Dubaiiiii

Hi guys,

Just had our first of two three day weekends, the other being next week. As I'm sure everyone reading this knows, it was Easter Sunday yesterday and so CIEE gave us an extra weekend day, thus our highly anticipated weekend trip to Dubai which was planned months ago arrived (just in time to spare us the agony of schoolwork). And so 8 of us in all packed our swim trunks and sun screen for a weekend of luxury in the Emirate. Our first order of business was to stop at the Duty Free in the Amman airport and grab some drinks for the trip. After this we lined up to board a flight to Kuwait where we would have a 50 minute layover. Here we discovered the meaning of corrupt policing. The 8 of us had each purchased our favorite bottles of alcohol in order to ensure a cheap and fun time in Dubai (where one drink at a club can cost upwards to 10 US dollars). As we went through the baggage check PJ and I were pulled aside and told that our alcohol was going to be apprehended. The other 6 were never caught, we don't know why. I have my assumptions, the officer said it was because it wasn't properly sealed but both our bottles were unopened and in Duty Free bags. Either way it was no big deal but a good example of an unexpected problem while traveling in the region. I suspect it had something to do with Americans having alcohol, even if we were in transit the Kuwaiti police felt the need to exhibit some authority.
We arrived in Dubai and jumped in a taxi to go to our hotel. We stayed at the Country Club Hotel and were completely blown away from the size and cleanliness of the rooms. The 8 of us stayed in two hotel rooms but these rooms which are for 2 persons each could have easily held 8 thrifty students in just one. Each room had 3 showers, two bathrooms, a sauna, a queen size bed in a seperate room with a door that shut off the tv room (even though the bed room also had a flat screen tv) which had a huge pull-out couch. The first night we stayed in our room and celebrated our vacation. the next morning we woke up early for breakfast and 6 of the group went to the Mall of the Emirates to go skiing on an inside hill. Being from some of the best skiing on the East Coast (and poor) I opted to stay at the hotel and lounge out by the pool (where I changed the color of my legs from transparent white to lobster red). Around 2 we all met at he marina and hopped aboard our boat ride upon the Arab/Persian Gulf. For 4 hours we cruised around the gulf banana boating and swimming at times and eating hamburgers for lunch. that night we went back to the hotel and decided to lay low because we had to get up early the next morning.
The next day (Saturday) we got up early and head to Atlantis at the Palms to play in the Auquaventure park. All of us were super excited for this and were flooded with childhood nostalgia of Disney Land and water park fun. However, now that I am 20 I found that I was fully disillusioned to the allure of water parks. Most of the day was spent waiting in 30 minute lines for 30 second rides, or spending ridiculously amounts of money on food. Over-all I was a little disappointed with the rides and park. The beach was imported sand on a man made body of salt water. After the park we entered the Lost Chambers and walked around watching stingrays, manatees, sharks, and colorful fish. On the other side of one tank were windows into hotel rooms for the Atlantis which we learned cost upwards of $10,000 a night. The motif of ridiculous wealth I'll get into later...
Later in the day some of the group caught a bus to Abu Dabi to go to Ferrari World, which I also didn't do. Instead I returned to the hotel with Emmy and Becca and had a delicious dinner at a Persian restaurant in the hotel. That night the other guys got back late, we had aspirations of hitting up the Dubai night scene but after taking a pre-partying nap I found it impossible to wake up and celebrate. The next morning we got up early, checked out and went to the world's tallest building, the Khalifa Burj. All of us filled into a new-age looking elevator and shot up to the 124th floor. From this we looked out over all of Dubai and the surrounding desert. 
This was everything I did in Dubai and now I feel impelled to tell you how I felt about Dubai. Dubai is not the Middle East, it's not the West, it's not anything. The best way I could describe it is as artificial and fake. The desert sands are probably as M.E. as it gets. the streets are immaculately clean to the point that they are sterile and eerie. You rarely see people walking along the clean sidewalks and when driving between the two main clusters of sky-scrapers the shops were mainly spa's and dental/orthodontic stores. The architecture reflected a culture of compensation through the means of absurd oil wealth. The population is mostly comprised of foreign immigrant workers from India an d Pakistan so many times our taxi drivers knew less Arabic than us.  Everyone speaks English. It is a country that is so young and built on foreign investment and tourism that it could only survive by learning English.
I'm glad to have had the experience of going to Dubai to have seen what the Emirates are like. However, I wish I hadn't spent my remaining funds on such an expensive tourist destination. I think it helped me hone in on what I look for in traveling. One thing I really look for is interaction with locals and in Dubai I spoke with maybe 2 locals, one being a taxi driver and one the bartender on our boat. From these interactions I didn't leave with an appreciation for the place where I was. In Turkey, I felt over-whelmed with social and cultural interactions and loved every single one. I found myself even missing the heckling from street vendors while in Dubai. It was as if people have been taught to go about there business and only assist the tourists when asked. If I could go back in time I certainly would have spent my Dubai money on Lebanon or Israel, but such is life and I did get perspective out of this trip to Dubai.
On the flight home I met a famous Iraqi singer who had fled to Dubai from Iraq in 2002. He is the co-founder of a production company based in Paris, Dubai, and New York. He told me that his father was the man who bought the copy rights to Sesame Street and made the Arab Sesame Street (so he's from a lot of money). He was a very friendly guy and it was clear that he was a celebrity as he never once needed a passport to board the flight and he made the flight stewardesses giddy. Here's a music video on his website for reference: http://alimala.com/music-videos.html . He's staying in Amman to see his mom for 4 days and said he'd like to meet up if possible so inshallah I will see him again. If not he expressed a desire to work on a song together in New York, although who knows how serious a comment this was. Either way, it was fun to meet an Arab celebrity and get a peek into his lifestyle.

In more surprising news:

I recently discovered that I was broke and have decided that I am returning home for the summer to work with Jason and live at home. Although I am sad to not be leaving Amman sooner than expected I am looking forward to seeing family and friends and sharing my experiences. I have also come to realize that I miss a lot about America. A return to normalcy would be refreshing and this way I save up money for my next travels!

Love,

Wylie of Arabia

Being Sick in Amman

Hey folks,

So I finally got sick and not just like a cold sick, like really sick. After returning from Turkey on Saturday I felt fine all throughout the rest of the weekend but come Monday morning I was not doing so hot. I woke up with intense stomach pains and a splitting headache. After 3 hours of hugging the toilette I decided it was time I called someone for advice. I called CIEE who immediately told me to go to the emergency room at the Arab Medical Center. Here I was met by Dr. Amy Khouri, a Dr who has worked with CIEE patients before. Blood tests revealed that I had a white blood cell count of 25,000 which should normally be at 12,000 and I was severely dehydrated. I was admitted to an overnight room in the 2nd class where I remained for 2 nights and three days while receiving copious amounts of fluids and anti-biotics.
What did I learn from this? Private hospitals in Amman are too expensive. Either I was taken for a ride or something needs to be fixed here. Instead of going to these hospitals I learned that average patients receive free ER treatment at public hospitals and had I gone to Jordan University Hospital I would have had free care, but who knows of what kind or how efficiently. What I learned about the private medical care in Amman is that it is very good. People come from all around the region to seek medical care in Amman and I now understand why. It could have been part of my white privilege but while in the hospital I felt very well taken care of by very intelligent nurses and doctors.

That's all for now. I need time to catch up on everything and decide my sumer working/living situation. turns out, I 've had a little too much fun abroad (meaning I'm broke) and may have to return homeward come the end of the semester; a trip I'm not so sad about, in fact the prospect of some "normalcy" is tempting. We shall see, we shall see. For now, school. Fun later. Oh, but I am going to Dubai this weekend. I guess that registers as fun...

Love,

Wylie of Arabia

Here's some picture lovin' for yah:

Pictures from my trip

Street artwork

In the Grand Bazaar

Cafe in Istanbul

Mosque at night

Sinclair and Becca in the Grand Bazaar

A cemetery in Cappadocia

old caves in Cappadocia

"love valley"

the view from my hotel

Istanbul

My "shebab" coat

Sitting in my new favorit cafe which is a 15 minute walk from my house and 5 minutes from David I thought to myself, I should really say more about my experience in Turkey than just tell you about Akay. My new favorite cafe is called Barjees. On our second trip here we met the owner whose name is Leith. Leith in Arabic meas son of the liar, when pushing Leith for why his father named him this David and I couldn't get an answer. Leith is a 15 year old business marketing major at Jordan University. The night we met him we spoke Arabic for an hour and then started playing cards. After teaching our new friend Leith and his buddies who worked at the cafe the game of bull sh!t we moved on to the haram game of poker. Leith is the first Muslim we have met to prupose playing such a game, and get this, we played for money (ya harammmm!). As we played me pushed us to only speak in English so no one around us would be privy to what was going on. He divulged to us all of his travels to ritzy resorts in the Gulf States and it seemed like he was very well to do. At the end of the night he drove us home in his brand new BMW SUV. Leith was very kind and generous and a great guy. Both David and I are hoping to spend more time with him and his friend Saif soon. enough on that...
turkey was amazing! I fell in love with Istanbul during the tram ride from the airport to the hostel and continued to be in awe the whole week. Although turkey is a 98% Muslim country you wouldn't be able to tell it from Istanbul. Although I may have a biased view since I've been in Jordan for 3 months. the neighborhood our hostel (Sumo Cat) was in was trendy and beautiful. the small European like streets and houses were covered in stencils and graphite by local taggers and artists. I snapped photos of my favorite artwork and will post them after I write this inshallah. Unfortunately our time in Turkey was plagued by rain and cold weather, however, being the outgoing people we are, I and my travel partners made the best of it. We made it to the normal touristy sites (Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, etc) but we found that it was extremely hard to keep a rigid schedule there. everywhere you go there are distractions whether it be garages advertising tiny walkways to art exhibits, or dress shops with 15 day old kittens playing on the couches. We spent most of our time allowing ourselves to get lost in the culture and people. While perusing an art shop by a local artist we interrupted a birthday party and were offered delicious chocolate cake while looking at fantastic art. Everything about Istanbul screamed "modernity" "European-style" and "trendiness." this was best exemplified by our out-of-the-way trendy hostel with painted mural walls and comfortable basement in which we had a dance party with a local Turkish DJ one night.
Walking down Istaklaal St. we were pulled into small cafes with photos of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Here we enjoyed pints of Turky's (kind of nasty but cheap) local beer Efes, while listening to local artists performing Turkish folk music. I am in love (if you haven't figured it out yet). Sorry Mom and Dad but I know where I'm moving after graduation, and it isn't 2 hours from home. Istaklaal was crowded with foreigners and locals alike out to see the shops, nightlife, and random passer-bys. One of my favorite experiences was wandering the Grand Bazaar, a huge flee-market situated entirely indoors. It was here that I purchased a new guitar (much better than the one from Amman) and a new "shebab" leather jacket (finally I can fit in in Jordan). I got a really nice deal because the shop owner was Syrian and appreciated the fact that my travelers and I could communicate in Arabic (language skills paying off already!). After our 4th day in Istanbul we hopped on an over night bus to Cappadocia where new adventures ensued!
Once again my travelers and I fell in love with Turkey. Capadoccia also spelled Kapadokya (i think) is in the middle of Turkey. It is the land of "fairy castles." These are naturally formed rock mounds of sandstone that were dug out into caves for locals to dwell in. Our hotel was literally a cave...in fact it was called Cave Life Pension. We arrived early in the morning and went straight to our hotel where my companions went to sleep. I was restless so I grabed my new guitar and headed up to the patio to serenade my new surroundings. As I started singing the hotel staff filed out onto the patio below to listen and observe there surroundings. I thought this was because of my music, but I found out that they actually do this everyday. they sit and watch their beautiful down breath in white clouds and blue skies (talk about living the life). After playing the manager of the hotel (Moustafa) approached me with a very tempting offer. He told me that he liked my voice and that he had a friend who owned a cafe in town who wanted music this summer. He said that I would be hired for the month of July (maybe June) and would have free room and board as well as being paid. I'll keep you all updated on this offer. It's very tempting and I think my music could stand to improve significantly if I took this opportunity. since being abroad I hadn't written a single song until that first day in Cappadocia. As soon as I sat on that patio words started spilling out of my head. I'm not always one for impulsive decisions, but who knows maybe this time?
The rest of our days in Cappadocia were spent hiking over hills that looked over flowering trees and bushes spotting the landscape around giant rock pillars. Every now and then you would see a doorway or window cut out and I would laugh to myself at the thought of living in one this summer. I wonder if they have wifi? While in cappadocia I was also offered a job as a bar tender at the local bar called "Fat Boys." Pretty much the entire time there felt like it was too good to be real.
My entire spring break was a huge success. I am so thankful to have gotten to go to Turkey and I hope to return one day soon. For those of you looking to go to a country with Eastern influence but safety and Western facilities turkey is the place for you (although local bathrooms do not yet have toilets, still holes in the ground). I'll post some pictures now and stop neglecting David. Since we have to find new ways to entertain ourselves we have taught ourselves the card game of Gin Rumy and can't stop playing! Of course I always win so maybe I can find some better opponents when I return home.

Yours trully,

Wylie of Arabia

Some quick pictures of where I've been the last few days to make everyone jealous

Akay the old philosopher of broken English

                Two days ago while traveling through Istanbul Becca, Sinclair and I were on our way to the Grand Bizarre. Along the way we ran into a man who at first seemed to be hustling us. Being both the social butterfly and sometimes oblivious person I am, I folded to his requests of getting tea and argilah at a café he knew. The guide book we have stresses the dangers of such interactions, but I told myself I would be very wary of both what he and I bought.

                We arrived at a small café with all men inside; it immediately reminded me of the cafes in Jordan. The men were collected around two tv sets on each side of the room cheering on a football match. After ordering apple argileh and tea we set into getting to know one another. The man’s name was Akay, he told us that his name meant: white moon, or man of all men. He spoke very slowly, showing his age in his words and mannerisms. He was the first man we have met in our travels to not undress my lady friends with his eyes. He was polite, a gentleman. It seemed like he merely wanted to talk and at times when lulls of silence breached the conversation he seemed content to just be sitting with us.

                He asked us a lot of questions about our studies and interests and in return we learned quite a bit about him. He told us he had been married to a German woman for 17 years when she had one day turned into a fanatical Christian. Akay told us that he neither subscribed to a religion nor believed in their myths. He said at one point, “we are one universe therefore everything is one.” Turns out he considers himself a philosopher although he has never been to university. He reminded me of the stories of Socrates minus the beard and robe; he was a modern day Greek (well really Circasian) philosopher. Akay seemed to be stuck on the point of corrupt poli-tricks as he called it and tel-lie-vision. Dodging between the witty little jokes which we could all appreciate because of his knowledge of English there lay one prevalent theme. He seemed stuck on the fact that in humanity there existed so much evil. I tried pushing him into religious mythology with the story of Adam and Even (which honestly I don’t know too well). I asked him if he thought man was born flawed and in need of direction like Christianity believes. He told me that every human being is born innocent (Catcher in the Rye?). It is humanity that exists which corrupts the human soul. A lot of this conversation was lost in translation but there was one line he wrote down on his travel sheet of paper that stuck with me. He was quoting a famous Turkish philosopher who said, (something to the extent of) “Just because a man is wearing a suit does not mean he is good. All men wear suits but it could in fact be the man not wearing one who is truly good.” This is a pretty straight forward philosophy one that I could have guessed a man wandering the streets meeting traveling strangers might tell. At the end of the conversation, however, I was just glad to have met a stranger who was not hustling me and who merely wanted my company.

                Experiences like this one can make or break some ones travels. Often time’s people are either too scared of one another to stop and talk or consumed with their own business. When traveling I have realized that time is best spent spontaneously, following the “glittery” things that catch your eyes. For us it was side-street art exhibits and dress shops, cafes and live music. It is important to see historical landmarks but if you set a rigid agenda you find that you missed out on the most important part of traveling: enjoying yourself. I am a creature of social interaction, I thrive off of chance encounters and cultural exchange, I am lucky to have realized this so soon in my life. At the end of our first 3 days in Istanbul we only made it to the Aya Sofia, a few smaller mosques, the spice market and the Grand Bizarre. We oculd have done more, but then we wouldn’t have spent the time to walk into a small art shop where we discovered the beautiful artwork of Melik Iskender and were offered delicious chocolate cake just because they were celebrating a friend’s birthday in the shop.

                Although architecture from the past is massive and beautiful it is important to observe what exists today. Looking at graffiti can tell a lot about the neighborhood you stay in and our was definitely trendy. Something about Istanbul made me fall in love with it and I can’t explain it. It could have been the friendly dogs and cats wandering the streets, the artwork lining the walls of every house, or maybe just getting to see houses colored something other than beige for once. I’m just grateful that I was able to travel with two great friends with very open minds. Even though it was cold and rainy every day so far we have made the best of it and now we are at our second destination: the city of Goreme in Cappadocia. I’m writing this blog as Becca and Sinclair nap; I am too excited to explore the fairy castles to sleep. I think I’ll go sit outside of my room (which is a cave by the way) and sit on the roof pavilion looking out over hundreds of mushroom shaped castles and rock mounds. This trip has taught me a lot so far and I can’t wait for the 3 days of relaxation ahead of me!

Love,

Wylie of Arabia