Kisses and Kempt

Left is a good direction. Not only does it help me navigate the streets of Amman, it's also an important direction to keep in mind if you don't want to become accidentally lip locked with a Jordanian. Here in Jordan it's not uncommon for friends to kiss each other on the cheek when they meet each other, and when they do the common practice is to go left then right, so if you want to avoid a surprise smooch, it's best to remember to always start left.

Unlike the French, Jordanians don't throw around kisses like candy at a parade, but they do appreciate the friendly acknowledgement through the greeting of some pecks on the cheek. There are some special rules surrounding this greeting though. People of opposite gender don't really exchanged kisses, unless they're family. I'm familiar with the dreaded moment when my Grandma would pucker up and look at me expectantly, but what I wasn't as familiar with is how kisses could also be used as a sign of respect. Whenever children see their grandparents after a long time, it's not entirely uncommon to kiss their hands as a sign of respect. I even started to notice that when my taxi drivers would say Alhamdulillah that they'd kiss their hands. When I asked my Arabic professor about it she said it's because they were imagining they were kissing the hands of God.

My parents would argue that how neat my room is here is because of the hand of God. At school, I don't have a reputation for being a messy person, but when nobody is paying attention I generally enjoying leaving my clothes strewn about the floor and leaving the sheets on my bed a crumpled mess. My parents have a knack for being around when I claim that nobody else is paying attention, and if you listened to them long enough they'd probably argue that I am incapable of picking up my clothes and making my bed every day for three months, but so far in this program I have proven that I indeed can stay tidy.

Being kempt in Jordan is about more than just keeping a clean room. It's also about physical appearance. Every morning here I've combed my hair, something that is unheard of for me in America. Usually in the morning I run my fingers through my hair and call it a day, but being here it seems as if having a bit more order to your do goes a long way. I also usually stop a do a check to make sure there's no stains on my shirt and that my pants aren't wrinkled. I can't say it's my favorite activity to put so much effort into appearance, but I can say that the feeling of putting effort in to adjust to cultural differences, whether it's kisses on the cheek or appearance, is well worth it.