Well I’ve finally deemed my life interesting enough to have a blog. Okay, not my life in general- just a small part. I’ve recently moved to Amman, Jordan to attend an intensive Arabic language program. Why would I do this, you ask? The language training is part of my grand plan to join the Foreign Service. Now I’m sure you’re asking yourself why someone goes from working in sports to the Foreign Service. What? Foam fingers to the Foreign Service doesn’t seem like a logical career path?
The answer is that I want to do something more meaningful with my life (not that selling foam fingers isn’t meaningful- much props to my friends in the industry). I’ve spent a lot of my life volunteering for non-profits but I never wanted to work for one because I also enjoy making a decent amount of money. In the Foreign Service I can make an impact on the world and not live in poverty. Thank you taxpayers of America.
So that brings us to Amman. Parts of Amman are very similar to the States and parts are very different. Our apartment is nice and modern but there are some differences. We have to flip a switch to get hot water. Our water supply is in a tank on the roof and every apartment only gets a certain amount per week (Jordan is one of the driest places on earth so water conservation is important). The plumbing in the city is very old so it can’t handle toilet paper- that goes in the trash. Other than those differences it’s pretty much like America. I have 2 lovely roommates (I pretty much have to say that in case they read this) and we have a large 3 bedroom apartment.
The city is a mix of old and new- I live in the new part. Driving is something I have no desire to try. Even when there are lane markers no one uses them. There seem to be a lot of unspoken rules of the road that the locals understand. The entire city is white because buildings must be faced in Jordanian stone (which is white).
Dust, dust, and more dust. I’ve accepted the fact that my feet will be filthy the entire time I’m here. Sweeping and mopping our apartment barely makes a difference. Someone really should do a study on how much dust Jordanians ingest during their life and the health impact.
Well, those are my initial thoughts from week one in Jordan. I’ll keep you updated with my adventures in Amman.
