Beirut, Level Two MSA, The Suburb of the Rightly Guided etc.

Well it's been quite some time since my last post. As a result of considerable harassment from friends and family, I've decided it's time to get my act together and resume the postings.

So things have changed quite a bit since the end of February. In mid-March I passed the Qasid MSA Level 1 program (with flying colors I must add!). Following a 3 day break, I began the Spring term at Qasid in the Level 2 MSA class. My Arabic has improved considerably but nearing the mid-term (scheduled for April 30th), we're now covering some pretty dense grammatical concepts.

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Following the end of the Winter term, I made a three day trip to Beirut. My buddy Chris and I stayed at a decent little hotel about a five minute cab ride to downtown. While we didn't do as much sightseeing as I'd hoped, we did get a chance to tour the campus of AUB (the American University in Beirut, which is the most reputed university in the ME, and is home to the finest Plastic Surgeons in the region) as well as Downtown. At night we met up with some of Chris' Lebanese friends (Chris had studied abroad at AUB back in Spring '06), ate some great Lebanese food, and experienced the best of Beirut's nightlife (which was in abundance as compared to Amman, this is due to the sizable Christian population of Beirut, as was as the French/European influence).

Interesting tidbits about Beirut:

1) Despite the current peace, it's readily apparent that Lebanon's stability is tenuous at best. Given the recent history of Civil War, which spanned 1975-1990, and the Hezbollah - Israel war of Summer 2006, the people seem very weary of the potential outbreak of violence. Mind you this is a country where there are something like 18-19 different ethnic and religious groups represented, and Hezbollah is the de facto government in the south. All in all however, the people seem exhausted by the violence, and desperately want peace. I entered at least two bars where signs posted in English warned that those engaging in controversial political/social discussions may be asked to leave the establishment. This is only at the discretion of the bar/restaurant management, not stipulated by law. The point is the Lebanese people are aware that relative peace and stability have been the exception, not the rule, through their modern history. As a result, out of fear of the resumption of violence, discussion of regional politics is considered very faux paus.

2) The Lebanese use their currency, the Lira (Pound) and U.S. Dollars interchangeably. I often received change from restaurants/bars in half Lira, half dollars. Very strange.

3) As mentioned above, AUB hosts some of the region's best Plastic Surgeons. Walking around the city this became readily apparent. I counted at least 25 women that were still bandaged from recent rhinoplastic procedures. Despite the abundance of silicone, Lebanese women still have considerable natural beauty.

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A week following my return from Beirut, I moved to a new apartment on the other side of Amman, close to the University of Jordan. Myself and two Qasid classmates have moved a middle class neighborhood, known as Dahayet Ar-Rasheed (which roughly translates to "The Suburb of the Rightly Guided"). This area is certainly no Abdoun, but I'm definitely getting quite a bit more for my money here. The new place has huge living and family rooms, a big kitchen, three bedrooms, and two bath. Pictures will follow.

As of April 22nd, I will reach the half way mark for my time here in Jordan. Here's a brief outline of things planned over the next four months.

- Trying to keep my sanity as I will start MSA Level 3 in the Summer Term, complete with fours of class, and another three hours of homework each day, five days a week.

- Trip to Israel end of May. Going to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Ei'Lat (prime destination for resorty, beach vacations. Snap)

- My Sisters visiting Jordan for a week in mid-June!

- Big concert called "Desert Heat" in late July, to be held in Wadi Rum and Aqaba.


This is all for now. Stay tuned for another post soon, promise.

Happy Easter to all.

Geoff