The Baqa’a Times

I’ve been so bad about blogging lately.. its actually unreal. Have I mentioned yet that I started a student blog for the Orphan Welfare Association in Baqaa? Anyway, check it out (I’ve been decent about blogging on that platform)… http://thebaqaatimes.wordpress.com/

 

The Baqa’a Times is our OWA student blog. It has students’ writings (English and Arabic) and photos. The idea is to empower the students – giving them a platform to present their work, their Association, and their community. I also occasionally contribute stories about our activities. For example, the most recent post on “Rap and Graffiti” … our latest Friday program :)

If you get a chance, peruse the site. The OWA (and Baqa’a in general) remains to be my favorite place in Jordan.. and a big piece of my heart.

I feel like a proud mom when I think about it (I hate that I even just wrote that, gosh I’m old)… but really I can’t help but think: look, look, see powerfully Selselbeel wrote about her family? Look, look see what insights Hashem captured with his photos? Look, look can you believe little Ban memorized poetry about Palestine? Look, look how big are they smiling?

Brewing for Peace

“An unusual occupation in an occupied land”

My roommate Nadine has done it again. Check out her mini-documentary below, “Brewing for Peace.” It is the story of a small, Christian village in the West Bank and its famous beer brewery that puts a different face on Palestinian resistance.

Brewing for Peace from Nadine Ajaka on Vimeo.

 

“Brewing for Peace” gives voice to a beautiful story, a story that we (read: Americans) can relate to and understand. Its a layered story: its about a family – its about the first beer brewery in the Middle East – its about the last exclusively Christian village in Palestine – and its about peaceful resistance to occupation.

I think its an important story to tell, for a lot of reasons. To start, Palestine is something pretty unrelatable to most Americans. Its a charged word, a political word, that invites fierce opinions and debate. Palestinians are people who are different from us – Arab, Muslim, conservative, you name it. Even if we don’t hold outright stereotypes, Palestine still feels like a very different place – literally and culturally.

This story turns that upside down.. because its about Palestinian Christians doing what we love best – drinking good beer. It seems like a silly thing, but it actually means a lot. “I can imagine sitting having a beer with him” really does lead to a feeling of connection – feeling of shared culture or similar daily lives.

 

Its also an important story because it gives a new face to Palestinian resistance. Peaceful resistance never seems to get enough coverage in the media, which tires out the audience with stories of political standstills, hate, and violence. Yet there is a strong non-violent resistance movement in Palestine, and the Khoury family looks at their beer brewery as a contribution to it. In their microcosm, one sees the detrimental effects of the occupation on normal people, trying to live normal lives and run a normal business. As Medees says, “We just want to live like everyone else.”

 

I hope the Khoury family is right… and that someday soon we will “Cheers” to peace with Taybeh beer.

 

 

PS. This is also a “MUST SEE” place to visit while in the region and hosts an amazing Oktoberfest. Highly recommended.

 

 

Zay ma da’man byhky ……………. Hard Work pays off.

Well.. I went to my first fight. It was MMA (mixed martial arts, for the newbies in the crowd).. and it was in Jordan.

Really, who would have thought?

If I could capture the diverse ways of life present in one image,

it would be something like this:

The young but HUGE fighter knocks his opponent out after exchanging blows that left his nose bleeding. The crowd goes wild and loud American rap music plays in the background. The camera pans out and lingers on the fighters’ mother… who is a small women wearing a hijab, jumping up and down, cheering with a big smile.

It was actually beautiful. and even us Fulbrighters, who consider ourselves aware of Jordan’s diversity and open to learning new things.. couldn’t help laughing in surprise. We joked forever about how this could be next years’ research project.. the MMA community in Jordan.

Here’s a quick look to get a sense of the atmosphere:

Apparently MMA fighting is a becoming a “thing” in Jordan.. and around the Middle East. There were fighters from Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Egypt, and Lebanon present in this tournament. The main event was Biff’s friend, Haidar (Jordanian) … who was the last match and won after a close three rounds! The tournament was hosted by one of the princesses (still unclear exactly who, though she was at the event!) and her husband, who used to fight and now is an announcer and organizer.

Prior to coming, I thought 1) we would be the only women there and 2) that I wouldn’t like it.. because the idea of “fights” in general didn’t really appeal to me.

Turns out I was wrong on both counts!

1) There were women — young, old — wearing a hijab, uncovered — Arab, foreign — everywhere. I could not tell you how many, but it was not a visible minority… more than I feel attend in the States. (Though again, this is probably due to my ingrained stereotype that fights are a “guys” thing…and I // women in general don’t like fights).

2) Anyway, that stereotype also blew out the window as me and my girl friends watched the fights.. the most common line of the nice was: “I am shocked by how much I like this…”  Learn something new every day!

Anyway, one last quote to end on…

The talks between the fights (announcer and fighter) was largely in Arabic… but, as many Jordanians/Arabs do, something people threw in English words. Our favorite line was from one of the Jordanian fighters…

“Zay ma da’man byhky… HARD WORK PAYS OFF”

(As they always say…. HARD WORK PAYS OFF)

High Fives for Fulbright

I have loads of blog posts in my head that I want to write… but between a busy schedule and the internet being a diva, blogging has just not been in the cards for me lately. BUT there was such a great moment today that I really want to share.

 

I was at my Literacy class (for Jesuit Refugee Services) where I teach with Maya, Kaitlin, and Teresa. Our students are amazing – all refugees, men and women, from Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.

In fact, we only have 4.5 students from Syria.

First is an lady named Adeela, habibet albi, who is simply a character that lights up the class. Then there is a family — a mother, father, teenage son, and a 2 year old daughter (she’s the .5!)

“Our Syrian family,”  as we lovingly refer to them, treat us like their other daughters. In fact for my birthday, they got me pajamas! The amazing thing is not only that these pjs are the most family-style gift possible (check the pattern below) but also that the pjs fit me PERFECTLY… the family guessed my size to a t… mish ma3ul.

Anyway, during a break in class Maya and I were talking to the father of our Syrian family. I made a joke about not understanding all the Jordanian flags decorating our room ( a new addition, presumably put up recently because of some holiday we were unaware of ) because he is Syrian and we are American; we’re all new here.

Laughing, he held out his hand to us — 7ala einda intifaqia bain suria g amrika // now we have a pact between Syria and America.

Of course, we loved it, shaking his hand: inshallah 3la tool // and hopefully forever. Kaitlin walked in minutes later, without hearing any of the prior conversation, and was greeted with the same handshake — enti ma3na? // do you agree? — to which she replied affirmatively without a thought.

 

After, Kaitlin asked us… “So, what did I agree to? Dinner?”

To which Maya replied,

“No no, just a general agreement between America and Syria.”

 

As we dissolved into giggles, our group exchanged high fives. Fulbright Mission accomplished?

“My name is Ahmad *clap*… My name is Ahmad *clap*…”

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) is an organization that (duh) works with Jesuits – but they are particularly unique of the humanitarian orgs here in that they have tapped into the Sudanese and Somali asylee community here in Amman (NOTE an Asylee or Asylum Seeker – is same as a refugee – fled his/her country and cannot return based on fear of  persecution —- BUT an asylee is granted this “status” when outside his country of origin, while a refugee is granted “status” while inside his country.)

In Jordan, Sudanese/Somali refugees are a tiny community – around 700 people. This pales in comparison to the 1.6 million Palestinian refugees, 200,000 Syrian refugees, and 30,000+ Iraqi refugees…. So they slip under the radar.

Yet JRS has come to serve this community as well – and offers night English classes tailored around the community’s needs. Although the night classes are open to all refugees/asylees, the majority are originally from Africa.

So I am teaching the Basic Literacy Class with my friend Maya. Our class is starting from scratch – A, B, C’s – and has about 25 students, all adult learners, majority men with a handful of women (and some cute babies).

And really, I LOVE IT. I could write a long rambling blog about it all… but instead, I’ll give some highlights in my favorite form… “Highs, Lows, and Weirdos:”

High: Maya and I currently conduct the whole class – by necessity – in Arabic aside from the actual English activities. That was daunting at first, but now feels “3adi” (normal!). The BEST moment of class so far – and possibly my life – was during the 1^st class. We were talking about “why it is important to study English” and as we wrapped up the conversation, I summed up the students’ comments && added my own thoughts on the importance of learning a new language… all in Arabic. I didn’t even realize it in the moment – but it was EASILY the most I’ve ever spoken in Arabic. Then to top it all off, when I finished, the adorable (solo) Syrian woman in our class, Adila, started clapping and everyone joined in :)

Low: Last night Maya and I tried to organize the class into groups, or “majmou3,” in order to divide up the alphabet. It was chaotic and taking forever. We couldn’t understand why no one seemed to get what we were doing, even though we were explaining in Arabic… Then, at the end of the activity, one of our Sudanese students turned to Maya and ask… (in Arabic) “What does majmou3” mean? ….. As it turns out, the Sudanese dialect uses a different word for group – meaning 3/4^th of our class didn’t understand what “majmou3” meant! #adventuresofESL #nevereasy

Weirdo: Our first class, we wanted to do a “dancing name game” modeled along the lines of the Orientation favorite – Bust a Move. The idea is that everyone says their name and does a dance move – then the class repeats the person’s name and dance move! So Maya and I tried to organize this, fairly well, considering at that point we were still using the word “majmou3” and probably being very unclear! …. However the game quickly dissolved into a game of our classes creation… Once a person said their name, the class started clapping and singing “My name is Ahmad *clap* my name is Ahmad *clap* “ and wooping and dancing in place all together. EVEN better than Bust a Move — if you can imagine a giant circle of adults clapping and dancing together singing “My name is ________” for 30 different students :)

Highs, Lows, Weirdos – Starbucks theme

Low: I have become a regular at Starbucks. #ajnabi

(hashtag translation: #ajnabi ——> #foreigner #whitegirl #american #notfromhere)

 

Weirdo: After two weeks of occasionally doing my homework, making lesson planning, and overpaying for coffee in Starbucks, I have made friends with other (local) regulars who now correct my Arabic over my shoulder, show me pictures of their family, and share their MacBook chargers. Plus, the barista asked if we could be language partners… only in Jordan!

 

High: Initially I thought the whole barista-language partner idea was a bit of a conflict of interest — which could potentially limit my ability to drink iced lattes and leisurely use free wifi… BUT as it turns out, the barista is not only wicked nice but also knows hardly any English. So I really enjoyed our post-shift teaching session! We sat and I taught present tense verb conjugation — saying every direction/explanation/sentence in English and then Arabic. I left after 45 minutes feeling like I actually imparted valuable knowledge (which inshallah I will do a lot once my university class starts…) plus really put my Arabic language to a practical use.

 

All in all, I guess I am secretly enjoying the Starbucks, Amman scene…

Things I enjoyed doing this week…

1) Exploring Amman’s Roman ruins by day..

 

2. Rocking out at a concert on Amman’s Roman ruins by night…

(Mashru’a al Leila – Lebanese band – atop Roman Ruins)

3. Playing soccer and basketball at a Sports Clinic for refugee youth

4) Trying out a Jordanian Amusement park (most dangerous thing I’ve done so far?)

5) And trying out some Jordanian BBQ!

Other fun adventures, without photo evidence, include:

– Hosting our first housewarming party in the new apartment

– Watching the first episode of “Forbidden Love” – a Turkish drama (oddly reminiscent of the OC) dubbed over in Syrian ammiyah

– Meeting Bayan’s family for kanafeh and tea

– Going to Petra University for the first time!!

Learning Arabic culture from a pick up line…

First I was like, “ma’sha’allah…”

Then I was like, “in’sha’allah…”

Thawab told us that pick up line today and we all died laughing. For anyone whose lived/travelled/studied the Arab world, its a pretty funny pick up line. For someone who has not… let me walk you through the cultural context needed in order to understand — juuuuust in case you one day find yourself surrounded by shabab trying to woo you in such a tacky way..

First I was like, “ma’sha’allah…”

Ma’sha’allah is a phrase someone uses when they are complimenting you.

Its literal translation: “It is as God wills”

It ties into the both the idea of the evil eye and the idea of jealousy — as well as, in contrast, the idea of generosity. For example, if I compliment you on your new dress (“your dress is beautiful!”) without adding “mash’allah” at the end, then perhaps I am jealous of your dress. I am coveting it. I am wishing it was mine and it was not yours. In short, I am figuratively casting the evil eye on it — and maybe something bad will happen because of this evil jealously (the dress rips, you spill on it, etc). Therefore to avoid all these bad things and show that I am just complimenting you, not coveting the dress, I say: “your dress is beautiful, ma’sha’allah.”

This is also important because, as I’ve mentioned before, Arabs are so gosh darn nice! So if I tell you your dress is beautiful, often your first response might be to offer it to me – because I like it and I am your friend. Which, of course, is not the point of my compliment! So again I say “ma’sha’allah” and it signals that you having the dress is “as God willed.”

Then I was like, “in’sha’allah”

In’sha’allah is one of the most commonly used words here – and most of the Arab world.

Its literal translation: “if God wills.”

Its really used for just about anything.

With a friend, “Let’s meet tomorrow for lunch” – in’sha’allah

As a student, “In’sha’allah you will do well on your test”

In a taxi, “I want to go to Mecca Mall” – in’sha’allah

The whole idea behind this being that things happen according to God’s will. Which on the one hand brings up ideas of God controlling things or extreme religiosity — but on the other hand is also common to Christian faith (“god willing” I will pass my test) — or even for an atheist, just the idea of fate, or everything happens for a reason (#TinaProulx). Here, the form that takes is: something willl happen “if God wills it.”

Which brings us back to the pick up line in full. Do you get it yet?

At the risk of sounding silly if you’ve already put two and two together.. here’s the spelled out explanation.

At first I was like, “ma’sha’allah”
(complimenting something beautiful)

Then I was like, “in’sha’allah”
(God willing, something will happen)

Hilarious, right? …we thought so too.

“its the journey, not the destination”

High: I had a great night at friends’ apartment in Jabal Webdeh. Nadine and I visited our friends for dinner — but first, we joined them as they thanked their landlord with homemade chocolate cookies. Their landlord & her extended family all greeted us warmly, and before we knew it we were sitting down swapping stories and learning about their lives. It was great practicing our Arabic… everyone of us jumped in, with no embarrassement or fear of judgement, speaking in Arabic and laughing together. After one round of soda, then another of coffee, we said goodnight and went up for a now late dinner on the rooftop veranda…. eggplant & spagetti followed by nutella under a starry sky.. doesn’t get much better!

Low: The only two goals Nadine and I had today were to 1) go to the popular gym, Sports City, to run and 2) go to the bank and open an account. Both failed.

But I can hardly call it a low.. Simply because something about Jordan makes  stuff like that all ok. I am a pretty high strung, time conscious, by the book American back in the States – but here in Jordan, I become a relaxed and laidback Jordan. “Inshallah” we will achieve our objectives (god willing)… but if not, whatever, its the journey, not the destination that matters.

1) We couldn’t catch a cab to Sports City nor could we figure out how to walk there. So instead we jogged around a neighborhood and stumbled upon a little park… the guard welcomed us and wouldn’t let us pay the entrance fee — invited us in for free to finish our run. An even better run than expected!

2) We waited in line for almost an hour to talk to a bank rep… but when we did she quickly informed us that, actually, the system was down and setting up new accounts was not possible today. And that was all, no better turn out or unexpected happy surprise like above… but for some reason that was ok. Nadine and I laughed it off, chalked up the hour spent in the bank to another roomie bonding sesh, and headed off to lunch. Something about the Arab world makes you laid back, with a good sense of humor and perspective — you need both to survive! — and I like it.

Weirdo: As I said, Nadine and I joined our friends in visiting their landlord tonight. Our friend, Teresa, baked the landlord and her family cookies as a thank you for their kindess and accommodation during the move. In return, the family welcomed us to sit and spend time with them – all 6 of us. They brought us soda and coffee and spoke slowly to help us keep up conversation in Arabic. After we left, one of our friends commented that she felt we owed them another thank you gift — because they “one upped” our chocolate chip cookies with such a nice evening.

But as if that wasn’t enough, later on in the night we heard a knock – and the landlord’s son was at the door…. bringing us a box of store-bought, fancy desserts! It was too much kindness and thoughtfulness to handle; we were all so surprised. And one-upped again!

“This means war”… and so the hospitality battle has begun.

Inventing Stories in Taxi Cabs

… and other secrets to enjoying Amman.

For a lot of woman, one of the most annoying things about Jordan is the unwanted attention from “al shabab” (general term for annoying young men, though many old men fall under this bracket as well). Its been the topic of a lot of our orientation, ranging from the Embassy’s official security briefing to anecdotal advice from local presenters and staff. They’ve really been heavy on the warnings for women — and not without due reason. Each piece of advice comes with a terrible story of women being harrassed or worse in Amman. Sometimes its quite a downer, even for someone (ie: me) who knows such things are rare, especially having been here before and never had a problem.

Yet I really liked the advice of one of our presenters — our director, Alain’s, wife Kathy. She gave us a cultural orientation to Jordan, and also highlighted warnings for women: sit in the back of the cab, travel in groups, beware of misinterpretated “flirting,” carry yourself as if you’re not new here, and always have your senses about you. Yet one piece of advice in particular stuck with me… don’t feel like you have to be polite to anyone bothering you and don’t feel obligated to share your personal life just because someone asks.

Which leads me to my anecdote…

Trying to catch a taxi at night to Wust al Balad (Downtown) to meet friends

It was hard to catch a taxi off the main road near my apartment last night, but I since wanted to meet some other Fulbrights downtown I waited for awhile til one would stop. When someone finally did, the young(ish) guy inside immediately recognized me as a “ajanib” (foreigner) and tried to rip me off (“no, the meter doesn’t work”). After much pushing, he agreed to use the meter (miraculously started working…), and not just charging a ridiculous flat rate.

Yet the taxi ride didn’t improve. He kept asking me questions, in Arabic and English, with a few too many “jameelas” (= beautiful) included… so I decided to have some fun with Kathy’s advice.

“انا لا احكي الانجلسي     انا اسبني”

“I don’t speak English.. I am Spanish”

And then the fun began. I became a Spanish twenty three year old from Barcelona (barTHelona) who was meeting her Spanish husband, who works for the UN in Amman, downtown.

For the rest of the cab we spoke only in Arabic (because I don’t speak English, of course) and had a great time laughing together. Turns out, he’s a nice guy when he’s not using creepy one liners… he rambled about Madrid beating Barcelona in football (apparently), complained about the English speakers he picks up regularly, and even asked me to teach him some Spanish…

[Hola = Marhaba = Hi… Como te llamas = Shu ismik = What is your name?]

When I got to my stop downtown, he wished me well and pointed to the meter and laughed apologetically (only 1 JD vs his original “flat rate” of 4 JD).

All in all, a perfect combination… using my Arabic AND a cheaper cab. Plus this all the more highlighted the confusing tendencies of Jordanian “shabab” (the boys/men often doling out the unwanted attention). Once I was a married, young professional, Spainard – he dropped the creepy lines typical of sketchy cabs, and turned out to be a normal guy. Which usually all the “shabab” are — but definitely dropping the politeness and inventing a story to humor myself helped!