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Advice for US woman in Rural Jordan

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CaitlinR

2/3/2014 16:26 EST

I'm a US woman, age 38, who will be working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan, teaching English and working in youth development. I'm finding tons of info on the internet about living as a Western woman in Amman, but I need to know specific advice and issues for living as a western woman in rural, countryside locations. What are special challenges faced by Western women in outlying areas that are not cosmpolitain like Amman? Especially an unmarried woman who will be working. Some things to note: the Peace Corps assigns volunteers to live at the level of the people we are working with, with pay matching that of local teachers. I understand I will be expected to dress even more conservatively than Western women in Amman might get away with dressing. I expect I will be working with young girls, as I don't think they will have me teaching young boys or young men. But so far, that's all I know! The Peace Corps has an extensive training regime, and they will give me more info later, as well as training in conversational Arabic. But I'd like to start learning as much as I can now. If you have any tips or info about the Jordanian countryside, please share them with me. Especially if you're a Western woman who has traveled there or maybe visited family in the countryside for an extended stay. But I welcome information from men too. Thanks!

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aljarrar

2/3/2014 16:37 EST

What specific rural areas are you referring to ?

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CaitlinR

2/3/2014 21:57 EST

Hi aljarrar - I won't know until two or three weeks after I'm in Jordan what part of the country they are sending me to. But I can guarantee it won't be Amman or a 'westernized' city. It will be a village or an economically challenged area where the local folks might not see a lot of westerners or Americans. So with that, do you have any advice? I know it's hard to generalize about the countryside. In the States, rural Louisiana is different from rural upstate New York, and both are different from rural California. But in general, I'd tell someone not from the States that all these places have family values in common, home cooking of varying kinds, and conservative politics. I could maybe guess the same about Jordan, but what does that look like for Jordan? Thanks!

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aljarrar

2/3/2014 22:17 EST

It really all depends , but generally speaking , Jordanians in rural areas are cordial , warm and welcoming .
They also tend to be on the conservative side .
Also , the type of project you are involved in is a factor , from what I understood you will be teaching young ladies specific skills , if that is the case , you will have a unique ( positive ) experience and an insight to the culture .
Keep in mind , with the evolution of the internet , social media bridged the global gap , no place is too rural anymore .
If you have anymore specific questions please feel free to email me directly
Aljarrar@yahoo.com

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