tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12604477063183127362024-02-08T03:00:20.986-08:00Secret Asian ManUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-35711960733918993482018-08-05T20:04:00.000-07:002018-08-05T20:04:12.157-07:00Who's following Secret Asian Man??<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kjriydne5u4/W2e6V_h83GI/AAAAAAAC5qQ/61aF6CHfFfIOEok7YeazwOvfTbgikli6QCLcBGAs/s1600/Dead%2BDrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kjriydne5u4/W2e6V_h83GI/AAAAAAAC5qQ/61aF6CHfFfIOEok7YeazwOvfTbgikli6QCLcBGAs/s320/Dead%2BDrop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Maybe because it is more flexible, maybe because there are more features, or maybe because I have a lot of time on my hands, I've decided to make a move. <br />
<br />
From Blogger to WordPress. <br />
<br />
I'll still nudge you when I post, but if you're dying for a read, find me on the internet at,<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.secret-asian-man.com/">www.secret-asian-man.com</a><br />
<br />
See you thereUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-55829765316023157402018-08-03T08:25:00.000-07:002018-08-03T08:25:53.448-07:00Secret Asian Man- One Nation Under God<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j3k32OoIz6U/W2RvoXWWzhI/AAAAAAAC5pM/PX64uoev-EAODkqexwf9NylsxvFK23BcwCLcBGAs/s1600/20160812_204659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j3k32OoIz6U/W2RvoXWWzhI/AAAAAAAC5pM/PX64uoev-EAODkqexwf9NylsxvFK23BcwCLcBGAs/s400/20160812_204659.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I grew up saying the
Pledge of Allegiance. My version included “under God” which was added in
1954. As a kid, I never knew it any other way, so I thought it had always
been that way. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We said it every morning
in school. Some kid, who was never me, got chosen to lead the school in the
pledge over the PA system. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I was in Cub Scouts.
We learned about the flag and the pledge. We got badges or
something for memorizing the pledge and properly demonstrating our two finger
salute. I practiced in the mirror with my little beanie.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Same with the National
Anthem. We learned it in primary school. We read the story about Francis Scott Key
watching the Battle for Baltimore in 1812. As a kid, it’s a pretty compelling
story. What with its staying up all night and watching things blow up. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And winning! By the
dawn’s early light, America won. In the world of an 8 year old, winning was pretty
important. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They played the song at
all the high school games. I went on to play it in the band. All would rise,
we’d play, then play ball. It seemed to become rather rote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stand, Sing, Sit, Play, Repeat. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Colin Kaepernick seems
to have changed all that. In our time away, a lively debate has arisen about
what the national anthem represents and what patriotism means. When I sing to
the flag, am I honoring the fabric or am I honoring the American Ideal?
And what is the American Ideal, anyway?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is it freedom of speech, and equality? Life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness? Or is it something else? The Flag? Veterans? Jesus? </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tastes great? Less
Filling? Two great tastes that taste great together? Does it have to be
one or the other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, well….</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What better way to
reconnect with American values than to go to a baseball game? On a warm
summer’s eve, Mrs. S.A.M. and I attended a farm team ball game. It was
lightly attended even though it was “Kids Eat Free!” night. That’s a pity
because it was a good game, rooting for the home team, peanuts and crackerjack
and all that stuff. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The singing of the
Anthem was noticeably different compared with a couple years back. In previous
years, the anthem approached background chatter. Now, when the announcer
comes on, a hush falls over the crowd. It is deathly quiet. Hats and hands to
chests, turning, like sunflowers, to the flag in centerfield. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A large man, with the
presence of the fourth Three Tenors, acapellas his way through the Star
Spangled Banner, culminating in a torticolis rendering high note. O’er the land
of the free!” He had a great set of lungs, but Man!, was he flat! </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Homage we paid to
whatever the song represents to us. From the homeless Vet, begging on the
street, to the Somali vendor selling me an Italian sausage. From the Irish cop
to the Dominican relief pitcher. One nation under God.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Ohio, USA40.4172871 -82.90712300000001334.2262786 -93.2342715 46.608295600000005 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-31811143493257142282018-07-27T19:08:00.002-07:002018-07-27T19:08:20.799-07:00Secret Asian Man- Along the Bourbon Trail<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ImmNDIQ0S8/W1vL-kis2hI/AAAAAAAC5YY/O3tuX_tHx2YB1zyCguFPTmOpFLz5a7yTwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180629_104209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ImmNDIQ0S8/W1vL-kis2hI/AAAAAAAC5YY/O3tuX_tHx2YB1zyCguFPTmOpFLz5a7yTwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180629_104209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here’s a thing that makes America great,... the
Bourbon Trail. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but since returning, I’ve
heard about the ice cream trail and the donut trail winding their way through
the Midwest. Those may be worthy of exploration one day, but this year’s
mission was the bourbon trail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As noted last week,
there 13 official stops on the trail between Lexington and Louisville. You can
pick up a passport at any of them and collect all your stamps. There are any
number of Unofficial stops as well. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over two different
weekends, we hit <a href="https://www.woodfordreserve.com/" target="_blank">Woodford Reserve</a>, <a href="https://fourrosesbourbon.com/" target="_blank">4 Roses,</a> <a href="https://www.bulleit.com/" target="_blank">Bulleit</a>, <a href="https://www.angelsenvy.com/" target="_blank">Angels Envy</a>, <a href="https://evanwilliams.com/" target="_blank">EvanWilliams</a>, <a href="http://www.jimbeam.com/en-us" target="_blank">Jim Beam</a> and <a href="https://www.makersmark.com/" target="_blank">Maker’s Mark.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was a total bourbon
nube until this year. I knew it kind of hurt to drink it and I thought it all
tasted pretty much the same. But after, taking a couple of tours, and some
guided tastings I have a much better appreciation. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’d I learn? That all
bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. That people spell the word
whiskey either with or without the letter ‘e’ in it depending on whether the
country of origin has a letter ‘e’ in its name, for god only knows why. I learned
that bourbon can only be produced in the US and that 95% of it is produced I.
Kentucky. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why Kentucky? It’s
in the water! The limestone rock is so ancient that all the iron has been
leached out. The rock also filters the water and makes for sweeter bourbon and
faster race horses. There’s no iron in the water, so the horses are lighter and
can run faster. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That last bit is fake
news. I have no idea why they run so fast. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, what about the
bourbon? They were all good, but I liked makers mark the best. It was
smoother because they don’t char the barrels as much. Angels’ Envy was also
good. They finish it off in port wine barrels for a unique taste. There
were some well-aged single barrel whiskeys that were great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bookers was one, but quite pricey. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are your tourist
tips. If you head to downtown Louisville, you can lock off quite a few stops.
A number of distilleries have smaller active stills and tasting rooms set
up. Angels’ Envy, Evan Williams, 4 Roses, Rabbit Hole, Jim Beam all have operations
there. Purchases can, of course also be made. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.makersmark.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uum9SUbCHGE/W1vMpzKV4pI/AAAAAAAC5Yo/6pIV9PO3FrMmR3lQyH7X-WIpdqP0fGQJQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180717_120900.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would encourage a
visit to the countryside for a visit to a couple stills. Woodford Reserve and
Makers’ Mark are particularly scenic. The rolling hills make for great
driving.The tours are also quite good. Perhaps because they’re Kentuckian
with names like Mawley or Jimmy James, or perhaps because they’re great
storytellers, the guides are pretty awesome at conveying the story of bourbon
in an entertaining fashion, even if you’re not drinking afterwards. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you don’t have a lot
of time or a designated driver, check in at a hotel and find a bar like the
<a href="http://www.tajnulu.com/" target="_blank">Taj Speakeasy</a>. Pull up a stool and let your gaze wander up the wall before you. And
begin. You may not get the full history of each but you’re sure to find something
you like. Order a flight or ask the barkeep for some tips.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Also, make a stop at <a href="https://arteatables.com/" target="_blank">Art Eatables</a> where they make bourbon infused and pairing chocolates. A delicious
treat.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For an awesome meal, try
the <a href="https://themayancafe.com/" target="_blank">Mayan Cafe</a>. A super innovative South American restaurant. They even
have a bourbon flight that pairs well with their house specialty, Lima beans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll never think of Lima beans the same way
again. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Drink responsibly and
enjoy!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Louisville, KY, USA38.2526647 -85.75845570000001337.853296699999994 -86.403902700000017 38.6520327 -85.113008700000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-42074457307468111192018-07-20T20:14:00.000-07:002018-07-20T20:30:34.801-07:00Secret Asian Man- Which State Would That Be?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z28ZNCbS9Xk/W1KkV5ml7RI/AAAAAAAC5UI/YSMHcJYNQikEbwNIbj7xl2TJBpWdou4GACLcBGAs/s1600/Department-of-State.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="646" height="135" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z28ZNCbS9Xk/W1KkV5ml7RI/AAAAAAAC5UI/YSMHcJYNQikEbwNIbj7xl2TJBpWdou4GACLcBGAs/s400/Department-of-State.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A remarkably diverse trio of public servants at the ready.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will reach out through
the internet and bop you on the nose, if you thank me for my service.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mrs. S.A.M and I
ventured down the Bourbon Trail recently, which is a very scenic and fun thing
to do, even if you don’t prefer bourbon. You learn a lot and taste just
enough that you can drive between stills safely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are 13
distilleries strung out like kernels of corn between Louisville and Lexington.
We ticked off 7. All were unique, but to a one, they all asked if we were
current or former military, offering discounts to those who were. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We aren’t, so I
declined. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mrs. S.A.M, the smartest
and wisest person in the household and comfortable, over-sharer always replied,
“We’re with the State Department.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Responses ranged from a
shrug to a “Oh? Which State?” while clicking the full price admission
button. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once in awhile, people
would enquire more, and she would give a brief blurb. Probably in response to
my eyeroll, she would later say, “No one has any idea what goes on at an
Embassy. We need better PR!” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She’s right, of course.
The military gets all the press. Ultimately, for them it’s more binary.
Attack or defend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kill or be killed.
It’s easy to understand.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But what happens at an
Embassy? Here in the Midwest, we’ve repeatedly encountered the comment. “I
don’t really know what you all do. It doesn’t affect me, so I guess I don’t pay
much attention.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But, it does affect you.
Even in the heartland, what happens in Moscow or Beijing affects all of us. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s how.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When a foreign government
wants to talk with the United States, the Ambassador is the voice. The meet
with government figures at the highest levels to discuss and formulate policy.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Political offices
monitor a foreign government. They inform our government about who’s in charge,
how they view the U.S and how they view others. If a government changes or is
going to change, these folks are the first to know it and how we should
respond. The diplomatic work keeps kids out of war. It can also open up
channels for military communication.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And all the talk of
peace and a peace process would not occur without hundreds of people laying
groundwork and feeling out the other side. Exploring and discussing and
making things happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where the
trust is built.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A country’s economic
climate is closely monitored by Economic Officers. Watching prices and
industrial output may seem mundane, but so much can hinge on a few numbers.
Our folks model what is going to happen when a government raises fuel
prices or the price of bread and what is going to happen to the country’s
neediest or wealthiest. Will they tolerate it? Will there be riots in the
street?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can the U.S. help? </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They help promote U.S.
products, putting U.S. companies in touch with buyers. How are we going to push
those 66 million barrels of Kentucky bourbon overseas? Who wants all these Ohio
soybeans? </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Building trade affects
all of us, especially those who work in industries where products are
manufactured. Maybe you are one of the many Americans who work in the supply
chain. Know any truckers, warehousemen or sales people? Or maybe you just want
a new Toyota or Adidas or T-Shirt from Target or Walmart. After tariffs are
imposed, they talk about why and how trade ties can be improved and work toward
that goal.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The security and law
enforcement offices keeps everyone safe, from the Ambassador to the janitor.
They watch over us. They work with local law enforcement with training
and improving law enforcement and enhancing the rule of law. If you’re not sure
if that matters, try making a police report to a cop who won’t start working
until you give them some “cigarette money”, or who botches the evidence
collection. That may seem like it doesn’t affect you, but remember that on your
next trip to Cancun or Jamaica. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are tons of people
who help keep the lights on. Paying bills and signing the contracts.
Shipping and logistics. When the Embassy has an event for the host country,
these folks make your country look good. Putting our best foot forward for the
world</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Medical personnel make
sure all these Americans who are living in this foreign country with diseases
like Dengue and Malaria stay healthy. They also monitor for outbreaks and work
to counter pending epidemics</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Consular Officers wear
several hats. If an American is in need, they are the main contact. If your son
or daughter is overseas, say on an exchange program or mission trip, and gets
in trouble, they won’t bail him out of jail or pay her medical bills, but they
will put him in contact with someone who can help. They’ll visit them in
jail and make sure they being treated humanely. A working legal system isn’t a
guarantee in many countries and saying “But, I’m an American” doesn’t make it
happen. These people will watch out for you.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you lose your
passport, they are the ones that will help you get home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More importantly they
are the decision makers at the tail-end of an extreme vetting process that’s
been going on for years. Denying and granting visas. Human lie detectors. They
are the <b><u>real</u></b> wall. A dynamic barrier. Finding a balance between
safety and sense.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Public Affairs
Office is the public face of America. They supervise the social media and
speak with the press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They keep track of
how America is perceived overseas. They also help in distributing American
culture and values. Keeping the beacon shining had been a huge goal. Promoting
education of the world’s youth and getting them to study in the U.S. The more
positive someone's experience is with our country the less likely they are to
want to do harm to us. They are also more likely to stand up for us in the
future. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Aid and development
allows another important way to promote the U.S. It is often reported that
country ‘X’ receives billions in aid. And, I think, the perception is that we
just dump a bunch of money into some bank account somewhere. But, a vast
majority of aid comes with the requirement that it be spent on US products. So,
more aid means buying more American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not a zero-sum game where, if they get more, we get less. In reality, if
they get more, we get more. It is a win-win.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are initiatives
that help create jobs or keep the environment clean or empower women.
These are, or have been until recently, global priorities. Created with
the idea that stronger, more stable nations are better trading partners.
Safer countries send us less people in distress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The primary mission is
to advance the interests of the United States and its people. Putting America
first has always been the mission. It is nothing new. But, we also all do
well when we all do well. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, that’s the PR spiel.
A little plug about what goes on in an Embassy and how it factors in back home.
We do this because we love our country and our jobs. Even if we don’t get
discounted bourbon, we are happy to serve, so that America can reap the
benefits. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Louisville, KY, USA38.2526647 -85.75845570000001337.853296699999994 -86.403902700000017 38.6520327 -85.113008700000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-35856429722272084542018-07-13T05:49:00.000-07:002018-07-13T05:49:44.338-07:00Secret Asian Man- Art in America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PoWgmrEpzgs/W0iaxWNvtiI/AAAAAAAC5Ho/zAtAhUjOl7A2LT7XH6AcneVxp931aaZVwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180711_102329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PoWgmrEpzgs/W0iaxWNvtiI/AAAAAAAC5Ho/zAtAhUjOl7A2LT7XH6AcneVxp931aaZVwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180711_102329.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Took a walk the other day. Searching for seeds of optimism. Not surprisingly, I found some within a few blocks. Tucked away in artwork displayed on the curb.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUTEQ3o9SqA/W0ia8PFeMBI/AAAAAAAC5Hs/H03m2QEQNB0BOSP1P-EAJELWLkw7YaBegCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180711_102325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="686" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUTEQ3o9SqA/W0ia8PFeMBI/AAAAAAAC5Hs/H03m2QEQNB0BOSP1P-EAJELWLkw7YaBegCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180711_102325.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Found these outside a house. Maybe this was a summer project. Maybe a summer parent, a month into summer, trying to keep her kids away from the screen. But it was a nice little display. A sign that the kids are watching. The kids are hopeful. They’re making plans.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsmQSlJjVmU/W0icGHNbjvI/AAAAAAAC5IA/pgTusYYYUYogr9nPRVO7uUB9QxjNHX8XwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180711_102344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsmQSlJjVmU/W0icGHNbjvI/AAAAAAAC5IA/pgTusYYYUYogr9nPRVO7uUB9QxjNHX8XwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180711_102344.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then I found another artist.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Azm4CR_gKQ/W0icoDYRcRI/AAAAAAAC5IQ/IABpfWP_YPEHBclmWhom5Wn0hLQ6NO-fwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180711_111638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Azm4CR_gKQ/W0icoDYRcRI/AAAAAAAC5IQ/IABpfWP_YPEHBclmWhom5Wn0hLQ6NO-fwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180711_111638.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is Malvin. He makes art. And he’s made art since he was 9 after he saw a Vincent Van Gogh exhibit. His family couldn’t afford to get him any oil paints, but he had a job sweeping out a general store for a holocaust survivor. That Christmas he found a box of paints under the tree. Without any training, he’s been painting ever since. </div>
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He was planning on going to college, but got called away to Vietnam at age 18. He didn’t think he was going see 19. Three days after he returned his dad was killed in car accident. So it was up to he and his brothers to care for his mother. </div>
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He met a caucasian woman and fell in love. They were disowned by parts of both sides of their families, but got married anyway. He planted a tree in the front yard of his house and has stayed there for 40 years. </div>
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After 29 years with a local bank, his job was outsourced to India. He retired 2 months ago. </div>
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“You know, I could probably be angry about a lot, but with guidance from friends and God, I’ve mellowed out. People ask me if I’m religious and I tell them, ‘Well, I believe there’s something guiding us. I’ve spoken to the angels and I think that God and I are pretty close. None of us own anything thing in life. We’re just renting this space. So, I watch my grandkids, I tend my garden and I sit on my porch and I paint what comes out of my head. I got a whole basement full of stuff. I think the best way to sell it is just put it out in the yard and see what sells. I’ve met the most interesting people just walking by!”</div>
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Also, he’s sumo wrestling fan. “It’s the championship today! I’m gonna knock off early and catch it on NHK TV!”</div>
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You can find more of his art on the corner of Indianola and Milford in Columbus, Ohio or at…</div>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://www.artbymmarcus.com/" target="_blank">www.artbymmarcus.com </a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Ohio, USA40.4172871 -82.90712300000001334.2262786 -93.2342715 46.608295600000005 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-62286121589267534912018-07-06T14:41:00.000-07:002018-07-06T14:41:35.307-07:00Secret Asian Man- Safety-Saurus<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0g8_dLXayFI/Wz_duTKDVAI/AAAAAAAC4iI/d3hfPiljAyouwYaLmeNAJ9GTmU03c0dkgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180704_205154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0g8_dLXayFI/Wz_duTKDVAI/AAAAAAAC4iI/d3hfPiljAyouwYaLmeNAJ9GTmU03c0dkgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180704_205154.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Safety in America as a thing. I’m trying
to decide if it is a great thing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Living for several years in an environment where
one is searched on every entrance to the mall or large event, or with heavily
armed guards outside the workplace or roaming the streets, One gets tuned into
the potential of threats that could arise. It is an awakening to come home to
America with so few safeguards. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are far fewer cameras covertly or overtly
placed. A much smaller security footprint is remarkable. It is breath of fresh
air really to feel so un-oppressed by safety measures. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Until one's breath is taken away looking around
at all the potential gaps that could allow something bad to happen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The whole safety net seems to have a lot of
holes. For example, thanks to Nice, France, roads are no longer barricaded with
wooden barriers. Now city buses or dump trucks are parked to block major roads.
Don’t want any deranged person to commandeer a truck and go for a death ride
through the crowd. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the same time, large public events are often
totally unscreened. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mmpSX9-bDRA/Wz_hXzQcFhI/AAAAAAAC4i0/DzBucz8RWP0aReuKKXNyd057RydP-tspACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180704_212501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mmpSX9-bDRA/Wz_hXzQcFhI/AAAAAAAC4i0/DzBucz8RWP0aReuKKXNyd057RydP-tspACKgBGAs/s200/IMG_20180704_212501.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Spawn of S.A.M. has taken to dressing up in a
dinosaur outfit. This is not a time to ask why. It is just something they like to do.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I suggested that the local fireworks
display may make for some interesting fun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufj6-aFiH98/Wz_hKfcDR0I/AAAAAAAC4iw/VFznr3wYjjUdRgl-HChDBy4FqrOBXPxjwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180704_215525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufj6-aFiH98/Wz_hKfcDR0I/AAAAAAAC4iw/VFznr3wYjjUdRgl-HChDBy4FqrOBXPxjwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180704_215525.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And so onward we went. Dressing up in the car.
We waddled on into the venue and were largely unchallenged. We even asked a
guarding cop if we could pass. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sure! Just stay cool in that thing!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And off
we went spreading Jurassic joy. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is my paranoia peeping through, but really,
what better to disguise a suicide vest than inside an 7 foot inflatable
dinosaur? Have we learned nothing from the Trojans?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mind you inflatable dinos aren’t the only way.
Coolers, wagons, bikes, picnic baskets are all potential vectors. It’s a deadly
nightmare. And folks may say that controlling things couldn’t be done here, but
many places do it with leagues of portable fencing and thousands of guards
searching each individual box or bag coming in. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PcLfo_aw_Y/Wz_eUejwKNI/AAAAAAAC4iQ/emu2EsrX_3AMJeLPoMUj4akddyY7o9O0wCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180704_214024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1443" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PcLfo_aw_Y/Wz_eUejwKNI/AAAAAAAC4iQ/emu2EsrX_3AMJeLPoMUj4akddyY7o9O0wCKgBGAs/s200/IMG_20180704_214024.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But it’s pleasing to find an America that is
largely safe and in between firework explosions and when one stops thinking
about it, it is relaxing and fun. And America in the Heartland is, these days,
white and brown and yellow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We were heartened to see Syrians, Somalis, Hispanics flocking to celebrate America’s birthday along with everyone else.
Somali children like inflatable dinosaurs just as much as American children,
and just as much as they crave a safe place to grow up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And under the rockets red glare, everyone’s
“oooos” and “aaaahs” sound exactly the same. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-78465150451668367972018-06-29T19:57:00.000-07:002018-06-30T04:55:49.672-07:00Secret Asian Man- Boobs and Pot<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Boobs and pot are only cursorily related to this post. I’m seeking mastery in click-baiting in an effort to boost readers. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">Democracy is a great thing. Or it used to be. Everyone gets a say in how their world should operate. I wonder sometimes, where it all went off into the weeds. You might say it’s gone to pot. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">After being away for years, I was able to attend the Community Festival or Comfest in Columbus, Ohio. It is the largest volunteer run festival in something, something, something. It’s been going on for, darn near, 30 years and is a pretty big event. Here are their <a href="https://www.comfest.com/?page_id=9" target="_blank">principles</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">Multiple music stages, food, art, merchandise. For a weekend in June they transform a city park into a Love-in. Some of you dear readers would call it a libtard, freak show. There are bare-breasted women’s and lots of partaking.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">It’s also a hotbed for community activism. It’s a great place for upcoming candidates to meet with those they wouldn’t ordinarily meet. Where else can a potential judge shake hands with men in kilts and hello kitty purses. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">There are a number of organizations trying to start ballot initiatives. Health care reform. Environmental protection. Cannabis legalization. For the most part attendees are pretty community oriented. What better place to practice democracy? This is what makes America great. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">Until one totally abdicates one’s right and privilege. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">I was stopped by an activist and asked to sign a petition to support legalization of marijuana. I’m not totally convinced this is a great idea, but I wasn’t opposed to seeing it on the ballot. While completing my form I heard another conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">“Would you like to sign our petition?”</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">A young woman with a selfie- imager affixed to her hand replied, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not even registered to vote.” She was young and pretty and dressed for summer. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">“That’s okay”, replied the activist, “you can register here, too!” And he offered her a different clipboard with a voter registration form on it. The cannabis people are really prepared. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">“Oh, no, thank you!” She smiled.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">I just wanted to bite her little head off!! But instead, I gently cajoled, “hey, c’mon. It’s a privilege. This is what makes America great!”</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">She just looked at me with her pale blue eyes and shrugged and then looked down at her phone and walked off to seek solace in her own vanity. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">And I sulked off to drown my sorrows in a 7 dollar beer</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Tech Center Dr, Gahanna, OH 43230, USA39.998163944585805 -82.864379882812539.608826944585807 -83.5098268828125 40.3875009445858 -82.2189328828125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-45982183343397442892018-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-22T01:37:41.563-07:00Secret Asian Man- I Smell Greatness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFfTRYFqkxA/WywnWPVa9tI/AAAAAAAC4Bg/O8PjQSbf1qwmJwKIyeOGkUtIJ79j1R9HgCLcBGAs/s1600/PopTart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="986" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFfTRYFqkxA/WywnWPVa9tI/AAAAAAAC4Bg/O8PjQSbf1qwmJwKIyeOGkUtIJ79j1R9HgCLcBGAs/s320/PopTart.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I was going to offer
some travel tips this week, but then I realized that I’m taking home leave and
there should be lots of other things to write about. Home leave is required for
us. We have to return to the US so we don’t lose sight of how great
America is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one is away for too long,
one may lose sight of that. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, we landed this week
amid the news explosion of asylum seekers and border crossers having children
taken from their parents. This was, as I understand, supposed to be a deterrent
to illegal immigration. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tnc8iikE4r4/WywoLMa7D7I/AAAAAAAC4Bs/z6p3xh6oTRoQGQue-nvc8Hk0UBBErfOHQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170704_185700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tnc8iikE4r4/WywoLMa7D7I/AAAAAAAC4Bs/z6p3xh6oTRoQGQue-nvc8Hk0UBBErfOHQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170704_185700.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This has, as with most
things, polarized the country, between those who wish to live in a totally
lawless society and those who believe parent-separation could be an effective
tool to make America great, and keep that greatness for themselves. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I mean, it’s human
nature to want to get to great. If my family is being threatened or murdered
and I can’t make my way in the world where I am located, I’m going to go where
it’s safer or better. It’s a huge commitment of effort, but if my life is
bad enough, I’m taking the plunge. I have to believe that most of us would. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">America is a great
country, but there is only so much of it to spread around. There is an
underlying idea that there is a limited amount of the good stuff to go around
and we have to sway others from wanting to take it. We have a big carrot we
have, and we need a bigger stick to beat off all the hungry mouths that want a
bite. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I wonder what things
would look like if we all looked at it life from a perspective of abundance
rather than scarcity. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking of abundance,
within a day of hitting the ground, we made our first visit to Target. This is
like a pilgrimage to Mecca. The angels sing in my head as the doors slide open.
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I noted two disturbing
items for sale that made me question America’s greatness.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first was Green
Sour-Apple Jolly Rancher flavoured Pop Tarts. Yes, Pop Tarts, the breakfast
pastry. Just because one can slather Jolly Rancher Jelly between two bits of
bread doesn’t mean that one must. There are some things that just shouldn’t be.
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The second item was,
Scratch n Sniff pre-teen girl t-shirts. I don’t think I’m over reacting
when I ask, What in Holy Hell are people thinking?. Did anyone in the
legal department clear this? Was this put through a focus group?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t this strike anyone in the design
process as kind of a flipping, creepy path toward sexual assault? </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had a thought then
that maybe this was a kind of conspiracy to shrink the carrot. A way to make
America less attractive. Maybe even act as a deterrent. A different way
to give desirous immigrants a choice. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stay where you are and
risk your life in the streets of your home or come to America where creepy
Uncle Sam may lure your kid onto the sofa with a polluted pastry and ask for a
little scratch n sniff. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">EEW, EEW, EEW!!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s my initial
jet-lagged thoughts. I promise this coming week I’m looking for real greatness.
Stay tuned. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Ohio, USA40.4172871 -82.90712300000001334.2262786 -93.2342715 46.608295600000005 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-77275300525393660912018-06-18T14:36:00.000-07:002018-06-18T14:36:15.366-07:00Secret Asian Man - Hallas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQN-AMGPDM/WygleiGOVOI/AAAAAAAC38g/smh0FIyArxUwokQrYtwVpG1qH8MwYrmRwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180614_004453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQN-AMGPDM/WygleiGOVOI/AAAAAAAC38g/smh0FIyArxUwokQrYtwVpG1qH8MwYrmRwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180614_004453.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-045c58d9-14cf-d1b3-4ebf-bc7cad2e2d0e" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When things are complete in Jordan, ‘hallas’ is the word they use. Finished, complete, done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The house has been cleaned, the bags are packed and stuffed to the weight limit. We rattled around our apartment for a few days and enjoyed the last minute dinners and farewells. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now, after all that, somewhere over the Atlantic and with Amman below and behind us, we are ‘hallas’ and say ‘masselammah’ to Jordan and her people. May they thrive and prevail peacefully over the obstacles before them. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-87405679275656384482018-06-07T09:00:00.000-07:002018-06-07T10:35:24.702-07:00Secret Asian Man's Ultimate Guide to Jordan<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XHNALcVY42k/Wxlk-GpzcQI/AAAAAAAC3jA/6fOCVGAR87IV1c72nIYDjOrg-NyzL-p1QCKgBGAs/s1600/20160911_112653-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XHNALcVY42k/Wxlk-GpzcQI/AAAAAAAC3jA/6fOCVGAR87IV1c72nIYDjOrg-NyzL-p1QCKgBGAs/s320/20160911_112653-EFFECTS.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the last Friday in this fascinating
country. We’ve enjoyed the pleasure of its people, culture, and beauty. Jordan
is a great country for lots of reasons, but perhaps mostly because it is so
compact and achievable. We’ve had the great opportunity to share with guests as
well. Even though you may have missed your chance to visit with us, We
thought we could leave you with our ideal itinerary for a visit of 7 to 14 days
to help you or your guests get the maximum out of your stay. You should
definitely consider tackling some of this list. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First, get travel insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world is a dangerous and unpredictable
place, and getting to care or safety can be super expensive anywhere. One crazy
driver and you can bankrupt yourself. It could be well worth the hundred bucks
or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Next, get the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.jordanpass.jo/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jordan Pass</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. You can only get this online before you arrive. It will cover
your entry visa and entry to most of the sites below. If you go to Petra, the
price will pay for itself. The visa you receive does allow you to enter Israel
and return within a two week period.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once you arrive, make your way to your hotel in
Amman. Plan to stay here for few days. Stretch your legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sleep off the jet lag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are most major hotel chains. All are
nice, though the Marriott is a little far away from stuff. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you like gladiator movies? If you’re coming
from the States, you’ll be up early from jet lag anyway. Start early on your
first day. Hire a driver and/or guide, we have used </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.gojordantours.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Go
Jordan Tours</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for ourselves and our
guests and been very happy, and head to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://international.visitjordan.com/Wheretogo/Jerash.aspx"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jerash</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It’s about an hour north of Amman and contains some of the most
complete Roman ruins to be found anywhere. Your guide should be able to
give you some history since the dawn of recorded time and lots of good basic
knowledge about how and why the Romans did what they did. Count on about 2-3
hours depending on how fast you walk and how many questions you have. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you time it right, it’ll be close to lunch
time. Hop back on the car and head to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.lebanesehouse-restaurant.com/Home/Menus"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Lebanese
House</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for lunch. Nearly
all their food looks good, but some highlights include Makdous, Moutabal, and
shish Tawouk. Don’t eat the falafel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>though, you’ll be having this for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After lunch have your driver take you to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://international.visitjordan.com/Wheretogo/Ajlun.aspx"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ajloun
Castle</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div>
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Show your Jordan Pass
and get your ticket at the bottom of the hill and walk or drive up to the
castle. This being the land of crusaders, you’re never more than a camel’s
spitting distance away from a castle of some sort. I like Ajloun because it’s
seems to be the most intact and the best curated and labeled, so things are in
context. Wander clear to the top for some impressive views. Let your kids climb
and roam a bit. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re staying in Jordan for a couple weeks,
consider booking nearby into Umm Qais</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16307907"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> B & B</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> . A Nice little project with an amazing breakfast. If you
pre-schedule it they can send you down the road to a home cooked family meal
that is quite lovely. Get up the next morning and see Umm Qais, another
Roman ruin with good views of the Sea of Galilee, Israel and Syria. Plan to
have lunch at the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.romerogroup.jo/umm-qais.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Umm Qais Rest House</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for good food and a great view.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you don’t have the time, head back from
Ajloun to Amman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a brief rest,
head to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Hashem.Restaurant.Amman/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hashem</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for dinner. It’s not much to look at but has been around for
years and is billed as the oldest restaurant in Jordan, serving a simple
falafel meal to anyone 24/7. It is the Waffle House of Arabic food. It will be,
without a doubt the cheapest meal you’ll have in Jordan. They speak reasonable
English. There isn’t really a menu, just nod to whatever they say, you’ll be
satisfied. It will open your mind to what falafel should be along with moutabal
, hummous, foul, fresh pita and scalding hot mint tea. Try and ask for some of
the big (kibear) falafel you will thank us later. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After dinner, walk out of Hashem and turn left.
Walk a block or two down the main street. This is the Souk area, so there is
lots of activity here. Lots of people watching and souvenir opportunities. You’re
looking on the left hand side for an alley. There is a book kiosk on the
corner. Just find the line. This is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://habibahsweets.com/en/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Habiba Sweets</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Stand in line. When you get to the window, ask for a 100
gram slice of knafe. Pay your money and go gather your little plate. Eat it
there in the alley before it gets cold. It’s not as good when it’s cold. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Head home it’s been a long day. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’ve got some time in Amman, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://jordanmuseum.jo/en"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Jordan Museum</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a great collection and explains more about the area. They also
have some of the Dead Sea scrolls which you should see since you came all this
way. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://experiencejordan.com/experience-history-amman-citadel/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Citadel</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is also nice.
Interesting mosque and ruins as well as a museum, and a great view of the city.
A guide can be helpful and should run about 20jd. It’ll take an hour or two to
see it all. Once finished, wind your way down to the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/amman/attractions/roman-theatre/a/poi-sig/1105394/361068"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Roman
Amphitheater</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. There are signs, but
just keep, heading down hill you’ll run into it. It’s still in use for concerts
and performances. If you’re in town during one, catch it. Just like the
Romans did way back when. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the evening wander down </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/amman/attractions/rainbow-street/a/poi-sig/1497384/361068"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Rainbow
Street</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Amman’s main tourist
street. Compared to others in the world, it is not much, but it’s theirs and
there are some shisha joints and restaurants to try and an amazing view of the
city and the The Citadel . For a nice meal try </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.romero-jordan.com/sufra.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Soufra</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.cantaloupe.jo/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cantaloupe</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. If you’re there on a Friday in the summer,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SOUKJARA/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Souk
Jara</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a nice street market that goes until late.
Don’t be up too late, you’ve got a busy day ahead! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a good breakfast, grab your car or guide
and head to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/jordan/mount-nebo"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mt Nebo</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in near by Madaba.</span></div>
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It's about a 45 minutes drive. Read up
on your Moses before you come especially about all the wandering he did. Mt
Nebo is where it all ended for old Mo. He came, he saw, he died. There is a great
set of mosaics inside the church there. They just finished restoring them and
it’s well worth a look. Allow an hour or two. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can head into Madaba proper if you’ve the
time. The St. George’s church has the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madaba_Map"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> oldest map of Jerusalem </span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in its mosaic floor. There is a small presentation. You can
eat lunch in town and shop for mosaics and other things. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.haretjdoudna.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Haret
Jdouna</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> it right down the
street from St. George's and has great food if you are looking for a relaxing
meal. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Back in the car. You’re descending around
4000 feet to the Dead Sea. One of the lowest points on earth, the totally dead
body of water is disappearing, so take it in while you can. For the tourists,
check into one of the hotels, all have spas and beach access. We can recommend
both the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/qmdjv-dead-sea-marriott-resort-and-spa/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Marriott</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.movenpick.com/en/middle-east/jordan/dead-sea/resort-dead-sea/overview/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Movenpick</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Head down to the water, slather yourselves in mud, grab a
newspaper and your camera for the prototypical, floating on the Dead Sea pic.
Instagram that sucker and then go rinse off. Go relax in the regular pools or
have a spa treatment. Mrs. S.A.M can vouch for the spas at both of the above
hotels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re in a time crunch, most of the hotels
have day passes that allow use of the pool and beach and may include a meal.
Ammon Beach is just down the road and is the beach the locals use. It is
cheaper and is definitely a cultural experience.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’ve got time, I’d stay in the Dead Sea hotel
for two nights. If it’s between April and December, go hike </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/wadi-mujib"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Wadi
Mujib</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. There are lots of
hikes along the Dead Sea, but Mujib is the coolest. It will cost you around
25JD. Prepare to be wet and prepare to work. It is less a hike than a
salmon spawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You and some placed guides
will haul your carcass up and over several waterfalls to the end. The whole
hike is about 2 hours, but you’ll think you’ve hiked 4. This will be a
high point!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re more sedate and spiritually inclined,
you can also try </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.baptismsite.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Baptism Site</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. You need cash here, as
your Jordan pass won’t work. You are also required to take the bus and the
guide, because you’re getting dangerously close to Israel here. You can see
where The Son of God was baptized according to the Greeks and the Catholics who
so deem it. You can see Israel about 12 feet away. If you want, you can even
baptize yourself. Holy water is for sale on site, to take home to your friends.
If this story has meaning for you, you will enjoy. If not, you will think it
looks like a reedy puddle and will wonder about all the fuss. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From the Dead Sea, you’ve got a two or three
hour drive ahead of you, so plan for that. As always in Jordan, it’s best to
stay off the roads after dark. Your next step is the town of Dana in the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://international.visitjordan.com/Wheretogo/DanaBiosphereReserve.aspx"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dana
Biosphere Reserve</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. This place is situated
at the top of several canyons. There are a couple of camps ranging from spartan
to a little less spartan and a lodge. They all include dinner and breakfast.
You can ask for a room with lights or just a tent. You can even sleep under the
stars. The meals are ample and Arab and largely free of choice. We like it.
Eat, sing, play games by candlelight or go stargazing. But don’t be up too
late. Tomorrow is a big day. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today you’re headed to the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://ecohotels.me/Feynan"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Feynan
Ecolodge</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. There are a couple
ways to get there. The Wadi Dana hike is the less strenuous 6-hours. The Wadi
Gweheir hike is 8-10 hours and is beautiful. The latter requires a guide and
some physical ability as there is some scrambling and minor rappelling. If
you’re able, this is <u>highly</u> recommended. A guide will help point out
some of the animals and history. Bonus points if you find a blue headed lizard.
Your camp can provide a box lunch. Take plenty of water. They should also be
able to provide that, unfortunately it’ll be in single use plastic bottles. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’re self driving, you can pay a Bedouin to
drive the car down to Feynan for you. If it’s not a high clearance vehicle, you’ll
need to carry some clothes and toiletries for your night at the lodge, as
they’ll need to leave your car in the town. You can catch a ride in the
morning. Otherwise, just leave your bags in the car, it will be parked right at
the lodge. Oh yeah...Start the day early. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feynan Ecolodge is a super cool destination and
a great place to relax after your long hike. There is minimal electricity, and
the place is largely cell signal-free. Dinner is served at 7 by
candlelight. Indeed the whole place is via candlelight at night except your
bathroom. BYOB if you want. If you still want to walk or stay the next day they
can take you for a sunset hike or over to a Bedouin tent for a bread making
lesson. Later in the evening they pull out some mattresses on the roof along
with a telescope for some stargazing. I always fall asleep. It is the
best!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breakfast starts at 7 AM. And
includes the finest falafels you will eat your entire trip. Mrs. S.A.M. has
been known to go back for seconds and thirds.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After breakfast, load up the car. It is
onward to</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://visitpetra.jo/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Petra</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">! This will take an hour or two over some pretty nice roads and
views. You have to climb all the way back up to where you hiked from. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the town of Petra, we like to stay at one of
three places. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.movenpick.com/en/middle-east/jordan/petra/resort-petra/overview/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtPYBRD6ARIsAKs1XJ5XRjpelTTb0y00mo1t1cqyoA6AhznBTZiQGxIS67gQ56iT3Db4FegaAm-OEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Movenpick</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is right across the
street from the entrance and is pretty posh. Nice breakfast included and nice
rooftop lounge that is open in the warmer months.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.guesthouse-petra.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Petra Guest House</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is right at the entrance. It is Holiday Inn Express level.
Comfortable with a mediocre breakfast. Location is the best thing it has to
offer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mpqmc-petra-marriott-hotel/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Marriott</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is really nice with
awesome sunset views. The downside is that you’re trapped outside of town
requiring a drive and parking to get into Petra proper. Not a dealbreaker, but
factor it in. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you can spend a couple days in Petra, do it.
There is lots to see. If I had to choose, I would hike in from the back
entrance at Little Petra. This way you can see Little Petra, hike up to the
Monastery and out the front. It is pretty spectacular. It’s a long day if
you walk the whole thing. Some guide companies can drive you part of the way. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On your way out stop at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g318895-d6419189-Reviews-The_Cave_Bar-Petra_Wadi_Musa_Ma_an_Governorate.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Cave Bar</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, ostensibly the oldest
bar in the world. They have good and cold drinks. The food is decidedly
average. Eat elsewhere. We recommend </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g318895-d6419189-Reviews-The_Cave_Bar-Petra_Wadi_Musa_Ma_an_Governorate.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Oriental Restaurant</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It is not Chinese
food. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following day you can enter through the
front entrance and see the dramatic entrance to the Treasury just like Indiana
Jones did way back when. Then see the royal tombs or hike up to the place of
high sacrifice or other hikes. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you only have one day in Petra, enter via the
front. Aim to make it all the way to the Monastery. You can walk the 850
steps up or pay for a donkey for the hard part. Negotiate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it. It should be between 5 and 10JD. Both walking
or donkey have their drawbacks.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A word about Petra By Night. Three nights
a week they light up the path and the whole Treasury with thousands of candles.
The photos look cool. It costs extra and is not covered by your Jordan
Pass. If you can get in early, it is amazingly magical. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How do you get in early? We used the
guides at Go Jordan to hike with us during the day. They have connections.
Through them they walk you in early while they’re still lighting the
candles. They sit you off to the side and you have the place entirely to
yourself. It is quiet and calm and oh, so cool. 45 minutes later your party is
crashed by 1000 strangers jostling for a place on the ground. There is some
music and a small speech and then everyone gets up and trounces back. Children
are lost, babies are crying. The entertainment is cheesy, but buying the time
by yourself is spectacular. I wouldn’t do it again unless I could get there
first. But if you go with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.gojordantours.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Go Jordan Tours</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, the night experience is worth the guide price you pay for the
rest of your Petra visit. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Onward then, to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://wadirum.jo/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Wadi Rum</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In preparation, it’s good to watch Lawrence of
Arabia. Probably good to watch it anyway before your trip. There are lots of
ways to do this place. Here is our favourite. We book in with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.bedouinlifestyle.com/en/page.aspx?id=1"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bedouin
Lifestyle Camps</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. These guys are great.
Super flexible, accommodating and good cooks to boot. Plan to get there by 9,
but 10 is okay if there is summer lighting. You can do a short camel ride into
the desert and then a Jeep tour for the rest of the day. Lunch is included. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the evening, you can choose to stay at their
desert camp with dinner and a music show, or pay a little extra and sleep under
the stars. Do yourselves a favor, sleep under the stars. The guys will find a
secluded site that is all yours. They throw some mattresses and some blankets
down on a mat, start a fire, light some candles and your guide prepares a feast
from scratch in an hour or two. You can explore or relax. Then as it gets
dark you can count the stars until you fall asleep. Wake in the night and watch
the constellations twirl overhead all night. People may worry about wildlife,
but don’t worry. Nothing will bother you.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the morning they drive you to the camp to
clean up and eat breakfast. Then they drive you back to your car. Another option
is the hour long camel ride. It is beautiful for the first 30 minutes. The the
wooden saddle will greatly degrade your sense of wonder. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are a number of camps in Wadi Rum. You’ll
see photos of glass domes and air conditioning and comfy beds. Those are a
different kind of experience. You’ll pay more and get less.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hit the southernmost point on this trip in
Aqaba. We like the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.movenpick.com/en/middle-east/jordan/aqaba/resort-aqaba-tala-bay/overview/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Movenpick
at Tala Bay</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It is out of town and
you’re trapped at the resort, but it’s a very nice resort with good food and
great staff. It’s a relaxing way to wind down after all the hiking and
dust you’ve been through. There’s a nice spa. And a dive shop on site. Sign up
for a dive with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.sinaidivers.com/english.htm"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sinai Divers</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or rent some snorkel equipment and go explore the Red Sea, some
of the best diving in the world. Stay for a couple days. You earned it!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s about a 5 hour drive back to the airport,
so your flight time will determine your last day. If you want to wind your way
back slowly, you can stop at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/shobak/attractions/shobak-castle/a/poi-sig/1106238/1314548"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Shobak
Castle</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/karak/attractions/karak-castle/a/poi-sig/1505472/361077"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Karak
Castle</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or both! Karak is
the more famous, Shobak, I think, is the more imposing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you’ve followed this itinerary to the letter,
you’ve already ticked off a number of World Heritage Sites. If you want one
more, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/jordan/umm-al-rasas"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Umm Al
Rasas</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is on the way. Roman
and earlier ruins, with some great mosaics. There are also some ascetic pillars
nearby. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is the usual duty free shopping at the
airport, but don’t dawdle. If you’re headed directly back to the U.S., there is
an extra screening where they rifle through all your belongings. This takes
time. They line up early, so plan accordingly. Flights through Europe are less
strict. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And there you have it! Mr and Mrs. S.A.M’s
ultimate trip to Jordan. Do it all or do it in part, but buy travel insurance
and do this trip!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-15597578371398601192018-05-31T12:23:00.000-07:002018-05-31T12:23:24.373-07:00Secret Asian Man- What About All That Bread?!?<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQPPqdaZV48/WxBJgJ7DJpI/AAAAAAAC3dc/o3XRVdNFsH0QCX4oVdcPb9fFNCL-hvf3QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180525_214646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1596" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQPPqdaZV48/WxBJgJ7DJpI/AAAAAAAC3dc/o3XRVdNFsH0QCX4oVdcPb9fFNCL-hvf3QCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180525_214646.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An addendum if you will to last week’s entry on
trash. I got lots of questions wondering, “What about all that bread?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay. That’s fake news. I didn’t hear
anything like that, but I thought it interesting enough to talk about. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Watch this video:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">https://YouTube.be/wlfZo_rTg68<a href="https://youtu.be/wIfZo_rTg68" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/wIfZo_rTg6</a></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is pita bread being made. Presumably it is made in the
basement by elves. It bakes then conveys up to the second floor and plops on
the counter for bagging. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Falling from the ceiling at a local bakery. It
is bread at its most basic. Flour, water, salt. No preservatives, no
yeast, no riboflavin, no nothing.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I</span>f
Americans are, per Michael Polland, “Children of Corn”, then Jordanians are
“Seeds of Wheat” such is bread’s importance here. It is eaten with every
meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often pita, but other forms as
well.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pita, for the longest time, was subsidized at a
rate of about 35 cents for a kilogram stack. A large family can eat a
couple of kilos in no time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 6
months ago, the government raised the price to almost 50 cents. There are daily
protests in the streets still, over this and other price hikes. It is a big
deal. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, it’s one thing for a large family of 6 or 8
to buy a couple of kilograms of bread, but if you’re a smaller group, it
becomes cumbersome. There is just so much of it. We asked if we could buy
just a few slices, but no go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
full loaf kilo or nothing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And because there are no preservatives, the
bread starts to get stale by the time you walk up the hill to your home. Once
the heat dissipates, it gets more and more chewy and stiff. Great with
hummous or a salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the next day, it
is a cracker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It moulds quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a while, we were freezing it, but then we
found we just had freezer full of crackers. You know what makes thawed
out pita taste better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing can help this man-made, organic
dessicant. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So we threw a ton of it away. Then we found out
what Jordanians do. They bag up the old bread and take it to the
dumpsters or the curb and they hang it somewhere, like the photo above. Then
bedouins come by and collect it and they feed it to their goats. Goats,
as you may know will eat anything and during a festival, the price of goats can
soar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, the government pays for the bread, we throw
¾ of it away and the bedouins feed their stock for near free and make a pretty
nice profit. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like pitas from heaven.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-73113344431729752622018-05-24T21:00:00.000-07:002018-05-24T21:00:07.404-07:00Secret Asian Man- Trash in(g) Amman<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ym9E70R7OMY/WwboaueAYHI/AAAAAAAC240/-IkRMgfge0UxZ1HG14No4ksVF0LuiFt_gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180524_191054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ym9E70R7OMY/WwboaueAYHI/AAAAAAAC240/-IkRMgfge0UxZ1HG14No4ksVF0LuiFt_gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180524_191054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Long time readers may
recall this writer’s infatuation with trash and how it gets where it’s going.
I feel like I’ve spoken about it a lot. From looking out my front window,
this is my thoughts about how garbage is handled in Amman once we generate it
and leave it outside of our front door. .All of this is based on hearsay and
observation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sulieman our boab,
(house elf) , makes a couple of rounds per day to all the units in our building
collecting garbage and taking it to a set of dumpsters in the vacant lot next
door. This is combined with trash from 8 or 10 other buildings. Dumpsters
are dispersed every 500 feet or so on the main roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back streets have a bit longer walk to throw
things away.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A standard city garbage
truck swings by and empties dumpsters 4 or more times per week. I don’t
see them on Fridays, but they can show up most days usually just before dawn,
and just before my alarm is set to ring. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In between collections,
a variety of other visitors happen by the dumpster. It starts with the
cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know where they go when
the dumpsters are empty, but when full each dumpster generally has 2 or 3
felines per dumpster. Balanced along the rim or deep inside the garbage.
Sustained on a diet of plastic bags and food scraps. I haven’t seen a lot of
rats, but certainly there must be some. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bedouins or refugees
make the rounds of the neighborhood. Typically, they have a rusty white
pick up or other utility vehicle that leans to one side, is lacking a muffler
and most functioning forms of illumination. The driver stops, hops out and
grabs a nearby rock to throw under the front wheel to save him having to chase
his car down the hill. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He proceeds to pull
plastic bags out of the dumpster and throw the contents on the ground, taking
what he needs. Usually metal, but also cardboard, cloth and other scraps.
The remainder is scattered to the winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The plastic bags take flight. Jordanians call plastic bags, their
national bird.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Glass is not recycled.
And after nearly 2 years of wondering why, I finally learned the answer. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The areas around
dumpsters are strewn with broken glass. I wondered for a while, why glass
wasn’t more valued. We tried for a while to gather glass separately, but
it would be taken to the dumpster and then thrown on the ground. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It turns out that the
closest glass recycling plant was in Syria. After the troubles there, the
border shut down and no one could get the used glass up there, so the market
crashed and no one wanted glass. Another consequence of the ongoing
conflict there. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ground around the
dumpster, as you can imagine, becomes a bit of a toxic mess of glass, food
scraps and other detritus. Bin Men circulate and sweep and scoop things
up and try and keep things manageable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once a month, a front-end
loader drives by and either scoops up trash or grades over it with a thin layer
of dirt and rock and for a week or so, things look rather tidy. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you want to get rid
of more valuable items, the scrap buyer circulates. A large loudspeaker mounted
on the cab announces what he’s buying. It plays and ear splitting
volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cycles around twice, so when
you hear him the first, you move your stuff to the curb and catch him the
second time around. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where the collected
trash goes from the dumpster, I’m not sure. I presume to a landfill of
some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some place where all the
“birds’ can roost together and flap in the wind</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-11837035826042331742018-05-17T23:21:00.001-07:002018-05-18T00:34:44.528-07:00Secret Asian Man- This Week in Virginity<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y09tzfHKXnM/Wv5vzX9-3EI/AAAAAAAC22I/kA46ltIKxZoOyfZjo4dQPUCKmskhyI3PACLcBGAs/s1600/Liam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1023" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y09tzfHKXnM/Wv5vzX9-3EI/AAAAAAAC22I/kA46ltIKxZoOyfZjo4dQPUCKmskhyI3PACLcBGAs/s320/Liam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last week we heard how
Helen launched, if not a thousand ships, at least 1000 SUV and small pickup
trucks. Here’s more on why.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had the pleasure of
attending a cultural awareness conference with a Palestinian woman from the
West Bank town of Nablus. The fact that she’d never been to Nablus is for
another story.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During this talk we
watched a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g28pOEo0OKE" target="_blank">video clip</a> of the 1995 film Rob Roy, in which Rob Roy, played by
Liam Neeson, talks about honor. He goes on about how men can gain honor and
lose honor. He also seems to imply that women have all the honor, but
that men are the only ones who can guard it. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While we were eating
lunch, I brought up the scene with her. She said that indeed women are capable
of defending their honor. She noted in her city, Nablus, the women are
all very strong. Nothing happens if the women don’t agree. She rattled off a
saying in Arabic.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But she went on to say,
that in the Arab world, when you hear talk of honor, you should know that the
speaker is referring exclusively to a woman. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Really! Anytime. It all
can be extended back to a defending a woman. And, more specifically, her
virginity” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She poked out her pinky
into the air. “Every woman has this, um, this, er… membrane. And that is the
most important. If a woman plays soccer or does sports, she must disclose this
before marriage, or it may be shameful for her family.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hmm.” I asked, “What do
you think of that?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She shrugged, “It’s what
is believed.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I turned to my brownie
and thought about Liam Neeson and his “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tz9tQr1Zgo" target="_blank">very particular set of skills</a>” and
wondered if he was typecast as a defender of honor.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, that’s how it
came to be that riots broke out after Helen Christos ran to her friends house.
A clash of clans turned into a tribal battle over honor and shame. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-21460572573876156882018-05-11T01:37:00.001-07:002018-05-11T01:37:51.569-07:00Secret Asian Man- When Two Tribes Go to War<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">FIRST....This an old song that
was thumping through my mind whilst jotting this down. You can find the
video and music <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usd9V21H7u4" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Turn it up loud. That’s what I did. Go ahead. I’ll wait. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-706BqbUkhKg/WvVUrIaIYsI/AAAAAAAC2x0/5SnyMJuqrZoH3A9RSEhjhJSrAeDR_bVMgCLcBGAs/s1600/hatfield%2BClan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1426" height="310" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-706BqbUkhKg/WvVUrIaIYsI/AAAAAAAC2x0/5SnyMJuqrZoH3A9RSEhjhJSrAeDR_bVMgCLcBGAs/s400/hatfield%2BClan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now then....Does anyone recall what
the Kentucky Hatfields and McCoys were fighting over? What about the
Montagues and the Capulets? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m sure the answer is lost
to time, but I’ll bet a dinar to a donut that it was a woman. Here’s a sketch
of a Jordanian drama that culminated this week in the shutting down of a city
of 86,000 people. It was told to me by some of my Jordanian co-workers. Likely
embellished, as is the way with oral tradition </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It seems a mother of
three, a Christian woman wrote a letter and petitioned the King last year for
some sort of assistance. Let’s call her Mrs. Helen Christos. She’s
married, but her husband works in the south and can’t often come home. The King
wants to explore this request and passed her letter on to a staff member. His
name is Izzy Al McCoy.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Izzy phones her up and
asks for a meeting. He has the most professional of intents. He’s working
for his boss, the King. He is smitten, though instantly. He calls her several
times under the pretense of helping her. They talk. She finds the attention
refreshing. It’s a distraction. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mrs. Christos and Izzy
go out for a coffee. They enjoy themselves. Izzy snaps a few selfies. He calls the next
day. At which time, Helen has started to worry. She’s married. He’s nice,
but he’s Muslim. There could be a
scandal. She has misgivings about going out with him again. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But Izzy has photos and
he hints that they could find their way out. So, Mrs. Christos sees him
reluctantly. Izzy is inflamed. He wants to be with her. He thinks about her all
the time. As he’s handy with phones, he starts tracking her. One probably would
call it “stalking”. He randomly appears in her life. He gets more urgent in his
requests. More demanding. Until at one point he grabs her arm and tries to drag
her away. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mrs. Christos gets
fearful and distraught. She breaks free and runs to her best friend’s house. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amiga and Amigo Al
Hatfield live down the way. Amiga is her best friend. Mrs. Christos runs into
the home and begs for help. Izzy chases her and is out front now. Rather
enraged. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now, in bedouin culture,
if someone comes to you and asks for help, you are obligated to provide it.
Even if they are an enemy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, Amigo Al Hatfield
gets up from his couch and shisha pipe and goes to the door. He lets Izzy know,
that she’s going stay here and he’ll look after her. But the situation escalates.
There was a scuffle. Amigo got the best of Izzy and sent him off. Not only that, but the Al Hatfields and Mrs.
Christos let the King know what happens and Izzy is dismissed. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">That was all months ago.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Things had been quiet
until a week or so ago, when Amigo Al Hatfield finds himself alone against Izzy
and 14 of his friends. They beat him so badly that Amigo ended up in the ICU.
Also, again, because Izzy is good with his phone, he filmed it and threw
it up online. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Another thing about
Bedouins, is they stick together. Tribes are a big deal. If someone harms you,
the tribe will back you. If you do something embarrassing, you embarrass
the tribe. Izzy was shamed and so he got some clansmen and had at it. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amigo’s tribe though,
thought the response was a bit excessive. And his tribe descended upon the city
with some 4000 of their own men in cars, with weapons firing into the air,
circling around the town demanding the men in the video be arrested or turned
over to them. The rioting went on for a day and into the night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">You can find video <a href="https://youtu.be/OAYk8xv1P1s" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
Nothing too graphic. Just angry chaos, really.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A coworker was headed
there and was stopped by police, who had sealed off the town. They told
her to go a different way. She said, “I don’t know any other way to get there.
I’ll get lost!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Police replied, “It is too dangerous. It is
better to get lost than to die. Now, go!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They eventually took the
men into custody, but haven’t charged anyone. The police often hold
people for their own protection. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We all sat at lunch
discussing this. I wondered how it was going to end. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“It’s not gonna end!”
said one. “It’s just gonna go on and on. OMG!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I asked if maybe money
could solve it. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“No. They don’t want
money. The only way it will get solved is when the tribal elders get together
and discuss it. It may not end until the Al Hatfields get to have 15 of their
guys take on Izzy”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And that’s what’s been
going on in Jordan this week. I’m sure there is a musical or play in
there. Jets vs. Sharks? Romeo and Juliet? At the very least a country song. It’s tribalism at its finest. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stop by next week for more
on honor and shame. And why Liam Neeson could be the defender of virginity. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-60745606275480139262018-05-03T23:27:00.000-07:002018-05-03T23:34:52.515-07:00Secret Asian Man- Finding Rocket Man<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GVdNfgfjWhY/Wuv8GVnY1VI/AAAAAAAC2fI/NZeYM_BiGJM2-aBaz0sYQN7n25UdJFk_QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180430_194224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GVdNfgfjWhY/Wuv8GVnY1VI/AAAAAAAC2fI/NZeYM_BiGJM2-aBaz0sYQN7n25UdJFk_QCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180430_194224.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time ticks by and we start forming lists. Lists of
things to pack. Lists of things to buy. Lists of places we want to see
before we go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lists of the things we’ll
miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Missing things like the melon. Oh my
god!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The melon! First, buttery and
savory, with a cool sweet finish. I will have crack-dreams for years over this
melon.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or missing things like falafel. I’m not sure
I’ll ever be able to eat falafel anywhere else. Or shwarma. Same
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re simple, delicious and
darn near free. Paying 7 bucks or more back in the US seems obscene. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Out with the Mrs. for a spring evening stroll to
obtain such sandwiches. The start of the dwindling number, I’m sure. Trying to
get our fill.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We came across a new place that had opened a
couple months back. It was bright and clean with decor a step above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they were cooking something new. It was
like shwarma meat cooked on a large shield-like pan. A little oil, a little
lemon juice, some secret spices. They press some pita down on top of the
stew that’s created sopping up any extra juice then they wrap it all up with
some tomatoes, pickles and hot peppers and squirt on some lemon juice to
finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Served with fries. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It looked like a shwarma, but different. I
thought I’d give it a try, so I walked up to the counter and picked up the
menu. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That is all in arabic, but don’t worry, I will
explain to you everything.” said the purveyor.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In near perfect English, he explained that this
was a Turkish sandwich called a Tantuni. He talked a bit about it and how long
they were here. He and all the cooks there were Jordanian, but they had a
Turkish chef who was on holiday.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chicken or beef, I opted for chicken and placed
my order. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I called Mrs. S.A.M. in from her Pokemon
hunting. He explained the whole process again. She exclaimed, “That looks
amazing, but I’m a vegetarian. That looks like it would be great with tofu!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man considers this and tells us that he used
to own an Italian restaurant in Guanzhou, China. He said he never had tofu
until he went there and grew to love it. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, I will make a vegetarian sandwich for you
that is not on the menu!” And he proceeds to bark out orders to the guy
behind the counter who responded and made some suggestions of his own. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He throws down a pita, smears on some yogurt,
takes some Arugula and tears off only the tender parts. Seriously, at a
fast food street vendor, he tore the stems out of 12-15 individual leaves of
arugula and laid them out strategically for maximum coverage. Some
tomatoes, pickles, etc. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I love arugula”, he says. “I put it
anywhere I can!” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We told him the sandwich should have a name.
“I don’t know, I guess a rocket sandwich?! Ha ha!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I offer to pay for the extra creativity, but he
waves me off. “It is my compliments!” and then after we’re sitting
outside he brings out two cold yogurt drinks with froth on top. He called
it Airon(sp?) and said it is a popular dish in Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You will drink more Airon than water there.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sipping our icee cold, spoiled milk, we wondered
together about this man’s story. Here’s a guy with a salad-greens fetish,
speaking perfect English, who’s owned an Italian restaurant in China, now
importing a Turkish sandwich concept to Jordan. How does that happen? </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We figured that it must be family that drew him
back. This country is full of people with postponed dreams. Men or women who
went away and did interesting things, but came back to care for mom or dad or
in-laws and work the family business or on the side driving Uber or guiding
tours. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I started this entry, I was going to say
that people were the other thing I’d miss. Their pride and kindness and stories
like these. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But then I realized there are stories and people
like this everywhere. I could go to the State Fair this summer and find a fried
food vendor and if I stood and listened for long enough, I’d probably find an
equally kind and proud person, who just might give me extra chocolate sauce for
my deep fried twinkie.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Tarek Al-Jundi St., Amman, Jordan31.9562575 35.8641364999999725.0327969999999986 -5.444457500000027 58.879718 77.172730499999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-51444538000197011172018-04-27T00:52:00.000-07:002018-04-27T00:52:08.104-07:00Secret Asian Man- It's Raining Mud, Hallelujah!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqLL5QWdfbs/WuLWJpQjPrI/AAAAAAAC2Yo/EyTA97D_ci4j9HDXt_fFsCfXDt74wAu1ACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqLL5QWdfbs/WuLWJpQjPrI/AAAAAAAC2Yo/EyTA97D_ci4j9HDXt_fFsCfXDt74wAu1ACKgBGAs/s400/DSCN0605.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It’s rained 3 days this week. Not only
rain, but thunder and lightning. Something I’ve not seen in my time
here.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Something I’ve missed. The
tense space between the flash and the deep rumbling in my chest. Bob
Seeger ear worms and counting to five to figure out how far off, I sat and
wondered. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Something I’ve not seen is the rain mixing with
dust storms. From on high, it rains down mud, obscuring views through glass
like cataracts. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jordan is one of the most water poor countries
on the planet. It’s also home to huge numbers of refugees that that has
increased the population by 87% in the last ten years. They all need to cook,
drink and bathe.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The people here descend from masters of water.
Nabateans collected the rain into trenches and cisterns dug across much of
southern Jordan. Later Roman ruins indicate pools and fountains. Public
baths were a regular fixture. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Modern Jordan will proceed soon with an
ambitious project to pump sea water uphill 230 kms to the north for energy and
desalination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An immense expense of
money and energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keeping up will be a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rain averages less than 10 inches per year,falling
only for 6 months of the year. In recent times, it’s getting dryer. This year’s
rainfall is less than last year’s, which was less than the year prior. A
few months back, rain was so stingy that the country came within days of
running out of surface water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of
the country is on year-round water rationing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A freshwater lake, once the size of Rhode Island
and a stopover for the birds migrating from Africa to Europe has been
drained to the size of a small city park. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a fossil aquifer hundreds of meters
below. It has been there for eons sealed off by time and sandstone. It is
not being replenished at any appreciable rate, and has been tapped legally and
illegally. It is being drained at an unsustainable rate. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mrs. S.A.M. remarked to someone about the rain
and was informed that perhaps the cloud seeding was finally working. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Did they just start?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, they’ve been doing it for 2 years!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We visitors often look out the window and see
clouds and think ‘Oh no! Rain”, but here, when it rains it is a blessing. In a
land of arid misery, the later in the seasons the rains come, the more the feeling
of a miracle. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s raining mud, Hallelujah! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-58590297060938829032018-04-20T11:11:00.000-07:002018-04-20T11:11:22.670-07:00Secret Asian Man- Wadi Mujib on the Downside<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bD452-ZGieY/WtoswYBDqhI/AAAAAAAC2Sg/s9N476hmvyIYW9MIEyzBOmVxNJs5VCuCACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bD452-ZGieY/WtoswYBDqhI/AAAAAAAC2Sg/s9N476hmvyIYW9MIEyzBOmVxNJs5VCuCACKgBGAs/s320/DSCN0675.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’m nearing the end of my time here at “the
crossroads of Armageddon”, as some have put it. And while we approached
Amman with a good deal of trepidation, we’ve grown to enjoy the place. As long
as one pays attention, it’s not too hard to live a normal-ish life. A
life quite different from that of the TV screen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course, once there’s an end date, there is
also the sudden appearance of a list. A list of all the the things you still
haven’t seen or done or eaten. Or the things you said you’d do again when
so-and-so visited. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Man! They’d love this!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hiking Wadi Mujib was one such place. Closed ½
the year due to high water and restricted to those over the age of 18.
Lifejackets are required. Guides are sort of posted at the hard parts. It’s
only a couple of hours hike. One hour in. One hour out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hiking or slogging up stream like spawning
salmon into a canyon only a few meters wide. Scrambling up waterfalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fording deep pools hand-over-hand on a rope.
Terminates at a waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you
can slip behind for a good natural Hammam experience. Today, though it
was closed. Too much water coming through.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You head out the way you came in. Back down the
ropes and ladders or if you can, sliding down the rocks and floating.
Letting the current carry you along. Back down to the car and dry
clothes. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, was a repeat experience. The water was
high from the rain a week ago. It felt at times like every river and stream in
the country was pouring through this slot. But, it was as much fun as
anticipated. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you come, plan on April through
Early-December and plan on getting wet. There is no way around it, though it is
gentler as the season wears on. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are some shots from the day….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8NWbhBH8eE/WtoqSV_1QgI/AAAAAAAC2SI/zCsUP1yy_p4yY_y5pn4T4aoiisgDqVeQACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8NWbhBH8eE/WtoqSV_1QgI/AAAAAAAC2SI/zCsUP1yy_p4yY_y5pn4T4aoiisgDqVeQACKgBGAs/s320/DSCN0674.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Siq</td></tr>
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</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKNUvzODNJQ/WtoqSWYvkJI/AAAAAAAC2SI/JtQ_XHg4XlotSnEXVJScdQWv5igDNip1ACKgBGAs/s640/DSCN0685.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small water fall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29SCfnOTZU0/WtoqSfZWvgI/AAAAAAAC2SI/ipTstRnjczgg3SDbqtXtSYMf8noVGpS9QCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29SCfnOTZU0/WtoqSfZWvgI/AAAAAAAC2SI/ipTstRnjczgg3SDbqtXtSYMf8noVGpS9QCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN0717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crack in the sky. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KdugpgD-qk4/WtoqSVtGKCI/AAAAAAAC2SI/bhW4JN4k4HEnGHLfZJNAvKEK2PYhSnTQQCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN0726.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fording the rough parts with ropes.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KdugpgD-qk4/WtoqSVtGKCI/AAAAAAAC2SI/bhW4JN4k4HEnGHLfZJNAvKEK2PYhSnTQQCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KdugpgD-qk4/WtoqSVtGKCI/AAAAAAAC2SI/bhW4JN4k4HEnGHLfZJNAvKEK2PYhSnTQQCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGa47dDkiMg/WtoqSQC1jTI/AAAAAAAC2SI/GVAvi-8E33w5T80GwFyPp3-wwhmbbERhACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGa47dDkiMg/WtoqSQC1jTI/AAAAAAAC2SI/GVAvi-8E33w5T80GwFyPp3-wwhmbbERhACKgBGAs/s320/DSCN0665.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Wadi al Mujib, Jordan31.4205348 35.82482740000000430.9869283 35.179380400000007 31.8541413 36.4702744tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-70856711822969748932018-04-16T11:21:00.000-07:002018-04-16T11:21:35.469-07:00Secret Asian Man- Who Wants Ice Cream?<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ofgavjhYCYg/WtTpdYwPa1I/AAAAAAAC2Go/2Cl6ET0iHGwiedQU2rNd1obbqMcnAYzDwCLcBGAs/s1600/Syria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ofgavjhYCYg/WtTpdYwPa1I/AAAAAAAC2Go/2Cl6ET0iHGwiedQU2rNd1obbqMcnAYzDwCLcBGAs/s320/Syria.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Spent a long weekend with family, including a 7 and 10 year
old, spending their first time in Jordan. </div>
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After showing them around an Embassy and explaining why we were so well
secured, because the American government does things that upset some people, we
headed out into the desert.</div>
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And maybe because we’d unplugged them from electronic devices
for a couple days and, and maybe because the desert is so gosh dang quiet, but
little ears hear everything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, when one remarks about bombs falling in Syria, little
ears perk up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Child: “Wait. What? Bombs in Syria? Why?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is where explaining warfare gets hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an adult we can make all sorts of
justifications, but a kid’s world is much simpler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Adult: “Well, the US, Britain and France are bombing Syria
because their president used poison gas on some of his own citizens. And they
believe that’s cruel.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Child: “Weren’t they bombing them before with regular bombs
or starving them?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adult: “Yes. But, there is a belief that being gassed is an
inhumane way to die?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Child: “So, is it like a video game where if you use a
special power and the other person doesn’t have it, it doesn’t make it fair?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adult: “Something like that….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sensed difficulty ahead in trying to explain
a conflict I have a hard time understanding myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like reverting to an age old
trick, one that, as I thought about it, seems to happen way more than it should. </div>
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“Hey kids! Who wants ice cream?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Wadi Rum, Wadi Rum Village, Jordan29.534667 35.4079087000000072.6111915000000003 -5.9006852999999921 56.458142499999994 76.7165027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-27882474985703178932018-04-06T06:20:00.000-07:002018-04-06T06:20:07.295-07:00Secret Asian Man- A Brief Squee!<br />
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<span lang="EN">This entry may come as a disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially for those of you who've anxiously
returned to find out the answer to last week’s puzzle - namely, do I feel
cooler with a shaved armpit or not?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">But it's still a bit cool to reliably test
that, so allow me a brief squee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Because of the way things are, I sometimes need to move
around from place to place in a helicopter. Usually, this is done in big
helicopter with small windows, where everyone sits with their backs to the
windows facing each other. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">There's not a lot to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get in, we go up, we go down, we get off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">I'd heard there was a smaller chopper - A UH-1 Huey, they use when the number of passengers is low. I never thought I'd get a
chance to ride. There were always too many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">I was thrilled my last time, though. I walked out and saw the Huey waiting on the tarmac. An airman buckled me into the back seat
with a lap belt. A length of rope was fashioned into sort of a handle and hung
from the ceiling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Strapped in, we lifted off and banked out over
the city, my toes hanging out over the edge, the sun rising over the cool
morning as millions below wake up and try and get through another day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The job has its hassles, but a boyhood dream
fulfilled is worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">No photos allowed, but here is what I imagine
it looked like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLp4_9xwZ7E/WsdznzG5QxI/AAAAAAAC1os/PLmJqhgdN84ly6fCQRJ9-Js5tpxFz3jTgCLcBGAs/s1600/Huey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLp4_9xwZ7E/WsdznzG5QxI/AAAAAAAC1os/PLmJqhgdN84ly6fCQRJ9-Js5tpxFz3jTgCLcBGAs/s1600/Huey.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN">Wheeeee!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-74486412081691310092018-03-29T12:47:00.000-07:002018-03-29T12:51:48.965-07:00Secret Asian Man: Hammam Amman and on and on<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Caution</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: The following contains graphic descriptions of a grown man
having a bath. You’ve been warned. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tiX9uNHJvMk/Wr1BZ0UW9MI/AAAAAAAC1i0/vsfWvp8SGE89Gbs0zQngbYlzacRkNQ01ACLcBGAs/s1600/Street%2BScene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="139" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tiX9uNHJvMk/Wr1BZ0UW9MI/AAAAAAAC1i0/vsfWvp8SGE89Gbs0zQngbYlzacRkNQ01ACLcBGAs/s200/Street%2BScene.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">S.A.M. doesn’t ordinarily go in for massages. Or
spa treatments. I've come around to foot massages, but the rest is outside my
comfort zone. A Turkish bath, though, has been on my list of things to write
about since arriving.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The proposal came in an email from a friend. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey! Was wandering around the Souk and found a
Hammam or Turkish bath. One review said it may be the oldest in Amman. It could
be sketchy, it could be great. Are you in? “</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spouseless and bored, why not? We made plans for
the following day and headed down to the Souk area. Amman's oldest area in the
shadow of the Citadel and old Roman amphitheater. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Relying on memory, directions from strangers and
a ferreting sense of manly moisture, we found the place. Down some crumbling
steps and then down some rickety stairs to where street level must have been
hundreds or even thousands of years ago.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The front door is open. Green carpet covers the
floor. Several men sit around talking and smoking. A soccer game is on one tv.
Arabic news on another. Pictures of Mecca and, maybe, Khadijah cover the
walls. Another man is napping in the corner. It's humid. There are plastic
plants. This must be the place. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mid-sentence, the man behind the desk calls into
the back. Two men appear. Turns out they're from Iraq. I didn't get their
names. I imagine that the must have real names and Hammam names. In my head, I
name them Usay and Uday. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Usay speaks better English. He shows us around.
Translate the Arabic price list. Steam, sauna, bath. The works. Let's do
this.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We head through the laundry area to the locker
area. We're given a locker and lock. “Put everything here. Money, phone,
clothes.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A man changing next to us speaks English very
well. He emphasizes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Yes. Put
everything away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wrapped in a bit of a bed sheet, and broken
flip-flops we're led on in. A shower first. A couple of buckets of hot water
dumped over head. Then on to the steam room. A 6x10 foot cell with steam so
thick and hot, the presence of others is revealed only by voice. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">15 minutes in, I remember that my toast and
coffee breakfast was 9 hours ago and I've had nothing to eat or drink since.
The steam seems to get thicker. I excuse myself. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Haha, you can be the guinea pig!” Shouts my
friend as I slip out early. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was hoping for a breath of air, but Uday is
waiting for me, now dressed in a bed sheet. He points at me with a finger and
beckons me into a stall. Marble slab along one wall. He pats his hand on it.
“Up!” I climb on </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scalding water washes over me. I might have
shrieked. “Sorry!” He cooled the water immeasurably. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then the Brillo. Starting with my feet and
working up. Every square inch of me is scrubbed with what feels like a Brillo
pad. “Ew!” I hear</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A little higher. “Ugh!” he exclaims. I
wonder if this is a normal service. Making customers feel dirty. A couple more
utterances. He takes my hand and pulls it back and slaps it on my thighs.
“Touch here!” My rump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Touch
here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is all skin!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paraphrasing. “When's the last time you washed?!
Did you scrub?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You know, I've never done this before.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He nods in such a way as to say this is obvious.
“You should do this every month! Keeps the skin off!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scalding water rinse and then I flip over.
Repeat. My nipples must look like dead skin. They're thoroughly rubbed
raw. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prone again. I'm rinsed. While rinsing, Uday
hands me two packages. “Open these!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My hands are wet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He douches me
with another few gallons of water. My own filth washes by. I start to laugh.
One package is a cheese cloth. The other, an Arab variety of lifebuoy soap.
Smells pleasant enough. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He snatches them from my own wet hands and the
sudsing begins. I don't know if it's the soap, or the cloth or the magic, but
gallons of foam ensues. From my pinky toes to my skull I'm scrubbed and
lathered. There's a rubdown, as well. Bending, massaging.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My head pulls up a nervous song to play a long
“The ankle bone connected to the leg bone, the leg bone connected to,the thigh
bone…”. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The soapy cloth reaches my soapy ass. “Massage
here?” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I clench. “Uh, no”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What?” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, thank you!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ok, ok, ok.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You know, I’m Glad he asked. I'm not sure anyone
back home would be kind enough to ask. Ok. I'm pretty sure no one back
home would strip down to matching bed sheets and massage another stranger on a
marble slab. I could be wrong.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sitting upright now. Uday picks up the bar of
lifebuoy and proceeds to lather up the top of my head. Foam again ensues. He
starts scrubbing my forehead, then my cheeks. Then nose. Then eyes. My
God the eyes. I have no idea why, but my eyes must have been extra dirty, for
he scrubbed and scrubbed. I felt thumbs in my eye sockets massaging suds into
them. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ow, Ow, OW!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Relax, relax!” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I can't! It hurts!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ok, ok, ok.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Laying back down the sudsing and massage
continues. Wanna know something that hurts? Soaping up your freshly
abraided nipples. Yep, he did. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He raises my arm and scrubs the side of my
chest. I'm regaining my sight now. He tweaks a few of my underarm hairs.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Again, “Ow!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why you don't shave here or…? “ he glances at
the bed sheet wadded over my junk.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It's just something I don't do.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You want shave?”, he asks.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What? My armpits?” There is one dim flourescent
light. It's damp and you can’t open a pack of soap. You think a razor is
a good idea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No, thank you.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You want hair remove creme?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A double no thank you, very much.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He shrugs and goes back to sudsing. “You
should.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh, yeah?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes. It's cooler in the heat.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really?” I think, what's your data to support
that. I'm really skeptical. (Stayed tune dear reader for an upcoming blog
where I shave one armpit and compare heat perception.)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And another thing, Uday! You can't hide anything
in your bed sheet. You've got a super hairy chest and back, how does that make
any sense? Cooler in the heat! Pshaw! I say!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A final rinse off with progressively cooler
water then he sends me off to the steam room. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I cycle in and out of the steam room waiting for
my friends turn, in a state of semi-shock, semi-pain, semi-relaxed. In
the waiting area, other men smoke cigarettes furiously. Of course, we’re in
Jordan. Some sing songs. Talk shop. Talk geo-politics. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three hours after we walked in, we're through.
We change and head out. The guy who was napping is now saying his prayers in
the corner. We settle up. 15 bucks a piece. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I try and figure out a tip. Any feminine
vestiges have nearly been removed. I’m no longer a filthy pig, at least for a
month. My eye sockets have been scrubbed. I once was blind, but now I see.
I'm still too hairy. It must be worth 20% for the experience alone.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I try it again? I might. I might
even spring for a higher quality place with a softer Brillo pad.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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P.S. If you've not been in a while, venture over to <a href="http://notsosecret3.blogspot.com/">notsosecret3.blogspot.com</a> for some interesting questions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-23906902780258775692018-03-22T23:07:00.002-07:002018-03-22T23:07:54.023-07:00Secret Asian Man- Six Dollar Hookah<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxlgCfqDK_Q/WrSXnk3yP2I/AAAAAAAC1c4/8aaBsCEqDboJWv117qWvrfJpSC7wxwP0gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180322_193214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxlgCfqDK_Q/WrSXnk3yP2I/AAAAAAAC1c4/8aaBsCEqDboJWv117qWvrfJpSC7wxwP0gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180322_193214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My wife left me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Took the car. Left the dog. For the
weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hence, in a curious turn, S.A.M was left at home
for the first time in a long time. Having been in the Midwest where temps were
just above frigid, I returned to a beautiful spring in Amman. Positively
gorgeous. 75 degrees and still. The days are getting longer. It's warm. People
are out in the evening strolling. It’s a great time to be in Jordan</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I decided to plunge down the rabbit hole and seek
out a hookah. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There’s a place I've been eyeing for a while. An
outdoor place, chosen because I’m not too keen on second hand smoke. Nice
garden setting. Terraced overlooking a pedestrian street. They offer food and
sweet drinks, hot and cold. And ice cream. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hookah bars or shisha lounges are big, big, big
here. There are very few alcohol bars, but hubbly bubbly joints are everywhere.
Everyone needs a place to socialize. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even the donut shop offers tobacco water pipes.
If you think you can imagine a worse flavor combination, I bet you can't. But,
they offer it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can have pipes delivered to your house. For
a fee, a van full of hookahs will drop a couple off at your house along with
all the fixings, and pick it all up the next morning. Uber Smokes. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's never called a bong though. Or at least
that I've seen. But that's what it is. A three foot ornately curved glass bong
with water in the bottom and a three foot plastic hose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_XUe4Y9aVRQ/WrSX6kKr9rI/AAAAAAAC1c8/C_-zL6S7qKsH8q31Pt8AwCPZ_nEV-XI-ACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180322_193638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_XUe4Y9aVRQ/WrSX6kKr9rI/AAAAAAAC1c8/C_-zL6S7qKsH8q31Pt8AwCPZ_nEV-XI-ACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180322_193638.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There's a tray at top to catch the ashes. A
funnel-like bowl holds the tobacco, covered with tin foil punched with holes.
Red hot coals are placed on top. Everyone gets a clean hose. A single use plastic
nightmare. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And then one sits. And puffs in and out.
One person per pipe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A charcoal tender circulates A little canister
of hot coal swinging from one hand. Clicking his tongs-clickety, clickety, click.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warning you he’s coming
through. Replacing charcoal and cleaning up ash. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tobacco is unlike cigarettes tobacco. It's
not finely chopped and dried, but rather shredded and soaked in honey or
molasses and other flavors. It looks like darkened coleslaw. Apple is the most
popular. But there is grape and mint and a variety of combos. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I chose
watermelon and mint combo. It is surprisingly refreshing. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On a busy night, the lounge is a forest of pipes
topped with hot coals. There are children about. Some running, some toddling.
It's a family affair. And a huge safety risk, but I guess that's how one knows
one’s in Jordan. They must learn from an early age how to avoid the red hot
coals at eye level.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wK6eIiXph14/WrSYO3v0uxI/AAAAAAAC1dA/kjGGSGWu1EYGR8LSFAKnFNYJsrfeclzfQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180322_214640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wK6eIiXph14/WrSYO3v0uxI/AAAAAAAC1dA/kjGGSGWu1EYGR8LSFAKnFNYJsrfeclzfQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180322_214640.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note: 4 Red hot pipes in view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's funny, but shisha is a majority female
thing here. Men do it, but shisha lounges are usually majority female. There
are some mixed crowds, but usually women sit with women and men with men. The men
smoke the majority of cigarettes in Jordan. The women smoke the argeelah. The
charcoal tenders give the women the small pieces of coal, so they need changed
more frequently. Vintage guys,like me, get large hunks. Haven't seen my guy
much</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The health benefits, of course, are nil. Cigarette
packs are all plastered with warnings like they are in many countries, but not
pipe tobacco. It's marketed more like dessert. Exotic pictures of fruit and
herbs. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A local pulmonologist estimated that one shisha
session of a couple of hours is the equivalent of smoking 60 regular
cigarettes. The myth is that the water filters the bad toxins, but this is just
that. With no filter, one gets all the toxins along with all that flavor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But, on a warm spring evening with nothing else
to do, 6 bucks gets you hours of conversation. Or contemplation. Passing the
time like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Who...burble, burble…. are…. burble, burble. ….
you…. burble,burble, burble?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iUfj5fsf54/WrSXa64xC1I/AAAAAAAC1c0/XslPfCf6vO0yWw4WtvPNBh8ZEc8G-kdDwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180322_210504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iUfj5fsf54/WrSXa64xC1I/AAAAAAAC1c0/XslPfCf6vO0yWw4WtvPNBh8ZEc8G-kdDwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180322_210504.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">CODA:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3
hours after my 3 hour shisha session, my otherwise jet-lagged and fatigued body
is absolutely amped from the nicotine equivalent of 3 packs of cigarettes.
Every nicotine receptor in this non-smokers body is positively crackling!
Formication is about to set in.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a tinge of regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tastes remarkably like watermelon mint and
pizza.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-77178441125861466452018-03-15T21:30:00.000-07:002018-03-15T21:30:21.439-07:00Blink of an Eye<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GoDCpJVqvsQ/Wqq43Gw7wgI/AAAAAAAC0-U/e4iOcGSvFeIynnTixw5QVUV1GYONmvfLQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180310_081656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1192" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GoDCpJVqvsQ/Wqq43Gw7wgI/AAAAAAAC0-U/e4iOcGSvFeIynnTixw5QVUV1GYONmvfLQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180310_081656.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was turning five or six and waiting for my
birthday party to start. I remember watching the clock proceed glacially toward
1 pm. Staring. Closing my eyes. Staring. Groaning when the hands hand
only advance a few seconds. It was interminable. Seconds, minutes, days. They
lasted forev</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">er.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Decades later, I meet up with a friend. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We celebrate birthdays twice a year with a drink-
a limoncello frizzante. Can't quite recall how it started. It was a fancy drink
and we pretended we were movie stars. I was Danny and she was George. Or was I
George and she was Danny. It was a tasty way to mark the years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now we gather when we can. Birthdays, now, are a
figment. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xb2WKuAADQM/Wqq5kRHUEyI/AAAAAAAC0-c/1JU3Fo9abHgQ-s0ZeT2U_9dzmTYS442dQCLcBGAs/s1600/limoncello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xb2WKuAADQM/Wqq5kRHUEyI/AAAAAAAC0-c/1JU3Fo9abHgQ-s0ZeT2U_9dzmTYS442dQCLcBGAs/s1600/limoncello.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And then this week we sat down to figure out how
long we’d been marking. The bartender, the one we’d nicknamed Deputy Dog, had
been there for 11 years. The Limoncello Frizzante had been off the menu for 5.
We’d met to talk of frustration and pride in our children and grieve out
losses. Surely, it couldn't be more than 5 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it 8?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nay, 10 years?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spring break 1987. Before the internet. Before
the proliferation of travel books. We loaded up the car, grabbed a map and
headed south. Making our plans along the way. We'd camp in the Everglades. We'd
drive down and explore the Keys each day. No problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note to others, this is stupid. It's hundreds of
miles. By the time you reach the end, it's time to come home. But we made it
then, in time to play lacrosse on the beach and rinse off in the rain and have
a drink at Captain Tony’s. Before driving back. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">31 years onward, we reunite on Key West.
“Welcome Spring Breakers” crow the signs.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Tis the season for flip flops and
reggae. <a href="http://www.capttonyssaloon.com/" target="_blank">Captain Tony's</a> is still going strong. Thousands more dollar bills
tacked to the wall. This has to be some sorry of fire code violation, right? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A young musician (<a href="http://facebook.com/sharesenicolemusic" target="_blank">Sharese Nicole</a>) with the voice of an angel.
Just started playing music in bars. Tied off madras shirt, cut-offs and
mirrored sunglasses. She tunes and adjusts her capo. She takes a request for some Pearl Jam. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She squeaks, “I learned<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the words to this song in my car seat!” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My God. Where has the time gone. We miss most of
the new wave of spring breakers who are likely just waking for the day. We're
home in bed by 11:30, destined to wake once or twice to the toilet. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That clock, so glacial when I was a kid, leaps
ahead. Each blink a mile marker. A birthday. A limoncello. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tick, tick, tick. 20 drinks becomes a decade.
And “Boom” someone's grandkid is crooning out Pearl Jam or some other golden
oldie. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Key West, FL 33040, USA24.5550593 -81.77998709999997124.4972933 -81.86066809999997 24.6128253 -81.699306099999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-69035747300150570982018-03-08T21:30:00.000-08:002018-03-08T21:30:16.150-08:00Secret Asian Man-There Are Better Ways To Die Than With A Needle To Your Neck<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqjVEyw331g/WqHQTcqyOmI/AAAAAAAC01I/Rogy8g_wDpk8CuR4cFNU08QTSPq48kd-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Sewing%2BKit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqjVEyw331g/WqHQTcqyOmI/AAAAAAAC01I/Rogy8g_wDpk8CuR4cFNU08QTSPq48kd-gCLcBGAs/s320/Sewing%2BKit.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am a bit of a hoarder. I like things
that are useful. I like to be prepared. So, when I go to fancy hotels and
they have free toiletries, I take some. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My favorite are sewing kits. They are incredibly
useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know when you might
need to sew on a button, fix a hole, darn some socks. There is a tiny box with
a couple buttons, a variety of thread pre strung onto needles. When I find one,
I chuck into my baggage, to be ready for a fashion disaster. In my carryon there
are multiple sewing kits rattling around at any one time.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Flying in the world has become more and more of
an ordeal. Nowhere more so than Jordan. Because of its proximity to people who
don’t like us, Jordanian flights to the US must undergo extra scrutiny.
For a short time, laptops and Ipads were banned carry-on items. Then,
under threat of losing all flights to the US, they had to promise to be extra
careful with flights headed directly there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, they did. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, after you’ve had your bag scanned at the
entrance to the airport, and after you have your bag scanned to get through
normal airport security, one must line up and have all your bags hand searched
by real-live people. Men are searched by men. Women are searched by
women. It easily adds an hour to the boarding process. They’ve walled off one
section of the airport just for these American flights and their searches. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve flown to the U.S. three times now recently.
I go extra early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stand in line.
I get my belongings rifled through. Each time, they open my bag, pocket by
pocket. And each time they pull out my sewing kits and give me a finger wag and
throw them in the trash. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This latest time, I laughed and said, “For
sewing” mimicking sewing on a button. They just shook their head. One of
the guys took his finger and poked it into his neck. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really?!” He smiled and shrugged, all the
while overlooking the following…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my eyeglass repair kit</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a rubber-tipped dental pick </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a mirror, a razor</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a charging block</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a cord</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">nail clippers</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">wire rim glasses</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">keys</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe I would have a better chance of
beating one to death with my Ipad than killing someone with a needle to the
neck. Breaking off a piece of glass and shimming in betweens someone’s ribs.
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But took the needles they did.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You may be shivved, stabbed, bludgeoned or
strangled, but be rest assured, America, your necks will not suffer the tiny
pricks of terrorists. Thanks Al Qaeda! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9453666 35.92837159999999131.0820301 34.637478099999989 32.8087031 37.219265099999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-41118996494635739752018-03-02T16:59:00.000-08:002018-03-02T16:59:34.900-08:00Secret Asian Man: Speaking of School Safety.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp1umVEHuws/WpnzFbKaVTI/AAAAAAAC0pI/N5ujOO1P2RU1HKS5Sh9U4py_XwISqTnMwCLcBGAs/s1600/School%2Bsafety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="278" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp1umVEHuws/WpnzFbKaVTI/AAAAAAAC0pI/N5ujOO1P2RU1HKS5Sh9U4py_XwISqTnMwCLcBGAs/s1600/School%2Bsafety.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Spawn of S.A.M graduated from an undisclosed
school in Asia. It was a beautiful campus for 2000 kids or so. Rooftop water
garden, covered amphitheater, snack bars, a couple sports fields, smoothie bar.
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It was also a fortress. It's not just schools.
Cars are searched before entering most shopping malls. Metal detectors and frisking takes place at
all the doors. Even IKEA! Who hates the Swedes for God’s sake?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The school grounds had 20 foot fencing
surrounded the place. Topped with razor wire or spikes. There were two
entrances for cars and people. Every car was searched on entry. Trunks were
opened, mirrors were thrust underneath. Each and every car. Large metal gates
and barriers raised and lowered all day long. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Classroom doors were all rated to stop an AK-47
round. Whether they would stop two rounds was another question. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They painted the walls with bright colors and
positive affirmations to disguise the fact that they were walls. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Guards were posted by the score at the entrance.
Each equipped with a panic button. A few had guns. They all smiled at the kids.
Maybe that was part of the training. Maybe the kids were just funny. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No one got in without a photo ID. There were
checkpoints within the school. Cameras were pervasive. It would be hard to find
a blind spot there. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Guns were restricted as they are in most
countries. Getting a paintball gun required a permit. There were always more
guards than the capacity of a magazine, in the hope that the last one standing
could hit the panic button. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prior to spawn’s attendance; someone did toss a
grenade or pipe bomb over the wall one day. No one was hurt. They raised the
wall by a foot or two. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">That's how they harden schools abroad. It's a
huge infrastructure investment . It's a huge labor cost. One might even
call it a jobs program. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“What's your profession?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“I'm a doorman and a target.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">How hard should the walls and doors be?
How many bullet stoppers can we afford? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Schools can be protected. If there are no limits
to resources, then the walls can be as high as you want them to be and the
guards can out number the bullets. But if there are limits...</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.62979819999998241.4995241 -88.275245199999986 42.256703099999996 -86.984351199999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1260447706318312736.post-2047518015102754432018-02-22T21:55:00.000-08:002018-02-22T22:22:15.966-08:00Secret Asian Man- The Difference in Economy Classes<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0fiyxPwxNls/Wo-rscz5vDI/AAAAAAAC0gc/G_n-um_q5GUdGZDjpYU0Ypg9xFoOoHEhQCLcBGAs/s1600/Afghan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0fiyxPwxNls/Wo-rscz5vDI/AAAAAAAC0gc/G_n-um_q5GUdGZDjpYU0Ypg9xFoOoHEhQCLcBGAs/s1600/Afghan.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.emirates.com/jo/english/" target="_blank">Emirates </a>and <a href="http://www.etihad.com/en-jo/" target="_blank">Etihad </a>are some of the world’s top
airlines. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.flydubai.com/" target="_blank">FlyDubai </a>is not. It is a budget airlines. Low
frills. All one class. No free service.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If you’re flying to Kabul, you can take either
option. The difference is stark. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At the top end are moist towelettes to freshen
yourself when you sit down. 1000 channels of entertainment. There are
little stickers you can stick on your seat to tell the staff not to wake you
for a meal, or to wake you if you’d rather. A reasonable meal. Fuzzy
blankets. Free water. Free wine or beer. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The passengers are those that can afford the top
end ticket. Nicer clothes. Gold jewelry. Smart phones. They are at least
bilingual, maybe more. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">FlyDubai has one class of service; Economy.
They’ve sometimes got TV screens, sometimes they work. No meals unless you
pre-ordered. No drinks, not even water unless you want to pay. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The clientele is totally different. From Kabul,
anyway, many may not have flown before. Watching them board the plane is
entertaining. The attendants on the plane seem steeled against the
boarding passengers. Stationed strategically, they greet each person,
check their ticket and then point at the seat numbers and count and send the
person down the aisle. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The passengers advance until the meet someone
else, passenger staff, it doesn’t matter. They show their tix and look
pleadingly for help finding a seat. They stop searching and plop down into the
first empty seat they come upon. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Confusion reigns, then, when the rightful owner
approaches and finds their seat occupied. They look at the number, their ticket
and back again. They ask for help. An attendant approaches and tries to
shoo the person to their proper seat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sometimes they go. Sometimes they shrug. They remark that they found an empty seat next to their friend, so they'll just sit here if no one minds. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Speaking no Dari or Pashto, the staff is left
with raising their voices and gesturing. If someone doesn’t move, they plead
with the other person to just sit in the other person’s seat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">FlyDubai.. We can take a reservation, we can’t
keep a reservation.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The people who eventually sit next to you,
illiterate and innumerate though they may be, are the kindest you may meet.
There is singing. They talk. There are no strangers. The second the
wheels are up, they pull out bread and cheese and cookies. Maybe some
chocolate. I haven’t been offered so much food by strangers ever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Adding value
to a budget flight. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Kabul, Afghanistan34.5553494 69.20748600000001734.1368684 68.562039000000013 34.9738304 69.852933000000021