Amo Bader

Amo means "uncle" in Arabic. And Bader is the name of the Egyptian who works as the maintenance person in our building. Bader knows no English and we barely get by when speaking to him but he helps us with ensuring that we have timely refills of deisel so that we have heat and hot water in the apartment and also does odd jobs like taking out the trash, cleaning the garden and putting in light bulbs. Maya has really taken to Bader. She does this snorting sound when she sees him because he showed her how to do it. He swings her by the legs (as seen in the picture) and plays peek-a-boo with her all the time. The have loads of fun together. Sadly, he is leaving the building next week for another job. Maya will miss him alot. 

Abu Issa

This is Moussa, or Abu Issa (Abu, meaning "father of" and Issa is the name of his first born boy), is more than our driver (yes, we have a driver). He is, as he himself puts it, family. Moussa has been working with us for over a year now and, to me, he is like an uncle and to Maya like a grandfather. She  really enjoys being around him and he has so much fun with her.

Abu Issa speaks to Maya in Arabic and she responds to whatever he says, whether it's "where are your eyes" (she points to her eyes) or "Allah be with you" (she dutifully extends her hand).

Moussa has taught me alot about Islam. Every day he tells me a different story from the Qor'an as an analogy to something that is going on either in his life or mine. We share stories about life, family, politics and Jordan. He helps me solve problems with his many connections (and cousins) in different places. More importantly, he genuinely cares about our family and is there for us. We are so fortunate to have him in our lives. 

Sidewalks

I am not a city planner but I have enough common sense to know how important sidewalks are to making a city more pedestrian friendly. Having lived in Boston so many years spoiled me rotten. Here, in Amman, one of the things I would have liked to have seen more of is sidewalks that you can actually walk on. As you can see, people plant trees right on the sidewalks so it kinda defeats the purpose of having the sidewalk in the first place. It forces you to walk on the street and the driving here is, well, let's just say it's deterred me from driving myself around. It's a pity because the city is so magical, in my opinion and if it just were a bit more pedestrian friendly, people could enjoy its enchantments so much more. 

Dr. Ibrahim Mashini

This is the doctor who delivered Maya. His name is Ibrahim Mashini. The very BEST OB/GYN I have ever met. So caring, nurturing, professional and confident in his profession. He took care of me throughout my pregnancy with wonderful patience and understanding and helped me deliver my beautiful baby. Shukran kateer, Dr. Ibrahim! xxxx

The Farah

This is Farah Hospital, where Maya was born. Affordable, quality health care should be like this for everywhere and for everyone. The Farah Hospital is for women who are expecting children and it is the most comfortable, professional and nurturing hospital I have been to anywhere (sorry Boston!). The quality of care rivals anywhere in the world and the place looks like a 5 star hotel. I stayed here 4 nights when I delivered Maya just so I could rest and get ready for motherhood. The nurses helped me take care of Maya while I was there. The service (nurses, doctors, staff, etc) is of a 5 star hotel as well. The price is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what you would pay in the US for the same (or better) service.

Housing Bank Park

This is the Housing Bank Park, where I take Maya on sunny days during the winter and when it's not too hot in the summer. It's a 5 minute car ride from our home. The park is in Abdoun, which is the neighborhood next to ours. I love it because it is frequented by both Jordanians and foreigners so it's really a mix of people. As you can see, it's a very small park, with no trees but it's nice because it's one of the very few parks in the entire city of Amman so it gives Maya an opportunity to run around. One side has swings and jungle-gym (above) and the other side has grass to run around in (below). It's given me a new appreciation for parks and open space back home and in Boston. I wish folks had more places to take their children here. I think it would make a world of a difference. Not having many parks is one of the very few downsides to Amman.

B@C in Abdoun

For me, this is my equivalent to El Oriental de Cuba but in Amman. In other words, my hang out place. It's called B@C in Abdoun. B@C stands for Books @ Cafe and Abdoun is an affluent neighborhood of Amman. It's a bookstore and cafe with really nice organic, healthy food.  The environment and ambiance is really nice. The owners are really wonderful. One of the owners is also the owner of the original Books @ Cafe in the first circle. (Amman's reference points are in terms of circles or what in Boston would be roundabouts or rotary. There are 7, I believe or is it 8? I n any case, the 1st circle is in the oldest part of town and closest to the city center. The larger the numbers, the farther you go from the city center. Tony, Maya and I live close to the 6th circle).  In any event, one of the owners is a Jordanian gay rights activist. You wouldn't believe his extraordinary stories of what he has had to go through as a gay business owner in Amman. Fortunately, he has been extremely successful with both places.

I go here to write, think, meet up with folks or just plain read. There is an upstairs section (kind of like a mezzanine) where I sit in a corner and have a nice cup of coffee.