Summer Reading

Though experiencing the city of Jordan has been exciting, as has experiencing the lovely Arabic culture and spending time with my host family and DukeEngage group, I'm beginning to grow addicted to my daily routine and the amount of free time that I'm able to channel into various projects that I have never gotten around to doing during school.  Here's a little snapshot of my day to day -

Wake up at 7:30-8 Depending on how much I'm attracted to my bed, I will either get up earlier or later. It's rather pleasant because my bed is right by the window, so the first thing that I see is sunlight and the first thing I hear are bird chirping.  And yes, it's always sunlight - it has not rained once since I came. I try to start the day off with 5 minutes of meditation and a light bit of yoga or journaling before I take a quick breakfast and flag down a taxi to work.

Get to office at 9 Sometimes I will consciously force myself to get there later, because I know that if I am too early the door will the locked, as nobody comes in early to work (unless our boss is there).  I'll set my bag down at the front cubicle I occupy that happens to be farthest from the air conditioning since it gets really cold around the office. Then I take out my work legal-pad, plug in my laptop, and work diligently for the next few hours.

...Just kidding. I'll usually start off my work hours checking out news headlines, facebook, etc. But then it's on to my work, where I am developing a policy framework and writing a position paper for implementing Access and Benefit Sharing for biodiversity conservation and indigenous protection.  Depending on the day, I may also be heading to a conference with my boss to hear a presentation or attend a workshop for the state of sustainability in the Middle East.

Of course the productivity in my work is aided by grooveshark, youtube, and other sites that provide adequate music to tide me through the day.

Head to the gym at 4:15 My work day ends at 4, and it usually takes a while to call a taxi that does not blatantly attempt to overcharge me.  Then I will head out to Fitness One, one of the only female-only gyms in Amman.

I love looking outside the window from the taxi and into the crowded city. During rush hour, cars will be swerving in every which direction in the streets and brave pedestrians will be calmly "frogger-ing" through even the busy highway. Regardless, I enjoy looking up at the skyscrapers and trying to decipher the names and purposes of the endless street shops.  

On days that I don't go to the gym, our study abroad program (SIT) usually has some event or lecture planned for us.  Earlier in the program, we were learning survival Arabic techniques and lately we have been receiving cultural lectures such as the role of the Jordanian government and women's movements that have emerged in the city. It's all very fascinating and I am sometimes amazed at the ability of our SIT coordinators to invite relatively distinguished lecturers such as professors from Jordan University to speak with us.

Home at 7 When I get home, my host mama and sister are already back and I will unwind by chattering with them about my work, their work, and trying to learn some Arabic. Usually my host mama has some wonderful food already prepared as well, and I eat it with delight as I am famished after my stint at the gym. However, she and my sister do not join us because it is customary for Jordanians to eat dinner very late at around 9 or even 10 pm (they eat lunch at around 4 or 5 pm, I will never fully understand this). 

Post-dinner, I may do a little bit of light yoga or head straight into my mini-projects. One of these is attempting to recombine song lyrics and create remixes. Or I start right into working on my fiction novel. If I'm really tired, all I really want to do is read "Atlas Shrugged", which is an amazing novel by Ayn Rand that espouses the principals of Objectivism. The philosophy itself I don't agree with, but the characterization and plot are so far superb.

Other days, where I am feeling more active or post-lecture at SIT, I usually do not get home until 10 to 11 pm because our group will eat dinner and have fun around the city. A few days ago I saw Monsters University in theaters - and I must say that the movie was absolutely fantastic and full of so much heart-jerking comedy.

Bedtime by 12 I've become such a homebody at this point that I usually cannot make it past midnight without completely passing out in my bed.

 Usually, as I'm passed out my iPhone is hidden and snuggled right under my pillow or still glowing in my hand.