More Favorite Sayings

 

So I’m sure all of our mom’s told us to look both ways before crossing the street.  Well after a day walking the streets of downtown Amman they would have told us, “Look both ways, and never do it with an Egyptian.”  I toured downtown with my Egyptian friend and found he didn’t exactly wait for an opening in the traffic before crossing.   In fact, much of the time we abandoned the side-walks altogether to instead mix and mingle with the tangle of cars, buses, and taxis.  Apparently in his mind the pedestrian lane resided smack between the rush of oncoming traffic.

“With a 50 dinaar bill in your pocket you can starve to death on the streets of Zarqa.”  Daily purchases look a bit different here.  Credit cards or checks?  Forget about it.  And outside of three local grocery stores anything over a 10 JD bill likely won’t do you much good.  Here coins and small bills run the daily exchange. 

So I hear it doesn’t get much crazier than the mix of traffic and people on the streets of Cario.  A local taxi driver told a friend of mine the way to cross the street in Cario, “Is to close your eyes.  Pray to Allah.  And walk like an Egyptian.”

Petra

I finally made it!  Whether in the U.S. or Jordan everyone said the same, "You can't go to Jordan without seeing Petra."  Well this weekend I finally got it done.  I went down with some friends and we spent most of Friday and a few hours on Saturday exploring the ancient city. 

I had originally thought Petra was no more than the one facade made famous in Indian Jones and the Last Crusade.  This is I think the most beautiful but only the highlight of many facades, monuments, and ruins to explore.  In its day Petra was a cosmopolitan city and was quite big.

One of the neater things was the combination of the ancient and impressive ruins in the dramatic and wild landscape.  Strange to think that once a major and thriving city grew in this wilderness beauty.

Spring Time

Spring has arrived here in Jordan.  And I am enjoying it.  This weekend I realized two ways I think Spring time here even beats Spring in Texas.  First is the nature of such an arid landscape.  In Dallas a tree in bloom or a sprout of green is easily overlooked, unappreciated.  But here the smallest patch of green and each tree in bloom is a beautiful highlight to the otherwise dry, brown canvas around you.  So in a new way you notice the freshness and life that comes with Spring.

Secondly, I saw that Jordan might stand toe to toe with any place when it comes to the beauty of Spring.  I went to the North near a city called Irbid.  As we gained some elelvation and the temp dropped the change in scenery was amazing.  As we arrived in Irbid I litterally couldn't believe I was still in Jordan.  Living down on the desert floor gives no suggestion of such beauty within an hours drive.

The area around Irbid consist of rolling hills which were flush with green and then scatterings of colorful wild flowers.  This was mixed with small shrubby trees and a very attractive white rock.  Near to Irbid is a ruin of an old Roman town.  The ruins are situated on a piece of high ground overlooking Palestine/Israel and the Sea of Galilee.  The day we were there was a clear sunny day and it was spectacular.  The natural beauty, the history, the rich heritage and strong emotions associated with the land, wow!

And oh yeah.  Irbid has a major university in it and there is a street called University Street next to it that could totally have been a street in any college town USA.  We ate Dunken Donuts, Papa John's Pizza, and then for the Arab twist had tea at the home of a man we met just that morning.

I posted pics under "Spring!" in the pages section.

Back to the Future 1,2,&3

 

So as I remember from the movies he travels both to the past, the future, and at one time what seems and alternate reality.  There three items here which have had the same effect for me.

First is the music.  This is the time machine returning me to the past.  If an artist was popular about a decade ago then likely they have found their new life here in Jordan.  From every other ring-tone being Celene Deon to the racks of cassette tapes at the neighborhood music shops, the music scence can take you back.

Then, to the future.  If music is a time machine then movies are the time warp.  Before you have made it to the theatre to see the latest blockbuster most here will have seen it in the comfort of their home.  It doesn’t matter if it débuted last year, last month, or yesterday, the big screen can be brought home here.  I’m not sure how the whole system works but let’s just say the movie shops have their “connections”. 

And the alternative reality revolves around a cola beverage.  While Coke may be King in America, he takes a back seat to Pepsi in the Arab world.  It is hard to go out here without a cool Pepsi can being plopped down with the meal.  From merchandise, advertising, to the aisles of the supermarket; everywhere I would expect to see Coke-a-Cola instead the look, feel, and taste of Pepsi.