IT IS HOT!

So while I was well aware I was going to a desert, I don’t think I was quite prepared for how hot it is. The temperature is in Celsius, which means I have no clue how hot it really is so I decided to check google for the actual temperature and it is supposed to be 102 degrees Fahrenheit  TONIGHT, during the night time you know when it is supposed to be cold outside. AND my general outfits must include at least capris, NO SHORTs, and NO Tank tops, though it seems that in most parts of the city I can get away with a short sleeve shirt. Needless to say at soon as I get home I throw on shorts and at the moment I am contemplating laying on the tile floor. I am actually getting a little worried about Gwen, who is starting to forget English due to the heat. Luckily it is a dry heat with no humidity, but until I get used to the heat I may be grumbling a little. The heat also puts a major damper on exploring the city, because there is only so long you can stand to be outside. Which may explain the liveliness of the city at night, when it finally cools down a little.

Despite the heat I have been able to see some parts of Amman, which is unexpectedly an expansive city. The city is made up of huge hills, one after another, so you can only see how big it is when you are at the top of one. Gwen’s friends have been awesome, at taking us around the city. Of course I can’t help but make comparisons to where I lived in Morocco. I try not to but it is the similarities that make the differences so apparent. The neighborhood I lived in Morocco was a middle class neighborhood but in comparison is significantly lower income than the middle class areas of Jordan. Whereas Rabat had two McDonalds, on my street alone there is a KFC, mcdonalds, burger king, pizza hut and there are many other western chains throughout the city such as Starbucks, Papa Johns, popeyes, as well as many others. Today we went grocery shopping at a really nice grocery that could have been in any city in the US. At first I was frustrated by this and wanted somehow to see the real Amman, as if these areas were lacking some sort of authenticity. After awhile of feeling that way I realized how stupid I had been, sure there are many places in Amman that I will feel out of my comfort zone and will see no reminders of western culture, but I also have to realize that is not how all of Amman lives. By diminishing the experience of the middle class who experience a world in which western culture is a part of their everyday lives I over look a very important part of the society as a whole. I have to remember I have only been here a few days and there is plenty of time to see all the aspects of Amman. And the parts I have seen thus far are great, it’s not too often that across from the gas station by a major university do you find a herd of sheep.  For the time being I am going to relax and let things unfold in their own time and enjoy the fact that at the café next door your menu is on an ipad.

Our goods from the grocery including dates for around 3 dollars, and a huge thing of Hummus for around 1 dollar

My lovely hightech cellphone, an obvious upgrade from my iPhone

Our lovely sink, which this morning had no water coming out of it, and as Gwen informed me that just  happens sometimes living life in a water poor country