!مرحبا (marhaba—hi!) I’ve been in Amman for almost a month now: wow, is time moving fast! (If only my Arabic skills were moving at the same rate—learning vocabulary is taking me forever.) My amazing host family has played a huge role in making my experience so far such a positive one. Their hospitality and kindness …
Tag Archives: Jordan
Sidewalks
I prepared for the major cultural differences before coming to Jordan. I knew that I would have to dress more conservatively than I do in the U.S., and I expected to struggle to communicate in Arabic. There are bunches of little cultural differences that are impossible to prepare for, though. Jordanian beds usually don’t have …
Discovering Amman
“Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past.” Eliot, T.S. “Burnt Norton.” Four Quartets, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1971. The English major in me will always want to add poetry to my blog posts, but I chose this specific quote because I got to …
Optimum Culture Shock
Hi friends! I’m typing this from Amman, Jordan, and I’m finally starting to believe that I might actually be studying abroad this semester. It feels like a dream. Apologies in advance for the photo quality—I took tons of pictures, but I’m a horrible photographer so you’ll have to use your imagination to fill in the …
Plot Twist!
Three days ago, I received a call from my SIT admissions counselor. “AnnaLeah, I’m gonna ask you to sit down,” she instructed me over the phone. “I have some news that will shake your world.” This wasn’t the first time I had talked with my admissions counselor. She had been supportive in my application and …
A glimpse into ethical tourism in Jordan
Are study abroad students tourists in the country in which they study? I have been asking myself this question for the last four months, and I am still not sure of the answer. However, I do know that as temporary visitors (okay, so maybe we are tourists) we have the responsibility to leave the country …
The Promised Land
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to visit Mount Nebo (the land of Moab, now Jordan), where God showed Moses the Promised Land. This is also where Moses was said to have died. The view from the top of Mount Nebo is spectacular. From it, you can see the Dead Sea (far left), Jerusalem …
Facts about Jordan you wouldn’t read in a guidebook
As I prepared for my time in Jordan I did a LOT of research about what culture, food, and life in Amman was going to be like. A lot of the information I found was helpful, but there are some things that guide books just don’t tell you! I have been a long time lover …
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Summaq, sitting rooms, and shisha
As I prepared for my time in Jordan, one of my biggest concerns was what my host experience would be like. So many students cite living with their host families as the most rewarding part of their study abroad experience, whereas some have horror stories that would knock your socks off. SIT tends to keep …
24 hours in my shoes
One of the best ways to get to know a place is to walk around in it–to get your own shoes dirty and get lost in a new city. While you may not be able to visit Amman yourself, today I thought I’d let you walk in my shoes for 24 hours and see a …
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