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Luci Meade is a student at St. Lawrence University, and she spent the semester studying in the Area & Arabic Language Studies Program in Amman, Jordan. She shares her experiences with her host family and her experiences on AMIDEAST excursions in Jordan.
During my time in Amman, I lived with a host family. One night after studying, I came home to my host dad making foul, a traditional Arabic dish consisting of tomatoes, beans, and seasoning. It is traditionally served warm on fresh pita bread. It is always nice to come home to a fresh meal and informally learn about Arab culture and food. My host dad would sometimes give us Arabic lessons at the dinner table and those were often some of the most relevant and educational lessons. I enjoyed being able to live with locals who could help provide a very holistic experience while I was studying abroad. Photo credit: Meade, 2018.
Early in the semester, we took a trip to Jerash, an ancient city north of Amman. We were able to see the ancient ruins of Greek and Roman structures, including a theater. In this theater, locals play songs for those that are visiting while dressed in traditional garb. While we were listening to them play, they began to walk towards my group and encouraged myself and a fellow student to come to the front of the theatre and join them as they played. Of course, we could not pass up this opportunity and so we began to dance with the locals as they played! Photo credit: Meade, 2018.
On our second excursion, we traveled to Wadi Rum, a desert area in the south of Jordan. Here, we were given a tour of a small part of the desert and we were able to ride camels! They are beautiful creatures and very sweet. After a full day touring, we were provided a traditional meal. The Bedouins cook their meals in a fire buried in the ground. It was one of the best meals I ate on the trip. The area is an amazing and wide-open space and the local Bedouins are very welcoming. It was truly an amazing and humbling experience. Photo credit: Meade, 2018.
