p.s. the picture is blurry to depicts PhD candidates’ perspective of the world.
While I was, and still, busy writing a research paper to be submitted for publications. Jordanians and others living in and outside Jordan were bombarding twitter (#top50JO) with their love messages about Jordan. You can’t imagine how feel-good this thing is to expatriate Jordanians. I lived outside Jordan more than I lived in Jordan but my love for it is endless. If for anything it is because of its people, from all origins.
Since I don’t want to be missing the momentum of this lovely message about Jordan I wanted to share with you my beautiful memories about Jordan; what I miss and what I like. #top50JO is one of the best creative ideas that appeared on the Jordanian blogosphere. I liked it for two reasons. 1) I like when Jordanians are positive and, 2) I like when Jordanians talk about Jordan the country not just Amman the city which, unfortunately, is common among people living in Amman.
I don’t live in Jordan now but Insh’Allah I shall return to my beloved home country soon. Here are some of the things I miss and like about Jordan in no particular order:
1. The masculine Jordanian accent.
2. How far Jordanians can go to help you.
3. Irbid city and its surrounding villages during spring.
4. Jordan’s history – Petra, Jerash, Um Qais, and the many other places. Whenever I visit any of these places I get goose bumps. The idea that many empires and prophets lived, temporary or permanently, in Jordan is magical.
5. Amman during the night.
6. “Madafat” – Those big tribal host places or the only men’s club where people mingle. Over there no topic is off limit even the king. These places are for social events, political disputes and political analyses, rumors creation, reconciliation, and many others.
7. Arabic coffee – Not just its taste but the protocols that accompany the drinking of this sugarless heavenly drink.
8. Sitting and listening to old people, men and women – Their “swaleef”, or stories, are really fun to listen to.
9. The fact that Jordanians put their disputes on hold, and very often they even reconcile, when it comes to giving condolences to the person they are in dispute with.
10. The fact that people in my neighborhood (about 1 km radius) know my first and last name and know who are my parents.
The 8-traits that lead to great success
Watch this 3 minutes brilliant video to learn about the 8 secrets of success.
لأنها كانت تحتضن بين أوراقها الخضراء تفاحة واحدة فقط كان يطلق عليها اسم شجرة التفاح المعجزه. كان يمر بجانب هذه الشجرة مرتين في اليوم، صباحا عند ذهابه الى العمل ومساء عند رجوعه. لم يتذوق طعم التفاح قبلا ولكنه قرأ أو ربما سمع أن بعض أنواع التفاح طعمها حلوا جميلا. كان مفتونا بشكلها الدائري ولونها الأحمر المثير. كان يتمنى أن يمسك التفاحة بيده ويتذوق طعمها الحلو، ولكنه لم يجرؤ يوما على مسها.ـ
مع الأيام نمى شغفه بشجرة التفاح. كل يوم كانت التفاحة تكبر شيئا فشيئا ولونها يزداد احمرارا ليمنحها جمالا ونضرة أكثر من اليوم السابق. أحيانا – عند رجوعه من عمله – لشدة انبهاره بها كان يقف متأملا الشجرة لعدة ساعات. كان مشدودا الى جمال الشجرة، مجذوبا الى ثمرتها.ـ
في أحد الأيام – عندما كان متوجها الى عمله – لاحظ شيئا غريبا لم يألفه من قبل. لم يكن لون التفاحة احمرا مثيرا كما تعود أن يراها كان لونها باهتا بعض الشيئ. وحتى عند رجوعه من عمله كان لون التفاحة ما زال باهتا، ولكنه طمأن نفسه أن السبب قد يكون الغبار الذي أحدثته الرياح ليلا.ـ
في اليوم التالي، كان لون التفاحة قد بهت أكثر ولاحظ أن حجمها قد صغر قليلا. وعندما وقف ليتأملها عله يجد تفسيرا لما يحدث شاهد بقعة صغيرة على التفاحة لونها أقرب الى اللون البني. حزن جدا لحال التفاحة. ولكنه كان متفائلا شأنه دائما. كان يحدّث نفسه أن التفاحة سوف تعود يوما لما كانت عليه من حيوية ونضرة.ـ
لسوء حظه لم يحدث ما كان يرجوه، فالتفاحة فقدت لونها الأحمر وضئل حجمها. كل يوم كان ينظر اليها كانت التفاحة تفقد نضرتها و كان هو يفقد الأهتمام بها كذلك. فالتفاحة الأن لم تعد تلك الثمرة التي كان متشوقا لتذوق طعمها الحلو. عدا عن ذلك فانه فقد أي اهتمام بالتفاحة عندما رأى دودة تخرج رأسها من وسط التفاحة. وكانت فاجعته الكبرى في أحد الأيام عندما رأى التفاحة مستسلمة على الأرض وكأنها تتهيئ لتُدفن تحت تراب الشجرة.ـ
خيبة أمله وحزنه لفقدان التفاحة قيداه في منزله. كان في حالة من اليأس والضعف لم يقوى على الخروج الى العمل، ولم يكن مرور الأيام ليساعده على نسيان ما آلت اليه التفاحة من حال. كان يؤنب نفسه على جبنه لعدم اغتنامه الفرصة لتذوق التفاحة وعلى جشعه لانتظاره فترة أطول حتى تكبر التفاحة أكثر. لكنه بعد أسبوع من الحزن المتواصل قرر أن جلوسه في المنزل لن ينسيه ما حدث ولن يغير شيئا. والأهم فهو بحاجة للرجوع الى عمله حتى لايفقد مصدر رزقه.ـ
في اليوم التالي استيقظ باكرا استعدادا للذهاب الى عمله. وبينما هو في طريقه المعتاد الى العمل أرتسمت بسمة على شفتيه، وكلما أقترب من الشجرة أكثر كانت ابتسامته تزداد حتى اغرورقت عيناه بالدمع فرحة لما شاهده. كانت شجرة التفاح تحمل عدة ثمرات صغيرة وليس واحدة فقط. كان هناك أكثر من تفاحة، لم يستطيع تصديق عينيه. كانت فرحته كبيرة جدا لرؤية التفاح.ـ
ولكنه عندما توقف عند الشجرة وأخذ يتأملها خطرت بباله عدة تساؤلات. تسآل فيما اذا كانت الشجرة تحمل ثمرات غير تلك التي كان يراقبها ولكنه لم يراهم من قبل. تسآل كيف له أن يعرف متى يقطف التفاحة حتى تأخذ حجمها الطبيعي ولكن قبل أن تموت. تسآل ان كان هناك أخرون يترقبون هذه الشجرة المعجزة كما كان يسميها. أكمل مسيره نحو عمله وهو مشغول بهذه التساؤلات…ـ
The Midwest this year 2010, according to the meteorologists, received an arctic weather. For the past two weeks the temperature in my city was around –20 degree Celsius. I have not written any thing in my blog during this brutal weather because as you all may know grasshoppers (or Jaraad in Arabic) do not function well in the winter season, they actually die.
Warning: The pictures below might not be suitable for green and/or blue lovers.
Winter in the Midwest 2010
See other more beautiful colors:
The comparison between books and people is the same as the difference between physically being in a place (whatever city or place you can imagine) and seeing it on TV only. Yes, books give you knowledge but they don’t provide you with experience. I like reading a lot but my best learning moments are always when I mingle and chat with people. Here are two of my recent conversations with THE PEOPLE.
Following is a conversation I had with a new international Muslim student who was registered in an English course at one of those English Language Centers in the U.S. to prepare for the TOEFL. He was complaining to me about his English teacher:
He: She hates Muslims.
I: How did you know that?
He: You can tell from the way she treats Muslim students.
I: Give me an example.
He: One time when we were waiting in the bus preparing for departure to our destination, she said “Where is Muhammad? He always make us wait for him. Muhammad is naughty!”
I: mm…..
He: Yes, she said “Muhammad is naughty” and she meant something.
I: [speechless because my mind was so busy trying to push away what “something” means.]
Another conversation took place during one of our Muslim Students Organization (MSO) board meetings. Every year the MSO invites a speaker to talk about Islam for the general audience on our campus:
Female 1: Yes, last year the event was very successful, the auditorium was full. The speaker was very good; he knows a lot about Islamic science history.
Male student: What is his name?
Female student: George [something]. [I and the male student never heard of this person before]
Male student: Is he a Muslim?
I [very confident of my answer]: No. He has a Christian name.
Male student: Not necessarily. My name is Phillip and I am a Muslim!
I: [Speechless out of embarrassment. Also while being speechless, I reminded myself for the millionth time to think before I talk and to assume NOTHING.]
“We will send them a message that this is our land”
This James Cameron guy got to be out of this world to write and direct a movie like this one. The technology used to make this movie is unbelievable. In the movie, the Colonel tells his soldiers “You are not in Kansas anymore, you are in Pandora” and it is true the world you see in this movie is an experience that you will never forget. The movie is in 3D which makes it even more entertaining.
Everything in this movie is a top notch. The details are beyond humans’ normal imagination. That is why I think James Cameron is out of this world. For a man to have this magnitude of imagination is something not normal.
The movie is a must see in cinema. Go watch the movie and be part of the future making.
She recently informed me that she is moving out and leaving me for good. She started packing already, taking with her every, physical, moment we shared; good and bad, fun and sad, and leaving me with memories only. Not once she stopped to hear me begging her to stay. Not once she looked back. So cold and cruel she was, as if we never knew each other, as if she was just passing by. She was leaving for good, yet she didn’t have mercy on me. The shock kept me out of words not knowing what to say. Yet, I wanted to cry out loud and tell her “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”* But, I doubt I will ever revenge. I doubt she even cares. Revenge is not what I want; I just want her to stay a little bit longer. I need to prove to her that I can do what I promised her to do. She judged me so impatiently and she is leaving so soon.
“I don’t have time to explain. I have to leave soon. One day you will understand” I imagined her telling me. Will I? Will I understand, one day, why she left me? May be I will. But now, all what I want is for her to stay. We had good times and bad times, together. But the truth is I am not sure whether I should be sad or happy for her leaving me. Our relationship was so short and did not start well anyway. Still, I don’t want her to leave me. I know I can prove to her that I can be a better person. I know I can succeed. I asked her to give me some more time but she refused. Why the cruelty? I did not understand.
Her departure is all set. On December thirty first, two thousand and nine, ironically that is also her name, at eleven fifty nine pm she will leave me for good. She will leave me wondering when it all started and how it ended. Her presence will only be remembered. No longer will she make me happy, no longer will she make me sad because for sure she will cease to exist. Nevertheless, a new sun will rise announcing the beginning of a new life; a life that I am so excited to meet, a life that I want to live at its fullest. A life that I for sure know it will once be a memory.
*The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
I had few crushes before. So, I know how one feels when he has a crush. But recently there is this girl that I am not sure if it is a crush situation or just an admiration. What is the difference between having a crush on someone and admiring someone?
p.s. For some technical difficulties in life, love is not considered in this post because the author, foolishly, believes that love could be suppressed when it leads to a complex relationship.
Everyone has his own opinion about this issue but I will quote what Mr. Burside said in the U.S. Supreme court in the movie Nothing But the Truth (2008).
Mr. Burnside (the journalist’s lawyer): And then how will we know if a president has covered up crimes? Or if an army officer has condoned torture? We, as a nation, will no longer be able to hold those in power accountable to those whom they have power over. And what is then the nature of government when it has no fear of accountability? We should shudder at the thought. Imprisoning journalists? That’s for other countries. That’s for countries who fear their citizens, not countries that cherish and protect them.
