Nostalgic Summer Night

Nostalgic summer night
Colder than January Snow sight
I miss the tender summer breeze
I miss the public seats
The view of summer houses alive
Curved on hills and mountains
I miss the open door
Old windows
The secrets being told
Words and loud laughter

I miss the rhythm of hesitant footsteps
And the beat of silence between words
The echo of cars between shadows of stone homes

I miss the scattered clouds
The clear sky
Sunset

Truth is hidden behind tears
On such summer nights
What are we most nostalgic for?

Rami Left the Hospital on a Wheal chair!

Reading this with the morning coffee doesn't make the day start smoothly! Rami, a 17 year old young man , who was part of the bus accident that took place five months ago, just left the hospital on a wheal chair!
The writer of the article Suhair Jaradat calls the bus, the death bus , which is a very accurate description on what that accident did! The accident not only killed Rami's friends, it also killed parts of his body, his dream, his opportunity to finish his Tawjehi and enroll at the university , the bus killed Rami's dependence on his legs, the bus kidnapped that families' happiness with Rami's first semester great Tawjehe results. Rami now can't walk, nothing in his body can move except his hands and head.
Though the death bus was able to kill all of the above, one thing it failed to kill, is the hope of Rami's father… Rami's father faith is something no bus was able to kill… he sold his share in the water tank he works on as a driver, and left to pursue medical treatment outside the country for his son who he hopes will be able to walk again…
While this article reminds me of a post Naseem wrote few months ago. Specially that Rami's parents were not paid any compensation for this accident. His majesty gave Rami a scholarship to study communications like he dreamt, but Rami now can't do that since he couldn’t attend the Tawjehi second semester exams, so that hope was killed or probably postponed too.
Nothing can be more painful than a dream's death! I thought maybe Hikmat institute can help Rami through his tough journey . I hope they have a plan to contribute in making Rami's journey easier in a way or another.

Guess who's coming to Jordan?

After few days of delay on my schedule to start studying for my PMP exam, which is only 3 weeks away, I studied for an hour, which only enabled me to read few pages with so much concentration, and analysis, I almost forgot how much effort and energy it takes to study something , you will be examined for by a non Jordanian learning institute! It takes so much effort and I can't anymore procrastinate and leave going through the topic for the very last day, few hours before the exam and still get mad when I can only get B+ ! though sometimes, through the same strategy I easily get an A. this time is a different story and I need to make a real effort….. yet keep my fingers crossed to pass...

Anyway, yesterday's newspaper grabbed my attention, I tend to get distracted so quickly when I'm studying! Like all humans I guess! And guess who's coming to Jordan? Noor, Mohanad and Dana! I can't wait for my dad to get back home to tell him, he likes Dana so much, he thinks she's the most beautiful in the series, and off course I agree with him, at the end she's the only artist in the series… she will not only come… she will sing as well…
That's it… back to my studying…

Strengths Finder 2.0

Since I did this online test "strengths finder" I really wanted to blog about it. I don’t like online tests, but when someone I trust his/her opinions suggests something for me , I do it! I take advice, which is not common for someone who combines an OX Chinese sign with a Taurus horoscope!! Which makes stubbornness level usually rise as a combination! But I guess I'm a unique combination of those two, I take advice! :)
The way I did the test? I bought the book "Strengths finder 2.0" for Tom Rath, and inside the book you get a free pass key to do one exam, and find your strengths online. I think there's a way to do just pay for the exam online without buying the book and get the same result!
The idea of the strength finder which is based on allots of research and surveys with people, is to focus on our strengths instead of our weaknesses. The equation that Tom Rath puts in his book is :
Talent * Investment= Strength

While talent is the natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving
Investment is the time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base .And Strength is the ability to consistently provide near- perfect performance.

By using this equation, he empowers the idea that allot of investment on poor talent will never make this aspect your strength. Thus you need to know your real talents (through strength finder probably) and invest on those, since those are what can make you excel if you invested the time to develop this talent into a real strength.

Tom Rath doesn't believe that " You can be anythimg you want to be, if you just try hard enough" he rather believes " you cannot be anything you want to be- but you CAN be a lot more of who you already are."
The exam is basically several questions that takes around 30 minutes to answer, you see two statements on the screen, one the extreme left side and one on the extreme right side, and you have several circles on a line between those 2 statements, you must answer quickly, which statement feels like its describing you, you check the circle closer to it, if you feel that you feel both statements resemble you equally you pick the circle in the middle between both statements. Your instinct guides blindly to certain statements that you instantly feel that's me… and away from other statements that you feel like… it may sound good but its not me… you must do it so quickly or the question will fly…
After you finish the test your 5 most important strengths, are identified in the sequence of their strength or relevance to you, the first is the strongest you have…etc.. you will also get a brief description about each theme, a description on what makes you stand out, and ideas for action.. the report you will receive will give you insights on what kind of career path best suits you.. and you might accordingly decide to quit your job! LOL! Or ask for different things from you boss based on your strengths, start the business idea you had in mind few years ago and ignored for a good while etc..
There are 34 themes that your 5 will be from which are in alphabetical sequence: Achiever, Activator, Adaptability, Analytical , Arranger, Belief, Command, Communication, Competition, Connectedness, Consistency, Context, Deliberative, Developer, Discipline, Empathy, Focus, Futuristic, Harmony, Ideation, includer, Individualization, Input, Intellection, Learner, Maximizer, Positivity, Relator, Responsibility, Restorative, Self-Assurance, Significance, Strategic, Woo (winning others over)

though the 34 are strengths ( All positve), even if the ego is sky high , you can easily say this isn't me or this is mroe like me... the name alone doesnt explain, the description of each theme best explains what Tom meant by that strength, or what qualiteis /charecteristics did he combine under that theme.. but no matter what guesses you try to make before you do the test, you might get 2 out of 5 right, if you are someone who know yourself well, and have worked enough to experience your strengths at diffeerent points... but certainly the test is worth taking...

The book describes each theme in detail, and even identifies ways to overcome this strength being a negative thing in your life… if not managed probably… which happens…
The reason I'm impressed with this test, is that I really got 5 themes that absolutely describe me! And the ideas for action and everything is very interesting and I can easily relate to it! and the test seemed to be very creative in its structure yet simple and apperently done with so much intellegence to reveal the right result. anyway, if you are curious, my themes in the correct sequence are :
1. Ideation : People who are especially talented in the ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
2. Responsibility : People who are especially talented in the responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty. ( I found that i suffer as well from this strength, by overcommiting myself sometimes & taking initiataive of taking responsiblity coz its my talent!)
3. Empathy : (I still can't understand this being a strength! I wish I can let go of it 80% of the time, my life would've been…. How?! I wonder) it means sense the feelings of other people, by imagining themselves in others' lives or others situations. (I found that i can be in a different career path that can make use of this talent, not sure if i'll go for that though)
4. Achiever: achievers have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive! ( I think that’s me too)
5. Adaptability: adaptable people prefer to go with the flow, they tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time. ( People who know me well, know that's certainly me)

So do the test if you have the time.... and share your results :)

Read and become speechless : I love the King

عاجل .. جلالة الملك : الاولوية بالنسبة لي هي حماية وصيانة الدستور ولا تصدقوا الإشاعات، وخاصة عندما يقول لكم أحدهم إنها من مصادر موثوقة

Tunisia… the country of Doors… opens doors…

Since my critical political knowledge is still naïve… I will keep on ignoring the big mess taking place in my beloved country……. And I will keep blogging about the people, ideas, words, places and things I fall in love with… at least it's one of things I know how to talk about… falling in love has been always something I know how to master well…..

Tunis… an Arab state with a French ambiance… an old souk next to French style street cafes…. "Ey3ayshak" followed by a series of French terms I personally fail to understand… a city where time took a central position between its streets, making out of each second grace…
I got back with a camera filled with 67 doors pictures… a sign of a beginning of mild obsession…. Or severe… I wonder… Hammamat experience was great, I was inspired there!

The town of Sidi Bou Saïd is famous for its bright blue doors - matching the color of the intensely blue sky. The Andalusian style doors are too artistic to resist taking a picture of. Going to Sidi Bou Said like a tourist ,without a Tunisian friend made me miss tasting the Bambaloni! And you cannot reach that place and miss the best sweet on this universe! Thanks to Malek, I tried the Bambaloni in the evening…. And OMG! I now fail to accept the idea that our sweet is actually knafeh or Tamrieh!! My official national sweet is now Bambaloni whether it's nationally accepted or not!
Nisrene and Hala been just amazing in helping me get the best deals for my ceramic doors collection…and find the doors and take good pictures... the time we spent at the souk is just unforgettable… ... Balkees with her beautiful smile, Mohammad Ali, Malek and Omar… having the pine tea with all of you by the sea was just wonderful….

My life been crazy since I came back, and it's been hard to get myself to write anything about Tunisia… and yesterday I wrote a poem on the old stairways of Amman… and I thought I won't post anything before I post for Tunisia… Tunisia deserves a good post…..

My favorite word is certainly "e3ayshak" after it comes "barsha"
You cannot reach Hammamat and not do a "Harkos" (Tunisian Tatoo): mine is starting to fade now…
The best scent : "Mashmoom elful" (Jasmine), sold in every street..
The best object: doors, all doors opened doors and stairs that lead to doors…
The best tea: Tunisian tea with pine! Yes pine, and they don’t call it "snobar" they call it "bondok" like we call the hazelnut! But it's really good!! Good enough to drag my jasmine tea down the list of my favorite drinks.

I came back with a clear idea of how I will decorate my Art studio… bright blue will certainly be the main theme… and all the great art work I bought will hang carelessly on my walls… next to the pictures of doors I took…. It will be a Tunisian inspiration…

I was blessed in my trip, something about the obsession of the doors and starting to find them and observe them between the allies made me find doors within my own universe… opened doors that I didn’t notice earlier… and doors I knew it was time to close…… a woman who does handmade carpets for living in the old souk, tied three threads of wool from her carpet around my wrist when I spoke Arabic and said "Baraka"! that was my favorite moment in the whole trip, and the three threads are still around my wrist, ironically the colors are very similar to the colors of the Jordanian flag , only if the dark blue was black.

Some of my favorite taken pictures ( Many pictures I took had one bird in the picture, which i found intersting)

Everything happens for a reason

Souls meet for a reason
Walks inspire stories
Steps craft steps
Talks drive walks
For a reason

Thoughts gather for a reason
Divine inspiration
Unplanned aspiration
Authentic escape of words
Running late
In a slightly humid rate

Walks happen for a reason
Overlooking the season
Wearing different colored hats
Passing jasmine bushes
Tunisian doors
Reading Familiar letters making unidentified words
Random Ideas and thoughts
Viewing silent boats
Water lights
Beneath an elegant sky
Giving the full moon an intimate good bye

Life happens for a reason
Life has an Intention
In creating every Convention
Forming Reflection

Abstract footsteps
Never intense
Yet Making Sense

Words slowing fast walks
To observe secrets of cycles
Footsteps witnessing reason
In a unique conversation

Souls do meet for a reason
Mapless walks
Leading to Destined talks
Everything happens for a reason

This poem is Dedicated to Laith Alqassem