Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Jordan!!!  Trick or Treat!

Curbs

Okay, what is up with the curbs? I swear they are at least a foot tall with no decline for wheelchairs or even older folks. In most areas, you practically have to jump up onto the sidewalk. Those with short legs (AKA me) are probably the first to complain. I don’t know if it is due to flooding issues, but it doesn’t seem logical since it doesn’t rain much. At least that is what I thought until the past few days.  Since the area is so hilly and the rain comes in buckets, the water can rise pretty quickly. 


The picture below is Rob’s leg against the curb so you can get an idea of how high it really is.  His pants are kind of baggy so I had him point to his knee.  He thought you could figure out where it was, but I figured better safe than sorry.

Now here is mine.  You can see the difference.  The curb being right at my knees.  Oh the pains of being short!

Fall Back

Tonight at midnight the Kingdom will turn our clocks back an hour for what they call here “Wintertime”. I love it! It is no longer Daylight Savings time, which to me doesn’t make any sense anyway.


From what I understand the USA won’t be turning back their clocks until November 1st. So we will be 8 hours different instead of the usual 7 hours until November 1st.

We shall enjoy your extra hour of sleep tonight for sure! Happy Wintertime!!

Fireworks

As I sit here and blog this evening, I can hear fireworks going off nearby.  It is amazing how many days I can hear fireworks from the house.  It seems there is always a wedding to celebrate in Amman.  Or maybe there are other reasons to set them off...who knows.  They don't last very long but are sweet none the less.  In the states, fireworks seem to only come out during major holidays like New Years Eve, The 4th of July, every day at Disney (hee hee), and Memorial Day.  I have to say, I am a lover of fireworks.  Every year I would beg Rob to take me to see the fireworks on almost every holiday they were available and wonder at the colors.  So seeing them here so randomly is like a present every time. 

The small moments are what make life so special. 

Sweet Corn?

Don’t really know what is up with this but they are everywhere!

I guess they really like corn…

Further investigation is required…

King Hussein Gardens Park

Yesterday, we explored King Hussein Gardens Park in Amman. It was late afternoon and the air was cool and crisp. A slight breeze blew my hair from side to side. To my delight, I think Fall has arrived!

It was such a serene park; all you wanted to do was walk hand in hand with your loved one and daydream. We saw other couples enjoying the weather and even a small crowd cooking out. I could smell the burgers on the grill. YUM!

The park itself is located on top of a hill, so the views of the city were amazing. It was such a pleasure to find flowers, trees, and park benches in the middle of a concrete city. No wonder the locals love it so much!

Since we both have been battling colds, we mainly sat and enjoyed the ambiance. This was our view from the bench we choose.

I can’t wait to return.

A culture of tea

Currently feeling under the weather, it seems tea always helps.  Being in a culture of tea has its benefits.  Tea is always available, day or night.  On our way to school we even see taxis pull over to have the rider jump out for a cup of tea and then back in, tea in hand.  I don't know how they do it drinking the caffeine all day and night but I have to say it is soothing. 

My favorite herbal tea found so far.

Buckle up?

I am a little astounded by what I have seen regarding seatbelts or more importantly a lack thereof. I imagine, what I see here is what we had in the states when my grandparents were driving around their kids. Long before the “Click or Ticket” campaign….No seat belts, no car seats, kids standing in the front seats or riding in their parent’s lap, and literally no speed limit. I even saw one kid lying in the back window of his mother’s Honda Accord. Not too sure how she was using her rearview mirror…but hopefully using her side mirrors?


The taxis don’t have seat belts in the backseat. So I have resolved myself to just not pay attention to the traffic around me.

Fall in the Air

I saw these and thought instantly of the Fall.  The changing of the leaves, the first time you walk outside and feel the chill in the air, the arrival of pumpkins and squash in the grocery stores, unending piles of leaves to rake, and tons of football to watch on TV.  How I love Fall! 

I am cooking my first pot of chili here in Jordan.  Figured it was time for some Fall comfort food even if the weather hasn't figured out it is Fall just yet.  Wish me luck!

Sports Car Spotting...

I am still in shock as I type this blog... We saw a Lamborghini driving down the streets of Amman, Jordan! I mean really? Jordan? Keep in mind there really aren't that many roads you can just speed down. And it wasn't like it passed us going 50 mph, it was actually right in front of us...in traffic, no less.

Rob and I both looked at each other in shock and Rob even asked the taxi driver if it was "THE King" in there! The taxi driver just laughed. I mean, I personally have never even seen one in the states. Have you? And don't say yeah on MTV cribs or something like that.

If it were me, I would be pretty scared to drive it around seeing how they drive crazy with no rules around here. Watching it rev up dramatically to slow down only 20 seconds later in traffic was kind of hilarious though.

Only in Amman...

Look familiar?

I swear Hanna Montana is taking over the world! Not only did I see her, but also Dora the Explorer, Strawberry Shortcake, Sesame Street, and many many more. I guess toy stores will always be the same no matter where in the world you may be.

Plug This!

I have to say one of the most confusing things thus far has been the electrical system of Jordan.  I think a visual can help...

This is the outlet in our apartment.  As you can see, the North American style of two flat plugs are no where to be found.  Plus we are changing voltage too. I have yet to figure out what the one plug is for, I am assuming cable? 

Now keep in mind, we did our due diligence before arriving and bought an adapter and converter.  

This is what happened to our handy adapter after literally Day 1.

Yes, it in fact broke.  On Day 1 no less.  It was kind of funny because we noticed the microwave of all things, would not plug in.  It needed an adapter.  So we figured, hey, let's try the one we brought with us.  Bad idea.  It was indeed not the correct size and came apart IN the wall and would NOT come out.  After much tugging, cursing, and stomping of feet it didn't budge.   

For some reason, it seems all the electronics and appliances we own have been made in different countries.  So practically all the plugs need their own adapter.  Even the microwave that came with the apartment, my hair dryer I bought here, our wireless modem purchased here, and the brand new fridge we received after our's broke.  So that is four adapters unless I want to blow dry my hair in the living room with the surge protector and no mirror.

Hair dryer

Fridge with adapter

Internet modem

Thankfull we found a universal adapter and surge protecter that weren't too expensive.  I guess we take for granted most plugs in the states are pretty much the same. 

The Food Channel

For anyone who knows me, I am constantly watching cake competitions or chefs cook-up something new and delicious. So I was delighted to find a version of Food Network called Fatafeat! Thank goodness for satellite tv. Shows range from Barefoot Contessa (one of my favs), Iron Chef, Ace of Cakes, and Emeril. Who would have thought I could stay abreast of all the new shows half a world away! They also have local cooking shows in Arabic. So watching these have been more of a game to guess the ingredients and try to figure out what they are making. So far I haven’t been half bad.

Check out the website. It is pretty neat but in all Arabic. http://www.fatafeat.com/

Happy Cooking!

Got Milk?

As as result of Rob's stories and his classmates at Yarmouk of strange "milk-like" drinks, the availability of only goat's milk or powdered milk, I figured ceral was out of the question. 

So my milk hunt started when we arrived to Jordan.  How can they not have milk?!?  On our first grocery excursion, we found something that looked just like milk in the dairy section but it said something about boiling it...so that was quickly put back.  I am assuming it wasn't pasturized?  Personally, boiling my milk before putting it in my ceral just doesn't sound right to me.  We however did find the grocery isles full of powdered milk.  YUCK!  I am also not going to add water to my ceral, that is for sure.  And finally, we found the concentrated version...which I hope they use for cooking.

After asking other expats, we found the below in a non-refrigerated isle.  Didn't think to look there...

Thought you would enjoy reading the box.  (double click to see it larger)

The stuff tastes exactly like milk back at home.  Thank you Jordanian cows!  After waiting a few days to see if there were any after effects of boxed unfridgerated milk, we were happy to say everything was on the up and up.  It has been nice to change up our morning breakfast routine.  Now if only we could find something that doesn't go bad after only 3 days.

NOTE: We did put it in the fridge once we got it home.  I am all about cold milk.  Now I just need to make some chocolate chip cookies to go with them!

Water

When asked what I wanted to drink for my girl's night out dinner, I replied water.  This is what I received. 

As I peeled off the top, it reminded me of a yogurt.  None the less, the water tasted just like any other water.  Entertaining little package though.

Bonfire

Walking out of the gym, I looked to the tree lined area surrounding the gym parking lot. Noticing something as we walked closer, I had to chuckle. There were two guys lying under a tree taking a break. No biggie. It was hot outside around 1pm, so it sounded like a good idea. That is when I noticed it. Are those flames? I asked Rob to take a closer look too, I mean really, am I seeing things?!? Indeed they were flames! Small of course, but a mini bonfire none the less. And YES, they had a tea pot! Only in Amman, would you see two guys under a random tree in a parking lot boiling water for tea over a small bonfire. How the Middle East entertains me at random times!

Slowing Down

This evening I had the moment. When you suddenly realize you have finally slowed down. The rushed pace of home is gone. I am now on Jordan time… I don’t feel like I am running from this thing to the next, not being able to really enjoy what I was doing as I needed to move onto the next task. I can now leisurely enjoy, I did say enjoy, making dinner for my fabulous husband. It isn’t the throw it in the pot meal but something slowly made with care. Smelling the Tide in the freshly laundered dishtowels as I dry dishes to them to put away… These are the days I have heard about… Thanks to Jordan, I now can experience them. Before the pitter patter of little feet and multiple hungry mouths to feed; I shall enjoy and relish these simple pleasures this year. Embracing a new culture, food made from scratch, vegetables peeled with care, exploring new recipes outside of our regular menu, close pinning laundry out on the porch to be kissed by the sun and wind…slow is soothing to the soul.

Taxi Etiquette

When jumping into a taxi you must know two things. First and most important, the taxi must always have a meter. We have gotten into a few where they say it is broken or just refuse to turn them on, to which we immediately jump right out. We aren’t that dumb. The meter always starts at 25 kirsh, which is about 35 cents. The second important thing to note is the woman always rides in the back, while the man, if there is one in your party, sits in the front with the driver. We, of course, didn’t know this our first taxi ride to the school and received a strange look from the driver. O’well, live and learn. At first driving in the back alone was kind of strange but now I rather enjoy it. While Rob chats up the cabbie, I can keep an eye on where we are going, look for interesting stores or restaurants, or just zone out. The best part is I don’t have to see firsthand the crazy driving around me! Like I have said before, they have NO rules.

Close but not the same

I have to say I took for granted the selection and diversity of cleaning products available while in the states. Anti-bacterial...bleach...all-purpose...all available of course in every brand. When trying to select them here, I am forced to compromise. Mainly due to the fact that if I can't read the directions to use it, then it is out. They do have "Mr. Muscle", a takeoff from "Mr. Clean" with the bald head to boot! I had to laugh the first time I saw it. But the types of "Mr. Muscle" available seem to only be of the toilet cleaning variety. I am still on the hunt though... My other name brand selection is "Ajax". They have an "Ajax" for everything, including kitchen/bathroom, windows, you name it. I am a big fan.


How I miss the days of “Clorox” wipes and “Windex”. But alas, this will do. Oh, and they don't have “Swiffers” or “Swiffer Wet” either. Can you believe it?!? With all the tile floors, you would think they would have gotten on board. They just don't know what they are missing!

Take Out

Now this is what I call amazing and healthy take out!

Kabobs, roasted tomatoes, fries, pita, veggies, hummus, salsa, and falafel. 

Only in Amman

As I was hanging out the clothes on the line on the balcony today, I heard a little jingle…something like a small bell. Looking around, I notice movement in the tree filled area off to my right. After a closer look, yes, it was a herd of sheep and goats. Shepherd in tow, of course. I guess they wear bells around their neck to keep track of them? (the sheep and goats I mean, not the shepherd) 

I had to laugh, only in Amman, would you see a herd of sheep and goat roaming your neighborhood. I yelled to Rob to bring my camera quickly so I could snap a few pictures. How did they get there? Who knows! I can’t imagine them crossing our busy Medina Street traffic, so maybe they know a more scenic route?

As you can see they are munching on tree limbs that were just cut down. Not too sure if they were cut down for the purpose of feeding the random passing livestock or if it was just a pleasant surprise they happened upon it. All I can say is good timing and happy munching.

A hole in the floor?

When we arrived in Jordan, I noticed something odd in the kitchen and bathrooms. There was a hole in the floor.

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen the grated drain holes in commercial bathrooms in the states all the time but in a residential home? Never. Two of the three “holes” were covered but the master bathroom was not. It was basically a big random hole. After taking our first showers, we had the “a-ha” moment. Even thought we had a shower curtain and tried our best to keep all the water in the bathtub, there was ALWAYS (depending on who’s shower) a large puddle of water on the tile. This is where the squeegee came in.  Thankfully one was included in our furnished apartment.

I have to say I miss the days when you can take a shower, step out and find a nice dry floor. Maybe even a soft bathroom mat?  But until then, we shall be master squeegeers…

After a week or two, Rob was able to confidently walk into a local hardware store and put together the words hole, floor, bathroom, and cover to get our point across.  It worked! 50 cents later, we were walking out with our brand new drain hole cover. He is forever my hero!!!  It’s the little things in life!

NOTE:  I took these pictures after we bought the new drain cover so you wouldn't be too grossed out. 

Picking up a package

We received our first package and were SO excited. Rob got a call on his cell phone on Saturday letting us know it was ready for pickup on Sunday. So the plan was to go after I did a training run at the gym. Thinking we were going to take a cab to the downtown post office, I figured the run wouldn’t be a problem. WRONG! Rob wanted to be adventurous and find a bus that went downtown. Keep in mind, there are no real official bus stops and of course if you find the bus you are looking for, you must know the stops or at least what to look for when coming upon the said stop. We have only been downtown once via cab, so we figured why not, let’s go for it. We are adventurous…

Not only did we get on the wrong bus but we got off on practically the furthest stop away possible. Or at least that is what it felt like. After an hour and a half of walking, asking for directions 4 different times along the way for which each “helper” said it was just 10 minutes down the road, we finally found a poor soul who literally guided us to our destination, we made it. I have to say God had a plan because even thought we were SO lost, as we found our way we passed by the Jordan Post hidden just a few steps away from the sandwich shop we were going to stop by before going to the post office. Relieved to find it, we at our sandwiches quickly and practically ran to the post office.

This is where the desk dance started. We started at the front desk, then moved to office #1 with man #1 who checked our passports, then man #2 found our package, man #3 made us open our package and inspected for customs, then moved to the manager’s office for stamping, then back to the front desk for paperwork to pay 95 cents for customs (are you getting dizzy yet?), and then finally back to office #1 with man #1 to hand him our completed paperwork and to pick up our package (which we weren’t allowed to take with us on the desk dance). Sheesh!

I have to say receiving things from home was awesome! Mom stocked us up on ziplock bags (they are ultra expensive here), my favorite breakfast bars (Fiber One Chocolate and Oats) because they just don’t exist over here, Adobe seasoning (again don’t exist) & spaghetti seasonings (Rob can’t wait for me to use both very soon), our bottom sheet we left at home, my boots to keep my toosties warm during the winter (they say it gets frigid cold), a book and some personal items. Thank you Mom and Dad, you guys rock!

Pub Crawling

Invited by a fellow student, Rob and I arrived at 5pm to start the pub crawl. Who would have thought they had enough bars and/or pubs to even have a crawl. But we were pleasantly surprised! The start at Piccadelly was more of a get to know you, as most attending were in the Full Bright program or friends of friends from the program. Piccadelly had Guiness (in the bottle) and Amstel, the most common beer in Amman.  We did hear there is a place that has Guiness on tap, so that will be sought out by the end of our stay.

After a few rounds, we headed to Paris circle. We added a few more to our group and I was stoked to see they had Smirnoff Ice on the menu. But alas, they were out. So it was back to Amstel. Maybe next time! Playing in the background was a mix of American Top 40 and the Fashion channel was playing on the TV, gotta love it. 

Our group grew at each bar.  The more the merrier!

Our next destination was a bar in the Balad. Mind you, the Balad is really a man’s man place. So once we got there, saw the entrance was located in a back alley and the sign above a non-descript stairwell, I was a little uneasy. After about 15 minutes and getting our beers, I asked Rob if this was a women friendly bar, the answer, which I figured, was NO. Needless to say, we were with about 15 guys, so no one bothered us, but still a little strange. Kind of like walking in the Moose Lodge and assuming all would be well.

The two pictures above of the Balad bar found in this random alleyway.

They didn’t serve hard liquor but we did see a table with OJ and Vodka. Didn’t know how that happened but after one of our fellow crawlers chatted them up, we found out it was BYOL (Bring your own liquor). Gotta love Jordan! Afterwards we hit Hashims, the BEST falafel and hummus place EVER! They made these pita, falafel, and hummus sandwiches for less than 50 cents a pop and oh my goodness, they are great! I have never had pita so fresh! So after stuffing ourselves, we headed to the next destination, La Calle.

I have to say, this place was my favorite consisting of 3 floors with a terrace! I would love to go back and have a nice glass of wine on the terrace after a hard week. Well, don’t think I will have many “hard weeks” here not working and enjoying the high life *he he* but you know what I mean. After much conversation and enjoying the view, we moved onto our last destination, Amigos. No picture of this one, sorry.  The group talked up this place big time saying they had the best burgers ever and Rob and I were ready to partake. Alas, by the time we got there, the kitchen was closed. I guess another time. Shots all around of some strange blue kool-aid like liquid and we were done. Grabbing a taxi after midnight, we paid double, but we didn’t care. All in all, it was a great time with some great characters! I don’t know if it is a regular thing but either way, we found some great hangouts. Jordan is full of surprises!

Shrimp on steroids

Now that is a MAN size shrimp, if I have ever seen one!

.

Gives new meaning to shrimp cocktail!

Houston’s

I have to say it is a small world. Our dear Tallahassee friend’s sister happened to be visiting with her husband’s family in Amman. So after a few phone calls, we arranged for dinner. What a great idea it was and so much fun. They picked the place, as we aren’t that familiar with which restaurants are the best in the area. The selection was Houston’s in the Abdoun area. After looking it up in our handy dandy tour guide book, it mentioned it was a high end Tex-Mex restaurant with great food for expats. We were both delighted and couldn’t wait. After walking in, it could have been something located in Tallahassee or Jacksonville. The walls were filled with movie posters “Godfather” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” stood out to me; music of Celine Dion and Lionel Richie playing in the background. We all shared a salad. Afterwards, I ordered a chicken special consisting of lightly fried chicken, topped with mushrooms, cheese and a cream sauce named after Obama. It was super delish! Rob had the sea bass and ate every last morsel.


Conversation was even better than the food. It was interesting as not everyone spoke Arabic or English. So there was a lot of translation and laughing. It became apparent even though we were from the states and they from Syria, relationships whether between couples or just men vs. women were the same across borders. Both men loved to protect their wives, holding our hands as we crossed busy streets, providing for their families and to be constantly learning. Both women loved watching similar TV shows, enjoyed shopping and cooking big meals for their husbands. Our conversations ranged from travels yet to come, politics, and living abroad (as they are now living in Morocco and for some reason the natives speak a totally different Arabic). It seemed they were in my boat of not understanding the native language of the country they were living. At the end of the night, even though we came from two totally different parts of the world, underneath it all, we were the same.

Where’s the Biscuits?

Okay, I admit I broke down a week or two ago. I needed a visit to the KFC hoping for some good ole Southern food. The KFC sign was exactly the same! I could just taste the fried chicken and sides. Maybe they will have mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. Alas, neither were available. The menu had most of the original menu: fried chicken, fries and a what? Bun? No biscuit? It was strange to be given a hamburger bun instead of a biscuit. It just wasn’t the same. Maybe Popeye’s will be different? Since in their name it says chicken and biscuits? We will have to check it out sooner than later!

The Balad

The official name, Wasat Al-Balad, is the open air market in the downtown city center. After hearing stories, good and bad, I was a little nervous. Dressing as modestly as I could, even covering most of my hair, we ventured in. At first glance it seemed to be just a downtown district where the storekeepers brought items of all sorts out onto the sidewalks. Thinking this isn’t too bad, we ventured further. Staying close by Rob, we found the fruit/vegetable sook and bird/pet sook. Both unique in its own accord.

Me covered head to toe.  Better to be safe than sorry.

The fruit and vegetable sook was what I expected the balad to be. With its small winding alleyways of vegetable stands, men yelling out that their fruit was the best and to come to their stall first, and the fruit looked as it if was just picked off the vines and trees. Prices were ridiculously low, so you couldn’t resist. I saw some gorgeous grapes selling for 75 cents a kilogram.

The shade creating covers were flapping in the wind creating such a neat experience.

Yummy veggies!

I loved this guy's stand.  What beautiful flowers! It was taken on the fly not to be discovered as the "American taking pictures", so the focus is not the best.

Coffee, nuts, and spices galore!

The bird/pet sook was another story, filled with jostling men of all shapes and sizes, pigeons and small birds galore. Everywhere you looked there were cardboard boxes full of birds; big, small, strange looking, while some plain and normal. We were not in the market for a bird, big or small but it was interesting to see none the less. We even saw ducks, giant bunnies, puppies and a parrot. I was a little overwhelmed by the swarming people, so I only got a few shots. Plus Rob wanted us to stay as much on the down low as possible. It was hard not to break out the camera at every turn.

The cardboard boxes to the left were full of pigeons and yes, that is a rooster!  The cage at the bottom was filled with chickens.

Baby chicks!  I held one too!

These bunnies were HUGE! 

From what I hear the place is huge and we only scrapped the surface. I look forward to another trip to the balad, maybe next time we can explore the clothing or gold sooks. Until then, happy shopping.

Pictures of randomness in the Balad

Yes, hanging shoes.  Note to self: Find out what size I am by next visit.

Check out the knives for 4JD.  Rob bought a ballcap for 1JD.

I swear they have sweets EVERYWHERE!