Lessons from Amman – Part 1

December 7th, 2019 – Since its finals week and there’s not much else to do, I thought I would write a few short posts this week about different lessons I’ve learned while studying in Amman. Hopefully I’ll find a way to weave some photos in so they’re not as boring.

Lesson 1: Take time to share some tea

Yesterday, my friend Ben and I had tea with a Palestinian gentleman who owns a cafe near my house. The cafe sits beneath the unfinished Museum Jerusalem, a project of the cafe owner. The museum is set to open next month. The owner is a well traveled man, having been through most of Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Australia in his 70 year life. One of his greatest, non-political pieces of wisdom he likes to share with young people from the West is: take time to share some tea with the people you meet throughout your life. This is also something I’ve noticed living in Amman. In the US, people rarely have time to sit and enjoy coffee or tea with someone they know (let alone someone they just met) for two or three hours. But, often, if you take the time to slow down, sit, and enjoy a longer conversation with someone, you’ll walk away feeling refreshed for having taken that time. Of course, the lesson goes beyond its literal meaning. Being in Jordan, I’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the everyday wonders of the world: the rain falling on a quiet street, the sound wind makes when it passes through the trees, the quiet serenity of a sunset. The rushed, success-driven culture of the United States often blocks from taking in all the possible opportunities on the journey of life. So next time the moment presents itself, remember to take time to share some tea.

Lesson 2: This world has room for everyone

Over the past 16 weeks, I’ve heard lots of stories. We learned that cab drivers, waiters, and baristas are great people to practice Arabic with. If you’re lucky (and they’re not busy), your practice could turn into much more than you thought. Most of Amman’s resident speak a least some English. Therefore, most conversations that begin in Arabic turn into English when I run out of my limited vocabulary. Sometimes, these conversations can make you really think deeply about ideas you have never considered. A common story in Amman is that of the Palestinians. While there are no statistics published by the government, some say that as many as 7 in 10 people living in Amman أصلكم (descend from; originally are) Palestinian. There are 2 stories among the Palestinians in Amman: “My father/grandfather came to Jordan after 1948” or “My father/grandfather came to Jordan after 1967”. In Amman, the Palestinians and Jordanians live together without any issue, but, in the rural areas, some Palestinians claim that the Jordanians are not as accepting of them. The issue of refugees in Jordan does not end with the Palestinians. Jordan is also the largest home in the region to Syrian and Iraqi refugees. For these refugees, there false claims that Syrians are taking jobs that could be worked by Jordanians (sound familiar?).
Yet, no matter where you come from, every person wants the same basic thing: to live a happy life free from danger. In the West, we often take our safety for granted, and the issues of conflict and displacement can often be viewed as things that happen “over there”. But in Jordan, “over there” is only about a 2 or 3 hour drive away from Amman. This world is more than wide enough for all of us to live together as friends.

I pray the prayer
the Easterners do,
May the peace of Allah
Abide with you.
Wherever you wander,
Wherever you go,
May the beautiful pslams
of Allah grow.
Through the days of labor
And nights of rest,
May the love of Allah
Make you blest
So, I touch my heart
As the Easterners do
May the peace of Allah
Abide with you
-An Old Arabic Verse-

-Matt