As of now, I've been in Jordan for a little more than two days, and already I have more experiences to share than time. The first few days are always the most intense, where time seems to move unnaturally fast and slow at the same time.
On the plane to Amman, I met a really nice Jordanian who was flying back home after finishing his 'Diplom' in Bremen, Germany. He had planning on getting his PhD in Political Science in Koeln (Cologne) Germany in October, and was taking a few months to gather materials this work and enjoy some time with his family. We had an amazing conversation about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, international politics, and life in Jordan. I told him my situation and he offered to let me use his brother's phone to get ahold of my SIT group upon arrival, and help me get a Taxi to the hotel in Amman. I was so grateful, and excited to have had met such an interesting person.
It turned out that there was someone from SIT to pick me up with her private car, so I didn't have to take a taxi, which was a very nice surprise. I met the group at the hotel that we have been staying at for the past two days, and we had a group buffet dinner where I met the other students for the first time. We are twenty-two total, scattered around the whole US. I was surprised to learn that most actually have some background in Arabic, and I am one of only a few that have never learned Arabic before. We have five main academic directors/coordinators, who have been amazing in leading us through these last few days.
Because about half the student's luggage didn't arrive, a group of us went to the nearest supermarket to get the essentials. I tagged along, and it was my first experience in a Jordanian store. My biggest impression so far of Jordanian modernization is the extreme American influence in the commercial realm. I literally felt like I was walking into an American grocery store, with peanut butter, Kellog's cereal, and pancake mix lining the shelves. Especially after coming from Germany, this very American feel was quite the culture shock.
The first day was a long and tiring day of orientation lectures, with two breaks for lunch and dinner. I definitely felt the extreme heat, walking up the street 15 minutes to the nearest commercial center, with a few shops and restaurants. One of my greatest apprehensions was knowing how conservatively to dress, but I was pleasantly surprised that short-sleeved shirts are perfectly acceptable and considered 'modest', even those that are pretty low-cut.
Yesterday was a continuation of the orientation lectures, with one quick drop-off in the city with time to explore. We have and will be using taxis to get around the city, which can be quite the terrifying experience. "Lanes" don't exist in our sense, seatbelts are not used, and honking is the way to navigate through traffic jams.
In only a couple of hours, we meet our host families, and get taken to the places we will be living for the next few months. All I know about my family so far is that the family has five children older than eight, two of which are already out of the house. One of them was the SIT homestay coordinator before Dema, so this family is extremely familiar with the situation. They have had SIT students many times before, which will make it easier for all of us.
So much information and impressions have bombarded me the last few days, with little time to breathe and take a step back. Hopefully this weekend in the family I can have a much needed break, though it will be, I know still one the most challenging parts of this trip - adjusting to a new family and its unique and very different lifestyle.
There is so much more to say, but I hope this gives you all some idea of what the first few days of my experience in Jordan has been like!
