IN Digestion

Since I can never think of anything to write (but i want to update my blog), I should sit down and probably write it down (a gist) so that when I am able or want to write, I actually have something to write! Well, for the most part - I remember having a lot I wanted to write about! But, I can not think of what those things were! So, I will begin and maybe I will rememeber it as I go along…

I supposedly retired to work on my own company, but got a job offer thats was so enticing that here I am considering it… my father in laws friend in Jordan got me a job for a marketing agency in jordan - and that is JUST Mac Daddy - I am a 1 minute taxi ride from work (50 qirsh) and a 15-20 minute walk - On my way to work, I can pick up for 70 qirsh - a nice cocrail drink which is about 5-6 oranges and 3-4 bananas - FRESH.

Its an ISLAMIC Setting! (at an Advertising company!) - thats mind blowing - and the first project I am working on is a CD Presentation for the largest (read: only) Islamic Radio station in Jordan (Hayaat FM) - so thats awesome beyond awesome - to be working for maybe the largest Islamic Dawah Getting organiztion in Jordan - all without ever having to looked for it (Muhammad just SORTED it al out for me).

I made a couple of emanrush and ilmquest covers which I will put on when I can spice up my website a little bit. one of them I REALLY LIKE. (I like all of them actually)

And I had the most easiest flight back to the states (maybe TOO easy). First- whever I travel more then 2-3 hours, I make sure to stay awake the entire night before (or 24 hours) so I will fall asleep in the ride and I try not to eat much so that I don’t have to EVER use the restroom during the flight

Well, I did that part pretty well, but I fell asleep at the end of the stint (after fajr) for an hour - and really that means I could have missed the flight! but lucky, my friend and the childrens tutor Yazan had decided he wanted to go with me to the flight - so he was there in the morning and it woke me up - and my boss Ammar was taking me to the airport (he insisisted, and hes the nicest boss you can ever ask for). in fact the night before… (and I will write this part at the end) - after I finish this part.

So the one day it snows in jordan is THIS morning, and there is a massive huge snowstorm in Jordan and ammar is delayed to come get me - he is not there until 9:30! (my flight is at 11:30), and we get in and I get there at 11ish!, and when I get into line - no one is there, and I find out I have only 5 minutes to make it all happen. Somehow or the other, even though at the end there was a lonag line, I board the airplane just as its about to leave, and i am in!

I fall asleep immediately, but the only annoying part about my plan to sleep is, I always miss the water and bread (the meals, minus the meals because I DISLIKE airplane meals) - so those are the goodies of flying which I need, and many times I miss it, OR my tirnedness gets in my enjoyment.

This time, the wateresses, stewardesses whatever - WAKE me up each time by saying something and I HAVE THE WHOLE section of the seat to myself, so I can sleep fully ! and I get woken up for each drink, meal that comes in - and in no time I am in chicago and I am so sleepy, that I just go back to bed, and wait until everyone is off the plane and THEN I leave - (after being woken up)

Now, for some reason I thought I would be in chicago for a few hours before hitting my houston flight, thats not the case! - THE LAYOVER is very short, and I really should have left immediately! (by the way, at this point I am so happy that I have not actually had to WAIT for my flight yet, I hate that worse then anything to get into everything and wait to board your flight) - So I walk, and HOMELAND security is screening eveyrone and their passports, and the lady picks my passport up and escorts me in and is happy to know my life story about how I like and want to live in jordan, etc. or whatever - and NO PROBLEMS, no distractings nothing, I get to get in past customs WELL ahead of All the arabs, and white americans and without any problems - and then I am in line for getting into my terminal, and I realize my plane leaves in 10 or 15 minutes, and its a very long line! And I am sure I am going to miss it, but somehow the line moves veryfast and I am in and I am the second to last person to board the airplane and i am in and on my way to Houston! Can you believe it? Not once did I wait, i slept the entire way, I got all my drinks and meals, and I was relaxed the entire time! and NO WAITING at all at any given time or place, I did not get EARLY to any of my flights -

Now the onlypart I messed up of this beautiful flight whichcould havegone perfectly was I told my friend Abu Muhammad that I get into the states at 8 which is trye, but I dont get into Houston until 11 - so he waited from 7 to 10:30 for me and then went home and then had to come back so I had to wait for 45 minutes until he came and got me, and I missed a terrific dinner - he had made some lamb and rice meal for sure and it was waiting for me, but alas, almost a perfect journey had I not royally messed up the ending of it, but worse for him as he waited for hours on me (unfortunately in life, as good as my qadr is, his is the same except for the bad things).

So I went to my hotel room and slept and had a meeting early in the morning and am now with my in laws - and NOW NOW NOW the night BEFORE my trip to jordan and my nice boss Ammar -this is what happened.

Ok well first some background, he was very nice when we first met and kept asking me to tell him how much I NEEDED (money wise) so that they can give me what I need, where as I kept insisting - just do whatever, and I found out him and Muhammad diri negotiated a nice lil package for me (good for jordan).

Then one day he called me and realiz Fatima and I use the same cell phone, so the next day he gave me 50 dinars (I may have blogged about this before) - and I foud out its from his family / mother / him - and they gave me a nice present of a cell phone - thats nice!

Then in general, hes always super nice to me and very nice and all of that stuff. Everyone who has met him would say that as well, hes always asking me if I need money or anythng, etc.

So for the past few weeks, I have asked a few people about nice places I can go to eat, and no matter where I go, its always the same, shawarma and hummus type places - no matter how nice it looks, etc.

So I asked him where I can get some mansaf or something at night, and a place I can qnjoy some quality time with Fatima (not necessarily romantic, but just an awesome time, i can’t and WON’t do romance!). - he told me of this place Reem Al Bawaadi - and off we were - Adee and Yazan took care of the kids for us that evening and Ammar took me home (insisted)  and we picked up Fatima - as he dropped us off, he remarked, off you go prince and princess - thats just the way he is- NICE.

So, this RESTAURANT is amazing!!! Its just amazing, me and Fatima can barely eat (one slice of pizze, or two can usually fill both of us up) but we wanted to spend a lot of time there and just chill since its my last day in Jordan, and I have really been to busy and not spent much time with her, etc. - So  even though we knew we’d get full if we ate to much, i thaught her how to eat like I do - make a big deal about it and eat it slowly with lots of tea and chatting, etc.

So the place is NICE oriental traditional and brown, you see this old lady making the bread when you walk in -  AND EVERYTHING there was SO AWESOME.The drinks, the appetizers, etc.

So we started off with hummus, baba ganush, and stuffed grape leaves - we only allowed our selves one piece of bread at this time - and for drinks she got a fresh lemon drink (lemonade) and I got mangoe juice - the HUMMUS was incredible, the BABA GANUSH was incredible, and the grape leaves rocked and the BREAD WAS AWESOME - turkish bread I think with blackseed - and it was all out in 2 minutes after ordering!!!!

Then we had some tea - Zatar Shai!!!  More for me, because i can drink a lot without losing my appetite -
So we ate this, limiting ourselves to some sips and one pice of bread - then after 30 or so minutes, we got Fried Kib (limited ourselves to HALF of a kib), and chicken soup - again I mostly drank the soup cause I can but she wet her appetite.

Then while finshing up and moving all the stuff to the side (these tables ARE Magnificently large and huge and LOW, with this circle thing in the middle).

Then we got the main meal - MANSAF - and it was INCREDIBLE (also out after 2 minutes) - piping hot, so much hot yogurt, and so creamy and so wonderful - the water came and broke apart all of the meat for us and mixed it with the rice and drowned it with some sauce (this is the traditional way of serving your guests in jordan, you break the meat for them) - and we ate it slowly and enjoyed it - we both together only consumed about HALF of it, before we were full(and we only got one plate).

So then we relaxed for a long while and then they brought out the argeela, which was also quite well made and good -  then on to the dessert -

This is the first place in jordan that has ‘real’ cream caramel which is Fatimas fab dessert - made with real egg custard and caramel, and we had some turkish coffee before that - again only half of it was eaten -

Then we chilled for another hour or so relaxing and smoking it up and - it was an AWESOME time, maybe the best experience we have had in jordan so far (we barley get to spend any time together, so it was very nice and the food was awesome) we were there from 7:15 to11:45

So nice

Sas