Already it's been three weeks!!

Hard to believe that I have now been in Jordan for three weeks. This is officially the longest I have been outside of the country for at a given time. This post will be short, but I hope you take a look at some of my photos in the link below. There are also photos of my host family so take a look!

Photos of First 3 Weeks in Jordan

How hard is it to buy a cup of coffee?

This is partially linked to my blog entitled “Educated and Unemployed”.

Here is a scenario: Let’s say you were ordering a cup of coffee (regular; nothing special) at Starbucks. You would get in line, wait your turn, and then give your order. After taking down your order, the barista would tell you how much you owe. You would give the barista the money and then wait patiently for your order. In a few moments you would get your cup of coffee and be on your way. How long would that take on average? A couple minutes, right?

Now, I know that the States are different from Jordan, or the Middle East for that matter. I know that people operate differently in different locations, under different circumstances, etc. But wouldn’t you expect that something as simple as purchasing a cup of coffee would be relatively simple and take little to no time? Well unfortunately, that is not the case here in Amman.

Now to provide you with some background on how most stores are structured in terms of employees. (This is from my personal experiences and my discussions with local Jordanians, and may only represent a small percentage of what actually takes place). In most small businesses, particularly restaurants, cafes, and small stores that provide services, there are two levels of employees. The first level includes the manager or boss, who is typically a Jordanian. The second level, consisting of the majority of employees who tend to be non-Jordanian (mainly Egyptian), work in restaurants and cafes as waiters or assist the waiters, or provide the service in smaller stores. The manager will take the money and accept the order, then pass it along to those that serve under him.

I have around an hour break in-between my Fusha class (Modern Standard Arabic) and my Ammiyah class (Jordanian dialect). During that time I tend to sit in the cafeteria, do some homework, look over Arabic, etc. And the one thing I do consistently is purchase a cup of coffee that costs (0.15 JD or 25 cents!).

One day I went to purchase my coffee and it took so incredibly long that I almost gave up on my coffee that day. I was the only one in line and it still took what felt like an hour. While I waited for coffee, the person who accepts the money was not there. He was taking a break in the back or something. Who knows. The man who pours the coffee and/or tea noticed that I was waiting and continued to look at his phone. After several minutes of my waiting, the assistant came over to look for his boss. Why he waited so long, I have no idea, but that is how they operate I guess. Finally the boss came out, took my money and gave me a slip of paper saying that I purchased one coffee. I then proceeded to walk along the counter and gave the slip to the assistant who then poured me my coffee. 

I could think of so many more ways to make this whole process much more efficient. But if all of Amman and even Jordan (maybe even the Middle East) operate like this and everyone goes with the “flow” why would it need to be changed just because a foreigner wants his coffee sooner rather than later?

Educated and Unemployed

A topic of concern over the past couple years in the States has been the inability of recent college graduates to find jobs.

In Jordan something similar has been occurring. Check out Thomas L. Friedman's video from the New York Times on Jordanian's "Educated, Unemployable": http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/04/opinion/1248069613179/thomas-l-friedman-in-jordan.html

Friedman discusses an issue of major concern in Jordan - unemployment. With an unemployment rate of 13.5% (2007) and an unofficial rate of nearly 30%, and the median age in Jordan at 22 years of age, the problem of unemployment, particularly in regards to Jordanian youth, will be an issue that King Abdullah II and the New Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will need to deal with sooner rather than later. Unemployment is not only an issue of living a decent lifestyle and having the opportunity to earn a fair wage, but it is also related to the stability of this country. Demands need to be met, and hopefully will be soon, in order to ensure the stability of Jordan in a region that has been seeing too many struggles in less than a year.

I think Friedman mentions an interesting aspect of the unemployment crisis. Two words are of great importance: "educated, unemployable". The majority of Jordan's youth receive an education, and Jordan is ranked number one in the region on the Human Development Index, which accounts for education. Yet, despite their education, they cannot find a job. So what is going on? One answer may be that Jordan needs more jobs. But another reason for the "unemployable" aspect is that their skills attained through their education does not prepare them for the workforce they enter after their studies.

Now, I do not completely buy the whole "educated, unemployable" bit. I understand how managing a business requires various skills that you do not attain while receiving a university education - it takes life skills and experience in the specific field. However, what about working as waiters in cafés, restaurants, etc.? There are so many unemployed Jordanian youth, yet the majority of the employees (expect the manager) at the cafés and Fast Food restaurants who are Egyptian or other non-Jordanians.

I went to Mecca Mall a week ago and I decided to sit at a café and purchase a Coca-Cola while waiting for two friends who were shopping in a store. When my friends finished in the store, I went to the cashier stand to pay my bill. Three of the employees were standing there and one struck up a conversation with me. He told me that he was from Egypt in addition to the other server who was standing next to him. However the other man was Jordanian and his boss. And this is the theme that I have seen throughout Amman - a hierarchical society. The managers of the various stores are Jordanian, while the employees who handle the basic tasks are non-Jordanians. Do Jordanian youth feel that according to their culture and the norm they are discouraged to work anything less than a managerial position? I am sure there are some cases where this is not true, but from what I have personally experienced and have been told, Jordanian youth and Jordanians in general are discouraged from non-managerial positions and jobs of lesser quality, like cleaning the streets, etc. 

The issues facing Jordan, and other countries throughout this world, have no simple solution. But if Jordan does not act quickly and wisely, it will surely have to pay in some regard. 

Development...Good or Bad?

With investment rates and rents skyrocketing, Amman is moving up in the times. The city is watching the construction of twin 35-storey high-rise towers – the first ever skyscrapers in Amman. As a westerner, I expect to see large skyscrapers in all major cities, from downtown Detroit to Manhattan to Chicago – all major cities have skyscrapers. The Jordan Gate Towers are not yet complete, although there seems to have been much progress. Located at the 6^th circle, this is a $1 billion project to construct a business and retail complex. Another recent development project was the Queen Alia International Airport, which I flew into a couple weeks ago. Begun in 2007, the $600 million project was a combined effort of the Jordanian government and the Royal Jordanian Airways. The goal was the establish Amman as a major regional hub and allow for nearly 9 million passengers per year (nearly three times what it used to have).

Outside of businesses and commercial projects, more and more residential projects are underway. On the main road leading from Queen Alia International Airport to Amman, housing projects are springing up on both sides of the road. For the most part the housing complexes are built and they are just waiting for tenants to occupy them. In addition the development growing on the outskirts of the Amman, I am amazed with the developed area in the various residential districts within greater Amman. The proximity of malls, restaurants, and shopping centers to these residential areas increase the desire to live there – reminding me of home and the proximity of my house to similar locations.

The city’s affluent residential districts remind me of the suburbs in the Detroit Metro area or Ward 1 and 2 of Washington, D.C. In these areas like Abdoun, watching a Hummer or Lamborghini drive by would not be out of the ordinary. Like my experiences in Latin America, it disturbs me how in a city like Amman where there has been much economic growth and development, and those hurting the most live in the same city in poorer neighborhoods.

So, the question I pose is this: Will Jordan’s development projects within Amman create a better way of life for its citizens?

I respond, Yes and No. I know this is not a direct answer, and to be honest there is no one solution to socioeconomic development in the Middle East, and furthermore the world. I say “Yes” because I think development projects will “hopefully” attract attention from the outside and encourage foreign investment in Jordan. These projects have the potential to do great things – assuming various variables (which unfortunately you cannot always assume) like accountability of the government to act wisely and on behalf of its people, not solely themselves. I also respond with “No” because when I hear of a 13.4% unemployment rate (30% unofficial unemployment rate) and see such an inequality between the very rich and the very poor, I am pessimistic that these development projects alone will be enough. 

Something I have learned through my time in Jordan so far, and more specifically in Honduras this past summer and in a couple of my courses at Georgetown – there are so many factors involved that satisfying one area will not be enough. Now I know that Jordan has been in the news recently about waiving school fees for school-age children in government run schools, pursuing reconstruction projects in rundown school buildings, etc. However, from what I have seen (which granted is limited) much more can be done, and should be done. Some things, in my mind, should not take a lifetime to complete.

Two Cities within One

The imbalance of the city of Amman has surprised me the most since my arrival to Jordan – which has been two weeks now!! In contrast to the east, West Amman, as the city’s economic center, appears to be a different world with abundant and even luxurious residential districts, cafés, bars, clubs, five-star hotels, art galleries, and shopping malls. With a growing bar scene and an increasing nightlife, West Amman is becoming more modern and liberal, creating a dichotomy with East Amman. As the historical center of the city, East Amman is more traditional and older than the West. Small stores, single-family houses, and various historic sites dominate this “city”. Despite the difference of building structures and Westernized stores and restaurants between the east and west, Amman seems to have a differing population within each part. Although years ago Amman was divided primarily along religious lines with Christians in the East and Muslims in the West, the defining aspect of an individual in East or West Amman is no longer religion, but rather the East tends to be more conservative with its residents holding a more traditional viewpoint towards the future of Amman compared to their counterparts in the west (generally speaking). 

I guess it is not hard to fathom the construction of new buildings, and the desire of a community, a city, and a region to develop their infrastructure and livelihood. Yet what is striking to me is to witness the imbalance of Amman. Within in Amman especially (and other locations), an increasing economic polarization is separating one Jordanian from the other – just check out the wealthy Abdoun compared with the gritty reality of downtown Amman. 

Despite Jordan’s Islamic conservatives who kept Jordanian life – religious, political, and cultural – under close rein in the past, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Amman and its differing West and East, especially as the new generation of educated and outward-looking youth desires a more Westernized culture. Despite the contrasts of the east and west, Amman is a multicultural city with multiple ethnicities, including Palestinian and Iraqi refugees and guest workers from Egypt, Syria and South East Asia, and there is undoubtedly a diverse vision for its future.

Responding to Incentives

If your child is crying, begging for a toy from the store, do you buy it for him so he stops crying? What if you do that, and he continues to cry because he wants something else? Or the next time you are in the store he does the same thing (maybe he catches on to how you respond when faced in that situation). Now, what if you decide to reject their wants/demands?

Yesterday evening I accompanied my host family to an indoor play-place, similar to Chuckie Cheese in the States. As we moved up the escalator and reached the top, Rami and Lara bolted to the entrance. We walked around the complex and they went on different rides. David and myself went with Rami and Lara on the bumper cars – something I haven’t done for a number of years. After spending around 1.5 hours there, it was time to go. But Rami and Lara weren’t ready and let’s just say the entire building knew it as they were crying and screaming. And this did not stop when we left the building, it continued in the car ride home and even for 20-30 minutes at home. 

As I began to think about the questions posed above, it brought me back to a course I took last semester at Georgetown – Social Protection Around the World.

William Easterly along with other political economists state that people respond to incentives. In Brazil, the government implemented Bolsa Familia, which provides conditional cash transfers (CCTs) to families if they send their children to school. After its implementation, Brazil saw an increase in the number of children attending school. This program allows for two things: first, the mother receives additional money to improve here family; and second, more education should improve a child’s opportunity for a better life. So in this case, the Brazilian families who take part in the program have responded to the incentive given to them. But what happens if they do not respond to the incentive (like when Lara, my host sister, continued to make a fuss even after being offered a toy)? Obviously, the families would not receive the CCTs and most likely they would not be sending their children to school either. But is not the goal to reduce poverty and income inequality? Let's say they respond positively to the incentive but demand more, then what (like when Lara took the toy, but continued to cry about something else)? 

Here are a couple larger questions:

• Do governments or institutions know what is best for their citizens or the people whom they represent/serve? If so, how do they know this? 
• What is the best response from institutions towards the people who desire something and are willing to do anything to get it? 
• If an institution provides an incentive to the people, what prevents the institution from providing incentives time after time when the people demand something? 

I admit to not being anything close to an expert on this. Yet, I find this to be quite interesting and stimulating as there is no easy solution or answer, and in fact multiple responses exist. It frustrates me to think about the poverty I’ve seen firsthand, especially when I have so much more than many people in this world. And it makes me upset to think that there is no easy answer. But life is not easy. It takes a lot of work and focus to change something like the amount and degree of poverty in this world. Inshallah I can do something about it.

 

A New Name...

Today, I had my first Ammiyah class with Dr. Saleh Hamdan. Having never studied Jordanian dialect, or any dialect for that matter, I have been somewhat nervous about how I would adapt to conversations with local Jordanians and even my host family. One would think that dialect would not be too far from the formal Modern Standard Arabic, which is used throughout Arabic speaking countries, mainly in texts, newspapers, children TV shows, news, and the Quran. Obviously that is not the case, or I would be able to at least mutter some words when the Taxi driver asks me a question (at least I think it was a question). Now if you take apart the dialects from the different Arab speaking countries, they differ even more. Moroccan sounds like another language compared to Jordanian!

Although I wish MSA and dialects were a little closer than they actually are, I am very thankful to be in Jordan while learning the Jordanian dialect as I believe I will have a much easier time being fully immersed into Jordanian society and will have numerous opportunities outside of my Ammiyah class to speak dialect.

Now, back to the class. Although this will be a challenging class, I think it will probably turn out to be one of my favorites because of Dr. Saleh. He reminds me of a close family friend, Mr. Welsh, combined with a Jesuit I have worked for the past couple summers. Between his sense of humor and his open nature (as he doesn't hold anything back), Dr. Saleh breaks the awkwardness that seems to be present at the start of most classes and knows exactly how to get his students motivated and hungry to learn Ammiyah (at least that's how it was for me!).

Looking back throughout the years, I have had various nicknames. Everything from Ipps, to Big Daddy Ipps, Typical Ippel, Mipps, you name it. Last year in my Arabic classes, I was nicknamed by my professor as Ibn al-jamel, meaning "son of a camel" (apparently, "Ippel" is close to a word in Arabic for camel). I have also been referenced to be a "look-a-like" to Pagan, Fr. Vettese's dog (thanks to Br. Boynton and Fr. Vettese for those references!). As of today, I have a new nickname (which has to do with another "look-a-like").

As Dr. Saleh was welcoming us to his class, he went around asking for our names. And as he reached me, he said:

Dr. Saleh: "Shoo ismak?" (What is your name?)
Me: "Ismme Matthew." (My name is Matthew.)
Dr. Saleh: "La!" (No!)
Me: "Umm naam." (Thinking to myself, how would he know the name that my parents gave me?)
Dr. Saleh: "Ismak Sheik!" (Your name is Sheik!)

He then told me that I would be referred to as Sheik the rest of the semester because of my beard and my resemblance of a Sheik. For the remainder of the class, he addressed me as Sheik - so we'll see what comes of this. Either way I guess I have a new nickname to add to the list.

Classes begin...

On Sunday, I began my studies with CIEE at the University of Jordan. First off, classes on Sunday are weird, and I feel very disoriented since our five-day week goes from Sunday to Thursday, rather than Monday to Friday. I awoke at 6 am (the only recent time when I’ve woken up that early was in Honduras this past summer). Nonetheless I got up, showered, had a quick bite to eat and off I went. My host mother, Rania, drove me to school along with my host brother Rami who does not have school on Sunday since he attends a Christian school. We assumed traffic would be terrible (at least that’s what I was told). It took us only 15 minutes and I was there by 7:10 am – class began at 8 am. So I had a Nescafé at a coffee shop and gathered with other CIEE students as we prepared to swipe ourselves through the revolving gates. For the first day, I attended only one Arabic class – Advanced II – and it was more of a review session. Since I chose not to review  Arabic this summer, I was partially dreading the beginning days here due to the feeling that I had forgotten everything over the summer. However, I surprised myself and once I started listening to the professor and filling out our review worksheets, my Arabic skills began to resurface (not quick enough though!).

Sunday evening I went to my first Mass in Jordan. Caitlin and I went to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Tla' Al Ali, which is quite close to my house. Mass began at 6 pm and it was decently packed by 5:45. Yet people kept pouring in, even during the Homily! Mass was in Arabic – both formal and dialect, making it practically impossible for me to understand what was being said. Despite the language barrier and the length of the mass, I enjoyed the Mass, especially the music - hopefully I can sing next time (I’m sure they’d love to hear my singing voice, especially in Arabic!). My job now is to find the English speaking Mass, which I’m told exists.

On Monday, the Area Studies courses began and we took our Arabic placement exams. For the placement exam, we had a 2.5 hour written exam, consisting of primarily multiple-choice for the listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. We also had a short paragraph that we needed to translate to Arabic and then a short essay we had to write in Arabic about ourselves. This exam took me the full 2.5 hours! And I usually never take the whole time for the exam – partially because I finish before the end and also because I worry that I will change all of my answers. Oh well, I'm confident I did well. In the afternoon, I had my oral interview with one of the Arabic professors, which went really well. 

From 2 pm to 5 pm, I had my two Area Studies courses, which are in English: Economic Transformation of the Middle East and Political Islam. I am excited for both of these courses because they will not only count towards my major but they will also give me more background in the Middle East – something I have not had much of yet (especially in academic terms). 

Host family, Wedding ceremony, East Amman...

After three days of orientation, I moved into the home of my host family on Thursday evening! I am living with the Kattan family in Umm Al-Summaq, located in West Amman about a 15-20 minute taxi drive from the University of Jordan (UJ).

They live on the fourth floor of a multiple resident building. It is a spacious living space for four people, and I don’t think I will cause too many problems, as I have my own room. The family has been very accommodating and it has been a pleasure to get to know them so far. The two children, Laura and Rami, seem to always have a ton of energy, playing throughout the house, making loud noises, etc. It’s been a while since I was their age, so hopefully I will get a boost of energy soon to be able to keep up with them! I have enjoyed getting to know both David and Rania, my host parents. David speaks English and Rania speaks a little but not much. We have been speaking in both Arabic and English – I’m excited for my Arabic to improve so I can speak more comfortably and understand conversations in/out of the home. Each day, we enjoy some Arabic coffee and Zatar while we  watch al-akbar (the news) or movies – David enjoys asking me what they are talking about after each segment of the news to see if I fully understand.

Friday morning (9/10) we went to a Catholic Church, St. Charbel, off one of the main roads closer to the airport because David and Rania are part of a group (Folklorie) that meets monthly to talk about relationships between married couples and their relationship with God. I was introduced to everyone as they arrived – one of the men attended a fellow Jesuit university, Boston College – he could not stop praising the Jesuits (don’t blame him). 

Two things made this whole experience somewhat different and difficult. One, I was the only non-married person there (and I’m obviously not from the area). Second, it was all in Arabic – Ammiyah (Jordanian dialect) to be exact. I did however sit in the group and listen. At times I found myself dosing off since I was only picking up occasionally words and phrases. However, I did appreciate being welcomed into the group as if I was one of them – something I’ve noticed to be a consistent trait amongst the Jordanians I’ve met so far. 

In regards to the church, it was built in 2009, so it’s a very new church, and quite elegant. When we walked in, I went towards the holy water to mark the sign of the cross, and noticed there was a minimal amount of water and on top of the dish was a sponge. This immediately grabbed my attention, and in all honesty I could only think about this while I was in the church. This came as a shock to me primarily because I am accustomed to seeing a bowl filled with water in the States and I’m sure it will always be that way. However, here in Jordan there is a shortage of water. I found the use of the sponge to be an ingenious way to preserve water and at the same time provide holy water for those who enter the church.

Friday evening I attended a wedding ceremony at a local parish with my host family. As we drove up the street in Tala a Al-Ali, the streets were lined with cars and the bride was preparing to exit the black Mercedes. My host family and I walked into the church, passing the priest and the bridal party who were in the church foyer. There was no organist or pianist, rather the music came from some pre-recorded audio and was blasted through the speakers. I also found it strange to see the videographers and photographers being ever so close to the “action” of the ceremony at all times. Photographers were moving constantly at the front of the church when the ceremony was taking place, as they took photos of the bride and groom, the priest, and even the families of the couple. Videographers did the same thing too, and even went around the entire church to obtain footage of all the people in attendance – they went up row by row (during the ceremony!). 

Saturday evening we went to David’s parents’ home in East Amman. Less developed + lack of American fast food restaurants + narrow streets + single family houses + more local stores, restaurants, and suqs (markets) = East Amman. We had a wonderful evening with David's parents, which included Arabic coffee, kunafa, a nice conversation, and, of course, two rambunctious kids! David’s father, Peter, was a professor and studied at LSU and was a professor there for several years in civil engineering and mathematics. He showed me his bookshelves, one of which contained some that he personally authored – I could tell he was very proud to show them off, unfortunately I am not well versed in that field, yet it was still impressive to see them and hear about his time in the U.S. David's mother reminded me of my father’s grandmother – somewhat quiet and reserved, religious, enjoyed playing with her grandchildren and constantly asked how I was doing (there must be some things inherent in being a grandmother).

Well, tomorrow class begins! I'm excited to have a routine and to begin at the University of Jordan. Although I am not to thrilled for my Arabic placement exam on Monday.