Week Eleven:

School is definitely in full swing. I think I may end up writing at least 300 pages of research papers for the various classes and my thesis (though it possibly may end up being more). Honestly, it’s kind of exciting as much as it is daunting. I have had fun reading a lot, particularly some of the classics of international relations and its theory. It’s also been a fascinating experience to hear and start to understand an outside perspective on international relations and even United States foreign policy.

Something I think I’ve neglected to address thus far in my posts is the Embassy and expat social scene. Being someone who enjoys pushing bounds (to a certain extent…) and getting outside the limits of past experiences, I have tried not to spend way too much time in Embassy social events. That’s simply because it would be easy to get comfortable around fellow Americans and speaking English. That said, I have found it interesting to take part in some of the events and parties that go on in and around the U.S. Embassy community.

The first, and most impressive, party I attended was kind of a shock, to be completely honest. I was informed of the event and invited the day before it was held. The invitation I got was by word of mouth, just in passing, and from the sound of it I felt like it would be a small social function for one of the sections at the Embassy (there are multiple sections, such as those for military cooperation, consular affairs, and economic coordination). I asked for a little more information from my former superior in the MAP office and he seemed pretty nonchalant about it as well (“just a nice collared shirt and maybe jeans or something”). So I drive up and the party is absolutely not at all what I was expecting; luckily I had dressed significantly nicer than what I had been advised to wear, and I was very thankful for that. Most of the employees at the Embassy were present along with a significant number of foreign diplomats and important figures from Jordan. Thinking back on the event (and here I’m going to get kind of lame, fair warning) it kind of fits into something from one of my books, Politics Among Nations, where we are pursuing a “prestige policy.” That is, where states sort of look to increase their prestige by diplomatic niceties, shows of military force and prowess, or direct personal exchanges, such as parties.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending a few other events at or around the Embassy, such as a birthday party for two of my superiors (both Army) and most recently a small “Oktoberfest.” I particularly enjoyed the Oktoberfest because, for the most part, things were kept relatively low key and it was fun having some structure to the event while having the freedom to meet others from the American community. In a way the social events serve to keep the American diplomatic and expat community connected. Furthermore, Jordan is promoted as a family friendly post for American diplomats, and such a well-connected community both spreads and substantiates that claim.

To wrap up, I just have to note that while it has been hugely beneficial to have my own car, I have missed the taxi drivers. I try to take good care of my car: cleaning it weekly, waxing it, checking up on the various functions. But last week I hit a wall that I couldn’t touch: broken compressor for the air conditioner. I took it to the shop and they said it would be most of the day, so I decided to go get some work done and come back. Two minutes after getting into a taxi, when the driver realized my Arabic was decent, I was treated to a very excited twenty minute political monologue (about the predominant political topic of the area). It was really well meaning and it was a lot of fun to listen to (though I think I kept my eyes on the road more than he did during the ride). It ended with him declaring, very appropriately, that my mission is “to return to the United States and share my experiences here.” He especially emphasized that I need to express that Americans and Arabs are not so different; everyone just wants to provide a life for themselves and their families. Interesting thought, something to consider.

Hope you enjoyed, thank you for your interest, and I apologize that I’m brutally neglectful of carrying my camera around… I’ll be traveling around this week, so I should be able to add a few pictures next week. يعني إن شاء اللّه

مع الإحترّام,

- برنّن روردا