Becoming A Cynic

Usually I would spend a minimum of an hour a day reading up on newspapers online from alghad to ammon and so on. But lately I haven't been in the mood at all. Lately everytime I open the homepage of the news site, I'd just get frustrated and exit. I'm so sick of politics and I'm beginning to believe it's not the way to change anything around here. I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't know what's the way to change anything around here. I'm becoming more and more pessimistic everyday.

I didn't expect to become a cynic so soon.

A Thought

Just like we wouldn’t label a child as liberal or conservative, democrat or republican, shouldn’t we, by the same logic, refrain from labeling children as Muslim, Christian or Jewish? If they are too young to understand politics, aren’t they just as young to understand religion? You could argue that while politics is something one would choose, religion is not. But shouldn’t religion, something that determines one’s way of life, be taken out of conviction and not by inheritance?

I’m not looking to start a discussion on religions here, I am merely pointing out the absurdity in labeling children of a certain religion, or in teaching them JUST their parents’ religion.

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?

Patriotism or Pretention?

Today, in commemoration of the 9/11 attacks, my university had planned to observe a minute silence outside the university building. But what was intended as a respectful ceremony to pay homage to the victims seemed to have turned into spectacle of festivities. From students dancing dabkeh to the songs of Omar Al Abdallat on car speakers to the loud and sudden chants of ya3eesh jalalat il malak il mo3atham (long live his majesty the king).

Now I have nothing against pledging allegiance to your country, heck I listen to the same songs on Mohammad il Wakeel's show in the car whenever I have early classes (better than coffee to wake you up... well, almost.) But I wonder if this public display of chants and patriotic slogans is genuine, or is it just another show for us to sing and shout at? I wonder if the same people wearing their hattas oh so proudly wouldn't toss it away in the blink of an eye for a chance to move to the US let's say. I'm not one to judge here, but I think there's more to patriotism than chants and songs.

It bugged me how a sad memory was made into a parade.

Nothing Much

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I am definitely not helping with the boring blog status 7aki was talking about. The news is boring, same nonsense that makes you want to jump off a cliff. The difference is I haven't been in the mood to discuss it and depress myself. And I can't find anything else decent to talk about. I didn't think I'd be suffering from a writer's block this early. Ugh. But here you go, in a desperate attempt for a post, enjoy this obscenely hilarious video from Maz Jobrani. :D

P.S. I finally got my laptop. Praise the Lord. An Acer 5620G. It's a nice laptop.

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.