Shukran

After having stayed in Jordan for 7 months to the day, I flew back to the Netherlands on September 2. I’ve truly had a blast in a city and a country that I have come to love. During my stay, I’ve continued to meet new people and discover amazing new places, and Amman really began to feel like a home away from home. My most sincere gratitude to all of my friends and colleagues, who made that feeling possible! Shukran ktir!

 

Simple rules to drive in Amman

Driving in the Middle East can be a bit of a tricky thing to some, while to others (in all likelihood the somewhat more aggressive, talkative and seasoned drivers) it almost comes naturally. Either way, driving in the Arab world is an experience in itself. Here are some tips to help you fit in. If they seem strange to you, just remember that without heeding my advice, you’d look like a total foreigner.

• Never stop, except for red lights. Don’t stop to let cars pass on roundabouts or at intersections, but always have the car creeping forward. In doing so, you will at some point subtly block the road for other drivers, allowing a safe passage for you.
• Drive with one hand at the horn. Use it. People rarely use their mirrors properly, so always be ready to honk.
• Don’t count on the fact that just because you come from the right, you go first. It just doesn’t work like that. The one to arrive at an intersection first and/or honks first, goes first. Oh, and use your lights to signal as well.
• Get proper car insurance. Always wear your seat belt. (…)
• When being driven in a taxi, try to wear a seatbelt (I say try to, because a lot of the taxis are in a shape that would classify them as junk: a seatbelt is a luxury). A third of the taxi drivers is actually capable of proper driving, another third is too old/blind/deaf, and the last third are reckless speeders. Prepare for impact.
• Don’t worry about speeding cameras. They’re very few in number, and usually overgrown by the leaves of nearby trees.
• Pimp your ride. Even the most family-oriented car should have a rally wheel and spinning rims in Amman. Don’t forget purple neon for under your car and fluorescent blue lights where your headlights should be.

Feel free to comment if you think of some more rules of the road!

 

Ghetto world

I was walking back to my house from the supermarket Cozmo, a walk of some 5 minutes. It was 7 pm, and I had just gotten out of work. Tired and kind of cranky. I had been a shitty day.

Strolling down the slightly sloped road, I was passed on the right by two Arabs. Well, Arab, but not really. Their features were Arab, but their clothes were, well, urban. Ghetto if you will. I passed them and cracked a smile. I knew what I was in for.

“Sup? Where ya from?”
I turned around and raised my hand, and consequently my three plastic bags with groceries, in a greeting. “Hi. I’m from Holland.”
“Where?”
“Holland.”
“What?”
“The Netherlands, man. Holland?”, I stated again.
“Aw, yeah, you gotsta speak up yo. Sup?”, the first guy went on. “My name’s Tarek. Dis is Munir.”
“Pleasure. My name’s Sander.”

Imagine you’re in a 50 Cent music video. Grown men in oversized shirts, decorated with fake gold around their necks. Wearing jeans with the crotch between their knees. You know, old skool ghetto boys.

“So, where are you guys from?”, I enquired naturally.
“Always lived in Chicago, man. But I’m Jordanian. Just came back here for good…”, Tarek smiled. Munir nodded and added, “We be chillin’ in da sun yaknowmsayin, dis summer is gonbe hot. So, you from Holland huh? You gots weed bro?”
I shook my head. “No man. That stuff’s dangerous down here.” They looked at each other and laughed. Tarek shook his head, revealing a glimpse of his name tattooed on his neck. “Shit man, you gotsa be kiddin’. Dat shit is so good down here. We gotta hook up some time, aight? What’s yo numba?”

I gave them my number and we shook hands (an automatic ghetto shake). I turned around the corner and laughed to myself. No matter how far away from home you are, there’s a constant in the world wherever you go. That constant is called Music Television, MTV. Isn’t it beautifully frightening? We’re all children of mass media.

Speaking of mass media: if you have the chance, I would suggest checking out the site of a knowledgable man I met in Amman last month. Rob Williams PhD., an American expert on mass media and professor, writer, singer, composer, blogger, proud Vermont citizen, party animal (as seen with my own eyes) and public speaker. Listen to his song ‘Kill your television’ right here.

 

Snow!

Welcome to the seven mountains of Amman. Last report featured a hot spring day, this one will highlight snow, hail, wind, and lot of rain. On Wednesday, a cold front rolled in. Rumour had it that it might bring snow on Thursday. I didn’t believe it. Come on, I was Amman for God’s sake. Right?

Wrong.

I got was texted at 8:15, telling me that work was off due to the weather. What weather exactly, I wondered? I looked out of my window, seeing a light dusting of snow and some rain. Not the weather to walk around in your shorts, but definitely not the weather to cancel a whole day of productivity either. But as I wandered out to get breakfast, it started to snow more heavily. Some random observations.

• With heavy rain or snow, Ammani public life stops. Shops close, offices close, ministries close.
• With heavy rain or snow, Ammani streets become rivers. Where’s the drainage? I’m wading here, guys.
• Kids make snow men from an inch of snow. It’s an art, I guess.
• Drivers tend to stay off the streets in bad weather. Those still driving are taxis or just plain mad.

It didn’t snow that much during the day. Mainly wet snow, disappearing on the roads creating mud. But at sunset, the show started. Roads become ice skating rinks, the snow thickened and you could see cars skidding in turns. Then in the morning, it was all gone, like nothing had happened. In conclusion, another nice surprise in Amman.

Check out the Flickr box on the right for photos.

 

Springtime stroll

First fantastic Spring day. It’s 25 degrees Celsius, clear skies, light breeze, and I just walked around the block for my lunch break. From my office neighbourhood, mainly consisting of villas and luxury apartment buildings, I crossed the busy street into the commercial district of Sweifiyeh. The base of Sweifiyeh is a block grid of 5-floor apartment buildings. Add long galleries instead of sidewalks, for the necessary shade. Then add a bunch of tiny shops with local brands. Let that simmer for a while. Then, add a lot, and I mean a lot, of chaotically placed signs indicating shop names, owner names, cars for sale, and traffic signs. As coup de grace, add two table spoons of extremely chaotic traffic, triple double parking and a pinch of honking. There you have it. Bon appetite! It’s a dish that may need some getting used to, but once you take a bite, you’re hooked.

Furthermore, I’m sad to say that my wireless connection at home is absolute bollocks. It started out fine, it was fast, it was promising. The problem is that whenever there is a problem, it takes ages to fix and a lot of calls to the landlord, who in turn has to call some shop. So consequently, I haven’t had an Internet connection at home for a week now. So please, again forgive me my slow updates, but be aware that they’re in the pipeline.

Time to return to my work! I’ve got a thesis that’s 38 pages already, and I’m working on the last bit of literary review. At this stage, I’m traveling around Amman a lot to meet with experts on the subject of Corporate Social Responsibility. I’m using their thoughts and critiques to enhance my own view on the concept of CSR. I’m happy to report that it’s all going quite well!