'Jordan has astounding natural beauty. Wadi Rum truly looks like Mars. And you can really float in the Dead Sea. It is not a marketing story.'
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Living and working in Jordan has been a rewarding experience so far. I have been here now for a month and a half. I live in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, Amman’s artistic centre that houses many other expats as well. My first month here was during Ramadan. During this holy month of fasting, Jordanians tended to evade the streets while the sun was out. Each day after sundown, restaurants were stacked, especially in the downtown area of the city, where tables were laid out with water and dates to break the fast. Although, I enjoyed the spiritual calm of these weeks, I was grateful for my internship to provide some business.
I work at the Al Quds Center for Political Studies, a small thinktank ran by Palestinian Jordanians. Through the countless conversations with my colleagues, I learned a great deal on Jordanian politics and the ins and outs of the region’s international relations. I also became more aware of the dynamics of the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the ongoing Gaza War. So far, I worked on the Center’s fundraising, communications and administration. The Center also hosts frequent workshops on timely issues in the MENA’s politics. A few weeks ago, the workshop was about Syria’s new regime and how it deals with the country’s minorities. Recently, I gave a presentation on political participation of youth in the Netherlands at the Center. The presentation was attended by many politically active Jordanian youth and it was illuminating to hear about their experiences engaging in Jordanian politics.
During the weekends, I often went to see the country’s many highlights. Jordan has astounding natural beauty. Wadi Rum truly looks like Mars. And you can really float in the Dead Sea. It is not a marketing story. And Petra is a must-see, that will leave anyone who exists the mountain city wondering: ‘How did they build this place?’
