Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Hajj and Eid Al-Adha
JUST THE BASICS - FACTS:
Hajj
The largest pilgrimage in the world.
Two and a half Million - Three Million Muslims.
Muslims from all over the world attend.
Required of all able Muslims to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime.
Men and Women.
The 5th pillar of Islam.
Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
History:
Abraham was instructed by God to leave his wife (Hagar) and infant son (Ishmeal) alone in the dessert.
The infant became thirsty.
Hagar ran back and forth seven times looking for water.
Infant cried and hit his foot to the ground/Angel Gabriel's wing scratched the ground.
Water miraculously appeared (well of ZamZam).
Years later Abraham was instructed by God to return to this place and build a place of worship next to the Well Zamzam.
Abraham and his son built the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his son.
Satan tried to persuade Abraham not to sacrifice his son.
Abraham and his son drove Satan away by throwing stones at him.
Abraham and his son proved their williness to sacrifice for God.
God replaced his son with an animal to sacrifice instead.
The pilgrimage commerartes this historical and religious history.
Day 1:
Pilgrims reach Mecca, shower and change clothes
Shedding all signs of wealth and societial distinction
Muslim men wear two white cloths, Muslims women wear simple white dress and headscarf.
Travel from Mecca to Mina
Pray, read Quran, rest for coming days
Day 2:
Leave Mina and go to the Plain of Arafat.
Muslims spend the entire day near the Mount of Mercy
Asking for forgiveness and making supplications.
(Muslims not in Hajj often fast this day)
Travel to open plain call Muzdalifah
Collect small pebbles for the following day
Spend the night praying
Day 3:
Travel back to Mina
Throw small stones that repressent the temptation of Satan (rememberance of Satan tempting Abraham not to sacrifice his son).
Sacrifice an animal
Return to Mecca
Circle the Kaaba seven times
Walk seven times between two small hills (in remeberance of Hagar search for water)
Drink from the Well of ZamZam
SEE HAJJ LIVE and learn more! : http://www.islamicity.com/multimedia/livetv/LiveHajjCoverage.shtml
Eid Al-Adha
The Festival of Sacrifice.
Animal sacrifice
Sacrificed animal, which must meet specific criteria
Symbolize God's mercy on Abraham when God replaced Abraham's son with a ram.
Sacrificed meat: 1/3 kept for family, 1/3 given to relatives, 1/3 given as charity to the poor.
Largest Holiday in Islam.
Follows the Pilgrimage of Hajj.
Morning of Eid rituals:
Wake up before sunrise, wash and pray Fajr Prayer.
Dress in best clothing.
Attend early morning Eid Prayer offered in congregation.
Sacrifice animal.
Visit family and friends.
Hajj is currently going on.
Eid is on Wednesday, November 16th this year.
Eid Al-Adha lasts for 4 days.
We are off work for the week.
Proper greeting: Eid Mubarak, Happy Eid.
Eid Mubarak!
Hajj
The largest pilgrimage in the world.
Two and a half Million - Three Million Muslims.
Muslims from all over the world attend.
Required of all able Muslims to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime.
Men and Women.
The 5th pillar of Islam.
Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
History:
Abraham was instructed by God to leave his wife (Hagar) and infant son (Ishmeal) alone in the dessert.
The infant became thirsty.
Hagar ran back and forth seven times looking for water.
Infant cried and hit his foot to the ground/Angel Gabriel's wing scratched the ground.
Water miraculously appeared (well of ZamZam).
Years later Abraham was instructed by God to return to this place and build a place of worship next to the Well Zamzam.
Abraham and his son built the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his son.
Satan tried to persuade Abraham not to sacrifice his son.
Abraham and his son drove Satan away by throwing stones at him.
Abraham and his son proved their williness to sacrifice for God.
God replaced his son with an animal to sacrifice instead.
The pilgrimage commerartes this historical and religious history.
Day 1:
Pilgrims reach Mecca, shower and change clothes
Shedding all signs of wealth and societial distinction
Muslim men wear two white cloths, Muslims women wear simple white dress and headscarf.
Travel from Mecca to Mina
Pray, read Quran, rest for coming days
Day 2:
Leave Mina and go to the Plain of Arafat.
Muslims spend the entire day near the Mount of Mercy
Asking for forgiveness and making supplications.
(Muslims not in Hajj often fast this day)
Travel to open plain call Muzdalifah
Collect small pebbles for the following day
Spend the night praying
Day 3:
Travel back to Mina
Throw small stones that repressent the temptation of Satan (rememberance of Satan tempting Abraham not to sacrifice his son).
Sacrifice an animal
Return to Mecca
Circle the Kaaba seven times
Walk seven times between two small hills (in remeberance of Hagar search for water)
Drink from the Well of ZamZam
SEE HAJJ LIVE and learn more! : http://www.islamicity.com/multimedia/livetv/LiveHajjCoverage.shtml
Eid Al-Adha
The Festival of Sacrifice.
Animal sacrifice
Sacrificed animal, which must meet specific criteria
Symbolize God's mercy on Abraham when God replaced Abraham's son with a ram.
Sacrificed meat: 1/3 kept for family, 1/3 given to relatives, 1/3 given as charity to the poor.
Largest Holiday in Islam.
Follows the Pilgrimage of Hajj.
Morning of Eid rituals:
Wake up before sunrise, wash and pray Fajr Prayer.
Dress in best clothing.
Attend early morning Eid Prayer offered in congregation.
Sacrifice animal.
Visit family and friends.
Hajj is currently going on.
Eid is on Wednesday, November 16th this year.
Eid Al-Adha lasts for 4 days.
We are off work for the week.
Proper greeting: Eid Mubarak, Happy Eid.
Eid Mubarak!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
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Home Sick
Okay, so I am at work, about to cry. Unsure why I decided to start typing on my blog, because I am for sure going to cry in doing so. Whatever, I feel the need. I feel the need to express my wish to be home. Home today and home next month (and the months after that too....why not?!)
I am excited for my sister today, as today is her baby shower! It is her first baby. It is my first niece/nephew on my side of the family! I am so excited for her! I am sure those of you women out there can relate: Those of women who have carried, delivered, and are mothering your own babies and who have a younger sister who is now doing the same (for the very first time)...you know how exactly how exciting it can be. Talking about pregnancy, about motherhood, about delivery, about babies, about marriage, about life with a baby, about about about....it's never ending the excitement!
Today I will be celebrating with her...long distance...from Skype...7000 miles away. I am so happy and grateful for Skype...yet wish I was home. I wish I was home to rub her belly. To hug her. To see her daughter's nursery.To watch her open gifts. To watch her do the pregnancy waddle. I want to feel the baby kick as she is in her belly, and I want to hold her once she is born.
It seems so strange, so amazing, so beautiful to think about my little sis is about to become a mother. Being a mother. There is no experience like it. It cannot be explained. It's the best thing any woman can experience.
I can't wait to hold my niece, play with her, and watch her grow into a beautiful woman -like her Mother and her Grandmother! I am so looking forward to visiting this summer. Looking forward to meeting my little niece. For my kids to meet their cousin - and for their cousin to meet her cousins! My daughter is looking forward to a girl cousin (as she has all boy cousins from her Dad's side).
Sis, I am so excited for you and looking forward to being part of your little lady's life. I am sorry that I am so far away during your special time. I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the soon to be birth of your baby. A great day spent with family. A day to be remembered and enjoyed. Looking forward to Skyping with you at 230pm your time and 1030pm my time!
Take care and miss you.
I am excited for my sister today, as today is her baby shower! It is her first baby. It is my first niece/nephew on my side of the family! I am so excited for her! I am sure those of you women out there can relate: Those of women who have carried, delivered, and are mothering your own babies and who have a younger sister who is now doing the same (for the very first time)...you know how exactly how exciting it can be. Talking about pregnancy, about motherhood, about delivery, about babies, about marriage, about life with a baby, about about about....it's never ending the excitement!
Today I will be celebrating with her...long distance...from Skype...7000 miles away. I am so happy and grateful for Skype...yet wish I was home. I wish I was home to rub her belly. To hug her. To see her daughter's nursery.To watch her open gifts. To watch her do the pregnancy waddle. I want to feel the baby kick as she is in her belly, and I want to hold her once she is born.
It seems so strange, so amazing, so beautiful to think about my little sis is about to become a mother. Being a mother. There is no experience like it. It cannot be explained. It's the best thing any woman can experience.
I can't wait to hold my niece, play with her, and watch her grow into a beautiful woman -like her Mother and her Grandmother! I am so looking forward to visiting this summer. Looking forward to meeting my little niece. For my kids to meet their cousin - and for their cousin to meet her cousins! My daughter is looking forward to a girl cousin (as she has all boy cousins from her Dad's side).
Sis, I am so excited for you and looking forward to being part of your little lady's life. I am sorry that I am so far away during your special time. I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the soon to be birth of your baby. A great day spent with family. A day to be remembered and enjoyed. Looking forward to Skyping with you at 230pm your time and 1030pm my time!
Take care and miss you.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Chaos is Fun!
Arab culture - If you have not yet figured out from my previous blog posts, is disorganized and chaotic at times. Examples: The driving...I describe as organized chaos, as you need to force your car in where you can fit it. There are not many rules of the road that are actually followed or enforced for that matter in Jordan. Making an appointment....not many places take appointments. You simply show up at 800am, with half of Amman, sit and wait for your turn. Standing in line....not many lines to be found, except at the super market, otherwise it is the one who is most assertive who gets in first. Taking turns talking is not a common courtesy in Amman - just speak up if you want yourself heard! Time....ever hear of 'Arab time', every Arab follows a different clock or not one at all. Everyone runs late, and I'm not talking about the 'fashionable late' 15 minutes we have in the US, but it is normal to be over an hour late and be welcomed as though you are early! Time doesn't matter for much in Jordan.
I am slowly getting use to all of this disorganization, but I don't necessarily like it. I use to fight it every where I go. I try to make some sort of structure of an unstructured society, not an easy and mostly impossible task.
In particularly, this disorganization is bothersome for me at work. Everything is happening quickly, with no plans or plans that change without reason or warning, no preparation, just fly by the seat of your pants and hold on! Oh - and make sure you look confident in doing whatever flies your way as it a sign of weakness to look confused or to ask many questions. I am learning how to dodge the balls as they fly past my shoulders; however, it is not my forte and not the way I like to do things. But whatever, it is what it is and I am where I am, things will not change, so I try to adopt and learn new strengths from these adaptations.
Interestingly, yesterday at work, I was talking with a Jordanian Physician who worked in the United States for quite some time. He was talking with me about our Electronic Health Record we are about to implement in his hospital. He asks me, "So how long have you lived in Jordan?" I told him, "14 months" and he goes on to say, "Well, then you know the challenges you will face with our people here. This EHR is very organized and we don't like organization." I laughed a bit at this statement because 1- it is so obviously stating the obvious and 2- it is completely understated. He says, "We Arabs, we like chaos. Chaos is fun!" Obviously taken back by this new idea of chaos is fun, he continues to explain how structure is boring and can be quite stressful. Whereas chaos is fun and exciting. He compared it to being a teenager and how teenagers enjoy jumping from one thing to the next, without structure. How teenagers, in general, love the unstructured lifestyle and that Arabs are too like and would like to stay teenagers. Arabs like this chaotic environment as apposed to structure. I told him that I disagree with him, but that I would adopt his new idea that chaos is fun, just to help me get through the day - whether it is for a coping mechanism or for a good laugh -I'm not sure, but I am quite sure that I don't agree with the idea that it is fun....!
To each there own. We are all different. Whatever works for you! It is what it is. These are some of my most overused statements. I would say each can be used to describe my conversation with the physician :-)
I am slowly getting use to all of this disorganization, but I don't necessarily like it. I use to fight it every where I go. I try to make some sort of structure of an unstructured society, not an easy and mostly impossible task.
In particularly, this disorganization is bothersome for me at work. Everything is happening quickly, with no plans or plans that change without reason or warning, no preparation, just fly by the seat of your pants and hold on! Oh - and make sure you look confident in doing whatever flies your way as it a sign of weakness to look confused or to ask many questions. I am learning how to dodge the balls as they fly past my shoulders; however, it is not my forte and not the way I like to do things. But whatever, it is what it is and I am where I am, things will not change, so I try to adopt and learn new strengths from these adaptations.
Interestingly, yesterday at work, I was talking with a Jordanian Physician who worked in the United States for quite some time. He was talking with me about our Electronic Health Record we are about to implement in his hospital. He asks me, "So how long have you lived in Jordan?" I told him, "14 months" and he goes on to say, "Well, then you know the challenges you will face with our people here. This EHR is very organized and we don't like organization." I laughed a bit at this statement because 1- it is so obviously stating the obvious and 2- it is completely understated. He says, "We Arabs, we like chaos. Chaos is fun!" Obviously taken back by this new idea of chaos is fun, he continues to explain how structure is boring and can be quite stressful. Whereas chaos is fun and exciting. He compared it to being a teenager and how teenagers enjoy jumping from one thing to the next, without structure. How teenagers, in general, love the unstructured lifestyle and that Arabs are too like and would like to stay teenagers. Arabs like this chaotic environment as apposed to structure. I told him that I disagree with him, but that I would adopt his new idea that chaos is fun, just to help me get through the day - whether it is for a coping mechanism or for a good laugh -I'm not sure, but I am quite sure that I don't agree with the idea that it is fun....!
To each there own. We are all different. Whatever works for you! It is what it is. These are some of my most overused statements. I would say each can be used to describe my conversation with the physician :-)
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
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