Time to Recharge

Last weekend four friends from the program and I decided to take a trip to Aqaba. Aqaba is a town on the edge of the red sea approximately 4 hours from Amman. It has been pretty cold in Amman so going to Aqaba was a great way to escape the cold weather since it’s warmer there.  Our bus left at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning and we arrived around noon. We stayed in a Hostel called “Bedouin Garden Village” right outside Aqaba and across the street from the beach. I have nothing but great things to say about this place. It was clean, quite cheap, the workers were very welcoming, a great breakfast was included and it is a really adorable place.

Upon our arrival we decided to eat lunch and checkout the beach. Katie, a friend from the program and I, decided to scuba dive since the Bedouin had a really good deal while the other girls soaked in the sun at the beach. That night we decided to go to town for dinner and simply to walk around in the nice weather. We ate at a traditional Jordanian restaurant and headed out for our tour of the town. We made some great purchases and enjoyed some ice cream before heading back to the hostel. The next day we pretty much just bummed on the beach and attempted to get some reading done for class. We were not very successful with our reading but it was great to just relax and enjoy our time away from the craziness in Amman. That night we headed back at 6:00 p.m. and arrived back in Amman around 10:00.

It was a great and much need break for me. I have been here a month now and it has been a rather challenging one. Between getting used to the cultural differences, working on the language barrier and keeping up with class, I have been beyond exhausted. Even though I got a tad bit behind on homework, our trip to Aqaba helped recharge me.

TIP: If going to Aqaba, stay at the “Bedouin Garden Village” I highly recommend it!

Word of the Day: madeenah --> City.

P.S. I miss you all! 

Wadi Rum & Petra

On the 8th of this month we left for Wadi Rum. For  those of you who do not know, Wadi Rum is essentially the middle of the desert in Jordan. Aside from learning Arabic, my purpose in Jordan was basically served in my going to Wadi Rum. It will probably be tough to top this experience in Jordan. While there, we rode 4x4s in the desert, had tea with bedouins, rode on camels and slept at a bedouin village.
Riding in the back of 4x4s in the desert was quite thrilling. Throughout the ride we had a few stopping points where we got to climb some sand dunes and take pictures. At the end of the Jeep excursion we were escorted to a bedouin tent for tea before mounting our waiting camels. The camel ride was an absolutely great experience. It was not as smooth as a horseback ride nor nearly as comfortable, however, it was pleasant and enjoyable. After about an hour of riding camels we stopped at a mountain top for more tea and to watch the sunset. Once the sun had set, we walked a while to the bedouin village where we would be having dinner and spending the night. Staying in bedouins was probably the most fun I've had since arriving in Jordan. For those of you who know me well, you know that I love dancing and I am not picky about it either. After dinner we gathered around a couple of guys playing traditional Arabic music. We were then taught some Dubke (traditional dancing) steps. At this point we all lost track of time and we danced until we were too tired to stand. Staying in the Bedouin village in the middle of the desert was very surreal. Despite the fact that I dreaded getting behind on sleep and homework that weekend, I had a blast.
The next day we left for Petra, an ancient city, and my time there made up for my lack of exercise (I joined a gym called Aspire in Amman). We walked a total of seven miles that day and a big chunk meant hiking up to the monastery Right after snapping a picture of the place where Indiana Jones found the treasure. For those of you who are wondering, I found no treasure myself but I did get a marriage proposal. As tempting as it was to accept, I had to decline. At some point during the walking I hurt my left knee so now I'm having to take it easy and I have difficulty going up steps but "Insha-allah" it will heel up soon.
We came back to Amman that same day and it was back to homework, dealing with taxis and eating pita with hummus.
TIPS: If going to Wadi Rum, take a scarf or something to cover your head with since it gets pretty hot. It is after all, a desert. If staying at a bedouin village in Wadi Rum, take plenty of layers for it gets quite cold at night. If going to Petra, expect to walk a lot so take comfortable shoes or you will get horrible blisters.
Word of the Day: Insha-alla -> God willing

Classes

Classes in Jordan started on Monday and my schedule here consists of two Arabic classes,  standard and colloquial, and two English classes, Middle East: Alternative Perspectives and Islam in the modern context. Classes have just started and I'm already having to drink coffee in order to make it through my assignments. Should be a great semester. As previously mentioned, buildings here are made out of limestone so classrooms are nice and cold during lecture. Thankfully, there are coffee vendors along the way where I can stop and buy a cup for lecture. If I'm going to be honest, I have to say I'm beginning to feel a tad bit overwhelmed with the language learning process. I have undergone this experience before with German but the knowledge that it eventually gets better, does not diminish my frustration at the moment. One of the CIEE staff members sent us an Arabic quote that translates into "patience is the key to knowledge", something I shall remind myself of constantly in the next few weeks. 

My classes begin at either 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. depending on the day. My mode of transportation here is a Taxi which has provided me with an interesting experience. I have learned the different routes home from school and at times I've had to re-route taxis so they don't end up taking me around town, in order to charge me three times what they should. Besides the start of classes not a whole lot has happened. Arabic is still hard, the call to prayer still happens five times a day and the weather is still colder than it should be. 

If there is anything specific you would like for me to blog about (Jordan related), feel free to ask! 

TIPS: If visiting Jordan in the spring, bundle up and bring waterproof shoes. It gets cold and it rains a lot. I know it's in the desert, but it gets very cold at night nonetheless. Also, don't be scared to re-route taxis. Some taxi drivers are very nice and get you to your destination via the fastest route but others just want your money.  

Word of the day: mhm -> Important