Arriving in Jordan: Thoughts and Pictures

Well I did finally arrive in Jordan late last Wednesday night (Thursday morning to be exact) at around 1 am Amman time after leaving at 6 pm EST on Tuesday evening. I feel like I need to start another blog dedicated to my six week vacation in Jordan because there is so much I have to say about things here, and I haven’t even been here for a week. It’s not like this is the first time I’m here, or that I have been away for years. I was here last July and almost every summer before that since I can remember. Still, it’s different this time because I feel a little more “grown up” and also because I keep connecting everything I see to what I’ve been read on Jordanian blogs for the past 8 months. And finally, every time I notice things that bother me or amuse me about Jordan and Jordanians, I have an urge to run to my computer and blog about them, which isn’t something that I’ve experienced in past summers in Jordan.

Right now, I'm ecstatic because my grandparents' neighbor offered to hook me up to his wireless connection! Yes, wireless Internet access in Irbid, you gotta love it! This will definitely get me back up-to-date with my blogging which I have been missing terribly.

I'm trying my best to point out any positive changes I see in Jordan, but it is definitely hard. Wherever I look, I see people obsessed with their cell phones (err, sorry, "mobile" phones) and the latest ringtones. I hear negativity and see hopelessness. My cousins in college depressed me with stories of incompetence, disorganization, lack of motivation, and a slew of other problems facing my generation here in Jordan.

Nevertheless, I will remain optimistic as I still have a few weeks to explore new places and meet new people in Jordan which I hope will give me some hope for the future of this country.

Until then, I leave you with these pictures from the past week:

clouds from the plane window on the way to Amsterdam














the first i noticed when i left the airport in Amman were the carts thrown all over the parking lot, even though there was a designated area for them to be parked after use. look at how this car is parked totally wrong, and the cart is left in the middle of the parking lot.














the view of Jordan's hilly landscape on the way to Irbid















the usual trip to the traditional Arabic sweets store















sheep grazing across the street from our apartment. in Jordan, sheep receive priority when crossing the street and traveling across the city or village. it's not as common of a sight as it used to be, but I do enjoy seeing that this profession is still alive and well. i didn't, however, appreciate that some drivers are too crazy and in a hurry to give the herd a few minutes to cross. one taxi driver actually beeped at them, as if they would understand!















the view on University Street in Irbid the night of the World Cup; streets were closed to cars because of the heavy foot traffic as fans went out to celebrate the Italian win.














(click images to enlarge)