Today was mostly spent looking like stupid American tourists as our group of 60 study abroad students rode in two giant tour buses to many of the museums and historical sites of Amman. We started our day at Amman’s Children Museum, and had some time to play with the exhibits about body parts, levers & pullies and sound waves. Having a chance to play and sound out small Arabic words was certainly a highlight of the day. After lunch we saw a museum of King Hussein’s cars. Perhaps the most interesting cultural visit was when our group toured the mosque that was built for the royal family. (Jordanians love the royal family and are very proud that the monarchs spend time praying among the people). In order to enter the main prayer room, all the women of group were required to take off their shoes and wear black robes and head covers. It was quite a sight! We walked around the mosque in groups segregated by gender, with the women following the men. Then we toured the roman-era ruins, taking pictures of the temple of Hercules, the Roman Amphitheater and a sixth-century Byzantine Church. There is an accompanying archeological museum that, although small, houses a vast span of historical artifacts ranging from preolithic sculptures, Islamic chain mail and an exhibit of three dead sea scrolls.
Jordan’s limited water resources has become not just something I read about in textbook on globalization but a daily reality. I have to buy most of my drinking water. Bathroom etiquette was also surprising to me. Toilet paper is put in a wastebasket next to the toilet as the piping can only flush water. Walking in the bathroom without sandals is a major faux pas as bathroom floor germs gross Jordanians out.
My roommate here at the hotel is indispensable and friendly; she speaks the Jordanian Arabic dialect. Hanging out with Summer assures me I will not get ripped off buying a cell phone. Summer is Muslim and has extensive family in Jordan although she grew up near Chicago. She is majoring in math and studying for MCATS. She wants to become a clinical or hospital pediatrician in an urban or low-income area. I admire her ambition to become a doctor and am thankful for her travel tips (wear sunscreen, take naps, carry large bills in your front pocket not your purse).
I love: hearing the muslim call to prayer during the day; the other friendly American students; the smell of hookah wafting from restaurants; the spiced tiny cups of Arab coffee; and Amman’s graceful hills covered with white limestone buildings as far as the eye can see. I look forward to: interacting in a culture that American media portrays as strange and “other,” actually being able to communicate in Arabic (inshallah, god willing) and visiting the University of Jordan tomorrow!