Whoa! Sorry for the delay, I've been occupied teaching children how to read...Please forgive me.
Yes, a friend saw a woman take a kick in the groin in Morocco. At a concert. From a man. Which country would you pick?
As with all Peace Corps postings, the Volunteers are put into some of the more remote and conservative towns in the country. Far from capitol cities, shopping malls, and other forms of decadent Western diversions, these volunteers are tasked with a variety of programs. In Jordan, the programs focus on teaching English, Special Education initiatives, and other Good Stuff.
And true to form, they are some of the most socially "differently-abled" people you can meet in Jordan.
I don't know if it's the time spent in the village, the lack of reliable internet, water shortages, or something they brought to Jordan with them, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a group of people more cliquey and susceptible to Groupthink than this cadre of future weekend warriors.
I WISH they were like this!
Aside from tourist groups and the previously-mentioned study abroaders, you would be hard-pressed to find a larger group of people wandering all over Rainbow Street. And by Rainbow Street, I mean that's the only place you will find them. For kids that spend more than two years in the same country, you'd think they'd adventure past the mile-long stretch of expats, hip Jordanians, and other foreign revelers that is Amman's biggest tourist trap.
Not exactly Bourbon Street...
Being a Peace Corps Volunteer (or PCV) affords you some random privileges while here on assignment, like US Embassy Pool parties and occasional conferences in nice hotels, etc. But, there is also some equally random crappiness, like being snubbed by the former US Ambassador (twice), being unable to go to Aqaba due to a ridiculous State Department travel warning, and of course, non-stop marriage proposals and sexual harassment for female volunteers.
Real talk, these girls are troopers.
I can't underscore enough the respect I have for some of the volunteers. Like any volunteer commitment though, just because you signed up doesn't earn you a gold ribbon for participation. And like everything in life, for every Paul Rudd there is a Snooki. Some are completely worthless human beings. As a friend to several, and as a member of Couchsurfing (aka the creepiest of social experiments), the Peace Corps volunteers can sometimes be horrible houseguests, especially if they've spent "too much time in the village."
It is a bit unsettling, because one moment they will be telling you about their work with Jordanian youth centers, and in the next sentence they will be judging you for buying food at the expensive grocery store.
To be fair, my tortilla budget is out of control.
Their smug sense of superiority will leave you (their host) speechless. Even after you tell them you appreciate them, that you respect them, and you buy them a beer or six, all you receive in return is a blank stare. Not even a thank you!
No thank you? That is just plain rude.
It may be the hardest job you'll ever love, but they are definitely some of the hardest people you'll ever have to have a conversation with.
Analysis:
Ridiculousness: 3.5/5
How can people who willingly give up two years of their life in service to others be ridiculous? Oh...
Insecurity: 1/5
They know exactly what they sign up for. I give them a one because Jordan has the highest dropout rate of any Peace Corp location.
Intangibles: 5/5
I can't go into further detail about this, as some of the readers are younger. Let's just say...living as a fellahin changes you.
Overall: 3.5/5 Picard Facepalms
