Now honestly; this is so gay and so not cool and so yuck and gross!!!

There are certain things (moves) that work only with a woman’s body … I really do not understand how people are cheering for this dude; watch for yourself, that is if you can go on till the end of the clip :S

What do you think of that, ha?

Yesterday; I attended a wedding party for one of my best friends; another experience in weddings in Jordan and witnessing the same old things happen. Don’t get me wrong; I had a wonderful time and the bride was absolutely stunning and her groom was so happy and literally flying and their happiness reflected on everyone else

1000 mabrook Rasha

Now back to the main topic of this post, I guess you can tell from the subject line what I want to talk about. The wedding was segregated by gender which means women had a party and men had a totally different party.

For the record; I am against these kinds of parties because chaos conquers in them. I believe that it is tidier and classier for the whole family to be seated on the table rather than the man sitting in a room and the woman and kids in a different one, because men do not and will not take the kids with them; they are too much trouble and too much to handle. When the whole family is in the same place; it is more likely for them to stay put and for the kids to be less chaotic and I have seen this so many times.

Some argue that they segregate weddings from a cultural and religious point of view, because girls/women want to be free to take off the veils and show off their not so conservative dresses and they cannot do that in a mixed party. Those who do it from a cultural point of view do it because they do not appreciate other men seeing their wives/daughters/sisters/mothers, they just remove the headache by segregating the party and herding men in a room where they can see them

Those who do it from a religious point of view rightfully believe that their wives/daughters/sisters/mothers must not appear in party clothes and veil-less in front of strange men and I cannot/will not argue that. Again; they put men away in a room and serve them some of the wedding goodies without participating in the party.

Also; in segregated parties; the bride and groom do not get to stay together for the whole party, in the middle of the party; the groom is snatched away from his bride and goes to the men’s party while the bride celebrates with the women; what is the fun in that??

At the end of the party; the groom comes back again and they have half an hour with the families for the photo shoot and then off they go to their house or the hotel and with that the wedding party comes to an end!!

What I was wondering about since yesterday; what is the point of having parties of this kind when the bride and groom cannot be together? How is this a wedding and not bachelorette + bachelor parties? Why do girls like wearing not so conservative clothes to weddings? Why not wear something nice and conservative at the same time?

Another question comes to mind; how do men rest assured that their wives/daughters/sisters/mothers are safe from spying eyes when almost every single person in the room has a mobile phone with a fancy camera that takes nice clear photos? Do they depend on people’s integrity not to share photos with others, or not to take photos in the first place?

I will leave you with the thought that when you hear that there are security guards at weddings confiscating mobile phones and digital cams from guests; don’t be so surprised!!

Hala 3ammi

Do you think these were done by men or women???

I thought so

I followed a very interesting debate yesterday on Qwaider’s blog. Qwaider is convinced that Petra is a great and magnificent place and is actually a world wonder, yet; he is advocating that we as Jordanians must not be dragged to hysterical voting for Petra just like we did for Diana Karazon when she was competing for the Super Star title.

On the other hand, Hamzeh N debated this theory by explaining that voting for Petra is actually a national duty because it creates an opportunity for Petra and Jordan to be recognized by the World.

As much as I wanted to get into the debate to support Hamzeh’s argument; I knew better not to because me and Qwaider have a history in debates that go no where and I know that he is stubborn and will not agree on my view no matter how hard I tried so I decided to post about it on my blog as that’s safer … no hard feelings Q

Let’s look at the whole thing from a different angle; what exactly is the history of naming 7 places as the World Wonders?

According to Wikipedia;

The earliest extant version of the list was compiled by Antipater of Sidon, who listed the structures in a poem around 140 BC:
“I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, ‘Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand.’” (Antipater, Greek Anthology IX.58)

There were some earlier lists but they did not survive.

Why were there only seven wonders you ask?
Well, there is no specific reason, although the number “seven” appears in many aspects of mythology and religion. People always talk about the seven gates of heaven, the seven days of the week, and the seven seas. It appears this number is somehow embedded in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tradition and history.

The reason I am writing about this is that the first, second, …, and maybe 100th lists of the 7 wonders of the world were created by people; architects or historians; they were still people. The new list that is being created now is also done by people, but the only difference is that instead of one or two people deciding which places should make the list; the opportunity is opened for every single person in this world to participate in the process, so why would we stand by and leave it for others to decide for us while our Petra deserves to be there on the list?

Whether you build your choice on national or patriotic duties, or on the fact that you have visited one of these places and believe that it should be on the list, it is really irrelevant. What matters here is that we all have the chance to participate in marking 7 places in the world on the map and declare them as destinations for tourists. The Greek category was not “Wonders” but “theamata”— closer to “must-sees”.

Now, only 7 places will be named wonders or “must-sees”. This does not mean that the rest of candidates will be ditched from the wonder or “must-see” catergory; it just means that the 7 winners will get more exposure and attention; in other words; better opportunities.

Qwaider has set an example in the American Idol or SuperStar competitions, and he named Diana Karazon, the first Arab SuperStar, or as he called it, the Karazonism phenomenon. No one denies that Diana has a great voice, in fact; she has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard and that made her the most eligible to win the competition and not only because we as Jordanians have drowned in the voting craze to prove that we are better. I am sure that she got a large number of votes from non-Jordanians as well as Jordanians.

Now, let me continue with this example; what did it mean for Diana to win the competition? Not only that she won the title, but also; she was given the opportunity to record the first album with songs done by the greatest writers and musicians; now how did this hurt her exactly? Despite that there were other beautiful voices in the competition, ones that actually deserved the title as well as Diana, but she was the one who was given the golden opportunity.

Although I believe that this example is not qualified to be brought in a debate about Petra, but I went along with it because it was already used.

Back to Petra; millions of people around the world know nothing about Jordan, and if and when they do, it will not be about what a wonderful great country it is, but that it is in the danger zone called Middle East. Now, what would happen if Petra won as one of the wonders? Come on; close your eyes and let’s imagine the ceremony, the publicity, the news, the advertising campaigns, the blogs and websites that will talk about this event. Now tell me, how is this going to be bad for the ordinary Jordanian like you and me? How will that harm us as everyday citizens and reflect negatively on us?

I will tell you what happens; those who did not know that Jordan exists will do, those who knew that Jordan is in the Middle East will understand better that we are actually a beautiful country with nice places to visit and see, whenever someone is reading and studying about the new 7 wonders of the world, the name Jordan will be there; this is what we call viral marketing, and we do not have to pay anything to gain such publicity.

We keep urging people to use their right to vote. During the parliament elections; all candidates pay tons of money on advertising and publicity campaigns and when they are actually elected and are comfortably seated on the chair they so craved; what happens to or reflects on the ordinary people who voted for them? … you go it; NOTHING!!!

In Petra’s case; declaring this magnificent national treasure as one of the 7 wonders of the world will reflect on the whole country; image and economy wise. So do I see voting for Petra a patriotic duty; you bet!!

When I first learned about this competition, I posted about it on my blog. In fact; this is the fourth time I post about the issue and I was waiting impatiently for the concerned parties to take action and advertise this to the people and urge them to vote. Now that it happened; I am all for it and I urge everyone to vote for Petra and it does make a difference.

So go on everyone; vote Jordan by voting for Petra!!

Yesterday was my dad’s 63rd birthday

My sister and I went to get him the cake and I was really surprised to see that Plaza Stores (Ahliyeh Abella) has such variety, and they are good too.

We had a nice gathering, we sang and celebrated. The youngsters had all the fun; they danced a lot, ate a lot and messed the house

Now for some photos …

Happy Birthday Daddy

I guess that you can tell that there is something wrong with this line before you go any further. What does this line remind you of? You got it right; wedding vows, however; have you ever heard the term betray line up next to love and honor? How does betrayal become a part of a vow that is supposedly a lifetime commitment between two people?

Before you start thinking that I am out of my mind, let me assure you that I am ok and you are ok as well, because this is a title of a book I was reading for the last couple of weeks for my book club. Basically; the book tells stories of 26 anonymous women, married women who have been, are into and think of having an affair.

This is an every day story and is as old as the human race. Ever since the marriage institution was created, infidelity was and still is one of the side effects that some marriages suffer from. Some of the women had terrible lives with their husbands and that’s according to their own words; I still feel that it is not fair to judge by hearing one side of the story, because this book never mentions the men’s side of the story. How would we know that these women are not just making up excuses to justify their actions?

I felt that the most honest ones were those who admitted that there was nothing wrong with their lives; they just wanted more and instead of seeking that from their husbands, they chose to go to another man and look for what they are lacking in their marriages. In almost all the stories, it was the emotional satisfaction, and in most cases, they stayed with the husband because of the kids and/or financial stability … honestly; I found that very selfish because if you are not happy with your husband, you should not stay in a marriage and make him and yourself miserable, and if you are staying because of your kids, then you would not think of hurting them by risking their well being and family balance and having an affair.

Anyway; this is not why I was inspired to write about this topic; it is actually the theory that we discussed as a part of the debate. It goes as follows: The late historian Lawrence Stone says that the median duration of marriage is the same today as it was 100 years ago, when mortality rates were much higher. Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University, says: “The news is not that humans are adulterous, the news is that we pair up at all. I find it remarkable that we are not more adulterous.”

So, what the theory is suggesting is that monogamy might be an unnatural state, or at best a state that is difficult to maintain, and we were asked a question if we concluded that marriages are never meant to last as long as we expect them to today?

Now, isn’t that a scary thought?

I thought that this theory was missing out on the most important factor which is the people involved in the monogamous relationship. It takes at lease one couple to prove that it is possible to maintain such a relationship but through commitment, dedication and a lot of hard work because a marriage does not sustain itself by existing; in fact; it is only the beginning of the long way that two people committed to work together.

As we were discussing that monogamy is actually natural and possible; another idea popped up and that is that humans are not naturally monogamous and not programmed to be with one partner for life. Then polygamy joined the party and we starting discussing; how can monogamy be natural if polygamy is? I mean; polygamy is based on one human (man) maintaining relationships with multiple lifetime partners (women) … so which system is natural and which is not? And how can we say that both are when they totally work against one another?

Frankly; this is confusing … on one hand; if we say that monogamy is unnatural, how can we expect to live with one person for life? In fact; how can we say that marriage is a successful institution to begin with if it is based on something that is not normal and unrealistic? If we go ahead and get married with this conviction in mind, does this make infidelity expected and comes with the marriage package? Does this mean that we should not be angry and hurt if our spouses acted on their urges and had affairs or maybe lived another life?

On the other hand; if we say that monogamy is actually normal and that is the solid base on which you build a strong marriage; then how do we explain polygamy?

Interesting, ha?

- It takes you 20 minutes to get out of bed in the morning
- You toss and turn for at least an hour before you fall asleep
- You don’t feel like applying makeup
- You don’t care that your hair is a mess
- You go through the 300 names in your phonebook yet you cannot think of one single person to call for a light heart to heart
- Nightmares are haunting you and never get a good night sleep
- Your friends don’t call back when you left them missed calls and messages
- You get the feeling that a dear friend is lying to you and you can’t shake it
- Going out with friends is a big burden
- You feel you need to talk yet you can’t
- You need to cry but your pride gets in the way
- You need God but you don’t turn to Him
- Loneliness is your true best friend that you keep turning back to
- You don’t remember that last time you laughed from your heart
- Receiving a gifts not as exciting as it used to be
- Falling in love is one chance in a million
- Your birthday is something you want to keep to yourself
- You miss an old flame
- You regret something …
- Hope is not a part of your vocabulary any more
- Nothing ever satisfies you
- Emptiness is what you feel inside
- You feel older than everyone in your circle
- It is not that much fun to go to the movies
- Shopping is not therapeutic any more
- You feel that it is all for nothing
- Indifference rules
- Mr. / Ms. “Right for me” does not exist
- You have to compromise or give up your dreams
- Sunday = Monday = Tuesday = Wednesday = Thursday = Friday = Saturday
- January = February = March = April = May = June = July = August = September = October = November = December
- 2005 = 2006 = 2007 = 2008 = …….. = 2050
- All of the above points are numbered (1)

I have received an email this morning from a friend of mine requesting help for a fellow human with a real tragic story. I believe in my heart that we can do something to help by extending a hand and spreading the word, so please read on …

Dear friends,

I’m writing you in regards to the email below from Father Kevin, the
priest of the English-Language Parish in Amman. One of the things that
I value in this church is its call to social action and part of that
is helping those who do not have any other means of support. In
regards to the situation outlined below, Father Kevin has gone to a
number of organisations but as he has found, while there are funds to
help Iraqis, Palestinians and others of Arab descent, this isn’t the
case when it comes to situations where Filipinos, Sri Lankans or
Sudanese get into a bind.

I know that we all have our own call to service where we expend our
resources (time and/or money), but if you are moved to help this one
individual with a donation of JD5-JD10, I believe that in numbers, we
can help this woman.

Feel free to contact Father Kevin directly or to reply to this message.

All my best,

This email was sent to my friend:

As I mentioned to you on the phone, I have been approached by the
actiing Labor Attache at the Philippine Embassy for assitance
concerning a Filipina, Maria Paz Facturan, who had been hospitalized
at the Italian Hospital for the past 3 weeks, since 23 December 2006.
Maria is 35 years old & has been in Jordan for more than 6 years, but
without a permanent job, & her income supports her son.

She went to the Italian Hospital complaining of severe stomach
pains (either from an ulcer or cancer), & the hospital staff judged
that her situation was severe enough to warrant immediate surgery,
which was performed the same day. I have spoken to Maria on the phone.
She is ready to be discharged, but she cannot be released from the
hospital until her outstanding bills are covered, or at least until
payment is reliably guaranteed. The acting labor attache told me that
Maria’s estimated total bill is between $2,500 & $3,500. I believe the
hospital has given her some reduction (probably from the fund
established by the Comboni Sisters to aid needy patients), but I was
told that she needs at least JD1,400 to cover the balance of her bill.
Each day that she remains hospitalize, her bills increase. I plan to
contact the hospital administrator as soon as possible after the
weekend to get an official statement of Maria’s situation & the amount
of her unpaid bill.

The labor attache told me that Maria had requested help from the
Philippine Embassy and from the Philippine Overseas Labor Organization
(POLO), but these entities do not have resources to help her,
especially since they are significantly over budget for the
maintenance of some 174 wards in the hostel that is maintained for
distressed Filipinas by the Philippine Embassy & the Philippine
Government’s Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA).

I currently celebrate Mass weekly for residents at the OWWA
hostel, & I am acutely aware of the difficult circumstances under
which the residents are housed there, pending resolution of their
various cases or problems. In fact, during the past few months, I have
raised a total of JD 1,600 to purchase 61 mattresses (for residents
who had been sleeping on cardboard on bare floors, due to lack of
beds) & 120 blankets, as well as a further JD 731.350 to supplement a
major year-end shortfall in the hostel’s 2006 food budget (which had
been projected for only around 75 residents during 2006, rather than
the current 174 residents).

At present, the English-Language Parish has only about JD100
available to help with Maria’s medical crisis, & the acting Labor
Attache personally pledged a further JD 35 from his next salary
payment. I am intending to take special collections to help with
Maria’s medical expenses at all the parish Masses this weekend; the
collection at Friday noon’s Mass at Jabal Al-Weibdeh brought in JD
124.645 (for a total of about JD 260 so far). I hope to raise a
further JD 350 to JD 500 at the Saturday evening & 2 Sunday Masses
this weekend.

Given these factors, especially the importance of getting Maria
released very soon (so that the hospital bill will not continue to
grow), I am writing to ask for your advice & assistance in meeting
this new crisis. I will be most grateful for any guidance or
assistance you may be able to provide.

Cordially,
Fr Kevin
========================
Kevin G. O’Connell, S.J.
The Jesuit Center, Amman, Jordan
– Office Phone: +962 (6) 461-4190
– Cell Phone: +962 (79) 556-5062
– Fax: +962 (6) 461-1315
E-Mail: kgoc@jesuits.jo or oconnksj@bc.edu
Parish URL: www.wfu.edu/~horton/amman

Please feel free to make a direct contact with Father Kevin and spread the word to your friends!!

I found this to be very funny and hope you will do too

For more crazy stuff, visit JIBJAB