27 February, 2007

AmmanNet, the 1st arabic jordanian mass media to discuss Amman's Night Life!

صحن مكسرات صغير وكوب من الشاي كانا سببا في اقتيادي الى نقطة الأمن في حدائق الملك عبد الله بعد شبه مغامرة عاطفية مع إحدى فتيات الليل في الحدائق!.
القصة بدأت عندما انتحلت أنا و زميلي شخصية سياح عرب يبحثون عن المتعة واللهو، قصدنا الحدائق وتجولنا في شوارعها، ولم تكد تمر خمس دقائق حتى تخاطفتنا الفتيات المتربصات خارج المقاهي.

في حدائق الملك عبد الله حياة أخرى تنشط بعد الساعة الثامنة مساءا، موسيقى صاخبة ودعوات سخية من فتيات في مقتبل العمر لدخول المقاهي التي تشعلها سهرات السمر، هذه الدعوات باطنها يختلف عن ظاهرها إذ ان عنوانها (التفضل بشرب فنجان قهوة) لبينا الدعوة بكل سرور بعد ان أخفينا جهاز التسجيل جيدا داخل الحقيبة، قادتنا إحدى الفتيات في العشرينات الى الداخل جلسنا على طاولة خشبية في وسط المقهى الذي تختلط فيه ألوان الأضواء الحمراء مع ديكورات المحل البيضاء، وبدأ الحوار بالتعارف ولم يكن هذا التعارف يخلو من بعض التسالي كالمشروبات والمكسرات التي يقدمها الزبون مرغما للفتاة التي تجالسه، وبعد حفلة التعارف والمكسرات أخذ الحوار ينحو منحى آخر.

"بدك بنات" أختار من تريد من الفتيات الموجودات في المحل، أشارت لفتاة في بداية العشرينات من عمرها هل تريدها؟ إنها صغيره في العمر خذها بسعر خاص 15 دينارا. لكن ما آلية الدفع؟ وكيف نستطيع ان نظفر بفريستنا؟ أجابت: " الدفع الآن مقدما وفي تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءا تكون الفتاة في انتظارك أمام الشارع الرئيسي للحدائق وتأخذها الى أين ما تشاء".

More here.

21 February, 2007

Save Debbin from "COOL" People!

Since approximately e v e r y b o d y promoted for signing their names on a website to save debbin.
So ... how many of those really do know details about whats happening there!
I'm afraid to say none!

Being a resident of Jerash for the past 17 years... I can tell you more detail:
The project was proposed and planned since over 3 years now.
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know how much local public and authorities in jerash area have been fighting to get some investor to ACT for such a project.
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders have ever been to debbin more than 24 aggregated hours during the past 10 years. Or even 15 years!
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know how much debbin did loose during the past 15 years because of being an un-protected forest were public mess out during the summer. And do not know that every summer 4-6 fires are set-up in the area burning out 10s of pine trees.
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know that 10s of trees in the area are chop down every year illegally since 10s of years so that some of them would have wood coal and fireplace burning woods in their villas!
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know that since a few years back even poor local people chop down trees in order to get their children some warmness during the freezing winters of the area because of the massive rate of unemployment and poverty in the area.
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know that over 75% of the youth in the area and villages around debbin suffer unemployment. And the only job they do around the year is harvest their olive trees in the autumn.
The Project was to be started before more than a year ago. And the RSCN and Government stopped it until it got in with Jordan Dubai capital to an agreement about how things should go environmentally
The Project is an eco-tourism project, eco-tourism is available only in lebanon as far as arab countries are concerned. Does anyone around here knows what eco-tourism is!
The Building of the project will not be built in the forest! But in an empty area beside it.
I can guarantee that None of those who signed, promoted to sign, or the FOE members or founders know the number of trees that will be chop down in this project, nor the number of trees that will be planted.
The Buildings area will be planted.
The forest area will be totally protected.
The trees chop down will be in few numbers, and will be chop down to open roads to the project.
The number of newly planted trees in the project will be 10X the number of trees chop down in opening the roads.
The land of the project will remain property of the government! It will only be rented.
100s of locals will be working in the project directly.
1000s of locals will be working in the project in-directly.
If you dont want the project, be sure that residents of Burma, Khshebe, Majdal, Kette, Remon, Sakib, Na7le, Al-Jazzaze, Gaza Camp, 3lemoon .. and the entire Jerash Area WANT IT!

So ... Save Deebin by not signing!

15 February, 2007

Recycling the PTRC mind!

Upon roba's "DAWWER" and "TADWEER" terms in her Recycling graduation project.
we got this equivilant in public transportation :) Powered by Abu Mahjoob.


Guess whose the Dark BLUE plate number for.. while Research and Development is dead!

Yesterday: 14th of march 2007.
Time: 6:15 PM
Area: University street, in front of the Honda Showroom.

What happened?!
well, I saw a red Audi TT Hardtop. driven by a girl in her 20s.
Car number: 4779 Dark Blue!
YOU KNOW WHAT DARK BLUE means!? that this is a public university's Car!!!!

Do you hear me ministry of education..
Do you hear me council of higher education ..
Do you hear me Anti-Corruption Dept ..
Does anyone hear me!

Me, as a Jordanian citizen, and an ex-public university student who suffered from the lack of research and development support at university have the right to know how the car with the Dark Blue Plate Nr 4779 was bought instead of allocating the money spent on it for "USEFUL THINGS"!

and i WILL NOT let this just be a post in my archives I PROMISE.

14 February, 2007

Toot Apologises!

just received an email from the Toot team that they finally found my "MO3AMALE" ...!

interesting!

08 February, 2007

The Service Drivers Protesting in Raghadan New Terminal.

upon moving All The old amman areas service white cabs to the new Raghadan Tourist Terminal.....

The white cab drivers are protesting ... and today even more than the beginning, after the claims of the PTRC cheif and the terminal's cheif claims that they had gathered with the drivers yesterday...
while on the other hand the drivers and a representative of the Police dept that was part of the meeting confirm the fact that non of the two mentioned above came to meet with the drivers...

This morning they were on al-wakeel's show...
and right now, Sayara FM, the specialized show on Radio AmmanNet is broadcasting live from there in a special edition since 11:30 AM (instead of broadcasting a replay of sunday's edition).

07 February, 2007

Grew up in Amman in 80's and 90's?!

I got this in an email forwarded by a university colleague and dude (Waves to Mr Kernel :))...
and shall i say its very true ... and soo (ME & MY GENERATION :) )...
and loooooooooolll at Mujamma3 Bank Al-iskan being our Jordanian Disney Land :)

- You watched Al Manahel everytime it's on, and you know what does "Aqwa men
al Shadda, Ahda2 men Al Sukoon" means!

- You can recite the theme songs of Jongar, Grendizer, Al Rajol El Hadidi,
Lady Lady, Sally, Adnan Wa Lina, Al Haddaf

- You watched: Captain Majed, Sandy Bell (even if you're a boy), Judy
Abbott, Bell wa Sebastian, Al 7oot El Abyad, Lady Oscar (bass balash lady,
abu el shabaab), Labeeba (who we never tend to know she got hair for hands
or hands for hair), Sonbol, Tamtamm, Jazeerat El Kanz, Maymouna, Al Ra7alou
El Sa3'eer, Flona, Sindibad, Tom Sawyer

- You watched Eftah Ya Semsem, and later on in your life found out it's the
Arabic version of Sesame Street.

- You know the two flavours of 'Shokalatet Moody'. Yellow and Pink

- You bough from Dukkaneh:
Dam3a, Zaki, Double Wheel, Tootoo (Tweety), Raas El 3abed, SB 3elket
Ma5addat, Roco, Tiger Chocolate, Shebs Ringo, Askimo, Shukala 3ammar, 3elket
Mentaad, Halawani Shebs, Baskoat Marie, Katakeet, Mr Shebs (not CHIPS, SHEBS
- haha), Petra Ice Cream (the 'expensive' one with double layers), the red
ULKER chocolate with the cubes.

- You know the tune the Cotton candy man does (Sha3r El Banat)

- You played Ghommayeh, 6ummayeh or whatever you call it and when you touch
the 'place' you say "Kummesteir" and 'til now you don't know what the hell
it means!

- You know "Al 7ezam El Azraq" and you own at least one VHS or Betamax (â)
by them. WWF wrestling matches

- You had a crush on 3aroob Sobo7 (if you're a boy) with her show "Waqt El
Mara7" and if you're a girl, you had a crush on the always-wearing-a-cap
goalkeeper in Captain Haddaf.

- You sang "Happy Nation" and "All That She Wants" and thought you're
dead-on cool!

- You drew Fido Dido at a certain phase of your life

- You had a pair of big white sneakers, and most of you had Reebok Pump.

- Atta-Ali and Jabri were the best restaurants in town.

- You ate "7alaqaat El Basal" (onion rings) in Funny Bunny

- You had a SAKHR AX170 Keyboard and you played on it night and day.
"Masafa" was written next to "Space".

- You had an Atari, and somewhere in your house you still have that Joystick
somewhere in the house.

- You know Abu Yousef, and you can at least sing one of the three songs of
his

- In the back of your mind there's a song called "Tgool Ahwak" by an ancient
Jordanian band called Mirage

- You know that Atta Ali has 46 Ice Cream flavours! Beat that Baskin Robins!

- You attended weddings in Jabri, at Knafeh from Jabri, ate actual food from
Jabri and ate the Nestle-Lion-Imitation Tiger Chocolate (by Jabri bardo!)

- You know the tune of "Fares El 7alqa" from Yes3ed Saba7ak, every Friday
morning on Jordan TV.

- You thought that "Ya Ayoha El Maleko El Ajal" by that Sofia woman was the
new Anthem for Jordan, haha

- You remember the bookshops in Amman celebrating "Al 3awda Ela El Madares"
with you buying stationery.

- Your family had a workshop in the house, laminating your books' covers
with what is called "Tajleed Contact"

- You took ages to pick the 'suitable' name labels for your books

- After laminating the books, you go to school with some having bubbles in
them. And you know what you did in class with these

- You never called the Jordanian sole channel Jordan TV, it was always
"Amman"; and you watched American movies on "3amman El Tanyeh"

- "Yahya El Thakaa2!"

- You know three bees: Zeina, Nahool and Sewar el Asal.

- "Ayaseeeedi, Romo Yalla Hat"

- "Bestek Bestek Bestek NAW, Shukalata Jersey makla el GAW"

- You Had nightmares about Abu Shakoosh

- You wore "Boat Amigo Bedwi w Betfi", and walked proudly in the Jordanian
streets

- You know "Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go, Go Go Go Go", Ferkat Sala7ef El Neenja
fee Mat3am Garfields.

- You actually saw a Monkey in "7adiqat al Tuyoor"

- You know the song "The Final Countdown" as the theme for Dehanaat National
(National Paints)

- You actually called Abu El Dahab center "El Dobb" cause there's a big
Panda there

- You consumed Zeit and Za3tar sandwiches in school that could feed 50
families for 10 years

- Your local Disney Land was Mujamma3 Bank El Iskan

- Your other Disney Land was Luna Park

- You cut your classes in school to go buy Falafel sandwiches from the
restaurant next to the school.

- You had (and may still have) "Kharabeesh 13, 14, 15 and 16" cassettes.

- Your third Disney Land was Da3saan Lel Tarfeeh

- Shebs Disco, colored fingers. And Shebs Bitza, rings for your fingers

- You watched the Quran in the morning, just waiting for it to finish so
you'd watch morning cartoons.

- You watched "Sameed" before school, and wondered how tyres actually taste
like!

04 February, 2007

Mood FM is speaking (Part #2)

Right now, the 4th of Feb, 2007. 4 PM Jordan Local Time. Mood FM started its Second radio show, and the very first edition of Mood FM's "Afternoon Drive"!

31 January, 2007

Project BiSCA's 1st mass-media appearance in its 1st birthday.

Project BiSCA (Bus Information, Scheduling, and Control for Amman), which is our (that is Ehab Al-Hakawati, Fayez Al-Rafeaa, and yours truly Nasim Al-Tamimi) University graduation project, and turned later by us into a pilot project aiming by that for it to be improved and implemented. BiSCA got last Sunday, the 28th of January 2007, its first ever nation-wide mass-media attention. When it was featured on Radio Amman Net 92.4 FM, through the only radio show in the Jordanian radio sphere concerned in traffic and transportation issues. “Sayara FM” with Mohammad Shamma.

The mass-media premier of project BiSCA to the nation featured the three of us, celebrating a year since project BiSCA's initialization with a very high confidentiality and hope that turning project BiSCA into a Pilot Project will be bringing BiSCA deeper into the Jordanian public transportation's reality. Along with a more sharpen view of what we have already done, and where we are heading to with project BiSCA.

Mohammad Shamma, the editor and presenter of “Syara FM” discussed with us the facts and applicabilities BiSCA will be affecting the urban public transportation sector in Amman when applied.

Mr Shamma also contacted Mr Hashem Masaeed, head of Jordanian Public Transportation Regulatory Commission, Mr Yousef Borno, head of traffic engineering dept in Amman Greater municipality, and Mr Abdul Sattar abu Hassan, The regional Vice-president of the International Union for Public Transportation and the owner and founder of Asia Transport Co. in order to discuss with them the possibility of applying such a project in Amman.

Personally speaking, I found both Mr Abdul Sattar, and Mr Yousef Borno positive regarding our project, and discussing the further technical details with us, and the possibility of integrating it with what they are trying to have/apply in the Greater Amman Municipality, and the newly founded Integrated Transportation Co respectively in the domain of Traffic and Transportation Information Systems.

On the other hand, also personally speaking, Mr Masaeed's response didn't sound that positive to me! Or didn't have time to get into a discussion about it.... I'll leave it for you to listen and judge!

By the way, I got to know the Mr Abdul Sattar abu Hassan already knew something about project BiSCA since he happened to read my blog from time to time :)

Yes, you can still listen to the show by clicking on this link (you can right click and save it as MP3). And even read the article published in AmmanNet's website about it.
The show will be also re-broadcasted this Thursday, at 11:30 AM on radio Amman Net, through 92.4 FM in the greater amman area, or through www.ammannet.net .

After a year of getting deeper than usual through the status of urban public transportation in the capital Amman, after conducting the most powerful standardized define and design methodologies for the project, And taking care of each and every tiny cost detail in it... after spending non stop days and nights trying to resolve some unexpected cases, after a bunch of locked doors in our faces turning us to depend totally on our selves in the project, after having the weirdest day of my life as the day when we had the project's presentation and my CPU and motherboard went dead, singing all sort of graduation songs. And after participating at a Zombie graduation projects competition.

Project BiSCA is now officially a pilot project. And an initiative lead by us to improve the urban public transportation sector in Amman.

We are ready for the challenge ....
We are ready for the mission ....
We are ready for changing what couldnt be resolved for years ...
We ARE Ready ....

Are YOU ready?!
WE know who YOU are meant to be .... Yes ... YOU ... are YOU READY for BiSCA!