Settling In

After an 11 hour flight from New York City to Amman, Jordan, we breezed through Immigration and Customs and were met by the driver from the Fulbright Commission.  Heading into the city from the airport, the most striking observation was the monochromatic landscape.  Having recently left the greens and blues of Maine, the hillsides covered with sandy colored buildings as the sun was setting created a stark first impression.  As usual, a night flight and the seven hour time difference left our bodies confused: are we tired or hungry is the usual question.  Following the suggestion of a former Fulbrighter (thank you Tess), we walked a few blocks to a lovely French restaurant with excellent food and service, and cold beer.  Although Jordan is a Muslim country, alcohol is available in some Western style restaurants and in liquor stores (expensive).  In fact, we were served Jordanian wine on the Royal Jordan flight.

At 4:30 in the morning we were reminded that we are in a Muslim country when the dawn call to prayer sounded via loudspeakers from the nearby mosque.  (Dawn call is one and a half hours before sunrise, so at least it will get later as the season changes.)  This occurs five times a day, calling the faithful to stop for a moment and pray to Allah.

On our first full day in Jordan, the Fulbright folks provided us with transportation and language interpretation and we found a lovely three bedroom apartment in the Shemisani area of Amman.  By Saturday we were moved in and somewhat settled.  Our apartment has front and back balconies as well as an enclosed side balcony.  The cooling breeze whips through and slams the doors if we are not careful to keep the door stops in place.  The apartment has a clothes washer and dishwasher as well as air conditioning which we have not needed.  We are also very close to a mosque so the in the early morning the muezzin’s call sounds like he is in our bedroom if the windows are open.  The front balcony gives us the chance to watch the street action and the back balcony is perfect for drying clothes.  In the back we overlook the neighbor’s yard that has small trees and chirping birds.  We are on the second floor (which is called the first floor here, meaning the first floor above the ground floor).

On Sunday (the work week is from Sunday to Thursday) we began our orientation at the Fulbright House.  There are 6 scholars (including me) in our group.  I am the only nurse, although there will be another nurse starting in February for one semester.  While you have to be a US citizen to participate in this Fulbright program, three of the scholars were born in the Middle East and of course speak fluent Arabic.  Our group also includes 15 student researchers. We had the opportunity to meet a variety of people who introduced the usual topics of customs, health and safety, things to do in the area, and volunteer opportunities.  I especially enjoyed the practical advice given by a nurse who works for the US Embassy.  Jordan is a medical tourism destination, with at least one of the prominent medical centers accredited by the Joint Commission International.  The Fulbright Commission also had a dinner for us where we met Embassy officials and the US Ambassador.

Before leaving for Jordan, some of my colleagues were concerned that I would have to wear a head scarf.  Dress for women is amazingly varied.  We have seen women completely covered by long black robes with only their eyes showing, women with long black robes and their hair covered but their entire face visible, women dressed in conservative slacks and blouses with lovely scarves covering their hair, young women is skinny jeans and HIGH heels, with a scarf covering the hair, and many women with no scarf at all.  Of course, we are in the capital, so I expect that rural areas may be more conservative.  Although I had been warned that sleeves should be below the elbows, many stylish women wear short sleeve blouses.

Frustrations have included the taxis.  While they are cheap when they use the meter, many drivers will claim to have a broken meter and will assume that you do not know how much a trip should be.  The standard then seems to be for the driver to say 3 JD for everywhere we want to go.  Most trips in our local area are in fact about 1 JD ($1.40).  The man always rides in the front and the woman in the back.  Typically Ed and the driver engage in an animated conversation, the driver stops to ask people how to get where we are going (even though we have it written out in Arabic with some landmarks), or the driver phones someone, presumably to ask directions, but perhaps just to chat.  All of this while driving recklessly around roundabouts and narrow streets.  Walking can also be frustrating.  For the most part the sidewalks are narrow with crumbling tiles.  The trees are planted right in the middle of the sidewalk, and are not trimmed so even at my height your head is often being accosted.  Crossing intersections is taking your life in your hands.  The trips to China were good practice, but I think the drivers here are even less accommodating.  Banking has also been slow.  It took two visits to the bank, for a total of 3+ hours to open a simple savings account. 

So, the adventure continues.  I will probably blog about once a week.  Feel free to respond on the blog site, or to email me at slarocco0603@curry.edu.