Personal
Desert castles and the Syrian border
I made notes for the first day of car travel on a balcony facing Hadrian’s gate while the sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Wednesday began with a departure at seven in the morning and a drive through a traffic-filled Amman in a car that was going to be our dumping ground for the next week. Continue reading…
A woman in Jordan
Travel remarks
Let’s admit it to ourselves, women, that we’re scared of visiting Middle Eastern countries, not only from Westernized reasons but also because we’re afraid of how men will look at us there. I was no different but I have to say that Jordanian men shattered stereotypes, one by one. I expected to feel uncomfortable, but there’s one important thing: they know you’re a tourist. They notice immediately and suitably lower their expectations. Women in Jordan might wear the hijab or something even more covered, but that isn’t obligatory for a Western woman. Continue reading…
The adventure begins
There were suddenly way too many needles in my life, because I had to have my hepatitis and typhus shots, while on the other hand I spent a lot of the time at the dentist, where they tried to sort out my tooth so it would leave me alone during my time in Jordan. So my preparations actually started as soon as I bought the ticket, and by the time I had to pack on Saturday before travelling, I’d actually had enough of everything. I had to remind myself that I don’t, in fact, need that many pairs of pants, and that people do live in Jordan and have stores there. No matter what I forgot, I would be able to find some sort of a replacement there. I was struck by Reisefieber and I couldn’t wait to sit on the bus on Sunday morning and start my 12-hour journey.
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Jordan as a country
Short geographic notes
Don’t worry, I’m not planning on giving a history lesson here, but I do wish to share some basic information about the country before I start writing about it. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as is its official title, lies in the Middle East and borders on Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank. Continue reading…
Wanderlust and a decision is made
The problem of being a student and, beyond that, also liking my work work is that I never actually go on an actual vacation. When my uni schedule frees up, I take advantage of it to work. When I have fewer texts to translate and copyedit, I spend most of my time reading for uni. Even by the seaside last year I spent an hour or two working daily, instead of spending that time for an additional book.
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Droid Adventures: BB-8 in Jordan
You’ve probably seen them around before, pictures with Lego figurines or plush toys against famous landmarks that remain blurred in the background. I’ve always found them cute and so, when the Lego Millenium Falcon caught my eye as I was packing for my vacation in Jordan, I grabbed BB-8 from the shelf and took him with me. Without further ado, here are the pictures that sprung into existence. Continue reading…
When things go “Ouch” in the night
Visiting doctors in a foreign country
*Za slovensko verzijo tega teksta prosim kliknite tukaj*
Unlike in childhood, when my constant colds and fevers caused my parents quite a few gray hairs, I am rather healthy now. (Knock on wood or, since it’s conveniently close, knock on a glass table where my feet are). But no matter how healthy a person is, it’s impossible to avoid occasional pains. When I’m lucky it’s only a cold, during which I spend a couple of days sniffling, complaining and feeling horrible, then I miraculously recover without going anywhere near a doctor.
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Human pink chameleon
A tribute to femininity
I always loved colours but you wouldn’t know it seeing my wardrobe, where dark colours dominated. And when I say dark, I mean gray, black and (for some diversity) dark red. Meanwhile yesterday, I went to uni dressed like this: Continue reading…
Where are all the women?
The world has about the same number of men and women. More exactly, in 2015, 49.5 % of the population were women, 50.5 were men (at least that’s what the World Bank’s data claims). But when you watch Hollywood movies, you can easily start thinking that the world is on the brink of extinction, because the male:female ratio is about 70:30. Who will give birth in their male world? We’re doomed, I tell you! Doomed!
