I feel behind and out of sync in many ways. Since I last posted, I have visited Syria, said goodbye to Amman, wandered both sides of Istanbul (just briefly on the Asian side, but it was important), and landed in London. My carbon footprint will be huge this year - good thing I spent the entire summer recycling and using grey water to flush the toilet. I am a whirling dervish of activity, but my soul is being scrubbed clean like it has visited a hammam (Turkish bath), which it has.
I am genuinely surprised at how much I miss Amman. No matter how much we all bitched about Jordan and Amman (and there are a lot of legitimate gripes), we loved it. I loved it. I didn't expect to. Truth be told, I'm a little cool on South America (Brazil and Ecuador), which is not a popular thing to admit. But the Middle East...it fascinates me a way I didn't expect to be fascinated. That doesn't mean I'm rushing back, but I'm willing to rush back, should someone pay me to. (Loved the Rainbow House, but I'm getting my own place next time.) For all that was at fundamental odds for me (repressed sexuality, sexism, conservatism, taxis drivers not knowing where to take you), I was intrigued by the rituals, the respect, and the history. Also, I always want to have sheep, goats, and camels by my sports fields. Of course, I also miss the people (mostly expats, but some Palestinians as well). I looked up to so many of them and where they are in their lives, careers. (Plus, our weekend getaways and house dinners always kicked ass.) I forget that in some circles, I'm also doing something adventurous and courageous. My perspective is so different than even 10 weeks ago.
That said, I'm slowly reintegrating European living into my life. Istanbul was a bit of a culture shock. I think the main differences are:
- The amount of people (12 millions vs. 3 million), making it more cosmopolitan.
- Islam seeming genuinely religious instead of cultural. You had to pay attention to know it was Ramadan, so many people were eating and drinking the streets. In Jordan, not paying attention during Ramadan could land you in jail.
- People touch each other and wear whatever they want. Covered women are definitely in the minority.
- They have enough water. The city is cleaner and the cats are healthier. They can even support street dogs, which don't exist in Jordan.
My time in Istanbul was mostly about people watching, a hobby not well reward in Amman outside of downtown, and even then it's limited by the lack of wide open spaces. Things felt vibrant, on display. In Amman, there's beauty and intrigue, but it all lies beneath a layer of beige or heavy fabric. You have to fight to see what makes Amman's heart beat, but in Istanbul it's on the surface, with moments of beauty everywhere. It was a nice change. (Pictures forthcoming.)
And now I'm in London. It's lush and green, and people are riding bicycles. There are comprehensive maps and instructions for the most mundane tasks, like crossing the street. For those of you familiar with high context versus low context, I have returned to a low context paradise. It's weirding me out a little bit, how little I have to fight to accomplish simple tasks. But I think that's okay for this weekend. I'm sure Eastern Europe will present new challenges to keep me on my toes.
So that's me for now. I am aching to see you all, while still trying to soak up all the possible experiences I can over here. It seems unreal let I left Seattle only 11 weeks ago - it feels like a lifetime. This may sound a bit dramatic, but I think airplane travel makes life feel dramatic. A friend who has lived in Amman for over four years now said, "I think I want to ultimately return to the US by boat. Flying isn't necessarily good for the human psyche." There may be something to that.
Enjoy Labor Day weekend!
