I made it

Hello everyone,

This is the first of what I hope will be many blog posts about all of my experiences here in Jordan. We've been here three days now, and it has been great! Everyone we've met has been really nice and welcoming. Most people speak English fairly well, but I've definitely learned quite a bit of Arabic and class hasn't even started yet!

I've been really surprised by a number of things I've seen here so far. As Westerners, our stereotypes of predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East lead us to conjure fantasies of women wearing hijabs (headscarves) or burqas (the long black gowns that leave only the eyes exposed) amidst streets filled with bags of spices, camels, and dust. However, I was instead greeted by people wearing aeropostale, driving BMWs, and eating McDonalds. I actually have seen quite a few women wearing hijabs and we ran into two women wearing burqas but I also see countless women who don't.

It's been quite strange to see all of what I generally assumed to be products of Western consumerism displayed quite prominently against a backdrop of mosques and relatively traditional Muslim social relations. For example, it is quite unwholesome to see two people of opposite genders holding hands or kissing on the street. However, I have seen countless men walking hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm down major streets all over Amman. Of course, this is no display of intimacy or sexuality; its more about platonic comradery. Nevertheless, it's very interesting to think about how these sorts of public homosocial displays are totally appropriate, while homosexuality itself is still exceedingly taboo.

I've found myself confused a lot over the past few days really. As I look around at all of these purportedly Western cultural, capitalist imports, a great disappointment falls over me. Cultural imperialism knows no bounds. In talking with a few of the other people on my program, it's clear that other people share this sentiment. However, it isn't before long that this disappointed feeling is sharply checked by a critical voice that asks why? Why is it so bad that these Arab nations be exposed to McDonald's and Ford and Porsche and Pepsi; often times with these companies comes the promises of prosperity, wealth, and development. I think at the heart of our shared disappointment is a committment to a certain idea of the Middle East that is based on the imaginary conjurings I mentioned before. We've all seen Indiana Jones and Aladdin and Lawrence of Arabia. Why isn't this place like that? Then I think again and I realize that the critical voice that checks my disappointment is founded in the realization of my profoundly paternalistic and exoticising disposition. In truth, perhaps, part of me wants to see camels, swords, and more women in burqas.

One of the first things we did as a group after arriving at the SIT HQ was a sort of hopes and fears exercise. On one side of an index card we wrote down all of our expectations and on the other, our fears. Then one of the staff members collected them all and we discussed what we wrote down. When the academic director asked people to tell him what they expected, one of the first responses was "adventure." I guess McDonalds and Coca Cola aren't that adventurous to a product of a consumer-based society. Swords are though. I'll let you know if I find any.

Until next time!

Love,
Tony