Fun Facts and FAQs, Part II: Is the Scene Safe?

Now, I present you all with an excerpt from the conversation I had with my grandmother when I told her I was going to Jordan:
Me: "Grandma, I'm going to Jordan in the Fall."
Grandma: (after much laughter) "You're stupid."

Thanks, Grandma, I appreciate your bluntness!

She may have been blunt, but my grandmother's comment wasn't completely unwarranted. First, she was joking, she doesn't actually think I'm stupid (I think). Second, considering the news that reaches the U.S. from the Middle East these days, it's no wonder if someone thinks I'm stupid or crazy for going over there. Anyone reading this (from the United States, anyway) can't deny that they wouldn't be just a bit scared about going to Jordan, considering the political turmoil in the Middle East right now. This touches on a Jordan study abroad FAQ: Is Jordan safe? Legitimate question, complicated answer. I guess the answer is "relatively." That's the word CIEE seems to prefer anyway. The woman that gave us an online presentation tried to compare the safety of Amman to the safety of Portland, Maine. I'm not sure I quite buy that, but I get her point. Terrorism happens everywhere, guys. The U.S., Europe, Africa, the Middle East, etc. Look at the riots in London--not terrorism, but not exactly what you would call "safe," either. I recommend checking out http://english.aljazeera.net/, al-Jazeera's English news site for more information on what's going on in the Middle East, specifically Syria and Libya. The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/) and the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/) are also good sources.

Some more questions I've gotten:

1. Will you have to wear a headscarf/veil/burqa?
Short answer: No. Many Muslim women in Jordan (I would hazard a guess at most) do wear head coverings of some kind, but the veil is pretty rare, and burqas are non-existent in Jordan (in fact, that's the case in most of the Middle East. They exist in Afghanistan and to a lesser extent Pakistan and India; that's about it). But I am not a Muslim, nor a Jordanian, therefore I'm not expected to wear any covering of any kind, except (likely) a headscarf if I choose to enter a mosque (which I probably will). That said, Jordanian clothing is much, much more conservative and modest than what we're used to here in the U.S. Shorts are a major no-no. Also, they like to be classy. No PJs or sweats in class; designer jeans and business suits are expected. Dressing for heat as well as style in Jordan. Oofta, sounds complicated.

2. Will you be eating monkey brains?
This question came from my dad. I'm pretty sure it was joke. Pretty sure. The answer is no. Wrong Indiana Jones movie, Dad.

3. Why are you going?

 Um...this:

That is why. That is Petra ('nuff said)--1/1,000,000th of the reason that I am going to Jordan. Also this:

Above is Wadi Rum, one of Jordan's most famous desert valleys. Also, the first picture of Jordan that I saw before making my decision:

This is Amman, the capital city of Jordan. The denseness of the buildings in this picture is just so, indescribably cool to me. I can't explain it, but I definitely had an "I want to go to there" moment when I saw this picture. And just one more picture, possibly the biggest reason I'm going to Jordan:

I do not know what this means. I don't know if it's a word, a phrase, or it could even possibly not mean anything. I ripped it off of Google Images. This is a problem if I want to study the Middle East, Islam, or Arab culture in general (which I do) and actually make a career out of it (which I do). I need to learn Arabic and CIEE is going to help me do it. I am setting myself a goal of learning how to say "I'm full now, no more please" by the end of the first month. I hear Jordanians serve their guests huge portions!

There will be so much more to say when I get to Jordan, but I wanted to get some of the informational stuff out of the way so that when I get there, I can fill up this blog with "I saw the place where Jesus lost his sandals today" or "I explored a desert castle, here are some pictures" and other adventures. Next time I update, I will be typing from Amman!


NOTE: Two months later, looking back at some old posts and I see this one. The Arabic word above? Yeah, it says "Arabii" (Arabic). Wow, it's bizarre that I couldn't read something that simple two months ago.