Last night I decided to play photographer and talk a walk through Jabal Natheef just before sunset. I bought myself some sunflower seeds and wandered about as slowly as I possibly could from the top of the hill down. To many residents I surely looked completely lost – roving aimlessly with my backpack and camera slung over one shoulder. Twice I was stopped and kindly offered help or directions. In a sense I was lost, though not the type of lost that can be remedied with a map. I was unquestionably a foreigner in this place—

my camera even more of a giveaway than my pale skin—with only limited knowledge of Arabic. When people asked me where I wanted to go, my response of “ma ba’aref” likely didn’t convey that I was content to wander.

So many things struck me strolling through this place. Spending most of my time in West Amman I had only ventured East on a handful of occasions. But something really felt more authentic about this place.

I reached a dead-end, sat and watched the sun dip behind the massive Le Royal, and decided it was time to head home. But as I walked back the same street a young man stopped me and asked if I’d like to have some tea with him.

A minute later I was on the roof of his building looking over the entire city. Yousef called a friend of his to join us and help with translation, which was great because I found my Arabic vocab running out quickly. We talked for quite a while as it got dark, but most interesting for me was our conversation about the differences between my home in the US and here (particularly right here in Jabal Natheef). I often find it hard to illustrate these differences, as obvious as most are. Yousef wanted to know which one was “better” – an impossible question to answer. “Different” not “better.”

The most telling example that came to mind was the interaction that the three of us were having right there on the roof. It simply wouldn’t have occurred in the US. Period. No one would ever invite a stranger (let alone a foreigner) into his house for tea. “Why not?” Well, I hadn’t really thought about it. “Cultural differences,” was the cop-out answer. Clearly these are cultural differences, but based on what? Are Jordanians friendly and Americans not? I’d like to think that isn’t true. It has to be more complex.

After talking this over with others it started to make more sense. At risk of oversimplifying, American culture is one of individualism. Success is found through personal achievement, fostering an insular culture. I am certainly no expert on Jordanian culture, but from my brief time here life seems to be base much more on the collective. The family is so much more important. Attitudes about use of time also seem to differ. In the US being rushed and busy is a sign of being industrious. The opposite seems to be true here.

But this is just one set of opinions and observations, and I would love to hear alternative views from both the Jordanian and the American perspective. What are some factors that can explain these “cultural differences” that we are quick to recognize but often slow to rationalize?