Hmmmm, what to write about? It feels difficult to write again after disconnecting from the blogging world for a while.
To start on a funny note, this is one of my favorite Abu Mahjoob videos that relates to the post :
Well, I'm done with my first year MBA in the US and now I'm back for the summer to Amman.
You know those people who go to the States and come back nasyeen il 3arabi o mish tay2een il balad? ok that's not me!
But to tell you the truth, when you leave Amman and comes back after a year, a lot of little and big things disturb you.
#1 Impatient People
Hada il no3 bitshufo kul ma7al, masalan in the car. When the traffic light turns green shukran lalli warak coz without his beeping horn you are uncapable of knowing that the light is green.
It reminds me of the talk show where the contestants have to press the button super fast to be able to answer. Ya3ni the process of stepping on the gas pedal the instant the light turns green takes 2 seconds ya jama3a, istannuni 2 seconds. La2! lazem adrob bil mandal o a3raf 2 seconds prior to the change in light that it will turn green. Keef ma a3raf? mish i go through this traffic on daily basis? I have plenty of time to calculate it 3ashan il DABBEH illi warak ma yistanna 2 seconds for me to move.
This traffic light issue is a cliche, very known o khalas Lara talk about something we don't know about.
Ok! Impatient people standing in lines at the supermarkets/ restaurants:
"all animals are equal but some animals are more equal then others!" (Animal Farm, George Orwell). haik bil zabt ba7iss when I stand in line.
I reach the cashier to pay, but there's a guy behind me who doesn't want to wait coz he has only 1 item. Tab ana wa2fe! Or better yet, I pay and the cashier hands me back change, I need to put it back to my wallet, close it, put it back to my purse and take the bag. The second I'm handed the change back, the person behind me takes over, tab wait a minute!
At fastfood spots, if you dare to THINK what you want to eat, the person behind you has the right to order because he already made up his mind. Really? min kul 3a2lak?
At the elevator is the most dramatic one, people don't have the logic of waiting for the people inside the elevator to leave before boarding. They think they gain points if they get inside the elevator first. Akhkhkh
#2 Ogling People
I don't understand why people ogle. This is not restricted to people in the street who, 7aram, never saw a girl in their lives (jad, their moms and sisters are not girls, they are creatures bas not girls, these oglers will swear by this), it's everywhere, bil mall, bil cafes, bil clubs, anywhere you go. I forgot how much people tend to look and stare here.
The best kinds are those that ogle you while walking, fa their necks twist 180 degrees to make sure nothing happens that they don't witness.
I'm suffering from this from males and females, males undress you with their eyes and females give you the 'death look' :s
#3 Our reaction to street flirting معاكسات
I will not elaborate on the disgust I feel when I walk down ANY street in Amman and hear a random comment from males, I'm just shocked how we're raised up dressing decently and accepting crap from guys in the streets. It's humiliating ya jama3a, we're so numb that we don't feel it anymore. We just ignore o ya raito nafe3. Guys say really bad phrases out loud thinking they're the best gift from God to women.
Law il shurta mumkin ti3mal ishi kan shakeithom bas حاميها حراميها
This culture is humiliating women b kteer ashya2, but not to be able to walk in your own country and feel comfrotable 3aib jad ma biseer. متى سنرتقي؟
#4 Lack of a system
Any kind of transaction that you encounter lacks a system. This includes everything around you, from inquiring about something over the phone, to finding your lost item at the pool, to attending a wedding ceremony. Please ma twaj3uli albi.
I really don't want to be one of those people who doesn't like anything in Jordan. I do, ana bint il balad bas bardo.
I know someone out there will comment: مش عاجبك اترك البلد
and I'll say I am, by the end of summer, but my loved ones are here ..........
To start on a funny note, this is one of my favorite Abu Mahjoob videos that relates to the post :
Well, I'm done with my first year MBA in the US and now I'm back for the summer to Amman.
You know those people who go to the States and come back nasyeen il 3arabi o mish tay2een il balad? ok that's not me!
But to tell you the truth, when you leave Amman and comes back after a year, a lot of little and big things disturb you.
#1 Impatient People
Hada il no3 bitshufo kul ma7al, masalan in the car. When the traffic light turns green shukran lalli warak coz without his beeping horn you are uncapable of knowing that the light is green.
It reminds me of the talk show where the contestants have to press the button super fast to be able to answer. Ya3ni the process of stepping on the gas pedal the instant the light turns green takes 2 seconds ya jama3a, istannuni 2 seconds. La2! lazem adrob bil mandal o a3raf 2 seconds prior to the change in light that it will turn green. Keef ma a3raf? mish i go through this traffic on daily basis? I have plenty of time to calculate it 3ashan il DABBEH illi warak ma yistanna 2 seconds for me to move.
This traffic light issue is a cliche, very known o khalas Lara talk about something we don't know about.
Ok! Impatient people standing in lines at the supermarkets/ restaurants:
"all animals are equal but some animals are more equal then others!" (Animal Farm, George Orwell). haik bil zabt ba7iss when I stand in line.
I reach the cashier to pay, but there's a guy behind me who doesn't want to wait coz he has only 1 item. Tab ana wa2fe! Or better yet, I pay and the cashier hands me back change, I need to put it back to my wallet, close it, put it back to my purse and take the bag. The second I'm handed the change back, the person behind me takes over, tab wait a minute!
At fastfood spots, if you dare to THINK what you want to eat, the person behind you has the right to order because he already made up his mind. Really? min kul 3a2lak?
At the elevator is the most dramatic one, people don't have the logic of waiting for the people inside the elevator to leave before boarding. They think they gain points if they get inside the elevator first. Akhkhkh
#2 Ogling People
I don't understand why people ogle. This is not restricted to people in the street who, 7aram, never saw a girl in their lives (jad, their moms and sisters are not girls, they are creatures bas not girls, these oglers will swear by this), it's everywhere, bil mall, bil cafes, bil clubs, anywhere you go. I forgot how much people tend to look and stare here.
The best kinds are those that ogle you while walking, fa their necks twist 180 degrees to make sure nothing happens that they don't witness.
I'm suffering from this from males and females, males undress you with their eyes and females give you the 'death look' :s
#3 Our reaction to street flirting معاكسات
I will not elaborate on the disgust I feel when I walk down ANY street in Amman and hear a random comment from males, I'm just shocked how we're raised up dressing decently and accepting crap from guys in the streets. It's humiliating ya jama3a, we're so numb that we don't feel it anymore. We just ignore o ya raito nafe3. Guys say really bad phrases out loud thinking they're the best gift from God to women.
Law il shurta mumkin ti3mal ishi kan shakeithom bas حاميها حراميها
This culture is humiliating women b kteer ashya2, but not to be able to walk in your own country and feel comfrotable 3aib jad ma biseer. متى سنرتقي؟
#4 Lack of a system
Any kind of transaction that you encounter lacks a system. This includes everything around you, from inquiring about something over the phone, to finding your lost item at the pool, to attending a wedding ceremony. Please ma twaj3uli albi.
I really don't want to be one of those people who doesn't like anything in Jordan. I do, ana bint il balad bas bardo.
I know someone out there will comment: مش عاجبك اترك البلد
and I'll say I am, by the end of summer, but my loved ones are here ..........
.JPG)
3 comments:
LOL, reverse culture shock I guess... I guess you can feel the contrast after one year abroad...
And yeah, mosh 3ajbek otroki el balad! :)
haha thanks Ehab for reading and commenting.
You're welcome. You know, I think having such a preconceived notion about people (even if correct) messes your head sometimes, and you notice it more, effectively cementing the idea. There has to be some way to format the mind.
Post a Comment