BLUF

 BLUF: jordan is a friendly and adventurous country. our first impressions were that it also contains a society that holds academic achievement in high regard, which provoked some thoughts about our society and position towards intellectualism.

We’ve just spent about 5 months in Europe, jumping from country to country, spending time here and there, strategically winding down our schengen visa to the very last day. Combined with the non-schengen nations, we were able to effectively ‘game the system’ and experience everything the old continent had to offer.

But now we’ve landed in Amman, Jordan. As many of you know, the culture contrast from Europe to the Middle East is about as severe as you can imagine.

We’d been “comfortable” in Europe for almost half a year. We’ve had a diet that agrees with us and have had zero food hygiene concerns. For the most part, social interaction has held very few surprises and minimal awkward exchanges at restaurants, tourist spots, and shops. Our dress and appearance has required very little thought as we strolled through renaissance cities, castles and plazas.

We loved every minute of it.

But now we’re back to lands that are less known to us - the word “foreign” means different things to different people, all depending on where you’ve ventured, how long you’ve stayed, and what you understand about the world. For us, Jordan is certainly foreign. It means we’re back in adventure mode, if you will, understanding that we’ll be a little less comfortable but gaining more understanding of the world and its people than we ever could spending time in Europe.

But that’s not what this entry is about. I wanted to tell you of the first impression we received in the airport and how it got me thinking about society in general, how it develops, and what’s “good” for a society.

As we exited customs into the arrival hall, we heard a ruckus echoing behind the security wall, both loud and overbearing. Apart from the sound of cheerful singing and clapping, there were booming drums, piercing bagpipes (or something similar to bagpipes), and a few other instruments. It literally sounding like the equivalent of a traditional middle eastern marching band, or something of the sort, was holding a performance.

When we turned the corner, to our surprise, there was a young man on the shoulders of another man. The elevated man was wearing an academic graduation cap and gown, pumping his arms into the air in rhythm with the music, while a crowd of twenty to thirty family members, relatives, and friends surrounded him, clapping, dancing, and clearly just gleeful of the occasion. There were bouquets of flowers, confetti poppers (that they were using inside the airport with no hesitation), and a slow movement of the party towards the exit.

I don’t know exactly what this young man had achieved, but it was obvious that this was his triumphant return home, and he had the support we all dream of. Based on his age, I can only guess it was post grad of some sort - perhaps he’d just finished medical school or something similar? (excuse my stereotypical thinking). No matter the case, he’d brought such honor and joy to the surrounding family and friends that it was contagious - it seemed a number of the onlookers in the airport wanted so badly to join the celebration. And why not?

My thoughts on this observation are as follows:

In the US, I realize that we also celebrate academic achievements, but not in the manner that I was seeing here. In fact, it seems we celebrate highschool graduation (something everyone completes, for the most part) more than we celebrate undergrad more than we celebrate postgrad etc etc… I’m not sure why this is, maybe just the fact that families grow apart more by the time these second and third achievements are reached, being that the child no longer lives within the household. Also, I’m much more partial to celebrating academic achievements the way I’m seeing in Jordan: not as if you’ve completed some dignified thing and it’s a solemn occassion, but as if you’ve just won the lottery, or pulled off some spectacular physical feat, won first place in a marathon you’ve spent your life training for, climbed the highest mountain in the lands. You’ve brought honor to your family.

Roving about this crowd of family and friends were young children. They had their phones out, and were taking as many photos as possible of the graduate being hoisted on the shoulders of those that supported him. They were in awe. You could literally see the modeling taking place in their minds - the desire to one day be hoisted onto the shoulders of their friends and family for reaching a similar goal. The positive impact this public display of celebration brought to those children and their beliefs cannot be overstated. They are not just being “told” what kind of ambition they should have and the results it brings, they are being shown. Their interactions with friends, life decisions, and general society that they take part in building will all benefit.

Intellect should be celebrated. It’s what sets us apart from the animals of the earth. Our ability to think is the greatest tool we will ever have. I understand that the university system is antiquated and perhaps does not have as much merit as in the past, but that is not a reason to bash intellectualism as a whole. We simply need to revamp our universities to be more affordable and more relevant. Still, I’m of the opinion that in America, we are on a trend of anti-intellectualism. That being “smart” is no longer cool, no longer worthy of pursuit, and that experts are viewed as equally credible as layman. Without getting into politics, I believe it is the reason America finds itself in a bit of a situation these days. We’ve slowly shifted from admiring the richer man rather than the smarter man. We would be more tempted to hoist someone on our shoulders that has found a way to deepen their pockets more so than someone that has sought to deepen their mind.

Okay, that’s enough of a rant, and I hope I’m not going too “deep” here, but it just struck me that my first impression of society in Jordan was not what I expected. Any society that celebrates academic success in this manner is probably on the right track. It's been about 24 hours since we’ve arrived, the locals are friendly and very welcoming, the city is beautiful, and the middle eastern “vibe” is enchanting. I don’t know if it can be described - you have to “feel” it. The sand colored buildings, the desert air, the traffic noise, the flocks of birds circling at sunset, and the call to prayers echoing across the landscape all combine into something extremely compelling and adventurous.