Kingdom of Jordan Through My Eyes...

  Keep in mind, I am only an eighteen year old foreigner looking at and living with this family for two years. View my words through THAT prism.

  When I look at the Jordanian people I see a lot of similarities to The United States. With my opening line I may have annoyed two groups...

  I am a science an history buff, President Ronald Reagan said this in a 1988 speech:

•   "America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, 'You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won't become a German or a Turk.' But then he added, 'Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.'"

  Reagan was WRONG. Jordan is like the United States, a 'Melting Pot' nation. I would argue they do it better in many ways.

MENA - Middle East and North Africa region

  Jordanians open their hearts to everyone. Why is this? Simple the same reason the Arab Spring did not destabilize Jordan like it did other nations in the MENA region, the Bedouin people.

  Bedouin people are the heart and strong back of the Kingdom. The Bedouins respect the monarchy and the King loves them in return. It is generally known that the majority of Jordan’s population is of Bedouin origin. Baba says, "A Bedou has stood on every grain of sand in this nation." Bedouins are most famous for hospitality, and it is part of their DNA. Desert life is harsh and deadly, in Bedouin culture no traveler is turned away.

  One of the largest ethnic groups in Jordan are Palestinians. In spite of President Cheetos' son in law's suggestion to the contrary, The Kingdom of Jordan has refused to strip the Palestinians of their refugee status. It is very clear Mr Kushner knows NOTHING about the people he is working with. After the 1948 and 1967 Wars with Israel, Jordan was the only Arab state that granted all Palestinians the right to Jordanian citizenship.

  Fleeing people from around the region have turned to Jordan for shelter. Jordan is home to the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world. Iraqis fleeing Saddam Hussein's rule found refuge in Jordan. It is personally embarrassing to know such a tiny nation is doing more than the United States. 

  The Circassians also call Jordan home. They are non-Arab followers of Islam from the Caucasus region of western Asia, almost two million fled south as Russia expanded in the nineteenth century. Christians, Turkomans, Baha’is, Armenians, Druzes and Chechens, Jordan has given shelter and welcomed them all.

  They even welcomed a certain red haired, green eyed, Kentucky born redneck refugee from the Florida swamps. When it comes to welcoming the wounded and oppressed, NO OTHER NATION does it better than the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. (JMHO) Will I one day renounce my American Citizenship and become Jordanian, that jury is out.

  Get Ready To Meet People...

  It can be said, that travel changes you. That is only the case when you leave your preconceptions at home. I believe the Jordanian people are; respectful, courteous, decent and honest. In MY experience there are few who DON'T fit that mold. It is fair that visitors should return some of that respect by showing a grasp of some basic aspects of Jordanian culture.

  In general, the three things that most annoy people here about foreign tourists are immodest dress, public displays of affection and lack of social respect. How to avoid causing upset.

  As you travel you will doubtless see dozens of tourists breaking these taboos (and others), knowingly or not. Nothing bad happens to them. Jordan is an open society and there are no religious police marching around to throw offenders in jail, like other Arab states. Jordanians would never be so rude as to tell visitors to their country that they are being RUDE; instead, they’ll smile and say, “Welcome to Jordan!”

Dress for success...

  In many ways that jet you flew in on is a time machine. The march of change is slower here. Surface appearance is the one facet of interaction between locals and Western tourists most open to misunderstandings on both sides. Clothes that are unremarkable at home can come across in Jordan as being embarrassing, disrespectful or offensive.  People here place a much greater emphasis on personal grooming and style of dress than people tend to in the West: for most, consciously “dressing down” in torn or scruffy clothes is unthinkable. In addition, for reasons of modesty, many people expose as little skin as possible, with long sleeves and high necklines for both sexes.

Yes, there ARE exceptions to every rule...

  You may also see Jordanians acting and dressing less conservatively than stated here. That is, of course, their exclusive privilege. It is up to THEM to shape, influence or challenge their own culture from within, in whatever ways they choose. Tourists do not share the same rights over Jordanian culture. The responsibility is on visitors to fit in.

  Greetings...

  All I can say is the energy which Jordanians put into social relationships can bring shame to most of us from the West. I see total strangers greet each other like friends and chat happily about nothing special, and old friends embark on long volleys of salutations and cheek-kisses and earnest inquiries after health, family, business and news.

  Foreigners more used to avoiding strangers and doing business in shops quickly and impersonally can come across as cold, uninterested and even disdainful. Smiling, learning one or two of the standard forms of greeting, acknowledging those who are welcoming you and taking the time to exchange pleasantries will bring you closer to people more quickly than anything else.

  People shake hands here much more than in the West, and even the merest contact with a stranger is normally punctuated by at least one or two handshakes.

  Not kidding on those greetings by strangers. I have witnessed a five minute chat with a stranger dialing a wrong number.

  Personal space...

  Personal space is treated differently in Arab cultures from in the West: for the greater part, it doesn’t exist. Getting in a line and hanging back the 0-18" is a foreign notion.in many situations hanging back is an invitation for other people to move in front.

  As said before, these people are about the social! You could be sitting in the most tranquil spot, alone or with a friend and it would not be unusual to have someone coming up to you blocking the sunset and eager for a chat. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to convey a desire to be alone politely. I am a classic introvert trust me it is draining, but it is done to foster a spirit of community.