GSLIS Gateway

« previous | main | next »

Dispatch from Amman (July 12, 2005)

Filed under GSLIS Administrative
Posted by GSLIS, July 12, 2005
View all posts for July 2005

12 July 2005: Dispatch from Amman — from Michele Cloonan

12 July 2005, Part I: “We are Famileeeeeeee”

I haven’t yet been able to go shopping with my intrepid Iraqi colleagues. Every evening some piece of work or errand seems to conspire to keep me far away from the souks (also spelled, suq, or suk). I have had to satisfy myself with admiring their purchases after the fact.

Last night I went to the airport to pick up Pat Oyler and David Hirsch with one of the drivers whom ACOR regularly uses. The Queen Alia Airport is not a large international airport with shops and restaurants in the public areas. In fact, there are two food stands, “Blue Fig,” and “Daily News,” and two newsstands. For entertainment, you are left to your own devices.

But I got lucky: it’s July, and in Jordan there are a lot of weddings and graduations. (In case I forgot to mention it last week, there were celebrations at the nearby University of Jordan every night last week.) Music is an important part of both celebrations. As I walked into the Airport, I could hear drumming, piping, and singing, but all I could see was a large crowd. Soon a young man in cap and gown emerged atop the shoulders of his friends. As the friends and graduates paraded around, musicians and friends followed. I followed, too! The acoustics at the airport were perfect: the high ceiling — as vast as those in an old Union train station — allowed the music to be carried over a wide area. Two other “graduation ceremonies” followed.

About an hour later, a bride and groom emerged. The bride wore everyday garb except that she had a white western-style veil. Again, the music, friends, and video cameras enveloped the celebrants. I’m guessing that they were returning from their honeymoon.

As Pat’s flight arrival approached, we stood near the exit. I had a Great time watching all the reunions as other flights arrived. If you want a warm greeting the next time you arrive somewhere, rent some Jordanians! People seem to bring their whole families to the airport, from babies to grandparents. Tears, laugher, hugs and kisses run freely! Even the security guards seem engaged. One toddler ran under the security gate and a guard picked him up, gave him a little kiss and walked him over to his parents.

By the time Pat’s flight arrived I had written a hundred mini-series in my head. Then the driver and I started playing “Which One is Pat”? But there was no Pat! We had to content ourselves with “Which One is David.” We both guessed wrong on David. To find out what happened to Pat, read tomorrow’s blog.

12 July 05, Part 2: “Money, Money Everyway Not a Note to Have”

American Express called me this morning; they had a card for me! Harvey and I took a taxi to the office to get my new, shiny card. What a glorious sight it was — these days it’s discomforting to be both cardless and ATM-less.

But the American Express office is hardly what you’d call a full-service operation. Picture an undecorated office with a few old tables and chairs. They don’t cash traveler’s checks (not even their own), or personal checks, nor do they have an ATM machine. And we wanted cash, and the ATM machine at the Jordanian bank didn’t like Harvey’s card.

So off we went to some office that American Express claimed had some of the services we needed. The office did Western Union, and various other services which we couldn’t fathom because everything was in Arabic. We were directed to a manager in an office in the back who had two men with him. His English was good, and soon we were discussing world events. Eventually I got my traveler’s check cashed, but Harvey didn’t even try to cash a personal check.

As we reached the street, one of the other men came running after us. He wanted to take us to his house for dinner. We explained that we needed to get back to ACOR. Eventually he understood us, but not before he gave us the phone number of his son in North Carolina.

More Later.
Michele

To read additional dispatches from Amman, please see http://my.simmons.edu/gslis/resources/publications/index.shtml.