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.