Showing posts with label Amman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amman. Show all posts

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Amman Twestival

I've been struggling the past few days since attending Amman twestival to blog about it... i came back home after the event.. trying to tide up my thoughts and all the info i got from the extremely heated discussion but decided to sleep it over.. and blog about it the next day..

The next day... i woke up.. did my usual morning things.. and checked my email.. at first i couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing... i thought am clearly still sleeping.. let me go make some nescafe.. and read the emails.. i came back.. and there it was again! i wasn't dreaming.. i got the Job interview i've been waiting for since last month.. i got all hyper and fuzzy and lost any possible concentration :D .. i suppose you still wonder whats the big deal about having an interview.. but in my case.. its my very first Job interview since i came to Amman.. plus its in one of the places i've always dreamt to work at.. aside of being directly into my major (Mechatronics) its also one of the coolest jobs in Jordan! so there.. at the moment.. i completely forgot about my intentions to blog about Amman Twestival!

So lets go back to Amman Twestival... many posts where dedicated to the event.. many even blogged about it or twitted it live.. some even posted the most powerful 10 quotes mentioned.. all of which in general covered all the details of the event.
For me it was impressive.. for different aspects... the organization itself was a huge success.. thanks to Malik Shishtawi and his foundation.. who made it possible... amazing effort.. and organization in suh a short period. On the other hand, the speaker's (M. Khawaja) presence and personality made the entire experience fun and professional.. including the casual attitude and friendly atmosphere that managed to transform the tiny mistakes into funny situations.. that allowed us to be actually enjoying the discussion. All in all.. it was a huge success! Thank you Malik and Mohammad!

The event guests... were actually very informative.. and encouraging.. i mean.. they managed somehow to make what am doing more sense..i mean i've been blogging and twittering for a while.. and i haven't found any support from any of my friends or my family.. probably coz they can't comprehend what actually am doing when blogging.. but that night .. it all made sense and gave me a push forward to continue.. so Thank you for that!

The idea of live twitting during the event was actually an interesting enhancement to the discussion.. as it gave the attendees more power for interacting... it gave the chance to regular bloggers.. and internet "geeks" to be able to express their opinion..in rather a fun way.. so the discussion wasn't exclusive to the more professional ones.. but to everyone! which is something i really liked.. it also gave the chance to many twiterjeyyeh :) to be part of the event who for many reasons couldn't be there with us... It also got us a special iPhone discount from the CEO of Orange Mrs. Majd Shweikeh who was also attending the Twestival ... her precense is deeply appreciated.. hoping that more customer - client communication will be conducted in the near future! Thanks for that as well! :) am definitely going to use the discount :)

It was one of those moments when i actually was proud of seeing such event being conducted in Jordan... it gives back high hopes of the Jordanian Youth and Enterprenurs.. i won't go into details about the event.. as its too late for me now to talk about what happend .. hehe .. others have already talked about it in details.. i just wanted to share with you my experience at the 2nd Amman Twestival and waiting for the 3rd one in the near future! Way to go guys! keep it up!

p.s. this post is exclusivley dedicated to Amman Twestival and the Organizers :)... will keep u posted of what happend in the interview day.. (yesterday) in my next post !

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Things i miss in Jordan


- Abu el Abed coffee (@ the cliff )
- the noise of Amman's Taxis
- going by bus to JU.. ( mojtama3.. zera3a... 3oloom..w ra2eessee :) )
- Hummus, Foul and Falafel :D.. + fatteh from Kal7a el Gardenz..
- Mansaf.. (ever since i travelled everyone started promising 3ozomet Mansaf when i come back... yalla prepare jameedatkom ! :D )
- buying DVDs from Downtown Amman.. ( Abood probably thinks i switched to someone else :) )
- a freshly squeezed Orange Juice in Downtown Amman..
- Cocktail Ranoush - Jabal Hussein
- Shawerma 3arabi ..
- Nescafe from JU - Engineering Cafeteria...
- Irth Academy outings.. :)
- Orthodox Club family dinners..
- singing with my Choir..
- trix ! - naa i hate that game.. i just liked how my friends get competitive during the game.. while i couldn't care less!
- Shopping from Safeway Shemisani @ midnight
- Madaba..
- my friends "birthday" gatherings..
- dancing on Arabic music..
- Cups&Kilos coffee latte..
- Hani Mitwasi's events..
- Sport City running track..
- Nutella Saj.. from Saj Haretna Rabyeh
- Ka3ek from Salahdein Backery in Abdali...
- Village Cafe..
- my friends..
- my friends..
- and my friends :)

Officially coming soon to Jordan :)

Friday, April 24, 2009

where is Jordan?? :)

Once u travel, one of the best experiences ever is hearing what normal people from around the world think about your culture and country.. and more importantly... get to know if they know about your country in the first place.. :)

During the past few years, i have visited several countries.. and met wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities.. and upon introducing myself.. of coming from Jordan.. some had very interesting reactions. I would like to share with you some of them:

Polish guy (hostel receptionist): Ah nice you know, u r the first ones who come to our hotel from Jordan... where is Jordan anyway?? please tell me anything about ur country.. i really wanna know !

Polish guy again: Do u have cars? (Dear God) :S

French man (artist): Ah Jordan! I was there..Petra is just goregous.. its a shame people don't speak french there.. 

French man 2:  ah oui oui.. Jordanie.. lovely people.. there is this lovely city i can't forget.. i can't remember its name.. 
me: Amman? 
FM2: no no.. it starts with B ?
me: ha?? are u sure?? 
FM2: yes yes.. its on the sea.. 
me: are u talkin about Beirut?
FM2: YES.. thats the one..
me: sir this city is in Lebanon..
FM2: Oh.. (speaking to his friend) i should stop drinking.... (and falls into a deep laughter)

Bulgarian guy: oh Amman!  how exotic!! (i dunno what did he meant by that - but i guess he had a flashback image of Arabian Nights)

Swedish flat-mate: Ah Jordan... yea ... King Abdullah and Queen Rania.. also the late King Hussein.. very lovely Royal family..

Swedish flate-mate 2: you have a lot of water pipes there no?? :)) Dude Shisha rocks..!

Swedish colleage at University: oh you from Jordan?? Assalamu Alaykom! I Study arabic for fun!

Swedish girl (my friend's flate mate): do you have a lot of terrorists?? ( WTF?)

Swedish man (at Westren Union office) :
WU: where do u want to sendmoney to? Jordan? where is that? 
me : You know Jordan.. middle east..? Amman..?
WU: Ahh Yordaniaa 
me: yea thats what am saying.. 
WU: no sir.. u said Jordan.. how am i supposed to know!

my Greek Professor: Jordan.. and Amman.. i love them.. it reminds me of my home in Greece.

Turkish hotel receptionist: Ah Urdon! Urdon! :)) (and that was it =) )

2 Macedonian old ladies: 
OL1: So u lived in Jordan?
me: Yes
OL1: but u speak fluent Macedonian...
me: yes am half macedonian and half jordanian :))
OL2: there must be a macedonian school in Jordan... hence the fluency..
me: ha?! macedonian school in jordan!!? ( didn't expect such answer)

Macedonian friend: Jordan?? hmm.. yea yea.. Jordan River.. wasn't Jesus Christ baptised there?

to be continued :)



Tuesday, April 21, 2009

On Homesickness...

Ever since i left Jordan 4 months ago, i have been undergoing constant changes, changes that i haven't even dreamt of occuring or even touching my life. I guess it all started the minute i arrived in Sweden, when the freaking cold weather went through my bones.. and reminded me of the wonderful weather of Amman. But it all was for a good cause..i pulled myself together and started my journey. 

Probably the most interesting phenomena, was accepting my identity as an Arab.. in the best possible way. We all grow into certain identity as puberty hits our wanna be personality.. and the result of this clash usually defines what u will end to be in ur future life. But you may spend few years before realising urself the outcome of this clash.. and make peace with it and accept it.. and even become proud of it. 

Um Kalthoum, the symbol of classical Arabic music was probably the first thing i fell in love with after i left Jordan. I couldn't believe how could my parents spend an entire hour on one song..and actually enjoy it.. ! Now all of a sudden ... i find myself every evening... preparing my coffee and go through youtube or my limited music library and put Um Kalthoom.. and just enjoy every note coming out of her voice.

Fairouz, was always part of my morning routine, even when i was in Jordan, but when i was in Paris last week... you can't imagine how does it feel like to eat "Labneh w Zaatar" from a lebanese restaurant in the morning with Fairouz in the background. It just brings the goose pumps all over ur body. 

Arabic writers... and novels.. were never an option for me when i was searching for a good book to read... I dunno why.. but the only arabic book that i have read while being in Amman was "The prophet" by J.K. Jubran, but ever since i came here.. i started looking for Arabic authors in the university library. Its not that i didn't appreciate them before.. but its like they were just hidden in the darkness.. and surrounded with a pre-given idea that everything from the west is better. 

I can go for hours giving u smaller and smaller ideas of how i started appreciating our Arabic culture, music, tradition, values and literature.. but i think the idea is sent already. 

Its always good to have new experiences.. and explore new places.. it reminds u how great is your own home.. that u will always tend to go back to. 

Miss you Amman.