Tea and cakes at the jail

"Shay!", the warden commands. The receptionist disappears for a few minutes to brew thick, coffee-ish tea as I sit awkwardly in his office, as Al Jazeera plays loudly in the corner. We are not alone. Another jail official sits silently, and my colleague - a native Jordanian woman - facilitates some small talk. (The warden speaks no English)

This country is beautiful, I tell him. Have you seen Petra yet?, he asks. No, your jail is the first thing he wanted to see, my colleague adds.

Tea is served. More waiting. When there is so little conversation, it is harder to seize the lull and move on to the business at hand. Today, it's all lull.

Previous visits were quicker, apparently. The Consular Officers before me were female, and were not invited to sit for tea. When Americans are arrested overseas, they are entitled to periodic visits from a Consular Officer. We do not bail you out, or pressure foreign governments to release you. We simply want to know where you are, and ensure that you are not treated worse than everyone else.

After finally meeting with the American prisoner, we sit for another tea with the first warden, and then go to the women's facility. Another warden, another tea. This time, there are sweets.

There has not been an American female arrest in years, so it's the first time a US Consular Officer has visited.

In fact, there is some commotion during my entrance and exit as the female staff jostle each other in order to get a good look at me. For a brief moment, I am an international celebrity.