By allisonray94
So the first thing we need to talk about this week is the Language Pledge, which has been haunting my thoughts since I knew I would be signing it. All Middlebury Schools Abroad require this pledge, a literal contract in which each student promises to speak only the target language (in this case, Arabic) for the duration of the program. That's right, this past Wednesday was my last day speaking English. Of course there are exceptions: emergencies, Skyping our families, this blog, etc. But I can't stress how difficult it's been over the last three days -- everything from ordering coffee to chatting up other students is a task. Still, it's actually really fun. And I can hear myself getting better already. It just goes to show that three years of Arabic hasn't been a complete waste. Yay!
In other news, pretty pictures! Today we went to Jabal al-Qal'a, possibly one of the best views in Amman (Jabal means mountain or hill in Arabic, by the way -- and Amman was built on seven hills). On top of Jabal al-Qal'a are the ruins of a Roman temple, a Byzantine church, and an Ummayyad Palace. Notice the various empires: Amman is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, and it shows when you tour this jabal.
As an American, one of the coolest aspects of Jabal al-Qal'a is the lack of security. These ruins are thousands of years old, and yet we just climbed on top of them. Where there are gates, you can easily walk around them (whether you should or not is up for debate). The Hand of Hercules, the only remaining ruin of a statue that would have stood inside the Roman temple, is lying on the ground just begging people to touch it. This is not particularly good for the preservation of such a special place, but it's fun. Much more enjoyable that having guards at the Smithsonian breathing down your neck because you might try to touch a display case (full disclosure: I have tried to touch a display case).
Today is the first day I've been fully aware of the beauty of Amman. It takes some getting used to. It isn't America or Europe. It's ninety-five percent beige. It is by no means a wealthy city. But when I look down on this city sprawling out along the hills, I feel a distinctive sense of awe. I've heard a lot of people both in American and Amman rag on this city -- and of course they have a right to their opinion -- but their opinion is wrong. Amman is such an interesting mix of some our oldest histories and Middle Eastern modernity. And at least at the top of Jabal al-Qal'a, it's beautiful.