Went accompanied by Ali, Kristina's son, in Kristina's car with Kristina's driver.
Good ruins. Much preserved -- temples and plazas and amphitheatres.
Watched the live show demonstrating Roman legion tactics, gladiatorial fighting, and chariot racing. Well done (created by a Swede, no less).
More Jerash (extended version)
More RACE: Roman Army & Chariot Experience (extended version)
Monday, 20 June 2011
Sunday, 19 June 2011
June 19 (Sun) - Amman: Shopping in Sweifieh & Neighborhood Walk
Highlights: TBW
Spices & Biscuits
Shadow Fun
Chronology: 9.30am Lisa knocked on my door with a "I know it was 'do not disturb', but..." She said Downtown would be fun for me to visit with Natasha, and today we'd go shopping in Sweifieh (sounds approx like 'Sophia' to my ear) in West Amman instead. Seems the locals (in Lisa's circle) don't think much of rubbing shoulders in the stifling heat with the unwashed. Lisa recounted an amusing story of how she'd taken a bus(!) to Downtown (!) with a Singaporian friend who 'did it all the time' -- much to the horror / amusement of Amer and his colleagues at work (who don't go to Downtown, leave stand ride a bus). Had breakfast (cereal with banana and filter coffee with ka'ak - and Lisa had me try a yummy za'atar bread-stick). // Got going around 10.45am, with Laila, on a mission to buy a belly-dancer outfit (for two parties she has coming up at a month-long summer camp, near Chicago). Stopped at a nearby pharmacy where Laila knows the lady-pharmacist, to see if they had Permethrin; but no luck. Continued to the pedestrian shopping street in Sweifieh in search of the 'Afghani' shop there (it's a chain). It was a bright white tableau in the late morning glare, and largely devoid of shoppers. Laila pointed out the Starbucks and the Cinnabon next door, the Zara, and a chain I didn't recognize where she'd recently bought a top. We walked to the end of the street, stopping in at a store that had some belly-dancer outfits but not the right one, then started doubling back. Stopped in at a diner-restaurant-juice shop for a fabulous fresh mixed fruit smoothie, topped with slices of kiwi and apple. Took photos at the Shooting Parlour next door. Went down the side-street opposite the Gap to find Afghani, and Laila found her outfit there. They also had beautiful Afghan silver jewelry studded with turquoise and coral, including some stunning ring-seals and two-fingered rings. Commented that if I had money to burn, that's the kind of thing I'd spend it on; Lisa would spend hers on crockery (eg Villeroy Bosch sets ;). The store sold patches (made me think of Johanna), including one with the Palestinian refugee character (H....). // Continued uphill up the street to the next corner, where the intersection had more the vibe of a local market neighborhood. We stopped in at the XXX Coffee for spices. What a great store! Like a Pitt-River Museum of spices (and nuts and teas and coffees)-- just more organized. A sales-guy took us around: "Here, smell this, what do you think it is?" It was menthol, in shards like pillars of endangered snow-flakes, stored in a bag in a drawer; a whiff of that went through my head quicker than a long draw on a Vicks inhaler. He drew a faint line across our wrists with a hexagon of soft amber, and we were perfumed. Sage tea is good for the stomach - and for the self-esteem. Verbena relaxes and is good for the colon. Lavender? No, no lavender here. Lisa picked up a flower-garlic-spice mix for the lovely rice she made my first night, and a bagful of bay-leaves for JD 1.50. We crossed to the bakery opposite, to gawp at the racks of ka'ak (at least ten different kinds, some with a hint of aniseed, others with toasted sesame, etc) and buy some savory snacks (different pita 'pizzas' with za'atar, goat cheese, mince meat; triangular pockets with spinach; braids with other spices). There were also trays of baklava, and shelves of cookies; an older gentleman, presumably the owner, pressed us to taste Lisa's favorite sweet, a ball of fried dough soaked in syrup. Laila does indeed get looked at oddly; I caught a serving girl with a head-scarf scowling at her. We speculated they might think she's adopted, being with these two fair women; or maybe it's curiosity at her Looking Jordanian yet speaking English so comfortably with these tourist-foreigners. That they don't smile as they stare is somewhat un-nerving, and Laila doesn't like it but takes it in her stride. It seems Jordanians aren't taught that it's rude to stare; nor are they taught that it's polite to smile. // Once home, Laila modeled her belly-dancer outfit for us. I did some blogging. // Abdullah got home from school about 2.15pm, and we sat down to eat our treats from the Bakery. Where did the afternoon go? I helped Abdullah a bit with stripping a round wooden table in the basement. Lisa had bought it for Laila back in the day and had painted it pink; Abdullah kept asking, "Why can't I just paint over it?" No, it'll be nicer stripped. Went to the local grocery store, Cosmo, with Lisa to pick up some ingredients. Lisa cooked a tasty dinner: chicken in broth with allspice, over toasted pita squares, topped with yogurt and toasted almonds (which she'd soaked and peeled). Plus lettuce with more of the bean-capsicum-corn salad. Abdullah had his semolina cake for dessert. // Abdullah got picked up around 6.15pm to go to soccer practice, and Lisa took me on a (power) walk around the neighborhood. Well, she looked like she'd be power-walking, but my taking photos slowed us down some. A dog of friends of her's followed us on our walk, which made for a tense near-encounter with a boy herding some goats and the pack of five dogs accompanying him. We took pictures of our shadows on the hill-side and laughed. The young men of the house asked us what we were doing, and Lisa got to meet a neighbor(hood)-or family: the mother came to the gate and the two 'boys' turned out to be two of three sons all called -'aam (Isaam, Wisaam, and Hisaam). // Drove across town to pick up Abdullah and his friend Khalid (son of Ghaida) from one of the three or so playing fields in town where professional teams practice. A father who wants the kids to play more / better soccer has started a club that meets three evenings a week to practice. Khalid lives by an Orthodox church in what used to be a Christian part of town. Lisa said her neighborhood was also very Christian, and it was lucky they'd actually been sold the land to build on (given that Amer is Muslim); the saving grace was that he's a Jordanian from Karak, NOT a Palestinian. // Got home, Abduallah got his stuck contact out, Lisa sent Laila to bed, and followed soon after herself. //Tomorrow I go to Jerash with Kristina's 17-year-old son (and Kristina's driver), thoughtfully strategized / organized by Lisa.
Spices & Biscuits
Shadow Fun
Chronology: 9.30am Lisa knocked on my door with a "I know it was 'do not disturb', but..." She said Downtown would be fun for me to visit with Natasha, and today we'd go shopping in Sweifieh (sounds approx like 'Sophia' to my ear) in West Amman instead. Seems the locals (in Lisa's circle) don't think much of rubbing shoulders in the stifling heat with the unwashed. Lisa recounted an amusing story of how she'd taken a bus(!) to Downtown (!) with a Singaporian friend who 'did it all the time' -- much to the horror / amusement of Amer and his colleagues at work (who don't go to Downtown, leave stand ride a bus). Had breakfast (cereal with banana and filter coffee with ka'ak - and Lisa had me try a yummy za'atar bread-stick). // Got going around 10.45am, with Laila, on a mission to buy a belly-dancer outfit (for two parties she has coming up at a month-long summer camp, near Chicago). Stopped at a nearby pharmacy where Laila knows the lady-pharmacist, to see if they had Permethrin; but no luck. Continued to the pedestrian shopping street in Sweifieh in search of the 'Afghani' shop there (it's a chain). It was a bright white tableau in the late morning glare, and largely devoid of shoppers. Laila pointed out the Starbucks and the Cinnabon next door, the Zara, and a chain I didn't recognize where she'd recently bought a top. We walked to the end of the street, stopping in at a store that had some belly-dancer outfits but not the right one, then started doubling back. Stopped in at a diner-restaurant-juice shop for a fabulous fresh mixed fruit smoothie, topped with slices of kiwi and apple. Took photos at the Shooting Parlour next door. Went down the side-street opposite the Gap to find Afghani, and Laila found her outfit there. They also had beautiful Afghan silver jewelry studded with turquoise and coral, including some stunning ring-seals and two-fingered rings. Commented that if I had money to burn, that's the kind of thing I'd spend it on; Lisa would spend hers on crockery (eg Villeroy Bosch sets ;). The store sold patches (made me think of Johanna), including one with the Palestinian refugee character (H....). // Continued uphill up the street to the next corner, where the intersection had more the vibe of a local market neighborhood. We stopped in at the XXX Coffee for spices. What a great store! Like a Pitt-River Museum of spices (and nuts and teas and coffees)-- just more organized. A sales-guy took us around: "Here, smell this, what do you think it is?" It was menthol, in shards like pillars of endangered snow-flakes, stored in a bag in a drawer; a whiff of that went through my head quicker than a long draw on a Vicks inhaler. He drew a faint line across our wrists with a hexagon of soft amber, and we were perfumed. Sage tea is good for the stomach - and for the self-esteem. Verbena relaxes and is good for the colon. Lavender? No, no lavender here. Lisa picked up a flower-garlic-spice mix for the lovely rice she made my first night
Friday, 17 June 2011
June 17 (Fri) - Amman: JARA market with Lisa & Kristina
Highlights (in chronological order): TBW
Chronology: 10am Lisa woke me with a knock on the door; these roll-down wooden shades (like the ones we had in Vienna, but automated here) sure do keep the room pitch black :) Fridays in the Mowafi household are crepes-for-breakfast day (as Sundays are pancake day in Jim's family); sat at the dining room table (which the kids pointed out isn't where they normally have breakfast). Abduallah set the table and chopped the chocolate chips for the crepes (other condiments included Lyle's Golden Syrup, condensed milk, condensed milk with cocoa powder mixed in); Laila started with pineapple; Lisa ate the muesli she'd left to ferment for two day (it turned out very sour); Amer joined for a cup of coffee and ka'ak (aka Jordanian biscotti :); I had some of everything. Amer and Abdullah stacked the dish-washer afterwards, and Laila went off to study for exams she has coming up this week (she's in 8th grade, in an IB school). // Around noon, Amer and Abdullah left to go to his parents' place for lunch, and around 1pm Lisa and I left to go to JARA market. Laila wanted to come but Lisa insisted she study; and besides, Lisa had promised Kristina 'no kids' (Kristina has four of her own). Took the dark blue Mercedes 4x4 (that it's impossible to get parts for in Jordan despite Mercedes being ubiquitous here, since it was made in the US) and picked up Kristina at her home in Dabouk, not far away, the other side of the Palace Compound from Lisa's. Kristina's house is chunky, as though each room is a 'block', and looks like it is being doubled in size - half is complete and half is cinder block; Lisa says Kristina's husband Usama is planning to have a home office. Usama currently spends part of his time working in Seattle (where they met and lived before moving to Jordan), and part in Amman. Kristina related how a friend had commented, 'So: he's a visitor,' and how that kinda hit the mark. He has said it's her decision whether / when to move back to Seattle. He will continue working in both places, regardless of where they live. Their eldest just graduated with the IB a month ago and will be starting at the University of Michigan in the fall. Kristina and Usman met at the University of Michigan, and both went to work for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (a division of NASA) // Drove down to Al-Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman to go to the weekly Friday JARA street market on Fawzi Malouf Street, which Lisa went to once when it opened 6 years ago but hasn't been back to since. JARA stands for the Jabal Amman Resident Association, and they have created "a unique urban experience that hasn't been seen in modern-day Amman before". There are stalls on either side of the pedestrianized street, selling Jordanian handicrafts and jewelry, lots of soap, crafts out of recycled materials (plastic bags, newspapers) made by the economically disadvantaged and sponsored by NGOs. Stepped into the Jordan River Foundation shop & courtyard at the beginning of the street, and perused the gift shop. Once in the market, Kristina pointed out a t-shirt stall with quirky logos, belonging to designer Omar Tabbaa. Again, from www.360east.com: "Every now and again, one comes across something in Amman that expresses the creative spirit of Amman’s up and coming generation. Such creative glimpses are too few and far between in Amman. But Omar’s t-shirts must be the coolest design idea I’ve come across in Amman for a long while." The blogger also reflects: "Not only are Omar’s t-shirts funny, but they also carry some social/urban commentary. They are a good reminder that Amman is more than Abdoun [the Embassy district inn Amman]. The East Amman-West Amman rift is a depressing reality. While parts of western Amman are audaciously reflecting a globalized, glitzy and liberal image and attitude, the largest parts of city are the dusty, chaotic and poor reflection of our ‘developing world’ reality. The urban experience of many of western Amman’s residents almost never includes any ‘excursions’ into the eastern part of town, except perhaps when we take a plane from the Marka Airport to Aqaba." Guess I'd have to read Arabic to fully appreciate them, but they looked fun. I stopped to smell soap poured around lufa. We stopped at a stall selling pink hunks of rock salt from the Himalayas, and both Lisa and Kristina bought some of the ground stuff. The guy selling it was blond and blue-eyed, and his friend a super-sales man: "You cannot get this ANYWHERE else!" he proclaimed. "Not even the Himalayas?" I asked, and he hesitated a moment. At the end of the street there was a stall making and potato spirals (to eat): place the potato in the spiral-cutting machine, run a skewer through it and 'stretch' out the spiral, deep fry it, then shake a some flavored salt on it. Kinda like potato chips but not as crispy. A band was setting up in the empty lot off the street, but looked like they'd be a while still. // Down the stairs at the end of Fawzi Malouf Street is Wild Jordan, a division of the RSCN(Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature), in a building gifted by the American people (according to a plaque on the wall). Great views over the city, in particular Castle Hill and the ruins of the Citadel. It was getting onto 4pm and we were getting hungry, so headed back up the opposite side of the market street, perusing more jewelry (I bought a round silver pendant) and art (Lisa & I got some Palestine post-cards). Down Al-Rainbow Street a few blocks and on a side street to the right is Books@Cafe, where we stopped for lunch. Located in an old villa, there's a bookstore on the ground floor, and an extensive coffee-shop-bar-restaurant spanning several nook-y rooms and a terrace. Very trendy, without being intimidating (maybe it would be at night). According to a local , "the idea for the shop was born during the early 90's when cafés allowed access to "couples only". They wanted a place that was comfortable and unrestricted where one might drop in for a coffee, good food and music. With reasonably priced books and internet access, both of which were hard to find in those days, the shop became a refuge for students, musicians, artists, writers and, of course, lovers of good coffee." Laila said, "That's the gay place, isn't it?" Interesting between-the-lines commentary, no? The pizza was thin-crust and excellent. I also had a refreshing lemonade-with-crushed-mint-leaves. // We walked back to our car, parked outside the Ahliyyah School for Girls, among the top 5-6 schools in Amman (a graduate got into Harvard this year). Other top schools are: American Community School (the American school), International Community School (the British school), Amman Baccalaureate School (the IB school Lisa's kids attend), King's Academy (opened in 2007 and based on Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, which King Abdullah II attended in the 1970s), and the International Academy of Amman (sponsored by Queen Raina). Stopped by the DVD store to look for Soul Surfer and Beginnings, but they had neither. Note: it's a store, not a rental place, pirate DVDs here are so cheap (the equivalent of GBP 1.50 or so). // Dropped Kristina back home about 6pm, and got home to Laila studying and Amer & Abdullah playing soccer on the lawn. About 8pm Amer left for the airport (Lisa drove him) to return to Riyadh, where he is Chief Commercial Officer for ITC Saudi Arabia. (I took a nap for an hour in between). // His bio on the website informs us: "Joined ITC on 17th October 2010. Amer is a business executive with over 20 years of experience including 17 years in the Telecommunications industry. Prior to joining us, Amer was Chief Executive Officer of VTEL Jordan. Earlier, he held senior roles with Nextel Communications and Logical Information Systems in the U.S. Amer also provided consulting services for large U.S. Telecom operators such as Verizon, MCI, and Nextel. Amer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s Degree in Applied Computer Science from Illinois State University." Amer and Lisa met at ISU when Lisa was a Junior and Amer was in the 2nd year of his MA. He had a job in the computer lab, and the printer needed a new ink-ribbon. Lisa: "What does it take to get a new ribbon around here?"; Amer: "I'll replace the ribbon if you'll go out with me."; Lisa: "Ok, I will - if you pay." And the rest is history. Laila said, "There's a word for that in Arabic: [the word] - it's like a pack-rat, but with money." Too funny. // When Lisa got back, we watched "Scott Pilgrim vs the World," a quirky cartoon-ish love story with Michael Cera (the guy who was the lead 'man' in Juno) in the lead, bent on defeating his true love's seven evil exes. Had freshly popped pop-corn and some yummy coconut-chocolate-granola bars Lisa had made. // Copied all the Footloose Mandalay to Auckland photos to my new 1T external hard-drive, and deleted them from my netbook. Stayed up till 3am setting up a new blog: Footloose in the Levant, for this part of my journey, uploading and captioning two days of selected photos, and chronicling one day.
Chronology: 10am Lisa woke me with a knock on the door; these roll-down wooden shades (like the ones we had in Vienna, but automated here) sure do keep the room pitch black :) Fridays in the Mowafi household are crepes-for-breakfast day (as Sundays are pancake day in Jim's family); sat at the dining room table (which the kids pointed out isn't where they normally have breakfast). Abduallah set the table and chopped the chocolate chips for the crepes (other condiments included Lyle's Golden Syrup, condensed milk, condensed milk with cocoa powder mixed in); Laila started with pineapple; Lisa ate the muesli she'd left to ferment for two day (it turned out very sour); Amer joined for a cup of coffee and ka'ak (aka Jordanian biscotti :); I had some of everything. Amer and Abdullah stacked the dish-washer afterwards, and Laila went off to study for exams she has coming up this week (she's in 8th grade, in an IB school). // Around noon, Amer and Abdullah left to go to his parents' place for lunch, and around 1pm Lisa and I left to go to JARA market. Laila wanted to come but Lisa insisted she study; and besides, Lisa had promised Kristina 'no kids' (Kristina has four of her own). Took the dark blue Mercedes 4x4 (that it's impossible to get parts for in Jordan despite Mercedes being ubiquitous here, since it was made in the US) and picked up Kristina at her home in Dabouk, not far away, the other side of the Palace Compound from Lisa's. Kristina's house is chunky, as though each room is a 'block', and looks like it is being doubled in size - half is complete and half is cinder block; Lisa says Kristina's husband Usama is planning to have a home office. Usama currently spends part of his time working in Seattle (where they met and lived before moving to Jordan), and part in Amman. Kristina related how a friend had commented, 'So: he's a visitor,' and how that kinda hit the mark. He has said it's her decision whether / when to move back to Seattle. He will continue working in both places, regardless of where they live. Their eldest just graduated with the IB a month ago and will be starting at the University of Michigan in the fall. Kristina and Usman met at the University of Michigan, and both went to work for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (a division of NASA) // Drove down to Al-Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman to go to the weekly Friday JARA street market on Fawzi Malouf Street, which Lisa went to once when it opened 6 years ago but hasn't been back to since. JARA stands for the Jabal Amman Resident Association, and they have created "a unique urban experience that hasn't been seen in modern-day Amman before"
June 16 (Thur) - Journey to Amman
Highlights:
- Marie came to Clapham Junction station to see me off. Had a coffee at Cafe Nero there and talked friendship and settling-in and blogging and and and... It is so lovely to be seen off (and greeted) before (and after) a trip :)
- EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Amman -- I'm curious which Mediterranean islands I spotted out of the window, and love that I saw the Dead Sea from the air! Boy, Jordan is dry and brown; quite a contrast to the green green of New Zealand
- Lisa picked me up at the airport! She's looking great, and has a knack for entertaining conversation :) She's so full of energy, and is so hospitable!
- Great to meet Amer (for real) for the first time (we met glancing-ly at Waneta Road once), and to see Laila and Abdullah again (we were all at the Leininger Reunion at Lake Geneva last summer)
- Feel so welcomed and so well taken care of -- after hellos, Lisa helped me to a delicious dinner plate, and tucked me into the spacious guest bedroom
- Back to the land of hot sunny summer, after a New Zealand winter that was much of a cool damp muchness with the London summer
Chronology: 4am Wake up and unpack from NZ and repack for the Middle East. 7am Cuppa tea with Ian before he leaves for work. 8am Skype with V. 9am Leave 12 Parma Crescent with my 12kg pack in the rain. 9.15am Meet Marie at the Cafe Nero at Clapham Junction station. 10.08am Southwest Trains train to Gatwick Airport, arriving 10.39am. Shuttle to North Terminal. Boots for sunscreen and bugspray; Dixons for 1T portable Seagate hard-drive; WH Smith for Will & Kate commemorative shortbread tin and Jordan Rough Guide. 12.50pm Easyjet flight to Amman; secure starboard window seat near the back. Entertained by conversation in row behind me between an Ammani returning for his wedding, his friend, and a British public school 'boy' bent on airing his knowledge of the geopolitics of the region. Was curious what Mediterranean islands we flew over. Tickled to spot the Israeli coast and the Dead Sea. 8.05pm (?) arrival in Amman, shortly after sunset. Exchanged GBP 20 for JD (Jordanian Dinar) 20 at the Exchange Counter next to the Visa desk, then stood in line for a visa-on-arrival. The (physical, paper) stamps were glued into my passport. I was asked my name, how long I was staying, and where I was staying; painless, all in all. Bag was already off the belt when I emerged from passport control. 8.45pm (?) Caught sight of Lisa waving to me from behind the front row of waiting faces. Talked a blue streak in the car on the way home (about 30min drive?). Amer and Laila & Abdullah got in shortly after I arrived, as Lisa was showing me around the house. Sat in the living room 'heart' of the home and had some apple juice. Lisa warmed up some dinner for me (chicken with rice, roasted mini zucchini, white bean and capsicum salad) and sat with me in the kitchen while I ate. 11.30pm (?) All to bed.
- Marie came to Clapham Junction station to see me off. Had a coffee at Cafe Nero there and talked friendship and settling-in and blogging and and and... It is so lovely to be seen off (and greeted) before (and after) a trip :)
- EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Amman -- I'm curious which Mediterranean islands I spotted out of the window, and love that I saw the Dead Sea from the air! Boy, Jordan is dry and brown; quite a contrast to the green green of New Zealand
- Lisa picked me up at the airport! She's looking great, and has a knack for entertaining conversation :) She's so full of energy, and is so hospitable!
- Great to meet Amer (for real) for the first time (we met glancing-ly at Waneta Road once), and to see Laila and Abdullah again (we were all at the Leininger Reunion at Lake Geneva last summer)
- Feel so welcomed and so well taken care of -- after hellos, Lisa helped me to a delicious dinner plate, and tucked me into the spacious guest bedroom
- Back to the land of hot sunny summer, after a New Zealand winter that was much of a cool damp muchness with the London summer
Chronology: 4am Wake up and unpack from NZ and repack for the Middle East. 7am Cuppa tea with Ian before he leaves for work. 8am Skype with V. 9am Leave 12 Parma Crescent with my 12kg pack in the rain. 9.15am Meet Marie at the Cafe Nero at Clapham Junction station. 10.08am Southwest Trains train to Gatwick Airport, arriving 10.39am. Shuttle to North Terminal. Boots for sunscreen and bugspray; Dixons for 1T portable Seagate hard-drive; WH Smith for Will & Kate commemorative shortbread tin and Jordan Rough Guide. 12.50pm Easyjet flight to Amman; secure starboard window seat near the back. Entertained by conversation in row behind me between an Ammani returning for his wedding, his friend, and a British public school 'boy' bent on airing his knowledge of the geopolitics of the region. Was curious what Mediterranean islands we flew over. Tickled to spot the Israeli coast and the Dead Sea. 8.05pm (?) arrival in Amman, shortly after sunset. Exchanged GBP 20 for JD (Jordanian Dinar) 20 at the Exchange Counter next to the Visa desk, then stood in line for a visa-on-arrival. The (physical, paper) stamps were glued into my passport. I was asked my name, how long I was staying, and where I was staying; painless, all in all. Bag was already off the belt when I emerged from passport control. 8.45pm (?) Caught sight of Lisa waving to me from behind the front row of waiting faces. Talked a blue streak in the car on the way home (about 30min drive?). Amer and Laila & Abdullah got in shortly after I arrived, as Lisa was showing me around the house. Sat in the living room 'heart' of the home and had some apple juice. Lisa warmed up some dinner for me (chicken with rice, roasted mini zucchini, white bean and capsicum salad) and sat with me in the kitchen while I ate. 11.30pm (?) All to bed.
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