"Welcome to Jordan - where life is good"

Arrived in Amman at circa 7.50pm local time. Having felt a bit wobbly this morning, sitting on the plane I got chatting to the lovely lady sitting next to me and she calmed my worries - Jordanians are, largely speaking, so friendly and hospitable it's unreal. How could I be worried when in going to be surrounded by lovely people? Case in point - Pat. Pat is the mother of an old ICS friend, Abdo, and she came to pick me up from the airport. Driving the long road back from Queen Alia, it struck me how much and how little Jordan has changed - there are new roundabouts and new bridges, but some of the same old shops are there. I remember it much better than I thought I would, which makes me very happy. As did the 'LG' advert which was strategically placed on the road into the city that I've quoted as the title of this post. It was true in 2001 - let's hope the same principle applies in 2012!
Being welcomed into the Bakir's has made my arrival an absolute dream. They are lovely, practical people who are exactly the right people to have on your side! They live close enough to one of the new mega malls (Mecca Mall, eat your heart out) that Amman has cultivated in the 8 years since I left, so tomorrow I will go and buy myself a phone and become a real Jordanian (almost).
We also worked out exactly on a map where I'm going to be living and it's in such a great location, especially for my work in the InterContinental. Makes me feel a bit better, as coming back here has made me realise that Amman (and other parts of the Middle East) are completely hectic, and belong to a whole different world and set of rules which i wasn't really taking onto account. I did take a bit of a blind leap into finding this accommodation in downtown Amman, so I'm comforted by the idea that I haven't cocked up massively. Otherwise I would have to live in a tent with a donkey selling watermelons by the side of Abdoun circle.
Anyways. Busy day tomorrow integrating myself into crazy Arab life and walking around Amman. Will post again soon x

The First Post

Having been asked to start a blog (by my parents, admittedly), I decided it would be a good idea to try and create some way that people could keep up with what I'm up to as I embark upon the first stage of my Gap Year.

The first instalment of my Gap Year is taking me to Jordan. Having moved out there with my family in 2001 and staying for three years on a posting as a result of my Dad's job, I have always known that going back to the Middle East is something that I was interested in. Living out there has had a big effect on my academic interests - at Durham I studied International Relations and made sure that my degree was crammed with Middle Eastern politics. My dissertation was a comparative study of two jihadist thinkers and their varying views towards America. I'm hoping to be able to use a smidge of this knowledge practically out there - especially when I begin working for the Jordan Times at some stage in the near-distant future. The Jordan Times operates in both Arabic and English, is Amman-based and has no desire to reply to my emails of late. But I'm looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of a dynamic working environment that has a finger on the pulse of Middle Eastern politics and will turn up at their offices regardless of whether or not they want me. I'm fully prepared to be the biggest duffer in the workplace. I'm also busying myself working in Sales and Marketing for Nadia Dajani's eponymous jewellery company in the boutique close to the apartment I will be staying in. Nadia's work for me is going to be so interesting as she has given me a long, long list of things to do. My time in Amman isn't going to be all work and no play, however. I'm going to try to travel around the region as much as I can - definitely going to Egypt in October, and will try and re-visit Jerusalem sometime before Christmas. I think I'm going to be kept busy...

Looking at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
Can't find those sunglasses to take with me this time.

I'm excited about returning to Amman on an emotional level too - perhaps looking back on my childhood there with rosy-tinted glasses, I do remember those three years as being some of my happiest.  Eight years on from when I was last there, I can't imagine the changes Amman has gone through. It will have changed more than I can imagine, I reckon - it'll be a far more grown up city in many ways, but I hope it's still as scruffy as it used to be in some places. I can't imagine how it's going to feel touching down in Queen Alia tomorrow night. Having looked back at some old pictures of us in Jordan, at least I know that my fashion sense will have improved since I was last there.

Me and my brother being subjected to fancy-dress abuse
 from our parents. This was taken in the garden of the lovely
home we lived in, which has now been replaced by a block of flats.

However, it must be said that my Gap Year hasn't started well. My bag is over the weight limit and I haven't even finished packing yet as I spent most of today at the Travel desk getting my Dinars, waiting for Lisa to stop flirting with the security man.
To top it all off, before I can get cracking on my Amman adventure, I have to endure a six hour flight on EasyJet. Wish me luck.