Dinner in a Jordanian Home

Before arriving in Jordan we read that a highlight is dinner in a local home. Our guidebook "The Rough Guide to Jordan" goes on at length about what to expect and how to behave on such occasions. We thought this would be for later on once we had been here for a while. Were we ever wrong! Terry was asked by a local to help him with his doctoral dissertation. Typically Terry, she agreed to help without hesitating. He asked us if we would be willing to come to his house to work on it. Again, typical of my wife, she agreed without hesitation and before meeting him in person. He picked us up and drove us some distance to a suburb where his extended family was waiting with an elaborate Arab meal. We met his parents, wife, and children. There were apologies because uncles, aunts, and cousins couldn't make it. The family hails originally from Hebron and Jerusalem. For years they lived and worked in Kuwait before being expelled following the First Gulf War because they were foreign born. Their home was beautiful with ornate furniture. After Terry provided dissertation suggestions dinner was served. It was huge. It was a real feast of rice with a colorful covering of meat and vegetables and delicious roasted almonds, a host of unique salads we have not yet identified, stuffed grape leaves, grilled chicken, stuffed pickles, yogurt dressings, juices and flatbread. The helpings kept coming. And coming. And coming. A cultural note here is that many of you know I am left handed. Eating with one's left hand isn't done here as it is considered unclean. So tonight was the first meal of my life eaten with my right hand (I don't recommend it). After dinner we retired again to the living room with Arabic coffee which contained cardamom and other unknown spices. Delicious. Then the fruit course followed. More coffee and tea. Then a chili-infused jello was served. More coffee and tea. We experienced sincere hospitality like no other. Another cultural note is that several times during the evening people excused themselves one by one to go pray. The parents and wife and children of our host were all present and equally welcoming. Three of the four children were presented including a four year old boy full of himself, a sweet seven year old girl, and a ninth grade boy who proudly showed off his very good English skills to his family by speaking with us. To top it off, they presented Terry with a beautiful gift of Dead Sea products and when it was time to go Terry was passed amongst the women so they could hug and kiss her. Jordan continues to amaze.