Spending a Year Abroad in Jordan, Elinor Bendell gives us a rundown of one of the region’s more stable nations.
The Middle East. Most sane people would not choose this area as a travel destination any time soon. I am not one of these people.
I have elected to spend my Year Abroad in the Middle East, initially from September for three months and then for a further three months come January. Fortunately the country I am flying away to is Jordan, a country which seems relatively stable compared to its rather more discordant surrounding states and territories: Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Israel (not to mention Iraq with which Jordan shares a border).
Having gained its independence from Britain in 1946, and despite being involved in various conflicts over the West Bank (which at one point belonged to Jordan before being handed over to Israel in 1988), the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has undergone a fair amount of political, economic and cultural development since its creation. It has a strong constitutional monarchy and whilst the idea of a king actively participating in politics as the head of state seems rather alien to most of the Western world now, the Jordanian population – whilst demanding some political, economic and governmental reform – generally does not seem too perturbed by this state of affairs. Perhaps, and unsurprisingly given their history, they prefer their monarchy to be involved in their politics rather than any foreign, political figures. Whilst the Jordanian population may not be completely satisfied with their country’s situation they certainly have a much wider political field than a lot of their Middle Eastern counterparts. There are, at the time of writing, at least thirty-six different parties who are recognised on the Jordanian political platform. This is slightly more of a choice than in Saudi Arabia, for example, where there are no political parties and all appointments are made by the King and the royal family, making it a much less democratic system.
The main comment I have received from most people when they are told where I will be spending my Year Abroad is the weather. “You’ll get a great tan,” they cry and I wish I could reply with “I know,” and allow it to be one of the few moments I could feel smug about my choice of destination but, alas, it is not so. The average temperature in Jordan between November and April is fourteen degrees Celsius and snow is not an unusual occurrence in Amman, my soon-to-be hometown. This does mean, however, that for the first two months of my stay I shall be making the most of the warm weather and sending as many postcards and photos as possible.
Still, even when it is warm my enjoyment of it, and tanning ability, will be severely limited by the dress code. Whilst there are no rules as to how one should dress in Jordan, it remains a relatively traditional society and therefore hot pants, vests and crop tops are out; harem pants, loose long sleeved shirts and scarves are in. Although my winter wardrobe is pretty extensive from living in England, this far more conservative form of summer dressing is new to me. Arabian women are known for wearing many a designer underneath their abayas and burkas and, as a Western girl, my attitude to extreme heat is the fewer, smaller and thinner my clothes the better. The difference will be both a point of interest and perhaps a challenge to overcome.
Whilst I know that I like certain Middle Eastern dishes (falafel and koftas being two of the many meals I am happy to indulge in) I am also one of the many students who enjoys feasting on late night fast food runs and Dominos orders, so learning about the food will be highly interesting. Whilst flipping through one of the many guidebooks on Jordan that I now possess, one thing on the map of Amman immediately caught my eye. The only restaurant specifically noted was a McDonald’s. Yes, that’s right: I can find a Big Mac in Jordan. However, it is nowhere near the centre of Amman; in fact it is not even in the suburbs. It is very much outside the confines of the city and so it seems to me that a trip to this McDonalds will not simply be a quick, five-minute jaunt down to the local fast food place but will have to be a planned and anticipated trip. Missing out on a Middle Eastern McDonalds is not an option, especially as they tend to change their menus depending on the country in which they are situated. I will not be finding any bacon, or sausage here – falafel burgers perhaps?
As for everyday meals, apparently the street food is delicious and a lot safer to eat than makeshift ‘English’ meals which are often cooked improperly and can cause horrendous food poisoning which I am keen to avoid. Having been a self-catered fresher I do enjoy cooking so I am hoping to learn lots of new recipes to share with my family and friends on my return. The market experience, however, is not one I am looking forward to, as live chickens for sale are one of my concerns, as happens in many market cultures; I will not only have to pick the one I want them to kill right then and there but also pluck and gut them before cooking. That is not my idea of fun no matter how much of a cultural experience it might be!
At the time of writing, I have two weeks until I move to Amman and as far as I know, I do not yet have a flat. This is more than a little worrying but staying positive and thinking of all the exciting experiences ahead of me is keeping me sane and smiling. I hope you all have a great Freshers’ Week in Great Britain.
Wish me luck!
Elinor Bendell
exeposedev 