Greetings From Istanbul

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I've been having lots of fun with Ariel. Also, working on my case study.

We've been hanging out and catching up, going to malls and cafes. Yesterday, we went to the touristy area of Sultanahmet so I could enjoy the gorgeous scenery. It was a beautiful summer day, sunny and relatively cool.


I just love the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia is also breathtaking, but for some reason, I can't get enough of its sister.

Then we went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world, Doy Doy's, sitting on its amazing rooftop terrace. The picture above was my view. As usual, the food was excellent, the service attentive, and the prices were low. We said hello to the waiter who has worked there since Ariel started going there 9 years ago -- he remembers us every time we come back.

Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Lana Al-Sakka

Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting Lana Al-Sakka, the founder and managing partner of iJordan. She studied law in England, but never practiced, first working in banking, then starting her own PR firm. Then she casually mentioned that she had started a school. My ears shot up so fast, it hurt.

Her PR firm funds "Badu Al Yawm," a nursery school for the residents of Beidha, in Southern Jordan.

Lana explained that until 20 years ago, the people of Beidha lived in caves. "Caves!" she emphasized, as I asked her to describe the living conditions.

"Did they have beds? Toilets? Electricity? Anything in the caves?"

She looked at me. "No, nothing. CAVES!"

The government forced them to move out of the caves and into shelters, but they were not prepared for life outside the caves. They were unaccostomed to earning money for rent, mattresses, electricity, etc. Today, the people of Beidha make their living from tourism.

Lana spent a lot of time in Beidha visiting friends, and people kept asking her to open a nursery school. Children there do not begin school until age 6, and their time before that was very unstructured. Parents wanted their children to learn letters and numbers and the material that their peers were learning in nursery schools nearby, but many of them were illiterate themselves.

Last year, Lana opened "Badu Al Yawn." She rented the building, fixed it up, filled it wtih toys and equipment, trained the teachers, and, last month, saw the first class graduate to school. She hired local women to serve as teachers: "I wanted it to be of the community and by the community." She cites the U.S. Head Start program as a model.

Lana has a lot of plans for the school. She wants to hire a local director to supervise the teachers and therapist to work with the children. She wants them to have access to medical and dental care. She's been talking to her corporate clients about equipment donations and organizing training sessions. She wants her school to drive change across the community, particularly among the women. The school's brochure reads:

"Your support will mean that the once over-worked and exhausted Bedouin mothers willnow have the time to manage their household chrose or learn the basics for child care to implement in their houses.

Your support will strengthen the women of Beidha, boost their morals, and provide them with training opportunities to help them embark on their child care careers and bridge the gap that is evident when entering schools.

Your support will result in a pre-school where small children will be taught the necessary educational and social skills to support their natural growth."

Social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, early childhood education, lawyers acting as social engineers ... Lana is my new hero.

Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women

Wednesday was my final day of interviews for my case study research. Eager to give me the opportunity to speak to absolutely everyone who might be helpful, JBCP scheduled me to speak to at least 5 people every day for the last week. By the last day, I was so tired and overwhelmed that I did not expect to enjoy any of the last meetings.

But the first meeting was the one of the most memorable and enjoyable of all. I had the privilige of speaking to Munira Shaban, Executive Director of a chapter of The Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women. Her location serves the women of an impoverıshed neighborhood on the outskirts of Amman.

From the moment we met ın the

Besiktas Hammam

Early this afternoon, I arrived in beautiful Istanbul, Turkey, home to two of my favorite things on the planet: Ariel and Turkish baths. Since Ariel was at work, I dropped my bags at her apartment and trotted down the hill to the local Besiktas Hamam.

The workers did not speak English, and I do not speak Turkish, but there is no language barrier too high for the strategic use of hand gestures. I had a wonderfully relaxing steam, scrub, and massage. The bath was simple and small, but it had a wonderful domed ceiling with tiny windows covered with colored glass. I wish the steam room and stone had been a little hotter, but considering that it was 95 degrees outside, I suppose that can be forgiven.

Bath Quality: 6 (out of 10)
Facilities: 5
Decoration: 2
Atmosphere: 6
Hospitality: 6
Massage Quality: 8
Price: 7 (very fair)

Overall: 5.7/10

A solid local option, but there are better baths to be had.

Leaving the JBCP

Earlier this morning, I bid a very emotional farewell to the wonderful JBCP staff members. At least, it was emotional for me. They were so very good to me in every possible way, from arranging my hotel and transport to literally holding my hand when I was in the hospital.

The wonderful JBCP team.

The awesome JBCP car that drove me all over Jordan for interviews.

And they threw me a farewell party with pizza and cupcakes!

Morning TV

I will miss my regular morning TV shows. They include:

* Harry and the Hendersons (the TV series)
* Seaquest DSV
* Vintage ER
* Late Show with David Letterman
and
* The Oprah Winfrey Show

Who has two thumbs and a normal-looking face?

This moi! (Who gets the reference?) I'm all better! Hooray for skin!

I've been shocked to discover that vigilant application of sunscreen and moisturizer, plus keeping one's face shielded from sun, IS actually good for the skin. Good to know.

King Hussein Cancer Center

Last week, I had the opportunity to tour the impressive King Hussein Cancer Center. Director General Mahmoud Sarhan, who is also the chairman of JBCP's executive board, has built KHCC into a world-class comprehensive cancer care facility.

The name, "King Hussein Cancer Center," itself reflects big changes in Jordanian society. Many people have told me that, until recently, the subject of cancer was a huge taboo. The word itself was rarely spoken -- people called it "that disease" when they spoke of it at all. KHCC used to be called "The Hope Center" for this very reason.

Not long ago, most cancer patients sought treatment in secret, from friends and even family members. Cancer carried a huge social stigma. Many worried that if people knew a member of their family had cancer, no one would want to marry into the family. Again and again, I heard stories of husbands who had divorced their wives upon hearing that they had cancer.

There was little public awareness about the development and treatment of cancer, particularly breast cancer. Women were told by their mothers, grandmothers, and aunts that they could not get breast cancer if they breast-fed their children, or if there was no history of cancer in their families. I met an educated woman, with medical training, who said she had believed that she could not have breast cancer as long as she was in good general health and her breasts looked normal. Apparently, there was a common misconception that having a biopsy for a mass would cause it to metasticize -- that "disrupting it" or trying to treat it was the cause of harm. Many women refused to seek treatment or even a diagnosis, saying that if it was cancer, they didn't want to know about it, and whatever would be would be.

The death of the late King Hussein I from cancer in 1999 had a profound, but mixed impact upon the way the country viewed cancer. It made it easier for Jordanians to acknowledge and discuss cancer, but also seemed to confirm their worst fears. "The King has all the money and resources in the world, and even he dies from cancer -- what hope is there for the rest of us?"

The Jordan Breast Cancer Program, in coordination with their partners, has done a great deal to educate the public about breast cancer, to de-stigmatize the disease, and to motivate people to change their behavior to facilitate early detection and treatment. One of their most important partners is SANAD, a group of cancer survivors who travel throughout the country to counsel and support cancer patients. SANAD volunteers work closely with women, and if possible, their entire families, to educate and support them throughout the treatment process.

So Sorry

... I have been neglecting my blogging duties.

Work has been insane this week. I've been interviewing an average of four people a day, all over Jordan. There is very little time to distill my notes into outlines or even process what I've learned.

I've interviewed A LOT of people about different aspects of breast cancer awareness and early detection in Jordan. Experts in health communication, health policy, behavior change, and culture. Doctors and radiologists. Community activists and survivors.

I will try to tease out some of the most poignant stories.

The Syria Verdict

With my time at the JBCP ending this week, it is time to make final departure plans. I couldn't come to the Middle East and not spend time with Ariel in Istanbul, but I wasn't sure how I would get there. There were two options: fly directly from Jordan or go overland through Syria and across Turkey.

As I discussed earlier, the Syria option is slightly problematic because I don't have a visa and the official state policy is that they can only be obtained at an embassy in one's home country. Also, I was having an ethical dilemma because Syria's official policy is to deny entry to people who, like myself, have been to Israel, and I wouldn't feel right about affirmatively lying to government officials if I was asked about it.

In the last few weeks, I decided to go ahead with the Syria plan when I learned that 1) Americans routinely get visas at the border (when US-Syria relations are good, as they are now), they just have to wait a few hours for the officials to fax something to Damascus and 2) the guards don't actually ask if you've been to Israel, they just scrutinize the passport you present (and I've never been to Israel with this passport).

I also had to consider the fact that the Syria option was lots less expensive than flying directly, even considering that it would take 5 days of traveling to make the journey by land.

For some reason, my parents were less than thrilled about the Syria plan. So less than thrilled (aghast? terrified?) that they offered to pay the added expense for the flight.

I thought briefly about making a counter-offer, more for my own sick love of negotiation and morbid curiosity than any genuine interest, "You know, Mom, there's a direct bus from Gaza that can make the trip in only a tour days ..." or "I found a great cheap flight out of Tehran ..."

But I love my parents, and I am very grateful that they are so generous and care so much about my welfare. Also, they have my cat.

So I'm flying direct from Jordan to Istanbul. No Syria.

Mom, I hope you're happy.

Road Trip Highlights (Day Two)

I was so tired and sore from Day One that I spent most of Day Two sitting on my hotel room couch. In the late afternoon, I ventured out to get some tasty schwarma, go grocery shopping, and return the rental car. It wasn't Petra, and it wasn't the Dead Sea, but it was awesome.

Road Trip Highlights (Day One)

The call to prayer woke me at 4:30 a.m. this morning (open hotel room window near a mosque in a small town) and I couldn't get back to sleep. This turned out to be a good thing, because I was waiting at the ticket counter for the 6:00 a.m. opening time and I was the first visitor in the gate.

But I am really, REALLY tired, so please forgive me for not posting much at this time. I'll fill in the details later.

There were only three pitifully slow tourists behind me, and I kept well ahead. As I walked through the siq to reach the Treasury, Petra's most famous attraction and the focal point of the ruins, I couldn't see anyone around me and the only noises I heard were mine. I felt completely alone.

Walking through the siq to see the Treasury was unbelievable. See a video posted here.

I was the very first person to reach the Treasury, which meant that I had an incredibly rare and much-coveted experience. I had all of Petra all to myself -- for about 5 minutes. Even the Bedouins were still asleep.


The Treasury was just overwhelming.


I hiked up to the top of a hill to look over the valley, with the help of this awesome donkey and my Bedouin guide. When the donkey slipped and I got nervous, the guide said, "Do not worry. You are with the Bedouins!" It was very reassuring.

I saw everything I wanted, took a million pictures (I'm in the process of uploading), and was also the first tourist out of the park in the mid-morning.

I jumped into my car and drove into the mountains, up the King's Highway, and then over to the Dead Sea.

Late in the afternoon, I bought a day pass to one of the fancy beach resorts and used their beach to access the Dead Sea and some fresh-water showers. There was plenty of Dead Sea mud for all.


Next, my mighty Nissan Sentra climbed to the top of Mount Nebo, the place where God showed the Promised Land to Moses just before his death. I could see Israel across the Dead Sea, but it was not clear enough to see Jerusalem or any of the other sights that are visible on very clear days.

Finally, I drove back to Amman, got some dinner, went up to my hotel room, and collapsed on the couch.

Petra By Night

I arrived just in time for a Petra By Night tour. The park usually closes at 6:00, but they re-open it three nights a week for a special tour of Petra ... at night.

Before the tour started, I enjoyed a refreshing drink at the Cave, the world's oldest bar at 2,000 years old. I was sad that the bar did not have cave-like furniture. I expected the bathroom walls to have tons of historic grafiti, but, alas, there were no bathrooms. If it wasn't in a remote corner of Jordan, in the middle of a tourist trap, and ridiculously overpriced, I would go all the time.

The tour started with a "gather round" lecture by the group leader. He asked us to be silent on the walk into the site, to walk single-file, and to wait until after the Bedouin music concert and lecture before taking pictures. "I do not mind if married people want to walk together or hold hands, and we wish the single people the best of luck." He also cautioned us to keep track of our possessions. "All the time people leave things at the site: cameras, mobile phones, children,
wives ..."

We walked single-file into the site and through the siq, a long mountain corridor, to the Treasury, Petra's most famous and glorious monument. The path was lit by candles in paper bags. The light was strong enough for us to see the path, but soft enough to imagine what it would be like to travel this path by candle or torch, as people did long ago.

(In case you are wondering, these are not my photos -- my point-and-shoot was completely useless in this setting.)

Finally, we arrived at the Treasury. The courtyard in front of it was lit by thousands of candles. The effect was just amazing. The guides arranged us in neat rows around the courtyard, and we sat on the ground, staring up at the Treasury with our mouths hanging open.

I laid down, and looked up at both the Treasury and the brilliant, clear, starry sky.


It was perfectly still and tranquil until we heard camels moaning from far in the distance. Sigh.

Tomorrow, I'm going to check it out in the daylight. I'm hoping I can overcome a bad case of ruin-itis (diminishing returns on enjoyment of ruins). I'm also hoping I can drag myself out of bed for the 6:00 a.m. opening time and avoid the scorching mid-day heat.

On the Road

I love to travel, and break away from my familiar surroundings and routines, but I've hit a point in the trip where the excitement of the novelty has worn off, and I just want things to be simple and hassle-free. But when you're away from home, and in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and don't know how to operate the kitchen equipment, hassle is inevitable.

I can't just go somewhere; I have to wait for a bus and plan around schedules. I can't just walk upstairs to my dwelling; I have to stop by the desk, ask for the key, make pleasantries, etc. I can't just get in a car and go somewhere; I have to flag a taxi and give the driver directions. I can't just cook breakfast; my face gets burned. And since then, I can't just walk outside; I have to put on sunscreen, a scarf, a hat, and sunglasses.

This is why I was so incredibly excited about the prospect of driving myself around Jordan this weekend. I get to be in control of where I go, when I go, what music is playing, when I stop, and how fast the vehicle goes around hairpin turns. There's no language barrier, no aggrivation, just me in control. And freedom. Me in control of my freedom, if that makes any sense.

I'm also excited to have the car because it means I can be super-efficient in my sightseeing. I don't have to wait for buses and taxis -- if I'm done after 10 minutes at Mount Nebo, I can get in the car and leave. I'll need this flexibility to hit all of Jordan's major sightseeing attractions in two days. (I'm finishing work on Wednesday and likely leaving Jordan on Thursday.)

Getting the car was difficult (not many cars left when we started looking), but well worth it once I got going. I had no problem getting out of Amman -- after weeks of taking taxis and cars around the city, I knew exactly where to go to find the roads leading out of town. All signs for the tourist destinations were clearly marked in both English and Arabic, and there were lots of helpful signs along the route that led me right to Petra. I left Amman at 4:30 and arrived in Petra by 7:30.

Off for the Weekend

Sorry I haven't posted much in the last few days. I disconnected the Internet at the hotel (applying the savings to my burn-related expenditures and eliminating incentives to stay inside my hotel room), so I can only get on the Internet at work, where I'm supposed to be ... you, know, working.

I'm renting a car and spending the weekend driving around Jordan, hoping to see as much of the major tourist spots as I can: Petra, the Dead Sea, Mount Nebo, Madaba, Jerash, and the King's Highway. I won't have e-mail or Internet access, but I will have my cell phone.

Grrr

I am SO ready to get into a car this weekend and not have to deal with anyone else for hours at a time and go back to living my life as I am used to it for a little while.

I love to travel, but I hate that I'm always at the mercy of other people. I can't just go somewhere; I have to wait for a bus and plan around schedules. I can't just walk upstairs to my dwelling; I have to stop by the desk, ask for the key, make pleasantries, etc. I can't just get in a car and go somewhere; I have to flag a taxi and give the driver directions. I can't just cook breakfast; my face gets burned. And since then, I can't just walk outside; I have to put on sunscreen, a scarf, a hat, and sunglasses.

At the moment, I'm entirely at the mercy of the (incredibly sweet and wonderful) L, who is in the process of arranging my car rental for the weekend. Yester

My New Hat

I bought a decent hat earlier this week. Beige. Bucket. Makes me look like a tourist who wants to protect her face from the sun. Not as hideous as a broad-brimmed straw hat, but not cute and not a hat I want my grandchildren to see me in when I show them my Petra pictures.

Thus, I continued the search for the perfect hat. I define "perfection" (with respect to hats) as the one worn by Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Basic black, broad-brimmed, elegant with a classic shape.

Ideally, my hat would protect my face from the sun AND make me look just like Audrey Hepburn. But if such magic was possible, I would just be healed and not have to wear a hat at all. It does not do to dwell on dreams; we must work with what we have.

After work, I jumped in a cab to the enormous Mecca Mall, in search of said hat. The mall was HUGE -- every time I turned a corner or walked down a corridor, there was more mall. The stores were mostly local and very inexpensive (lots of 50% off sales in progress).

I did not find perfection, but I did find a hat I like an awful lot. Basic black, broad-brimmed, with a pretty nice shape for a bucket hat. I think it's pretty cute, and I feel pretty cute when I wear it. I also feel protected from the sun, which is the most important thing.

Look what I found!

Kunafa! A sinfully delicious cheesy, syrupy dessert that Ariel introduced me to in Turkey (where it's called kunefe). More here.

I hung out with E on her roof last night (it's shaded!), and us and some of her roomies took a long walk down the steep hill to Habibah, one of Amman's most popular kunafa places. Everytime I've walked by, the tiny shop and the alley it spills onto are packed. My guidebook likens the waiting crowds to junkies waiting for a fix, and that seems pretty accurate. Now that I've had the stuff, I understand why.

HRH Princess Dina

I'm interviewing her tomorrow! I am told that she's very down-to-earth. She's also amazing.

Progress Report: 48 Hours

I'm still fine. Recovering. Healing. Aloe vera-ing and lip-balming constantly. The details are boring. This will be the last post on this topic.