Arrival (by Rachel)

(L-R: Susie, Jeremy, Hadasa, Jordan, Phillip, Rachel)

The transition from Atlanta to Amman has been surprisingly smooth! We have 4 great people to thank for that. Jeremy & Susie (above) and Fred & Deb. We are living with Jeremy & Susie for our first week and a half in Jordan.  Jeremy teaches English at CGE and Susie takes care of their two children.  They have taken us shopping and helped us figure out what’s what and where to get quality items.

Because Phillip and I decided to go with an unfurnished apartment (rather than a furnished one), we have needed to purchase pretty much everything except for clothes.  We came to Jordan with a total of 4 big checked bags (50 pounds each), 2 smaller carry-ons (filled with heavy stuff, like Phillip’s books J), 1 book bag, and 1 big purse.  I thought I had packed wisely (including towels, bathroom products, a few snacks, clothes, & shoes), but looking back, I would’ve brought fewer clothes and more practical house items.  When I say that the apartment we got is unfurnished, I mean it comes with no closets, no stove, no fridge, no bed, no chairs, no couch, no carpet, and in some cases, no light fixtures.  It is by far the cleanest, nicest apartment we saw within walking distance to my work & Phillip’s school, so we are happy to have it.  Even though it will involve purchasing lots of items we need upfront, when we are ready to return to the U.S., we can sell them and get some of the money back.  In the meantime, we’ll be enjoying clean furniture and appliances that work.

Fred (left, next to Phillip) is the director of CGE (and my boss); he and Deb have 4
children, and one that will be born in about two weeks! My experience in Japan has also come in handy — not for the Japanese I learned, but because of the familiarity of the experience of foreignness. An interesting observation I made today.

 

Amman is built on 13 hills. From the city’s center to the airport, it’s about a 30-40 minute drive.  The airport is situated in an environment that fits my desert stereotype perfectly.  I was happy to see more foliage, palm trees, and even some ever green-like plants as we drove north into the city.  To the right, you can see a portion of the “city on a hill” – its streets have the feel of San Francisco to a lesser degree.

Finally, it’s time for the mandatory toilet picture (below).  This is a stall in Mecca Mall (a shopping center comparable to Perimeter Mall) in Amman. Notice the trash can for used toilet paper and the bidet hose for those times you just need a little rinsing off. Beth, I also found a very spacious Starbucks in the Mall.  We were shopping during a Ramadan mid-afternoon, so of course it wasn’t open.