I arrived on a hot and pleasant Sunday, normally a working day in Jordan, but not for me this time around. I was meet by Chris and Khaled and transported to my new apartment. The Ethiad flight had been terrific as both legs: Melbourne Abu Dhabi and then Adu Dhabi to Amman were half full.
I had meet Chris on a prior visit, but he was collection a new teacher, also from Australia, who was to move into his apartment as he was moving to a different one and Khaled was given the task of taking me to my new lodgings.
Khaled had been forewarned that I was a keen EPL watcher, as he said to me in the taxi
“You wish to be able to watch EPL”
“yes” I relied with enthusiasm but also internally some dread as I just assumed this would prove difficult.
The school provides Internet and Cable (Showtime/Orbit), but Showtime/Orbit had lost the rights to the EPL to Abu Dhabi TV – ADTV. Khaled checked with a few contacts on the mobile as he drove with confidence through ever congested traffic from the airport. Roads in Amman have few if any line markings – really none that I could see clearly – and the road resembles a wide black tarmac and the vehicles simply flow more or less in a straight line with the occasional maneuvers, we would call them lane maneuvers, that without doubt would probably lead to instances of road rage, but not in Amman – a gentle tap on the horn being all that was necessary to warn or indicate the drivers presence a few centre meters from your tail.
Khaled concluded that a card could not be purchased to work in the box I already had and that I would need to buy a new box and that this would cost, and of course ment I had to swap cables when I wanted to watch ShowTime rather than ADTV and visa verse. This was fine by me, wondering what this cost might be, but remaining outwardly confident – Khaled certainly was.
“ADTV have a shop on the way and we can stop there and pick it up”
“Fine by me” I said. With that, within 5 minutes, we simply parked outside a new shop front and I signed up, all within about 15mins, and only 250JD for the box and a yeats subs – Khaled informing me he would buy it from me when I left.
Another 15 mins or so found me at the new apartment. Within another 10 minutes I had meet Said, the guy who looked after the building, unpacked my things and was watching the lead-in to the first round of the EPL.
How hard could this new country thing be, I asked myself. I have had several new country experiences one in Singapore which did not go well and another in Gravesend in the UK which was much more positive. But it took at least 24 hours to get connected to the EPL in the UK, here it only took 20minutes. And, I was also hooked up to the Internet straight away and emailing home and checking my new facebook page, all of this well inside the hour.
Khaled departed and I was on my own – this is when you have those “what the ….. am I doing”. I well remember a good friend, who I have not seen for a while, Malcolm Dow stating similar misgivings, to the entire school assembly of teachers at the school we worked at together, when he was about to depart for Togo! Amman is much more civilised than Togo, surely, all my research and previous two day visit had suggested this, and I am pleased to say my original thoughts seem to be correct, but I have actually never been to Togo, limiting comparisons I guess.
The time on my first Sunday was about 12pm and I had arrived and moved in and was about the watch the EPL game, in fact there were two, so I settled down onto the couch with the fan and promptly fell asleep only to awake in time for the game!
Amman had experienced two heat waves prior to my arrival, I had followed these with interest on the web and wondered if all the talk of Amman having a nice climate were a load of old cobblers, why was it necessary to start a third on my account? The evening was lovely however, a cool breeze and the temperature fell to about 24C. For some reason for the next week the local climate found it necessary to reach a peak of about 43C on Friday and several other days over 40C. Clearly this was a test, from you know who! What saved me was the shower, the fan and the never-ending re-assurances that this weather was just not on from ever Ammanian I raised the matter with, mostly they raised it first. I figured if they find it hot, good.
On the drive in from the airport Khaled said they might be able to arrange a portable aircon and I began to think about this offer. I was certainly not going to give in unless I melted first. But fortunately the temperature is slowly moving south and the design of the buildings make the high temperature bearable, they really are amazing. I remember summer days staying in Swan Hill in 40+C in my grandparents timber house and that was hot – this feeble attempt by the weather in Amman I convinced myself was not, and it was not going to deter me.
I began walking in the evening to explore, having made one sortie in the middle of Monday, which was obviously a mistake and there is more on this in a little bit, as was my early morning exercise session in the bedroom before I went for my first walk at about 5.30am on the Monday morning. One wonders why we do such silly things and at my age, all you really need to be able to do is two things – lift a pint and call out for another one, maybe there is a third one as well!
The apartment is on top of a hill, a big hill, there is a steep climb from the main road, much steeper than was wise for me to walk up quickly with effort, thinking I was 20 again. I made it no trouble, felt great, had a shower and around mid-day thought why not find out were Amman Mall is – this was my mistake referred to above. I had negotiated the traffic and found the fly over but not the Amman Mall and completely stuffed myself on the return leg (pun intended), as I said it is all bloody up a steep hill and a tad hot (40C). By the time I got home I was hot and bothered, as they say and wondering “what the …. am I doing here”, again.
I had a shower, the first of many for the week – it turned out to be the best way to keep cool. There is a bit of physics going on, if you stand sopping wet in front of the fan, believe it or not you get cool, real fast – too fast maybe.
Now to moan a bit – the left knee, my good knee as it happens, decided to have a hissy fit the week before I left Australia. I thought it was fine, but no it wasn’t, and it was very happy to tell me “What do you think you were doing walking up all those bloody hills at such a pace” and it added “dick head” just to be nice.
This was only the end of Monday, the EPL was still going fine and thanks to Khaled who had packed the fridge with food I was able to refrain from venturing out. Much icing during Monday & Tuesday (the fridge is brand new and has a simple ice making facility) and lying around watching the EPL & replays, the knee seemed to be less sore, however, the knee was a problem again during Tuesday evening and night but by the end of Wed it seemed to be on the improve. So I decided to find the Amman Mall, by foot, rather than by taxi. For some reason I thought foot would be easier despite my previous experience – why? But I took it really slow and made it to the mall and also spied a new IBIS, I ventured in and asked slyly “psst, do you sell beer”
“of course” replied a charming young waiter.
“You beauty”.
True to his word an ice cold large Heineken was placed down in front of me and I had a very nice evening, thank you IBIS.
I then ventured into the Mall, found a supermarket, stocked up and made the sensible decision to catch a taxi home – previously my basic problem was that I did not how to tell the taxi driver the directions. Anyway, the trip home was easy, cost nothing, maybe 1 dollar Aus and all that was needed was a few waves of my hand
By Thursday the leg was acting up again, maybe I could entitle this first chapter “Amman: the first leg of my journey”
“Maybe not”
However, I had asked to visit the school and Chris had picked up at about 10.30 on Thursday. I meet with a number of people and was developing a very positive attitude towards the people I meet and sensing that I may enjoy my stay.
Later that day Chris drove me over to the Cozmo supermarket to get a few supplies (this is an important place as it sells booze, alas not during Ramadan). I also purchased a wireless router to make things easier at the apartment. I have got into the habit of listening to the radio, over about 40 years or so, and the advent of Internet radio has been fantastic. But a small problem emerged that the 500mb ADSL connection was too slow to allow good reception, but this is being upgraded and I am sure all will be fine.
Calling home proved to be easy as one would expect but expensive – enter Skype. Cathie (wife) had not used Skype and like all experiences with technology, the first one is the key, if it is positive no problems, if it is a stuff-up the general reaction of people like Cath’s is to say stuff it. Well we had a terrific three way conversation between Cathie and myself and our daughter in London and also with Lisa who was at home. Another thank you, thank you skype. I hear Skype is listing as a company and I reckon the freebe aspect is coming to and end. I also meet the new cat via Video link – Charlie Mack is its name.
I was beginning to worry on Friday morning that this hill thing was going to be one of those negatives. There had to be an alternative way of getting to the main road, from where a taxi would be easy to flag down. I had tried ringing one and also enlisted Said’s help but the small language gap proved difficult . My second trip to the Mall by taxi was a fluke. Said was chatting with his mate – it turns out it is his son, who works in the large house across the street, when I had asked him to try and ring a taxi for me, and just as he was about to ring out of the blue (the skies are very blue in Amman) a yellow taxi rolls by, the driver slows and has a quick word with Said and two minutes latter, after dropping of the passenger, returns and kindly takes me to the Mall – I figured it was unlikely this would happen each time I wanted a cab! So, on Friday about 3ish, in the heat of 40+C I set off by turning right not left down the hill, thinking that as right is flat this must be a good thing, within 3 minutes I had found a nice flat route to the road and also a nice little store that sells ‘stuff’. I was set!
Saturday turned into a hot one and I just stayed at home and showered and showered and showered, but it was not that bad really.
On Sunday I got very adventurous and caught a cab to Mecca Mall, lovely airconditioning, great supermarket, then to Cosmoz to the bookshop, Readings of all names, bought some books and then home to watch the two EPL games, a great day.
And, the temperature was falling with the eveing breezes coming in through the bedroom window, according to the temperature gauge on the fan the temperature feel to 27C, during the really hot days it had got to 32C, but mostly it hovers around 30C.
Monday, today as I write, the morning is beautiful with a cool breeze. I check the temperature on the net, 37C positively balmy, but the trend is downwards, by the Wed, the day I start work, it should a mere 33C!
I decide to go and visit Wild Jordan and the Book@Cafe in Rainbow Street, I am feeling good, the weather is great, I have survived my first week – treat time! Three taxis, one mass conversation at the Amman Mall, I had made it that far i.e. 1km after the first driver decided he did not know how to get to either places and just dropped me off (I still had to pay), this was after a conversation with his base operator, who I also spoke to and who seemed to speak good English. The mass conversation at the Amman Mall involved seven people and only two spoke English, me being one and the other a young Jordanian lady who unfortunately did not know where either place was, so could not direct the taxi drivers.
So, I went down to the main road and pondered what to do. The easy option was to call an end and catch a cab back to the apartment. Cunningly, I waited for a new looking yellow cab, thinking that new cab equals a driver who will know where to go, and I was right!
Wild Jordan is both a Cafe and head quarters of the Wild Jordan environment society and tourism unit. Chris had taken me there on my previous visit and it is just a wonderful place that over looks the old town, with views to the Citadel. I was the only one in the Cafe, which was open but only severed drinks no food as it was Ramadan – fine, I would love a coffee.
I then ventured to the Book@Cafe which I had read about on the net. Great place, good selection of books and second hand ones too, I bought a couple and then ventured to the cafe, which was buzzing with young people, a few tourists and me! I could even see an Amstel Beer tap, but I thought its flow would be curtailed during Ramadan so I only ordered a Lime-mint smoothie, the latter word describing quite how I felt – smooth and relaxed.
I took a seat at the bar/counter and had some food, the lime drink and then studied a young couple sitting opposite. I could have sworn I saw the young lady, not only take a swig from a nice pint of Amstel, but also a long draw on a pipe full of tobacco before disappearing in a cloud of said smoke! Not a shisha pipe, as many were also smoking these in the cafe, but a pipe like I used to smoke to look classy when I was 18 and grandpa used to smoke – I kid you not! Anyway, I then looked around and spied a few other pints and then struck up the courage to order one and followed by another and after catching a taxi home have just finished my first set of recollections about my time in Amman.
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