welcome to jordan!

i've been in jordan a week now. finally getting into the groove of things. i have classes at qasid institute from 8-12, sundays through thurdays. my weekends are fridays and saturdays. i thought i would have to make some sort of mental adjustment because it's not the saturday and sunday weekend that i'm used to, but it's really no different because it's still two days off. i'm in a class with 7 other students. the class is co-taught. this trip has been different than other overseas programs i've been on because of the structure that it lacks. i'm pretty much steering my own ship here. though it can be a challenge at times, i think the freedom is good. it feels a lot more like i'm living in jordan rather than visiting. been mainly going to class, studying, and sleeping a lot. there's a dj doing a gig tomorrow that my roommate and i will check out, which should be fun. hope to also check out the city more this weekend and maybe explore some art galleries. rainbow street has art galleries and there's al weibdeh, which is suppose to be sweet hub for artists.

have done a bit of exploring. here's a taste:

rainbow street






these pictures don't quite do rainbow street justice. it's maybe a 2-3 minute cab ride from wast al-balad and despite the proximity, it has a very different feel. the space seems more open. it's a cute area with cafes, restaurants, bookstores, a couple art galleries. it's cleaner than downtown amman and has an amazing view of the city. the second photo was taken on othman bin affan street off of rainbow street. there are 10 stairs leading from the surrounding mountains of amman into the heart of the city. i thought i had found one of them, but i'm not quite sure. it might just be some stairs next to someone's house. nonetheless, my roommate and i climbed onto a construction site and was stunned by the view we saw (pic 2). we got there around sunset, so it was just unbelievably breathtaking. i felt so at peace. i hope to go back regularly and just journal or something. the last pic was taken at wild jordan cafe. it's part of the wild jordan center, which was given to jordan by americans and is a organization that promotes environmentallly-conscious living and conservation. it's a cool place. my room mate and i struck up a conversation with one of the baristas there and he encouraged us to practice our arabic with him.

wast al-balad/ downtown amman



very lively part of the city. definitely a popular tourist location. compared to rainbow street, everything is a lot more closely packed: tons of shops along the street selling jewelry, jellabiya (one-piece garment that covers the entire body), clothing, souvenirs, ect. we grubbed at hashem, which is this great place with a set menu (small dishes of fresh onions & tomatoes, hummus, falafel, & pita bread). all for just 4 JD between two people. wast al-balad is also home to al-hussein mosque (pic 2). absolutely stunning. i have come toreally appreciate the daily call to prayers. i find them calming. it was quite an experience sitting on the terrace of wild jordan cafe, listening to the call to prayer and admiring the incredible evening view of amman. we also briefly wove through al-balad's veggie market (pic 3) earlier in the day, where some kid was strolling through with a shopping cart and pointed into the cart after looking at me, as if motioning me to get in. not sure if that was his intent but it sure seemed like it. it was funny.

abdoun



home to embassies, upscale neighborhoods, fancy houses & cars, & pricey cafes.