I want to talk about the people I have met. Mainly because in all of the cool places I have, it is the people that I am with or meet that make the experience so much better. As well as learning about language, politics, culture, and religion, it is from ordinary people that I learn the most.
Jordan is in an interesting spot because it boarders so many countries where people are fleeing, or fled, for safety, such as Syria, Iraq, and Palestine.
This means that Jordan has a high level of cultural diversity. Over half of the population's family line originally comes from Palestine. This is a result of the 1948 war.There are also people from all over due to the many conflicts currently in the Middle East. When people ask me where I am from I will say Canada, and then I will ask where they are from. Their response is often either "I am Jordanian-Jordanian" or "I am Philistine(Palestine)-Jordanian. Other responses will include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and many many more. It is amazing to see all of the diversity in Amman!
There is a cafe that I often go to called Strand. There are three waiters there that I get along with really well. I go to the cafe because of the strong internet connection so I can skype my friends and family. All of my waiter friends will also join my skype calls to wave at who ever I am talking to. It is quite the fun experience, and if you want to be a part of it, then lets set up a skype appointment. These waiters are very fun, when ever they see me walk by the cafe they will wave me down to come and say hi, we have even gotten to the level of friendship where we do that Arab cheek kissing thing. The three waiters are from Palestine, Sudan, and Burkina Faso. They give me a chance to practice my Arabic, and the waiter from Burkina Faso gives me a chance to practice my elementary French.
Down the road from this cafe is an electronics store. Outside of the store is a security guard. There are two guards that I often see who will rotate shifts. One is from Sudan and he often shows me pictures of King Abdullah II and likes to talk about how he used to serve him as a police officer. The other one is from Syria and knows English very well. We often make jokes about how we are both always on the move, and most recently poked fun about how the Sudanese guard sits down too much.
It is fun being in a place long enough where I can see familiar faces. It is also great being in a culture where people are so chatty and welcoming. It may be partly because I am a tourist on why they want to talk to me--but who cares-- I am making friends learning lots, and having a blast.
Here are a few photos from my past few weeks:
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| On the Mount of Olives looking at Jerusalem |
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| Floating on the Dead Sea like a champ |
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| Jumping in the Dead Sea while being coated in mud.. like a Champ! |
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| Wadi Mujib hike |
