September 2, 2019 – The weekends in Amman are quite fun! This past weekend, my friends Tess, Chris, Sarah, and Ben, (other students with CIEE) and our other friend Omar (an American Fulbrighter doing research in Amman) went to the السوق الجمعة (“Friday Market”) on Rainbow Street. The سوق is full of different colors, aromas, tastes, and art from all over the region. One of the stands that sticks out in my memory was selling Armenian spices. The three women (a grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter) offered us samples f some of their spices. They were flavors I’ve never experiences before!! Also, the spices has such vibrant colors that I needed to take a photo of them.
After a long afternoon at the market, we decided to head to a rooftop and watch the sunset. It was a great way to end our busy Friday.
On Saturday, I went to an English speaking church run by the Jesuits. The Jesuits established a permanent mission in Amman in 1996 under the guidance of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (which oversees Catholic Churches in Jordan, Israel-Palestine, and Cyprus). The Church was a microcosm of Amman itself, with people from all corners of the world in attendance.
Following mass, I went to a café about a block from my house. The owner recognized me when I came in and invited me to sit with him and his friends. For the remainder of the night, I spoke with one of his friends, a Palestinian gentleman from Bethlehem who has been in Amman since 1977, about Islam, Palestine, Arabic, and humanity. About halfway through our discussion, he and his friends got up to pray, and he invited me to observe him as he led them in prayer. It was an experience that was deeply enriching and I’m thankful to have had.
This weekend my friends and I are planning to travel down to Southern Jordan and visit some sites, so stay tuned for a post on that after the weekend!
-Matt
Reports and Reflections from Life Abroad 