TULIP TIMES

Cultural whiplash: Part I

2012-01-28T09:29:00.000+02:00

After a six month hiatus, I'm hoping to actually rejoin the blogging world. I've been following my faves all season, but didn't have the emotional energy to actually post. Reverse culture shock is a complicated bear. We just got back home after spending six months in the states. There have been so many things I've thought about posting, but haven't. Maybe I'll make good on my New Year's resolution to post about all my cultural observations.

Talking with a friend a couple weeks ago gave me the perfect title, and last night I found the perfect image. Cultural whiplash describes for me the experience of going back and forth from a lovely but overly WASP area of America, to our bustling city in the heart of the Arab world. Two lovely places that don't really understand each other, but places I love dearly, and am proud to call both home.

My boys became enamored with angry birds this past season, as it has inundated American culture. We have the card game by the makers of UNO, the plush toys, and a "real" game with plastic figures and beams so you can re-create the hit game played by young and old on smart phones, tablets, and computers. Last week the boys threw their plush toys off the top of the bunk bed to knock down structures, a normal fun activity for my kids. However, this time they told me they were playing "angry birds".

I still don't really understand why the birds are angry, but cultural whiplash is indeed full force.

~ Um Tulip

Switzerland or bust 2011

2011-07-11T23:29:00.000+03:00

We just got back from our long awaited family vacation to Switzerland. We had planned this trip in 2009, saving up money and time for our 10 year wedding anniversary. As life doesn't always work out the way we hope, last summer Abu Tulip's dad died suddenly and our summer plans changed quickly. This year has been an emotional roller coaster for us all, with loss overshadowing some great experiences of living in the Middle East. In just over a week we'll head for an extended stay in America. We're looking forward to being close to family, and curious about how the reverse culture shock will play out in our kids. As I won't be teaching this semester, I hope to take time to post more often and more than that, pause and reflect on the journey we're on.

Here are a few pictures from our trip. I wish I could post them all, but I honestly don't think my few readers really want to see them as much as I'll enjoy talking about them.

The first night there we were blessed with a rainbow. I took this picture from the window of our room. Seriously. The reminder that God is faithful through every storm has stuck with me throughout our travels.

We took a walk through the village after the rain cleared and came upon this covered bridge. I turned to Abu Tulip and said, "it's hard to even imagine evil existing after seeing this". Just a public road with such extraordinary beauty. The care the community puts in to tending to their gardens. No litter, no broken down benches. Just a small village that cares about creation and welcomes visitors to meander along the roads and take it all in.

A few days later we took a train and then a gondola up the mountainside for a 6 mile hike to a lake. We were in First, and although the hike was exhausting with 3 boys, the views were breathtaking. We all earned ice cream from Migros Supermarket back in the village after that day.

The second half of our trip took us to the village of Monstein, near Davos. This is the interior of a church built in the 1600s. the village currently has 180 inhabitants, and our Australian friends who live there have built an amazing community. Each day people dropped by to chat, invite children over to play, or literally borrow a cup of sugar. I sat in the church alone for quite some time, just imagining what it might have been like to worship here during a particularly harsh winter some 400 years ago. We were up at an altitude that was likely unreachable many months of the year, yet the Swiss work ethic and determination has certainly paid off, making it such a prosperous country.

A few patterns that caught my eye. I'm not an experienced photographer, and I just have a regular point and shoot camera. I'm afraid my pictures of the alps, while amazing to me, aren't near the quality you can find in other places. So often as we hiked around, rode in the trains, or just looked out the window, I'd comment that there was no way a camera could even capture the sights. Snow-capped mountains, green pastures, majestic peaks and deep valleys. After seven years of living in a desert country, it was a feast for the eyes!

These next few pictures show the ceiling of the church, stacks of wood ready for winter, cobblestone pavement, and a stain glassed window that is over 400 years old. As Teddy Bear told me on one hike, "Mom, there sure are a lot of mountains in Switzerland. Like 152 of them!"

One day we headed up to an alp, the green pastures high in the mountains where farmers take their cattle in the warm summer months. We made a small fire to roast sausages right among the cows.

Our final hike was from the Rinerhorn back over to Monstein. We rode the gondola up with our friends, and they went back home with our kids via gondala and car. Abu Tulip and I hiked several hours alone. We never saw another person, just continually took in the majesty of the mountains. We finished the evening with our anniversary dinner at a village inn. Traditionally Swiss food including, rosti, which is like hash browns, pork, veal, potato soup, and impeccable service. As much as we love our three active boys, having a few hours alone is a rare pleasure and it was great to catch up and reflect on the past year. It hasn't been an easy one, for sure. We are thankful for our three healthy boys, for the adventure of raising them in a bilingual / bicultural setting, and for the perspective that being American in the Arab world brings. We are blessed with many loving friends and family members, and a choir community that fills our days with singing and laughter. Our church communities teach us more about what we hope to be, and our continual need for grace. We are weary, and utterly dependent on our creator God for all things. If He created these mountains, with all their peaks and valleys, He is sufficient.

Going to the farm and another concert you don't want to miss!

2011-05-29T18:38:00.000+03:00

One of the favorite activities of a lot of local families is to travel out of the city to the family farm. Usually this is a few acres of land owned by several family members collectively, and Friday afternoons are a perfect time to grill some meat, drink copious cups of tea, and enjoy time away from the busy city. We are blessed to have some local friends with a lovely farm not too far away. A couple weeks back we joined them for burgers. Spring is a perfect time to do this, as the summer has not yet scorched the land and the green is luscious. Of course, if you are allergic to the olive trees like me you better take some extra meds, but it's well worth it. I'm not a fantastic photographer, and have a simple point and shoot camera, but I'm super pleased with how my pictures turned out and so I'm sharing them with you!

This is roasted hamli. What is hamli? Fresh garbanzo beans. The taste is a bit like fresh peas, and it's hard to believe these are the same beans we dry and make hummus out of. We bought them from a farmer off the side of the road on our way tot he farm. Super yummy!

The roses were falling of the stems and so beautiful. We took a bunch of petals home and they perfumed our home for a week.

Grape leaves. Reminds me of a song we sang in choir - "Bayn iddawali". By the way, go to www.dozanwawatar.com for more info on our next concert, Lamma Bada. Arabic folkloric music with some great percussionists. Rehearsals have been so much fun, learning choreography and working with props. I love this choir and can't wait to perform next weekend. It will be an unforgettable concert.

They grow their own mint. Try tearing off a few leaves and placing in boiling water for a perfect cup of tea.

The figs weren't ready to eat, but will be great later on.

Little olives just starting to grow. The blasted pollen from these trees are killing my sinuses right now, but you can't beat local olive oil!


I think these are green cherries, but I'm not positive. Feel free to correct me.

Easter Holiday

2011-05-17T18:58:00.000+03:00

Our holiday week started out with a bang, as it seems our darling two-year-old can't stay out of trouble. He got a hold of a chocolate candy with a hazelnut inside. One of those yummy chocolates I keep hidden away just for mommy, when she's having a rough day. Well, he choked on it, and while he was breathing, he continued to wheeze and cough for half an hour after. After calling my mom and my pediatrician, it was off to the ER. Both suspected the cause, a portion of hazelnut had aspirated into his lung.

A chest x-ray and breathing treatment later, we saw the pediatric surgeon who recommended a broncoscopy. So the Saturday before Easter we spent with Linus being sedated and having a large piece of hazelnut removed from his right lung.

He was up an running the next day, happily shouting المسيح قام - حقا قام "Christ is Risen - He is risen indeed" up and down the aisles at church. I am so thankful it wasn't worse, and while his antics continually put me on edge and the tantrums are wearing me out, I love my little blankie boy.

We took him to Petra the next weekend for a choir getaway and he enjoyed the view from the backpack. Despite the rough beginning, it was a great week of family time and visits with friends. We also made a volcano with Teddy Bear and Oliver, as Oliver has been learning about natural disasters in science class. The Arabic word for earthquake is so cool - زلزال "zilzal" and the plural even better "zilaazil".

Now I'm back to school and we're frantically finishing up teaching material and preparing for end-of-the year assemblies. We'll see if there's time for a few more posts this month!

Easter concert

2011-05-09T18:41:00.000+03:00

So this Saturday we're performing Mozart's Requiem. It's a joint concert with the Syrian orchestra and choir and is going to be amazing. I am so excited to perform. Viva magazine did a big article on us and my picture is huge. I totally feel like a celebrity. If you haven't heard Mozart's Requiem you are missing out on phenomenal music. See the poster, find us on facebook, and read our revamped website http://www.dozanwaawtar.com/ for more information. Hope to see you there!

Terrible Twos and a time to reflect

2011-04-22T13:53:00.000+03:00

The past few weeks a been full of activity. Extra work at school, which included a cultural festival and successful IB visit. I've been so pleased with my students and the growth they've made this year. At home the terrible twos have set in, which means a lot of tears and tantrums. Linus turned two in February. I knew it was wearing me down, but didn't realize how it was affecting the big brothers until Teddy Bear made a sign and taped it to the door of the room where he was building a race car set. The two is backwards, but the message is clear. "No two-year-olds allowed!" After a pic of the sign is a pic of Linus, doing two of his favorite things, climbing and wearing his spongebob jammies.

This week we're finally on spring break. I'm definitely due for a week of rest and reflection.

These words certainly remind me of what this week is all about.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Thankful for my adorable children, and even more thankful for the cross, immeasurable grace.

~ Um Tulip

Happy Birthday, Spongebob

2011-03-27T20:57:00.000+03:00

My two year old is now singing Happy Birthday to Spongebob. Teddy Bear turned 5 this week and today was his Spongebob themed party. A good friend helped me make marshmallow fondant and we made the most amazing cake. I will never be able to top this cake, no matter how many more birthday parties I throw over the years.

One thing I love about Teddy Bear is how fun and at-ease he is with people of all nationalities. He has a knack for Arabic, and is a total boy. He's enthralled with light sabers, and his BFF bought him one for his birthday. The kids had a blast tearing through the house playing today. His invite list for his birthday party included people from six countries. Not a single child that came to today was 100% American, most were 50% this and 50% that. I guess at times I feel more comfortable with an international crowds. Abu Tulip has a scholarship to do some graduate study in the States next fall, and I'm worried about fitting in there. I love our international life, and the amazing people I meet on a daily basis.

Here is the cake, before and after the party.

Happy Birthday to my sweet 5 year old.

~ Um Tulip

Contradictions - or why I love living here.

2011-03-13T09:53:00.000+02:00

Since it's blog about my adopted country day and I have a huge to-do list today to catch up on life, I'm just going to link to a friend's blog. To peak your interest, the title is: Nuns....bikinis....camels....and my husband.

Life here is full of contradictions, and that's one of the reasons I love it. I love the mash of cultures and beliefs and the way we all live out our faith, whether we think we are or not.

Mammabean also posts her reasons to love it here.

I love that I can teach English at an Arabic school and be confident my three boys are getting an excellent bilingual / bi-cultural education, then head downtown to barter for curtain fabric and head to the western part of the city to sip a latte with my mother-in-law at Crumbs cafe. Then end the day with a choir practicing both traditional folkloric music and Mozart's Requiem. The day is sprinkled with two languages, laughter and more serious discussions of faith and politics in a region full of turmoil. I'm so thankful to be part of it all. And that all happened just last Monday.

We said good-bye to my mother-in-law Thursday evening. I can't write about it much now, because I miss her so dearly and my post would just be weepy.

That and I really need to catch up on stuff around the house.

~ Um Tulip

Star Wars storms our home

2011-03-03T19:07:00.000+02:00

Those of you with boys in the house probably know that Lego Star Wars is really cool. I had R2D2 underwear as a child, but not until recently did I realize the reprisal of Star Wars. Teddy Bear very proudly talks about Dark Vader, Light Savers, and the Storm Creatures. He also likes the "Teddy Bears that jump up and down a lot" (aka Ewoks). Isn't he adorable?

I had a lot of fun shopping at the Lego store in Columbus last month, and got all sorts of figurines and special pieces. Then I happened to walk buy a high-end cooking supply store and saw Star Wars pancake molds in the store-front. I couldn't resist. Here are the results.

If you spray the pancake molds with non-stick spray (what is that stuff made out of anyway?) they pop out okay. I want to do sugar cookies soon. They were a huge hit. The black / red / yellow lego structure is the "bad guys spaceship" and is shaped like a slice of pizza. It is on a hinge to open up sideways. The blue / white / grey structure is the colors the boys chose for the "good guys spaceship" and has a rooftop that opens to access the computer and stash of light sabers. The only question that remains is: who had more fun building the lego spaceships - me or the boys?

God looks after the little things.

2011-02-26T17:01:00.000+02:00

Recently Abu Tulip and I were talking about how insignificant our lives really are, considering the population of the earth and the conflicts befalling nations surrounding us. Yet it is at times comical how important the tiniest details matter to us personally on a daily basis. We are told God knows the number of hairs on our head. Although I am confident in my faith, I am still surprised at little miracles such as this morning.

Last night we went out to a restaurant for dinner. Abu Tulip just left for a work conference, and my mother-in-law and I are holding down the fort. It was a lovely "date night". Seafood ravioli. Yum. Afterward we stopped at an ATM to make sure we had enough cash for the week. The ATM was poorly lit, and as Abu Tulip opened his wallet a few things fell out. I bent down and found a credit card and a receipt. I didn't notice anything else around.

This morning we were heading out our road for Abu Tulip to drop us off at school and then return to finish packing his suitcase. As we pulled out, we noticed our neighbor waving frantically at us from the car behind. We pulled over and Z came up. "How's it going?" we asked.

Z is a young shab who is loads of fun and his mom makes the best maqloubi I've ever had. I learned a lot of Arabic from this family and they are dear friends. "Well," Z said, "my buddies and I were out last night and we stopped at an ATM. My friend found this credit card and showed it to me. It's yours! So here you go."

Dumbstruck, we headed on our way to school, marveling at God's intervention in our lives. That the lost card would be found by a good friend is beyond me. Had it been stolen, a lot of damage would have taken place before we would have ever noticed, especially with Abu Tulip traveling this week.

I guess I needed to be reminded of His care and concern. Thank you, Lord.

~ Um Tulip

A few pics for now.

2011-02-21T17:06:00.000+02:00

Still working on editing some photos and forming those posts. For now....can you name where this one was taken? Do you have any idea what "Best without taste" means?

This one is of a family restroom at a nice hotel. Again, what were they thinking! As a mom of three boys, I have been in this situation before and let me tell you, I nearly wet myself the first time I saw this sign.

This is just a shot of the lovely fabric my MIL and I got downtown for a great price. She's been busy this week making curtains for our living room. They are beautiful!

Teddy Bear made this valentine for us last week. I edited out the name of his best friend for privacy's sake, but I think it's adorable.
More to follow. ~ Um Tulip

My Valentine's Day Song

2011-02-16T18:01:00.000+02:00

I've been back from the states a couple weeks now, and have formed about 20 blog posts in my mind. However, we've been too busy getting back into school and then fabric shopping and choir rehearsals that I haven't actually posted anything.

Linus turned two, and the terrible twos are well underway. Pics of Elmo cupcakes need to be posted.

The pictures of our star wars pancake morning are ready to post, too, as soon as I load them.

For now, as I need to get back to the kiddos, I'll leave you with my current favorite song. We ordered the CD "Counting Stars" by Andrew Peterson off Amazon. Yes, we have yet to switch over to downloading MP3s. I can't get through the song "Dancing in the Minefields" without tears.

Valentine's Day was busy with work and choir so we didn't really celebrate, but this song reminds me why I married my best friend and I'm so thankful for the choice we made, now 10 1/2 years ago.

----------------------------------------------------

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Dancing in the Minefields

~ Um Tulip

Flying solo - day 5 of Um Tulip's 8 day trip to America

2011-01-31T16:23:00.000+02:00

So, I'm drinking coffee and the only sound to be heard is the ice machine in my parent's fridge. No need to yell at Oliver and Teddy Bear for sword fighting on the couch, no Linus begging for Spongebob, no vegetable sellers in the streets, or any other familiar sounds. I flew back five days ago to meet my new nephew, now five weeks old. As I joked with my sisters, this was the first time they beat me at something, I became an aunt for the first time, while they've all been aunts for seven years now! In reality, the new mom has beat me with her humility, my next sis has beat me with her generosity, and my youngest sis has beat me with her honesty. I have an incredible family.

Flying solo is was a totally new experience. I'm an expert at airports; packing and going through security with three little ones is now quite easy. Wandering through Heathrow for four hours with nothing to do is very strange, though. And what side of the walkways are you supposed to walk on in that airport, anyway? The airplanes were a third full, so I had a row to myself. I read, watched movies, and didn't have any juice or food spilled on me, not even once. No evil glances as my children screamed, no daring attempts to change a diaper during turbulence. When our plane got diverted from D.C. to Chicago due to snow, I managed the news with only a slight groan, and was able to hop on a different plane home, landing just five minutes later than my original itinerary. I'm working on a deeper understanding of the phrase "peace and quiet".

The new one is adorable, and while technically a "lazy sucker" is gaining weight and I had the joy of being present at his baptism yesterday. This was followed by a gathering at my sister and her husband's house with extended family. I hadn't seen my aunts, uncles, and cousins in 18 months, so I felt the reunion was just as much for me as for the newest member of our family.

One story I must share involves the adorable daughters of my cousin. After ordering girl scout cookies from the eldest, I showed her my local money. She asked me about the writing and pictures. As the currency shows our esteemed king, her mom shared, "They have a king and queen. What does our country have that they don't have?" She answered without skipping a beat, "freedom!" We all laughed, of course, but given recent events in Lebanon, Tunisia, and now most intensely in Egypt, the concept of freedom is on the forefront of my mind. I'm so thankful I was raised in a family that taught me Christian values, and also gave me the choice to embrace my faith as my own. I'm also thankful my adopted country does allow many freedoms nearby countries do not.

I'm missing my beautiful children, and my amazing husband, but relishing in the fact I have nothing to do but enjoy time with family and gaze at the snow. Thankful..... ~ Um Tulip

Dry Spell

2011-01-08T17:43:00.000+02:00

Haven't blogged in about six months. Kinzi tells me to get back at it, and I should. Even if nobody else reads, I know it is good for me to write. For those of you who don't know me in real life, we lost my father-in-law to a tragic tractor accident on the summer solstice. The days got shorter and shorter until Dec. 21. Now the days are getting longer, the sun is shining longer (although we're finally getting much-needed rain) and I'm hoping a new year will bring new hope.

On a previous post I wrote about the garden we hoped to grow this summer. After our emergency trip back to America, this is what became of our garden. August passed by with squelching heat, and we couldn't get our apartment below 34 degrees Celsius for several weeks. That's hot! We spent a lot of days at the pool, teaching the Tulip kids to swim - or teaching our youngest not to jump in the pool without mommy or daddy there to catch him!

School started and we dove into teaching and learning. I'm teaching creative writing to grades 1-6, and despite the headaches, I love my job. I get to teach Oliver, which is great. I'm so proud of his accomplishments in Arabic, as he takes Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, and music, etc. all in Arabic and is doing a great job. I'll have to post about work later.

Teddy Bear is translating for the other foreigners in his KG class, which makes me so happy. He loves school and all things spongebob and pirate. Linus has a new name. He'll be two next month, and his favorite object in his whole world is - you guessed it - his blankie. Just wish I had been smart enough to buy two of the thing back when they were in the store. He speaks mostly in Arabic, which is darling.

We also moved this fall. Our landlord had his old place open up, which is twice the size of our little 2 bedroom apartment. For the first time ever, I had a home big enough to host Christmas dinner. Yes, that's two turkeys in my sink.

Painting the pink ceilings (and pink and purple walls) has been a challenge, but having the space to play is such a joy. I knew we made the right decision one day after all these things took place simultaneously.

1) Oliver was in his bedroom working at his desk with his tutor on his Arabic work.
2) Linus was taking a nap in peace and quiet.
3) Teddy Bear was playing with toys in the living room.
4) Abu Tulip was working in his office.
5) I was cooking in my kitchen.
6) My helper who comes a few times a week and keeps me sane was cleaning in the kitchen.

We all had SPACE to do what needed to be done.

Most of November and December was busy with Christmas preparations with Dozan wa Awtar. Abu Tulip and I both sang this past season, and all the rehearsals were well worth the reward of performing with the most amazing community of singers I have every met. It deserves its own post, soon.

Next week my mother-in-law and brother-in-law come to visit. MIL is going to stay for two months and she will also have her own bedroom. I'm so glad she's coming and the kids are going bonkers making plans for their arrival. (Not going to mention the confetti or other plans just in case she reads my post.)

So here is my re-entry into blogging. Let's see if I can keep it up. Let's see if the rain keeps pouring, quenching the dry and weary land - the physical landscape where we live and my soul that is sore with grief and ready for relief. ~ Um Tulip

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

An evening you don't want to miss!

2010-08-05T21:22:00.000+03:00

Musica Sacra

2010-06-13T09:17:00.000+03:00

The choir I sing with, Dozan wa Awtar, recently got back from Germany performing at the Musica Sacra Festival. Click here to listen to a performance. I especially like this piece. It's actually a collaboration of several themes, including a Byzantine communion hymn, a Sufi melody, and an Islamic song that's newish (rather than ancient, the original is sort of a pop song style / new age style / hard to explain). In between the Sufi melody at the end, choir members are singing various songs that are important to them, including monastic chants. It certainly reflects the color and beauty of the culture here. In a few days we have a Dozan get together where I'll get to hear stories from those who went on the trip. Looking forward to it!

~ Um Tulip

Min Zamaan (been a long time)

2010-06-05T08:49:00.000+03:00

Yes, it's been over two months since posting. Lots of excuses, like wondering if anybody actually reads what I write. I suppose I write for myself more than anything, though. This morning is my first day off from school. Exams are done, and we're planning for next year. I'm really excited about teaching next year. We're implementing the PYP (International Baccalaureate) standards for the elementary school. I get to focus on creative writing. So school has been busy, but fulfilling.

What else has happen in the past two months? Well, my choir put together another amazing show. This time, they traveled to Germany for the Musica Sacra festival. Follow this link to read. Performing religious music (both Christian and Muslim) I know they wowed the audiences there and had a blast. This picture shows "qanuun" used to accompany a few pieces. I missed going, but chose to focus on my family this month, as there have been some big events.

Abu Tulip and I celebrated 10 years of marriage together. 10 years! It's sad so many don't make it to this milestone, and I'm so blessed to be married to my best friend. We're taking the family for Switzerland for 10 days at the end of the month to celebrate and take a little time out for refreshment.
Oliver turned 7 years old. His party was batman themed, hence the cupcakes. He is such a joy. The other day he said to Abu Tulip, "Dad, you were wrong, there is something that drinks but doesn't pee. Plants!" This kid is thinking and observing all the time. He's done a great job on his first grade "exams". No, I did not have him study, unlike his classmates, but he has learned a lot and is speaking and reading Arabic.
Teddy Bear graduated from pre-school. He'll go to KG1 in the fall. He has a great little best friend from nursery that will join him at the kindergarten. He sings in Arabic and English, and recently was jumping on my bed singing a song from my choir. (He is Mr. Sun in the picture)
Baby Bulb is no longer a baby. I need to find a new name. Ideas, anyone? He is a climber, and has a vocabulary of about 8 words. Mommy, no, la (no), anineh (bottle), hatti (give me), daddy, baby, daw (light).

I'm looking forward to taking the kids to the pool this summer (nearly six years here and we finally spent the money on a membership), watching our plants grow (we'll see if any vegetables make it this year), and a visit from Abu Tulip's parents in July. Here are some pics from our garden, beans, radishes, and snails.

Oh, Oliver also finished his first season of T-ball. Yes, it was only T-ball, but watching him play reminds me that my kids are going to grow up. Watching the high schoolers play on the field next to us was a reality check for me. Those boys are all taller than me, and my boys will be taller than me some day. One Friday morning we watched a few from the team get out of a taxi and go to their game. In perfect Arabic, they thanked the driver and headed out to the field. I learned that they had just come from running in a race down at the Dead Sea. Responsible, capable, and thriving (not just surviving) in a bilingual, multicultural world. Yes, this is what I hope for my children. Lord, give me strength to raise my boys in wisdom and maturity!

Easter Concert sold out!

2010-04-12T17:21:00.000+03:00

Been a busy with well, life. Last week was the culmination of many rehearsals and we put on a great show! Both the Wednesday and Thursday night concerts were sold out. If you read Arabic, follow this link, as a local paper wrote about our performance. The Faure Requiem was outstanding. At times, it was hard not to just close my eyes and listen to the blending of our voices along with the symphony. Our director flawlessly gave us everything we needed to perform with beauty and grace.

During intermission I was talking with a fellow choir member. This is her first season with Dozan and she commented, "this is so exhilarating!' Really, we don't tire of performing. Our voices came together for what may have been our best concert yet. I appreciate this diverse group of friends so much. Thanks, Dozan, for a great spring break. Thanks, Abu Tulip, for your support as I've skipped off to rehearsal and performances so many nights in a row. Thanks, Lord, for giving us voices and instruments to create sound that gives you glory.

~ Um Tulip

Easter Concerts

2010-03-29T18:19:00.000+03:00

Language advice you may or may not want to try

2010-03-20T20:44:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip has been reading a book, How Languages are Learned by Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. This passage caught his eye, especially considering how difficult some of the sounds of Arabic are for speakers of Western languages.

"Another aspect of personality that has been studied is inhibition. It has been suggested that inhibition discourages risk-taking, which is necessary for progress in language learning. This is often considered to be a particular problem for adolescents, who are more self-conscious that younger learners. In a series of studies, Alexander Guiora and his colleagues (1972) found support for the claim that inhibition is a negative force, at least for second language pronunciation performance. One study involved an analysis of the effects of small doses of alcohol, known for its ability to reduce inhibition, on pronunciation. Study participants who drank small amounts of alcohol did better on pronunciation tests than those who did not drink any. While results such as these are interesting, they may have more to do with performance than with learning. We may also note, in passing, that when larger doses of alcohol were administered, pronunciation rapidly deteriorated!"

(page 61)

I can think of a few people who probably would have been willing to participate in that study and contribute to scientific knowledge. ~Abu Tulip

Blog about Jordan day

2010-03-12T19:48:00.000+02:00

We've lived here in the Middle East for over five years. It's hard to imagine being anywhere else. I often don't really think about the fact that I'm a foreigner - a guest in the country. I've learned the language (to an extent), love the food, and two of my children were born here. Our oldest is in a local, private school where Arabic is the primary language. It's adorable to watch him practice for his upcoming assembly, sharing "ana ilmalfuuf" (I am the cabbage), a presentation on vegetables.

When I meet new people, they often ask, "where is home?" I usually answer, "home is here". This is my home. Of course I miss family and friends who are back in the states, and there are certainly days I yearn for certain characteristics of my passport culture, but I'm proud to say we really have made our life here.

I realized my friends understood this during a recent choir rehearsal. The choir I sing with is an eclectic mix of locals and foreigners. We've been learning some Arabic folkloric music, and it is just fascinating. At one point, the director asked for the Arabs to sing a section once through, and then for the others to sing once through. This was for her to listen to us sing and check to make sure we were getting the pronunciation and nuances of Arabic music. Quarter tones are amazing, but a challenge for us Western singers. An Arab friend turned to me and asked, "inti ma3na 'aw mahum?" (are with you us or them?) . I smiled. Both? She had given me the ultimate compliment.

So, thank you Jordan, for accepting me into your country. Your friendship, hospitality, food, music, and grace are in abundance.

~ Um Tulip

The best reason to wear a hijab

2010-03-09T20:34:00.000+02:00

So, the other day I was driving home from work and saw the best reason to wear a hijab to date. There have been some fascinating articles lately about women who wear the hijab, a typical headscarf for Muslim women.

Check out 7iber.com and you'll find a lot of discussion.

Where we live, I'd say over half the women do cover, usually in stylish scarves that match their outfit. It's usually a family decision. The 8 year old daughter of neighbors has even started wearing one occasionally, so she can look like her mommy. Choice? Sort of. Not any different than a daughter wanting to wear earrings like her mother. Or our friend's daughter wanting to have the Coptic cross tattoo on her wrist, like so many of her friends. Or maybe not. I'll let others work that out.

Regardless, as I was driving home I saw a woman driving through the circle, gesturing and talking. There was no one in the passenger seat. Then I noticed she had her mobile phone tucked in her hijab right against her ear. It was almost invisible. Why bother with a fancy bluetooth headset? Shatra, mu?

~ Um Tulip

Dozan wa Awtar February performance

2010-02-24T16:16:00.000+02:00

Follow this link so see my friend's post about the first Feb. concert. Next stop will be at Beit al-Ruwwad in Hashmi next week. From musicals and choreography to muwashahaat (folkloric) music, Dozan is here to serve.
~ Um Tulip

from the mouths of babes...

2010-02-22T18:13:00.000+02:00

Here are a few comments from my children. It's been a long couple weeks, as a bad virus went to the family. Baby Bulb turned one and was sick on his birthday. We're all on the mend now, and in the past few days I've been making notes of some of their crazy comments.

Baby Bulb's words are pretty much: haada (this) dad, dibedibedibe, and waaaa.

The other two, however:

Oliver: "Are mouses real? I never saw one."
Teddy Bear: "I saw a mouse in my school...in a story." (sigh of relief from the parents)

Oliver: "Can you find a different way to help me get to sleep? Counting backwards is really hard,
mom."

Teddy Bear: "I flushed the toilet and I wiped my bottom two times - not two and a half - Mom - David is two and a half."

Teddy Bear: "Coconuts don't eat onions - cuz they don't have mouths."

Mom: "I think we should change your jammies as they have throw up on them. Teddy Bear: "Tomorrow I don't want to wear them."

Teddy Bear: "Don't touch your hand on this side of the potty - I peed on it, okay?"

Dad: "Buckle your seatbelt."
Oliver: "Seatbelts are for cars - and airplanes."
Teddy Bear: "If you go upside down in an airplane you need to have a seatbelt."
Oliver: "Yeah, in a plane they have a potty - but you can't use it all the time." (we learned this the hard way)
Teddy Bear "Cars don't have potties!
Oliver: "You shouldn't go to the potty in an airplane when it goes upside down - you know what might happen?"

~ Um Tulip

Jerusalem Trip: Part 3

2010-02-07T21:34:00.000+02:00

Better late than never, right? Have some spare time this morning and thought I'd better finish up writing about our trip as promised. I'm a stickler for following through with what I started, but that's hard to do with three little boys, especially as baby bulb is learning to walk!

I left off with our first night at the Notre Dame center in the Holy City. However, we still had one more day before actually seeing Jerusalem. We got on the bus after a lovely breakfast (lots of food kids love) and headed toward Bethlehem. Approaching the wall was probably the most difficult leg of the trip for all of us. One new friend tried to distract us by telling us about olive oil. Apparently, there is some amazing olive oil made in one part of the country that only locals can consume, as it's too heavy for foreigners. She can hardly cook with it herself. Each region has special olive groves with a unique flavor. It reminded me of listening to wine aficionados and coffee growers discuss their crops. Unfortunately, she couldn't distract us for long, as the conversation lends itself to a discussion of the land. The tragedy of so many losing their precious olive groves leaves me speechless.

Olive trees dating to the time of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

Getting into Bethlehem took a while as we waited for a procession from the president of Costa Rica. Then, we got tied up inside the Church of the Nativity as the security for the Costa Rican president came through. The highlight was performing in the Church of St. Catherine next to the Church of the Nativity. We joined in a beautiful mass and enjoyed a local monk playing the organ afterward. We had lunch at a local pizza place and Abu Tulip got to meet up with a friend who lives in the area. His son is a friend of ours from our college days.

The ancient mosaic floor under the current floor of the Church of the Nativity.

Dinner was back at the hotel and we got ready for a lot of walking the next day. Our hosts couldn't have been better tour guides. Not only did they know the history of the land, they could point out to an old home in the old city and mention, "That is my family's home. My brother still lives there." It was intensely personal. A friend shared with us how her family and many Christian families decided to sell their homes to the Latin Patriarch. While they continue to live there, this secures their home as part of the Palestinian Christian area, preventing it from being sold to others who will not preserve their heritage. I recently read how in the 1920s the old city was around 52% Christian homes. Today the percentage is a dismal one quarter of 1%. The city risks become nothing more than a tourist attraction. Again, I'm left without words to describe the anger and pain I feel along with my Arab brothers and sisters.

View of the old city, looking over the Valley of the Kings. I can hear Jesus weeping.

Phenomenal mosaics at the Church of the Ascension. We weren't able to sing inside as another group was already there, singing a mass in German. The acoustics would have been beautiful.

We did get to sing here, the Dormition of Mary Church

There weren't many tourists, so it was quiet and beautiful as we filled the space with song. We stood in a circle, letting our voices play off the walls of the space.

I will never get over the unifying nature of making music together.
May the heavens delight in the sound. ~ Um Tulip

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo

He who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once. ~Robert Browning

Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken. ~Ludwig van Beethoven

Wintry Mix

2010-02-05T20:18:00.000+02:00

Thursday we were sent home from school early due to snow. I had a class first hour, with the fifth grade. As we were waiting for the rest of the students to trickle in due to bus delays, I had to come up with a quick English lesson on the spot. I couldn't teach the lesson I had planned as half the students weren't in. So thankful for the smartboard, I pulled up pics of snow on google images and we did a quick journal on snow activities. This is by far my favorite picture. The students loved it. I don't know who took it, so I can't give it credit, but enjoy it anyway.

On the way home I did see a little snow, more sleet, and a lot of rain. It's been cold, but nothing like the snowy Michigan winters I used to endure. We just received a text message that tomorrow is a one hour delay unless we hear otherwise. It's been nice to have a little extra time at home. Baby Bulb is taking his first steps. He turns a year in about a week. My, how time flies. ~ Um Tulip

do not be surprised if...

2010-02-04T19:48:00.002+02:00

So, we just got this email from the department of state:

Warden Message

Subject: Tawjihi Celebrations – February 6, 2010

On Saturday, February 6th, the Jordanian Ministry of Education intends to release the interim results of the high-school exam (the Tawjihi). Families throughout Amman often celebrate when the results are announced, and for some the celebration is exuberant. Groups of young adults may drive around in cars blowing horns, and some individuals may shoot into the air. The direct threat is minimal, but traffic can be congested. Please do not be surprised if you hear shooting.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman is located on.......

I especially like the embassy's choice of the word exuberant. Wondering how this will all turn out if the roads are icy as predicted. Hoping for another snow day and to be inside with a hot cup of cocoa.

Minshuuf. ~ Um Tulip

Creative cooking with children

2010-01-19T17:34:00.000+02:00

I have to brag about my six-year-old, Oliver. The other day we were watching my favorite TV channel, Fatafeat. Well, seeing as I watch about an hour or two of TV a week, Fatafeat is the only thing I really watch. It's the local cooking channel, and is a mix of local programming in Arabic and shows from the west (Rachel Ray, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson). My favorite show is shouriba wa na'na'a, as the cook Andrew speaks in Arabeezi (an Egyptian and Canadian mix) and the Lebanese host translates into Levantine Arabic.

The show we were watching was all about fondue. What caught Oliver's eye was putting the food on wooden skewers before dipping it into sauce. He was in luck, as I was planning on heading to the grocery store. I told him to make me a list of what I needed to buy.

He made pictures of strawberries, chicken, bananas, bread, etc. We headed to the store, and used his list as a guide to my shopping. Several other patrons stopped to stare at my grocery list, and I just smiled. Back home we cooked some chicken, chopped a bunch of fruit and vegges, along with hot dogs, and I shredded cheese to melt. The kids had a blast loading up the skewers. They mostly ate hot dogs and cucumbers, while Abu Tulip and I ate more chicken, broccoli, and fresh bread dipped in really yummy cheese.

Finally, for dessert we melted some semi-sweet baking chocolate with a little bit of cream. Strawberries, pear, kiwi, apple, and banana. I don't know a better way to end a meal than to be scraping clean a bowl of chocolate with my boys. Yum.

~ Um Tulip

Bling

2010-01-12T15:45:00.001+02:00

With Christmas and traveling, we haven't posted at all. Here's a funny picture until I get around to writing something with substance. I had a staff Christmas banquet and a lady at my table was chain smoking. I had to hang out in the lobby several times to take a break to breathe! I just laughed when a saw her cigarette case. Luckily, my friend had his camera with him and took a shot on the sly. Enjoy. ~ Um Tulip

Arabic Christmas Carol

2009-12-24T15:05:00.000+02:00

Just viewed this Arabic Christmas Carol. We sing a lot of translated Carols here, but there are some amazing traditional Carols as well. Jingle Bells has been translated into too many languages! I've been learning a little about 'mowashahaat' in choir, or traditional, folkloric songs.

I like this because it reminds me that the melodies I often hear playing around are not necessarily Islamic. The depth of Arabic music is incredible. To the Western listener, one might think this melody is a recitation of the Quran, while it's actually proclaiming the miracle of the virgin birth. It's Byzantine, and the pictures are from the Holy Land. The end of the video lists where the pictures are from, so it's worth listening to the end.

I plan on writing a few more posts about our trip, as well as share some thoughts based on a book I'm reading, "From the Holy Mountain". For now, I'm enjoying the break with the boys. They spent most of the morning playing pirates, and coloring Christmas cards. Most of the presents are wrapped, and we're ready for Christmas Eve service tonight.

Praying you enjoy this evening, and are able to spend some time pondering the miracle of the incarnation.

~ Um Tulip

ABC question

2009-12-17T21:18:00.000+02:00

Was looking at license plates the other day, and I've got a question maybe a reader can help me with. I'm wondering if there is a set correspondence between the English and Arabic alphabets. Our local plates only use numbers, so it's not an issue. However, we often see Saudi plates and those are number/letter combos. They are also dual language. So the "waw" و stands for U, etc, etc. Arabic has more letters than Arabic, and as there are two types of "s", two types of "t" etc., you can't do a phonemic correspondence. Impossible.

So do all Arabic countires use a set system for their license plates? If so, which letters got the axe? Additionally, Vitamin C in English is called Vitamin ج "jeem" in Arabic. Are the vitamins and the licences plates using the same system?

Just curious.

Jerusalem Trip: Part 2

2009-12-15T21:33:00.000+02:00

This past week has been busy with 7 nights of rehearsals and performances for the annual YWCA Christmas Concert. Abu and Um Tulip were both in this choir, which means we've had little time for anything besides work, kids, and singing. We are looking forward to the next few weeks as work winds down for a bit and we have time to celebrate Christmas as a family and with our friends. Might even think about doing some Christmas shopping.

Next stop on our trip was lunch by the Sea of Galilee. We had "St. Peter's Fish", which was a bit boney but tasty. My good friend who happens to live in Nazareth joined us for lunch, then took my boys back to her house for the afternoon. The choir then headed to a few beautiful churches around the Sea. We were able to do a little singing at the church at the Mt. of Beatitudes, and visit where Christ multiplied the fish and loaves. Hearing the Palestinian choir sing for the first time brought tears to my eyes. Their passion for music overflowed in their expressions and the sound was beautiful.

The Sea of Galilee

Mosaic of the Fish and Loaves of Bread

Church of the Beatitudes

Church of the Annunciation

The whole first day I think we all just kept pinching ourselves to see if this was really happening. It really was a dream come true. As night fell, we all loaded on the bus for the drive to El-Quds, the Holy City. Our friend dropped the boys off while we stopped in Nazareth- I'm sure they had a lot more fun playing with her kids and drinking hot cocoa than they would have listening to us sing.

We arrived at our hotel and had dinner there. Our room was nice, and had a fold out sofa for the boys to sleep on. However, there were no baby cots left at the hotel. Obviously, I was a bit upset. We hadn't brought our pack-n-play and Baby Bulb can't exactly sleep on a bed yet. Our bed was really two pushed together so there was no way to have him sleep in between as the beds were on wheels and slid apart.

We worried about what to do as we talked to the hotel staff in the lobby. One of the Palestinian choir members saw us talking and came over. We explained the problem, and she outdid herself with that famous Arab hospitality. She went back to her house and found a portable cot that belonged to her nieces and nephews, and brought it back to the hotel within the hour.

The kids fell fast asleep, and we were out soon after. It had been a wonderful day.

Jerusalem Trip: Part One

2009-12-04T21:40:00.000+02:00

Many of you are itching for details about our trip with Dozan wa Awtar. That's the name of the choir I'm part of. The name means "Tuning and Strings". The choir is made up of local singers and foreigners. For us choir-types, there is nothing more magical than getting together with a group of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses and creating a blend of sound, rhythm, and harmony together. Creating music with my Arab brothers and sisters really does feed my soul. This time we had the opportunity to join the lovely Hania and her Magnificat Choir, from St. Saviour's Monastery, also made up of Palestinian and and a few foreign singers. Rehearsals included Arabic and English, with a little Italian and French thrown in.

We decided to bring the whole family, and reflecting on it now I wonder how many families with three young boys would even considering traipsing around the city of Jerusalem with a touring choir. As Abu Tulip commented, "maybe it was crazy, but I want to live." Staying at home just because traveling with our boys is a challenge is simply not an option. The opportunity to see Jerusalem, and spend time with locals who love this land was absolutely worth it.

The trip started with a 5 am wake up call. We finished packing out bags at 11 the night before, after a long day. Teddy Bear got his stitches out just in time for the trip, we shared a thanksgiving meal (chicken, sweet potato casserole) with local friends, and took Oliver over to visit a former classmate. I finally called family at 11 pm to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving (seven hour time difference) and went to bed. We had the boys sleep in their clothes to make the next morning a bit easier.

We were the second group to arrive at our meeting place. We piled our luggage on the bus and got moving around 6:15. Being up so early meant we really got to take in the full effect of the adan, or call to prayer on a holy day. It was the start of eid al-adha, or feast of the sacrifice. Our drive to the north border took us through several small towns. We saw the crowds at a mosque, a shrine of an important Muslim historical figure, and numerous sheep being slaughtered.

We arrived at the border. This was an anxiety filled time for all of us. Our local friends had visas in hand, but this trip was actually a postponement of a previously planned trip. The first time we attempted to travel the visas did not come through. This was extremely disappointing, and at that time we did not know if the trip would happen at all. For some choir members, this was the first time for them to visit the land where their parents and grandparents, and many generations before them, grew up. They were traveling to their homeland, a place they knew only from stories told while sitting on grandpa's knee as a child. For us foreigners, we can enter easily on a tourist visa but are often questioned randomly before allowed entrance. Abu Tulip was one of the "lucky" ones questioned at length. I had to tell them my father and grandfather's name, and with the wiggly baby in my hand I think the border control officer decided I was telling the truth. After about an hour of processing, we made it to the other side of the Jordan River. We were immediately greeted by the Magnificat choir members. It's hard to describe the joy-filled welcome we received. We were quickly loaded on to the tour bus, handed maps, a refreshing bottle of water, and we filled the bus with songs and laughter. Our first stop would be lunch by the Sea of Galilee.

It's getting late. Part Two will have to wait for another day. ~ Um Tulip

Hummus wars? Happy Eid and Happy Thanksgiving.

2009-11-26T08:22:00.000+02:00

We have a busy day ahead of us, and much to be thankful for. Today we'll get Teddy Bear's stitches out, listen to Baby Bulb grind (chatter) his new front teeth, visit friends, talk to family on the phone, and get our suitcases ready for the choir trip to Jerusalem. It happens this year that American Thanksgiving and Eid Al-Adha are the same weekend. Bonus for us! Not sure if we'll end up eating regular thanksgiving fare, but we will have a great time with local friends.

Still haven't had the energy to post anything deep, but this link about hummus made me smile. A new favorite for us is "msabbiha" which is hummus with whole chick peas in it. It's a little thinner, and a bit of variety from the standard fare. I've decided the name comes from the root verb sabah which means to swim, and that the little chick peas are swimming in the hummus. My own etymology, we'll say.

So, whatever you eat today, be it turkey, a lamb, or hummus, sahtayn and may it be a treasured time with family or friends and may God be praised for all his good gifts!

~ Um Tulip

We got the visas! Off to ilquds we do go...

2009-11-23T16:35:00.000+02:00

My adopted hometown makes the New York Times

2009-11-22T09:05:00.000+02:00

Follw this http://travel.nytimes.com to learn a little about my stomping grounds. Grappa is a favorite. The owner actually went to my Alma Mater in the states and once treated us to dinner. Too bad The Good Book Shop wasn't mentioned, as it's my favorite place on Rainbow Street. Their coffee/ espresso bar should up and running any day now. Next time, Inshallah. ~ Um Tulip

and the mom of the year award goes to...

2009-11-20T16:15:00.000+02:00

NOT ME. The past few weeks have been hectic, at best. The Mom Crowd's latest post is titled "7 tips on running a marathon." For those of you for run, well, good for you. I've never understood the motivation to run, only to end up back where you started. For me, being a mom of three active boys is running a marathon in and of itself. I feel like every day I'm just racing to get to the finish line, which happens to be my bed to fall into, only to be woken up a few hours later by a teething baby.

The past two Fridays have been very bad mommy days for me. Last Friday, while doing my hair, I gave baby bulb something to play with. It was the bottle of my vitamins. He likes shaking the bottle like a rattle. Bad choice. Yes, it had a child safety lid. Apparently, it was either not closed properly or my curious nine month old figured out how to get it open. What I do know is I looked down a few seconds later to find him attempting to get one of those pills in his mouth. I still can't be sure if he actually got one or two down his throat, but I caught him in time to know it wasn't more than that. I immediately called the Poison Control number (thank you, internet and Vonage) and was able to learn that based on his weight and the mg of iron in my vitamins, he would be fine. However, ten pills could have been fatal! I shed several tears that day, held my baby close, and all was well.

This Friday, it was Teddy Bear's turn for near disaster. We were at a small playground where I was participating in a garage sale. Managing three kids and trying to sell some zero to nine month baby clothes while Abu Tulip was working was a bad idea. I left my table briefly to run my oldest next door to his soccer game. I asked another mom to look after him, but there was just too much going on. A bunch of little boys on a merry-go-round and my three year old fell and split his forehead open. I didn't even see him fall. A parent brought him to me, and I knew immediately he needed stitches. So off to the hospital we did go, and three stitches later Teddy Bear is a happy boy. He even wanted to get back on the merry-go-round when we returned. Friends helped look after my boys and table, and we were back in under an hour. As Friday is a day off, the roads were clear and the ER was almost deserted. Arab Medical Center staff were kind and efficient, and I was so thankful my first experience in the ER with my own son went so smoothly.

I know I have too much on my plate right now, and am struggling with what to do. I am teaching English part time to rowdy fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, and am starting to see so much progress in their learning. I sing in a choir which I love, and next weekend we will be traveling as a family with the choir to perform in The Holy City. Along with playing piano for church, and teaching Sunday School in Arabic, I'm wiped. The boys need their momma, and I need a break.

My friends with older kids all smile with that knowing look - those treasured, hectic days of raising young children. "It's all a blur," they say, "but I wouldn't change it for the world." I'm trying to enjoy those special moments with my boys. Their laughter, especially Teddy Bear's knock knock jokes and Oliver's Down by the Bay rhymes are getting me through the days.

What about you? When the laundry is piling up, your son needs help with his homework, and you still haven't cooked dinner, what helps you to get through the day?

~ Um Tulip

Who does what

2009-10-25T11:06:00.000+03:00

Don't normally post silly forwards but this one caught my eye. I'm grateful for a husband who makes me coffee each morning. I'm not a morning person, by any stretch of the imagination. Abu Tulip is heading to a work conference next week and I'll be alone with the kiddos for five days. Along with figuring out how to manage them on my own, a big worry is getting my coffee fix each morning in the midst of feeding and clothing three little boys in time for school.

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."

The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the B ible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says........ ..."HEBREWS"

Cincinnati Chili

2009-10-21T09:10:00.000+03:00

For those of you from Ohio, the idea of putting Chili on spaghetti noodles is, well, normal. I didn't know about ordinary chili until I was in high school, as Cincinnati style chili was a staple growing up. Leftovers the next day were always coney dogs. When we travel, I always bring Skyline Chili spice packets back with me to make at home. However, here in Amman, there are two chains, Chili House and Chili Ways, that are much like Goldstar Chili and Skyline in Ohio. Except I don't think they have oyster crackers.

This Wikipedia article gives some info, the most important bit is that four Jordanian brothers started Goldstar in Cinci in 1965. Chili House was started in Amman in 1985. Obviously, it's all in the family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Star_Chili

I actually prefer Skyline to Goldstar, started by Greek immigrants in Cinci in 1949. I even had a cook-off with a friend here in Amman a couple years ago. He was from Cinci and preferred Goldstar. Needless to say, his favorite place to eat in Amman was Chili House.

So, Mommabean, you are invited to our home for chili. Ahlen wa sahlen.

~ Um Tulip

Oliver gets called a duck in class

2009-10-21T08:41:00.000+03:00

Oliver is my oldest. He's in an Arabic school, and doing his best to keep up in Arabic. He has a lovely first grade teacher. I'm also working at the school, part-time, in the English department. Yesterday his teacher told me about a situation in class. I just have to share it.

She was going around the room writing "batal" بطل on each child's hand. This word can be translated as "hero" or "brave". He often has this word written on his worksheets when he does a good job - and for my perfectionist son, it is often. The teachers go on and on about his neat Arabic handwriting. For those of you who know my handwriting, his is better than mine. I'm not worried about his handwriting, but I do want him to speak! But I digress.

So the teacher was putting this on the kids' hands to show them they were great students. As she was writing this on his hand, Oliver turned to the teacher and asked, "Why are you writing 'duck' on my hand?" I'm sure the wheels in his brain were turning, "is duck a good thing or a bad thing?".

The word for duck is "bata" بطة and as the 'l' sound in Arabic is just a little different than the English 'l' he did not recognize the difference in the two words. I'm glad he learned his teacher thinks he is a "hero" and not a "duck" !
~ Um Tulip

Seen around town....

2009-10-17T16:13:00.001+03:00

Our city turns 100

2009-10-13T15:03:00.000+03:00

A friend just wrote about the centennial celebration that took place on Friday. He did such a wonderful job that you all must take a look here.

As usual, life is keeping me crazy busy which means no interesting posts. Unless you want to hear me rant and rave about a classroom of 20 fourth grade boys. Advice on discipline? How to implement cooperative learning in the classroom? How to get them to speak only in English for an hour straight?

Until later, Um Tulip

Beauties of Technology: Khutbeh across the ocean

2009-10-06T21:03:00.000+03:00

We just got back from a fascinating trip to Jerusalem, but that's not what I'm going to write about. Still collecting my thoughts on that one. However, the night before we left we attended a Khutbeh (engagement party) of the sister of some good friends. The engagement ceremony is formal and includes dancing, cake, and fancy dresses. It is much like a wedding, just not quite so ostentatious. It involves the parents agreeing to the marriage, jewelry, and lots of pictures. After this ceremony the couple is now allowed to date, be seen in public as a couple, and start preparing for the wedding.

The family of the bride-to-be includes seven sisters, one of whom lives in America. I'll call her R. As her baby sister is going to be married, she wanted to be part of the Khutbeh. Another sister brought her laptop with a USB internet connection and set up Skype for the duration of the ceremony.

As sister S was dancing with her fiance, sister R was also dancing in a fancy dress, in her dining room in California, right along with her. It was a beautiful site. The seven sisters were all in tears, so happy to share this moment as a family, even though R was so far away. The family moved the laptop around the room, swaying to the music, offering her cake, and did everything they could to have her participate.

As one who lives far away from family, I was really touched by the family unity I saw and grateful for the way technology has helped us all feel a little closer.

~ Um Tulip

Health care two-cents-worth

2009-09-28T21:51:00.001+03:00

I've been observing a lot of the health-care debate and thought I'd post a few principles for Americans to consider. I hope these point/principles will guide us as we sort all of this out. Some of you may have more personal experience than me, whether you are a health provider or someone who has navigated the system through a major problem of your own or a loved one. I appreciate feedback from anyone.

1. Whatever Americans are mandated to do, absolutely must be mandated for members of Congress. The best way to ensure that they will work to fix any future problems that arise (see Social Security) is to make them have a personal interest. There can't be an exemption or gold-trimmed version of health care available for Congress. I'm not optimistic about this happening.

2. High quality medical care costs money, a lot of it. The kind of medical treatment that is available to those who can afford it is hundreds of times better than what has been available to people throughout history. The difference is mind-boggling. In fact, until about 1910, an ill person was, statistically speaking, better off staying home than seeking the primitive medical treatment available at the time. (This according to Lawrence J. Henderson, physician and medical educator of the early twentieth century).
But let there be no doubt, with all the sophisticated equipment and highly educated people who work hard and receive (deservedly) a high compensation for their work in research and treatment of disease, it costs money to receive sophisticated medical treatment.
It will always be hard for a group to consent to pay for one person's treatment. We humans are sinners and selfish by nature. We don't like to pay for something for someone else, especially if we are not sure if the group will step up and help us out if we need it (we may not need it either). And we know that other people are sinners and will try to "beat the system." The ill person will always want everything covered, and the rest of the group will usually look for a way not to pay for it. Removing the decision from the shareholders by a proxy group, be it an insurance company or a "non-partisan government panel" does not take away this problem entirely, but if the group is not able to take a profit, it could help.

3. Mandating health insurance is not like mandating auto insurance. "Many drivers can go without collision insurance if they like. If a hood is dented on the car of someone without the coverage, that person can drive around with a dented hood. But the only kind of health insurance Obama is talking about is collision insurance. If someone's body is a jalopy, he or she still has to get covered." from Fox News.

Auto insurance is mandatory in many states because it covers "the other guy." Here in Jordan, they actually call it ضد الغير "against the other." If the accident is your fault, your insurance company covers the other person's damages. Health insurance by nature doesn't work that way.

4. You may not like whatever government solutions are finally offered. Not everyone in UK, Canada, Europe is happy with their nationalized health care. Wherever you go, you can find people who have had major problems. Can we do better? Probably. Do some countries have a better system? Maybe. But the chances of us coming up with a system now which, twenty years down the line, shows its faults, leaves people sick, dying and penniless, and raises up a new generation of Kennedys and Pelosis to rail against the injustices and inefficiencies, are pretty high.

5. Nationalized health coverage programs in Europe and Canada may be more successful and affordable than an American one would be because they are subsidized by US military commitments to defend them. European states, since World War II, have been able to spend less on defense and more on social programs, even though they have been at most risk (being on the doorstep of the Soviet bloc), because they know that the US will come to their defense. Germany has hosted tens of thousands of American troops for over six decades now. Maybe it's time to let Europe defend itself while we take care of our own problems. (Of course, it's not only Europe; Japan and Korea have also hosted large numbers of American troops while building their economies).

6. Government intervention often makes a problem worse. If the government were so great at providing health care and coverage, then our veterans should be receiving treatment that is the envy of the world. Alas, they are not. The best thing the government could do may be to become less involved. Government is already up to its elbows intervening in health care in our country. By enabling employers to make contributions toward health coverage before taxes, they have intervened in the system in a big way and greatly disadvantaged alternative, free-market coverage options. The law of unforeseen consequences.
Another solution may be for each state to develop its own plan, thus creating more competition as people may look out of state to find a better option.

7. Any government "solution" will likely benefit the powerful and well-connected much more than the average citizen. That's how things go in our nation today. Those who have the ear of law-makers get what they want. Contrary to much popular thinking, regulation does not hurt or even disadvantage big business. They are very happy with regulation because they are large enough to send lobbyists to fight for regulation which disadvantages their competitors and large enough to hire lawyers to make sense of it all. Insurance companies, medical providers, pharmaceutical companies are NOT going to lose their shirts in this matter, and are NOT going to lose business. You can be sure of that. But the average citizens may find themselves worse off. And my generation? Which mostly doesn't even bother to vote? Why should we expect anything good to come out of this?

8. More government intervention may take away many treatment options that people are currently taking advantage of now. Herbal medications, home births, refusing immunizations for children, chiropractors, acupuncture. We ourselves are pretty "traditional" as far as the medical treatment we pursue, but we have friends who pursue all of those various options. Normal, intelligent people who decide to go against the ideas of the majority/establishment. I'm concerned that the ideas being thrown around would restrict their freedoms.

9. Many people are calling for quick action. We must do something now! President Obama has attempted to scare everyone into action/acquiescence by saying "more people will die" if we don't act now. The truth is people will always get sick and die. Rushing a solution may very well make things worse.
Have you ever heard of a government agency that was canceled because it was no longer needed? Didn't think so. Government programs never go away. Never. If there is one thing that bureaucrats know how to do, it is keep their jobs. If we rush something now, we will be stuck with it, and in fact, the urgency of the problem will be gone and the motivation to seek a better solution will disappear.

10. Due to our country's insatiable appetites and shameful impatience, we have dug ourselves into a chasm of debt out of which it will take generations to climb. We need to save money somewhere. I suggest pulling troops from a large number of our foreign bases. See the following article:
America's Unwelcome Advances
According to the Pentagon's 2008 "Base Structure Report," its annual unclassified inventory of the real estate it owns or leases around the world, the United States maintains 761 active military "sites" in foreign countries. (That's the Defense Department's preferred term, rather than "bases," although bases are what they are.)
Or this article from the Campaign for Liberty which claims there are at least 1000 US military bases overseas.

Many people speak of the need to bring troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan where they are in harm's way. Those are good arguments. We also need to bring troops home from places where there is little compelling need, and where our presence may be counterproductive.

11. We need to search our hearts as a nation. As humans, we will always struggle against the curse of death, until the return of the Lord. God cursed humanity with death in order that they might turn to Him and live, not turn to a government which seems more and more eager to take the place of God.
Many people are hoping to reform health care to make it more just, affordable, and accessible. I applaud those efforts. However, others seem to want to get something for nothing, or at least something on someone else's tab. I believe in some cases this is a sign of rebellion against God. To whom are we looking for deliverance from sin and death?

Finally, for an expert's (expert on policy-making and medical treatment) view on the subject, see Ron Paul's statement before the US House of Representatives

Abu Tulip

Painting with the boys or how we spent our holiday

2009-09-26T21:35:00.000+03:00

Yes, we actually taught our 3 year old and 6 year old how to paint walls. This week was the end of Ramadan, and the schools closed for a week. We spent the week painting our house, one room at a time, along with visiting friends, going out, and having some great family time. It had been four years since we moved to our apartment, and the walls were very marked up and ready for a fresh coat. The whole house had been done in 'natural calico' which is a light beige. We went for 'wild rice' in the hallway, 'buttermilk' in the living room, 'blueberry white' in our bedroom, and Oliver picked out the boys' room. Aqua and yellow stripes. They had a blast painting with us. We had a few friends come over to help in exchange for food, and I am so pleased with the results. Today we were able to enjoy the home, and also made shish kabobs outside during the day. Yes, we could finally cook outside before sunset without having angry neighbors. Our good friends joined us for their first taste of grilled pineapple. Arabs are experts when it comes to mashawi, but pineapple was a new thing for them. Yum.

We had brought some blue painter's tape with us from the states this summer.

Even baby bulb got in on the action.

Teddy Bear made letters.

The last pic is of a new lego house we made but you can see the 'buttermilk' color in the background.

Now, do we really need to go back to work on Monday? ~ Um Tulip

Dotting the 'I'

2009-09-13T19:15:00.000+03:00

So, my sis posted this on her Facebook page and I have to add it to my blog. The Ohio State Marching Band has always been my favorite thing about football season. What is frustrating is that when games are aired over here (which is rare) they don't show the marching band. My high school band teacher got to do the 'I' in Script Ohio and we band-nerds were in awe. My parents were at this game. The Buckeyes lost but the band still is TBDBITL. ~ Um Tulip

Dozan wa Awtar

2009-09-11T10:43:00.000+03:00

I'm part of an amazing local choir called Dozan wa Awtar. A fellow singer posted about our concert this week. If you'd like to read about our Quiz night follow this link. If you'd like to see a video from our Easter Performance, follow this. Or, a favorite of mine from AOSFYC days, Siyahamba. Singing with Dozan has been such an incredible joy for me as I love choral music and the members of this choir are phenomenal people to work with. ~ Um Tulip

Orange

2009-09-11T10:25:00.000+03:00

The Black Iris is a great blog about what's going on in Jordan. The writer has put forth a challenge to all it's readers. Get people to read his 'Open letter to Orange' and get on the top 10 of a Google search about Orange. For my friends in the States, Orange is the local telephone/internet/mobile company that causes headaches for all who want to communicate with others using any type of technology.

We have had our share of horror stories. Recently we needed service and after being promised 5 to 10 days, an employee came to fix our service 21 days later. I was actually impressed they came at all. Another friend told me, "when we requested internet service it took them 9 weeks to come and set it up, after a promise of 5 to 10 days - 3 weeks is amazing for Orange". The most difficult time was last year when our speed was down. We had a techy friend take a look at things and could tell we were getting the wrong speed. We weren't able to Skype or Vonage as the connection was painfully slow. After several weeks of infuriating phone calls to 'customer service' I took matters into my own hands. I wore a nice outfit and heels, and headed to the main office. With the security guards yelling at me not to enter the restricted area and telling me I had to go to the customer service area downstairs, I demanded in loud, clear, English that I needed to speak with somebody about my internet service. I refused to leave, and eventually a big shot heard the commotion and invited me into his office. Nice, big leather couches and I was served Turkish coffee. Within minutes we were talking with tech support. By the end of the day, I had a call from tech support telling me that indeed, they were giving us the wrong speed and the problem had fixed. No, I was not reimbursed for the months I received the wrong connection speed, but at least the problem was fixed. Now, some days the connection is fast enough to Skype. Of course, even as I write this post (now for the second time as I forgot to save it earlier and the connection was dropped) the internet is spotty and I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to post.

Please read the following excerpt:

Since writing that open letter to Orange Telecom Jordan on their terrible service I’ve noticed the link really flying around the twittersphere. It’s gotten around 1,700 views in the past 48 hours, which, along with the comments and emails people left me, is a real indication that many are simply not happy with the Kingdom’s telecom giant and it’s level of service.
As I warned in the letter, blogs and social media can have an impact, and the people who read them, use them and support them are at the helm of that impact. Google’s Top 10 search results for ‘Orange Jordan’ already places the open letter in the 8th position.
So I have a request for my fellow bloggers and my dear readers (for anyone who’s interested that is), let’s build on this letter - maybe (just maybe) it can have the desired impact we’re looking for.
Consider it an experiment in Jordanian social media. People are constantly asking me whether Jordanian bloggers have an impact on politics in Jordan - and I always say probably not. But let’s see if we, as customers and as citizens, can use blogs and social media to impact the private sector.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of just writing…
Let’s do a bit of cyber activism and see what happens.
So, who’s in?

Please do your bit to promote cyber activism. Thanks! ~ Um Tulip

"Trust us"

2009-09-11T07:56:00.000+03:00

I thought after the last election it would be no more "politics as usual," right?

Once again, Representative Ron Paul hits the nail on the head. I'm glad people are paying more attention to this guy. It's about time.

"There is much confusion and debate over what is and is not in the reform plan being considered. Are there or are there not so-called death panels? What are the end-of-life consultations really for? How will private insurance be affected? Can you keep your current plan or will you eventually be forced into a government plan? Will it pay for elective abortions or not? What are the implications for medical privacy? The truth is no one knows what will be in the final bill until it is on the House floor, and provisions could be added in and taken out in the wee hours of the morning before.

In February, the House was forced to vote on an over 1,000 page "stimulus" bill that had first been posted on the internet just after midnight the morning of the vote. It passed. Then in June, House leaders rushed a vote on the cap-and-trade bill, even though an over 300 page "manager’s amendment" making substantive changes to the bill, was introduced shortly after 3:00 a.m. the morning of the vote."

So, Washington, you expect us to trust you when you pull shenanigans like this? Are you really surprised to see people get riled up at "town hall" meetings? You're approving broad-sweeping legislation without even reading it. You wouldn't even have time to read it if you tried! Why should we put up with this?

He continues:
"Washington thrives on crisis. If enough people can be convinced that we are in an emergency, they will more likely tolerate rushing legislation to the floor like this. Last minute changes will be slipped in, benefitting who knows what special interests and at what expense to the taxpayer. But the mantra is repeated over and over: We are in a crisis. We must act immediately.

"It should be unconscionable for legislators to vote in favor of legislation they have not had the opportunity to read. This is why I have re-introduced the Sunlight Rule, H.Res 216. The Sunlight Rule prohibits any piece of legislation from being brought before the House of Representatives unless it has been available to read for at least 10 days.

"Justice Louis Brandeis famously said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." The Sunlight Rule would do much towards negating the cycle of pseudo-crises and cleaning up the legislative process here in Washington. I sincerely hope this is the year Congress remembers its deliberative duties and passes it."

Well put. "It's a crisis." "More people will die" (that comes from Obama's speech yesterday). Yup. People will die. They do every day. But how are you sure the change you want to rush through is actually going to make things better and not worse?

If we are in a "crisis" right now, it is a governmental one, one in which congressional leaders can rush a bill through with huge changes and no time to consider them, listen to the voice of constituents or even read them.

Cleaning up that process is truly "the change we need."

-Abu Tulip

How Should We Then Live? (Part Three)

2009-09-08T21:31:00.000+03:00

And furthermore:
In Chapter Twelve Schaeffer discusses "Manipulation and the New Elite." He describes various techniques which authorities could use to manipulate the public. He discusses the problems of exalting determinism over free will and the idea that what is is what should be. He explores the possibility of an elite creating a set of arbitrary absolutes and imposing them upon others, who being left with no objective foundation for morality, are unable to object.

He closes the chapter with:

"The central message of biblical Christianity is the possibility of men and women approaching God through the work of Christ. But the message also has secondary results, among them the unusual and wide freedoms which biblical Christianity gave to countries where it supplied the consensus. When these freedoms are separated from the Christian base, however, they become a force of destruction leading to chaos. When this happens, as it has today, then, to quote Eric Hoffer (1902--), 'When freedom destroys order, the yearning for order will destroy freedom.'
"At that point the words left or right will make no difference. They are only two roads to the same end. There is no difference between an authoritarian government from the right or the left: the results are the same. An elite, an authoritarianism as such, will gradually force form on society so that it will not go on to chaos. And most people will accept it--from the desire for personal peace and affluence, from apathy, and from the yearning for order to assure the functioning of some political system, business, and the affairs of daily life. That is just what Rome did with Caesar Augustus."

-Abu Tulip

How Should We Then Live? (Part Two)

2009-08-31T20:50:00.001+03:00

Schaeffer goes on in Chapter 11 to describe our society. Remember, he was writing in 1976, but he had a very keen understanding of the trajectory of change in the society, in that so much of what he says seems even more true today.

"We see two effects of our loss of meaning and values. The first is degeneracy...

"But we must notice that there is a second result of modern man's loss of meaning and values which is more ominous, and which many people do not see. This second result is that the elite will exist. Society cannot stand chaos. Some group or some person will fill the vacuum. An elite will offer us arbitrary absolutes, and who will stand in its way?

"Will the silent majority (which at one time we heard so much about) help? The so-called silent majority was, and is, divided into a minority and a majority. The minority are either Christians who have a real basis for values or those who at least have a memory of the days when the values were real. The majority are left with only their two poor values of personal peace and affluence.

"With such values, will men stand for their liberties? Will they not give up their liberties step by step, inch by inch, as long as their own personal peace and prosperity is sustained and not challenged, and as long as the goods are delivered? ... Much of the church is no help here either, because for so long a large section of the church has only been teaching a relativistic humanism using religious terminology.

"I believe the majority of the silent majority, young and old, will sustain the loss of liberties without raising their voices as long as their own life-styles are not threatened. And since personal peace and affluence are so often the only values that count with the majority, politicians know that to be elected they must promise these things. Politics has largely become not a matter of ideals--increasingly men and women are not stirred by the values of liberty and truth--but of supplying a constituency with a frosting of personal peace and affluence. They know that voices will not be raised as long as people have these things, or at least an illusion of them."

Abu Tulip

How Should We Then Live? (Part One)

2009-08-28T22:57:00.000+03:00

I just finished a book written the year in which I was born, How Should We Then Live?:The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis A. Schaeffer, he of the goatee before it was trendy. He's up there as one of my personal heroes for his thoughtful way of expression the evangelical truth in contemporary culture. I often wonder how he would respond to some of the phenomena we see today if he were still around.

This book is worthy of more than one post. He pretty much marches through history using philosophy and the arts to show how humanity has at times embraced the living God who has spoken and at other times rejected Him, declaring humanity autonomous and reaping disastrous results.

Near the end of Chapter Nine, he speaks of the failure of contemporary liberal and neo-orthodox theology, which attempts to preserve religious language but denies much of the content behind that language:

"One is left with the connotation of religious words without content, and the emotion which certain religious words still bring forth--and that is all.

The next step is that these highly motivating religious words out of our religious past, but separated from their original content and context in the Bible, are then used for manipulation. The words become a banner for men to grab and run with in any arbitrary direction--either shifting sexual morality from its historic Christian position based on the Bible's and Christ's teaching, or in legal and political manipulation."

He says we are left where Nietzsche found himself: God for all intents and purposes is dead.

"Neitzsche knew the tension and despair of modern man. With no personal God, all is dead. Yet man, being truly man (no matter what he says he is), cries out for a meaning that can only be found in the existence of the infinite-personal God, who has not been silent but has spoken, and in the existence of a personal life continuing into eternity. Thus Nietzsche's words are profound: 'But all pleasure seeks eternity--a deep and profound eternity.'

Without the infinite-personal God, all a person can do, as Nietzsche points out, is to make 'systems.' In today's speech we would call them 'game plans.' A person can erect some sort of structure, some type of limited frame, in which he lives, shutting himself up in that frame and not looking beyond it. This game plan can be one of a number of things. It can sound high and noble, such as talking in an idealistic way about the greatest good for the greatest number. Or it can be a scientist concentrating on some small point of science so that he does not have to think of any of the big questions, such as why things exist at all. It can be a skier concentrating for years on knocking one-tenth of a second from a downhill run. Or it can as easily be a theological word game within the structure of the existential methodology. That is where modern people, building only on themselves, have come, and that is where they are now."

Well-put. We distract ourselves with our jobs, hobbies, or do-goodism so we don't need to think about a deeper meaning to it all. Perfecting the golf swing. Finding the perfect place to shoot the big buck. Pouring ourselves into environmental volunteerism, political action, working with the youth group, home-schooling the kids, etc. So many things can provide this distraction for us. Are we really willing to acknowledge the "infinite-personal God, who has not been silent but has spoken" and build our lives upon the foundation of those words from the mouth of God?

-Abu Tulip

Baby Food and Imported Items

2009-08-25T08:44:00.000+03:00

On purchasing imported products in town: I’m kicking myself for not bringing back more baby food from our recent trip to the states. It’s not that I mind making my own. I just pureed a whole batch of peas and carrots. They’re in ice cube trays now, waiting to freeze. I’ll then remove them and have perfect serving size baby food for my growing 6 month old baby bulb. However, we do have a pretty active lifestyle. It’s a bit tricky to try and thaw a cube of baby food on the go. Baby food is extremely difficult to find, with the exception of honey flavored cereal. The nice little Gerber packs, if around, are insanely expensive. In a culture that values babies, why is baby food not more readily available. Hmmm, maybe because the moms are not valued. Is my time important?

This got me thinking about the ridiculous mark-up on imported items in general. Case in point: a friend of mine saw a pair of overalls she loved at Forever 21 in the mall. They were priced 45 JD. That’s 64 dollars. What did we do about it? We went online and found the exact item on the Forever 21 website. Identical piece for $19.99. Even with the cost of shipping, it was 35 dollars cheaper to buy the item and have it shipped from the states. Somebody is getting rich off this scheme, and I suspect it’s those guys in the black SUVs driving down Gardens Street like maniacs.

My last random thought. Can you tell I'm in a ranting mood these days? Maybe it's the heat, after freezing in Michigan I'm still adjusting. Maybe it's the cockroaches hanging out in our bathroom. Abu Tulip killed five in one night. I was reading about smoothies on Kabobfest. Why can't I find fresh limes (not green lemons) here for cheap? Not that I'd trade the conveniences here for the suffering in Gaza, but I did find it ironic.

Well, I better go and enjoy the rest of the hour I have to myself before the day starts. A quiet house is amazing! ~ Um Tulip

walnuts and harassment

2009-08-22T21:17:00.001+03:00

I’ve been following Kinzi’s talk about sexual harassment, and the JO article that makes a big deal of a small sex tourism market and glosses over the gross treatment of women.
I was talking with a friend today. She said weekly, if not daily, she has a man say to her under his breath, but loud enough for her to hear, “ma ahla ilbzaaz” which roughly translates to “how attractive are your breasts” although it's actually more crude than that. Mind you this is an Arab woman who is pregnant, dressed moderately, and in West Amman. She has considered breast reduction surgery simply to avoid the harassment of Jordanian men.
I was at Safeway the other day and treated very poorly by several employees. I asked in clear Arabic where I could find walnuts. No, they were not in the aisle with the almonds, peanuts, and pistachios. The man I asked kept telling me I was looking for coconut juice. The word for coconut ‘jawz ilhind’ has the same first word as walnut ‘jawz’. Then he joked with the other employee next to him and refused to help me find any walnuts. As my Arabic is quite good, I could tell they were trying to confuse me and tease me because the Arabic word for husband is ‘zawj’. I was certainly not looking for a husband, and any Western woman I know who seriously considers dating an Arab man gets quite a talk from me!
I’m quite fed up with having to arrange so many errands and tasks of daily life around times when my husband can be around to protect me from the stares, leers, and harassment. Enough is enough. I hope these men, while they go about their fasting and prayers, take some time to consider the treatment of women in this society. Please, let Ramadan be Kareem (generous) to the women as well.

~ Um Tulip

What Are They Teaching Kids These Days?

2009-08-17T22:03:00.002+03:00

So today the kids were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which by the way, is a wonderful show which they love--much better than most of what we receive on "SpaceToon". Anyway, in this episode they were finding objects that were the colors of the rainbow--Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple. So apparently the official pronouncement that indigo is really the same as blue has found its way into the mass media.
But, I wonder, how will kids remember these colors and their order without Roy G. Biv?
And since Pluto is no longer considered a planet, I want to know what my very earnest mother just sat upon? Nine what? I want to know!
Scientific inquiry is great, but you really can't beat clever mnemonic devices.

--Abu Tulip

An Illustration of What Driving is Like Here

2009-08-11T22:25:00.002+03:00

Tonight I got out of the car with the engine running to check the turn signals. I was pretty sure one of the rear turn signals wasn't working. Wrong. They work just fine. Gotta get used to driving in Amman again!

--Abu Tulip

New Teeth

2009-08-06T17:23:00.003+03:00

It was an eventful week in the Tulip household. Oliver lost his first tooth, and Baby Bulb got his first tooth. Amazing to see my boys grow.

I've composed many a blog in my head this week, mostly while up in the middle of the night with one of our three jetlagged boys, who of course could never wake up at the same time of night, ready to play.

Most of my imaginary blogs have been nasty letters to Delta, as our flight was delayed and we spent 19 hours in the JFK terminal in New York, without a couch, bed, or rest. This was from about 5 pm until noon the next day. The kids were troopers, but I landed home with approximately 6 hours of sleep over a 48 hour time period. I was not a happy camper. I have never appreciated a mattress more!

Fortunately I never actually posted as I've been often incoherent this past week. Now that we are regaining some normalcy I'll try and post often.

Well, off to dinner to celebrate Abu Tulip's Birthday. Limon ma3 na3na3 and mashaawi here I come.

~ Um Tulip

Why we didn't stay up for the 4th of July fireworks

2009-07-31T09:53:00.003+03:00

The night before last, as I was hanging up laundry (yeah, water day, and boy did we have a lot of laundry after our 19 hours in the JFK airport) I was enjoying the fireworks display. At first I thought it was just the normal wedding revelry, but soon realized it was tawjihi results. For those not familiar, these are the high school examinations that in many ways determine a teenager's options for college and career. Read this article to learn why we don't go out and drive during this time.
So why did we not attend the 4th of July fireworks in America a few weeks back?

1) Arabs love fireworks and we get to enjoy them nearly all year for free.
2) In Michigan it doesn't even get dark until after 10 and the kids were too tired to stay up for them after parading all day.

My favorite thing about the display? I called for Oliver to come out and take a look. He glanced up, said "wow" and ran back in the house calling for his younger brother to come see. Over the summer I have been astounded by my 6 year old's love and compassion for his 3 year old brother (and his baby brother as well). He just couldn't imagine not enjoying the beautiful display from our balcony without Teddy Bear with him. I am so thankful he is such an encourager, and despite the normal sibling fights, my boys are great friends. I pray it continues.

Fun in America

2009-07-05T17:39:00.003+03:00

Is this our new home? One of the boys asked us as we pulled up the drive to visit some friends for dinner. We've been traveling a lot, seeing family and friends, and having a wonderful, but busy, time. This morning we're taking it easy, and Oliver is already asking where we're going today. Luckily, today we have plans to visit some friends who also have three kids about the same ages as ours, so it will be fun. It's amazing to see how what used to be a visit between college friends and maybe a baby has turned into mass chaos with between four and ten kids including play sets, sprinklers, train tracks, and the like. I love it!

Here are a few pics we've taken. Abu Tulip's mom made superhero capes, we've seen lots of tractors, enjoyed a 4th or July parade, been swimming in a lake, eaten corn dogs and funnel cake, watched a few good movies (Juno, Slumdog Millionaire) and in general taken in a lot of American culture.

We really miss our friends in the Middle East, but so far it has been a great summer.

~ Um Tulip

How does it feel to be home?

2009-06-15T22:52:00.001+03:00

This is the question we are asked most frequently. Honestly, it is an impossible question to answer. Where is home? I guess you could say we have lots of homes right now. Doing the math, we've actually lived in the Middle East as a married couple longer than we lived in America. Two of our boys were born there, and our careers are there as well. Still, coming back to the towns where we grew up along with the city we lived in before moving overseas is in many ways coming home. So amidst my home confusion, here are a few thoughts.

We spent our first week with Um Tulip’s family in Ohio, and treasured the time with her family. We went to the Columbus Zoo and saw a baby elephant, a local swimming pool, and an air force museum in Dayton. The boys are loving the attention, but are also tired and a little overwhelmed with so much transition. I love watching them being 'loved on' by their grandparents. One morning in Ohio the power was out. I mentioned to dad I needed coffee (can we say jetlag?) and he jumped in the car to get the family coffee and donuts. He brought back a box of assorted donuts. Oliver and Teddy Bear proceeded to argue over the glazed maple donut. I cut it in half. Teddy Bear started whining, and I let him have his fit. However, I looked at my father's disappointed face and listened to him say, "if only I had gotten more donuts" with complete sincerity. My amazing dad had gone to the donut shop early in the morning out of love, and if I hadn't stopped him, probably would have gone back for more donuts. Wow, how these grandkids are loved!

Here are a few of the funny things that I've noticed since we've been in the States.

- I've rediscovered humidity. It rains in the summer. We went to a park and it started sprinkling. I relished walking in the warm, summer rain.

- The boys love drinking fountains. We don't have these in the Middle East, and they are fascinated.
- Oliver calls bagels donuts.
- As we drove on the highway from Ohio towards Michigan, Oliver asked me how long it would be before we got to the desert. He's used to long road trips including several hours in the desert.
- The house we're staying in now has a dishwasher. My mom-in-law was visiting and was loading the dishwasher. I was caught off-guard when she asked me, "which way do you like your silverware to go, down or up?" I had no idea how to answer the question. We haven't had a dishwasher for over seven years.
- Air conditioning is way too cold for me. I should have packed my sweaters. Also, I'm so used to the way Arabs dress that I mostly packed nicer clothes. I only packed one t-shirt (a jobedu one from Jara Market, BTW). I've forgotten how casual Americans are.
- There are more types of cola/pop/soda in the supermarket than I can fathom. This week's purchase? Diet Coke with Lime.

It's time to take a walk outside with the boys. The weather is warm and there are trees everywhere. Better enjoy the green while I can!
~ Um Tulip

Oliver turns six

2009-06-02T09:46:00.002+03:00

I know, I know, I'm leaving for the airport in 9 hours and the suitcases are not packed, and I'm writing a blog post. Laundry is in the washer, and I'm making progress, but it's just so hard to pack. I'm anxious about the flight, super-excited about seeing family, and totally avoiding the work that needs to get done.

Oliver turned 6 this past weekend and I made a spiderman cake for him. We kept the party smaller this time, and stayed mostly on the patio which was perfect. Water balloons and an obstacle course designed by Oliver and Abu Tulip. For Teddy Bear's party my mom-in-law was here to help and we did a Monkey Cake. I still had some black decorating icing left from her trip and the monkey cake, so spiderman even had webbing.

Enjoy the pics. Really need to get back to packing. ~ Um Tulip

Challenge to Bedu Shepherds

2009-05-30T22:16:00.002+03:00

Abu and Um Tulip are crazy busy right now getting ready to leave for a summer holiday in America. We are thrilled to see family and friends, especially for the grandmas and grandpas to get to know their newest grandson and have some quality time with Oliver and Teddy Bear. We're a bit nervous about the flight, but as it's been two years since we've been back, it's going to be great to see everyone.

Oliver turned six today and also graduated from Kindergarten yesterday. The best part of the ceremony was the hula hoop dancing and routines that looked like they were taken from 'Little Miss Sunshine'.

My sister recommended I look up LED sheep on You Tube. I guess some shepherds in Wales had a blast with their sheep, LED lights, and some filming techniques. I wonder if our local Bedu shepherds can top that. Enjoy!

The Legend

2009-05-18T21:07:00.002+03:00

It's not often in one's life that he has the chance to meet a legend. I've never met a really famous person. Someone asked me this just a few days ago. I can think of three close encounters with marginally famous people in my life.

I met Alan Trammell at a baseball clinic when I was in high school. I think the words he said to me were something like "You gotta hold the baseball [such-and-such a way] for me to sign it." Wow. Awesome.

When I was entering eighth grade Chris Webber was entering Michigan as a freshman. He and Jalen Rose came to a summer basketball camp I was attending. Each of the kids got to go one-on-one against one of them. I went against Webber and tried a fade-away jumper. He blocked it. Of course, he was too nice to block everyone's shot, so I like to think he looked at me and thought I had a chance to hit a 18-footer, so he'd better block it. Or so I like to think.

My other brush with "fame" was when Fernando Ortega visited Hope College and was about to play at an event. I was closest to the piano, and he said, "Can you help me move this over a little bit?" I did a great job too.

So none of those people are really all that famous. If you're not a sports fan or follower of great Christian music you may not know who any of these people are. But in the last few weeks I got to spend time with a legend.

"Abu Billy" is the founder of the institution which I now lead (although he never imagined it becoming what it is today). His picture is displayed in my office. Several times recently I've been asked if he's still alive. "You bet!" I say, "He's probably in better shape than I am." Recently I've been able to tell them that he's coming to visit.

Almost three weeks ago Abu Billy did come to visit our country, the place he called home for over forty years. We met him once before, but meeting him here was even more special. We got to see him with people who look to him as a spiritual father, people who worked closely with him for decades, people who grew up under his caring eye.

He is going on eighty years old and I was sad to observe a sign of decline in that his hearing is getting bad... until I learned that he's been deaf in one ear since contracting scarlet fever in childhood. So much for decline!

It's hard to express how it feels to now be leading the institution he founded. Humbling... certainly. But it's a blessing too, knowing the concern and prayer he put into his work. And it's an encouragement to see all that can be accomplished for the Lord by a life fully surrendered to Him.

-Abu Tulip

If you build it they will come

2009-05-05T21:41:00.003+03:00

Well, the past month has flown by. It's May already and we're preparing for a trip to America this summer. The weather has gotten warmer which means we get to do one of my favorite things - take the boys to the park so they can run off some steam! This is often difficult in our city, as nice public parks are few and far between. Fortunately a brand new park just opened up not far from our home. We went on Friday morning, just a day after their grand opening (the park is sponsored by HSBC). I counted somewhere between 50 and 60 children at the park. This is a small park, with a merry-go-round, 2 monkey bars, 3 swings, 2 slides, and a see-saw. It was CROWDED.
However, much to my surprise and elation, the kids were wonderful. We sometimes go to the big park on Medical City Road and often have problems with the children hitting or throwing sand, and parents are sometimes unfriendly. Abu Tulip and I came up with a theory. That big park is, well, huge, and people come from all over. They do not know each other and therefore do not care if their children are kind, if they throw trash everywhere, and do not mingle with others. This park is local, on duwar hawuuz. That means, traffic circle with the water tower. I mention this because there is no longer a water tower, and it's not really a traffic circle, but for those that know the city it is also an area of some great QIZ shops, similar to the one Kinzi mentioned out by duwar Waha.

But this park, at duwar hawuuz, is local. The kids know each other, as they all live in the neighborhood. A young girl took to my boys and made sure they each got a turn on the merry-go-round and swing, telling the older boys that the ajnabi (foreigner) kids deserved a turn, too. A lovely lady invited me over for tea, and was happy to chat with me. At this local park, people understand that how you treat others will affect your day. Arabs care about community, and certainly don't want their cousin, uncle, neighbor, etc, to hear anything bad about their family. These kids seemed to know that any bad behaviour would have consequences.

The funniest question I was asked that day was from some middle-school aged boys. They asked, 'fi 3indik dog?' or, 'do you have a dog?'. They didn't know much about America, but they did know that Americans often have pet dogs, and were curious if we had one as well. I told them no, but that my sister in America does. What is interesting about their question is while they asked me in Arabic, they used dog, not kelb, for dog. My theory about this one is that 'kelb' refers to the mangy, street dogs that no one wants as a pet, and 'dog' refers to the cute ones Americans keep in their homes.

These are some of the boys. Tuckered out from playing, I guess. Sort of captures how I feel at the end of the day as well! Life with my 3 little boys is rewarding, but busy and exhausting, too.

~ Um Tulip

Easter Concert

2009-04-13T08:13:00.002+03:00

Last week I was part of a concert with Dozan wa Awtar. I mentioned in the last post that I would write about it soon. However, heiseheise did such a good job you can read his post and I'll add just a few notes. Heiseheise is just one of the many wonderful people I've gotten to know in the choir. It is an incredibly diverse group; from many countries and languages, and religions. About half are Jordanians, and during the concert I sang in between two awesome singers, one Filipino-American and one Iranian.

Oliver and Teddy Bear enjoyed our last concert, which was geared for children, and as Baby Bulb slept through the whole thing, Abu Tulip even got to enjoy the music as well.

You may wonder why in the world I would join a choir in the midst of having our third child. Well, as I mentioned last post, try to sing and be irritated at the same time. Yes, it is possible to convey anger in song, which we certainly did during portions of Zahret Almada'en. However, no matter how difficult a day I've had, singing instantaneously reduces my stress level. Baby Bulb joined us for rehearsals from the time he was 2 weeks old, and my fellow choir members adore him. Singing with Dozan wa Awtar has been such a joy for me and has certainly helped me get through the last month of pregnancy and first months with a newborn.

I'll finish with a few quotes I found online:

The only thing better than singing is more singing. ~ Ella Fitzgerald

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

I don't' sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. ~William James

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is. ~William P. Merrill

~ Um Tulip

The 5 S's plus 2

2009-04-10T19:39:00.005+03:00

Baby Bulb is almost 2 months old now, so it's time for a baby update. He is growing like a weed, and is already in the 3 to 6 month size clothes. He's sleeping at night, usually up once or twice to feed, but has learned to get back to sleep rather quickly. His older brothers adore him, and Teddy Bear doesn't stop giving him kisses.

For those of you with little ones, here is something I found helpful. It's called the 5 S's, or 5 things that start with the letter S that help calm a newborn baby. Somebody named Dr. Harvey Karp wrote a book about it. I'll summarize.

Swaddle: this is wrapping a baby up tightly so he can't move his arms or wiggle much at all. I use an extra large receiving blanket, and literally wrap him up like he's 'waraq dawaali' or 'rolled grape leaves'. The idea is that babies are all scrunched up in the womb and they like to be wrapped up tight. This technique really helps him fall asleep.

Suck: personally, I'm an advocate for pacifiers. It's a lot easier to throw away a pacifier when he gets to be about two than it is to get rid of the thumb-sucking habit. You can't exactly throw away a thumb! Around 6 weeks is when my boys have started enjoying sucking on a pacifier. The calming effect works wonders. We use the nuk brand. Oliver called his pacifier a 'this-y' because I used to ask him, 'do you want this?' Teddy Bear called his pacifier a 'fire' as in the last syllable of the word. When we relegated the pacifier to the bed, he used to call for his 'fire, fire, fire' and it was quite comical. I wonder what Baby Bulb will call his.

Side: while babies should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, sometimes babies like to be on their sides or tummies. Often a change in position makes a big difference if a baby is fussy. Mine really enjoys tummy time, especially after a feeding. It helps him release some gas, and he's much more content after a few minutes on his tummy.

Shh: in almost any language saying 'shh' seems to mean 'be quiet'. By saying 'shhh' really loudly into your baby's ear, your baby will often calm down immediately. The theory is that a baby in the womb hears a sound similar to this. Variations of this technique include blowing a hair dryer or vacuuming nearby. I've heard stories of desperate parents tape-recording a vacuum and playing the tape near their baby to help him/her get to sleep. Playing the radio on static has a similar effect. We have a ocean sounds baby aquarium that plays music, waves, or basically white noise. Again, it works wonders!

Swing: the theory behind this one is that a swing simulates the motion of being in the womb. An electric swing is great, but often our little one likes being swung by mommy or daddy. Rocking, bouncing, and pacing all have a similar effect.

I've got two more to add, and I even came up with more S's. Singing! Baby Bulb has been attending choir rehearsals with me throughout the pregnancy and after being born. We just finished our marathon week of rehearsals and concerts and I hope to post about that later. In any event, babies love it when you sing to them. I think part of the reason it works is that if you are holding a fussy baby - especially one who just won't calm down - you are likely to be tense and irritated yourself. Try singing while you're irritated - it doesn't work. By singing, you relax yourself, and babies can sense tension.

The second one to add is this: Solo time. Leave your baby alone! A few nights ago Baby Bulb would not calm down. We'd tried all of the above, along with changing him, feeding him, etc., etc. My mother-in-law and I couldn't think of anything else to do, and were both tired and tense. Finally we put him in his bed, and left. He immediately calmed down and was content. Sometimes babies just get overstimulated. If you're a stressed out mom and feel overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing to do is just to set your baby down safely in his bed and take a break.

Also, congrats to the family of Babycue and Hondorp family on their new little ones. Happy parenting!

~ Um Tulip

Birthday Party Crashers

2009-04-05T16:37:00.005+03:00

Last week we did Teddy Bear's birthday party. He turned 3 a few weeks back, and we waited for grandma to arrive from America to throw the party. I let him choose the guest list, which included about half of his nursery school and some neighborhood friends as well. It was monkey themed, with Curious George plates and fruit snacks, and a homemade monkey cake. I also made jello for the kids, which was a big hit. I used 6 packets of jello, and between 20-25 clear cups. Two days before the party I did the first layer of jello, one day before the party another layer, and the day of we topped the cups with whipped cream (dream whip is what is available here).We had kids, moms, dads, chaos, and fun. The weather was colder than I thought it would be so we were mostly inside, but the sun came out for a while. Teddy Bear was thrilled and grinned ear the whole time. Abu Tulip read a Curious George story to the kids, and we sent the children home happy and sugar buzzed.

Today we decided to take the kids to funtastic. With Abu Tulip away for work, grandma and I wanted to do something fun with the boys. Oliver has been begging to return to funtastic ever since Twinbean's birthday there. What we didn't realize is that there was a birthday party going on already. The host invited us to join and we had quite a party. Along with all the great educational activities at the place, they had hired magician to come to a show, and brought food and cake to feed three birthday parties. The magician had a two live rabbits, a snake, and a turtle, along with the usual tricks up his sleeve. The kids were thrilled. They also dressed up as batman and spiderman and danced for the video camera. The kids even received party favors, too. We thanked the birthday boy's family numerous times, and they were so gracious.
We're home now and exhausted. Time for a Dora movie for the kids and some down -time for us! Gotta love Arab hospitality. Maybe we'll crash a birthday party again next week...

~ Um Tulip

You know you're raising your kids overseas when...

2009-03-26T19:03:00.000+02:00

This came from a friend of a friend. I edited it a bit...

You know you’re raising kids overseas when:

1. Your children don’t know your brothers or sisters, but they have at least 50 Uncles and Aunts who are no relation to them at all.
2. When you say, “We’re going home,” your kids ask, “Which one?”
3. Your kids can translate between American, British, and Australian English.
4. It’s 27 C outside, but your kids want a jacket.
5. Hundreds of total strangers have photos of your children on their mobile phone.
6. When you’re in a restaurant and the server doesn’t try to pick up your toddler and carry him around, you’re surprised - and disappointed since now you have to watch him.
7. Your kids prefer nutella to peanut butter and jelly.
8. Your kids flew before they could walk.
9. Your kids can greet strangers appropriately in multiple languages and cultures, but they’re not sure how to relate to their cousins.
10. One of the first phrases you learn to say in your target language is, “Can you put that onto 2 plates?”
11. You wish strollers came in 4-wheel drive models.
12. You know that the best toys are twigs, rocks, and cardboard boxes.
13. Finding your children in a crowd is easy: they’re at the center of it.
14. Your kids think change is normal and normal is boring.
15. You teach geography by saying, “And Uncle John lives there, and the Johnsons are from there…”
16. The thought of sending your children on an unescorted plane trip doesn’t scare you nearly as bad as putting them back into your home country’s school system.
17. You realize one day that your definition of “home” isn’t even on the same continent as your children’s definition.

My favorite is definately #5. Just today our boys were photographed on somebody's mobile at a coffee shop. I could add a few regarding living in the Middle East, and just our experience in general.

1. Your kids love to eat leban (yogurt) and rice but don't really know about yogurt with fruit.
2. Your kids have ridden camels more times than they have played with pet dogs.
3. Your kids can fall asleep at night even with fireworks and loud music outside due to tawjihi score results being announced or an engagement party.
4. They go to a McDonalds in America and are confused because there is no play area.
5. Your kids recognize several flags.
6. You had to get new pages in your child's passport before he turned five.
7. You agree with your friends that your child is sick because the weather is cold and not because he was sneezed on by another sick child. Akiid, min ijjaw.
8. You put your children to bed at 9 pm and your neighbor marvels at how early it is. Bakiir!
9. Your children are surprised at the feel of grass on their feet, and love the sand.

I'm sure I could think of more but my sleep-deprived brain has ceased to function. Please add to the list! ~ Um Tulip

You're invited!

2009-03-25T09:29:00.002+02:00

Dissent Not Allowed

2009-03-15T11:38:00.005+02:00

Last week, some little-known events transpired which I think reveal a lot about the politics between the US and Middle East.

Charles Freeman, former ambassador to Saudi Arabia and president of the Middle East Policy council was a few weeks ago picked by a top Obama advisor to chair the National Intelligence Council. He was not picked directly by President Obama, but certainly with his approval.

Now, a little background on Mr. Freeman. He has been a voice questioning America's unquestioning support of Israel, urging policy-makers to look at all sides of the situation. He has been critical of the "Israel lobby" in Washington--those who take it upon themselves to ensure that Israel's interests become equated with America's interests in the minds of those who make policy. Read more here.

Basically what happened is that enough commentators and even elected representatives (like Senator Schumer of New York) complained so that Freeman was pressured into removing himself from consideration. Apparently Freeman was disqualified for his "extremist views"--that he is willing to criticize our policy of support for Israel is considered extremist. One commentator says about the efforts to marginalize Freeman:

The real rub, the basis of the whole controversy, however, is that [Freeman] has been far more critical of Israeli policy than is generally allowed within acceptable debate in Washington. . .

The whole effort strikes me as little more than a thuggish effort to keep the already too-constricted terms of debate over the Middle East and Israel/Palestine locked down and largely one-sided. . . . But the gist is that campaigns like this are ugly and should be resisted. Not just on general principles, but because the country needs more diversity of viewpoints on this issue right now.

Another writes:

The idea that Obama should not have advisers who challenge some of the core assumptions of the Bush years, especially with respect to Israel-Palestine, seems nuts to me. And the impulse to blackball and smear someone as a bigot is reprehensible.

I'm impressed that the Obama administration is willing to appoint someone like Freeman as an advisor to the president's foreign policy. Considering the lack of success in foreign policy we've seen recently, it seems some diversity in viewpoints is needed. Particularly on the Israel issue. However, it's very discouraging that others would pressure this man out, and the administration wouldn't be able to stick with him. Many people here were hopeful that Obama's election would bring some change in America's stance regarding Israel/Palestine. Rahm Emanuel's selection as chief of staff took a little of the wind out of their sails. The fact that Obama was open to Freeman's ideas shows he has some good intentions, but I'm afraid there is still a long way to go before American policy can be more even-handed in expressing our ideal that "all are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among this are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

-Abu Tulip

Yes, there are honest people out there

2009-03-10T09:44:00.002+02:00

Over the weekend we decided to take a trip to the Dead Sea. Baby bulb is three weeks old, and the older boys were itching with cabin fever, so we decided a day trip was in the works. We had a good time at Amman Tourist Beach last fall, so we returned. It was a great day. We went with friends Z and F, which guaranteed playmates for our boys and good conversation! Admission for residents is 8 JD, and 4 JD for kids over four. When we arrived the swimming pools were being cleaned. This was a relief as last summer we went to the Day Spa and ended up with pink eye from the pools (as have other friends). This beach is much simpler than the five-star hotels up the road, but we still had a great time and stayed within our budget. The pool has a good size shallow area for the kids, and they had a blast. They also built sandcastles. I also took Oliver and Teddy Bear into the Dead Sea for a little bit (just up to their knees). This was their first time in the salty water.

The weather was amazing. Plenty warm to swim, but not so hot for me and baby bulb (as we were not swimming and he's still feeding every couple hours). We ate at their buffet, as they allowed us to bring in water and a few snacks for the kids, but not lunch. The only place you can do that is at the public beach or the 'shatt ilhurra'. Included in their buffet was plain rice, plain noodles, plain yogurt, and cucumbers without any dressing. Yes, my children ate! We enjoyed fish, oozi rice with chicken, stuffed lamb, and a variety of salads. The kids had jello for dessert and we had 'um 3ali' or Arab bread pudding.

We got back to our house with only an hour to bathe and get ready for church. Our service is in the evening as many people work Sunday mornings. When we got to the car, already running late, Abu Tulip and I both realized we did not have our mobile phones. He ran back in the house to look for his, and we both started to panic. We had put our phones inside our camera case (with the digital camera) to keep them safe while we were at the Dead Sea. They were no where to be found. With no way to contact our friends, we headed for church.

BTW, Z and F attend our church. As soon as we arrived (half-way through the worship) I asked my friend, who was with the kids in the nursery, if she had accidentally packed our camera case in her pack. With the chaos of packing up all of our belongings, and trying to prevent five kids from wandering back into the pool fully-clothed, anything is possible. She hadn't seen it so she gave my phone a call. Someone answered! "Hello, is this Abu and Um Tulip?" "No, this is their friend. Who are you?" "An employee of the Amman Touristic Beach. Did you lose your phone?" "Yes, two phones, and a camera." Thankfully, this employee was heading back to Amman, where he lives, and was willing to bring our belongings back. "nkuun mamnuuniin" my friend said, "we would be grateful".

So, after the service, I went back with F to her house with the kids for falaafil while Abu Tulip and Z met the man carrying our belongings. After a bit, Z calls. I see the look of horror on F's face and start to worry. "miitayn dinaar? hakayt ma3 isshurti? raayih al ATM?" "200 JD? did you talk to the police? you're going to an ATM?" Then laughter. "biddu ilcarseat kamaan?" "he wants the carseat, too?" More laughter. My dear husband had cooked up a plan with Z to fool us into thinking the employee had demanded 200 JD for our phones and camera. They really had us fooled for a few minutes. I guess that's what you get for leaving your husbands on their own for a while!

Needless to say, we had a good laugh afterwards. We are so thankful that the employee (who turned out to be a manager) was honest and brought back our phones and camera. He was extremely gracious, and renewed our faith in the honesty of people yet again. We arrived home much later than usual, and Abu Tulip had to carry all three kids in from the car to the home as they were quite sleepy.

Another day finished, another story to share. ~ Um Tulip

Legos (reliving my childhood aspirations to be an engineer)

2009-02-24T15:48:00.006+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

Baby Bulb is 11 days old. He is a strong, healthy little boy who loves to nurse. Between feedings, diaper changes, and napping there is little time for other things. I'm extremely grateful to so many who have brought meals over. I love lasagna! I've been reading other blogs but haven't had energy to write anything myself. At least my brain is not thinking creatively as of yet. This weekend Oliver and Teddy Bear had plenty of energy and with the rain pouring down outside (thank you, Lord) they needed something to do.

So, between feedings, etc., we made the coolest Lego house ever. Last summer my in-laws brought my childhood Legos with them in their suitcases and I've been working hard to share my passion for Legos with my boys. First we sorted the Legos by color, which Oliver loved. We had all sorts of cooking bowls out for the project. He even wanted to sort light grey and dark grey.

We made a four story house with removable levels. Each floor sort of slides out so you can see the floor below. The backside of the house is also open so you can move the little Lego men around. After all was finished, Oliver noticed there were no stairs. That simply wouldn't do. As each floor is made of a base piece, I wasn't able to design a staircase. So we built an elevator shaft on the back. I used some thread to create a semi-functioning elevator. It needs a few tugs, but it works!

Abu Tulip has been busy at work and being an incredible support around the house. Teddy Bear insists on being carried and occasionally fed (jealousy? hmmm). As I'm not supposed to carry around an almost 3 year old yet, this job falls on Abu Tulip. He has also changed more than his fair share of diapers. Hopefully he'll have a chance to post something soon.

Baby Bulb has joined the world outside the womb

2009-02-17T12:07:00.002+02:00

Hi friends,

Baby Bulb joined us on February 13 at 11:35 pm, on my sister's birthday. We are thrilled and relieved. After several days of slow labor and no sleep, at least now I can enjoy my baby and still not get any sleep. He is beautiful and his big brothers are totally enamored. My big boys both gave me multiple hugs and kisses last night before bed. Oliver even said, "I love you, mom" by his own initiative. Who could ask for more?

Well, as I'm exhausted and so is Abu Tulip we won't write much for now, but appreciate all your love, prayers, and support. ~ Um Tulip

Where does the time go?

2009-02-09T15:50:00.002+02:00

and your cake, too...

2009-02-06T18:05:00.000+02:00

This morning I tried out my theory of letting the kids pick what we'll have for dinner. I've found that often they eat better if they get to choose part of the meal. Usually this involves which type of noodles go in the pasta dish, or something simple like that. The dinner turned out great, but it took some coaxing to get Teddy Bear to eat.

When I asked him what he wanted for dinner, he requested lasagna. Since I just made lasagna and even splurged on the ricotta cheese from Cosmo, and lasagna is a lot of work, I suggested we make a new kind of lasagna. By the way, my kids have decided they love lasagna ever since they watched the Garfield movie. They even let me put onions in it! We decided on green and white lasagna. Friday mornings are our usual time to go grocery shopping, so that made it easier.

After getting back from the grocery store, I cooked some chicken and some broccoli for the layers, and made a simple bechamel sauce. I shredded some mozzarella, and layered the green (spinach flavored) noodles with the fillings. I used some Arabic chicken seasoning for the chicken and also a little allspice and nutmeg for the sauce. For someone who used to only cook from a recipe, I was quite proud of my creation.

When dinner was served, Oliver loved it. So did hubby, so I was proud. Oliver at one point asked, 'is 7+3=10?' as he had just eaten 10 pieces of broccoli, no less. I can already tell he's going to be a math kid. However, Teddy Bear refused to eat. We begged and pleaded. We offered cake for dessert. At one point, he pushed his food away and laid his head on the table in exasperation.

At this Oliver asked him, 'Teddy Bear, are you praying?'. 'No'. 'Are you praying to God that mommy and daddy will forget they said you had to eat your lasagna before you get a piece of cake?' We refused to give in, and his food went into the refrigerator.

Well, nearly three hours later, after taking some time to color and play, I can smile with satisfaction and say he did eat his lasagna, and got to eat his cake.

~ Um Tulip

Flannel Graphs

2009-02-03T08:18:00.000+02:00

Our pastor's wife and I have finally gotten around to organizing Sunday School lessons for our kids. Yes, I know it's strange we're starting this project two weeks before my due date, but it just seemed to be the right time. We were given a great curriculum by a friend and I'm enjoying learning how to use it. The lessons are based on a children's adaptation of the Westminster confession.

For those not familiar with a catechism format, basically there are questions and answers for each lesson that the children learn. The first question is, "Who created you?" The answer, "God". The memory verse for the week was "God created man in His image." Or, in transliteration, "khalaq allah il'insaan 3ala suuritu." I was so proud of Oliver who shared the verse with the congregation, from memory, in Arabic! He is a typical fickle five-year-old. Sometimes he participates, other times he gets shy and won't get involved in an activity. As he's often shy to speak Arabic in front of adults, this was an especially proud mama and baba moment.

The fun thing about the lessons is they use a flannel graph. We were able to find flannel down in the balad, at 2.5 JD a meter. The kids and I had fun cutting and gluing and above are samples of our project. Many of you remember using flannel graphs in Sunday School as children. Basically when you place two pieces of flannel together (one side is a bit coarser than the other) they stick, sort of like velcro, but not as strong. By gluing flannel to each cut-out and hanging a large piece of flannel over the whiteboard, I can put images up on the board for the kids and they can also manipulate them as desired.

Sort of a retro version of the power point presentation, I guess, but more hands-on. It is fun, the kids are amazed by the flannel, and easy. The curriculum provides all sorts of ideas for various ages. Considering the ages of our kids, the lesson is short and we then have a lot of fun coloring and singing.

~ Um Tulip

Coach Fired for Winning?

2009-01-27T07:35:00.000+02:00

The coach of a girls' high school basketball team in Texas was fired yesterday. He was fired for winning. 100 to 0! I've been following this story for a few days. People who were present testify that they were running up the score.

This was a Christian school which put the drubbing on a private school. The type of private school for kids who struggle in a traditional learning environment. I know this type of school-my sister-in-law taught at one in Ohio for a couple of years. These girls are not necessarily unintelligent nor unathletic (although this particular group seems to be); they usually have learning disabilities which aren't apparent to most of their acquaintances. Suffice it to say, they probably aren't exactly brimming with confidence to begin with.

Can you imagine losing 100-0? From what I hear, they actually took it pretty well. Anyway, Bravo to the Christian school for firing the coach who ran up the score on these girls. And shame on the coach for refusing to even apologize. Probably he just wanted "to see what his girls could do." Well, to me that's unacceptable, and a symptom of a broader problem I see in high school sports in America. And from a Christian school! What kind of impression will the other girls take of Christianity from this blow-out?

Again, I'm pleased that the administration of the school handled this well, controlling the damage as much as possible.

~Abu Tulip

Stewart the Puppet

2009-01-25T16:52:00.000+02:00

When my family came for Christmas, they brought along Stewart the Puppet. We've been living overseas for over four years now, but I guess puppet shows are 'all the rage' at churches in America. stuffchristianslike even has a post about it. So there are a group of puppets at my parents' church that act out stories and 'sing' to semi-religious songs as entertainment during the service. The puppet show for advent season involved the puppets singing 'Mary's Baby' to the tune of 'Sherry Baby' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

Before you roll your eyes, you have to remember, 'it's for the kids'. Right. Well, the week before my family came to visit Stewart announced at church that he was going on a trip. All the other puppets were jealous, and now my father is busy preparing a power point to show the congregation this month. I'm going to withhold my thoughts on the use of puppets during a church service, and just let you all enjoy the pictures we took. In any event, this is an interesting way to teach ordinary Americans a little bit about life in the Middle East. Here's to hoping that along with the cute pictures the congregation hears and understands a little more about our Arab friends and grows in compassion towards people they know very little about.

Stewart on a camel. Yes, we do have camels here, though (gasp) most people drive cars.

Stewart at Petra. The rose red rocks are beautiful.

Stewart near the Dead Sea, and just a kilometer away from the site of Christ's baptism.

Stewart at the lowest point on earth!
It was cold and windy that day, but some of my family swam anyway.

At the downtown Roman Amphitheater that is 2000 years old.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, . . . . . .

At Mount Nebo. Even in December we managed to get there on nice, clear, day.

Some local boys thought Stewart was pretty cool, too.

A view of Amman from Jabal al-qali3 or the Citadel.

Mary and the Christ-child at the Church of the Map in Madaba.

~ Um Tulip

Christmas Photos - sort of

2009-01-18T14:35:00.000+02:00

As mentioned earlier, Um Tulip's family came for the Christmas holiday. The following are some of the funny pictures we took during that time. Some of them even compete with Mommabean's photo posts from November. Since missing out on the "blue crap" in the seafood section of Carrefour we've been trying to bring our camera with us lately to snap some of the hilarious things we notice around town. In reality, it is amazing how much English is found and how often things are spelled correctly, as my bro-in-law noticed as we walked around Jabal Amman.

The only redeeming value of this Pub is that it is not spelled "pup or bub or bup" all three which exist in our city. In addition, Abu Tulip took some photos of a couple stores around town.

For 'Still Jeans and Still Man' there are two ways to understand this. It could mean 'it's still jeans, it hasn't changed'. Or 'the jeans and the man are still, as in not moving'. The mannequins in the window make me think it's the latter.

Next post: photos of Stewart the Puppet.

Abu and Um Tulip

Light of Heaven

2009-01-10T22:02:00.000+02:00

Many of our friends are asking us about the situation next door. If you are local, check out 7iber and Kinzi for suggestions. If you are an American, look beyond the local media and remember that to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-Arab as much as anti-Jewish. Arabs are Semitic, too! Gaza is so densely populated the bombs are killing woman and children quicker than I can bear to imagine. Just Thursday our Teddy Bear had minor hernia surgery. He was under general anesthesia for just an hour, but the fear of losing my little boy was overwhelming. When I read the news I can't help but weep for the mothers.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Jordanians are showing beautiful generosity and unity as we struggle to deal with the crisis. Tonight we heard a discouraging report from the Al-ahli hospital run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which is right in the heart of Gaza. All the of windows of the hospital have been blown out due to the bombings, and there is no plastic available even to temporarily keep out the cold. Basic medical supplies are in extreme demand, as are staples like food and water. On a positive note, 40 tons of aid has been able to get through due to the actions of 7iber and the Action Committee.

A friend of mine also posted some links of a couple you tube videos which are worth mentioning. The first is a song written for Gaza with some difficult images, but many of us need to view these images and take them to heart. It's called, 'We will not go down'. The second is of one my favorite artists, Fernando Ortega, singing a song called 'Light of Heaven'. While not written about Gaza, the words speak for themselves.

"Light of Heaven, Lord of Mercy
Shine the goodness of your love upon this day
'til we see you, 'til we know you,
'til the darkness and the sorrow fade away."

Um Tulip

On the throwing of shoes

2009-01-06T15:50:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip writes:

It may be old news by now, but I'm sure everyone's heard of the "shoe-throwing incident." To most Westerners it probably sounds very odd--did this guy suddenly want to throw something at Bush and his shoes were the only thing handy? Indeed, here in the Middle East throwing one's shoes at someone is one of the most insulting things one can do. Apparently, it's become a trend. A large group of protesters threw their shoes at UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's residence earlier this week.

You might know that there are certain ways you should sit and not sit in the Middle East. One should not sit cross-legged with the bottom of his shoe pointed at the other party (unless of course he wants to offend him). And, take note: it's not the bottoms of the feet that offend, it's the bottoms of the shoes.

I was once involved in a shoe-throwing incident. A few years ago, when we were quite new here, Um Tulip, Oliver and I went by taxi with another foreigner to Mahatta, a poor and densely-packed area of town. As our taxi passed through one of the busiest intersections, our taxi driver apparently cut off another taxi driver. Shortly afterward, we heard the word حمار ! (hmaar -"donkey" only not quite as polite) and heard something hit our car. Realizing it was a shoe, our friend quickly said, "Let's get out of here!" threw some money at our driver and led us away on foot. I'm not sure what sort of brouhaha ensued afterward, but it may have ended in a bloody nose or (if our guy didn't like his chances) a very bruised ego.

Meanwhile, Baylyblog demonstrates how President Bush missed an opportunity to show true humility and grace in this incident.

It probably looked like this, in black; Arab guys love this style.

Which one are you again?

2009-01-06T15:33:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip writes:

Those of us who live here know that it's common for street-cleaners to knock on doors requesting payment during the holidays. Well, during this Christmas-time, four different men came to our door requesting money for cleaning our street—but only one of them actually does the work. Since they almost always work in the morning, when we are out, we rarely see them, so I’m not entirely sure which one is “our guy. They each look vaguely familiar, but perhaps I’ve seen them down the street. And they didn't really seem to come by looking for payment consistently until this year.

I’ve paid a couple guys, and narrowed “our guy” down to two possibilities, one of which I’ve not yet paid. These men work hard for very little, so they need everything they can get. Each have people back in Egypt depending on them as well. I am starting to think they go to neighborhoods outside their assigned area to “try their luck.” And not paying someone who is deserving would be wrong and give us a bad reputation.

Sure hope I pay the right guy!

What would you do?

You do the math

2009-01-01T10:21:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

I'm struggling with words. I'd love to write a Happy New Year blog or post some darling pictures from our Christmas holidays with family. We had an incredible visit, and managed to see many of the great sites of Jordan. It's been an emotional roller coaster, as I hadn't seen my parents or sisters or bro-in-law for 18 months. I can't express enough the gratitude I feel to my parents for footing the bill of this amazing vacation.

However, the situation in Gaza is overwhelming. The latest news flash I read was 390 Palestinians dead, 4 Israelis. You do the math. I just can't understand. I've often been touched by Arabs' grace and sensitivity to me as an American, even in the face of injustice. I'm not going to write much; just recommend you read up on what Kinzi, Mommabean, Pilgrim Without a Shrine have to say, or follow their links.

We happened to be en route to the airport the night of the relief for Gaza drop-off and drove right through the intersection near Cosmo as the evening was ending. There were still swarms of people loading up boxes. Somehow I just had a feeling it was people donating goods for Gaza. There were no signs, and as I've been entertaining family I hadn't yet read about the efforts organized by the Action Committee and Jordanian bloggers. However people weren't honking or yelling, which is incredibly unusual here during a traffic jam. It was such a beautiful demonstration of unity and generosity.

I'll admit right away I'm scared to turn my blog black for Gaza. When will the conflict end? Oh God, bring peace!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T10:57:00.000+02:00

Just want to write a quick note to say Merry Christmas to our few readers. We had a wonderful day. Um Tulip's side of the family arrived last Sunday and we are having a great time together. Their luggage even arrived on Tuesday, so we were able to open gifts (rather, the grandchildren opened theirs) on Christmas morning. My brother-in-law was the head chef for Christmas dinner, which was roasted lamb, potatoes, veggies, and a dessert of lemon meringue pie (my favorite). We picked out the lamb at the grocery and just asked the man for lamb spices and it turned out succulent! We also enjoyed the movie 'White Christmas' together. It has been 18 months since we last saw my side of the family and we are feeling so blessed to have them here for the holidays.

Tonight Abu Tulip heads down with my siblings and bro-in-law to Petra, while I spend some time with the kids and their grandparents. Finishing off the Buckeyes (chocolate peanut butter balls, a Christmas must for Ohio natives) is on the to-do list for today.

Well, I'll write more later but it's time to pick up some hummus and get back to the family!

Um Tulip

Lessons in Arabic

2008-12-18T13:59:00.000+02:00

Inspired by Kinzi's recent Arabic post, I need to share some new Arabic words. Of course there are the plurals such as 'hotelaat', 'coursaat', and 'file-aat' which I find myself using. To "file" has been turned into a verb and also a masdar so it is common to hear "laazim afayyil ishi" or "tafyiil" meaning "I need to file something" or "filing". Another favorite is "kiif bitsayyivi haada?" or "how do you save this?"

A former Arabic student came up with the following uses of the words google and skype. Arabs describe the ten forms with f, 3, l or ف ، ع ، ل . Foreigners often use the method popularized by the Hans Wehr dictionary of Modern Standard Arabic. Each word in Arabic comes from a trilateral (three-letter) root. Verbs and nouns are then formed by manipulating these three letters. Each form is given a number. Hopefully you can understand a little bit of how the forms work by the following:

Root g, g, l غ ، غ ، ل

Form...... Meaning......... الوزن
I gugul To Google فعل غُغُل
II guggle To make someone Google فعّل غُغّل
III guugul To help someone Google فاعل غوغُل
IV 'aggul To use the search engine Google أفعل أغّل
V taguggul To make someone Google you تفعّل تغغّل
VI taguugul To learn to Google تفاعل تغوغل
VII 'ingugul To be Googled انفعل انغغل
VIII 'igtgul To Google yourself اتفعل اغتغل
IX 'iggull To become 'Googled' افعلّ اغلّ
X 'istagugul To consider the # 'googol' استفعل استغغل

( 10 to the 100th power)

Root sk, y, b سك ، ي ، ب

Form...... Meaning....... الوزن
I skayab To have skype فعل سْكيب
II skayyab To Skype too much/often فعّل سْكيّب
III skaayab To Skype someone فاعل سْكايب
IV 'askayab To install Skype أفعل اسْكَيب
V taskayyab To date via Skype تفعّل تسْكيّب
VI taskaayab To have a Skype conference call تفاعل تسْكايب
VII 'inskayab To be Skyped انفعل انسْكَيب
VIII 'isktayab To sign-on to Skype اتفعل اسكتيب
IX 'iskabb To move in a jerky fashion and speak louder than necessary افعلّ اسْكَبّ
X 'istaskayab To ask why your friends have not skyped you recently استفعل استسْكَيب

Enjoy your Arabic lesson. Now, 'laazim ashayyik ilfacebook. thank you iktiir'. Um Tulip

A Christmas Song I Like

2008-12-09T09:09:00.001+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

After reading Hubby's post I have to comment as well. I do love Christmas music, and reserve it for December only. Decorating the tree with the family always included the soundtrack to 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' playing in the background, then usually a Mannheim Steamroller selection and a few other CDs, the Canadian Brass CD is in my head currently. My father has great taste in music - I'm forever grateful. Family car vacations meant listening to a lot of Peter, Paul and Mary, and Gordon Lightfoot, along with Manhattan Transfer. Occasionally we'd get stuck with the Psalty sing-along or the Sandi Patti kids cassette for us kids, but a switch to Dad's choice was always welcome. Now we play 'Bayti, ahla bayt' ' بيتي احلى بيت ' for our kids which actually I can tolerate pretty well.

At our concert last week our director did a solo of a little known Christmas song. I've posted the lyrics below. It was one I've heard before, but not often enough to even know the lyrics well. Simple melody, beautiful message, and a welcome change.

Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day.
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day.

Long time ago in Bethlehem, so the Holy Bible said,
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day.

Hark, now hear the angels sing, a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day.
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day.

While shepherds watch their flocks by night,
They see a bright new shining star,
They hear a choir sing a song, the music seemed to come from afar.

Hark, now hear the angels sing, a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day.

Oh a moment still worth was a glow, all the bells rang out
There were tears of joy and laughter, people shouted
"let everyone know, there is hope for all to find peace".

Now Joseph and his wife, Mary, came to Bethlehem that night,
They found no place to bear her child, not a single room was in sight.

And then they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn,
And in a manger cold and dark, Mary's little boy was born.

Hark, now hear the angels sing, a king was born today,
And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day.
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day.

Oh a moment still worth was a glow, all the bells rang out
There were tears of joy and laughter, people shouted
"let everyone know, there is hope for all to find peace".

Christmas music I can do without

2008-12-07T10:43:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip writes:

A few days into December and we've already done our main Christmas choir concerts (a marathon of rehearsals and performances last week, but tons of fun). I guess that makes this the time to think about some of the music.
The first thing I should say is that our experience here is different than most Americans. Most people are not Christians, and don't do Christmas shopping, so not every radio station and store feels the need to play Christmas music continually. That and a big Muslim holiday, Eid-al-Adha, falls just before Christmas this year. However, like I wrote before, there isn't any embarrassment about Christmas trees, "Merry Christmas" and the like. Even though a minority of shoppers at an store will be Christian, the big stores still have a nice display. They are willing to honor the holidays of each religion, that or they just understand marketing strategies. That being said, I feel like we have a good bit of control over the Christmas music which enters our ears, unlike many Americans.

So here's my personal list of Christmas or pseudo-Christmas music I can do without:

1. Jingle Bells--An old favorite, but what does it have to do with Christmas? And how many of you have actually ever ridden in a one-horse open sleigh? Why don't we write something about snowboarding or skating, something most people have actually done, and make it a "winter fun" (not Christmas) song? And now Oliver wants to sing it in Arabic, too.

2. Away in a Manger--The melody is kind of sappy, but what I can really never get over is the "little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes" line. Jesus was fully divine and fully human. We have a hard enough time with that idea without making him less human. Baby Jesus was like other babies--he screamed his head off every few hours.

3. Jingle Bell Rock--This one is just plain annoying. I guess since it has the word rock in it, they play it "for the kids" even though it surely goes back to the sixties.

4. Here Comes Santa Claus--"Let's give thanks to the Lord above for Santa Claus comes tonight." ???? What's with that? Thanks to Mr. Jeff for pointing out the idolatry of that line. That, and who's ever heard of Santa Claus Lane?

5. The First Noel--A pretty good carol, to listen to. It's just way too high to sing.

6. I saw three ships come sailing in -- Catchy, but you can't sail into Bethlehem. Enough said.

7. Almost anything done by a pop artist--Some of the arrangements of Christmas music they put out are just hideous. But how much do people even listen to them? You buy a Christmas CD of hot-pop-artist-of-the-moment, give it as a gift on Christmas day. They barely listen to it because they are tired of Christmas music by that time, it sits on the shelf for a year, and by that time the same artist (and the CD) is the brunt of jokes. Great gift! But at least the artist and the studio made their millions.

8. Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland--Nothing to do with Christmas. Sense a theme?

9. We Wisssssshhhhhh You a Merry Christmas--Now, unless the audience is talking and being disruptive during the concert, they shouldn't need to be shushed by the choir. Choir directors you know what I'm talking about.

10. Good Christian "Friends" Rejoice--Sorry, this just doesn't work. If you're annoyed that it's not gender-inclusive, don't include it in your repertoire, but don't butcher the song like this. I actually was in a choir which rehearsed "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlefriends," until the director realized how ridiculous it sounded and changed it to the original.

How about you? Any others to add? Disagreements?

Wisdom from a "khitiyara"

2008-12-04T14:46:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

Last week I took Oliver to a birthday party for one of his KG classmates. It was a lovely day, a little tiring with loud music at Burger King, but overall delightful. Oliver had a blast, and I had great conversation with the birthday boy's grandmother. After a bit of chit chat, the conversation turned to age. Local women often think I'm younger than I am, but she was pretty close. However, I was way off in guessing her age. She looked to be at most 55. She was lively, thoughtful, and by her pepper-gray hair I just assumed she had married earlier and that was why she had grown grandchildren. She laughed at my guess and told me she was 71. Only as we went down the stairs of the restaurant did I notice her weak knees and that she needed a little assistance with so many steps. She said to me while descending the stairs, "now you can see that I'm a khitiyara!" with a twinkle in her eye. Khitiyara loosely translates as "old woman".

We then went to the birthday boy's home for coffee and more play time for the kids. We resumed our conversation and I learned about her six children, and how successful they've all become. Her husband was a teacher in a small village near Um Qais, and one son scored 11th in the country in tawjihi (exams during the final year of high school-very big deal!). She spoke fondly of all her children and dearly loves her grandchildren. I still vividly remember a sermon from our college chaplain that discussed aging and its effects. He commented that as people age, the distinct features of a person become more prominent. A person who holds on to bitterness in life often ends his life as a bitter, old man. For a person who showed grace throughout her life this quality of grace seems to abound as she ages. I saw such joy and gratitude in this lady, so I posed a question. I asked her, "as a young mom, I'm still learning how to raise my children. What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to raising a family?"

She thought a moment and responded, "you need to teach them the fear of God." She mentioned that her children learned to fear God and understand right from wrong. Then she added, "you need to realize who you are in front of God. I don't boast about my children because of my accomplishments, but I give thanks to God because he has given me the privilege to raise them."

Thank you, God, for the lesson I learned that day!

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Varying Absurdities

2008-11-30T10:47:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip writes:

Sometimes I get frustrated by the absurdities I see around us in our adopted home. However, it's a strange sort of comfort to know there are still plenty of strange goings-on back in America. Now that Thanksgiving is over and we can jump to the next holiday (how 'bout savoring the moment a little, people?) the Christmas season is "officially" here, with all the incongruities and insanities it brings.

It's probably not even worth commenting upon the tragic death of the Walmart employee who was trampled by the Friday morning mob and died of a consequent heart attack. What kind of insanity leads to such a situation that there even is such a mob, and that they could actually create a situation that would trigger a fatal heart attack?

The other absurdity is the retailers' reluctance to acknowledge why so many people are shopping and keeping their businesses afloat. You can take a look at this list to see which retailers are afraid of offending a few potential customers and which ones are willing to acknowledge Christmas.

Now the one that caught my attention was Honey Baked Ham. The link says:
"Report: “HOLIDAY was written everywhere!! Nothing about CHRISTMAS. I asked and was told the usual ‘we don't want to offend anyone.’”
Let's pause for a moment to consider this. THEY SELL HAM!!!!
With all due respect to Jews, I don't think they are sitting around the family table for Hanukkah drooling over a honey baked ham! And I certainly don't expect our neighbors to be enjoying ham for their Eid-Aladha celebrations next week. Jews and Muslims do not eat pork, and the coming Muslim holiday involves sacrificing a lamb.

Maybe it's different for them, but I know what it's like to live as a religious minority, and a minority with more challenges than any minorities in the US have. There is religious tension at times here, but when it comes to holidays I feel like everyone is very cordial and accommodating toward those of the other faith. We visit Muslims for their holidays and say كل عام وأنت بخير kul 3aam wa inta bikhayr, or (loosely translated) " may goodness be to you all the year" . On Christmas they say the same. Muslims even acknowledge the importance of Jesus' birth (they consider Jesus a prophet of God, even though most know very little about His life and teachings). Nobody seems offended by expressions of holiday good will, and we don't expect anyone to be ashamed of their faith. I don't get bothered if someone thinks I'm a Muslim and greets me likewise during their holidays. They're just trying to be friendly.

Um Tulip agrees:
Just yesterday I went to a Christmas workshop at Oliver's school. We made Christmas crafts to sell at the bazaar and also cute lamb cards for Eid Aladha. Here are a couple pics of the crafts the kids made.

Dr. Pepper

2008-11-28T19:34:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

Well, we haven't posted in a few days. Our internet has been down and just came on an hour ago, so I'm checking up on news. This was especially frustrating as we use vonage and we couldn't talk to family on Thanksgiving day as we couldn't get online. However, one thing to be thankful for is that we are able to get high speed internet. When we first moved here, DSL was still new and we used a very slow dial-up. I'll put aside my frustrations with Orange (the internet provider) for another day, and just be thankful, as we have so much to be thankful for!

Since we've been sick with colds and busy with choir rehearsals at the same time I wanted to find something interesting to write about. I'm excited about Queen Rania's you tube video, but it's been mentioned many other places so you can look it up. I'm worried about the situation in Mumbai, but am foggy on the details so won't comment.

This headline caught my attention, though. "Axel Rose wants an apology from Dr. Pepper." Apparently, Dr. Pepper was offering free sodas online in celebration of the release of Guns 'N Roses album. Though I'm not a huge fan of Guns 'N Roses (but can't help knowing some of their music after being a teenager in the 90s, particulary after having to go to the weight room in high school with the football players in order to get out of taking gym, but I digress) I am a HUGE fan of Dr. Pepper. Every month or so I buy myself a can from the imported foods section at the fancy supermarket in town. Pepsi is every where here but Dr. Pepper is unknown and expensive. I love Dr. Pepper. Not much else to say but the headline struck me funny. For those of you in America, buy a can of Dr. Pepper today!

Election Response, Part III or Chocolate Milk and a Cookie

2008-11-22T15:29:00.000+02:00

Abu Tulip writes:

Now, for the Republicans, just a few things I want to bring up.

1. Sarah Palin. I'd really like to know what some of you who live in America think of her, particularly her intellectual ability. She is constantly portrayed as of inferior intelligence, and I'd like to know if you who have followed things more closely agree. I personally am under the impression that she was never given a fair shake by the (mostly liberal) news media. Here's why:

First, most liberals tend to think all conservatives are stupid. Why? Because they disagree with liberals. The liberal view seems to be "my opinions are so obviously correct that anyone who disagrees must be either an ignoramus or have sinister motives." Look at how they view Bush (who got better grades at Yale than John Kerrey in the same classes at almost the same time), Reagan, Dan Quayle, etc.

Second, a strongly conservative woman is intolerable to liberals, especially when it comes to "a woman's right to choose." This was brought to my attention first when I read Dan Quayle's autobiography several years ago. He was often severely criticized and made fun of by the media. He believed it was because of his age; that it was somewhat acceptable for someone of the previous generation (Reagan, George HW Bush, for example). But since he was from their generation (baby-boomers) he should be liberal by default. Since he wasn't, he was a traitor. I think the same applies to conservative women now, and it part of the reason Palin was given such a hard time. This also applies to black conservatives, we just haven't seen many in national office yet (Powell and Rice are generally considered moderate, not conservative).

So, what do you think? Was Palin treated unfairly, or did she bring it upon herself?

2. McCain missed his chance. I really think McCain could have won it all by taking the risky move of opposing the bailout package. If he could have done it convincingly (which may have been difficult knowing his past support of such ventures), he could have been the great hero of the American taxpayer. His previous risky move (the Palin choice) didn't work out that well, so he should have gone for it.
Let me use an illustration. McCain was down by four points at the 20-yard line, 3rd and long with ten seconds on the clock. He threw for the end zone (Palin pick) -incomplete. 4th and long, five seconds on the clock, when the "meltdown" is announced and the bailout package proposed. Instead of throwing for the endzone again he ran up the middle. Three-yard gain and game over, Obama wins.

3. The Republicans don't really seem to get it. They are talking about how to become competitive again, but IMHO it's all just tactical, mobilization arguments. They don't realize that the Republicans have to offer something different, not "Democrat-Lite." They can't offer the American people free chocolate milk (of course it's never free, it's someone else's money) and expect to win when the Democrats offer free chocolate milk and a cookie. Me want cookie!!

The American people showed they want change by voting for Obama (even more wanted change but weren't sure about Obama). The Republicans need to offer more, and better, change than Obama does to win back the trust of Americans and put America back on its feet.

Comments, please!

Baby Bulb is another boy

2008-11-21T16:37:00.001+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

As I've finished my sixth month of pregnancy, and gained about 7 kilos, I'm definitely showing a nice round belly. As those of you with children know, the size of your belly attracts the comments of friends and strangers alike. The first question people ask tends to be, "is it a boy or a girl?" This is universal. We have two darling boys and are excited to e having another boy this February. What is interesting here is the reactions of others when we tell them. Boys are highly valued in this culture, so many people respond with a "ma sha'allah!"
ما شاء الله or "what God has willed!" This is particularly true of my husband's friends.

However, most women I talk to are cautious, saying "well, that's great but I'm sure you were hoping for a girl." It's hard to know how to respond. I grew up with three sisters, but my husband's side is almost all boys. Yeah, variety is the spice of life, but there are some great advantages to having three of the same sex. Same clothes, toys, games. They can share a bedroom for a lot longer. We don't have to fight over watching Bob the builder or Disney Princesses (I prefer Bob, myself). With Teddy Bear I haven't even had to buy any new clothes (though I recently got him a Diego shirt just for fun at Duwar Hawuuz for 3 JD - love that place!).

One of the great things about my mom is that she raised us a equally as possible, and taught us to be the kind of people that always look out for the feelings of others. While I can't say I always live up to those values (I've been known to speak before I think) I certainly try. I also grew up with a father who said, "How's my fifth daughter doing?" to any friend we brought over to play. All of our friends were accepted as part of the family, and an extra setting at dinner was always ready. I never felt my gender mattered to my parents in regards to what I could achieve in life. I never felt more or less important than my siblings. This is a heritage I"m striving to pass on to my children.

Additionally, we suffered a miscarriage last winter and I've done my share of worrying over this pregnancy. I am thrilled that so far my pregnancy has been very normal. Every time I feel him kick it is a cause for rejoicing. Although now the hiccups have started and can be a bit uncomfortable, it is the most amazing thing to feel a life growing inside. To sum it up, 'ma sha' allah" God has willed another child into our lives and we are thrilled it's a boy, and we would be thrilled if it was a girl. May His name be praised at the beauty of life!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand."

Psalms 139: 13-18

naming our boys, part II

2008-11-18T20:26:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

So we've settled on blog names for our boys. As I mentioned in an early post, the little one in my tummy is named Baby Bulb for now. Our five-year-old will now be known as Oliver, after his favorite stuffed elephant. Our two-year-old will now be known as Teddy Bear, after his favorite blankie. The kids had a blast posing for pictures with blankets over their heads. Just for grins, Oliver recently commented to me, "Mommy, my friend Ra'ad doesn't have as many owies as me." Quite concerned, I asked him why. "Because his little brother doesn't know how to hit," he responded. His good friend has a six month old baby brother. Just wait, I told him. He'll learn to hit soon enough. Happy parenting!

Baby Traditions

2008-11-16T10:30:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:
A few days ago we went to visit good friends who just had a beautiful baby boy. A tradition here is to make a yummy dessert called 'Karawyeh'. I took several pictures. I loved this stuff and actually went out and bought the ingredients so I can make it at home, even before our baby comes.

Ingredients:
1 cup ground rice (the spice area at Carrefour had 'ruz mathuun' and karawyeh spice available)
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
3 spoons of karawyeh spice
1 spoon cinnamon
1 spoon ground anis or 'yansuun'

Place in big pot, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer a few minutes, and it will thicken. Pour into small bowls for serving. Decorate with lots of yummy 'mkassaraat' or nuts. She used shredded coconut with almonds, pinenuts, walnuts, and pistachios. I think you could also add some raisins and it would be yummy. The texture reminded me of applesauce, and it was nice warm for a cool night. You can serve it warm or cold. BTW, karawyeh is the Arabic word for caraway, but I think the spice is actually caraway mixed with a few other things.
Sahtayn!

Post-Election Response, Part II

2008-11-14T13:04:00.001+02:00

Abu tulip writes:

I've read a lot of responses to the US Presidential election in the last ten days (has it really been that long). Of course, I'm amazed at how many people are already talking about the next cycles--2010 and 2012. Maybe a bit early? People are even wondering what it will take for Obama to win/not win a second term. So much can happen we all need to slow down a bit.

Additionally, since Obama talked so much about "fundamental change" in the campaign, why is he now mentioning all these former Clinton, even Carter, advisors for posts in his administration? Maybe now that he's actually in the position, he wants to play it a little more safely, which I can understand. I wonder, are people thinking that he's not living up to the "change" for which they voted?

That being said, these are some of the responses I've appreciated:

1. Here is one of the best responses I've seen from a Christian pastor, that being Mark Driscoll.

2. A response from a conservative commentator, with an irenic, positive and pragmatic tone.

3. Finally, if you follow Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul, he has been sounding pretty smart lately. Whether or not you agree with him, you can't deny he's got fresh ideas. He saw the current economic collapse well before anyone else and has been giving dire warnings about bailouts and the federal reserve. Here are his thoughts.

Later: Thoughts about the Republican candidates.

Stupid is as stupid does

2008-11-13T11:51:00.000+02:00

Check this out for some hilarious headlines.

Stuff white people like

2008-11-11T19:30:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes

A site we occasionally visit and is always good for a laugh: www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. Number 115 is "Promising to learn a new language". Since I speak three languages and work in the field of language acquisition, this one was particularly funny and worth posting about. Kudos to all you white people struggling to learn Arabic. Allah ya3tiik al3aafia (May God give you strength or الله يعطيك العافية). Here is a bit from the blog but you'll have to read it all yourself.

"Finally, though they won’t admit it, white people do not believe that learning English is difficult. This is because if it were true, then that would mean that their housekeeper, gardener, mother-in-law (if they are an elite white person) are smarter than them. Needless to say, this realization would destroy their entire universe."

Additionally, number 112 is "Hummus". Something we all like, I guess. Although the hummus I bought in America a couple years ago pales in comparison to the local hummus we buy down the street. Sahtayn!

Post-Election Response, Part I

2008-11-11T14:52:00.000+02:00

Abu tulip writes:

I guess after a week now I feel I can begin to comment on Election 2008, so here goes.

1). Election 2008, Decision 2008, America Decides, Super Tuesday, etc.... The way the networks portray this is less like informed, rational debate of the issues and candidates and more like a sporting event. Maybe in 2012 it will be Super Election MMXII

2). Again, the media... It was hard for me to stomach the election and post-election hype and talk about our freedoms, right to choose our representatives, etc. After seeing how some candidates in the primaries were treated (like Ron Paul) and how third-parties are excluded from debates and ballots, and yet in Texas both Republicans and Democrats can miss the deadline and still be on the ballot, I really wonder, how much choice do we really have? Most of our non-American expat friends (Europe, Australia, etc.) find it very odd and somewhat pitiable that there are only two parties, and understand that it is often difficult for us to support either one whole-heartedly

3). I want to be supportive of our new president-elect even though we have our differences. It seems most feel that way too. After seeing a president maligned and dishonored so much in recent years, I hope it will stay that way. There are some reasons to think he will do well, and I hope for the sake of America that he does.

4). The first hope I have for President-elect Obama: That he would break his promises to Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW etc., and decline to enact the Freedom of Choice Act as his first action as President. Politicians are highly skilled in breaking promises, and this one is worth breaking. If you're still not sure what is his position on abortion, you can read it here for his personal views, and see a response to the legislation here.
Personally I agree with Franklin Graham, who said,
"(Billy Graham's) son (Franklin) expressed concern about Obama's views on abortion and gay marriage — an issue Franklin Graham raised in a meeting with the Illinois senator — saying that he and his father are conservatives who believe the Bible speaks clearly on those issues: 'President-elect Obama heard our position. And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It's a moral issue that we just can't back down on. But he's our president-elect, and those positions that he holds that are contrary to Biblical teaching, I hope that God will change his heart.'"

Don't forget - Billy Graham is a registered Democrat and has had relationships with every president since Eisenhower, and he was one of the few Christian ministers in the south to take a principled stand against segregation.

5.) Another hope I have is that President Obama will at some point soon consider his religious journey and the fact that he was born into one religion (a religion which says clearly that the son must follow the religion of his father) and that he chose to follow a different religion. He took advantage of a wonderful freedom he had as an American. I will hope he considers all that that means, and that he is in a unique position to bring freedom of conscience to many who were born into a religion, but because they are not Americans, are not able to follow their own hearts and the religion of their choice.

So, what do you hope to see from the Obama administration?

Bored and complaining?

2008-11-10T20:38:00.000+02:00

Well, both kids are asleep, hubby's at a meeting, and I'm out of things to do. The boys have been sick and both fell asleep at 6:30. I did laundry, washed dishes, caught up on email (only 45 in the inbox now), caught up on some reading, and am out of ideas. I ironed (a once a month occurence). I read up on my friends' blogs. Saw lots of cute Halloween pictures of kids and such. I even made tomato and lentil soup earlier today from scratch (thanks to desert mom's recipe - yummy). Oh, I also fixed a couple holes in the living room curtain. Note to self- do not leave a candle burning within reach of a two-year-old. He just might want to sing happy birthday and then try to cover it up with a curtain. Praise God the curtains are made of a cheap synthetic material. All that happened was a couple of small holes and the slight smell of burnt plastic. That and my older son reminding me, "you really shouldn't put a candle near him, mommy." I guess the smell of burnt plastic is better than the smell of puke. Several scrubbings and a lot of vinegar/baking soda seems to have my living room smelling better. But no more nice pumpkin candles burning unless I'm right there! I realize I need to rejoice in this quiet. The Lord must know I needed it. I'm off to find a way to enjoy this last hour or so of quiet before I turn in.

Learning how to party

2008-11-08T16:46:00.000+02:00

Um Tulip writes:

Well, we're still thinking about what to say regarding the election buzz. I've been listening to a lot of friends and their comments have been interesting. From "I heard Obama's mother was Jewish" to "America elected a black president? Mish tabii3i." and lots of "minshuuf". I personally was moved watching both the acceptance and concession speeches online. As someone who lives among many races (the kids at my son's birthday party last year were American, British, Sudanese, Indian, Jordanian, Palestinian, Korean, Swiss, and Slovakian, to name a few) I don't think I fully realized the impact of having an African-American president. The fact that this president will give hope to many African-Americans and spur them on to realizing their potential is a huge positive. I hope this impact will show us some of the best of what America is and ought to be.

Since that is all I have to say for now, I've copied a bit of another blog because I think the message is worth repeating. I read this comment after a post on Halloween. The blog is "Blog and Mablog" at http://www.dougwils.com, a site my husband frequents. I really enjoy his writing, and often agree with him.

"Christians need to learn to party. It's that simple. Our celebrations ought not seem like third-rate imitations of those who actually know how to party. Beer, (loud) music, and big fires certainly seems like a move in the right direction.

Our inability as American Evangelicals (or even Reformed types) to produce a culture worth looking at (think Contemporary Christian art and music) seems closely tied to the fact that we don't know how to party. The fact that we don't know how to party is directly tied to the fact that we don't know how to Sabbath."

Now, of course I need to plan some sort of party. However, with this pregnancy I keep falling asleep around 9:30 pm. Need to work on that....