The Expatriate

  Sido Alkurdi Mosque I had never been to a Middle East country before coming to Jordan as a Fellow in the U.S. State Department's English Language Program . I had been a Fellow at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, in 2019, and then along came Covid and the program shut down. I waited until I received another fellowship, which was in Amman. I had a positive impression of Amman before coming here, and that turned out to be pretty much accurate. It is advanced, and a person can enjoy a life here much as they would in the U.S., Europe, Japan, or other advanced countries. One thing that stands out is the number of electric cars. I take Uber often, and always request an electric car. Cost of living. Although Amman has a reputation for being expensive, I find it to be reasonably priced, and rent is certainly cheaper than it is in many countries. About 500 USDs, for a one-bedroom flat in a good area. Plenty of good places to eat. Olives, dates, and cheeses, lots. Good shopp...

I am starting this blog to connect with others who might find what I write to be of interest when it comes to their writing and publishing and to write about experiences my wife and I have living in this or that country. We're now in Amman, Jordan, where I am a Fellow in the U.S. State Department's English Language Fellow Program, assigned to the Jordan Media Institute , which is a master's degree program for journalists. More on living in Amman and other countries on other posts. Patricia and James First, about writing. My first novel, The Opium Addict , is out now for preorder on Amason. The novel will be released on June 19, 2023. I just finished correcting the proofs, which was a very tedious process but necessary. Before that, my editor, Tasha Shiedel (The Undead Reader), copy-edited the MS, which took more than a month, mostly because I kept making changes. I wrote The Opium Addict back in 2018, put it away, then revised it during the pandemic, when I was in Zimba...