Site Visit Synapsis

Hello all,

I returned from my site visit yesterday excited and with a new name. From now on, you can call me Abu Isa al-Gasim Abu Tayya. Abu Isa will be the equivalent on my first name, which literally means father of Jesus. It isn't meant to be sacraligous, but men (and women) are commonly called by the name of their first born son. They had told me they wanted to give me an Arab name when I first got to al-Jafer, and I was more than willing, bt wanted it to be good, and after rejecting a few, went with Abu Isa. Despite not having any children, or any intention of naming a future son of mine Jesus, I deceided upon it since I think it might deflect attempts by people to proseletize to me (which occurs to every volunteer) thus avoiding innumerable awkward conversations. It was suggested by a man named Abu Isa, his first born son of some 27 children by one of his four wives.

To some extent, I feel as though I will be a walking cliche, as if everything was contrived - a Lawrence of Arabia of today... First of all, all men wear a thob, which is the traditional bedouin dress (it is the strerotypical image of clothes you have in your head right now). I too am planning on wearing it since it is very comfortable in the heat of the desert. Further, my landlord, Abu Thaher, who is the brother of the Director of the Youth Center, said when I return in two weeks, we will go hunting wild rabbit in the desert on camels for three days and nights. On top of this, the ancesteor, like gret great grandfather of my director and landlord fought along side T.E. Lawrence oner hundred years ago, and evidently there are people still alive and were children then that remember the army coming through the villiage. Further, half the villiage evidently participated to some degree in the making of the movie when it was being made in 1960 some 50 miles away.

But I will also be well looked after, my landlord and Director have promised to give me a bed, rug, table and chairs, and some kitchen ware when I move in. As for my house, it is currently being renovated, being brought up to Peace Corps standards, but I will have a walled in court yard (complete with a date tree), two rooms, a kitchen, and a bath. Plenty Big. All the rooms are off the courtyard, so I will have to go outside to go between my bedroom and the kitchen, but this is no big deal as it wont ever rain.

It seems I will have ample opportunity to socialize since every evening men just chill on their porches and talk. More than that my director seems very energetic and is a "mover and shaker" in the villiage, meaning I'll have access to most anything and anyone I might need for my projects. I was able to meet in two days virtually anyone who is anyone in the villiage, all the principles of the school, the mayor, the head of the development agency in the villiage, the district (like a county) director, along with countless other people whose names I forget with the exception of Abu and the occational Umm (mother).

I'm sure there are other worthwile things I am forgetting, but will add those later.

Counterpart Conference

Today I had the fortunate opportunity to be the Director of my center, Abu Sugar (pronounced Sougir, I think it means falcon, but it is defiantly some sort of bird), a five-foot flat, skinny, chain-smoking, but enthusiastic former colonial in the Jordanian Army. He has a decent grasp of English, but thankfully insisted on speaking Arabic to me, and seems to be, in a word, amusing, but in a good and congenial way. He looks a bit uncomed, but I am very happy with what I have seen so far. Additionally, I learned that for my living arrangements I will have my own house, which is currently under renovation. Additionally, I will be a short three and a half hours from the capital Amman, which, due to the roads, is shorter than some of my colleagues to the north of me who live in the mountains. But I am very excited and looking forward to seeing my site on Saturday.

Posting

So I learned my posting today! I shall be working at the Youth Center in al-Jafar, a small town of around 8,000 in the extreme south of the country (which still only puts me 3 to 4 hours from the capital, Amman). It is in the middle of a mountainous desert, though it would be a misleading prevarication if I did not admit I am not exactly sure of the geography. The Youth Center in which I will be working is brand new, and the population consists of settled Bedouin. Evidently the people are known to be very friendly and it is supposed to be a nice place; all of the Language Coordinators and Jordanian staff told me I would be very much welcomed as Bedouins are supposedly known by their hospitality vis-a-vis sedentary folk . Also, my LCF, Ahmed, told me I will be like Lawrence of Arabia where I am going (which I link had the unintended effect of feeding my ego). On a side note, he told me Lawrence of Arabia is highly revered in Jordan for his - real or imagined- assistance to Arabs in the Great Arab Revolt of WWI, with Lawrence being a name of endearment of children by their parents. But I believe his statement to be correct of my living situation insofar as in a picture of the staff and related persons, aside from two members of the Jordanian military, all men were dressed in disdashes, which are the long flowing robes worn traditionally - and soon to be worn by yours truly. In a week and a half or so I will take a brief sojourn to visit the site, meet the Director of the center and my landlord, an event which is both causes me both trepidation and excitement.

Walks on the edge of town

I'm sorry for not updating my blog in a while. There isn't much new to report aside from the usual. This past week I had my mid-Language Proficientcy Exam (LPI). I scored Intermediate-Mid, whichmeans I pased the minimum I would need to attain in 5 weeks when the last exam is given. It is kind of friustrating, because I still feel this grading is low, but the highest person, who has had more Arabic than me only scored Intermediate-Mid. Since the colloloqial is much differen than the formal Arabic, I shouldn't be too disapointed.

In other news, yesterday and the daybefore I went on two nice long walks with my host brothers. I was able to see few shepards bring in their flock. One thing, dogs here are not nice pets, but animals to be feared, since thir jobs is to mind the sheep andward off preditors. anyway, i'll try to post later, the space bar on my computer isquite annoying.