Quick Orientations

Quick Orientations:

Well I’ve been in and out of an assortment of orientations. I know that I’m in the MIddle East, but for me its difficult for me to quite realize that I’ve finally made it. Just like living in Hong Kong, it just feels just like any other place with different people. I’m not quite sure if any place will ever feel like home, but thats alright.

This is Your 5:00 AM Wake Up Call

One aspect about living in the Middle East which will most likely never stop annoying me, is the calls for prayer in the morning. Now, many of you are aware that in the Middle East they pray five times a day (albeit, the same exact prayer in the mosques). So in order to get the people up to pray (at around 6:00- 7:00), those calls for prayer go out on the loud speakers attached to the Minarets (tall towers that point skyward) at 5:00 AM, or a little before.

What does it sound like? Well more like a mixture between sing-shouting with quavering, near feverish pitches. It is absolutely inescapable to avoid. And I haven’t mastered the, turn over and go back to bed approach yet. (It goes on for about twenty minutes or so). Now don’t get me wrong, I am not being negative here. Actually I admire the dedication to prayer here. In many ways their devotion to their religion goes far beyond the superficial lip-service in America. Now, I cannot speak to the authenticity of servitude here, but there are certainly lessons to be learned as to devotion.

As for me, it hasn’t quite gone to being bothersome, for I’ve been waking up 15 or so minutes before the jamboree on loudspeakers. I end up doing my devotions and prayers around the same time the rest of the populace is doing theirs. And for one thing, its not bad to receive an extra reminder, and I do so out of willing volition.

Good To See You Again

I have enjoyed all the meals that have been both provided to me, and the things I’ve picked up. I don’t mind Middle Eastern cuisine, it can be quite delectable. On a related note, I quickly deduced that you aren’t supposed to put toilet paper into the porcelain throne. With that being said, I’ll leave you to your own imagination as to what the title of this section was referencing.

Great Each Other With A Holy Kiss

I haven’t kissed a dude yet. But I surmise that this is a date with fate that has been set upon the wheels with an unavoidable eventual destination. It is quite customary for friends to kiss their friends cheek. (Cheeky?) Just prior to my first adventure at an Arabic church was to ask, “I have only one question, am I going to have to kiss a guy?”

Well I didn’t have to, as it is quite customary at Western Churches to shake hands, but I’ve seen my American friends kiss other people around town. When the time comes, hopefully I’ll be prepared (but just so you know, I’m not willing to practice).

Cafe 56k Dial-Up

My morning rituals and routines will probably amount to me waking up before the crack of dawn everyday to jog. Yesterday, I had my laptop and was able to grab an internet connection at the Pinoy Cafe, today I wasn’t as successful today with my I-Phone.

If there is one thing that I’ve quickly learned, is that Jordanians (and really the entire Middle East) loves their coffee. There is no end or shortage of cafes, and once I get settled into a routine, I will enjoy going there. Perhaps, I’ll even do my lesson planning in one, once I get comfortable that is.

(Oh, and no cafe’s here use 56k dial-up, I just wanted a catchy title).

They Came From Under the Sink

I’ll post pictures of my humble abode later. Its quite quaint, yet I’ve already found some of the inhabitants before I moved in (to describe them, it has six legs, an oval orangish-brown tinted body, with two long tell-tale feelers). I asked about it, they apparently come in from the sink drain, and we’re supposed to cover the drainage hole when they are not in use. (Pictures of outside my apartment).

Jordanian Conspiracy Theories

Apparently Jordanians love their conspiracy theories. Now, I haven’t heard any of them directly, but they’ve been passed down to me by others.

1.) Cold air (AC in the Car) blowing onto your abdomen will give you diarrhea

2.) If a road is closed due to construction, there must be some ulterior motive

3.) The government actually has water, and the shortage is fictional

4.) The armed guards in front of embassies that hold semi-automatic weapons, don’t have any ammunition in them. (I’m not quite sure how this is a conspiracy, but I heard that today).

Well that does it for updates here. I’ll be leaving in a few minutes to grab a morning breakfast, but I’ll continue to post only the most interesting aspects of my adventure.

Salem (Peace),

Greg