To Jog or Not to Jog? (Outside)

Before I left for Amman, I had a great deal of conversations like the following:

"So, you are going to live in Jordan?" (Usually pronounced in a drawn out, slightly hesitant tone, where the person is either thinking I am brave, foolish, or both.)

I explain about Rotary, Rotary scholarships, and my interest in Arabic and the Middle East.

Then, "What are you going to wear?"

Here, depending on how much this person knows about the Middle East, vs. how much this person watches mainstream American media, he/she is nervously picturing me having to change my dress to a burka, hijab or some other variety of very conservative clothing.

The truth was, as I've explained in past entries, I really had no idea what I would wear, though I knew that I would not begin to wear a hijab or burka; this is absolutely not necessary in Jordan or any of the other countries in the Levant.

When packing, I took to heart, as best I could, the clear directives I had been given about what to wear in order to be appropriately dressed, (even though I knew that they would probably not be able to capture the reality until I had lived in it): "It's best to wear pants, nothing above the knees ever, and loose shirts with high necklines." Men usually receive the prohibition: no shorts. Some people even cautioned me from wearing bright colors, as this would make me "stick out" as an American.

The truth is, as one might imagine, far more nuanced. Here, clothing depends strongly on where exactly you are going to be, and how personally comfortable you feel. While I wouldn't mind wearing shortsleeves to the university, I would not personally wear a skirt, even if it were well below my knees. Perhaps this is to adhere to fashion convention more than modesty, as a loose skirt is more modest than skin tight pants and t-shirt in any case. And nothing bad would happen if I did decide to wear a skirt - I would get more stares and catcalls than usual, but nothing more.

Yet, there are plenty of people who wear skirts at the office, as the feel there is almost like an international zone. I always ponder how the women wearing skirts got to work that day. I assume most of them have their own cars, though I wonder if any of them suffer a few awkward moments with a taxi driver in order to earn a more comfortable workday. And skirts really are more comfortable - especially as the mercury rises here; soon we will all sweat even while standing still.

Since I don't always know where I will be going throughout my entire day, I try to wear jeans or pants and a pretty, yet modest, shirt and leave it at that. I probably don't have to be so conscious of what I wear, but this makes a no-fuss situation where my clothes will never prevent me from feeling comfortable as I walk around.

Still, though, these are not necessarily the clothes I would wear while walking around a European country or the States, and I admit that once in a while I get a craving to wear a skirt and tight t-shirt and not have it be a novelty.

There is certainly the potential to craft your own small liberal world here, especially when owning a car. In theory (and sometimes in practice already I'm sure) a person with a car could go from home to a workplace that accepts liberal dress, then to one of the malls to do shopping, followed by dinner at a restaurant or cafe where skirts, etc. are also appropriate. Yet a few miles away in a different neighborhood - sometimes in a home or restaurant down the street - such dress would be considered completely culturally inappropriate, even if no one will directly criticize you for wearing it.

I do think that I am underestimating Amman in some ways by always making sure to err on the side of conservative. Lately this has come up regarding the subject of jogging outside. In general I love to go running outdoors; it is probably the one thing I miss most about living here. I have never done it because I always assumed that it would be inappropriate and that I would garner unwanted attention; you certainly don't see this very often in the streets.

Lately I'm beginning to wonder if I made this assumption too quickly. First, my gym has a small patch of woods next to it, and this is heavily populated with joggers. Recently I have gone there a few times to run. There are a few women who actually jog (many people walk in general) though I have always thought it prudent to go with a guy friend.

Second, I recently spoke with an American friend - blonde and tan, so difficult for her to go unnoticed here - who said that she jogs outside. I was surprised.

"Don't you get a lot of catcalls and yells?" I asked.
"Yes. But it just doesn't bother me." She shrugs.

I've since begun taking an informal poll, and several other people have agreed that, assuming I am in one of the relatively liberal neighborhoods of Amman, jogging outside (even by myself) isn't a problem.

I suppose I could follow the example of my friend, running outside and just not worrying about what people say, so long as they're not going to come near me. It's funny to see that something I never dreamed of doing here, is in fact possible. Not common or expected, but possible. I have noticed that as I stay here longer, my understanding of (and adherence to) cultural norms has changed gradually.

Though at some point this becomes I larger question, and I have to ask myself if I am here to constantly push and go against the grain, or if I should just try to abide by cultural norms and be content with my gym.

And even though the principle of being able to jog here or not has not changed, I would still not advise a foreigner who has just arrived to do so. I think that perhaps, now that I have been here for about 8 months, it is a judgment that I have enough information to make.