Family Life

As apprehensive as I was about my host family assignment – seriously, I was almost crying when Rana gave it to me – I have to say my first few days with them have been a success. They're taking very good care of me and my Arabic is improving already.

My host dad is Hamada. He works at the airport getting things through customs – Rana described him to me as an expediter for a logistics company. Oddly enough, his brother lives in Portland a few minutes from LC. I talked to him on the phone the other day. It was raining there, which is weird for me because I've seen maybe two clouds since I've been here. Hamada has the best English of anyone in the family, and he's super nice to me. He told me as soon as I got to their apartment that their house was my house and I should make myself comfortable. There's a minibus that I take to school and back, and he came with me in the morning then met me at school to go back so I would know where the bus stops were the first day. He's the only one in the family fasting because his wife, Niveen, is pregnant, the kids are too young, and I'm not Muslim so I can eat with them. Niveen doesn't speak a ton of English (although more than I do Arabic) but she's helping me with the words she does know. I started a notebook of words and she helps me spell or say them, and now that I've started classes offers to help with my homework.

The kids are adorable but really high energy. Yazan is five. He goes to school one day a week, likes to play with lego blocks and guns, and has so far taught me the words for airplane (tayara) hospital (mousteshfa) and animals (haiwanat). I wasn't sure we'd get along at first, but even though I still don't understand everything he says to me. Sadeel is three and just about the cutest kid I've ever met. She's kind of crazy sometimes – she spent probably the entire day Friday jumping up and down or running in circles around the living room. This led to some severe crankiness by late Saturday, but even though she's calmed down a bit she's still likes to blow me kisses and sit next to me, like she is now. Saturday, she spent at least half an hour brushing my hair, mostly the same section over and over and over.
Hamada and Niveen are trying to teach the kids English, which is really helpful because at this point the strategy is mostly to repeat English words and their Arabic equivalent over and over. I've learned most of the colors this way.

Their house is in a residential part of Amman, a neighborhood called Arjan. It's definitely not the richest part of the city, though it's hard to tell exactly how well off anyone is here, since appearances are a big deal. Hamada and Niveen's apartment is pretty small by US standards, but all of their things are nice. Around the house, everyone wears sweats or pajamas, but to go out we get dressed up. They all looked very nice when they first came to get me, in a friend's car.

I have my own room, although it used to be the kids’ and a lot of their stuff is still kept there, so they’re in and out all the time. For the most part I don’t mind, but Hamada and Niveen always worry that they’re bothering me, so last night Niveen gave me a key. I enjoy spending time with the kids, so I don’t think I’ll use it much, but it’ll be nice when I get tired of their constant energy.