Chicken and Rice with an Arab Army

Since the end of February I have been spending at least a few days a week with a Jordanian Special Forces Battalion.  It's been very interesting, from a military culture perspective, to interact with the officers and become 'part of the unit', so to speak.  I don't really contribute anything, and my requests for information are probably frustrating and distracting, but I have really appreciated the welcome that I have received there.

This time with them has given me a very interseting perspective onto culture, both military and Arab.  It's allowed me to witness things like:

• Bathrooms - there don't appear to be many, and no one else seems to need to use them, even though we drink copious amounts of coffee and tea throughout the day.  I am duly impressed by the expanded Jordanian bladder.
• Lunch is eaten at 2 p.m., even though everyone is obviously hungry by about 11:00.  Instead of simply moving up their lunch time, they snarf down snack cakes and chocolate, staving off hunger until later.  I understand that 'culturally'  you eat lunch in the early afternoon, but if your body is craving food earlier, why not adjust?
• When we do finally finish the work day and sit down to lunch, all of the officers sit eat together at the officer's club.  Afterward, many of them will sit and chat in the lounge, drinking tea and eating fruit.  I really appreciate the feeling of camaraderie and togetherness that this formalized method of lunch provides.
• The food is universally delicious, and a variation on the theme of 'chicken and rice'.  There is always a piece of chicken, a large helping of rice, and some sort of small vegetable salad or beans.  One of the side dishes will either be prepared with yogurt or liquid, to better moisten the chicken and rice.  I find that these meals are the highlight of my day.

Overall, I am enjoying my time working with the Jordanians, but a source of frustration is that conversation is still supremely difficult for me.  Despite a year at DLI and months of dialect tutoring, I have an impossible time trying to follow what is being said during the day.  If I am not in a one-on-one discussion, then my comprehension drops to nearly zero.  I've been told that people who sit quietly are thought of as suspicious.  Unfortunately, if you aren't understanding, participation is out of the question.  Similarly, having no comprehension is tiring.  Even though I don't do much other than sit in a chair all day, but by the time I leave, I am exhausted physically and mentally.