Amman - Post Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I would not have come here. It's not a pleasant place to live and it seems like no one cares. To watch people cause car accidents with babies unbuckled, through bags of trash out their windows, women be relegated to second class citizens, and boys beat each other really gets to you. There are some great people here but I will not return to Amman. - Aug 2023
Jordan is very dirty. There is trash everywhere. If you like being in nature, hiking, walking, or running outside, it is very difficult to do here. We have done many hikes that were enjoyable, but they involve driving many hours and always have the potential to be ruined by aggressive dogs or creepy men. This post is focused on families with kids. If you’re single or don’t have kids, you will not feel incorporated into the community. There are some adult events planned for the future, so perhaps that will change. - Aug 2023
The housing is really frustrating; needs do not seem to be kept up with, and in my opinion, it's a much lower standard than it needs to be. There's also a huge variation in quality. And again, senior and family size means nothing. - Jul 2023
Men are not supposed to shake hands with Jordanian women, and it is illegal to openly eat or drink in the daytime during the month of Ramadan. - Oct 2021
How little I could be outdoors, how little I could walk, how limited the outdoor space was. How much indoor smoking there is. - Feb 2021
Amman is one of the most livable cities in the region due to climate, safety, choice of activities and schools, availability of goods and services, general level of English in the city. Go to the tougher cities in the region first. - Jan 2021
That there really is no grass or good outdoor space. - Dec 2020
It is a tough place to be if you enjoy getting outside. There are day trips to do but they are all hours away and require planning. - Sep 2020
To have my mental health services lined up from the start. This was a very difficult post for us. - Sep 2018
I can't think of anything that I wish I had known about Amman before moving here because we had just moved from Egypt which is similar. (Egypt is more chaotic and crowded .) I think you will have more interesting responses from other people who have answered this question. - Sep 2018
I had traveled in Jordan a few years ago so I felt like we came in with eyes open with regards to living here. The pace of work and stress involved in such a high profile mission was the hardest part of my tour. - Mar 2017
There are very few places for your children to play outside. We miss parks and walking areas. The main school is below international standards, and the administration is unable or unwilling to address key issues. - Jul 2016
That the driving would be a real stressor. That the embassy construction project would happen snack in the middle of our tour. - Mar 2016
It gets colder in the winter than I thought! I brought winter boots and a wool coat thinking I would never use them, and I did--lots! - Mar 2016
I wish I had know that with the residency card we pay pennies on the dollar for entrance fees to ruins and Petra. Everything at the malls is really expensive. Bring extra makeup, shoes, clothes, socks... you can order a lot on amazon. It takes about 2 weeks to arrive. I also didn't know that our post post-office accepts packages up to 90 days before arrival. I would have sent myself some things (e.g., cereal, oatmeal, tp, sponges, sheets and blankets). The sheets are really scratchy and the blankets that we were given were thinner than Motel 6's. Be sure to send to yourself and your official sponsor can pick up on your behave. There is a SafeWay. The welcome kit includes a TV and DVD player. - Nov 2015
Arabs are extremely friendly, hospitable and genuine. - May 2015
Touring Jordan and living in Jordan are very different. The country has some amazing things to see but living in Amman can get pretty boring. There's also a veneer of things working like they do in North America - 3G service, high-end malls, flashy buildings - but beneath the external layer things have a tendency to break, leak, and in general not function properly, to which the predominant local attitude is a shrug. Keep your expectations low and learn to make your own fun. - Mar 2015
That it's a LOT easier to live in than I expected. There's a lot more green in Amman (during certain times of the year) than I thought. That Jordan really is amazing, especially Petra but well beyond Petra as well. - Jul 2014
Hmmm...¦ i'm not sure anything -- it's been fun to discover things as we go. - Mar 2014
I wish I would have known how busy my job would be and how expensive household help and preschool are here. I also wish I would have known about the Embassy renovation project and the changes planned for the club facilities. I wish I would have known not to expect a tight knit community (but that is OK). - Dec 2013