was to the remains of the T.E. Lawrence House. We had tea with some of the Bedouins camped nearby. Next, we drove to a sand dune and climbed to the top. It was so hard! The sand was burning hot and with every step, it got in your shoes. But again, the view from the top was worth the effort. We could see all the different rock formations scattered around Wadi Rum. After resting for a while, we all sprinted down the sand dune to the jeeps. 

Hot, tired, sandy, and sweaty, we boarded our non-air conditioned bus for the drive to the Red Sea in Aqaba. 

Catherine A. 

Petra!

This last weekend was full of adventures! Our first stop was Petra. This was probably the trip I was looking forward to the most since coming to Jordan. I've seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade many, many times so I was really excited to see the famous treasury facade. 

We got up around five in the morning for the bus ride there. I only took a quick nap because I didn't want to miss any of the passing scenery. The Jordanian landscape is beautiful! 

As we walked down the narrow canyon towards Petra, I was reminded of the Grand Canyon. It was very surreal to walk through. It was also really hot so we moved from shady spot to shady spot along the way. Our tour guide distracted us when we were close to the treasury, so that when we turned around it was a surprise. 

 

The facade on the treasury is one of the most beautiful pieces of art I’ve ever seen. We stayed there for a while then kept moving to see the rest of Petra. A few of us took a hike up to the monastery after the tour ended. It was a really hot and difficult hike. I had flashbacks to the forced march my dad made us take down the Grand Canyon a few years ago. The view at the top was incredible though!  The Bedouin selling there told us a little about the history of the area. We could see the mosque built on Aaron’s tomb on another peak.

When we hiked back down, we got to ride camels. Even though I was sore afterwards, it was probably one of my favorite things I’ve done in Jordan so far. After Petra we got back on the bus in a race to get to Wadi Rum in time for the sunset.

 - Catherine A.