Tonight I attended a birthday party for one of the students in my study abroad program.  Tomorrow morning I am heading down to Wadi Rum in southern Jordan to live with Bedouins for the week, so tonight was my last chance to enjoy my program friends and “civilization” for a while.

Taking place on the penthouse of an apartment in West Amman, the setting of the party was quite amazing as we overlooked the city of Amman and its eastern suburbs.  Lively and raucous was the best way to describe the birthday.  With everyone sitting around chatting and drinking tea, the party started out as more of a gathering.  This mood continued as we ate the amazing dinner that my friend’s host mother made for us; however, the reserved nature of the party changed as dinner ended and the sun went down.

Playing a mix CD of Arab pop music was the main reason this birthday celebration turned from a gathering to a party.  If you have not listened to Arab pop music, then you are missing out!  This musical genre is fast moving, catchy, and will even get your grandmother to start shaking her booty on the dance floor.  Within minutes of the CD’s first song, a Nancy Ajrum track, everybody was up and dancing.  For the rest of the night dancing and hookah smoking were the only two activities of the night.  The party was certainly the perfect way to spend the night as it calmed the nerves about the trip I had coming the next morning.