Guns are not noisemakers!

For the past two nights I have been jumping out of my skin, suffering near heart attacks as guns have been fired outside my apartment. Some of the bangs have been fireworks, I'm sure of it, as I’ve gotten quite good at recognizing their sound and the spray of light shines in through the window.

But some of the bangs have definitely been guns and my nerves are now shot as a result (no pun intended).

I assumed it was for a wedding. A big wedding. I found out today that it was more likely related to the release of the Tawjihi examination results - secondary school exams here in Jordan.

Apparently it’s a tradition that when kids discover they’ve passed or have received a good mark, they celebrate by launching fireworks and shooting guns in the air. Despite the fact that shooting live rounds - or "festive firing" - is illegal in Jordan, it seems many do it anyway.

(I’ve noticed a common theme here, ignorance of the law and poor enforcement... but I'll save that observation for another post)

I wondered, as I kept a safe distance from my window, listening to the gun fire in the streets, if these kids had to answer any physics questions on this exam? Were they tested on their knowledge of the law of gravity per chance?

Obviously not, or otherwise they would have known that those bullets fired up in the air would eventually come back down to earth, threatening to strike whatever or whomever got in the way.

This ain't the Matrix and you aren't Neo, so quit firing bullets at everyone!

And what do you know - in today’s Jordan Times a colleague of mine has reported that nine people were injured in the wave of festive firing - six here in Amman, one of whom was a foreign woman.

I don’t care what mark you got on your exam, you all deserve a big fat "F" for your obvious lack of intelligence and for threatening the lives of innocent bystanders. Seriously! Go back to school you bunch of punks.

Sun, sand and camels

“No man can live this life and emerge unchanged. He will carry, however faint, the imprint of the desert, the bind which marks the nomad; and he will have within him the yearning to return, weak or insistent according to his nature. For this cruel land can cast a spell which no temperate climate can match.” – TE Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom

I had a taste of Lawrence’s so-called “cruel land” this past week – literally actually, as the evening winds of the Wadi Rum blew sand absolutely everywhere, including our mouths if we didn’t make sure to keep them shut!

Intrusive sands aside, I found very little cruel about the place. But then again, I bet Lawrence of Arabia didn’t have a 4x4 truck, bottled water and sun tan lotion with him when he trekked about this part of the south Jordan desert.

Our visit to the red sands and mountain vistas of the Wadi came at the tail end of a nice little vacation away from the hustle of big city Amman. I travelled with three companions – Duried, Natasha and Murad – to the southern tip of Jordan to the resort city of Aqaba on the Red Sea (technically the Gulf of Aqaba) and then toured the desert lands of Bedouin and TE Lawrence fame in Wadi Rum.

See the Aqaba photos here and my Wadi Rum photos here.

AQABA

The site of the 1917 Arab Revolt against the Ottoman forces, this little fishing village has blossomed into a full-blown resort city with a coastline populated by upscale hotels, pools and private beaches. Despite the expansions, we found the city rather empty – with little to do for nightlife, stores that seemed continually closed for siesta and a local population that hasn’t quite gotten used to the presence of foreigners in their streets.

I had a very gradual adjustment to the 40 degree heat and I was happy to discover my friends were just as uncomfortable with the climate as I was. Fortunately for them though, they didn’t suffer a near-fainting spell and turn red as a lobster on our second day there! The breeze coming in off the sea provided about as much relief as a hairdryer blowing hot air in all of our faces. Anytime we walked into a building with A/C I felt I could suddenly breathe again!

We spent most of our time by the pool and out during the evenings searching for the best seafood restaurants. The prize ended up going to Ali Baba Restaurant, a friendly establishment that served wonderful mezze (a variety of small starters including hummus and pita) and the best grilled giant prawns and fish.

The view at night from one of our rooms was spectacular – with the pool and hotel lit up, as well as the lights of Eilat across the border in Israel.

WADI RUM

It was in Wadi Rum where the insurrectionists led by TE Lawrence camped and planned their decisive attack on the fort of Aqaba which forced the Turks out of the country. It was also here where Lawrence conceived his memoirs The Seven Pillars of Wisdom in which he described the place as vast and echoing – an enchanting landscape of red sands and towering sandstone peaks.

That’s certainly what we found when we ventured into the desert for our 4x4 tour alongside giant mountains, narrow canyons and historical landmarks like Lawrence’s Spring, Khazali Canyon, the Little Bridge and Anfashieh wall inscriptions.

We scrambled up a red sand dune, drank sweet tea in a Bedouin tent, watched a magnificent sunset, star-gazed under the biggest sky I’ve ever seen and camped overnight in a Bedouin tent.

I even managed to get myself on a camel before we left!
I’ve read that Wadi Rum is not so much a place to see as it is a place to experience.

After my time spent there, I would have to agree.

Article: Police training in The Post

Published in the National Post, July 26, 2006

From graduation to death

One out of 10 officers trained by Canadians at the Jordan International Police Training Centre will die within a year

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN, Jordan - Graduation from police academy is normally a time for congratulation and looking forward to a new career. But when one in 10 graduates can expect to die on the job in the first year, it's also a time for bravery.

Canadian officers posted to the Jordan International Police Training Centre (JIPTC) in Amman acknowledge that despite their trainers' best efforts, many of the students will become part of the growing number of police casualties in Iraq.

It is a sobering reality that weighs heavily on students and teachers alike.

"We know that some of the people we train are not going to survive," said Staff Sergeant Laurie Munroe from Swan River, Man. "It's very hard to come from a country like Canada, where we value each police officer like a close family member, and try to understand how police officers in Iraq are actually targeted by terrorists and insurgents. They're being hunted and their families are being hunted. It's difficult to imagine."

According to the Iraq Index, compiled by the Washington-based Brookings Institution, 4,512 Iraqi military and police personnel have been killed since June, 2003, with an average of 120 police officers dying every month. The latest news from Iraq underscores the point.

Yesterday, two car-loads of gunmen attacked a police checkpoint at Dujail, 40 kilometres north of Baghdad, leaving five police officers dead, while another officer was killed by a road side bomb in the capital. This followed the ambush of a police patrol in central Baghdad on Monday in which six officers died.

Staff Sgt. Munroe has been teaching general policing at JIPTC for a year to cadets who range in age from 18 to 60. Some arrive with no police background, while others have long been members of the Iraqi military or police force.

His class exercises are often supplemented by the cadets' own horror stories and real-life experiences.

"They tell me of situations where they've been ambushed and they've survived, but their friends have been killed in front of them," he said.

"Some have been kidnapped and luckily their families were able to rescue them before they were shot and killed."

Other cadets have shown him their bullet wounds, burns or places where they are missing bits of their arms or legs as the result of an attack.

"They're working in a war zone and I can only hope what we've taught them will help them make good decisions and help them survive."

The JIPTC has graduated 36,474 cadets since opening in 2003. About 10,000 more are expected to complete training before the end of the international mission in December.

Canada has 20 officers deployed to the Jordan centre where they join instructors from 14 other countries to train cadets in the theory and practice of policing. Besides paying the salaries of the Canadian officers posted to JIPTC, Ottawa has donated two ambulances and 24 computers.

Classes focus on topics such as human rights, weapons handling, democratic policing, terrorism and first aid.

The practical work involves defence tactics, firearms, response to bomb threats and explosive incidents.

Students learn to shoot at the centre's firing ranges or are confronted with situations they might meet in real life, such as dealing with improvised explosive devices.

"It was pretty exciting to teach policing techniques and democratic skills to a force that will apply what they've learned to the new Iraqi constitution as it unfolds," said Constable Tom Tokarewicz, an officer from Marmora, Ont., now working in Newfoundland. "But what amazes me is the kind of intimidation the cadets have to go through just in order to come to do the training," he continued.

"They've told me they've had death threats, some are beaten -- just because they want to do the training and bring something back to their country."

Cadets need to be prepared for every possible attack, he added. They also need to learn how to police communities and gain the trust of the people living there and respect them, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.

"They're going back to one of the hardest jobs in the world. Everyone is sensitive to it and it's quite disheartening to know there's no stability and they could be injured or killed," he said.

Claude April, the Ottawa police officer who is deputy director of training at JIPTC, says the centre has evolved to encompass a more reality-based curriculum with hands-on training to counter the realities awaiting the cadets back home.

"Here they'll participate in scenarios of bomb attacks or emergency calls and we hope the correct responses will come back to them naturally if they're involved in the same kind of situation in Iraq," he said.

"We don't want them to try to remember what we talked about. Instead we want them to do what they did here."

Article: Festival cancelled

Published in The Jordan Times, July 24, 2006

Jerash festival cancelled due to Lebanon crisis — organisers

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN — The Jerash festival, which was to begin its 25th year this week, has officially been cancelled for the second time in its history due to the escalating conflict and humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

The event’s organisers confirmed on Sunday that the festival will not take place this year after earlier reports said it had been postponed.

The festival was due to begin on July 26 and run until Aug. 11.

“Unless a miracle happens and everything in Lebanon stops, there will be no festival,” said Lubna Farr, assistant general director and programme manager for the Jerash festival.

The Higher National Committee for the Jerash Festival said holding the event would be inappropriate under the current circumstances and the prime minister, his Cabinet and the event organisers agreed.

“Even if that miracle happens though, the grief will still be there. Plus the summer vacation will soon end and then we will have Ramadan — there is no point having the festival unless people are on vacation and we will soon run out of time,” said Farr.

This is the second time the festival has been cancelled because of a crisis in Lebanon.

The first was in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon and subsequent fighting between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israeli troops.

“I think everyone understands why we had to make this decision. It is not logical to be celebrating in a time like this. The Arab world has always been united through the people, despite borders and politics and we feel in our hearts for what is happening,” Farr said.

The current fighting between Israel and Hizbollah has lasted 12 days, claiming over 350 lives, mostly civilians, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The two-week Jerash festival was scheduled to feature a variety of Lebanese performers, including veteran Arab singer Wadi Safi, his compatriot Majida Roumi and pop singer Fares Karam.

“Beirut and Cairo have always been the heart of our Arabic culture and we cannot celebrate if we don’t have the participation of these capitals,” said Farr.

She added that many of the performers from Cairo cancelled when they heard their Lebanese counterparts could no longer attend.

“They said they could not celebrate the festival when their brothers and sisters in Lebanon are going through war,” Farr said.

Jeryes Samawi, general director of the festival, said the performers were supportive of the cancellation as were many citizens in the region who sent letters saying they agreed with the decision.

According to Samawi, some financial losses will be incurred as a result of the cancellation, mainly money spent on preparations, but not for the performances due to an emergency clause in the contracts with the artists.

The performers themselves may have to pay for cancelled flights and equipment rentals.

“When you’re taking a stand for culture and humanitarian reasons, the loss of money is not that important in the end,” he said

The kissing thing

On the very first night I arrived in Amman my friend Hala whisked me off to a party where all her friends were so she could quickly introduce me to the people I'd be hanging out with for the next week while she was away on business.

I was hardly awake, but I recall in the car on the way to the party she was frantically searching through her purse.

"I need gum. Do you have gum? There's going to be so much kissing. Gum is needed!" she exclaimed as she found the pack she was looking for at the bottom of her purse.

So much kissing? It barely registered until we arrived and I discovered everyone greeted one another with two friendly cheek-to-cheek kisses. Uh, oh, I thought. Unfamiliar greeting custom. What to do?

I played it safe and stuck to the good ol' handshake, figuring they'd excuse me if I did something wrong since I had only been in the country for an hour.

Pay attention to where you're aiming or you could miss!

The foreigner get-out-of-jail-free card only works for so long however, before you're expected to adapt. When in Rome, make like the Romans do... I'm pleased to say I think I now have the kissing thing down. It took some adjustment though, for someone used to Canadian hugs and handshakes to get up close and personal with people I hardly know.

I had a lot of questions about the custom in the past month and a half. Some I sorted out on my own. Others... well, I'm working on it .

Do you kiss strangers on the cheek? I've been told no, unless you've talked to them on the phone a lot prior to meeting.

Why do some guys kiss one another once on one cheek then two or three times on the other? No idea. I think it's like a secret handshake between good buddies.

What happens when you arrive late to a party and there's 15 of your friends already there in the room? In most cases I've seen everyone stand up and the guy or girl makes his or her way around to ALL of them - even though it takes forever. Once in a while they just kiss their hand and wave hello to everyone.

What happens if you're sitting in a crowded bar and you're hard to get to? Again, a wave will do.

What about when you greet a friend when you get into their car? Cheek to cheek. Or, at least, that's what I've been doing. Haven't confirmed if that's correct, but I haven't had any complaints.

What about when you get into a car and there are other passengers? Forget it, unless you're prepared to climb over the seats.

Now that I'm getting the hang of this, perhaps I'll bring the custom back to Canada and freak everyone out.

No ice cream for me

When I first started working at the newspaper here in Amman I recall sitting at my desk one day, plugging away on one of my first assignments and hearing a familiar tune off in the distance.

Out the window, somewhere down the street I could hear a song being played repeatedly out of a loud speaker in that carnival game/jack-in-the-box type fashion. It was a song I knew - something like Labamba or one of those songs you used to see in the Visit Cuba commercials in the 80s. To this day I can't figure out the name of the song and it makes me crazy.

Anyway, immediately I thought it was an ice cream truck coming down the street, calling out to would-be vendors. I was busy typing away and on the second floor of the building and I had no money so I ignored it and kept working.

The next day the truck returned, playing that same familiar song. And the next day. And the next.

Never once did I get up and look out the window. Until, one hot afternoon I finally turned to a coworker and asked if anyone ever bought any ice cream from the truck? Cause I was seriously considering it on that sticky afternoon.

The blank stare on his face was enough to tell me that there was no ice cream truck and he had no idea what I was talking about. He didn't have to say a thing.

I immediately shut my mouth and finally went to the window to investigate.

There rumbling down the street was a dirty old pickup truck with a megaphone attached to its roof and a truck-bed full of natural gas tanks. My coworker noticed my confusion and explained that the trucks used to drive around the neighbourhoods yelling "Gas! Gas! Who wants gas!" out the megaphone. It started to make everyone mad so they adopted the ice-cream-truck-like music system to let people know they were coming.

Fascinating, I thought - a little disappointed that there was no ice cream to be had and quite upset that I will forever have that silly song stuck in my head and not know the name of it!

Article: Petra park rangers

Published in the Jordan Times on June 29, 2006

Proposed park rangers to assist tourists, protect Petra

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN — Park rangers may soon become part of the scenery at Petra where they would perform search and rescue operations, provide emergency medical services and preserve and protect the famed archaeological site.

“What we don’t have yet at Petra is a unified group of people that would have one singular task of looking after the park and its visitors,” said Vanessa Kaoukji, development officer for Petra National Trust (PNT) — a nonprofit organisation dedicated to preserving the antiquities, environment and cultural heritage of Petra.

“What we want to do is select members of the local community and the Petra Archaeological Park staff and train them about the dos and don’ts, the threats that face Petra and how to properly monitor the site,” she added.

The project is only in its infancy and is estimated to cost JD60,000, though Kaoukji said it is too early to determine accurate project costs.

She hopes to have completed consultations and have a formal proposal ready by the end of the year.

She said Petra is in dire need of a properly-trained force to oversee the preservation of the site, deter vandalism and help people stay safe during their visit.

“The beauty of Petra is that it’s free and there aren’t specific parts where you can go and can’t go. We certainly recommend different areas, but we don’t say here’s a fence now don’t go beyond it,” said Kaoukji.

The problem that arises from free access is that tourists often wander into places and get lost or trapped.

Suleiman Farajat, director of Petra Archaeological Park, told The Jordan Times rangers could routinely patrol the less-visited area and communicate with each other and with headquarters if help was needed.

“Some visitors go without guides and sometimes they get lost or wander off,” he said.

“The park rangers would help them get back on the right track and help them if they get in trouble inside the site,” he added.

There are accidents in the park every year and on occasion, a fatality. In 2004, a Dutch woman fell 30 metres into a narrow crevice while visiting the High Place of Sacrifice in Petra. She was not rescued immediately and it took some time before she was taken to hospital. She died as a result of her injuries.

“What we need are people who are trained in emergency medical services and who know when to move somebody, when not to move somebody, how to treat them for shock and who know basic first aid,” said Kaoukji.

Floods in Petra are also a hazard to tourists and locals. During the 1960s, a group of French tourists was trapped and killed during a flash flood in the Siq.

If park rangers are introduced to Petra, Kaoukji said they could warn tourists about threatening floods and move them to safety.

Currently there are 84 full- and part-time staff working at Petra Archaeological Park and during high season the number of visitors to Petra averages 2,000 per day.

It is not yet known how many park rangers could be trained, but PNT plans to involve the residents of Wadi Musa, Taybeh, Dlagha, Rajef, Beidha and Um Sayhoun.

“We want to integrate the local community and give them some sort of stewardship over the site,” said Kaoukji.

“It would be ideal to pass knowledge of site protection onto a wider group of people.”

PNT, in association with the Department of Antiquities, hopes to consult with the United States’ National Park Service and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in further developing the park ranger programme.

Horn etiquette study

If you were ever a passenger in my car back home in Canada, you'd rarely ever witness me honking my horn at somebody. I never used it. In fact, I don't know a lot of people who used their horns on Ontario roads. For the rare instance that a raccoon and its family are in the middle of the road, or maybe if someone seriously cut me off on the highway, then I might find reason. But these things don't happen often.

I think drivers confuse this no-honking sign with no-trombone playing because the sign has little effect on the horn-happy Ammanites.

Here, I can't go a day without hearing people honking at each other. Every trip in a taxi or car yields at least 10-20 ear-piercing honks, either from my own driver or the cars around us. I can't go to sleep at night without hearing honking in the distant streets. I've already gone through an entire bottle of tylenol, having to put up with the noise.

But, being the culturally sensitive person that I am, I decided to stop and take note of occasions in which people are supposed to honk their horns, based on my own observations. I thought it'd be helpful for those of you who may one day plan to drive a car in Amman (God help you) to know when it's appropriate to use your horn.

Here are the results of my etiquette study.

Honk your car horn...

... if you are going to or are coming back from a wedding;

... if you are a taxi and are offering your services to a pedestrian walking along the road;

... if you are a taxi and are offering your services to a pedestrian walking along the road even though you happen to be driving on a one-way street and the guy/ girl is very obviously headed in the opposite direction;

... if you see a pretty girl;

... if you see a foreign girl;

... if you see a pretty and/or foreign girl and want to catch her attention before yelling something rude in Arabic out the window at her;

... if there is a pedestrian walking along the side of the road and you think they may suddenly jump out in front of the car (even if they are well over on the sidewalk and there's a car parked between them and the road);

... if someone cuts you off;

... if the car in front of you is driving on the dotted line;

... if the car in front of you is driving in his own lane, but you want to drive on the dotted line and he is in the way;

... if you are passing a car - because you know no one checks their blind spot, or even their sideview mirrors before changing lanes and you want to avoid being side-swiped;

... if you are changing lanes - because you are too lazy to check your blind spot/ side mirror and want to give the guy coming up on your side some warning before you side-swipe him into the guardrail;

... to encourage the cars sitting at the traffic light in front of you to go, even though the light isn't going to change to green for another 5 seconds;

... if you're sitting in a traffic jam - because honking your horn will magically clear up whatever it is that has caused all the cars to stop;

... if you are speeding and suddenly come upon traffic that is halted and have to slam on your brakes (I have yet to determine if this is to warn the people in front of you that you're about to smash into them, or as a prayer to God that the cars will start moving again before you actually do smash into them);

... if someone honks at you - because honking has become Jordan's second language and it's a convenient way to say hello;

... if you really want to piss off the poor Canadian girl sitting in the backseat who can no longer take all the freaking honking that goes on in this city.

ATOM and RSS enabled

Played around with my site's ATOM feed (similar to RSS - learn more about these here) and have now added a link on my site for those of you who have feed readers and would like to subscribe! See the bottom of the right-hand sidebar.

Apparently you could always access my ATOM feed through the source code prior to my making a link, but now at least it's a bit more convenient!

Canadians now among the dead

This morning I heard they are now counting Canadians among the casualties in Lebanon. The CBC is reporting seven Canadians, including four children, were killed in an Israeli air raid on the village of Aitaroun yesterday. Israel has apologized to Ottawa for the deaths.

See the story here.

A streetside discussion

Today I had the taxi driver drop me off several blocks from my apartment so I could walk a bit through my neighbourhood and get in a little exercise after work. On this walk I typically see groups of older men congregating outside of their stores or in front of someone's home, talking about what I presume is local gossip and their day-to-day business.

This afternoon one group seemed quite animated, even from a distance. They were all gathered around one man who was demonstrating something to the rest of the crowd. As I got closer I peered over, trying to see what all the fuss was about.

As soon as I got a clear view and saw the man's little charade, I immediately understood what the conversation was about and smiled at the realization.

The man held in his hand an old-school lawn sprinkler and was motioning with his hands how the hose attaches to the bottom and the water sprays out and turns the arms like this - at which point he gave the arms a good spin and waved his hand about in the air to mimic the water spraying out.

A collective "ahh" came over the crowd and the men nodded in comprehension.

I imagine a lot of people here know what lawn sprinklers are, even though you'd be hard pressed to find a green lawn anywhere outside of the posh, expensive neighbourhoods.

I wonder if perhaps the man was telling his friends how in places like Canada people use sprinklers all the time to keep their lawns green and their children amused on hot summer days. Living in a country where water is quickly becoming scarce, I bet they'd be more impressed by that!

What I wouldn't do to be a kid again running through one of these to escape from the heat.

Article: Peaceful protest

Published in The Jordan Times, July 16, 2006

Citizens stage spontaneous protest in support of Lebanon

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN — A spontaneous decision and a quick SMS text message to friends resulted in over 60 people turning up at a candle-lit march and demonstration on Friday evening in support of Lebanon and its citizens.

“I didn’t think we’d get a turnout like this,” said Lubna Shakaa, the event’s organiser.

“I just felt such rage knowing a nearby country was attacked like that in one day. It’s outrageous,” she added, referring to the recent barrage of attacks by Israel on both Hizbullah and civilian targets in Lebanon.

Shakaa messaged her friends on her mobile, asking them to meet with her in front of the Orthodox Club in Abdoun.

Those friends then forwarded the text message to more people, creating a chain reaction that eventually reached local newspaper and television media who turned up to cover the event.

“I’m just a citizen and I wanted to say something. I hope the Lebanese people will see we’re supporting them and standing with them. We should all say what we’re thinking and express our opinions,” she said.

The group began their peaceful protest in front of the Orthodox Club and then walked several blocks to the Lebanese embassy where people sat with lighted candles, singing songs of national pride and Arab unity.

The Israeli attack on Lebanon was sparked after the armed wing of the Lebanese political party Hizbullah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers last Wednesday during a raid on the Israeli side of the UN Blue Line in southern Lebanon.

So far, the fighting has resulted in the death of at least 90 civilians, the vast majority of them Lebanese, and destroyed roads and bridges as well as closing Beirut’s international airport.

Mohammad Masri, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, attended the demonstration and hoped this is the first of many more peaceful political protests to come in Amman.

“I have such sympathy for the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples. We all know them and many of us have relatives there. The horrific thing is that Israel isn’t only targeting military areas — they’re targeting civilian locations like bridges and airports,” he said.

Masri is disappointed by the international response to the fighting between Lebanon and Israel.

“Nobody in the world is doing anything about it. The US considers its alliance with Israel before anything else. I don’t understand the moral bankruptcy of the people in the West who see what’s happening and they’re not intervening,” he said.

War and demonstrations

For everyone back home: I am fine and things in Jordan are as well as can be expected.

The latest news is that Israel has hit both civilian and militant targets in Lebanon, Hezbollah is continuing its rocket attacks on northern Israel and the Hezbollah leader has declared open war against Israel.

So as you can imagine, it's just rainbows and lollipops around here.

The BBC has a handy map I've borrowed to illustrate where the action is happening in relation to where I am in Amman, just so everyone who isn't familiar with the region can see that we're not actually that close. (I.E. I don't hear bombs going off across the border, if you know what I mean).

Tonight I attended a peaceful candle-lit demonstration and march in Abdoun for both personal interests and to cover for a possible newspaper story. I saw a couple people I knew there, much to my surprise. If there's one thing about this city that I can't get over, it's how small the social networks are! I continually run into people I know at events or just while traveling around Amman. How odd for me, the foreigner who's only been in the country for a little over a month! It's comforting though, to feel that I'm making a place for myself here in society.

At left, a woman shields her candle with the Lebanese flag.

The wonderful thing about this demonstration was that it was completely organised through SMS text messaging. The woman who had the idea told me she had never held a demonstration or march and didn't have an activist background. She was simply upset, wanted to gather a few friends and sent out a mass text message to her friends' mobiles, encouraging them to forward the details along.

The next thing she knew, 60 to 70 people showed up in support, along with local newspaper and television media!

We marched down to the Lebanese embassy where everyone sat on the curb and in the street, singing songs of national pride and Arab unity. The soldiers who were keeping guard nearby had a watchful eye on the group, but there was no need. It was just a small group of peaceful people, looking for a little stability, offering their support to neighbouring friends and family and trying their best to hold on to hope.

Article: Blogging Boom

Published in The Jordan Times, Weekender Section, July 13, 2006

Blogging Boom

Grace Peacock checks out Jordan’s blogosphere and finds out what is making blogging irresistible to a growing population in the Middle East.

AMMAN - Jordan is experiencing a blogging boom among its youth and the teams behind two of Jordan’s most popular blog portals, Jordan Planet and iToot, believe the regional online community will only continue to grow - giving voice and power to ordinary citizens and helping the country make its mark on the web.

“We’re not used to suddenly being able to say what we want and not be judged,” said Mariam Adas, a student and administrator of Jordan Planet.

“People are less afraid to say what is on their minds when they are online and they can talk openly about religion, society and politics.”

Isam Bayazidi created Jordan Planet in 2004 as a portal linking all “Jordan-centred” blogs on one convenient site. The bloggers featured include native Jordanians, expats and foreigners living in Jordan. The site has expanded from seven original member blogs to over 100 since it was created.

Bayazidi says it’s difficult to find quality content about Jordan on the Internet and he believes Jordan’s blogs are helping to fill the gap.

“Government sites, media sites, they don’t give a very good window into Jordan. Jordan is about its people, not about what the Minister of Information did or said yesterday in the news,” he said.

Lina Ejeilat, a freelancer and Jordan Planet team member, agrees.

“Different friends abroad would tell me they would go online to Jordan Planet every day because it gives them a sense of what’s going on in Jordan. It’s news directly from the people and you can’t always get that on other websites,” she said.

Previously, the members on Jordan Planet were mostly expats, liberals and were under 30 years of age. Now, Bayazidi says the majority of bloggers are people living in Jordan and include a man in his 70s, members of the Islamic Action Front and journalists from a variety of media sources, including Al Jazeera.

One Jordanian journalist and Jordan Planet member, Natasha Tynes, is now living in the United States and started her blog ‘Mental Mayhem’ in 2004 as a way to keep her friends and family updated on her adventures away from home. Currently though, she says she uses it to express her opinions on politics and society and she says she’s noticed the rapid growth of the blogging community.

“The blogosphere in the Middle East is booming,” she said. “It has created a sort of Arab cultural and intellectual renaissance, where for the first time Arab youth are expressing themselves freely with little or no fear.”

As a journalist, she’s turned to the web to publish ideas and stories she wouldn’t be able to publish in other media.

At left, iToot management team

The team behind the Arab blog portal iToot says it’s the free and immediate access to an online audience that makes blogging so appealing to journalists and non-journalists alike.

“It’s turning average people into reporters,” said Roba Azi, ‘tooticator’ for iToot. “That’s what blogging is, it’s just regular people who have real opinions on what’s happening. It’s not controlled by the government or the economy - it’s more pure; it’s more from the heart,” she added.

Created in 2005 and based in Amman, iToot is a network of handpicked blogs selected from all over the Middle East, including Jordan. It’s grown from 15 to 120 members and features a daily list of the most interesting posts from across the region.

“We make it easier for people to find the best blogs from the Arab world but putting them all in one place,” said Karim Arafat, ‘toot master’ and project manager.

Depending on the hot topic of the day, iToot will feature blogs that provide the most relevant and interesting information that people want. For example, when prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El-Fatah was arrested in May during a peaceful protest, the Arab blogosphere was up in arms about his imprisonment and many demanded his release. It was then that iToot featured articles from the best Arab blogs on the campaign to free Fatah because the information was in high demand.

“Maybe we’re living in two worlds and the blogosphere is being formed next to the real one,” suggested Wael Attili, iToot’s graphic designer. “When you read a newspaper you see the same text but on blogs you can read about what’s happening and you see a different perspective. There you’ll find stories about people, you’ll find out about things behind the scenes,” he said.

Unlike many other Arab countries, the number of anonymous bloggers is relatively low and neither the Jordan Planet or iToot teams have ever experienced censorship of their blogs.

“People from other countries tell me that the fact that Jordanian bloggers write with their full names says a lot about the culture here and about Jordan as a country. Some people say we’re lucky,” offered Jordan Planet’s Ejeilat.

Even though there’s no fear of persecution, Jordan’s bloggers are pushing the limits of societal and political convention. The success of both Jordan Planet and iToot are strong indications that people have something to say and want to be heard. One day the voices may be cheering the winners of the World Cup, the next they may be demanding peace between Israel and Palestine. Anything goes in the blogosphere and it’s this kind of freedom that is making blogging irresistible to a growing population in the Middle East.

Glad we didn't go!

Some of us had been thinking of heading to Beirut, Lebanon this weekend for a Sean Paul concert. How fun would that have been?

Now that missiles are falling out of the sky on the place, I'm quite glad our plans didn't go through...

News of the attacks are shaking people up here and I can't help but notice how tired everyone is - tired of war, of violence and of destruction. Thank God Jordan has been untouched and uninvolved (knock on wood) but the desperate situations within the region take their own toll on neighbouring states.

When will the fighting end?

A question, I'm sure, that has been asked here for decades...

Like diving into a cold lake

Have you ever gone camping, woke up in the morning and dived straight into a refreshingly cool lake?

If you're like me, diving into a cold lake is not as easy as it sounds. You end up standing on the shore for a good ten minutes beforehand, contemplating your decision. You test the water with your toe, change your mind about five times about whether swimming in icy water is actually a good idea and wade in up to your calves, hoping your body will adjust gradually.

When I was younger, camping with my family in beautiful parks like Algonquin and Killarney, I quickly learned the only way to get it done is to run straight in, hold your breath and let the cold water embrace you.

Like a ripping off a bandaid - fast and quick.

I wish I applied this practise to my morning shower routine. Here in Amman, in order to heat the water up you need to switch on the diesel heater about 40 minutes ahead of time or otherwise you're stuck with icy cold water. Only once or twice have I remembered to set my alarm earlier to turn on the water heater.

The rest of the time I've had to suffer cold showers. On hot days it's not so bad, but in the mornings when you wake up all groggy and warm from your bed, the last thing you want is to be jolted awake under a cascade of freezing cold water!

And so, like I did when I was young, I find myself wasting an extra five minutes building up the courage to actually step under the showerhead. Once I do though, I don't regret it - as a cold shower does a better job of waking me up than a cup of coffee!

Lesson from a boy with a drum

I spent part of the morning at the King Hussein Cancer Center with children participating in a special day camp for patients. I'm writing a story about the woman who volunteers to do laughter therapy with them and I agreed to attend and watch one of her sessions.

Let me tell you how humbling it was to see these little people, ranging in ages from two years to fourteen, smiling and laughing and enjoying life despite the sickness inhabiting their bodies. Their parents too must have such strength to see their children battle the disease, undergo chemotherapy and struggle to overcome.

I immediately vowed never to complain about anything petty ever again.

One little boy in particular won over my heart. He was eight-years-old, a cute, pudgy little guy who arrived with his mother and a drum (tabla) under his arm. He immediately went to the centre of the stage, sat down on a chair and began to pelt out this amazing beat! I had to do a double-take to make sure the professional rhythm was actually coming from him and not a stereo behind him - I felt my jaw drop in awe. His mother sat down beside me and told me how proud she is of him, how strong he is with dealing with his illness and how he takes lessons at the Royal Conservatory for Music. I noticed she couldn't stop smiling at him.

Soon kids and volunteers were out of their seats, dancing around the little boy, moving to his music. It was a beautiful sight. One of the volunteers said he takes that drum with him everywhere, even on their excursions and makes music so the other children can dance.

I only wish the rest of us healthy people could learn to embrace life and appreciate it as much as these kids do. No inhibitions. No worry what other people think. When was the last time you really laughed? Felt like dancing or singing and DID it? Truly embraced a simple moment?

I don't do half these things nearly enough. It's about time that changed.

Felicitazioni Italia!!

The boys in blue are the new champions of the FIFA World Cup after beating France in the penalty shots during overtime! The streets here in Amman were PACKED with fans, waving Italian flags, honking their horns, yelling, screaming and causing massive traffic jams. Fun times!

Article: Police training graduation

Published in The Jordan Times, July 9, 2006

Iraqi police academy graduates 29th class

JIPTC will have trained almost 50,000 cadets by the end of the year

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN - More than 1,500 new Iraqi police cadets graduated from an eight-week training course at the Jordan International Police Training Centre (JIPTC) yesterday where their commanding officers wished them well in dealing with the harsh realities awaiting them back home.

“I want to take the opportunity to salute you for your courage to wear the uniform of the Iraqi police,” Claude April, deputy director of training, said to the officers at a morning ceremony.

“You as an individual must earn the respect of the Iraqi public you have chosen to serve. I pray you will all remain safe and wear your uniform with great pride,” he said.

April told The Jordan Times it is often difficult to watch the buses leave, full of Iraqi policemen proudly smiling and waving, knowing the fate that awaits a good percentage of them.

According to a recent report to the American congress, 4,372 members of the Iraqi security forces have been killed and another 33,850 have been wounded between May 2003 and April 2006.

“Iraq is in its most critical period of the past century,” said the guest of honour, Major General Iden Khaled Kader, deputy minister for police affairs in Iraq.

“We are having to fight the evil gangs who battle against us there while we try to establish a free and democratic country — one where we can build one free and united Iraq and enjoy safety and stability,” he added, wishing them courage and thanking them for their sacrifice.

This was the 29th class to graduate from the three-year-old training centre, located in a remote desert area outside of Amman. The graduation ceremony included speeches and a tactics demonstration. The total number of Iraqi graduates from JIPTC is now 36,491 and 10,000 more are expected to complete training before the end of the international mission in December.
Gary Bullard, director of JIPTC, is grateful for Jordan’s support in allowing the centre to be built on its soil and for the involvement of so many of its citizens. As instructors, cadet brigade commanders and base employees, Jordanians make up 83 per cent of the centre’s workforce.

“Jordan is a very strong partner on the international scene for the US, Canada and a lot of the international organisations. The King was really gracious to provide us the space to become involved and to give us such close proximity to Iraq. They’re going to be strong partners here in the future,” Bullard said.

Everyday 3,000 cadets undergo at least eight hours of training in theory-based and practical, hands-on policing. Theory classes focus on topics such as human rights issues, weapons handling, democratic policing, first aid, terrorism and gender issues.

Out of class activities involve defence tactics, firearms, bomb threats and explosive incidents and take place at the centre’s firing ranges, improvised explosive devices field and reality-based training facility.

“When we first started the training programme it was 25 per cent practical and 75 per cent theory and we’ve been working really hard to turn that around. We don’t want them to try to remember what we talked about, we want them to do what they did here,” said April.

The cooperation and involvement of 15 countries is what makes JIPTC unique, says Bullard.

“This is part of history, this is not something that will ever be repeated again... It shows the Iraqi people that the world is here to support them,” he said.

*Photos above have been approved for use by JIPTC.

Article: Bethlehem and embroidery booklet

Catch-up time. I'll start to post some of the articles I've had published thus far, for your reading pleasure and to prove I am actually fulfilling the condition of my internship and getting things in the paper!

Published in The Jordan Times, June 22, 2006

Booklet highlights Bethlehem's rich past, current isolation

By Grace Peacock

AMMAN - Embroidery art partnered with grassroots activism Tuesday evening to deliver a simple message: Bethlehem’s cultural society is suffocating and it must be rescued from its impending fate.

Nearly 100 people packed into Al Balad Theatre for the launch of “Bethlehem: From Golden Threads to Cement Blocks” — a booklet by Widad Kawar on the city’s transformation from a vibrant cultural and spiritual centre to a place of destitution, isolated from the world.

She partnered with Open Bethlehem for the event, an NGO dedicated to reviving the city and putting it back on the map as a world heritage destination. The evening featured two short documentaries on the city and a fashion show.

Widad Kawar (right) and Carol Dabdoub, director of Open Bethlehem, with models in traditional Bethlehem embroidered dresses, who took part in a fashion show on Tuesday.

“I have been out of Bethlehem for 40 years but I kept strong connection with my neighbours (there)... and all I’ve been getting from them is depressing news. Not news about weddings or embroidery, but about cement blocks,” she said, referring to the concrete barrier wall erected around the city by Israel.

Kawar is internationally known for her research and collections of Arab handwork including Palestinian and Jordanian costumes, weaving, jewellery, amulets and everyday tools. She decided to put her anger about Bethlehem’s plight to good use and created the booklet, which features brilliant photographs of intricate embroidered design and traditional Bethlehem costumes.

“In the first half of the 20th century women (in Bethlehem) had big businesses in making embroidered dresses,” she explained. “Lavish embroidery was a celebration of wealth and their pride in their costumes reflected pride in their work, their culture and their country.”

Now that the city is “imprisoned” behind the wall and its citizens’ movement is restricted, she says Bethlehem’s economy has suffered and the art of embroidery there is dying.

Carol Dabdoub, director of Open Bethlehem, says the city is in a state of emergency.

“We as Palestinians and the whole of humanity stand to lose this very rich city and distinct culture,” she told the audience, “and we refuse to live in the shadow of the wall.”

Currently, the city is completely cut off from neighbouring Jerusalem as a result of the barrier, while Israeli settlements continue to be built around Bethlehem and movement restrictions for Palestinians have been enforced.

The resulting effect on Bethlehem’s citizens is devastating, according to Dabdoub. At the north entrance of the barrier 72 of 80 local businesses have closed. People are emigrating in droves, with 357 Christian families leaving between 2000 and 2004.

The Open Bethlehem campaign seeks to revive the city by encouraging people to travel or do business there.

Jumana Husseini, a Jordanian coordinator for Open Bethlehem, echoed these sentiments.

“There are very good conference facilities and many beautiful churches to come visit. People need to go there, but not just at Christmas time,” she said.

“What will it mean for humanity if this city goes underground and is ghettoised? We don’t want it to become another ruin — to become another Petra.”

Trip to the middle of nowhere

Woke up at 5 a.m. today. Left the house at 6:15 a.m. for a long drive out to an international police training centre in the middle of the desert. Couldn't keep my eyes open. So tired!

Getting hassled at the many security gates getting into the joint woke me up though. It's amazing that regardless of how much I try to get things cleared ahead of time and I try to be organized, there's always some guy who's got to make my life miserable. After minimal harrassment and several phone calls to the press officer they finally let me in, took my passport, issued me a press badge and flourescent press vest (I swear, I was glowing) and allowed me to go cover my assignment.

Today it was the graduation ceremony for the latest batch of Iraqi police cadets at the Jordan International Police Training Centre.

Fascinating place. I can't write too much about it due to security issues, but perhaps I'll post my article on the graduation as soon as it's published.

There were lots of Canadian officers on assignment there as instructors and I found I couldn't help myself from being drawn to the familiar red and white Canadian flag patches sewn on the officers' jackets, eager to introduce myself and ask where in Canada are you from? It was like a magnetic pull. I was desperate to make friends, to talk about home. I even saw an RCMP mountie dressed up for the ceremony! That brought a smile to my face.

I actually stumbled upon this story idea before I was even in Jordan. My seatmate on the plane from Paris to Amman was a British police officer returning to the base to continue his own mission as an instructor after taking vacation. After a little chat I thought this training centre was worth a bit more investigation and voila!

Since I can't yet put any photos up from my trip there, here's some I took on the way back:

Above: A camel in chains! Well, no it's just a rope but it might as well be a chain with a ball attached to it for all the movement the poor thing can do. My driver is getting to know my tourist tendencies fairly well - he saw the camels, pointed and pulled over for me so I could snap some photos and yell at their keeper about their sad living conditions. Didn't do any good though, the guy didn't understand a word I said and kept smiling and pointing to his herd, probably encouraging me to pay him some money so I could ride one. And below, a mini sandstorm! These little twisters were popping up all over the place and my face was glued to the window, watching them snake across the horizon, tossing debris up in the air. Imagine the damage a big one could do!

Badros 3arabi fil markiz el faransi

(That means I study Arabic at the French centre, seen to the left.)

Week one of my Arabic lessons has passed and I have not yet run for the hills. Though last night, I was tempted when my instructor put us (all four of us) on the spot and demanded we speak to her without looking at our notes using all we learned in the first few classes.

"Umm..." I started, forgetting that umm is actually the Arabic word for mother. The stammering and stuttering that followed was really a disgrace to my language skills. This used to be so easy! French and Spanish classes back home were always such a breeze! Obviously my brain has deteriorated with age.

Or perhaps I'm just not practising enough.

But when do I have the time? I work all day and only had one free evening between each class (classes are Saturday, Monday and Wednesday). Those nights I spent typing away on my laptop, trying to catch up on all the work I couldn't finish during regular working hours. And before I knew it, I'm back in class, forgetting everything we've learned and getting nasty looks from my teacher.

All I can say is I'm so happy (ana mabsoutah!) we're not being graded.

Semi-finals at Kempinski

A huge group of us booked a table at the bar in the Kempinski Hotel for the Germany/ Italy game Tuesday night. And here are the resulting photos. Thanks Rana for playing photographer!

I think I was the only person there rooting for Germany. It's too bad they lost. I'm going to miss looking at Michael Ballack. Oh well, I suppose there's always Luca Toni. Not a bad replacement. I suppose I'll live!

Not all fun and games

Believe it or not I have actually been working. I've become so busy in fact that I'm actually stressed out by all the stories I have to write in the next few days. But I realised I never blog about my work, so I'm sure for everyone who checks this site it must seem like I'm just having a lovely little vacation.

Not true.

Thus far I've had about eight stories published in the Jordan Times (good luck finding them in the archives as this service, as far as I can tell, is just on the site for looks). I have two stories I need to write this week for JO Magazine as well and at least two good ideas I plan to pitch to the Canadian media back home. And a handful of stories still in the process of being written.

I'm still undecided as to whether I will post my articles on the blog. I doubt it though - that may get to be a bit too much.

The topics I've been covering have been far-reaching: museum openings, the Jordanian version of Sesame Street (called Hiyakat Simsim), an economic revitalization campaign for Bethlehem, lots (LOTS) on Petra, an international police training centre, laughing therapy, Sufi chanting, traditional Nabatean pottery, dress making, the upcoming Jerash Festival, and Jordan's blogging community.

So there. I'm not a slacker.

Photos and cops don't mix

My day WAS going well. That was until I was in Salt (a nearby city) covering a museum opening and took a photo that happened to be too close to a group of policemen for their own comfort.

Let me explain. This museum opening was attended by one of Jordan's princesses (forgot the name, wrote it down, but can't remember). Throughout the whole reception I had been taking photos of everyone, including the princess. No one minded.

This is where the altercation took place. And Whoops, there IS a cop in this photo.

When it came time for her to leave, I went outside to take a photograph of her leaving the museum. Didn't think my editors would end up using it, but better to have more photos than not enough, right?

Well. When I took the photo of the princess, my camera happened to be pointing in the general direction of a group of police officers. Now I know - I KNOW - you're not supposed to take photos of police officers or soldiers. I've already been warned. That's why when I took the photo I zoomed in just enough to cut them out of the shot. Smart girl, eh?

Too bad some fat man beside me decided he was going to cause me trouble. He started yelling at me, wagging his finger in my face and then hurried over to the policemen to rat me out. Nice guy!

Just as this was happening, my driver pulled up. Yes, the paper assigned me a DRIVER! And this guy is big and mean looking, makes me feel like I've got my own bodyguard. It's pretty cool. So here I am, my driver's pulled up and is urging me to get in the car so we can make a getaway and just across the street the policemen have been alerted by the fat man that someone has taken a photo of them. I didn't want to make it SEEM like I was guilty by running and diving into the car, so I tried to make my exit casually as if nothing were amiss.

Unfortunately this gave the cops too much time to reach the car and before I knew it we had been pulled over and the cops were yelling at me in Arabic and wagging THEIR fingers at me.

Honestly!

Immediately all the thousand and one Arabic curses I knew came to mind, but I instead stuck to English and played innocent (which I WAS!). My driver explained who I was and tried to tell them I did no harm. Not good enough. I made a loud, impatient sigh and pulled out my camera, turned it on and shoved it in their faces so they could flip through the images on the display.

I love digital. Who knows what they would have done if I had been using film.

After perusing through all my photos - and smiling and pointing at some (yeah ok, these guys really had nothing better to do!) - they seemed satisfied that they were not in any photos. I was told, "So sorry" and we were allowed to go.

After we pulled away I uttered hamar (ass) under my breath which my driver found very amusing.

Wired up and ready to go

Hallelujah, I have internet at home! I didn’t realise what an internet junkie I was until I couldn’t access it 24/7. Of course it’s become so much more important to me as it’s my main connection to my family and friends back home.

Thank you Haitham for being a dear, putting up with my nagging and helping me deal with the Jordan Telecom people. Don’t know what I would have done without you! Shukran ktir habibi!