Brave New World

I have finally found a good book to read. It’s “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.

I’m still in the beginning but so far it is proving to be very engaging and thought-provoking. I heard so much about it as it is supposed to be a classic. Glad I have finally found the time to attack it.

Brigitte’s birthday

Today is my sister Brigitte’s birthday. So as soon as we woke up, we decided to give her a call. I picked up the phone, dialed the number quickly and the moment she picked up I started the infamous mantra “happy birthday to you…”

Jeff picked up the other phone and joined in for a minute. After we were finished, the person on the other line said: “Who is this please?”

Apparently I was so excited about calling Brigitte that I dialed the wrong number! Ahhhh! How embarrassing! :-S

A new magazine for Christian Arabs in Jordan and Palestine

Al Maghtas — a new magazine for Christian
Arabs in Jordan and Palestine

By Daoud Kuttab

AMMAN — For the first time in decades, Christian Arabs in Jordan and Palestine have their own magazine.

The first edition of the 40-page glossy colour magazine Al Maghtas (the baptismal) was produced in Amman recently featuring interviews, articles, and even some controversy.

According to Reverend John Noor, the secretary of the bishops of Jordan, there are between 10-15 million Christian Arabs living in the Middle East.

Most of the region’s Christian Arabs live in Egypt (7-12 million) and Sudan, 600,000 in Iraq, 165,000 in Jordan, 900,000 in Syria, 1.3 million in Lebanon, 50,000 in Palestine and 130,000 in Israel.

Noor, whose two-page article deals with emigration estimates that four million more live in the diaspora.

Unlike most available Christian magazines, Al Maghtas is neither denominational nor theological. It deals with socioeconomic conditions concentrating on Christian Arabs on both banks of the Jordan.

Christian Arabs refuse to be called a minority, they consider themselves part of the Arab world and partners with their Muslim brethren in the good and bad that face the Arab nation.

Philip Madanat, the editor of the magazine, says that the strength of Al Maghtas is in its exclusivity for the Christian community and its avoidance of theology.

Among the feature stories in the magazine was an interview with one of the leading Jordanian businessmen, and philanthropist Elia Nuqol, the CEO of the Fine tissue company.

In another article Widad Kawar, the internationally known collector of Palestinian and Jordanian dresses and folklore is featured with a detailed profile.

Controversy is not absent in the newest magazine of Christian Arabs. An investigation into the internal struggles between three Christian churches over the right to the keys to the Nativity Church is presented from all points of view.

Source [The Jordan Times]

I’m really glad that there is a magazine out there discussing issues facing
Arab Christians. I really agree with the point mentioned in this article: “Christian
Arabs refuse to be called a minority, they consider themselves part of the Arab
world and partners with their Muslim brethren in the good and bad that face
the Arab nation.”

Many misunderstand the position of Arab Christians and believe that they
blindly support any action done by the west. Even worse, sometimes they are
labeled as “crusaders” or “traitors”. Arab Christians are no less Arabs because
of their faith. This is a point that needs to be stressed and highlighted more
often
.

Movie marathon

What a better way to spend your day off than partaking in a movie marathon. Well, that was the case yesterday, as we spent a good part of the day watching movies and eating pasta salad!

The first movie we wtached was Secret Window starring Johnny Depp. It was okay. I give it 6 out of 10. The film is based on a Stephen King short story that I read years ago. I remember I fell in love with the story back then. I’m not sure I can say the same about the movie. For some reason, the film’s ending was not as powerful as it was in the book. Oh, well!

The second movie was In America, which I enjoyed tremendously. It’s about an Irish family that immigrates to the US, detailing the troubles they face adjusting to their new home. The acting is powerful — especially the two young girls! Highly recommended.

The third was Gothika starring Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr. It was not anything special. I personally thought that the storyline was weak and the acting was mediocre. 5/10

Back to Doha

We are back in Doha after a one-day delay in Amman due to some drama revolving around our airplane tickets. Adding to that, we were not sure that Jeff would be able to fly with me yesterday as his booking was canceled for some reason.

So, yesterday we headed to the airport hoping that the plane would not be overbooked. After waiting for everybody on the plane to check in, we were lucky enough to be given a seat on the place! Geez, it was nerve wracking!

Anyway, we are back here and ready to face any challenge that might cross our path. One of those challenges is the heat!. Man, it is really an oven here. Even worse, it is a humid oven. Just less than a minute in the open-air will guarantee you constant sweating! God, I miss Amman already.