On homesickness and more

I have been getting the question "are you homesick?" a lot lately. My answer these days is "no, not yet." I miss my family and friends something fierce. But no, I still haven’t exhibited the usual symptoms of homesickness. These usually entail cravings for an eclectic mix of food items like falafel-flavored chips, Ras al Abed chocolate (sorry for the politically incorrect name, but that’s what it is called), Carolina milk, among others. But so far, I haven’t been hit with the usual cravings. I know it is coming sometime soon, but nothing yet.

However, there is one thing that I have been craving a great deal: serious news bulletins. See, I come from a place where television networks present news in the chronological order of the apocalypse. First comes the bombing, then the death and destruction and then the misery manifested mostly on children and women’s faces.

But here, news bulletins are like one long soap opera whose characters are leading eventful and sometimes tragic lives. You can spend weeks following the travails of the runaway bride who left her husband-to-be. Then there is the story of a cute girl, an A-student high school grad, that disappeared in Aruba. Last — but not least — there is the uplifting tale of the Boy Scout who managed to keep himself in one piece after getting lost in the woods.

I have been watching the news almost every night now for a month but still there is no sign of the apocalypse. The Iraq war is mentioned every once a while but usually at the end of the news bulletin, as viewers start losing interest.

Anyway, no I’m not homesick yet. I’m just missing my daily televised dose of death and destruction.

Sucked into consumerism

I never liked shopping. For me, shopping had always been this tedious process of hopping between shops, trying on clothes, negotiating with vendors (in some cases) and in many instances being hit on by some low-life sleazeballs in the process (especially when wandering the streets of Sweifieh). I always dreaded upcoming shopping trips. And, almost always, I had to have a companion with me to console me, giving me words of encouragement to help me through this challenging process. In many cases that companion was my sister, Tania, the fashion expert. Then, after I got married, my shopping escort became my husband, who naturally has more tolerance than me for this tiring procedure.

But now, as we are living in the center of capitalism, things have changed drastically. To my utter and complete surprise I’m loving the whole idea of the shopping spree. I mean how can you not love it with all the great deals that are put in front of you? I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I first went shopping here. I could actually afford buying brands like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren among others.

How could you not love shopping here when you get up to a 70% discount on some of the most beautiful items you ever laid eyes on? Words like capitalism and consumerism really did not mean much to me before coming here. Now I understand. It is all about satisfying the consumer so the country’s economic gears keep churning. But really, give me a break. How can you not be an ardent consumer here with all the mind-boggling deals? Yes, I’m being sucked into it. But can I really help it? I’m a new immigrant after all.

On the other hand, seeing all of these great deals is making me somehow angry … angry at all the time and loads of money I spent back in Jordan on mediocre products simply because I had no other alternative. Why is it in Jordan, where the minimum salary is 85 JD (about $119 US dollars) a month, people have to pay double — even triple — the price for the same products you find here. It is just so unfair. Think of it: Besides all of the political instability, social pressure and economic stagnation, the Jordanian consumer is always screwed. Okay, I’m very angry now. Gotta go do some shopping.

A Jordanian in the 1850’s

Me in a 'Dowtown Daze'

Probably one of the coolest things that we have done here so far was our trip last weekend back into the 1850’s, when the whole of downtown Harrisonburg, VA was made to look much as it did in the 19th century during the "Court Days Festival." The whole place went back in time, from the old costumes worn by locals that volunteered to become a character from the era, to the carriages and local crafts of that period. The event was one of a kind, to me at least.

We also got to watch a play that took place in the city’s old courthouse. The play was based upon two real court cases that took place during the era. I enjoyed it tremendously.

We wrapped up the evening by attending, as spectators, a period grand ball where men dressed in tuxedos and women in beautiful period gowns while they danced skillfully to music of the 19th century.

I had a truly memorable time. The picture here speaks for itself.

Movie talk

MariaI just realized that I haven’t blogged about movies in along time. The reason for that, of course, is the fact that we have been traveling for over a month now. However, during that period we managed to squeeze in three movies that all proved surprisingly good.

The first was Maria Full of Grace (Maria llena de gracia): We watched this movie in Leicester Square, London while we were visiting my friend Pilar. That night we all left the movie theater deeply touched by this tragic story about drug trafficking in Columbia. The movie is a bit of a downer but sheds some light on the poverty and desperation young women face in Columbia. The acting was superb, especially that of Catalina Sandino Moreno who played Maria so wonderfully — a performance that merited her an Oscar nomination. It was simply a great movie; three thumbs up.

Cinderella Man: Based on the true story of American boxer Jimmy Braddock, this movie is a must-see. It is an inspirational story about overcoming tremendous odds and pursuing one’s passion. Russell Crowe did a magnificent job as usual and played the character so wonderfully. I’m starting to believe that Russell Crowe is one of the greatest actors of our time. Would anyone object?

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: It is a fun comedic drama about the married life of two professional assassins. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie offer up two amusing roles that keep you entertained for the duration of the movie. One thing of note: the chemistry between these two actors was very potent. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up together; that’s been her history with on-screen partners. In my humble opinion, Jolie is the most beautiful woman on earth. Ending up with Pitt and eventually having children, these two should produce a fine end product.

Still on the topic of movies, the other day I watched parts of a 1994 movie, Assault at West Point, that my husband took part in as both an extra and production assistant. I thought it was the coolest thing ever to see my husband sitting in a courtroom acting with the legendary Samuel Jackson, as Sam gave another memorable performance.

Call for a ban on coed student trips

Jordan’s Islamists Tuesday called on the ministry of education to ban coed student trips, charging immoral acts were being committed.

The Islamic Action Front, the main opposition group in parliament, said its secretary-general, Hamza Mansour, sent a letter to the minister of education demanding an investigation into the trips "during which university students have been committing immoral acts in defiance of Islamic norms and traditions." He said students were getting drunk and dancing in provocative ways that "have no place in our society."

Source: [The Washington Times]

Doesn’t this opposition group have anything else to worry about besides whether coed trips are immoral or not? I mean, really … of all the issues and challenges in Jordan the IAF decides to concentrate on school trips! What a total waste of time and energy!