Oct 30

Oct 30 "A Handful of Vocabulary, a Backpack, and a Camera" by Rebekah Shackelford

When I arrived in Jordan, I felt like I had nothing with me except for my camera and a few words and phrases in the native language. This is a drastic understatement, of course… really, I had a backpack, a laptop bag full of miscellaneous/arbitrary items (carry on restrictions, you know?), and two hefty suitcases. Yet, as I dragged my things through Queen Alia Airport in Amman, I felt weightless, as if I had forgotten everything I needed at home.

I was excited ꟷ don’t get me wrong ꟷ but everything felt so surreal. When I left for Jordan, I had never left the United States. However, traipsing across times zones was surprisingly refreshing, and, mainly because of the welcoming Jordanians I ran into, culture shock was not as bad as I had read/predicted/heard it would be. I decided to start exploring as quickly as I could.

Me at the Amman Citadel. Photo credit: Shackelford, 2019.

One of my favorite parts about town so far has been the downtown area. Above all, I like the people there. Many initiated conversations with me and asked to have their photos taken. In addition, downtown has the perfect mix of old and new, as you can look up and see the ancient ruins of the Amman Citadel and then look ahead to see the flashing neon lights of the many stores that line the streets. It is a loud part of town, especially during the “Friday market” (an outdoor market that can best be described as a rowdy farmer’s market), but I love the hustle and bustle.

A pigeon’s ankle jewelry (even the pigeons dress well). Photo credit: Shackelford, 2019.

In addition to the marketplace, the Citadel has really caught my eye. Not only because of its beauty and the rich sense of history one feels as they walk through it, but also because of the many Jordanians that sit on picnic blankets outside of the Citadel looking down over the city. While the Citadel generally closes at or around sundown, Jordanian families and couples sit around the outer gates of the Citadel to watch their city below. The tourists at this time have all returned to their hostels and hotels, and it is serene and beautiful.

A friend and I were approached by teenage girls who wanted to ask where we were from and whether we had “habibis” or not. Their parents and little brothers joined in on the conversation and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by kind, inquisitive people wanting to make us feel welcome in Amman. The children noticed the camera in my hands and asked for photos, and I caught some shots of them goofing off and getting incredibly close to my lens.

A photo of Jules, (at a local cafe) who went with me to visit the pigeons. Photo credit: Shackelford, 2019.

This pure interaction with the Jordanian girls and younger siblings really warmed my heart. I have only been in Amman for a little less than two weeks now, but I can already tell that I will leave carrying so much more than I came with. When Jordan first came into view through the little plane window, I was nervous. With only a couple of Arabic words, wide eyes, and my camera on my lap, I felt exposed. But now I know that when I leave Amman, I will have more hospitality, generosity, and knowledge learned from taxi drivers and friendly Jordanians than I can carry.