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How to make friends in Jordan

expat.com
#1
We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in Jordan :top:

Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in Jordan??

Thanks in advance for your participation
See also
ninjabike
#2
I am Australian but I was born in Jordan,I lived,studied and worked in Australia for 16 years but had to come back to Jordan.
Highway
#3
I am from Scotland and arrive in Jordan in April.  I was there for 3 days last week and feel the first few months will be real tough.
Brit in Jordan
#4
Hi Highway

It is tough to make new friends - especially for women in Amman.  Suggest you join the Brit Club in Abdoun which shows regular sport on TV - has curry nights and Sunday lunches on a Saturday.  I am seriously considering writing a blog to help introduce like-minded people to get together for a drink etc.  At least women have the BLA (British Ladies Assn) coffee mornings etc. but for you blokes must be difficult.  I do know another Scot here and I know he goes to the Brit Club for sporting events.  Good luck !
Highway
#5
Thanks for your response.  Day of arrival only 10 day now.  For sure I will head to the Brit Club now I know it is there and am a fan of sport.

Hope you are well

Highway
prosenberg1944
#6
Saw the post on the Brit Club in Abdoun. Do they allow Yanks in? I arrived from Washington, DC in mid April. Found an apartment in Shmeisani. Now trying to figure out where I can meet fellow ex-pats. Is there an American Club of some sort?

Thanks in advance.
Philip
Brit in Jordan
#7
I am sure there must be - try contacting the US Embassy - the Brit Club is in the grounds of the British Embassy - so is the Australian Club at Oz Embassy.  I think membership to the Brit Club is for Brits and Commonwealth only but there is no harm in contacting them for Associate or Social Membership.  They have a website britclubjo.com - best phone as Daniel who runs the Club is slow in replying to emails.  I meet for coffee with some US ladies on Mondays so will ask further for you next week.

Best wishes
Jeanette
prosenberg1944
#8
Jeanette,

Thank you for your reply. I will contact the U.S. Embassy and the other leads you provided. If you learn of anything at your Monday coffee, please let me know.

Best wishes,
Philip
shobaki
#9
Hello every body
to make friend relationships in Jordan , with Jordanian ppl , I think its so easy !
Just be brave and say “hello or Salam“
U will surprised that wall between u and them is broken, It was not there
Jordanian ppl very friendly and hospitably …
Just try to be closer
Want to check??
Write me dr.Shobaki@gawab.com
Brit living in Jordan
#10
Jordanian ppl are very friendly and easy to make friends with. helpful and kind also
omaracc
#11
Hello everybody

Guys u don’t need a special club to make friends or to meet new friends just break the ice that’s all

I think all Jordanian ppl are friendly, yes maybe you will find their behave strange a little but u will get to use it soon
Zoba In Jordan
#12
HELLO!!  who wants to be my friend.. lol i have no friends in Jordan as well ~~ im feeling lonely ;((  lol
Iyardanetz
#13
People around here usually make friends through school, university, family, or work, or other friends. Have none of those? It is highly unlikely you will make many friends. Unless you knock on your neighbors' doors, and ask for their friendship.
smadi
#14
i'm jordanian, i live in amman,
i'd love to make a few friends from australia,
i want to learn about it and it's people, and maybe improve my language a bit too,and you may learn a few arabic words that may come in handy.
if your interested, here's my email: ala_smadi86@yahoo.com
FeeAcer
#15
Welcome to Expat.com, Smadi :)

Have you already thought about "language exchange"? There is a Language exchange subsection in Amman's Classifieds where you could also try to post this message :)
Hope this helps
Arlette
FouadsBaby
#16
I just have to tell you a secret:

We foreigners in Amman have to learn the hard lesson of 1. Take your humility, trust and honesty and just lock them up in a safe box--and don't open it up until you get back to your country because in Jordan when you answer people's personal invading, sometimes very uncomfortable and direct questions ( normal local people --old ladies, young ladies- kids, men or elder men or anyone --your boss) You have  basically these options:
a. Not answer and try to change the subject quickly, but be sure they will keep asking and trying to dig. People here do not hesitate to ask personal questions that we as westerners find down right out of line.
        or
b. Answer with your honest self and risk being judged or given a disgusted look--sometimes you might even lose a job for being down right honest about yourself or your past.
        or
c. Open your mobile and act like somebody's ringing you, and quickly just, diplomatically leave the situation altogether,and make it a point in lessoning your contact with the locals in general unless you can learn to really lie. And most of us aren't raised -where it's okay to lie.

Again...stick with you're own kind, and you'll be fine. Ofcourse you need to have a good income in Jordan in order to maintain your social life, or otherwise if your poor and stuck like me, buy yourself a cheap vodka and stay drunk and asleep because life here is just horrible and literally unbareable. That's why I'm leaving as soon as possible. It's not worth it here.
Gourmandise
#17
Hello guys

Related to the topic of making friends and meeting new people, we are organizing a get together tonight for people on this forum in AMMAN at 7.30at Blue Fig.

Reservations are under my name "fran". It would be a good opportunity to meet people from the forum

Please confirm whether you can make it ( you can PM me until 6ish today).
See you there and bring friends!

Cheers

Fran
ninjabike
#18
Sorry can't make.Hopefully next time.Enjoy
yasmine1989
#19
i just came to jordan and i feel so lonely here without all my friends and i find it wired so does any1 can give me advices about the ppl here
Sir Edward
#20
Guys i know its late reply but what the hell is going on !!!! making friends is the same in any place else just respect the people and you will get the same in return, be open minded , and u have to know that u have to get used on any place cultures or views or thinking way  i know it would be hard because the difference between cultures and languages but its not impossible.


FouadsBaby i read what you have wrote here in this topic and i really cant believe that i thought that you describing ghetto  !! in any place , there is the good and the bad people !! here in Jordan or in any country am truly sorry if u have faced bad conditions here . and sure life here would be very horrible if u only drinking your cheap Vodka, sleep and stay home it would make any place horrible , give your self another chance don't give up  , try hard, and get the needed courage  .

by the end anyone who needs help in anything here in Jordan am so ready and it would b my  pleasure ..
Moe007
#21
:offtopic:
H
#22
Hello Moe007, maybe that you should introduce yourself! This will help.;)

Harmonie.
danik2010
#23
Hello everybody!! I live in Amman for almost a year now and I can tell you it was not difficult to make friends, Jordanians are very friendly. Also, I have a lot of foreign people as friends, we all get together as much as possible and spend a great time. I love being here and I hope to stay longer...
Ismailk
#24

organizedchaos wrote:

I like the note about dealing with Jordanian people, it is very interesting as I was in England for 5 years and faced a similar issues.

Diplomatic, non committal and faceless speeches is there normal way of speaking, occasionally they say "TO BE HONEST" because usually they are not honest, they talk always in the Gray aria, never yes or no, when they are drunk they starts to behave different, saying what in there brain !!!

Weather, Gossips, back biting and Evil Speaking is there only subjects, no one will tell you that your shirt is dirty but instead they tell everyone else! they would be setting together and when one leave the group they talking about him, and when second person leave they talk about him as well, never direct or straight always giving you hints and you have to read though the lines to understand them.

I found many people there are very materialistic, lonely, Live like robots with no emotions, neither family or personal, it is all depending on what they need from that person, you live or work with them for years but they stay strangers.

They are happy to get married and share children but when it comes to sharing a house you find them dealing with each others like they have never met, money is much more important than children or family. many of them die lonely and the social services employees discover them before there family or friends!!

On the other hand I found many honest people as well, and handled the different way of living, it wasn't easy at the beginning but we live and learn! And if you are leaving your place you should expect these differences, respect it and find a way of dealing about it!

All the best!


organizedchaos you are absolutely right in what you said here, you simply put all I have seen and felt in words!

nana962
#25
Hello ,i would like to make some friends in jordan , people from any country ,they live in Amman city.
habana
#26
hello nana,

you are welcome!

regards

habana
D
#27
you most welcome  in jordan  if  you like  to have  friend  in jordan 'i'm bedouin guy live in bedouin village and in mountain of  petra south of jordan i can host you by our bedouin way simple different than Amman you fell free to contact me :  0962 776 882 309
greeting nawwaf
Primadonna
#28
Ahlan wa Sahlan Nana and Habana,

Welcome on board and I hope you will like it here.
This site can help you to meet new people and who knows, make some good friends too.
scorpy
#29
Hello everyone...
I meet a new ppl everyday ( local & expat ) when they call me to fix their satellite system, but they still a customers to me, so i think it would be rude if i try to be a friend of anyone... maybe some of them r very kind and friendly but as a professional i just can't... :'(
Primadonna
#30
I am not agree with you Scorpy.

Just because you meet new people through your work every day, it is a great opportunity to make friends.
How do you think how people make friends? Most of the friendships starts at work. This is a fact you can't deny.

It will be different when you are a professional in the medical or psychological field, then you are ethical and legal wrong.
Because the basis of these kind of "friendships" are not equally.
JO/EU
#31
....
JO/EU
#32
About what kind of friendship are we talking here? The one to go out with, or the one to rely on? I go after the motto: one bird in the hand is better than 10 pigeons on the roof. A good relationship is worth it all ( not having one yet, but the motto counts :)...
Regarding privacy, what is safety? Is it something that can be cracked with high tech, the world is ways ahead, and the only thing all countries have in common, do not fight about. Learn to think quick, you soon find out one never ever stops learning simply because certain things are just being updated daily. Use the www. to keep yourself updated... Did you know high tech can suck files out of the bag one carries just through a handshake that does not last longer than a second!! Why doing everything yourself when one can get it this way? Shaking hands in an elevator or simply anywhere. It works through body warmth (skin) and a chip others carry in their pockets! Maybe the reason some people put their bags down whenever possible before greeting! But what if one carries any info in the pants!!! Experts consider such methods a replacement for obvious privacy violation.. Forget about the milliards and possibilities others have, certain files are always unique, can not be made same way even with milliards... According to online newspapers, in 2002 it was possible to suck a whole word document within a second! Emails... private info etc... One can imagine the progress by now...
JO/EU
#33
To make friends here is not easy because the way of life is different and therefore thinking is different. It is about marriage, not making friends. It can not be compared to abroad where life as a single is meanwhile more hip than marriage. There are traditions, and everything beyond is rather uncommmon. Therefore I can not share the idea that it is easy to make  (real) friends. I suggest to be patient, make friends yourself rather than being introduced. People who go for clubbing or are easy going, will reach their goal everywhere in the world sooner than others with other ideas about making friends. I do not care when somebody tells me they have lots of friends or making friends is easy since I don't know what they are ready to give or behave, and we never know if what they say is true...
I understand all those who get bored with time, or feel annoyed. But life is different, and at least to me, it does not make sense trying to change things. If I am not happy with the way of life, it does not make any sense to adjust myself either. It would not make me happy, only others which is not the point.
I myself stagger between leaving or staying. If work does not cover one most of the day, we long for friends or a relationship.
In case I have a partnership I would not mind staying, I have the possibility to moving to the nature. Staying in the city I would not like, even with a partner.
Primadonna
#34
We are talking about friendships and not relationships.
I agree with you that sometimes is difficult to make friends due culture, traditions etc.
But on the other hand it can make the friendship more value and more interesting and it can take you behind your borders and comfort zone, open new perspectives and you can LEARN form each other.

There a different types of friendship, friendships for shopping, for culture, for outdoor activities, exchange languages, work, neighbors, for drinking coffee or tea... 
It is all there waiting for you. But you have to make the first step, the other don't know what you want or want to do.
JO/EU
#35

Primadonna wrote:

We are talking about friendships and not relationships.
I agree with you that sometimes is difficult to make friends due culture, traditions etc.
But on the other hand it can make the friendship more value and more interesting and it can take you behind your borders and comfort zone, open new perspectives and you can LEARN form each other.

There a different types of friendship, friendships for shopping, for culture, for outdoor activities, exchange languages, work, neighbors, for drinking coffee or tea... 
It is all there waiting for you. But you have to make the first step, the other don't know what you want or want to do.


local or foreign friendships?

D
#36
I'll copy&past what (FouadsBaby),cus what she said  represents the
real situations here :
I just have to tell you a secret:

We foreigners in Amman have to learn the hard lesson of 1. Take your humility, trust and honesty and just lock them up in a safe box--and don't open it up until you get back to your country because in Jordan when you answer people's personal invading, sometimes very uncomfortable and direct questions ( normal local people --old ladies, young ladies- kids, men or elder men or anyone --your boss) You have  basically these options:
a. Not answer and try to change the subject quickly, but be sure they will keep asking and trying to dig. People here do not hesitate to ask personal questions that we as westerners find down right out of line.
        or
b. Answer with your honest self and risk being judged or given a disgusted look--sometimes you might even lose a job for being down right honest about yourself or your past.
        or
c. Open your mobile and act like somebody's ringing you, and quickly just, diplomatically leave the situation altogether,and make it a point in lessoning your contact with the locals in general unless you can learn to really lie. And most of us aren't raised -where it's okay to lie.

Again...stick with you're own kind, and you'll be fine. Ofcourse you need to have a good income in Jordan in order to maintain your social life, or otherwise if your poor and stuck like me, buy yourself a cheap vodka and stay drunk and asleep because life here is just horrible and literally unbareable. That's why I'm leaving as soon as possible. It's not worth it here.
D
#37
7 months in Jordan and i've  no friends from this country & when i trusted somebody he stapes me in the back !! holly cow !!
JO/EU
#38
I'll just move to the nature, make olives, melons, and squirrels my friends. Cheers...
Kate29
#39
Not an easy task to make friend here in Jordan..need patience to find "one" true friend.
4 years here and made few good friends only,but it much better than nothing :P..Alhamdolellah :)
Primadonna
#40
Both.

In the beginning when I came here I found out that friendships with expats are without content.
You can not make real or deep friendship with them because they will leave sooner of later.
And when you care for someone it is hard to say goodbye every time when one of them leaves.
That hurts sometimes.

So I tried to focus on the local.
In my case very difficult because I live not in a fancy area and the people are on their own. They invite me for tea but I see never them at my place. Besides this I found out that their mentality do not match with mine...

Now, I don't care with whom I become friends, as long their is a "click" and I like to spend some time with.
As long I feel comfortable with that person and I can learn or get inspired by them, it makes me a better person.

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