Brothels in Amman

For those so inclined, to alleviate the boredom of living in Amman, there is quite an extensive selection of brothels. Two that I know of are located near the Third Circle, conveniently within walking distance of several major hotels. There is one in a mysterious club on the top floor of the Razan Hotel. The interior of the club has live music, a stage for some kind of "performance" (I never saw any of the performances), a bar, and several dark, quieter "conversation areas." There is also an extensive outdoor terrace with a great view of the city. This brothel tends to feature Indonesian and Malaysian prostitutes. Another brothel is located across the street, on the top floor of the Roqaibat Hotel. There was a third brothel that I identified a few months ago -- a Ukrainian one called "Khutorok" in the tony Umm Uthaina neighborhood -- but it seems to have closed recently.

Filipina and Sri Lankan maids and nannies

Have you ever noticed how many parents in Jordan have "outsourced" the care of their kids to their Filipina and Sri Lankan maids? Go into any restaurant in an upscale part of Amman, particularly for breakfast or lunch, and you'll see this phenomenon. Mom and Dad waltz in, paying little or no attention to their kids, with nanny trailing not far behind, watching over their brood? The theater continues at the table, where the nanny desperately tries to alleviate the boredom of the kids while the parents merrily chat with other adults at their own or nearby tables.

Empty restaurants in Amman that say they are "fully booked"

Have you ever arrived at an empty restaurant in Amman without reservations, only to be told that they are "fully booked"? It's very irritating. Once, we managed actually to get a table at one of those "fully booked" restaurants. It was not a very desirable table, as we cast our eyes about the sea of empty tables all around, but we were hungry so we took it. We were there for 2 hours, from 7 pm to 9 pm, and all that time not a single other party came in to be seated! The Living Room in Jebel Amman and the Library at the Marriott seem to be the prime offenders in this.