from Lebanon...to Jordan.. with Love...

In the past, the word Jordanian meant nothing to me.. it wasn’t more than a word written in my passport and a direct answer to the question: what is your nationality?

All what I can recollect from my childhood about the "Jordanian spirit" in our house is that my late father, God bless his soul, used to watch the Jordanian TV a lot, and a weird accent he and some men used to speak when they meet or speak over the phone.

With the passage of time, I started to become curious to know more about Jordan, excited to learn more about our family there. And the only way to satisfy this curiosity was to go there and find out myself.

We used to hear remarks about the Jordanians being closed-minded, old school, very conservative people. Some people even warned me from going there expecting that my family there wouldn't like the way I dress and force me to wear hijab, or may oblige me to marry one my cousins and stuff like that... I admit that this kinda freaked me out, yet didn't change my mind about visiting Jordan as soon as I had the chance to. It wasn't before the year 2001 that I finally made up my mind to go.

I set off on a chilly day in December 2001.. a day that I vividly remember. It was the first time I leave Lebanon; the first time I travel a long distance all alone. It's not a long distance travel between Lebanon and Jordan you know but back then, to me, it was. I felt a bit uneasy, but the excitement feeling was more overwhelming. When I arrived, I was showered with love... I can't tell you how sweet and caring my family in Jordan turned out to be. They are anything but closed minded and old school! It was Ramadan, and despite being very exhausted and sleepy, I stayed awake until after suhur. We had a big family gathering at suhur, and it was one of the most exciting and the most unforgettable nights I've ever had.
I spent the Eid there too. And what can I tell you, Eids in Jordan have a different taste. All the family gatherings, rejoicing, laughing, joyful conversations and great times... all were new to me. I've never thought that I had such a big happy family, and I felt very sorry that I missed all that fun in the previous years of my life.

Now, see, things became totally different. Jordan now holds a special place in my heart, Jordanian is not just a word written in my identity card, not anymore... it's now something deeper and more meaningful. Jordan is the beautiful country, the good people, the big family, the feeling of being protected and surrounded by loving, caring people. It's the place where I met my husband, where I had both my engagement and my wedding parties. The place of the most beautiful memories. The place where I had the chance to meet great people and great friends like: Rana, Ola, Areej, Weddo, Amjad, Qais, Raeef, Dina, Maher, and my best online friend Simsim, and a few more...

I'm glad that I had the chance to blog about Jordan, I thought at first that I won't find anything to write about since I don't live in Jordan. The post is personal more than anything else, but hey, at least I tried. Of course I have to thank Qwaider for coming up with this great idea :)

Diana?

In Jordan, thy call this truck Diana. ro7et bil Diana w jeet bil Diana. People, for God's sake, it's called Toyota Dyna not DIANA!! Grrrr

snippets of our daily conversations

She: So, when are we going to start walking? Spring is in the air already.
Me: Sure, we have to. Where do you want to walk?
She: korneesh?
Me: Good idea
She: But, is it safe?
Me: I don't know. When was the last time they found a bomb in Saida?
She: Yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that... every day. Not to mention the poisonous balloons Israeli planes are dumping on the country.
Me: Then, forget it!
She: What are we going to do then?
Me: Stay safe at home, have some chips, chocolate and coffee hehe
She: 2oltek, staying at home and gaining weight better than walking and get killed :D

Later...
She: Diana, you know what? I envy you.
Me: What for?
She: because you're leaving Lebanon
Me: I've been hearing this remark pretty much lately.
She: Yeah..
Me: I'm glad that I'm leaving, I wish I can leave now and don't have to wait 4 months. I'm disgusted and can't take it anymore. At first I was worried.. leaving the place where you were born and lived all your life is not easy. But now I don't want to stay here for one more day.
You know, safety is a precious feeling. If I'm in Jordan now, I'd go anywhere I want at anytime.
I knew the value of safety when we fled to Jordan last summer during the war. I miss that feeling. *sigh*
She: I wonder.. which is more precious.. safety or dignity?

2al w Golna

Another unfamiliar thing I noticed during my visits to Jordan was that in some families the members of the same family speak two different accents. The males speak in "gal w golna" while the females speak the "2al w 2olna" accent. And when I asked about the reason the answer was that the "2al w 2olna" is more like a feminine or nawa3em accent that doesn't suit men, while the "gal w golna" is too masculine for a female to speak!

His Majesty said...

"We're juggling with the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it's the Palestinians, that of Lebanon, or of Iraq."
CNN

Oh,well.

caricatures of Al Hayat Newspaper

Kamal Shair's Latest Book

Living away from Jordan all my life, I could hardly follow up with what goes on there or get to know the Jordanian artists, authors, and famous people in general. Well-known people you are acquainted with are completely unheard of to me and to the Lebanese people as well, I wonder why!! It was only a couple of years ago that I got to know that there exists a Jordanian singer called Makadi Nahhas, What a shame! It was only when Zahi Wehbi hosted her in his show "Khaleek bil Bait" that the Lebanese first heard about her at all! The same thing goes for most of the well-known Jordanian people, it's no surprise to me anymore to get to know about them only by chance.

So today, while flipping through Al Safir Newspaper, I came across this Jordanian writer for the first time. The news goes as follows:

أصدر كمال الشاعر كتاباً بعنوان: خارج حدود الشرق الأوسط: بروز رجال اعمال عرب على النطاق العالمي.
الكتاب، الذي نشرته دار <تاوريس> بالانكليزية في لندن ونيويورك سنة ,2006 يرصد قصة شاب ولد في مدينة السلط سنة ,1930 ويتعقب مسيرته نحو الثروة، حتى صار احد ابرز رجال الاعمال في الشرق الأوسط، ويروي ايضا حكاية <دار الهندسة> التي أسسها الشاعر في بيروت سنة 1956 برأسمال 3500 دولار فقط، والتي احتلت شقة صغيرة مع موظف واحد فقط. وبعد خمسين سنة ها هو رأسمال الشركة يصبح 500 مليون دولار، وفيها نحو 8000 مستخدم واعمالها تشمل 40 بلداً.
الكتاب ليس سيرة ذاتية للمؤلف فحسب، وإنما هو سيرة لمدينة السلط قاعدة الاردن التاريخية التي كانت المدينة الاولى في الاردن سنة .1930

This was encouraging enough to make me curious to know more about the writer and the book. So, I googled around looking for some information, and what I found was really interesting and worth sharing. Kamal Shair is certainly someone Jordanians must be proud of; while I heard about him just today.

Kamal A Shair, one of the most prominent business entrepreneurs of the Middle East, is Chairman of Dar Al-Handasah, the international engineering consultants and architects, which he has built in the last 50 years. Dr Shair was educated at the American University of Beirut, the University of Michigan and Yale University, where he received his PhD. He has been a close observer of the Middle East in the past half century. He served as a senator in Jordan’s Upper House of Parliament for 12 years and is currently a trustee of the American University of Beirut.

Book Description
Kamal Shair's book is a classic rags to riches story: the village boy, who with determination and education, achieves business success, wealth, more wealth, and then influence and power. What makes it unusual is that it emanates from the Arab world. Rarely among Arabs have individuals from thoroughly modest backgrounds, with no access to links, networks or connections become truly global commercial players. Shair was a small-town boy in what was then Transjordan who dragged himself through school (his mother was illiterate), moved to college in Beirut, then sailed off to America (Michigan and Yale) and returned to the Middle East to create a multinational corporate empire engaged in trade, construction and manufacturing. He did not follow the usual pattern of patronage and favours, but rather applied a fresh kind of ethic in an environment with an loosely-structured business ethic. In the process he lived through and witnessed at first hand and at close quarters some of the most dramatic events of the modern Arab world. This is quite an extraordinary tale and a very original prism through which to look at the turbulent post-World War II history of the Middle East. At the same time we see the growth, despite all the odds, of one of the world’s great engineering and business enterprises in a narrative of epic and inspirational proportions.

Quite interesting! The book will be on my shopping list as soon as it becomes available in bookstores.

Eid Venting

Well, honesty speaking, I've always hated Eid, especially here in Lebanon. Although I usually pretend to be happy and excited, greeting everybody, calling and sending messages wishing people a happy eid, knowing deep inside that no "happy" eid is waiting for me.

Unlike Eid in Jordan, in Lebanon it's awful. To me, it signifies nothing but solitude, awakening deep feelings and memories of loneliness and melancholy. I've always spent the Eid lonely, observing people enjoying their time, while I'm not. Actually, I've never felt the real spirit of Eid until I had a chance at a few occasions to spend the Eid holidays in Jordan. Only then, I understood and felt what the two terms "family" and "belonging" mean, which of course only made it even worse for me.

Spending Eid away from our beloved ones is horrible, I'm sure those who live abroad, away from their families know what I am talking about.

Eid in Jordan is a different story, it has a special taste. The spirit of Eid, selat al ra7m, homemade kaak, and the family gatherings, all that haven't faded yet. It's enough for me to see my nephews and nieces wearing new clothes and running around joyfully to feel the sense of Eid atmosphere. I miss all that…
Now all I get is hearing their voices over the phone, gathering, chatting, giggling, and of course blaming me for not coming along.

Throughout my childhood, I used to hate Eid as well. Being the only child here, loneliness used to torture me. No matter how my parents were trying to get the depression out of me during eid by getting me nice stuff and taking me for rides to many places, they haven't succeeded to get me out of the melancholic mood. Until finally, they came up with an idea, they suggested that a friend of mine accompany us and spend sometime with me, hopefully this might help. Actually, it did, only when my friend was available and could come with us.

Gradually, I got used to the idea. I started looking at Eid from a different perspective just to console myself. Eid now has become an opportunity to relax and have some rest at home for a couple of days, eating chocolate and not-homemade kaak :P, it isn't that bad after all...

Now Eid is almost over, tomorrow is another working day, and life goes on...

I hope you all had a joyful eid. :)

Hey, I'm back!

As I previously mentioned, we were planning to spend the summer vacation in Jordan. Unfortunately, the war broke out while I was still in Lebanon, and we spent four miserable days disparately trying to find a way to leave. Until we were told that the Jordanians can be delivered safely from the Jordanian embassy in Baabda directly to Jordan, and that's what actually happened.

We left Lebanon on Saturday night, July 15th, and arrived to Jordan on Sunday morning. It was a long, very tiring journey, but el Hamulillah, we arrived safe and sound. We stayed in Jordan for about 40 days, and came back to Lebanon last week.

Despite the fact that we were all the time worried about our relatives, friends and the people in Lebanon, always thinking of them and praying for them to stay safe, our vacation is considered good and interesting, for it was full of events that kept me fully occupied.

I met my brothers, aunts and uncles and their families after a year of being away. I also had a chance to meet my friends: SimSim, Rana, Ola, Dina, Weddo, Qais, Amjad, and Raeef. Did I forget anyone? I guess not. It was really great to meet you guys!

Now wait to hear the big news! Ladies and gentlemen, I got engaged! Oh, yes I did! and guess to whom? to the guy who keeps teasing me,lol. I got engaged to Dead Man Walking. He's a great guy, and I'm really happy I got to know someone like him :)

I was real busy during the last month that I didn't have a chance to blog. That's it for now. See u around soon ;)

can't wait

So, I started preparing myself for the summer vacation I'm going to spend in Jordan. I have loads of things to do, and I barely have time to blog or check other blogs.
Unless I felt like blogging or sharing something, I'll see u in a couple of months or so.

ciao.

شرطة بيئية في الأردن قريبا

يطل في أيلول (سبتمبر) المقبل نوع جديد من الشرطة على الأردنيين تحت مسمى شرطة بيئية.
وسيكون عمل 900 فرد من «الشرطة البيئية» ملاحقة مرتكبي ممارسات سلبية ستعتبر مخالفات قريباً، مثل إلقاء النفايات من السيارات وقلع الأشجار وتلويث المياه والصيد الجائر وترك النفايات في أماكن الرحلات.

وستكون عقوبة رمي النفايات من السيارة غرامة مقدارها عشرين ديناراً وهي الحد الأدنى للعقوبة.
وسيرتدي أفراد الشرطة البيئية زياً خاصاً، ويقسمون إلى جوالة وفرسان ومشاة في أنحاء المملكة كافة وسيوزع قريباً كتيّب خاص على أفرادها في الفترة الأولى التي سيبدأون فيها عملهم، علماً أن عمل «الشرطة البيئية» سيكون تابعاً لمديرية الأمن العام.

وينتظر من الشرطة تخفيف نسبة التلوث في الهواء في المملكة وكذلك تلوث المياه التي تعتبر مصادرها المتجددة شحيحة جداً.

source

Great news, isn't it? Good start, and way to go...

Kiss my hand!

Among the troops who came to "take a look" at me during my first visit to Jordan in the year 2001, there was the Shiekh of the family or the tribe who honoured me by his unexpected visit, for I was the one who's supposed to go to introduce myself to him in his place out of respect to his age and rank, but apparently, he, like many others, couldn't wait to see this alien coming from Mars, oh I mean from Lebanon, to meet her family for the first time.

They announced the arrival of the Sheikh who happens to be my father's uncle, and at the moment people caught sight of him, young and old, they hurried to greet him and kiss his hand.

Since he was asking about me, looking at faces and trying to find where his "sweet granddaughter" is, I came to him introducing myself, and he in his turn offered me his hand to be kissed!

I turned a confused look at my brother "what???? Am I supposed to kiss HIS hand as well?!!", and my brother was like "Oh God, just do it! ma tefda7eena!!".

and I looked like : "what the heck? No I'm not going to do it! Never!"

I simply shook his hand, and asked him to take a seat. Our Sheikh couldn't hide his shock from the fact that a member of the family did not kiss his hand, and I bet that he felt insulted or even humiliated!

I've always hated this habit. I've never kissed my father's hand, and I do kiss my mother's only when trying to caress her or something, but she hates it and always asks me not to do it again.

In Jordan, I noticed that everybody kisses the hands of his mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother and any old person in the family.

I'm not totally against it, as I said I do kiss my mother's hand, but never will I kiss my aunt's or uncle's or some Sheikh's hand. It's just I found it a bit strange for I'm not used to it.

I yelled at my nephew once when he tried to kiss my hand and I warned him from doing it again. I can't imagine myself when I get older to be offering my hand to people to kiss it.

Still, I won't mind my future husband kissing my hand for sure :$, LOL.

bird flue hit Jordan

LOL, that was really funny!