دودج دورانجو الجديدة جدا جدا جدا
مبارح كنت بغير بالقنوات، فلفت انتباهي برنامج عن السيارات على الفضائية الأردنية. ما بعرف من متى هل برنامج موجود، مش مهم انه معظم السيارات اللي بحكوا عنها أكثر من 75% من الشعب ما معوا يشتريها جديد، واللي معه أصلا ما حيكون حاط على الفضائية الأردنية. لفت انتباهي انه المقدم بس بمدح بالسيارة زي الدعايات مش زي برنامج سيارات محايد، يعني ما سمعت ايش عيوب ( السيارة دودج دورانجو) بس أنا أكثر اشي جلطني لما المقدم بحكي لممثل الشركة ، انه السيارة سعرها كثير مناسب بالنسبة للمواصفات وللطبقة الفوق المتوسطة. طبعا كم سعر السيارة؟
بين 45000 و65000 دينار. 45000 دينار قادر عليه الطبقة الفوق المتوسطة بالأردن؟ ايش تعريف هاي الطبقة ؟
مفروض برنامج سيارات بالأردن يحكي بس عن الكيا سيفيا و عن فحص الشاصي ، من وحل الواقع يعني مش دودج دورانجو اللي سعرها بمتناول الطبقة الفوق متوسطة !!
اشي ( ما ) بضحك
اليوم كان ثاني فعالية بحضرها في الهيئة الملكية للأفلام ضمن مهرجان الفيلم الفرنسي العربي، حلو انو بالمرتين المسرح مليان وفي ناس بتكون مكومة على الدرج. المهم الفيلم اليوم كان ” عندك نكتة؟” أو “ (No) Laughing matter” للمخرجة الفرنسية فانسيا روسولو، طبعا ما اتفكروا انو بعرفها من قبل! وهاي اعلان الفيلم
الفيلم بحاول ايصال فكرة عن حياة الفلسطينيين تحت الاحتلال بطريقة غريبة شوي، المخرجة وطاقمها بلفلفوا في فلسطين للبحث عن النكتة الفلسطينية و الفكاهة الفلسطينية، ردة فعل الناس بتختلف حسب العمر والمكان والثقافة. بس المهم انه كل واحد بحكي نكته بكون حامل هم وحزن عن 100 سنة. أغلبية اللي حكوا كانوا عاملين دمج بين النكتة والحياة الكئيبة تحت الاحتلال. الفلسطيني بدو أي متنفس عشان يحكي عن حياته ومعاناته.
حتى المأساة بتعمل أحلى نكت، نكت بتمزج ضحك بنكد مثل نكتة معجنة فلسطين ( لازم تحضروا الفيلم) وهي نكتة عفوية ، في مخبز بعمل معجنات واسم معجنة معجنة فلسطين وفيها من ألوان العلم بندورة وريحان، ومن المعجنة الكبيرة ( فلسطين التاريخية) وتقسيم فلسطين وفق المستجدات والتطورات الاقليلمية من احتلال ال48 وال67 وانقسام الضفة وغزة ومناطق ألف ومناطق (ب) بتصفي فلسطين أو معجنتها قطعة صغيرة لا تغني ولا تسمن عن جوع.
المخرجة وصحفي بلجيكي *حضروا العرض ودار نقاش كان فيه أسئلة حلوة وكم سؤال كان نفسي أشوف شكل اللي سأل، الفيلم جاب فلسطنيين من الضفة وغزة ( عبر Skype) ومن فلسطينني ال48 في أخ سأل انه الفيلم بحكي عن الفكاهة الفلسطينية وبعدين شفنا حالنا بمناطق أخرى, الأخ حسب ما فهمنا معترض على عرض فلسطيني من ال48 على أساس انه فلسطيني، المضحك انه اللي رد عليه أول كان المخرجة والصحفي اللي أكد انه وفق ما هو بعرف اسرائيل قائمة على أرض فلسطينية. يعني البلجيكي يحكي هيك والعربي مش معترف بفلسطينية المقيميين على ال48؟
الفيلم تم ازالة الصوت من بعض مقاطعه مع ابقاء الترجمة، المقاطع كانت لكلمات تتعلق بالذات الإلهية وكلمات أخرى مش مؤدبة أوي، في ناس ما عجبها الموضوع، بس رد مسؤولة العرض كان أكثر من كاف لاقناع اللي بده يقتنع، يعني شو الفايدة انه الفيلم يكون مافيه حذف اشي اذا اللي حضروه 10 أو 20 من اللي بعتبروا حالهم مثقفين بدون حدود، الفيلم حتى يوصل فكرة لازم يشاهده أكبر عدد. والمشكلة انه التشفيير كان على الصوت بس، يعني الترجمة كانت كاملة.
ما كنت متوقع الفيلم هيك، وما قرأت عنه قبل. وبعد ما احضرته طبعا بنصح الكل يحضروا على الرغم من خدشه لبعض نواحي ثقافتنا، واللي في عنده امكانية يعرضوا لناس أجانب ما بعرفوا عن القضية الفلسطينية اشي بكون أحسن وأحسن. خلاصة الفيلم بالنسبة الي انه قدر ايوصل صورة الفلسطيني للاخر بشكل بعيد جدا عن نمطية الأخبار والصحف والأفلام التجارية، نقل الفيلم الفلسطيني من الكائن الموشح بلفحة سوداء وبكره ” اليهود” الى انسان بضحك وبحزن بخبز وبفتح الانترنت وبستعمل جوجل وسكايب ، وبحاول ايعيش تحت الاحتلال على أمل يجي يوم وايحل عنه وعن أرضه.
* تحديث: أنا ذاكرتي ضعيفة فمش فاكر اذا كان بلجيكي أو فرنسي
Sports City
I am showing some of my positivity in this post 
I have been going to the running track for the past three days and I am loving it. Although it’s in the center of Amman (somehow) but you barely hear any noise from the city. I was introduced to this track by a friend of mine last summer, before that I really didn’t know that it existed. I am surprised that we have something like this in Jordan and I hope that we will have similar and better tracks in the future. A green place where people can exercise for free.
I am not a runner but I like to be :p I like walking or fast walking and sometimes I push myself to run. I started using this app on my phone and it’s very good in tracking what I do and encourages me to do more in the next visit.
Here are some pictures that I took yesterday
Header!
Yes, I don’t write here that much or at least not as before, but nevertheless I deserve a good header for my blog
My friend designed one for me, I like it.
Thank you Wedad :O
Tax on mobile internet services in Jordan
Now we know that the tax on mobile phone services is around 30%, so 12 JDs recharge card will cost around 15.6. Tax on internet services like ADSL is 8%. This tax is the same for WiMAX and 3G based internet using USB dongle / router. Now what I find strange that if I buy an internet bundle or bolt from Zain to use it on my mobile phone I will be paying 30% tax to use the internet. So basically if you are using 3G service via a USB dongle you will pay 8% but if you are using the same service using your mobile phone you will pay 30 %. The thing is I can use my mobile phone as a wi-fi hot spot and use the internet bundle on my laptop. 8% should be fixed for all kind of internet technologies, don’t you think so ?
Here it says that the tax will be 8% regardless of the technology used. Are we getting ripped off two times ? First because of the high tax on mobile services and secondly because we are getting charged for extra 22% on the mobile internet services? Is there something that I am not aware of ?
Just another random post
….1….
Today we got 3D glasses with Al Ghad newspaper, today they started putting some 3D ads in the newspaper. I didn’t find it that useful but anyway, it’s for free and if you have the time and effort to put the glasses on whenever you see the 3D sign then enjoy. I don’t think that we need 3D glasses in Jordan, I want only to be able to see the truth behind the 2D newspaper. They should send us “truth glasses” . Something that we can use to read statements by officials. How will an Arabic newspaper look with such glasses? Empty maybe?
…..2….
While wandering around in City mall, I walked by Opel’s stand where they had an Astra and Insignia. I was reading the specifications when someone asked me to take his picture next to the Astra. I said to myself, well this is weird! What’s so interesting about an Astra? I remembered that in my short trip to LA, people gathered around a car, it was a Bugatti. I don’t think that any other car would have been able to slow people down there. Where Maserati, Rolls Rise and Mercedes are like Kia Sephia to Jordan. Well, I hope one day that people in Jordan will only stop to take a picture next to a Bugatti. Allah kareem.
RawanCake, the finale
I went to Rawan Cake to grab some cake ( obviously ) , and the place was loaded with people but not that much of people waiting on the cash. Anyway, I bought a cake for 7.5 JDs and gave the cashier 20, and when I checked the amount he gave me back it was 7.5. I was 99% sure that I gave the man 20 since it was the only 20 in my wallet and actually the biggest bill there, I went back to him telling him so. He said no you gave me 10, I told him if I gave you 10 you would have given me 2.5 ! He said we have to check it on the camera to see. Although I told him logically it seems that I am right, because otherwise I would have taken the extra 5. Anyway, I waited for 10 minutes during which I kept reminding him to see if the magnificent man behind the closed door checked the camera or not, but they were very slow. I told him that 10 minutes is too much to check a camera! His tone changed and his voice become louder, although I was talking politely but customer service is something very rare in Jordan let alone such a place! He told me give me your mobile number and we will call you at the end of the day Here I asked to see a manager , he said there is no manager! I told him I want to see the one in charge then, he said I don’t know where he is. Then, another man came and said sorry , you gave us 20! The cashier even didn’t say sorry. I complained to the other guy and told him that this is not the correct way to deal with a customer and walked away. I now regret it, because I should have took my money back and gave them the stupid cake. I thought that this place was getting a little bit better but I was wrong. Apparently understanding the concept of customer service is harder that solving Maxwell’s equations for these people. I am known for complaining a lot about places, but it’s really not me During my studies in Boston, I don’t remember that I encountered such incidents. I remember that I went back to a small pizza place after maybe 20 minutes because he made a similar mistake, he returned the money and said sorry many times without the need for a camera or any blah blah.
Same old same old…
You can find a manual/ guide for everything these days, from those two lines guides telling you how to open a medicine bottle to a 7000 pages manual for a satellite (I never saw one but I assume). I was given a guide two years ago, a gift from my scholarship program. A guide that covers living in the US from day one to the last day. To tell you the truth, although I read the whole thing I don’t think I used that much of it, but something I liked was talking about the culture shock of going back home. Well, they know it and we know it, It’s not easy to compare Jordan with the US and of course I will have some kind of shock, but the question here is did I change in the past two years? Do I look at Jordan differently now?
I used to compare the situation in Jordan with so many countries even before studying in the US, we lack so many things but it surely depends on the country, if you compare Jordan with Syria you would say that it’s more “developed”. The most annoying aspect that I face in my daily life is dealing with people; we really have some issues here! Few days ago I went to a Zain branch to get the internet settings for my mobile phone since the automatic configuration didn’t work. I took a number from the machine and instantly my number was called to counter 4, but I had to wait for like 1 minute because the guy was talking to his colleague. I really don’t mind waiting 5 minutes, but if you call my number it means that you are ready to have me, if you are not ready don’t just press it. Then, you have to give the customer some attention and not keep looking at the screen like I am not there, you are a customer service representative for god’s sake. Anyway, the guy told me that he doesn’t know how to work with these devices, and according to him, the guy who knows was not there that day and I should come another time. So I need an expert from Zain to get internet settings for my phone?
Few days ago I went to Fudrucker. Since when it’s a must to use a valet? Isn’t this a service? An optional one? It’s not just about this restaurant; all the places want to get money out of it! Most of the parking lots were occupied by valet signs and were empty, so where should the customers park? On the streets? Why should I hand my car to someone that I don’t know, and don’t know if he has a driving license to start with! In case something happens to the car they will show you a printed line on the card they gave you saying something like “ We shall not be held responsible and the holder of this ticket assumes all risks in respect to loss or damage to the vehicle and its contents regardless of cause “ This is actually what is written on one of the valet cards that I took a picture of in 2009. ( Ok , here is the card)
I discovered that the seats had awful cuts, reminded me of the coaster bus rides that I used to have , just get a “ control” and you will get the same atmosphere. I remember when Fudrucker opened, the manager or the duty manger was there in almost all my visits, workers were much friendlier. It’s always the same thing with business owners in Jordan, they start with a 5 stars service and end up closing after few years or people just live with the bad quality.
Why do Jordanian hotels hate Jordanians?
Breakfast buffet? I was behind a European lady in the bakery line; she was monitoring what’s happening on that stand. People taking some bread then putting some back after touching it. A mother left her little daughter alone there, she replaced one donut after having a bite 
then replaced all what she had in her dish back to the bakery baskets. The lady was disgusted to the degree that she was willing to skip the breakfast and that what she did.
Some pool news again: They usually close all swimming pools and leave the main one open till 10 pm, in our second day they did close this one too, which made me wonder why they change their policy each day! A friend of mine told me afterwards that he heard the employees talking about finding stool in the pool too so they closed it early that night to clean it.
I remember reading a review of one of Sharm el Sheik’s hotels, the review was by an American girl and most of her review was focused on the behavior of Jordanian groups.
P.S : I don’t know if the same one did it twice or two different people, this is one of the mysteries that needs to be solved.
This post only represents my experience and it doesn’t mean at all that all of our people behave the same way but I can assure you if we keep on doing this few of those who come to Jordan will recommend it to their friends.
AIPAC.. Outreaching
Well they play it the right way. Every year AIPAC sends hundreds of invitations to students from all over the US. Students who most probably are involved in student’s government or active students bodies and have leadership rules or attributes. Their logic is that the leaders of the US will most probably come from such students. So think about it, an american student who knows a little bit about the true situation of the Israeli occupation, and he gets an invitation from the most powerful lobby in the US for a fully paid trip to Washington DC. How many of those will be likely to understand the real situation when he or she be a leader or activist in the US politics…
This is a video from their last meeting
US army..Iraqi freedom 101
A video was released by Wikileaks showing US soldiers in an Apache shooting more than 12 people. Based on the video, they thought that one or two men were carrying an RPG and a gun, So they started shooting everyone. It’s obvious that the concept of ”presumption of innocence” is not applied on Arabs.
I wonder, if these are the kind of videos that leaked, imagine how many massacres that we don’t know about. I think that these soldiers were just playing a live video game
“Keep shooting!,” yells a U.S. soldier recorded in the chopper radio traffic.
“Oh yeah, look at those dead bastards,” responds another.
“Nice!” adds a third.
I checked the news in some websites, Alarabyeh website did not mention anything about this video ! The irony is that fox news had it in its first page.
Check this report http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=36182090�
زيتون أسود بدون صبغة
This is something I wrote in 2004, I found it while I was having a look at my old posts in Mahjoob.com forum… It’s still valid till now, I mean the post.
حتى الزيتون صار يصبغ حتى يكون أسودا !
ألا يكفينا سوادا ؟
زيتون أسود خالي من الأصباغ عبارة طبعت بالخط المزركش على عبوة زيتون أسود وكأنها ميزة ” بدون صبغة ” لأول مرة أعرف بوجود زيتون أسود مصبوغ.
من الآن سأفكر جديا بالاكتفاء بالزيتون الأخضر.
ألا يكفينا سوادا حتى نصبغ الزيتون أيضا؟
شريط الأخبار يهرول أمامي وأنا أحاور ذاتي بقصة الزيتون
العالم كله أسود .. شبه عالمنا العربي أسود
احتلالا ن صريحان وأُخرَ خافيات
ماذا لو كانت أسود تكافيء عربي ، مثلا زيتون عربي،ويوجد قهوة عربية ربما لأنها سوداء أيضا
هكذا ندخر كلمة أسود لشيء أكثر سوادا – إن وجد –ما علينا .. يقولون أشعل شمعة ولا تلعن الظلام . ماذا لو أشعلنا شمعة ولعنا الظلام؟؟
هل سيغضب الظلام؟
أرى شمعتين فلسطين والعراق..
أنا ألعن الظلام إذا أنا إنسان.
أيضا من شريط الأخبار .. لا أدري أي شريط ؟ جزيرة عربية ميلودي سيارة …
كثرو ما شالله
دم هنا ودم هناك وبضع تفجيرات و فنجان قهوة عربية
يضحون بدمائهم .. نحن دائما نضحي .. الاستشهادي يضحي بدمه
والأمريكان يضحون بنا
والمسلمون يضحون ببعضهم والخرفان
نحن كلنا نضحي في سبيل القضية
تحيا اللحمة …
ملاحظة : اللحمة كانت أسعارها مش نارية وقتها بس هل أيام أحسن أحكي تموت اللحمة
محاضرة!
من أكثر من شهر رحت احضرت محاضرة بعنوان " الصراع من أجل القدس: هل يمكن أن يقدم حوار الديانات حلا؟" ، المحاضرة ألقتها دكتورة اسرائيلية زائرة عنا بالجامعة.
المهم، تقريبا خلصت المحاضرة وما جابت سيرة لا حوار ديانات ولاحوار طرشان. كل المحاضرة كانت بالعربي كيف انو القدس النا من زمان واحنا ارجعنالها. طبعا هاي أول مرة بكون بمحاضرة زي هيك. إنو تكون تسمع حكي ممنطق كيف الناس احتلو بلدي اشي بعصب!
للاسف ما كان عندي معلومات كافية أناقش، هيَا محضّرة وجايبة سلايداتها. بس أنا سألت كم سؤال عن الهجرة اليهودية للقدس وأرقام اليهود والعرب والقوانين الدولية. بتحكي إنو الهجرة اليهودية للقدس كان هدفها ديني بس مافي اشي تاني. الي بعصب أكتر انو معظم الموجودين مش عارفين أصلا اشي وعم ياخدو منها معلومات. في ناس أصلا مش عارفة مين احتل مين.
كان في وحدة أمريكية صارت اتناقش برضو بنفس نقاطي بس كان عندها معلومات أحسن فانحرجت الدكتورة اشوي.
بعد المحاضرة أجاتني وحدة من المنظمات بتحكيلي أسفة ما كنت أعرف انو هيك المحاضرة
I am glad that you didn’t kill her
الخلاصة ؟ انو الواحد لازم يتعلم تاريخ أكثر، مع انو صراحة مع مثل هاي مافي فايدة، اذا بحكيلها انو القدس الشرقية أرض محتلة دوليا، عادي مافي مشكلة.
اذا أنا من محاضرة انسم بدني كيف العايشين باحتلال يوم بيوم؟
It’s windy and raining, don’t stay out late!
My mother used to text me this message whenever some rain starts to touch the still ground with some shaky wind. I used to get angry because of that saying to myself “I am not out there on a camel, the wind will not eat me nor will I be swimming with my car to my home. “
Now it’s cold, raining and windy, but I am thousands of miles away with seven hours time difference. I am defiantly not getting any don’t stay out that late messages.
It amazes me how I sometimes miss things that used to make me angry.
Anyway, It has been a while since my last post, I thought that WordPress will kick me out after all of this time, but they didn’t. Glad that the free things in this world are still free.
iPhone 3G special offers !!!
I don’t know what’s so special about their offers? http://orange.jo/iphone_site/special_offers.php
I read a part of an interview with the CEO of Orange mobile, he said something like” Orange’s subscribers will be able to live the full experience of the iPhone 3G”. How will they be able to have such experience without using the 3G service itself*!
Now let’s forget about the 3G service, let’s think about the cheapest offer iGold 500, they will give you 500 minutes, 500 MB of data (not 3G speed of course) and a package of 250 SMS, all of that for 30 JDs and the iPhone 8GB itself for 299 JDs. Well 500 MB is nothing if you want to think about the iPhone Internet capability where it can load full web pages and play youtube videos, Watching such videos will certainly require more than 500 MB. Now let’s read the conditions of using the 500 MB
To ensure optimal quality of its voice and data service across the network and in order to make this service accessible to all, Orange reserves the right to suspend any service that comes with this package in the event of abuse of the service, such as:
The data service offered can only be accessed with your iPhone.
Whenever Orange suspects that behavior of any kind listed above has occurred, Orange retains the right to make checks in order to protect its network.
In the event of any of the above-mentioned forms of abuse, Orange has the right to suspend at any time the service you are using.
You can’t use your 500 MB for VoIP, or connecting your laptop. What about UK? check this link http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paymonthly
pick the 35 pounds monthly plan , with this plan you will get unlimited Data and WiFi, 600 minutes and 500 SMS and the iPhone 8GB itself for 99 pounds.
In City Mall the iPhone display counter was empty (really empty when I passed by it few days ago) I think that shows the predicted number of people that are going to buy it from Orange!
* 3G service is not available in Jordan yet, we will possibly have it in 2009.
