About an hour after the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down to the demands of the Egyptian people, we could hear the people of Jordan chanting out of the cars as they drove down the streets of Amman, "Long Live Egypt, Long Live Egypt, LONG LIVE EGYPT!" Cars filled with people, clapping, dancing, honking their horns as they celebrated the news they have been waiting for during the 3 weeks of protesting. Jordan, for those unfamiliar, is a country filled with Immigrants from the neighboring Arab countries. I was unable to find the actual number of Egyptians living here in Amman; however, you find Egyptians on every street in Amman. Those celebrating tonight are not only Egyptian, but also Jordanians. My father-in-law, a Jordanian, admitted to shedding a few tears of joy when he heard the news of victory. The news broadcasters found groups of people proudly celebrating throughout Amman tonight. We saw and heard fireworks being launched into the air. The sounds of victory! The sound of freedom!
What does all this mean for Jordan? We are uncertain what it means, if anything. The news speculates that Jordan could be next; however, those of us living here don't feel this to be true. That being said, there have been some demonstrations around Jordan. The demonstrations two weeks were held because people were unhappy with the Prime Minister and the inflation of prices. Around ten days ago His Majesty, King Abdullah, let go his Ministers including the Prime Minister. The process usually it takes only a couple of days to replace the Ministers; however, this time King Abdullah took his time to ensure selecting Ministers that will accurately represent the Jordanian people...and limit the demonstrations in Jordan. The people who hold government positions, recently received an increase in pay, in an attempt to make up for the recent inflation. One can not say for sure what the future of Jordan is, yet we are hopeful that things remain calm and proactive.
Victory today in Egypt! History in the making! A day to celebrate! A day for Democracy! We don't know exactly what the future holds for the Egyptian people, but we pray for democracy and for a better future for the Egyptians.
Showing posts with label About Jordan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Jordan. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
It is Christmas around the world and in Jordan too. About 5% of the Jordanian population are Christians, but you can see the festivities all around town. I was at the grocery store the other day and Christmas music played continuously as we shopped. The radio is also playing the occassional Christmas song and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. The malls are decorated from top to bottom with lights, Christmas trees, poinsettas, and a place for the kiddies to sit on Santas lap (and yes, Santa is there taking requests and pictures). The neighborhood stores are celebrating as well, with signs of Merry Christmas, sales, and decorations in the store windows. Depending on the neighborhood, some street turn arounds are decorates with decorated and lighted trees. The Christian homes have lighted trees and Santa with his reigndeer displayed out front. If today was a normal working day, we would all have the day off because it is a National Holiday. Last night (Christmas Eve) we drove around the streets of Amman and the people were out celebrating. The street vendors were selling Santa hats...and there was the occassional cars with people dressed in Santa hat, beard, and red coat ringing bells as they drove down the streets of Amman. Here are a few pictures we took over the last week:
Friday, October 22, 2010
This is the view, everywhere you look in Jordan these days! Faces. Thousands. Thousands of faces staring. Faces of those hoping to be elected for Parliament in the Jordanian elections to be held in November. I, being new to Jordan, am learning about this process as it goes on. Here's what I learned from Wikipedia.com:
"The Legislature consists of two houses: The Assembly of Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The House of Senators has 55 members all of whom are directly appointed by the King, whist the Chamber of Deputies/House of Representatives has 80 elected members representing 12 constituencies. Of the 80 members of the lower house, 71 must be Muslim, 9 are for Christians, 3 are for Circassians and Chechen minorities, and six seats are for women."
"Senators have terms of 4 years and are appointed by the King and can be reappointed. Prospective Senators must be at least 40 years of age and held senior positions in either the government or the military."... "Deputies are elected to serve a four year term. Candidate must be older than thirty five and cannot be related to the king and must not have financial interests in governmental contracts."
"Both houses can initiate debates and vote on legislation. Proposals are referred by the Prime Minister to the House of Deputies where they are either accepted or rejected. Every proposal is referred to a committee of the lower house for consideration. If it is approved then it is referred to the government to draft in the form of a bill and submit to the Chamber of Deputies. If approved by this House it is passed onto the Senate for debate and a vote. If the Senate gives its approval then the King can either grant consent or refuse. In this case the bill is passed back to the House of Deputies where they review and voting process is repeated. If both houses pass the bill by a two-thirds majority it becomes an Act of Parliament overriding the Kings veto. Article 95 of the Constitution empowers both houses to submit legislation to the government in the forms of a draft law."
To learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Jordan
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Eid Mubarak (Happy Holiday)
Hello to all and Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim readers. Eid Mubarak is one of the expressions we use to wish each other a Happy Holiday. What holiday?- my nonMuslim friends may be asking. For those of you who haven't read my blog recently or don't know about Islam: Muslims are just completing our month of fasting (the Islamic Month of Ramadan). At the end of this month we will have a 3-4 day holiday called Eid Al-Fitr.
Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan. The holiday begins after a congregated morning prayer at the Mosque or conventional hall. Once the prayer is complete, the celebration begins and lasts between three to four days.
Visiting family entails most of the 3 day holiday. Visiting usually begins immediately after the morning prayer. To give you a clearer picture of what it means to visit family and friends, I will describe what I experienced last year...Prayer started around 700am and relatives started knocking on the door of my Mother-in-law (who we were living with at the time) around 800am and the visiting lasted well into the evening. One by one, group by group, the family members came by and visited. Some stayed 5-10 minutes and others stayed an hour or more. During their visit we drank tea or coffee, ate sweets, and wished each other a happy holiday. The following day, we drove to everyone's home, to home, to home. We visited with each family member over the next two days. Our visits lasted the same, either 5-10 minutes or an hour-depending on the relationship and how much time we had spent with the same family the previous day(s). The kids all ran around together, eating candy and getting money from the adults. It's an enjoyable time and it can be exhausting all the same (just as Christmas or another holiday you may relate to).
The nice thing about living in Jordan (a predominately Muslim country) is that we get four days off from work for Eid Al-Fitr. However, this year the holiday will fall on the beginning of the weekend, so the four days include 2 regular working days off and 2 days for the usual weekend. Either way, it will be nice to have the additional days away from work and home with family. My brother-in-law and his wife are expected to come in from Bahrain for the week, and we are looking forward to seeing them and spending time with them. Living in Bahrain has even better perks than Jordan-they get the 4 days off in addition to the weekend - so they will be with us the entire week, inshallah (God Willing).
People often ask if we exchange gifts or how else Eid is celebrated. Gifts are exchanged and new clothes are bought...mostly for the children. Special food and desserts are prepared as well. Over the past 1.5 weeks, the streets have been packed with parked cars, cars trying to get through the traffic, pedestrians crossing the street, and shoppers walking from store to store-all out shopping and preparing for Eid. Shopping for the gifts, new clothes, something special for the house, or special food they are planning to prepare. The houses, businesses and streets are decorated with lights. Special donations of food and money are given to the poor, as it is a requirement of Islam to give a monetary donation (not only on a yearly basis), but also before the Eid begins to ensure that all Muslims have food to eat and are taken care of by those blessed with more. Everyone is happy and excited for Eid and the blessings of Ramadan. Some are also sad to see the end of the month of fasting as it is an especially spiritual month and even though they can fast most any day of the year, nothing is as spiritual and special as Ramadan. No matter what religion you come from, you cannot deny the excitement in the air and the special time this is for Muslims around the world. Please, wish a Muslim a Happy Eid over the next few days and/or take the time to learn more about Islam for yourself during this time.
Hope everyone had a blessed Ramadan and a wishing every Muslims a Happy Eid Al-Fitr!
Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan. The holiday begins after a congregated morning prayer at the Mosque or conventional hall. Once the prayer is complete, the celebration begins and lasts between three to four days.
Visiting family entails most of the 3 day holiday. Visiting usually begins immediately after the morning prayer. To give you a clearer picture of what it means to visit family and friends, I will describe what I experienced last year...Prayer started around 700am and relatives started knocking on the door of my Mother-in-law (who we were living with at the time) around 800am and the visiting lasted well into the evening. One by one, group by group, the family members came by and visited. Some stayed 5-10 minutes and others stayed an hour or more. During their visit we drank tea or coffee, ate sweets, and wished each other a happy holiday. The following day, we drove to everyone's home, to home, to home. We visited with each family member over the next two days. Our visits lasted the same, either 5-10 minutes or an hour-depending on the relationship and how much time we had spent with the same family the previous day(s). The kids all ran around together, eating candy and getting money from the adults. It's an enjoyable time and it can be exhausting all the same (just as Christmas or another holiday you may relate to).
The nice thing about living in Jordan (a predominately Muslim country) is that we get four days off from work for Eid Al-Fitr. However, this year the holiday will fall on the beginning of the weekend, so the four days include 2 regular working days off and 2 days for the usual weekend. Either way, it will be nice to have the additional days away from work and home with family. My brother-in-law and his wife are expected to come in from Bahrain for the week, and we are looking forward to seeing them and spending time with them. Living in Bahrain has even better perks than Jordan-they get the 4 days off in addition to the weekend - so they will be with us the entire week, inshallah (God Willing).
People often ask if we exchange gifts or how else Eid is celebrated. Gifts are exchanged and new clothes are bought...mostly for the children. Special food and desserts are prepared as well. Over the past 1.5 weeks, the streets have been packed with parked cars, cars trying to get through the traffic, pedestrians crossing the street, and shoppers walking from store to store-all out shopping and preparing for Eid. Shopping for the gifts, new clothes, something special for the house, or special food they are planning to prepare. The houses, businesses and streets are decorated with lights. Special donations of food and money are given to the poor, as it is a requirement of Islam to give a monetary donation (not only on a yearly basis), but also before the Eid begins to ensure that all Muslims have food to eat and are taken care of by those blessed with more. Everyone is happy and excited for Eid and the blessings of Ramadan. Some are also sad to see the end of the month of fasting as it is an especially spiritual month and even though they can fast most any day of the year, nothing is as spiritual and special as Ramadan. No matter what religion you come from, you cannot deny the excitement in the air and the special time this is for Muslims around the world. Please, wish a Muslim a Happy Eid over the next few days and/or take the time to learn more about Islam for yourself during this time.
Hope everyone had a blessed Ramadan and a wishing every Muslims a Happy Eid Al-Fitr!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Interesting Jobs in Jordan
I am sure there are many jobs around the world that are interesting, strange, unique. I am sure many people in the United States have jobs that some would consider interesting, strange and unique. In Jordan, we definitely have some jobs that I wouldn't call unique to Jordan -as I am sure that other places around the world hold similar jobs or did at one point in time; however, these jobs are interesting to me as they are not found in the United States.
-Street Cleaners. Men employed by the city are dressed in an orange uniform and supplied with a regular kitchen broom and a cardboard box. They walk the same designated streets every morning and afternoon, sweeping the garbage into the cardboard boxes. Men are also designated on the hillsides near the highways. Here they collect the trash, again into their cardboard boxes. In addition to the obvious, what always amazes me is they do not usually wear gloves....can someone please supply them with gloves!
-Street Painters. The side streets and curbs are painted by men with a paint bucket and a paint brush. Really, they paint the stripes on the road and keep the curbs looking fresh!
-Street Vendors.
--Farmers selling their produce on the side of the street.
--Men selling fresh coffee on the side of the freeway.
--Men and children selling trinkets, Kleenex, gum, and anything in between on the streets between the cars at stop lights.
--Men selling the morning newspaper on the side of the streets. They are standing at the stoplights to sell the paper to the morning traffic stopped at stop lights.
-Man Servants. Many businesses employee a man who is similar to a waiter/servant. Thirsty for coffee, tea, water or anything else your work may supply?...call the man and he will make the tea or coffee as you ordered and bring it to you ...free, no tip. Some of these men will also run to the store to get lunch, by a pack of cigarettes, fill your car with gas, or anything you ask within reason. I suppose it's like a concierge services.
-Guards.
--Most apartments are supplied with a guard. I suppose it is similar to caretaker in the Condos in the US. They take care of keeping the apartment grounds clean. However, they are available to help with odds and ends that you may need. For instance, you can ask them to help bring in the groceries, or they will even go get the groceries for you. They will clean your car once or twice a week for 5JD (around $6.00) a month. They will also clean your apartment, wash your rugs, and other things that you need for a a small fee.
--All expensive homes. All government buildings. Many privately owned business. As well as other places have guards. These guards are like security guards. They stand outside making sure that those who are there - should be there. They are usually armed with a firearm. It's not unsafe here, I think it's a status thing more than anything.
-Maids. There are live in maid everywhere in Amman. They do everything for you for nearly nothing. They are paid around 200JD ($300) a month, to do all that you ask. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for kids. It's interesting going to the park, because all the small children are being held and chased around by the maid...not the family members.
-Car Washers. I mentioned the guards are available to wash your car. How about when you go to out to dinner, a nice place sure, but even somewhere like KFC or Burger King. They hand-wash the cars one by one and ask for a small tip of gratitude. Also, as you drive down the streets of Amman, you will always see someone washing parked cars.
Strange, Interesting, Unique. The unfortunate truth is that here in Amman, there are many people who have no job opportunities except these.
-Street Cleaners. Men employed by the city are dressed in an orange uniform and supplied with a regular kitchen broom and a cardboard box. They walk the same designated streets every morning and afternoon, sweeping the garbage into the cardboard boxes. Men are also designated on the hillsides near the highways. Here they collect the trash, again into their cardboard boxes. In addition to the obvious, what always amazes me is they do not usually wear gloves....can someone please supply them with gloves!
-Street Painters. The side streets and curbs are painted by men with a paint bucket and a paint brush. Really, they paint the stripes on the road and keep the curbs looking fresh!
-Street Vendors.
--Farmers selling their produce on the side of the street.
--Men selling fresh coffee on the side of the freeway.
--Men and children selling trinkets, Kleenex, gum, and anything in between on the streets between the cars at stop lights.
--Men selling the morning newspaper on the side of the streets. They are standing at the stoplights to sell the paper to the morning traffic stopped at stop lights.
-Man Servants. Many businesses employee a man who is similar to a waiter/servant. Thirsty for coffee, tea, water or anything else your work may supply?...call the man and he will make the tea or coffee as you ordered and bring it to you ...free, no tip. Some of these men will also run to the store to get lunch, by a pack of cigarettes, fill your car with gas, or anything you ask within reason. I suppose it's like a concierge services.
-Guards.
--Most apartments are supplied with a guard. I suppose it is similar to caretaker in the Condos in the US. They take care of keeping the apartment grounds clean. However, they are available to help with odds and ends that you may need. For instance, you can ask them to help bring in the groceries, or they will even go get the groceries for you. They will clean your car once or twice a week for 5JD (around $6.00) a month. They will also clean your apartment, wash your rugs, and other things that you need for a a small fee.
--All expensive homes. All government buildings. Many privately owned business. As well as other places have guards. These guards are like security guards. They stand outside making sure that those who are there - should be there. They are usually armed with a firearm. It's not unsafe here, I think it's a status thing more than anything.
-Maids. There are live in maid everywhere in Amman. They do everything for you for nearly nothing. They are paid around 200JD ($300) a month, to do all that you ask. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for kids. It's interesting going to the park, because all the small children are being held and chased around by the maid...not the family members.
-Car Washers. I mentioned the guards are available to wash your car. How about when you go to out to dinner, a nice place sure, but even somewhere like KFC or Burger King. They hand-wash the cars one by one and ask for a small tip of gratitude. Also, as you drive down the streets of Amman, you will always see someone washing parked cars.
Strange, Interesting, Unique. The unfortunate truth is that here in Amman, there are many people who have no job opportunities except these.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
1.5 BILLION Muslims observing Ramadan
The 1.5 Billion Muslims around the world are preparing and will being their month of fasting over the next 24 hours.
In Jordan, it has been announced that the holy month of Ramadan will begin tomorrow. This means beginning at 4:27 am, Jordanian Muslims will be abstaining from food, drink, sex, and smoke until 7:25pm. The Ramadan fast is set to begin at dawn and be completed at sunset; therefore, the times will vary slightly from one day to another and Muslims around the world will fast during and based dawn to sunset in their area of the world. The actual month of Ramadan (in the Islamic Calender) is determined on a Lunar calender. This means that we have an idea of when Ramadan will begin; however, it is not known until the crescent moon is observed in the area in which you are living. In other words, this means its 1st day varies by 24 hours around the world, dependant on when the crescent moon is observed in each area of the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
http://www.fastramadan.com/why_do_muslims_fast.php
http://www.fastramadan.com/why_do_muslims_fast.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
You can feel the excitement in the air. Muslims are excited to fast as we are instructed to do so in the Holy Quran. During this time of abstinance from food, drink, sex, and smoke-we are filling up our mind, body and spirit with Allah (God) and our religion. "O believers! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you become more conscious of God." [Noble Quran 2:183].
During this month, it is not unusual for Muslims to read the Quran from cover to cover, and to spend their days and nights praying, even more than the prescribed 5 daily prayers. In fact, many stay awake the entire night praying, either at home or in the Mosque. Each Mosque offers extended evening prayers, called taraweeh, where long portions of the Quran are recited: in doing so, by the end of the month the entire Quran has been recited. As many people are staying awake throughout the night praying, staying up late reading Quran or spending time with family, and they are getting up before Dawn to eat - the business hours are changed during the Holy Month. The Jordanian Prime Minister announced that all government business will have the working hours from 900am-230pm. Personally, my working hours will be from 1000am-400pm, rather than the usual 830am-500pm.
Ramadan is also a month of giving. Abstaining from food and drink for such a length of time helps us recognise the suffering of those who do not have the means to eat and drink at their leisure. Muslims are encourage in the Quran, hadiths and thru this personal recognition to give to the poor during this month. If one is unable to give money, food, shelter, a simple smile or gesture is also considered giving. During Ramadan, we naturally recognize the blessings God has given us and thank him for these blessing whether they be health, family, food, work, etc.
Muslims are encouraged not to over-indulge in the abstained once it becomes prohibited (such as over eating once the fast for the day is over). We are to eat slowly filling our stomachs with 1/3 food, 1/3 drink and 1/3 empty space.
People decorate the outside of their homes with special lights. Eat special foods and desserts. Vendors set up shop on the sides of streets to sell special juices and desserts. The shops close during the time to break the fast and then reopen after evening prayers. The shops are filled with shopper late into the evening.
Ramadan is a special time for the Muslim world, as well as for those Muslims living in the Christian world. "Ramadan Kareem", "Ramadan Mubarak", "Happy Ramadan" as interchangeably used to wish someone a Blessed Ramadan. If you live in the Christian world and know a Muslim(s), please wish them a Blessed Ramadan. They will be happy to hear this from you and may be excited to share with you what Ramadan means to them!
In Jordan, it has been announced that the holy month of Ramadan will begin tomorrow. This means beginning at 4:27 am, Jordanian Muslims will be abstaining from food, drink, sex, and smoke until 7:25pm. The Ramadan fast is set to begin at dawn and be completed at sunset; therefore, the times will vary slightly from one day to another and Muslims around the world will fast during and based dawn to sunset in their area of the world. The actual month of Ramadan (in the Islamic Calender) is determined on a Lunar calender. This means that we have an idea of when Ramadan will begin; however, it is not known until the crescent moon is observed in the area in which you are living. In other words, this means its 1st day varies by 24 hours around the world, dependant on when the crescent moon is observed in each area of the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
http://www.fastramadan.com/why_do_muslims_fast.php
http://www.fastramadan.com/why_do_muslims_fast.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
You can feel the excitement in the air. Muslims are excited to fast as we are instructed to do so in the Holy Quran. During this time of abstinance from food, drink, sex, and smoke-we are filling up our mind, body and spirit with Allah (God) and our religion. "O believers! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you become more conscious of God." [Noble Quran 2:183].
During this month, it is not unusual for Muslims to read the Quran from cover to cover, and to spend their days and nights praying, even more than the prescribed 5 daily prayers. In fact, many stay awake the entire night praying, either at home or in the Mosque. Each Mosque offers extended evening prayers, called taraweeh, where long portions of the Quran are recited: in doing so, by the end of the month the entire Quran has been recited. As many people are staying awake throughout the night praying, staying up late reading Quran or spending time with family, and they are getting up before Dawn to eat - the business hours are changed during the Holy Month. The Jordanian Prime Minister announced that all government business will have the working hours from 900am-230pm. Personally, my working hours will be from 1000am-400pm, rather than the usual 830am-500pm.
Ramadan is also a month of giving. Abstaining from food and drink for such a length of time helps us recognise the suffering of those who do not have the means to eat and drink at their leisure. Muslims are encourage in the Quran, hadiths and thru this personal recognition to give to the poor during this month. If one is unable to give money, food, shelter, a simple smile or gesture is also considered giving. During Ramadan, we naturally recognize the blessings God has given us and thank him for these blessing whether they be health, family, food, work, etc.
Muslims are encouraged not to over-indulge in the abstained once it becomes prohibited (such as over eating once the fast for the day is over). We are to eat slowly filling our stomachs with 1/3 food, 1/3 drink and 1/3 empty space.
People decorate the outside of their homes with special lights. Eat special foods and desserts. Vendors set up shop on the sides of streets to sell special juices and desserts. The shops close during the time to break the fast and then reopen after evening prayers. The shops are filled with shopper late into the evening.
Ramadan is a special time for the Muslim world, as well as for those Muslims living in the Christian world. "Ramadan Kareem", "Ramadan Mubarak", "Happy Ramadan" as interchangeably used to wish someone a Blessed Ramadan. If you live in the Christian world and know a Muslim(s), please wish them a Blessed Ramadan. They will be happy to hear this from you and may be excited to share with you what Ramadan means to them!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Jordanian Independence Day
Today, May 25, is the Jordanian Independence Day (you know, like The 4th of July in the States). It is an official holiday and all government offices as well as many other businesses were closed today. Yanal and I enjoyed our day off together, with our kids. We didn't participate in any of the local festivities; however, we could see and hear the excitement around the neighborhoods. The street sellers were all selling Jordanian flags. People were driving around with their windows down, National songs blasting from their speakers, the passenger voices trying to match the original voices, clapping and dancing inside each car as they drove from neighborhood to neighborhood. The larger parks were setting up the stages for performers this evening. One of the largest parks in Amman is just over a mile from our home. This evening we could here the live music and festivites coming from the park. As I put the Aisha to bed, I could hear the fireworks. They were loud and came on strong. The remained strong for around 10 minutes, followed by louder and more deep sounds as the finale progressed. I tried to look out my window to catch a glimpse of the fireworks; however, my view was blocked by the neighboring apartment (should have known better because every view is blocked by the neighboring apartment here in Amman..LOL). Interestedly and curiously I waited for the Athan to call for the last prayer of the day. As the Athan began, the fireworks ended. It is always so interesting and beautiful to be reminded of God five times each day and to be consistently respectful towards the call for prayer, as it was so again this evening.
For more info about the history of Jordan and how it obtained its Independence from Britain in 1946 you can check out these websites:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jo.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Jordan
http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_transjordan.html
Happy reading and Happy 64th Birthday Jordan!
For more info about the history of Jordan and how it obtained its Independence from Britain in 1946 you can check out these websites:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jo.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Jordan
http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_transjordan.html
Happy reading and Happy 64th Birthday Jordan!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Three Things Interesting This Week.
So this week was filled with interesting things that happened. These are common in Jordan, but new and unusual to me.
1. I was pulled over yesterday on my way home from Arabic class. There are police-men and women who stand on the circles and high traffic areas. They are there to help direct traffic and to pull people like me over. We shipped our car here and still have our Wisconsin license plates on the car. We have done the necessary paperwork to keep our car legal as long as possible, before we either have to pay the outrageous tax to get Jordanian plates or to sell our car. Either way, we can drive our car this way under my Wisconsin drivers license as well. Hubby has showed me all the paperwork that I need to show the police, just in case of a day, like yesterday, when I indeed was pulled over. The officer didn't speak English and I didn't understand his Arabic, so we played the 'I'm sorry I don't understand you' game for a while. Then I showed him my driver's license and he proceeded to ask for the paperwork Hubby had showed me. I pulled it out and showed it to him. He started reading it, smiled and asked, "my/husbands last name?!, "his family name?!"..."Yes, my husband is ____, ____" I told him in Arabic. Then he smiles some more, returns to me my paperwork and tells me to have a nice day. ~It's all about who you know and family relations here! I didn't ask him, but judging from his response, I'm certain he too was an _____, _____! Ha!
2. Hubby has been suffering from a sore throat and headaches for the past few days. Instead of going to the doctor, you can just head to your local pharmacy! Today Hubby went to the pharmacy. He told them his complaints and they handed him something to soothe his soreness (no problem), but they also gave him antibiotics! What?!?!?? He doesn't have an infection, I checked him out last night...and even if he does have an infection, shouldn't that be managed by his physician? So, so very strange!!
3. My sister-in-law had some lab work ordered from her MD. She went to the laboratory and she, the patient, ordered additional labs! She's not a nurse, MD nor does she have any medical training, she just ordered them because she was curious. What?!...anyone can do that?! Then, she picked up the results herself, no one trained, no MD, present to explain to her the results. She will make an appointment to discuss the results with her MD, but in the mean time she is asking everyone what her results indicate....um, what?!...so very strange!
What's so funny to me is that these things are so strange to me and when I question the people about them, they don't notice it's strangeness. They are totally normal occurrences that happen here. Funny, yet strange.
1. I was pulled over yesterday on my way home from Arabic class. There are police-men and women who stand on the circles and high traffic areas. They are there to help direct traffic and to pull people like me over. We shipped our car here and still have our Wisconsin license plates on the car. We have done the necessary paperwork to keep our car legal as long as possible, before we either have to pay the outrageous tax to get Jordanian plates or to sell our car. Either way, we can drive our car this way under my Wisconsin drivers license as well. Hubby has showed me all the paperwork that I need to show the police, just in case of a day, like yesterday, when I indeed was pulled over. The officer didn't speak English and I didn't understand his Arabic, so we played the 'I'm sorry I don't understand you' game for a while. Then I showed him my driver's license and he proceeded to ask for the paperwork Hubby had showed me. I pulled it out and showed it to him. He started reading it, smiled and asked, "my/husbands last name?!, "his family name?!"..."Yes, my husband is ____, ____" I told him in Arabic. Then he smiles some more, returns to me my paperwork and tells me to have a nice day. ~It's all about who you know and family relations here! I didn't ask him, but judging from his response, I'm certain he too was an _____, _____! Ha!
2. Hubby has been suffering from a sore throat and headaches for the past few days. Instead of going to the doctor, you can just head to your local pharmacy! Today Hubby went to the pharmacy. He told them his complaints and they handed him something to soothe his soreness (no problem), but they also gave him antibiotics! What?!?!?? He doesn't have an infection, I checked him out last night...and even if he does have an infection, shouldn't that be managed by his physician? So, so very strange!!
3. My sister-in-law had some lab work ordered from her MD. She went to the laboratory and she, the patient, ordered additional labs! She's not a nurse, MD nor does she have any medical training, she just ordered them because she was curious. What?!...anyone can do that?! Then, she picked up the results herself, no one trained, no MD, present to explain to her the results. She will make an appointment to discuss the results with her MD, but in the mean time she is asking everyone what her results indicate....um, what?!...so very strange!
What's so funny to me is that these things are so strange to me and when I question the people about them, they don't notice it's strangeness. They are totally normal occurrences that happen here. Funny, yet strange.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Snowing...in Jordan
It happens almost every year lately, but over all it's still very uncommon for snow to fall in Jordan.
Last night they were predicting snow and everyone was out shopping. They we shopping for groceries. Filling up their cupboards because the stores will be closed as well as many schools and places of work. People are happy and praying for the snow. They are looking forward to being couped up inside with their families, baking and cooking comfort foods.
As the weathermen predicted, we woke up to snow this morning. It snowed at our home all day on and off. Out our window there is nearly 1/2 inch of snow dusting the rocks and mountains. It's quite pretty and reminds me of home.
The snow today was not enough to close my husbands work, but many people did not go because of the snow. Many stores stayed open as well; however, there were schools closed. It's interesting how the streets, people and equipment are not use to snow as we are in the Midwest of the United States. Growing up in Minnesota, snow just seems like a natural part of life. Where here in Jordan, it is such an uncommon occurrence and they are not equip for even the smallest amount of snow.
I hope the Jordanians stay warm and enjoy their time with family this snowy weekend! This family of Midwesterners will be traveling out to Grandma and Grandpa's home this weekend for my son's 1st birthday party!
Last night they were predicting snow and everyone was out shopping. They we shopping for groceries. Filling up their cupboards because the stores will be closed as well as many schools and places of work. People are happy and praying for the snow. They are looking forward to being couped up inside with their families, baking and cooking comfort foods.
As the weathermen predicted, we woke up to snow this morning. It snowed at our home all day on and off. Out our window there is nearly 1/2 inch of snow dusting the rocks and mountains. It's quite pretty and reminds me of home.
The snow today was not enough to close my husbands work, but many people did not go because of the snow. Many stores stayed open as well; however, there were schools closed. It's interesting how the streets, people and equipment are not use to snow as we are in the Midwest of the United States. Growing up in Minnesota, snow just seems like a natural part of life. Where here in Jordan, it is such an uncommon occurrence and they are not equip for even the smallest amount of snow.
I hope the Jordanians stay warm and enjoy their time with family this snowy weekend! This family of Midwesterners will be traveling out to Grandma and Grandpa's home this weekend for my son's 1st birthday party!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Arabian Recipes
This one is for you Carrie, who asked long ago for recipes, and for all others out there interested in what's for dinner on the other side of the world. You will have to forgive the spelling of the meals because they are Arabic names that I just transliterated. Also, Arabic cooking, or my version there of, does not have exact measurements.
Mnazaleh
Layer 1:
Peal eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch thick coins
Fry the eggplant in vegetable oil
Place in bottom of 9x13 Pyrex
Layer 2:
Fry 1 small diced onion with 1 diced green pepper and 1 pound ground beef, salt and pepper to taste.
In separate pan fry handful of pine nuts or slivered almonds in olive/vegetable oil
Mix together and layer on top of eggplants
Layer 3:
Dice 10 small on-the-vine tomatoes
Place tomatoes evenly over eggplants and ground beef.
Preheat oven 350F and place in oven until tomatoes are cooked (about 1 hour). There should be some water produced by the tomatoes on the bottom of the pan, if not you can add a little water 1/2 way thru cooking for moisture. Serve with Pita Bread.
Maglooba
Boil chicken (breast, leg, whatever with bone) in lightly salted water until done
Cut either cauliflower into large florets or eggplant (as described in Mnazeleh above), pat dry and fry to golden brown in vegetable oil
Slice 1 tomato very thin and place on bottom of very large pan
Add fried cauliflower or eggplant to large pan (on top of tomatoes)
Then add chicken to large pan followed by 2 cups of golden rice (NOT instant rice) and 4 cups of water from boiled chicken.
Add salt, pepper and allspice to taste.
Cook on stove top, medium heat, until rice is finished.
This meal is called Maglooba in Arabic and "Upside Down" in English because you flip the meal onto a large serving dish (served upside down).
Fry raisins lightly and pine nuts or almonds in olive oil over medium heat.
Sprinkle raisins and nuts over Maglooba
Serve with plain yogurt, yogurt salad or vegetable salad
Kushari
Sauce/Spices
In frying pan, fry diced 1 Anaheim peppers in olive oil
When peppers are cooked thru, add 1/2 Tbsp cumin and 3 finely cut garlic cloves
Set aside in small bowl
Dice 10 tomatoes
Add tomatoes, 1/2 can tomato sauce and 1/4 cup olive oil to same frying pan (to save on cleanup later)
Cook tomatoes until they are a sauce
Add pepper and seasons above, add additional salt and pepper to taste
Do this as you are making sauce:
Boil 1 cup Brown Lentils until done in salted water
Cook 1 cup pasta according to directions on box (I use elbow macaroni)
Heat 1 can Garbanzo/Chick Pea
Cook 1 cup rice with salted water
Do this just as everything else is finished:
Cut about 6 medium onions (cut onion in half, sliver the onion and then cut in half again)
Fry in vegetable oil until crispy, dark brown...FYI-open your windows for ventilation!
Pat off excess oil when finished to keep them crispy
Serve: I place the lentils, rice, beans, pasta, sauce and onions in separate bowls. This way they can put together what they like. Dish up lentils, rice, beans, pasta in equal parts, add sauce to desired amount then add fried onions.
Yogurt Salad
1/2 container plain yogurt
Dice 3/4 cup Italian or Mexican cucumber into 1 cm, leave skin on or off (if using American cucumber, be sure to seal the skin off the cucumber and gut out the seeds and then dice).
Smash 2 medium garlic cloves
Mix together, add salt to taste (about 1 tsp), Optional to add mint or parsley to taste.
Served with Maglooba, Kabobs with rice, and other chicken with rice meals
Vegetable Salad
Dice Tomatoes, cucumbers (as describes in Yogurt Salad), onion (white or green), and any other lettuce/veggies in your fridge. Dice them to your desired size and stir together in bowl.
Dressing: in small bowl whisk together: approx. 1 Tbsp olive oil, approx. 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 squeezed lemon and salt, pepper to taste.
Pour and stir dressing over veggies.
Served with almost every meal in different variations
Lentil Soup
Dice and fry 1 medium onion in olive oil until translucent
Soak and clean 3 cups of Red Lentils with tap water for about 5 minutes
Add lentils to fried onions.
Add 6 cups water and let cook over medium-high heat
Add cumin (1-2 Tbsp), salt and pepper to taste.
Hareesa (dessert)
3 cups smeed aka farina in English, Cream of Wheat in lay-mans terms :-)
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp coconut
1/2 vegetable oil with 1 tsp Ghee added (Ghee is a special Arabic ingredient for many desserts, skip it if you don't have it, but it's better if you do)
3 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt
Mix solids together
add oil and mix with hands, rubbing hands together like a bar of soap
add yogurt until mixtures starts sticking to your hands.
Press into two 9x9 pans
350F for about 1/2 hour or until light brown
When cool, add this sugary liquid
3 cups white sugar
4 cups water
2 teaspoons rose water (again, skip if you don't have but better if you do)
spot of lemon juice
Bring to boil, should thicken slightly
Pour over Haressa when Haressa is cool...or add to hot Haressa when sugar is cool (important that one is cool and the other hot).
Cut into small 2x2 inch pieces for serving.
Arabic cooking uses nearly all fresh ingredients. It makes the food taste delicious, but it is tedious in the kitchen. FYI-Arabic food isn't necessarily the most beautiful to the eye, but the flavors are wonderful! I cook many, many Arabic meals, salads, soups and desserts. If you are interested in something in particular...let me know! Otherwise, here's just an example of what's cooking tonight somewhere in the desert!
Mnazaleh
Layer 1:
Peal eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch thick coins
Fry the eggplant in vegetable oil
Place in bottom of 9x13 Pyrex
Layer 2:
Fry 1 small diced onion with 1 diced green pepper and 1 pound ground beef, salt and pepper to taste.
In separate pan fry handful of pine nuts or slivered almonds in olive/vegetable oil
Mix together and layer on top of eggplants
Layer 3:
Dice 10 small on-the-vine tomatoes
Place tomatoes evenly over eggplants and ground beef.
Preheat oven 350F and place in oven until tomatoes are cooked (about 1 hour). There should be some water produced by the tomatoes on the bottom of the pan, if not you can add a little water 1/2 way thru cooking for moisture. Serve with Pita Bread.
Maglooba
Boil chicken (breast, leg, whatever with bone) in lightly salted water until done
Cut either cauliflower into large florets or eggplant (as described in Mnazeleh above), pat dry and fry to golden brown in vegetable oil
Slice 1 tomato very thin and place on bottom of very large pan
Add fried cauliflower or eggplant to large pan (on top of tomatoes)
Then add chicken to large pan followed by 2 cups of golden rice (NOT instant rice) and 4 cups of water from boiled chicken.
Add salt, pepper and allspice to taste.
Cook on stove top, medium heat, until rice is finished.
This meal is called Maglooba in Arabic and "Upside Down" in English because you flip the meal onto a large serving dish (served upside down).
Fry raisins lightly and pine nuts or almonds in olive oil over medium heat.
Sprinkle raisins and nuts over Maglooba
Serve with plain yogurt, yogurt salad or vegetable salad
Kushari
Sauce/Spices
In frying pan, fry diced 1 Anaheim peppers in olive oil
When peppers are cooked thru, add 1/2 Tbsp cumin and 3 finely cut garlic cloves
Set aside in small bowl
Dice 10 tomatoes
Add tomatoes, 1/2 can tomato sauce and 1/4 cup olive oil to same frying pan (to save on cleanup later)
Cook tomatoes until they are a sauce
Add pepper and seasons above, add additional salt and pepper to taste
Do this as you are making sauce:
Boil 1 cup Brown Lentils until done in salted water
Cook 1 cup pasta according to directions on box (I use elbow macaroni)
Heat 1 can Garbanzo/Chick Pea
Cook 1 cup rice with salted water
Do this just as everything else is finished:
Cut about 6 medium onions (cut onion in half, sliver the onion and then cut in half again)
Fry in vegetable oil until crispy, dark brown...FYI-open your windows for ventilation!
Pat off excess oil when finished to keep them crispy
Serve: I place the lentils, rice, beans, pasta, sauce and onions in separate bowls. This way they can put together what they like. Dish up lentils, rice, beans, pasta in equal parts, add sauce to desired amount then add fried onions.
Yogurt Salad
1/2 container plain yogurt
Dice 3/4 cup Italian or Mexican cucumber into 1 cm, leave skin on or off (if using American cucumber, be sure to seal the skin off the cucumber and gut out the seeds and then dice).
Smash 2 medium garlic cloves
Mix together, add salt to taste (about 1 tsp), Optional to add mint or parsley to taste.
Served with Maglooba, Kabobs with rice, and other chicken with rice meals
Vegetable Salad
Dice Tomatoes, cucumbers (as describes in Yogurt Salad), onion (white or green), and any other lettuce/veggies in your fridge. Dice them to your desired size and stir together in bowl.
Dressing: in small bowl whisk together: approx. 1 Tbsp olive oil, approx. 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 squeezed lemon and salt, pepper to taste.
Pour and stir dressing over veggies.
Served with almost every meal in different variations
Lentil Soup
Dice and fry 1 medium onion in olive oil until translucent
Soak and clean 3 cups of Red Lentils with tap water for about 5 minutes
Add lentils to fried onions.
Add 6 cups water and let cook over medium-high heat
Add cumin (1-2 Tbsp), salt and pepper to taste.
Hareesa (dessert)
3 cups smeed aka farina in English, Cream of Wheat in lay-mans terms :-)
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp coconut
1/2 vegetable oil with 1 tsp Ghee added (Ghee is a special Arabic ingredient for many desserts, skip it if you don't have it, but it's better if you do)
3 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt
Mix solids together
add oil and mix with hands, rubbing hands together like a bar of soap
add yogurt until mixtures starts sticking to your hands.
Press into two 9x9 pans
350F for about 1/2 hour or until light brown
When cool, add this sugary liquid
3 cups white sugar
4 cups water
2 teaspoons rose water (again, skip if you don't have but better if you do)
spot of lemon juice
Bring to boil, should thicken slightly
Pour over Haressa when Haressa is cool...or add to hot Haressa when sugar is cool (important that one is cool and the other hot).
Cut into small 2x2 inch pieces for serving.
Arabic cooking uses nearly all fresh ingredients. It makes the food taste delicious, but it is tedious in the kitchen. FYI-Arabic food isn't necessarily the most beautiful to the eye, but the flavors are wonderful! I cook many, many Arabic meals, salads, soups and desserts. If you are interested in something in particular...let me know! Otherwise, here's just an example of what's cooking tonight somewhere in the desert!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Seriously, Did I Just Say That?!
Okay, I know, I complained about it for a long time. Complained about the fact that Amman has no Target, Wal-mart, Costco, what have you, to fill the needs of one stop shopping. I also complained about the fact that we don't have many large supermarkets. We do have "Super-Markets" as they are called here. We have them on every street corner....but they are just small Mom and Pop stores that I have laughed at for months...not because they are bad stores but because they called themselves a Super-Market...some of them are the size of my kitchen! Someday I will post a picture for you so you can really get an idea of what I was laughing at. So anyway, Yanal always prefers to shop at these small Mom and Pop stores and I always want to go to the one-stop shopping at Carrefour (Amman's version of Pick-n-Save, Rainbow Foods downstairs and its version of Target upstairs). He always says the prices are better at the smaller stores and I thought the larger stores have everything and are therefore convenient.......
Change of Heart my friends....I decided today that I prefer the small Mom and Pop stores, even if they call themselves a Super-Market! Honestly, we went shopping today at the big Carrefour and it was so unnecessarily big. It took us over an hour to shop....'Normal', you say. I know what you are thinking, I know, I've been there....When I lived in the states, an hour at the grocery store was a fast time for me! However, I realized today that if we had gone to the smaller store on the corner, it would have only taken us 20 minutes at most! 20 minutes! With two little kids with limited attention spans and limited time to spend together as a family at the end of the night...20 minutes vs. over an hour is a big difference!
Again, I know what you are thinking....and nope, they have nearly everything you would want in the small stores too. They pack those stores all the way to the top! Now if you are looking for something 'foreign' like taco shells or skin-less, boneless chicken, then you have to go to the bigger stores. This way of shopping we also have to stop at the bakery and the vegetable Mom and Pop stores too, but they are located next door or a short walking distance. The bread is fresh and the prices on fruit and veggies are better...win-win.
Lastly, Seriously, I'm not lazy...I have two small kids that keep me moving all day. But after shopping at Carrefour...I was exhausted! It was the end of our day, the kids were getting bored and antsy, carrying the baby on one hip and pushing the awful carts they have here (will not drive straight if your life depends on it), the place was packed with people and kids running everywhere, it was noisy from all that and then the loudspeaker....grrr.
I got in the car and told my husband that next time we will go to the 'Super-Market' down the road! Seriously, did I just say that?!
http://www.carrefourjordan.com/english/ourstores_main.aspx
Change of Heart my friends....I decided today that I prefer the small Mom and Pop stores, even if they call themselves a Super-Market! Honestly, we went shopping today at the big Carrefour and it was so unnecessarily big. It took us over an hour to shop....'Normal', you say. I know what you are thinking, I know, I've been there....When I lived in the states, an hour at the grocery store was a fast time for me! However, I realized today that if we had gone to the smaller store on the corner, it would have only taken us 20 minutes at most! 20 minutes! With two little kids with limited attention spans and limited time to spend together as a family at the end of the night...20 minutes vs. over an hour is a big difference!
Again, I know what you are thinking....and nope, they have nearly everything you would want in the small stores too. They pack those stores all the way to the top! Now if you are looking for something 'foreign' like taco shells or skin-less, boneless chicken, then you have to go to the bigger stores. This way of shopping we also have to stop at the bakery and the vegetable Mom and Pop stores too, but they are located next door or a short walking distance. The bread is fresh and the prices on fruit and veggies are better...win-win.
Lastly, Seriously, I'm not lazy...I have two small kids that keep me moving all day. But after shopping at Carrefour...I was exhausted! It was the end of our day, the kids were getting bored and antsy, carrying the baby on one hip and pushing the awful carts they have here (will not drive straight if your life depends on it), the place was packed with people and kids running everywhere, it was noisy from all that and then the loudspeaker....grrr.
I got in the car and told my husband that next time we will go to the 'Super-Market' down the road! Seriously, did I just say that?!
http://www.carrefourjordan.com/english/ourstores_main.aspx
Don't get me wrong, Carrefour is a great store and they have the best prices compared to other large stores; however, I prefer to simplify my life.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
"Momma, I'm a Princess!"
This Saturday, we went to Ajlun (Ajloun) Castle in northern Jordan. It was the first time either Yanal or I had visited one of the nine castles in Jordan. To be honest, I never thought it sounded appealing to see the castles. I guess it sounded kind of boring to me, as I was comparing it to Petra, Wadi Rum, Aquaba, Jerash and all the other highlights Jordan has to offer. However, Yanal and I found it very interesting!
The castle (or fortress) was on top of the largest hill around. 
These are actual rock balls that were used in the catapult and slung at the invaders. They explained that later in time the cannon balls and other fire balls would replace these rock balls. Below is an example picture I found on the web of a catapult.
I wish that I had my video camera with us that day for two reasons 1-my regular camera wasn't working very well and 2-Aisha ran through the castle telling us and anyone that would listen that she was the Princess! She would then further explained that Omar was the Prince, Daddy was the King, and Mommy was the Queen. She was so adorable.
The castle (or fortress) was on top of the largest hill around. 
At the edge of the castle grounds, it felt as though the earth dropped off.
A steep ditch surrounded the fortress for additional protection. The entrance is now a simple bridge over the ditch; however, there use to be a drawbridge to enter the building.
If entered into the fortress, the invaders would have to make it up many steps, as seen behind the kids and me.
A steep ditch surrounded the fortress for additional protection. The entrance is now a simple bridge over the ditch; however, there use to be a drawbridge to enter the building.
If entered into the fortress, the invaders would have to make it up many steps, as seen behind the kids and me. Once in the fortress/castle, there were many small slits all along the solid rock walls. These slits were angled inside the building to give the necessary angle to the soldiers who stood to protect the grounds. They were long in shape for the bows and arrows that were used as protection from these sites. From the outside of 
the building these small slits were barely noticeable, which protected the soldier from harms way.
the building these small slits were barely noticeable, which protected the soldier from harms way.
These are actual rock balls that were used in the catapult and slung at the invaders. They explained that later in time the cannon balls and other fire balls would replace these rock balls. Below is an example picture I found on the web of a catapult.
I wish that I had my video camera with us that day for two reasons 1-my regular camera wasn't working very well and 2-Aisha ran through the castle telling us and anyone that would listen that she was the Princess! She would then further explained that Omar was the Prince, Daddy was the King, and Mommy was the Queen. She was so adorable.Views from inside Ajloun Castle....
Northern Jordan is beautiful. The land is filled with lush, green mountains and valleys of trees and olive groves. This was taken below the castle on a small, winding, dirt road.
http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=169
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Dead Sea/Pictures...another LONG post.
This weekend, we took the kids for their first trip down to the Dead Sea. Yanal and I had been there a couple of times years ago. It's always a beautiful drive down and through the mountains. It's one of those destinations, which are a truly unique experience.
I have to mention, Jordan is so interesting. It is only a 40 minute drive from our home in Amman. You can drive out of this mostly modern, hugely populated city (2.5 million people) and travel about 20 minutes where there are only small villages scattered miles from each other. Continue driving a few minutes later and for as far as you can see there are these huge barren mountains with Bedouins living in their tents and shepherding their lamb and goats across the brown, dry hills.
Then you reach the bottom of the Jordan Valley and their is life again. Down here the weather is perfect year round for farming. They farm any and everything: bananas, mangoes, fava beans, corn, tomatoes, oranges, apples, green onions, literally anything you would find in the produce section at your local grocery store can and is grown down in the valley.
As you pass by the farms, farmers are selling their produce on the side of the road - this is also common all over Jordan. You see small towns, mud homes, and homes made from cloth. Sheep, lamb and goats graze the land as their owner rides a donkey behind them to steer them in the right direction.
As you start coming closer to the Dead Sea. Billboards start appearing (obviously for the tourists) advertising The Gap, Tony Roma's, The Pizza Company, which all back in Amman. Billboards are also advertising the large hotels and spas that are built along the Dead Sea shoreline. What I find interesting about the hotel and spa billboards is the pictures are of men getting out of the water and occasionally you will see a silhouette of possibly a woman getting out of the water...this is to keep things culturally appropriate as all people pass by these advertisements.
Finally, you know you are close to the sea when you start seeing traditionally dressed camels and horses on the sides of the road. Their owners are never far away, usually sitting in whatever shade they can find drinking tea and waiting for someone (like us) to drive by and want a ride on their camel.
As we had the kids with us, they must ride a camel, so we stopped. We stopped in a parking lot, with the sea as a backdrop on one side and the mountains in the distance on the other side of the road. The parking lot was filled with decorative camels and horses along with men selling coffee, tea and hookas (you know, the tobacco bong). Omar was the first on the camel as Aisha was frighten by either the camel or the hundreds of flies flying around the camel. Omar on the other hand...my little man...not afraid....totally loved it! He had a blast sitting on the camel as I tried getting the other camel and horse jockeys away from me so I can take a few pictures of him. After sometime of warming up to the camel, Aisha too loved the camel and she went for a ride with me.
Being that the sea was near us, Aisha saw the water and wanted to go swimming, so we went to the local beach to ask about entrance fees for the beach and the pools for our next visit. Kids should not 'swim' in the Dead Sea because the salt concentration is so high (30%). If the water gets into their eyes...ouch...and if they drink (accidentally of course) a small amount of the salt water it is deadly.
On our way back we took a scenic route through the farms and up the mountains from another direction. There was a small river/large stream that followed the road we traveled, so we saw 'lots' of vegetation and birds. We also saw many locals who were out picnicking, grilling and playing in the water with their families and children.
Here are some fun facts about the Dead Sea and websites to learn more:
- Lowest point on the earth
- 422 meters, 1385 feet below sea level
-Dimensions
- 375 meters, 1240 feet deep
- 42 miles long and 11 miles wide
- One of the world's saltiest bodies of water
- 33.7% salinity
- 8.6 times saltier than the ocean
- Because of the salt, everyone floats in the water. (It almost feels like you are swimming in oil)
- Nothing lives in the Dead Sea (except very few bacteria)
- Weak UV rays due to sea level
- Highest oxygen content in the world due to high barometric pressure
- Minerals found in the water
- Chloride, Bromide, Sulfate, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium
- Salts in the water
-Calcium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride
- The rocks on the shoreline look like they are covered with 2 inches of ice, but it is actually the minerals and salts that have built up on the rock. Boats that have dared to ride on the sea also have to literally chip off the salt and mineral deposits from the motors and sides of the boat.
- Health Benefits
-Because of the mineral concentrations, the low UV rays, high O2 concentration, low pollens and allergens, and warm weather year long people suffering from psoriasis, eczema, cystic fibrosis, asthma, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, just to list a few.
- Dead Sea mud is spread on the body, massaged in, or used as a face mask.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea
http://www.deadsea-health.org/index.html
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1T4ADBS_enUS249US250&q=dead+sea&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=dHhLS4q2Hon00gSp2vnuAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CCQQsAQwBA
I have to mention, Jordan is so interesting. It is only a 40 minute drive from our home in Amman. You can drive out of this mostly modern, hugely populated city (2.5 million people) and travel about 20 minutes where there are only small villages scattered miles from each other. Continue driving a few minutes later and for as far as you can see there are these huge barren mountains with Bedouins living in their tents and shepherding their lamb and goats across the brown, dry hills.
Then you reach the bottom of the Jordan Valley and their is life again. Down here the weather is perfect year round for farming. They farm any and everything: bananas, mangoes, fava beans, corn, tomatoes, oranges, apples, green onions, literally anything you would find in the produce section at your local grocery store can and is grown down in the valley.
As you pass by the farms, farmers are selling their produce on the side of the road - this is also common all over Jordan. You see small towns, mud homes, and homes made from cloth. Sheep, lamb and goats graze the land as their owner rides a donkey behind them to steer them in the right direction.
As you start coming closer to the Dead Sea. Billboards start appearing (obviously for the tourists) advertising The Gap, Tony Roma's, The Pizza Company, which all back in Amman. Billboards are also advertising the large hotels and spas that are built along the Dead Sea shoreline. What I find interesting about the hotel and spa billboards is the pictures are of men getting out of the water and occasionally you will see a silhouette of possibly a woman getting out of the water...this is to keep things culturally appropriate as all people pass by these advertisements.
Finally, you know you are close to the sea when you start seeing traditionally dressed camels and horses on the sides of the road. Their owners are never far away, usually sitting in whatever shade they can find drinking tea and waiting for someone (like us) to drive by and want a ride on their camel.
As we had the kids with us, they must ride a camel, so we stopped. We stopped in a parking lot, with the sea as a backdrop on one side and the mountains in the distance on the other side of the road. The parking lot was filled with decorative camels and horses along with men selling coffee, tea and hookas (you know, the tobacco bong). Omar was the first on the camel as Aisha was frighten by either the camel or the hundreds of flies flying around the camel. Omar on the other hand...my little man...not afraid....totally loved it! He had a blast sitting on the camel as I tried getting the other camel and horse jockeys away from me so I can take a few pictures of him. After sometime of warming up to the camel, Aisha too loved the camel and she went for a ride with me.
Being that the sea was near us, Aisha saw the water and wanted to go swimming, so we went to the local beach to ask about entrance fees for the beach and the pools for our next visit. Kids should not 'swim' in the Dead Sea because the salt concentration is so high (30%). If the water gets into their eyes...ouch...and if they drink (accidentally of course) a small amount of the salt water it is deadly.
On our way back we took a scenic route through the farms and up the mountains from another direction. There was a small river/large stream that followed the road we traveled, so we saw 'lots' of vegetation and birds. We also saw many locals who were out picnicking, grilling and playing in the water with their families and children.
Here are some fun facts about the Dead Sea and websites to learn more:
- Lowest point on the earth
- 422 meters, 1385 feet below sea level
-Dimensions
- 375 meters, 1240 feet deep
- 42 miles long and 11 miles wide
- One of the world's saltiest bodies of water
- 33.7% salinity
- 8.6 times saltier than the ocean
- Because of the salt, everyone floats in the water. (It almost feels like you are swimming in oil)
- Nothing lives in the Dead Sea (except very few bacteria)
- Weak UV rays due to sea level
- Highest oxygen content in the world due to high barometric pressure
- Minerals found in the water
- Chloride, Bromide, Sulfate, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium
- Salts in the water
-Calcium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride
- The rocks on the shoreline look like they are covered with 2 inches of ice, but it is actually the minerals and salts that have built up on the rock. Boats that have dared to ride on the sea also have to literally chip off the salt and mineral deposits from the motors and sides of the boat.
- Health Benefits
-Because of the mineral concentrations, the low UV rays, high O2 concentration, low pollens and allergens, and warm weather year long people suffering from psoriasis, eczema, cystic fibrosis, asthma, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, just to list a few.
- Dead Sea mud is spread on the body, massaged in, or used as a face mask.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea
http://www.deadsea-health.org/index.html
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1T4ADBS_enUS249US250&q=dead+sea&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=dHhLS4q2Hon00gSp2vnuAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CCQQsAQwBA
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Fun Things Not Mentioned Before
Throughout the passing days, different things come to mind regarding what to blog about. Many times these are just thoughts that pass from one side of my brain to the next. They are forgotten and never written down. Although, once in a while I have an idea that gets stuck in my mind and for whatever reason I still haven't blogged about them. So, here are a few of those things that have stuck in my mind and I have now, finally, written them down.
Golfing In the Desert
Who knew. Jordan has a golf course. Amidst the arid land and lack of water, someone decided to build a gold course. Honestly, I chuckled a bit when I learned more about the course itself. It was built in the 1990, meant to be the first of many...although currently there is only one golf course in Amman and two in Jordan. The Facts: it's a 9 hole course, 2754 yards, par 34. There is a driving range, club house, restaurant and bar. The Funnies: The putting greens are called "Browns". Why browns?! Well, they are brown in color. They are made from a mixture of oil and sand! There is not enough water to support grass, so this is the alternative! In addition, the fairway isn't full of lush beautiful green grass, so you have to carry a mat. A mat, what do you mean a mat?! Seriously, the player carries a mat around with them and uses it under their ball to give them a nice playing surface. LOL. If you don't believe me...here's their website: http://www.golfjordan.com/. We actually went to the golf course this summer and checked it out. To be honest, the club house is very nice. The course itself is not what I'm use to...looked pretty rugged and dry. However, Amman does have a golf course and there were lots of players on the course! Dad....bring your clubs! :-)
The Butt Washer
Huh? Well, it all started when I sent out pictures of our new place to my friends and family. I received many replies regarding the bathroom....what is that thing next to the toilet? Is that a urinal? It is another toilet? Is that a butt washer? Well...yes, it is a butt washer....but to be proper it is called a bidet. The bidet is widely used in Jordan and the Muslim world, some parts of Asia and Western Europe (let me know if it is used widely in your part of the world too). It is not widely used in the US; however, it is gaining popularity. The reason it is widely used in Jordan and the Muslim world is due to the strict cleanliness rules Muslims must abide by. Muslims must wash themselves with water after using the bathroom; therefore, there is the bidet. To learn more about Islam and cleanliness go to this great article: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/concept-of-cleanliness-in-islam-726526.html. A bidet is a small plumbing fixture that stands separately next to the toilet. There are a few different variations of the bidet. In Jordan, many bathrooms are equipped with a spray hose next to the toilet instead of a full bidet. As mentioned, it is used to clean yourself after relieving yourself. Here is more info on the bidet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet.
The Weather
Okay, so if there is nothing else to talk about, people always ask about the weather. People are always asking me about the weather in Jordan...and this time, it's not because there is nothing else to talk about...it's because they are interested. So, here's a snapshot of the weather in Jordan. We are in the Northern Hemisphere (just on the opposite side of the world). Being in the Northern Hemisphere means that we have winter when the US has winter and we have summer at the same time too. Therefore, we are currently in the winter season. However, as I mentioned in my previous entry, our winter season is not like the winters of Minnesota. Amman has a latitude of 31 degrees 57', whereas the latitude in Minneapolis is 44 degrees 59', and the closest latitude I found was El Paso, Texas....so theoretically, we have similar weather to El Paso, TX...however, I have never been there to confirm this. This next week our weather forecast is as follows: Wed (Hi: 62, lo: 42); Thur (65, 43); Fri (67, 45), Sat (67, 45), Sun (71, 48), Mon (59, 50). I looked back at the weather last week because this seemed higher than it has been and sure enough, last week we averaged mid-50's. Coldest months are Jan and Feb. On contrast, hottest months are July and August. The average temperature during these months are in the mid-90's. One thing I will never complain about here is the weather! For those of you who know my husband Yanal.....I can now understand why he kept complaining all these years of the weather while living in the Midwest. Question for any of you...why do men from the desert move to Minnesota or Wisconsin?!
Measuring
Lastly, every time I cook here I think to add this to my blog. The US does everything so backwards from the rest of the world and now I am confused! I learned the metric system in school and we use it quite a bit in the medical field....but I am still confused. Like, I have the whole conversion for kg to pounds, no problem, did this all the time at work. I have a button on my car that switches from Km to mile, so when I feel like I am flying at 80 Km, I can hit the button and realize that I am only driving at at the speed of 50 mph. I can sort of do the conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit, good enough anyways, and my computer can switch it over for me instantly. But when my recipe calls for 8oz and the package I am looking at is in grams, what the heck am I suppose to do?! It's so confusing to be at the 'super market' and everything is in metric. And trying to read the nutritional labels on the back of the boxes...come on....seriously, I was great at them in the US....but here, I am totally lost. Help!
Golfing In the Desert
Who knew. Jordan has a golf course. Amidst the arid land and lack of water, someone decided to build a gold course. Honestly, I chuckled a bit when I learned more about the course itself. It was built in the 1990, meant to be the first of many...although currently there is only one golf course in Amman and two in Jordan. The Facts: it's a 9 hole course, 2754 yards, par 34. There is a driving range, club house, restaurant and bar. The Funnies: The putting greens are called "Browns". Why browns?! Well, they are brown in color. They are made from a mixture of oil and sand! There is not enough water to support grass, so this is the alternative! In addition, the fairway isn't full of lush beautiful green grass, so you have to carry a mat. A mat, what do you mean a mat?! Seriously, the player carries a mat around with them and uses it under their ball to give them a nice playing surface. LOL. If you don't believe me...here's their website: http://www.golfjordan.com/. We actually went to the golf course this summer and checked it out. To be honest, the club house is very nice. The course itself is not what I'm use to...looked pretty rugged and dry. However, Amman does have a golf course and there were lots of players on the course! Dad....bring your clubs! :-)
The Butt Washer
Huh? Well, it all started when I sent out pictures of our new place to my friends and family. I received many replies regarding the bathroom....what is that thing next to the toilet? Is that a urinal? It is another toilet? Is that a butt washer? Well...yes, it is a butt washer....but to be proper it is called a bidet. The bidet is widely used in Jordan and the Muslim world, some parts of Asia and Western Europe (let me know if it is used widely in your part of the world too). It is not widely used in the US; however, it is gaining popularity. The reason it is widely used in Jordan and the Muslim world is due to the strict cleanliness rules Muslims must abide by. Muslims must wash themselves with water after using the bathroom; therefore, there is the bidet. To learn more about Islam and cleanliness go to this great article: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/concept-of-cleanliness-in-islam-726526.html. A bidet is a small plumbing fixture that stands separately next to the toilet. There are a few different variations of the bidet. In Jordan, many bathrooms are equipped with a spray hose next to the toilet instead of a full bidet. As mentioned, it is used to clean yourself after relieving yourself. Here is more info on the bidet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet.
The Weather
Okay, so if there is nothing else to talk about, people always ask about the weather. People are always asking me about the weather in Jordan...and this time, it's not because there is nothing else to talk about...it's because they are interested. So, here's a snapshot of the weather in Jordan. We are in the Northern Hemisphere (just on the opposite side of the world). Being in the Northern Hemisphere means that we have winter when the US has winter and we have summer at the same time too. Therefore, we are currently in the winter season. However, as I mentioned in my previous entry, our winter season is not like the winters of Minnesota. Amman has a latitude of 31 degrees 57', whereas the latitude in Minneapolis is 44 degrees 59', and the closest latitude I found was El Paso, Texas....so theoretically, we have similar weather to El Paso, TX...however, I have never been there to confirm this. This next week our weather forecast is as follows: Wed (Hi: 62, lo: 42); Thur (65, 43); Fri (67, 45), Sat (67, 45), Sun (71, 48), Mon (59, 50). I looked back at the weather last week because this seemed higher than it has been and sure enough, last week we averaged mid-50's. Coldest months are Jan and Feb. On contrast, hottest months are July and August. The average temperature during these months are in the mid-90's. One thing I will never complain about here is the weather! For those of you who know my husband Yanal.....I can now understand why he kept complaining all these years of the weather while living in the Midwest. Question for any of you...why do men from the desert move to Minnesota or Wisconsin?!
Measuring
Lastly, every time I cook here I think to add this to my blog. The US does everything so backwards from the rest of the world and now I am confused! I learned the metric system in school and we use it quite a bit in the medical field....but I am still confused. Like, I have the whole conversion for kg to pounds, no problem, did this all the time at work. I have a button on my car that switches from Km to mile, so when I feel like I am flying at 80 Km, I can hit the button and realize that I am only driving at at the speed of 50 mph. I can sort of do the conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit, good enough anyways, and my computer can switch it over for me instantly. But when my recipe calls for 8oz and the package I am looking at is in grams, what the heck am I suppose to do?! It's so confusing to be at the 'super market' and everything is in metric. And trying to read the nutritional labels on the back of the boxes...come on....seriously, I was great at them in the US....but here, I am totally lost. Help!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
'Tis the Season in Jordan
It's interesting living here during this time of year. I feel so disconnected from that which has always been apart of my life, my culture, my being. Every so often I am jolted into thoughts and memories of what is that, which is everything back home right now.
First of all, I talked to my parents in Minnesota a few nights ago and they have plenty of snow and the temperature was negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit....did you catch that?....20 degrees BELOW zero! Well, here in 'sunny' Jordan the temperature is hanging around 55F. Do the math, that's 70 degrees higher than home (and I'll tell you a secret.....I am cold.....have I already forgotten what it was like to be whipped in the face with 20 below freezing wind and snow? Have I already forgotten what it's like to literally loose feeling in my fingers as I put the grocery bags in my car?).
Honestly, most days I forget that it is winter here. There is no snow here, although on occasion it will snow in Jordan. We have palm trees and the sun still shines most days. However, the days are short and the nights are cold. We do turn on the heat at different times of the day. I wish I could run the radiators more, but they are so incredibly expensive....In both November and in December we spent 150JD=$210 in diesel to run the radiators...ouch! (Yanal went out tonight to by a Soba (space heater that runs on propane) to help us keep warm without using the radiators).
Talking to my sister Sarah today, I remember the potential problems the car can have back home from the cold. Her heater is not working in her car....and it's only 7 below...brrrr! I can honestly say, without batting an eye that I am glad not to be shoveling my car out of the drive way, hoping not to get stuck or skid-out into the ditch on my way to work at 430am before the snow plows have gone threw our nighborhood!
Secondly, as you are all well aware, it's the Christmas season around the Christian world, but did you know that it's Christmas in Jordan too? Jordanian Christians make up 6% of Jordan population. They live together, Christians and Muslims side by side...yes, side by side...without conflict. Just to clear up the misconception out there that Christians and Muslims cannot live side by side without conflict. This is untrue today as it has been for centuries. Sure, there has been war between them from time to time, but really who hasn't been to war with each other? Most Christians and Muslims can and have lived side by side -in peace-.
Christians and churches are scattered though out Amman. They are decorating their homes and churches as in the US. It's fun to see the creative decor of lights they have around the trunks of palm trees and on their windows. My sister-in-law, Rasha, is from the town of Madaba, which has a large community of Christians (40% of the city). She was visiting her family last week and said the neighborhood is filled with lights and decorations. She told me stories of when she grew up in Madaba. Her and her family are Muslim and would visit their Christian neighbors and wish them a Merry Christmas during the Christmas holiday: just as her Christian neighbors would come visit her and her family to wish them Eid Mubarak during the two Eids. Sounds wonderful!
Honestly, I expected to see the lights and decorations on the occasional home around Amman, but I didn't expect to see all the decor around the stores. Nearly all the stores in the mall, the mall itself and the main street stores have Christmas trees, lights, decorations and sales to bring you into their store to shop. Even the billboards have been hit by the marketing of Christmas...as they were for the Islamic holidays...I am surprised by it all with only a 6% minority.
I haven't heard any Christmas music playing on the radio; however, they may be in Arabic and I may not be familiar with the music here. The TV tonight was play the Christmas cartoon staring Shrek, in Arabic.
So 'tis the season weather you are here in Amman, back home in Minnesota and elsewhere in the world. We hope you all stay warm and safe during this winter season and we wish you all a Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
First of all, I talked to my parents in Minnesota a few nights ago and they have plenty of snow and the temperature was negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit....did you catch that?....20 degrees BELOW zero! Well, here in 'sunny' Jordan the temperature is hanging around 55F. Do the math, that's 70 degrees higher than home (and I'll tell you a secret.....I am cold.....have I already forgotten what it was like to be whipped in the face with 20 below freezing wind and snow? Have I already forgotten what it's like to literally loose feeling in my fingers as I put the grocery bags in my car?).
Honestly, most days I forget that it is winter here. There is no snow here, although on occasion it will snow in Jordan. We have palm trees and the sun still shines most days. However, the days are short and the nights are cold. We do turn on the heat at different times of the day. I wish I could run the radiators more, but they are so incredibly expensive....In both November and in December we spent 150JD=$210 in diesel to run the radiators...ouch! (Yanal went out tonight to by a Soba (space heater that runs on propane) to help us keep warm without using the radiators).
Talking to my sister Sarah today, I remember the potential problems the car can have back home from the cold. Her heater is not working in her car....and it's only 7 below...brrrr! I can honestly say, without batting an eye that I am glad not to be shoveling my car out of the drive way, hoping not to get stuck or skid-out into the ditch on my way to work at 430am before the snow plows have gone threw our nighborhood!
Secondly, as you are all well aware, it's the Christmas season around the Christian world, but did you know that it's Christmas in Jordan too? Jordanian Christians make up 6% of Jordan population. They live together, Christians and Muslims side by side...yes, side by side...without conflict. Just to clear up the misconception out there that Christians and Muslims cannot live side by side without conflict. This is untrue today as it has been for centuries. Sure, there has been war between them from time to time, but really who hasn't been to war with each other? Most Christians and Muslims can and have lived side by side -in peace-.
Christians and churches are scattered though out Amman. They are decorating their homes and churches as in the US. It's fun to see the creative decor of lights they have around the trunks of palm trees and on their windows. My sister-in-law, Rasha, is from the town of Madaba, which has a large community of Christians (40% of the city). She was visiting her family last week and said the neighborhood is filled with lights and decorations. She told me stories of when she grew up in Madaba. Her and her family are Muslim and would visit their Christian neighbors and wish them a Merry Christmas during the Christmas holiday: just as her Christian neighbors would come visit her and her family to wish them Eid Mubarak during the two Eids. Sounds wonderful!
Honestly, I expected to see the lights and decorations on the occasional home around Amman, but I didn't expect to see all the decor around the stores. Nearly all the stores in the mall, the mall itself and the main street stores have Christmas trees, lights, decorations and sales to bring you into their store to shop. Even the billboards have been hit by the marketing of Christmas...as they were for the Islamic holidays...I am surprised by it all with only a 6% minority.
I haven't heard any Christmas music playing on the radio; however, they may be in Arabic and I may not be familiar with the music here. The TV tonight was play the Christmas cartoon staring Shrek, in Arabic.
So 'tis the season weather you are here in Amman, back home in Minnesota and elsewhere in the world. We hope you all stay warm and safe during this winter season and we wish you all a Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Olives and Olive Oil
Fun Facts
- The olive and the olive branch is a symbol of abundance, glory, peace, wisdom, fertility, power and pureness.
- Olive branches were used to crown the victors of friendly games and bloody wars of the past.
- The olive tree and olives are mentioned in the Bible over 30 times (old and new testaments).
- The olive is praised as a precious fruit in the Quran. The olive tree and olive oil are mentioned in the Quran 7 times.
- Olive oil has long been considered sacred.
- Olive oil was used by the ancient Greeks to anoint kings and athletes.
- Olive oil was burned in sacred lamps in temples
- Olive oil was the 'eternal flame' of the original Olympic Games.
- It is estimated that olive tree cultivation started 7000 years ago.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of olive oil is due to the high concentration of monosaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances.
- Olive oil offers protection against heart disease by
controls LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol.
reducing inflammation, antithrombolitic, antihypertensive as well as dilating the vessels.
- Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones; lowering the incidence of gallstones.
- Lowers blood sugar and blood pressure.
- Reduces the oxidative damage to RNA and DNA, which may be a factor in reducing cancer.
- Olive oil offers benefits in preventing colon cancer.
- Mild laxative and ear wax softener.
- Olive oil is also used in skincare and hair beauty.
Green vs Black Olives
They are the same olive. The green olive has been picked before it is ripe whereas the black olive is picked when ripe.
Definitions of Olive Oil (Virgin, Extra Virgin, etc).
Well, this list is long and involved, so I refer you to this website:
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm
Extraction of Olive Oil
First the fruit must be picked from the trees.
This is a time consuming-physical activity. The olives are picked by hand. There really is no other way of getting the olives off the trees. First the ground is thoroughly searched for any fruit that has already fallen (this takes the most time). Then a large tarp is laid on the ground around the tree. The person picking the olives starts near the trunk of the tree, places his hand around the branch, pinches the branch softly and rips his hand all the way down the branch as the olives fall onto the tarp. This is done over and over again until each branch is picked and each tree is empty. Just to give you an idea of how long this process takes: When my husband picked olives recently, on average he had four or five people helping him pick olives from 800am-430pm for 6 days. During this time they picked roughly 80 trees. These 80 trees gave him 44 large bags (about the size of the black garbage bags we use in the US) of olive fruit. This fruit was then processed into 20 containers (16 liters each) of olive oil). Each container sells for about 70JD, which is $100. At this time, we have 6 containers left to be sold.
Okay, so how did the fruit become olive oil?
-Olives are ground into a paste using large millstones.
-The olive paste is then placed onto fiber disks, which are stacked on top of each other into a column and then placed into the press.
-Then the oil is filtered to get out any remaining solid particles.
-Finally the olive oil is placed in large (16 liter) metal containers to be sold.
How to Cook With Olive Oil
In our home, we cook almost exclusively with olive oil. When recipes call for oil, most of the time I use olive oil although sometimes I will use half olive oil and half vegetable oil. We use olive oil when making our own salad dressings (olive oil, white vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper). We use olive oil to dip our bread in. I use olive oil when cooking noodles or rice. The only things I really don't use olive oil for is when frying vegetables or any other food; this destroys the composition of olive oil and it is no longer good for you. Here is another website that I found which may be interesting regarding cooking with olive oil. http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-olive-oil-works4.htm.
We love olives and olive oil in this house. I hope if you are not using it currently, that you will start using it in your homes. It's delicious and great for your health! Hope you enjoyed my blog post about olives and olive oil!
- The olive and the olive branch is a symbol of abundance, glory, peace, wisdom, fertility, power and pureness.
- Olive branches were used to crown the victors of friendly games and bloody wars of the past.
- The olive tree and olives are mentioned in the Bible over 30 times (old and new testaments).
- The olive is praised as a precious fruit in the Quran. The olive tree and olive oil are mentioned in the Quran 7 times.
- Olive oil has long been considered sacred.
- Olive oil was used by the ancient Greeks to anoint kings and athletes.
- Olive oil was burned in sacred lamps in temples
- Olive oil was the 'eternal flame' of the original Olympic Games.
- It is estimated that olive tree cultivation started 7000 years ago.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of olive oil is due to the high concentration of monosaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances.
- Olive oil offers protection against heart disease by
controls LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol.
reducing inflammation, antithrombolitic, antihypertensive as well as dilating the vessels.
- Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones; lowering the incidence of gallstones.
- Lowers blood sugar and blood pressure.
- Reduces the oxidative damage to RNA and DNA, which may be a factor in reducing cancer.
- Olive oil offers benefits in preventing colon cancer.
- Mild laxative and ear wax softener.
- Olive oil is also used in skincare and hair beauty.
Green vs Black Olives
They are the same olive. The green olive has been picked before it is ripe whereas the black olive is picked when ripe.
Definitions of Olive Oil (Virgin, Extra Virgin, etc).
Well, this list is long and involved, so I refer you to this website:
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm
Extraction of Olive Oil
First the fruit must be picked from the trees.
This is a time consuming-physical activity. The olives are picked by hand. There really is no other way of getting the olives off the trees. First the ground is thoroughly searched for any fruit that has already fallen (this takes the most time). Then a large tarp is laid on the ground around the tree. The person picking the olives starts near the trunk of the tree, places his hand around the branch, pinches the branch softly and rips his hand all the way down the branch as the olives fall onto the tarp. This is done over and over again until each branch is picked and each tree is empty. Just to give you an idea of how long this process takes: When my husband picked olives recently, on average he had four or five people helping him pick olives from 800am-430pm for 6 days. During this time they picked roughly 80 trees. These 80 trees gave him 44 large bags (about the size of the black garbage bags we use in the US) of olive fruit. This fruit was then processed into 20 containers (16 liters each) of olive oil). Each container sells for about 70JD, which is $100. At this time, we have 6 containers left to be sold.
Okay, so how did the fruit become olive oil?
-Olives are ground into a paste using large millstones.
-The olive paste is then placed onto fiber disks, which are stacked on top of each other into a column and then placed into the press.
-Then the oil is filtered to get out any remaining solid particles.
-Finally the olive oil is placed in large (16 liter) metal containers to be sold.
How to Cook With Olive Oil
In our home, we cook almost exclusively with olive oil. When recipes call for oil, most of the time I use olive oil although sometimes I will use half olive oil and half vegetable oil. We use olive oil when making our own salad dressings (olive oil, white vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper). We use olive oil to dip our bread in. I use olive oil when cooking noodles or rice. The only things I really don't use olive oil for is when frying vegetables or any other food; this destroys the composition of olive oil and it is no longer good for you. Here is another website that I found which may be interesting regarding cooking with olive oil. http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-olive-oil-works4.htm.
We love olives and olive oil in this house. I hope if you are not using it currently, that you will start using it in your homes. It's delicious and great for your health! Hope you enjoyed my blog post about olives and olive oil!
Monday, November 23, 2009
This Week in Islam: Hajj and Eid Al-Adha
Hajj is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. An estimated 2.5 million Muslims are performing Hajj, this year. The Hajj, or pilgrimage, is the 5th pillar of Islam. It is required of all Muslims to attend Hajj at least once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially able.
During Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. One of Abraham's main trials was to kill his only son as commanded by God. Upon hearing this command, Abraham was prepared to submit to God's command. When he was ready to kill his son, God revealed to him that his 'sacrifice' had already been fulfilled-an animal had been killed instead. Abraham had shown God that his love for him superseded all others.
At the end of the Hajj, Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). During the celebration of Eid Al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials by slaughtering an animal such as a goat, sheep, or camel. The meat is then split into thirds. One-third is to be kept for the family to eat, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolises our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or that are close to our hearts, in order to follow God's commands. It also symbolises our our willingness to give up some of our own bounties to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognise that all blessings come from God and we should open our hearts and share with others.
It is important to note that the sacrifice itself, as practised by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using blood to wash away our sins. Instead, this symbolism is an attitude, a wiliness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. A true Muslim, one who submits himself/herself completely to God, is willing to follow God's command completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity of faith, and willing obedience that God desires from us.
On the first morning of Eid Al-Adha, Muslims around the world will attend prayers at their local Mosques. Prayers are then followed by visits to family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. The holiday is the larger of the two Islamic holidays. It will begin on Friday and is celebrated for 5 days.
During Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. One of Abraham's main trials was to kill his only son as commanded by God. Upon hearing this command, Abraham was prepared to submit to God's command. When he was ready to kill his son, God revealed to him that his 'sacrifice' had already been fulfilled-an animal had been killed instead. Abraham had shown God that his love for him superseded all others.
At the end of the Hajj, Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). During the celebration of Eid Al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials by slaughtering an animal such as a goat, sheep, or camel. The meat is then split into thirds. One-third is to be kept for the family to eat, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolises our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or that are close to our hearts, in order to follow God's commands. It also symbolises our our willingness to give up some of our own bounties to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognise that all blessings come from God and we should open our hearts and share with others.
It is important to note that the sacrifice itself, as practised by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using blood to wash away our sins. Instead, this symbolism is an attitude, a wiliness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. A true Muslim, one who submits himself/herself completely to God, is willing to follow God's command completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity of faith, and willing obedience that God desires from us.
On the first morning of Eid Al-Adha, Muslims around the world will attend prayers at their local Mosques. Prayers are then followed by visits to family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. The holiday is the larger of the two Islamic holidays. It will begin on Friday and is celebrated for 5 days.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Yanal's Work
As requested by a few people who are interested in what Yanal does for work...here are the answers to your questions.......
As you know, we moved here because Yanal found a job related to his education here in Jordan. He had been searching for a job back in the US since he graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Economics May of 2007. Since he was unable to find a job at that time, he continued his education as he looked for a job. Well 2 years past by, no job was found and he obtained his Master's in Economics. We thought for sure he would be able to land a solid position now that he had his Master's degree....um, no, the economy took a dive as everyone knows and there was not many company's hiring. However, we continued to apply. We applied in every state in the US, in England and other European countries, Bahrain where his brother works and other gulf countries....no jobs to be found. I kept saying "It's okay, that job was no meant to be or you would have been offered that job". When I was on maternity leave with our second child, we visited my in-laws in Jordan. We went just to show off the kids and visit the family. As Yanal was venting his frustrations about finding a job and what to do next, his family told him to try applying in Jordan. Okay, we'll throw a few more resumes and applications in the pool of hundreds...by this time we were starting to make a joke of it all, not finding a job. Well needless to say, he interviewed and pretty much got the job just before our trip ended. When we arrived back to the USA, they negotiated the details and told him to come ASAP. I had so many emotions. I was happy for him, sad for me; angry with not finding a job in the US, jealous that he found a job in Jordan; didn't know what was best to keeping looking for work in the US or take the opportunity that arose in Jordan....I just kept reminding myself of the words I told him for years, "If it was the right job, you would have be offered that job". Then I tried to be strong as we packed our things. This must be the right job, because it's the job that was offered to him.
Yanal works at Jordan Investment Board in the Promotions department. His title is Investment Promotion Specialist/Research. He collaborates with other countries to get them to invest in Jordan. Since he started a few months ago and currently, he has been working on putting together a forum between Jordanian businessmen and Italian Investors and businessmen. This week he will be traveling to Milan, Italy for the Forum. His Majesty King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, the Jordanian King and Queen, will be at the Jordan-Italy Business Forum promoting Jordan.
http://www.promositaly.com/Initiatives/Promotional_Initatives/HRH_the_King_of_Jordan_makes_first_state_visit_to_Italy.kl
Another possible trip he has scheduled is in Cypress hosted by ANIMA Investment Network, where he will be giving a presentation.
Yanal is also responsible for all the world organizations including but not limited to OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), ANIMA Investment Network, and WAIPA (World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies). He also studies different business sectors in Jordan such as energy, agriculture, ICT, tourism, etc. Yanal analyzes foreign direct investments (FDI) to Jordan and the region. From these analysis, they decide what countries to target. He is also involved in other areas of the company (outside the promotion department) such as evaluating and choosing consultant services for CRM (Customer Service Relation Management), Investment Map for the southern governance of Jordan and other special projects. He is still learning lots and getting involved in new areas as he has only been working there for almost 3 months.
He works Sunday thru Thursday (the typical work week) from 800am-400pm. PTO-he gets 9 religious holidays in addition to the national holidays, 7 sick days and 30 vacation days per year and the vacation days roll over to the next year if unused the previous year. He is paid salary once a month for 14 months a year (2 additional months). He gets health insurance for the family, which is 0.5% of his pay per each person (2% of his pay for our family). He also has a retirement plan which includes a match by the company.
We thank God for this opportunity for Yanal to work at JIB. He is getting solid experience at this job in relation to his degree and he is also increasing his learning curve. Somedays are still a challenge to get use to living in another country, but the comforts of home are getting better and better. For instance, for the first time since we got our satelite tv hooked up in our own apartment, we will get to watch Brett Favre and the Vikings kicks some Baltimore bootie tomorrow! Go Vikes!
As you know, we moved here because Yanal found a job related to his education here in Jordan. He had been searching for a job back in the US since he graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Economics May of 2007. Since he was unable to find a job at that time, he continued his education as he looked for a job. Well 2 years past by, no job was found and he obtained his Master's in Economics. We thought for sure he would be able to land a solid position now that he had his Master's degree....um, no, the economy took a dive as everyone knows and there was not many company's hiring. However, we continued to apply. We applied in every state in the US, in England and other European countries, Bahrain where his brother works and other gulf countries....no jobs to be found. I kept saying "It's okay, that job was no meant to be or you would have been offered that job". When I was on maternity leave with our second child, we visited my in-laws in Jordan. We went just to show off the kids and visit the family. As Yanal was venting his frustrations about finding a job and what to do next, his family told him to try applying in Jordan. Okay, we'll throw a few more resumes and applications in the pool of hundreds...by this time we were starting to make a joke of it all, not finding a job. Well needless to say, he interviewed and pretty much got the job just before our trip ended. When we arrived back to the USA, they negotiated the details and told him to come ASAP. I had so many emotions. I was happy for him, sad for me; angry with not finding a job in the US, jealous that he found a job in Jordan; didn't know what was best to keeping looking for work in the US or take the opportunity that arose in Jordan....I just kept reminding myself of the words I told him for years, "If it was the right job, you would have be offered that job". Then I tried to be strong as we packed our things. This must be the right job, because it's the job that was offered to him.
Yanal works at Jordan Investment Board in the Promotions department. His title is Investment Promotion Specialist/Research. He collaborates with other countries to get them to invest in Jordan. Since he started a few months ago and currently, he has been working on putting together a forum between Jordanian businessmen and Italian Investors and businessmen. This week he will be traveling to Milan, Italy for the Forum. His Majesty King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, the Jordanian King and Queen, will be at the Jordan-Italy Business Forum promoting Jordan.
http://www.promositaly.com/Initiatives/Promotional_Initatives/HRH_the_King_of_Jordan_makes_first_state_visit_to_Italy.kl
Another possible trip he has scheduled is in Cypress hosted by ANIMA Investment Network, where he will be giving a presentation.
Yanal is also responsible for all the world organizations including but not limited to OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), ANIMA Investment Network, and WAIPA (World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies). He also studies different business sectors in Jordan such as energy, agriculture, ICT, tourism, etc. Yanal analyzes foreign direct investments (FDI) to Jordan and the region. From these analysis, they decide what countries to target. He is also involved in other areas of the company (outside the promotion department) such as evaluating and choosing consultant services for CRM (Customer Service Relation Management), Investment Map for the southern governance of Jordan and other special projects. He is still learning lots and getting involved in new areas as he has only been working there for almost 3 months.
He works Sunday thru Thursday (the typical work week) from 800am-400pm. PTO-he gets 9 religious holidays in addition to the national holidays, 7 sick days and 30 vacation days per year and the vacation days roll over to the next year if unused the previous year. He is paid salary once a month for 14 months a year (2 additional months). He gets health insurance for the family, which is 0.5% of his pay per each person (2% of his pay for our family). He also has a retirement plan which includes a match by the company.
We thank God for this opportunity for Yanal to work at JIB. He is getting solid experience at this job in relation to his degree and he is also increasing his learning curve. Somedays are still a challenge to get use to living in another country, but the comforts of home are getting better and better. For instance, for the first time since we got our satelite tv hooked up in our own apartment, we will get to watch Brett Favre and the Vikings kicks some Baltimore bootie tomorrow! Go Vikes!
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