Crystal Suites Amman

... the theatre that was on a sugar high running up and down the aisles. Geez. Put that thing on a leash people. Sedate. Sedate. [Interesting side note: I was talking to Yoichi today at work about the movie and he said that his wife loves Korean movies because the military is compusory in Korea which apparently means th the guys are all hot, lmao. That could come up at Quizzo so pay attention Rachel. Also, on this day in 2009, the internet returned to the coolest ...

... guns and stuff. Weird. They also took our phones and cameras before we entered. I didn't know what to expect but the marine house was like a clubhouse kind of...bar and couches, sports on TV (Det v. Min), a large patio with a DJ. People were drinking, dancing, mingling. Lots of beefy dudes, mostly Americans but Jordanians too, and at least one French guy that is friends with Jessica. I had a few Sangrias and chatted it up with whoever. Jessica's friends were nice ...

... but not always, and have said the rosary but don't do so regularly. Anywho, if I was living with a family or hanging out with people of a different socio-economic background it would probably be very different.

But for example, a couple night ago Devan and I were at a friends house playing Pictionary (it was quite heated and I contest our loss). Around, idk....1ish or 1:30, in the morning mind you, the momma ...

... herded through the city right across the street. After about an hour of running, skiing, and sloshing while watching Arabic music videos I met Devin in the locker room and we proceeded to sit in the steamer and then dip in the Jacuzzi before showering and heading out. A few interesting observations include (1) the people who belong to Fitness First are swanky dank and quite liberal in terms of women and gym dress (many were wearing make up and jewelry even), (2 ...

... had a very arid and hot climate and its cities reflected its Islamic majority with many mosques and absence of bars/clubs, but there were seemingly more churches, synagogues and western-influenced shops and restaurants, particularly in Amman, than I noted in Egypt.

Being the home of many significant Biblical and archaeological sites, Jordan had much to offer outside of its rich Arabic culture to the curious world ...

... the few historical sites of Amman before hitting the Dead Sea, Petra, desert and castles. But, with patience, Amman’s pleasures can be discovered in walks through the downtown streets or people-watching in the hotels and restaurants.
At the Intercontinental Hotel lobby on a recent winter morning, an elderly Jordanian gentleman, dressed in an impeccably tailored woollen jacket, speaks in heavily Arabic-accented English on his mobile. “No, don’ ...

... any other culture I've experienced. Culture - 95%. The culture is so old, and the Ancient Egyptian stuff is all very cool. Some things were pretty crazy though, like the really terrible jobs the women have, the women only coaches on the subway, and the segregated coffee shops. Still, all in all it was pretty awesome. Expense - 98%. It may be the cheapest place I have ever been. I mean Cory and I would walk with our heavy packs for a mile ...

... were paired with two nice Taiwanese girls, one of whom had been to Wadi Rum before and was doing a second tour. She'd also been studying Arabic in Jordan for 8 months and spoke Arabic.

They were an absolute nightmare. Nice at first but then just terrible. The one who hadn't mbeen living in Jordan and was on her first tour of Wadi Rum had just gotten off the plane that morning from Taiwan. The two girls talked the entire time. Non-stop talking in Chinese. They ...

... airport and the driver turns out to be priceless in getting the desired $15 visa, which I doubt I could have gotten without him. Bureaucracy is an interesting game of having many people stationed in one place and no one knows what they are doing there and why. Luckily, my driver was able to tell them what to do. Within the six hours car trip the driver shows me around Amman, Mount Nevo (where Moses saw the promised land before dying- an impossible task during most of ...

... théatre romain. Un musée archéologique, un temple, une expo bédouine... c'est pas la teuf mais cette petite ballade fut assez sympathique, calme et sereine. Je me surpris à traverser comme un singouin (comme un egyptien) alors que le traffic est, dans ces zones touristico-stratégiques (ambassades, grands hôtels et résidence royale ne sont pas loin), fort douillet. L'après midi fut consacrée à la visite de Jerash ...