The Power of the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright mission, “…to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the peoples of other countries,” remains a dominant driving force in cross-cultural communication and appreciation. I’m proud to be part of the Fulbright Family. I stand ready to help anyone who is thinking of pursuing a Fulbright opportunity. The program is, quite frankly, amazing.

One of the Forgotten Fortresses of the Eastern Desert: Qasr Q'ilat (Castle-castle). It's really a dam that's been there since, according to my Bedouin guide taking a smoke break on the dam, Roman times. He showed me Roman engravings. This is OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. But such a neat place!

I’ve had some time to reflect on our experiences in Jordan, now that we’ve begun settling back into life in the States. And here's the thing: I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the experience – or the Kingdom, or its people. I can honestly say: What a fantastic country with truly delightful people! Simply outstanding. Really.

I work with Heritage resources, so this quote struck me. It's at
Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has certainly become one of my favorites (and I’ve visited, lived, and/or studied in many different countries). Really, it’s become a second home. Though we were fortunate to visit several other countries during our time there, flying back to Amman was always a welcoming experience. It’s a great feeling that my thought was not, “When we get back to Amman…”, but, “When we get back home…” – and by “home” I mean Amman. There’s “home” in Amman and then “home, back in the States”. Crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a place where I’ve felt like that (apologies to my beloved Isle of Spice).

On the Jordanian side of said River. The contrasting tourism of the River Jordan between Jordan and Israel is astounding. You have to see it to really grasp it. Tip: the Jordan side is much more relaxed.

I even catch myself comparing the US to Jordan. Just the other day, eating my boiled egg for breakfast, I said out loud, “It’s a good egg. Not Jordan-good, but decent…” And these thoughts/comments extend beyond food. Driving on freeways, watching American news, talking with people...I continually compare the US to Jordan – wishing that, in some ways, the US was able to be more like Jordan. That’s a thought I never would have had before my Fulbright experience.

The Sahabi Tree. Sacred and the only green thing for dozens of kilometers in any direction.
It's said Mohammad rested in its shade as a boy. More info here:
http://www.sacredfootsteps.org/2014/08/11/the-blessed-tree/

In the end, when I consider all that we did, saw, and accomplished in a short six-months, the thing that speaks to my heart and soul – what really is, I believe the power of the Fulbright program – are the people. The local, permanent residents of Jordan: Bedouins who have been there for generations, refugees who travel thousands of miles for something better, and others who have decided to make the Kingdom their home. That’s what Fulbright is all about, that’s where the true power of the program rests.

The dark lines running through the mountains are dikes. Formed underground as magma cooled in fissures (cracks) of already-solidified rock. This is along the highway from Amman to Aqaba.

It was truly a wonderful experience living there. A blessing. We had multiple visitors with whom we were fortunate enough to explore the amazingly delightful country. We met countless friends while in the field, forged some good collegial relationships, and saw some amazing sights. But there’s so much more to see, explore, and do! Perhaps one day we will return. Inshallah. Thank you Jordan, and thank you Fulbright for providing this opportunity. I am humbled and ever-grateful.

A textbook example of a large deflation hollow in the Eastern Desert (the pale, sandy area center-and-left). These are created when wind transports a lot of fine-grained sand into an area devoid of rocks. And usually ventifacts can be found around them.

Popular posts from this blog

Malls of West Amman

Image
Probably my favorite mall feature: The animatronic T-Rex in Galleria Mall at  Christmastime. Notice Santa with pterodactyls. A bustling metropolitan area with more than 4 million people, Amman has lots of things to keep a Travelist busy. There are ancient ruins, museums, Arab souks, architecture, restaurants of all kinds (and price-ranges)...and the list continues. There are also no fewer than a dozen universities scattered throughout the city limits. And Amman keeps expanding. The city changes so fast that Google Maps can’t keep up with it. For example, where last month there was no road, unexpectedly there is one now, or where there were just a few pilings for a bridge last month, suddenly there is a new bridge. Their construction crews certainly work fast here! For some reason, malls have always fascinated me. It may be that I grew up without them, only visiting them around Christmastime with my parents until I was in college and lived in “The City”. Or it may be the p
Read more

Rock Art in Jordan's Eastern Desert

Image
Dixie in her natural habitat: outdoors. Here in Southern Utah, 1993 When I was a little kid, Dixie (my mom) was into Native American (Indian) things. Actually, she was always interested in them. And because she was, and we spent a lot of time together, I became interested in Indian things too. We spent time discussing ancient native cultures, her (some would say wild) theories about them, and the more spiritual/mystical aspects often tied to the rich cultural heritage. She also liked “glyphs”, as she called them, and I soon became aware that these glyphs – rock art – were found in almost every culture around the world. Fast forward to my PhD work where, by luck really, I ended up studying rock art (though not in the traditional archeological sense) – and in the Desert Southwest US, no less. I learned there are four main types of rock art: petroglyphs (those carved or pecked into the rock), pictographs (paintings on rocks), intaglios (scraping away of a surface to reveal ligh
Read more

Shobak

Image
After pretty much traversing Jordan’s width and breadth – from Aqaba in the south to five miles from the Syrian border in the north and the Dead Sea in the west to As-Safawi in the east – there’s one place we keep returning to again and again: Shobak (sometimes spelled Shabak or Shawbak). Yes, the Dead Sea Highway is quite unique, the Eastern Desert magical, and Wadi Rum vast. But Shobak is...well...different. Kind of a high plains desert that captures all my favorite components of each major physiographic province in Jordan.  Shobak is about a two-hour drive from Amman, along the Desert Highway and en route to Petra. The town itself is best known for its castle . Built along the caravan/pilgrimage route between the Gulf of Aqaba and Syria by King Baldwin I in 1115 AD, it stood for several decades and repelled Saladin’s forces for two years later in that century. It’s also out of the way – you can’t see it from any main by-pass road as you can with other castles like Karak, Azraq,
Read more