Ramadan for non Muslims

I have to admit when Ramadan first started I was excited.  The same way I´m excited for holidays in America, or what it would be like to experience Christmas in Bethlehem, Diwali in India, etc.  Everyone in Jordan was excited, there were major sales going on in all the stores, "christmast lights" or what they know here as Ramadan lights hanging everywhere, it seemed like an exciting time.  I even planned along with my Italian friend Silvia to fast for the first day and then have dinner at Feras's parents house to break our fast and experience a real Islamic Ramadan feast.  The first day came and I knew it would be difficult but I didn't realize HOW difficult.  First of all, I drink coffee every morning, a LOT of coffee so immediately in the morning I was groggy and had a headache from the caffeine withdrawal.  I had a quiz at 9 that morning in my Arabic class which I was having great difficulty with but what could I do?  Ask for sympathy from my Muslim teacher? Some classmates of mine who are Muslim?  Of course it was one of the hottest days of the year, so my hunger and thirst just added to my headache, however I said I was going to fast and I was sticking to it!  I guess maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I'm stronger than I think, and part of the point of Ramadan is to feel for the poor, so I figured it couldn't hurt me to maybe try and feel a miniscule taste of what most of the world goes through unwillingly everyday.  After class I came home and tried to sleep but my head hurt too much....so I just layed on the couch and watched tv until the time came to get Silvia and take the bus to Salt.  We arrived at Feras's and I didn't realize how used to Arab hospitality I've become until that day when we didn't immediately have water, juice, tea, Arabic and Turkish coffee and dates pushed on us as soon as we walked through the door!  It seemed like an eternity but when we heard the prayer call softly and then loudly and Feras said "Ok you can eat now" I drank more water then I think I ever have in my life and then stuffed my face with food so quickly I ended up barely being able to eat because my stomache was so small I filled up so quickly!  It was a very nice relaxing dinner, then Silvia, Feras, Dema (his adorable 7 year old sister) and I went up to the roof to hang out where there lived a baby chicken that Feras's little brother had brought home the other day!  It just lived on the roof by itself.....and it was dyed pink!  It was so cute I held it in my hands for a few minutes and when I went to put it down it snuggled close to me and wouldn't get off my hands.  I was in love!  So I sat with my little chick or "sous" in Arabic for a few hours until we left for home.  The next day I learned my sous had died!!!  Probably from a broken heart since I left him all alone on the roof poor little baby. 

Silvia, Dema, the Sous and I

Feras and Dema

The sous

Fast forward a week later and I am so sick of Ramadan!  Everyone is cranky (justifiably so) during the day, nothing is open, it's impossible to get anything done and no alcohol at all in the country to at least try to cure the boredom!!  Even if you're not a Muslim (and it's perfectly acceptable not to be a Muslim in this country) you're basically forced to fast during the day.  There is almost no restaurants or take out places open, and forget buying a bottle of water and drinking it on the street!  I can do it without problems yes, but it's just really very rude and I don't like to be rude in other people's cultures (or anywhere for that matter!).  Plus everyone is just so.....tired.  19 days to go before "normalcy" (is there such a thing in Jordan?) returns!  On a brighter note, Silvia, Marthe (my new Norweigian roommate) and I have been invited to Feras's grandmothers for our third Ramadan feast tonight so there is something to look forward to!  I never thought in my late teens and early twenties that I would be looking forward to a dinner with no alcohol and strict Muslims so much.....

Renewing my Visa in "just" 4 tries.....

When most nationalities arrive at Mataar Maleka Alia (Queen Alia Airport) in Amman they are automatically issued a one month, one entry visa.  If you want to stay longer than a month you have to go to the "nearest" police station to renew.  So, one week before my visa was to expire, Feras took me to the police station closest to my apartment which is in the Khalda neighborhood.  The lease to my apartment was handwritten in English by my landlord because he didn't want to give me a lease in Arabic because it would be unfair for me to sign something I don't understand.  Feras went to a store and bought a lease written in Arabic and signed my landlords name on it.  Only in Jordan can you buy a lease to an apartment at a store!  So we went into the station....after a million stares and everyone asking Feras "Where your girlfriend from? She is welcome to Jordan!" We were told we had to go to a different police station.  So we drove there, but it was 2:45 and they were closing at 3 so they didn't feel like seeing us.  Ah Jordan.  Or "f***ing Jordan!" as I so often say these days!  So, two days later we went back, and they told me I need to get papers from my school saying I'm a student.....but my school said I had to do all my visa stuff at the police.  Ugh.  The next day, two people from my school, an American and a British were going to renew their visas so I decided to go with them and see what happened.  They said nothing about doing it at school, but gave me another form to have my landlord sign.  My landlord was in Turkey at the time.  So....I went home, called Feras and he took me the next day with all the signed paperwork (that he signed for me).  The police men start saying I need something else and I'm about to kill them when the police cheif recognizes Feras's accent as being from Salt...and he was from Salt as well.  They start talking, joking around and what do you know because of this I was given a two month extension on my visa, no fees, and NO FORMS.  This my friends, is Jordan in a nutshell!

Loves and hates about Jordan

So I’ve been in Jordan one and a half months now and I guess it’s only appropriate I start to blog during the holy month of Ramadan.  So far I am still loving this country, although sometimes it drives me absolutely insane.  I’m learning to be more patient with  everyone and everything here, it’s hard but I think I’m doing pretty well.  For example,  I don’t throw my phone anymore when someone calls me 5 times because I haven’t called them back.   When you finally answer the phone or call them back because you think there was an emergency they just say they wanted to check on you because they haven’t heard from you…..in 1 day.  They are genuine, and sweet, but it’s really quite crazy!  I’ve learned how to deal with the impatience of everyone here, no one waiting in line or their turn (although after spending time in Israel this is nothing!), people stealing taxis from you….I’ve learned how to manage that.  I’ve learned how to manage the biggest one of all and that is the “Arab time”.  Basically when an Arab tells you they will see you at, for example, 4pm, it could  be anywhere from 4-8!  Also, people always want to tell you they know someone who can get you a job, etc…..but that never happens either. 

However there are so many wonderful things about this country which is what brought me to be here in the first place.  First of all there is really not enough that can be said about the Arab hospitality!  For the first two weeks I was here I was living with my friend Dalla and her family in As-Salt which is about 15 minutes north of Amman and is the oldest city in Jordan:  over 2000 years old!  The tales of living with her are for another day, but the way I was treated was beyond something I could have ever expected.  I was given the youngest daughters (Sewar) bed and she slept on the floor even when I insisted that I would sleep on the floor.  They would make me coffee every morning, tea in the evening, juice and water all day, they would bombard me with home-cooked meals every day I have never been so well fed in my life!  Their oldest son bought me some presents (they were things to put in my hair, well my hair if I was 12 years old but the thought was very nice) because I was a guest in their home.  THEY ALSO DID MY LAUNDRY!  You wont find that anywhere in the western world!  When you walk down the street everyone wants to talk to you and ask you where you are from and then give you a big “Welcome to Jordan!”  Seriously I think everyone in this country is trained to say those words since birth.  I know, that even if I live here for ten years and speak fluent Arabic,  because I am white people will still tell me “Welcome to Jordan”.  It’s cute, and it’s nice.  People may stare a lot here, but always they want to help if you are in need.  Plus…and here’s the shocker for all you media believers…..it’s SAFE.  Like, REALLY safe.  Like, safer than America safe.  Ok, maybe people drive crazy here, maybe building and food codes aren’t 100% equal to the US….but they are close.  The crime rate is almost non existant.  If you lose your passport, your wallet, your purse, chances are someone will return it.  If I am walking down the street late at night by myself and I pass a group of “shabaab” (young guys) hanging out on the street, nothing will happen to me.  There is almost virually no rape or murder in this country and NO TERRORISM.  There were a couple of bombings in western hotels in 2005.  Tragic, but nothing compared to the terroristic acts that are commited in western countries regularly.  Jordan is safe, BEAUTIFUL, and the people here respect other cultures.  Yes they don’t want their women to act like me which I disagree with…however it’s their country not mine and they respect the way I act and think and what I do and I love that about this place.