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.