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Observations: I am stunned by the physical changes in the city of Amman. Eight years ago it was a scruffy city reflecting its economically poor population. Bedouin goat herders and their flocks ambled in and around the outskirts of town. Not today. My jaw dropped as my taxi driver took me to a hotel across town for my early evening meeting - under, through and over new tunnels and bridges; around new rotaries, each with modern sculptures, signage, and the local stone. Every building is made of this clean white stone - the city sparkles with prosperity. High-rise apartment buildings, banks, commercial and government buildings reach into the blue sky. New cars zoom on new roads, with well-dressed men and unveiled women at the wheel.
And much of this new money comes from Iraq. When Saddam was deposed and chaos reigned in Baghdad (remember that disaster?), anyone with money fled to Jordan, with suitcases full of cash. The Iraqis moved here permanently, started businesses, built buildings and homes, and are giving Jordanians a better way of life. Not all of this prosperity can be attributed to the Iraqis, but much of it can.
May 3-6, Logistics: Other 4 persons arrived in Amman w/out any problems. We toured the city and then the ruins of the ancient city of Jerash (333BC/time of Alexander the Great) and Jerash Women's Society, a cooperative nursery and handicraft association. We visited Middle EastUniversity with Prof. Bader Dwiek, who spoke to us briefly about Arab culture, after which we participated in a fascinating discussion with Prof. Dwiek and several of his graduate students on problems of English as a universal language.
Observations and Comments: The call to prayer is a lovely sound, but in strong competition with the noises of a booming city of more than 2 million. Motor bikes are forbidden in Amman, so one is dependent upon one's vehicle which clogs the newly created streets, tunnels, and overpasses. It seems everything is new: 22 universities in all of Jordan (a country the size of New Jersey), most totally new or totally renovated. Hospitals, apartment buildings, and a myriad other edifices, mostly built of white limestone, all gleaming into the sky. The city is, for the most part, very clean, with very few skyscrapers, so sprawl is enormous. The steep hills of this now-modern city are covered with development, and large, private homes continue the growth into the surrounding hilly farmland. Private and state schools are everywhere. I am still in awe of the enormous growth that has occurred since my last visit, only eight years ago. Restaurants are crowded with middle and upper-class Jordanians who are enjoying this new life.
Jordanian foods: Turkish coffee is delicious - sweet and looking a bit muddy. A far cry from the lattes I crave at home. We all love the very special, but rather sweet, Mint tea and saw today how much sugar went into the kettle in a Bedouin tent. Salads are the norm for our mid-day meals, including my favorite which is an egglplant dish of mashed, cooked eggplant, lemon juice, sesame paste, garlic, and yogurt. Sesame paste whipped with a bit of olive oil and parsley is also delicious.
One evening I went to the maitre'd at the Amman hotel to ask if he could put my Sim card in my new Jordanian cellular. As he was doing so, I commented on the large amount of French tourists populating our hotel. He remarked, "Isn't it amazing how the French and Italian women are so beautiful, and those American women are so fat!" Wowza! After picking myself up off the floor, I decided to reduce my portions!
Back to something easier on the mind…Before 9/11, many Arab students' governments subsidized education abroad, particularly to the United States. After 9/11, the best place for a good education was Jordan. Today, Jordan's 22 universities, along with its excellent healthcare facilities, keep the Jordanian economy going. Jordan's population (5.8 million) is young - 1/3rd of its population are students, and ½ are under age 25. The average number of children per family is 6.8, but this rate is falling.
The Jordanian population is a mixture of tribes and religions. There used to be about 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Jordan, but with a more secure Iraq, many are returning to their homeland, and currently about 800,000 Iraqis remain in Jordan. Many Iraqis literally 'stole' Iraq after the fall of Saddam, and fled into Jordan with suitcases of money from Iraqi banks. This new influx of Iraqi investment further added to Jordan's recent rapid growth. The Iraqis do not generally mix with their new countrymen, preferring to remain in Iraqi neighborhoods around Amman. We were told that when and if a bomb goes off in a hotel in Amman, the Jordanians immediately suspect the perpetrator is an Iraqi. The Iraqis are not as educated as Jordanians, but more usually trained in a religious school. Their treatment of women is not as liberal.
The population of Jordan is 40% Palestinians, 3% Bedouin. There are 300,000 Egyptian laborers and a small population of Syrians. Nearly all the Muslims here are Sunni, with a small percentage of Shiite and a mere 4% are Christian.
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