Time is running...

Wow time is running... Soon we will have been here already two full years. Amazing. Time flew by and I saw so many things and experience amazing and less amazing things. A great trip where also you put some things into perspective. We will see what happens next as unfortunately i still don't know where the journey goes... Insha'Allah everything will be good, I know. I returned from the US and it was just an amazing time. I managed to see my friends in Phila. We spent a wonderful weekend. Chilled , had some great food, hung out in Bars and restaurants, went to an AMAZING flea-market (big as a medium size village in Switzerland!) but it was still considered not fully booked yet! There was everything you can imagine. Literally everything! Some of the people were funny or maybe "special" is the better word... Anyway time was just great in Phila. My friends have a lovely house in a quiet area on a nice street a more the lovely backyard and a cozy living room. I already knew Philly from a previous visit but I enjoy the city as it is not enormous but offers whatever you want. especially the impact coming from Amman is enormous. You can walk around on sidewalks, look around without being hit by a car...it is just so different. i had a fantastic weekend with my friends and this goes ut to both of you: A BIG HUG! THANKS A LOT FOR ALL! I LOVE YOU GUYS! 8PS: My name is spelled with "z" ;-) I hit the road or better the rail on Monday morning to return to Washington DC by Amtrack. Amtrack is a nice way to travel from city to city as it is decently priced if you book well in advance and online. You have power plugs and free internet (works on/off but hey, better that nothing!). It is roughly a two hour trip )depends what train you pick). Both stations are just great. In Phila it is a big old station and the person was singing the destinations ;-) In DC Union Station is something you need to go and see if you ever managed to go to DC. It is a BIG station with a nice shopping area, nice restaurants and a fantastic (from an architectonic point) hall. Unfortunately they were restaurating it but I knew the station from previous visits to DC. DC is DC. Always nice to walk around and check the museums and monuments out. The Mall is for me always a must see. This time I went to see the Museum where the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is, the Museum for American History and the Nature History Museum. WWII monument, Vietnam Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. Although I am not US American it is always impressive, really nice and almost emotional. Especially the Vietnam Memorial. All those names of all the dead soldiers carved in black marble ... You think people would learn and stop war... I was then three days in a conference which was good but it is also very demanding because you are sitting all day inside, no window 8welcome to the US...), air-conditioned rooms but you constantly try to focus on what they are saying as it is interesting. After the conference I was really tired! Interesting as physicall I didn't do anything, just sat around and listened ;-) The trip to the US from Jordan is exhausting. It took me to go 22 hrs (!!) door to door. I left 0600 Amman time and checked in at the hotel 0400 Amman time... to come back it was better as the connection time was less. So short that I almost missed my flight to Amman. But as other flights were delayed as well, they waited :-) It took me "only" 17 hrs to come back. I arrived late evening, early evening. Next day, i went to the office. Funny enough people kept asking me: " You look sick. Or tired. Or both!" No wonder after 17 hrs trip and 8 hrs time difference! last qweek I had to go back to Doha in Qatar. I managed to go and visit the Museum for Islamic Art in Doha. Seriously: it is one of the nicest museums I have seen in my life! Everything is well organized (seriously!) nicely arranged, clean, properly described, most modern technology, not over crowded with stuff, interactive monitors, light that is just fantastic and illuminates the pieces of art in the best way a restaurant/bar area which is breath-taking as you see the water with the skyline of Doha... honestly: it was just amazing. If you ever go to Doha: GO AND SEE THE MUSEUM! It is just fantastic. the architecture is not from this world. the theme of cubes can be found all over and the materials are in total harmony. Glass and rock and water outside. A masterpiece of art the museum itself. Worldwide, hardly seen a nicer one. (I attached some pictures; same as in facebook). Now I am back in Amman. Here the sun started to shine again after some rough weeks with rain and even snow. It almost seems that summer is coming back!! I can't wait. It is so nice here and life is just different when the sun shines and you can drive around with open roof in your car and the sky is blue. BBQ season not started yet but very soon! YALLA summer!!! A big hug to all of you where ever you are. I miss you all and maybe my time here will come to a soon end. We will see. Insha'Allah all will be good. Take care wherever you are in this world. A big hug from Amman.