I could not believe it when I first read this ad, but there it was with all its glory staring me in the face …

so there you have it my friends, if you want a VAN … all you have to do is buy a TV

For those who cannot read Arabic; the ad says that you get a FAN if you buy a TV, but somehow the FAN turned into a VAN for my amusement

Enjoy!!

So today was my birthday … yeah yeah yeah … another birthday and another year has passed by and when I think about my birthday last year, it seems like a hundred years ago because so much has happened since then … but isn’t that what life is about?

This year, I spent a happier birthday than the year before and the day was full of warm wishes and nice surprises and did I tell you that I am loving this facebook? It is really cool how everyone wished me a happy birthday on my wall there and even though I could not be with all of these friends in the same location, somehow that’s exactly how it felt …

I received flowers and the family had a small party for me at the end of today … so all in all; I can safely say that today was really one of the good days, so I would like to thank all those who participated in making it a nice day after all

My sisters sent me this to my office and it was a very nice surprise … thank you girls

My nephew got me these beautiful yellow flowers … and they smell nice too

The cake

Mom got me one of her masterpiece as a gift … thank you mom; I love it

And there you have a full report … hope you enjoyed it

I guess it is no secret to everyone that I am too busy to blog and keep up with other blogs these days. I have been too darn busy ever since I started this new job, not that I am complaining because I like what I do, but I truly and utterly miss the blogosphere, and that’s why I keep coming back every now and then and I hope I will always find you there waiting for me … so please don’t give up on me just yet; there is still hope!!

Last week was a killer, with the conference and all those guests, for three days I came home around midnight and then had to be at work the next day at 8 in the morning; by the end of the week I was a wreck, but that did not stop me from sharing a lovely cookie party with my friends at Mommabeans house. That was one warm evening where we shared lots of fun, food and laughter.

The highlight of that evening was meeting teta bean, Madam Laila!
Such a warm nice lady who was extremely welcoming of all of us and said that she was a regular reader of our blogs; I had to take a picture to memorize this moment for years to come … thank you so much Madam for your kindness and follow-up to our blogs, please keep coming back!

Then we got some creativity out, but I was really too drained to do more than a couple and I learned that Jujubean enjoyed my duck and I say Sa7tein!!

Now, Valentine’s Day is around the corner and everything is already turning red … sometimes I see it as a silly occasion but other times I just feel jealous of all the love and lovers around and feel sad for being alone … eh! It is only one day in the year and it will eventually pass

Work has been really hectic and I have been running around … looking at the bright side; everything went according to the plan during the conference, my boss is happy and most importantly; the guests had a wonderful time and they all enjoyed their few days in Amman.

Internet is evolving and everyday there is some new technology or software appearing here and there. I wonder how we used to live and do things some years back; how did we manage without all this technology around us. Can we afford to choose not to enslave ourselves to this technology? Can we turn our backs and say we can do without? I wish we could be professional enough to trust people with their own time instead of regulating their days for them; this is the 21st century after all!!

Yesterday was one of the longest days I have ever had in a very long time. It started and ended without me even stopping to drink some water.

We have a conference next week and I had to prepare so many things and take care of thousands of details; and I will be alert and worried until the three days are over. So, next week will be very busy and full of events and actions especially that we have guests coming from all over the world.

Needless to say; I had to work late yesterday, but the problem is that it was my nephew’s birthday and I had to catch up with the rest of the family to celebrate with the young kid, because if I did not go and give him the present that he asked for, he will not forgive me or even talk to me especially that he asked for the gift and was waiting for it. He asked me for lots and lots of drafting paper, colors of all kinds and the alphabet in Lego style; I happily got him everything he asked for because it was something he could learn from now that he turned 6.

The family was waiting for me in the KFC on Madina street. Now if there is anything I hate; it is KFC; it is greasy and really yucky, but I was so hungry and hadn’t eaten all day. When I finally arrived there, my sister had had bought me a meal, I ate some of the fries and took some of the chicken, but I felt sick immediately and I don’t want to talk about what happened when we left the place and headed home :S

Any way; these are some of the photos that I took for Ahed (my nephew) in his 6th Birthday Party … Happy Birthday Sweetie

When I asked how old he was; he answered with style

Nice bike ha?

Even Mira participated in eating the cake

When I came home and checked my favorite blogs, I found this cute post on Roba’s and decided that this was a really nice way to end this long day; so here it is: me as an M&M … go get your own M&M character … yippee!!!

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

So today was the day!
Rebecca has kindly invited us to her house to share the joy of decorating cookies which I found to be quite amusing and therapeutic.

At the end of a long working day; there isn’t anything better than meeting with people you like and share some nice time and have lots of fun.

I was the first to arrive, so I got a chance to take a few pictures of the preparations that Rebecca has made for us; she has made us cookies to decorate and others to eat; there were several munchies including different kinds of cheese and meat balls in a very hot cranberry chili sauce. She also made coffee, tea and a beverage of hot apple juice with cinnamon, and how can I forget the nachos with the hot sauce? That alone was a party kicker

So after Kinzi and her sweet daughter Lindsay arrived, Shaden almost lost her way to Rebecca’s house and then Wedad came, so we headed towards the tables and started decorating. Salam brought her sweet kids Raya and Zeid who really had fun playing with the colors. Mommabean came alone after she tucked the kids for the evening and Roba was the last to arrive.

I took so many pictures and I will let them tell you the story of this great evening. Wedad and Shaden made a cookie to represent 7ala and wanted to let her know that she was missed in this event which is really true,

So here you go … enjoy!!

My Mind has a new header and I have to thank my friends for it …

Omar was kind enough to create this nice header for me; I am really amazed how creative this guy is and not only because of my header; we have all seen some of his work and I know that you agree … thank you Omar for this; I really love my new header and avatar, but since gravatar site is down for maintenance, it will be some time before you can see that lovely avatar in action

Also, Bakkouz assisted me in uploading this header on my CSS because I am not a CSS pr PHP expert and I am always lost in the jargon; thank you Bakkouz … I appreciate your help wallah

My Wasta with Omar was my lovely vivacious friend Amino, she helped him out and they did not tell me they were preparing a header for me until it was finished and ready to use … Thank you Amino!! and MMuuuuaaaahhh

And how can I forget my best friend Jad; he was the one who set up this WP blog when I first moved and he edited the CSS and sidebars and everything; Thank you so much Jad … you really came to my rescue when I mostly needed it

If you cannot see the header, CTRL + Refresh and hopefully you will

What do you think?

Going downtown is an experience worth talking about every time you do it; it is unique and special in a totally different way than anything else. The noise, the smells, the people and everything about the shops and streets there is different and peculiar.

I really was not planning this trip and it came out of the blue; mom wanted to buy a few things and my sister said she would love to go with her; so they came to me to give them a ride; now how can I refuse something like that? Can I?

So we went downtown and I parked my car in the old parking lot, and we started our trip on foot. The first place I visited was Abu Ali’s kiosk for great books and spent some good 20 minutes with this great man, took his advice about books to read and bought me a nice collection that I will write about in another post. He gave some of the translated books and was so happy when I told him that I read them in English; he said he is proud of all of the young educated people who keep seeking knowledge any way they can, and he agreed that I take a photo of him and post it on my blog

Then we went to a falafel restaurant downtown called Fuad; it is one of the oldest and most well known and it is really good. There was this place that sells cassettes full of songs you will only hear in busses, service cars or cabs; I got me a couple of those just for the sake of it!!

My sister wanted to buy some cosmetics and that was our next station; there is an excellent place in Basman street called “3alam Al 3o6oor”, they have everything a woman can ask for, and we got ourselves some nice things including the latest eye shade colors among other stuff.

Mom wanted to buy some fabrics and that was our next station; we got some nice material and colors for a very good price and then we needed some stuff from Bukhareyeh and that’s where we headed. You can never be bored in this place, with all the things hanging above your head and calling for you to come explore and buy. I can never get over how attractive these things look even if they are placed randomly and on top of each other.

Downtown Amman is full of different flavors and originality; it is a trip that you take and despite the exhaustion you feel at the end of the day; you always want to go again and again; it is a joy that only those who love genuine and honest reflections of the place that has been there before we were even born and will hopefully continue to be there long after we are gone!!

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

In short - vote for Petra,
as it is a great symbol of
- Engineering & Protection!
For more information, click here!

Tonight; I had a meeting at the Intercontinental hotel and as I was leaving; I noticed a nicely designed and decorated store; the kind of lighting and presentation are the ones that invite you and promise you for more. I so wanted to walk in and see what this store was all about and I am glad I did.

There inside; sat a nice lady who greeted me with a charming smile and showed readiness to indulge my curiosity and answer the many questions that I blurted out almost at once, and she kept that nice smile and fed my hunger for more information.

I am talking about Nadia Dajani; the creative architect/artist or is it artist/architect, depending on how you look at the exquisite works that she has displayed for beauty and style seekers. She twinned talent with knowledge to create a powerful combination of pure art; she shaped the culture into masterpieces you can proudly own and wear.

The type of products you will see there are the things you would want to buy for yourself, your beloved ones and would recommend to your best friends and guests. It is the kind of pieces that would match your identity and reflect your personality. Materials and stones used are natural with beautiful colors that would capture your sight and soul; I literally fell in love with her work and would definitely go back to own me a piece that is me,

Ms. Dajani was kind enough and allowed me to take a few pictures and share them with you; this place is a must see, so whenever you are in the Intercontinental or close by, or whenever you have foreign guests or tourists, or whenever you are thinking of getting someone a gift that will be unique and special, that is the place where you should be going!!

Enjoy some of the creativity