Laws of Gravity in Amman

Finally have categorized all my photos from our Jordan trip. Here's one for this post. The laws of gravity are not applicable in Jordan. We have two dimensional buildings (see the last Jordan post I wrote). And now fawcets that suspend from mid-air.

This fawcet was photographed at a juice bar in Amman. By the way, I confirm that there really is water coming out of the spout!

Of Course

Of course, Barbie has a Facebook page. In case you didn't know, here's the link to the wall: http://www.facebook.com/barbie?sk=wall

Inglorious

Inglorious! That's the word some friends of ours used during our couple's dinner date in the fast and furious spaces of Clarendon in Arlington. (The wikipedia article mentions some great Vietnamese eats that sadly have disappeared. Our favorite was Cafe Da Lat and we ate there shortly before it closed. So sad!)

We're back in the States and it feels so strange to see so many young professionals (my mother-in-law calls them yuppies) together on Friday night out. It kind of feels like I'm experiencing college fraternity row extended life! But, I didn't get carded!

Back to the word inglorious. That's the word some friends of ours used when my husband Tweet decided to describe our time out of college in terms of fraction of century. Tweet likes to speak in terms of centuries. I don't know why. What I know is if we were talking about something that happened ten years ago, he'll describe it as a tenth of a century ago. I'd prefer describing the anniversary as a decade but so it goes.

Our friends didn't like the century description but I had to laugh. It's a good way to look at something when you are part of a generation that straddles two centuries - the 20th and 21st!

New space-time phenomenon, observed Amman, Jordan

I've not been doing a good job of writing lately. I don't think I'm alone as the MENA region is undergoing a lot of change.

Anyway, from our spring trip to Amman Jordan . . .  Here's a new space-time phenomenon. Check out this two-dimensional building! By the way, we found more of these but this was the only sunny day for photos.

There is actually a small store in this building!





A Barbie Room in Paris Hotel Plaza Athenee

I couldn't resist posting this one. I'd stay here for sure!

From Luxury Travel Magazine: http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/news-articles/barbie-and-hot-wheels-rooms-at-hotel-plaza-athenee-paris-15776.php

Yemeni air shipments and CDs

Just heard from a friend who has finished out his consultancy in Yemen. He’s trying to ship some household goods back to the U.S. Nuttin’ doing. Since October 2010, no one is able to send any unaccompanied air cargo and of course airlines won’t take lots of accompanied air cargo even if you’re willing to pay. Someone made the false report that air cargo shipments from Yemen to the U.S. have resumed, but they haven’t. See http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=35634.



So our friend is trying to ship some items ahead to his next destination, Jordan, which is now open for shipments from Yemen. He prepared his first test package including legal software and music CDs. All of the CDs were removed from the package. No reason given but it seems that the shipping companies think that CDs can explode. Well, according to the Mythbusters at the Discovery Channel, it turns out that they can explode--if you spin them fast enough! http://www.powerlabs.org/cdexplode.htm; http://gadgetopia.com/post/2086. Hummmmmm......

Do soap and mullas mix?

I’ve never really thought about soap and mullas before. 

But, while looking at the dozens of options for soap (I think there are more varieties at LuLu then there are in most U.S. stores . . . seriously), I found a simple package of Indian soap called Mullapoo. I love it!

So would this make a good export to the U.S.? This site might have more info: http://panjiva.com/trends/mullapoo%20soap

Sad Friday and Sushi

Overhead: ‎

Narrator: “A woman in our office berated staff about not celebrating the holidays and ‎that included Sad Friday. We couldn’t figure out what she was talking about and told her that the last ‎time we checked there wasn’t a holiday called Sad Friday. So we asked her, if she had the name right.‎

The woman responded and repeated, ‘There is a Sad Friday and we’re not celebrating it.’”‎

The narrator continued: “Do you mean ‘Good Friday’ which is two days before Easter and ‎usually happens either in March or April?”‎

Woman: “No it is Sad Friday and it happens before Christmas.”‎

Narrator: “Sorry but there is no such thing as a Sad Friday before Christmas. We’re all usually ‎pretty happy about the Friday before Christmas because it means soon we’re giving and getting gifts.”‎

Woman: “Yes there is a Sad Friday. I saw many stories about it on the internet.”‎

Narrator: “You couldn’t have possibly seen a real story about a Sad Friday on the internet.”‎

Woman: “You mean that the Internet can be wrong?”‎

Narrator repeated the statement to a round of laughter.‎

But wait! I think that the woman in question must have meant Black Friday, the start of the holiday ‎shopping season. So I guess both were right – just a mistaken translation!‎

Maybe . . . Maybe not. I'll stick to having sushi!

Beautiful and scrumptious sushi dinner! Worth the wait!

The B&B Spin and Why Words Matter

I arrive with Tweet at a wonderful south Asian bed and breakfast that we’ve found online. This trip is our R&R from our home away from home, and it’s a belated birthday gift. We’re the only guests at the small resort on this rainy afternoon.

The hotel manager comes out and as we begin our tour, and immediately tells us about a wedding party, “You know, a local wedding party considered moving in here for the weekend . . . “ The B&B manager pauses (and my face falls), “But I explained to the local family how we had already booked a nice couple in the nicest room at our B&B and that you had requested peace and quiet.”

I process this information internally. “Wow we’re so lucky that he read between the lines of my email inquiry to find a peaceful place,” I think.

Tweet, as always, patiently listens to the manager explain what he did to prevent the other party from booking, and then offers, “Well thank you but you know there is no need to prevent other guests. We like to meet new people. If you want to invite them back, please feel free. Don’t hold them back on our account.”

I think to myself, “Tweet, no! I do want peace and quiet and I don’t want to share this great view.”

The next day a local couple shows up. They look quickly at a room and then leave. We have the B&B to ourselves for the entire five days.

On the day we checkout, we have some overlap with a newly-arrived couple, who look not too unlike ourselves – young professionals who haven’t been outside to much. Out comes the manager speaking in a tone of voice I’d heard before, “You know, a local wedding party considered moving in here today . . . But I explained to them how . . .”

I look at Tweet. He smiles, “You knew, didn’t you?”

“No I didn’t know that I just got a line.”

Tweet says, “Well you felt good. That’s all that matters. And it’s not what’s being said but why it’s being said that matters.”

Dubai Aquarium

Happy New Year everyone!

Well, we've been traveling for the various holidays. One of our recent visits was to Dubai. And we went to the Dubai Aquarium.

That trip was a challenge for Tweet because he doesn't like shopping, and he's not a big fan of zoos (I'm not fond of zoos as well but as far as shopping that's an entirely different story.) We also love to scuba dive and be with aquatic life in its natural setting.

But I do like to visit aquariums - I think this interest must have something to do with growing up with and spending a lot of time at beaches (salt and fresh water).  So we went to the Aquarium and I got this funky photo . . . Thanks Tweet!

Should we enter the tunnel?

Just Feeling Like Posting A Video

The Official Barbie(TM) Video.

Sarah Palin Has Nothing On Yemen

I read a brief Associated Press interview recently that Sarah Palin’s unwanted biographer has completed his research. During his six months in ‎town, Sarah and her husband had installed a hastily-constructed fence to shield her ‎neighbors from viewing her home in Alaska. While her home improvement is probably a sight in the wide open spaces of Alaska, it’s nothing to what ‎a friend calls the Yemeni house abaya. ‎

Take a quick look at the house abaya of Yemen.

Styling in Yemen

Shirshaf in Old City Sana'a

This poor Arabian country is in the news a lot these days but even as analysts debate its future, new businesses have hope. Good luck to the new store called "Styled in Yemen"!