No Parking (cont.)

Yesterday, we went grocery shopping to start stocking our pantry with supplies. When we returned - surprise, surprise - a car was blocking the driveway. Over here in Jordan, the car horn is as essential as the engine. Bill used his horn. Fortunately, the driver was sitting in the car and moved it promptly. 

Perhaps you are thinking, Isn't it rude to honk your horn at someone instead of getting out of your car and politely asking the driver to move his car? The correct answer is "No." You know that old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans"? It applies here too. In fact, you have to learn to speak the language of the people you live among. Whatever language they speak, you have to talk back to them in that language. That is what they understand. 

Today, we had another example of this. We went to Orange, a phone and Internet company. We wanted a SIM card and some minutes on our phone. This is inexpensive and easy...normally. The sales guy went through every available option, every available plan, every available offer. "This one is good for you, I think," he would say. "Only 28 JD a month. Or, this one, only 43 JD a month." (That is the equivalent of $40.00 and $60.00 a month.) We wanted a SIM card ($2.00) and minutes (about $10.00/month). 

Of course, in this male oriented society, he was speaking primarily to Bill and acting like I did not exist unless I addressed him directly. When he pulled out a paper (all written in Arabic) and showed us where to sign at the bottom, I started speaking their "language." "Why do we need to sign something? We can't even read that! We don't know what you are wanting us to sign. We've done this before and we never had to sign anything. All we want is a SIM card and minutes and you keep trying to get us to buy one of your expensive offers!" 

"Okay, okay," he said as he pulled the paper away, backpedaled a few minutes before he returned to his sales pitch. After about an hour of this, we finally walked out of the Orange office with a SIM card and minutes. We only had to go back into the store one time. (The sales guy had apparently deactivated something on our phone.) Bill asked for the manager who, fortunately, fixed everything. 

In Jordan, you don't expect to get every task on your list checked off. You will be fortunate if you get one or two things done. It is because this is not America. This is Jordan and they do business differently. 

So, we are reacclimatizing...to the very things that make this society so interesting. It is hard for an American to wrap his/her mind around Middle Eastern customs, but once you accept them, life becomes a little less frustrating. And, in spite of the frustrations, these people can be very likable and endearing. I think that, perhaps, Jordanians would have a hard time adapting to American society too. We must stop expecting Jordan to be America and appreciate it for its many good traits. So, we do our best to enjoy the best of Jordan...and not allow our blood pressure to rise too high, too often!