So, as Egypt was getting a little hot this semester, SIT decided to switch things up and we're in Turkey right now! We've seen some fabulous architecture, from the giant--the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque--to the small--MiniaTurk, a field of miniatures of buildings around Turkey. We've talked about modernization in Turkey, learned about Turkish carpets, and watched whirling dervishes (no pics on FB, sorry; they didn't allow cameras in there). We're visiting the Asia side of Istanbul today, and the Spice Market!
Markets here are pretty awesome, especially if you're looking for scarves, jewelry, or trinkets. The quality isn't always assured, but there's plenty of places to look, tons of pretty stuff, and you can bargain for the price, too! I hope I'm a good bargainer, but I'm not so sure. I think I avoided getting scammed by a shady carpet merchant, at least. Or kidnapped. Sticking with the group next time, honest.
Update: I didn't fully stick with the group, but the one time I went off with someone it was to a bead shop and I got some awesome beads. I'm justifying the price by both currency conversion and the fact that I'll sell the finished products. (probably)
March 13, 2012
March 7, 2012
Badia Journal, continued
Friday Journal
We slept from about 10pm to 7:30-8am, then got up and restored the sleeping room to the living rom. I did my hair up in a braided bun, and the same for the youngest girl; right after, we had breakfast. From there, cleaning. I did some dusting, then went to write.
After mansaf for lunch—quite zakee, and they were more insistent on second rounds than my family in Amman (I’m betting because my Amman family has more expeience with American girls’ eating habits and just goes with it)—I went with Krista and her family to see the Roman ruins, ecological center, and water cisterns. I think. Maybe some sort of quarry that they kept runoff water in. The ruins included a chu rch and a grave, as well as a large number of less easily identified buildings. I was surprised at the way people had just built into the ruins in places, and at how much litter there was.
Later in the day my family gave me a mug and pincushion for hijab pins. I had a lot of fun tickling the little girl, too. After dark, I put on hijab and Umm put on a niqab—it could be worn to cover the face or not—and we went to visit a friend. I think most people there were related but I’m not completely sure how for some of them. Umm covered her face when any older man was in the room; at home, she only covers with hijab for visitors.
As I’m guessing was previously agreed upon, up to and including the specific pattern, one of Umm’s friends did henna designs on my hands and afterwards painted my nails. One of the older little girls got similar, too. I talked a bit in Arabic—at least answered questions—and showed off my hair color and braid when there were no guys in the room. We walked back, watched some Arab Idol, and went to bed.
Saturday Journal
Saturday morning was a combination of cleaning and homework. In the early afternoon, Wijdan, Rizan, and I went to visit a friend. We had tea and talked for a bit; then something happened and we moved from the parlor to the living room and our hostess disappeared. She returned with another of Wijdan’s friends, and we talked for another while and ate some oranges. One thing they asked me, like the woman the night before, was how Chris tians pra yed. I wasn’t sure how to answer; as a Prot estant, prayer is almost informal, and rarely scripted. I just said I talked to Him.
After we returned home and had lunch, a paternal aunt and children visited; soon after came Krista with her father. More tea, two rounds.
From there Umm and I went to Krista’s house. More tea, and later sweetened hot milk with a little coffee in it. (The joke around here is that Arabic tea—especially Bedouin tea—is sugar with a little tea, and sometimes mint or sage.) They offered dinner, so I ate there. Neither mother ate, only the younger people.
The people in the Badia are pretty good about Arabic-only and encouraging me to speak. They also know to slow things down for me or repeat them with simpler words. Problem is, I’m not always sure what to talk about when they tell me to speak.
I think children here are communal; it’s not uncommon for large broods to mix, or people to in-house babysit for relatives or neighbors. Perhaps the only way to be sure without asking directly is to watch who gets breastfed by whom, and that only works if they haven’t been weaned.
When we got home, we ate dinner again—but again, Umm didn’t eat; I started to think she was sick. She had a cough from the smoking at the other house.
Sunday Journal
Umm pra yed this morning, and later on through the day—same as Wijdan with wearing the skirt and chador, except she lays out a pra yer rug in the living room instead of the hall. Pra ying here, for women at least, tends to mean heading off to a side room or corner of the room and quietly pra ying while everyone else goes on with what they’re doing.
Most everyone in the family woke up at 6something for school; once they were gone, the rest of us went back to sleep for an hour or so, then got up, cleaned a bit, and had breakfast.
Thinking about it, I get the feeling my family’s decently well-off, mostly based on furnishings. Our living room cushions fit the room well, have backs, and aren’t too worn; they’ve got a lot of cushion left in them. We also have a carpet in the living room, not just mats, and the room is a good size. Of the three houses I’ve been to, our living room is equal to or better than the others’ parlors.
One interesting TV show I think takes place in Turkish times, about the Uthman Sultan and his harem. Lots and lots of pretty dresses! Another I dubbed with my own dialogue, with three+ pregnancies in all ages and both genders, and an organ harvesting scheme. A third I think is solely about customers hitting on a pretty girl who works in retail. Beyond that, Curious George in Arabic, a kid’s show about things like sharing where the main character is a sheep, and various melodramatic soap operas and lots of commercials. Comercials are approximately Western in product and theme, but have a large amount of traditional clothing and hijab. Plus ads for hair removal for your arms.
Sunday was a pretty low-key day; after school, most of it was spent in family time and homework. I helped one of the girls with her English homework—British English. The books were in Arabic; private schools in the city tend towards educating fully in English. A neighbor friend visited in the evening, and we had fun talking and taking pictures. She had one picture with her hijab off for herself, but everything other picture, especially mine, had hijab—because if I showed them to family or friends, a man might be among them.
All in all, my stay in the Badia was quite an interesting experience. There were a lot of cultural similarities, from similar food to similar urging of more food; the house layout was similar, as was the hospitality. One of the largest differences in the Badia, though, was the pace. Though most of the family had school on Sunday, that was the only real rush to meet any sort of deadline or appointment. Time was spent without a completely firm schedule, and entertainment was socializing with guests and family—all in all, a fairly leisurely pace, and generally more traditional.
We slept from about 10pm to 7:30-8am, then got up and restored the sleeping room to the living rom. I did my hair up in a braided bun, and the same for the youngest girl; right after, we had breakfast. From there, cleaning. I did some dusting, then went to write.
After mansaf for lunch—quite zakee, and they were more insistent on second rounds than my family in Amman (I’m betting because my Amman family has more expeience with American girls’ eating habits and just goes with it)—I went with Krista and her family to see the Roman ruins, ecological center, and water cisterns. I think. Maybe some sort of quarry that they kept runoff water in. The ruins included a chu rch and a grave, as well as a large number of less easily identified buildings. I was surprised at the way people had just built into the ruins in places, and at how much litter there was.
Later in the day my family gave me a mug and pincushion for hijab pins. I had a lot of fun tickling the little girl, too. After dark, I put on hijab and Umm put on a niqab—it could be worn to cover the face or not—and we went to visit a friend. I think most people there were related but I’m not completely sure how for some of them. Umm covered her face when any older man was in the room; at home, she only covers with hijab for visitors.
As I’m guessing was previously agreed upon, up to and including the specific pattern, one of Umm’s friends did henna designs on my hands and afterwards painted my nails. One of the older little girls got similar, too. I talked a bit in Arabic—at least answered questions—and showed off my hair color and braid when there were no guys in the room. We walked back, watched some Arab Idol, and went to bed.
Saturday Journal
Saturday morning was a combination of cleaning and homework. In the early afternoon, Wijdan, Rizan, and I went to visit a friend. We had tea and talked for a bit; then something happened and we moved from the parlor to the living room and our hostess disappeared. She returned with another of Wijdan’s friends, and we talked for another while and ate some oranges. One thing they asked me, like the woman the night before, was how Chris tians pra yed. I wasn’t sure how to answer; as a Prot estant, prayer is almost informal, and rarely scripted. I just said I talked to Him.
After we returned home and had lunch, a paternal aunt and children visited; soon after came Krista with her father. More tea, two rounds.
From there Umm and I went to Krista’s house. More tea, and later sweetened hot milk with a little coffee in it. (The joke around here is that Arabic tea—especially Bedouin tea—is sugar with a little tea, and sometimes mint or sage.) They offered dinner, so I ate there. Neither mother ate, only the younger people.
The people in the Badia are pretty good about Arabic-only and encouraging me to speak. They also know to slow things down for me or repeat them with simpler words. Problem is, I’m not always sure what to talk about when they tell me to speak.
I think children here are communal; it’s not uncommon for large broods to mix, or people to in-house babysit for relatives or neighbors. Perhaps the only way to be sure without asking directly is to watch who gets breastfed by whom, and that only works if they haven’t been weaned.
When we got home, we ate dinner again—but again, Umm didn’t eat; I started to think she was sick. She had a cough from the smoking at the other house.
Sunday Journal
Umm pra yed this morning, and later on through the day—same as Wijdan with wearing the skirt and chador, except she lays out a pra yer rug in the living room instead of the hall. Pra ying here, for women at least, tends to mean heading off to a side room or corner of the room and quietly pra ying while everyone else goes on with what they’re doing.
Most everyone in the family woke up at 6something for school; once they were gone, the rest of us went back to sleep for an hour or so, then got up, cleaned a bit, and had breakfast.
Thinking about it, I get the feeling my family’s decently well-off, mostly based on furnishings. Our living room cushions fit the room well, have backs, and aren’t too worn; they’ve got a lot of cushion left in them. We also have a carpet in the living room, not just mats, and the room is a good size. Of the three houses I’ve been to, our living room is equal to or better than the others’ parlors.
One interesting TV show I think takes place in Turkish times, about the Uthman Sultan and his harem. Lots and lots of pretty dresses! Another I dubbed with my own dialogue, with three+ pregnancies in all ages and both genders, and an organ harvesting scheme. A third I think is solely about customers hitting on a pretty girl who works in retail. Beyond that, Curious George in Arabic, a kid’s show about things like sharing where the main character is a sheep, and various melodramatic soap operas and lots of commercials. Comercials are approximately Western in product and theme, but have a large amount of traditional clothing and hijab. Plus ads for hair removal for your arms.
Sunday was a pretty low-key day; after school, most of it was spent in family time and homework. I helped one of the girls with her English homework—British English. The books were in Arabic; private schools in the city tend towards educating fully in English. A neighbor friend visited in the evening, and we had fun talking and taking pictures. She had one picture with her hijab off for herself, but everything other picture, especially mine, had hijab—because if I showed them to family or friends, a man might be among them.
All in all, my stay in the Badia was quite an interesting experience. There were a lot of cultural similarities, from similar food to similar urging of more food; the house layout was similar, as was the hospitality. One of the largest differences in the Badia, though, was the pace. Though most of the family had school on Sunday, that was the only real rush to meet any sort of deadline or appointment. Time was spent without a completely firm schedule, and entertainment was socializing with guests and family—all in all, a fairly leisurely pace, and generally more traditional.
March 5, 2012
Thursday Badia Journal
I know, I know, this is over a week late. Sorry for being slow, and enjoy! I'll post the others in a day or so so you don't have to read it all at once. Also, the Badia is Jordan's desert area; my homestay was in the north, three km from Syria.
Turkish toilets are fun. Just sayin'.
Anyway, to describe the house proper.
One major similarity to Amman houses is the parlor, an extra-nice sitting room just for guests—also extra-large, maybe twice the size of the living room. The family in both cases spends a lot of time in the living room, where the heater and TV are. There’s a curtain in my Badia house that can be drawn across the hall to separate the parlor from the rest of the house; in my Amman house it’s a short hallway and a door. The parlor can be to hold guests (more informal visits the living room works), or in the case of large parties of guests, the parlor holds the men and the women and children are in the living room.
One major difference is that in Amman chairs and couches are used; in the Badia there are long cushions on the floor with similarly-made low backs and matching cushions on the joints between pads. The floor is covered by a large carpet, and there’s a wood stove in the middle with a flue up to the ceiling. The carpet is kept very clean—vacuumed or brushed or swept several times a day. (Yes, three different ways to clean it.)
For meals, a round tablecloth is brought in and everyone sits around it. Food is pita that you eat with: hummus, cream cheese, jam, olive oil (the tree’s in the back yard), zatar, scrambled eggs, and other dishes, like kufta (meatballs and tomatoes). Sides can be olives, tomatoes, cucumber, ramen, falafel, yogurt (goats out back), or yeast bread. You may or may not have a drink; if you do, it’s likely tea, or water from a communal cup. You eat with the pita or your hands, but there’ll be a fork each for ramen, or a spoon for yogurt or salad—again, served in communal bowls.
At bedtime, the seats are an easy conversion to beds; this also explains the ceiling-high pile of blankets in the master/guest bedroom. The oldest daughter and I slept in the parlor; the rest in the living room. It felt a bit like a sleepover, with everyone on the floor, one or two sleeping already, the light off, and everyone around the heater watching the last of a TV show.
Out back of the house is a garden—veggies, herbs, and flowers—and the animal pen. There are five goats and six kids, and several chickens and a rooster mixed in. The sheep are in a separate pen behind the wall, and I think may be someone else’s. Most of the neighbors are family; either way, when you go outside, you put on shoes and hijab. Shoes are not worn in the house because relaxing and meals are so close to the floor.
The father of the family is in the army, stationed in the UAE. He’s been gone two years and returns in two months, if I deciphered the Arabic right. He called Thursday night and said in mixed Arabic and English that I was now his sixth daughter and he hoped I’d be happy with his family.
And yup: five daughters, one son. The daughters are 20, 15, 12, 8, and 5, if I recall correctly, and the son is 14. He’s just at the age his voice is cracking, and the oldest daughter just got her Tawjihi results (the Tawjihi is a huge test deciding whether or not you can get into college, and which college and studying what). They’ve decided to call me Reem, meaning doe, but it keeps reminding me of Reem Shawarmas, a restaurant stall on Third Circle.
The oldest daughter is the only one who prays five times a day; she puts on a homemade skirt and chador over her clothes and prays in the hallway. [updated: Umm prays too, but she didn’t over the weekend.] She also wore the same when reading from the Quran.
Later, when I was reading the book Mom and Dad got me when I learned to read, I ended up going through the pictures and telling the youngest and some of the others the stories in Arabic (with help). The oldest knew some of them. We also pointed out animals, as the youngest had been practicing animals ABCs.
It’s a lot less busy here, and more low-key. That can turn boring; it can also be peaceful. It allows for a fair amount of family and social time, so overall I like it more than I might’ve expected.
Turkish toilets are fun. Just sayin'.
Anyway, to describe the house proper.
One major similarity to Amman houses is the parlor, an extra-nice sitting room just for guests—also extra-large, maybe twice the size of the living room. The family in both cases spends a lot of time in the living room, where the heater and TV are. There’s a curtain in my Badia house that can be drawn across the hall to separate the parlor from the rest of the house; in my Amman house it’s a short hallway and a door. The parlor can be to hold guests (more informal visits the living room works), or in the case of large parties of guests, the parlor holds the men and the women and children are in the living room.
One major difference is that in Amman chairs and couches are used; in the Badia there are long cushions on the floor with similarly-made low backs and matching cushions on the joints between pads. The floor is covered by a large carpet, and there’s a wood stove in the middle with a flue up to the ceiling. The carpet is kept very clean—vacuumed or brushed or swept several times a day. (Yes, three different ways to clean it.)
For meals, a round tablecloth is brought in and everyone sits around it. Food is pita that you eat with: hummus, cream cheese, jam, olive oil (the tree’s in the back yard), zatar, scrambled eggs, and other dishes, like kufta (meatballs and tomatoes). Sides can be olives, tomatoes, cucumber, ramen, falafel, yogurt (goats out back), or yeast bread. You may or may not have a drink; if you do, it’s likely tea, or water from a communal cup. You eat with the pita or your hands, but there’ll be a fork each for ramen, or a spoon for yogurt or salad—again, served in communal bowls.
At bedtime, the seats are an easy conversion to beds; this also explains the ceiling-high pile of blankets in the master/guest bedroom. The oldest daughter and I slept in the parlor; the rest in the living room. It felt a bit like a sleepover, with everyone on the floor, one or two sleeping already, the light off, and everyone around the heater watching the last of a TV show.
Out back of the house is a garden—veggies, herbs, and flowers—and the animal pen. There are five goats and six kids, and several chickens and a rooster mixed in. The sheep are in a separate pen behind the wall, and I think may be someone else’s. Most of the neighbors are family; either way, when you go outside, you put on shoes and hijab. Shoes are not worn in the house because relaxing and meals are so close to the floor.
The father of the family is in the army, stationed in the UAE. He’s been gone two years and returns in two months, if I deciphered the Arabic right. He called Thursday night and said in mixed Arabic and English that I was now his sixth daughter and he hoped I’d be happy with his family.
And yup: five daughters, one son. The daughters are 20, 15, 12, 8, and 5, if I recall correctly, and the son is 14. He’s just at the age his voice is cracking, and the oldest daughter just got her Tawjihi results (the Tawjihi is a huge test deciding whether or not you can get into college, and which college and studying what). They’ve decided to call me Reem, meaning doe, but it keeps reminding me of Reem Shawarmas, a restaurant stall on Third Circle.
The oldest daughter is the only one who prays five times a day; she puts on a homemade skirt and chador over her clothes and prays in the hallway. [updated: Umm prays too, but she didn’t over the weekend.] She also wore the same when reading from the Quran.
Later, when I was reading the book Mom and Dad got me when I learned to read, I ended up going through the pictures and telling the youngest and some of the others the stories in Arabic (with help). The oldest knew some of them. We also pointed out animals, as the youngest had been practicing animals ABCs.
It’s a lot less busy here, and more low-key. That can turn boring; it can also be peaceful. It allows for a fair amount of family and social time, so overall I like it more than I might’ve expected.
February 27, 2012
February 21, 2012
Blazing Hot Amman
Ok, it's been a while since I last posted. I guess I'm just settling in a bit better and we're going by a more regular schedule.
So, what's new... Like I said, most things have been settling into a schedule and 'normal', so if you have anything you want to hear about, you're going to have to ask!
But one thing that I do remember (hard to forget sometimes) is the temperature. Middle East=blazing hot, right? Nope--it's winter. In Amman, that means cold. While snowing, even if it's not enough to stick much, counts as news, it is pretty chilly at times. Chilly enough to cancel things like school, for some, or appointments. I tend to put a brave face on it (in INDIANA this snow is mush mushgila, no problem; only a problem when it gets *this* high). It'll work on the other side when it's "vaguely warm" and I'm drooping from the heat.
Ah, one new thing is the tutoring I'm doing; I got connected with a local family with two elementary school kids, and I come over twice a week for two hours to help them with their homework. The older girl, Mirna, has a fair amount of English homework; I help her with that, reading, and studying. She's not too bad, but her reading needs a bit of work. She's also really energetic and friendly, which is great for fun but occasionally not as much for working. Zed is a bit quieter (so far) and very sweet; I help him with homework in general. All their subjects are in English, which has sociological implications if anyone wants an essay on it and I'm betting you don't.
Thursday, we head out for the Badia homestay; we'll be there through Monday and arrive back in Amman then; Tuesday is our debrief, and we'll visit Madaba (shoutout to the Moores!) and the Dead Sea. I've been warned no shaving anything within three days of enjoying the Dead Sea.
Because the Badia is generally more conservative and traditional, girls may at times have to wear hijab, and traditional dress is suggested (though not required). Consequently, we went on a big group shopping trip this afternoon to the downtown area--tons of little shops and street vendors, and very cool. The guys bought red and white keffiyehs and some bought thobes of generally simple design and color--fairly easy. We girls, on the other hand, had either the better or the worse time. We certainly had a harder time choosing our abayas--but how many girls will complain about shopping for gorgeous clothes? Headscarves, too, had some beautiful options.
As abayas go on over your normal clothes (I think), we tried them on in the store; it was pretty crowded, but nice to have girls to try things on with and our language partners to help us find decent deals. I ended up being the most indecisive or something, though; all but one other girl got theirs at the first store. I found one I absolutely loved... and it turned out to be 60 JD. Even if I'd bargained it down, too much for me, especially for something I'll be wearing for general use. I ended up at a different store, where I found a pretty one for 25 JD... and either 25 felt a bit much or I was being indecisive again, but one of our language partners found the same design for me at another store for 20 JD. After that we went for fruit cocktails (zakeeeeee) and on the way back I bought a plain back headscarf. They should show us how to wear them tomorrow.
I modeled for my host family... "It looks very nice. In the Badia, you will have many requests for marriage."
So, what's new... Like I said, most things have been settling into a schedule and 'normal', so if you have anything you want to hear about, you're going to have to ask!
But one thing that I do remember (hard to forget sometimes) is the temperature. Middle East=blazing hot, right? Nope--it's winter. In Amman, that means cold. While snowing, even if it's not enough to stick much, counts as news, it is pretty chilly at times. Chilly enough to cancel things like school, for some, or appointments. I tend to put a brave face on it (in INDIANA this snow is mush mushgila, no problem; only a problem when it gets *this* high). It'll work on the other side when it's "vaguely warm" and I'm drooping from the heat.
Ah, one new thing is the tutoring I'm doing; I got connected with a local family with two elementary school kids, and I come over twice a week for two hours to help them with their homework. The older girl, Mirna, has a fair amount of English homework; I help her with that, reading, and studying. She's not too bad, but her reading needs a bit of work. She's also really energetic and friendly, which is great for fun but occasionally not as much for working. Zed is a bit quieter (so far) and very sweet; I help him with homework in general. All their subjects are in English, which has sociological implications if anyone wants an essay on it and I'm betting you don't.
Thursday, we head out for the Badia homestay; we'll be there through Monday and arrive back in Amman then; Tuesday is our debrief, and we'll visit Madaba (shoutout to the Moores!) and the Dead Sea. I've been warned no shaving anything within three days of enjoying the Dead Sea.
Because the Badia is generally more conservative and traditional, girls may at times have to wear hijab, and traditional dress is suggested (though not required). Consequently, we went on a big group shopping trip this afternoon to the downtown area--tons of little shops and street vendors, and very cool. The guys bought red and white keffiyehs and some bought thobes of generally simple design and color--fairly easy. We girls, on the other hand, had either the better or the worse time. We certainly had a harder time choosing our abayas--but how many girls will complain about shopping for gorgeous clothes? Headscarves, too, had some beautiful options.
As abayas go on over your normal clothes (I think), we tried them on in the store; it was pretty crowded, but nice to have girls to try things on with and our language partners to help us find decent deals. I ended up being the most indecisive or something, though; all but one other girl got theirs at the first store. I found one I absolutely loved... and it turned out to be 60 JD. Even if I'd bargained it down, too much for me, especially for something I'll be wearing for general use. I ended up at a different store, where I found a pretty one for 25 JD... and either 25 felt a bit much or I was being indecisive again, but one of our language partners found the same design for me at another store for 20 JD. After that we went for fruit cocktails (zakeeeeee) and on the way back I bought a plain back headscarf. They should show us how to wear them tomorrow.
I modeled for my host family... "It looks very nice. In the Badia, you will have many requests for marriage."
February 11, 2012
Party!
I was grateful for advanced notice the night before last, because yesterday we had a party! My host sister is getting engaged, and traditionally before the engagement the extended families meet to agree on it.
We expected 70-100 people, and by my count had something in that range. The living room and salon were cleared out and filled with chairs; the living room for the women and the salon for the men. Our side of the family arrived first, at about 3pm (meaning people started coming in at 3:30 or so), and the other family came in as a group a bit later.
Leen spent most of the first hour (ish) in my room getting ready and waiting; she couldn't come out until all the guests were there, and then after meeting the women her uncle or brother would escort her into the salon where she'd meet all the men. I spent most of the time then with her and the cousins (so nice!). I also got some good pictures (Leen was beautiful, and in a white suit), but my camera messed up and somehow didn't save any of those photos....
After Leen was introduced all 'round (a group of women crowded near the entrance to the salon to watch), there was a ceremony (I think), where the two families agreed on the engagement. From there coffee and kunafa was served... again, my camera lost the pic, but I found one online. It has a sort of eggy bottom with a sweet, slightly crusty top.
I helped a bit with drinks, too--water and soda, mostly. Everyone also got a piece of pistachio chocolate and some baklava-type treats (those of us in the kitchen couldn't stop eating them), and the other family left a while later, leaving only the fiance(-to-be?) and some of his family. We then all moved into the salon for chatting, and dinner arrived in half an hour or so (it was catered, but the family had bought the ingredients and given them to the restaurant earlier, and we'd also made a lot of veggie salad to go with it). It was rice flavored with bits of ground beef and roasted almonds, with pieces of chicken, and many ate it with yogurt. The rice was delicious--I'm not usually a fan of rice, but here the types and preparations have made me love it--and was soon full.
Overall, it was a wonderful time, and I was glad to meet some of the cousins I hadn't yet seen, either. (Hi if you're reading this, and if I messed up any descriptions please tell me!) I feel a lot more a part of the family now... I just wish I hadn't worn red; I stuck out like a sore thumb. Picture of all but one or two of the cousins below!
The one in the white suit is Leen, with sister Zeina on one side and her fiance on the other.
We expected 70-100 people, and by my count had something in that range. The living room and salon were cleared out and filled with chairs; the living room for the women and the salon for the men. Our side of the family arrived first, at about 3pm (meaning people started coming in at 3:30 or so), and the other family came in as a group a bit later.
Leen spent most of the first hour (ish) in my room getting ready and waiting; she couldn't come out until all the guests were there, and then after meeting the women her uncle or brother would escort her into the salon where she'd meet all the men. I spent most of the time then with her and the cousins (so nice!). I also got some good pictures (Leen was beautiful, and in a white suit), but my camera messed up and somehow didn't save any of those photos....
After Leen was introduced all 'round (a group of women crowded near the entrance to the salon to watch), there was a ceremony (I think), where the two families agreed on the engagement. From there coffee and kunafa was served... again, my camera lost the pic, but I found one online. It has a sort of eggy bottom with a sweet, slightly crusty top.
I helped a bit with drinks, too--water and soda, mostly. Everyone also got a piece of pistachio chocolate and some baklava-type treats (those of us in the kitchen couldn't stop eating them), and the other family left a while later, leaving only the fiance(-to-be?) and some of his family. We then all moved into the salon for chatting, and dinner arrived in half an hour or so (it was catered, but the family had bought the ingredients and given them to the restaurant earlier, and we'd also made a lot of veggie salad to go with it). It was rice flavored with bits of ground beef and roasted almonds, with pieces of chicken, and many ate it with yogurt. The rice was delicious--I'm not usually a fan of rice, but here the types and preparations have made me love it--and was soon full.
Overall, it was a wonderful time, and I was glad to meet some of the cousins I hadn't yet seen, either. (Hi if you're reading this, and if I messed up any descriptions please tell me!) I feel a lot more a part of the family now... I just wish I hadn't worn red; I stuck out like a sore thumb. Picture of all but one or two of the cousins below!
The one in the white suit is Leen, with sister Zeina on one side and her fiance on the other.
February 8, 2012
Another Post!
Right, what do I need to catch up on....
News as of today: our program was going to spend a week in Egypt in March, but due to the current unrest that's been cancelled. On the bright side--that means we're going to Turkey instead! Istanbul, with a free day where we can travel anywhere in Turkey.
Also, ice cream trucks! They all play the same cheerful whistly melody, too, and drive around the neighborhoods.
At least, ice cream truck was my first guess, though I've never been in a neighborhood with one. Also the first guess of a lot of my classmates. But I started thinking... it's winter here, cold enough we're using space heaters--who'd buy ice cream in this weather? My suspicion was confirmed when I saw one pass by--they sell small LP tanks for space heaters. Smart!
50% of my Thematic Seminar grade was finished this week. 20% on the paper we had to write, 15% on introducing our first lecturer and leading the discussion afterwards (I'm told I seemed very teacherly, though I'm not sure I felt it), and 15% on a paper reflecting on the lecture and discussion. Signed up early, and it's over with!
My other two classes are Field Studies Seminar (common-sense and boring mostly, but will help a bit with our coming projects) and Arabic. Arabic is divided into 1.25 hours fusHa (Modern Standard) and 1.25 hours 'amiyya (Amman's dialect). Our class is small--only 5 students. We're in level 4 of 4 and our two teachers are amazing. Between them and having to know Arabic to use it, and being in an environment where it's spoken a lot, I feel like I'm learning a lot at a good pace.
Anything people want to know?
News as of today: our program was going to spend a week in Egypt in March, but due to the current unrest that's been cancelled. On the bright side--that means we're going to Turkey instead! Istanbul, with a free day where we can travel anywhere in Turkey.
Also, ice cream trucks! They all play the same cheerful whistly melody, too, and drive around the neighborhoods.
At least, ice cream truck was my first guess, though I've never been in a neighborhood with one. Also the first guess of a lot of my classmates. But I started thinking... it's winter here, cold enough we're using space heaters--who'd buy ice cream in this weather? My suspicion was confirmed when I saw one pass by--they sell small LP tanks for space heaters. Smart!
50% of my Thematic Seminar grade was finished this week. 20% on the paper we had to write, 15% on introducing our first lecturer and leading the discussion afterwards (I'm told I seemed very teacherly, though I'm not sure I felt it), and 15% on a paper reflecting on the lecture and discussion. Signed up early, and it's over with!
My other two classes are Field Studies Seminar (common-sense and boring mostly, but will help a bit with our coming projects) and Arabic. Arabic is divided into 1.25 hours fusHa (Modern Standard) and 1.25 hours 'amiyya (Amman's dialect). Our class is small--only 5 students. We're in level 4 of 4 and our two teachers are amazing. Between them and having to know Arabic to use it, and being in an environment where it's spoken a lot, I feel like I'm learning a lot at a good pace.
Anything people want to know?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
