Universal Language

Three instances today fall under this category:

1. Another girl on the trip just posted about a conversation she had with her peer tutor in which she was asked whether she would ever date a black man. Upon responding in the affirmative, her peer tutor responded with something along the lines of 'nigger nigger nigger, ew gross that's disgusting.' Unfortunately, it sounds like this word has managed to transverse continents despite the complete lack of a relevant historical context (I understand that the slave trade actually began with the Arabs, but I don't think this word accompanied it). More to come on race relations in Jordan in the Middle East, particularly about how I qualify as a Jamaican....

2. Riding back from Rainbow Street in a taxi with my friends Jackie and Casey, the radio was playing Aretha Franklin and then Marvin Gaye. The three of us, in the back seat, of course were discussing the wonder that was American music from the 70s on radios the world over until the driver turned off the radio. Disappointed, we looked to each other in dismay. At the light, however, he reached into the glove compartment for a (yes) cassette tape, which he reviewed, blew on and inserted into the radio. The rest of the ride consisted of three American girls and an Arab man blasting 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and 'Smooth Criminal' while racing down the street at an abnormally high speed. We missed our stop but it was completely worth it.

3. I returned home to find that my mama, her daughter Leen and my host brother Hamoudeh were all dressed up and getting ready to leave for a wedding. A few minutes later, Leen's husband drove up to the front of the house, frustratedly and quickly recited a story to my mama and then proceeded to leave the car on and run in the opposite direction with ostensibly no idea how to run properly. I suppose he would blame his shoes, but all of this is beside the point. Five minutes later, and with two men and one 15-year-old behind the car, my baba turns on to the street in his broken-down car, on this day of all days, steering somewhat haphazardly into a parking place sort of in front of the house. At this point, everyone else rushed around and piled into Leen's husband's car and drove away. I asked Baba if he was going to the wedding and he pointed to the car and said 'clearly not.'

The two of us came inside to eat dinner and, just as we began, I mimed driving a car and a sad face and we had a very nice giggle.

Love,

anneke

p.s. I just accidentally sneezed into an ashtray and, thus, rendered the whole practice of using it in the first place completely useless.