In Jordan it’s the people, conversations

It’s amazing how many conversations with strangers you can have in 24 hours. I had arranged a home stay at Mo’az’s place (pictured). When I arrived he asked me to pick up a carton of cigarettes at the duty free station. I’ve smoked, but I don’t remember ever buying them. They come with a big warning. Mo’az’s nephew, Zaki, picks me up. His grandparents were refugees from Palestine in 1948. Zaki is a full Jordanian citizen, not an opportunity for the ones in Gaza today. I was surprised to learn that the population of Gaza has a very high educational level with outstanding universities…at least before. Zaki is a pharmacology student and amazingly, for a Jordanian, he does not smoke. “It’s the main risk factor for almost every disease!” he says. Mo’az studied nutrition at the university and is a gym rat at the gym near his house. Also staying at the house was Inash who traveled down to Jordan from Syria to apply for the university. Mo’az told me that all university classes here are taught in English!

I visited a mosque and the security guard gave me a pamphlet in English and then told me that he came to Jordan from Gaza only because his baby daughter was very ill. He still has family in Gaza. And then there is Abraham, the Bedouin, who was my guide around the ruins. And there we met Rina from Syria who says things are getting better, but it’s going to take a long time. Inash was not so positive. And a few others. And finally a group of American college students at the Roman theater who are studying geopolitics in a study abroad program. Small world, one of them goes to my little college. And all I’ve learned in Arabic so far is thank you.Read more