Do and don't in Jordan

I lived in Jordan, Irbid. For 1 month. And im going back in 1 month. It was great. I would say no its not difficult to adjust to anything over there. Just no one told me about arabic toilets. LOL. So if your a woman bring some tissue. Most public bathrooms dont have american toilets just arabic. other than that it was the most amazing experience.

Do go to Petra and do not take the Doney up or down the back mountains. Very very dangerous. After you finsih do go to the rooftop terrace at the Movenpick hotel and get the best Ice cream you ever had.

Do not rely on a Brita pitcher to filter your water. I got a severe bug and had to have injections. Boil your water then when it is cool run it through the filter.

If you are a women do not smoke on the street and try to keep your habit as private as possible when visiting with others or when oithers are visiting you. Most here judge women who smoke as being loose.

Do: Eat at clean, locally owned establishments.
   
Don't: Eat at the overpriced multinational franchise restaurants whose food is laced with estrogenic chemicals

Do: Drive defensively and get two additional pairs of eyes for driving

Don't: Close your eyes or take them off the road.

Do: Negotiate on anything you buy, including your rent and furniture

Don't: Pay full price

Do: Learn Arabic

Don't: Start mixing English terms in your Arabic

Do: Make sure your hot water is ready in your apartment or house before you move in

Don't: Trust the building's guard when he assures you that "everything will be ready" the day you move in

Do: Bring as many books as you can, as good books in non-Arabic languages are scarce

Don't: Show me any of your NY Times bestsellers. There are enough of those around.

Do: Remember that people in this region are fairly sophisticated and not the primitive nomads that myth and media makes them out to be

Don't: Put your the soles of your feet near people as that is the one taboo that will bring out the primitive nomad in people, even if they do not tell you


Other than that, once you are settled, Jordan is a pretty modern country with cool things to do. Don't sweat it

This is wonderful advice...thanks for sharing!  I'll be with my honey, so hopefully there won't be too many problems to encounter there.  But it's always good to know these things, just in case.

Speaking of which, I'm hoping someone here can give some good advice about procedures for getting married in Jordan?  The official US Government website is overwhelming - like putting pieces of a puzzle together!  Of course, there are the obvious documents that are needed (passport, birth certificate - and I just found out that I'll need several vaccinations before my trip!), but I just wish there was a step-by-step guide that helps to cover all bases on both sides, so that nothing is overlooked - official documents, health screens, registration, fees, locations, etc, etc...

Thanks in advance!

Got married in Jordan, to a Jordanian I fell in love with (She had her greencard) - I'm an American.  Here's what I needed:
- Passport
- License
- "Donation to Church" (Greek Orthodox) ~ 100 JD's
- Letter stating I wasn't currently or previously married (Available from State - "Letter of No Record")
- A Letter from my church stating I was eligible for marriage
- A jewelry set (a matching ring, and a formal ring, plus necklace bracelets earrings etc.), for the bride
- My parents by my side, representing my family (the men will get together and ask permission for marriage, and the brides family with hopefully agree

Additionally, there is the engagement ceremony (optional) or dinner (optional) prior to the wedding.  In my case this was ~ 1 week before our wedding - what a rush!

If you are a female, the groom and his family should be paying for almost everything.

Following the marriage, you will need to alter the passport for your spouse, and get a family book made - at which time they will remove the bride from the fathers family book.  In my case this was a nightmare!  Had to go to some bureau and sit there for many hours.  My name doesn't following their convention, and they refused to accept my explanation - so I had to get an official to sign some kind of waiver, and it took them 4 or 5 iterations to fix my name.  It was related to the middle name being the name of the father, which was not the case for me.  Unfortunately they also indicated that no children can be added to my wifes family book (the children take the nationality of the father - so in my case my children can never be Jordanian).  Ah well.

- Joseph