From the window of the Emirates flight, I saw that we were descending into a sea of sand. I knew that the Middle East was immersed within the desert, but I was still shocked by the utter lack of blue or green around the city and how that boded for our living environments. Even before fully entering Jordan, I had a sense that the Jordanian people were welcoming and friendly - in line to check in our bags the man in front of me talked me through how to pick up my baggage and go through the visa. On arrival, we sat for an hour in the cool air conditioned van, which contrasted with the blaring heat from outside.
The scenery as we traveled to the hotel revealed a city that was both rustic and buzzing with life. Street vendors littered the streets, as did small dirt-covered shops with Arabic signs that offered groceries and books of all kinds, and the people walking across the city varied from conservative old ladies wearing full-body covers to teenagers with fashionable attire. It was not the world that I was used to living in and even discrepant from the city that I expected to see. Something about the city was familiar and reminded me of the town my grandparents live in at China, which immediately instilled in me a sense of nostalgia and joy.
SIT training brought me back down to earth and connected me with my old American college student self. Most of it was re-iteration of old principals: appreciate and respect your new country and don't let your views and attitudes stand in the way of appreciating the new culture. Yet it was different to hear the words coming from Jordanian locals, as they added an element of culture that was very three dimensional and real. Not just what they said, but their expressions and their attitudes towards certain things painted a detailed picture. It was especially hard to get used to the cultural differences in acceptance of homosexuality and the role of women. Will probably explore this more later.
But the best part of my trip so far has been connecting with my host family. My host mama is a warm lady who immediately kissed and hugged me on arrival. My host papa is more reserved but also very friendly - he tries to make me feel right at home. I adore my sisters - Leen and Dalia. They are sweet girls who really try to make me feel at home and are both generous and caring. They have made this experience much less tedious and made me feel like I am living at a home away from home.
The scenery as we traveled to the hotel revealed a city that was both rustic and buzzing with life. Street vendors littered the streets, as did small dirt-covered shops with Arabic signs that offered groceries and books of all kinds, and the people walking across the city varied from conservative old ladies wearing full-body covers to teenagers with fashionable attire. It was not the world that I was used to living in and even discrepant from the city that I expected to see. Something about the city was familiar and reminded me of the town my grandparents live in at China, which immediately instilled in me a sense of nostalgia and joy.
SIT training brought me back down to earth and connected me with my old American college student self. Most of it was re-iteration of old principals: appreciate and respect your new country and don't let your views and attitudes stand in the way of appreciating the new culture. Yet it was different to hear the words coming from Jordanian locals, as they added an element of culture that was very three dimensional and real. Not just what they said, but their expressions and their attitudes towards certain things painted a detailed picture. It was especially hard to get used to the cultural differences in acceptance of homosexuality and the role of women. Will probably explore this more later.
But the best part of my trip so far has been connecting with my host family. My host mama is a warm lady who immediately kissed and hugged me on arrival. My host papa is more reserved but also very friendly - he tries to make me feel right at home. I adore my sisters - Leen and Dalia. They are sweet girls who really try to make me feel at home and are both generous and caring. They have made this experience much less tedious and made me feel like I am living at a home away from home.
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