Living in Amman, Jordan

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 shopping. Lots of malls. Phone service is not so expensive and very reliable. Just need a SIM card and to pay monthly. Credit cards are widely used, so a person can use their American or another country's foreign card and pay the bill online. ATMs everywhere. Easy to get cash, if you need it.

People are very friendly and there is no threat of violent crime.

Traffic is a bit too much, and honking of horns can be an irritation, and crossing a busy street can be dangerous, but, in general, drivers will stop and let a person cross the street. Even so, there are pedestrian bridges, just not enough of them.

Amman has an old town, where there is a Roman theater and a citadel. Lots of small shops there and good restaurants.

My wife and I go to the Hive Fitness Nation about every day, within walking distance of where we live. A very well-equipped, clean place, with a jacuzzi and a small pool.

Many places to go on day trips from Amman, Jericho, Madaba (old orthodox church and mosaic of Palestine), the Dead Sea, and Jerash, and many more. Petra is a good five-hour drive away, as is Aqaba.

Winter is—the only one we experienced—a bit dark and weary, but short, really, from mid-December through March.

Visit Amman and use it as a base to see so many other places. Easy to connect with an Uber driver and pay him cash, negotiate a price.

Comments

Return to Zimbabwe

It's been a long time since I made an entry. A lot has happened. My wife and I returned to Zimbabwe, where we are going to stay for a while before going to the U.S. I like Zimbabwe. In spite of what is reported about the country, the inflation, failing infrastructure, and poverty, the country is a wonderful place and the news media doesn't get it right about Zimbabwe. It's easy to report the negative but not the positive, which are the beauty of the country, the climate (neither heat nor AC is necessary, because of the elevation and proximity to the equator), the people (very friendly (English is the national language), and lack of violent crime, the use of the U.S. dollar, the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, the general peacefulness. Across the street from where we are staying there is a very posh restaurant, Victoria Twenty-Two , which is maybe better than the St. Regis in Amman. Glad we're not in Amman, considering what is going on in Gaza. Down t...

Singer Among the Ruins

Jerash , about an hour's ride northwest of Jordan's capital, Amman, is famous for its Greco-Roman ruins that were once stadiums where gladiators battled and chariot races were held; baths, and amphitheaters. Colonnades border roads paved with stones connect the various sites. One has to wonder when seeing these ruins, the columns still standing, the ornate scrollwork in evidence: How did the Romans build these places? It's a bit like walking onto the set of Ben Hu r, Spartacus , or, of course, Gladiator . At one of those amphitheaters, several boys were sitting in the shade of a column up toward the top of the theater, the row for plebeians. It was a warm spring day, and they seemed, at first, to be a bit bored. They clearly weren't tourists but locals. Why weren't they in school? No idea. Then I would learn why they were where they were. They were lying in wait for tourists to come along. When my wife and I did, one of the boys—he was maybe twelve—went down to the...

For the past several days I've been working with Amazon ads to promote the novella I have self-published, “Love Is Thicker Than Forget.” The title is taken from a famous e. e. cummings poem and directly connects to the storyline. I have posted the cover on a previous blog. Amazon ads, if a person knows what they're doing, can have a major impact on sales figures, but because I just started the ads I haven't seen that yet. The key to it all is to be patient, from what I've researched, and adjust the ads after sixty or ninety days, and not to adjust more than that, because Amazon's algorithms will not be able to adjust, and not to spend too much per day, because you might end up wasting money. There is a way to put in keywords, or a person can allow Amazon to do that based on the description of the book, which is what I've done. The novel I have on Amazon that was published by an independent publisher doesn't allow me as much flexibility with ads as KDP d...

The Expatriate

Search This Blog