by Natasha Tynes | Apr 18, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, Shutterbug
In my pursuit of the most authentic Jordanian souvenirs for gifts to friends and family in the US, I decided to venture into downtown Amman, or Al-Balad. I was thrilled to find that downtown is still its same old self, so vibrant and full of life. The scenes, the smells and the sounds were just as exhilarating as I have always remembered them. Also, the familiar offbeat characters that I used to see wandering about on the streets of Al-Balad — including a self-assigned traffic controller — still occupy their prime places.
As for my shopping spree, it was loads of fun. It reminded me how bargaining downtown can prove so tremendously entertaining, particularly when accompanied by my mother: the master bargainer. She is one of those that when she finds an item she likes, will bargain for eternity, but if she’s not satisfied with the final outcome of the deal will leave the store. Eventually, vendors follow her to the street and offer her the desired price. On this particular trip I was merely a voyeur, watching from afar as the transactions took place. I have to admit, I don’t have the requisite bargaining skills.
While taking random pictures of downtown, an old man wearing a traditional headscarf, or hatta, stopped me and asked me to interview him for "the piece that I was working on." It took me a while to explain to him that I was taking pictures merely for personal use and not for any journalistic endeavor. He was disappointed. The huge smile that he had on his face when he first saw me faded, as he turned and walked away without saying another word. I should have mentioned the blog. I might have made his day. My bad!
The shopping adventure ended with a cab ride home. Our taxi driver was so animated. He seemed to be amused by the fact that I was snapping photos during our journey. He stopped the car on a number of occasions to allow me to take "the perfect" shot. "Here. Here, you can take a great photo from here," he kept saying until we finally left the downtown. What a sweet, sweet guy!
by Natasha Tynes | Apr 17, 2006 | Everyday me!, Weblogs
While visiting friends and family here in Amman, the subject of my blog came up on quite a number of occasions. I was quiet surprised — and humbled — that a significant number of my friends and relatives follow my on-line scribbles religiously. In the past few days, I’ve received a lot of feedback filled with encouragement, criticism and some suggestions. One common comment I heard from a number of people was the following: "Natasha, enough of those political posts. We want to read more personal pieces!"
As someone who follows the news for a living, it might prove hard for me to separate my personal self from my political self. However, I’m willing to compromise. Here is an open question to anyone that takes the time to read my blog every once in a while: What’s your preference? A) Personal B) Political or C) A mix of both? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to send me an e-mail or leave me a comment.
by Natasha Tynes | Apr 16, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, Shutterbug
If you are residing in Jordan nowadays then make sure to take time out for a visit to the "Roman Army and Chariot Experience," a highly engaging historical show set in the Greco-Roman city of Jerash. It is a display of the long gone Jerasia-based Roman army, its weaponry and its battle techniques. The most impressive thing about this truly unique show is that it is performed by Jordanians — mostly Jerash residents — who were professionally trained to perform in the show twice a day every day of the week. According to Fawaz Zoubi, the general manager of the show, even the costumes were made locally, something I found very impressive, as they really did look quite authentic!
The show itself was entertaining, educational, and tremendously visual. It was also fascinating to see the performers speaking in Latin in front of a rapt audience. The show is definitely worth your time, although I think the entrance fee of five JD’s (20 JD for non-Jordanians) is a bit high. One thing I noticed was that the majority of the audience was foreigners. Unfortunately, there were very few Jordanians — even Arabs for that matter — among the attendees. Those in charge of the show should work on extensively advertising this unique experience to Jordanians and the Mideast and not restrict their outreach solely to tour agents.
For more information on the show, make sure to check out their website: http://www.jerashchariots.com.
by Natasha Tynes | Apr 14, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, Mi Familia, Shutterbug
I kicked off my day this morning with a trip to Jara, more commonly known as Amman’s flea market. I’d heard and read about this buzzing street market first on Jordan Planet via a number of wonderful posts by Jordanian bloggers who’d written extensively about Jara, putting up myriads of beautiful pictures. I was not disappointed when I visited it for the first time either. The market was lively and filled primarily with Jordanian handicrafts, jewelry and other local products.
I really enjoyed the open festive vibe in the place, something that was really missing during the heyday of my Ammanite existence since such public events were less mainstream back then. The location of the market in Jabal Amman proves ideal, as this authentic old neighborhood gives the place a unique and original flavor that is missing in the majority of areas in West Amman. The only downside to that place is that it occupies a fairly small space. It could definitely be stretched out a bit. But then again it is still new and seems open for further expansion.
I left Jara with a pair of kick-ass silver camel earrings. They are just so cool. I cannot wait to wander about in the streets of DC with two camels dangling from my ears.
From there I, along with the rest of La Familia, headed south into the suburbs of Madaba to my aunt’s farm for some lunch. The main dish was mansaf, naturally. This all-Jordanian delicacy was followed by knafeh, then some Turkish coffee and mint tea — items that make life worth living. The wonderful family atmosphere and divine food made for a perfect day.
On the way back we got to see the King’s Academy, which is Jordan’s first boarding school. I’d blogged about it some months ago, so it was fascinating to see the mammoth structure up close and personal. It was quite an impressive structure with a number of adjoining buildings all topped with a rich, red tile.
One highlight of our return trip to Amman was stopping by an area farm primarily to marvel at a female camel and her baby. According to the farm’s owner, the camels were brought to Madaba from the "eastern region" primarily for their milk. The owner told us that camel’s milk is very healthy and capable of curing serious illnesses … although it is an acquired taste. With that thought in mind and our stomachs filled with mansaf we made our way back to Amman. What a fine day!
by Natasha Tynes | Apr 13, 2006 | Jordan, my nation
Yesterday, I went through security checks on two separate occasions while out and about in Amman. The first was at the entrance of Mecca Mall, the second at the main gate of the Meridian Hotel. It was only yesterday that I actually felt the aftermath of the 9 November terrorist attacks — an event I observed and blogged about remotely from my safe little space in the US. For me, these security stops served one major purpose: A reminder that my dear country was attacked and, sadly enough, remains under threat.
It was the first time for me to observe the ramifications of this drastic event up close and personal. It was surreal. It was also fascinating to see how Jordanians seem fully adjusted to this new lifestyle, marked by constant security checks and metal detectors. They stop at the security guards, turn over their belongings or get a quick search by the guards and then proceed with their mission; no muss, no fuss. I guess this has become part of mundane, daily existence in Amman.
Fortunately, the city is still buzzing with life, as usual. People are getting about everywhere with no sweat — an indication to me that the terrorists haven’t managed to instill fear into the hearts of Jordanians. Restaurants are packed and busy while the streets are more jammed than ever! I even saw a number of foreign faces while cruising around the city, proof that Jordan is still considered a safe haven by locals and foreigners alike. That was reassuring.
From my brief conversations with friends and family during the past few days, I think Jordanians are more worried about bird flu than an imminent terrorist attack. Although the WHO today declared Jordan bird flu free, Jordanians are still discussing whether eating chicken is a good idea or not.
Putting my quick observations aside, I’ve got to admit that I’m more in love with this place than ever. I really cannot it describe my feelings in mere words. In addition to Amman’s decided advantage of being the city that hosts the majority of my family and loved ones, this place has a unique flavor that never manages to disappoint me. It is the place where authenticity and originality still have a niche. It really is the place where I feel fully human. In a nutshell, I’m ecstatic to be here.
In my pursuit of the most authentic Jordanian souvenirs for gifts to friends and family in the US, I decided to venture into downtown Amman, or Al-Balad. I was thrilled to find that downtown is still its same old self, so vibrant and full of life. The scenes, the smells and the sounds were just as exhilarating as I have always remembered them. Also, the familiar offbeat characters that I used to see wandering about on the streets of Al-Balad — including a self-assigned traffic controller — still occupy their prime places.
