Zaatar w Zeit was our first stop to eat. With its childish cartoon-like menus, it made for a great place to snack and dine with beautiful pastries stuffed and grilled in various flavors including zaatar oo jibneh.

We went to downtown Amman to visit the Roman ampitheatre ruins and that was simply amazing. I paused to think about the greatness of God having preserved the makings of man since 700AD. It is remarkable to see pillars some erect and some overturned,
shaping a piece of history where people used to convene to enjoy a show of entertainment – probably the height of stimulation in their days. To see the carvings on the pillars still noticable and to think that a man’s hand left an impression that would last a century and a half was utterly inspiring.

We dashed out of there and headed to Habiba’s to chow down on some knafeh. Not as good as Syria’s but still it’s been forever since I’ve went to a knafeh shop living in Brunei. Inside the shop it was packed like it was going out of business. A bit too sweet but hit the
spot in a crispy sweet savory package for my famished tongue.

A couple of things I noticed. Compared to its neighboring country Syria, Jordan seems more mountainous and a bit colder than Syria all the time. The hills provide for nice shade and breezes in pockets of the town. The residential buildings all seem to have nice
exterior stone work and the streets have names unlike Syria. The Western influence on business is widespread and branding is taken a lot more seriously than it is in Syria. An issue apparently is water sourcing as it is rare and water gets cut off frequently.

Everybody seems to smoke argeela all the time. And lastly, the coffee shops and chill spots are more abundant. I would say however as we all agreed, Syria has more personality and above all is more original and peaceful and friendly altogether.

Our last stop was at Mayjanee for a highly reccomended lunch and quiet talk under olive trees.

Amman would make for a nice place to work in the Middle East and hope to come back some day, especially to visit.

What? OK! So we caught a train to On Nut station with the store owner and went to the grocery store there setting out to buy ingredients to make Tom Ka Khai, Green Curry Coconut Chicken, and Pineapple Fried Rice.

I cannot describe how we turned a bookshop with a coffee stand into a full service kitchen! ….It’s like the Thai cook gained the ultimate pleasure seeing me trance into gastronomical ecstasy…

We bought an electric wok and stirred up fish oil and mushroom soy sauce like as if it was Chinese New Years all over again. I cannot describe the extent of hospitality and humor with which Thai people approach life. Cooking and eating and serving people brought this shop pure joy – I felt like my mother or sister was in the kitchen, asking me what I think of the food and if I wanted more.

“Basim! Where’s your spoon? Come taste this, mate” the chef frequently beckoned. It’s like the Thai cook gained the ultimate pleasure seeing me trance into gastronomical ecstasy. I was in pure heaven today and I will never forget the friendship that was built today and the generosity we received. Indescribable and unpredictable, that’s why I love Thailand.

One love! This trip to Jamaica was one of the funnest events as a family that we have ever had. It was nice to eat and drink (pina colada virgin shakes!) at an all-inclusive resort. Even the sports facilities were amazing and very social indeeed.

Noura and I spent a fabulous Eid in this slice of heaven. KK is a short-stop before KL with a mild yet vivacious city climate and a silky serene island scene. We jettied our way to Manukan Island which is located just off the edge of earth between nowhere and no care. Shot great pics. Fabulous.

After a quick bite, we experienced the Empire Country Club’s premiere cinema… and let me tell you it was a gorgeous venue to watch the movie 2012. The movie was horrible, but the cinema had the coolest electronic seat chooser ever!

We crashed at a horrible hotel, whose name I will spare. After a water pipe leak and no warm water in the showers (and non-noteworthy breakfast at the hotel), we hiked out and saved our morning by having a lovely traditional Malay breakfast with Roti.

We then made our way to Tutong Beach where we met about 50 zillion Serikandis which was, as always, a pleasant surprise. We ate some marvelous food and soaked in the generosity while having fun and talking about everything from “How to Make a Great Cappuccino” to moving to Bangkok and starting a new life…

So for the play-by-play, let’s go over what we did today at the beach:

• Ate a lot of food…grilled vegetables
• Skidded around in ATVs
• Played beach soccer…fun!
• Ate a lot of food…fried Jackfruit, yummy
• Prayed together
• Uppercut tall waves
• Ate a lot of food…sweet ayam
• Had fun & cracked jokes
• Ate a lot of food…top class lamb
• Snapped great photos…learned how to shoot manual

Speaking of which, Fadilah Ahmad Alhijazi (Señor Pablo) took some amazing pictures of us. It’s this man starting off the Youtube video here. Pablo is a philosopher, an artist, great baker, an adventurer, and a foreign diplomat. My wife and I agree he was the inspiration of the day. Take a hop over to Señor Pablo’s blog. Can’t wait to meet again.

It was loads of fun. I have to go to bed now because I’m dead tired.

Nike air maxes, lotto’s, spiky hair, Nike bags, messenger bags with cell phone pouches, soft skin tones, low-rise socks, sandals, what looks like a highly-ornate Buddhist 15-foot totem pole, 3/4 capri pants, throngs of people…all converging, walking towards the immigration counter in Bangkok, Thailand, where I have just landed. And I could almost swear my $2.99 hairdresser is standing in front of me in line…

Life in Syria revives my spirit and reaches my innermost feelings of belonging and patronage to a country I have learned to love. I may be going to Syria this summer!

I am rushing to etch some memories of this heavenly refuge on paper to preserve its beauty in my heart. The girls are working with smiles. I love who they are and I just met them 20 minutes ago. Something about them makes them feel like family. I can see right through them; they are not very complex creatures. This culture is very welcoming, hard working, and…humble. Not flamboyantly proud, but satisifed and quietly content.

Outside, motorcycles catch my attention as I look up and gaze out through the window. Through the palm tree leaves, I see the Thai beach, crystals dancing in the fatherly son. The father looks down on Pattaya pleased with approval and continuance, diligently yet effortlessly serving its bounty. The leaves of the trees wave their fingers, tickling the air – hunched over the water – tending to their visitors, procuring shade.

The Thai ladies have silky coconut-soft skin, walking on the sidewalks of shops while they tend to their children or exchange innocent flirtatious smiles with passers-by. Free smiles are plentiful and go without earning here where the spirit roams free. The spirit has love, respect, an appreciation for life, food, animals, and family. I wonder what else they live for. It is absolutely amazing to see such a vibrant culture who is so full of the right character traits that is not on top of the world.

I am glad I was able to visit this land and understand their joys. I now understand the music. I sympathize with the poor, sick, and elderly as if they were my own family’s. I smile in admiration when I see strangers, wishing they could understand my cuckoo. They are not strangers! That word creates wide distances between the hearts. Just because someone across the world is different does not mean they are strange in the connotation of meaning weird.

One must seek to understand. One must wear their clothes, visit their land, eat their food, live their days and history to truly understand a people. I think people in America are too shielded from the true rip the skin off side of the world; really seeing what’s inside the world and its people and its history. When I lived in America, I thought the world ended between California and Maine. Imagine the effects visits like this could have on the world – it could really bridge the gap and make the world a more loving place. We have so much ignorance in the world, but I am not going to get into that and ruin the spirit. I love Thailand and I am definitely coming back soon!

Itinerary: Day One

• Grand Palace – Emerald Buddha Temple
• Canal Tour – Chopraya River
• James Taylor Tailor – Sukao Thai Road
• Royal Lapidary – Gemstone Manufacturer
• Rot Sabeng Restaurant
• Muay Thai Boxing – Ratchadamnon Road
• Centre Point Hotel – 15 Petbury Road

Itinerary: Day Two

• Pantip – Electronics Shopping
• MBK – Apparel Shopping
• CentralWorld – Shopping Mall
• Shogu Bushi – Sushi
• Tok Tok ride
• Hollywood Disco – Live Performances

Itinerary: Day Three

• Pattaya Beach…

There were more than 10 different courses, one with a castle and we played capture the flag. Really exhausting and fun. Felt good to release all that energy inside. I fantasized that I was shooting my fat manager. It was great. That was the best part.