The Dead Sea

On the 24th we, the study abroad students, all took a trip to the Dead Sea. We traveled there via bus and it took us about an hour to get there. Upon arriving we were taken to a panorama view of the sea where we were given time to take pictures and enjoy the view before beginning our "goal setting" sessions. During these sessions we discussed our expectations for our time abroad, as well as ways we could make this a better experience. In my opinion there was an overall consensus that we need to focus not so much on our expectations, but rather on being who we are in a culture we hope to be a part of. We are here not in order to replace our culture with the one we are immersed in, but to add on to our culture, as to enrich it. After our sessions we continued onward to the "Dead Sea Spa" where we had lunch before going and enjoying the sea.
Okay, so we all know one floats in the Dead Sea because it is so salty but actually going through the experience is mind blowing. It is definitely ranked on the top 10 coolest experiences I've had and if you ever get the chance to visit it, you should! I have no idea how deep I swam into the sea but it was like having an internal floaty. Now, the saltiness. IT'S SALTY! I don't think I can really explain how salty it is but I will give it a try.... after dipping my hand in the water I barely (tip of the tongue barely) touched my tongue to my finger and it tasted as though I had taken a spoonful of pure salt. I was quite amazed at the level of saltiness.
After about two hours of fun in the sun, we were back on the bus and on our way home to Amman. It was very fun day but very exhausting. I returned salty, sleepy and ready for dinner.
TIPS: If visiting the dead sea, bring water/swimming shoes. There is not a beach and walking on the rocks leading to the water huuuuurrrts. Also girls, do not shave the day before going because your legs will burn horribly. Lastly, bring that sunblock. The saltiness increases the level of burning by 1000000.
Word of the day: Sea -> Bhr

Meeting the Host Parents

For those of you who didn't know, I chose to stay with a host family instead of an apartment during my stay in Jordan. My reasons for this decision were based off of me wanting to be as immersed in the culture as I could be. I got assigned to a lovely host family of four (an 11 year old daughter and a 17 year old son whom we rarely see). Also in the household is another girl from the program with whom I share a room with. I was so tired the day they picked us up that I fell asleep in the back seat on the way home. Which was a bad idea because the way you get around the city is by landmarks which my host mom pointed out to us on the drive home. This means you can't ask for directions or tell a taxi where you're going by giving them a street name and house number. There are 7 circles around the city and you basically tell them what circle you are near and the most common landmark near the circle/your destination. Thankfully, I was later re-explained the main landmarks for getting from the University to my home stay.
Upon our arrival we were directed to our room so we could unpack and get all settled in. I would say that the house is beginning to feel a bit homey with my belonging all out of the suitcase, but not "cozy" in the literal sense. Houses in Jordan are made out of limestone in order to keep the heat out in the summer and heaters, well... who needs those?
I can't deny that I had a few expectations of what my arrival would be like and as odd as this sounds, I expected to be sat down in the living room with my host parents going through a list of do's and don'ts during my stay in Jordan (I have yet to experience this expectation). Instead, issues have been left to be addressed as they come up. For example, I was never told I needed to order my room in a certain way, but several times my host mom has came in and asked me to reorder this or that. Another example would be my curfew. During orientaion, I received a paper with my host parents information that stated that curfew was at 10:30 p.m. However, after arriving at 10:30 p.m. from a tea bar with my roommate, my host mom said we could've stayed out until 11:30 because it was a Thursday (weekends here are Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday). Had we been previously told when we double checked our curfew, we would've had another cup of tea.
Getting used to having a curfew again and having to eat for dinner what is served rather then what I chose to cook, are things that have been strange getting in the rhythm of. Having my host family walk into my room without knocking and having my host mom rearrange things in my room to her liking (because this is her house) having invaded my definition of privacy a bit. Being asked to sit in the living room when I'm working on something on my computer while others watch TV so we can spend time together (because sitting in silence is not awkward but social) are new ideas. All of these things have pulled me out of my comfort zone and even though they can be a bit frustrating at times, I get excited every time I realize it's not them trying to make me feel strange, invaded, or awkward but rather part of their Jordanian family. So this is me beginning to experience a bit of the life of someone living in a Jordanian household!
TIPS: If staying in a Jordanian household, bring house slippers, plenty of layers to sleep in, take short showers (Jordan is the 4th poorest country in terms of water so they only get a certain amount of water to use per month, per household) and don't flush your toilet paper down the toilet for that goes in the trash can. Lastly, stay positive and embrace the differences in cultural norms.
Word of the day: Family -> Asrh

Arriving in Amman

Hey everyone! It's been five days since I flew out and arrived in Amman. I flew out Saturday the 19th at 11 a.m., flew to Washington, then Austria and finally arrived in Amman 19 hours after my departure.  The trip was very long and tiring since I hardly got any sleep on the plane. Thankfully, there was a group of CIEE staff (CIEE is the program in charge of my study abroad) waiting for me at the airport and I did not have to think about how to get to the hotel. 

My first impressions of Amman as we drove through the city are as follows: It is very white -- every building is made out of limestone. Grass is nonexistent -- makes sense being it's the desert. Owning a bike is useless in Amman -- I wouldn't ride one if they paid me. The city is nothing but hills. Drivers do not follow driving rules and are big fans of their horns -- I've been told that in Jordan your biggest enemy is a Jordanian behind a wheel. Lastly, their definition of freezing is my definition of a nice day. 

Upon my arrival at the hotel I received an entire Itinerary for orientation (ends tomorrow with a trip to the Dead Sea!). Orientation has been great but very packed and tiring. So busy with information sessions and tours that I just now got to write my first blog post. Despite the tiring amount of information orientation has provided me with, it's been great because I have met lots of new people and I have learned how to get around the city with my poor Arabic. Back at the CIEE office today, we had our big placement test that will determine if we can take the level of Arabic classes we signed up for. It was quite stressful but hopefully I knew just enough to place into the class I need. I will find out on Sunday, when classes begin and will keep you posted. 

I began to miss everyone as soon as I boarded the plane but I've done pretty well with my new environment so far. Seeing new things, eating new food and meeting new people has always been a fun experience for me. However, getting all settled into my new home and adapted to the new culture will be a process that will continue for a few more weeks. I have tried my best to stay positive about the very obvious cultural differences and I appreciate everyone's support back home. I know the time will come when I really start missing home but I am excited to see how this experience will help me grow as a person and as an Arabic speaker. 

A few tips for anyone planning a trip to Jordan: Come with an open mind; life here is structured differently. It's not about being an independent individual with privacy. Privacy in Jordan is non-existent (I will elaborate a little more on this in my next post). People tend to be a little more passive aggressive here. The don't TELL you how they feel, they SHOW you through body language so be attentive and pay attention to people's reactions. Make sure the cab driver sets the meter when you get in so he doesn't try to over charge you when you arrive at your destination. If you are a female, only sit in the backseat and if you are a male always sit in the front unless there's more than one of you. Do not use the wifi at a cafe unless you buy coffee. If you are a girl, cover-up and ignore all guys (sorry about that! Just the smartest move). And don't forget, your worst enemy is a Jordanian behind the wheel so look both ways. Especially on a one-way street!

Arabic word of the day: Hookah -> Hubblybubbly.