I think that this latest experience sums up a lot of my food service sector interactions here in Jordan. I walked into the coffee shop in dire need of a cup of American coffee pre-workout. After walking up to the open counter, past two employees staring intently at the slushee machine, past one employee just sitting around, I finally caught the attention of the other employee behind the counter and proceeded to order (in Arabic). I asked for a small American coffee and a cookie, since I had just spotted the plate of chocolate chip cookies arranged in the name of the establishment. The nice man behind the counter simply stared at me and smiled good naturedly. Wondering if he had been caught unawares by the foreigner speaking Arabic, I repeated my order. He finally motioned for me to wait a moment and looked toward the two guys staring at the slushee machine. One of them finally came over and I repeated my order a third time. After distinctly looking at the cookies that I had motioned to, he said, "there are none." Since he said this very genuinely and without a hint of arrogance or malice, I didn't argue and ordered a mini-muffin instead. He initially said that there wasn't any coffee either, but alhamdulillah it finished brewing in time. The original gentleman had a genuine grin on his face as he proudly presented me with the large tray containing my small order.
Despite the time it took and me being denied the cookie sitting right in front of me (I assume because it would have messed up the design), I am not the least bit frustrated by this experience. Cultural assimilation, anyone? Here, there is not the automatic assumption that the customer must be served as quickly and efficiently as possible, at least not to the degree that there is in America. All of the employees were perfectly affable; they made preserving the cookie design seem perfectly legitimate. For my part, I knew that I would get my stuff eventually, having learned long ago that being in a rush doesn't work all that well here.
Just thought I'd share this little story. Back in September, I'm sure that I'd have found it incredibly frustrating, but not now. In this respect, Jordan has taught me to just relax and patient. All for now. Yalla bye.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Cyprus
Today is Wednesday; this time a week ago I was taking a nap in the hotel room in Larnaca, Cyprus. For spring break, four of my friends and I decided to spend six days exploring the aforementioned Mediterranean island. From our homebase in Larnaca, we took day trips to the cities of Limassol, Paphos, and Nikosia/Lefkosia, wandering around the cities and focusing on historical sites (pictures forthcoming, insha'Allah). The trip:
- We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment a five minute walk from the beach. The weather was gorgeous the entire time, mid- to upper-seventies with a warm sea breeze. Daily activities included walks on the beach and lounging on our balcony, which overlooked a busy square housing cafes, a bakery, and a few random shops.
- Speaking of the beach, we devoted one afternoon (having spent the morning at church) solely to taking naps in the sunshine, swimming, and gazing off across the Mediterranean to the Levant region on the other side. Having just spent almost seven months in a relatively conservative Muslim country, being able to lie around in (modest, one-piece) swimsuits felt incredibly liberating......until we realized that we were surrounded by Middle Eastern Arabs, including men staring at us and veiled women openly giving us disapproving looks. It was also kind of a weird feeling because to that point we had been using Arabic as our private language (since so many people speak English in Cyprus); hearing other people speak Arabic again was interesting. Nevertheless, our day at the beach was pretty idyllic, I must say.
- Pork is a staple meat in Cyprus. This is significant because although it is possible to find pork in Jordan, the stuff is prohibitively expensive and pretty rare. We took full advantage of the culinary abundance, from sausage pizza to pork kebabs to bacon. Yum.
- We spent one day venturing to the castle of St. Hilarion in the Turkish north ( http://www.cyprus44.com/kyrenia/st-hilarion-castle.asp ). The castle sits high atop a mountain overlooking the flat sea plain, coastal towns, and then the ocean. We were high enough up that at one point, light clouds came up the mountain from the coast, wrapping the castle in an almost surreal, fairy tale mist. Speaking of fairy tales, some believe that the castle in the Disney film Snow White is based on this one; I could believe it (some contest that the Disney inspiration is in Germany- in reality, who knows). St. Hilarion's castle is absolutely breathtaking, to say the least.
- To get to the castle, however, we had to go through a rather mountainous area used as a military training base. As a result, taking pictures (in the military portion) was forbidden and we saw a number of armed guards. In a larger sense, to get there we had to cross from the Greek Cypriot south into the Turkish Cypriot north, divided by a UN monitored ceasefire line (in which, alas, we were also not allowed to take pictures). The border is pretty heavily monitored, with very monitored areas not totally cleared of landmines. Very brief history lesson taken from cyprus44.com:
"When Turkey sided with Germany in World War I, it ended the war a defeated nation, and Cyprus became a British Crown colony in 1925. After World War II, the movement by Greek Cypriots for union with Greece gained momentum, with rioting and violence aimed at the British rulers. In 1957, the UN adopted a resolution to establish and independent Cyprus, and this was ratified in 1960 by the Treaty of Zurich. The Treaty, signed by Britain, Greece and Turkey, also protected the rights of Turkish Cypriots. Unfortunately the treaty did not last, and civil war broke out in 1963. The UN sent in troops and established the Green Line to try and keep the peace. Matters came to a head in 1974 when the Greek National Guard launched a coup against then President Makarios, to promote unity with Greece (known as Enosis). Turkey promptly intervened to protect the interests of Turkish Cypriots, as the terms of the Treaty of Zurich permitted."
Although it declared independence in 1983, the Turkish north has not received international recognition; the Republic of Cyprus (i.e. south Cyprus) is recognized and joined the EU in 2004. In 2003, after heavy dialogue, border crossings were opened and now it is fairly easy to cross.
So there are some tidbits from what was an absolutely phenomenal trip filled with Crusader castles, Greco-Roman temples & theaters, beaches & palm trees, good food, and quality time spent with amazing friends. Now I am back in the Hashemite kingdom. On the plus side, I semi-speak the local language and there are falafel sandwiches for 35 cents; on the down side, it's dusty and I am far from idyllic beaches. Such is life. Yalla bye :)
- We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment a five minute walk from the beach. The weather was gorgeous the entire time, mid- to upper-seventies with a warm sea breeze. Daily activities included walks on the beach and lounging on our balcony, which overlooked a busy square housing cafes, a bakery, and a few random shops.
- Speaking of the beach, we devoted one afternoon (having spent the morning at church) solely to taking naps in the sunshine, swimming, and gazing off across the Mediterranean to the Levant region on the other side. Having just spent almost seven months in a relatively conservative Muslim country, being able to lie around in (modest, one-piece) swimsuits felt incredibly liberating......until we realized that we were surrounded by Middle Eastern Arabs, including men staring at us and veiled women openly giving us disapproving looks. It was also kind of a weird feeling because to that point we had been using Arabic as our private language (since so many people speak English in Cyprus); hearing other people speak Arabic again was interesting. Nevertheless, our day at the beach was pretty idyllic, I must say.
- Pork is a staple meat in Cyprus. This is significant because although it is possible to find pork in Jordan, the stuff is prohibitively expensive and pretty rare. We took full advantage of the culinary abundance, from sausage pizza to pork kebabs to bacon. Yum.
- We spent one day venturing to the castle of St. Hilarion in the Turkish north ( http://www.cyprus44.com/kyrenia/st-hilarion-castle.asp ). The castle sits high atop a mountain overlooking the flat sea plain, coastal towns, and then the ocean. We were high enough up that at one point, light clouds came up the mountain from the coast, wrapping the castle in an almost surreal, fairy tale mist. Speaking of fairy tales, some believe that the castle in the Disney film Snow White is based on this one; I could believe it (some contest that the Disney inspiration is in Germany- in reality, who knows). St. Hilarion's castle is absolutely breathtaking, to say the least.
- To get to the castle, however, we had to go through a rather mountainous area used as a military training base. As a result, taking pictures (in the military portion) was forbidden and we saw a number of armed guards. In a larger sense, to get there we had to cross from the Greek Cypriot south into the Turkish Cypriot north, divided by a UN monitored ceasefire line (in which, alas, we were also not allowed to take pictures). The border is pretty heavily monitored, with very monitored areas not totally cleared of landmines. Very brief history lesson taken from cyprus44.com:
"When Turkey sided with Germany in World War I, it ended the war a defeated nation, and Cyprus became a British Crown colony in 1925. After World War II, the movement by Greek Cypriots for union with Greece gained momentum, with rioting and violence aimed at the British rulers. In 1957, the UN adopted a resolution to establish and independent Cyprus, and this was ratified in 1960 by the Treaty of Zurich. The Treaty, signed by Britain, Greece and Turkey, also protected the rights of Turkish Cypriots. Unfortunately the treaty did not last, and civil war broke out in 1963. The UN sent in troops and established the Green Line to try and keep the peace. Matters came to a head in 1974 when the Greek National Guard launched a coup against then President Makarios, to promote unity with Greece (known as Enosis). Turkey promptly intervened to protect the interests of Turkish Cypriots, as the terms of the Treaty of Zurich permitted."
Although it declared independence in 1983, the Turkish north has not received international recognition; the Republic of Cyprus (i.e. south Cyprus) is recognized and joined the EU in 2004. In 2003, after heavy dialogue, border crossings were opened and now it is fairly easy to cross.
So there are some tidbits from what was an absolutely phenomenal trip filled with Crusader castles, Greco-Roman temples & theaters, beaches & palm trees, good food, and quality time spent with amazing friends. Now I am back in the Hashemite kingdom. On the plus side, I semi-speak the local language and there are falafel sandwiches for 35 cents; on the down side, it's dusty and I am far from idyllic beaches. Such is life. Yalla bye :)
Monday, March 17, 2008
post #2
Two posts in a day! This is what happens when my afternoon lecture gets cancelled.
I've been thinking a lot recently about the concept of an individualist versus a collectivist culture. Simply put, America is much more individualist- achievements are personal, "me/alone time" is a legitimate need, and independence is generally desireable. In general, Jordanian culture is much more collectivist- the family is central, needing "alone time" must mean that something is wrong, and being part of the group is more desireable than venturing out alone. I think that I touched on this a while ago, but I am seeing increasingly how this culture is changing me. When I came to Jordan, I believed that sure, my individualist mentality was a partially a product of my culture, but that it was somehow just part of my innate personality as well. This idea was not really challenged during the fall semester since I was in an apartment, more or less living like I would in a big dorm back in the States. Moving in with a family this semester was a difficult adjustment. Not only did I miss the freedom and independence of apartment life, I resented the familial obligations and expectations (for a while I felt guilty about ever being alone in my bedroom unless I was actually sleeping). The daily mental to-do list actually included "spend time in the presence of host family."
I am happy to say that this is no longer the case. Over the past couple of months, I have become increasingly collectivist while attempting to fit into this culture. I willingly do my homework at the kitchen table (even though my room is quite pleasant now, temperature-wise) because it feels better to be around people. I look forward to those rare times when I get home early enough such that I can eat a late lunch together with my host sisters. My school friends and I joke about group co-dependency, but seriously, it's rare that we go places alone anymore (taking a taxi home alone yesterday felt downright strange). Why go book-hunting in Jabal Amman alone when you could wait for your friend's class to get out and then go together?
I wouldn't say that this change is a good or a bad thing in general. In this culture, it is positive. When I get back to America, my personality will probably just readjust and I'll regain at least some of the individualist tendencies that have been dulled here in Jordan. I find these changes interesting because it suggests that even parts of my personality that I thought were pretty innate are in fact relatively environmentally influenced.
That's all for now; I'll try to get at least one more post in in March. Yalla bye!
I've been thinking a lot recently about the concept of an individualist versus a collectivist culture. Simply put, America is much more individualist- achievements are personal, "me/alone time" is a legitimate need, and independence is generally desireable. In general, Jordanian culture is much more collectivist- the family is central, needing "alone time" must mean that something is wrong, and being part of the group is more desireable than venturing out alone. I think that I touched on this a while ago, but I am seeing increasingly how this culture is changing me. When I came to Jordan, I believed that sure, my individualist mentality was a partially a product of my culture, but that it was somehow just part of my innate personality as well. This idea was not really challenged during the fall semester since I was in an apartment, more or less living like I would in a big dorm back in the States. Moving in with a family this semester was a difficult adjustment. Not only did I miss the freedom and independence of apartment life, I resented the familial obligations and expectations (for a while I felt guilty about ever being alone in my bedroom unless I was actually sleeping). The daily mental to-do list actually included "spend time in the presence of host family."
I am happy to say that this is no longer the case. Over the past couple of months, I have become increasingly collectivist while attempting to fit into this culture. I willingly do my homework at the kitchen table (even though my room is quite pleasant now, temperature-wise) because it feels better to be around people. I look forward to those rare times when I get home early enough such that I can eat a late lunch together with my host sisters. My school friends and I joke about group co-dependency, but seriously, it's rare that we go places alone anymore (taking a taxi home alone yesterday felt downright strange). Why go book-hunting in Jabal Amman alone when you could wait for your friend's class to get out and then go together?
I wouldn't say that this change is a good or a bad thing in general. In this culture, it is positive. When I get back to America, my personality will probably just readjust and I'll regain at least some of the individualist tendencies that have been dulled here in Jordan. I find these changes interesting because it suggests that even parts of my personality that I thought were pretty innate are in fact relatively environmentally influenced.
That's all for now; I'll try to get at least one more post in in March. Yalla bye!
host family, Heba
This posting once a month thing is not how I envisioned the blog, but oh well. I'll try to be better about it.
First, a general update. The host family situation just keeps getting better and better. I help my sisters with their English homework; they make fun of me for chatting with Ruba (host cousin, friend in the program) when we should be studying. I watch the news with my host parents and Star Academy (think Big Brother + American Idol) with my sisters. My host mom makes fun of me for going to bed so early (i.e. before 10pm), but also makes me sandwiches and cucumbers for breakfast. I am progressively finding it easier to contribute to family discussions, a result both of feeling more comfortable and of speaking colloquial better. It occurred to me a few days ago that I will genuinely miss my host family when I leave in a couple months.
In terms of school, probably the most significant aspect of this semester is my language tutor (we'll call her Heba). Heba is in her final year as an Arabic language major; as a result, her colloquial is as close to Modern Standard Arabic as I have ever heard, making it much easier for me to understand. Heba and I meet about three times a week; sometimes we focus on grammar, sometimes on colloquial conversation, sometimes on my homework (if I'm feeling lazy). We can spend an intense hour going over a text for Modern Standard Arabic and I'm prepared for the next three class periods. At the end of each hour with Heba, my brain is fried from concentrating so hard, but it is so beneficial. My friends say sarcastically, "oh, how thrilling!" when I report that Heba and I spent a week on hamzas (a fine point of grammar), but working with her makes me feel like I'm really making progress in Arabic. Moreover, she is considering studying further to become a teacher; tutoring me is useful for her too since Arabic grammar is almost as hard to teach as it is to learn. For example, I emphasized that American students usually learn Arabic grammar in English; therefore, we may already know the concept but still completely miss the explanation in Arabic for lack of terminology. So, I guess this is my little tribute to my language tutor. Although I am, at times, bored in MSA class, I feel like tutoring hours are absolutely never wasted on account of my amazing language tutor, Heba.
PS- for anyone reading this who's tried to contact me via Facebook, it's been getting harder to get on the website since the university blocked it entirely and I rarely ever go to internet cafes. I will try to find one soon though!
First, a general update. The host family situation just keeps getting better and better. I help my sisters with their English homework; they make fun of me for chatting with Ruba (host cousin, friend in the program) when we should be studying. I watch the news with my host parents and Star Academy (think Big Brother + American Idol) with my sisters. My host mom makes fun of me for going to bed so early (i.e. before 10pm), but also makes me sandwiches and cucumbers for breakfast. I am progressively finding it easier to contribute to family discussions, a result both of feeling more comfortable and of speaking colloquial better. It occurred to me a few days ago that I will genuinely miss my host family when I leave in a couple months.
In terms of school, probably the most significant aspect of this semester is my language tutor (we'll call her Heba). Heba is in her final year as an Arabic language major; as a result, her colloquial is as close to Modern Standard Arabic as I have ever heard, making it much easier for me to understand. Heba and I meet about three times a week; sometimes we focus on grammar, sometimes on colloquial conversation, sometimes on my homework (if I'm feeling lazy). We can spend an intense hour going over a text for Modern Standard Arabic and I'm prepared for the next three class periods. At the end of each hour with Heba, my brain is fried from concentrating so hard, but it is so beneficial. My friends say sarcastically, "oh, how thrilling!" when I report that Heba and I spent a week on hamzas (a fine point of grammar), but working with her makes me feel like I'm really making progress in Arabic. Moreover, she is considering studying further to become a teacher; tutoring me is useful for her too since Arabic grammar is almost as hard to teach as it is to learn. For example, I emphasized that American students usually learn Arabic grammar in English; therefore, we may already know the concept but still completely miss the explanation in Arabic for lack of terminology. So, I guess this is my little tribute to my language tutor. Although I am, at times, bored in MSA class, I feel like tutoring hours are absolutely never wasted on account of my amazing language tutor, Heba.
PS- for anyone reading this who's tried to contact me via Facebook, it's been getting harder to get on the website since the university blocked it entirely and I rarely ever go to internet cafes. I will try to find one soon though!
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