Wednesday, September 26, 2012

ARAB 1001, 1002, and 2001 assignment: Jordan

Watch the videos about Jordan and write a 50+ words comment

12 comments:

  1. I thoroughly enjoyed Jordan: The Royal Tour. Honestly I had very little knowledge of Jordan besides the fact that it was in the Middle East. Now, however, I am much more educated and I can honestly say that I would like to go there sometime in my life. I was in awe of its natural (if rugged) beauty and was in awe of the beauty in the lost city of Petra. Also the political system interests me particularly. Jordan is a monarchy first and foremost and seems to be doing fine with that kind of political system which is interesting to me seeing as in America the idea of King's and having somebody be over another is a foreign concept. We are taught that everyone is equal and that you are where you are based on your merit. And whilst the idea of Jordan having a king is not particularly pleasing to me King Abdul II is portrayed as an "normal guy" and a good leader. George Kilgore, ARAB 1002

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  2. Kimberly Ballard - ARAB 1001September 29, 2012 at 4:40 PM

    What a fascinating place! I never noticed the beauty of Jordan before. What you see on the news is obviously only one very small area of the country. The Lost City of Petra is amazing. The architecture carved out of stone is incredible! It's interesting to see the contrast between the desert of Petra and the beaches of Aqaba. The King and Queen are great examples of royalty and how you should lead a country . It's nice to see that the King can still sit down and have tea with the locals and travel around with his family without having security around him all the time. It just goes to show how much the people of Jordan like and respect him.

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  3. Jordan is a beautiful country full of places to travel to explore. I was impressed by the king’s hands on approach when it came to hiking, flying the helicopter and riding motorcycles. The nomadic people who still inhabit the desert region contrast with the rest of the modern country. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the modern country but the video was very interesting.

    John Howard
    ARAB 2001

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  4. Prior to watching the videos, I had no knowledge of life in Jordan. The royal family is not what people typically think of as a royal family. The family is very “laid-back” and “hands-on” when it comes to their involvement in Jordan. I was captivated by the kindness and normality of Queen Rania. She carries herself like a normal mother and wife which (I believe) helps her connect with the people of both Jordan and the world. Her children have rules and both her and her husband, King Abdullah II, make it their duty to have relatively normal lives. I also like the Queen’s initiative to help promote education among women around the world. All in all, these videos opened my eyes to different people and their way of life.

    Yavaria Ryan
    Arabic 1001

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  5. After viewing the documentary on Jordan, I am definitely going to try and visit there this summer. I had no idea that Jordan had so much to offer. The tour that the King gave was so educational and I was shocked at how relaxed the environment was. King Abdullah II and Queen Rania seem like great people and are both fantastic ambassadors for their country. I would have to say that King Abdullah II has to have one of the best jobs in the world. He is very fortunate to be able to step away from business for a bit and engage in the adventures shown in the video and it is great that he doesn't take his opportunity for granted. I was also impressed by the King since he was in the Jordanian Special Forces and knows the hardships of life. Though he was born to royalty, I think his father sending him to boarding school and the other events that took place in his life that don't normally take place in a prince's life helped shape the King and made him more appreciative of what he has. The city of Petra was truly a wonder to me and if I am fortunate enough to travel to Jordan, I will definitely attempt to visit the ancient city.


    Math Horne
    Arabic 1001

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  6. I never really knew much about Jordan before, but watching this video definitely makes me want to visit there. Jordan has very neat and interesting things to do, like hike in the cavern, ride camels, and sand boarding (which I would love to try!). I also never knew anything about the king or queen. They are so much different than I expected. It's amazing how they live up to their responsibilities but also have fun and spend time with their children.
    Elizabeth Gunnels Arabic 1001

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  7. Before watching the videos I knew very little about the government of Jordan and not much more about the geography of the region. While I have heard of Petra, I knew very little about it and, before watching the videos, I had never really thought about Jordan’s beauty until the videos. I have a few friends from Jordan and I definitely plan on visiting as soon as I can!

    Kelly Pope
    Arabic 1001

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  8. First off I absolutely love the Jordanian Royal family because they are so progressive and active unlike the other monarchs in the world.Jordan is such a beautiful place but many times people forget that countries in the Middle East have an extremely varied geography and not just deserts. Definitely a place I would like to visit

    Langston Middleton
    Arabic 2001

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  9. Before watching the video I thought Jordan was involved in warfare of the surrounding arabic liberating countries but seeing that the country has remained so beautiful and peaceful goes to show how well King Abdullah II and Queen Rania rule over their country. The country itself is filled with so much beauty and i would love to visit there but it was also enjoyable to see how the royal family can casually conversate and tour their country without being uptight or raising themselves to any high standards. They desire to be like any other noraml family within Jordan and i think this is possible because of King Abdullah's past; since he was enrolled at boarding school and joined the special forces, he was able to be given a clear insight of daily life for his people instead of the constant sheltered life of a royal person. I would love to meet them one day.

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  10. I have always really wanted to travel to Jordan. It is such a beautiful place. I like the fact that there are still desert people who live like their ancestors did in tents in the desert, welcoming any passers-by. It is interesting to say the least how "westernized" King Abdulla is when he speaks and interacts with the interviewer. I had no idea Jordan was so full of tourist attractions like camel riding, sand boarding and ski diving. This as well as the historical aspect of Jordan creates a perfect trip for travelers willing to go beyond what they think of when they think of the Middle East.

    Austin Lowe
    Arabic 1001

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  11. Prior to watching this video i wasn’t informed about the country of Jordan besides what i have viewed on the news. i now see that Jordan has a rich culture and more to offer than just a news headline. Growing westernization and industrialization is drawing people from other regions in i would love to visit Jordan and see more of what this country has to offer.
    -fatumata bah Arabic 1001

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  12. I enjoyed how educating the videos on Jordan were. This may sound terrible, but I had no idea that the country of Jordan was ran by a royal family and it is refreshing to see the manor in which they do. It is too often that monarchs take advantage of their title. To see that the royal family of Jordan puts so much effort into maintaining such a flourishing society is remarkable. They truly care about their country and their people and it shows. Jordan is a beautiful place that I hope to visit one day, and a great representation of how a country in the middle east should be.
    Samira Murphy
    ARAB 2001

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