Amman vs. Damascus

I was IM’ing with Megan last night who rightly pointed out that there have been no recent blog entries. Between Dan’s parents visit and the First Lady’s visit things have been a little crazy – which means we have stories to tell and pictures to share – it will just take us a few days to do so. Dan is going to the Czech National Day event tonight – so I can guarantee the pictures (including me on a camel and me with a White House radio in my ear will not be posted tonight).

We spent the last three days in Damascus which I highly recommend. On Sunday night, we had dinner with Arabic classmates who are working there and compared Amman vs. Damascus notes.

Five Ways Amman is Better than Damascus
1. No air pollution – Damascus is undeniably a city (as opposed to Amman which is really big suburban sprawl). Its city-ness means that pollution is pretty bad and it sits in a valley which makes it worse.
2. Mall shopping – most of Amman is new and maybe all of the malls are less than five years old – with more going up every day.
3. Movie theatres – Amman has three theaters which show English-language movies.
4. American-style grocery stores and American products – Because of the US sanctions against Syria (or maybe because of its government) there are no American products in Syria.
5. Starbucks – our classmates talked wistfully about visiting Starbucks during a recent Amman weekend and said that while there they met other Americans on R&R from Baghdad who were having multiple Frappucinos just because they could.

Four Ways Damascus is Better than Amman
1. French Occupation – as we munched on pain au chocolat and croissants for breakfast and ate delicious French Onion soup for dinner, we lamented that Jordan was occupied by the British.
2. Souks and Crafts – Damascus has a long history of artisans and we left with lots of handmade and locally made crafts. We spent hours walking through spice souks (markets) and perfume souks and textile souks, etc. Jordan has a history of Bedouin shepherds which means that everything they made was portable and functional.
3. History – Damascus is the world’s oldest inhabited city and we saw beautiful old houses and churches and mosques in every neighborhood.
4. We Spoke Arabic – Syria’s Arabic is closest to the High Standard Arabic we were taught – we were able to practice our Arabic more than we ever can in Amman AND people understood us…sometimes.

It rained yesterday!

Dan's parents arrived safely and brought rain. It has literally not rained since Dan and I arrived. We have been told that olives are harvested after it has rained - we were really skeptical that such a day would ever occur.

Today I also received the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living in my pile of mail (copy of today's Jordan Time's; bank statement; couple of clipped articles from my boss). I only saw the side of magazine which lists the highlights of the magazine and saw "turkey techniques" and "cranberry desserts" and my first reaction was "wow - that is weird." It was only then that I realized that Thanksgiving is indeed just five weeks away - and someone somewhere is indeed debating apple pie vs. pumpkin. Here it is 85 degrees and summer-like and Thanksgiving seems very remote.

Dan + parents are spending today in Jerusalem. Just two days ago we realized that the car is in my name and so we spent a night scrounging around for every possible document that shows that we are married and that he has a claim to the car too and wouldn't be accused of smuggling it out.

Visitors are on their way...

Dan's parents are on a flight as we speak. In addition...


First Lady Embarking On Trip To Mideast, Will Highlight Breast Cancer Awareness - AP

Breast cancer awareness is the focus of first lady Laura Bush's upcoming trip to the Mideast, where she'll meet with kings and promote women's health in an area of the world where the U.S. image has been marred by the Iraq war.

Mrs. Bush will travel Oct. 20-26 to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan to meet with key officials, medical and educational leaders and members of women's groups. She recently made a trip to Africa that focused on U.S. programs battling AIDS and malaria.

"While in the region she will also visit several cancer treatment and screening centers and launch new cancer awareness activities," said Mrs. Bush's press secretary Sally McDonough.
During the trip, she will promote the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research, which was organized by the State Department and includes the Susan G. Komen Foundation with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Maryland, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The partnership, which Mrs. Bush announced in June 2006, helps to encourage research, training and community outreach efforts as well as help women build the knowledge and confidence to be stewards of their own health.

In the United Arab Emirates, Mrs. Bush will visit a site in Abu Dhabi where women go to learn about breast cancer and preventative care. In Dubai, she will join private sector leaders to launch a Breast Cancer Workplace Awareness program. She will meet with Fatima bint Mubarak, the widow of Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE president who died three years ago.

In Saudi Arabia, Mrs. Bush is launching the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research at the King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh and will tour the nation's first community cancer screening center. In Jeddah, she will hold a discussion with breast cancer survivors and advocates and meet with Saudi King Abdullah.

In Kuwait, Mrs. Bush will meet with women democratic reformers, legal advocates and business leaders and visit with individuals involved in partnership initiative programs, including those on education.

In Jordan, Mrs. Bush will visit the King Hussein Cancer Center to unveil a model of Jordan's first community breast cancer screening center and announce the expansion of the partnership to additional countries in the Middle East. She will also tour the facility, highlighting how it uses new technology in breast cancer care and meet with child cancer patients. Mrs. Bush also will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site in Petra, an ancient city in southwestern Jordan, and meet with Jordan's King Abdullah.

Happy Eid, or Roman Holiday

Dan here. Ramadan ended on Thursday night here in Jordan. Oman and Egypt did not want to rush things and decided to fast one more day. Eid is celebrated by visiting people's homes (one of the embassy drivers said he would visit fifty homes in one day), eating sweets and giving children new clothes and money. Just like at Christmas, the radio stations play seasonal music during Eid. This year's favorite seems to be the Eid Song by Sami Yusuf - it is played on heavy rotation and is firmly stuck in our head. The Germans have a word for this, it translates to "ear worm". Don't believe us? Take a listen.

Let us rejoice indeed

For this is the day of Eid

CHORUS:

La ilaha illallah

Muhammad rasulallah

La ilaha illallah

Muhammad rasulallah

‘Alayhi salatullah

‘Alayhi salatullah

Children are wearing new clothes

Bright colours fill the streets

Their faces full of laughter

Their pockets full of sweets

Let us rejoice indeed

For this is the day of Eid

CHORUS

Mosques are full of worshippers

in rows straight and neat

Their Lord they remember,

His name they repeat

Their hands are raised to the sky

They supplicate and plead

On this blessed day

Forgive us they entreat

Let us rejoice indeed

For this is the day of Eid

CHORUS

People are giving charity

And helping those in need

In giving they’re competing

Today there is no greed

Let us rejoice indeed

For this is the day of Eid

CHORUS

Enemies embracing each other

All hatred is buried

Everyone is celebrating

Greeting everyone they meet

Let us rejoice indeed

For this is the day of Eid

Yesterday, we went to an Eid party and indeed we ate a lot of sweets.

Duffy here. Today we took a day trip up to Jerash to see the Roman ruins there and to see the Gladiator Show held in the world's best preserved hippodrome, where we ran into the Ambassador. He seemed to be hosting a large group including a Jordanian Senator, and was probably wondering why we were there in our free time. I believe the Ambassador has been to Petra 34 times - I do not know how many times he has been to the Gladiator Show. We went because a friend here had said it was her very favorite thing in Jordan. I think the Thai massage we had at the Dead Sea was way better.

24 hours in Jerusalem

Dan again. After listening to me whine every day about everything being closed during Ramadan, my colleague said "Enough!" and led us across the River Jordan to the Promised Land. Sure enough, it was a land of plenty: filafel during daylight! Sushi! We arrived during Sukkot, a holiday during which people build makeshift tents in their yards, and eat dinner under them. The Jerusalem restaurants join the fun, and decorate their roof decks accordingly.

Boldly ignoring the instict to leave well enough alone, the city of Jerusalem has hung flags and posters marking "40 years of Reunification". It has a nicer ring than "Remember the Six-Day War of 1967? Remember who won? We did!"

The Damascus Gate

We explored the bustling shopping district of West Jerusalem (west of the Old City) and then entered the Damascus Gate into the Old City. Since we live so close (a 90-minute drive) we have the luxury of many future visits to look forward to. So we didn't attempt to see everything. But we literally stumbled upon the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an amazing structure that is home to no fewer than five stations of the cross.

The Stone of the Anointing (the 13th Station), inside the Church

You asked for it

Some of you have been asking for photos of our apartment. Others have suggested that we identify who's writing each posting. This is Dan. I don't understand how there is any confusion. If the writer is somewhere pleasant and inviting, it's Duffy. But if the author is dumbfounded and cranky, it's me. Anyhow, we'll give it a shot. Enjoy the photos.

Dear readers: this is the guest room. Come visit!

More on Ramadan

I am currently working on a project on tourism and restaurants (here's a picture of my favorite: Blue Fig). I am doing the project with a Jordanian colleague – let’s call him Abdullah. Abdullah is a Muslim who is fasting. His first name clearly indicates that he is Muslim. Jordanians can also tell people’s religion (not to mention their hometown and social status) by their last name – but so far I only know three Christian last names – Naber, Khoury and Swais. I know no one's hometown from their last name.

It has been interesting visiting hotels and restaurants during the day in Ramadan and seeing the impact. Jordanians value hospitality more than anything. Before Ramadan a typically meeting includes ceremonial (and in my opinion barely drinkable) Arabic coffee in [thankfully] tiny glasses. This is followed by one’s choice of tea or Nescafe; water; and sometime cookies. My meetings this month have fallen into three categories – about evenly divided:

• Meetings with fasting Muslims – who apologize profusely that they can’t offer you anything to drink. They acknowledge Abdullah and he says he is fasting.


• Meetings with Christians – offer refreshments which I refuse because my colleague Abdullah is fasting. I only refuse once and the refusal is accepted.


• Meetings with non-fasting Muslims (note: these are a minority in Jordan but not such a minority among the often US-educated business owners I have meetings with) – refreshments are offered. I decline. Abdullah says he is fasting. They press further. I decline again. They order refreshments and push them into my hands they then press Abdullah if he is sure he doesn’t want anything.

We are on day 21 of Ramadan. We are watching the moon closely (it has to go through a full cycle before Ramadan is over) – it is currently waning (that’s where it gets smaller right?) Now this can’t be confirmed until the moon is sighted but if there is a new moon in 10 days we will get a holiday weekend. We are also aware of the days getting shorter now that iftar (fast-breaking meal) is at 6:27 and not 6:45 like at the beginning of Ramadan.