We are all valuable resources

Wednesday, October 2nd

6:30 am. I am following my morning routine again: writing in the hotel lobby, then breakfast with Rebecca. Today a bit earlier than usual. Markus and Jesús are meeting Saif this morning, and we want to join them. Saif is a friend of Hannah's and she told us about him when we were in Amman for the first time in the summer school. He is from Palestine, has already gained a lot of experience in humanitarian work at a young age, and is an interesting person.

We meet up with the guys at Hashem, a restaurant in downtown. Hashem is an absolute must here in Amman. For very little money, you can get very delicious Arabic food here: hummus, falafel, muttabal, labaneh, ful & co., which attracts locals and tourists alike. We talk to Saif a bit about everything, until the conversation eventually turns to Syria, where he studied law until the war broke out. When he talks about Syria, he raves about it. "They have everything: the best food, nice and beautiful people, beautiful landscape, sea, mountains, desert, incredible history and culture, it was very safe. What else do you need?" One thing comes to my mind. "What about freedom?" Saif hesitates for a moment and smiles. "I mean. You have freedom. As long as you don't question the system." I feel that our understanding of freedom differs a bit. Considering how many people are probably still stuck in Assad's torture prisons, his statement seems a bit ironic to me. However, without being able to assess the situation on the ground myself, I can't say more about it.

We move our coffee chat to a café around the corner, and Saif tells us a bit about the journey he has already made during his studies. Growing up in Palestine, he received a scholarship for a law degree in France, which he was not able to accept. He did not get a visa from the Israeli side, and the foundation did not want to get involved in political matters. So he went to Syria, then to Egypt due to the war, and then to Jordan due to the second revolution, where he was able to finish his studies. It is always the same issue that I encounter almost daily: the piece of paper that states your nationality determines your future. I can only muster a tired shake of my head for that now.

Saif wants to apply for the same master's program that we are currently studying in Würzburg, and Jesús has offered to help him. So while the guys take care of German bureaucracy for a change, I meet up with Sofia at the cultural center, where we can sit comfortably and learn a bit of Arabic. Ammar's call comes at a perfect time: after a good hour of Arabic lessons with him, we have to hurry down the stairs from the cultural center and climb back up to the university on the other side of downtown.

Just in time, we arrive for Dr. Sahar's lecture on "Social work in situations of conflict," in which we have to conduct research projects and qualitative studies, similar to Rawan's lecture. "All of you are a valuable resource." I think every one of our lecturers has said this to us, which is a really nice way to start our semester. So now, for the last time, we introduce ourselves, then we get some facts about the Jordanian context, and then we are done for today.

Sophia and I have one more appointment: an initial orientation meeting with Rose, a contact that Sophia got from a student from the last semester. Rose offers private Arabic lessons, and we meet her at Manara, a bookshop in Al Weibdeh. A new, large building with a big window front, comfortable seating, and power outlets for charging. At the long bar, you can order drinks, but you are not obligated to. It's definitely a place I will remember for studying. We talk everything through with her and schedule our first Arabic lesson for next Monday. I'm really looking forward to it.

Afterwards, I sit on the terrace of Manara for a bit, enjoying the beautiful night view of Amman, write a bit on my reports, and then make my way home on foot. It feels good to get to know Amman's streets a little better every day.

Today's vocabulary:

You're welcome - تكرم عيونك

Clever - شاطر

Person - شخص

Free - حرَ

No problem - بسيطة