The second day enjoying our first (and maybe only) truly free weekend. Visited Abdoun Circle and Taj Mall. For dinner the group met up at Waffle House as a farewell dinner for Kevin, one of our TAs, who is leaving us cadets for the Real Army. Best of luck 2LT Briskin!
I had a conversation with a taxi driver today who, when asked where he was from, responded القدس/Jerusalem. When I asked more about it, it turns out he lives and lived in Amman but his family is from Jerusalem. I'm not saying he's not from Jerusalem, but it's interesting because there's such a strong Palestinian identity coming from people who spent most of their lives in Jordan. Even in other countries like Britain, people from Palestine or who identity as Palestinian seem to have a strong national identity. Someone like Shadia Mansour, a Palestinian rapper who grew up in Britain, is bursting with Palestinian pride. But obviously this is a very small sample size.
Also he talked about how life in Amman is more expensive than any other Arab capital. According to him, although the cost of living in a place like Dubai or Riyadh might be more expensive, people earn much more money to pay that cost. In Amman, living is expensive, and earnings are low.
Protip: If you don't have an ironing board, a nylon rug on a wooden bed frame will kinda work.
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