What I'm listening to these days

 

Learning the Arabic Alphabet is more difficult than I thought. But this song sure is catchy.

What I know so far

I started reflecting on how by choosing one path, I am essentially abandoning another.  Perhaps abandoning is a strong word, but I'm certainly taking a leave of absence, so to speak, from Seattle life. Ya can't be in two places at once. Life is good here. I fall in love with Seattle and the people here all over again just about each and every day. It hit me today that immediately following my departure quite the series of events will take place: election day, Thanksgiving, Mom's birthday, Dad's birthday, Christmas, New Years, and inauguration day- to name a few.  It's comforting that I'll have 26 fellow PCVs with me who will be able to relate, but I anticipate a bit of intense culture shock with some accompanying homesickness. Fortunately, I will without a doubt have a lot on my plate to distract me. 

This is some of what I know so far: 

• I will spend 11 weeks of pre-service training in Madaba, Jordan, a touristy city southwest of Amman. Madaba is a fairly "modern" city, has a large Christian population, and many tourists. 
• Training will be intense, focusing on language, cross-cultural communication and adaptation, development issues, current events, health and safety, and the technical skills pertinent to teaching English and working in primary schools. 
• I will live with a host family throughout training.
• I will be assigned to my permanent site towards the end of training (January 2013) where I will likely live in my own apartment.

• Jordan is currently the only Peace Corps program in the Middle East
• Current PCVs that were stationed close to the Syrian border have since been relocated. The Peace Corps makes safety and security a huge priority- particularly right now. They relocated volunteers preemptively. (I've listed some links about the Syrian conflict at the end)
• There have been some protests in Jordan after the Innocence of Muhammad video went viral, but have been mostly non-violent  Timeline: Protests over anti-Islam video (Aljazeera)
• In general, Jordanians are friendly and hospitable to Westerners. Many urban Jordanians were educated in the West and speak excellent English. Some will likely voice criticism of American policy in the Middle East (sure to be a topic of interest following the results of November 12th...), but individual Americans are generally well-liked and treated respectfully.

That being said, the single most common piece of advice I get from returned Peace Corps Volunteers?  Expect the unexpected. 
 
Links: 
Syria Uprising Timeline - NY times
30,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan

Obama vs Romney on Middle East  
 

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ― Pema Chödrön

Seattle is so comfortable, changing yes, but ultimately so incredibly comfortable. At times remarkably so. Other times a bit stifling. The other night at a party I reunited with friends I hadn't seen in some time and updated them that I was soon moving to Jordan. Most were excited, some quite shocked that I would even consider moving to the Middle East during this time of "Muslim Rage" (more on that later...). Regardless, the more I repeat it out loud, the more real it becomes. 

An excerpt from the PC Jordan Welcome Book:

The most successful Volunteers maintain a healthy balance between idealism (“I have something to contribute, I can make a difference, and I have the luxury of time and opportunity to do so.”) and pragmatism (“I want to develop new skills, advance my professional development, challenge my own thinking, and explore where and how I fit in the world”). If you are too idealistic, disappointment will come hard and fast when you cannot single-handedly transform the world, your village, or those you work with. However, if you are overly focused on personal achievement, you may lack sufficient motivation or commitment to overcome barriers, resistance, or inertia, and may miss the joys and rewards of living simply. 

I am doing my best to approach this experience with this mindset. I have a lot to give but certainly a whole lot to learn. 

Second

The Peace Corps' mission has three main goals:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans    

I am beyond excited for this new adventure. However, the complexity of the Middle East is overwhelming me. I studied International Studies in college. I have an average understanding of the Middle East. Unfortunately, an average understanding means there is still quite a bit I do not know or understand, and probably quite a bit more I don't even know I don't know.  Part of the reason I am keeping this blog is to fulfill goal #3 - promoting a better understanding of other people and cultures. I'm not going to pretend like I know more than I do. I accepted my invitation to work as a primary school teacher in Jordan for a lot of reasons... I have wanted to teach since I was a kid, I've had an increasing fascination with living abroad since college, I believe that peace can't be created solely by the government and people in power, I think I have things to offer. But a huge reason is that I have so much to learn.

So here I go, exploring the unfamiliar- and sharing things as I learn. Any and all comments and opinions are always welcome!

I have been reading so much about Syria lately and want to document my understanding of what is going on now. In August alone, more than 100,000 Syrians fled the country- the highest number since the conflict began in March 2011. "August was arguably Syria's most violent month yet, with the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting more than 5,000 deaths." Up to 183,000 Syrians have entered Jordan and are currently arriving at a rate of about 1,000 a day. (BBC). Jordan doesn't have the means to support the giant influx of people and life in refugee camps is rough- little water, food, and constant uncertainty. There is no real sign of political progress or a military solution that could let them return home anytime soon.

As I prepare to leave family, friends, my home and life I have created in Seattle I sometimes find myself getting really anxious. 27 months is a long time to be away from all that is familiar. But there is such comfort in knowing that when I do come back, the majority of my family and friends will still be here, my neighborhood and beloved park across the street will remain relatively the same. I can not fathom having to get up and go overnight- not knowing when or even if you will be able to return home or if there will even be a home to return to. Saying goodbye to friends and family that you may never see again. Living in tents with intense dust storms and little protection from the sun. War can seem very abstract when it is across the world. It's very very real. READ THIS.  My heart is with the hundreds of thousands of people there and throughout the world whose lives have been so drastically altered by the effects of corruption and war.