Being a single woman, living alone in Jordan is certainly not something I'd recommend to the faint-hearted. Having grown up in the West and having become accustomed to the kinds of freedoms that enable simple tasks such as grocery shopping - by which I mean being able to walk down the street in conservative clothing without every third car hooting "pss... pss... ya helloo" - the reality of living in the Middle East has taken some mild acclimatisation on my part, to say the very least.
Don't get me wrong, being of Arab origin and having had some wonderful experiences in this region, I am a huge fan of Arab culture - the fact that I moved here of my own free will stands as testimony of this, but when rather grubby looking men make noises at me that I have only ever made to 'shoo' away stray cats, I do sometimes find myself questioning the sanity of my decision.
The tiresome bureaucracy, the blatant discrimination and the constant feeling that I am being watched does weigh heavily on my spirit, but for all its downfalls, Jordan remains a beautiful country, full of people that genuinely care for one another, who have a set of manners that only exist in the history books of Western civilisation. Where regardless of the hoots and jeers, women will still be given the front seat on the bus and men help to carry their heavy bags.
A woman's honour is everything here, and society stands to protect it. This comes with pros and cons that I am still discovering, but the clear blue skies and palm trees that line the streets bring joy to each day that I spend here, as do the people that make this region so special. The rest, I just need to take with a pinch of zaater.
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