The Dozan wa Awtar choir works very quickly and efficiently to find, practice, and most importantly perform new music to Amman’s choir-loving community. There aren’t very many choirs in Jordan, and most of them are through schools and are gender-segregated. This leads to me jokingly describing Dozan wa Awtar as the “best” or “national” choir […]

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I remember back when I first arrived in Jordan, many taxis and other cars had bumper stickers bearing the cryptic phrase “Jordan Rally 2008.” It wasn’t for a long time that I discovered that meant rally as in “race car” rally. The previous ruler before Abdullah II, the late King Hussein, really liked cars of […]

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In which Zach summarizes his opinions about his recent trip to Tajikistan and Central Asia, describing the corruption of their government and the failure of the rest of the world to acknowledge and attempt to correct it. He offers his observations on differences in the country’s culture, clothing, and food, and some statistics.

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In which Zach, having left Tajikistan and Central Asia behind, pledges to spend a day sightseeing in Istanbul but at a fraction of the budget that he spent the previous day. The goal is $20, or about 30 lira. Can he see Istanbul for cheap and still have a good time? Find out within.

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In which Zach spends his last few days in Tajikistan after returning from the Silk Road. He gets interviewed by Tajikistan’s newspapers about tourism in the country, visits his sister’s university, and – as corny as it may seem – realizes that it’s the family experience that was the true highlight of his journey.

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In which Zach is given a splendid tour of the jewel of the Silk Road, Samarqand, by his guide Akbar (which means “greatest” in Arabic). He sees Asia’s tallest mosque, eats traditional plov/pilaf, and watches handmade Persian rugs being made.

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