Merhaba!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
Choosing to join a gym in Amman is one of the best decisions I have made while here. During the first week we got here my friends and I from the program explored several different gyms near AMIDEAST, our homestays, and Abdoun to scope out their equipment, classes, and prices. Ultimately, most of us signed up for the same gym, Quicksand, in Abdoun right across from the Taj Mall. While it is an expensive gym (385 JD for 3 months with a free month added on), it is such a fantastic facility that it is worth every penny. Four of us did the introduction classes for CrossFit together, and now we attend regular CrossFit main classes together. In addition to CrossFit, the gym has separate equipment to work out on your own, a juice bar, and class offerings including: Yoga, TRX, HIIT, Spin, and so many more. The instructors are knowledgeable, friendly, and speak English well! Going to the gym while abroad is a perfect way to keep yourself fit and happier – and is a great stress reliever. My favorite part of each day is my gym time. Photo credit: Tenney, 2019
One of the best spots for studying in Amman is Books@Cafe near Rainbow Street. The food and coffee are amazing and – better yet – half price for students on weekdays. This is not advertised but some of the students on this program were informed of the deal by the owner and now we all love to take advantage of it. Books@ plays music covers, has an outdoor seating section, and has a great atmosphere for studying. The menu is inclusive of the tax and service charges, which is an improvement over other places you will go in Amman because they amount to 26% and it is better to know what you will be paying up front. Photo credit: Tenney, 2019
I am not an artsy person by nature, so if you told me before I came to Amman that one of my favorite things would be taking the Islamic Art class, I wouldn’t have believed you. But as it turns out, I love taking the class. You do not have to be particularly skilled artistically to do well in this course; you just need some patience and have a willingness to learn. The instructor is kind, patient, and clearly has endless passion for art and the process of creating it. While she cares about the accuracy of the art, she is much more focused on the process being enjoyable as “all art is beautiful”. If you study abroad, consider taking a class that is different than what you normally would; you may find you enjoy it. Photo credit: Tenney, 2019
While this not an ongoing experience, one of the highlights of my semester was going to As-Salt for the Islamic Art class workshop. There are a few workshops during the semester and so far we have done one of them. As-Salt is a beautiful place about 12 miles from Amman, and during our next workshop we will have the opportunity to walk around. For the first workshop, we carved clay into the geometric shapes that we have been working with in class through drawing to create tiles. It was weirdly relaxing and enjoyable to spend most of our Saturday hacking clay into shapes, talking, and focusing. If you have the opportunity to take this class, I would highly recommend it! Photo credit: Tenney, 2019
Sometimes one of the best things about studying abroad is when you get a taste of home. Being away from home and in a different culture for four months can be a stressful experience, so I like to have food from home every now and then. Western food is omnipresent in Amman, with almost all the fast food chains you would find in America being here as well. However, bear in mind that Westernized food or Western food chains tend to be more expensive than eating local, so I consider it more of a treat than a staple. An aid to homesickness can be as simple as a fluffy, warm, delicious Cinnabon. Photo credit: Tenney, 2019
