Encounter With a Creep

One thing I like to do is walk. I usually go for a walk early in the morning, at like 6, when the air is still crisp and the streets are relatively empty. I mostly circle around the neighborhood. I've done it for the past three years I think and today for the very first time, I've had an incident with a creep.

I was walking like usual, with one of my iPod headphones in my left ear, so I can still hear any approaching cars or so. I am always aware of my surroundings. I noticed that there was a man walking behind me but didn't think much of it. He was medium built, wearing black pants with a black jacket, clicking away on his mobile. At some point I notice that he's walking exactly behind me, as in two steps away, so I thought it be best to just turn around, go in the other direction and let him go past me, what I usually do in such situations. So I turn around, but the bastard turns right with me. Staring at him I watch him put his phone right in front of my face. I realized at that point that he's been following me, presumably shooting a video or photos. Why else would he stick the mobile in my face. I flipped out. Screaming at him, I snag the mobile out of his hand but he manages to take it back and starts running. I start running behind him and chase him down for half a street but then he takes a turn, so I decide to turn around so I'd catch him from the other side, but he had disappeared. I'm thinking he hid in one of the garages of the apartment buildings in that area.

Why the hell was he photographing me is beyond me. I was wearing black, baggy sweat pants and my older brother's over-sized hoodie. Other than the pony tail, I swear I looked like a teenage boy.

A man driving in his car saw what happened and asked what's the matter and said he would drive around and see if he can find him. I kept walking around in the area hoping I'd run into him. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had caught up with him. I wish I had snatched his mobile so I'd be able to find out who he is. I don't think I've ever gotten this angry in my entire life. I wanted to beat the shit out of him so bad. I think he was surprised when he saw that I was chasing him. He wasn't expecting that.

But all is well. The whole thing is just a tiny incident, and other than a cut in my finger (I think from when he snatched the mobile back), nothing happened. I'm gonna keep taking my morning walks as usual. I hope I run into him again, though.

This is just to say to all you ladies out there to be careful. Be aware of your surroundings. And fight back. Creeps do exist.

This Vacation's To-Do-List!

I finished my morning lectures a while ago, and my vacation has officially started. While I look forward to a 10 day vacation just like any other normal person, I'm kind of dreading the whole spending time with your family thing. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and everything, but 10 days of family time? No, thank you! (at this point I kinda wish my parents didn't know of this blog, but oh well.)

So anyway I made this list of stuff to do over the vacation. I make to-do-lists all the time, even though I almost never do anything I had planned to do, but I feel like I need to have a list. This vacation's list includes:

• Finish reading the Divine Comedy. I've been meaning to read it for quite some time now and so I downloaded the story version along with the the poem, since it's easier to follow. It includes Gustav Dore's illustrations which are just fascinating.

• Finish 1984 by George Orwell or at least get back to reading it. I started reading it back in June, but I only finished like 30 pages and then forgot about it. I'm not a very good reader I admit it, I'm very easily distracted.

• Put up the Christmas tree! Although I absolutely hate New Year's (something about the pressure of having to make resolution and new starts), I love Christmas time, and I get very excited about putting up the tree and watching the Christmas movies and making the cookies! But the weather has got to stop being sunny and warm. Start raining! We're in December!

• Watch a lot of TV. And I mean a lot. Maybe have a Gilmore Girls marathon with a couple of friends.

• Crash my friends' houses for Eid treats :D

• See if I can sign up for some activity with Cycling Jordan or Terhaal or something, seeing as I'm a member in their facebook groups and they send me messages each week about the activities they're offering but I always delete them because I think I never have the time.

• Finish the multitude of assignments I have to get done, which I just know I'm going to end up doing on the very last day. My procrastination habits will never die.

• Blog a little more often perhaps :$

So what will you be doing this vacation?

19

You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime

John P. Grier

It's been a very good year.

Back in Jordan!

After a month spent in Bremen, I am back again in beloved Jordan. Apologies for the lack of blogging, but I had no time to post anything. The course was great, the group I went with was great and the city itself was really nice. The weather was mostly cold, which in comparison with Amman's weather now is considered pretty good! Anyway, here are some pictures from the trip:


The Weser River, along which Bremen lies:

A statue at the City Centre representing die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, or the Town Musicians of Bremen, a Brothers Grimm fairytale about a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster who set off for Bremen to escape the abuse of their masters. On their way they enter a house and find a bunch of robbers, so they stand on each other's backs and make noises that scare off the robbers. The four animals have become the symbol of the city:

Pictures from the City Centre:

Hamburg:

























A trip to Heidepark, one of the biggest amusement parks in Germany and Europe:

The largest drop tower in the world, appropriately named Scream, drops 71 m in 2 seconds (at a speed of about 98km/h). I rode it twice :D

....and the steepest wooden roller coaster:

The island of Neuwerk on the North Sea. During low tide, the island can be reached by foot, which is what we did. 12 KM walking barefoot, to return later by ship. Hectic, but the scenery was breathtaking to say the least:

Some of the parks in Bremen:

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. Few observations:

• No food on the planet can measure up to Arabic food. Ever.
• Out of of a group of 20 people from Jordan, only 4 actually came from Jordan. All 20, however, were proud to say they're from Jordan :)
• Meeting people of different nationalities not only broadens your horizons, but makes you realise how similar people around the world are.
• You will actually miss hearing fireworks, honking cars and trucks in the streets.
• People around the world have immense respect and admiration for our King and Queen. Even if they don't know Jordan, just mention Queen Rania and they'll know where you're from.
• I really do suck at directions. I should never be allowed to lead groups of people around.
• When forced, I can manage to clean, shop for food, do laundry and iron. Therefore, contrary to my mother's beliefs, I will not die should I live alone.
  

Oh and Ramadan Mubarak lil jamee3! May it be a wonderful month with as few traffic accidents as possible!

Off to Germany!

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving to Germany, where I will be taking part in a language course until August 30th. I'll be staying in Bremen (circled red in the map below), a city in Northwest Germany. I hope I will be able to blog from there, but I'm not sure as to the Internet access there as of yet. Let's hope there will be so I don't go into withdrawal symptoms and die.

Auf Wiedersehen!

One Month Blogoversary

Observations of a Jordanian is officially a month-old! Don't worry, I won't be doing this every month, but it's a slightly significant milestone for me that I thought deserved a post. For some reason, don't ask me why, some people are actually liking the blog. Crazy, I tell ya. To be frank, when I made the blog, I had no clue what I'd do with it. I hadn't decided on what I would be writing about, I just thought I'd post whatever interested me. Post after post, I found myself sticking to the "serious" stuff, or local issues, and I was branded an "issues blogger", a title I find very flattering, especially considering that the Jordanian blogosphere doesn't have a lot of issue bloggers, and even fewer issue bloggerettes.

Anyway, i'm rambling. I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reading the blog, and fellow bloggers who've welcomed this newbie. Also, suggestions/ideas/criticism are always welcome. Besides, I can always delete your comments. :p

Am I the ONLY One Not Watching Noor?

Seriously. I don't get the obsession. Is there something wrong with me? Man this is worse than Bab il 7ara.

Laptop For Each Student Fraud

In January, students of Jordanian universities, including mine were informed of the "laptop for each student initiative" which provides students with laptops that are to be paid for in monthly installments of 9.95 or 14.95 JDs, depending on the option you choose. Even though the specifications of the laptops were unclear at the time (we didn't find out the brand until later), I went ahead and signed up. I mean 15 JDs a month? That sounded pretty reasonable. And they had us submit all sorts of paperwork in time for deadlines, or else our applications would be ignored. It all seemed very professional and organized.

Come March, we had to confirm our applications. Again, in time for very strict deadlines. They changed their minds and decided that instead of monthly installments, they'd have the students pay 90 JD each semester, and demanded that a parent come down immediately to sign the consent form and make an initial payment. Fine. No one complained. We were informed our laptops would arrive in two weeks time. When we asked around after nothing happened in two weeks, the university blamed it on the Ministry of Communications but assured us they would arrive shortly.

And here we are, the second payment is due in 2 months and no laptops, no nothing. Frankly, I had forgotten about the whole thing until I read this on Osama Romoh's blog. Apparently, there are a lot of students who signed up and were told the exact same thing.

This is ridiculous! With prices of laptops going down, it would've been cheaper for me to just buy the laptop. Even if they deliver the laptops this week, they'd still be making money off them. And if we want to back out, we can't. This article says that the students' demands at a refund were refused by the universities. What a scam.

I'm going to go down to the university and demand the refund, and if they say no, which I'm sure they will, I'm going to take the laptop whenever it should arrive. But I won't be making a single payment. Ra7 anashef damhom. I don't care whose fault is it, this is absurd. Stop treating us like idiots.

My First Post

I finally did it. My own blog. I've been itching to do it for quite some time now, but I always found something to hold me back, with me being the biggest procrastinator in the world and all. I've been using my facebook account to post and write things that interested me, so I decided I'll do the same here.

About a year ago, I started reading blogs, mostly local, and I came to the conclusion that blogs are pretty much the only form of free press we have in Jordan. So here I am, joining the blogosphere, in hopes of making a difference, as naive as that may sound, or at least to have my voice heard.

And so I hereby officially inaugurate the Observations of a Jordanian!