Earth Week, Work Week, Coffee Week
Happy Earth Week! Yeah. Earth Day is on Friday. So, you know, celebrate the earth, like the hippies that you are...
I'm going to start doing some research interviews next week, which I hope to write a paper from. I'm glad I'm finally doing something, as opposed to just being on vacation. I feel so worthless if I'm not doing something productive. I think that the paper will be really good, though, so that's cool.
We're going to Amman again this weekend. This weekend is a long weekend for the Jordanians. Everyone gets Thursday off of school and work for the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (called "Mawlid al-Nabi"). And then, the Christians get Sunday off because it is their Palm Sunday. The Christians here celebrate Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover, for reasons that are probably too complicated to discuss here. So, we're not coming back to Mu'tah until Monday morning.
I love the week here in Jordan. The normal week is Sunday to Thursday and then they get Friday (the Islamic holy day) and Saturday off (like our Saturday and Sunday). And most people take off on Wednesday afternoon, because they schedule their courses, etc. to be off or light on Thursday. So, for me at least, it just seems so easy. By Monday afternoon, you are saying that "it's almost the weekend." Maybe its just because I don't really have a schedule, but I think that the Jordanians see it like that, too.
Everything in the Jordanian way of life is taken so easy. The work ethic is really relaxed and no one really feels pressure to do anything, which is good and bad. Lots of people have jobs just because they needed one, not because they are qualified. Here, its not what you know, its who you know. So, there are many people who probably shouldn't be doing what they are doing, or who are doing a job that doesn't really need to be done - they may have a job just because of who their family is. In the University, once thy pass their "tojihi" (the examination after baccalaureate [high school] which determines if you can go to college, and what you can major in) it seems like most of the students don't really work too hard at their studies. Its wierd.
I'll try to write some cool things for Monday. I've got to go get ready for this weekend, and then go out for coffee with my friend, Ronza. Mmm, Arabic coffee.
I'm going to start doing some research interviews next week, which I hope to write a paper from. I'm glad I'm finally doing something, as opposed to just being on vacation. I feel so worthless if I'm not doing something productive. I think that the paper will be really good, though, so that's cool.
We're going to Amman again this weekend. This weekend is a long weekend for the Jordanians. Everyone gets Thursday off of school and work for the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (called "Mawlid al-Nabi"). And then, the Christians get Sunday off because it is their Palm Sunday. The Christians here celebrate Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover, for reasons that are probably too complicated to discuss here. So, we're not coming back to Mu'tah until Monday morning.
I love the week here in Jordan. The normal week is Sunday to Thursday and then they get Friday (the Islamic holy day) and Saturday off (like our Saturday and Sunday). And most people take off on Wednesday afternoon, because they schedule their courses, etc. to be off or light on Thursday. So, for me at least, it just seems so easy. By Monday afternoon, you are saying that "it's almost the weekend." Maybe its just because I don't really have a schedule, but I think that the Jordanians see it like that, too.
Everything in the Jordanian way of life is taken so easy. The work ethic is really relaxed and no one really feels pressure to do anything, which is good and bad. Lots of people have jobs just because they needed one, not because they are qualified. Here, its not what you know, its who you know. So, there are many people who probably shouldn't be doing what they are doing, or who are doing a job that doesn't really need to be done - they may have a job just because of who their family is. In the University, once thy pass their "tojihi" (the examination after baccalaureate [high school] which determines if you can go to college, and what you can major in) it seems like most of the students don't really work too hard at their studies. Its wierd.
I'll try to write some cool things for Monday. I've got to go get ready for this weekend, and then go out for coffee with my friend, Ronza. Mmm, Arabic coffee.
posted by Aaron Berdanier at 9:34 AM Permalink
