Sunday, 31 August 2008

Queda Prohibido



Queda prohibido llorar sin aprender, levantarte un día sin saber qué hacer, tener miedo a tus recuerdos... Queda prohibido no sonreír a los problemas, no luchar por lo que quieres, abandonarlo todo por miedo, no convertir en realidad tus sueños... Queda prohibido no demostrar tu amor, hacer que alguien pague tus dudas y mal humor... Queda prohibido dejar a tus amigos, no intentar comprender lo que vivieron juntos, llamarles sólo cuando los necesitas... Queda prohibido no ser tú ante la gente, fingir ante las personas que no te importan, hacerte el gracioso con tal de que te recuerden, olvidar a toda la gente que te quiere... Queda prohibido no hacer las cosas por ti mismo, no creer en Dios y hacer tu destino, tener miedo a la vida y a sus compromisos, no vivir cada día como si fuera un último suspiro... Queda prohibido echar a alguien de menos sin alegrarte, olvidar sus ojos, su risa, todo porque sus caminos han dejado de abrazarse, olvidar su pasado y pagarlo con su presente... Queda prohibido no intentar comprender a las personas, pensar que sus vidas valen más que la tuya, no saber que cada uno tiene su camino y su dicha... Queda prohibido no crear tu historia, dejar de dar las gracias a Dios por tu vida, no tener un momento para la gente que te necesita, no comprender que lo que la vida te da, también te lo quita... Queda prohibido no buscar tu felicidad, no vivir tu vida con una actitud positiva, no pensar en que podemos ser mejores, no sentir que sin ti este mundo no sería igual...


It is forbidden...

It is forbiden to cry without learning,
to wake up one day not knowing what to do,
to be afraid of your memories.

It is forbiden not to smile at problems,
not to fight for what you want,
to abandon everything because of the fear,
not to transform your deams into reality.

It is forbiden not to show your love,
to make someone pay for your debts and the bad humor.


It is forbiden to leave your friends,
not to try to understand what you lived together,


It is forbiden not to be yourself in public,
to feign with people you don't care about,
to fake being funny just to make them remember you,
to forget all the people who love you.


It is forbiden not to make things by yourself,
not to believe in God and forge your fate,
to be afraid of life and its engagements,
not to live each day like it was a last sigh.

It is forbiden to miss someone without
cheering, to forget his eyes, his smile,
just because your paths stopped being embraced,
to forget his past and paying it with his present.

It is forbiden not to try to understand people,
to think that their lifes are more valuable than yours,
not to know that each one has his way and his happiness.


It is forbiden not to create your history,
not to have a moment for the people who need you,
ot to understand that whatever life gives to you, it takes it away as well.

It is forbiden not to search for your happiness,
not to live your life with a positive attitude,
not to think that we can be better,
not to feel that, without you, this world wouldn't be the same.

Wednesday, 27 August 2008

What am I doing here?

A good question, I asked myself this morning...

I don't know! was, is, and will be the answer, but I am not complaining, I like it, absolute freedom, in a city that I bonded with, well enough, to know that I can confidentely call myself GRANADINO.

Going to the modern languages center in the morning, getting my everyday spanish drill, and then do the ever evolving pasta with new additives, enjoying a siesta in the 35 degrees outside weather, hitting the gym in the early evening, and joining whomever for a tapas in the night. Complicated life reduced to simplicity...

Of course I'm quiet annoyed about several things:

- For a long time now , I didn't read a book , the last was "the witch of portbello" by Cohello, I bought the book in Stockholm for the mere reason of wanting to know if my credit card works, it did, and I read the book, hmm...wasn't really impressed, but who am I to give an opinion now? I need to read a book 3 times before I fully understand it.

-My spanish seems to have stuck with some words, vocab and expressions, but I'm not learning 10 words a day as it was in the beginning, maybe less than a word a day these days. Of course I'm growing more confident speaking the language, but thats such a flase feeling.

- I'm afraid to say so, but I'm really used to the city, I walk in it like a professional driver, means the chances are I have more sense about the city and its logic than I do about Amman for instance. An idea hit me lately that I need to live in some new places in Jordan, I always wanted to live in: Wadi al kamar - Rum , Dana , Ain Jana, Aqaba. I might very well do, really?

Talk to you soon , maybe in five minutes!

Monday, 25 August 2008

Christophe Willem - Double Je subtitled

Haha, saw this again subtitled.

And it is me, pretty much, and most of us, as well.

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

A message from a friend!

I just love this style of messages, and I love it so much that I had to post it, no matter how weired that might seem!, writing messages to other people is an art by itself, and I guess I should be learning something from this.


So you've completed your epic journey... merely a prologue to the adventures to come i'm sure.

So now that most of europe has been ticked off of your list do you find yourself back in Granada?

I'm currently sitting in the University Library after having completed one of my two scheduled re-sits which have proved such a heavy burden over the last few weeks. I might have got a pass by answering a question which came to me like a flash of light in the dying minutes of the exam. It seems that Mr. Brain didn't let me down after all.

It's good to hear from you again, I wasn't sure whether to messege whilst you were the 'manual labour' in sweden. I was afraid that you might have been kept in a shed without internet and worked to inhumane levels. I trust this wasn't the case though, and you had a beautiful time.

I have to thank you for your message and gift which was awaiting us in the morning of your departure from Krakow, It was a pleasent surprise AND an opportunity for me to learn more about Jordan! Needless to say, I was a happy boy.

As I had such an important exam this morning I felt the only true way to prepare would be to stay up late and watch a movie. So I settled down for the 2.5 hours that make up one of the most visually pleasing, impressive and awe inspiring films I've ever seen. "2001: A Space Odyssey". What a good film... made 40 years ago and still has a lot of power. If you've not already seen it I can only hope to nudge you in its direction. As a aspirational science fiction writer I would suggest it's an important science fiction film.

So life has twisted your arm and got you into doing unsavoury things? I knew the day would come when you had smoked 15 cigarettes. I'm sorry it was so soon. What have you planned for your quiet two weeks? Reading, eating, cooking, philandering, partaking in some mischief and debauchery?I hope that whatever it is, you enjoy it and I look forward to hearing the plans!Hope this finds you well,Rich

Sunday, 17 August 2008

One chapter ends


35 days after, anything to say?
At no cost should a human being not consider travelling (varied forms) as a life essential, it is just as the importance of reading a book, eating good food, and playing sports.
I find it hard to summarize what has been an intensive experience, that left me too little time to look back at each of its stages, but however, was profound enough not to let me forget the details, and that made me someone more curious about the magic of life and living in it.
From my childish happiness by the massive (Zapokani) toast/sandwich in the old Jewish quarter of Cracow-Poland, and being in an urban race with two Canadians to discover the secrets of the city of Cracow through 14 questions to the sleepless night at the ship that took me from Gdansk in northern Poland to the shores of Sweden at Nyshamn, and then the wonderful ride that left me mesmerized through the Swedish landscape…
Working in a farm near to Stockholm for two weeks, brushing wooden posts and walls, painting, cleaning, fixing posts and building a protective wooden support, and then finishing around 6, enjoying a lovely dip in the Baltic sea a Km away, enjoying meat balls with blueberry…
Lived as if I was on a channel, and someone was flipping them…having to salute people, and say goodbyes to them a short time after, to switch from one style of life to another, from university dormitories to living in a farm, then to a residence few meters away from the sea.
Rome was fantastic, was very hot though, was very chaotic and sometimes dirty where one would expect it to be clean, but it was Italian, it was Pizza and Gelato, it was fountains and fashion…I loved it. And then to the south, where I spent a week with some European friends back from Granada, a full week of relaxation, going to different beaches and eating wonderful food, it was a blast!
I should have definitely written more often on daily basis, but I will try to write some interesting things from now on (when I have a stable internet connection!)
Quick thoughts:
-My heart is with Aisha, the Somali girl I met in Milano airport; I was going to Cracow, and well, she didn’t know where she was going, she showed me her printed ticket that showed she was going to Germany, however, she didn’t know, she asked me what time she should be sitting where, I tried to speak to her in English, French, Spanish and finally Arabic, however, not a single time did I feel she understood what I was saying, I told her to stay where she is (she was next to the right gate), and to wait till she sees a new crowd and go with them.
Aisha, no matter what it is that brought you to that place, I wish I could do more, and I wish this world starts making more sense to you at some point.
-Stockholm, an amazing city, with no internet! I literally couldn’t find any internet café in that city, however, something about the Swedes, they have something called FIKA; meeting in a coffee shop to drink coffee and biscuits with a friend, after having heard that….finally, I found a name for my favorite hobby, A good cup of coffee with chocolate or biscuits>>FIKA!
-God bless cheap airline flights, for without them, I would have gone no where.
-Don’t get fooled by a clear sunny day in the Swedish summer! For it rained like crazy in my last two days in the farm, something I’d only witness one or two times in January in Jordan!
Well, more next!
Next, are 10 or so pictures from this trip, for me, I think these are quiet representative, what I, a simple Jordanian guy, found interesting in Europe...

- Out of the blue, the polish organisers tell us that we are to get ready for our tram party, it wouldn't have occured to me in a million years that the party is actually INSIDE A MOVING TRAM, a tram that took us through the lovely city of Cracow for about two hours, we went crazy inside, laughing and dancing, and then standing next to the windows and cheering people outside in the streets, I guess my standards for having fun are different now!
- Let nature be your teacher! This is a lovely village (A cartoon-like one) in the very southern tip of Poland called Zapokane, I had the greatest fun in the wood, where they have an open air adventure games center, we hiked, climbed and slided on the slopes of the mountain.

- The polish flag for those of you who don't know it, and a beautiful Boat party (although more quiet this time) in the river.
- The Poland Cast, a part of the group with whom I had spent the week..
- The first glimpse of Sweden, these red houses ae all over the place in Sweden, you could say country-side houses...
- In the farm, they need to eat well, and to have in a style, and that is why you have this...the candles are ready, white dishes, and lovely food...Of course I need to mention the Swedish chef Johannes who made the food, and Molly who made us eat with our eyes...TAK!
- Stockholm, I fell in love with the city, it is built on seperate islands and connected by the tram lines, and many bridges, it was surprisingly hot during my stay there...

- The little farm where we worked, you can spot these swedish details you'd find everywhere in Sweden, the red houses, the SAAB, and the forest near by (Where you find the tasty blueberrys and rose ones)
-
-Gay Sweden, well, that was something definitely european, I think it was more of a Carnaval, funny people (and crazy most of the time!) , showing crazy stuff, well...a cultural experience!
-Rome, oh...I had different impressions from the city, one that it is ancient and unique, and one that it is dirty and crowded...but I loved it somehow.


- My discovery of 500 ml coke in Rome. I was ever jealous by the 500 ml beers that friends have , that I don't, and I'd get stuck with my mini coke or juice...REVENGE!

Friday, 11 July 2008

To whom it might concern...

This blog is on an official vacation from this day 12 July till 20 August, However, and most probably I might have some input every now and then.

Well, just so that things are clear :)

Enjoy other blogs meanwhile!

Salam!

Leaving you, Granada, not for so long!






Dear Granada,



So I had to see some other places, I'm going to Poland, Sweden and Italy. Hopefully when I go back you'll still be the same, please don't forget to remind me of Ramadan this year, and please don't get too cold too early, I really I'm sorry for the mess tourists have made in the previous months, but I'm sure in autumn you'll be all fine and nice again.


Thanks for the not so hot summer, and we really need to do this Sierra Nevada trip when you have some snow on top of the mountains..

Love you , take care....

Thursday, 10 July 2008

If I am ... I can never become

Well..

If I become something one day, it´ll be easier to come here and quote me on some things...

Ok I´m a looser , anyway.

If I am , I can never become...

It sums up many things I go through, people asking me to say something about me, where I am , what I do, what languages I speak, where I have been , whom I have met, who are my friends...etc , it doesn´t make sense at all. all of these things change , and I´m finding it hard to answer any. I don´t want to be stuck with some answers, and when I grow up , people tell meÑ you changed! as if I shouldn´t...Just like the other day with Raffy in Milano...she thinks I changed because I told her I tried some drinks, but I did that because it felt right, and I don´t think its wrong to change, even in directions where we still think it might not be ok, isn´t this what discovering is all about?

Now Im 23 and Jordanian, later I will be 33 and maybe indian, who knows?

From now on, nobody asks what I am , just ask me things I can answer...which is basically not asking me at all !

Paz..

مقالة من الرأي الثقافي

حميد سعيد - في أواسط السبعينيات، قدَّم أكاديمي فرنسي، محاضرة في مدينة غرناطة، وكان المحاضر، من وثنيي المركزية الغربية، التي تتحرك برأسين، عنصري وصهيوني.يومها، قدَّم أطروحة عن المرحلة الأندلسية في تاريخ شبه الجزيرة الإيبيرية، قائلاً: إن تأسيس الكيان الاندلسي، كان نتيجة انشقاق داخلي، وإن العرب المسلمين، لم يكن لهم مايمكن أن يُعدَّ دوراً حاسماً في تأسيس ذلك الكيان.وقال أيضاً..إن الاندلسيين المعاصرين، لاعلاقة لهم بأندلسيي المرحلة العربية، فإن كان ثمة بقايا منهم، فيفترض وجودهم في منطقة بلنسية.إن المقولة الثانية، يمكن التعامل معها، في ضوء معطيات التهجير، الذي تعرَّض له الاندلسيون من عرب مسلمين او من إسبان أسلموا أو تعربوا، وبفعل صرامة محاكم التفتيش.إلا، ان الحاضرين من الإسبان، وفيهم أكاديميون مستعربون، رفضوا المقولتين وفنّدوا ماجاء فيهما، وكان الغرناطيون، اكثر حماسةً في رفض المقولة الثانية، وجاء رد رئيس بلدية غرناطة عاصفاً، وكأنه يرد على شتيمةٍ نابية لحقت به، وبرعيته.إن من يتعايش مع الأندلسيين المعاصرين، لابد أن يكتشف خصوصياتهم، التي تمتدُ بعيداً في الخصوصية الأندلسية وثقافتها، التي هي نتاج تعددية ثقافية واجتماعية، يوم كانت، كما يقول خوان غويتيسولو: ملتقى لجميع التيارات الثقافية، الشرقية والغربية، بفضل انفتاحها المزدوج، على الثقافة الجنينية آنذاك، للشمال، المنقولة عن القديس جاك دوكو مبوستيل وعلى الثقافة العربية الغنية بترجماتها عن الاغريق والهند وفارس .غير أن هذه الخصوصية الاندلسية، نجدها كذلك في المدن المغاربية، التي انشأها المهجرون الاندلسيون أو أقاموا فيها، كما هو الحال في مدن فاس وتطوان وسلا، حيث تظهر هذه الخصوصية حتى الآن، في أساليب العيش، واللهجة والموسيقى والغناء والأزياء والحنين.ومما لفت نظري، إن المجتمع الاندلسي المعاصر، وامتداده في المجتمعات المغاربية، مازالا يتشبثان بإرثهما التاريخي، ويشكل لهم مصدر فخرٍ وإحساس بالتميز.كان غارثيا لوركا، الفتى، يقف في أحد ميادين غرناطة، ويمرُّ موكب ديني محتفلاً بذكرى نهاية الحكم العربي الإسلامي فيها..فيهتف لوركا: مهما فعلتم ستبقى غرناطة عربية! ويذهب البعض من مؤرخي الأدب، الى ان هتافه هذا، كان بداية تمرده الذي سينتهي به، بعد حين، الى الإغتيال.وحين يسأل يوماً عن رأيهِ في سقوط غرناطة يجيب: كانت نكبة على الرغم من أنهم يلقوننا العكس في المدارس، حضارة رائعة، وشعر، وفلك، وعمران، ورقة شعور فريدة في العالم، ضاعت كلّها، لتقوم محلها مدينة فقيرة ولطالما رددَّ بأسى: لقد أحرق الكاردينال، خيمينيث دي شتيروس، في ساحة برج السهر، فقط، ثمانين ألف مخطوط عربي وإذ يواصل لوركا، تذكر الحكايات العربية الأندلسية، فنجد صداها في قصائده وأغنياته ومسرحياته، وعلى سبيل المثال، إن مسرحية بيت برناردا ألبا ، صدى لحكاية عربية أندلسية، وأن تلك الحكايات، تحكيها الجدات الإسبانيات لأحفادهن، وفي الوقت ذاته، تحكيها الجدات المغاربيات لأحفادهن.ومازلت، كلما قرأت أندلسيات الشاعر مانويل متشادو ، أقرأ فيها صدى أندلسيات الشعراء العرب في الأندلس، ممن أدركوا مرحلة التراجع والإنكسار.وإذا كان الشعراء، هم الأعمق تعبيراً عن أحاسيس الناس، فلابد من وقفةٍ، لاكتشاف معنى، أن يكتب خوان رامون خيمينيث بكائية جنة العريف، وأن يصل رافائيل البرتي الى غرناطة في ثمانينيات القرن العشرين، فيتذكر الأغنية الشعبية الأندلسية.. ويغنيها: كان الملك العربي يتجوَّل في دروب مدينة غرناطة من بوابة البيرا حتى بوابة باب الرملة أو أن تواصل المغنية الغجرية الأندلسية .. الى ايامنا هذه، ترديد أغنية: أنا عربية سمراء .. وإسمي فاطمةْ وعن هذه الظاهرة الأندلسية الفريدة حقاً، ولا أدري إن كنت أبالغ حين أقول..إنها لم تتكرر من قبل، يعبر خوان غويتيسولو، في حديثه عن العربي الاندلسي في المتخيل الإسباني، الذي ظلَّ طيله عشرة قرون، يغذي أساطير الإسبان وأعمالهم الخيالية ويشكل مصدر إلهام ل قصائدنا وأغانينا، وشخصية محورية لرواياتنا ومآسينا، منعشاً بقوة، آواليات الخيال الإسباني .وهنا أتساءل، ألم يكن جرتورد شتاين محقاً حين قال: حك جلدا إسبانيا، وستجد مسلماً ، إن الأندلس، ليس مجرد جغرافية، أو إقليم له خصوصياته، أو حضارة، كانت ثمَّ بادت، إنه مخيلة، مازالت تعمل، وبهذا قال ماركيز حين تحدَّث عن مكونات الثقافة في القارة اللاتينية.وإذ كنت قد تحدَّثت عن الثقافة الاندلسية، في محيط التأثير، وهو محيط للتأثر أيضاً، فأنني شديد القرب من رؤية كلود ليفي شتراوس بشأن تبادل التأثير، حين يكون المهاد الحيوي، لمثل هذا التبادل حال عدم التماثل بين الثقافات، فيكون التحرك عبر عملية محاكاة متبادلة أو متقابلة، حيث تلتقي وتحفز بعضها بعضاً .* كاتب عراقي مقيم في الاردن

Moody

I cant get you off my mind...I'm so .... with you!

Strange, and it'll even get more complex.

Life is an adventure....Get a sleeping bag!

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary..

God bless who passionately invest in themselves...for when they do , we all benefit.

This stupid post should not be posted >> click!