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Jordan: Teaching in Aqabar, Jordan - a question:
Hi. I am an American and my husband is Jordanian. I just spent a year living and teaching in Amman. Depending on how much you want to save, and I think Aqaba as a resort town is a little higher cost-of-living, your salary should be plenty. We lived off of about $2,000JD monthly in a nice apartment, plenty of food, shopping, etc. However, we didn't have a car which can raise your expenses significantly especially with the recent price hike in petrol and other goods.
Our rent in a 1-bedroom mother-in-law apartment in a villa was about $400JD a month including utilities and OSN Showtime (digital television which I think you also have in UAE). So, $7,000JD should be more than enough to have a nice apartment, albeit not luxury, for the whole year.
I lived in Amman and there are plenty of great international schools there, the top two being Modern American School and American Community School I am not sure about Aqaba. Good luck and message me if you have any questions!
Jordan: a sad and disturbing story...:
I agree completely with the person who responded to your post. I am an American woman married to a Jordanian, and just got home from living and teaching in Amman for a year. You will love it if you keep an open mind, and don't fall into my mistake of always comparing it to your home country lol. I found Jordan to be extremely safe , politically stable, and easy to navigate alone. I answered the woman in the post about a bad living experience in Egypt, so feel free to read that if you'd like more information. Good luck. You will have the time of your life!
Jordan: Moving to Jordan:
Hi. I am an American woman who was married last year in Jordan to a Jordanian man. I also taught English for a year there. If you are still looking for information let me know. I'm happy to tell you my experiences.
Jordan: Please Advice:
I lived in Jordan as an American for this last year. Yes, you are required to have an HIV/AIDS blood test, and most employers also require a medical exam and signed release from a doctor (any Jordanian clinic or hospital can do it for about $5USD), verifying that you are free of communicable disease. My husband works in hospitality and there tests for a work permit are more stringent including test for hepatitis, chest x-ray for tuberculosis, and other blood work. Good luck!
Egypt: I Wish I had Known... Before Moving to Egypt:
I came across this exchange by accident, and found it very interesting to read the different opinions of Egypt. I was about to leave until I came to your post about Jordan being the same as the first poster described Egypt. It so upset me I actually registered for this site so I could leave a message!
I am an American married to a Jordanian man. I just came back to the USA after spending a year in Amman. It was an amazing adventure. I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but I completely disagree that it is only good for visits and not to live. I found the people of Jordan to probably be, on the whole, the friendliest I have ever met. It definitely takes some getting used to living in a developing country. When I first arrived I was shocked by the impoverishment and conditions especially in certain parts of cities outside of the capital of Amman. Many things take getting used to as well. I worked teaching English along with my husband who works in hospitality, so we had a decent lifestyle. But it was still a surprise and adjustment to get along without a microwave, dishwasher, clothes dryer, and many of the comforts I've always took for granted at home. However, the good news is you do adjust! And surprisingly, after a while it becomes second nature. I benefited a lot from this~I learned to actually cook from scratch, became much more proficient at housecleaning (sweeping the carpet in lieu of a good vacuum cleaner, etc.), and even got used to hanging my clothes outside to dry (although crunchy jeans in the winter never gets better lol).
I never felt unsafe as a woman traveling or going about my daily life without my husband. I took taxis and walked everywhere, which I would recommend unless you're very brave to try the bus. I learned enough conversational Arabic to get around, and everyone from taxi drivers to store clerks, to the general person on the street will do their best to communicate with you in English, or at least find someone who can speak a little bit. The signs are also all in English and Arabic, so no worries there. I only had 1 bad experience with a taxi driver the whole time I was in Jordan. He tried to increase the taxi fare home after he had taken off with me from the mall AND had quoted me a lower price. I called my husband, a fight ensued, and he ended up dropping me off in the middle of a street with all my groceries. But this can and does happen with taxi drivers all over the world! Other than that example, I found everyone to be so helpful and very interested in Americans. Everyone has a cousin, of their brother's aunt's friend's wife who knows someone in America hahahaha, so you will hear lots of stories about that for sure. You also will hear 'Welcome to Jordan!!!' nearly everywhere you go, especially if you are easily identifiable as a Westerner. It is heartwarming though and never gets dull.
As a native English speaker with a college degree I found working in Jordan to be much easier than back home. English teachers are in high-demand, and people will pay big bucks to learn especially from someone with an American accent. Teaching in the various private schools varies, I found out, as with any employer, and some are better than others so talk to other foreigners who work there and get referrals.
Jordan as a whole has lots to do and see, and unless sadly, you are making Jordanian wages, you should be able to do quite a bit. I was surprised to find most of the restaurants and shops from home like Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's Burger King, Applebee's, Chili's TGI Friday's, etc. But definitely, definitely take the opportunity to eat real, home-cooked Arabic food~it's among some of the best I have ever eaten in my life. I only got sick with stomach problems one time and seeing a private doctor, even without insurance, is so cheap it's not a problem. When I sprained my ankle there I was seen at a great hospital by an orthopedic surgeon, had x-rays taken, got a brace put on, and prescriptions all for around $100USD.
Some of the things that made Jordan exciting and unusual was the driving~it's crazy, seeing all the street cats everywhere (the strangest place was when a cat slowly sauntered thru the lobby waiting room of a government hospital), getting used to call to prayer which is blared 5 times a day throughout the country, etc.
Living in an Islamic country is very different but Jordan is pretty open-,minded and I found most people to be quite liberal and accepting of Westerners. I never wore a hijab except when I got married in the courthouse and when I toured a mosque. It is common to see most women in abiya's (long housecoats) and hijabs (head scarfs), but there is a large Lebanese Christian population who dress like Americans. I was cautious about the necklines on my shirts and the length of my dresses, but never felt I had to go to extremes to change any of my clothes. I will mention if you are plus-size and planning on moving to Jordan for a while, definitely bring a wide-range of clothes with you (including if you are larger-chested). I found it extremely difficult to buy plus-size clothes, although I did manage to get a few things at H & M. If you find yourself needing something don't worry though, you can have clothes made by a taylor very easily~I had 2 pairs of nice black dress pants made for work for about $100USD.
Unlike what the first poster wrote about the unfriendliness of Egyptians, I found most Jordanians to be more than friendly! Sometimes I did feel the Jordanian girls and women looked down on me, or acted haughty because I was with a Jordanian husband. But the big surprise I found was that most Westerners were very rude!! Even though the language barrier can be tough, I would really encourage anyone going to try to make friends with local colleagues, etc. They are happy to meet you and can be so helpful in many ways.
Well, I think I've ramble on enough. I guess if I wanted to leave you with anything about Jordan it would be that is is probably the safest country in the entire Middle East, and most welcoming to everyone especially Westerners. Although I was surprised (naively so) to learn about the hostilities between Palestinians and Jews (they hate each other for the most part~very different from home), I found most people to be very accepting. Jordan is beautiful in it's landscape and ancient architecture and history, and if you are a Christian it is amazing to see so many Biblical sites. I would encourage everyone to travel to Jordan and not to be afraid. The most helpful thing for me was to read the Embassy and www.travel.gov websites and talk to others who have lived and/or traveled there. Take some risks, don't leave your sensibility at home, and most of all relax and have fun! My year in Jordan changed me in so many positive ways, I wish everyone could have the same experience.
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