1. A city that is not coherent! 2. A city where the quality of services is not consistent. 3. A city that has not preserved an ancient character or developed a new one, I just cant find one quality to link it to. This city is still trying to find its own soul.
Roba
1. Mountain into valley, valley into mountain. 2. Struggle for identity; old fighting new, liberal wrestling with conservative, hate versus lovex. 3. Refugee melting pot.
amjad mahfouz
I’m a Jordanian, but i hate Amman for the following: -too expensive to live in -sex and social gap -hard to get a decent income -services are bullshit -education sucks like hell -ur a nobody if u don’t know anybody -no fun or decent entertainment -bad transportations -the list goes on and on
3awwad
Beautiful Weather, Ugly people Fresh Air and corrupt system Authentic places and fake inhabitants
bashar
Chaotic but lively, great weather but not so great people, Buidlings but no greenary, all the contradicitons in it !
kinzi
Amman is convergence: old and new, East and West, stale and fresh; clashing, colliding, merging, molding.
Amman is conflicting passions: cold and hot, fury and mercy, rigid and spontaneous; loving, hating, accepting, rejecting.
Amman has an identity crisis: hidden immigrant and global nomad, square pegs in round holes, bayt isshar and villa as-cement; ignoring, obsessing, denying, embracing.
Humeid
Thanks for sharing.. and keep them coming
The Observer
1. Home 2. Beautiful 3. An old woman with a trendy outfit
Hal
Trying to be as positive as possible because I’m assuming this is for something of a positive campaign??? I would say….(as I repress all hateful thoughts and try and summon optimism):
Amman; where spring is fleetingly heartfelt in country excursions and tentative hikes of surprising beauty; where summer days are scorching with heat and car horns and darkly clad visitors and summer nights are filled with the chatter of close folks as their conversation weaves in and out of the plumes of smoke from a flavoured tobacco pipe; where winter mists hover atop newly erected skyscrapers and condense on the sides of the white stone of the city; and where the warmth of autumn colours have to be carefully sought despite the impending chill.
Amman; where the chaotic mayhem of a Thursday night will always be followed by the calm serenity of a Friday morning.
Amman; where beauty appears to you in degrees as varied as the temperature of our summer nights, where traditions of centuries gone by are celebrated with the fervour of youth and the spice of the present, and where time has its own pace to adhere to, unhindered by the demands of an urgent world constantly racing towards the future.
Amman; where a little money in your pocket can, at the very least, promise a satisfying meal and a little bit of pirated entertainment.
Amman; where a valet driver will appear by your car’s door no matter where you’re going.
OK….that’s a little more than 3 sentences, but I was enjoying this way more than what I’m supposed to be working on in the office!
Joladies
limestone traffic jams inconsistant planning making the city a hodgepodge and lack of strict rules and regulations which makes so much of the town a large trash can
sorry but mostly negative thoughts nowadays about a city I loved when it was a town! T
kinzi
Hal…did you see the Jordan Towers this morning? Half shrouded in mist: ” where winter mists hover atop newly erected skyscrapers”? Very striking!
omar
Amman is a wreck that you don’t want to lose, something not fully functional yet you hang on to it like a lunatic and appreciate what it is to you as a whole: a home
ArabianMonkey
Gladly, but first who’s the ‘us’ you refer to in the sharing??
Tala
This is interesting! Has anyone of you thought of reflecting your thoughts and feelings about Amman in a photograph? Check the following: http://www.ammaninapicture.com What a coincidence, huh?!
hatem abunimeh
1) Amman is where your business is everybody else’s business
2) Amman is where the walls have ears & no secrets can ever be kept
3) Amman is where conspiracy theorists find their most fertile ground
Humeid
Wow.. I am really intrigued by the answers. I hope to get more..
Moneky: As this is a public blog you’re sharing it with everyone who read it. Hehe.
Ahmad Al-Sholi
1. Struggling to get reborn. 2. Remains Sweet home despite all the odds. 3. Needs a spirit to bind its people and link them to the entire country they belong to, to learn to be good as, and help others to gain as they did. 4. Major economic development required to achieve that.
Qwaider قويدر
Amman is the part of my heart that aches every time I remember that I’m living so far away
Amman, is the beginning and the end, the home and the fear the distant star in the midnight sky that keeps me going on one more night
Amman is the warmth of a distant sun as it shines on the shivering icy feelings of a distant son. The mother and the care giver, the womb and the crucible
Osama
well, Amman.. It’s a big city, it has a beautiful face, but confused heart.. it is a place where self-actualization and self-esteem are easily reached… a full featured city but full of flaws as well.. nice weather but a lot of sad negative faces.
Ahmad Tarawneh
Amman to me is:
1-My friends work there, so I hate it coz it’s what keeps them away from me.
2-a lot of restaurants.
3-Cinema ” I live in irbid”.
4-Hot Chicks, Cool cars.
5-Airport.
6-a place i pass by when i go to Karak.
7-Relatives.
8-Madenah 6biah.
9-civil engineering mistakes everywhere.
10-annoying traffic.
11-i just realized that i hate Amman so i am gonna stop here.
dozz
– The only home i’ve ever had,and i’ll ever have [as in the true meaning of home] – Solid grounds…not literally,i seriously feel like im floating everywhere else.. – Cartoon-like boxes…with face features
i actually dont like Amman!
Moey
Amman is my painful pleasure. Amman is where I leave my heart in its Jabal. Amman is floos mafeeha barakeh
Hassan
Amman is the heart of Jordan Amman is the land of jordanian oprtounities Amman is my sweet heart
sam
a place to start ^^
manal y
– white, plain and jammed – most people share the same attitude, just like how building have the same facades – and its more like a money melting pot.
Sabine
Do you all know, about y’re writing? This town is not build as a town, it was a nice small village, a selection of houses, gardens at the ‘Amman-River’. How can a town( and the inhabitants) be suddenly a capital, without to have the chance of a basic development like the towns in Europe. So be patient, wait! After a while, Amman will be something ‘special’, one of the originals in this aerea!!
MAIS
“A rANDOM cOLLAGE wORK … ” !!
ArabianMonkey
Amman to me….
….is a teenager, exploring a new look that might fit, trying out the other while rightfully ignoring wisdom, will inevitably grow up one day, and yes will look back with some regrets, but hey, scars make for good stories.
….is a fearful place not loved enough by it’s people.
….seems to have misplaced it’s common sense.
Mahmoud
Lovely Places to go Hangout Lovely PPl to Hangout with lovely tradational food
A city that has great potential and is desperately seeking change but unfortunately it is inhabited by those that seem to not know anything better than bitch and complain. It is their attitude that needs to change. Maybe if one starts, the rest might think it’s a trend and that could have a positive ripple effect.
Khawaja M.
1- The small city with BIG hearts. 2- The city where I’d love to stay forever. 3- The most politically-stable Arab capital (from my point of view)
Amman is my 1st lover, even way before my 16 years old love.
Amman is a Jordanian dream, that s till not going 100% true.
Amman is …. romance of a city (Lwebdeh & Jabal Amman) 2 minutes away to the loudness of the wealth, and another 2 minutes away to the loudness of the poor. The Romance of the city is always in the middle
Ibrahim
unique weather old and modern, eastern and western in one city lots of cultures in one city … Taxi Drivers, you can never find them anywhere else long stairs … beautiful girls with attitude Abu Al-Abed grocery next to your house … Fayrouz at the balcony of your house early morning with your family.. sha3talet al buses if you don’t have a car Fayrouz in the bus at morning in the way to your work the time you spend waiting in the line to buy bread when the weather man say that it might snow next day … zan’7et Taxi Driver again … traffic jam every morning, and everynight … kids playing football bel7ara baya3 al tormos the sound of syaret al’3az all Amman out one day before Eid to buy clothes … First day Eid family gathring and kids noise … FIREWORKS EVERY OCCASION 3ajget tawjihi results
coffe at night “cups & killos” in the car ma3 al shabab … baya3 al ka3aek hashem resturant downtown Osra resturant Abdoun everybody in his pajama with big empty plate Friday morning walking to get homos and fool everybody walking to the friday prayer the hand signs of baya3 al gahweh on the street all Amman roofs full of satellites and antennas knafet habibah downtown black empty bags flying with the wind … books @ cafe
Humeid
I am touched/impressed/intrigued by all these cool and heartfelt comments. Thanks to each and everyone of you!
Salma Rou7i
A grey city made of cement and ppl made of stones
A suburb where any one slightly quirky is a celebrity and anyone in a car is has forgotten their humanity
Amman is nice because after a 10 minute drive ur out __ EXIT
Ahmad
if we loose the values of the older generation (and they’re bound to be lost soon i suppose), we’ll eat each other alive.
BUT there still is hope to learn form others’ mistakes; we should take advantage of this soulful wonder that (i think) all modern (western) cities have lost, that we still have, and accept and not persecute the others for going their own different ways
Lilian
Amman…my first and last home, my first laughs and first tears.my first words and hopefully my last years were and will b embraced by Amman… the scent…the view…is all here n my heart,wherever i go and no matter how hard i try to get away,its love inside me brings me in to stay for those who have negtive comments..plz try 2 reconsider.it’s our home…whether u like or not
my best relatives live in amman including my sister…. I love amman for what it has to offer..
Dana
Amman is my life, my world, my home and my memories.
My first day on earth The first time i heard the words “I love You” My family, my friends and my work My graduation day My dreams and disappointments My beginning and my end
mesh3al elfayez
amman is my birthplace amman is where my heart stays wherever i go amman is a great developed old city with the greatest aspects ever
lion
After 22 years in North America, I decided to go back and settle down in Amman next year, but please show me some smiles and good manners when you drive.
Sarah
Amman is a friend taken for granted …
At times you feel that you need a break from it but in the end you know you can’t live without it ….
ALI THINK THAT
facts: 1.all of us know that we have very expensive life.
2.nowdays this situation all over the OR it will be sooooooon .
3.for who hate amman when you leave outside for long time you will feels that (missed personality- oooh lonly- and something squeezing your sadly heart:NATIONALITY).
4.WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO MAKE OUR LIFE BETTER.
mîna
brown as oppose to green expensive as oppose to money value returned (regardless what the product is) boring as oppose to diverse entertainment and “rave” events are out dated ENOUGH please! segregated classes as oppose to intertwining classes monotonous as oppose to cultural and inspirational judgmental as oppose to freedom of identity repressed as opposed to encouraging individuality governed as oppose to helpful things made impossible as oppose to stimulated built up with concrete as oppose to building up the education where’s the opposition ?
samar Dudin
A personal narrative; the neighborhood
It was not strange, that every evening, I would put out all the lights and climb up the balcony which seemed huge then to observe the people on my street. Night times bring with them small windows lit with soft light and somehow actions are slower, words become clearer when people gather together …
Across the street lived Tata Um Rizq, the healer who had the magic of olive oil which healed everything, Auntie Adla Nassoura the French speaker who made us jams and shared with us her Schmitt college paper and French books to read, Amou Abu Nasser Sunaa the leftist secular thinker who embraced our courage and always asked us amazing critical questions that challenged our minds to think and dare ask about the forbidden! Abu Talal Qussous the guardian of the street who observed the comers and goers and protected the children..
On my street…I saw every afternoon Tata um Sami Amarin who looked like a Tiche, still and pleasant with her two Karaky brades and charming smile ,Amou Abu Nayef Estetieh the business handsome man who always had time to speak to us all. Antie Sarah Barakat a pioneer business woman and the generous tea giver with a fabulous smile, Emilie Bsharat the first Jordanian woman lawyer and feminist, Mahmoud Saif Al Din Al Irani the poet writer and scholar , Nahed Hattar the leftist owner of a controversial book shop on the Baounieh street who wanted to recruit us all to the socialist party …Amou Abu Nadeem Fataleh the pharmacist who always healed our wounds so we can escape the bad tempered lecture from our parents…Antie Aesha Tijani the radio broadcaster and educator who recited to us sleeptime stories with her uniquely beautiful voice…
Close to Al Muntazah was the house of Jedo Hussni Fariz the scholar and poet who was a source of inspiration to all the youth with his authentic sense of dry humor and wit, he always asked us the most creative unique questions … In my mountain I had many walks to Um Mo’nes Al Razzaz who was an icon of strength and creative ideas …Mones the Jordanian novelist who kept to himself but we all knew his home was lit late at night and he was in his den writing…
Across the corner was Osama Mashini’s theatre with Jamil and Juliette Awad Nabil Sawlhah Hani Snobar Orwa Zreikat..all were active in the local theatre scene which brought such variety and beauty to my teen age years on the mountain .
The French cultural center had a special space around the corner from Duwwar Al Haouuz,that was where I discovered Aragon ,Brel ,Pervert and my favourite Valerie “Il pleure dans mon Coeur comme il pleure sur la ville ..Quelle est cette longueur qui penetre mon coeur ?”
In Jabla Al Weibdeh the church and the mosque chanted together…the call for prayer from Sharea mosque was a songlike chant sung with a soothing voice ,the church bells were always a sign of Sunday’s mass at the Basharat church .. The time of Friday prayer was a quiet time ,there was stillness and silence unlike today where noise is becoming louder in many of our once upon a time humble serene mosques.
I say we because we were a big family, of diverse different and tremendously loving people in Share’ Al Baouniah in Jabal Al Weibdeh The zomots Abu Hassans Hamza’s,Hejawis,Moashers,salfitis,kalajis,and so many more amazing people lived down from Duwwar al Ha’ouz to Al Muntazah where Margo Malatjilian created a children’s theatre art center and that is where my passion for theater and arts was born..
My neighborhood brought together a diverse fabric of families who celebrated Eid and Christmas, who observed with respect each other’s diverse lifestyles and who embraced with generosity the dialects, original languages and customs of a street that embodies Amman .
As an adult I moved with my family to Harat Al Sahrakass in Shmeisani that is where Auntie Um Emad Al Said baked the best haluva and that is where we were so inspired by the knight like athletic handsome women and men from the Qawkaz Mountain …
Amman is an endless space of diversity the Armenians take a bit of Ashrafeya the Chechens a bit of Wadi al Sayr the kurds are integrated totally into the Arabic fabric of the city…
Amman is a city that was founded on the diverse integration of the hospitable Bedouin tribes with the Charkas the Syrian\shwam the Lebanese the balgaweyeh the Jordanian tribes from the north and south; Amman was founded to embrace the deepest wound of the Palestinians who came as refugees, some became full fledged citizens of this small intimately woven city the home to many in Jordan. Now Amman embraces the Iraqi’s with their wealth of art music and passion for life …I am sure their longing to their homeland will bring more creativity of expression to Amman and its neighborhoods…We all pray for peace in Amman…
Amman ‘s identity is multi layered and diverse ,Muslim Christian Druz Bahais and many more new spiritual emerging identities are homed in this city ..It is an Arabic city yet every dialect you hear and every ethnic background you encounter is Amman..The old mountains of Amman reflect a humane dimension in how the homes cluster how the diverse social economic backgrounds gather…the welders carpenters bakers the book keepers the odd shop sellers and the business men the government officials all lived in layers across streets, stairs became bridges that connect and flow with a descent ascend energy to downtown where families gathered to shop eat and walk..
Amman was a city of walks… a city of spiritual presence …
Humeid
wow samar.. this is amazing.
Omar
Jordan = Amman and Amman sucks
Ibby
Hal: “Amman; where a valet driver will appear by your car’s door no matter where you’re going.”
I must file a complaint. I was in East Amman the other day and there was no valet in sight. I had to park my own car – imagine the humiliation!!
Mimayeh
I am out of the country now for a few years , so “Amman” as well as all Jordanian cities and places are “Home” to me …
Sometimes you fail to figure out the beauty of things when you are too close . But once you are far away , everything realated to your home place just glows as gold ….
I love my country and miss it so much …
SpEaK_mY_mInD
Amman… Hmmmm
No headaches… People are NOT fake… No one cares who you are… No one is in denial…
People driving nice cars DO NOT LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT to see if they are being watched…
No one is out to show off… No one stares at your wife when ur walking with her… Absolutely no traffic jams when two cars collide… No traffic jams when it first rains… Pedestrians get top priority…
PARKING IS NEVER A PROBLEM!!!
PLENTY of things to do other than RESTURANTS… No one barbecues (Hash u Nash) on the side of the Main Highway… Roads are extremely smooth… No Sweifieh Traffic on Thursday night… No WASTAS ALLOWED in Amman…
Excellent business ethics… No one tries to sound sophisticated while speaking english…
People are extremely calm… Always smiling…never frowning…
Playgrounds on every block for children to play… BEST Roller Coster thrill rides at the amusing “7adayeg”…
Absolutely NO WASTAS…”oh i said that already”… Traffic Police are NEVER the cause of traffic jams…
No grass but the best BROWN Golf Coarse in the region…probably the only one…
Foreigners do not get their behinds kissed… Foreigners do not get paid much more than locals for the same job…
The most welcoming airport staff upon arrival!!! No one asks you where ur from… u don’t wonder why they ask u where ur from… ur passport is stamped gently… and thrown back onto the counter like a frizbee u don’t wait almost 2 hours to get ur luggage with priority tags on them… “One ends up missing”
All of a sudden u are attacked by Carry Boys who INSIST on lending a hand… so u get to the car and end up tipping three guys. OH… AND U FIND A PARKING TICKET on the windshield of the car.
WHAT MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO??? just live to wake up…eat…go to work…come back home…eat…sleep and make money more money…more and more money…to just wake up…eat…go to work…come back home…eat…sleep. A few resturants every once in a while….but thats about it!!!
Here u have 25% of what i could still tell u about Amman…
Nice huh???
mazen
A city that most people say they dont like but reality is that whenever u leave it u miss it so much u start counting the days to come back i know this city has so much negative things but at the end f the day its home it where famly has a meaning its where u feel safe its where u can have fun with ur friends its HOME!!
Areej
I have lived in Moscow Russia for 2 years and just got back to amman and it sucks, it’s a city without a soul and parties here suck and guys suck, Amman has no life , it is boring as hell and deceptive i atually had huge fights with all my friends in Russia and lost their friendship cuz i realized what teenager i was arriving from Amman, Amman deos not help you to grow healthy. lusy tiring transportation system, bad salary,boring jobs, a hassle to live in , and no real love life , no real meeting paces to find a decent date and fall in love, NO GOOD PARTY, no real clubs jus cafes and restuarunts…
Nomad Skies
It’s mysogenistic. It’s hypocratic. It’s dusty. Crowded. A hodgepodge. It’s elitist. It’s poor. However, it is also the opposite of all of those complaints. The people are mean, they are lovely. It’s everything – I love it and I hate it.
sadkfjsldf
Amman is the most disqusting city I have ever been to in my whole entire life. People are rude, snobby, judgemental, stuck-up, and jealous of everyone. Guys are immature, rude, and act like they have never seen a girl. Schools suck. There is no money in the city. There is nothing to do. Traffic is so annoying. It’s a desert!! Amman is horrible and disqusting. I will never ever go back.
UmmuOmar
Hi, It is so interesting to read about peoples impressions of Amman. I am from Bosnia currently living in Norway, actually ever since the war in 1993. What I can tell you, is that I love Amman and Shark ul Awsat very much, and being here reminds me of the good times we had in Bosnia before the war, when I was a child living in a village where all doors of the houses never were locked, where people prayed and where people ate together. I love Amman. It reminds me of my happy childhood. Shanineh and dates, the warm khobiz from the local bakery from Wahdat. I live in West Europe where everything is clean and beautiful, but I love Amman for its chaos and its flaws, blended with serenity of adhan and the prayers and through all this fulfilling the meaning of life on Earth as Allah the most beneficiant the most merciful had obliged upon his creation of mankind. In addition we are now fasting the month of Ramadan. Tonight is the 27.th night of Ramadan, possibly laylat ul qadr, the night when the Quran was first sent down to Earth and revieled by God’s will through the angel Gibrail to Muhammad (may God’s peace and blessings be upon him) …as God says in his holy Qur’an: “The night that is better than a 1000 months”. And it goes without saying, I wouldn’t want to be any other place on earth right now than here Sura Alaq was the first revieled text on this night 1430 years ago: بسم الله الرØمن الرØيم
بسم الله الرØمن الرØيم Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaq Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaq Iqra/ warabbuka al-akram Allathee AAallama bilqalam AAallama al-insana ma lamyaAAlam Kalla inna al-insana layatgha An raahu istaghna Inna ila rabbika arrujAAa Araayta allathee yanha AAabdan itha salla Araayta in kana AAala alhuda Aw amara bittaqwa Araayta in kaththaba watawalla Alam yaAAlam bi-anna Allaha yara Kalla la-in lam yantahi lanasfaAAanbinnasiya Nasiyatin kathibatin khati-a FalyadAAu nadiyah SanadAAu azzabaniya Kalla la tutiAAhu wasjudwaqtarib
Translation in English: Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen Has taught man that which he knew not. Nay! Verily, man does transgress all bounds Because he considers himself self-sufficient. Surely! Unto your Lord is the return. Have you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) seen him (i.e. Abu Jahl) who prevents, A slave (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) when he prays? Tell me, if he (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) is on the guidance (of Allah)? Or enjoins piety? Tell me if he (the disbeliever, Abu Jahl) denies (the truth, i.e. this Quran), and turns away? Knows he not that Allah does see (what he does)? Nay! If he (Abu Jahl) ceases not, We will catch him by the forelock, A lying, sinful forelock! Then, let him call upon his council (of helpers), We will call the guards of Hell (to deal with him)! Nay! (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))! Do not obey him (Abu Jahl). Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah!
A city that is boring, lifeless Where everyone worries about what other people have Where no one respects one another Somewhere that just makes you sick to your stomach
ali
Hi There,
I just found this site like 25 minutes ago, i live in California now, i have 3 children under the age of 5, i grew up in Jordan and thinking about moving my family back to Jordan after living in the U.S for the last 13 years, i’m trying to find a good reason to move back to Amman and reading through some of these comments here, it’s depressing. You don’t know how bad the education system here now, i thank God for the education i received in Jordan, and i’m looking forward to move back.
B. Raslan
1. A young mother with a promising future. 2. Conservative community, sometimes unfriendly. 3. A mixture for Arab foreigners, trying to find a 2nd country, they see things in it that we (the locals) never discovered yet.
Vagabundo
Amman? A city of hypocrites. Used to be a nicer place maybe 20-30 years ago, but people’s souls are getting more rotten every year. It’s also a city with no character, no identity , no soul whatsoever. Damascus , Beirut , Jerusalem & Aleppo are much more interesting cities than Amman. At least they have character & you can meet with “normal” people there.
FaDi
ZOMBIES & MUMMIES!
Sammy
amman to me is the WORST city in the whole world… i swear you can go to a slum in africa and it would be better than here. i lived in canada all my life and now at the peek of turning 16 my parents decide to move me to a place worse than the ghetto. –the people on the streets? WHAT PEOPLE? they’re all saudi guys staring at females who pass by like they’ve never seen them before. the clothes and food and living is TOO expensive. i haven’t tried school here and im not looking forward to it! believe me if you have an option stay wherever you are and DON’T come here. you’ll regret every minute.
Loyalist
I read the comments and I figured out why Amman is such a bad place and “disgusting” as some have described…. It is because it is filled with a bunch of negative, ungrateful, downbeat, bragging, bad mannered idiots…. if you think your country is so better, why leave it and come to Amman? Go mess up another City.
Gary
Amman has made me realise what a beautiful culture the western world is home to. Open minded people who are forward thinking and do try to care about one another. In Amman you are worth as much money as you have in your pocket and nothing more. I have travelled the world and never seen such a depessed nation. I do not blame these people though because for them there is hope and only hope. I do not care if people are religious or not but i do believe we where created to be true to ourselves and enjoy what amazing skills we have. Not to live a life of hypocracy and hatred. You just cannot beat Europe. Coming to Amman from London is like travelling back to the 1500′s which is something i will never repeat. Open your minds and relax your views, only then will Amman become everything that you truly want it to be- a happy place to live and somewhere you can actually be proud of.
Omari Grey
I’ve been living in Amman for almost a year and I definitely have mixed feelings but it is more positive than negative. Growing up in New York City I cannot say that this is the ‘city that never sleeps’ but I have grown to love this country/city for the following reasons:
1. People are very hospitable, kind and welcoming (aside from some taxis)
2. Great weather with some amazing sites (tourism is a flourishing industry for a reason and perhaps you should all frequently visit these absolutely gorgeous places).
3. Your patience, resilience, and character will be put to the test.
Perhaps this is a bit too optimistic but I’m planning to raise my six (6) children here in Amman. Pessimism is not an option if I plan to live here for the next 10+ years. Judging by these very elaborate/sophisticated comments we have some very intelligent and well – spoken people in Amman. Let’s make it better!
Comments
70 responses to “What’s Amman to you?”
1. A city that is not coherent!
2. A city where the quality of services is not consistent.
3. A city that has not preserved an ancient character or developed a new one, I just cant find one quality to link it to. This city is still trying to find its own soul.
1. Mountain into valley, valley into mountain.
2. Struggle for identity; old fighting new, liberal wrestling with conservative, hate versus lovex.
3. Refugee melting pot.
I’m a Jordanian, but i hate Amman for the following:
-too expensive to live in
-sex and social gap
-hard to get a decent income
-services are bullshit
-education sucks like hell
-ur a nobody if u don’t know anybody
-no fun or decent entertainment
-bad transportations
-the list goes on and on
Beautiful Weather, Ugly people
Fresh Air and corrupt system
Authentic places and fake inhabitants
Chaotic but lively, great weather but not so great people, Buidlings but no greenary, all the contradicitons in it !
Amman is convergence: old and new, East and West, stale and fresh; clashing, colliding, merging, molding.
Amman is conflicting passions: cold and hot, fury and mercy, rigid and spontaneous; loving, hating, accepting, rejecting.
Amman has an identity crisis: hidden immigrant and global nomad, square pegs in round holes, bayt isshar and villa as-cement; ignoring, obsessing, denying, embracing.
Thanks for sharing.. and keep them coming
1. Home
2. Beautiful
3. An old woman with a trendy outfit
Trying to be as positive as possible because I’m assuming this is for something of a positive campaign??? I would say….(as I repress all hateful thoughts and try and summon optimism):
Amman; where spring is fleetingly heartfelt in country excursions and tentative hikes of surprising beauty; where summer days are scorching with heat and car horns and darkly clad visitors and summer nights are filled with the chatter of close folks as their conversation weaves in and out of the plumes of smoke from a flavoured tobacco pipe; where winter mists hover atop newly erected skyscrapers and condense on the sides of the white stone of the city; and where the warmth of autumn colours have to be carefully sought despite the impending chill.
Amman; where the chaotic mayhem of a Thursday night will always be followed by the calm serenity of a Friday morning.
Amman; where beauty appears to you in degrees as varied as the temperature of our summer nights, where traditions of centuries gone by are celebrated with the fervour of youth and the spice of the present, and where time has its own pace to adhere to, unhindered by the demands of an urgent world constantly racing towards the future.
Amman; where a little money in your pocket can, at the very least, promise a satisfying meal and a little bit of pirated entertainment.
Amman; where a valet driver will appear by your car’s door no matter where you’re going.
OK….that’s a little more than 3 sentences, but I was enjoying this way more than what I’m supposed to be working on in the office!
limestone
traffic jams
inconsistant planning making the city a hodgepodge and lack of strict rules and regulations which makes so much of the town a large trash can
sorry but mostly negative thoughts nowadays about a city I loved when it was a town! T
Hal…did you see the Jordan Towers this morning? Half shrouded in mist: ” where winter mists hover atop newly erected skyscrapers”? Very striking!
Amman is a wreck that you don’t want to lose, something not fully functional yet you hang on to it like a lunatic and appreciate what it is to you as a whole: a home
Gladly, but first who’s the ‘us’ you refer to in the sharing??
This is interesting!
Has anyone of you thought of reflecting your thoughts and feelings about Amman in a photograph?
Check the following:
http://www.ammaninapicture.com
What a coincidence, huh?!
1) Amman is where your business is everybody else’s business
2) Amman is where the walls have ears & no secrets can ever be kept
3) Amman is where conspiracy theorists find their most fertile ground
Wow.. I am really intrigued by the answers. I hope to get more..
Moneky: As this is a public blog you’re sharing it with everyone who read it. Hehe.
1. Struggling to get reborn.
2. Remains Sweet home despite all the odds.
3. Needs a spirit to bind its people and link them to the entire country they belong to, to learn to be good as, and help others to gain as they did.
4. Major economic development required to achieve that.
Amman is the part of my heart that aches every time I remember that I’m living so far away
Amman, is the beginning and the end, the home and the fear the distant star in the midnight sky that keeps me going on one more night
Amman is the warmth of a distant sun as it shines on the shivering icy feelings of a distant son. The mother and the care giver, the womb and the crucible
well, Amman.. It’s a big city, it has a beautiful face, but confused heart.. it is a place where self-actualization and self-esteem are easily reached… a full featured city but full of flaws as well.. nice weather but a lot of sad negative faces.
Amman to me is:
1-My friends work there, so I hate it coz it’s what keeps them away from me.
2-a lot of restaurants.
3-Cinema ” I live in irbid”.
4-Hot Chicks, Cool cars.
5-Airport.
6-a place i pass by when i go to Karak.
7-Relatives.
8-Madenah 6biah.
9-civil engineering mistakes everywhere.
10-annoying traffic.
11-i just realized that i hate Amman so i am gonna stop here.
– The only home i’ve ever had,and i’ll ever have [as in the true meaning of home]
– Solid grounds…not literally,i seriously feel like im floating everywhere else..
– Cartoon-like boxes…with face features
i actually dont like Amman!
Amman is my painful pleasure.
Amman is where I leave my heart in its Jabal.
Amman is floos mafeeha barakeh
Amman is the heart of Jordan
Amman is the land of jordanian oprtounities
Amman is my sweet heart
a place to start ^^
– white, plain and jammed
– most people share the same attitude, just like how building have the same facades
– and its more like a money melting pot.
Do you all know, about y’re writing? This town is not build as a town, it was a nice small village, a selection of houses, gardens at the ‘Amman-River’. How can a town( and the inhabitants) be suddenly a capital, without to have the chance of a basic development like the towns in Europe. So be patient, wait! After a while, Amman will be something ‘special’, one of the originals in this aerea!!
“A rANDOM cOLLAGE wORK … ” !!
Amman to me….
….is a teenager, exploring a new look that might fit, trying out the other while rightfully ignoring wisdom, will inevitably grow up one day, and yes will look back with some regrets, but hey, scars make for good stories.
….is a fearful place not loved enough by it’s people.
….seems to have misplaced it’s common sense.
Lovely Places to go Hangout
Lovely PPl to Hangout with
lovely tradational food
عمان … بلاط الرشيد … عمون … Øمص … Ùˆ Øبات ÙلاÙÙ„ …
كعكة صباØية … Ùˆ كزدورة صعبة باتجاه الصعود …
عمان … ضباب Ùˆ شتاء … مدينة تنام … مدينة تØلم بلا Ø£Øلام …
عمان … ÙÙŠ القلب … كالخنجر …
دم ينز٠على شكل الØنين …
أشجار زيتون تØتل الرصي٠… Ùˆ ياسمين
منثور على الأرض … إعلانا لتشرين …
عمان … سائق تكسي يروي قصة صعبة التصديق …
Ùˆ عبق سجائر يقتØÙ… الصو٠…
عمان … عشيقة كثيرة الطلبات …
Ùˆ مصب للتناقضات …
Ùˆ وشم أبدا لن يمØÙ‰ …
عن جسد الذكريات !!
A city that has great potential and is desperately seeking change but unfortunately it is inhabited by those that seem to not know anything better than bitch and complain. It is their attitude that needs to change. Maybe if one starts, the rest might think it’s a trend and that could have a positive ripple effect.
1- The small city with BIG hearts.
2- The city where I’d love to stay forever.
3- The most politically-stable Arab capital (from my point of view)
يتشرÙ
مـنتـدى الـÙــكـر الاشـــتـراكـي
بدعوتكم Ù„Øضور ندوة
خصخصة التعليم العالي…
ادعاءات باطلة ام Øقائق دامغة؟
يتØدث Ùيها
الدكتور Ùاخر دعاس
منسق الØملة الوطنية من أجل Øقوق الطلبة “ذبØتونا”
الاØد 25/11/
http://www.joranianissues.blogspot.com
مقال Øول الإنتخابات الآخيرة ÙÙŠ الأردن، بانتظار سماع اراءكم
Amman is my 1st lover, even way before my 16 years old love.
Amman is a Jordanian dream, that s till not going 100% true.
Amman is …. romance of a city (Lwebdeh & Jabal Amman) 2 minutes away to the loudness of the wealth, and another 2 minutes away to the loudness of the poor. The Romance of the city is always in the middle
unique weather
old and modern, eastern and western in one city
lots of cultures in one city …
Taxi Drivers, you can never find them anywhere else
long stairs …
beautiful girls with attitude
Abu Al-Abed grocery next to your house …
Fayrouz at the balcony of your house early morning with your family..
sha3talet al buses if you don’t have a car
Fayrouz in the bus at morning in the way to your work
the time you spend waiting in the line to buy bread when the weather man say that it might snow next day …
zan’7et Taxi Driver again …
traffic jam every morning, and everynight …
kids playing football bel7ara
baya3 al tormos
the sound of syaret al’3az
all Amman out one day before Eid to buy clothes …
First day Eid family gathring and kids noise …
FIREWORKS EVERY OCCASION
3ajget tawjihi results
coffe at night “cups & killos” in the car ma3 al shabab …
baya3 al ka3aek
hashem resturant downtown
Osra resturant Abdoun
everybody in his pajama with big empty plate Friday morning walking to get homos and fool
everybody walking to the friday prayer
the hand signs of baya3 al gahweh on the street
all Amman roofs full of satellites and antennas
knafet habibah downtown
black empty bags flying with the wind …
books @ cafe
I am touched/impressed/intrigued by all these cool and heartfelt comments. Thanks to each and everyone of you!
A grey city made of cement and ppl made of stones
A suburb where any one slightly quirky is a celebrity and anyone in
a car is has forgotten their humanity
Amman is nice because after a 10 minute drive ur out __ EXIT
if we loose the values of the older generation (and they’re bound to be lost soon i suppose), we’ll eat each other alive.
BUT
there still is hope to learn form others’ mistakes; we should take advantage of this soulful wonder that (i think) all modern (western) cities have lost, that we still have, and accept and not persecute the others for going their own different ways
Amman…my first and last home,
my first laughs and first tears.my first words and hopefully my last years were and will b embraced by Amman…
the scent…the view…is all here n my heart,wherever i go and no matter how hard i try to get away,its love inside me brings me in to stay
for those who have negtive comments..plz try 2 reconsider.it’s our home…whether u like or not
Amman From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman.
The new downtown Amman.
http://www.abdali.jo/
Amman is my mother
my best relatives live in amman including my sister….
I love amman for what it has to offer..
Amman is my life, my world, my home and my memories.
My first day on earth
The first time i heard the words “I love You”
My family, my friends and my work
My graduation day
My dreams and disappointments
My beginning and my end
amman is my birthplace
amman is where my heart stays wherever i go
amman is a great developed old city with the greatest aspects ever
After 22 years in North America, I decided to go back and settle down in Amman next year, but please show me some smiles and good manners when you drive.
Amman is a friend taken for granted …
At times you feel that you need a break from it but in the end you know you can’t live without it ….
facts:
1.all of us know that we have very expensive life.
2.nowdays this situation all over the OR it will be sooooooon .
3.for who hate amman when you leave outside for long time you will feels that (missed personality-
oooh lonly- and something squeezing your sadly heart:NATIONALITY).
4.WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO MAKE OUR LIFE BETTER.
brown as oppose to green
expensive as oppose to money value returned (regardless what the product is)
boring as oppose to diverse entertainment and “rave” events are out dated ENOUGH please!
segregated classes as oppose to intertwining classes
monotonous as oppose to cultural and inspirational
judgmental as oppose to freedom of identity
repressed as opposed to encouraging individuality
governed as oppose to helpful
things made impossible as oppose to stimulated
built up with concrete as oppose to building up the education
where’s the opposition ?
A personal narrative; the neighborhood
It was not strange, that every evening, I would put out all the lights and climb up the balcony which seemed huge then to observe the people on my street. Night times bring with them small windows lit with soft light and somehow actions are slower, words become clearer when people gather together …
Across the street lived Tata Um Rizq, the healer who had the magic of olive oil which healed everything, Auntie Adla Nassoura the French speaker who made us jams and shared with us her Schmitt college paper and French books to read, Amou Abu Nasser Sunaa the leftist secular thinker who embraced our courage and always asked us amazing critical questions that challenged our minds to think and dare ask about the forbidden! Abu Talal Qussous the guardian of the street who observed the comers and goers and protected the children..
On my street…I saw every afternoon Tata um Sami Amarin who looked like a Tiche, still and pleasant with her two Karaky brades and charming smile ,Amou Abu Nayef Estetieh the business handsome man who always had time to speak to us all. Antie Sarah Barakat a pioneer business woman and the generous tea giver with a fabulous smile, Emilie Bsharat the first Jordanian woman lawyer and feminist, Mahmoud Saif Al Din Al Irani the poet writer and scholar , Nahed Hattar the leftist owner of a controversial book shop on the Baounieh street who wanted to recruit us all to the socialist party …Amou Abu Nadeem Fataleh the pharmacist who always healed our wounds so we can escape the bad tempered lecture from our parents…Antie Aesha Tijani the radio broadcaster and educator who recited to us sleeptime stories with her uniquely beautiful voice…
Close to Al Muntazah was the house of Jedo Hussni Fariz the scholar and poet who was a source of inspiration to all the youth with his authentic sense of dry humor and wit, he always asked us the most creative unique questions … In my mountain I had many walks to Um Mo’nes Al Razzaz who was an icon of strength and creative ideas …Mones the Jordanian novelist who kept to himself but we all knew his home was lit late at night and he was in his den writing…
Across the corner was Osama Mashini’s theatre with Jamil and Juliette Awad Nabil Sawlhah Hani Snobar Orwa Zreikat..all were active in the local theatre scene which brought such variety and beauty to my teen age years on the mountain .
The French cultural center had a special space around the corner from Duwwar Al Haouuz,that was where I discovered Aragon ,Brel ,Pervert and my favourite Valerie “Il pleure dans mon Coeur comme il pleure sur la ville ..Quelle est cette longueur qui penetre mon coeur ?”
In Jabla Al Weibdeh the church and the mosque chanted together…the call for prayer from Sharea mosque was a songlike chant sung with a soothing voice ,the church bells were always a sign of Sunday’s mass at the Basharat church .. The time of Friday prayer was a quiet time ,there was stillness and silence unlike today where noise is becoming louder in many of our once upon a time humble serene mosques.
I say we because we were a big family, of diverse different and tremendously loving people in Share’ Al Baouniah in Jabal Al Weibdeh The zomots Abu Hassans Hamza’s,Hejawis,Moashers,salfitis,kalajis,and so many more amazing people lived down from Duwwar al Ha’ouz to Al Muntazah where Margo Malatjilian created a children’s theatre art center and that is where my passion for theater and arts was born..
My neighborhood brought together a diverse fabric of families who celebrated Eid and Christmas, who observed with respect each other’s diverse lifestyles and who embraced with generosity the dialects, original languages and customs of a street that embodies Amman .
As an adult I moved with my family to Harat Al Sahrakass in Shmeisani that is where Auntie Um Emad Al Said baked the best haluva and that is where we were so inspired by the knight like athletic handsome women and men from the Qawkaz Mountain …
Amman is an endless space of diversity the Armenians take a bit of Ashrafeya the Chechens a bit of Wadi al Sayr the kurds are integrated totally into the Arabic fabric of the city…
Amman is a city that was founded on the diverse integration of the hospitable Bedouin tribes with the Charkas the Syrian\shwam the Lebanese the balgaweyeh the Jordanian tribes from the north and south; Amman was founded to embrace the deepest wound of the Palestinians who came as refugees, some became full fledged citizens of this small intimately woven city the home to many in Jordan. Now Amman embraces the Iraqi’s with their wealth of art music and passion for life …I am sure their longing to their homeland will bring more creativity of expression to Amman and its neighborhoods…We all pray for peace in Amman…
Amman ‘s identity is multi layered and diverse ,Muslim Christian Druz Bahais and many more new spiritual emerging identities are homed in this city ..It is an Arabic city yet every dialect you hear and every ethnic background you encounter is Amman..The old mountains of Amman reflect a humane dimension in how the homes cluster how the diverse social economic backgrounds gather…the welders carpenters bakers the book keepers the odd shop sellers and the business men the government officials all lived in layers across streets, stairs became bridges that connect and flow with a descent ascend energy to downtown where families gathered to shop eat and walk..
Amman was a city of walks… a city of spiritual presence …
wow samar.. this is amazing.
Jordan = Amman
and Amman sucks
Hal: “Amman; where a valet driver will appear by your car’s door no matter where you’re going.”
I must file a complaint. I was in East Amman the other day and there was no valet in sight. I had to park my own car – imagine the humiliation!!
I am out of the country now for a few years , so “Amman” as well as all Jordanian cities and places are “Home” to me …
Sometimes you fail to figure out the beauty of things when you are too close . But once you are far away , everything realated to your home place just glows as gold ….
I love my country and miss it so much …
Amman… Hmmmm
No headaches…
People are NOT fake…
No one cares who you are…
No one is in denial…
People driving nice cars DO NOT LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT to see if they are being watched…
No one is out to show off…
No one stares at your wife when ur walking with her…
Absolutely no traffic jams when two cars collide…
No traffic jams when it first rains…
Pedestrians get top priority…
PARKING IS NEVER A PROBLEM!!!
PLENTY of things to do other than RESTURANTS…
No one barbecues (Hash u Nash) on the side of the Main Highway…
Roads are extremely smooth…
No Sweifieh Traffic on Thursday night…
No WASTAS ALLOWED in Amman…
Excellent business ethics…
No one tries to sound sophisticated while speaking english…
People are extremely calm…
Always smiling…never frowning…
Playgrounds on every block for children to play…
BEST Roller Coster thrill rides at the amusing “7adayeg”…
Absolutely NO WASTAS…”oh i said that already”…
Traffic Police are NEVER the cause of traffic jams…
No grass but the best BROWN Golf Coarse in the region…probably the only one…
Foreigners do not get their behinds kissed…
Foreigners do not get paid much more than locals for the same job…
The most welcoming airport staff upon arrival!!!
No one asks you where ur from…
u don’t wonder why they ask u where ur from…
ur passport is stamped gently… and thrown back onto the counter like a frizbee
u don’t wait almost 2 hours to get ur luggage with priority tags on them… “One ends up missing”
All of a sudden u are attacked by Carry Boys who INSIST on lending a hand… so u get to the car and end up tipping three guys. OH… AND U FIND A PARKING TICKET on the windshield of the car.
WHAT MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO??? just live to wake up…eat…go to work…come back home…eat…sleep and make money more money…more and more money…to just wake up…eat…go to work…come back home…eat…sleep. A few resturants every once in a while….but thats about it!!!
Here u have 25% of what i could still tell u about Amman…
Nice huh???
A city that most people say they dont like but reality is that whenever u leave it u miss it so much u start counting the days to come back i know this city has so much negative things but at the end f the day its home it where famly has a meaning its where u feel safe its where u can have fun with ur friends its HOME!!
I have lived in Moscow Russia for 2 years and just got back to amman and it sucks, it’s a city without a soul and parties here suck and guys suck, Amman has no life , it is boring as hell and deceptive i atually had huge fights with all my friends in Russia and lost their friendship cuz i realized what teenager i was arriving from Amman, Amman deos not help you to grow healthy.
lusy tiring transportation system, bad salary,boring jobs, a hassle to live in , and no real love life , no real meeting paces to find a decent date and fall in love, NO GOOD PARTY, no real clubs jus cafes and restuarunts…
It’s mysogenistic. It’s hypocratic. It’s dusty. Crowded. A hodgepodge. It’s elitist. It’s poor. However, it is also the opposite of all of those complaints. The people are mean, they are lovely. It’s everything – I love it and I hate it.
Amman is the most disqusting city I have ever been to in my whole entire life. People are rude, snobby, judgemental, stuck-up, and jealous of everyone. Guys are immature, rude, and act like they have never seen a girl. Schools suck. There is no money in the city. There is nothing to do. Traffic is so annoying. It’s a desert!! Amman is horrible and disqusting. I will never ever go back.
Hi,
It is so interesting to read about peoples impressions of Amman.
I am from Bosnia currently living in Norway, actually ever since the war in 1993.
What I can tell you, is that I love Amman and Shark ul Awsat very much, and being here reminds me of the good times we had in Bosnia before the war, when I was a child living in a village where all doors of the houses never were locked, where people prayed and where people ate together. I love Amman. It reminds me of my happy childhood. Shanineh and dates, the warm khobiz from the local bakery from Wahdat. I live in West Europe where everything is clean and beautiful, but I love Amman for its chaos and its flaws, blended with serenity of adhan and the prayers and through all this fulfilling the meaning of life on Earth as Allah the most beneficiant the most merciful had obliged upon his creation of mankind. In addition we are now fasting the month of Ramadan. Tonight is the 27.th night of Ramadan, possibly laylat ul qadr, the night when the Quran was first sent down to Earth and revieled by God’s will through the angel Gibrail to Muhammad (may God’s peace and blessings be upon him) …as God says in his holy Qur’an: “The night that is better than a 1000 months”.
And it goes without saying, I wouldn’t want to be any other place on earth right now than here
Sura Alaq was the first revieled text on this night 1430 years ago:
بسم الله الرØمن الرØيم
بسم الله الرØمن الرØيم
Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaq
Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaq
Iqra/ warabbuka al-akram
Allathee AAallama bilqalam
AAallama al-insana ma lamyaAAlam
Kalla inna al-insana layatgha
An raahu istaghna
Inna ila rabbika arrujAAa
Araayta allathee yanha
AAabdan itha salla
Araayta in kana AAala alhuda
Aw amara bittaqwa
Araayta in kaththaba watawalla
Alam yaAAlam bi-anna Allaha yara
Kalla la-in lam yantahi lanasfaAAanbinnasiya
Nasiyatin kathibatin khati-a
FalyadAAu nadiyah
SanadAAu azzabaniya
Kalla la tutiAAhu wasjudwaqtarib
Translation in English:
Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists),
Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who has taught (the writing) by the pen
Has taught man that which he knew not.
Nay! Verily, man does transgress all bounds
Because he considers himself self-sufficient.
Surely! Unto your Lord is the return.
Have you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) seen him (i.e. Abu Jahl) who prevents,
A slave (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) when he prays?
Tell me, if he (Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) is on the guidance (of Allah)?
Or enjoins piety?
Tell me if he (the disbeliever, Abu Jahl) denies (the truth, i.e. this Quran), and turns away?
Knows he not that Allah does see (what he does)?
Nay! If he (Abu Jahl) ceases not, We will catch him by the forelock,
A lying, sinful forelock!
Then, let him call upon his council (of helpers),
We will call the guards of Hell (to deal with him)!
Nay! (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))! Do not obey him (Abu Jahl). Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah!
Here is the Sura AL ALAQ In Arabic.
اقْرَأْ بÙاسْم٠رَبّÙÙƒÙŽ الَّذÙÙŠ خَلَقَ
خَلَقَ الْإÙنسَانَ Ù…Ùنْ عَلَقÙ
اقْرَأْ وَرَبّÙÙƒÙŽ الْأَكْرَمÙ
الَّذÙÙŠ عَلَّمَ بÙالْقَلَمÙ
عَلَّمَ الْإÙنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
كَلَّا Ø¥Ùنَّ الْإÙنسَانَ لَيَطْغَى
أَن رَّآه٠اسْتَغْنَى
Ø¥Ùنَّ Ø¥ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ رَبّÙÙƒÙŽ الرّÙجْعَى
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذÙÙŠ يَنْهَى
عَبْدًا Ø¥Ùذَا صَلَّى
أَرَأَيْتَ Ø¥ÙÙ† كَانَ عَلَى الْهÙدَى
أَوْ أَمَرَ بÙالتَّقْوَى
أَرَأَيْتَ Ø¥ÙÙ† كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى
أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بÙأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى
كَلَّا لَئÙÙ† لَّمْ يَنتَه٠لَنَسْÙَعًا بÙالنَّاصÙÙŠÙŽØ©Ù
نَاصÙيَة٠كَاذÙبَة٠خَاطÙئَةÙ
Ùَلْيَدْع٠نَادÙÙŠÙŽÙ‡
سَنَدْع٠الزَّبَانÙÙŠÙŽØ©ÙŽ
كَلَّا لَا تÙØ·Ùعْه٠وَاسْجÙدْ وَاقْتَرÙبْ
A city that is boring, lifeless
Where everyone worries about what other people have
Where no one respects one another
Somewhere that just makes you sick to your stomach
Hi There,
I just found this site like 25 minutes ago, i live in California now, i have 3 children under the age of 5, i grew up in Jordan and thinking about moving my family back to Jordan after living in the U.S for the last 13 years, i’m trying to find a good reason to move back to Amman and reading through some of these comments here, it’s depressing. You don’t know how bad the education system here now, i thank God for the education i received in Jordan, and i’m looking forward to move back.
1. A young mother with a promising future.
2. Conservative community, sometimes unfriendly.
3. A mixture for Arab foreigners, trying to find a 2nd country, they see things in it that we (the locals) never discovered yet.
Amman?
A city of hypocrites.
Used to be a nicer place maybe 20-30 years ago, but people’s souls are getting more rotten every year.
It’s also a city with no character, no identity , no soul whatsoever. Damascus , Beirut , Jerusalem & Aleppo are much more interesting cities than Amman. At least they have character & you can meet with “normal” people there.
ZOMBIES & MUMMIES!
amman to me is the WORST city in the whole world…
i swear you can go to a slum in africa and it would be better than here.
i lived in canada all my life and now at the peek of turning 16 my parents decide to move me to a place worse than the ghetto.
–the people on the streets?
WHAT PEOPLE? they’re all saudi guys staring at females who pass by like they’ve never seen them before.
the clothes and food and living is TOO expensive.
i haven’t tried school here and im not looking forward to it!
believe me if you have an option stay wherever you are and DON’T come here. you’ll regret every minute.
I read the comments and I figured out why Amman is such a bad place and “disgusting” as some have described…. It is because it is filled with a bunch of negative, ungrateful, downbeat, bragging, bad mannered idiots…. if you think your country is so better, why leave it and come to Amman? Go mess up another City.
Amman has made me realise what a beautiful culture the western world is home to. Open minded people who are forward thinking and do try to care about one another. In Amman you are worth as much money as you have in your pocket and nothing more. I have travelled the world and never seen such a depessed nation. I do not blame these people though because for them there is hope and only hope. I do not care if people are religious or not but i do believe we where created to be true to ourselves and enjoy what amazing skills we have. Not to live a life of hypocracy and hatred. You just cannot beat Europe. Coming to Amman from London is like travelling back to the 1500′s which is something i will never repeat. Open your minds and relax your views, only then will Amman become everything that you truly want it to be- a happy place to live and somewhere you can actually be proud of.
I’ve been living in Amman for almost a year and I definitely have mixed feelings but it is more positive than negative. Growing up in New York City I cannot say that this is the ‘city that never sleeps’ but I have grown to love this country/city for the following reasons:
1. People are very hospitable, kind and welcoming (aside from some taxis)
2. Great weather with some amazing sites (tourism is a flourishing industry for a reason and perhaps you should all frequently visit these absolutely gorgeous places).
3. Your patience, resilience, and character will be put to the test.
Perhaps this is a bit too optimistic but I’m planning to raise my six (6) children here in Amman. Pessimism is not an option if I plan to live here for the next 10+ years. Judging by these very elaborate/sophisticated comments we have some very intelligent and well – spoken people in Amman. Let’s make it better!
– Onwards….