If there's anything we Wahoos love even more than dressing up, honor and ice milk, it's studying abroad. More and more University students are taking advantage of the opportunity to see the world and take interesting classes at the same time. Yet the most important learning in many study-abroad programs takes place outside the classroom, in acclimating oneself to a different society and culture. I was fortunate enough to spend two months this summer studying Arabic in the kingdom of Jordan. While my Arabic certainly improved, I found my experiences in everyday life in the Middle East to be the most influential.
One thing people always wants to know about the Middle East is the weather -- their minds are filled with images of palm trees and endless desert and scorching sun. The sun actually is pretty scorching, and despite wearing SPF-50 sunscreen, I still cooked like a Hot Pocket. But the weather in the Middle East is, overall, more pleasant than it is here, thanks to zero-percent humidity. Mere words cannot do justice to what a difference this makes -- all of a sudden, 100 degrees feel like 85. Since my trip, I've occasionally found myself walking around Grounds, sweating like a pig and actually longing for the desert.
The other thing that most Westerners believe about the Middle East is that it is simply too dangerous to visit. Some of the people who heard of my trip to Jordan assumed that I would spontaneously blow up upon arrival! Of course, there are some dangers involved, as there always are in traveling. Yet I fear being injured by a car or a stray Frisbee in this country much more than I feared serious violence in the Middle East. The security forces over there mostly do a excellent job of keeping things under control. It's a shame that this misperception exists, because it prevents many Americans from making trips to the Middle East that would be wonderful experiences.
The people of Jordan, and the Middle East in general, are delightful. Contrary to popular belief, they don't hate Americans, at least not in most places.
"Your government is terrible," they will say, "but that is not your fault." Get them some temporary visas, and most of them could work on the Obama campaign. We got this reaction even in Syria -- it's nice to know that the Syrians aren't still sore about the whole axis-of-evil thing.
Hospitality is considered more than just good manners among Jordanians -- it is a way of life. A visitor to the home must be given something to drink before anything more than greetings can take place. Visitors receive copious amounts of food, and you must stuff yourself to avoid being impolite. If you praise any particular item in a Jordanian home, it will most likely be offered to you! (Unfortunately, this particular tradition does not extend to the big-ticket items.) We should live like this in America; unfortunately, on my street back home, people turn off the lights if they think the neighbors are around.
The food in the region is absolutely to die for. Everything is fresh and prepared daily. You might enjoy hummus here in the States, but the hummus in the Middle East is on another level. To the people here, hummus is a way of life. I quickly became addicted to Jordanian hummus, so much so that the first time I tasted hummus after getting back home, I gagged. For those who feel less adventurous about foreign food, the region is absolutely packed with American eateries, from McDonald's to KFC. One of the most shocking discoveries I made in Jordan was the fact that KFC delivers, but Pizza Hut does not! It was like being in a parallel universe.
If there are any downsides to travel in the Middle East, the traffic ranks high on the list. In Jordan, lane markings are treated as little more than cute guidelines, and drivers tap their horns constantly in every situation. Crossing the street is a mix of excitement and stark terror, because the drivers, although they don't want to hit you, make it perfectly clear that they are not going to slow down. Compared to the streets of Jordan, McCormick Road is Sesame Street.
The Middle East has much to offer to students and travelers alike. Everyone should consider visiting the region -- it does wonders for getting rid of your misconceptions and helping you understand the Arabs and their religion. And once you've had hummus that wasn't served with an ice cream scoop, you'll never go back.
Matt is a Cavalier Daily Life columnist. His column runs biweekly on Wednesdays. He can be reached at waring@cavalierdaily.com.
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