March 16, 2013
While exploring Jordan's capital, Amman, I realized three major things I wish I knew before I had arrived:
1.) Dress Code: I stood out in the crowd of Jordanians. I decided to wear jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt which I thought was the norm for the warm weather. The people in Jordan always try to cover up as much skin as possible in public and even though wearing jeans and a t-shirt is fine for the United States, it is considered scandalous in Jordan.
2.) Social Interactions: Jordanians in general are way friendlier to strangers than people in the United States. Being greeted by each person with a handshake and a friendly, "Hello" was nice to hear from strangers. I felt more connected to the people in Jordan than if I was walking the streets in Seattle. People who previously knew each other greeted by kissing or hugging which is rarely done in the U.S.
3.) Hospitality: Jordanians are very outgoing when it comes to meals. They like to share meals with new people to create relationships with and get very offended if you do not take them up on sharing a meal together.
While I was exploring in Ma'daba which is south of the capital, Amman, I met a family that invited me to eat lunch with them. At first I was hesitant to eat with them but I could tell they were serious about eating together because of how persistent they were. We walked up and down the street smelling the different street food being sold. The mixture of new, sweet, and spicy food choices intrigued my sense of smell. We ended up getting lunch at a small restaurant on the street which was very interesting. My meal was delicious, I ordered mahshi (shown in the image below) which is cooked vegetables stuffed with rice which is very popular in Jordan. Even though this dish may not look very appetizing to some picky eaters, this healthy dish hits the spot because of its unique taste!
The image to the left is a dish of mahshi.
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