I could get used to this. I had dinner with wonderful friends at their family home and I was so energized by the conversation. The meal was incredible and the company was absolutely delightful. More on this later.
I started out the day speaking about the other grandparents of Jesus at mass, the paternal grandparents of Jesus, who are never mentioned. It was incredibly well received and the prayers of the faithful were spirited with loving remembrances of one's own grandparents.
From there I walked to Jebel Webdeih to visit the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, which was established in 2005 by the present King. They are two fine buildings opposing each other and separated by verdant park. It is a quiet, peaceful area to sit. I wish I discovered it sooner as I would have brought a container of coffee and ready some books there. I think I'm ready for novels as I've been reading heavy stuff lately - death and evolution.
The first building I entered had four levels of gallery space and houses the temporary collection. It features a Jordanian woman who does a lot of soft pastels and watercolors. She focuses upon the feminine and her work contains subtle movements of women's bodies. It was distinctive in that it celebrated women in ways that are not often depicted in contemporary society in the central and east parts of Amman. Many pictures were of flowers and vases that showed softness that is yearned for but not received.
The second building houses the permanent collection and has three levels of gallery space. I found this wing intriguing for various reasons. Most of their work contains heavy elements of black; most also contain some orange as well. The black reminded me of what I thought was being conveyed: repressed anger, low self-esteem, frustration and they yearn for the flourishing of human freedom. The titles were also a bit rough and it may be that it is merely the translation into English.
The part I found fascinating was that the gallery exhibited artists from Tunisia, Sudan, Indonesia, Bahrain Lebanon, Qatar, Baghdad, and other regions from the Arabic speaking world. There is a question of referring to it as Arabic or Oriental, and Oriental is preferred. An Arab refers to people who live on the Arabian Peninsula - Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States. Iranians are not Arabs, nor are the Turks. The Iraqi do not consider themselves Arabs, nor do the Syrians, Lebanese, or even the Palestinians. Certainly not the Egyptians. They have the Arabic language that holds it together, but there are so many variations that it is a challenge for people to understand others' uses of words.
Jordan is much like the U.S. in that it is a melting pot, except no one in either country melts. Jordan welcomes people from different regions and has great tolerance for the cultural differences. Jordanians themselves comprise a small segment of the population. All are welcome, and each contributes to the local economy. The Jordanian Gallery of Fine Art contained some Jordanian artists, but most paintings are from other people who lives in the region.
The top floor of the second building contains a vast art library, a museum store, and an indoor/outdoor coffee house and tea room. It is quite charming with views that look over Abdali and Jebel Hussein and the Jesuit Centre. From this vantage point, one can see that much of Amman is rooftop living. People love to be outdoors in the cool air without any bugs and with a beautiful night sky. Just lovely. There are lots of homing pigeon cages on rooftops as well.
Dinner was at a friend's house. I've known him from my association with Dozan wa Awtar. His daughter is a gifted opera singer in France where she is expecting her first child in a couple of months. My friend would attend our concerts and he is a culture vulture. He has always supported my art career and he considers me better than I am.
The dinner guests were quite cultured and educated. We were wishing the French ambassador goodbye as her time in Jordan had finished. The new Italian ambassador joined us as did an official from the Spanish embassy. The CEOs of construction companies joined us, as did Bank presidents, and other movers and shakers. We had the types of conversations that are meaningful and thought provoking. It was very clear that the people love Jordan and desire to live nowhere else but in this country. The Jordanian nights are sublime and people in West Amman are quite literate, accomplished, and invested in the development of the region. I relished the conversations as they were very thoughtful and wide-reaching. I could get used to life in diplomatic circles.
I felt embarrassment and shame as well. As the sole American, I am fluent in English, while most others have Arabic, English, French, Italians, Spanish, Latin, Romanian, Russian, Greek, and German as languages in which they are versatile. I felt my language poverty. How I wish I could be as conversant as the are. Living overseas expands one's worldviews and makes one more accepting of other cultures and expressions. Their lives are far richer also because they have almost an innate grasp of world history. I find these people quite fascinating. This night brought me far from the world far different from experiences in Central Amman and into a world of culture and great thoughts. It was a night of celebration, fine food, mixed spirits, laughter and sorrow, hopes and dreams, and conversations that moves hearts towards greater solidarity. These are the nights people yearn for, moments of happiness and understanding, times of connection and understanding. I could get used to this.
All the while, the news channels report on the Pope's visit to Canada to address the wrong ways that church and state have harmed people over its missionary ideology.
Life is good. Life is meaningful, and it is beautiful when we can touch hearts and minds and souls.
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