Jordan!

Fulbright brought all the ETAs (English Teaching Assistants) from across the Middle East and North Africa to Amman, Jordan for a four-day mid-year conference. The conference itself was nice. Uncle Sam put us up in a swanky hotel, gave us some money to spend (even though all meals were covered) and, using as many euphemisms as possible, encouraged us to drink with our fellow ETAs and share stories and strategies discovered during our first semesters as professors. We also attended a semi-professional conference by day, but like most public-sector trainings I’ve encountered, this was at best a bit underwhelming, and at worst a shameful waste of money. Enough ranting: I did have fun. Fulbright even let us stick around several extra days and do touristy stuff.

One thing that struck me was the amount of history such a small country can boast. We saw remnants of civilizations spanning several millennia. A favorite was Petra. One of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra is an ancient Nabataean city carved into rocks that you may recognize from an Indiana Jones set. Also impressive were Jerrash – a well-preserved Roman city – and an Arab fort used to defend against the Crusaders in Ajlun. We waded into the Dead Sea and dipped our fingers in the Jordan River where Jesus is believed to have been baptized. We tore across the desert in a Jeep to see ancient carvings (of dubious veracity), find shards of turquoise stones (ditto), and let our vertigo trip alongside gigantic crevices that descended deeper than my eyes cared to venture. Jordan is yet another part of the Middle East/North Africa with a unique, fascinating history. I highly recommend a visit if you ever get the chance.

Nevertheless, it was nice to return to Egypt. In the short 24 hours since returning, Nick and I have experienced Cairo’s smog, argued for what felt like hours with taxi drivers about fares, nearly died in rickety cars speeding across the Nile Delta and, most importantly, reconnected with friends in Zagazig who one would swear thought we went to America for several months instead of nearby Jordan for eight days. Egypt also has an impressive history, and over the next two weeks Kathryn Nishimura – a good friend from Peace Corps – and I plan to explore as much of it as possible. Updates to come.