Today was both exhausting and fascinating. After our breakfast of hummus and a yummy fava bean concoction we set off for a walking tour of Amman. This city is very old...a settlement was here in 8000 BCE. This should be of no suprise if you have heard of the walls of Jericho (which came tumbling down!). Jericho is nearby and we will be visiting it soon.
School was just getting out due to it being exam season and there were lots of little girls walking out of their school to take a break between exams. What is culturally interesting about these girls is that some wear headcoverings and some do not. To a degree this indicates their physical stage of life (pre-pubescent or further along!) but there are so many nuances that it can get quite complicated. Family influence matters but so does personal preference. The bottom line though is that (and I checked this with one of our guides) girls/women do not get judged for wearing the hijab or not...
Later this evening in the restaurant the noisiest group of customers were a table of young girls (some with head coverings, some without) who were smoking water pipes and singing!
So.. not only have I had this little cultural experience, but I have also met a former Jordanian prime minister, chatted with a fellow who just came from Gaza, met many people who are deeply involved in the politics of this region, eaten delicious food and drunk local wine. Life is good.