Status Update

Handwriting is a kind of a meditation for me. It releases stress into paper. Morning coffee helps a lot as well. @MindHubCafe

Two weeks ago, I started my new job at a startup company in Amman. I am employee No. 00008. A new city and a new life. Amman is a very vibrant city with its 4 million residents. Since 1990 it became a hub for the Iraqis and now for the Syrians and other Arab nationals for different reasons. Yemenis, Libyans and Sudanese come to Amman for medical tourism. There are many Arab Gulf nationals here as well either studying or vacationing—since Syria, Lebanon and Egypt are not as safe as Jordan.

Because of the Syrian crises, many Europeans are volunteering and working in a plethora of NGOs in Jordan. NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council), DRC (Danish Refugee Council), ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development), IRC (International Rescue Committee) and of course the USAID to name a few.

My work is located in an affluent area. Besides the different nationalities of Arabs in Amman I see many Asian domestic workers around here as well.

So, what does this mean to the locals?

The short answer is Amman became super expensive. According to Aljazeera news Amman is the most expensive city (to its residents) in the Arab world.

The good news I love that Amman became a multicultural urban city. I walk in the street and I hear different dialects of Arabic from Iraqis, Egyptians, Syrians, Khalijis (Gulf), and of course Jordanians. The other day, I heard a couple chatting loudly and they definitely weren’t Arab. Their language sounded like Ethiopian or Eterian or maybe Somali.

The bad news it is not easy finding an affordable studio or one bedroom apartment in Amman.

I have been away from my blog for a long time and I felt I needed to write something. More to come about the new city.