Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Inch by Inch, Row by Row
In celebration of living in my first-ever arid climate, I decided to plant a winter garden. But after hoeing and raking furiously for two days, mulching like the dickens, and picking out buckets of rocks and cigarette butts, I honestly thought my chances for green were pipe dreams.
But I did not despair. With a little love and a little sweet tenderness, I started noticing sprouts after a few days. Lettuce was first, then beans, and slowly but surely the onions, radishes and spinach have followed suit.
With gardening (and OCD) in my genes, it should come as no surprised that I am obsessed with my new little garden. I go home for lunch every day now, to count my new Jordanian sprouts, water them tenderly, and see if I can catch a new one poking through the soil.
I guess some couples get a dog or maybe a cat when they start getting into family-mode, but Shane and I have bean plants.
I named that first one Frank, the second one is Barney.
Did I mention it's tiny?? But I love it anyways.
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But I did not despair. With a little love and a little sweet tenderness, I started noticing sprouts after a few days. Lettuce was first, then beans, and slowly but surely the onions, radishes and spinach have followed suit.
With gardening (and OCD) in my genes, it should come as no surprised that I am obsessed with my new little garden. I go home for lunch every day now, to count my new Jordanian sprouts, water them tenderly, and see if I can catch a new one poking through the soil.
I guess some couples get a dog or maybe a cat when they start getting into family-mode, but Shane and I have bean plants.
I named that first one Frank, the second one is Barney.
Did I mention it's tiny?? But I love it anyways.
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Mid-West Goes International
Here's a sight I thought I'd never see:
Yep, that's a Michigan license plate on the back of that limo that is parked at a random building in Amman, Jordan.
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Yep, that's a Michigan license plate on the back of that limo that is parked at a random building in Amman, Jordan.
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Thursday, August 25, 2005
Win-Win Decision
We have ten days to travel in mid-November and are torn between two trips:
Thailand vs. Turkey & Cyprus
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha vs. Cappadocia
Anyone have any advice for us?
Did I mention I am spoiled?
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Thailand vs. Turkey & Cyprus
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha vs. Cappadocia
Anyone have any advice for us?
Did I mention I am spoiled?
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Sunday, August 14, 2005
Texas Wedding?!
Speaking of different worlds, how many times in life do you get to go to a wedding in Texas where there is a red, white and blue donkey on the wedding cake??
One of Shane's best buddies Shane Sklar is running for an open seat in Congress (14th District - swing district and Shane has no primary) and though for the most part he kept his race completely separate from his wedding last week, I was proud to see this bold move on the wedding cake. Now, that's funny, I don't care who you are!
Shane, his cousin Gabe and the groom/candidate.
www.shanesklar.com
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One of Shane's best buddies Shane Sklar is running for an open seat in Congress (14th District - swing district and Shane has no primary) and though for the most part he kept his race completely separate from his wedding last week, I was proud to see this bold move on the wedding cake. Now, that's funny, I don't care who you are!
Shane, his cousin Gabe and the groom/candidate.
www.shanesklar.com
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Thursday, August 11, 2005
By Bedouins For Bedouins
Shane and I just got back from a two week whirlwind in the states for a Schiavoni family reunion in Ohio and a wedding in Texas. They were both cultural experiences in themselves but the event I can't wait to highlight here happened the weekend before we left and will be forever etched in my memory as one of the most unique weekends I have ever had.
My company worked with the Ammarin Bedouin Tribe to put on the first festival by bedouins for bedouins in Beidha, a town 10km north of Petra. It was an amazing event that attracted 1,000 bedouins to a Thursday night concert and 3,000 bedouins to horse and camel races the following day. It was an amazing experience. I spent three days hanging out with the bedouins, using my nominal Arabic to help set up for the event. Besides a few fights that broke out between members of clashing bedouin tribes, the event was a grandiose success. Check out the pictures below. Need I say more??
The Setting
The Audience
The Concert
The Entertainment
The Horse Races
The Camel Races (fyi: camels are really clumsy)
The Winner
The Crowd
The People
The Children
(Thanks to reporters Khaldoun and Ayman for some of these pictures)
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My company worked with the Ammarin Bedouin Tribe to put on the first festival by bedouins for bedouins in Beidha, a town 10km north of Petra. It was an amazing event that attracted 1,000 bedouins to a Thursday night concert and 3,000 bedouins to horse and camel races the following day. It was an amazing experience. I spent three days hanging out with the bedouins, using my nominal Arabic to help set up for the event. Besides a few fights that broke out between members of clashing bedouin tribes, the event was a grandiose success. Check out the pictures below. Need I say more??
The Setting
The Audience
The Concert
The Entertainment
The Horse Races
The Camel Races (fyi: camels are really clumsy)
The Winner
The Crowd
The People
The Children
(Thanks to reporters Khaldoun and Ayman for some of these pictures)
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