by Natasha Tynes | Aug 28, 2006 | Shutterbug, Sports, Travel
I think this picture speaks for itself [Yes, it enlarges on click]. Last weekend was simply out of this world. I never thought I would do something like this in my lifetime … ever! It was something I used to see in the movies. But after some planning and encouragement from the husband, I decided to embark on my very first whitewater rafting experience on one of the oldest rivers in the world, the New River in West Virginia.
I have to admit, though, I was dreading it. I was so worried the night before that I stayed awake almost all night. I kept thinking I would end up clinging to a tree after the boat flipped, just like in the movies. But I didn’t! With our friends: Sarah, Elliot,the husband and me, the whole experience was absolutely exhilarating. I would do it again in a heartbeat. What a weekend!
by Natasha Tynes | Aug 24, 2006 | Jordan, my nation, Shutterbug
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I never thought I would live to see the day when Jordanian women would be zipping through the streets of Amman on scooters. Apparently I was mistaken, as women in Amman are indeed scooting about! I have to admit, I’m loving it.
The woman in this picture is Haya Karadhseh Qubain who, according to Ahmad, is a teacher at an Amman school. It is worth noting that this woman comes from my hometown of Madaba. Here’s a profile of Jordan’s scooter woman as a PDF file from Al Rai (Arabic). Via: [360 east]
For the record, scooters and motorbikes were banned in Jordan until fairly recently. I believe the decision was made in the early 80’s after a series of fatal traffic accidents involving motorcycles. Nowadays, scooters are allowed on the streets of Jordan. Motorbikes, however, remained restricted. They are allowed for business but can’t be owned by individuals.
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by Natasha Tynes | Aug 21, 2006 | Jordan, my nation
Thanks to blogger Salam, I got to know Sugar in Amman, a short-story by Jordanian Amal el Masri. The story, which I thought was very enjoyable and extremely well-written, won first prize at the Toronto Star’s 29th Annual short-story contest.
In addition to the crafty details, I greatly enjoyed the ‘womanly’ observations, which other female writers might shy away from. The story revolves around Jude, a young girl who is getting sugared (the Arab equivalent to waxing) by her mom. As she makes her way towards womanhood, Jude recounts the story of her broken family through flashbacks as her hair is ripped out by her mother to the cheers of her aunt.
Here is one part that I really liked:
I am playing hopscotch by myself on the concrete players that border our plum trees. The plums are crusty purple and oblong. They give me diarrhea, but Mama, who has chronic constipation, eats them by the kilo. She blames the constipation on my father, as she does everything else after he went to London, the dog son of a dog son of a dog who she prays will fall into the Thames.
Click here, read the whole thing and enjoy!
by Natasha Tynes | Aug 17, 2006 | Film
One movie that we saw last week and enjoyed tremendously, is a film that sends a clear message of tolerance. In light of the wanton number of "intolerant" incidents we seem to hear about on a daily basis, this movie came as a breath of fresh air. Dubbed Monsieur Ibrahim, the film stars highly-acclaimed Egyptian actor Omar Sharif.
The French production tells the story of a teenage Jewish boy who befriends the Muslim owner of a grocery store in the seedy part of a predominately Jewish neighborhood in Paris. With Sharif as teacher, over time their relationship develops to become an inseparable bond. Parts of the movie are shot in Istanbul — the lovely city we chose for our honeymoon — something which made the movie even more enjoyable for us.
In a nutshell, Monsieur Ibrahim (also called Monsieur Ibrahim and the flowers of the Quran) is a tale about growing up, the importance of family, friendship and tolerance with some surprising deviations. The film, which is beautifully shot and deftly scripted, is definitely a must-see. For those living in the US, we got the movie through the wonderful Netflix. Regardless of how, go get a copy and make your day.
by Natasha Tynes | Aug 13, 2006 | Jill Carroll
Jill has published the first part of the 11-part series that details her kidnapping ordeal in the Christian Science Monitor. The whole article can be viewed here.
This series also contains video interviews with her in which she expands on her ordeal. I have to admit though, there were parts in this first section that were hard for me to read. They just broke my heart into a million pieces. This is one of them:
I crawled over to Abu Hassan, the one who seemed more grown-up and sympathetic. His 9mm pistol was by his side, as usual. "You’re my brother, you’re truly my brother," I said in Arabic. "Promise me you will use this gun to kill me by your own hand. I don’t want that knife, I don’t want the knife, use the gun."
