in the middle of beauty and history

Last weekend I was invited to a family home (thank you, Hiba, so much!) in ramtha - small town in the northern part of Jordan.
I had chance to get to know the real life of Jordanians in a small town outside of Amman, understand the culture better and have the most wonderful barbeque next to Syrian border.

On the last picture: Syrian is to your right, Israel to the far left, Golan heights in front.

Update

‘I love the rain the most when it stops!’

My favorite line over the past couple of weeks

Lots of great things and not-so-great ones in my life have stopped lately.

I stopped being MCVP and slowly taking over my new position, as leader of the AIESEC organization in Jordan. I am taking away my thoughts from my narrow functional area and putting everything into a bigger picture - into what will be the second year of AIESEC Expansion to Jordan.

My team experience with Ani, Moni & Asier is coming to its end. Two days ago I had ‘bitching about life’ session with Annika. And I realized how big of a friend I have found. Someone I can so be myself with…Someone with whom you can talk about life, politics, cultures, traveling, relationships, latest jokes and simply be so comfortable around… Thanks, God, she is moving only to Egypt – not so far – I already start missing her…

I stopped feeling ultimate foreigner in Jordan. I stopped trying to figure out my inner balance, things that I love in Jordan, places that make me happy, people that I care about here. I stopped because I found them.

I stopped being so many things…

And it feels beautiful, insecure at times, but beautiful.

The opportunity of my next year – tough, with lots of expectations, but definitely a blast

Opportunity of new close relationships with my next team, and so many hours of non-stop work and non-stop fun; exciting discoveries of myself through discoveries of others

Opportunity of a beautiful new-found friendship with someone who makes me laugh

Opportunity of building my second home in Jordan: with new apartment in Jabal Amman, my OWN arguilah, my OWN blender, my OWN wireless internet, my OWN breakfasts/lunches/dinners, my own new place

I’m starting to be so many things…

Grateful for the most amazing past and for you, who contributed to it

First & Last post about relationships

I have this rule of not posting anything related to my relationship life.

However, after watching one of the episodes of 'Sex and the City', I could not help but wonder about certain things
in relationship that seem to work the same for so many women.

'Being in relationship involves taking some risk.'
Why do we often forget about this rule and go on being stupid in our relationships/wanna be relationships/watever-is-that relationships?

Am I talking too much? Am I being too nice? Am I being too open? Am I being too fast? Am I being too dependable?
Where is the line between 'the personal pride' and the 'taking risks'?
And when is the time to stop being so damn proud and go on actually pursuing something we want?

Or have some of us just been hurt too much in the past to be scared of taking risks now?
And how much is actually the 'too much'?

important follow up

About half year ago I made this post about Things I want to do in Jordan before I leave. Well, I guess, it's about high time to track my goals :)

I want…

…to go to the mosque & learn what every day prayers says - DONE, though I still want to go to an oldest one in downtown

…to visit people’s homes & see how their every day live goes (perhaps even stay over at someone’s place for a holiday or a weekend) - DONE, though I still need to visit a village home

…to learn how to cook mensaf, tabouleh, babaganouzh, foul & hummus - sadly NOT DONE

…to experience the real dabke - DONE, and it was awesome!

…to hang out at Jabal Webdeih & hear the stories of how Amman was started - DONE, though want to do it more!

… to go to Palestinian refugee camps & understand more their lives - NOT DONE!

… to see the stars at Wadi Rum - NOT DONE!

… to make a road trip to all the desert castles - DONE , though there is one small castle all way up to Iraqi border, that I've not seen yet...

… to visit Um Qais, Dana reserve, Jordan river, hike in Ajlun - Um Qais and Jordan river NOT DONE, rest is DONE; Wadi Mujib added to the list

… to see my veiled friends without a veil & have real girls’ party with them - DONE! :)

… to visit a typical village in Jordan & learn about the life there - NOT DONE, planning to go this Friday!

… to attend one lecture at the university - NOT DONE, and I'm not sure I still want to do it :S

… to visit public schools, where girls & boys study separately - NOT DONE, but still on my list!

… to wander around the downtown of Irbid & visit the small places that only locals know about - DONE!

… to have a virtual tour into the Arab music & download the best pieces of it - DONE, and still On Going!

… to learn more Arabic (shame on me, I have not done it yet…) - eh...ON GOING

… to memorize a beautiful Arabic poem (or song) by heart - NOT DONE, shame on me..

… to participate in field work (gather olives, or pick up guafa or some other strange for my eye fruit) - NOT DONE...sigh

… to figure out the servicee schedules & learn how to travel around the city with them & the buses - DONE, I'm way better, but still need to learn

… to visit Zarqa & Ma’an - NOT DONE, MA'an visited, Zarqa still on the list

… to learn belly dancing (I know it is not really Jordanian, but it looks really cool!) - NOT DONE...tried but my teacher looked like prostitute.. :S

… to eat real guafa! (I only drank the juice so far & I loved it!) - DONE!

… to buy my own arguileh - NOT DONE, but will do in week or two..Salary oh my salary!

... to visit Bedouine village - NOT DONE

… to cross the King Hussein bridge & visit Palestine - NOT DONE, passport issues..

… to learn how to make strong Arabic coffee (the one I truly love!) - NOT DONE

Later on I will update it with the things I still want to do!

Keep track of me, my friends!

Random thoughts - The joy of cooking

I love cooking. I truly sincerely like it. I am not surely the best in it, but I do-do-do like it!

I figured out that I am not the best in creative cooking, when you get all the stuff out of the fridge and try to come up with something fun and great. It always turns out not well...sigh...

But I guess I have Ukrainian food cooking skills in my heart! 'Cause anytime I make something from the Ukrainian cook book, that my beloved mom gave me as present before leaving to Jordan (clearly my mom is an optimist, if she believed in my cooking abilities :P) the food is actually eatable :)

Yesterday I cooked potatoes and made some salad, and it was good! Even momani (a hard core judge of my cooking skills) approved it :) :)

I'm empowered and inspired to do more!

Gone to cook :P

Here they are! - My new team :)

Aren't they lovely? :)

I'm more than confident in the future of AIESEC in Jordan with this team!

And I am sure I've just made two great friends for life.

No time for blogging : Saba arrived, lots of work, making myself busy, etc.etc.

But damn, this one is worth posting :P

> Women will love this Prayer.......
>
> Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to
>forgive him; And Patience for his moods; Because Lord, if I pray
>for Strength, I'll beat him to death.

oh, yea, I swear! :)

Gone to pray.... lol

***

Спи до завтра

Сьогодні не витримує марних сподівань

Опівнічні коти поб´ються у снах

Виступлять армією проти опівнічних собак

Когути співатимуть ранішні гімни

Господарки налаштовуватимуть свої начиння

На робочий лад

Горобці виграватимуть какафонії на електричних стовпах

Ті, в свою чергу, натужно переганятимуть

Ще сонні частки енергії для господинь

Матраци, двоспальні ліжка, куфри, простелені на підлозі коци

Випльовуватимуть на білий світ

Нас із вами

Хтось читатиме,

Хтось любитиме,

Хтось переконуватиме,

Хтось заперечуватиме.

Завтра

А поки що спи.

Врешті решт все в світі цьому сходиться

***

Я люблю дощ, коли він вщухає

Коли не дощить і крапка

Я люблю люблю люблю дощ

Коли він вщухає

І стає так вогко в повітрі

Аж хочеться торкнутися його (повітря) язиком

Лизнути цю прохолоду!

Як лід

І з-під землі бухкає свіжістю

***

Розпач велике слово

Розгублений звучить сміліше

Хоча не особливо

Відповідає дійсності

Бракує любові

Та ніби й доста

Ніби й ні

Синонім все ще не той

Здивований із власних непокірних

Емоцій.

Це коли хочеш сісти

І забутися

І виплакатися

І виридатися

І виревітися

І викричатися

І виговоритися

І висміятися

І згорнутися калачиком

І заснути

***

А ще! А ще, коли кажуть,

що треба сміятися, то ж таки треба

докладати зусиль!

Розвести губи

Показати світу

Рожевий язик

Білі зуби

І тінь нерозуміння

Що йде від серця

Коли надворі тихо

Ворони припинили боротьбу

Стілець невдало вигинає форми

Діймають корчі у боках

Солодкий, поплачемо! Либонь не пізно ще?

Я хочу сісти коло стіни

Обпертися руками об підлогу

Ревіти голосно мов пісок

В пустелі уночі

Любий, поплачемо..Ще точно не зарано...

Гупає молоток

Жене кров по жилах

Зажиріли, скажете!

А хоч би й так...

Милий, поплачемо...Та й грець йому!

Speak despite of?

Abbadi charged with slander
By Rana Husseini AMMAN — Former MP Mohammad Oweidi Abbadi was arrested on Thursday and charged with slander, undermining the country’s reputation, and violating laws governing e-mail practices, official sources said. Amman Prosecutor Saber Rawashdeh ordered the detention of Abbadi for 15 days at Jweideh Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre pending further investigations following a complaint filed by Interior Minister Eid Fayez, a judicial source told The Jordan Times. “Rawashdeh is currently questioning Abbadi and there is a possibility that additional charges may be filed against him,” the source said. Abbadi’s arrest was made in connection with statements he published on the Internet criticising Jordan and its officials, a judicial source said, without elaborating further. Public Security Department Spokesperson Major Basheer Daaja said the arrest warrant for Abbadi was issued on Wednesday, but he was not detained by police until Thursday. The statement at the centre of the controversy involves an open letter in English addressed to US Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, which was posted on the right-wing Jordanian National Movement’s (JNM) website. Abbadi is the group’s chairman. The letter, dated April 30, accuses top government officials of corruption and claims the country is suffering a setback in democratic freedoms, particularly freedom of the press and the “abuse of detainees.” “Widespread corruption characterises Jordan’s political leadership and many “fat cats” in Jordan’s business community,” says the letter, adding that as a result of this state of affairs the country’s social, educational and health institutions have suffered a setback. The letter was co-signed by JNM Secretary of Foreign Affairs Abdul Salam Mullah, who is a resident of Virginia in the US. On Thursday, Mullah sent a letter to US President George W. Bush asking him to intervene to secure Abbadi’s release, according to the JNM website. Controversial Abbadi, who holds a PhD in social and political science from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, served in the 11th and 13th Parliaments. He also worked for the Public Security Department in the 1980s and is the author of many publications on Jordanian tribes.

------------------------------------------------------

According to France based reporters Without borders Wordlwide Press Freedom 2006 Index, Jordan slipped from its 2005 position of 96 out of 186, to 109 in 2006.
(Quote: Jordan Times, May 4-5th issue)

...thinking

...and calling some good random people.

I am happy I took my time to think, re-connect, and refresh.

Getting back to myself.

Me & Amman | The way I like it

Nothing can be better in Amman that the hills of downtown... Every time I come to wander around its busy streets, shops and mosques I fall in love with it again. That is the part of Amman that I call home. I am going to move there for my next year, and hopefully I will find my true place in this country.
Amman's soul lies in downtown. Not in rich areas of West Amman or malls in the suburbs!

My love-to-do's downtown: wander around hidden stairs that go through someone's house, drink fresh made cocktail juice, have a coffee and kanafe at Habiba sweets store, chill around with arugilah (shisha/kaljan) in Al-Rasheed, have cheapest and loveliest lunch in Hashem, go to bargain for fresh fruits to the market next to the mosque, go shopping and buy most random stuff at the souq, stare at the most beautiful embroided dresses in small shops around, drink best mint tea next to the amphitheater, and so many more wonderful things!

Ahlan wa sahlan!