Jordanian Sidewalks Fail

Because olive trees permanently reside there.


Because people find them useful for dumping their rubbish.


Because they are where the government decides to place lamp posts.


Because trash bins have been placed on them.


Because barbarians decide to use them as personal garages.


Because a very clever person placed his tanker on it.

Ironically, I took all these photos on the street from my house to the local corner shop.

Running For Parliment

To all citizens of the great country of Jordan, I have decided to run for the parliament too and, should you vote for me, I will not only promise you with eternal happiness in your new utopia, but will also make the following changes to our country. As a side note, a thanks to Garfan for the idea of this post. He's slowly becoming my bad influence.

• Increase sales tax to fifty percent. This is so everyone can be relieved of their heaps of fortune they have to carry every day, and to further benefit our erm… loyal ministers. Note that this increase in tax money will not necessarily be used for the sake of the country, but it will make your ministers happier.
• Demolish "سجن سواقة" and all other useless prisons in the country. I may as well take away all emergency departments, and leave everyone to defends for themselves, and become real men for once.
• Promote the building of cigarette shops, gun stores, bars and pubs, and zain and orange stores. This will further increase our economic stability, remove any monopolies in our markets, and decrease youth unemployment. But most importantly, it will make Jordanian teenagers the most "دواوين" in the Arab world.
• Motivate any unemployed youngsters in Jordan to become taxi drivers - my favorite type of human beings! Special training sessions will be set up to teach them how to cheat, lie and annoy their customers. Tampering with counters will become legal and taxis will be painted glossy black to make them feel important.
• National holidays will dramatically increase, as I will impose one every time I wish to move from one building to another. A curfew will be in place and all streets closed for the entire day, while "أنا و الدورية رح إنكزدر حول شوارع عمان". There will be holidays imposed for virtually no reason, much similar to when Saudi Arabia took ten days off when its football team entered the world cup - true story.
• Maids will be ranked lower than single celled organisms when prioritized in the country. Families will be allowed to beat them daily and deprive them from sleep or food or the toilet. They can also not pay them if the kitchen tiles are not shiny enough or something similar. Also, Egyptian workers will not be allowed to make eye contact with Jordanians or else be expelled from the country. They also must not be seen in the same falafel shop as a Jordanian citizen.
• There will a day of each year called potato couch day. Citizens will sleep during the day, and then awake late at night. Males must wear a "دشداشه" and females must wear a "عبايه", in preparation for the day. The family will gather round the television and watch Turkish soap operas for the entire night, while stuffing themselves endlessly with high calorie foods - fast food deliveries are recommended.
• Improve Friday prayer. This will be done by introducing beds for sleeping in mosques during prayers, as well as people serving tea and coffee for drinking during listening to the speech. Imams will be allowed to appear via a video link from their beds directly. And did I mention all mosques will become "مختلطة"?
• Declare war with all neighboring countries, including Lebanon, Israel, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. I will also make new alliances with Syria, North Korea and Iran. Also, new nuclear programs will be devised and uranium enrichment will begin. Let the world know that the force of Jordan and its great citizens. We will "نقلبها دندرة".

And there are more to follow. However, according to a recent survey, expected votes have been dismal. For this reason, I am willing to serve mansaf for every citizen that votes for me. This trick always works - vote my loyal citizens and let Jordan be recognized as the best country ever. (stay tuned for part two as well)

Zain The Thieves!

I was sitting on my computer, when my mobile rings. A message. From Zain.

More spam? If only it was more spam.

بناء على تعليمات من وزارة المالية تم خصم 1د من رصيدك لدعم الجامعات

You thieves! You pigs! You greedy pigs!

I PAY TAXES BY MY SELF! I DON'T NEED TO PAY FOR COLLEGES WHO ARE PAID BY THEIR STUDENTS!

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

More About Governmental Hospitals

If you thought your information was safe when it was passed into a government hospital, you thought wrong.

Chances are your records are out on the street inside a huge dumpster overflowing, or being sold to some Nigerian fellows out their so they can open some loans in your name.

I don't think these people have heard of shreding, recycling, even burning. Weren't we supposed to have electronic databases, aren't we nearly in the year 2008?

If you don't know why these should be kept private, read more about Identity Theft on Wikipedia.

Some of these files on the pavement, they aren't even inside the bin. Here are some pictures taken by my friend Kilany.

[Via Tip&Polls]

Explaining Govermental Schools

I'm trying to explain to my friend why govermental schools here are so much different than the ones in UK.

S: but its TERRIBLY HARD to get less than 50%
S: i mean you'd have to be mentally disordered... or in a gov school
B: gov school?
S: govermental schools are horrible here
B: why?
S: because they are free the teachers and everything is really bad
B: oh i see
S: like the students are gangsters and the teachers are school drop-outs
S: lol
B: well i go to a public school
S: because in UK public schools are good
S: the goverment is strong and can fund their schools properly
B: yeah

And More On Husain's Story

Just read it.

Ramadan Is On Thursday

Shiekh Ahmad Hilailil announced that the day after tommorow is Ramadan, so tommorow you can enjoy your last day of eating! Ramadan mubarak to you all. ^^

And On The Brighter Side

Most of you must've heard about Husain and how he was stuck in the middle of Amman trying to search for his father with very little to think about. In the mean time, his father was literally dying in a hospital, where his medication and food wasn't given to him and the reception denied that the man was inside thier hospital. Read more.

If you haven't read the follow up on the story of Husain, then you're missing alot. After the publish of Husain's story, many bloggers decided to post his story on thier blog. This then spread to the local media, and even to the newly assigned health priminister, Dr. Salah Al Mawajdeh. He then assigned a investigation team to the case.

His father is now in a different, much better hospital - JU Hospital. He is recovering much better than he was in the goverment hospital, where he would've died if he hadn't been transfered. This is a great breakthough to Jordan, and - even though I don't expect it - maybe things will change after this. Be sure to read Husains actual update, and Qwaider's story (who visited the father in hospital).

Goverment Hospitals...

So much for Prince Hamza hospital, I feel sorry for Husain.

Also read this interesting post on the topic by Bilal.

For a translated to arabic version by M Kilany, click here.

And, how you can spread the word, by 7aki Fadi.