Hello,
Yes, today is a twofer. I have information. Also read "Valentine's Day in Jordan"
Last night after I came home, I talked with my host brother Muhammad for the first time. It was so cool! His mother, he and I were watching soccer on television. I made some comment about the team playing (Tutham) and he was amazed I knew something about soccer. From that we went on a full fledge conversation, but mostly we stuck to soccer.
I learned some interesting things.
1) I learned that in Islam you can not own a dog technically. Well I kind of knew this already, but I learned some more information. Muhammad told me that if a dog licks your hand, you have to wash it 7x to get the slobber off. One of his friends got licked on the face and his mother made him take a shower 7x. Muhammad thought that this was extreme, but it gets the message across that dogs are considered dirty. He asked if I had one, I said no. He seemed disappointed. He kept talking about different breeds of dogs. I think someone wants a puppy...
2) He asked me about my house. I described it as having two floors, a large yard etc. He asked me the most unpredicted question about my home. He asked me if my house had its own mailbox, and if it was large. Really? Had Muhammad just asked me about the mailbox that I hate running to in order to pick up mail. Why had he asked this? He told me in Amman, no one has their own mailbox. There is a communal one and you just hope people will not mess with your mail or steal it. He says sometimes the mail is hacked. I never realized how having your own mailbox is a good thing.
3)Muhammad and I agree that mostly women smoke hookah/argeela in Amman or in the Middle East. You can find ladies who lunch sitting sharing a hookah. Muhammad said that in certain parts of Amman, there are men only hookah spots. He also said that the coed cafe's are mostly for single people wanting to mingle. He did not put a good spin on these coed cafes, the ones I go to. I asked how I can tell if a cafe is all male before I go in. He didn't really answer my question. I hope I do not accidentally stumble into a men's club.
4) He also talked about Tawjihi. He said only 35% of the students who take the exam each year pass. This means that 65% of the high school students are retaking their classes with the hopes of passing next year and getting into college. Also, you must decided what you want to pursue at the time you prepare for the test. In 10th grade, you must pick if you want to study hospitality services, health care, IT, Humanities etc. From this point on, you cannot change your mind, so pick well. I asked what happens if people choose to study abroad. Muhammad told me that if a person fails the Tawjihi but decides to go to the US for college (because Jordan's national test does not matter in the US), they will not be able to get a Job in Jordan since they did not pass the test. It does not matter if the person graduated with straight As from Harvard, they will not get a job in Jordan without passing the test. But if you pass the national test and go to school in America, you are considered #1. This is so complicated. I'm happy to be in the American education system where event the SATs are no longer relevant. Muhammad just started preparing for the test.
I also talked with my host mother today. I found out some good info.
1) The "color" of Islam is green because it was the color of the first flag of Muhammad. I have been trying to figure this out for a year now, so thank God I now know.
I also got asked today if I was German again. Do I have a sign pinned to me? Apparently. Its odd because someone said something bad about German people then took it back when they figured out I was German, without me saying anything. Personally, I don't care if you find Germans rude. Maybe you met some nasty Germans, I don't know. I'm American lol. Ethnic Identity is very important in Jordan due to the refugees flooding into the country. As a result, you have Palestinian-Jordanians, Syrian-Jordanians and Jordanian-Jordanians. Everyone clings to their heritage from generations past. In America, we tend to do this less and less as generations move on. This is not to say we don't care about where our grandparents came from and feel pride about our Native countries, we just assimilate to America. If you were to ask me to identify myself, I would automatically say America. Its where I grew up and its the culture and homeland I know and love. I would not immediately jump to German and Polish. In Jordan, they immediately jump to their ethnicity.
Honestly, this kinda reminds me of the time I dressed German for the International Week Fashion show and everyone thought I was an international student for a year. Awkward. I have such a thick American Accent. I can hear it in my own voice that is how thick it is.
Here are my two cents for the day,
Natalie
Yes, today is a twofer. I have information. Also read "Valentine's Day in Jordan"
Last night after I came home, I talked with my host brother Muhammad for the first time. It was so cool! His mother, he and I were watching soccer on television. I made some comment about the team playing (Tutham) and he was amazed I knew something about soccer. From that we went on a full fledge conversation, but mostly we stuck to soccer.
I learned some interesting things.
1) I learned that in Islam you can not own a dog technically. Well I kind of knew this already, but I learned some more information. Muhammad told me that if a dog licks your hand, you have to wash it 7x to get the slobber off. One of his friends got licked on the face and his mother made him take a shower 7x. Muhammad thought that this was extreme, but it gets the message across that dogs are considered dirty. He asked if I had one, I said no. He seemed disappointed. He kept talking about different breeds of dogs. I think someone wants a puppy...
2) He asked me about my house. I described it as having two floors, a large yard etc. He asked me the most unpredicted question about my home. He asked me if my house had its own mailbox, and if it was large. Really? Had Muhammad just asked me about the mailbox that I hate running to in order to pick up mail. Why had he asked this? He told me in Amman, no one has their own mailbox. There is a communal one and you just hope people will not mess with your mail or steal it. He says sometimes the mail is hacked. I never realized how having your own mailbox is a good thing.
3)Muhammad and I agree that mostly women smoke hookah/argeela in Amman or in the Middle East. You can find ladies who lunch sitting sharing a hookah. Muhammad said that in certain parts of Amman, there are men only hookah spots. He also said that the coed cafe's are mostly for single people wanting to mingle. He did not put a good spin on these coed cafes, the ones I go to. I asked how I can tell if a cafe is all male before I go in. He didn't really answer my question. I hope I do not accidentally stumble into a men's club.
4) He also talked about Tawjihi. He said only 35% of the students who take the exam each year pass. This means that 65% of the high school students are retaking their classes with the hopes of passing next year and getting into college. Also, you must decided what you want to pursue at the time you prepare for the test. In 10th grade, you must pick if you want to study hospitality services, health care, IT, Humanities etc. From this point on, you cannot change your mind, so pick well. I asked what happens if people choose to study abroad. Muhammad told me that if a person fails the Tawjihi but decides to go to the US for college (because Jordan's national test does not matter in the US), they will not be able to get a Job in Jordan since they did not pass the test. It does not matter if the person graduated with straight As from Harvard, they will not get a job in Jordan without passing the test. But if you pass the national test and go to school in America, you are considered #1. This is so complicated. I'm happy to be in the American education system where event the SATs are no longer relevant. Muhammad just started preparing for the test.
I also talked with my host mother today. I found out some good info.
1) The "color" of Islam is green because it was the color of the first flag of Muhammad. I have been trying to figure this out for a year now, so thank God I now know.
I also got asked today if I was German again. Do I have a sign pinned to me? Apparently. Its odd because someone said something bad about German people then took it back when they figured out I was German, without me saying anything. Personally, I don't care if you find Germans rude. Maybe you met some nasty Germans, I don't know. I'm American lol. Ethnic Identity is very important in Jordan due to the refugees flooding into the country. As a result, you have Palestinian-Jordanians, Syrian-Jordanians and Jordanian-Jordanians. Everyone clings to their heritage from generations past. In America, we tend to do this less and less as generations move on. This is not to say we don't care about where our grandparents came from and feel pride about our Native countries, we just assimilate to America. If you were to ask me to identify myself, I would automatically say America. Its where I grew up and its the culture and homeland I know and love. I would not immediately jump to German and Polish. In Jordan, they immediately jump to their ethnicity.
Honestly, this kinda reminds me of the time I dressed German for the International Week Fashion show and everyone thought I was an international student for a year. Awkward. I have such a thick American Accent. I can hear it in my own voice that is how thick it is.
 |
| Me as a German...the dress that confused people. |
Here are my two cents for the day,
Natalie
No comments:
Post a Comment