Preparing for a Fulbright Post

Fulbright Scholar posts generally span six, nine, or 12 months, and usually the Scholar decides on term length. I selected six months. That should give me enough time to conduct meaningful research, drag kids into the field, and still explore the country’s and regions’ wonders. Although I most likely won’t be able to complete the research I originally intended on conducting, I am still excited to be in situ, in such an amazing landscape among such wonderful people. Or at least, that’s what I remember from my last visit to Jordan (back in 1995…thanks Deon and Julie!) I’m grateful that Kaelin will be joining me for the duration – and not just because of her Arabic skills J. She’s not only a fabulous field and travel companion, but the most amazing spouse.

So, preparing. Yeah. They told us in orientation last summer that social media plays a huge role in helping people understand the Fulbright program’s importance. I’m more than happy to oblige them. I expect to keep friends abreast of happenings via my Facebook account, while the rest of the World can follow me on Twitter (@caseallen) and with this blog. Please follow as much as you can. There will be lots of pretty pictures with explanations, and we will also be happy to answer questions. Each form of social media is also linked from my website (caseallen.com).

In that same orientation, Scholars were also told to explore beyond our host city/country. And we fully intend to take them up on that statement – as safety allows, of course. That means, while we plan to discover our home base of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, we are also looking forward to exploring other Middle Eastern countries. There are also a few professional conferences in that neck of the woods I’d like to attend. That means social media posts of places beyond Jordan. Lots to see and do!

Currently, we’re spending the last few days Stateside, at our Research & Field Station (Maiku – a friendly greeting in the Southern Paiute language) finalizing details and deciding what exactly to bring for living full-time in a foreign country. Luckily, we’ve never been heavy packers, always opting for a carryon-size backpack and maybe a “personal item”. Even for longer excursions. I wasn’t always like that, however. When I moved to my beloved Grenada all those years ago, for example, I over packed. Like, a lot. I packed things I thought I would use, but never did: all my books, my entire wardrobe, electronics and small appliances, even cookware. I even packed my electric beaters, small crock pot, and crepe pan. Why? Then, once the post had ended, I had to decide what I really wanted to re-pack upon return. Ugh.

Why pack so much stuff when, especially nowadays, you can find most of whatever you need in nearly every corner of the globe? Yes, we’re bringing a few well-chosen/probably-not-available-anywhere-else books (Desert Geomorphology and Introduction to Rock Art Research aren’t available electronically yet, for example). And of course we are bringing some specific field gear (because finding quality items like a loupe or Brunton compass is difficult in most places). But on the whole, however, we don’t need much more than our travel packs and “one personal item”. We can still dress nice and appropriately without bringing our entire wardrobes, and with a few well-selected field paraphernalia and lexicons, we’re set for the six-month journey. Stay tuned!

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...
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, Az...
Read more