Hiking Jordan

Last weekend, we went camping in Wadi Dana for a friend's birthday. Wadi in Arabic means valley and Jordan is abundant with them - even in central Amman! Wadi Dana is located sort of in the central-west of Jordan, about a 3-4 hour drive from Amman and was made into a nature reserve in 1993 due to having so many diverse bio-geographical zones and species of plants and animals. You can read more about it here. 

There are several ways you can drive to Wadi Dana and we decided to take the road along the Dead Sea and then take the turning towards Tafila town through the Kings Highway. I'm really glad we chose this route, as it's so scenic and calm. I love the Dead Sea and considering how close it is to where we live (less than an hour away(!!)) we don't make it down there as much as we really should. Here's an embarrassing confession - I used to think that the Dead Sea was basically a small pond...um..no...it's nothing like that at all! It is absolutely HUGE and when you're on one end of it, the tip goes right up to the horizon and beyond. Anyway, I'd really advise taking this route if you're heading to Wadi Dana. 

The Dead Sea.

When you turn off away from the Dead Sea highway, you enter the Kings Highway, a long, extremely windy uphill road. It's not quite for the fainthearted (me). It is very beautiful though, in its barrenness. As you climb higher and higher, you get a fantastic view of the valleys below, and the stark contrast between the jagged mountains and flat lands beyond. It does make your journey time to Dana longer but it's worth it. 

View from the Kings Highway.

Dana is a fairly large area as is the nature reserve itself. This means that the "official" camp and biosphere entrance is completely separate to Dana village (where we had lunch) and the camp that we stayed at, which was a few kilometres away from the first sign of Dana. My friend had stayed at Al-Nawatef camp before and she recommended that we stay there on this trip. I'm so glad she did! It's a lovely little camp, isolated from the world and overlooking a cliff. A short while after getting to the camp, we decided to go for a short walk and explore the area. The weather wasn't too hot at this time so it was perfect. 

The bedouin tents and teepees.

Verandahs outside the tents.

View of the valley.

Fun friends.

Sunset.

We were taken very good care of at the camp. They had a variety of lodging available, little stone rooms, bedouin tents with verandahs over looking the view, large teepees and an area where you could pitch up your tent. Louis and I got one of the stone rooms (the rooms and bedouin tents each have 2 single beds). The room was SO hot but when the night fell and we went to bed, the temperature inside was just perfect, since it was freezing out there. I'm generally very good at camping, but since buying my own sleeping bag (with a dedicated pillow pocket) I find that I can sleep well without thinking of creepy crawlies. Just to note, though, the camp was very clean and had a lot of linen and supplies. There were several bathrooms you could use and Louis managed to have a shower in the morning. The dinner we had was delicious and varied and we were served tea throughout the night. There was a nice group of people at the camp that night and we played games and made jokes. So overall, a fantastic night camping!

The next morning we decided to make the short drive back to the nature reserve, since we were already really in the area. We paid the entrance fee and went for a short hike. The terrain was different to that in Al Nawatef camp and there were more dramatic cliffs that you could peek over.

Interesting terrain.

Jagged rocks leading to the valley below.

Sitting on top of the world.

After our short hike, we decided to try and find Ashoback castle, located near Wadi Musa. We did manage to find it, but unfortunately the road leading up to the castle was closed for works.

Shoback castle.

After having lunch at a local falafel restaurant, Fatafeet, we headed back towards Amman via the Desert Highway, a flat road that takes you all the way from Amman to Aqaba down in the south (this is the road we take when visiting places like Petra and Wadi Rum). Not wanting the weekend to end, one of our friends suggested we get ice cream at Four Winters, a little ice cream cafe that makes your ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Very cool and very yummy!

Mmmmm.

Now that the weather is ideal, I'm hoping there will be a few more road trips before the hot months of July and August. Have a great weekend everyone!

Sx

Will the third time be a charm?

I think the Universe doesn't want me to visit the Citadel. Together with the Roman Ampitheatre in downtown, they are the symbols of Amman. And I have yet to set foot within those Roman defense walls.

The first time I tried to visit the Citadel, the weather was a bit like this:

Needless to say, they weren't letting anyone in.

The weather has been brightening up here in Amman, so this past Friday, I was determined to be a tourist in Amman and planned to finally visit this monument and test out my new camera. Taking the tourist thing quite seriously, we stopped off at Hashem for some falafel sandwiches. Shamefully, this was another first for me in Amman. I enjoyed the sandwiches, but I think my favourite falafel spot remains Al Quds in Rainbow Street.

I digress.

We finally managed to walk up the "hill" (why people keep insisting that mountains are hills, is beyond me) to the Citadel entrance...only to find this:

Being a Friday, the ticket office had closed at 4pm, 50 minutes before we got there *palm face*.

I'm hoping that my third time will indeed be a charm and I'll get to finally see the Citadel up close and personal. Until then, here are some photos Louis and I took. I got a little excited about the different filters haha.

Sx

Mark Complete

Source.

One thing that I really like about being a PA is that I [try] never to utter the statement "I'm too busy" as an excuse. The way I see it, I'm a PA, I should be fabulous (darling) at all things organisational. And simply put, I have the ability to plan my day according to my hours and make sure I manage expectations. And if I see that my day is a busy one, well two things completed is better than no things completed.

Of course this is easier said than done. Whilst I feel that I've done pretty well in never using the I'm too busy excuse for several months now, I have found that this week I really have not been able to complete everything I've wanted to.  My unpacking took 4 days. My flagged task since Thursday is yet to be "marked complete". And I just managed to go to the gym for the first time in two months.

I have indeed felt like those characters in the picture above. And more than once I've thought "should I start panicking or am I in denial that I'm already panicking?". Luckily, I'm slowly making my way through my never ending to do list, doing all I can to keep my cool and of course, resorting to laughing at myself when times get tough. After all, if I'm not going to keep myself entertained, then who will?

Doesn't it feel like sometimes there really just aren't enough hours in the day? Better get better at saying "do you mind if that waits until tomorrow next week?".

How's everyone else doing then? 

Sx

My Funny Friends

So what was that about? Writing a pretty serious and soul-bearing post and then leaving you for 2 weeks? I do apologise. But today a short and light hearted entry.

Was looking through some things (trying to find clothes that still fit more like) and came across this card that my friends sent me before I moved to Jordan. Needless to say, they know me well.

Sx 

ps my friends know that the pyramids are in Egypt but the point is spot on

Lingering Legacies

**I originally wrote this post this time last year. I wasn't quite ready to post it then, but I am now. I have tried not to change many of the words I wrote last year, except in the instances to clarify my meaning. I also finally added my "conclusion", which, while I knew what I wanted to say, I couldn't quite articulate last year. One of the reasons I couldn't post this last year was because I didn't want it to be taken as attention or pity seeking. Though I now understand that those reactions may be invoked, I hope that this post will achieve what I hope to achieve with this blog in general, and that is to relate to others.**

I believe the last photo I have with my Dad. August 2007. London.

 Six years ago today, my father passed away. In the same manner that he didn't trouble anyone during his life, he passed away quietly at home. His death was mercifully swift in its own way, and I'm thankful it wasn't prolonged by a long hospital stay or the agonising uncertainty that accompanies his condition.

I wasn't there when it happened. By the time my brother and I arrived, we didn't get a chance to see him and say our good-byes.

I remember some parts of that day vividly. How I was grateful that my older brother told me that my father passed away and didn't allow us to wonder in vain whether we'd make it in time. How the only tears I shed were when I told Louis. How I emailed a detailed memo outlining all outstanding work to my boss at the time.

Anyway. There are some things that I regret in life. The regret that we're always told not to have in our lives. The regret that makes me think that, if I had a chance to go back now and change my actions, I would. One of those regrets is that I wish I'd spent more time with my dad. Even though I knew he wasn't well, I didn't value the time we had together. I wish I could say it was because of denial. That would suggest that I knew the gravity of the situation and couldn't deal with it. I wish I could say that. But I think I was too self-involved and chose not to register what everyone around me was saying...which meant I spent the little time we did ultimately have causing unnecessary problems to people I loved by lashing out at them and being selfish.

Whilst I was in Sana'a for my father's funeral, I didn't cry, and definitely not in front of anyone. Not once. I couldn't. Partly because I didn't want to be told it was normal to mourn or, alternatively, be told that this is the course of life and I shouldn't be sad. That my Dad is in a better place. But mainly because I felt too guilty.

I felt, I knew, that if I cried, everyone around me would think it was because I was mourning my father, and comment on what a loving daughter I was and / or how sad life is to take him away while my brother and I were comparatively young. But I knew the reasons for crying would be tainted by selfishness. Tainted by my regret for not showing him how much I loved and respected him. Of all of the missed opportunities. Or an accumulation of all the losses I felt in my life, related or not. My tears would not be pure and I didn't want to be perceived as a good daughter, when I wasn't. And so instead I preferred to remain dry eyed and just carry on.

I think of my father every day. I wish I had the maturity and sense, just common sense, to have sat and listened to him and discussed the significant and insignificant things in life. Death. So final. So heartbreakingly final.

Since the funeral I have shed many tears. And even if some are selfish, I allow them to fall. Ultimately, I know there is a sadness inside and an emptiness marking his spot.

Leading up to today, I've been thinking of legacies. My father left many legacies. Us, his children, and grandchildren. The foundations he built for Yemen. The school established in our village, Aghrab. The many lives he touched and the impact he made. I wonder how can I leave a legacy that will make him proud and maybe even continue the legacies he left us. I am not likely to. However, one theme shines through.

My father was always kind, never cruel and he always, always knew that his actions would have consequences, reactions. And he chose for those reactions to be positive, through ensuring that his actions were kind. My father, the man who, when he would have breakfast outside in the garden, would take tear pieces of bread to leave for the birds. And that is when I realised that his legacy was so beautifully simple.

Be Kind.

That is it. That is how I can continue my father's legacy. I know there will be times when I will want to be cruel or put others down. But I will try. I will try.

Rest in peace Baba. We all miss you so much.

Sx 

Friday

Friday afternoon is my favourite time of the week. I get a chance to make a cup of coffee, sit in our enclosed verandah and just be. I love that I usually have no where to go, nothing to tick off my list. Today the weather is not so great, as it's overcast and skies are threatening to open up and drench us. Thank you climate change. 

It's been a funny couple of weeks for me since coming back from Singapore. I came back to work feeling energised, but more than once this week I've literally and metaphorically looked around me and wondered if I was good at what I do. If I added value to the person I am supporting. I know that some people would say not to be too honest on such a public platform as a blog. But I guess I am voicing these insecurities because, while I do get worried, I know that I do add value. It's just that, when you're trying to be amazing at anything, realising you're only good throws you off course. I feel as though I've lost focus. 

The good news is that in about two weeks time I will be attending a conference that I know will blow my mind out of the water. I'm looking forward to being inspired, to absorbing information and then hopefully applying it over here. I am unbelievably excited at being in the same room as other PAs who have achievements rivaling those of people who have more spotlight on them. And you know what, this makes me so grateful that I am in a career that I am enthused by. If this were 5 years ago, I would have never been excited to be in a room full of lawyers. And that's the truth. 

Although it's been a funny two weeks, there have been some wonderful progress in a project that a close person to me is working on. There is a unique happiness and satisfaction in seeing someone you love and respect receive good news about something they've toiled over. I've also reached out to another close person and we're working together to make change in their future. 

When I was younger, I always thought that change had to be BIG, had to impact hundreds to be worthwhile. Until I truly realised that making a difference is equally as impacting if you can change the course of one person's hour / day / week / month / year. That's all it takes. It's quite a powerful realisation for me, as not only can I do this daily by supporting the person I support at work, it also means that I am finally putting the correct weight on the things I do closer to home. 

The weather outside it still gray, and I see misty rain is starting to fall. I hope you have a great day / weekend wherever you are in the world. 

Sx

Panic in Penang!

Three days of our two week trip to Singapore was spent in Penang, Malaysia. Keeping true to my "someone else will surely know what to do on this holiday" mentality, I did zero research on what to expect in Penang. Luckily, my husband is an expert researcher and came up with some of the top things to do in Penang. It was a perfect amount of sightseeing at a leisurly pace. And, if you get a chance to shop in Malaysia, then I strongly suggest you do, as the prices are so unbelievably cheap! 

By the waterfront.

The City Hall being renovated.

The Pinang Peranakan Mansion

This was a really unexpected surprise. The mansion belonged to a Peranakan family in Penang and it is now a museum that showcases what a wealthy family would have owned and the kind of life style they would have lived. It is full of interesting furniture, adorned with mother of pearl and stones and beautiful, beautiful designs. This intertwined with the colloquial English influences, such as the delicate tea sets made it a very interesting afternoon. There were vast displays of glassware, in every colour and translucency, shoes, clothes and artifacts.

Part of the mansion housed "some" of the jewellery that the women used to wear and o.m.g. the extent of the collection was breathtaking. We asked one of the tour guides there to give us a small tour around the jewellery section and I always find it interesting to hear about different cultures and lives gone by, so it was worth having him give us a tour (his name was "Happy" so if you're ever in Penang and happen to visit the Mansion, do ask him to give you a tour =]).

By the way, the term peranakan is used for the descendants of the Chinese immigrants to Malaysia and the surrounding areas, such as Singapore (15th - 17th century). They were normally wealthier than the locals but they did intermarry with them. 

Gorgeous glassware.

The outside temple.

A bridal suite.

The upstairs hall.

Gold anklets.

Intricate costumes.

Carrie Bradshaw would be jealous.

Kek Lok Se Temple

I am pretty lucky because the first Buddhist temple I ever visited just happened to be the largest Buddhist temple in all of South East Asia. The Kek Lok Se temple is spectacular, though somewhat tarnished by the number of commercial shops within the temple selling little nick-knacks and playing loud music. Having said that, it was still amazing visiting the many shrines within the temple and seeing the statue of Kuan Yin, which is absolutely gigantic (though you wouldn't tell from the photos I have below).

Bronze statue of Kuan Yin.

The Pagoda.

A laughing Buddha.

AAAHH!

Inside one of the many temples.

Penang Hill

This is really where the panic occurred. Don't let anyone fool you into underestimating the "tram" on Penang "hill". Before our trip to Penang, some of Louis' family were telling us that we really need to visit Penang Hill. So off we headed to the Hill after visiting the Kek Lok Se temple. We bought our tickets and queued up with what felt like hundreds of people, waiting for the tram to arrive. The tram itself can best be described as one of the cars of a modern day train. It had seats and hand rails. (I kid you not, I am having heart palpitations as I try to describe this ride) So in we all crammed, and I was thinking, can this take it? (I've done some reading since going on the fenuculiar, apparently it can ride up to 100 people. 100.)

So off we go. And I'm there calming myself saying, it's nice and slow. Soon enough, we sped up. And we continued gaining speed. And it was climbing this monster of a hill. And we kept climbing. And you look down and it's just steep... During our journey up this mountain, the tram decided to take a couple of breaks...which is fine if it wasn't rocking back and forth *blink*. And I wish I was exaggerating, I really wish I was, but the ascent took, like, forever. When we got off, I checked how high we'd climbed - 712 meters. That's pretty high basically.

It's a shame it was a misty day, as on a clear day you would be able to see the mainland and the bridge connecting Penang to it. But, it's beautiful being surrounded by the mysterious Malayan hills and realise how small you are compared to it all.

Here.

 

Looking down...

View from the top.

The Spice Garden

Although the Spice Garden is not that bad, I almost forgot all about it...I think because something disagreed with the others' stomachs and so we were just ticking boxes until we decided it was time to bus it back to Penang city.

So that's how we spent three days in Penang. There is just so much more of South East Asia to explore, it's almost like spending 2 weeks there makes no mark on the canvas of the region at all!

Pond in Spice Garden.

Yallah next holiday hurry up!

Sx

*Thank you to Ms E O'Dea for some of the wonderful photos :)