U.S. Embassy

I've said before I have a very impressive wife. Today she was a guest of a high ranking U.S. Embassy official and, in my role as hanger-on in chief, I was lucky enough to be allowed to go with her. The purpose was to introduce her around and discuss her participation in the American Speaker's Program sponsored by the Embassy and hosted all over the country. I'm happy to say my wife wrangled an invitation for me also because this experience, in a U.S. Embassy, ranks up there with my favorite travel experiences - ever. Just being processed through all the levels of security was extremely interesting. Foremost was passing the manned armored personnel carrier complete with machine guns at the main entrance. We had to produce our passports several times at each checkpoint. We went through the now ubiquitous metal detector, we were searched, they removed and kept my cell phone while we were inside, they kept our passports, and we had to wear loud red badges that said we must be under escort at all times while in the Embassy. We were escorted in by a staff member who guided us through what seemed like a labyrinth, then we were greeted by our host. He gave us a brief tour, answered questions, and explained many things about life in an Embassy. There are hundreds of Americans stationed there and many Jordanians employed. The Ambassador lives in the Embassy, which is not often the case. Then we were off to lunch at the restaurant inside. Later we were joined by the official who heads the Speaker's Program. They were very impressed with Terry (did I say my wife is impressive?) and asked her to be one of their keynote speakers around the country. They will provide a driver and escort to each speaking engagement and, to my good fortune, agreed to Terry's request that I accompany her. The purpose of this program is a people to people exchange so Jordanians can interact with Americans, hopefully to mutual benefit. Terry will be a great voice in the program with her energy and goodwill. A cultural note: for the second time since we arrived we stopped in our tracks to avoid walking in front of a man kneeling in prayer. The reason we stopped, and did not cross in front of the man praying, is because when Muslims pray they touch their heads to the ground. It would be a gross breach of etiquette to walk in front of a person in prayer and thus give the impression the man was bowing to us. In this case it was a Jordanian soldier beside one of the personnel carriers. After kneeling several times and touching his forehead to the ground he finished, folded his prayer rug, and returned to duty. When we eventually resumed our walk he made it clear he appreciated our cultural sensitivity. We are on constant alert not to give offense here, the least we can do as guests of Jordan.