Ok, so now that I've been back home for about a month and I started school, I think it's time for one final post.
Where to begin...perhaps with a list...
The Top 5 Things I'll Miss About Jordan (in no particular order):
1. My Language Partners. One of the most interesting and fun parts of my stay in Jordan was the relationships that I formed with my language partners, Yussef, Khaled, and Majd. One of the things that Khaled said many times toward the end of our stay in Jordan was that at first, he came to our meetings just to get better at english. After a few weeks, however, he kept coming simply because he enjoyed hanging out with Jim and I. While we were simply language partners at the beginning of the program, we all considered each other friends by the end.
2. Hospitality. I know I wrote about this many times throughout the summer, but I will absolutely miss the genuine hospitality that I was shown almost everywhere I went in Jordan. Whether talking to my language partners or my professors, to the clerk at the grocery store, or to the waiters at our favorite restaurants, we were always graciously welcomed and made to feel at home. This is a kind of hospitality that is completely foreign to the U.S., especially in the northeast, where I've lived most of my life.
3. Arabic Immersion. As frustrating and draining as it was at times, I will miss the intensive immersion in the Arabic language and culture. Immersion really is the best was to learn a language, and I definitely learned a lot. Without being burdened by other course work, I was able to focus solely on learning Arabic this summer. In the end, though I was more than ready to come home and see my wife, family, and friends, I was a little disappointed that I had to leave Jordan right when I was really beginning to progress in Arabic.
4. Historical, Political, and Religious Contexts. It was simply amazing to be in able to travel around Jordan and Israel/Palestine and take in the vast historical, religious, and political significance of the many places I visited. I was struck by this the first weekend I was in Jordan. When we went to Amman and took pictures of the Citadel, I was able to capture Roman, Ummayad, and contemporary civilizations all in one shot. These juxtapositions were everywhere and I thoroughly enjoyed contemplating them.
5. The Weather. Although I was expecting Jordan to be uncomfortably hot, I actually found it to be very comfortable. Apparently we had a mild summer, because the temperature averaged between 90-95 degrees during the day and usually cooled down at night. With the absence of humidity, those temperatures were not bad at all. So, with the exception of a few weeks of over 100 temperatures, the weather was quite good. All I had to do was stay out of the sun and I was usually pretty comfortable.
It's hard to sum up this trip in any way that really captures my experiences. I went to Jordan after studying the Middle East for a few years in college and one in grad school. I went because I've been intellectually interested on the history, culture, and politics of the region. When I got there and started interacting with local people, forming relationships, I was able to put a human face to all the books and articles I've read over the years.
Today, I started school and the first class I went to is called "Palestine and the Politics of History." As I read the articles and participated in the class discussion, I was able to visualize the landscape and picture the people that I talked to when I was in Israel/Palestine. I could remember my conversations with my language partners and professors, and connect their ernest reflections on the visceral political realities of modern day Israel/Palestine with the content that was being discussed in class. If there is one thing I can take away from this experience, then, it is that the books and papers, arguments and counter-arguments, facts and figures, are no longer simply data to be processed intellectually. Rather, they are accounts of human lives.
I'm not quite sure what else to say at this point, so I think I'll stop here. I hope that this blog has helped you all understand my experiences this summer and taught you a little bit about the Middle East. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, and that I'll look back on it in the coming years to remember my
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Where to begin...perhaps with a list...
The Top 5 Things I'll Miss About Jordan (in no particular order):
1. My Language Partners. One of the most interesting and fun parts of my stay in Jordan was the relationships that I formed with my language partners, Yussef, Khaled, and Majd. One of the things that Khaled said many times toward the end of our stay in Jordan was that at first, he came to our meetings just to get better at english. After a few weeks, however, he kept coming simply because he enjoyed hanging out with Jim and I. While we were simply language partners at the beginning of the program, we all considered each other friends by the end.
2. Hospitality. I know I wrote about this many times throughout the summer, but I will absolutely miss the genuine hospitality that I was shown almost everywhere I went in Jordan. Whether talking to my language partners or my professors, to the clerk at the grocery store, or to the waiters at our favorite restaurants, we were always graciously welcomed and made to feel at home. This is a kind of hospitality that is completely foreign to the U.S., especially in the northeast, where I've lived most of my life.
3. Arabic Immersion. As frustrating and draining as it was at times, I will miss the intensive immersion in the Arabic language and culture. Immersion really is the best was to learn a language, and I definitely learned a lot. Without being burdened by other course work, I was able to focus solely on learning Arabic this summer. In the end, though I was more than ready to come home and see my wife, family, and friends, I was a little disappointed that I had to leave Jordan right when I was really beginning to progress in Arabic.
4. Historical, Political, and Religious Contexts. It was simply amazing to be in able to travel around Jordan and Israel/Palestine and take in the vast historical, religious, and political significance of the many places I visited. I was struck by this the first weekend I was in Jordan. When we went to Amman and took pictures of the Citadel, I was able to capture Roman, Ummayad, and contemporary civilizations all in one shot. These juxtapositions were everywhere and I thoroughly enjoyed contemplating them.
5. The Weather. Although I was expecting Jordan to be uncomfortably hot, I actually found it to be very comfortable. Apparently we had a mild summer, because the temperature averaged between 90-95 degrees during the day and usually cooled down at night. With the absence of humidity, those temperatures were not bad at all. So, with the exception of a few weeks of over 100 temperatures, the weather was quite good. All I had to do was stay out of the sun and I was usually pretty comfortable.
It's hard to sum up this trip in any way that really captures my experiences. I went to Jordan after studying the Middle East for a few years in college and one in grad school. I went because I've been intellectually interested on the history, culture, and politics of the region. When I got there and started interacting with local people, forming relationships, I was able to put a human face to all the books and articles I've read over the years.
Today, I started school and the first class I went to is called "Palestine and the Politics of History." As I read the articles and participated in the class discussion, I was able to visualize the landscape and picture the people that I talked to when I was in Israel/Palestine. I could remember my conversations with my language partners and professors, and connect their ernest reflections on the visceral political realities of modern day Israel/Palestine with the content that was being discussed in class. If there is one thing I can take away from this experience, then, it is that the books and papers, arguments and counter-arguments, facts and figures, are no longer simply data to be processed intellectually. Rather, they are accounts of human lives.
I'm not quite sure what else to say at this point, so I think I'll stop here. I hope that this blog has helped you all understand my experiences this summer and taught you a little bit about the Middle East. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, and that I'll look back on it in the coming years to remember my
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