Greetings from Amman,
It is Friday afternoon in Jordan. I am current a resident of the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR).
I will be here for a few days finishing my paper/presentation for the ARAM Conference. ACOR has a wonderful research library and it also has rooms and a kitchen and laundry facilty so it is a home home away from home. I have spent several weekends here over the years.
==============================
Here is the official information about the conference I will be attending:
ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies: Twenty Fifth International Conference
DECAPOLIS: HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY
The Oriental Institute
Oxford University
07-10 July 2008
Here is my paper/presentation information:
TUESDAY, JULY 08 (Venue: The Oriental Institute, Pusey Lane)
10:10-10:45 Prof. John Wineland (Kentucky Christian University):
“Byzantine Ecclesiastical Organization in the Decapolis: Evidence from Abila.”
===============================================
Since my last update it has been an unusal few days. It has been quite hot here since we arrive in the high 30's and even the low 40's of course I am talking about centigrade not fahrenheit, 35 is about 95 degrees and 40 is 103 degress. In fact we ended work early on Thursday at noon because of the heat. Today work ended at 10:30 because of the heat.
I left the site on Wednesday about 11am to visit a hospital. It seems my new boots do not agree with my feet. Since it has been hot this was a factor, but also I must have damaged my big toe nail on the interior of the boot. This led to an infection under my big toe nail on my left foot.
I went to a local hosptial in northern Jordan actually it is in Samar, Jordan about 10 miles from the site. I knew I needed antibiotics because I had pain in my left leg coming up from my foot. My toe was quite red. The doctors examined it and xrayed it. They then removed the toenail and cleaned it. When they found I that I have diabetes they became very cautious. They gave me an EKG and then for a reason unknown to me a chest xray. The doctor wanted to admit me so I agreed. They gave me IV antibiotics. I stayed the rest of the day Wednesday and all day Thursday, I finally got out this morning about 9 o'clock.
There are many things I could tell about the hospital. I will limit it to a few. First I was placed in a room with 3 other men. All of them were about 70 or older. One man was blinded from diabetes, another had some type of wound from diabetes and he was receivibg treatment. The third I was told had a bleeding stomach.
It is the custom to have many family member visit so the room was fill until about midnight. One man's son stayed the night in a plastic chair.
I was the only "gringo" (American) in the hospital so I became a minor celebrity. I had a visit from the representative of the Department of Antiquites of Jordan, and also from several police officials even someone who I think is a General in the Jordanian Army. I was attened to by several doctors including the Director of the hospital. So I had the best care they could offer.
They did a good job, the redness is almost gone and I am feeling fine. I have to take antibiotics in pill form now and dress the wound each day.
They have some things that are quite different about their hospital. First you have to provide several things that you would not have to provide in a US hospital. Clothes (there are no gowns etc provided) your own kleenix, and toliet paper (if needed), also your own cup and spoon.
The rooms are not air conditioned and the only ventation is the window. You sleep on a vinyl covered mattress with just a thin sheet over it, so when it is 95 to 100 I tended to stick to the mattress. Also there is no TV or radio or lounge or any vending machines etc., so nothing really to do but look at the other guys in the room. I won't go into the bathroon arrangements they were better than the camp where I stay but not exactly great.
I was on a men's floor and most of the staff was men except for a head nurse that must have been a drill sergeant at one time, also they had younger women wheel in the meals but they did not bring them over to your bed you had to do that. Also they do not provide anything to drink or anyway to drink it. There is a water fountain near the nurses station outside your room.
The food was almost the same each meal. Sliced cucumbers and tomatos, plain yogart, hummus, and bread. Twice I got soup. I was glad to get some other food today.
The hospitals in Jordan expect a persons family to provide most of the "nursing" care; feeding, washing, fetching water etc. Oh, they do not provide any towel or wash cloth or soap either.
I spent my time reading a novel and the Bible and listening to my IPOD. I got to know patient who told me he was a retired health care administion with a PhD from the US. He said hospitals are much like prisons.
Well I have never been in a prison but I will say that I am glad to be out of the hospital. This was the first time I had been in a hospital as a patient since I was about 7 years old and had my tonsils out.
====================
Getting around Jordan is also different than home it can be difficult on Friday especially since this is the Islamic day of worship. Tim and I caught a ride with the cook in his beat up old mini pickup truck. Normally you would ride a local mini-bus about the size of a regulal van. They put about 20 or so people in the minibus which goes on a fixed route from surrounding villages to regional centers.
The cook dropped us at a corner in Irbid and we had to take a taxi to a bus station. Then we took a bus to Amman and a taxi from the bus station to ACOR. Of course taxi drivers usually know very little English, so we have to direct them in Arabic. Amman is a large city about 2.5 million. Irbid has a population of over 272,000 people.
Amman has grown a great deal since I last visited in 2001. There are many refugees from Iraq in the country now.
ACOR has a wonderful library which focuses on the Middle East, history, and archaeology. They have my dissertation and book here too. They have several of the specialized journals I need too. So this a great place for me to do some research and finish up my paper.
Tim and I have already got into our room, dropped off our laundry (which really needs washing) raided the kitchen for a meal and now working on the computer here in the computer lab.
I guess that is it for now.
I will post something else before I leave Amman.
John Wineland
ACOR, Amman Jordan
It is Friday afternoon in Jordan. I am current a resident of the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR).
I will be here for a few days finishing my paper/presentation for the ARAM Conference. ACOR has a wonderful research library and it also has rooms and a kitchen and laundry facilty so it is a home home away from home. I have spent several weekends here over the years.
==============================
Here is the official information about the conference I will be attending:
ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies: Twenty Fifth International Conference
DECAPOLIS: HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY
The Oriental Institute
Oxford University
07-10 July 2008
Here is my paper/presentation information:
TUESDAY, JULY 08 (Venue: The Oriental Institute, Pusey Lane)
10:10-10:45 Prof. John Wineland (Kentucky Christian University):
“Byzantine Ecclesiastical Organization in the Decapolis: Evidence from Abila.”
===============================================
Since my last update it has been an unusal few days. It has been quite hot here since we arrive in the high 30's and even the low 40's of course I am talking about centigrade not fahrenheit, 35 is about 95 degrees and 40 is 103 degress. In fact we ended work early on Thursday at noon because of the heat. Today work ended at 10:30 because of the heat.
I left the site on Wednesday about 11am to visit a hospital. It seems my new boots do not agree with my feet. Since it has been hot this was a factor, but also I must have damaged my big toe nail on the interior of the boot. This led to an infection under my big toe nail on my left foot.
I went to a local hosptial in northern Jordan actually it is in Samar, Jordan about 10 miles from the site. I knew I needed antibiotics because I had pain in my left leg coming up from my foot. My toe was quite red. The doctors examined it and xrayed it. They then removed the toenail and cleaned it. When they found I that I have diabetes they became very cautious. They gave me an EKG and then for a reason unknown to me a chest xray. The doctor wanted to admit me so I agreed. They gave me IV antibiotics. I stayed the rest of the day Wednesday and all day Thursday, I finally got out this morning about 9 o'clock.
There are many things I could tell about the hospital. I will limit it to a few. First I was placed in a room with 3 other men. All of them were about 70 or older. One man was blinded from diabetes, another had some type of wound from diabetes and he was receivibg treatment. The third I was told had a bleeding stomach.
It is the custom to have many family member visit so the room was fill until about midnight. One man's son stayed the night in a plastic chair.
I was the only "gringo" (American) in the hospital so I became a minor celebrity. I had a visit from the representative of the Department of Antiquites of Jordan, and also from several police officials even someone who I think is a General in the Jordanian Army. I was attened to by several doctors including the Director of the hospital. So I had the best care they could offer.
They did a good job, the redness is almost gone and I am feeling fine. I have to take antibiotics in pill form now and dress the wound each day.
They have some things that are quite different about their hospital. First you have to provide several things that you would not have to provide in a US hospital. Clothes (there are no gowns etc provided) your own kleenix, and toliet paper (if needed), also your own cup and spoon.
The rooms are not air conditioned and the only ventation is the window. You sleep on a vinyl covered mattress with just a thin sheet over it, so when it is 95 to 100 I tended to stick to the mattress. Also there is no TV or radio or lounge or any vending machines etc., so nothing really to do but look at the other guys in the room. I won't go into the bathroon arrangements they were better than the camp where I stay but not exactly great.
I was on a men's floor and most of the staff was men except for a head nurse that must have been a drill sergeant at one time, also they had younger women wheel in the meals but they did not bring them over to your bed you had to do that. Also they do not provide anything to drink or anyway to drink it. There is a water fountain near the nurses station outside your room.
The food was almost the same each meal. Sliced cucumbers and tomatos, plain yogart, hummus, and bread. Twice I got soup. I was glad to get some other food today.
The hospitals in Jordan expect a persons family to provide most of the "nursing" care; feeding, washing, fetching water etc. Oh, they do not provide any towel or wash cloth or soap either.
I spent my time reading a novel and the Bible and listening to my IPOD. I got to know patient who told me he was a retired health care administion with a PhD from the US. He said hospitals are much like prisons.
Well I have never been in a prison but I will say that I am glad to be out of the hospital. This was the first time I had been in a hospital as a patient since I was about 7 years old and had my tonsils out.
====================
Getting around Jordan is also different than home it can be difficult on Friday especially since this is the Islamic day of worship. Tim and I caught a ride with the cook in his beat up old mini pickup truck. Normally you would ride a local mini-bus about the size of a regulal van. They put about 20 or so people in the minibus which goes on a fixed route from surrounding villages to regional centers.
The cook dropped us at a corner in Irbid and we had to take a taxi to a bus station. Then we took a bus to Amman and a taxi from the bus station to ACOR. Of course taxi drivers usually know very little English, so we have to direct them in Arabic. Amman is a large city about 2.5 million. Irbid has a population of over 272,000 people.
Amman has grown a great deal since I last visited in 2001. There are many refugees from Iraq in the country now.
ACOR has a wonderful library which focuses on the Middle East, history, and archaeology. They have my dissertation and book here too. They have several of the specialized journals I need too. So this a great place for me to do some research and finish up my paper.
Tim and I have already got into our room, dropped off our laundry (which really needs washing) raided the kitchen for a meal and now working on the computer here in the computer lab.
I guess that is it for now.
I will post something else before I leave Amman.
John Wineland
ACOR, Amman Jordan
2 comments:
hey brother-- i've been following your blog and am glad to hear your O.k.
new boots are often a mixed blessing, glad to know the antibiotics are working.
I'm sure your presentation will be top notch.
You bring history to life in a way others only dream about.
John --glad to hear that you are doing so much better, but I can tell from your blog that the drugs have fried a tiny little piece of your brain :-). Stay healthy!
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