Tag: Allison Ray

By allisonray94

I think Amman is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I know, the end of the semester is making me really sentimental. But I feel a sense of awe here that I didn’t in Germany or Switzerland or the US. Jordan is special.

“Can you back that up with some reliable evidence, Allison?” No, not really. I mean, Amman is dirty — trash piles up in every empty lot, sidewalks are dusted in sand, cafes are a fog of cigarette and argileh smoke. Maybe it’s the hills. Take a taxi anywhere in this city and you’ll find yourself looking down on valleys and hills of city, or at buildings perched ledges and ledges above. It’s best at night, when all you see are rolling waves of lights.

...continue reading "Thoughts on Amman"

By allisonray94

I didn't expect to love Jordan. I expected to tolerate it. As the semester winds down, though, I'm realizing just how attached I've become. Every little experience has become valuable to me, from riding the bus to sitting in a cafe downtown.

Gaining a new home, though -- even just a temporary one-- means pushing my old idea of home farther back in my mind. Days go by and I don't think once about America or DC. I am wrecked with guilt because I miss nothing. I wish I could stay in Amman.

...continue reading "Going Back Home?"

By allisonray94

It's project week! That means no classes, field trips, and lots of knowledge! Basically, our program is split into three groups: Tribes and Tribalism, Refugees, and Developmental Organizations. We spend the week researching our topic and going to lectures and events related to it. My group is Tribes, and I've mainly been focusing on Tribalism in Jordan as a symbol of Jordanian national identity (as opposed to pan-Arab identity or Palestinian identity).

...continue reading "العشائر — Tribes in Jordan"

By allisonray94

Today, we had more rain than I've ever seen in Jordan...and hail...and flooding. I'm gonna go ahead and non-contentiously blame this on climate change. Anyway, unlike the United States, Jordan doesn't have infrastructure dedicated to rain and flood management. Never have I missed storm drains on the side of the street more.

...continue reading "The Downside of Rain in the Desert"

By allisonray94

This week, we went to the wedding of...actually, I have no idea what their names are. They are somehow related to to one of the professors in our program, though, so we landed an invitation. I don't think any of us had expectations, except that there would be a bride and a groom -- and even in that we were only half right.

The wedding took place in tents. All of the female students went into one tent, and I'm assuming the males had a similar tent somewhere else. That's right -- this wedding was separated by gender. And let me tell you, it was great. No more having to worry about modesty or some stranger hitting on you or whether your dancing looks goofy (it does). Women who usually dress conservatively wore gorgeous, sexy dresses -- not for the men but for themselves. In the past, this separation might have meant the men had more fun. Now, I think it's empowering in its own right.

...continue reading "A Wedding Without Men"

By allisonray94

Hi!

So this blog entry is kind of weird because I am not actually in Jordan. We have another break. I was actually planning on traveling to Palestine, but the violence has escalated recently. Instead, I'm backpacking through Germany on a bit of a whim. I could just go through and list all of the attractions and cities I've seen, but that would just sound like bragging. I would like to discuss cultural transitions, since this is my first opportunity to see how living in Jordan has changed me.

...continue reading "Reverse Culture Shock Already?"

By allisonray94

The past few weeks have been tough, as living in a foreign country sometimes is. So I thought I'd discuss two unrelated, insanely difficult experiences: Wadi Mujib and the Language Pledge (yes, I am going to harp on the language pledge a lot in this blog). The former made me feel stronger afterwords, while I sort of feel like the latter is eating away at me. And only one of them involves cool pictures.

Wadi Mujib is a canyon next to the Dead Sea. I understood that we were "hiking" the canyon trail, but what got lost in translation was the fact that the bottom of Wadi Mujib is basically a river. Hiking Wadi Mujib is essentially just whitewater rafting without a raft. You climb down a latter and jump into the water, which ranges in depth from about a foot to maybe four or five. The shallow areas are easy, but there are several places where you have to climb a mountain of wet rocks -- your only help being a rope bolted to one of the rocks. There are no guides, no safety rules, and no guarantees that you won't get hurt. At the end of the trail, there's a huge waterfall. You take a quick break and then trek back down the canyon. I screamed a lot. I might've fallen a few times. I definitely broke the Language Pledge with a few choice English curse words. But every step made me feel stronger (note: I did not actually look stronger, according to pretty much everyone). I think one of the best things about being in a new country is this feeling: not quite of being invincible, but certainly resilient. After a while, you learn to be okay with bruises, with embarrassing yourself, with failing. It's fun.

...continue reading "Struggles Linguistic and Otherwise"

By allisonray94

Haha jk, that sounds awful. But I do want to take this opportunity to talk about talking politics, particularly since I am studying in a place where politics is essentially inevitable. Almost everyone in my study abroad program is majoring in Political Science or International Affairs. For those of us majoring in Arabic, our textbook teaches us how to talk about politics before we learn colors or foods. This week, an afternoon study session devolved quickly into a debate on Unites States intervention in the Middle East; it was by far not the first political discussion and will not be the last.

...continue reading "Let’s Talk about Middle Eastern Politics!"

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!

...continue reading "The Language Pledge (and Other Things)"

By allisonray94

Even if you're in the United States, you are probably aware that this past week the Muslim community celebrated Eid al-Adha. The holiday reminds me a lot of Christmas -- only instead of an old man in a red suit there are lambs everywhere. The lamb is a representation of the story of Abraham's sacrifice to God. In case you are unfamiliar, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham was not a fan of this idea, but he trusted in God and prepared to kill his son. At the last minute, God tells Abraham to stop, and that he may sacrifice a lamb instead of his son. Eid al-Adha celebrates Abraham's faith in God and willingness to sacrifice his son. Traditionally, Muslim families who can afford it sacrifice their own lamb for Eid, keeping one third, giving another third to friends and family, and donating the rest to the poor.

...continue reading "كل عام وانت بخير (Eid al-Adha in Jordan)"