In February of 2007 the State Department had an Entry Level Officer conference in Amman. Basically, they got Junior Officers from posts around the Middle East, sent us to Amman, and stuck us in a conference room for a few days while we got to listen to people talk about how awsome the Foreign Service is, how important the work we're doing is, and how significant of a challenge Iraq poses to the Service as a whole. Fun stuff.
However, there was one part of the conference that dwarfs all others both in terms of interest and significance. About half of us in attendance had the opportunity to have an audience with King Abdullah. Now, I know that a lot of people don't approve of his reign, and he ceratinly has more than his fair share of challenges, triumphs, and mistakes, but I was honored to have the opportunity to shake his hand and hear him speak, at lenght, on his take on the situation in the Middle East. It was a priceless opportunity, and one for which I am grateful.
Showing posts with label Jordon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordon. Show all posts
Friday, July 6, 2007
Amman 2004
We actually stayed in Amman in two different stretches in 2004. At the beginning of the "Final Trip" that capped off our semester Study Abroad, we spent a few nights in Amman. Amman was also the city we were flying out of, so we spent a few more days there at the end of our study abroad.
Much like Aqaba, Amman stood in stark contrast in our minds with Egypt in general, and Alexandria in particular. While Alex grew to feel like a claustrophobic port city, Amman was a sprawling, relaxed mountain town, the hills covered with limestone-faced houses. It was particularly pretty at sunset.
My starkest memory from these trips to Amman is from when we were on top of the mountain where the old city of Ammon was during biblical times. The tour guide pointed out that the long valley to the west, which is where the modern city mostly sits, was the beginning of the ancient road that connected Ammon to Jerusalem. It's also the best route for an army invading from Israel to take.
It's entirely possible, then, that that was were the Israelite army was attacking when Uriah was sent to the front lines. It was kind of eerie, thinking about the history that had occured in the vicinity of where I was standing. Indeed, I had that feeling many times throughout Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Much like Aqaba, Amman stood in stark contrast in our minds with Egypt in general, and Alexandria in particular. While Alex grew to feel like a claustrophobic port city, Amman was a sprawling, relaxed mountain town, the hills covered with limestone-faced houses. It was particularly pretty at sunset.
My starkest memory from these trips to Amman is from when we were on top of the mountain where the old city of Ammon was during biblical times. The tour guide pointed out that the long valley to the west, which is where the modern city mostly sits, was the beginning of the ancient road that connected Ammon to Jerusalem. It's also the best route for an army invading from Israel to take.
It's entirely possible, then, that that was were the Israelite army was attacking when Uriah was sent to the front lines. It was kind of eerie, thinking about the history that had occured in the vicinity of where I was standing. Indeed, I had that feeling many times throughout Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Aqaba 2004
After several months of living in Egypt, Aqaba seemed to be almost a fairy tale land of calm cleanliness. It took a long day's drive in the bus and on the ferry to get there, but we sure felt like it was worth it.
Looking back, it's almost comical at how relaxed Katie and I felt when we walked down the streets of Aqaba. Until then, we hadn't even realized the tension we'd been carrying with us in Egypt. Now, don't get me wrong - I loved my time in Egypt. However, there's something about being around so many people in such a chaotic environment that, over time, creates a fair amount of tenstion. Aqaba is where that tension started to drift away.
Looking back, it's almost comical at how relaxed Katie and I felt when we walked down the streets of Aqaba. Until then, we hadn't even realized the tension we'd been carrying with us in Egypt. Now, don't get me wrong - I loved my time in Egypt. However, there's something about being around so many people in such a chaotic environment that, over time, creates a fair amount of tenstion. Aqaba is where that tension started to drift away.
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