Cinnamon Zone: Jordan

The Suicidal Cat

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:00:00 GMT

When I first saw this cat on the street, I felt she was so desperate that she decided to end her life. Who knows? After raising the prices of everything including milk, bread and meat life might have become so hard for this skimpy mangy one-eyed creature. I can imagine how hard it could be to find anything edible in the trash these days. This poor thing looked as if she haven't taken a bath in ages! One hell of a mood she must be in...

The Other Side of Shmeisani

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:46:00 GMT

Away from the hustle and bustle of the heavy traffic it rests, indifferent to all the fast going cars that pass by it hastily, and all the tall buildings that rise high around it, and those looking at it from their windows wondering how long has it been there and why it is still there.

This is a semi-deserted park I found with a friend. It was as though we've found a treasure. It looked like a secret garden being somehow hidden by all the trees and bushes, complete with a stone path and steps. There was no one there except for a boy around the age of 12, who was speaking into a cell phone. I don't think it's needless to point out the irony...

REALLY URGENT HELP NEEDED - TWO CASES

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:17:00 GMT

I'm quoting a message I received today from the Action Committee...

There are two cases now that really need our help, we really appreciate if you can help them even if it is a very small donation.

1- An Egyption worker needs money for an operation who had an accident while working freelance at a construction yard. If he doesn't get an operation very soon on one of his eyes he will lose sight in it for good. He has no insurance and cannot afford it anyway he calculates it. This means that this guy will most likely fall through the cracks. Someone had kindly donated 200 JD's and would like to see if we can collect as much as we can.
**We can give you a copy of the invoice once we pay the doctor for his operation. Please contact us before saturday.

2- A disabled man without both arms nor legs on a wheel chair living in Zarqa needs our help badly. His wife is disabled as well, and has two children. The man leaves daily his home in Zarqa to go begging for a small amount of money. He is now in debt and needs money and he also needs food items. We will take any donated items maximum by wednesday evening as we will give him the things on thursday morning. We will check out his situation as I was informed that he has absulotly nothing at home.

If you want to help, you can contact Sara on the email sarsoura@go.com.jo

Leaving Jordan For The First Time

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:39:00 GMT

It might seem a bit eerie that I’ve never traveled outside Jordan before; given that I’m already 23 years old and that I have enjoyed the privilege of free flying tickets until I was 18. And since I believe that coincidence is a misnomer of fate, I found it intriguing that around the same time I bought my ticket to Abu Dhabi, my reservation set on 13/3, I found out about “Blog about Jordan Day” to take place on 12/3.

I started to think about what I want to write. My thoughts kept beating around the same subject. Leaving. I thought it might be the time to confess that there were times when I wanted nothing more than to leave Jordan. Or maybe I should write about that overwhelming feeling that tore through me as I once found myself staring at the horizon above Amman buildings, sometime before dusk, as the milky clouds melted in the sky, and I found myself smiling, entertaining a spontaneous thought that suggested, “Who wants to leave this?”

I might be too emotional and dramatic for someone leaving Jordan for only one week. Yes, one week and I’ll be back, inshallah, and this post might be too egoistic for a post about Jordan, but I couldn’t help sharing this, and sharing a rational fear that one day I will leave Jordan on a vacation, be fascinated by the life outside and stay there. Haven’t tested myself for that yet, and I hope this trip will eliminate those fears.

To Gaza, With Apology

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:15:00 GMT

Because you're a small city of a big Arab world, and a bigger Islamic world, who are both watching you burn from afar. Sorry because your kids are being slaughtered by weapons they've never heard of, their dreams are being nipped in the bud. Sorry for the elderly who are being humiliated, all in front of our eyes, for the women and men who are being mercilessly crushed to death under the heavy artillery, their homes demolished over them in their sleep…

Sorry because you've become nothing to us but a daily report on the news. Sorry because we're helpless, sorry before we watch you burn and do nothing but cry, and forget even to pray. Sorry because we've grown so numb, so senseless and so blunt. Sorry because in your suffering, we see our disgrace. Sorry because in your humiliation we see our own humiliation and bow our heads in shame. Sorry because we're too many powerless millions, standing with our hands behind our backs. Sorry because we turn a blind eye, sorry because we can't stand the sight of a little boy, face stained by blood and body wrapped with a green sheets, flowers scattered all over him as he's sound a sleep.

Sorry before we are what we are and you are what you are. Sorry because you have to burn before something inside us explodes. Sorry because you need to be destroyed before we wake up. Sorry because you need to be ruined before we learn the true meaning of bravery. Sorry because in you, the victim, we see the hero and the miracle.

Sorry, because we know you can’t accept this apology, and yet we offer nothing else.