Between Dance & Food Coma

Friday + Saturday, 6th + 7th December

8 am. This morning, I go jogging in Amman for the first time in the rain. Of course not intentionally, because my sportswear is not exactly weatherproof. I should really look for some clothing suitable for the winter here in Amman at the next Friday Market. But not today. The rainy weather invites me to stay inside the apartment, where I spend the rest of the day in the kitchen with my laptop and hot water bottle.

In the evening, I motivate myself to go out. First to Jabal Hussein, where there is an art and theater program at the Jesuit Centre today. The Jesuit Centre here in Amman does a lot for refugees, especially Sudanese refugees. Mubarak is often there, and I meet him there too. As always, he is late – after a few difficulties finding the Centre, I arrive there just before 8. The program started at 6. So I still get to see the last hour, and it was already worth coming just for that.

The event (which takes place three to four times a year in this format) has a really diverse program: traditional Sudanese group dances, performances with Christmas music as background, children's dance groups, and in between, a singing Santa Claus who sings in English and then in Italian (although one song would have been sufficient). The last performance before the finale, where all the performers dance together on stage, is a touching choral presentation on the topic of migration. A group of young people alternately express their personal impressions on the topic of migration in English and Arabic. One sentence that sticks in my mind: "No one puts their child on the water, unless the water is safer than the land." There is nothing to add to that. "Watan" is the word with which the choral presentation ends. "Home".

Afterwards, Mubarak and I continue our evening. Ibrahim's friends are organizing an Afro party in a club on Rainbow Street tonight - it's called "Hakuna Matata". The girls are already there and the relatively small club fills up quickly. Excellent music is played until the end at 3 am, and there is a buffet outside with various delicious African dishes. It's truly a successful evening.

When we left the party last night, the guys who were also at the Jesuit Centre said that I would probably sleep for two days after dancing. I didn't quite manage that, but it's already 11:20 am when I wake up from deep sleep for the first time. I go for a run and then make my way to Sophia, who has already bought a bouquet of flowers - we are invited to Umm Hayan's again today.

This time we have no problems finding her house with our Uber driver (even though he initially warns us not to go to East Amman - the classic). Umm Hayan greets us again with a hundred "Ahlan wa sahlan" and kisses. And she's not alone today: her two daughters are visiting. One is the daughter who lives in the neighborhood of Amman as a widow, and the other is Rahaf. Rahaf lives with her family in Kuwait and is currently staying with Umm Hayan in Amman with her two young children for a few weeks.

We are initially served dates and Arabic coffee, and Umm Hayan turns on the small electric heater for us. I'm sure that the house where her apartment is located is one of the least insulated houses in Amman. Then suddenly a cloud of black smoke appears from the small kitchen: apparently something is burning there. Umm Hayan's daughters hurry to limit the damage, open the front door, and turn on the ventilation. Ventilating with natural air is practically impossible in the basement apartment.

At the same time, Umm Hayan is busy with her two grandchildren. I think again about how difficult it must be for her to be separated from them most of the time. She can't stop cuddling and kissing them. She asks Sophia and me again if there is any possibility for her to come to Germany at least through family reunification with her sons. But unfortunately, we can't help her with that either. And I would give a lot to see this family reunited someday. "In sha Allah," Umm Hayan says about it.

Then the food is served. And she has once again outdone herself: there are meatballs on potatoes and tomatoes, along with tabbouleh and "Kusa wa Betinjan Mahshi" - stuffed zucchinis and eggplants. I ate this last time with Syrian friends in Germany and I know the amount of time it takes to prepare it. From the beginning, it is clear that neither Sophia nor I can eat the amount of food that Umm Hayan puts on our plates, but it is very difficult to make her understand that. She simply doesn't accept "no" as an answer. When we are almost bursting, the food is finally cleared and then over-sweetened tea with fruit and seeds is served. We have already exceeded our required calorie intake for the whole coming week today.

As a conclusion, Rahaf gives us gifts she brought from Kuwait: polyester velvet leggings. And Umm Hayan tells us to come back soon. Then she wants to cook Mansaf for us. In the Syrian way, of course. She says the Jordanian Mansaf is not good at all.

With full stomachs, Sophia and I then go to a film screening. Currently, the Human Rights Film Festival Week is taking place in Amman at the Royal Cultural Center. We meet our classmates Noémie and Gina with their friend Anas there, and watch an animated short film series on the topic of human rights. There are about 6 or 7 short films, all extremely well made, but there is such a heavy content in everything that I can't process it all at the same time. Additionally, I still have the meatballs in my stomach. It's called food coma. I need to sleep a lot tonight. Maybe even longer than after the dance marathon the night before.