There are people who wear traditional dress such as abaya (a long loose-fitted dress covering the head for women) or hijab (head veil for women) and thobe (loose-fitted dress for men). There are also people who wear American brands like American Eagle or even Apple Airpods.
Coming from Minnesota, I thought the winters here would be easy. Little did I know that the winter here was nothing compared to the cold of Minnesota. The houses here are typically built to stay cool in the summer, so when it’s wintertime, the houses are freezing cold. Some homes have central heating, but most people simply use space heaters because it’s less expensive. The college I used to attend didn’t have heat inside, so I remember having to wear my jacket all day long until I could return home to my bedroom space heater. Thankfully Bayt.com will have heat, so I won’t have to worry about being cold during the day. Needless to say, I’m not looking forward to the winters in Amman because they are much colder than I expect.
In my opinion, cultural exchange is one of the most important opportunities anyone can pursue in their life. Not only does it help on a personal level to understand a different culture and way of living, but you can also share where you come from. Even further, you can share your experience with family, friends, and in the classroom setting like we are doing now. It’s important to combat the stereotypes and images often displayed in the news.
As I previously mentioned, prior to coming to Amman, I did not know many people from the Arab world. Now having lived here for nine months (including my time abroad in 2017), I’ve started to get a look into what life is really like.
