How will this experience help you in your job search and career?
I have been focusing on security and terrorism in the Middle East since the beginning of my undergraduate career, so knowledge of Arabic is essential to me. I have found that there is a huge difference between studying in a classroom and using the language in real life situations—from discussing cultural differences and current events with my Jordanian language partner, to arguing with taxi drivers over obviously overpriced rides. My Arabic skills have improved immensely, and so has my confidence in those skills, as despite my four years of studying, I did not think I would able to get through a single real-world conversation before this program. I know I will use these skills in every step of my career path, as I continue to try to understand the process of radicalization, especially in the context of ISIS and al Qaeda, and how it transforms into terrorism. These groups, and most of their followers, use Arabic both to communicate and in their propaganda. Examining exclusively English sources is extremely limiting, which is why knowledge of Arabic is essential to this career path.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from this experience?
Because I have been studying the Middle East for so long, but never got around to studying abroad, I many times felt stuck in some sort of ivory tower. Learning about the security problems of such a volatile region from a classroom setting didn’t allow me to have a full grasp of what daily life is like in the Middle East, and to be honest, I was very nervous during the last few days leading up to my trip. It’s easy to blow the danger out of proportion when you spend your days studying terrorism, and looking back on my two months in Jordan, I realize how necessary this experience was to complete my understanding of the Middle East. Jordan is a very safe country in an unstable region, and it helped me to better understand what it’s like to live a completely normal life in an area of the world which a lot of people believe sees nothing but war and destruction.
On the other hand, my program gave us the opportunity to visit Um Qais, a historical site located in northern Jordan, from where we could easily see the Jordanian-Syrian border. It was completely surreal to be staring right into the place we constantly hear about in the news, and while Jordan helped me understand that most people in the Middle East lead very normal lives, Um Qais reminded me that Syria is a real place, not just a headline or a research topic. Just a few miles away from me was the country where ISIS had conquered territory and where people continue to suffer the consequences of civil war. Being so close to a place I think about almost every day, but had never gotten the chance to see in person, gave me a deeper insight into my own notions about the region, and allowed me to form a more complete picture of my future aspirations in continuing to study and work in the Middle East.
What are two interesting things about Jordan that the average person doesn't know?
Firstly, more women wear the hijab in Amman than I was initially expecting. I pictured Amman as more liberal than it actually is, and although women are certainly free to choose not to wear the hijab, a lot of them do choose to wear it. There is also a good mix of ways in which women pair the hijab with their clothes—some wear it with skinny jeans, while others wear the traditional abaya. Additionally, some will wear the niqab, which covers everything but the eyes, while others (even Muslim women) choose not to cover their hair at all. Most importantly, from what I’ve observed in the streets, all women, no matter their clothing preferences, spend time together, which is very interesting to observe given their religious differences.
Lastly, I’ve noticed that American restaurant chains are extremely popular here. In Spain, my home country, we probably don’t have even a quarter of the chains found in Amman. They range from the most popular ones worldwide, such as McDonalds and KFC, to ones I’ve never seen outside of the US, such as Baskin Robbins, Benihana, Little Caesar’s and Hardee’s. They are definitely a good source of comfort food when you’ve had falafel and shawarma for too many days straight!