When I first heard the word blog, I was completely ignorant and clueless about its meaning … I did not know what to think or how to have a blog … but when I started reading more about it and discovered how easy and quick it is to create and maintain a blog … I was there in no time and here I am two years later, proud of this space and loving it as the first day I started it …

It is true that starting a blog is not that hard, but the maintenance needs a passion for writing and some spare time on your hands to keep in touch with your friends and readers … I admit that I have been under-performing lately … I just don’t know how time flies … I start my day in the morning and one thing after the other … poof … it is time to go home … how crazy is that??

I have enjoyed my two years of blogging and the most important advantage … besides speaking my mind of course … is meeting all those great people that I miss dearly and haven’t seen in a long time … I am glad that November is coming to an end because it was a crazy month by all means … so many things have happened and now it is time to cool down with December and its Eid, Christmas and holidays …

To all my friends and readers … I love you very very very much and I miss you all

Thank you for keeping up with me

Listen to the this short clip and watch carefully …

Now please take the poll and send your feedback …

In a world where women are labeled as bad drivers and ignorant about cars and their mechanics; I came across a piece of information that shows that we are not that far off the road. Women actually have a very interesting history with cars as an invention and they participated successfully to making this invention a better more convenient one.

It goes like this:

In 1903, Mary Anderson invented the windshield wipers.
Cleaning Up With Automobile Patents

In an era when women were not even acknowledged in some countries as “persons” and still didn’t have the vote, they managed to get their foot in the door of what is now considered a male domain - that of the automobile.

Way back in 1903, Mary Anderson invented windshield wipers, before Henry Ford ever put a Model T on the road. That’s because Mary had been on a streetcar in New York, and noticed how the driver had to lean out to clean the windows when it was raining. So she created a lever-operated arm that would scrape back and forth across the glass on the outside, while the operator remained dry inside the car. It was a success, and by 1916, all cars would be using the new fangled things to sweep aside the showers. The first automatic windshield wipers were the brainchild of Charlotte Bridgewood, president of her own manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the roller-based gear was not a success but it opened the door for other inventors.

Women took the automobile industry for quite a ride, including Helen Blair Bartlett, a geologist who invented new insulations for spark plugs. Marion Donovan, better known for inventing plastic baby pants to cover cloth diapers, was the first one to install a gimbaled boat ring in her car to hold cups.

And they were just the Jill-Come-Latelys. Because in 1871, Augusta M. Rodgers received a patent for a car heater. [Source]

Now isn’t that refreshing? Can you imagine your car without windshield wipers? or without a heater for that matter? I would confidently say that these were two great additions to an already wonderful creation of human creativity and innovation …

However; this brings something to mind; why don’t we see such great inventions these days? or are we now so used to technology that we don’t notice anymore? Are we lost among all those microchips, computers, software, car brands and blenders that a new comer does not make a bang as its ancestors used to? OR are we just out of good ideas?

What do you think?

This is one of the things that keep happening to us over the time and during all work experiences. It happens that when you start dealing with someone on daily basis, you become friends and maybe even best friends without you even noticing. You start going out together for movies or just to hang out, and then you start confiding in each other pouring your heart concerns and you talk about your personal issues with them, you ask them for advice and you give them some in return, you talk and you listen and all of a sudden you are friends who work together and not coworkers who became friends.

The question is however; is this wise?

When emotions get in the way of a professional relationship, the outcome can never be predicted and the reason is that emotions trigger reactions we can never expect and this might hurt both the business and personal relationships you share. If your conflict comes from business related matters, you might not forgive your friend for not favoring you and cutting you some slack and if the conflict is personal, you will start picking on each other at work which will affect both your works and might affect the atmosphere you share at the workplace altogether.

I am not saying that coworkers can never become friends but there is a missing ingredient in such a relationship and that ingredient is moderation and balance. If you know how to be moderate and balanced in the way you feel towards your friend and you know how to separate your professional life from your private life, you might actually get a shot at this. The other important ingredient is for your friend to understand this and be able to do the same, because this is a two way street and as they say; it takes two to make it or break it and you can never work a relationship on his own; a relationship no matter what type, needs a lot of work from all parties involved to maintain and grow it.

In my experience working in different companies and with a wide variety of people, friendship and business do not mix without consequences, and that is why they call it: conflict of interest. In our human nature, we are more likely to practice nepotism and without even noticing that we are doing so. We tend to make us excuses to our friends even if we know that they do not deserve that and sometimes, we might forgive them for mistakes that if done by someone else, they would never get the same feedback or treatment, and the problem is that the more special treatment you show, the more they will demand out of you which eventually leads to a disaster, because then the mistake gets magnified tens of times and the way back is too steep and difficult to walk.

I found out that being friends in the same workplace makes disappointments hurt much worse and reactions become emotional and uncalculated, so the chances are higher that you will end up losing this friend and maybe even consider quitting your job because you cannot handle dealing with this person on daily basis and not being able to talk to them like you used to do. I also found out that if you leave your job at one point, your relationship with your friends become stronger because you do not have to worry about the conflict of interest any more and your friend is just your friend which gives you more freedom to talk and most importantly, your work is not a talking material any more and it is not getting in the way of growing this friendship or nurturing it.

My advice to all of you out there; be careful of this dangerous mixture because the consequences are severe and if you have any doubt in your mind that you both cannot be objective enough to work through this relationship, chances are you are right and you should keep things in a clear perspective so that not to regret later. Life can surprise us and sometimes shock us with things that come from those who are closer to us the most and that’s when it hurts bad and might change your views about friends for good.

So, can coworkers be friends?

I say: probably but not likely!

I think that after seeing this clip, I have a better appreciation to our streets in Amman and more importantly; to the traffic lights, roundabouts, tunnels and bridges. So, next time there are ugly detours while something of the above-mentioned is being constructed; I will be more tolerant and complain less … way less

I have no idea where this mad intersection is located and I believe that I never want to know

Oh chair oh chair on the floor, who is the greatest of them all?

Oh my dear chair, I have been dreaming of you all my life, obsessing about how I could and when I would reach you … sitting on you was the ultimate goal and I thrive and live for keeping my buttocks attached to you … oh chair oh chair, you are my only friend and ally and without you, well; I guess that I will lose all my friends.

My story with you goes way back to the days when I started dreaming of being wealthy and powerful, I realized that you are my only way to glory and that without you I can never buy the big house in the rich suburbs, I would never be able to ride a half a million dollars car, I would never be able to spend my vacations in the Riviera traveling first class.

How can I eat caviar without you? I do not care that its taste sucks as long as I can afford it while 99% of the populace cannot dream of it.
How can I be immune? How can I get away with almost everything I do? I figured it out a long time ago that the only way is by sitting on you and staying there for the longest time.

I understand that in order to reach you, I have to poison all the Snow Whites that I meet along the journey to you, and I fully understand that I need to kill my conscience in the process; it was never useful any way because it kept pushing me backwards. I know that I need to be flexible when it comes to the rules and laws; they are meant to be broken after all but only by me or someone like me although I doubt they exist!!
I understand that I need to be selfish and care only for myself; I cannot carry someone else on my back and I have to be always in the lead because there is only one person who can sit on you because I know that you were made for one person … just like Twix … it is for one, not for two

I promise you that I will fight anyone who tries to approach me; I will throw them out before they reach my playground. I will only keep weak individuals around me to make sure that they will always follow me and not even once would they think of taking my place on you. I commit to always divide and conquer or is it: divide to conquer? To tell you the truth, it really does not matter because it leads to the same result … I will conquer! Keep them apart and they will follow you and compete to gain your trust and preference; give them a chance to cooperate and collaborate; they will team against you and betray you, so I will keep this as my constitution.

To keep them loyal and in my service; I will throw them my cake crumbles … I will also make sure that they are convinced that to keep getting the crumbles they have to keep me happy and make sure I get more cakes because this is the only way they will get their share.

I will build an empire and keep you in the family; only those who carry my last name are entitled to sit on you but only after I am gone!

Oh chair oh chair … without you I am nothing … you make me who I am and I would do anything to stay comfortably seated on you …

Oh chair oh chair on the floor … I am the greatest of them all

This was a praise by someone who enslaved himself to the chair and forgot that it is the person who gives value to the position (chair) and not the other way around … May Allah have mercy on their souls and have mercy on our society because we have so many of those that it is starting to suffocate all the free souls who would never be slaves to anyone or anything!

Today I am bringing to you an announcement of an event that is being organized as we speak. Events UnLimited is a Jordanian-based event planning and management company that adds value to the events industry in Jordan and the Middle East by carefully identifying and producing events that foster better business partnerships.

This company is now organizing The 2007 Wedding Show that will take place in April. As I read their press release, I was eager to tell everyone about it because I believe that the program that they have arranged is professional and I predict that it will be a great success. I quote below their press release; please read more …

Information Sessions by Family Flavours at the Wedding Show Enrich the Content of the Event

Amman, 5 March 2007. The Organisers of the 2nd Wedding Show that will take place from 12 to 14 April 2007 at Zara Expo, Events UnLimited, have added a new educational dimension to the event this year enriching its programme by offering visitors the opportunity to sit in on several important information sessions that address topics ranging from health, beauty, fitness, relationships, interior decoration to cooking.

“We are pleased that Family Flavours magazines has teamed up with Events UnLimited to enrich the programme of the Wedding Show with several important information sessions delivered by expert speakers”, said Samar Shawareb Ashqar, Managing Director of Events UnLimited. “The information sessions address several key aspects of planning for that special day and the first two years of marriage”, said Mrs Christine Mougin, Family Flavours Publisher and Managing Director. “We are delighted that many of our expert contributors will share with the public, at The Wedding Show, valuable information for a healthy and happy life”, added Mougin.

On the first day of the show three sessions will take place between 5:30 and 9 p.m. Ms. Amal Nasser, a leading nutrition and diet consultant, will explore ways of staying healthy through proper nutrition. Ms. Rita Qub’ain, a beauty therapist, will show both men and women how to look radiant on their special day and have a glowing complexion. While, Noor Biltaji and Najwan Al Khatib will discuss interior design and decoration trends offering listeners a lot of inspiration to decorate their love nest.

On the second day of the show, three speakers will explore fitness, relationship and beauty topics. Mrs. Samira Dajani will shed light on staying fit offering attendees 37 years of enduring advice through exercise, yoga and Lamaze.

Dr. Hala Dabbagh Shekem, a counselling psychologist, will offer couples and newly weds advice on how to prepare and cope with the first two years of marriage, while Dr. Larissa Al-Uar will talk about teeth whitening and dental hygiene to insure a perfect smile on the big day.

On the Third Day Ms. Hevin Kurdi, a child development specialist, will offer a new perspective to weddings with her presentation on “How to Entertain Children at Your Wedding”,
Lastly, Mrs. Alma Lou Annab will speak to attendees about “How to Cook Together” and share recipes with men and women, tips and trends that encourage closer collaborative work in the kitchen.

The 3-day event is the ultimate event for the brides & grooms-to-be. Set in a sophisticated atmosphere, the Wedding Show will feature a wide range of products & services; elegant fashion and jewellery shows; wedding cake competition; live music & entertainment; table setting competition; floral arrangements, zaffet and dance shows, in addition to, a Family Flavours’ information sessions.
END

• For further information kindly contact Events Unlimited on + 962 6 5656550 or e-mail: info@eventsunlimited.com.jo. Further information is available on www.eventsunlimited.com.jo.

Does this company have the worse customer service you can ever think of or what? Having said that; I am really wondering what the heck has changed since 5 or 10 years? They merged the companies together and they changed the logo to this?

So what good does this do me as a customer? How does this reflect on the service? And what’s in it for me after all?

They are harvesting monthly memberships for the following service:

- More delays in getting the service actually working, so you go and pay the registration fees but this does not necessarily mean that you will get your service as fast as you are required to pay because that would be wishful thinking on your part, so be careful and manage your own expectations when you apply to a new service as the company is not responsible for your disappointment or your wasted time. My sister paid for the ADSL Service in Jan 23rd and got the service on Feb 28th. :O

- Worse customer service … you call the numbers they assigned for you dear customer but it would be really nice if someone actually answered the call. When you dial the number, you get a machine to give you instructions directing the call. Sometimes they keep you on the line for 5 or more minutes because all employees are so busy answering other queries, but most of the time, you get a machine that tell you: “Dear customer, so as not to keep you waiting for long, call again later”, then the line gets disconnected!!
The ironic thing is that they say that these calls are supposedly recorded for quality assurance, what quality exactly and who the heck listens to these calls and are there any real actions taken to solve the problems? :S

- When your call finally gets answered (t), you get a bored employee who is eager to end the call regardless of your dissatisfaction, and the funny thing is that this particular call center does not have the option to transfer the call to someone who can actually discuss your problem and maybe give you some useful information, they tell you that you have to call back only to get the “Dear customer, so as not to keep you waiting for long, call again later” (N)

- It seems that the time goes backwards here, because it used to take them two hours to connect your service again after disconnection due to payment issues, but guess what, it takes 24 hours now that extend to 48 depending on how lucky you are. Also, it seems that they don’t have a network because when you pay on 9 A.M. it will appear in the system at 12 P.M. … now that’s what I call improvement!!

- Forget about the 24 service slogan they have because it is a myth. There are no payment centers after 6, but you can still pay online, however; if you do not have a credit card, or you do not use your credit card online or if you don’t have internet connection to log in and process the payment, well … that’s just beside the point! :O

They wonder why we are eager to see another telecom company in Jordan but all they have to do is look inside their organization to realize that in the modern world, people have choice and thank God we in Jordan will shortly do have that choice, because having some companies compete to serve the consumer magically turns the service around in each and every one of them.

This whole thing made me think of Etisalat; the Emiratis telecom company. Although it was a monopoly and controlled all telecommunications in the country, but they measured up to customers’ satisfaction, they had payment machines just like ATM’s spread all over the country where you can go and pay your invoice and guess what, the reconnecting process is automatic, no need for employees to send emails and do this in 24 – 48 hours like JT, yeah, that’s what JT customer service told me!! :O

Now to something related; I thought that the following movie is so hilarious and so sadly related to what I am talking about here and in an ironic way

Enjoy!!

:D

I came across a very interesting test that tells you which character of a superhero you are … and I thought: hmmm; let me see which superhero profile fits me and this was my answer; I am a Green Lantern

But wait a minute; I don’t know what a green lantern can do so I went to Wikipedia and it turned out that this is a historical character that was created back in 1940 … interested? Take a look!

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 90% The Flash 75% Spider-Man 65% Wonder Woman 65% Superman 65% Robin 60% Iron Man 50% Hulk 50% Supergirl 45% Catwoman 25% Batman 20%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

But guys, look at the percentages … I am 75% The Flash, 65% Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Superman … how about that?

Relax … I am not going to jump off Le Royale and sing “I believe I can fly” … Sigh … I realize that I am only human

Take the test for the sake of some fun!!

Happy International Women’s Day …

It is really nice that we have an international day to celebrate womanhood and all the women around the world. The question is though; how do we do that?

Do we send cards to the women we know and call it a day?
Do we brush it off as one of these meaningless internationals days?
Do we do nothing?
Do we celebrate the women in our lives?
Do we go out ourselves and party in celebration of our womanhood?

To me, this day is a symbol of a wonderful creature; a woman who can be a wife, mother, sister, daughter or friend … God gave us uniqueness in the way we look, the way we feel, the way we fight, the way we think, the way we laugh, the way we live … yet; we are still figuring out our way through all these things and through life itself.

We need help and we know how to seek it, we realize that we are only a part of life and not all of it, we know that we have a holy role in the lives of the people that touch those lives in so many ways and we learn as we go how to become women through experience, because we are born females and we turn into women as we ripe and mature.

On this day; I have a wish to make …

I wish that …

No woman is ever beaten
No woman is ever raped
No woman is ever enslaved
No woman is humiliated
No woman is ever forced to sell herself to live
No woman is ever deprived of her rights

I wish all women of the world …

Food on their tables and roofs over their heads
Means to become educated
To be able to love
To be loved by those around them
To have wisdom to lead
To have someone to share life with
And most importantly; a happy healthy long life
Happy International Women’s Day everyone!!

On the same level … I received a wonderful note from the one and only; Lama Hourani. I really admire this creative woman and respect her talent and initiative … I would like to share her wonderful note and magnificent art with all of you …

This body of work is not only a celebration of life and times in Jordan, but also
the testimony of one woman’s odyssey into the metaphysical realm of the East.

From Jordan to the women of the world.. Happy International Woman’s day

*A necklace from the cave animal’s collection, Silver, Yellow Gold, Mother of Pearl, Citrine & Baroque Pearls.

LAMA HOURANI Creations
Foresight Art Center
Tel: 962 6 5560080
Fax: 962 6 5560090
P.O.Box 940631
Amman 11194
Jordan
www.lamahourani.com