A Night to Di for

It was an amazing night.  Diana Krall, the Jazz singer came to perform at the Citadel in Amman.  Something like 2000 years ago the Roman empire constructed a bunch of columns on the highest hill they could find.  The standing columns and the church thats left were the backdrop to Diana’s 2 hour performance.  I have decided this is the best location of any concert I have ever been to.  It was all outside and the stage was a bare bones speakers and light trusses.  this meant the glow of the green minarets could be seen for miles out behind her.  Being in the center of the city was majestic when she stopped playing, turned off the lights, and the call to evening prayer rang out over the hills.  A slight breeze was blowing in the warm air, which prompted to band to start playing “Windy” without missing a beat somewhere in the second song.  It was amazing jazz music, and the crowd roared for the encore of Get Your Kicks on Route 66.  

The security was amazing.  The citadel is still a city on top of heavy walls.  Everyone 25 feet was another soldier making perimeters around the festival grounds.  I imagine this was the first time there was such security at the place since the time of Caesar.  

It was just a perfect night.  Ended up seeing a bunch of people form the embassy, and met some young jordanian professionals to share the evening with.  We were talking about the plight of refugees shortly before the show started when I saw something that made me long for certain people back home...

The big dipper was pouring its magic right onto the stage.  In between the stars of the jazz world, and the stars of the constellations a shooting star streaked across the entire sky.  I have never seen one last a full 6 seconds before.   THe timing was perfect, the place was perfect, and only having certain people here would have made it any more perfect.  

Get out of Town

These are just a few of the ways to go abroad, any google search could come up with more.  Most of these are High School oriented, as most colleges have many opportunities on campus to go abroad...  

Rotary

http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/youthprograms/RotaryYouthExchange/Pages/ridefault.aspx

AFS

http://www.afs.org/afs_or/home

Germany Exchange-

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/students/programs/cbyx.htm

State Department List of Exchanges

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/students/programs/

http://www.studyabroad.com/

People to People

Sean and I had the most successful meeting possible the other day.  We were told to meet at the King Abdullah Economic Fund for Development.  It was never very clear what we would be doing, so we went in with low hopes.  We dressed up for the occasion, and prepared to be acknowledged at the meeting, but were not sure if we would even speak.  One of our largest roles is working on connecting our team, as well as futures teams, with youth in Jordan and civil society in general.  My favorite Jordanian family, the Al Bashir’s, who I am still certain run the country (as it appeared last year), managed to set up this meeting for Sean and I to work on getting our Civil Society mission complete.  We entered the room and were introduced to everyone.  Turns our the Al Bashir family had arranged for a personal meeting for us with the Royal We Are All Jordan Youth Commission.  We ended up with a gold mine of contacts and possibilities to pursue.  

Things are getting into a pattern.  Almost everyone is in home stays now, and we are living in the hotel.  This has given me time to start reading, and I managed to find a book on Pirates.  With any luck I will get to go Pirating in Aqaba when they students are with their families for the weekend.  

America Abroad

It felt good to go home.  I loaded up in the taxi told him we wanted to go to america and he took us there.  On the 4th of July we attempted to get as much American spirit, Apple Pie, and Baseball as possible.  The only way to do this, without going to the newest State of the Union next door, was to go to the Embassy for their community day.  It was not nearly as entertaining last year, unless one was 6 years old.  There were clowns, face painting, and what seemed like a knock off of telletubbies mixed with Dora in oversized costumes performing in Arabic.  The pool looked appealing, but that who conscious thing about there being a water shortage for half the country, and the Americans frolicking in aqua bliss did not sit right with me.  We did meet some pretty cool people.  One guy was an air force attache who helps the Jordanians spend the military gift we give them every year.  We got to talking about how Jordan is still one of the few places in the world that being American automatically gives you rock star status.  Another guy just got out of Monterey Defense Language School, who had an interesting perspective.  We talked to a business man who was somehow involved with moving between Amman and Baghdad.  The ambassador was not there, and neither were the FSOs who I normally talk to.  They are having new assignments (Which sucks for our program.)  I did get a chance to meet some people whose blog I have been reading.  They are FSOs in Amman, one is Economic and the other is consular.  Their blog is www.danandduffy.blogspot.com  We ended up playing hot potato with water balloons.  There is nothing as satisfying as watching American Foreign Service Officers, Jordanian soldiers in combat fatigues, American students and little kids of both nationalities tossing water balloons to each other.  If I ever become head of any country, water balloon diplomacy will become the new foreign policy directive.  

After we all got off of american soil, the host families came to pick up the students.  That involved a lot of ferrying up and down stairs and small talk with them.  Everyone should have an amazing time.  Most of these families are LOADEDDDDDDDDDDDDD with money.  I think a few of them have indoor pools. (Did I mention a water shortage?)  some still do not have families, or they families were on vacation, so in honor of our nations birthday we did the most american thing we could think of after the embassy party.  We went bowling, then to McDonalds.

Chasing Waterfalls

“Oh yea, there apparently is alot of water, make sure you have good shoes on.  you are going to get wet!”  This was the direction we got as we got off the bus.  After trolling along the dead sea highway we made it to my new favorite spot in Jordan, Wadi Mujib.  This is a rock bed stream, which culminates in a 50 foot waterfall 3k from where we start.  The only way to get there is to talk up stream.  This is no Six Mile creek.  There are 4 or 5 smaller rapids and falls the involve ladders, ropes and vaulting each other up whitewater.  The constant immersion in water feels excellent.  There were tiems going up stream that the water was up to my waist.  There were times coming down that involved sliding down rapids into a pool over my head.  Being able to stand under 50 foot falls is probably the best shower I have had in my time here. Who would have thought there are tourist rivers, much elss waterfalls in the middle of the desert?  

Tomorrow I get to head o the Royal High Commission on Youth, to hopefully start my real job of networking for youth contacts and civil society.  

I apparently missed Rhythm and Booms, once again.  This used to be my favorite way to celebrate our nations independence.  Last year it was replaced by a differnet party.  Imagine who kind of fun can happen when Americans get together, in the middle east, for the 4th of July, at the Embassy.  I can’t wait.  I am going to get real hotdogs, amybe even cheese curds!

Happy 4th!

Lost in Translation

Finished my first week of arabic.  Unlike last year, I can finally read, and fairly well.  Arabic is hard.  There are a few letters that have no english equivalent.  Sometimes they will write arabic but have it as an english word, which ends up very butchered.  There is also no P sound in arabic which is what lead to this blog.  I managed to find a grocery store I assumed I was very familiar with.  Those who live in my home town, have most definitely shopped there, or even worked there.  This was a bad translation attempt at one of Waunakee’s landmarks...

frisbees and windows

I survived half the week of arabic so far.  That is 10 hours of instruction under my belt in two days.  yesterday I tired to teach my Ameia (Jordanian street Arabic) teacher how to throw a frisbee.  It was horrible and he managed to hit a window.  We have gotten a few games of Ultimate with the other americans and the Jordanians who hang around the Language Center.  Jordan must be perceived as safer due to the influx of American students.  My arabic has gotten a lot better.  Almost everyone in our team speaks another language fairly well.  Most of them are spanish and french, which they started in middle or high school.  Imagine if we started Arabic and Chinese in the first grade.  Our Foreign Policy issues would be taken care of in 10 years.  Culture shock is setting in for some of the students.  They are very smart and very committed, but there is a lack of closeness between the entire group.  Some little groups have started to form.  I assume that will change when they move out, which will be very soon leaving me and the 3 other alums to living in the hotel for the rest of the summer.  We have our first test in a few hours so I should probably go study for that.  Hope everyone is well.