an archaeological marriage

Today Mahmoud and I went to Jerash - a very interesting former Roman city - replete with a Hadrian's Arch (currently under renovation - but pretty under the scaffolding). Where the bus let us off was a LONG way from where we needed to go and it was hot. We went to the entrance and then had to walk yet further to get tickets. Unfortunately I cannot understand Arabic at all - which is unfortunate because Mahmoud is always having a good time talking with people. Today when I told him I forgot my student ID, he was still insistent that I would not pay the 5JD (about $8) (and we had been squabbling because he ALWAYS pays for EVERYTHING).

So, he said to the ticket agents, "What if she's my wife?" The retort was, "I have a detector here and it says you're not married." Which I thought was interesting, though Mahmoud says if he had just said we are married that they would have believed it. I said I'd hold his hand for the saved 2.5JD, but no kissing. He was not amused. I think. He's very hard to read. Or maybe it was just a silly thing to say because there are NO PDA's (public displays of affection) in any form.

Oh, thank goodness there's call to prayer - it made the internet men take "Wham!" off the radio. They are quickly falling in love with me, I can see. Today when I came in they had installed new programs for me - updating and improving, they said. And before I could sit down, they had to finish putting in the huge screen. (Well, not huge to Michele and her technophilia, but huge to me.) They're very nice, and they do leave me alone eventually, so it's all good.

Just met the knafe man, too. Knafe is this really great dessert of like cheese and saffron and sugar water. Trust me, it's good. I craved it, but after our Jerash excursion Mahmoud left me to find it for myself. (We both got tremendous headaches from dehydration and the hot, brutal sun.) This guy was WAY nicer than most people. First he assumed I was German, then from Florida. Anyway, he was probably the first man to introduce himself to me without Mahmoud's direction. Just a sweet old man.

It seems most people here don't know many Americans, so I haven't started lying about it. I just smile and look friendly but not slutty - like I would neither invade a sovereign nation nor sleep with all its people. Fortunately that's my character naturally, so the act isn't hard.

Ha - thanks for the comment, Roberta. Well, I'm not yet veiled, though it looks extremely appealing, and if I were living with women I would be by now. Funniest Mahmoud comment, as we sat at the university people watching (which was very much fun - we are such ethnography geeks), "So, do you think there are a lot of cute girls here?" It was like he was suddenly channeling Gomez or something. I dunno - how quickly I adapt to what is "normal" is kinda scary ... in Ghana people touched me all the time, and here NEVER. And I'm here in the women's computer room and I'm like upset that some guy came in here. WTF?! Men and women are supposed to be separate!

Ah, the practicalities of Islam. Men and women have separate sections in mosque, and as Mahmoud said, the women's section smells better because all those smelly men with smelly feet aren't in there. Well said.

Oh, and there are NO swarthy heroes here, unfortunately. There is only one man I have found even remotely attractive, and he's just a nice guy with a friendly smile (hangs out in the stationery store where I get my Arabic lessons). This is in contrast to Ghana where I indignantly regularly protested, "There should be a law against scantily-clad men!" A muscular dark bicep - of which there were thousands - can set me off. There were so many hot men there, but here, nothing. Which is all ok. Being a married woman in a bigamist sense.

And, no there are NO Ralph's-type buildings. Lots of fun little shops and markets. There's a "supermarket" where I get my water and chocolate, but it's definitely Jordanian.

OK, I tried to post pics yesterday but no luck. So, I'll try again.