Better Mommies

A last one before we leave tomorrow... Was at Bibs and Bobsy's pediatrician and saw this flyer. I haven't checked it out obviously, but worth having a look at.

A good baby shop and a talk about bread

Opposite the Kuwaiti embassy, on the road from the US embassy towards Dair Ghbar there is a little stretch with some shops. I have already blogged about it, that's where you find a second cup and a cactus shop (or is it cacti?!) - well I was told there was a new bakery opened and of course I had to check it out.

But before I come to that (and the lovely cookies they make) well I have to talk about Rawhi Pharmacy. You see, I have learned to go into every single pharmacy I find on my way, just to have a look at their baby stuff selection - sometimes, like today, one can have a fab discovery.

The call themselves the "One Stop Baby Shop" and yes it probably could be. On the first floor they have a huge amount of strollers and car seats - several UK and French brands (the prices are huge as well...) but the choice is there. Then sell playpens and booster seats, high chairs and bath tubs and all kind of security things (monitors, mats for the bath, shades for the car windows... etc) and the whole collection of bébé comfort (toys, plates and cutlery, baby carriers...). You can even make a wish list for the arrival of your little one. And then the best thing of my discovery... They sell "organix" products!

Amazing!

Don't get too excited, I got the 2 last pouches (2.400 JD), but I did tell the pharmacist to get more and to get other flavours.... A part from the pouches, they have teething biscuits, cereals bars, raisins... so good stuff!

So after leaving baby shop heaven, I arrive at BreadTalk, the bakery. I got a bit disappointed as I had a "no" when I asked the shop assistant if I could take pictures (that's the first time in 2 years). It's a bakery, there is nothing so special about their concept and I just wanted a couple of pics to illustrate my blog. Shame.

So a part from the not so understanding shop assistant, it's a nice place. There is a small sitting area to enjoy coffee and cake. They have lots of salty things (garlic bread is one I remember) and then they have a few different types of toasts, biscuits... and cakes. They have an open kitchen which is a nice feature, the pastry guy was making what seemed to be a yummy cake. 

this is what you get for 12JD...

This is what I bought. A carrot toast and wholegrain toast, both are very nice. Bibs loved the wholegrain one. And then the reason why I went, their biscuits: they are freshly made by hand, no additives, only good stuff. A little sweet maybe for some, but with a good cup of coffee or a lovely cuppa tea they are perfect. It's a bit expensive - the wholegrain toast is 3JD, which double the price of the supermarkets. Biscuits are 3JD as well. 

I love days like this! It's always nice to discover new places. 

Shopping at Spinneys

I like going to Spinneys. I don't really know if it is more or less expensive that Cozmo or Miles. Some of my friends find that yes, others no. So I guess it depends what you buy. There are things you can ONLY get at Spinneys as yogurts at 7JD for 4 or apples @ 10JD ++ the kilo - I know scary. But today I found one thing you can only get at Spinneys and that costs less than 1JD: a Reusable Shopping Bag. Yes.

So I bought a couple of them. I am so fed up with all these plastic bags I get every time I go shopping. I am going to drown in them. The funny thing was that it was probably the first time the guy that was packing actually had some in his hands. He looked at me and asked me very seriously if I wanted to use them. Hmmm yes! then he went completely nuts and loaded the bag so much that I could barely carry it!

Once I got home I had to get one of my plastic bags so I could transfer some stuff over. At least one of them got a second life. I know I could reuse them, but I always forget and seriously I think the supermarket staff would think I am a complete weirdo if I did.

And then I like their motto... It would be nice if it was true. Not that I have had a negative experience, in general the staff is actually very nice and helpful.

If only they hadn't run out of Ella's kitchen stuff. Talking about baby food - you can get Happytot pouches in some pharmacies now, including the pharmacy at Taj Mall and the little one in the street leading down to Mecca Street from the Four Seasons hotel. 

Pampering & Baby group!

We are a group of more or less 12 mums who meet a couple of times every week, once at the British Club and then either in a cafe or at somebody's place. Well yesterday one of the mums had arranged that we could have a manicure/pedicure done! What a fab idea. It's true it is not always easy to find the time for yourself when you have a baby (or more) to look after, so instead of going to a salon for having it done, well the salon came to us! That's a great thing about the Middle East - those things are possible. Wouldn't even dare to imagine what it would cost in the UK (or other western country)... but yesterday I had a pedicure and manicure done for the bargain price of 15JD, yes yes 15. For 5 hours there was 2 ladies who did all our nails while we were looking after eachothers baby.

Got to like that!!

I like my new hair & my chat with the street vendor at the red light

This morning I decided to go the hair dresser. Now that we know where we are going to live, I chose one not to far from our new "home" and went to "Pace & Luce" at the Sheraton. All the big hotels have their hair dresser and it is very common to come from the outside. So I put Bibs in her pushchair and off we went. I had already been there a couple of weeks ago to have a pedicure done (8JD) and Mary-Lou had told me I could bring Bibs and she would look after her while I had my hair done! So I took her word for it... and she did entertain her the whole time I sat there. And though I was a bit sceptical when the hairdresser started I must say I love my new hair, just need to get some highlights done now as well, maybe next week. It cost me 28JD not cheap but not a price I find too stiff either, far cheaper than the UK or my dear hairdresser Cyril in Paris - I miss his "sexy" haircuts!

I wanted to check out a Chicco store that I saw last time on Naser Ben Jameel Street. Just after 5th circle at the red light was this street vendor selling Jordanian flags that you can put on your window screen and I thougt I'll have one. So I called him over and handed him 1JD, he gave me the flag and said 2 JD. It went on for a little while, "1JD... 2JD" and he said "got 2 babies, please come back tomorrow ms" and I said "OK maybe". I continued my way to the Chicco store and Bibs as usual got plenty of things. It is a very well furnished shop, with toys, travel systems, cots, baths, clothes. Got Bibs a walker (65JD) and a few toys, including a phone in hope she will leave my cell phone alone now... wishful thinking! Wish one would you prefer??

On the way back we meet the flag guy again! And of course he recognises me; he comes over to the car and makes a sign so that I open the window. And he goes "2JD" and "I have 2 babies" - this times he shows me how small with his hands - seems very newborn to me, maybe twins?!? lol. So I tell him: jordanian price 1/2 JD, but me 2JD? and he goes "YES" with a big smile and gives me another flag! So I guess he deserves his other JD for being so honest; even if he is not married and has no children! Bless him.

Lunch at the Wild Jordan Nature Centre

Today I met with a couple of other mums and their girlies for lunch at the Wild Jordan Nature Centre. It is located after the 1st circle, above the old city of Amman and with fantastic views over the Citadel as well as the famous flag of Jordan (which is absolutely huge!). You can see it on the left hand side of the picture below.

The centre promotes the protection, the sustainable use of Jordan's resources as well as Eco Tourism. On the Website you will find information about trailing in different nature reserves, where you can stay, the costs...

The building is a new structure in glass and steal, built on the edge of a mountain, there are plenty of floors, but an elevator as well! There is a craftshop with really nice items from different nature reserves around the country. I bought some small things: 2 small hand made bowls, a soap tray and a soap made from olive oil - total of 14JD - I know not cheap but it is for the good cause! Then there is an area where with sofas and nature magasines. This is where we had lunch, they usually don't serve there but 3 mums and 3 babies made them understand that it was a bit easier. It is also a breastfeeding friendly place. The food is a "healthy option" place - it offers healthy snacks, salads and light meals through out the day. I had an Artichoke salad which was really nice, very fresh produce - with a blueberry milkshake (skimmed milk please!) and a bottle of water for a total of 11JD - that's also not cheap - but the location is nice and it is breastfeeding friendly! 

Then you have the restaurant located on 2 floors (one smoking, one non) as well as an outside terrasse I think, but it didn't look open and don't know if it was easy accessible with a stroller.

All in all a nice and refreshing place to come and enjoy some amazing views, and contribute as well to the protection of Jordan's fabulous nature heritage.

Baby stuff in Amman

Some things are easy to find, others like baby food (in jars) are a bit more difficult! However not completely impossible. You may think what a lazzy mum not cooking by herself... I wish I could! However we have still not moved into our apartment and if I want Bibs to taste anything else than banana, baby rice or avocado well I don't really have a choice. And there might be other occasions where it is needed! So I have found one small supermarket called "CS Corner" and they have a tiny selection of baby foods - 2 brands, Bledina (French) and Gerber (US); apparently he has also ordered from the UK. The supermarket is located between 4th and 5th circle, the street is called Bou Medien. If you leave the 5th circle (dir 4th circle) it's the second street on your right, the shop is opposite the Belgium Embassy. He also has "swimmers" - nappies for the water. The only thing is it's quite expensive: about 2.5JD for a jar of food and 7.5JD for the nappies... But then all imported things are. The only other place I have seen jar food is at Cozmo - and it is only fruit ones.

What else... car seats, prams, travel systems, travel cots, all that can be found at Mothercare (City Mall, Mecca Mall) but it is VERY expensive! At least twice what it would cost in the UK. There are other shops as well where these type of things are available. Clothes wise - apart from Mothercare - you have a lovely brand called "tape a l'oeil" also available in above mentioned malls, and many others including Debenhams, Zara baby... At the Four Seasons Hotel you can even find Cacharel - but that is also very expensive... 90JD for a dress! but the owner alwsays keeps some of the old collection and will happely sell it very discounted - I got 2 dresses for 50JD - shhh don't tell anyone that I spend so much money in baby clothes :)

Toys wise there is an Early Learning Centre in City Mall and they have exactly the same things as in the UK, but as with all imported goods you will pay it much more - there is a Hemley's as well on the same street as Mecca Mall. Carrefour seems to have quite a large toys section but haven't really looked at it, so I don't know how much they have for babies, but they have a selection of baby-walkers. There are indoor playgrounds in all the malls I think - I have only had a look at the one in City Mall and it seems impressive, there is even a carousel - haven't really looked at it further asy Bibs is far too small - need to take a picture!

That's all I have discovered until now, I will come back with more on baby stuff as soon as possible.

Citizens of the World

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day during our now weekly Starbucks Mum & Baby meet-up and she asked me what I consider “Home”… Many people actually ask me that question.

I am born in Denmark, this small Scandinavian country – and no there are no polar bears walking around in the streets of Copenhagen!! When I was kid we moved to France where I grew up, then went on studying in Switzerland and started to travel – US, UK, back to France, back to UK and now Jordan. Well I don’t know where home is! I feel very Danish and I am proud to be Danish – but I left far too young to able to call it “Home”. I grew up in France and I call my parents house “home” – but I don’t feel or consider myself French, so it is not there either…

That got me wondering, is that strange not to be able to say where home is? Yesterday home was London, home today is Amman, tomorrow it will most probably be somewhere else. Of course it has it’s disadvantages: you are often far away from your family & old friends, it is difficult to keep up with family traditions, I miss some foods… but apart from these few things I can only see advantages: it has made me who I am today – tolerant, open minded, new things don’t scare me (well they do a little bit now that I am a mum and that’s a new feeling!). I have visited plenty of countries and will hopefully see many more. I know people from big cities and others from tiny places there are not even on maps.

So am I missing out on something? and more importantly what about Bibs? will it be a problem for her as she grows up? or will she just adapt easily to her new surroundings every time we will have to move? of course we might find in this world a place where one day, we would want to stay and that I finally can call “Home”.

Maybe, some time, some where…

For the time being, I guess I can call us Citizens of the World.

So much to tell!!

I have so much to talk about, I don’t even know where to start… There was this interesting article about the reclassification of the hotels in a new system – I will find time to do a separate post on that.

Then yesterday I was at The British Club – every Wednesday at around 11am there is a Mum & Baby meeting and as babies become toddlers there is a group as well (meeting Sun-Tue-Thu @ 10am I think). You can find the info about full membership on the link above and I think for the Mum & Baby group it’s 90JD per annum – not 100% sure as I haven’t joined yet… will confirm it next week. The group is very nice, yesterday there was a British lady, a scot, a Dane, a lady from New Zealand, a French lady and me :) I am also in contact with a Swedish gal who is coming next week. Babies are girls & boys (most girls though) from 6 weeks to 1 year. Bibs really enjoyed being with other babies! and she sat up for the first time as well, proud mummy I am! I guess it’s because she looked at other babies doing it…

I discovered Cozmo - with a "z" not "s" - (around 7th circle), next to Safeway as well – another shopping mall called ABC mall (also known as Albaraka Mall) and I saw some shops outside where you can walk with a stroller – need to check it out and will get back about it as well. Well Cosmo was really nice – not as big as Carrefour. Lots of Waitrose products and you can buy pork as well – not fresh but as salami, hams… You will have some products in one place and some in another supermarket (I love supermarkets! – I can walk down every single aisle :) Talking about supermarkets you’ll mainly find Johnson’s products for babies here.
I was told there is a shop not far from the 5th circle where you can buy baby food in jars – they have “bledina” – a French product, but apparently they have ordered things from the UK as well.
I need some pictures of all this! next Wednesday I’ll add some of the British Club and I’ll take some of the place I see in Amman – will link a map of Amman as well.

That's all I have time for right now! Need to get ready for a walk with Bibs - Have decided I am going to visit the Four Seasons Hotel...

Our first drive in Amman… finding our way to Jabal al-Qal'a

So here we are, Bob’s first day off and we decide to go out for a drive. It’s good, it’s Friday – so there are not a lot of people on the road. I am always the designated driver so off we go. We decide to head for Jabal al-Qal’a – the Hill of the Citadel. Or that’s what we think, because Amman is a city without signs! We find the hill at the top of which we think the Citadel is, only to discover that yet it is the wrong one. There is a taxi stopped on the road and we ask him for the way. As Bob’s gets out of the car, he discovers that the taxi driver is Hassan, the one from the hotel. He laughs a little bit at us and tells us we are not in the right place… Hassan stops another taxi and asks him to drive us there, so we follow the taxi and yes it’s true we were not at all on the right hill. We pay the driver 3JD (as we were told) and we are at the top of one of the hills, and the right one this time!

the view from the Citadel

You have an amazing view over Amman – I have the impression that we are in the middle of Amman on the top of that hill. The city is in all the directions. This feeling is even stronger as the 3 o’clock prayer call starts on this Friday afternoon. The call echoes through the entire city – it is very beautiful.
The site was occupied as early as the Neolithic Period and fortified during the Bronze Age – the ruins that you can see today are Roman through early Islamic.

the Temple of Hercules – built between 161-166 AD

 the Byzantine Church – constructed in the 5th-6th centuries AD

the Umayyad Mosque – ca. 730 AD

Historically it is an interesting site to visit, also because it covers such a long period of time. It is also a very nice place to walk around with a stroller. We haven’t been here for very long, but I have discovered that you have to be a little adventurous and have a solid stroller to walk around in Amman! The pavements are really high, cars are parked everywhere… I don’t mind and Bibs thinks it’s funny with the bumps – but let’s be honest it is not the easiest country to walk your baby asleep in!

At the bottom of the hill you can see the Roman Theater, I think there is a path going from the Citadel to the Theater. We didn't visit it, Bibs is tired, so it will be for another time.

The drive back to the Hotel goes a bit better… there is a car with diplomatic plates leaving the Citadel at the same time as us and we decide to follow him. And yes it works, as we find our way back! It took us over an hour to find the Citadel and about 8 minutes to get back. One says that you have to get lost to be able to find your way, well I don’t think that I can find my way back up there without a little bit of help!

Bobs needs to buy some peanut butter for a guest, so we head to Carrefour. And let’s say that it is the last time we do that on a Friday evening! It was absolutely over-crowded. In Europe it is rare to see more than 2 persons doing the groceries together, well here it is a family thing: husband, wife, kids and baby-sitter! I would say that it resembled the first day of sales in London.