Dear friends,
Week five was a slower week, settling into living life with friends in Amman, Jordan. Since arriving on October 4, it has been a wonderful time of reconnecting with friends and their families, as well as venturing out to explore how Amman has changed since my last visit, which was back in fall of 2016.
WWE
In Jordan, the weekend is comprised of Friday and Saturday, so Sunday is a regular workday. Sunday, I met up with someone from an NGO to talk through various monitoring and evaluation-related (M&E) interests that they have been exploring in terms of strengthening this work in their organization. It was inspiring to learn about the breadth of development work that the organization engages in and the opportunities and challenges they face in relation to doing M&E work.
Wednesday, I observed at a community-based English language program and was helping sub as a teaching assistant for a beginner language classroom. Thursday, we went to the Jordan Museum, which is now the home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The museum is quite manageable to navigate and provides a great overview of the language, culture, and history of Jordan and covers thousands of years of history. It is also quite interactive and is engaging for young people through ages 14-ish. Since the main exhibition was 1001 inventions/innovations from the Islamic world, it was a great reminder of positionality. That is, being reminded that there are significant contributions from the Islamic world that have been made in math, science, applied science, and art, that often get overlooked or erased from western textbooks because Europeans or others are credited as being “the first.” Also, there were some unexpected mentions of Evliya Çelebi mentions , an Ottoman traveler/chronicler, who I became fascinated with during graduate school. :) Also, if you would like to read about the long history of pottery in the Jordan region, this is a lengthy and detailed read.
Saturday, I was able to meet up with Mohammed of @jedaryah_pottery_studio (Instagram), who coached me threw throwing bigger pieces of clay and adjusted some of my technique. (If you are in Jordan and are interested in connecting with him, he is a potter with 30+ years of experience and a great teacher and you can check out his work on his Instagram page.) In the afternoon, my friend’s family and I took a quick overnight trip to the Dead Sea and enjoyed 92-degree weather, a chili-themed restaurant, and lots of swimming. (Thus, the slightly delayed newsletter this week. :))
Travel Notes
Since I have one more week in Jordan (and to be honest, there are a lot of things rolling around in my head right now), I will just mention a few travel tech things that I would recommend (and that I have been making use of on this trip).
On the Android front, I have been using Project Fi (Google’s wireless plan) for the better part of six (maybe seven) years and it is amazingly convenient. There are different plans but, because Google has agreements in over 200+ countries, in most places, when you land, you will have access. No need to buy different sims or e-sims and you always have the same phone number and others can reach you via phone and text. If you’re interested in switching (over to the Dark Side ^_^), this is my referral code, which will allow you and me both to get $60 back.
Also on the Android front, Google has rolled out a few new features for Google Wallet, including a way to convert your passport into a digital ID on your phone (so, less need to photocopy/print copies of your passport as an additional ID — although I would still do it since phones can also get stolen). But they are really creating some great options to “carry ID” on one’s phone, which I appreciate.
Finally, a few things from the US State Department. First, it looks like they are finally rolling out online passport renewal. They were beta testing this some years ago and then paused it during the massive backlog of passport renewals/applications during the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it looks like it is up and running now. Second, I recommend the US State Department STEP program, which registers US citizens traveling abroad. While I do not register in all countries, if there are higher risks of things like natural disasters, etc., it is helpful to register because they will generate emergency notifications to your email if something happens.
Relatedly, checking out the relevant (in my case, Jordan) US Embassy country page will provide recommendations/guidance into things like different emerging risks, etc. I mention this because a few folks have asked “is it safe to travel to Jordan?” and related questions. One of the reassurances to continue traveling to Jordan was the fact that despite the ongoing missile attacks in surrounding countries, the threat level for Jordan given by the US Embassy was not adjusted (although the airline that I flew in on did adjust its flight pattern to avoid certain air space).
I note this because the Jordanian tourism industry has been significantly impacted by the escalating conflict in the region and the sense of general instability. I would posit that cancellations have been driven (in part) by a homogenizing narrative being presented by a number of media outlets, which tend to paint the region with one broad brush. While travel is never risk-free, sites like different country embassy pages are there to inform their public(s) and so, can serve as an additional resource when making or changing travel plans.
I was chatting with an Uber driver, Zaki, who studied logistics at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona for a bit. Since the pandemic, his company has primarily moved online and so, he drives an Uber and is a tour guide to get out of the house. He shared that since the resurgence of the conflict in Israel and Gaza (and now, Lebanon and Iran), tourism has really dropped off in Jordan, which has been challenging for the sector.
I remain in Amman for week six, doing some M&E-related work, taking more pottery classes, and subbing in an English class and then week seven, I head to South Korea with a brief stopover in Istanbul, Türkiye for a few days. See you next week!
I love reading your travelogue & look forward to your next post! Hope you have safe travels!
What a wonderful journey, Elise!
You’re packing your days with so much creativity, connection, and variety into every day’s adventures!
Thanks, too, for all the valuable tips, suggestions, and pix!