This is me sneaking some contraband water during Ramadan, when drinking and eating in public before sunset is illegal. I don't think anyone saw me. Besides the photographer of course.
The other day I made an exciting trip to Cozmo to do some grocery shopping. This place has it all; macaroni and cheese, a huge selection of tea, a bakery, tons of pasta, a ton of British food [yay soup in a cup, porridge and vindaloo curry base] I would use my parentheses by the way, if I didn't spill some tea with honey on my computer, consequently rendering some of my keys out of comission. Cozmo also has a pretty decent ethnic foods aisle, similar to the ones I'm used to seeing at Krogers and Meijers in the US; a lot of chinese, Indian, Thai and Mexican. I had a good chuckle though when I saw Taco Bell salso in the ethnic foods aisle. For Jordan, it is 'ethnic' of course, it was one of the more subtle reminders that I'm not in the US anymore.
The possibility came up recently that I just be able to come home for about two weeks around the holidays. I'm excited for this for multiple reasons; I'll get to see a lot of people that I miss, I'll get to stuff myself with all things I have been missing [kettle corn, macaroni and cheese and sweet potatoes to name a few] and I'll bring back some stuff that I stupidly left at home. For instance, my super awesome camera that has a million features I can be creative with. Just when I'm starting to get back into photography, I don't have my best camera with me!
As I was taking nap today, I had a very vivid dream of driving my Honda Civic around in Toledo, passing the Barney's gas station and being filled with giddy excitement when I spotted.....Taco Bell! I'm pretty sure I drooled on my pillow as I dreamed of a grilled stuffed burrito with ten packets of hot sauce, cinnamon twists and a soda. When I awoke from my dream I was sorely disappointed. I mean really disappointed. I awoke to the realization that I'm still in Jordan and there is no Taco Bell here. Not even a Del Taco or anything comparable. I just wanted to go back to sleep.
Now most of you are probably thinking "Duh, you're in the Middle East, of course there isn't a Taco Bell!" But, check out the list of restaurants and fast food places that I've seen in Amman:
Fudruckers, Applebees, Papa Johns, Dominos, TGIFridays, Bennigans, Burger King, Popeyes, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, some other fast food chain I can't think of, and rumor has it there is a Chili's that's going to open up soon. Sometimes it's the little things.....
On another note, guess what I found when I was going through some drawers in the dining room today? A SMOKE DETECTOR! Yep, that would have come in handy last Tuesday!! Ha ha ha ha.
Also, my camera mysteriously started to work again. It 'broke' about two months ago and as soon as I was finally getting ready to get it looked at somewhere, it started to work. This is awesome, I'm not complaining, just not what I was expecting. Kind of like that smoke alarm tucked away in the drawer with no batteries.
It's back to school on Monday, the lovely Eid break is almost over. Back to the busy teaching life and piles of grading. On the bright side, now that Ramadan is over, I'll be able to start a yoga class {cancelled during Ramadan} maybe do a dance class, go to a cafe after school and say adios to the nightmare traffic that ensued after school for the past month. Did I mention how thrilled I am that Ramadan is over? Not that I didn't enjoy the Iftars I had with friends {the breaking of the fast meal when the sun sets} but now life is back to normal. Allelulia.
The possibility came up recently that I just be able to come home for about two weeks around the holidays. I'm excited for this for multiple reasons; I'll get to see a lot of people that I miss, I'll get to stuff myself with all things I have been missing [kettle corn, macaroni and cheese and sweet potatoes to name a few] and I'll bring back some stuff that I stupidly left at home. For instance, my super awesome camera that has a million features I can be creative with. Just when I'm starting to get back into photography, I don't have my best camera with me!
As I was taking nap today, I had a very vivid dream of driving my Honda Civic around in Toledo, passing the Barney's gas station and being filled with giddy excitement when I spotted.....Taco Bell! I'm pretty sure I drooled on my pillow as I dreamed of a grilled stuffed burrito with ten packets of hot sauce, cinnamon twists and a soda. When I awoke from my dream I was sorely disappointed. I mean really disappointed. I awoke to the realization that I'm still in Jordan and there is no Taco Bell here. Not even a Del Taco or anything comparable. I just wanted to go back to sleep.
Now most of you are probably thinking "Duh, you're in the Middle East, of course there isn't a Taco Bell!" But, check out the list of restaurants and fast food places that I've seen in Amman:
Fudruckers, Applebees, Papa Johns, Dominos, TGIFridays, Bennigans, Burger King, Popeyes, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, some other fast food chain I can't think of, and rumor has it there is a Chili's that's going to open up soon. Sometimes it's the little things.....
On another note, guess what I found when I was going through some drawers in the dining room today? A SMOKE DETECTOR! Yep, that would have come in handy last Tuesday!! Ha ha ha ha.
Also, my camera mysteriously started to work again. It 'broke' about two months ago and as soon as I was finally getting ready to get it looked at somewhere, it started to work. This is awesome, I'm not complaining, just not what I was expecting. Kind of like that smoke alarm tucked away in the drawer with no batteries.
It's back to school on Monday, the lovely Eid break is almost over. Back to the busy teaching life and piles of grading. On the bright side, now that Ramadan is over, I'll be able to start a yoga class {cancelled during Ramadan} maybe do a dance class, go to a cafe after school and say adios to the nightmare traffic that ensued after school for the past month. Did I mention how thrilled I am that Ramadan is over? Not that I didn't enjoy the Iftars I had with friends {the breaking of the fast meal when the sun sets} but now life is back to normal. Allelulia.
Totally agree about Taco Bell! :)
ReplyDeleteDid they ever open up that Mexican food place by Zeit and Zataar? (I think there is a Brazilian place near-by too) According to Google, it’s on Mecca St, but it sure doesn’t look like it… Anyways- it was by the Starbucks (not the one in Swafeeya, or by the Saudi Embassy).
My husband REALLY didn’t like Mexican food here (we live in Northern Virgina) until he went to California. (I agree- I’m from CA and there is a BIG difference) Anyways, he calls burritos “fool sandwiches”- which, I can see because it is just fool (I always feel weird witting this in English, but fool damas, you know?) in bread, lol. So, I eat my burrito and he’ll get soft tacos or fajitas or something. His family pretty much has the same impression of burritos…