November Eid

Fast approaching is the holiday Eid Al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice. During this holiday, Muslims celebrate the Prophet Abraham's faith in God as demonstrated by his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Since God saved Ishmael and Abraham sacrificed a sheep instead, Muslims celebrate similarly and enjoy wonderful meals of sheep's meat. This is also a time to share the meat with those less fortunate so many people who regularly do not eat meat are able to. People go to Eid Prayer and later partake in huge dinners where the children receive gifts.

For the school's break, Marianna, Sophie, and I will be traveling to Israel (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv). We are very excited and will have many pictures to share!

-Kat

Ruwwad Performance

After weeks of preparation the long-awaited Ruwwad talent show was performed! Last Saturday family and friends of the young artists gathered to watch feats of singing, dancing, instrument playing and acting. The day began with rehearsals and a full run-through of the show. It was impressive how well the pieces came together. When performance time came the kids could barely contain their excitement. The show included pieces by the Ruwwad kids (organized by King's students, Junior Fellows, and faculty) and musical performances by the Academy's students.

I was extremely proud of the three boys who performed the hip-hop dance we had been rehearsing. They did tricks (including cartwheels) and each one performed an improvised solo! I was amazed by how willing they were to solo and the level of confidence they brought to improvisation which usually makes people uncomfortable and nervous. However, the young dancers jumped at the opportunity!

I also enjoyed listening to King's very own musicians who were terrific. I discovered that a few of the students whom I know well are talented singers, guitar players, and piano players. It is amazing to see a new side of people - especially their artistic side.

Lastly, I found the audience's positive, energetic response the most exciting part of the event. The Ruwwad kids (and the King's students) felt that their efforts were validated by the laudatory cheers they received. I hope that this will encourage them to continue participating in the arts and perhaps even pursue them!

-Kat

Celebrating my 19th birthday at Sugar Daddies in Amman!



The entire group from King's Academy after a job well done!

Here I am accepting my certificate from the Chairman of the Jumaya. This is the community center in Habaka that puts families in contact with Habitat for Humanity.

We built a wall! This is a picture from our first Habitat for Humanity build in the mountains of Northern Jordan (in Habaka). Here I am with Sophie, a few students (Noor-Eddin and Suhaib) and our bus driver, Abu Laith.

Fruitful Discussion

We recently added a Junior Fellow to the ranks named Nadine. She is Jordanian and is therefore in a somewhat different situation than the rest of us but she has offered us wonderful insights into the Jordanian culture. Today Nadine and I were chatting about the difference between Americans assimilating into Middle Eastern culture and vice versa. I mentioned that I have made it my goal to learn about the Muslim faith and that I find the culture very fascinating and very beautiful. I also said that it is unlikely that I will ever truly be a part of it. Nadine acknowledged this and mentioned that it would be much easier for her to live in America because it is comprised of so many backgrounds and beliefs. I think this is also because Americans are often categorized by the rest of the world - for instance some people automatically assume that all Americans are on the Israeli side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The word "American" brings to mind a structured set of beliefs that only accurately fits a small percentage of Americans. And while Nadine is right in saying that America is a relatively open-minded place, its media still harbors its own perceptions about the Muslim faith that are often judgmental and unenlightened. In the end, this media reflects poorly back on us.
Today we had the extraordinary privilege of listening to speakers from the Council for the National Interest. The speakers, many of whom are American and all of whom live in the States, outlined the work they do towards progress in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I found their approach intriguing because they represent a serious commitment to justice rather than partisanship. I think it is important for people in the Middle East to see Americans who demonstrate views different than those of the stereotypical American.

-Kat