Sometimes I have bad days. Especially when I am about to produce some writing and I sit alone at my desk in my overpriced hotel apartment. It has a sunny balcony, but the warmth from the sun doesn’t enter the building. When it gets dark, I start getting cold feet and hands, although it is supposedly 16 degrees outside at night. Guess what, it is around the same temperature inside my apartment the whole evening. The A/C that is generally used for warming up the air only blows coldly in my face. I have to work from my bed under the sheets and drink tea all day long. Tea, really? I wake up in the morning and don’t want to put my arms outside the blanket. It will take until noon for the apartment to be in a human friendly temperature. How do people survive in the winter? It is supposed to snow in December, now it is November. I can’t wrap my head around how I have to make this situation work soon.
There are all these beautiful things that I have seen and will see, but they don’t count today. Today, I am halfway through my stay and most of my travels are over. Today, I face reality. Today, I have to start producing.
When I feel like taking a break and walk there is nowhere to walk. There is no sidewalk so instead of a calming stroll, every encounter with the street is a hazardous endeavor. People only get from A to B in cars. Those are considered poor who rely on the informal mini bus system. The yellow taxi will screw you over and not turn on the meter. Uber and Careem are apps to use if you want to get to a place. But what if I don’t want to? I want to get lost somewhere, discover something new, use the street, see people, be seen, sit in a café, be outside, execute my right to be here, to be seen, to “verweilen” is the beautiful German word. To rest for a bit, recharge. With no public spaces and no parks to go, where to rest?
On the street I get harassed. For being European, for being a woman. If I am having a really bad day, I frown at every man I see on the street (and who is most probably staring at me anyways) because they all are responsible for the fact that I can’t be outside. Yes, today I think these thoughts, irrational as they may be.
I would like to take a subway, a bus, walk. Just walk.
There is no walkability here. If you try it, it will freak you out. You will feel tired after having been outside to shop for bread for 10 minutes.
I want to go alone to places.
There are no women alone here.
They are always accompanied.
And this is why they stare even more. Mostly men on the streets. ‘Look away’, I want shout in their faces. What gives you the right to stare at me and I can’t even walk this street in peace?
Walkability of a city shows you how democratic an urban environment is. Of course, I know this. I know countries that have the same problems. But being a woman right now makes this even harder. Even as a researcher I can’t go to sites in the city alone and take photographs. A European male will either be left alone or, I guess, accepted as being part of the living street at this very moment.
I know I am being harsh today. I know tomorrow will be another day. But today, today stinks.
Thanks to @Omm.Z (aka @CirqueDuSoleil’s dashing #DirectorOfGlobalEvents) for introducing me to the bright and beautiful @NejlaBintAsem, in the #VIPTent, at the after-party for last night’s @1Night1Drop gala. In addition to being a member of the #AlHashimiDynasty (aka the #RoyalFamilyOfJordan), HRH Princess Nejla bint Asem is a #JewelryDesigner, whose lauded collection for @DamasJewelry (the Middle East’s leading retailer of luxury watches and jewelry for the past century or so) includes today’s #WearableProzac, the spectacular earrings of #18KGold, embellished with charms of dangling #Turquoise. Inspired by her childhood walks through #DowntownAmman, they deftly blend East and West with an elegant balance; and looked absolutely lovely, suspended from the royal lobes. #GetIntoIt #PrincessNejlaBintAsem #NejlaBintAsemCollection #ExclusivelyAtDamas #FineJewelry #CirqueDuSoleil #OmarZabian #1Night1Drop #SustainableDrinkingWater #Philanthropy #Luxury #Vegas (at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino)
Finally, I had a day off. After hard work on the newthink festival, we all got to spend Sunday out of the office (Sunday is the first day of the week here). I had heard a lot about downtown, Amman, and really wanted to go. So I called my new friend, Maram and asked if she wanted to join me. She had never been to the roman theatre - my luck - so we went this afternoon with her friend, Sanaa. So sweet girls :) The roman theatre in Amman was built in 138-161 CE (according to Wikipedia, as the information on sight was very limited), and is an incredibly beautiful architectural sight. For only 1 JD, you can both enter the theatre and the museum for popular history. If you climb to the top you get a stunning view of downtown and the citadel (which I intend on visiting later), and many people sit on the steps and enjoy the peace and quiet. This is also the place, where I saw the biggest group of tourists until now. And I remembered that I am still one. It doesn't feel like I've only been here for a week. I just love it here! We strolled around downtown, which is busy and full of markets and small street food stalls. After the touristy deed of the day, we went for a fruit cocktail (they have a million of these 'joe and the juice'-alike places in downtown) and then the best falafel I have ever had at Hashem's Restaurant. It is a small place crammed in between two buildings, serving only falafel, hummus and foul. Yauza! So delicious. When we were all stuffed and happy, we hopped on a bus towards Jabal Amman, where I got invited to Maram's home. I met her two younger brothers, her sister, Aya and her mother. I tasted a really nice pea soup served with bread crumbs and traditional Jordanian cakes. It was the perfect ending to a day off new experiences and new friendships.
