Ever since I became a student in the university, we7dat was a daily station on the way to and from where I lived. Sometimes when I had to stay late for a lab or an exam or even a late lecture, I used to wait for the bus to complete its very long route and come back; by the time the bus sets off again to We7dat, it would be at least 6 or 7 in the evening.

The bus route was as follows: it sets off from the main gate of University of Jordan in the direction of Sports City. Once we reach the Sports City Roundabout, the bus takes the right road and goes all the way to King Abdullah Gardens where it takes the right road again all the way to 5th circle and down to Abdoun Valley. From the traffic light, it takes the left and goes all the way down to Ras Al Ein. From the tobacco company it goes all the way down to Amman Municipality where it heads right again to pass all Ras Al Ein. Facing another traffic light at the end of the road, the bus heads left again and goes up to We7dat; then it turns right again and takes Madaba Street till it reaches the final station at Al Sharq Al Awsat.

I used to take this very long route because it was the only one available at the time, and when we reach the Sahab bus station on Madaba Street; I used to step down just a few meters away from the last station.

Since the bus station was not on the main road, we had to pass through a very narrow dark alley to reach it. Most of the time we used to pass young boys just larking in the dark and smoking cigarettes and we could feel their eyes set on us; that’s why we always traveled in groups; never alone.

There was a body building club next to the bus station and all the guys there looked creepy especially for teenagers and young girls like us. The trip from the university to the bus station used to last for at least one and a half hours because of all the stops that it makes along the way, so by the time we reached the station, we were exhausted and late for the parents who are waiting impatiently for us to arrive.

Now that I have a car, I do not take that route ever, not only because it is a long one, but because the traffic is crazy and people are ruthless.

Last night; me and my sister decided that we wanted to buy some Kunafah, so we took that route to pass by 7abibah that is located on Madaba street. Since it is a no parking area there, one of us must stay in the car and that would be me because I am the driver, and one goes to the cashier and buys the stuff as fast as possible.

There were many boys and men going round and around; my sister was so afraid to step out of the car because they were looking at us in a very strange scary way. As she got out of the car, a 10 year old kid jumped in front of her and started begging for money, but she ran off into the store and of course he could not follow her or they would have kicked him out.

You might think; what harm can a 10 year old kid do? Believe me; he was very scary and I did not like the look in his eyes; hungry, demanding, fearless and ruthless.

When my sister ran in the store, he came to my window and started begging me for money; when I refused to oblige, he started banging my window with all the strength he had in him. I tried to ignore it because I did not want to create a scene because he most probably belongs to a gang that is around. He kept banging and I kept ignoring and moving the car forward hoping that he would get fed up and leave me alone, but no, that is not on the agenda.

Luckily; by the time I was ready to call for the policeman standing a few meters away; my sister came to the car and I was almost certain that one of these guys will snatch her purse but thank God for that policeman. The poor girl was so scared and said that she felt that someone would kidnap her from the looks in their eyes.

It makes me really sad when I see such things in our country, and I would never walk alone in these areas because they are really scary. I wonder what happened during these last 10 years and why people have changed so much. People were poor then and are poor now so it is not poverty in my opinion. Somewhere along the way, people have lost their touch with integrity and real Arab mentality, cheap video clips and the clothes that are becoming smaller are a major factor in the depravity and hunger that people are suffering from. I have been thinking since last night about this and am wondering if there is something we can do … any suggestions?

One of the most common or even most popular topics that Jordanian bloggers share interest in, is Abu Mahjoob and the brilliant Hajjaj who invented this public figure.

From time to time; I like to post some of my favorite caricatures and share them with everyone, so here we go

The funny thing is that these applied before, still apply now and my guess is that they will still apply in the future … if that is not brilliant, I don’t know what is

Usually; I do not post forwarded emails but this one was too good to keep in my inbox and I found myself obliged to share it, so here you go

Think about these one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one…

IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, especially the thought at the end.

NATURAL HIGHS

1. Being in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No queues at the supermarket.

5. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

6. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

7. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

8. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

9. Chocolate milkshake … (or vanilla … or strawberry!)

10. A bubble bath.

11. Giggling.

12. A good conversation.

13. Finding a JD 20 note in your coat from last winter.

14. Running through sprinklers.

15. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

16. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful.

17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

18. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

19. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

20. Having someone play with your hair.

21. Sweet dreams.

22. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

23. Holding hands with someone you care about.

24. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

25. Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much-desired present from you.

26. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

27. Knowing that somebody misses you.

28. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.

29. Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Thank you all for being my friends

Tagging frenzy is back people and this time there is no kidding about it; I am supposed to reveal five things that people do not know about me. I have to admit that this is a bit scary because it put me at a confrontation with my own self; what do I want to reveal and what are the things that I want to keep to myself.

A little while ago; I was tagged to reveal the contents of my purse and I did. However; a fellow blogger, Ghaith to be exact has posted a very logical argument that one should be a bit cautious when revealing personal facts. I find myself inclined towards agreeing with him.

Thinking about revealing hidden information about yourself online; how would that affect you later? Will your future boss check your blog to study your personality before hiring you? Will your future husband go through your posts and analyze your history? Will some people use things they learn from your posts against you? How would you know that this will not backfire one day?

We all have hidden parts of our personalities; a side that no one else sees or even knows about. More often than not, we would like to keep this part safely hidden deep within. Maybe some things are better left unsaid because they might do more harm than good.

Going back to the tag; since I was tagged by my dear friend Kinzi; I really have no choice but to be inspired by her courage and reveal some of the facts that are not known about me. So here we go;

1- I am a messy person and tidying up is not one of my main virtues. In fact; I feel most uncomfortable in tidy environments and I would be on edge fear to mess things up for my hosts. If you visit me at work; you will figure out where I sit by locating the messiest desk and that would be mine. I have to say that I am thankful to God that He has blessed me with a good memory that allows me to remember where I placed things and that’s how I do not miss or lose stuff in my messy spaces.

2- I was very rebellious growing up; this caused me many confrontations and almost continuous fights with my mother. I was never the type of girl to go by the book and I always objected to direct orders given to me by anyone. My relationship with my mother got better only after I lived abroad and away from her for a couple of years. I guess she has accepted my independence and I have accepted her authority and maybe missed it when I was on my own. Bottom line is that things are great now and we share a great relationship.

3- When I first got into university; it was a huge disappointment to me. I come from a far town where everything is forbidden, fear and shame cultures are the main characteristics in the community where I lived. Moving from such a closed environment to an open one in the university was a major culture shock for me literally and it took me a lot of time to adjust and cope. The disappointment was originally formed because I felt that I was deceived all my life and that there was a whole different world out there that I was never exposed to; because of this deprivation, my launch in life was delayed.

4- I was proposed to many times when I was a teenager and university student. The number of proposals that I did not know about is a lot more than the number that I do know about. Apparently; my parents felt that I had potential and that I could develop myself into an independent professional and they were convinced that getting married at a young age will hinder my ambitions that had no limit. I am grateful that they have given me the trust, opportunity and space to search within myself and build it into the person I am today.

5- When it comes to my dream life partner; I wish to end up with a guy that has the good qualities of an Arab and the broad mind that will help him understand my individuality while appreciating our differences and working on our bond by focusing on our strengths complementing each other rather than spending the time and effort to prove who is the boss around here.

I hope that these pieces of information would shed more light on my inner person and at the same time were good choices to share with all my readers

I tag all those who like to reveal their evil twins to us