"A Day in the Life of an Amideast Student: COVID Edition," by Djibril Branche
Hello everyone! A lot of people back home that I have talked to have asked about what daily life in Jordan is like in the context of Covid-19. So thought it would be beneficial to walk through my daily life with that in mind.
I woke up at 8:30 and had a sandwich and cucumber for breakfast; this is par for the course when it comes to Jordanian breakfasts. There is a huge emphasis of braid and grain here.
After breakfast I take a taxi to the Amideast building. One of the best parts about language learning abroad is that the classroom is not limited to the classroom, everyday interactions like giving direction and small talk in taxi provide an opportunity to practice Arabic and get to know a little more about the culture.
Taking Taxis
Using taxis here isn’t like in the States. For starters, the names of streets and addresses aren’t well known, so you must provide somewhat precise directions as to where you want to go. The first few weeks, that was a daunting prospect to do in Arabic but as time went by I became more and more comfortable with giving directions and making conversations in taxis. 99.9% percent of the time the taxi drivers are both patient and willing to make conversation. Photo credit: Branche, 2022
When I arrive to Amideast, I begin my first class Fusha. The class was online due to Covid, but most of us meet in person in the classroom because we like that atmosphere. Today we played some charades and a version of “Simon Says” to get acquainted with the new vocabulary and the imperative.
Virtual Class
After two years of Covid, I have become a little fatigued with online instruction, but the passion of my classmates and our professors allows me to push past that. Another benefit to the Arabic class here is that you’ll be tested on your retention of the material day after day, interaction after interaction. Photo credit: Branche, 2022
A mural dedicated to the Arabic 202 class! Photo credit: Branche, 2022
After class I eat lunch, today I am having malfuuf مافوف or stuffed cabbage - kind of controversial among the cohort but I for one, am a fan.
My final class for the day is a seminar on Gender Dynamics in the Arab World, today we examined historical works about the status of women in Pre-Islamic Mesopotamia and looked at how that cultural legacy endures to today.
Seminars
The pedagogical approach to the seminars is unique in the fact that they can only be taught in Jordan as they demand engagement and thoughtfulness not just in the classroom, but with our host families and our cultural surroundings. Photo credit: Branche, 2022
Finally I ended the day with some Indian food at one of my favorite restaurants on Rainbow street with some expats I met from Qasid.
Something that I was surprised at was the amount of expats here Amman. Take a look at the banner photo above: this table alone had people from Ghana, Turkey, America and the United Kingdom, I found this community to be a good resource especially when you very new to the city and can provide other outside perspectives on culture in Amman. A prime example of this was our discussion about how our race impacted our interactions from the perspective of an Asian, a White-Passing Turkish person, a Ghanaian and a Black American.
