by Natasha Tynes | Nov 30, 2005 | Jordan, my nation
According to a report published on Alarabiya’s website, some Iraqi businessmen are planning to build Jordan’s first Shia mosque in Amman’s Abdoun neighborhood on land worth more than 3 million US dollars. The article states that these businessmen approached Jordan’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs to get approval for building the mosque. The ministry hasn’t confirmed this report yet. The article also went on to say that a number of Shia in Jordan are working to establish an organization called Imam Al Hussein organization.
Interesting! The Shia population in Jordan is very small, almost unnoticeable as according to this report, Jordan’s Sunnis constitute 95% of the population. Since Jordan is currently moving down the path of reform, then I believe religious tolerance should be part of the package. I know this might be a sensitive topic in Jordan, but in my humble opinion I think allowing different religious denominations a place for their particular place of worship is a real strong step in the right direction.
by Natasha Tynes | Nov 29, 2005 | The cook in me
Remember the magloubeh pact that I made last month, well, in case you are wondering, it is still standing. However, and sadly enough, my first attempt at making magloubeh failed. I will spare you any gruesome images from my first magloubeh experiment but I will narrate the story of its making.
My first trial took place last evening. I attacked the kitchen right after work, around 5 PM. I dove in armed with the famous Arabic cookbook Alf Ba Al Tabekh along with tips and sage advice from both mother and sister. I did not follow the recipe religiously, deciding instead to add both eggplant and cauliflower instead of using only eggplant as the recipe dictates.
I cooked the chicken, fried the vegetables and stacked the ingredients in layers in a pan, which I left on the stove to cook for 40 minutes. All the while, the supportive husband was doing everything he could to assist me. He rushed to the store to purchase a Cidir (roughly that translates to "real big plate"), which is used for flipping the magloubeh over and ultimately serving it.
When I thought the cooking time was over, I called the husband to come flip the magloubeh. He dutifully obliged. Then came surprise! The bottom of the magloubeh — what constitutes the first layer — was blackened! Yes, oh my, the bottom was scorched.
Jeff reacted quickly, scraping the burnt part off and managing to salvage some edible magloubeh bits. We both stuck it out and ate the remainders. And yes, we are still in one piece. I have to admit I was extremely disappointed with this failed attempt, especially since I spent three hours in the kitchen hopeful I’d soon savor some bits of my favorite Arabic dish. The wonderful husband continued his support as we ate the salvaged parts morsels. "You are pretty close," he said. Yeah, yeah!
After relating this story to my Palestinian co-worker, his conclusion was that I did not use enough water while letting the pan simmer for that final fateful forty minutes. I think he might be right. If I remember correctly, I kept waiting for the rice, which constitutes the top layer, to cook before I turned off the burner. I think I waited too long. I could have saved the day by the simple addition of some water.
Ah well! Frankly, I do not know when I will try this again. I certainly need some time to recuperate. Back to frozen pizza!
by Natasha Tynes | Nov 28, 2005 | Jordan, my nation, Political mayhem
The dominate topic in the Jordanian blogosphere as of late is the newly appointed Jordanian cabinet. It was discussed here, here, here and here. I really don’t have that much to add to what my fellow bloggers have already said. But I do want to highlight the fact that, sadly enough, I’m losing interest in cabinet-related news. Since I left Jordan in October of 2003, three new cabinets have been appointed. That is three changes in two years, which means an average Jordanian cabinet life span is down to about eight months.
Since my exodus, the changes went as follows: First, Faysal Al Fayez’s and his cabinet followed by Adnan Badran and now Ma’rouf Bakhit. When I first left, any minor cabinet change would grab my attention immediately, prompting me to religiously follow the story and all the developments. But three in two years is wearing me down. I’m starting to view cabinet reshuffles as more of the "same old, same old" in terms of Jordanian political development.
It does seem, however, that reform is the name of the game this time around as everyone is talking about it. The new government is promising real change while a major think-tank urges the kingdom to adopt quick reforms before it is all too late. Will it actually happen this time? Will the terrorist attacks of Jordan’s 9/11 wake officials up to the urgent need for reform? Only time will tell, but frankly there is a jaded skeptic in me that is not that hopeful.
One change that is really notable is the reduction in the number of women in the current government to a lonely one. That’s a disturbing drop from previous governments such as the days of Al-Fayez, when there was a record four female ministers. Why this drop? Is this part of the promised reforms? I wonder.
by Natasha Tynes | Nov 27, 2005 | Jordan, my nation, Shutterbug
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Reader Abdo sent me this wonderful historic photo of Jordan taken in the 1950s’s and I thought I would post it here to give it maximum exposure [enlarges on click]. The caption of the photo reads:
"Members of the British Red Devils complete with their arms -– as they take a poop at the bazaars in Amman, where they are now stationed because of the Middle East crisis [dated] 25-7-58"
Pretty cool, huh? I love the man on the donkey. It is just so authentic. Thanks Abdo!
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by Natasha Tynes | Nov 26, 2005 | Life as a Virginian, Mi Familia
My primary impression from my first Thanksgiving experience is that this particular festivity could have been an Arab celebration. I mean, it is really all about eating and meeting family. How more Arab can it get? I think Thanksgiving is my favorite of the holidays thus far, as it hits so close to home with its similarity to the culture in which I was born and raised.
We had a great time with the husband’s family and I got the rewarding experience of meeting some family members for the very first time. The food was very good and extremely filling. I also felt really proud to be able to contribute to the meal by making one of my “very easy” casseroles.
Then came Black Friday. Experiencing it for the first time was also an adventure worthy of documentation. The husband tried to talk me into waking up at 5:00 am to partake in one of those early bird – door buster deals but I vociferously refused. No amount of purchasing power in the world would tear me from the warmth of our bed at the crack of dawn, particularly to spend money on things I’m not sure I really wanted. Oh, and it was -10˚ Celsius.
Eventually, we both decided to join in on the latter part of Black Friday, after 12:00pm. And yes, sadly enough, I succumbed to the capitalist binge and ended up buying a number of items that I needed but, in truth, could have lived without! Ah, they got me! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
