Pigeons, and Jabal Amman

Do you know this feeling of serenity and bliss you experience on a particularly lovely day? As I'm recollecting the images I can't help but smile…



Amman has been enjoying such incredible mild summer weather this week. Yesterday, I had a morning work meeting in my favorite part of town – yes, none other than Rainbow street. I thought the meeting was at 9:00, but when I got there it turned out I was 30 minutes early, so I seized the opportunity to go for a walk down the street.

The alleys and stairways connecting the streets that lead through to down town never seize to grip me. One of my yet-to-be-finished books, "Story of a City", which recounts tales of Amman in the 40's, has very beautiful vivid descriptions of rainy days in this part of the old town, I just wish I spent my childhood there!



So, back to my little walk… Anyone who goes to Wild Jordan must be familiar with the pigeons in the small house right next to it. (Roba has one of my all-time favorite pictures of the view). I stood there clicking away with my camera, smiling at the sight of their owner giving these pigeons a morning shower with his hose. He saw me, and offered to let me go up and take pictures from his little roof-top. By that time, the 30 minutes had gone by and I was supposed to go back to my meeting. I did return an hour later however, and it was one of those moments when I was thankful I hadn't allowed the paranoid cautious girl in the back of my mind stop me.



Bilal and his twin brother Samer explained that keeping pigeons has been their hobby and passion for 20 years. Talking like little children, Bilal showed me an article that appeared in the Jordan Times 3 years ago about them; he had it nicely framed and was very proud of it. Interestingly, he also has pet cats, 50 of them!!! I only saw about ten, but he said that they all return at lunch time… and No they are not walk-in stray cats from the street! "Cats have zones," he explained, "and no strange cat would attempt to come into this area, because mine wouldn't let it." You should see the cats and pigeons co-existing so peacefully; amazing!!





It was fascinating to see how he communicated with the pigeons and how they listened to him. They'd fly around and then come back, and even when they disappear for a couple of hours in the evening, they always come home to him. Bilal and Samer catch stray pigeons and sell them, but usually don't sell any of their own because they end up finding their way back to them!



I stood on top of the pigeon house (stupidly thinking that I wouldn't scare them all away), admiring the view and the simplicity, yet failing to capture that feeling on camera.



It's funny because I had been very stressed out at the beginning of this week… but I forgot all about it, and that day continued very pleasantly. I had a Communication Systems exam in the afternoon, and went to study at Coffee 'n News, enjoying their exceptional Chocolate Mint Latte and chocolate chip cookies. I don't remember the last time I was this clear-minded and relaxed a few hours before an exam! Later on I got some Falafel Sandwiches for my friends from Al-Quds (which have the exact opposite impact of coffee and are not exactly the best thing to eat when you want to concentrate ;p ), and enjoyed the bus ride to university from Adbali :)

A beautiful day in beautiful Amman! It really helped me pause in the midst of this hectic and stressful period… something I should do more often…

(Most pics are enlarged when you click)