Reflections

After being in Jordan for over a month I can no longer remember what I thought the Middle East was going to be like before I came over. It's like looking into a box- after you've seen what's in it you can't picture it hiding something else because you know what's really inside.

I guess I thought that there would be more sand, but other than the area around the airport when I arrived I haven't seen any sand at all. It's much greener than you'd think here, and there is a surprising amount of trees (more than downtown Erie). On my morning commute to school from the capital city to rural Madaba I see many sheep and goats, wild dogs and cats, and the occasional camel grazing in the fields.

I've gotten used to hearing the call to prayer, which is played over loudspeakers at every single mosque five times a day. The whole city is pretty loud, and there is a racetrack immediately adjacent to my house so the call to prayer just sort of blends in with the rest of the noise. And once in a while I will go into a store and be completely ignored (the workers having set down their rugs and become immersed in prayer) so I will wait to pay for my milk and eggs until they have finished. This is about the extent of my inconvenience with Muslims- the way the news goes on about it at home you'd think they would be chasing me down the street with pitchforks, but no.

Another misconception I had about Jordan was that I believed once I had lived here for awhile I would learn to appreciate Arabic music and dancing. Its still hard for me to appreciate the music, because I don't understand much of what they are saying and it all sounds like wailing to me. However, the dancing is really fun! One of my favorite things about this country is how everyone, especially the men, are always ready to dance and have a good time.

Additionally, I thought that eating on the floor was just another cooked-up, outdated thing Americans believed about Middle Easterners- however, this one turned out to be true. I have eaten on the floor on a number of occasions and it was fantastic, though for how good the food is over here I would eat it in a bathtub. But, I don't think I'll ever get used to eating rice with my hands- I suppose its easier than chopsticks, but the mess is just unbelievable.

What I learned: Expect the unexpected whenever you go abroad. But in Jordan, set your watch by it.

AFTER FOUR MONTHS IN JORDAN...

Overall, I know that my most significant moments here came not from learning about the things that were different from America, but from experiencing the innumerable things which were the same. Here are some random examples to give you an idea of what I mean:

• Studying at Starbucks
• Arab Idol on TV
• Watching UFC fights (called Desert Storm here) at Buffalo Wild Wings
• Girls at the club in tiny miniskirts and huge high heels
• Going to Victoria Secret Semi-Annual sale with my girlfriends
• Annoying hit music radio stations that only play the same Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars songs on repeat

I will REALLY miss...

• Paying five dollars a month for my phone bill
• Having ridiculously inexpensive and convenient medical care
• Being expected to take naps and sleep in
• Three day weekends every weekend
• Going wild on Thursday nights
• Friends and strangers who will do anything to help you out
• Having tea in the garden with my awesome Scottish host family
• Never worrying about being late
• No copyright laws- all DVDs are 50 cents
• Being noticed for my eye color
• Guys who love to dance
• Turkish coffee
• THE FOOD
• Weekends at the Dead Sea
• Guys always acting chivalrous to girls
• Awesome hotel pool parties
• Long conversations with new people
• Being surrounded by a new language and learning more of it every day
• The relaxed, easygoing culture of Jordan

But I am happy to go back to...

• No smoking areas
• Normal driving
• American coffee, real maple syrup and PORK! (I’m eating nothing but ham-wrapped bacon when I return)
• My family and friends :)