Part II. Jerusalem: The Old City

After crossing the Qalandiya checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem in an Israeli approved taxi (I had to leave my West Bank taxi just before the check point and get into an Israeli taxi before making the crossing), the landscape changed immediately: congested, arid, part abandoned and part bustling-energetic gave way to clean, organized, landscaped and daily-fertilized. I was appalled by the disparity in conditions; even the neatly painted, six-inch standard-sized and uncracked curbs seemed to quietly smirk at their own good fortune. Location, location, location.

Simultaneously, and antithetically, I began to notice that I enjoyed being in a neatly organized, well-funded city. Women jogged outside. Green grass grew from the ground. Public transportation systems worked efficiently. Street signs marked every street.

The taxi driver was friendly. A young native Israeli, he was eager to welcome me to Jerusalem. We chatted en route to the Old City and then he made an aggressive move to pass a car and make it through a light -- an act which ultimately resulted in an unexpected chance to walk through the city. As soon as we pulled through the light, sirens blared and we were pulled over.

Apparently, the driver had a few problems with his license and after this latest move, and a heated debate with the officer who pulled us over, he was arrested. I had a nice little stroll before finding another taxi - this time the driver was an older Christian man, with a running, grumpy commentary, who upon each sighting of an Israeli guard would roll down his window and pray in loud rasps while simultaneously kissing his cross. I started saying a little prayer of my own that his car would actually make it to the old city...though he changed gears in name and location, the car didn't actually seem to respond and stayed at about 20km/hr.

Finally, I made it to the Jafa Gate of the Old City. Thankfully I had a guide book with me which enabled me to find the three key sights (among literally hundreds) I wanted to see that day. Below, you'll find pictures of:

1.The Church of the Sepulchre (which houses the Cavalry where Jesus is said to have been crucified and the Stone of the Anointing where Jesus was prepared for burial).

2. The Wailing Wall

3. The Dome of the Rock

Please enjoy and let me know if you have questions. k

The Tulbeh and Adventures in Holy Lands

Hisham, his mother and I went to the West Bank last weekend to see about a girl.

Hisham's brother Fawzi lives in Ramallah, has been dating his girlfriend for about a year, and is ready to get married. So, in following with tradition, the to-be groom's family traveled to the to-be brides family to do the initial asking for her hand in marriage. The asking is really meant to happen between head of the groom's family (usually his father) and the head of the brides family (yep...usually her father). Hisham's Dad wasn't able to go so Hisham and a friend of the family in Ramallah served that purpose.

It is very important to note that the Tulbeh is more than just the asking, it is the point at which negotiations take place regarding the timing of the formal "ask" known as the Jaha (when the entire groom's family/tribe travels to the bride and formally asks for her hand in marriage, marking the beginning of the engagement (the introduction of this article gives a good description of the Jaha and its significance), the duration of the engagement and the brides dowry. Rather than valuable possessions the bride brings to her marriage (along with, of course, herself) serving as the dowry (as defined here), in the Levant, the dowry is a sum of money and gifts (usually gold) given to the bride from the groom's family ( what is described as the "bride price" in the former definition).

In our case, the Tulbeh took place in two stages:
1. a talk between Hisham's family friend and the to-be brides father, and
2. a lunch with the to-be brides family and our family

Before the lunch, however, we had a free day so I set off to explore Jerusalem while Hisham finished some work in Ramallah. Additionally, we made a trip to Bethlahem the day after the Tulbeh.

From here, I will leave you with my experience in images posted by location. I cannot present all the images together; each experience was uniquely powerful, and, deserves its own space.

Part I. Leaving Ramallah: The Wall

Blank Spaces

Hi there. This is a brief entry. My photo essay about Amman's architectural landscape was just published in JO magazine. Please check out the online version (which has more, and, higher quality images than the print version).

Cheers, K

Water

It is raining. It has been raining for three days. This is par for the course everywhere I've lived - except for Amman. In DC, rain makes things kind of inconvenient - it's harder to walk or ride your bike to work - the the bus usually takes exponentially longer to arrive. Though annoying, as soon as the dark clouds arrive, women embrace the opportunity afforded them to add new accessories to their outdoor wardrobe - wellies and fashionable umbrellas, indicative of their personal style, pop up across North West. When the rain arrives, it flows down the streets ( to drains (for the most part) where it is taken to a huge water source - the Potomac river (which, is extremely polluted but that's a story in and of itself).

In Amman, however, rain is a different animal. Jordan is what they call "water-poor", extremely water-poor, the fourth poorest in fact, so rain is a very very good thing. If you've even flown over Jordan, you've noticed that the landscape is extremely arid with rare patches or curling swaths of green. Those spots of green are very important because they let us know that when there IS water, things grow! Farmers who are able to irrigate (and some do quite creatively) have lush green crops. The challenge accessing and capturing water.

The past few days are testament that the city simply isn't equipped to capture this vital resource when there is precipitation. This is due, in part, to the infrequency of rain (though there is a designated 'rainy season' from November to April word on the street is that it's very infrequent).

As I write this, I am experiencing one of the consequences of living in a desert city when it rains. My roof is flat. Completely flat and, therefore, my ceiling is leaking. I have four towel stations set up and a fifth towel drying in preparation for it's next round. It was kind of quaint at first, you know, your first apartment is leaking, aw. But now, we're getting a bit fed up - not just with the water on my floor but because I know this is happening to thousands of houses across the city and if the water were effectively captured, it would be of great use.

I tried to go out to run some errands and it was; the streets have become rivers. There aren't any street drains so water rushes across the highway and side streets making driving treacherous and soaking the few, brave pedestrians. The unguided water plunges freely down neighborhood steps.



























It just feels like such a waste.

I realize that by living here I have become one of those people who talks about the weather more than it might be comfortable for my western friends. Here, it is completely normal to discuss the rain and the cold ( anything under 50) etc. It's normal because when it rains stores close, people don't go to work, they don't go out at all really - much like DC with two inches of snow. However, I was skyping with a few friends the other day and became a bit self-conscious at the frequency and excitement with which I told them, "It's RAINING! Has been for a few days now!" Anyway, now you know a bit more of why.

Oh, also, it started hailing a few mins ago: check it the ice on our balcony above!

Food

This is my first non-retrospective entry and it is about something very important to me in general, and, something that has moved into a position of even greater prominence in my life - Food. The move is representative of the importance placed on food in entertaining and hospitality in Jordan, and, further, the connections between food and family. For example, Friday (the first day of the weekend here) is a day largely reserved for family and centers around lunch, the main daily meal, which takes place roughly between 2pm and 5pm.

Above: Key ingredients - eggplant and zucchini basking in the sun

Now (taking a quick step back) to know me, is to know that I won't simply have one food entry, but rather, I'd like you to think about my experience and relationship with food in Jordan as a lovetrotter category, bulletin or other form or regular update. When possible I'll include recipes.

Below: Mint fresh off the truck










One more note, some of you probably also know that when I cook, I typically make things that more closely resemble concoctions rather than, say, full, proper, and recognizable meals. This worked out just fine for me as a bachelorette (more or less). That's not to say that I CAN'T make those full meals, I'm just not naturally inclined to do so. Here in Jordan, that doesn't really fly - the more you make the better and several entrees are preferred for lunch in addition to multiple plates of olives, pickles, cheeses, nuts, dried fruits, breads and yogurt. Though the amount of food made for each meal is much larger than in the states, people actually eat less and more healthily - which is also because nearly all of the food is grown locally, made that day, and consists of vegetables, rice and some meat - usually lamb.

Here is a normal dinner spread - the smallest meal of the day.





















Now, I don't eat red meat and Hisham's mom has been really wonderful to modify her delicious dishes to include chicken instead of lamb, or, just veggies.












This is a dish simply called 'sweets'. It's hard to tell, but this dish is HUGE - those are serving spoons on the left. This 'sweet' is a sort of a cake made of flour, coconut, sugar and rose water garnished with pealed, halved almonds. Delicious.

Retrospective: An UncAmman Thanksgiving

So, we really had the travel bug at the end of 2009 and booked a trip to Istanbul soon after returning from Cyprus. I realized, thought, after booking, that Thanksgiving fell right in the middle of the trip. At first, I thought that it would be fun to do an alternative Thanksgiving celebration while we were there. You know, find a cafe with white meat and overeat. About a week before we left, however, I had an attack of premature homesickness that I wasn't going to celebrate Thanksgiving in the TL tradition of cooking all day, eating all day, and celebrating with friends and family and far too many pies. SO - I talked to Hisham about it and he was game (though we had very limited time - bless him- the only night free was a work day and the night before we left for our trip). I e-mailed our America friends and admitted my attack-of-the-traditions (because, really, I think we get more into our traditions when we're away from home) and invited them. In hindsight, I do wish I'd included others, and not just the Americas, though, as it was, our little oven nearly died cranking out the meal for the six of us.

Speaking of the meal, it was a bit of a challenge primarily because only one burner works on the stove if the oven is on for a long time (which it was, due to the large bird inside) so that required some tactful timing. Next time I will make some of the dishes in advance. I am just spoiled by our Maryland kitchen that has two glorious ovens (not to mention two glorious sinks, and, both my parents who are experienced cooks in their own right).

All in all, I made my first turkey (thanks to www.cooksillustrated.com) and Hisham made to-die-for mashed potatoes and we joined forces on the rest (sweet potatoes, green beans, gravy, rolls - sadly the stuffing didn't make it...long story). Also, our guests brought delicious homemade cookies, and, carrot cake from Sugar Daddy's (www.sugardaddy'sbakery.com if you're in the amman area, and you haven't tried Sugar Daddy's, please do. Amazing cake and cupcakes) Thanks very much!

There's also an import lesson here: when you get an attack of the traditions, be sure to include your new partner in the attack and work together to make new, joint traditions. I got a bit rigid about the execution of this meal which really made it less fun for both of us. It made me realize I have to work on balancing my home yearnings with the importance of building new traditions in this, new home.

In closing, I have to give Hisham special thanks for doing the dishes - it was a MESS. See before and after below.

Retrospective: Cyprus

About a week after I arrived in Amman, Hisham and I took a trip to Cyprus. We'd been apart for so long that we needed a bit of a vacation--some time to recenter and relax--and, what better place to go than the Cypriot mountains where his family has a house. This trip holds particular significance because it's when Hisham proposed--on October 27, 2009 -- on the balcony off our room. View below.



The green hillsides and quaint villages provided an already much needed respite from the sea of white washed square desert homes in Amman. Cyprus is also wine country and they have an excellent wine tasting national infrastructure - there are seven wine routes throughout the island which you can easily find by following the color-coded road signs. They just made it so easy to enjoy the island. I hope you enjoy the images of the countryside.

Oh, funny story about these first two: one night we were at a cafe by the coast, actually, in the lowest point in Cyprus. It started raining and didn't stop for several hours, flooding the streets, and, our cafe. See below.

Back on the Wagon

Hey there - my parents were visiting the last two weeks--we had a truly wonderful time-- and I've been on a bit of a hiatus from all things computer. But, I'm back and am going to try to catch everyone one up on what's happened to date so I can start getting into the here and now. That being said, I think one of the best ways to catch up is through pictures. The next few posts will be primarily images with some text. enjoy. k

Retrospective: August 17th, 2009

This story doesn't really have a beginning because to REALLY start at the beginning would go too far back, but, here's a brief overview.

In July of 2005, I started working at FINCA International where I worked for the following 4 years; my interest in international relations and conflict resolution growing with each year of employment. In September of 2008, I started dating a man named Hisham. Born to Palestinian parents, Hisham subsequently lived in Kuwait, Cyprus, Jordan and the United States- where we met through a friend at a DC bar. There's more to that story but I'm going to save that for another post:)

Hisham and I dated in Washington DC for 7 months from September 2008 until March of 2009. It was a truly wonderful 7 months - Hisham was refreshingly devoid of game playing and disarmingly mature, not to mention funny, handsome and an excellent cook. In late march 2009, Hisham traveled to Jordan to visit his family for a two week vacation. Soon after his arrival I received a gchat that his return visa to the United States had to undergo "administrative processing" that may take longer to process than the two weeks he was slated to be on vacation.

A series of deadlines followed, and at each, rather than a lovely American stamp in his passport granting re-entry, we were faced with more processing. I know that compared to many people and families who face immigration issues, this situation is quite mild. Also, I took some comfort in knowing that this experience was a lesson in compassion for me: many have to deal with visa processing throughout their respective lives.

The most challenging part for me was not knowing when he would be able to return, and, not knowing, or being able to find a suitable answer to the seemingly simple question: What does administrative processing mean? What does it entail?

I'm not going to get into the nitty-gritty of the visa process, suffice it to say, that though I asked--many a qualified person, many a time-- I never received a suitable answer and the weeks drug on. The most challenging part, for me, was the ambiguity. I could do long distance, but not knowing when the situation would end was hard to sustain. We finally decided to set an internal deadline, a date by which, if he hadn't received his visa, we would decide I would move to Jordan. We decided on August 17th.

What liberation followed! We had taken what control we could and just had to wait for the 17th.

Well, if you've read this far you know what happened next. His visa was still processing on the 17th. We decided I'd come. I rented a POD. Resigned from my job. Bought packing tape. Dismantled both of our apartments into labeled cardboard boxes. Then we finally got what we'd been waiting for: in late September, about a month after our internal deadline, Hisham received his clearance to return to the States. What followed was, I think, one of our most important conversations to date, and, as I said....we decided to live in Amman. On Oct 21st, I flew to Amman.

(Image: night falls over Amman the terrace of books@cafe, one of our favorite spots)

My First 100 Days

It is high time that I start this blog. As of today, 28 January 2010, I have been in Jordan for 100 days! Just counted! No wonder I have the itch to write about my experiences here so far.

I moved to Jordan in October of 2009 following a course of fully unexpected and trying circumstances: my boyfriend Hisham's re-entry visa was delayed for 7 months, during which we decided I would move to Amman, Jordan, to join him. Of course, after the extended visa limbo, and after I'd resigned from my job and packed our respective apartments, he was approved for entry.

We decided I should come anyway.

My 5,840 mile move has lead to much joy, challenge and adventure: in the last 100 days I got engaged, got married, hired a carpenter, fired visited four new countries and started freelancing. Given the compounded newness of my life right now (living in a new country, my first year of marriage, shifting and maybe changing careers) it's really important to me that I chronicle my experiences, and, share them with you, my friends and family.

In these first 100 days I have been hesitant to write about my experiences, partly because I was still processing them myself, and, partly because I wanted to be sure that I communicated everything with full context; the Levant region is so frequently stereotyped and pigeonholed that I wanted to be sure that I didn't misrepresent this region, this country and it's people. I still feel that way, but, it is impossible for me to control your reactions, and, impossible to fully communicate ALL context to you. Finally, my friends and family are simply too important to me to NOT know about this time in my life. Plus, you guys know how I love to communicate :)

On that note, I'd like to clarify something: Yes, Hisham and I did get married here in Jordan! I'll tell you all about that process which was rich with anecdotes. However, I had a hard time imagining getting married without my friends and family (and Hisham's US friends and family), so we will also have a US wedding when we get back from our adventures. This is really the quick and dirty version but many of you have asked about it so wanted to get it up in the first post.
(here we are the night we got engaged)

Also, I'm hoping this might be of some use to other American women moving to Jordan or elsewhere in the region who are living and working here for the first time or....are also perhaps getting married to a Palestinian Jordanian?

I hope you enjoy it!