It is not a surprise nor is it a shock to expect violations from valet parking personnel such as taking something from your car (which the valet company is NOT responsible for) or they can take a ride in your car (unless you know the reading on your gas meter and your mileage meter … seriously, how would you know??)

We have seen this happen in movies all too many times, but it is happening right at home dear folks … yes; you heard that right: valet parking is the newest way for car theft in Amman!!

It happened to my sister’s friend … she was going to this store in Sweifieh where they have valet parking service and as usual; she handed her car to this gentlemen dressed in a uniform and he even gave her a number for her car. Not suspecting anything; she went in the store and continued her trip as she planned it; what she did not plan or anticipate was that she would not find her very expensive car when she went out because the guy simply took it and run!!!

Seriously now; do you remember the face of the guy who takes your car to park it for you? Would you be able to describe him to the police if needed? Do you even look at the guy’s face to begin with?

Come to think of it; we have become victims to our own convictions that this is a safe service just because it is provided by reputable institutions and we never question the possibility that something bad might happen … we do not double check if the person taking our car is actually a part of the crew hired for that specific job … I mean when we go to crowded places like Mecca Mall for example; more often than not, you are required to wait till one of the valet personnel is available to take your car because they are busy running around to park or bring other cars, so hypothetically speaking; anyone can come to you and pretend he is one of the crew and take your car and run away!!!

The VIP service is turning out to be not so VIP after all and that we should not feel so privileged as we willingly hand over our cars to some stranger to park it right next to where we can park it ourselves!!!

On another note; if and when a car is stolen by impersonating a valet personnel, what is the liability of the valet company or the institution providing the service?? Should they be legally liable? Do they even check the backgrounds of the personnel doing this job before hiring them? What precautions can we take into consideration as we go for this service?

I say we park our cars on our own even if takes more time and more distance to do so because I bet it does not feel good to lose your car in such a humiliating manner.

I quote Greg Gagliardi in his article: Valet Parking: Theft with Consent

“That’s right — valet parking is the one time when we are basically telling a stranger, “Go ahead, steal my car. I trust that it’ll be here later.” And sure, virtually 100% of the time it is. But what about that 0% of the time when your car just isn’t there and that valet parker turns out to be a person who knows how to find the appropriate attire online? Furthermore, what is the guarantee that your stuff inside the car will still be there? This is a time period when the valet can do anything he wants with your car — change the radio station, eat your food, kill your friend still sitting in the passenger seat — so we need to think more carefully about why we continue to utilize this system…” [Source…]

So, valet parking anyone???

Or is it that Gaza is now drowning in darkness, cold, hunger and despair???

Sometimes there aren’t enough words to describe what we are witnessing and what the news keep shoving down our throats every morning till we reached a point that nothing surprises us anymore, but what is happening in Gaza comes as a shock that leaves the majority of us speechless and helpless …

In a time and life that human rights are becoming a major factor in how societies are governed … in a world that the international community is judging the backward Middle East because of honor crimes, poverty, violence against women and primitive culture … the same community is standing still to watch as Gaza is being crucified and executed … it is cold and they don’t have heat … they are cut out from the rest of the world … and as well as they are dying by bullets and military attacks; they are also being killed by hunger and cold …

I choose to raise my voice to say STOP … ENOUGH … Life is not a game and just because they reside in Gaza … it does not make their lives of any less value than any other human in any part of the world …

My dear friend Salam sent me this link and I really enjoyed it and sent it to all my friends who would actually relate to it, i.e. moms who are juggling a hundred things per minute …

Tribute to all moms … enjoy it and learn to appreciate your moms and wives … and to all the moms out there; you should be really proud of yourselves … bless you

Great, ha???

:D

Ramadan is a visitor that shows up once a year; we see a lot of actions and reactions before, during and after this month yet we receive it with the excitement and greetings year in and year out because it symbolizes a lot of things to us. It is the month when we feel closer to God, it is the month that we see people’s behaviors when they are fasting and angry about it, we see them going into consumption and buying frenzy, we see them driving like maniacs and having street fights, we see all sorts of negative attitudes and people refer it to the fact that they cannot drink, eat or smoke.

On the other hand; we see people visiting each other more, we see them praying more, we see them helping each other more, we see them supporting those who are needier or poorer and they feel happy about it because they get this satisfying feeling of doing what is right even for once a year.

In old days, Ramadan was a sacred time for the whole family … I remember when we used to invite people over for Iftar and Gatayef … I remember how my mother used to take advantage of the long fasting hours to prepare meals that take time like wara2 3enab, kobbeh, sheshbarak, and many others … I remember how my grandmother (Allah bless her soul) used to bake bread for us right before Iftar and we used to consume it as if there was no other food … I remember my grandfather (Allah bless his soul) when he used to come to our house in Ramadan and Eid with his pockets filled with candy for us … AAHHH!! Those were the days!!

I also remember that people used to be more respectful for others’ feelings in Ramadan … if for any reason someone was not able to fast or even chose not to fast, they were discreet about it because they were tactful and courteous towards others. Unfortunately; what we see these days is that not only people choose not to fast but they also make sure everyone around them knows that they are choosing not to fast and practically rubbing food, drink and cigarettes in fasters’ faces; now that’s what I call rude, disrespectful and totally vulgar.

We see our Christian colleagues and friends supportive of us practicing our beliefs and there is no limit to our appreciation of what they do (or don’t do) but it is our Muslim brothers and sisters who are showing this much of disrespect to us and to our belief. It saddens me when I see such behaviors from educated adults who are well aware of what they are doing. I know that some of you will say: if you don’t like or approve, just look the other way and I can always do that but when people challenge and dare others, laugh in their faces as if they are not doing anything wrong … now that truly pisses me off … imagine when you have to wake up in the morning and go to work only to find someone who is drinking coffee with the smell climbing up to your brain through your nose and you cannot taste it … imagine if you were a smoker and craved a cigarette while someone is blowing the smoke in your face … or if in the middle of the day when you are hungry and cannot focus on your work, someone walks in with a sandwich and eats it while you are smelling and looking … that’s truly a sad thing to witness and believe me I did see it and was speechless as people who are that rude, can come up with any sort of answer if you even point out that if what they are doing is wrong or shameful …

I am really sorry and disappointed when I see such things and I reach a stage where I feel disgusted that we reached such a phase in our lives that people have and show no consideration or respect to others’ feelings and it makes me really scared of what is yet to come and what role model are we setting for the coming generations …

A lot of talk has been going on about government placing cameras to stop indecent acts by youths who practically are doing it in the car!! Some are saying that this is a form of religious police who will bind people’s freedoms and that our liberal Jordan will not be so liberal any more.

Let us look at this scenario a bit closely, those are against the government decision think of these indecent acts as acts of love and affection and that we as “the others” should turn the other way, mind our business, let these kids be with what they are doing and if we don’t like it to happen in front of us then we should give them more freedom to check in rooms and be out of sight.

The question is: why should I give such compromises when these kids are actually forcing their acts on me in a space that belongs to everyone? Why should I accept that what belongs behind closed doors becomes so public and normal practice? Why should I accept to expose my kids to this and how can I explain it to them? Why am I supposed to look the other way when these people are in plain sight and there for everyone to watch and see? Why should I respect their wishes when they are not even acknowledging mine?

We are not encouraging censoring people’s acts because it is none of our business to middle in theirs but when they trespass and force their actions on us right there in the public highway, well; that is totally a different story. This is an area that belongs to everyone and what we do there should be acceptable by everyone because that’s just the logical way of thinking. If I am about to do something that will grab attention or be found out of the norm, then I am in the wrong place and I should take it elsewhere.

Those who are against the move are defending the rights of these young couples to practice “love” freely, but what about everyone else’s right in not being exposed to something that is against their beliefs and standards. Why should everyone tolerate what a minority think is hip, modern and civilized? Would they accept it if those others started practicing their beliefs in public?

A while ago; a lot of people started using the side way on airport road as picnic areas and almost everyone thought this was out of place and that government should do something about it and we were all thankful when it did. Why should this scenario be different?

There was an old saying that goes like this: your freedom stops when everyone else’s starts. So it is my right to go out in the street and be anywhere and know that I will not be exposed to a scene that belongs in a bedroom especially that those streets have children and people who come from different cultures and backgrounds. Such acts will only encourage acts of hate and extremism and this is in no way for the best interest and benefit of the community at large.

This kind of thinking makes me wonder: why do we have bedrooms in our homes? If it is acceptable for us to see “love acts” in public, why are we decent at home? Why don’t people do it just in front of anyone if this is what freedom entails? Why do we need closed doors? Why do we teach our kids to be decent? Why do we teach them privacy?

As far as I know, such “love acts” in public are not acceptable in western countries as well and people look at them as indecent. Some countries go as far as placing those cameras and other countries have police officers roaming the areas at night to make sure that such violations are not taking place, so why are we calling for opening the door for something the whole world is trying to shove back behind closed doors????

I got really very angry when I read 9 days … 9 miserable days!!

As much as I was sad for the ordeal this family had to go through, but I was also very upset because we have to do something … It does not have to be my father or brother or mother for me to speak out and do something … Hussein’s dad is our dad as well and we have to stand by them in this … so please help us by spreading the word!!

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Summer is one of the most hectic most crowded times of the year. People visiting from other countries to spend their vacations because they actually do have decent annual vacations there, foreigners flooding the country to change scenes under the name of tourism and family members arriving from all over the world to spend some time with their beloveds.

The scene in Amman’s streets becomes so stressful and congested that it gets to you even if you are not the “get angry easy” type of person, so I always do my best not to think about it and whenever I am stuck in a traffic jam, I increase the volume on the radio and sing along to distract myself or think about something else to pass the time.

This is all understandable with the huge number of cars using the streets these days, and it is also understandable when there is an accident and causes the traffic jam, but what I cannot comprehend or see as acceptable is that bridal convoys that close a street or three or four sides of the way as a way of expressing happiness and joy of the happy marriage. Forget about all the cars that are packed, jammed behind and trying to make way to get to their destinations, because the whole world has to participate in the bridal convoy whether they liked it or not.

What are these people thinking? What makes them think that this behavior is acceptable? They close all sides of the street and drive on 20 km/hr to allow the happy couple to savor the experience, but what about everyone else? Are they that selfish?

In old times, maybe it was nice to witness a bridal convoy every once in a while because there were specific days for weddings. People used to hold their weddings on Fridays, so the streets were not that packed and there were not as many people or as many cars for that matter. But these days, weddings take place any day of the week, any time of the day and they are just too many!!!

It is like a bridal festival out there, with all drivers dressed up, singing and honking and we as passers by, have to live with it.

Is it too much to ask these people to take only one side of the street when they are passing so that they do not disrupt the traffic? Why don’t the government enforce fines on these convoys when they are jamming the streets? I think the groom would think twice if he knew that he would be fined if his convoy closed a vital street in Amman and he would make sure that every one knew that and abided by the instructions, but aren’t we just so fond of breaking the law and just doing things our way to prove that we are not cowards!!!

I just hate these tasteless acts of expressing joy at the expense of others, just like fire works after midnight, but that is a totally different story!!

Yesterday was very long and exhausting with all the preparations for my brother and sister’s arrival from USA. My mother was very excited and of course got us all working and preparing the meals and sweets that my brother is craving; he was away for almost two years after all.

He was supposed to arrive on Friday but his domestic flight into Chicago was delayed by an unexpected storm and it happens that on that particular day, RJ decided to be punctual and this led my brother and sister to miss their flight to Amman. To be precise; they have arrived before the take off but RJ staff would not allow them in and said that it was not their responsibility that they were delayed. Therefore; they had to stay in Chicago over night and catch the next flight to Amman.

Yesterday; RJ was delayed for an hour and a half in Chicago so we headed off to the airport to be there when they arrive. The flight arrived and we started watching passengers going out and meeting their waiting families with lots of hugs, smiles, laughs and tears. The terminal was literally full of people and 80% of them were smoking despite all the “No Smoking” signs and the fact that the airport is actually a “Smoke Free Zone”. It seemed that all smokers have a tendency to disobey and disrespect all the rules and laws when it comes to their cigarette cravings. They handle this issue as if the world and everyone in it owes them something and that they should be allowed to do whatever they wanted and get away with it.

When you have a couple of hundred people smoking in the same space; what do you think will happen? You got it; the fire alarm was set off and boy was it noisy!

It kept ringing for almost 10 minutes and I kept looking around and people were still smoking and lighting up new cigarettes and at the same time having a big frown on their faces exclaiming why this alarm would not stop ringing!!

This got me wondering; why do all smokers have this tendency to break the law? Why are they so careless about the wellbeing of others? Why do they put others in danger and act as if it is their right to do so? Why do they think that they can get away with it?

I will tell you why …

Because the “No Smoking” signs are just that; signs. They were put there to make us believe that we are doing something about the health risk that smoking causes, they are there to make us believe that we are acting to enhance our image since we are on top of the list of countries with alarmingly high rates of cancer, they are there to tell people who object to smoking and smokers that there is something being done, but the sad truth is that people are bragging about breaking this simple law; they smoke right under the sign and show it off.

It seems to me that signs stating certain laws in the country like “No Smoking”, “STOP”, “Give Priority” and the likes are just there to give us the illusion of being a civilized community, while in reality; all these signs mean absolutely nothing if not followed. If people are left to their own judgment; they will always be inclined to break the law if they know that they can get away with it.

My uncle lives in France. When my dad visited him once and he took him out for a ride, my dad noticed that my uncle was stopping at every “STOP” sign even if the street was completely empty and he could really get away with it, so dad asked him: why don’t you just keep going if the street is empty? My uncle answered: if I do not stop, I will be paying a huge fine and maybe persecuted, so it is better safe than sorry because you never know when there is a policeman standing around the corner!!

Why don’t we have the same level of law enforcement? Isn’t it better to have laws that are followed than having signs that are not respected and are disregarded at every chance people can get away with it? How can we create the urge to respect the law even if there is no one watching? I suggest that the government starts fining these law breakers every chance they get because only then, we can say that we are a community that respects the law and does not break it, because what are the chances that someone who breaks a small law would have a higher inclination to break much bigger and more important more critical laws?

Anyway; my brother and sister arrived safely but their luggage didn’t!!!

Let’s hope that RJ can locate them and bring them back!!!