So You Thought They Were Gone

As I have frequented the local suuqs (markets) and dukkaans (stores) I have noticed some popular items I thought had largely disappeared from the shelves of American markets.  For example Funions and Bugles, sure they were popular for their time but now they seem a rare sighting.  Well not here.  They come in multiple brands and flavors and I think I even spotted a variety of different colors.  And Tang may be little respected back home but here it is quite the rave.  If Tang were a flower then the soil of Jordan is its garden.  And then the wonderful MoonPie.  I know they can still be found hanging around on convenient store shelves, stale and largely unwanted.  But here they are in the prime of their lives.  It would be hard to consider yourself a grocer market without an adequate supply, prominently presented.

And then one day I was wandering in the labyrinths of the shops in downtown.  One area we passed through reminded me of the Island of Lost Toys from Rudolph.  Whether it is your old toaster, college Microfridge, or your un-flat screen TV there seems a decent chance it has found its way to one of these re-sale shops.  Of course if you come looking for it it may not look as you remember.  I think many find their use as spare parts and not their whole selves. 

So if you have been reminiscing about a favorite snack or vintage electronic device and thought the good old days were done, well hope remains, I just might be able to track it down for you.

Dead Sea

So I was down at the Dead Sea this weekend.  I must say it was a strange sensation to be standing straight floating in a sea and in the middle of January.  So crazy to be in a body of water in which you really can't sink.  And besides the difference in geography there was quite a change in the weather.  Here I am consistently bundled in multiple layers and running the space heater.  At the Dead Sea shorts and a T-shirt were quite comfortable through the day and we actually had to run the AC at night.

I can't say I would want to spend too much time in the Dead Sea as the salt I didn't find exactly comforting to my skin but I was glad for the chance to take swim in such a unique place.

Roman Ruins

I was up in Jerash, a city in the north of Jordan which has some incredible Roman ruins.  I have heard they are some of the best outside of Italy and after being there I wouldn't disagree.  It's pretty much the remains of a whole  city; two temples, numerous gates, a long colonnade, an amphitheater, a hippodrome, and other random ruins. 

So I saw a reenactment of a Roman legion drilling, a gladiator fight, and chariot races.  In the amphitheater you can stand on a certain spot and your voice be heard all the way at the top of the seating even when speaking in a normal voice.  I tried it and it was cool.

The weather was great.  It made for a wonderful day to be out side exploring and walking, which there was quite a bit of that.  We ended the day at a famous Lebanese restaurant in Jerash.  Fresh baked bread, an incredible Greek salad, and unbelievably juicy chicken made for a great meal to end the day.

I posted some pics under Jerash so check them out.

Jordan Wins!

So I am sitting here at work with the sounds of gun shots, firecrackers, car horns, and shouting.  And no it isn't a revolution so don't worry.  In fact Jordan's soccer team just defeated KSA (Kingdom of Saudia Arabia) 1-0.  The Asian Cup Soccer Tournament is going on in Qatar and Jordan is off to a good start.  They tied Japan, the top ranked team, 1-1 in their first game and are now celebrating their victory.  Its kinda neat as our office is on one of the major roads in town and it seems the whole city is joined together in celebration.

New Year!

I began the New Year here in Jordan by hosting a breakfast brunch with my roommate.  From what I can tell breakfast is definitely done best in America and so we wanted to share some good food with our friends here.  We had about 5 guys come over and fixed up a great meal with breakfast tacos, pancakes, coffee cake, egg casserole, fresh fruit, and a bit of hummus with fresh local bread.  I was impressed with all we had and how well it turned out.  Box mixes and pre-prepared food is rare out here so everything made was from scratch.