Abu Dhabi (UAE)

We toured 6 of the 7 Emirates but I'll highlight Abu Dhabi, the capital. The largest Emirate, it comprises 87% of the UAE. Oil, discovered in the early 1960s in the "empty quarter," transformed Abu Dhabi into an economic giant. We hired a private guide and headed south for 90 minutes. Along the way we passed a future Bollywood picture studio and theme park. One of my biggest surprises is the extent the country is populated by Indians and Pakistanis, who form a majority. Our guide gave us a little flavor of life here for many. They are on two year work visas, renewable on good behavior. He said citizenship for South Asians is out of the question, even if born here. The majority of laborers are men who leave wives and children behind to live communally and send money home. During summer months tourist traffic dries up in 120F heat so they go home to see their families. On a cultural note, he said we don't see beggars because it's not only illegal, but within minutes of begging the police will pick them up and put them on the first plane out "with or without a passport." But I digress.

The moment we crossed the road into Abu Dhabi the highway changed. On both sides were miles of many varieties of green trees. It was a striking contrast. Our first stop was the parking lot of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. We met with our Jordan driver's son there. Terry invited our Jordan driver to tell his wife we'd deliver goodies from her. There is nothing as universal as a care package. Anyway, the late Sheikh, ruler of Abu Dhabi, conceived and financed the mosque. A Muslim who helps build a mosque receives special dispensation, kind of like brownie points, for paradise. Construction was completed in 2007 and the Sheikh, who died in 2004, is buried on the grounds. It is the eighth largest mosque in the world, over 40,000 worshippers can pray simultaneously, and the word "spectacular" does not begin to describe it. The floors were priceless, the jewel-encrusted chandeliers enormous, the hand woven carpets like nothing imaginable, even the walls were amazing. Terry fit right in because, as is required, she was covered head-to-toe in a black abaya (yes, I have pictures). We then spent many hours touring, everything from the wharf to the fruit markets to a Heritage Village with craftsmen demonstrations and ancient homes. In the city itself, like the rest of UAE, architecture was modern, sleek, innovative. A building in the shape of a cobra, another built like an enormous coin, a mall designed like a huge Bedouin tent, too many unique designs to capture in words or photos. The "normal" suburbs, restricted to Emiratis, were streets lined with enormous mansions the size of a city block. Another cultural note is that in the Emirates Palace Hotel (across a lagoon from the Royal Palace) has a lobby, separated from the cavernous main lobby, empty because it is for the sole use of royalty - no proletarian rear ends parked in those chairs. We saw the royal yacht and, from afar, palace entrances. On the city skyline we saw three towers, all the same height, but designed to be an optical illusion. When we were in one neighborhood, the first building looked the tallest, in another neighborhood the second looked the tallest, and so on. We saw where horses race, camels race, cricket is played, polo is played. We passed an impromptu car show on the side of the road and I took pictures of a Lamborghini, a Delorean, a Ferrari, and cars I didn't recognize. Our impression of Abu Dhabi was favorable; how could it not be? It was spotlessly clean, no garbage anywhere, surprisingly green, with pristine beaches where water was so clear it was like glass. I entered tourist attraction after tourist attraction but paid nothing because the government pays all entry fees - for everyone. The crime rate is LESS than one percent, largely because there is no tolerance for it. The oil money opulence, as I wrote, is hard to describe. You need to see it, to experience it, to understand what it means. I am now recuperating from a medical condition my wife calls "acute jaw drop."

Dubai (UAE)

Today we played tourist. We hired both a driver and a licensed tour guide to help us understand Dubai. We spent a thoroughly enjoyable day in the city, and its outskirts, but instead of detailing our every move - we saw and learned a lot - I'll limit my descriptions to the highlights. Dubai is modern, wealthy, and spotless, much like Singapore, but it comes at a price. Cameras are everywhere and, we learned, punishments range "from high fees to death, and are enforced." Another interesting cultural note is that landscaping is used to engineer pedestrian movement. For example, median strips of boulevards are lined with miles of beautiful plants, all hooked up to efficient drip-system irrigation, and the city is slowly adding high see-through fences along the routes which has the effect of forcing everyone to cross in a crosswalk or be stuck in the middle of the boulevard with no way to get to the other side. Anyway, there's so much more to Dubai than the world's largest shopping mall (yes, it's spectacular and, yes, it really does have ski slopes, waterfalls, and a zoo) and the world's tallest building (yes, again, to "spectacular"). Dubai Creek (actually a river) flows by gold and spice markets and has an efficient water taxi system similar to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The Heritage Village and Diving Village, similar to Detroit's Greenfield Village, are lifted straight from a different era. The Jumeirah Mosque is spectacular, as is the nearby beach (populated today, a Friday and first day of the weekend, by Westerners wearing Western bathing suits). From the beach the Burj Al Arab (a hotel in the shape of a sail set on a private island) is visible. Just as in Las Vegas, visiting the different hotels yields interesting sights. For example, the Al Qasr has a huge garden in front filled with life size horse statutes - made of 18 karat gold - and the only parking lot I've seen where the Bentleys look cheap by comparison to the other autos. One of the more interesting things we toured was Palm Island, actually a series of man-made islands built in the shape of, yes, a palm tree. The tree trunk had condos and the 16 fronds (separate islands) had private mansions (each with its own private beach) priced around $5 million USD. At the apex of the island stands the Atlantis Hotel with one of the world's largest indoor aquariums. Again, the day was long and there's no need to bore you with more details, but I must add seeing the outside of the palace of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his brother's palace across the street, was nothing short of amazing (each the size of a city in its own right). But the best part? The traffic circle between the two palaces. The traffic circle - and that was its only function - had huge vases and urns --- made of gold! The urns were surrounded by flowers and plants. And that's what a traffic circle looks like in Dubai.

Khasab (Oman)

Since we're in the region we thought a side trip to the Sultanate of Oman was called for. In the early dark dawn our driver picked us up for a three hour drive to Khasab, Oman. Khasab is the principal town (make that the only town of any size) in Musandam Governate, part of the Arabian peninsula that juts northward toward Iran and forms the southern boundary of the Straits of Hormuz. The two border crossing facilities befit the seventh richest country in the world (UAE) and the twenty second richest (Oman) (according to Global Finance Magazine). Both were large, lavish, and mostly empty. In both there were many friendly, uniformed men who seemed to have little to do. Maybe it was our timing but given he remote nature of where they're located, it may be a local jobs program using oil money. In the UAE building we were there long enough to observe three or four Emiratis in traditional white robes appear suddenly one at a time from the second floor, make the rounds of the uniformed officers, shake each person's hand, then disappear just as quickly. Within two minutes another white-robed Emerati would appear, make the rounds shaking hands, then disappear. And so on. We could only wonder. It isn't that anyone seeking a visa was delayed as we were the only ones there. Our driver had our passports and was in deep conversation with an officer at the time. As an aside, I'm always queasy when I'm required to hand my passport over to someone such as our driver or at a hotel. The Omanis were careful to look at every national stamp in our passports. We had been warned that passport stamps from certain countries would be grounds for them to refuse us entry.

Immediately after the border crossing the terrain became very mountainous, remained so throughout Oman, and reminded us of Palm Springs. And goats were everywhere, in the streets, on the mountains, running wildly. We rode on a highway hugging the mountains on one side with the Persian Gulf on the other. We could see oil tankers heading toward the Straits of Hormuz. The rare populated areas we passed looked prosperous. To our eyes it looked incredibly remote yet it is the center of the universe for its residents. After another hour we reached Khasab, a quaint fishing village where dhows, ships inspired by ancient designs, ferry laborers to work and tourists to the fjords. When we arrived our dhow had not so we were driven to Khasab Castle for a tour. It was built by the Portugese in the seventeenth century to control trade and pirates.

Then on to our dhow trip. There are no seats on the dhows. In keeping with tradition, after we removed our shoes we lounged on cushions placed around the perimeter of carpeted decks. Fortunately for me, there was plenty of shade. Fortunately for all of us, we were a small group of 5 on a large dhow so we could spread out. The crew was an Omani in traditional robes assisted by an Indian fellow who, every few minutes, offered us sweet tea with rose water, coffee with cardamom, and fruit. The fjords were dramatic, the atmosphere peaceful. The scenery was beautiful, a little like Lake Mead in Las Vegas, and dolphins swam alongside us. I took a video to show our granddaughter of Terry waving to the dolphins (who I named Flipper and Sushi) as they seemed to follow her waving hand pretty closely. Bedouin fishing villages hugged the shore. The villages had around fifty people each. They are so remote the Omani government ferries their children to school for the week, returning them on weekends, and supplies the villagers (who lack electricity) with fresh water. We were warned against taking photos of the village women and were asked to remain modest "in behavior and dress" when visible to villagers. The dhow stopped near a fjord in crystal clear water that we thought dropped more than 20 feet. We were offered snorkeling gear but passed. We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing on the gently swaying dhow in the most remote area we have ever been (yet roughly a mere 40 miles from the Coast of Iran). We threw bread to the fish and watched the schools gather. There were beautifully colored fish in crystal clear water. On the quiet return to port, and just in front of us, our captain (probably in his sixties) pulled out his prayer rug and, facing west, completed his prayers, touching his forehead to the deck several times(some Westerners think Muslims face east to pray but it is always in the direction of Mecca, in this case due west of Oman). When I see this I am struck by how deep religious devotion is in this part of the world. No doubts, no embarrassment, no explanations for public prayer. I am also struck with the contrast to trends in the West, for better or worse. The day was far more relaxing than we expected but after a three hour ride back to Dubai we were glad to see our hotel and enjoy high tea that included Arab and English influences.

RAK Medical & Health Sciences University (UAE)

We didn't plan on being in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week. That said, here we are, where we plan to tour all 7 emirates (an emirate, ruled by an emir, is like a kingdom ruled by a hereditary monarch) and the Sultanate of Oman, a neighboring country. Fulbright Scholars are encouraged to lecture throughout their regions and since Terry had been asked to lecture here, we scrambled to rearrange our plans. Our base while here is Dubai, home to the tallest building in the world (the Burj Khalifa, 160 stories, equal to 2,716 feet) which we can see from our deluxe hotel suite. Why deluxe hotel suite? Because there was an error that the hotel remedied in a very, very generous manner. The UAE reminds me of Singapore: modern and spotlessly clean. Emiratis are a minority in their own country comprising about 13% of the population, with the bulk of the labor force from India, Pakistan, and the Philipines. Emirati men can be seen wearing traditional white robes and the folds in their white headdresses signify which tribe. Most wives wear flowing black robes and some also cover their faces.

This morning a university driver picked us up for the 90 minute ride to the northernmost of the seven Emirates, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), for Terry to present a lecture to graduate students and an in-service "teach the teacher" to the professors. As the skyscrapers of Dubai gave way to rolling sand dunes and camels, the desert changed from white sand to light gold. The dunes gradually had more patches of vegetation, then trees, because we were approaching an area that receives more rain. We were warmly greeted at the RAK Medical & Health Sciences University by the Vice Chancellor of the University and the Dean of the College of Nursing. Terry lectured for several hours and I did something I normally don't do - I stayed to listen. She had them eating from the palm of her hand. This was my first time seeing my wife in action in her field. She was amazing. The subject matter requested by the university was dry but she brought it to life - even for me and I have no interest in these topics. When Terry finished, and after everyone clapped, a phenomenon occurred that I've seen before - they asked her to pose for selfies! Completely unexpected, the Dean then conducted a mini-ceremony, replete with a photographer, in which Terry was presented with a beautiful carved wooden box containing an engraved plaque thanking her for her lectures. The photographer then took a group picture and I scrambled to get one, too. After the award ceremony a luncheon was held in Terry's honor and it was quite elaborate. There was Arab food, Indian food, and Chinese food. The junior faculty introduced themselves to Terry and asked many questions. Before we left the university we were taken on a tour. If ever there was a doubt as to what oil money can purchase, this set it to rest for me. The university had every technological advancement known, including what looked like a real hospital with each bed filled with a simulated patient that could be programmed to bleed, speak, and have breath and heart sounds. They even had "patients" who gave birth. There were also glass walls in the "hospital" for teachers, or other students, to observe how the students handled their "patients." We were told that Emiratis receive full college tuition, room and board, every other expense is paid, and they receive a (very) generous spending allowance just for going to school.

After the university tour the driver was asked to give us a tour of local sights before returning us to our hotel. We drove along the Persian Gulf, saw the beautiful huge mosque, and toured the pre-oil discovery areas of old town. The whole experience was fantastic. I got to see my wife at her professional best and how those she teaches respond to her. We headed back to Dubai with much to discuss.

Petra

Go to Petra. It is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, for a reason. But our day didn't start out there. After more dining as guests of Terry's colleagues, we rose early because instead of going to Petra on the highway we took the morning-to-night meandering old route to visit ruins, churches, the University at Madaba, Wadi Al Mujib, Karak, the national military academy, Dihbahn, a brass quarry, the "Mommy Feed Me" restaurant, Al Mazar, Dana Nature Conservancy, more ruins, a crusader-then-Mamluk castle, 2 different dams, the guns used against Israel in 1956, more ruins, and the river where Moses smote the rock (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11) and water flowed. It was a long day but the "Petra at night" walk by candlelight awaited and we didn't want to miss a thing. (An aside to readers: If money is a concern, you may want to skip the walk - it is just that - but for those like my wife who dreamt of seeing Petra, don't miss this beautiful walk ending with Bedouin music, tea, and storytelling in a dramatic setting.)

Petra is spectacular. Inhabited before 300 B.C., Nabateans made it their empire's capital (the empire included Jordan, the Sinai, parts of Israel, Syria, and Saudi Arabia) around 168 B.C. These were advanced people whose engineering knowledge astounds. But because of earthquakes and drought and trade route changes Petra was abandoned and the entrance hidden by overgrowth for hundreds of years. Petra became a myth ("The City of Red"), a legend. In 1812 Swiss explorer Johan Burckhardt was exploring artifacts in Egypt when he heard about Petra. Convincing local Bedouin he was Muslim and wanted to see the tombs, Burckhardt became the first European to see Petra. Tourism began soon after. In recent years Jordan worked with American civil servants (USAID) to use Petra to provide jobs, housing, schools, and hospital services for locals. USAID helped build the visitors center in a successful partnership to create a tax base for the local economy. Our hotel (interestingly, with part entirely in a Nabatean cave) was next to the entry so we got an early start the next morning.

We walked about an hour through the once overgrown and hidden entry, the Siq. The Siq is a spectacular narrow gorge (featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) with carvings high up in the mountain and an ingenious cistern and aqueduct system. We slowly walked along the many twists and turns, and were eventually funneled into a huge open area, a world of bright colors, sounds, and smells. In front of us was the Treasury, an enormous building carved into the red mountain. Surrounding us were donkeys and camels and horse drawn carriages and brightly clothed Bedouin offering guide services and selling trinkets. Spectacular! We spent time exploring and eventually continued on.

Terry had read and enjoyed a book called "Married to a Bedouin" about New Zealand nurse Marguerite van Geldermalsen's summer adventure that ended in an amazing life of service (and marriage and kids) to a Bedouin in Petra. My wife spotted a group of Bedouin women drinking sweet tea around an open fire and walked over to ask them if they knew the Kiwi and whether she ever returned to Petra. Then it got interesting. I was standing at a distance so I couldn't hear but I saw them offer my wife tea then begin what looked like animated conversation. A man, who turned out to be one of the husbands, went to see what was going on and immediately turned around, walked swiftly to me, and offered me tea. It turned out my generous wife, after introducing herself, was addressing their concerns ("Would a goiter make me infertile?" "Why do I have skin discoloration from using bleach?" "I was born with a lump on my back 70 years ago, should I be worried?"). When the women were finished with Terry she asked whether she could have a photo and they agreed. One woman pressed a gift on my resisting wife, and afterward Terry showed me a small heart shaped container handmade of tiny beads and shards of glass. They hugged my wife, said good-bye, and Terry and I walked in the direction they pointed to see if we could find Marguerite. Terry did, in fact, meet (and visit with) Marguerite and I took a photo of them.

We continued exploring the huge preserved city, dodging camels and donkeys and enjoying one of the most exotic days of my life. Before I end this post I want to mention another good book, "Skeletons of the Zahara" by Dean King, the re-telling of Connecticut Captain James Riley's memoir (which greatly influenced Abraham Lincoln). It is the story about his shipwreck, subsequent capture by slaving Arabs in Africa, and his eventual freedom by ransom in 1815. The book is filled with adventure, suspense, and everything you'd ever want to know about desert survival - and camels. If anyone reads and likes it please leave a comment.

Diplomatic Bazaar

This morning I was battling a cold but didn't want to miss anything, so we got in a taxi and went to Sports City, the athletic (stadium) complex in Amman, for a charity event. Every year the diplomatic community in Amman hosts a fundraiser called the Diplomatic Bazaar. Open to the public, everyone was greeted at the entry with a tiny cup of sweet Turkish coffee as a gesture of welcome. Over fifty embassies had booths where they sold national crafts, clothing, and other products imported from their countries. We walked from booth to booth, examining spices from Kuwait, towels from Turkey, perfumes and soaps from France, silk products from Thailand, some type of conical oven from Morocco, wooden dolls from Indonesia, and on and on. I realize I've written about food in my blog but this was particularly interesting because outside the cultural booths area, in a large open air food court, was a mini-United Nations. Each embassy had tables staffed by their embassy personnel dressed in their national clothing and selling their national foods. We began with my favorite, Thailand, and had Phad Thai and dumplings. Then we wandered over to Pakistan to try potato samosas with sweet sauce. Bangladesh had interesting orange-colored cakes we tried and still can't decide whether the cake was orange or carrot. The Sudan offered sweet fruit drinks, one purple, one cream-colored, but we don't know what we drank because no one spoke English. We stopped at the Ukraine area because the cream-filled layer cake coated in chocolate had my name on it. On our way out Yemen gave us samples of their raisins and almonds and The Netherlands gave us samples of their licorice candies and their cookies made from caramel waffle. We bought tiny walnut and date filled cookies from Iraq to take home. The food area was about as interesting as it gets. People walked around in native costumes, sampling the foods, listening to music. You know you've been living in a place for a while when you start bumping into friends in public places and sure enough, we ran into one of our friends from the U.S. Embassy, cranking out exotic American foods (hamburgers and hot dogs) to feed those interested in trying American food. We chuckled over the Australians, singing (shouting) raucous Aussie cheers as they cooked. The different embassies provided entertainment under a huge tent and we watched dance performances from Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil. This is the 51st year of this one day event which packs in visitors by the thousands, all for a good cause, a home for orphans in Amman.

Hashemite University (Jordan)

My wife is a featured lecturer in the United States Embassy's American Speakers Program. This week she was asked to address a topic requested by Hashemite University: Hispanic Heritage Month, outside her usual lecture topics but, willing (as usual) to help, she prepared accordingly. This morning we went to the main gate of the U.S. Embassy and were met by an embassy escort and a driver in an armored vehicle. The SUV weighed twice as much as normal, had bulletproof windows two-inches thick, and armored plating around and underneath. Opening and closing the door was difficult even for me because of its weight. Hashemite University is in Zarqa, over an hour east of Amman, where the desert transitions into brown, rolling hills and sparse vegetation; a rural and conservative area. The university was named after the royal family's dynasty and is the second largest university in Jordan with over 30,000 students (drawn from the surrounding small towns and villages). Very few foreigners are seen in this area yet the openness and warmth with which they welcomed my wife, and me by extension, was typical Jordanian. About 65 students were present and Terry began by answering what everyone (whether here or in the U.S.) asks: "Why Jordan?" Then she described how the varied immigrant population in Jordan is similar to the United States because "Hispanic" is an umbrella term. She explained that American Hispanics range from European (Spain) to Caribbean (primarily Puerto Rico and Cuba but more) to Latin, Central, and South America. The students were lively, polite, and asked Terry intelligent questions about Hispanic literature, political impact, and personal questions about living in a state heavily influenced by Hispanic culture. My wife-the-trial-lawyer was in her element fielding questions. After the lecture students clustered around her, taking her picture and asking questions. Customary in Jordan, as guests we were served 3 standard drinks: coffee (here, the thick sweet Turkish coffee), water, and fresh fruit juice. On a cultural note, I appreciate this because even after living in deserts in Arizona, California and Nevada, it's hard to imagine how dry the climate is here and how welcome drinks are. A university administrator asked Terry to return to present a lecture for the faculty. The Chair of the English Department thanked Terry and told her, after she said the students knew English well, "education is our oil." I include that phrase because it captures what I, as an outsider see often: Jordanian students respect education as key to their futures. This is not a rich country but these scrappy people are determined to live in peace in a region in turmoil, get along with their neighbors, and better themselves through education. Jordan's population is young (about 70% are age thirty or younger) and as I wrote in a previous post, education is not a right, it isn't taken for granted, and people sacrifice to attend university. As I experience the Fulbright (as a dependent), and the (very) hard work of our United States Embassy personnel, I am aware (and now appreciate) the impact educational and cultural exchanges have on international relations.

Arab Wedding

We were sitting quietly, admiring the elegant surroundings, when suddenly there was a flurry of movement everywhere and loud music filled the room. Guests started clapping because the bride was coming. What a night! The wedding invitation was a small booklet with a padded cover and a tiny amulet hanging from it with Terry's name; of course I accompanied her. The invitation was engraved in gold Arabic calligraphy on white satin, which according to the translation we received later had the location (a hotel), time (8 p.m.) and a blessing. Not wanting to miss anything we arrived promptly at 7:30 and the wedding began promptly.... at 9:30. We lived in Mexico for a while and are comfortable with cultural differences regarding time so we settled in, enjoyed the fresh fruit juice we were served, and noted cultural differences like ash trays and bottles of water on tables. This wedding was an event and the word "elegant" is apt. Suddenly everyone rose and started walking out, signaling us to join them. A band of musicians in long flowing robes and Arab headdresses, playing traditional musical instruments like flutes and drums (and a bagpipe!), serenaded the bride and groom. Then the musicians danced the couple (who like all Muslims married earlier in the day in private) down the grand staircase. Everyone clapped. There was ululating (a trilling sound made with the tongue and common in the Middle East). The bride and groom, without a single break, danced until after 11 p.m. with everyone gathered around them clapping. I didn't expect to see the bride wear a modern sleeveless white wedding gown as her mother was covered all but her face. When the music stopped, and lights came up, the bride and groom left (we learned later they eat the first meal alone). We were escorted to an outdoor atrium holding a large buffet. There were several types of salads, Italian food (pastas, lasagnes), beef stew, an entire roasted lamb which a chef cut and served, different types of Arab breads, vegetables, and fish. The sweet table had small squares of cake, something similar to bread pudding, creme brûlée, jello, German apple strudel, a variation on cheese cake, chocolate mousse, and a chef cutting kanafeh for the guests. The wedding cake was 7-tiered and had white whipped cream as frosting with fresh peaches between white cake layers. Then the lights dimmed and the musicians, playing traditional drums but in different flowing robes, danced the groom in from one side of the room while a group of young women danced the bride in from the other. The men in the room danced around the groom and the women danced around the bride. Throughout the evening guests stopped by to welcome us, which was consistent with how we've been treated since our arrival. The big cultural surprises, aside from the bride's gown, were that covered women danced, there were no dancing breaks until we ate, we ate close to midnight, and that, frankly, we even got to experience an Arab wedding in Jordan.

Circassians

Since writing about the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan I learned about other country clubs based on religion or nationality. For example, the Orthodox Club (near us in Abdoun) caters to Christians. The Al-Ahli Club caters to Circassians, a national group originating by the Black Sea with 180,000 members in Jordan occupying a unique niche. Descendants of the Cossacks, Circassians are ethnically more European than Middle Eastern, which caused my surprise to see so many blue-eyed, blond-haired people here. In 1717, during the Ottoman Empire, large numbers of Orthodox Christian Circassians were forced by Turks to convert to Islam at sword point. Subsequent war with (and genocide by) Russia dispersed this population throughout the Middle East. Amman was little more than a Circassian village for decades. King Abdallah (the late King Hussein's grandfather) relocated here (from Saudi Arabia) at the end of the nineteenth century. He was exiled by war but welcomed by the local community. The Hashemite dynasty traces its lineage to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and, being devout Muslims since their conversion, the King was held in high esteem. A cultural note is that after written reference to the Prophet, even in newspapers, (PBUH) or "Peace Be Upon Him" is added. For over a century the Circassians have formed the palace guard, protecting the Hashemite royal family the way Swiss Guards protect the Vatican. Occasionally on the news they are seen in the Royal Palace wearing Cossack-style uniforms, an unusual sight (especially in the Middle East). They occupy many positions of responsibility here beyond their numerical representation in the country.

Royal Automobile Club of Jordan

Today was a fascinating day. It began by accompanying my wife, who was invited to observe the International Association of Women Judges Conference, accomplished women from the Middle East and North Africa succeeding in male-dominated societies. Terry used my iPad to take a photo of a new friend, Parliamentarian (Hon.) Senator Taghreed Hikmat, Jordan's first female judge, soon to be appointed to the Jordanian Supreme Court.

Afterward we headed to Sufara, one of Jordan's most famous bakeries. In Jordan grocery shopping is done by men, the place was packed, and the smell great (everything fresh-baked). Shoppers point to what they want and gloved teenagers wrap the goods in plastic. We bought small pastries filled with strawberry, honey-glazed croissants, bite-sized savory pastries filled with either cheese, potato, spinach, or spices we couldn't identify. Then we walked to the 6-story Galleria Mall but as it was Friday, Islam's holy day, stores opened late (after the noon sermons given at mosques) so we had time to relax with a cup of coffee and enjoy some of the fresh pastries.

We shopped, caught a cab home, and were settling in when the phone rang. A Jordanian attorney I corresponded with from home, but hadn't met in person, invited us to The Royal Automobile Club of Jordan, one of the most exclusive country clubs here. He said membership is after 2 members vouch for candidates, an enormous admission fee is paid, and after a lengthy wait that could be over 3 years. The Club was large and elaborate, with tennis and squash courts, miniature soccer fields, swimming pools, bowling alleys, a go cart track, children's play areas, prayer areas, a display of items owned by the late King Hussein, and a massive outdoor restaurant under the stars. Families eat dinner late in Jordan and it was in full swing. Many enjoyed nargilas, the local water pipe, with dinner. Some played cards. After our friend gave us a tour of his club we settled in on the patio for a night of conversation and lemonade with mint. He attended university in Aleppo, Syria, and was wistful describing how safe and beautiful it had been, now a thing of the past. He and Terry traded observations about being attorneys and he mentioned his extended family's palaces, which can be seen on the internet if you look up Abdul-Hadi palaces. Tonight we engaged in our most wide ranging conversation thus far about the Middle East and I said the biggest benefit of coming to Jordan is that we get to experience Middle Eastern culture in a safe and friendly country. After several hours we went home, tired but happy after a day that went from female judges to bakery goods to drinks under the stars. Tomorrow we are meeting an entirely different group of friends, mostly locals but a few here on business from all over the world, for brunch. The adventure continues.