June 2018
Writing I Textbook as Travel Guide (Part II)
On my second trip to Jordan I requested NH to take me to Jebel Al Webdeh because it was yet another place mentioned in the Writing I textbook I used at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. It turns out Duwwar al-Hawuz Square used to hold a very ugly water tower until 2003 and then it was renovated, renamed, and replaced with a Parisian Style square. The new area attracted restaurants and a bit of a cafe scene. I cannot say it was a lot better than similar neighborhoods in Amman, because the city was full of "special spots" for dining (which I loved). I could have seen myself living in Jebel Al Webdeh if I ever moved to Amman. Like Los Angeles, the Jordanian capital is more of a collection of independent neighborhoods than a city with a defined center and downtown.
NH said right after Jebel Al Webdeh's redevelopment it became an "in" place for intellectuals for some time and a lot of university professors had moved there. As cities are fickle (and ancient Amman has been around a looooong time), people moved on from Paris Square being an "in" location. During my visits to Amman, for example, the place to visit was Rainbow Street. The location of my hotel on my first visit, Al Swaifyeh, was actually an "in" place fallen on hard times. I remember the Starbucks there was literally empty on every visit. On my second visit to Amman, my hotel was near Waha Circle, a place NH said his parents was popular in their youth. Paris Square was just another "in" neighborhood that people had gotten bored with. I assumed it was "in" about the time the textbook I used was being written. Perhaps if any given neighborhood in Amman waited long enough (in a city that measures time in centuries) it would eventually be a hip neighborhood?
If I ever make it to Kuwait, I have a neighborhood to visit there, too. So far, the Writing I textbook has not let me down.