Hello All,
Once again, sorry for the delay in posting. I think that a weekly posting on Thursday night my time is going to be my goal for now on. There is so much going on in Jordan! Each day I get up at 7:30am to work on my homework and head to school for my 10am class. I have class from 10-3pm, with an hour break in between. After class, I come home and take a nap, take care of my apartment, run errands, etc. until about 6pm, when I typically head over to Mayas' for dinner, or Iftar. We eat when the sun sets, which is around 7:50pm. After dinner, I hang around with them until about 1-2am. After this I come back to my apartment, do some reading and go to bed around 3am. As you can imagine, this is quite fun, but also exhausting. It is difficult having to work during the day and stay up late at night. I feel like all my friends (i.e Mayada and Mayas) are now nocturnal and I have to function during both the day and night! Everyone at Qasid is having the same issue. Homework sometimes does not get done, assignments sometimes do not get graded. It's all good though, because everyone is doing their best.
On Wednesday night, I went on a trip with my former study abroad program to Mufraq, which is about 5-10 minutes away from Syria (in a car). This is the same village I visited with Mayada as she grew up there. Doctor Raed, the former program director, was so nice to invite me when he came over for Iftar at Mayada's house. We went to his brother's house and prepared an Iftar meal for Syrian refugees who lived in the area.
The trip to Mufraq was so much fun! I was in a car with all the female professors, all my former professors. We laughed and listened to great Arabic music. On the way to Doctor Raed's brother's house, we stopped on the road to take a look at Zataari, the largest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. We were positioned from high up and looked at the camp from a distance. It was so sad to see how big it was! In the middle of the desert, with nothing else around, there is a large area of little white buildings that serve as shelter. Not only do the refugees live in such terrible conditions, but they had to flee from tremendous violence. What is wrong with humanity that there are still conflicts and wars that hurt so many innocent people?!
Upon arriving at Doctor Raed's brother's home, I saw a lovely outdoor sitting area, with a men's and women's section. I had forgotten that men and women do not socialize together in Bedouin culture. The views from this house were amazing as well! We could literally see a border city in Syria and all the colors in the desert were wonderful! When we returned from our walk around the house I met the eldest daughter of the house. She had just finished high school. We enjoyed chatting in Arabic and had a pleasant conversation.
Soon, the Iftar guests began to arrive. We greeted each woman with three kisses on the cheek, as is Jordanian custom. The women sat down and Deem, one of the females professors, asked the woman questions about how she came to Jordan, and translated for us. Many of the women fled Syria two years ago, lived in Zataari briefly, and now live in Mufraq. Money is tight as the men are either absent or have a difficult time finding work. Deem let me translate two questions and answers for the group and that was a fun and new experience. Its hard to remember exactly what someone said sometimes well enough to translate it!
As Iftar continued, I saw a woman taking photos of me from afar. I decided to walk over and start up a conversation, as I assumed she would be interested in talking to me as well. Well, I was right! I spent all night with her and two other ladies who were her relatives. We laughed, and joked and had a great time...all in Arabic. I learned that this family had lived near the Israeli border named Quneitra. This was shocking as I had seen this city while standing on the Golan Heights in Israel a year ago. I described the area as I remembered it and the ladies were so happy. Honestly, it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! It was so green and lush. The women agreed that it was like heaven and we discussed the city in much detail. However, when I was in the Golan Heights, I also witnessed some of the violence that occurred in Syria. I saw a building in Quneitra blow up before my eyes, I heard rapid fire, and saw plumes of smoke from the observation point where I was standing with my group from Gettysburg College. It made me sad that I was able to understand a tiny amount of the violence they had experienced. One of the children of the women kept covering her ears and acting up. Turns out that loud noises terrify her and being in a crowded room makes her have PTSD. This girl is in 5th grade. I said a very excited hello to her and she became upset. Her mother explained the situation and said it was okay. I apologized profusely and felt horrible.
At the end of the meal when we were about to leave, a group of students asked me "how you get information from people about Syria". I was taken back by this question. This was a dinner for our guests and it was not an opportunity for us to intensively interview them. Conversation was appropriate and things would naturally come up, by why did some students feel the need or feel like they were owed a story? Think about it, if you had not eaten all day...would you want a foreigner coming up to you with broken language skills asking you about the worst moment of your life? I think not. I felt sad that the other students all had their iPods in and were not looking out the windows. They missed quite an experience! In general, I felt as if the students missed the point of the entire experience. They were complaining about "first world problems", such as not having internet on their iPhone while driving off towards to desert to create a nice evening for some refugees. Also, the evening was not about making us happy, but rather how we could make someone else happy. That is not to say that this was not a blast, though! I just was upset by the students and their behavior during our trip.
Driving home from this Iftar, I loved gazing out the window into the desert. I have been to the Vatican and Jerusalem. I have visited churches, mosques, and synagogues...but I feel that the strongest divine presence is in the desert. I remembered meditating with Ahmed in Wadi Rum two years ago and the intense calm and peace that I felt. I feel that sometimes people complicate "religion" and try to force it. For me, all I need is the wide open nature. It is here that I can learn more about myself and connect to a higher spiritual power. God truly dwells in the desert.
At Qasid on Wednesday, I followed my typical routine. However in my Islamic Sciences class, Sheikh Hamza mentioned that Mohammad was the only prophet to come from the line of Ismael whereas Jesus and all the other prophets in Islam came from the line of Issac as it connected to our course reading. I asked what the significance in this change of lineage was. Sheikh looks a tad uncomfortable, started to explain, and stopped saying we needed to return to the text we were working on. He told me to come see him after class if I wanted to know more about this. So I walked up to him after class, and he seemed surprised that I hung around. Four other students decided to stay for the explanation as well so we moved to an office. Sheikh Hamza began the discussion by saying that the answer to my question is not part of the coursework and our attendance in his office has no bearing on our grade in the class. Apparently Qasid makes a large point telling teachers to not discuss religion with us, just the language within the religious text. Sheikh Hamza was afraid of breaking the rule, but I told him that he was merely answering my question and he relaxed.
What I learned from the meeting was that according to Islam, Mohammad marked a new covenant from the covenant that was made to the 12 Tribes of Israel, which were descendants of Issac. The tribes were not behaving in accordance with what God wanted, so God made Mohammad a prophet and established a new covenant. Essentially, the Old Testament is the Old Covenant and the Quran is the New Covenant. This is similar to how Christians have the New Testament, or New Covenant from Jesus. Sheikh Hamza gave us a wonderful comparisons between all three Abrahamic faiths. He is truly a very well read and intelligent man, but definitely quirky. It was interesting to talk to someone who had read so many different religious texts from so many different religions. It was certainly impressive. I hope I can think of another fun question to ask before the course is over!
Tonight, I hosted an Iftar dinner for my Mayada, Mayas, Liz, Paige and some friends of Liz and Mayas. It was crazy but a lot of fun! I had been grocery shopping everyday this week getting a small amount each time. Its hard to grocery shop for a party of nine people when you have to rely on Taxis! Hosting the Iftar was stressful as well! Think about it, your guests have not eaten or drank anything all day. They are hungry! The food must be good and must be on the table ready to eat as soon as the sun sets and the Call to Prayer rings over the speakers. It was tremendously stressful! Also, I had to call Mayada an hour and a half before Iftar as I could not get my oven to work. I have no experience with a gas oven that needs to be lit. Luckily, she told me to lite a piece of paper and put it in the stove to start the gas fire. This worked and I was so relieved!
I served dates and soup to begin the meal as this is traditional. I believe Mohammad used to break his fasts with a date, so this is were the tradition stems from. I also bought some flower arrangements to serve as decorations. Also, I actually made all the food from scratch. I made the following:
1) Baked sweet potato fries- Sweet potatoes are rare to find in Jordan and are really expensive. I know that Mayada and Mayas loved eating them during their visit to the US, so I decided to make them. They had never had them baked before and were excited to try a new way to cook these potatoes.
2) Salad- Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, red onion, and crutons. I served it with French and Ranch dressings.
3) Chicken Wings with Old Bay- I marinated chicken wings with butter and sprinkled Old Bay on them. I wanted to give my friends a taste of Maryland, so I brought Old Bay with me from home. Half the crowd really enjoyed them. I chose to do Old Bay on the wings as I know it is a unique taste.
4) Chicken Breast- Olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, salt- SOOO juicy! I got breasts with the skin on them so I buttered the skin and pan fried each piece before putting it in the oven.
5) Grilled Cheese- This was requested by Mayas. However, I stepped it up and used American and Gouda cheese. This was well received.
6) Bread
7)Fruit Salad with Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce- Bananas, strawberries, grapes, clementines, red apples. This and the dressing were well received.
For dessert, I bought Ferraro Roche candies and assorted mini cakes. I also served tea and coffee using the traditional Jordanian serving tray. This made Mayada so happy as this is a symbol of hospitality in Jordan. While I served traditional tea and coffee, I made a separate pot of Peach Tea. This was immensely appreciated. I did not want to remove the traditional tea, as tea is a huge part of the culture. I am glad they liked my suggested tea type.
The party was so much fun. The adults sat inside while Mayas and her friends sat on my balcony and played with my pool-table. My apartment is a great place to entertain!At one point two of Mayas' friends asked me if there was a place where they could do their after Iftar prayer. I said absolutely and showed them into my bedroom, which is clean and quiet. I felt bad that I did not have prayer rugs to offer them, but luckily they brought their own. Typically a host has a few prayer rugs they keep to offer guests during religious holidays. I should have asked Mayada to borrow a few, but it was not an issue.
I am glad that the Iftar went well. I think Mayada was initially a tad bit worried letting a 23 year old American from a Christian background take over Iftar for a night and do it in an "American Way", frankly as she should be. People are tired and hungry and they just want to know that there will be food and that it will be good. When Mayada walked in the door and saw the flowers in my living room next to the traditional tea set and coffee set, she seemed a tad bit shocked. I took this party seriously and she really appreciated it. She told me that I really know how to take care of a house and prepare a meal. This meant a lot from such a great homemaker and cook. She also told me that she will find me a husband. I said no thank you hahaha. It's a running joke that I'm not really interested in marriage...at least not before I'm 50. Also, she was surprised that I was able to prepare so much food in only three hours and that I had it out and ready to eat on time after being at school all day and was surprised I could juggle both school and preparing a large meal.
After dinner, Paige and I went downtown to walk around. This was my first time visiting in two years! It is funny how a piece of Habiba's Kanafa came be so tasty and bring back so many fond memories. Paige made friends with a man from the shop I bought my thobe in (a traditional Jordanian dress) two years ago. We wound up sitting there for awhile and drank some coffee with him. He taught Paige a lot about Embroidery, one of her hobbies. Typically I love sitting and chatting, but I was ansy. I really wanted to go to the souk and see a bunch of Ramadan lanterns. For some reason, i really like the lanterns. We never did find the souk. Maybe Mayada can help give me clearer directions.
Click here for a Link to Oud Music
Well that's all for now. I am looking forward to going to bed (It's 4am) and not having to get up at 7am tomorrow. Yay for the weekend!
Natalie
Once again, sorry for the delay in posting. I think that a weekly posting on Thursday night my time is going to be my goal for now on. There is so much going on in Jordan! Each day I get up at 7:30am to work on my homework and head to school for my 10am class. I have class from 10-3pm, with an hour break in between. After class, I come home and take a nap, take care of my apartment, run errands, etc. until about 6pm, when I typically head over to Mayas' for dinner, or Iftar. We eat when the sun sets, which is around 7:50pm. After dinner, I hang around with them until about 1-2am. After this I come back to my apartment, do some reading and go to bed around 3am. As you can imagine, this is quite fun, but also exhausting. It is difficult having to work during the day and stay up late at night. I feel like all my friends (i.e Mayada and Mayas) are now nocturnal and I have to function during both the day and night! Everyone at Qasid is having the same issue. Homework sometimes does not get done, assignments sometimes do not get graded. It's all good though, because everyone is doing their best.
On Wednesday night, I went on a trip with my former study abroad program to Mufraq, which is about 5-10 minutes away from Syria (in a car). This is the same village I visited with Mayada as she grew up there. Doctor Raed, the former program director, was so nice to invite me when he came over for Iftar at Mayada's house. We went to his brother's house and prepared an Iftar meal for Syrian refugees who lived in the area.
The trip to Mufraq was so much fun! I was in a car with all the female professors, all my former professors. We laughed and listened to great Arabic music. On the way to Doctor Raed's brother's house, we stopped on the road to take a look at Zataari, the largest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. We were positioned from high up and looked at the camp from a distance. It was so sad to see how big it was! In the middle of the desert, with nothing else around, there is a large area of little white buildings that serve as shelter. Not only do the refugees live in such terrible conditions, but they had to flee from tremendous violence. What is wrong with humanity that there are still conflicts and wars that hurt so many innocent people?!
Upon arriving at Doctor Raed's brother's home, I saw a lovely outdoor sitting area, with a men's and women's section. I had forgotten that men and women do not socialize together in Bedouin culture. The views from this house were amazing as well! We could literally see a border city in Syria and all the colors in the desert were wonderful! When we returned from our walk around the house I met the eldest daughter of the house. She had just finished high school. We enjoyed chatting in Arabic and had a pleasant conversation.
Soon, the Iftar guests began to arrive. We greeted each woman with three kisses on the cheek, as is Jordanian custom. The women sat down and Deem, one of the females professors, asked the woman questions about how she came to Jordan, and translated for us. Many of the women fled Syria two years ago, lived in Zataari briefly, and now live in Mufraq. Money is tight as the men are either absent or have a difficult time finding work. Deem let me translate two questions and answers for the group and that was a fun and new experience. Its hard to remember exactly what someone said sometimes well enough to translate it!
As Iftar continued, I saw a woman taking photos of me from afar. I decided to walk over and start up a conversation, as I assumed she would be interested in talking to me as well. Well, I was right! I spent all night with her and two other ladies who were her relatives. We laughed, and joked and had a great time...all in Arabic. I learned that this family had lived near the Israeli border named Quneitra. This was shocking as I had seen this city while standing on the Golan Heights in Israel a year ago. I described the area as I remembered it and the ladies were so happy. Honestly, it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! It was so green and lush. The women agreed that it was like heaven and we discussed the city in much detail. However, when I was in the Golan Heights, I also witnessed some of the violence that occurred in Syria. I saw a building in Quneitra blow up before my eyes, I heard rapid fire, and saw plumes of smoke from the observation point where I was standing with my group from Gettysburg College. It made me sad that I was able to understand a tiny amount of the violence they had experienced. One of the children of the women kept covering her ears and acting up. Turns out that loud noises terrify her and being in a crowded room makes her have PTSD. This girl is in 5th grade. I said a very excited hello to her and she became upset. Her mother explained the situation and said it was okay. I apologized profusely and felt horrible.
At the end of the meal when we were about to leave, a group of students asked me "how you get information from people about Syria". I was taken back by this question. This was a dinner for our guests and it was not an opportunity for us to intensively interview them. Conversation was appropriate and things would naturally come up, by why did some students feel the need or feel like they were owed a story? Think about it, if you had not eaten all day...would you want a foreigner coming up to you with broken language skills asking you about the worst moment of your life? I think not. I felt sad that the other students all had their iPods in and were not looking out the windows. They missed quite an experience! In general, I felt as if the students missed the point of the entire experience. They were complaining about "first world problems", such as not having internet on their iPhone while driving off towards to desert to create a nice evening for some refugees. Also, the evening was not about making us happy, but rather how we could make someone else happy. That is not to say that this was not a blast, though! I just was upset by the students and their behavior during our trip.
Driving home from this Iftar, I loved gazing out the window into the desert. I have been to the Vatican and Jerusalem. I have visited churches, mosques, and synagogues...but I feel that the strongest divine presence is in the desert. I remembered meditating with Ahmed in Wadi Rum two years ago and the intense calm and peace that I felt. I feel that sometimes people complicate "religion" and try to force it. For me, all I need is the wide open nature. It is here that I can learn more about myself and connect to a higher spiritual power. God truly dwells in the desert.
 |
| A selfie with the lady who was snapping photos of me from afar |
 |
| A photo with another new friend |
 |
| A photo of the women's room |
 |
| Picture of the seating |
 |
| A beautiful view of Mufraq from Doctor Raed's brother's home. |
 |
| Desert! |
 |
| More desert! |
 |
| Another wonderful view from the house. In the distance, near the mountains is Syria. |
 |
| Simply breathtaking |
At Qasid on Wednesday, I followed my typical routine. However in my Islamic Sciences class, Sheikh Hamza mentioned that Mohammad was the only prophet to come from the line of Ismael whereas Jesus and all the other prophets in Islam came from the line of Issac as it connected to our course reading. I asked what the significance in this change of lineage was. Sheikh looks a tad uncomfortable, started to explain, and stopped saying we needed to return to the text we were working on. He told me to come see him after class if I wanted to know more about this. So I walked up to him after class, and he seemed surprised that I hung around. Four other students decided to stay for the explanation as well so we moved to an office. Sheikh Hamza began the discussion by saying that the answer to my question is not part of the coursework and our attendance in his office has no bearing on our grade in the class. Apparently Qasid makes a large point telling teachers to not discuss religion with us, just the language within the religious text. Sheikh Hamza was afraid of breaking the rule, but I told him that he was merely answering my question and he relaxed.
What I learned from the meeting was that according to Islam, Mohammad marked a new covenant from the covenant that was made to the 12 Tribes of Israel, which were descendants of Issac. The tribes were not behaving in accordance with what God wanted, so God made Mohammad a prophet and established a new covenant. Essentially, the Old Testament is the Old Covenant and the Quran is the New Covenant. This is similar to how Christians have the New Testament, or New Covenant from Jesus. Sheikh Hamza gave us a wonderful comparisons between all three Abrahamic faiths. He is truly a very well read and intelligent man, but definitely quirky. It was interesting to talk to someone who had read so many different religious texts from so many different religions. It was certainly impressive. I hope I can think of another fun question to ask before the course is over!
Tonight, I hosted an Iftar dinner for my Mayada, Mayas, Liz, Paige and some friends of Liz and Mayas. It was crazy but a lot of fun! I had been grocery shopping everyday this week getting a small amount each time. Its hard to grocery shop for a party of nine people when you have to rely on Taxis! Hosting the Iftar was stressful as well! Think about it, your guests have not eaten or drank anything all day. They are hungry! The food must be good and must be on the table ready to eat as soon as the sun sets and the Call to Prayer rings over the speakers. It was tremendously stressful! Also, I had to call Mayada an hour and a half before Iftar as I could not get my oven to work. I have no experience with a gas oven that needs to be lit. Luckily, she told me to lite a piece of paper and put it in the stove to start the gas fire. This worked and I was so relieved!
I served dates and soup to begin the meal as this is traditional. I believe Mohammad used to break his fasts with a date, so this is were the tradition stems from. I also bought some flower arrangements to serve as decorations. Also, I actually made all the food from scratch. I made the following:
1) Baked sweet potato fries- Sweet potatoes are rare to find in Jordan and are really expensive. I know that Mayada and Mayas loved eating them during their visit to the US, so I decided to make them. They had never had them baked before and were excited to try a new way to cook these potatoes.
2) Salad- Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, red onion, and crutons. I served it with French and Ranch dressings.
3) Chicken Wings with Old Bay- I marinated chicken wings with butter and sprinkled Old Bay on them. I wanted to give my friends a taste of Maryland, so I brought Old Bay with me from home. Half the crowd really enjoyed them. I chose to do Old Bay on the wings as I know it is a unique taste.
4) Chicken Breast- Olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, salt- SOOO juicy! I got breasts with the skin on them so I buttered the skin and pan fried each piece before putting it in the oven.
5) Grilled Cheese- This was requested by Mayas. However, I stepped it up and used American and Gouda cheese. This was well received.
6) Bread
7)Fruit Salad with Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce- Bananas, strawberries, grapes, clementines, red apples. This and the dressing were well received.
For dessert, I bought Ferraro Roche candies and assorted mini cakes. I also served tea and coffee using the traditional Jordanian serving tray. This made Mayada so happy as this is a symbol of hospitality in Jordan. While I served traditional tea and coffee, I made a separate pot of Peach Tea. This was immensely appreciated. I did not want to remove the traditional tea, as tea is a huge part of the culture. I am glad they liked my suggested tea type.
The party was so much fun. The adults sat inside while Mayas and her friends sat on my balcony and played with my pool-table. My apartment is a great place to entertain!At one point two of Mayas' friends asked me if there was a place where they could do their after Iftar prayer. I said absolutely and showed them into my bedroom, which is clean and quiet. I felt bad that I did not have prayer rugs to offer them, but luckily they brought their own. Typically a host has a few prayer rugs they keep to offer guests during religious holidays. I should have asked Mayada to borrow a few, but it was not an issue.
I am glad that the Iftar went well. I think Mayada was initially a tad bit worried letting a 23 year old American from a Christian background take over Iftar for a night and do it in an "American Way", frankly as she should be. People are tired and hungry and they just want to know that there will be food and that it will be good. When Mayada walked in the door and saw the flowers in my living room next to the traditional tea set and coffee set, she seemed a tad bit shocked. I took this party seriously and she really appreciated it. She told me that I really know how to take care of a house and prepare a meal. This meant a lot from such a great homemaker and cook. She also told me that she will find me a husband. I said no thank you hahaha. It's a running joke that I'm not really interested in marriage...at least not before I'm 50. Also, she was surprised that I was able to prepare so much food in only three hours and that I had it out and ready to eat on time after being at school all day and was surprised I could juggle both school and preparing a large meal.
 |
| Florist working on my flowers |
 |
| Final Arrangement- The long green flower with sticks on the top is a flower that is native to Jordan! |
 |
| Tea and Coffee set up and ready to go! |
 |
| Waiting for the Call to Prayer so we can eat! |
 |
| Still waiting... |
 |
| Waiting some more |
 |
| Tea and Cofee. The pots and comes were in my apartment from the owner. |
After dinner, Paige and I went downtown to walk around. This was my first time visiting in two years! It is funny how a piece of Habiba's Kanafa came be so tasty and bring back so many fond memories. Paige made friends with a man from the shop I bought my thobe in (a traditional Jordanian dress) two years ago. We wound up sitting there for awhile and drank some coffee with him. He taught Paige a lot about Embroidery, one of her hobbies. Typically I love sitting and chatting, but I was ansy. I really wanted to go to the souk and see a bunch of Ramadan lanterns. For some reason, i really like the lanterns. We never did find the souk. Maybe Mayada can help give me clearer directions.
 |
| Me holding a oud, or an Arab lute in a store downtown. It is a dream of mine to learn to play this instrument one day. |
Well that's all for now. I am looking forward to going to bed (It's 4am) and not having to get up at 7am tomorrow. Yay for the weekend!
Natalie
