We arrive at JFK airport in New York City and its PACKED full with locals and foreigners alike scrambling to navigate the complicated web of airport terminals. Upon arrival, Robert, one of our students meets me, Group Leader Monika, at the Royal Jordanian ticketing counter. I introduce myself, chat with him a bit and do my routine check, "Do you have your atm card?" Robert says, "Check!" "Did you contact your parents?" Robert says "Check!!" "Do you have your passport?" Robert pauses for a second and says, "What's a passport?" My eyes widen and I stare blankly at him as my heart sinks. He giggles and pulls his passport out. I take a huge breath and laugh nervously. "You're gonna love me!" Robert says with a smile.
Three hours later all of our students arrive, all but four. Other Group Leader Cortez and I decide that the best thing to do is to split up and cover more ground. I gather our ten travelers and head for the ticketing counter. "Ma'am your bag is overweight it's a $100 fee!" The man sees how much stress his comment causes me and he says, "I'm just messing with you! Here's your passport and boarding pass." I walk away confused why everyone is "messing with me" in nerve wracking ways!
Stage 2: Going through security. We are pulled over and Sebastian's carry on is inspected. An hour later we finally get to our gate. I do individual check ins with each student to answer questions and put our students at ease. Turns out that speaking to them actually put me at ease. Cortez arrives an hour later with three students. Eli, our last student would he landing at 9:35pm and we would be boarding at 9:10pm. We were cutting it close.
A couple minutes before boarding I asked the students to pull out their passports and boarding passes. Robert points at my boarding pass and says, "Where do I get one of those?" Unsure of how I was going to answer his inquiry, Robert replies by waving his boarding pass and smiling as he walks over to line up. Last call for boarding and Eli had still not arrived. Again we decided to part. 13 students and I board the plane and Cortez waits by the gate. Minutes prior to the gate closing Cortez appears with a new face. Relived I jump out of my seat and hugged the new student welcoming him and introducing him to his cohort. 11 hours and two meals later we land in Amman, Jordan.
Fourteen experimenters and two group leaders go on an adventure into the Middle East to explore the culture, Arabic language, and politics. The first night at the hotel some students and I went to the rooftop terrace of our hotel and on the 13th floor we played cards and had a rooftop dance party! During our first week, we were introduced to the SIT office in Amman, travelled to a historic landmark, the Amman Citadel, ventured into downtown Amman, visited a market called Souk el Sultan and shopped at Mecca Mall, City Mall and Taj mall. We also went to Jabal al Hussain, the Hussain Mountain where we attended a formal prayer service at Al Hussein Mosque. We dove into daily life with our welcoming host families and immersed ourselves into the vivid traditions of Jordan.
So far, during Ramadan, during the day we attend Arabic classes, go on exciting cultural expeditions, and spend time with each other and our host families. At night we attend feasts called Iftar which literally means break-fast (since Muslims can't eat from sunrise to sundown during Ramadan), explore the city, and get a taste of the culture. Yesterday was Eid which is the end of Ramadan where families and friends gather and eat massive amounts of food! Each student’s home stay experience is different but all have been very positive. From the various experiences we have undergone, we have gained so much knowledge about Jordan's culture. From how to hail a taxi to how to eat like a Jordanian, we've experienced so many sights, sounds, smells and tastes that have given us an insider perspective of Middle Eastern culture.
Alice and Gracie, "The most anxious moment I've experienced during the trip so far was right before I met my host family. I was super scared I wouldn't fit into their family dynamic, but I turned out to be so so wrong! My new family graciously accepted me and all of my non-Arabic speaking awkwardness into their home as if I was of their own blood. Settling well into my new home practically eliminated all my worries about being in Jordan. After this positive shift, I became zealous about exploring and immersing my self physically as well as culturally within the streets of Amman. I've become so enveloped in this city that I've even lost track of the days of the week. I'm so excited to see and experience more of Jordan! Having made new friends throughout this journey, we hope to create an inseparable bond among the teachers, leaders, experimenters, volunteers, as well as the home stay families. See you next time!!!!"
By Alice, Hart, Gracie and Monika
2087
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