The Bake House

This morning we decided to take a walk to Jebel Amman to find a much talked about breakfast restaurant called The Bake House. After some wandering around, asking for directions multiple times, and just enjoying the walk we came upon it. With its green awnings, it welcomed us in with open arms. The tables filled with young families and other expats looking for a familiar down home meal.

The restaurant itself has two floors. The top floor is a new addition for extra seating, which is where we settled in. The menu offerings ranged from pancakes, waffles, eggs of all styles, hash browns, French toast, to Western filtered coffee. The coffee found here in the Middle East is not filtered and very strong. So when Western filtered coffee is available, expats get very excited. I’m a tea drinker myself but I know Rob likes both the local Turkish coffee and Western brew. I indulged with pancakes, eggs, and a side of hash browns. I have to say it was probably the BEST meal I have had here in Amman. The pancakes were perfectly fluffy, with real pancake syrup if desired. I am a butter girl myself. The eggs were exactly how I like them - over easy. The hash browns were crispy and light with a side of ketchup. I mean, how perfect can it get?!? Plus I had hot tea and fresh squeezed orange juice to boot.

If you are in the Amman area, I definitely recommend it. Just so you don’t have to ask for directions as many times as we did, mind you at least 4 (Keep in mind, street names were just handed out within the past 2 years, most locals either don’t know them or use them.) You will want to go to Jebel Amman at 1st circle and Rainbow Street. Head up Rainbow Street and take a right at the Sadik House store. Then another right onto the first street and you will see it right on your left. Notice I didn’t use street names either…well they say “When in Rome”.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Too funny

Saw this and had to laugh.  I mean, who puts this on thier car?!?

This will do

Well if we can't have snow, at least we can have white winter flowers.  I am sure they are just winter weeds that have bloomed due to the abundance of rain but they are still beautiful.  I admire them as I make the walk to the gym for yet another run.  Hope you enjoy too! 

PS - I am still holding out for snow.  tee hee hee

Date Night

This past Thursday night (our Friday night) we decided to have a date night. Dinner and a movie of sorts. The nice thing about our neighborhood is we are pretty close (via walking or short taxi ride) to a handful of fun restaurants. We decided on Jafra’s for this occasion. A popular traditional Arabic café/restaurant that can be filled full of argeela smoke if you don’t arrive early enough. Thankfully we were ushered into a small family room off to the side with other date nighters. After great conversation, wonderful food, tea to warm us up and help end our meal traditionally, we had to ask for our bill. It seems that is the custom here. The Jordanians are big on leisurely meals leading to sipping tea or Turkish coffee followed up with smoking argeela and relaxing. I guess we are so used to the waiter or waitress shoving the bill in front of us ready to turn it over to the next tipping customer or we, ourselves rushing through our meal to run off to the next task at hand. It was so nice to just slow down and enjoy our food.

After our meal, we headed back home to watch Blind Side. An amazing movie! If you haven’t seen it, please do. It is a true story and what an amazing story it is. After watching it, I was so thankful of everything around me…a roof over my head, a bed (although uncomfortable at times better now with an additional mattress), food, warm clothing, and most of all a family that loves me unendingly.

I am truly blessed.

On a funny note

We were walking back to the apartment and heard a loud speaker coming up the road. The words were kind of jumbled but we figured it was the usual vegetable truck that circles neighborhoods. For some reason, they like to drive around in their trucks with fruits and veggies in their truck bed while yelling on a loud speaker all of the varieties available. I guess people run down from their apartments after hearing the veggies that are needed for that night’s dinner. I’m not exactly sure, as I haven’t seen anyone running down yet. Anyway, so like my usual curious self, I wanted to see exactly what they were selling. Guess what it was… No, you won’t guess. It was a sewing machine. Yes, a sewing machine. Like one of those old style ones probably with the foot wheel to get it going, as I am sure there wasn’t electricity that could be hooked up. We both laughed to ourselves, I guess it was a real sewing “to go” service. Who knew there was such a thing? Only in Amman, only in Amman.

Sleep tight

So yesterday I took matters into my own hands.

To give you some background...beds here in Amman or what they like to call a bed differs from a usual bed back in the states. A usual bed, in the states, has a box spring and mattress combo. These seem to either not exist or maybe they do but only for the ultra rich. For those of us normal folk, a two inch foam mattress or 3 inch sad mattress with no box spring is what we get. They sort of remind me of what they had at summer camp...if you know what I mean. So needless to say, those side sleepers are in misery here.

Ours, no less, is two twin size metal beds, pushed together to make a queen/king size bed with compo board in between the springs and the mattress on top. I thought of taking out the wood board because I am sure that has something to do with the "hardness" of the bed, but after feeling the metal springs I thought better of it. Ouch doesn't even begin to describe...

This is when I got creative.

Think The Princess and the Pea...got a visual? Step one, convince your husband to help you, because there is some lifting (not heavy so much as awkward). Step two, remove the single bed mattress from the guest room and drag it into the master bedroom. Step three, lift said single bed mattress and place on top of my side of the bed. Step four, arrange sheets accordingly. Step five, enjoy your masterpiece.

I think last night's sleep was probably the best since arrival. Now if only I can get my body temperature controlled, I won't either wake up sweating or freezing into an ice sickle. But let's take this one step at a time.

Hello?

It is so interesting how even here in Jordan, people are attached to their cell phones. For some reason, the small gadget not only keeps you in touch with friends and loved ones but can also be a sign of status. Oh, they have Iphones and Blackberries here too. This, of course, is hilarious to me! I don't know anyone myself who has one (unless they brought it from home), as I am surrounded by students but I have seen them on the street…usually held by someone stepping into their BMW or luxury vehicle. I, myself, have the cheapest phone available. I mean, I practically drop the thing at least once a week, so why go for something expensive with butter fingers. I do however love, love, love the fact that you do not have to have a cell phone plan. There is no 2 year contract with start up fees, wasted minutes, annoying bills to pay, or any of the unpleasant things that come along with cell phone companies back home. Here, you just pick the company (Orange, Zain, MobileCom) and buy a prepaid card. They come in denominations of 5 JD, 10 JD, 20 JD, and so on. I have stuck with the 5 JD card and been pretty happy. Only having to buy two while we have been here for 4 months, I think that is pretty darn good.

Happy Calling!

Bake em up

If you love bread and sweets, Jordan is the country for you! You can find a sweet shop and/or bakery on every corner and sometimes every other storefront in some areas. I have noticed they do have two types of storefronts. The first, the bread bakery… The aroma of fresh baked bread wafts out the door and practically pulls you in; it just smells SO good. They have all types of breads but the two most abundant is pita bread and what we (Americans) call hoagie rolls. I have to say, both do not taste the same as in the states. I don't know if they use a different recipe or that they are fresh right out of the oven. The hoagie rolls sometimes even taste sweet and the pita is so light and fluffy, I can't get enough. I have to physically reign myself in sometimes, as I could eat multiples in one sitting.

The second type of storefront is the sweets bakery. They range from the cake and cookies type to the traditional Arabic dessert fare. The cake type showcases amazing cakes topped with butter cream icing, chocolate shavings, and basically everything else yummy you can imagine. While the traditional Arabic type bakery seems to have everything either soaked in honey or stuffed or sometimes rolled in pistachios and/or both. Think baklava and all its cousin desserts at a big dessert family reunion and you will have a good idea of what I talking about. They even have this cheese dessert called kanafeh that is a mixture of cheese, pastry dough, dowsed with honey and sugar with fried crumblies and pistachios on top. People here absolutely love it! Even though I love cheese, I haven't yet acquired the taste. I guess I am a cupcake or brownie kind of girl.

No Cheaper

Today I had the most delish pita falafel sandwich after my run and you won't even guess how much it was. Just guess! A dollar, nope…Lower. 75 cents, nope…Lower. It was freakin only 30 kirsh, which is about 45 cents. Can you believe that? Warm falafel, hummus, a few tomatoes, a pickle, lettuce, and tahini all wrapped up in a warm pita. I mean, you can't even get a pack of gum for 45 cents in the states these days, never the less a full sandwich. These are the moments I will miss when we leave. I shall enjoy 8 more months of cheap sandwich bliss.

Yummo!

My new favorite snack is falafel. This round, fried, and crispy treat is both cheap and filling. Seriously, even Rob gets full after eating them… They can be eaten by themselves, dipped into hummus, or smashed into a pita sandwich; all are perfect. While we have tried many falafel stands, the one conveniently located right across the street from the school is our favorite. Not only is it a stone’s throw away but it is super cheap and great!


I had been curious to see how the little devils are made and was delighted to find they had an automatic machine! They just put the mix at the top, it packs them into small balls and rolls them right out into the hot oil for frying. It's like magic! Falafel magic!!!

Wild weather

I have to say the past two weeks of weather here in Amman have been anything but normal. I mean, I can't really complain, the high 60s and low 70s are amazing in January. But it is just plain strange.  Remember in November, we were wearing long johns, sweatshirts, and hats INSIDE because it was so cold. 

We are even getting updates from our friends and family in Florida, no less, who are bundled up in practically everything they own with a weather forecast of snow. Yes, I did say snow! I have to say I am a little jealous that I may miss the said snow but alas, we are enjoying our balmy weather. Today we even walked to the nearby park in flip-flops to leisurely read books and chat!

I am sure right after pushing "publish" on this blog, the arctic breeze will swoop down to make me eat my words, but I have to admit, a warm January is a little unnerving. Maybe this can be blamed somehow on global warming? As long as this doesn't mean we will have an even hotter summer, I am all for it.  From what I hear, the 100s are normal for Jordan.  Yikes! 
Happy Winter everyone!

Factoids

I learned two interesting factoids while in Syria.

1. Pistachios open by themselves and make a really neat snapping noise when opening. So when you buy a bag of the delicious nuts, don't get mad (as I used to do) when you find a few that haven't opened yet. Just smile and remember they were a little premature in picking them.

2. Olives, both green and black, grow on the same tree. Who knew?!? The color is determined by when they are harvested. Green olives have been harvested early and the black are green olives that have turned black and harvested later. Because of the time difference on the tree, the flavor of both are totally different and have to be processed to be become edible in two totally different ways. Whether they are soaked in a caustic soda powder or a brine of salt, both types have to be processed as neither can be eaten directly off the tree.

Going Postal

Now I know why postal people go “postal”! Today was the ultimate postal experience. We arrived knowing our package was there. Two days ago Rob went and they said it wasn't there but they lied or maybe were holding it ransom, who knows.  This time not only did we track it online but we also got “the call”. We walked in knowing the procedure, first go to the front desk, wait for him to filter through the two inch stack of customs forms to find yours, go to room 4, hand over proof you are indeed the receiver of the fabulous package, and then wait for it to be plucked out of the warehouse full of parcels. This is when everything changed. It seemed everyone and their brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and even small children where there to pick up their packages. So the line, well here in the Middle East they don’t really have lines they are more of masses of pushing people, were waiting outside of room 4 until everyone could be verified, stamped, and whatever else they needed to do to move along to room 1. Literally 30 minutes later, we were up to which they decided we needed to pay 20 times what we usually pay in customs fees. Yes, 20 times. So then Rob of course went to bat for us to get it lowered which of course they were like, nope. We then moved onto the room 1 for the usual stamp and then were told to go to the manager for his stamp. Why they can’t have one grand stamp, I don’t know. I think people just need jobs here… Then after the manager, we were told to go upstairs. Upstairs? We didn’t even know they had an upstairs! Now after another “Middle Eastern line” and 25 minutes later, we paid our customs fees. When is it that shipping and the value get added together to make a customs fee? (sigh) I guess only in Jordan. Now back downstairs to the front desk to pay another 80 kirsh and receive yet another stamp. Next back to room 4 to wait another 30 minutes to prove we received all the stamps required, paid our tab, and pick up our box. An hour and a half after arriving, we left the post office with package in hand. I think if I worked there, I would go insane. That or I would have them ultra organized with computers, online databases, and offices lined up in number order. Oh and directions in English and Arabic on how to do the process. It seemed we and 20 other people couldn’t quit grasp the ridiculousness of the postal system.

(pictures taken on prior postal visitation)

Then to add to the craziness, we walked outside to find a service taxi to take back home. The first one in the line had no driver. The second had the hood up and about 7 guys standing around peering inside, so of course we figured move on to the third. Nope, they wanted us to get inside that one and wait for them to fix whatever was wrong with that one. I mean seriously people. If this place could get any stranger…I don’t know what I would do.

Chocoholics

As a result of our recent move to a new part of town, we have been exploring our new digs on a regular basis. Around each corner, there seems to be something new and fun like a hole in the wall bar that serves great beer, a restaurant surrounded by a lovely park that has a Jazz band who plays every Tuesday night, and a charming traditional Middle Eastern café near the main circle with yummy tea.

Yesterday, we checked out a cute café named Chocoholics. As you can imagine, the menu was filled with chocolate filled yummy drinks ranging from lattes, down home hot chocolate filled mugs, coffee of all flavors, and even smoothies. Even though it was bitter cold outside, I was craving a chocolate smoothie, so I went for it. I wasn’t disappointed! Rob on the other hand had a body warming and caffeine filled Turkish coffee. We wished we could have sat outside (well at least I did), but we agreed once it gets warmer it will be a must do. I also noticed they had salads on the menu, so on my next trip, I will check them out. I still have yet to find a truly delicious lettuce and veggie filled salad. But today was about chocolate, not lettuce.

On that note, go indulge yourself!

School supplies

Sunday was Rob’s first day back to school after the Christmas break. So excited about his first day back doing exactly what he loves, he even went to stock up on his school supplies. I, on the other hand, was not so excited about waking up early for his 8am class but once we got there, it was great. The students have become like a big family each excited to see each other after the long break sharing stories and giving hugs. This semester I will probably be using my time wisely by going to the gym while Rob is in class. As the mileage piles on, the runs have become a longer wait for Rob. This past Saturday I ran 9 miles, next weekend it shall be 10 miles. Onward ho!

Apartment woes

Dude, you have got to be kidding me…this coming from my husband as a result of trying to turn OFF the hot water heater. Remember only a week ago, we were trying to keep it turned ON? Oh, the adventures in apartment living abroad. His next question was “Did we have any tape?” after trying to push the button at least 30 times with no magical result. Well…we have regular tape, I said, but nothing really stronger than that. Darn it man. Next step was to call the landlord but his phone says it has been turned off. NICE! So our plan is to wash dishes and take a shower to use all the hot water and then try to tape it off. Why does this stuff happen to us? At least now we just laugh.

Said "new" button that needs to be pushed to turn it off and on.

Our lovely hotwater heater.  The red light showing it is alas, still on...

Happy New Year!!!

As the clocked turned to midnight we sat drinking wine and reminiscing about 2009. This past year has brought us from a small town to new adventures abroad and given us the opportunity to pursue grand dreams. I look forward to 2010 with open eyes and welcome new challenges of living abroad. I know, for a fact, they will be there at every turn. We look forward to traveling to exotic places that only a few years ago we could only read about or watch on National Geographic. I am so thankful for these opportunities and relish every moment.


Bring on 2010, I am ready!