Why I’m against Internet Censorship in Jordan, and why I don’t really care

I’m against because: it’s not about protecting the society from destructive thoughts, it’s about what the government wants to be said and what they don’t want to. Nobody likes to be criticized, so it’s only natural that they try to prevent it while they can!

Why I don’t really care: because I don’t think that will keep me from saying what I want to say just like I do now, because I don’t believe that anything I write is harmful to the society or the stability of the country so there you go…

This is the last thing I’m going to say about this censorship farce

Why it’s Easy to Be Creative in Jordan (BAJD)

Although some people might beg to differ, but it’s actually not the hardest thing on earth to get creative and reap the rewards in Jordan, and here’s why:

1- A lot of material to work with. Just look around you! Wherever you look it’s a blend of interesting people, phenomena and landscape. So whether you’re a photographer, a writer, a poet or even an aspiring filmmaker, there’s a lot of inspiration out there, a lot to draw from and build on. And mind you, it’s not all about the positive shiny stuff, the negative side could be just as inspirational, and boy do we have a negative side!

2- Believe it or not, whine all you want, but there’s actually a lot of support for those who choose to tap into their own potential. From entities like the Royal Film Commission and Amman Film Cooperative to websites like Aramram and 7iber. Thankfully, there are still people who care about the big picture.

3- There’s always something to look forward to. A photo exhibition, a book signing, a movie showing, you name it! At any given week you may find a handful of pretty interesting events.

4- There are actually newcomers who are becoming well-known for their work all around Jordan, some sore of local celebrities, and I think this creates an energetic vibe and could be encouraging to other aspiring young people, or old for that matter!

I know we all say we don’t have time because our priority is to work to put food on the table but after all, not all the artists and scientists in the world were from the upper class who had no worries and no families to provide for. This might be an issue, but the real issue rests within the person him/herself. Do you want to do this? Can you make time for it? This is what we should be asking ourselves.

So, keep a pen and a notebook handy or just grab your camera and go out to the street, check out what’s out there and what activities are on, because if you’re in Jordan, there’s always something cooking!

As an added bonus, here are some pieces of Jordan, enjoy!

Blogging Anonymously

I was done with nicknames long time ago. That’s to say I’ve been using my real full name online for years.  In fact I find it kind of weird now when  meet someone in real life who I know from the net and they introduce themselves by their real name and then they provide their nickname or vice versa. It’s pointless to a certain extent.

Now yesterday I was thinking of writing about something, It’s not something I’m afraid t to talk about,  it’s just that I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. So then I thought, “Maybe if I haven’t been using my real name then I wouldn’t really have a problem with this”

But then again, it’s tricky. I mean, if you choose to remain incognito, then you’ll have to give up meeting people in person or such activities. You may also not share your online identity with the people you know in real life because your cover might be easily blown.

But why bother? Isn’t your online identity a part of your life and who you are?

I understand that in the past people were intimidated by the internet and the whole information and communication revolution. Girls used to have e-mail accounts with pseudo names and sharing your pictures online was much more controversial and limited that it is now. But that was in the past. I’m not saying that it’s absolutely safe to share information online now, but it’s becoming more familiar and normal than, say, 10 years ago.

For me I reached a stage where if I can’t talk about something as myself and without fear or shyness, then I’m probably better of not talking about it online. Don’t you think so?

Ideas to Blog about Jordan

 

Okay, so Blog about Jordan Day is just around the corner, it ahs been a success in the last couple of years and I’m hoping it will be this year too. Honestly, I didn’t participate that year and it was for a simple reason, which is, as I told myself: I couldn’t think of something to blog about, but in fact what happened is I did not try hard enough, well actually I did not try at all, because if  I did I’d probably found a million things to talk about.

So, if you’re thinking of skipping it this year because you’re too lazy to think of something, here’s a list of things you could write about.

1- Jordan’s intrahistory: which means the history of ordinary people, those who don’t make it to history books. Write about any Jordanian person you think should be recognized, it could be your grandfather, your teacher, your neighbor, it could be anyone.

2- Take random pictures of interesting things, people or landscapes.

3- Write about your favorite places in Jordan, you could make a list of your favorite restaurants, cinemas, tourism sites, etc.

4- Write about a Jordanian poet, writer,  novel, etc.

5- Write an ode to Mansaf

6- Write about the online community in Jordan

Okay, that’s all for now, there are no copyrights on these idea you can use whichever you want, just write! And feel free to add any ideas you’d like to share

 

فرصة عمل

 

“Seeking Egyptian workers”

Posted on the door of  a restaurant in Jabal Amman

Not German, not Italian, not Polish… Egyptian.

What if it’s a German citizen who also has an Egyptian passport? hmmmm

I’m not going to discuss the reasons why we see such ads, let’s say Egytians workers proved themselves to be quite effecient and professional, with little grievances. German workers on the other hand are a bit high maintanence.

This reminded me of this post for some reason. I wonder why!

http://www.mab3oos.com/2010/02/dear-jordanians-i-invite-you-all-to.html

Snooze Shmooze

Last night, in the last hour before sunrise, someone stood by my bed and nudged me on the arm, waking me up

I did wake up, but there was nobody there. I looked around, maybe it was my father or my brother…

Nobody. I was dreaming.

After all, how could I have seen him unless it was a dream?

What was weird is that at the same exact moment I woke up, I heard the alarm going off. It was time for Al-Fajr prayer

I set the alarm to snooze and told myself I’ll get up the next time it rings.

I didn’t

And it felt like crap. When will I learn that snoozing doesn’t work?

It does not!

Mish Pointless ep. 5: Pictures Edition

Someone said “I’m glad I was born before tea” I say, “I’m also glad I was born before tea bags”

 

…And then the little terrified turtle looked on with weary eyes and thought: “won’t these brats ever leave us alone?”

“You may delay, but time won’t”

 Together since ever

 

Just a quiet, sunny morning

لما احترق الأقصى

قبل 40 سنة لما انحرق المسجد الأقصى، كانت رئيسة الوزراء الإسرائيلية وقتها هي جولدا مائير، فلما صار اللي صار اختبات وطلبت تشديد الحراسة عليها، فسألوها ليش هيك مرعوبة، قامت حكت:

“إنتوا عارفين شو يعني المسجد الأقصى ينحرق؟ هلأ الأمة العربية والإسلامية كلها رح تثور علينا”

مر اليوم الأول، لا شيء سوى الشجب والاستنكار

اليوم التاني، نفس الإشي

اليوم التالت، شرحو

جولدا شافت الموضوع هيك، قالتلهم : “هاي شكلها الشغلة فارطة، جهزوا حالكم من هون لعشرين تلاتين سنة اتهدوا الأقصى”

هاي القصة سمعتها اليوم، مش عارفة أستحي ولا أزعل ولا شو أحس…ز

يا ترى لساتنا بنحس؟

يا ترى لو شفنا المسجد الأقصى بنهد رح يتحرك إشي فينا؟

المصيبة مش بس إنه ينهد الأقصى، المصيبة ينهد وأمة كاملة واقفة بتتفرج، ويا ريتها بتتفرج عالأقصى، بتتفرج عستار أكاديمي وآخر مسلسل تركي على إم بي سي!

أمة كانت في يوم من الأيام أمة صلاح الدين وعمر المختار والمليون شهيد…ز

أمة محمد، صلى الله عليه وسلم… أمة كان الأقصى قِبلتها الأولى

صلاح الدين قال في يوم من الأيام: كيف أضحك والقدس أسير؟

بالله عليكم مش إشي بخلي الواحد يستحي من حاله؟

جولدا مائير قبل أكتر من 40 سنة كانت تخطط لهدم الأقصى، بس يا ترى لو انهدم الأقصى رح يصير اللي كانت مائير خايفة منه وهو إنه أمة كاملة تصحى؟ ولا حيصير اللي إحنا خايفين منه، وهو إنه أمة كاملة تنمسح بكرامتها الأرض؟

Pictures: Early Spring?

Spotted a nice scene on my way home today. I explored the area and found  quite the scenery out there, as if  it was hit by an early wave of spring. This is in Marj Al-Hamam by the way.

The last picture was meant to capture the green meadow with the clouds, but I ended up capturing sunset

Dump him, he’s a Loser!

Well, I’m not a relationship expert, but some relationships don’t need an expert to tell you that it’s a prospective disaster in the making. Here are some real life examples of people who wasted their time and energy on what turned out to be a lost cause. I’m not going to mention what the nature of the relationship was or many details about those people as not to disclose their identities

P.S: excuse the title, I know the girl could be the one who’s a loser, but you know, it’s a title not a synopsis!

Case 1:

She’s a very beautiful girl, and she’s with that guy. It’s not that looks matter but for the sake of this story I have to point out that the guy wasn’t exactly handsome and the girl was really beautiful. So, for some reason or another, he keeps making comments about her looks, criticizing the tiniest details and the way she dresses. He also criticized her figure. So, at last she decides to go on a diet without telling him. A while later she loses 6 KGs. She sees him, and out of nowhere he goes: “Look at yourself!! You’ve put on weight! Can’t you do anything for me?”

Of course that was the last stroke, obviously the problem wasn’t her, there was something wrong with him!

Case 2:

That was like a movie! I knew 3 people, a girl in high school, a guy in his twenties and another girl in her twenties 2. Some how I discover that the guy is involved in a relationship with those two girls. I go tell them and what do they do? The high school girl tells me what he tells her, that they are only friends. Trust me, I know wha’ts “only friends” and what’s not, and obviously she knew it but was in denial. The second girl didn’t believe me either. In fact, I think she thought I was jealous and wanted him for myself. Ewwww! Anyway, she remembered that a year later when he dumped her to marry another girl. He told her his parents wouldn’t approve of her. I guess she knew I wasn’t the bad guy after all…

Nonetheless, I still think I did the right thing, and the proof to that is that I didn’t lose any of those girls as friends at the end. I’d still do it today so don’t mess with anyone I know!

 

Case 3:

She had a very good average grade in high school that she could easily get into a public university, but she doesn’t, why? Because he didn’t go to university and he doesn’t want her to go either. Okay, the girl was being stupid and didn’t know better, what about her parents? Education is one thing I am willing to force my children to do!

Not only that, soon after he tells her that his father wants him to marry another girl, but he still wants her to be his girlfriend because he doesn’t love that girl and he told his father he won’t be responsible for her. You know, a girlfriend and a wife he’s not responsible for, isn’t that what every sucker wants? And the funniest bit was when she told him: what if your wife got pregnant? Do you know what he answered? You’ll love this, he said: “We’ll use protection”

Thankfully, the girl came to her senses and she’s now back to school, top of her class.

 

Case 4:

A guy who’s with this really beautiful girl, yet whenever there are girls around he’s ogling them and checking them out. In her presence. She confronts him with that and he goes: “you’re so uptight! All guys do that!”

Well if you’re so desperate to look at other girls then at least don’t be so blunt about it!

 

Case 5:

He’s a really good guy, actually he might be reading this right now, and he’s been with that girl for over 2 years and now she left him to marry another guy. This is not the problem, the problem is when she’s going through a rough time she calls him and cry. I told him to block her out, cut her off, he said he can’t because she can’t cry in front of someone else, she can’t cry to the guy she’s with now, and he couldn’t turn his back to her” See? I told you he’s good, too good that I want to smack him on the head to wake him up!

Now I know it maybe complicated, but everything else aside, isn’t the only guy you can cry in front of the guy you’re supposed to be with? Yes it’s complicated, but nonetheless it’s unfair for any of the three parties involved in this triangle!

 

Case 6:

Well it’s actually a case in itself it’s a group of cases I think we all witnessed at some point. You know, the college girl who can’t stand to stay alone for two days so she takes on a boyfriend, then at some point she dumps him because she had a suitor. Or the girl who stays with someone because he makes her feel good about herself and then when he gets so attached to her she discovers that she wasn’t in love with him, she was in love with the fact that he was in love with her.

My question to the first type of girls is:

I f you are so eager to get married at a young age, then why on earth do you get involve in a relationship that’s obviously doomed in that respect?

And to the second type:

Instead of hurting people so that you can satisfy your ego, learn how to appreciate yourself and to separate fact from fiction, that is to say, real love from loving the feeling of being loved.

At the end, no matter what you say people still fall for this and still learn the hard way. You know what they say, people learn from their own mistakes.

 

I’d say that wise people learn from the mistakes of others. Whoever said that was spot-on…