Last weekend I visited the baptism site of Jesus on the Jordan river. One of the most interesting elements of the site is that the access point to the river separates Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank by about 10 m. It was surreal to walk up to the river and wave and speak with Israelis and tourists across the way. A small four-year old boy in my group was unwittingly wise as he asked, "Mom, how do we get over there!?" He was inferring a short pathway nearby that the other people had used to get across, but in reality, the trip across that short expanse of water is hours long and worlds apart.
On Sunday evening, a colleague asked me to accompany him to an official dinner at the Iranian embassy to celebrate the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution (or Iranian independence day). Don't ask me how he was invited. Needless to say, I was definitely intrigued! I was told it was a formal affair, to dress up and to be prepared to be photographed. Anyway, it was super interesting to observe all these 5-star generals and ambassadors schmoozing and I even got to meet the ambassador of Iran and the deputy ambassador although neither of them were allowed to shake my hand (for religious reasons). Plus, the food was amazing.
This is an excerpt from the ambassador's speech which was given to me as an English translation in paper copy. (I've left typos as they are.)
"Al though Shah killed tens of thousands of the nation in his march to revolution repression, but the USA Government supported repression and murdering acts which were committed by Shah against the Nation...by granting Shah the asylum right by USA without concern to offer apology to the Iranian nation, blocked the Iranian Assets and funds, imposed economical blockade and air force attack to Iran through its in 1980, but to no avail, then withdrew without achieving any of its goals. In July 1980, USA tried to overthrow the Iranian Revolutionary government by supporting internal coup but to no avail...I think that, in order to figure out the reasons, you have to ask USA government... Why Iran? Israel owns tens of nuclear bombs, runs it Military Nuclear reactors, without being subject to any pressure....., again why Iran who uses peaceful Nuclear technology[?]".
Although I have already learned how to be critical of US foreign policy in the past in regards to Colombia and obviously the above opinion is biased too, I appreciate being able to learn more about perceptions of the US in this part of the world. Of course there are always multiple sides to one story, but I feel lucky to learn about the perspective of the US in this part of the world separated from US popular opinion and media, which I feel is much more limited, much less free, than I previously thought.
Yesterday and the day before, we’ve been hearing loud booming sounds. Some people thought it was just thunder, but it sounded so regular and unlike anything I’d heard before. Many of the students went crazy and started texting/bbming their parents that bombs were going off near Madaba. The administration was not happy that students had started these worrisome rumors before anything had been confirmed. Today, it was confirmed that the sounds were Israeli demining activities going on in the Jordan Valley. The activities had been expedited due to an incident in February 2010 where a young Israeli boy lost his leg to a mine. Seemingly, something was lost in translation because many Jordanians were panicking before news reports confirmed the cause of the booming.
On Sunday evening, a colleague asked me to accompany him to an official dinner at the Iranian embassy to celebrate the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution (or Iranian independence day). Don't ask me how he was invited. Needless to say, I was definitely intrigued! I was told it was a formal affair, to dress up and to be prepared to be photographed. Anyway, it was super interesting to observe all these 5-star generals and ambassadors schmoozing and I even got to meet the ambassador of Iran and the deputy ambassador although neither of them were allowed to shake my hand (for religious reasons). Plus, the food was amazing.
This is an excerpt from the ambassador's speech which was given to me as an English translation in paper copy. (I've left typos as they are.)
"Al though Shah killed tens of thousands of the nation in his march to revolution repression, but the USA Government supported repression and murdering acts which were committed by Shah against the Nation...by granting Shah the asylum right by USA without concern to offer apology to the Iranian nation, blocked the Iranian Assets and funds, imposed economical blockade and air force attack to Iran through its in 1980, but to no avail, then withdrew without achieving any of its goals. In July 1980, USA tried to overthrow the Iranian Revolutionary government by supporting internal coup but to no avail...I think that, in order to figure out the reasons, you have to ask USA government... Why Iran? Israel owns tens of nuclear bombs, runs it Military Nuclear reactors, without being subject to any pressure....., again why Iran who uses peaceful Nuclear technology[?]".
Although I have already learned how to be critical of US foreign policy in the past in regards to Colombia and obviously the above opinion is biased too, I appreciate being able to learn more about perceptions of the US in this part of the world. Of course there are always multiple sides to one story, but I feel lucky to learn about the perspective of the US in this part of the world separated from US popular opinion and media, which I feel is much more limited, much less free, than I previously thought.
Yesterday and the day before, we’ve been hearing loud booming sounds. Some people thought it was just thunder, but it sounded so regular and unlike anything I’d heard before. Many of the students went crazy and started texting/bbming their parents that bombs were going off near Madaba. The administration was not happy that students had started these worrisome rumors before anything had been confirmed. Today, it was confirmed that the sounds were Israeli demining activities going on in the Jordan Valley. The activities had been expedited due to an incident in February 2010 where a young Israeli boy lost his leg to a mine. Seemingly, something was lost in translation because many Jordanians were panicking before news reports confirmed the cause of the booming.
Some Roman ruins close-by in Madaba.
A shot of the ruins. It was a stormy, windy day, and we were on a hill!
I was with a history teacher who said that we are currently facing the altar of a church.
A surviving arch.
A stone path and fields beyond.
Some cows and sheep make a home below the ruins.
Where Jesus was baptized.
Helloooo, over there! So close, yet so far.
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