amman’s underbelly: a street artist’s 3 am ramblings

i just woke up in this hostel motel shithole and realized i forgot to lock my door agaiñn. the smell of stale coffee and regret is thick in the air. i’m a street artist by day and a disaster by night, which is saying a lot. outside, the streets are dripping with 9.73°c night air. i just checked and it’s 9.73°c out now, hope you like that kind of thing. it’s like someone took a bottle of arctic air and threw it at my face while whispering ‘you asked for it.’
you know how some people say amman’s vibe is fake? i heard that from a guy who sells jordanian saffron on the black market. he also claimed the minarets here are actually ancient tombs. i checked the map. nope. but maybe he’s right about the cement? who knows. i’ve seen concrete crack open in sql queries before, so...

there’s this spot by the citadel where urban legends meet foot traffic. a local told me a rumor that a graffiti artist hid a map to a forgotten church under some scribbled dogs. “es cursed art,” he said. i don’t know if it’s true, but i sprayed this wall anyway. the paint splatters look like they bled into the concrete. maybe it’s symbolic? maybe it’s just me being an idiot. either way, the night is 100% colder now. i’m wearing a hoodie made of torn army blankets. it’s 9.73°c, buddy.

i passed a yelp review board that said ‘amman cafes are all the same, yo’’. i nodded. i also saw a tripadvisor post about this mosque’s coffee being so good it’ll make you question life. naturally, i had to check it out. the barista there poured my drink while reciting haikus. it was transcendent. also, the menu had a typo: ‘‘middle eastern’ instead of ‘americanized.’ i think that’s a good thing. authenticity is overrated, right?

meanwhile, the weather data says the pressure is 1014 hpa. i don’t know what that means. i asked a drunk tourist. he said it meant the stars were crying. i bought him a water. he turned into a poet. now i’m sitting here with a sketchpad and 76% humidity inside. the.Hostel’s ac smells like mildew and bad decisions. i’m also craving something salty. maybe a bagel? i heard that from a person who claimed to be a professional chef but was actually a guy selling expired hummus. don’t trust anyone with hummus. or weather forecasts. they’re all lying.

the neighbors? if you get bored, amman’s desert cemeteries are just a short drive away. they’re creepy but also oddly peaceful. i heard that from a guy who sold me a fake tour guide map. he said the graves are actually ancient navigation beacons. i checked with a compass. it was random. either way, the sunset looked like someone spilled a vat of bruise-colored ink into the sky. 9.73°c matched the thermometer. i think the universe is trolling me.

someone told me that if you follow the graffiti here, you’ll find a secret speakeasy. i’m not sure if it’s true. i’m also not sure if i care. i’m an indie film scout now. maybe i’ll film this whole experience. the lighting is bad, the drama is real. it’s art. 🎨

i linked to a local board that warned about the street artist’s ex. allegedly, he’s still lurking in the alleys. they said he’ll sandblast your mural if you refinance your gallery space. i laughed. i also linked to a yelp review of this hostel’s shower, which said ‘it’s like a torture chamber designed by a monk.’ i’m not sure if that’s a compliment.

here’s the map. it’ll show you my current location. or maybe it’ll show you a conspiracy. you dec caregiver.
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i took three photos. one of the graffiti. one of the moon. one of my reflection in a dumpster. the dumpster photo is probably the best. it captures my soul. or maybe just my weirdness. here they are:

<img src="https://api.unsplash.com/search/photos?query=amman+street+art&w=1080&q=80" alt="“graffiti wall in amman”" width="100%"><img src="https://api.unsplash.com/search/photos?query=amman+night+sky&w=1080&q=80" alt="“cold night in amman”" width="100%"><img src="https://api.unsplash.com/search/photos?query=abandoned+buildings+amman&w=1080&q=80" alt="“check this dumpster for secrets”" width="100%"><

i’m going to bed. 9.73°c is a vibe. also, i just realized i forgot to post this. give it a like if you’ve ever sung to a wind turbine. hashtags: #amman #streetart #coldlife #messy
ok also check out this blog about yelp’s best cafes and this podcast about amman’s underground music scene.

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