Travelling the world is a privilege, and one I’ve been fortunate to experience from a young age. I spent my early years living in Yangon, Myanmar, and travelling to every corner of Southeast Asia.
Those seven years sparked my love for adventure and living in different countries, as I witnessed Myanmar’s growth and emergence from its third-world economy. My fondest memories and most treasured friendships come from that time.
As my final two years of high school in the Comox Valley approached, my mom took a position with a Norwegian INGO (international non-governmental organization) in Palestine. But after the events of October 7, 2023, she was relocated to Amman, Jordan, where I saw her navigate her work in the face of conflict and genocide. I had always planned to take a year to travel before university, so once Mom was settled into Amman, I grabbed the opportunity to immerse myself in this new part of the world.
I’ve grown to love waking up and falling asleep to the sound of the prayer call coming from the local mosque
A City Unlike Any Other
I arrived in Amman in mid-September and quickly realized it’s not like any other city I’ve been to. I’m used to the hot, muggy, chaotic streets of Asia. Here, it’s definitely still hot, but there’s always a dry breeze passing through the paper-like bougainvillea flowers scattered throughout the city. As you walk along steep streets, sometimes you can get a peek at the layers of dusty beige-and white-coloured buildings that fill the rolling hills of the landscape.
I’ve grown to love waking up and falling asleep to the sound of the prayer call coming from the local mosque. As every other mosque follows suit, the sound echoes throughout the city.
Most streets are filled with eateries offering a variety of international cuisine, and shops—sweet makers, perfumeries, clothing stores, and niche hole-in-the-wall sewing-machine outlets.
If you look one way and feel overwhelmed by all these shopping options, you can look over your opposing shoulder and admire ancient Roman ruins. Old and new contrast and blend together in this city, with restored Ottoman-era buildings housing modern restaurants and coffee shops.
Chaos comes on Thursday and Friday nights, which are equivalent to Friday and Saturday nights back home. Downtown is bustling on these weekend nights. Competing suit vendors in the streets blast their prices for dress pants over megaphones. Cafés are filled to the brim with groups of people gathering to share laughter and the shisha of the evening. Though I haven’t hopped on the bandwagon (yet) of smoking flavoured tobacco through a water pipe, apparently watermelon mint is a fan favourite.
People welcome you in as if you were their own.
The Warmth of Arab Hospitality
I may be finding it hard to create a community of other 19-year-olds on a gap year living with their mom, but I haven’t had an issue meeting incredible people. Hearing my mom talk about “Arab hospitality” over FaceTime before I arrived made me question whether it was really all it was made out to be. I can assuredly say it 100 per cent is. At family meals, every bite you take is quickly replaced with a new pile of food. Arabic words such as habibi/habibti (my love) or ya asal (honey or sweetie) are woven into everyday conversations, conveying love and respect. These are not just words, but constant, warm, background noise. People welcome you in as if you were their own.
The variety of people here amazes me. Amman holds stories from not only the surrounding regions of Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and others, but also folks from other countries: families starting lives here, or young adults working overseas.
The presence of international organizations, aid workers, and NGOs is very evident. The loud support and advocacy this community has for Palestine is beautiful. The watermelon is depicted by the vibrant colours of local graffiti art, and the black-and-white-checkered fishnet pattern of the kufiya is incorporated into everyday items.
I’d forgotten how much I love discovering the unfamiliarity and little quirks of living somewhere new. Tucked away in my apartment in the Weibdeh neighbourhood, I’ve built a temporary life for myself, learning something new every day.
Building a Life in Weibdeh
My new routine includes trying my best to learn basic Arabic, brushing up on my French at the Institut Français down the street, and playing intense, late-night soccer on the weekends. Before leaving home, I took a basic Level 1 TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, wanting to use my love for the English language to gain new skills and connect with people. Thanks to the amazing circle of people I’ve met, I’ve started working as a “shadow teacher” at a local international school, working with grade five and six English classes.
I know that by the time this year is up, I’ll have to be forced onto the plane. But I’ll be leaving with experiences, knowledge, memories, and friendships that I’ll carry with me for a lifetime.
