We're still here ;-)

I know...it's quite am moment ago since we blogged the last time. To be honest, I simply did not find the time and was not in the mood... but hey, I'm back ;-)

Quite some things happened since I wrote the last time. The nutshell or management summary version is: we had friends over (what a surprise ;-), some friends left, we went back to Switzerland, summer fully arrived in Jordan, we have water in the pool, Katja finished her English course and I am looking forward to my holidays in Scottland with my buddies!

OK now one thing after the other. We went to Beirut with our friends who visited us and it was a blast! We had such a great time that I had really a hard time when they left... I really missed them. M.C. + P.A. it was great! Looking forward seeing you soon agein somewhere! Love you guys! So they left and shortly after I flew back to Switzerland on a mixed business/private trip. I was the first three days at Headquarters, followed by four days leisure with family and friends. I was just great to see all again. I saw my brother and his lovely girlfriend at their new flat. We had a very nice evening on the terrace with BBQ, sunset and everything you need for a fantastic summer night. Was great to see you guys!

I also managed to see M.C. who just visited us together with his wife some weeks before. This was possible as he is from the same city where I was staying on business. We met and went for dinner to a fantastic place along the lake. It is a small restaurant that is open only during summer and has very few tables. I'd say around 20 but all along the water. Small menu but kick a** quality! The place is really a hidden gem and thus, I will not reveal the name ;-) Kidding ;-) if you want to know the name, please let me know...we then went also further down (or better up) the lake and had a final beer at a nice bar along the lake. Was a great chilly evening. The nice thing about going north (at least when the weather is nice) is that you can enjoy the endless light. Sunset is at least two if not more hours after Jordan. Here at 2000 the very latest, it is pitch black! Flipside is that you hang out until 2300 and have the impression that it is not that late as the sun is still not completely down ;-) You pay the price next day in the office ;-)

After almost a week in the office I went to see my friends. I announced it (as I always do and we gather always in the same restaurant) Unfortunately I got scheduled a meeting right at 1700 which lasted 2 hrs in my office. Because of that I was at the restaurant only at 2030. It was planned to start at 1900 but hey...business first... of course I had to listen to many who said that I really adapted to the Arab world! My answer was that it was almost 1900 ;-) Anyway, it was just great! First of all my wife and very good friends came to welcome me at the trainstation and brought me a bottle of my favorite beer (I have one share of the brewery and they do not pay dividends but have free beer at the general assembly ;-) We then went all together to the restaurant and the whole bunch was there! Some 15 people gathered and it was a great welcome back! You would just hug everybody and keep them with you. For me personally this is the toughest thing. My friends I had to leave behind. And that's on the other side the reason why I try not to go back home too often... it is hard enough to say good bye to friends when they spent their holidays in Jordan with us, but being back home and have to leave again was really tough... once/ twice a year is more than enough... I don't need it more...

We had such a great evening, especially as many of my friends have experience with the Middle East and Egypt. They understand me immediately when I say something! They know exactly how it is... we laughed hard and enjoyed the evening outside but unfortunately the weather didn't really wanted to be nice and we had pouring rain with a thunderstorm over the city later the evening. The funniest thing was that the next day my wife's uncle really told me that they were suffering from scarsity of water as it did not rain enough! Whisky, Tango, Foxtrot? I initially thought he was kidding as coming from Jordan where now everything is, or is getting amber and brown because there REALLY is no water I simply couldn't immagine that he was complaining about not having enough water!!! But that's a classic... as long people complain, they are alive ;-) We finished our evening with friends at around three in the morning and the next day I realized that I definitely am not 20 anymore...We were lucky and could use the flat of another good friend who is now on a road trip on his Harley to the North Cape .... Take good care AB and enjoy! So looking forward seeing you soon here in Jordan! Thanks a lot for your generosity for having allowed us to use your flat. All the best wishes from us to your father.

So I hung out the full day on "stand-by" and met some friends of the evening before in a coffee house where we chatted and had coffee. By coincidence another friend dropped by too. Was funny how we re-grouped without big planning...maybe it is because the city is just small ;-)

The evening we were invited at Katja's aunt's place for BBQ. Lucky enough that day was nice and sunny...no rain ;-) The next day then I went to see my mother in law in the morning as Katja, her brother and sister were already there to help to perpare for the big party the evening. It was my mother in law's birthday. Being a gentleman, I of course do not reveal her age ;-) They went to the cottage to prepare for the party and I went back to town to do some shopping. Also, the same day I went to the birthday party of my god son which happened to be exactly that day :-) You see... my visit was quite busy ;-)

So after a morning spent with shopping and again meeting two other friends who were at the restaurant the other evening at a shopping mall buying CD's (the city seems to be really small ;-) I went to the public park where the children party was planned. Unfortunately I had very little time because I had to leave as the other party was supposed to start early evening. But the party was nice and I enjoyed to see my good friend and his family with my god child. This is also a big difference between the Middle East and Northern Europe... here in Jordan, you get invitations during the week at 2100, food is served without any problem around 2230/2300...after the dinner people usually leave quite quick. Back home the party was scheduled at 1700 (!) and at 0100 everybody was gone (the majority left before midnight...) Also people would never leave immediately after dinner...people stay, chat and drink sometimes for hours. Here they usually leave after dinner. Hey, it's just different!

It was a very nice party. All friends of my mother in law gathered and the venue was just great. A very nicely located cottage that can host at least some 100 people. Perfectly equippd with everything you need to through a great party. They organized a farmer who came for the BBQ and served his "home-grown" animals. So no fear from mad cow disease! ;-) it was fun to see so many people I hadn't seen for a long time and very interesting to see people's attitude towards the Middle East... some are very sceptical (but have never been here of course and get their information from the yellow press...), others who also have never been here but ask you questions as they want to understand and some couldn't stop asking as they were so interested and kept me for quite a moment ;-) One of the most asked questions was of course if we were safe. This goes out to the whole world: JORDAN IS SAFE, NICE AND BEAUTIFUL!! COME HERE ANYTIME AND YOU WILL SEE!! Some friends of us were a bit reluctant before they came but I can say that all of them left and all enjoyed Jordan! Just let me knw if you want to come to Jordan!!

We spent another day hanging out (it rained again the next day...why would you say that they have not enough water...?!) and the next day I returned to Amman. The day I left of course the flight was delayed. I arrived not too early (as I think airports in general are not too sexy to spend time...) but the airplane was not there. I did not go to the lounge as I did not have my Gold member card from Royal Jordanian as I just became it recently. So I was hanging out at the gate waiting that it opens when they announced a delay of at least 1 hour :-( I had an idea: I looked for an open hotspot, hooked up and managed to get access to the frequent flyer page from Royal Jordanian (RJ). There it says that I am a gold member. I took my notebook and went to the lounge with my open notebook and asked the gentleman at the desk if he would accept this and would let me in... of course he accepted and I was in :-) It is just more quiet and you can have drinks for free and to be honest the time passes quicker in the lounge... so I cheked the screen and it said 1610... I had a softdrink, was working on something when they changed and I did not realize it... when I looked at the scree it was already 1610 and it was last call! From the lounge to the gate it takes a moment so all the sudden I had to rush! I run down the hall that was totally empty...scary I thought, and hoped that they did not already close the gate...while rushing down the hall a person approaches me from the side asking me if I was the missing passenger! I managed to get in, all already sitting and I was the very last one! How many time did I see this but already sitting in the plane and asking myself:" Why the heck can't they just be there on time?!" I know why now...

Before I left Jordan I was invited to an engagement party of a colleague from work. He invited me but mentioned it more by the way. Luckily I asked him about the party, means what the dress code is, when to be there, what to do etc.

So here is the story: He met a girl and after some 6 month they got engaged. For the engagement party they invite a lot of peole to make it public. They can now publicly show themself as a couple. The gethering was at a restaurant that has a big hall. I arrived as he told me at 1600 and met some colleagues from work. At the lower floor his friends gathered, her family and friends gathered at the upper floor. After some 20 minutes we went upstairs and took our seats. That was the moment when a person from his family asked her family if they would agree that he would be together with her. This was a speech of let's say 5 minutes. Her party answered and agreed :-) The whole gathering happend without women. After the ceremony the families offered Kanaffa, juices and soft drinks. The ceremony was over after some 45 minutes. The very nice thing is that all came, dressed up in suits and ties to show respect and participate to the nice moment and share the nice time with their friends. This is something that keeps hitting me everytime. As soon as it comes to family and friends they are there for each other... something of the nicest things in the world. I really admire this. Again MABRUK to my colleague A. and his finacée! (After the party everybody said Mabrouk (Congratulations in Arabic) to him and the family wishing him all the best.

I hope to find again time to blog soon as The Holy Month Ramadan will start very soon (around August 1). I am sure I will have new stories to share with you!

Take good care wherever you are in this world. Big hug from Jordan!!