A Jordanian Girl in Dubai

Last December one of my best friends, Lara, went to Dubai for a six-month internship. She started a blog to keep us posted on her news and impressions from plastic city, and finally, months later, she gave me the green light to link to it. There was a period of time where she went blog-quiet, and generally her posts are not as frequent as I wish they were, but they're definitely an enjoyable read. Lara has wit, honesty, and writes in arabic transliteration often. There are tons of pictures there too... to give you a better idea what she's talking about.

I'll tell you what's going to be interesting; reading her impressions after she comes back to Amman, where she would no longer be living on her own, enjoying hip hop, gazillions of hangouts, concerts, and flashy entertainment. Note: Lara is one of those people who were always enjoying the cultural and musical aspects of Amman, and she wasn't one to complain about lack of things to do. She was always the one who never wants to leave Jordan and who is defending Amman to those who are whiny and negative. It's going to be interesting when she comes back and has a new outlook on things.

So, go ahead and pay Lara's World a visit, where you can read about funny observations, cross-cultural debates and discussions, the way arab guys act and think, and little adventures from here and there.

Morning Ramble, and Student Politics

Note: Feel free to skip the first, um, 6 paragraphs if you want and move directly to where I start rambling about the "ikhwan" and life on campus and this new student movement I stumbled upon.

It's 4:30 AM! I'm listening to Lord of the Dance – beautiful Irish music, and pondering how weird the past few days have been. No I didn't set any alarm to wake up and I don't have any last minute work for a looming deadline (not yet at least ;p ) but the reason I'm up is because I've had more than my share of sleep in the past three days. Man, I slept so much it was as if I was making up for the past three months and storing up for the hectic summer ahead. The heat has been unbearable, which is why I couldn't bring myself to drink coffee during the day (and No I don't like Frappes and cold coffees, I also don't drink coke, and Red Bull is strictly for all-nighters).

Since the heat wave started I realized that since last September or October perhaps, we've had one continuous beautiful fall, until March perhaps, and then it switched to Spring (the difference being the allergy). I absolutely loved the fresh weather, the sun, and the random unexpected rain showers in between… I can have that kind of weather all year long!

May be that's the reason for my over-sleeping these days… you know, adapting to this transition, trying to fight off the heat and the allergy! But today, I hereby announce this transition and adaptation period over (as if I had any say in it before), because seriously now, this cannot go on any longer!

Today I'm going to attend the graduation project presentations of my friends at the Engineering Faculty! Man it's hard to imagine that it's been a semester since I graduated. People ask me all the time "how's work?", "how's life after uni?", "which is nicer?"

Well, let me tell you what I miss about university… I miss the flexibility of my daily schedule; the fact that I can plan to do stuff any time of the day, that I can choose whether or not to study and whether or not to attend class according to my own plans and moods and priorities.

Another thing that felt like an overnight change is the fact that, in my last semester at university, I sure felt like a senior student, I would walk through the 3uloum square and smile at the sight of all the 'kids'. You feel like you're so mature and experienced and all… and then, when you graduate and start a job… boom, it's like someone pricks your little balloon! LoL… ok it's not that dramatic but the thing is, you suddenly feel so young. You're a rookie, and everyone treats you like a rookie. You're the youngest among your work colleagues, which, come to think of it, is cool! I mean, they say the first year after graduation is the time you can experiment and try your hand at different things. Well I think you should be able to experiment your whole life, in a way.

Now the major thing I actually miss about university, is walking through the engineering faculty every morning, and reading all the flyers and bulletin boards and stuff. My favorite was "Saba7 el 5air ya Handasseh" (good morning engineering) which was spread out on a huge board on the wall at the entrance of the faculty. It was run by the Islamic Current students, but it was interesting to read. They always had clips of news, thoughts, comments, and most importantly, interactive features where they ask a question and have everyone jot down what they think. No matter how much I disagreed with the "ikhwan", I really admired their level of organization, their quick action, or rather reaction, and how active they were. For example, if there's an Israeli raid on the West Bank or Gaza at night, the next morning, before the 8:00 AM class, you'd come in and find the entire faculty showered with flyers and posters denouncing the attack and calling for retaliation. How they do it within a few hours beats me!

I always wondered why there was no other student group that could be half as organized, and yet manage to create some balance in the political spectrum. It was during last year's university elections that I began seriously regretting not having done anything about it while I was there. Something as in, try to get together a group of like-minded students with enough social, cultural and political awareness, and start drawing the support of all those who have become completely apathetic, or who just vote based on tribal divisions and affiliations.

Rambles are so funny. What did I start this post with? Complaining about sleep, heat, and allergy! LoL :) I have a draft saved with the title "where are the students (part II)", and it was supposed to be all about the sad state of democracy and politics on campus, belated reflections on the council elections, and the desperate urgent need for shaking students out of their apathy or their narrow-minded tribal thinking. But there you go, I had to start ranting about it here, so I might as well share this link which I was saving for that post…

I found it through a comment on Khadder's post. It's called "Tajamo3 Al 3amal Al Tollabi", which would roughly translate to "student action group" or something. I have to say I'm impressed. Although I agree with what Khalaf once said, that leftists should be careful of sticking themselves in the same category as Islamists. But honestly, I think in this case it is the result of the university administration's policy; By opting to appoint half the members of the council as an attempt to prevent a majority of Islamists, the administration placed those Islamists in the glorious position of the victims of an oppressive system who are fighting for democracy and freedom. I just don't understand the logic of the people who call the shots at UJ. And I don't understand how three Prime Ministers who said they want to see the election law at UJ changed back to electing the entire council instead of having half of its 80 members appointed, did not succeed in doing so!!

In any case, this group has contributors from the University of Jordan, and Al-Isra' Private university, along with two others which I couldn't identify. They define themselves as "a group of students from different universities, colleges and high schools, which aims to help students through volunteer work and spreading awareness through activities on and off campuses." Their motto is: Be Aware... Be present.

A lot of their recent posts are about boycotting the elections at UJ, which is really interesting, because you see, for the past God knows how many years, it was always only the Islamic current folks who boycott and call for it (check out last year's statements where the Islamists explained "why boycott", and the "wi7dah" explained: "why we don't boycott").

I guess I would agree that this year's elections saw the success of the 'boycott' movement. It's about time the University administration started seeing the great damage it is causing by not letting students elect their entire council. Imagine that in the IT faculty, only 2 students were running for 2 available seats, and the only reason everyone went ahead with the voting is because they wanted to see who would get a higher number. In the faculty of engineering, you had 5 candidates competing for four places. This is sad!! Engineering was always the most active faculty with more political awareness and activism than anywhere else (relatively). In the year that the "ikhwan" decided to end their boycott and run (2004) (read more details here), there were 8 candidates for engineering and the competition was intense.

Oh well, this ramble can go on and on and on. But I'll just leave you to check out this blog, and we'll discuss this more soon.

Al-Jazeera on Egyptian Bloggers

I got this email from a dear dear friend in London whom I haven't been in touch with for months..

I am watching a programme on young blogers (or is it bloggers?) in Egypt on Al-Jazeera.

In Arabic they refer to them as " al mudawinoun" ..I like the term a lot since it implies that they 'document', 'chronicle' and 'testify'....

...

I was reminding myself of the show all week, and then come Thursday night, and I forget!

But.. here's the good news. There's always a re-run.

Friday at 18:05 GMT
and Saturday at 11:05 GMT


Ok, I'm off now to write a long reply. I miss her. That email sure made my day :)

Update: I waited and waited but there was nothing. Bint Masreyyah says it will be re-run today.

via Sally

None who have always been free can understand the terrible power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free. ~Buck, Pearl S. (Author)

Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

-- From Sally's One Quote a Day

Betcha didn't know that this JP citizen is a miniwheels? That makes four of us on the blogosphere. Yes four, in case you think I don't know how to count anymore ;) My bro Laith only posted twice and looks like he gave up on it, but there's this cuteness factor when you find out your 12-year-old brother started a blog... and a risk factor of course, which is why "to link or not to link" is theee question!

hmmmm...

...

...

It's 6:30 AM on a Friday! Not exactly the right hour to ask for sound judgment ;p

Shopping headaches, and a blog to check :)

As has been eloquently pointed out by fellow bloggers, June is around the corner and wedding fever has hit town. How does this affect me in any way? Well, my uncle is getting married in two weeks. My aunt and cousins are coming from the states for the occasion. We're all happy and excited. BUT… there's the nightmare of buying a dress et al that hasn’t been taken care of.

1. I hate shopping.

2. I hate shopping for formal dressy stuff.

For the past year, I have been planning to buy a traditional embroidered dress or two and start wearing them to different occasions. I wanted to buy one instead of a business suit for my final project presentation, but neither my mom nor my project team would hear of it! My friends were adamant in their rejection of my 'weird ideas'! Now I'm planning to seize the opportunity of my uncle's wedding party and get one of those. I will probably be the odd one out in the midst of all the evening dresses, but I couldn't care less.

Well, you see, dresses inspired by traditional art and design are absolutely beautiful, and I just hate it when people think they're meant to be used in public festivals when someone is to greet the guests at the door and pour the welcome coffee. I hate it when people treat traditional art and crafts as 'souvenirs'!! Now wedding parties carry a lot of distinct elements of our culture, what with the Jaha and the Zaffeh and all. So what happened to the dresses??!! Since when have evening gowns become so uniform wherever you go?

Oh well, my mom is quite supportive of my quest for a different dress this time, except that she's very worried about my lack of action and my last-minute tendencies.

Uffff, I hate shopping!!!

There has been a trend in recent of beautiful contemporary designs for dresses inspired by traditional art and embroidery. There are some local designers here who have taken this to the haute-couture world, especially with the Royal support. Yet what I would like to see is everyday-wear that is inspired by that traditional oriental fashion; everyday affordable shirts, skirts, and accessories that have this distinct touch of heritage and authenticity.

Ok now that this is out of the way, let me go back to the original reason I started writing this post. Wouldn't you like to read about the pre-marriage hassle and craze from the direct victims? :) My dear friend and colleague Reem has set up a blog with her fiancé Sari. They're getting married in July, and are planning to share all the frantic preparations, the excitement, and the headaches, the joy and the concerns through this blog. It is still young and the pictures are yet to come, but do check it out, especially today’s post by Reem.

Desert Charm

My sister Rasha went on a trip with her Design class to Wadi Rum, and took some lovely pictures which I thought I'd share. I'm not in a very talkative or articulate mood right now, so I'll just let the pictures do their thing.

See more...

An Egyptian Round Up

First of all... Alaa is still detained! If you believe in this cause and want to play a small role in the support of those freedom fighters, then please sign the online petition (if you haven't already). The Christian Science Monitor and the USA Today have picked up the story.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum is taking place in Sharm Al Sheikh, and president Mubarak is calling for "gradual reform, that does not lead to chaos"! Whatever that means! Sarah Leah Whitson comments on this in the Daily Star saying: It's time to tell Mubarak "Enough!"

The struggle of the judges is far from over though, and they're calling for a protest on the 25th of May, as announced on Alaa and Manal's Bit Bucket. Baheyya has more in depth analysis about the situation with a post titled "Are Judges Heros?".

Also on the 25th of May, according to Bint Masreyya, Al Jazeera will be hosting Egyptian bloggers in a special documentary... now this is something I don't want to miss! I'm glad the Arab mainstream media is finally paying more attention to the vibes and pulse of the blogosphere and the amazing potential for change lying there.

Oh, speaking about Egyptian bloggers, the one and only SandMonkey is celebrating his 25th birthday today :) Happy Birthday SM!

Checking in

It’s 5:15 PM, Saturday afternoon… I’m at the office sipping coffee, and pondering the hectic yet amazing four days that have passed.

-Note: regarding the coffee, I feel compelled to mention that I drink an average of two cups per day, and that’s usually while I’m blogging, which is why it appears as if I’m constantly drinking coffee ;)

I want to apologize to my readers for not replying to the comments regularly, I do read them, and appreciate them so much... but it's just that things have been hectic and I haven't been able to make time for meaningful responses.

What I’m dying to do at this very moment is share pictures of this beautiful week; the Mujib Canyon Trail on Wednesday, where we had an exciting adventure that included abseiling down a 20-meter high waterfall, then a three-hour road trip to the south of Jordan on Friday, and an amazing day up north at the Ajloun Nature Reserve today.

No I haven’t been on an extended weekend, on the contrary, this was all work, but I loved it nonetheless. Working with students has its ups and downs, and this week gets two thumbs up… I got to meet some very inspiring people, I got to know more about the wonderful work of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and I got to witness the impact of introducing a group of youth to parts of their country they never knew existed, and helping spread awareness about issues that they never really paid much attention to.

I couldn’t take my digital camera to Mujib because I don’t have a waterproof cover for it, but since I can’t bare the thought of not taking pictures, I got me a disposable camera and tried to manage with only 27 clicks available! I have them, but my stupid scanner is not working all of a sudden! Yesterday’s pictures are on the camera that my sister took today, and today’s pictures are on my friend’s camera for which I still don’t have the USB connector. Bottom line: wait for a post later this week where I can get more descriptive about Jordan’s incredible diversity and introduce a list of options for outdoor lovers and for anyone who complains that there isn’t much to do in this country! There’s a wide scope of breathtaking places to explore, get physically active, and enjoy your weekends away from the Thursday night city torture.

Hmmm… since I’m making a promise regarding an upcoming post, let me tell what else has been on the “to blog” mental list:

- The youth network of MERYAN, and how it gave me a new meaning of being Arab. (Killer Bee Bop, I haven’t forgotten ;) )

- The quest for a strong politically and socially aware student movement, and some reflections from my recent university experience.

- Why regularly straightening my hair goes against my principles (sorry mom!)

- Why you should throw them high heels out the window.

- Sabilat Al Hassan – an experience I probably missed but I think every young Jordanian between 17 and 25 should go for!

- More thoughts and questions on Education…

Not to mention, upcoming events in Amman

- And… I still haven’t decided if I will respond to the request of posting something from my fifth grade diary!

…

Ok I'm not done listing yet, but this is probably more than I can have you hold me to :)

I started reading “the Catcher in the Rye”, by accident actually, but there’s a quote from the book I’d like to share – an attempt to add meaning or purpose to this post I suppose ;p

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and that you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.

So here’s a question: Who is the book author you'd love to call up and get together with for coffee?

Football Musings

Fifth grade was a very important time in my life. It was the year I started keeping a regular journal. I did have notebooks where I wrote personal stuff since I was, um, seven may be. But fifth grade was different. It was also the year I applied for Samir Magazine's young journalist ID card. Does anyone out there remember Samir? I loved it.

It was in fifth grade that I decided I want to be a journalist.

And, it was in fifth grade that I fell in love with football. Real football and not that of Al Haddaf and Captain Rabe7 ;)

I should remind you that back then… my only brother was less than a year old, I went to an all-girl school, and my dad was not a die-hard football fan and didn't have one favorite team.

I used to read Majed magazine, and I started collecting the football series they included in every issue. Those were the days of Roberto Baggio, Romario, and Hadji. I still remember every detail of the Italy-Nigeria second-round game. I remember the sight of Sacchi screaming his head off from the sidelines, and Baggio's miraculous 88th minute equalizer after Zola got a red card, and then that extra-time winning goal. It would've been even more thrilling if the golden goal rule was applied then, but oh well! That was a great nerve wracking game with high doses of adrenaline.

You know what's funny, I have the post-game impressions documented in my tiny 5th grade diary, with its pink, yellow, and green sections. I also have the trauma of the final game in there… with broken down sentences and a general depression. But I'm too embarrassed to post them here, so we'll leave it at that.



During my teenage years, one of the issues daunting me was proving to the guys around me that I didn't support Italy because the players were handsome, and that I loved football for football. I hated every girl who said "oh I don't know much about football, but I support Italy, and I love Maldini!" The guys at summer camp would make me recite the names of the entire squad and would start asking me what they consider to be 'tricky' questions before they finally admit that this is not the typical case of a female football fan.

But that was in my teenage years. Now I look back and laugh at myself! I no longer care about proving that point to anyone. I don't owe the world an explanation or a proof… and I'm glad I came to my senses with the realization. There was a point when I just wished those Italians were not at all good looking so that I can free my mind from people's assumptions and just enjoy football, and it took me a while to start thinking so what if they have that gorgeous Mediterranean attraction? ;) So what if I have a poster of Maldini next to those of Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten?

Now, trying to detach myself from the human mentality, and amusing myself in attempting to figure out what an alien from outer space would think of this game called football and the way its fans react to it… I find it so fascinating.

I am absolutely fascinated by the culture and politics of football.

How come I support Italy? Why is my favorite team AC Milan? How could I support AC Milan when I hate Berlusconi and the corruption and money-talk he represents??

The significations and symbolism of football are amazing… the first thing I was told in Ireland was that if you support Rangers you're a Unionist, if you support Celtics you're a Republican…

Can someone Egyptian tell me what being an "ahlawiyyeh" means? I have no idea why I support Al Ahli over Al Zamalek… and why I was so mad when the Hassan brothers left the team. Football is just not supposed to make sense I guess.

Can someone explain to me the culture and politics behind the teams of the Serie A?? I’m just curious. Which team is the fascist? Which team is the socialist? It's actually amusing when you take a stand and place bets over teams without having the slightest clue why you like them so much and what indications and meanings it would give to a local.

Last summer, I congratulated - with enthsiasm - a Catholic Northern Irish friend of mine for the victory of Northern Ireland's football team over that of England in World Cup qualifiers. His reply was:

Are you having a laugh??? Do you think that a self respecting republican would support the football team that represents the artificial, partitionist state that is Northern Ireland? Do you know how big an insult that is? We (the catholic community) identify with the football team from the republic of Ireland who lost last night and will now struggle to reach the world cup finals next summer.
Still it is always nice to see the oppressor that is England get beaten, especially by a minnow.

Lessons on cultural and political significations are always interesting :)

Hmmmm… I just look forward to the day I can fly to the where the World Cup is held with a traditional dress and a tableh and lots of Jordanian delicacies and music to support our National team in the World Cup and turn the streets of any city into a big fat Jordanian wedding! Until then... Forza L'Azzuri ;)

Randomness

It’s 5:15 PM. I love it when people start going home from work, and the office gets quieter and more peaceful. I’m listening to Tracy Chapman’s “the Promise”, I love that song… I love Tracie in general. Do you know that song “Change”? Beautiful

It was a tough day today. I had only had three hours of sleep. Actually it was by accident that I fell asleep at 3:00 AM, while working on an article that was due two days ago. I was working on the laptop without an internet connection to resist the temptation of blogging, reading, and commenting.

So, I fell asleep before finishing what I had to finish… and it was not even funny when I woke up at 5:15 because I was supposed to wake Sally up, and then unconsciously went back to sleep. Pathetic! Not only did I wake up feeling stressed out and panicked… my allergy was in its worst cases, and I was feeling generally ill, hot, and edgy. I took it out on my sisters, and looking back now, I feel so bad about my lack of self control. I guess we all have our demons that pop out sometimes (or may be I’m trying to console myself).

The day got better though… I had a sweet phone call right before lunch that put a smile on my face. And then I had a great time over lunch with Hal. Then my sister sent me a message just to check on me. My friends who are scattered between Bangladesh, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Amman suddenly got back to their “sharing is caring” email mood today, and each one was sending long emails with stories, news, and pictures of what they’ve been up to.

I love my friends.

I’m tired.

I don’t know why I’m writing this post.

I wish I had more time for writing. I wish I had more time to carry out all the ideas I get and to write all the features that I have in mind.

I watched Cinema Paradiso on Friday. I was supposed to love it, but I didn’t! I don’t know why!! May be because I wasted three hours watching it while I was supposed to be doing interview transcriptions and finishing my writing assignments! The first part of the movie was beautiful. I sure loved that part… when Toto was a child, fascinated by the cinema. The kid who played that role was amazing. The second part of that movie dragged though… and to be honest I don’t like this type of love stories. I don’t know why I’m feeling guilty for not having liked it. May be it was my mood while watching… I don’t know!

Do you know what I love?

I love passionate, smart, intellectual people. I love being around young people who are creative, and who have this drive to take action, to learn, and to make a difference, which is why – despite the demands and stress that comes with it – I love my job with the youth program. If out of every 20 students, you get one who is so motivated, and who radiates positive energy, and thinks differently… then it’s absolutely wonderful.

Nothing gives me so much pleasure as having a great mind stimulating conversation with a smart interesting person. The other day I was discussing with my sisters how I don’t like to go out to the movies with friends, because that’s not considered quality time spent with people you enjoy hanging out with, and my mom smiled and said “that’s because Lina is a talkative person, and she’d have so much to say over a cup of coffee ;)”

I’ve learned something, and I’m making it a point to implement it in my life. Stop doing things because you have to. Stop going to gatherings just to fulfill social obligations. Stop the needless ‘mujamaleh’ and pleasantries, stop putting on masks and faking politeness.

And for girls; stop wearing high heals. They’re bad for you. Who is it that decided it’s more formal, chic, and neat?? Those fashion designers sit there and make such decisions while they step out on the cat walk in the most hippie, shabby, comfy look they can afford. And it’s ‘cool’ and artsy because they’re the designers!! Don’t wear those pointed shoes, don’t wear shoes with thin high heals… even if you say you’re comfortable wearing them and that you’re used to it, you’re putting extra pressure on your lower back, you’re squeezing your toes, you’re disrupting normal blood circulation in your feet.

Hmmm… what else have I been aching to share on my blog? ;)

Why is the Jordanian market full of used cars from Dubai??!! Small clean relatively new cars all over the place coming from Dubai! Why do people there buy a good Honda in 2004 and then decide to sell it less than two years later??? Just go to check out all those car dealers past the sports city street.


Wow! Blogging sure is therapeutic. I’m feeling so much better now, after typing eight hundred words and drinking two cups of coffee. It’s time for me to go home now, finish what I have to write, and get some decent sleep tonight.

If I get a chance tonight I will post all the events you can attend in Amman this coming week.

I know what I want to do right now. I want to buy Tracie’s “New Beginning” Album… and I know, that if I go to Prime, I’ll walk out with a couple of books as well. I love it there.

It’s 6:30 PM. Baraka was screening at 6:00 at Darat Al Funoun. I really wanted to go. A friend of mine was giving a presentation at the Jordanian-Danish Dialogue center, at 6:00, and I said I’d try to make it. But oh well, I’m happy, feeling more relaxed now. No regrets! Time to go home now and call it a day… almost ;)

Access to information, and the right to think for oneself!

In case you missed this on Hala's blog, check it out...

"There is a big scandal in a Jordanian magazine today. The magazine's publishers pulled the new issue off the shelves when they saw an article about LGBT issues, and one that talks directly about women's sexuality.We are outraged and would like to have the "offensive" articles published on blogs, anywhere where people can have access to this information..."

To me, this isn't about this particular magazine or about Gay and Lesbian rights, it's about respecting people's right to know, and people's right to decide for themselves. When will the custody over our minds end?? It's very naive to think that you can completely block certain issues from being exposed and pull a blanket over our eyes!

According to Hala,

The magazine is currently at work redoing the magazine to republish it without these articles, that have been deemed 'offensive' by a closeminded and dictator-like faction, which has in turn forced the publishers to react in this way.

Anyone who has access to the original version of the magazine should get these articles out through the blogosphere. Let's not be afraid of exposing the issues that have long lived beneath the surface.

Joining the Good Fight

While I didn't always follow Manal and Alaa's Bit Bucket regularly, I really admired this amazing couple. In every country, there are a few bloggers who lead the change, who give so much to the community, and most importantly, who walk the talk. Manal and Alaa are that, and more.

For the past three days, as I've been reading and following everything related to the arrest of Alaa and the other protestors who were standing up for an independent judiciary system and for freedom of expression, I was looking at all the people around me, at work, on the streets, over lunch, and cups of coffee.. I was looking at them and thinking…How could you people be so clueless as to what is happening? Don't you know what is going on in Egypt? Don't you know that the blog hounds have been released? That there's a war out there? That the freedom fighters we've only heard about in romanticized revolutionary tales exist today? It's not Guevara coming to you on a beat-up motorcycle! It's not Saladdin coming on a mighty black horse with a shiny sword! It is young men and women who have decided to stand up and say ENOUGH! Enough repression, enough tyranny! Perhaps they are just a few. But that's ok, it has to start somewhere.

I guess Hala expressed it best when she talked about the community element of the blogosphere in this and how invigorating it is. I think of that rich dialogue last week over here, at Sandmonkey's, and at Tololy's about Arab Unity and what it means, and it's interesting, because today, taking part in this, I feel so Egyptian and so Arab. The reaction of the Arab blogosphere is fascinating, quoting SM "This is taking a life on its own. It's unbelievably awesome."

This morning Naseem sighed and asked: "where have all the children of socio-political passion gone?" While I look around me quite often and ask the same question… the blogosphere reminds me that they are there, and it gives me hope.

Ok, first of all… visit the Free Alaa Blog, and find out more about the background of this whole issue as well as the updates and what is being done.

Second, take part in the digital activism and help create a google bomb.

THEN, go tell your friends offline about this. Tell your parents, tell your siblings, tell your colleagues… just let them know. People need to know.

On a Beautiful Friday

(click on the pics to enlarge)

Feels weird to be posting these pictures - taken last weekend - from the office while everyone is out on lunch break.

I feel like running, I feel like going on a long run in fresh weather.

Truth behind Numbers!! Just Wondering...

Yesterday Ahmad wrote about some disturbing results of a survey conducted at the University of Jordan, which revealed that - get this - "91% of university students polled by the Jordanian Human Right Center approve of wife beating". These results were quoted by columnist Mahmoud Rimawi in Al Rai.

Upon reading it, I shared the post with some of my friends, and my good friend Hania was very upset, but for a different reason.. she emailed me the following reply:

I do NOT believe that a single psychologically stable adult (regardless of their education and background) would poll for this; unless they were mislead and manipulated into it. I am very skeptical of these polls and surveys which are built specifically to create mistrust and take things out of context and perspective.

I have also noticed that many people in our society tend to exaggerate and distort facts, and highly depend on fake, weak or unsubstantiated surveys.

This is very serious, and I think we should drill whoever claims to have conducted such surveys. I mean not any survey should be taken into consideration, nor publicly referred to or shared.

I would even go to the extreme, of being part of a campaign that would definitely disarm and make our society safe from these distorting, misleading, unscientific and superficial surveys and statistics.
Hania

Reminds me of last September's Al Arabiyah report that 80% of Jordanian women support wife beating!! Read what Roba wrote at the time, and follow the links for more...

Numbers do lie, especially when they are not researched correctly and published without proper citations and background...

Time for the Culture Vulture

Amman is getting more and more culturally entertaining with the approach of summer, and I can barely keep up!

Today the Royal Film Commission start their "Summer, Stars and Cinema" series, which is a weekly event, every Sunday (all the way till September) at 8:00 PM, on the RFC's beautiful terrace that overlooks old Amman.

Today: Sunday May 7th:

Waiting (2005)
Rashid Masharawi – Feature Film/Drama– 88min – Arabic with English subtitles

Before leaving Palestine to settle abroad, director Ahmad accepts one last job. He must audition actors for the new National Palestinian Theatre. On the road with interviewer Bissan and her cameraman, Lumière, Ahmad goes in search of talent in the numerous refugee camps of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Ahmad guides the auditioning actors into dramatizing what best embodies their destiny: waiting. He comes to realize the destiny of all refugees is much the same as his own. Although Ahmad is sick and tired of the insurmountable difficulties of life in Palestine, he may end up letting the opportunity for his long-awaited exile slip away…

This film was partially shot in Jordan.

May 7th and May 8th: Animation with Live Music (click on the poster below)

May 8th: Outlook on French Cinema; at 9:00pm at Century Cinema. Entry is JD3.

This Monday's film is “Joyeux Noel" (Merry Christmas) — The 102-minute film directed by Christian Carion features Diane Krüger, Guillaume Canet and Dany Boon. When war began in the summer of 1914, it took millions of people by surprise. And with the arrival of Christmas, the men in the trenches are left to put celebration of the holidays behind them.

May 9th: Tunisian Film "Moon Wedding" at the Shoman Cinema Forum, at 6:30 PM.

May 11th and 12th:

Live Jazz performance by the Philippe Duchemin Trio at Wild Jordan's Upper Terrace (this is a perfect combination of place and music, and I sure don't want to miss it).

(Click on the poster below)

Yes Madam! – On Domestic Workers in Jordan

I wanted to write this post on Labor Day (last year as well, but many drafts don't see the light!) The issue of foreign domestic workers in Jordan (and the Middle East as well I suppose) has always disturbed me deeply, for multiple reasons.

Most non-Arabs who come to Jordan are usually surprised by the fact that many middle-class families have maids. Quoting from Beti's comment on an earlier post:

“I understand your worries about the widening social gap. It actually surprised me when I went to Jordan. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the poverty side of the gap that shocked me. I mean, looking at country stats and the average salary, I assumed there was some poverty. It was the amount of times that I ended up asking the question: "What? You actually have a maid?!!" Yeah, may sound weird to some of you. But I came upon this more often in Jordan than I had anywhere in North America or in Europe […]"

Quoting from Khalaf's post today:

According to ministry of labor numbers, there are about 70000 foreign domestic workers in the country. Assuming that each one of these ladies is working for one family, then one would conclude that 7% (1 in 14) families in Jordan have a foreign live-in maid.

Ok, as a matter of personal opinion… I hate the concept of a live-in maid. I understand that there are many cases where a working couple needs someone to help in the house, but why can't you get someone to come do the work they have to do, and then go have whatever life they want to have outside of that? Oh! But wait, you tell me. It is not safe to have someone come and go, they might rob you, steal your house and never show up again! Ooohhh… ok then, this justifies why you want to get someone whom you can lock up and totally control so that they cannot do any harm to you!! As if creating that relationship of mistrust and mistreatment would not create resentment and backfire against you!!

Oh! But wait, you tell me again. If you want to get a foreign worker and not have her live in your house, where would she live? 'How' is even a better question? No way on earth would her salary enable her to find a place to live, to eat, and to survive, let alone fulfill the purpose of her work which is to save some money that she can send to her poor family in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, or the Philippines. True. The other option is to hire some local help, i.e, a Jordanian woman - overcoming the social barriers of getting a job as domestic help – who would benefit from the job to alleviate part of her and her family's poverty. She at least speaks the language and understands the culture. Oh, you say, but local workers cost more, and they're not as hard working (ie you can't abuse them). It's also more tempting for them to rob you since they have a place to take the stuff to!

Now in my opinion, which most people I know consider me naïve for, when you manage to establish a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the person who works for you, when you treat them fairly, when they feel that the wage you pay them is equal for the work they do… chances are, they will not rob you and run!

But the point of this post is not trust and being robbed and all that… there are more disturbing issues that I want to get at.

Ok, so I might as well just get to them. The situation of foreign domestic workers in Jordan is not labor, it is slavery! Yes, SLAVERY!! Open your eyes and admit it. Are those poor Asian women treated equally as human beings who have a job to perform and then have a life apart from that?? Most of them, especially those coming from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, are not educated enough to know that they have rights, and that they can protest the treatment they get! And it's not just that, people here tend to look down on them as some sort of inferior beings. The wages they get are ridiculously meager. Families tend to act as though they OWN their maid. As if she's some property. It kind of goes that way since all of her papers and passport are kept with her employer from the day she arrives, since she can't move outside without the consent of her boss, since she can't have a private life without the interference of her boss... the list goes on, but that's not the worst part...

Can Human Rights Watch or the National Center for Human Rights Studies or something go and pay a visit to the offices of those agents who recruit domestic workers?!! Can you please go and see the atrocities that happen there?? When the maids 'misbehave' or start to cause some trouble, the employer usually takes them to the office through which they were hired… and I've heard enough stories from different people to make me shudder at the thought of what happens there! Stories that make me so angry, so mad… that I want to grab one those agents and give them a piece of their own medicine! They think it is pretty normal to give the trouble-making maid a few face-twisting slaps, a few punches and hits, all the while yelling words she cannot understand, in order to curb her and get her to 'work well or leave the country'!

Just because people desperately need a job, doesn't mean they should be humiliated for it, doesn't make them less human, and doesn't entitle the person with the power to step all over them.

Next time, I might share the tragic story JO magazine published a few months ago, about the case of the Filipino maid who was pushed from a second-floor window and was consequently paralyzed neck-down! The embassy filed a suit on her behalf against her employer who pushed her. I wonder what happened with that! I should try to find out!

There are still other different aspects to discuss and go into, but this post is already too long, and it's 2:15 AM. I still have a work that I need to finish before the caffeine wears off!