Jordan IV

It is currently Friday, and thus the "rest day" of the week out here; hence, there isn't much to do, which has been a blessing, as I actually woke up at 10am this morning, and now have some time to write before I'm off for the day.
I think the more I travel, the more I realize at how deficient I am in various areas of intelligence. Riding through this countryside, I really wish I was well versed in geology, botany, archeology and anthropology; I think these would all help me have a deeper appreciation of all that I'm seeing and touching and experiencing.
At any rate, this country is interesting in how it is divided. Some have told me that, as the formation of all these borders out here was decided by Europeans, and not by the people themselves, it (much like Africa) has led to various tensions and conflict over the years. If you look on a map, Jordan is shaped kind of like an upside-down "L". As has been explained to me, the northern region is a bit less conservative (which is a TOTALLY relative term), as they are more influenced by Syria (hence, why I say it's a TOTALLY relative term) and Lebanon in their attitudes and cultural understandings. The southern region is considerably more conservative, as a good portion of their influence arises from Saudi Arabia (hence, again, why I say this is a RELATIVE term).
I am currently in the southern end of the country. A woman described to me that ever since she moved here from Amman, she has felt that she hasn't really been accepted here, that she feels pressure to wear the hijab, and that she doesn't really belong, in comparison to living in the north. I am really hoping that this desire for a sense of place and belonging might actually be met by the people that I am working with, as I am sure that they can provide an answer to that desire!!
This also, of course, reflects more of attitudes within urban centres. As you may well imagine, rural areas always lag behind urban areas in terms of progressive thought and attitudes. The other day, I was in a small village, only about 10km out of the capital city, and it was like night and day. You'd think 10km hardly makes a difference (heck, you'd still be within Toronto city limits), but it does. By that point, we already had a lack of vehicles, many more beasts of burden, many more full-body coverings, etc. It actually didn't even have its own mosque, since there was already uniformity in thought, so there was no need for a house of worship and teaching. So, I suspect, whether north or south, this distinction between more liberal and more conservative values in rural areas is a moot point.
Furthermore, one of the things that make me wish I was a man at times is the liberty with which they can move through the world. Walking through the streets here, it is rare that you will see women; as far as you can tell, you'd think it was a country full of men. You truly do feel like an anomaly, as for every woman you might see in the street, there are about 40 or 50 men to balance her out - literally. So I might walk for blocks and blocks and not have any face time with a woman at all. Which makes it a bit disconcerting to walk through the streets at times.