Settling in

Yesterday we finally got to move in to our new den! I say ‘den' since the apartment is underground, partly. We have windows up by the ceiling, but to protect us from unwanted attention (wouldn’t want anyone to peek in while cooking and discovering our secret recipes, right?) the windows are covered with dark film. So we are a bit shielded from the world on “the surface” and are slightly blinded every time we climb up from the den. An upside to living on the downside though is that it is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer! Something that we will definitely be grateful for in a couple of months. 

Even though the apartment is newly, and completely, renovated, we had some issues when we moved in and I had to do one of the things I hate most - ask the landlords to fix it. So far they’ve got us a kitchen table and fixed the flood in the bathroom, but they have still to fix the heating in the living room, the bathroom door (which won’t close), the three windows that can’t be locked and the closets, which are missing the bars you hang your hangers on. And they promised to help us getting internet in the apartment. But I guess we have to get used to doing (and expecting things to be done) in Jordanian time; slightly slower than we’re used to.

The apartment is really nice though, and so is Amman. We really enjoy the culture of eating falafel and hummus, with bread as your spoon, fork and knife, shopping your vegetables at the market down town, buying fresh bread at the bakery and going to smoky cafés. Yes, our lives revolve around food. But whose doesn’t?

Especially now when it is getting warmer life is quite enjoyable in Jordan. Just last week we huddled around a gas heater in the apartment we shared with four other expats. Covered in blankets, warm socks, scarfs, hoodies and all things warm that we could find. We couldn’t wash because it was so cold and humid inside so nothing ever dried. My shoes were wet for a week because I walked in slushy snow one day and I had to were plastic bags as socks to try to stay dry and somewhat warm. 

New days and new things

So today I both had my first day at my new internship in Shmeisani (which is an area in Amman, but sounds like a dish in eastern Europe), and signed a contract for the 'Aamazing apartment' I mentioned earlier. Quite exciting times I would say. 

At my internship at Identity Center, an organization working for participation in civil society, democracy and human rights, I’ve so far become “responsible” for twitter and instagram and been assigned to do infograhps about female participation in Jordanian politics. Interesting subjects, I’m looking forward to getting started! 

Me and my tea cup sitting at my very own desk at the office

The art of apartment hunting

We’ve been around on every website known (to google) for finding furnished apartments to rent in Amman. We’ve changed budget about one hundred times and considered everything from sharing flats to living in a studio apartment or renting an apartment 3 bedroom big. 

We started off seeing some studio apartments, we were excited to go there because the rent was exceptionally low, even most of the bills included. We should've known better than to expect anything close to reasonable standard. I don’t need to say much more than that the hallway had a, lets say convincing, odour of cat piss.

Onto the next project, we’ve had contact with two agents working for a website (gweet.com, similar to airbnb.com) and they took us to see some apartments, slightly out of our budget. For the first apartment we ventured far into a residential area I don’t know the name of, and visited the darkest, most depressing apartment I’ve ever seen. Considering standard and location it was way over priced, I didn’t even have to glance at Robert to know we wouldn’t move there if it so were for free. I guess it was some sort of sales trick that he took us there first. Because the next apartment, for the same price, was Aamazing (yes, it deserves both a capital and a dubbel ‘A’). Central, newly renovated, big, fresh, modern, never used before, safe area, close to transportation, you name it. Only draw back was that it is i.n the basement, though it has windows. And of course not to forget - it is definitely too good to be true, and a little over our budget. 

So tomorrow we will see two apartments, both with perfect locations. One of them seems to cheap, so there must be a draw back there somewhere (my guess is, shared bathroom with the whole building), and the other one takes out an agents fee of 10% so it must be really good for us to go for it. 

It is fun, but nerve wracking. How many apartments should we see? How much of a “game” do the landlords/agents play? Is it okay to try and bargain the price? How long can you wait until you accept an offer? Clearly, I’m not very good at this, I just want everyone to be open about their intentions and let me take my time making up my mind. Oh, in a perfect world. 

So far we’ve been, what I consider, lucky. We’ve met nice and helpful people. And I think that the fine art of apartment hunting can be mastered by being nice (thanks dad for letting me inherit your ‘trevlighet’) and relentless. Answer to ads of apartments you don’t even want or afford, chance is they have another apartment. And if you’re nice enough, they’ll even come pick you up and drive you back to wherever and you won’t have to pay taxis back and forth everywhere!

Thunder and lightning! It is… snowing in Amman?

After almost two days of traveling (train to Stockholm Tuesday, plane to Amman Wednesday) we finally arrived at Queen Alia airport in Jordan, outside Amman. Through the passport control, and an officer who briefly considered if he should be bother to be interested in why I came here for the fourth time - and decided not to be, and out into that distinct Jordan air. It smells like a mixture of fuel, dust and sunshine - it would have been wonderful, had it not been for the snow storm. 

When I was told that a snow storm would hit the Amman area I didn’t really take it seriously. It is like when it snows in London and the tube stops and you think “really? come on, it is just snow! How would it work if we stopped everything as soon as it snowed a little?" There wouldn’t be anything happening in half of Sweden for five months each year, would be the correct answer to that rhetorical question. But, I have to admit, it was quite bad. It was snowing pretty hard but it just kind of melted on the ground so everything became covered in slush, roads were closed and buses weren’t allowed to drive. This we learned after two hours or so waiting in the bus, which by the way was running all this time - really good for the environment right? Finally, one hour later, we found a cab driver who didn’t want to completely ruin us. So we shared a cab with two others and too many bags. 

I’ve never seen so many abandoned cars and selfie-taking (#snowselfie) people in one hour. Crazy times. After like an hour drive, with one of our co-passengers praying every time we starting going up hill, and an embarrassing re-introduction to Arabic, we finally arrived at the hotel.

Today has been crazy enough as well, after sleeping way over breakfast time we had to venture out into a rainy Amman to find something to eat. Hungry and cold we took a cab to the well-known Rainbow Street to find breakfast and an ATM. Just to find everything being closed. We decided to go down town instead, which usually is a pleasant walk, except today we had the company of rain water racing us down the hills. So by the time we came down and had to cross the road to get to the only open café we could find, we had to wade in 10 cm deep water that rushed through the streets. To say the least, my shoes got a little wet.

After that adventure we walked back to the hotel, soaking wet by now, to find ourselves a permanent place to live. And seeing as the Jordanian dinar is impossibly strong right now (nibbling at the British pound even) our budget has become near impossibly low.

Told you it would be an adventure! ;-)

Some stairs, or a waterfall? Who knows, I'm just glad we weren't going that way.

Family fun and leaving soon

Had a wonderful day with the family today. Shopping, food, laughs. I’m lucky to have such a supportive family. But I’m feeling more and more ready to go, find my own adventure. And also my skin is starting to protest against the cold, dry air. I’ve learned that now, when the skin on my face starts to react, it is time to go! 

We’ve booked a hotel for the first four nights, hopefully we can estimate from there how long time it will take to find somewhere to live. We’ve seen so many nice apartments online, but I think we have to be there to see the apartment, meet the landlords. And especially see the area. I’m getting more and more nervous, I have so many nice memories from Amman and Jordan. But the more I think about it, the less I remember. What was that area called again, how did one use the public transportation-system? I’ve no idea. Fun to learn all that over again. 

I really look forward to find my place there again. Get back to my favorite café at Paris circle, find a new supermarket, a fruit market, and of course, get back to weekly shopping at the second hand market in Abdali! Very important stuff. I’ll have to fight to not become a regular at the closest bakery and/or falafel place though, dangerous stuff that is.

27/12 - 2014

How bizarre it feels, that in less than two weeks we’re in Jordan, indefinite. I’ve never moved somewhere without having a plan for what to do there and how to go forward. Well, if I’m not counting Norway (who does?). 

I’m super excited for it though, and preparations have finally started, making lists (my favorite), and reading up on the areas history. My plan is to be quite frequent at the blog, to keep people updated (but I’ve said that before, haven’t I?). This time in English, I need the practice. 

For those who don’t know, I have a volunteer position at a local organization where I will be helping them in working with issues regarding social justice and democracy. The organization seems really good, though I need a paid job within a few months, so the search for that need to start quite soon. But, is there anything that can cause procrastination, it is applying for jobs. Talk about anxiety. But at least my room gets cleaned, my computer gets organized, and most importantly - I get up to date on all my TV-shows ; )

This is the place I'll leave! Looks beautiful in the sunset :)

Day minus 17 and counting down

The next adventure in my life will soon begin. We’ve taken everything we own and put it in a storage unit/boiler room somewhere in an apartment building in my home town. In 17 days me and my Robert, bringing some clothes and books, will go to Jordan and Amman. With an unknown return date.

It is crazy much that circles around in my head and I've got mixed feelings about everything right now. Everything with moving from Norway, a relatively new position at work and focus on celebrating christmas with the family has put Jordan too far down on my priority list. Hence, not much is set for the trip. We have tickets for the 7th of January and almost all vaccines. But no place to live, no jobs. 

An adventure it will be indeed. I know one thing though: it’ll be fun.