Amman – more than meets the eye!...

If it’s an authentic, historic Middle Eastern experience you’re looking for, you won’t find it in Amman.  More modern than antique, Amman doesn’t hold a candle to Cairo or Damascus in terms of impressive Islamic culture.  If you’re booking flights to Amman in an attempt to find a culturally significant Arabic city, you may be sorely disappointed by the Westernised atmosphere permeating the city.

There are two sides to Amman: the rigidly Islamic and conservative eastern end of the city is home to the urban poor and contains expansive Palestinian refugee camps on its suburban fringe, while the modern western side of town is the cultural and financial hub with pleasant residential neighbourhoods, trendy restaurants and pubs, and magnificent galleries.  It is essential to experience both sides of Amman if you want to get a true sense of the city, or even Jordan itself.

The influx of Palestinian – and, more recently, Iraqi – refugees has permanently altered the personality of the city.  Most of these displaced expats are highly educated and unfazed by the closely monitored social and cultural control exercised by Amman’s Islamic conservatives.  These immigrants have joined with young Jordanians to reshape Amman into a more tolerant, forward-thinking metropolis.

If it is diversity and an international flare you’re looking for, flights to Amman will not disappoint.  If you arrive in Amman seeking medieval bazaars and classic Islamic architecture, you won’t find it.  But if you want a warm welcome, a thriving downtown scene, and a city with a charisma all its own, you won’t want your flights from Amman to depart too soon.

European culture and sport...

There are 50 sovereign states that make up the continent of Europe, as well as six regions or territories that are partially recognised. These states and territories are home to over 700 million inhabitants, all known as “Europeans” but whose diversity is evident in the areas of language, religion, government, philosophy, culture, economy, etc. When speaking of a “European culture,” it is difficult to separate the overlapping, cross-cultural diversities that make up the “culture” of this vast continent. In the area of European sports, however, we can speak in terms of similarities and differences, all of which contribute to form a healthy blend of apolitical, cross-cultural cooperation and understanding.

In recent years, attitudes to sports as a means of fostering intercultural harmony have been a strong force behind the policies and treaties of the European nations. In 2008, against the backdrop of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, European Union (EU) sports ministers adopted a joint declaration on Social Significance and Dialogue in Sport. A declaration was also appended to the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997, emphasising the “social significance of sport, in particular, its role in forging identity and bringing people together.” In terms of the most popular sport in Europe, football is number one. Governed by a pan-European body called the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), there are over 50 national football associations, whose official languages are English, German, and French. Other popular European sports include basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, bicycle racing, and rugby.