Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Amman Four: 16 September 2009

This is how far I’ve come: I no longer set my alarm clock. I trust the rooster (whom I no longer call Cheney) to wake me for early breakfast. If I’m too groggy to get up when he crows I am certainly ready by the time the muezzen makes his first invitation.

One morning when I didn’t hear the rooster (or roosters – sometimes it sounds like there are either two of them or the one has an independent echo … sometimes the one is solo) I was concerned for his well-being. Had someone committed the act I’d been eager (in jest) to accomplish? Later that day I heard him again with relief.

All in16 short days.

It’s amazing to think we’ve been in our apartment for 16 days. It seems like forever and no time at all.

Our picked-up-off-the-street top of a rubber tree plant seems to be recovering in its new pot. The flowers we bought last week are beginning to bud.

5:00pm

This morning I met George David and Nada Doumani of the Royal Film Commission. Delightful conversation about their facility and projects and then a dreaming of the feature films that ought to be made: of Arab heros, the civilization of Al Andalus, the tragedy of 1492. George really liked the ideas about Granada. Now I’m thinking a three-part epic series: Gibraltar, 1492, and Leo the African. Nada knows Amin Maalouf and thinks he’d be happy to see his book made into a movie.

We made no agreements, no promises but to meet again. I hope to bring Peter and Katie to the film screenings they will host 28-29 September. There’s an Irish film festival 5-7 October. Maybe Peter and Kate will be interested in that, as well.

I also met with Chari Rassass, a colleague of Mark Tremblay’s at ABT. She’s working on the health system renovation project supported by USAID. A good human being through and through. Fasting in solidarity this Ramadan. Frustrated with “the good life” she sees in Jordan and a perceived lack of appreciation for the improvements brought about by this project – especially when compared to her recent experience in Yemen where there is, apparently, dire need. Yemen has about four times the population and about half the aid that Jordan gets. See: www.usaid.gov/policy/budget/cbj2010/2010_CBJ_Summary_Tables.pdf, and www.usaid.gov/locations/middle_east/countries/yemen). We may brainstorm together with her team looking for new ideas for integrating their work here in supporting families to have the number of children best for them.


Everywhere I turn I see a story to tell. From the big foreign aid debacles to the boys on the street selling bamboo. It's nice to know that the occupational norms of a journalist remain alive within.

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