Advanced I Arabic, Amman, 2011

Student, Brown University, 2013 graduation (Junior), History and Middle East Studies

My Arabic professor at school is vocal about the program and encouraged us to apply—as should all professors!

I have been fascinated by Middle East politics for years, especially how the history of the region can be better used to understand where the future could go, and learning the language is crucial for understanding the history and politics I’m interested in.

I hope to work either in the Middle East or for an agency or company that does business in the Middle East, giving me a constant reason to continually improve my Arabic on both a formal and informal level.

I am studying in school. While in Jordan, I reached out to local historical organizations to get a different perspective on the region, and used the language to make friends.

I hope to use the language in both a formal and informal setting, through work on the one hand and in life—hopefully spending more time here in the future.

I have now become much more interested in Jordan’s issues—particularly water usage and future shortage, as well as splits between Jordanian and Palestinian populations. Finally, I have now become more interested than ever in understanding Arab nationalism, or the relative lack thereof, from a modern and historical perspective.

Studying a language without visiting a country that speaks it is impossible—language and culture are often so intertwined that learning one without the other is fruitless. Seeing how the two interact here has been the most rewarding component of my trip.

I have learned more about Arab nationalism and Jordan’s water crisis than I ever though possible. I have also heard a separate side on the Israel-Arab conflict.

Four of us went to Jerash for the Jerash festival one evening, and were wandering along the colonnade when two police officers approached us. One smiled through his cigarette and asked, “Debka?” Bagpipes and a drum quickly materialized, and before we knew it we had been sucked into a dance circle with a group of young Jordanians. Too many Jordanians stopped by to laugh at us or record our “extraordinary” dancing on camera to count, but we found our terrible dancing equally hilarious.

Inshahallah literally means “God Willing”, but it is often used in culture here as meaning maybe. The classic example I hear used to explain its meaning is that if a pipe breaks in the house and the plumber is called, he will say he will be over in the afternoon, inshahallah, meaning that it might be the afternoon or a week later. It sums up a lot of the attitude towards time here in Jordan pretty accurately.

I am from Vermont, and I love to ski and love the green (being in Jordan can be hard!) of my state in the summer, as well as the snow in the winter. I am a sports photographer, and I love soccer, making Jordan a terrific place to visit—we went to Jordan’s first World Cup Qualifier against Nepal (Jordan beat Nepal 9-0).