Eid Mubarak! and some childhood memories

All my best wishes for Eid Al-Fitr!

This week-end Muslims around the world will visit their families to share food and gifts - show their solidarity, respect to their loved ones. It reminds of when I was kid: when my grand parents were still alive we would drive to Denmark every Christmas to celebrate with our family. We were living 2000km away and it was just the way it was. I loved it: packing the car, taking my pillow and getting settled in the back of the car. Before we were out of the village we usually had to drive back to the house to check if the iron was unplugged or because we had forgotten this or that. Then the whole drive through France, Germany, take the boat and arrive in a very cold Denmark, but full of Christmas spirit! We used to live with my grand parents in their apartment. Christmas Eve Day, my grand dad wanted me to come with him and I had to visit all the other "old" people in the building. It was very important for him that I went with him and even though it was boring and that I couldn't really see the point I still went, for him. Years later, after my grand-dad had passed away of course I could see the point - and as I was usually away from the family or my parents friends, for years I wrote Christmas cards and send my wishes: away for me to show my love and respect.

You might wonder why I talk about this: well first of all I believe that all "our religions" are not that different from each other - we might honour our God in different ways but when it comes to festive seasons all the traditions are the same and made for the same reasons: honour God and keep families close together. Then there is an article in the paper today about this Eid tradition of paying visits and the fact that the younger generation are less interested in the traditions, when they are "forced" visits. I think it's a shame that younger generations tend to forget traditions or can't be bothered with them. I don't know if it's education or just our society that changes so much. Maybe it's because we knew that we didn't have a choice and nowadays everything is just open for discussion. Whatever it is I hope that I will be able to transmit to Bibs the importance of traditions.

Well, well. Yesterday we went to do some shopping an apart from food outlets and supermarkets everything was closed to celebrate Eid. The streets were quiet. We saw people nicely dressed going to visit their families and big reunions on the terraces.

Once again, Eid Mubarak!

Jordan welcomes Kuwait

The Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah is due to arrive in Amman today for a 2 day official visit. It is the first visit from the small gulf state in 20 years. I am not going to go into the details of the talks, you can read about them in the article from the Jordan Times. What I wanted to talk about is the public display around this visit - well actually all head of state visits. On the circles around town we have the flags of the visiting country, as well as on stretches of Zahran Street.

5th circle: a picture of the Emir and our King, Abdullah II of Jordan

You can also notice the flags: Kuwaiti & Jordanian

I think it is great to display the visits like this. It is important for the public to know what is going on. Of course you can read about it in the papers and see it on the news (well I guess, I haven't actually seen Jordanian news). In France for exemple I cannot remember ever seeing flags or pictures of any visiting head-of-state.

A couple of Museums in Amman

Located at the Amphitheater in downtown Amman are 2 small museums: the Jordan Folklore Museum and the Museum of Popular traditions. The museums are small but interesting.

At the right end of the amphitheater you can find the Folklore Museum. This one displays a collection of items showing the traditional Jordanian way of life, including home furnishings, musical instruments and handicrafts.

This represents a typical village home

Top right hand corner: a woman doing embroidery. This was done on folk costume, headdresses and veils, usually in geometric designs. To the left: a woman using a Rahhah, commonly utilised for grinding wheat. 

These are different looms: one for waving straw mats, the vertical one was used by villagers to wave tents from goats hair and the horizontal loom was used to make hair rugs for camels, called "figeh".

"Beit Shaar"

The tents where the Bedouins live are called "Beit Shaar". These ae weaved with goat hair and is completely waterproof. The tents are divided into 2 living areas: "el Muhram" for the women and "el Shigg" for men. To the left hand of the picture there is a man grinding coffee. The instrument is called a "Mihbash" - it is used to ground the coffee after it is roasted, in the process the grinder is making rhythmic musical sounds, accompanied by singing - so the "Mihbash" is also considered a musical instrument.

At the other end of the amphitheater stage is located the second museum: Popular traditions. This museum displays the traditional costumes of Jordan's people. One of the things displayed here are embroideries and dresses. They are really beautiful and differ from town to town.

In the basement, you can find a collection of mosaics from Madaba and other Byzantine Churches in Jordan.

Happy Easter

This Easter I would like to give thanks. Give thanks for everything that I have got. I think that too often we forget that we are blessed with so many good things and only tend to stop on the small things which bother us in life.

But before I do, let me tell you a bit about Easter in Denmark. Homes are decorated with eggs, small chickens, bunnies and other flowers, colours are mainly yellow and light green to represent Spring. You can check out some decorations here: Royal Copenhagen, they make the most awesome decorations (Christmas also) as well as dinnerware and home decors. It's not cheap, but I love their stuff! We don't do Easter eggs in the garden, but we have 'Gækkebreve' or teaser letters. Let me explain: It is a tradition going back to the 16th century and was then called bind letters. Nowadays they are anonymous letters send out composed in rhymes (or short poems) and with a paper cutting. They are signed with an amounts of dots representing each letter of the senders name and the receiver must guess who it comes from in 3 guesses, if they can't they owe the sender an Easter egg. The famous Danish author H.C Andersen was also known for his paper cuttings.

This is an example - you can find plenty online by searching 'Gækkebreve'

Then as always, there is the big Easter Sunday lunch, when friends & families gather to feast Jesus' Resurrection for the believers and an occasion to be together for the others. The lunch is usually a buffet which consists of marinated herring, small prawns, cut meats, hard boiled eggs, leverpostej (our liver pate), a warm dish (generally lamb or chicken) and a cheese board. Of course with all lunch in Denmark we serve akvavit also known as snaps (alcoholic beverage served in shots) and beer - we even have a special Easter beer.

Well, well enough about traditions...

I am so ever grateful for having a our baby girl. She the most precious we have got, I can never be thankful enough. I have a fab husband, who is kind and smart, funny and loving and who is taking care of us - I even get a present now and then! Though far away, I have both my fantastic parents, a great sis and wonderful nieces & a nephew, I love them all very much. I have caring in-laws who always make me feel welcome and a sister-in-law, I consider my sister. Far away as well are my old friends whom I know I can trust and count on. We are living in a peaceful country, we are free to say and think what we want. I have the liberty to pray my God. We are living a comfortable life. And for this and much more I don't give enough thanks...

Tomorrow night we are staying at the Six Senses Spa, yet another reason to be grateful! I will be back with lots of pictures and tell you all about the hotel!

I wish you a great Easter week-end.



Are you giving thanks for what you have?