My Jerusalem......

its been a while....

2011-01-15T19:44:00.000+02:00

I hate it when I do this, I never start something and carry on doing it, I have been thinking about writing a blog for so long now where I reached to a point where I imagine my self doing it, it reached to a level where I BELIEVE I've added a blog every other day, then I finally woke up and smelled the coffee, its just a pain!

Thank you all for your support, your comments and emails asking me to go back to writing, to go back to something apparently I was good at.

more blogs soon to come....

My Latest Taxixperience

2010-04-29T19:50:00.000+03:00

I Rarely take Taxi to get me to wherever I want to go, but unfortunately my car is in maintenance for the past 5 days or so, I had to take those flashy yellow cars to every destination i must go to. Basically I don't find my self a type of person who chats with taxi drivers they all talk about the same thing as if they are the same person in a million different bodies tossed around sharing the same "misery".

My last taxi ride was actually interesting that it actually pushed me to blog it and put it in words; it all started when I waved my hand to stop a taxi to get back home from work, I got in to the classical Nissan Sunny taxi a man in his 60 driving, nicely dressed, nice watch smelling good if I am not mistaken its dunhill blue, very uncommon for a taxi driver and the ride went on like this***please note the language used:

Me: Marj il Hamam

Driver: ok, no problem..

so he took a wrong turn and I pointed it out that he was not supposed to go from that way... and that's were it all started.

Driver: عمو please I am very sorry, extremely sorry يا عمي

Me: له يا عمو مش مشكلة الواحد بخربش, مو مشكلة

Driver: والله ماكان قصدي يا عمو سامحيني.

after few minutes

Driver: do you work there (extreme american accent)

Me: yes

Driver: I'm sorry بس شو بتشتغلي يا عمو؟

Me: I'm a music teacher

Driver:HERE IN JORDAN...... where did you obtain your degree?

Me: من المعهد الوطني للموسيقى

Driver: يا عمو you want to convince me there's a music conservatory in this part of the world.

Me: yes الحمدلله

Driver: So what instrument?

Me: the trumpet.

Driver: I don't believe that I am driving a girl that plays trumpet and in Jordan, it seems that God does exist in this part of the world...

Me: **no comments**

Driver: يا عمو I know I sound nosy to you, and that I don't mind my own business but I found it interesting that a girl is playing the trumpet, this rarely happens.... Don't laugh at me if i tell you why I'm driving a Taxi its on my list.

Me: عمو الشغل مو عيب. المهم الواحد يكون يطلع مصروفه و يدبر حاله

Driver:عمو انا مو شوفير تكسي, انا من 31 سنة و انا برة الاردن و حلم حياتي اسوق تكسي باسواْ مكان للسواقة.... عمان.....

عمو انا I've been a pilot for the American Airlines for the past 10 years, but I wanted to try the highs and lows I love flying but I wanted to try driving. So I came to Jordan I thought I'll visit my home town and I will show my wife and my daughter the city as they have never been here, we came 2 months ago my, my wife said you either get me a divorce or you send me back to the state, and my daughter was about to be FORCED to marry a relative because of what those ignorant people call شرف as if they have any of it. so this is my last week in this country we are leaving back. but I just can't believe it! how do you do it! how do you cope, I am 63 years old I can cry, this is not a country this is hell, there is no art, there is no music, youth have no proper life here, how do you do that.....

Me: we have to work things through, I am not happy as a musician in Jordan but I am trying to be.

by this time we were almost there

Driver: يا عمو انا بتمنى يكون في كمان ناس مثلك بس unfortunately this does not happen here! good luck

Bla Bla Blaaaahhhhh.... I know its just one of those cliches where I feel betrayed by my own country and all that none sense nor we can deny that what he is saying is actually true, I just found it coming from him very weird, usually its the other way around I nag shout fight and scream about how unfair this country is and then an elder person tells me what I'm doing and saying is wrong, I found it very weird coming from him and yes it is true!

Jordan, Enjoy your Independence while it lasts....

2010-04-27T13:44:00.000+03:00

Those who know me and follow my blog know that I am a teacher, I teach the next generation, I am building the future, I am..... never mind that is not the issue and I am not the center of the universe and the world does not revolve around me I only have to do my job..

As a music teacher at a very important school in Amman the music department is preparing for the independence day event that almost all grade levels will participate in, yesterday when I had one of my classes a students came to me and asked:

Student #1: " Miss so, we are doing two events one for the independence day and the other one for عيد الاستقلال؟"

Me: **I stared at him for 10 seconds**

Student #2: " Miss, Whats the difference between the Independence day and عيد الاستقلال؟"

Me: Oh, you don't know? the Independence day is on the 25th of may while عيد الاستقلال في يوم 25 ايار.

Students#1: " Oh, I did not know that."

It's better done in a different way when "youth" don't know the difference between the Independence day and عيد الاستقلال its no longer a matter of education, knowledge, or understanding, its a matter of national security and a nation's future driven down the path of the unknown towards the unknown !

To whom it may concern,

نحن الشباب لنا الغد ومجده المخلد

نحن الشباب شعارنا على الزمن عاش الوطن ..

عاش الوطن بعنا له يوم المحن أرواحنا بلا ثمن

يا وطني عداك دم مثل كمن يرعى الذمم

علمتنا كيف الشمم و كيف يرفع العلم

نحن الشباب السفح و الجداول و الحقل و السنابل

و ما بنى الأوائل نحن له معاقل

الدين في قلوبنا و النور في عيوننا و الحق في يميننا

و الغار في جبيننا نحن الشباب لنا الغد

Are you serious?

given the text above would you please define the BOLD words!

Even adults don't pay attention!!

2010-04-06T13:02:00.001+03:00

Today is our first day back to school after a two week midterm and Easter break BOOOHOOOOOO, no kids at school today its a normal orientation on set meeting day where heads of departments talk and talk non stop about issues that are of our "concern" (or to put it in a MYP language our AOI)
I find it very weird how teachers were acting in the meeting(s), two teachers beside me were trying to pop a candy out of the candy wrap and it was so loud they started laughing and acting like Mr. Bean when he was at church, while the other teacher in front of me was loving the fact that he can make origami flowers out of post it notes while his colleague was sniffing it to see if it actually smells good. Teachers were acting just like teenage students, making fun of the person in front of them, telling jokes, even playing tic tac toe and hangman on the brain storming scrap sheets, even doodling while the MYP coordinator was still giving out important information. I am not criticizing any of the teachers I am not better than any of them the Coordinator asked us to finish a task and hand it back in the next 20 minutes and here I am blogging about it! I wonder whats for lunch today, should I text mom from under the table so no one notices.....

Why Haiti my niece asked?

2010-03-11T11:41:00.001+02:00

We all heard about the catastrophic Haiti earthquake that happened earlier this year and I am also sure you heard about all the aids that were sent to Haiti from all over the world, its the least we could do of course our prayers to God the all mighty to help them in putting an end to their misery, in the end everything does happen for a reason. This is not the main reason behind this post, its because I had to face a question from a 6 year old that pushed me to publish this.
My niece Yasmine goes to the same school I teach at the IAA, currently this school is supposed to be one of the best schools in the Kingdom, since the catastrophic earthquake the blasted its way through on the 12th of January 2010 the school became highly active organizing clothes and books drives, bake sales, selling black T-shirts with Help Haiti printed on them as well as having Twelve Terrific Teachers from the school who ran the 242km marathon to raise funds for Haiti.
The T-shirts where sold to almost all the students, and to make them more appealing to 1st graders they were white and printed on them was the class photo underneath help Haiti, Yasmine bought the T-shirt because all her classmates did so, she came to me wearing it and she’s showing it off to everyone and she said to me: "you know Hind why I bought this T-shirt?" why? I asked she replied:
"only because it has me and my friends on it, I don't understand Hind WHY HAITI, I know about the earthquake and all those who died but it was an accident and accidents happen, why didn't they do this bake sale and T-shirts or even run the marathon for PALESTINE? Why?"

I didn't know what to answer I just stood in front of her and said Yasmine its lunch time take off your school clothes, and she ended the conversation with Oh, it seems that you do not know what’s happening in Palestine, never mind Hind, I'll tell you later.

Yasmine, it’s not that I don’t know what is happening, its only because I do not want to remember!

Happy New Year............things I miss....

2010-01-19T22:52:00.000+02:00

Happy new year??? I know its too late for that, but for me my year just started, it was only till last week where I felt that things are going on normally and maybe sort of blooming! I don't know how I reached this level of disorientation if I may put it in such a context, but maybe I will find my way back home, who knows! I hope you have a great year........ filled with happiness that's because I believe that happiness brings money and success and laughter not the other way around.... after what I have been through I know for sure no matter what, that I will have a better year!
I don't have a new years resolution, but I do miss a lot of things that I do hope to see/do this year:

I miss the Zayeds (no exceptions)
I miss Silwadi Juice
Za3tar ou Zeit
Rukab Street
Having breakfast with Peter with a nasty hangover
Christine, Basel & Tobi :)
Abu Khaleeel
Taboun Zaman
STONES
Taybeh & its festival
SNOWBAR
3amo 3amer
Playing Music
MARTIN, the weird steps while going towards BLUE!!!
4 shekel to birzeit 7.5 to Jerusalem & 25 to Bethlehem

In other words I miss Ramallah! Will I ever go back!

أميَة

2010-01-05T20:59:00.002+02:00

فكرة سريعة, مابعرف مصدرها بسسسسس.....
مش هون المهم, المبدأ من وين اشتقينا كلمة أمي, هذا شخص أمي؟؟؟؟ يعني لفيت و درت براسي و ما طلع معي غير انو ممكن تكون لانو بالزمنات كتير من الامهات ما كانو يقرو ولا يكتبو, بس بصراحة عمين عم نتخوت... ما لقيت حالي غير عم بفكر انو كلمة امي ممكن تكون جاي من كلمة امة, و هلا عرفت لييش بحكو برنامج محو امبة........ الله يستر!

This time last year......

2009-12-27T13:33:00.002+02:00

I am not going to start my post with Gaza, and supporting its people, I am very sorry for them I detest what has happened and what is still happening, I also will not use the will never forget will never forgive crap, because yes we, as ignorant, non believers, and needless to say we're all about talk talk talk bla bla bla (mara7 yitla3 bi2eedna shiiiii) we dont know how to forgive to forgive in the first place and then the forget part, sorry but what the heck can we chickens do, grow up, its said that vengeance is for God, even though I some times say beware I do tend to steal it from him but what the heck, nothing can be done!! or even SAID we did this to our selves we better live with the consequences......
This time last year I wasnt here, I was in Palestine, I was alive.... now after going through what I have went through I wish I could go back there!!! I miss the beauty of living..

This is just to remind me

2009-04-27T09:00:00.003+03:00

So I decided to visit Amman, after 9 months of being away! I can't deny that I have missed it, but damn its different, the people are different, I don't know maybe I have changed. this is just to remind me one day of my feelings that I had when I came back to visit my family. this is just to remind me how I enjoyed the first three days doing all these pranks on family members and friends, and t his is just to remind me that my feelings haven't changed towards some elements hatred is still there, and this is just to remind me about my nervous break down that I had when i visited my school and where I worked and in front of my kids I cried like a baby, I never realized that the Amman Baptist School music suite was my haven back then, and I knew I wasn't ready to visit it because I wasn't ready to leave it when I left it........
To many mixed up feelings, too much negative energy surrounds my aurora, I know for sure now that I want to leave!

I walk down the street....

2009-03-05T13:10:00.001+02:00

I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes years to find a way out!
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I pretend I don't see it. I fall in. I cant believe I'm in the same place!! But its not my fault, it still takes a long time to get out..
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I see it there, I STILL fall in, its a habit... My eyes are open, I know where I am, its all my fault. I get out immediately.
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk...... I walk around it.
I walk down the street, No No No!! I walk down a different street..........

My Mom's PHONE BOOK

2009-02-25T18:21:00.004+02:00

I Have always wanted to blog about this, I hope my mom reads it!
My mom has the world most funniest phone book ever, its so hilarious it makes me angry whenever I have to use it, especially when Mom calls when I am at home and asks me for a number...

it might sound like this:

MOM: Hind a3tini raqam il taxi (give me the taxi number)
ME: ok......

so the journey begins:

I look under
T for taxi but NO LUCK
M for muwasalat.... no luck
W for wheels NO LUCK....

SO I GIVE UP!!! I call the directory and text her the number!!!

but never mind this is only one of those Numerous examples! this one cracks me up, I cant stop laughing when ever I think of it.....

Mom: Hind i7ki ma3 JET ou i7jizili bukra 3ala Suurya (please call the JET company and book a ticket to Syria)
ME: wein il raqam ( where is the number)
MOM: bil daftar ya3ni Hind wein biddo ykuun (in the phone book where would it be) then she giggles because I sigh in a weird way which she totally understands.

ME: ok Yamma

FRUSTRATED....

I look under
M for MUWASALAT
J for JET
B for BUS
S for SYRIA or SOMETHING
A for ANYWHERE

And as usual, I call back and kindly say: "I couldn't find it"

ME: mama ma la2eito (I couldn't find it)
MOM: dawri mnee7 (search well)
ME: WEIN BIL ZABT (where exactly) its not under M J B S A
MOM:Yimken lazem tdawri 3ind (93) ( maybe you should look under A)
ME: WHAT THE...... WHY 3 ??
MOM: 3ashano bil 3abdali (its under A because its located in the ABDALI)

I still cant figure out how she does this, because this was only the Jet bus company.... I bet my number would be stored under D because I am her Daughter, while my Fathers number is under O because he's Outta Town!!!

6 Months= Half a year... random thoughts

2009-02-15T22:47:00.003+02:00

I never thought about it! but yup... tomorrow February the 16th marks HALF a YEAR for me HIND SABANEKH

Half a year....
-Away from Amman
-Away from my Home, Family, BED!!!
-Away from my friends.....

HALF A YEAR
-In heaven
-heading towards my goals and dreams
.......................................................................................................................
HIGHLIGHT OF FEELINGS

It was only yesterday when I came here... but its not!
I remember August was a dream come true,
I remember in September I couldn't believe I was here
I remember in October My first HOME Solo concert
after that in November I packed my bag to leave
..............I CHANGED MY MIND..................
I remember in December I cried my way to sleep
Then it was the New year......
January marked a glorious beginning
and February is just the same

........................................................................

To Mom,
I miss you so much, I Love you too! stop crying... I'll be back soon... I hope

To Dad,
I can't find the right words to tell you THANKS!! for what??? for letting me do this!

To Wael, Shireen , and Nick My brothers and sister,
I am not crazy, I am not silly... I know what I am doing... thanks for standing beside me! You are all the best

To Hussam MY FAVORITE brother,
I Love you more than words, and I miss you more that anything and anyone!! I miss getting on your nerves, I miss everything about you... even your silly childish pronunciation....
I miss you getting on my nerves... fighting for the car..... or anything else!! I know I have been a pain in the ass, but you'll always be my favorite brother... I love you... you were the only one who never doubted me... you always believed in me! I know you still do!

Dear Friends,
you know who you are, I miss you....
..............................................................................................................

6months= half a year!
thats only the beginning!

Its The little things that count..

2009-02-08T10:22:00.002+02:00

I have been away since August 16th, I won't deny that I went through the "homesickness" syndrome for a while in the beginning but I got over it quickly, everybody here was so supportive and friendly..... but what I miss is the little stuff that made my life unique back then in Amman:
1. I miss PLAY and MOOD FM most.
2. I miss my Sameera (my car) and driving in the streets pumpinng the volume up listening either to clasical music or techno.
3. I miss my Garden
4. I miss my students
5. I miss Muna's room
6. I miss driving Hussam my brother crazy and we might end up fighting and hitting each other! :D
7. I miss the way my nephew pronounces my name!
......
its the small things that count in the end....

If You're happy and you know it THINK AGAIN!!!!

2009-02-08T00:17:00.002+02:00

I often ask my self this question, AM I HAPPY??? well so what even if I am WHY the hell am I happy, whats there to be happy about!! so here comes the THINK AGAIN part......

I am not pessimistic, on the contrary, people around me often beg me to change my funny, happy personality they say its TOO MUCH, damn it people now there's a level for happiness as well ..... so I usually try to get to the meaning of this H word, and what I came up with is that the secret of happiness is to make others believe they are the cause of it. SO SHOULD I LIE!!! well to be honest no one is the main cause of my Happiness (thats if I had it), but then I rememer Aristotle's famous words: "Happiness depends upon ourselves." thats why I am happy!!! I cause it and I end it and I don't intend to any time soon!

RIP Amer Madi.

2009-01-17T12:39:00.002+02:00

Yesterday, January 16th 2009, Jordan has lost an important person, one of the great Jordanian musicians/composers of all times in my opinion at least Mr. Amer Madi, may your soul rest in peace.
It was only yesterday when me and you used to sit down at your home and make fun of everything and talk about anything, I will never forget how you used to ask me about all these difficult rhythms that i must have known, nor will I forget the way you believed in me, you believed in me in a way no one has ever done.
You were more than a musician to me, you were a mentor, a teacher, and a Father.

Oubaida,
your father had a lot of achievements, fortunately you were one of them and by far the best, may God give you and your wonderful mom the strength to continue what he started,
I know what your father meant to you and I am so sorry I can't be in Amman to stand right there beside you.

Funeral Blues, is my current blues scale..... if it had notes it would sound something like this!

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

W.H. Auden

Counting my way to SLEEP!!!!!

2009-01-10T00:10:00.006+02:00

Have you ever had to count anything jump over any other thing so you can fall asleep??
I have and I bet you have done this as well, such as how many goats/sheep can jump over the fence? how many cars pass in a certain street?...etc

when ever I think of this sleeping "technique" if I may call it that way, I remember a joke in which a person has not been able to fall asleep for a long time, so he went to doctors, took pills did everything and still it all didn't work until one day one of his friends told him to go and count until one thousand!!! He thought he'll give it a try, and so he did, he put him self in bed started counting and by the time he reached 600 he got extremely sleepy, he got out of bed and washed his face in order to continue!!!

The other night I couldn't sleep, so I decided to count something. I didn't feel like counting, sheep, cars, or numbers.

What I counted was how many Israelis could be kicked higher than the wall and drop dead, and believe me that wasn't a nice thing to count, I didn't fall asleep until I managed to kick almost every single one of them, I was so sleepy I asked for help, I even started kicking them out in twos I also managed to get a couple of my niece's imaginary friends to do so as well....

I wish we can do that one day! Just kick them out before we go to bed, wake up the next morning and it's all good, and all gone!!

قل لي من تصاحب، أقول لك من أنت

2008-12-21T12:12:00.004+02:00

فن التلاعب بالكلمات مع شوية زناخة....
الاول للثاني يا مان : قل لي من تصاحب، أقول لك من أنت
الثاني للاول: من تصاحب
الاول: من انت

و شكراً

Its CHRISTMAS

2008-12-16T19:30:00.002+02:00

its such a nice season, I enjoy every part of it!
any ways that's not why I'm blogging, basically I hate it when everybody types Merry Xmass...
its wrong, its CHRISTMAS which is CHRIST+MASS
we all know who Jesus Christ is and Mass/Mas/Masse is a church celebration or just a celebration so we are celebrating Christ, by using X instead of Christ you are celebrating X which is not Christ, don't do abbreviations to save time, because by using X you are taking out the main element in Christmas which is the Christ.....

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

2008-12-11T03:18:00.004+02:00

If for one moment I start talking about people her and about their qualities you will come and shut me up because I won't shut up, people's kindness, HONESTY, and sweetness here kills......
even when it comes to taxi drivers, they are amazing, a taxi driver drove me 2 times to where I live, the next time he saw me he honked his horn and told me he's going my direction if I wanted a lift.... ain't that sweet!!!
I don't think I can ever leave this place on earth, its almost heaven, it just has extra people that need to be evacuated and it'll be heaven...

من بعض ما أرى وأسمع

2008-12-11T02:56:00.001+02:00

عابر سبيل كان، وأصبح صديق عريق ولربما صديق قديم.سجن مرات عدة، وكان ما يلبث أن يفرج عنه إلا وأن يعاود و يعود، أجمل أيام حياته قاضاها في السجن، هذا ما قاله لي، كان يحزن حينما يفرج عنه ويحن للزنزانة، كان يخرج ليطمئن على عائلته، ولكن حبه للزنزانة طغى الى حبه لعائلته، أو بالأحرى حبه لوطنه كان الفاعل في جملة حياته.
ذهبت لأزوره في منزله، ولفتت انتباهي جملةٌ معلقةٌ على حائط غرفة الجلوس، فضولي طلب مني معرفة

قصة هذه الجملة، فقال لي:هذه الجملة رافقتني في كل زنزانة دخلتها، رافقتني، وعزتني، كانت رفيقة دربي

سأصبر حتى يعجز الصبر عن صبري

واصبر حتى يأذن الله في أمري

واصبر حتى يعلم الصبر انني صابر على

شيء أمر من الصبر

I did it.....

2008-09-13T13:21:00.003+03:00

3 months a go I applied for a visa to go to Palestine in order to participate in the Palestine Youth Orchestra workshop that was held there, unfortunately the Israeli embassy didn't issue the visa until a month and a half ago and yes I missed the workshop, so I got the visa I graduated from university and I went to Palestine on the 16th of August 2008 thinking I will never get the visa again so why not seize the moment and go visit.... I did it...

My dad almost cried on the phone when i told him I am going to Palestine, his home town to take a trip to visit his childhood, and to see what Palestine is all about, he begged me not to go there but that was when I said my first NO, I fought for what I wanted and yes I did it....
it really hurt me just to know that he remembers where he lived in small little details, he knew the names of the streets the color of the walls, the names of their neighbors, he remembers every single detail and he left it when he was just a kid...

The reality shocked me, I got there still in denial not believing that I am there, I loved it, I can finally say I am from Palestinian origins, I walked down the streets and I met people I know who still cant believe I entered, I pray for every person on the face of earth that one day they get the chance to see its glory, I walked in its streets, inhaled it essence, tasted its flavor... I did it

Its been a month now and I still can't believe that I did it, I saw it all, and I felt it all, the Churches and the Mosques the streets and the walls are live proof of a presence of a greater force, no words I can think of describe my feelings nor what I saw... I saw it all .... I did it

I am still here... I found my Jerusalem... I found my lost city... I found me.... I am not leaving..... I DID IT...

a Question on my mind....

2008-09-12T16:19:00.001+03:00

Its such a weird thing when I descover something new in me, I recently found out that I am one of the most random thinking people on the face of earth I ever met..... I was sitting the other day watching a movie I guess untill I found me thinking out loud saying this sentence: "if you found some one working you ask do you need a hand?? why wouldnt you say something to a person walking like would you need a leg??"
.
.
.
.
end of thinking..... beginning of NOTHING..... SILENCE

Oh! Your daughter speaks English?? My niece speaks ARABIC!!!!

2008-06-22T01:10:00.002+03:00

My sister was out of town a while ago so I had to baby sit Yasmin a 4 year old and Faris a 2 year old, and as their nice and of course COOL auntie Hindo I had to take them on outings and spend some fun quality time with them!!!!
NEVER MIND........... during that month when my sister was out of town Yasmin had a birthday invitation!!! YAAAAYYYYYYY she was so happy.......
YASMIN: "please Hindo take me I will be very nice I promise ou baw3idek ino ba7ki bil3arabi 3ashan inti you dont understand English for 3 days in a row!!!!"
ME: "ok thats a deal missy ou ana baw3idek ino i'll start learning English..."

I really hate how kids these days tend to speak only in English and a year or so after they end up with a crappy Arabic language command!!!!!

a week after this conversation its the birthdayyy!!! well I we went and of course I have to stay with her, sitting with kids moms (the GOLDEN LADIES a name i gave them) that speak only English, talk about shoes, fashion, etiquette and all this crap that does not interest me even if I was paid to be interested in!!!

ANY WAAYYYYY, one of the girls came to her MOMMY and was like "Mommy, that little boy over there is not sharing the slide with every one, its annoying." the MOMMY said: "even though my daughter is 4 she has perfect English, Arabic si3eb 3aleiha hala2 7aramm..."
I was so pissed but that was all at the same time when Yasmin came in.......drum roll......I was thinking of please ARABIC ARABIC YASMINE I7KI 3ARAAABIII..............."khalto Hindo, fee majal teeeji takhdeeni arooo7 a3mal rasem 3al wijeh ya3ni face painting ou t2ooli lal painter bidi farasheh ya3ni butter fly??" I was like YIS3ED RABBBBEKK, so I turned to the MOMMY and told her: " wow thats so great, same here even though Yasmin is 4 she has perfect Arabic she's not allowed to use English with me because Arabic better, English is too easy for her and thats 7aram."
gosh I wanted to kick that lady so hard, laykoon il wa7ad ili bi7ki 3arabi kundara!!!

Hind Vs. the Golden Ladies- MOMMY
1-0

Weird conversations abroad!!

2008-05-20T10:54:00.003+03:00

I was in France recently, had a concert in Bellfort then I extended my trip to visit my uncle (mom's side), anyways, I have discovered he as well have the weird kind of questions such like the ones I have with mom!!
it was around 2 AM when I was sitting with the family watching TV playing cards, chatting, joking...family stuff ....etc so I decided its time to go to sleep, I headed down stairs to my room and I didnt sleep immediately, any ways very long story short, after 30 minutes or so my uncle cals me,
Khalo: HIINDDD
ME: aywaaa (yes)
Khalo: Nimtee??? (did you sleep yet??)
ME: ehhhhh, khaliini ashuuf!! ANDARI?? (eeehhh, let me check, no clue!!!)
Khalo: shlone ma 3am bifham?? (what, i dont understand)
ME: inta shu ra2yak? (what do you think)
*******SILENCE********

I find these conversations very weird, lack of common sense fills the air, but again common sense isnt always common as I may presume!!!

Stopping to Realize what's going on!

2008-04-23T09:42:00.003+03:00

I dont concider this a post, its more of a reminder that I have reached this level.... I need an answer from the "idiots" who are doing this, I have written many blogs saying how much I want to LEAVE this place...... well now I have one more reason to add on my list!!! I CANT AFFORD LIVING HERE, damn I CANT AFFORD DYING as well!!!
this is too much for me, more than I can handle, damn it I have to play loads after I die as well....
why is this happening?? when and where is it going to end??
this brings me to my current state of mind.....
I dont believe in political jokes, I have seen so many get elected!

I can't see the END....

2008-03-28T21:55:00.003+03:00

I don't think I will be able to stay here, honestly I do not want to sound cocky or arrogant or ANY OTHER THING. I can't take this crap any more, as much as I love Jordan as much as I can't wait to leave, the only thing that has made me survive all this bullshit was going out every once in a while but now I cant deal with just the "every once in a while" part it has to be ONCE AND FOR ALL, I have a concert in France this May, and one in Italy in October, these are acting as my "light in the end of the tunnel" but I know for sure when time comes to reach this light it will only be a train speeding toward me, slap me in the face, ask me to wake up and smell the coffee, I will never leave here, I am stuck in this crap hole forever..... I wonder till when....... I am independent, I have been working for the past 4 years, I will graduate this semester, I travel alone....etc but unfortunately my parents paid for my education (I really wanted to do that but our beloved "system" does not give us the chance to even try) so as my parents say they have total control over me, I am not allowed to leave here and go alone, I was shocked my parents aren't that type at all, they always gave me total freedom to do what ever I want......... I will leave here I promise and hell no I wont be married to do so, but when..... I just cant wait to see the end........

Works of Carlos Latuuf GAZA

2008-03-07T10:05:00.006+02:00

Some times word can't express the inexpressible, thats where colors interfere.

Deep Thoughts

2008-02-27T23:46:00.002+02:00

Have you ever had weird thoughts run through your head while sitting doing nothing, your brain generates the "automatic thinking switch" on, thoughts and questions come to your head jamming like a jazz band each member dying to play a solo, improvise and want to be heard...... Well lately I started writing these thoughts down, maybe one day they'll lead me to the center of the universe!!!!
I'll share some with you.....

Why does your nose run, and your feet smell?
Why do we press harder on remote control buttons when we know the battery is dead?
If con is the opposite of pro, then is Congress the opposite of progress

some life's observations as well....

Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.
I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
Borrow money from a pessimist - they don't expect it back.

oh well this is whats coming to my mind, you might have heard some of them before maybe not, who knows, we all end up thinking the same some way or another!!!

P.S I intend to live forever - so far so good.

Again weird conversation...

2008-02-27T23:28:00.002+02:00

I said I'll add more of me and mom's conversations this happened two days ago.

I was in my room 9 AM mom thought that I left "I guess", heading to the kitchen mom's sees me.....
MOM: lissatek hone???
Me: i7zariiii......
MOM: la2 ya3ni lissa ma ro7tiii???
Me: ahh walaaww ro7t, i3tibrini mish mawjudeh kamli shoghlek wala yhimek!!!
MOM: ma aznakhek!!!
Me: ya3ni hada so2al binsa2alll, ana lazem aroo7 BYE
MOM: Hind, tal3a??
Me: MA TI7KI.... khaaalaaassssss,
Mom: hehe I know how to drive you crazy don't I
Me: Mhhmmm

اعلان من معهد ادوارد سعيد الوطني للموسيقى

2008-02-26T09:40:00.004+02:00

English Follows

يعلن معهد ادوارد سعيد الوطني للموسيقى

عن فتح باب تقديم طلبات الالتحاق في

للورشة التدريبية والعروض الموسيقية للعام 2008 الخاصة ب

أوركسترا فلسطين للشباب

بمشاركة أوركسترا ميوزيكوم كوليجيوم من ألمانيا

وبقيادة المايسترو والتر ميك

المخيم الموسيقي من 17 - 26 تموز 2008

يتبعه جولة عروض موسيقية من 27 تموز إلى 3 آب

في مدن: رام الله، القدس، الناصرة/ حيفا، عمان ودمشق

لمزيد من المعلومات الرجاء زيارة الموقع الإلكتروني:

http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo/Announcment.pdf

لتقديم الطلبات الرجاء زيارة الموقع الالكتروني: و

http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

announces

that applications for the

Palestine Youth Orchestra 2008

in cooperation with members of the Collegium Musicale of the University of Bonn

under the leadership of German conductor Walter Mik

are now being accepted. To apply please go to: http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo

from 17^th – 26^th July Workshop In Birzeit /Palestine followed by a concert tour from July 27^th until August 3^rd

in cities including Ramallah, Jerusalem, Haifa/Nazareth, Amman and Damascus

for more Information,visit the following link:

http://ncm.birzeit.edu/pyo/Announcment.pdf

Till when ....

2008-02-19T02:48:00.003+02:00

So we're having a bad weather, so what.... it suits me.... the problem is with our satellite, it decides to hibernate, and we end up watching Jordan TV.
I haven't watched JTV in a very long time, I found it EXACTLY the same, I couldn't believe it.... shu haaddd I didn't believe it, oh well this isn't mainly my problem, I was truly shocked, they stopped broadcasting at 1:30 A.M, they put that extremely old recording of the Jordanian National Anthem for 6 minutes or so, then it went teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttt, ana smi3t il teeeet min hon ou kan fi 3a2l ou taar!!! KAIF YA3NI nothing changed in JTV since forever........
last time when it snowed the same thing happened, but it was another case, it was a god damned FRIDAY, I had to watch yimza3 saba7ak....... same studio same decor....... same...same...blah blah blah, and not to mention that the picture went faster than the sound, all the people that were hosted on that show looked extremely funny for me..... il soat bsha2a will soora bsha2a..... anyways, the only thing I'm capable of saying is till when, I'm usually proud of Jordan in many aspects but unfortunately JTV is not even close to any of them!!!!

My Driving observations...

2008-02-19T00:28:00.002+02:00

I have only been driving for 4 years now, and even though what you're about to read isn't taught in driving schools but I have noticed that many drivers agree to these "rules" in driving:

Turn signals will give away your next move. Drivers never use them (they rather surprise you by turning right or left DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE THEM). Use of them in the round-about and intersections may be illegal.

Under no circumstances should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, or the space will be filled in by somebody else putting you in an even more dangerous situation.

Crossing two or more lanes in a single lane-change is considered "going with the flow."

The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit, or caught by surveillance cameras.

Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive bodywork. (you might not like what MIGHT happen)

Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to stretch your legs.

Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right.

Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as suggestions, and are apparently not enforceable during rush hour.

Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident, or even if someone is just changing a tire. (Oh someone is in trouble lets SLOW DOWN and just WATCH, people behind us will do the same I don't think we'll be blocking the way!!!)

Throwing litter on the roads adds color to the landscape and gives Adopt-a-Highway crews something to clean up.

It is assumed that police cars passing at high speed may be followed in the event you need to make up a few minutes on your way to work, or lunch break.

Heavy snow, ice, fog, and rain are no reasons to change any of the previously listed rules. (These weather conditions are God's way of ensuring a natural selection process for body shops, junkyards, and new vehicle sales).

I just dont get it....

2008-02-18T00:44:00.002+02:00

well this happens to me nearly every day, as much as it has a weird sense of sarcasm in it as much as I just don't get it..... mainly its between me and mom, and each time with each coming day its the SAME thing sometimes new and different comments as well!

it goes as the following scenario(s):

No.1
Me: (just walked in to the house for lunch, sitting down watching T.V)
Mom: (calls on the LAND LINE)
Me: alo?
Mom: Hii Hind
Me: Hala yamma ??
Mom: WEINEKK HALA2??
Me: (SHOCKED) bat5ayal inek 7aketi 3al beit fa wein momken akoon bil ma3had??

the same exact conversation but a twist in the end:

No.2
Me: (just walked in to the house for lunch, sitting down watching T.V)
Mom: (calls on the LAND LINE)
Me: alo?
Mom: Hii Hind
Me: Hala yamma ??
Mom: INTI BILBEIT??
Me: (SHOCKED) momken, zay mabiddek, inty sho bit2oooli??? ana 7assseh ino ana fil beit!!!

No.3
this time no phone calls

I just walked into the house while mom is watching T.V

ME: Hi mama
Mom: Ijeeeti??
Me: I guess, I am standing here aren't I??

More to come soon...

Is there anybody out there???

2008-02-02T00:47:00.001+02:00

Oh well, I decided to come back, I never decided to quit in the first place...a fellow blogger made me think of doing this again... the thing is I really enjoy writing, I really do, I used to be very good at it, but somewhere in the middle between school, university and my life I lost my talent, whenever I feel the need to write something I cant find the words to describe my state of mind or what i think, its as if I suffer from a lack of vocabulary syndrome the moment I see a keyboard.. I can no longer THINK...

So in order to catch up of what was going on during the last period of my funny full- of- action life, I'll write in brief.....
in July I passed my third year in university with a 3.5 GPA so it was extremely rewarding for me and I was so excited about starting my senior year soon.

in August I traveled with the Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO) to GERMANY a country where I always wanted to go, I spent 12 great days, we played Dvorák's 3rd Symphony, Wedding Sketches by Salvador Arnita, Longa To Marcell and Manfa for Issa Boulos. it was a success.

In September we (the Jordanian Music Ensemble) had a concert to represent Jordan in the Neurological Surgeons Convention that took place there in San Diego, California. and since then UNFORTUNATELY I haven't even visited the airport, this is the longest period i spend in Amman since 2003 (almost 5 months....too much)

October...till NOW
nothing much has happened:
few good concerts with the Amman Symphony Orchestra (ASO)
I've been losing weight and living healthy,
FINISHED MY FIRST SEMESTER IN MY SENIOR YEAR

I'm so excited about this semester, I will finally GRADUATE.... you are all invited... I have been preparing for my graduation project for almost a year and i am so excited about it, I am going to play Arutunian Trumpet Concerto on my graduation, but for the listening jury I haven't decided yet maybe Hummel Trumpet Concerto, not sure though.
one more thing that will be going on this semester is that I'm back to work at the Amman Baptist School, I've been working there in the music department for the past 3 years but took a break last semester to focus on practicing and supposedly write LESSON PLANS for this semester.... I HATE LESSON PLANS, the teacher responsible for our work and "internship" is leaving till august and me and my friend are doing ALL of her work! its so exciting yet scary we've been with her for the past 13 years and i always found it amazing how she is 5 people in 1.... thinking of it scares the crap out of me! oh well its a new challenge in my life..... all to discover what I want.... and what I am

Understanding the lyrics of American Pie- Don Mclean

2007-06-26T23:32:00.001+03:00

This song without comparison one of my favorites.... I love it so much and i can't recall one day of my life without singing it or quoting from it!

this analysis I knew since i was a kid! and I found it fully written with complete analysis and I'd like to share it with you, its good information to know:

A long, long time ago...

"American Pie" reached #1 in 1972, shortly after it was released. Buddy Holly ; unfortunately, died in 1959.

I can still remember how That music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance, That I could make those people dance, And maybe they'd be happy for a while.

Sociologists credit teenagers with the popularity of Rock and Roll, as a part of the Baby boomer generation, they found themselves in a very influential position. Their shear number were the force behind most of our country's recent major transitions. McLean was a teenager in 1959 and he begins by simply commenting that the music had an appealing quality to him as well as the millions of other teens. McLean also had an intense desire to entertain as a musician. His dream, to play in a band at high school dances, was the dream of many young boys who wanted to make people dance to Rock and Roll.

But February made me shiver,

Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, in a plane crash in Iowa during a snowstorm. Its rumored that the name of the plane was: American Pie.

With every paper I'd deliver,

Don McLean's only job besides being a full-time singer/song writer was being a paperboy.

Bad news on the doorstep... I couldn't take one more step. I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride

Holly's recent bride was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.

But something touched me deep inside, The day the music died.

The same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also tragically took the lives of Richie Valens ("La Bamba") and The Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace.") Since all three were so prominent at the time, February 3, 1959, became known as "The Day The Music Died."

So...

(Refrain) Bye bye Miss American Pie,

**Don McLean dated a Miss America candidate during a pageant and broke up with her on February 3, 1959.

(Unconfirmed interpretation)

So its probably...

Just a reference to the plane, "American Pie" that crashed.

I drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry, Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singing "This'll be the day that I die, This'll be the day that I die."

Driving the Chevy to the levee almost certainly refers to the three college students whose murder was the subject of the film 'Mississippi Burning.' The students were attempting to register as black voters, and after being killed by bigoted thugs their bodies were buried in a levee. Them good ol' boys being: Holly, Valens, and the Big Bopper, They were singing about their death on February 3. One of Holly's hits was "That'll be the Day"; the chorus contains the line "That'll be the day that I die."

(Verse 2) Did you write the book of love,

"The Book of Love" by the Monotones; hit in 1958."Oh I wonder, wonder who... who, who wrote the book of love?"

And do you have faith in God above, If the Bible tells you so?

**In 1955, Don Cornell did a song entitled "The Bible Tells Me So." It was difficult to tell if it was what McLean was referencing.

Anyone know for sure?

There is also an old Sunday School song that goes:"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so" McLean was somewhat religious.

Now do you believe in rock 'n roll?

The Lovin' Spoonful had a hit in 1965 with John Sebastian's "Do you Believe in Magic?". The song has the lines: "Do you believe in magic" and "It's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll."

Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Music was believed to "save the soul" and slow dancing was an important part of early rock and roll dance events. Dancing declined in importance through the 60's as things like psychedelia and the 10-minute guitar solo gained prominence.

McLean was asking many questions about the early rock 'n roll in an attempt to keep it alive or find out if it was already dead.

Well I know that you're in love with him 'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym

Back then, dancing was an expression of love,and carried a connotation of commitment. Dance partners were not so readily exchanged as they would be later.

You both kicked off your shoes

A reference to the beloved "sock hop." (Street shoes tear up wooden basketball floors, so dancers had to take off their shoes.)

Man, I dig those rhythm 'n' blues

Before the popularity of rock and roll, music, like much elsewhere in the U. S., was highly segregated. The popular music of black performers for largely black audiences was called, first "race music," later softened to rhythm and blues. In the early 50s, as they were exposed to it through radio personalities such as Allan Freed, white teenagers began listening, too. Starting around 1954, a number of songs from the rhythm and blues charts began appearing on the overall popular charts as well, but usually in cover versions by established white artists, (e.g."Shake Rattle and Roll," Joe Turner, covered by Bill Haley; "Sh-Boom, "the Chords, covered by the Crew-Cuts; "Sincerely," the Moonglows, covered by the McGuire Sisters; Tweedle Dee, LaVerne Baker, covered by Georgia Gibbs). By 1955, some of the rhythm and blues artists, like Fats Domino and Little Richard were able to get records on the overall pop charts.In 1956 Sun records added elements of country and western to produce the kind of rock and roll tradition that produced Buddy Holly.

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

"A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation), "was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1957. The pickup truck has endured as a symbol of sexual independence and potency, especially in a Texas context.(Also, Jimmy Buffet does a song about "a white sport coat and a pink crustacean.":-) )

But I knew that I was out of luck The day the music died I started singing...

Refrain

(Verse 3) Now for ten years we've been on our own

McLean was writing this song in the late 60's,about ten years after the crash.

And moss grows fat on a rolling stone

It's unclear who the "rolling stone" is supposed to be. It could be Dylan, since "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was his first major hit; and since he was busy writing songs ex-tolling the virtues of simple love, family and contentment while staying at home (he didn't tour from '66 to '74) and raking in the royalties. This was quite a change from the earlier, angrier Dylan.

The "rolling stone" could also be Elvis Presley, although I don't think he started to pork out by the late sixties. he-he!

It could refer to rock and rollers, and the changes that had taken place in the business in the 60's, especially the huge amounts of cash some of them were beginning to make, and the relative stagnation that entered the music at the same time.

Or, it could refer to the Rolling Stones themselves, many musicians were angry at the Stones for "selling out." I discovered that John Foxx of Ultravox was sufficiently miffed to write a song titled "Life At Rainbow's End (For All The Tax Exiles On Main Street)." The Stone sat one point became citizens of some other country merely to save taxes.

But that's not how it used to be When the jester sang for the King and Queen

The jester is Bob Dylan, as will become clear later. There are several interpretations of king and queen: some think that Elvis Presley is the king, which seems rather obvious. The queen is said to be either Connie Francis or Little Richard. See the next note.

An alternate interpretation is that this refers to the Kennedys -- the King and Queen of "Camelot" -- who were present at a Washington DC civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King. (There'sa recording of Dylan performing at this rally. The Jester.)

The third interpretation is that the jester could be Lee Harvey Oswald who sang (shouted) before he was shot for the murder of the King (JFK).

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause," James Dean has a red windbreaker that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film (see note at end). In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it. On the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," Dylan is wearing just such a red windbreaker, posed in a street scene similar to movie starring James Dean.

Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen of England. He was *not* properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference to his apparel.

And a voice that came from you and me

Bob Dylan's roots are in American folk music,with people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Folk music is by definition the music of the masses, hence the "...came from you and me."

Oh, and while the King was looking down The jester stole his thorny crown

Likely a reference to Elvis' decline and Dylan's ascendancy (i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place). Consider that Elvis was is the army at the time of Dylan's ascendancy and a common Army marching song sings, "Ain't no use in looking down, ain't no discharge on the ground". The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame. Dylan has said that he wanted to be as famous as Elvis, one of his early idols.

or...

Lee Harvey Oswald being the jester who ended the reign of JFK and "stole his crown."

or...

A third interpretation is the quote made by John Lennon and taken out of context indicating that John felt The Beatles were more popular then Jesus. John and The Beatles took the crown from Christ.

The courtroom was adjourned, No verdict was returned.

This could be the trial of the Chicago Seven.

but its more likely to be...

The fact that no verdict was returned for the assassination of JFK because the assassin was killed so the court was adjourned.

And while Lennon read a book on Marx,
Or it could be be...
And while Lenin rean a book on Marx,

Someone has to introduce Vladamir Lenin, the father of Marxist communism, to the idealogy of Karl Marx.

I love the play on words here...

Literally, John Lennon reading about Karl Marx; figuratively, the introduction of radical politics into the music of The Beatles. (Of course, he could be referring to Groucho Marx, but that doesn't seem quite consistent with McLean's overall tone. On the other hand, some of the wordplay in Lennon's lyrics and books is reminiscent of Groucho.)The "Marx-Lennon" word play has also been used by others, most notably the Firesign Theater on the cover of their album "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?" The Beatles "Here, There and Everywhere," for example. Also, a famous French witticism was "Je suis Marxiste, tendance Groucho. " (I'm a Marxist of the Groucho variety).

The quartet practiced in the park

There are two schools of thought about this; the obvious one is The Beatles playing in Shea Stadium, but note that the previous line has John Lennon *doing something else at the same time*. This tends to support the theory that this is a reference to the Weavers, who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era. McLean had become friends with Lee Hays of the Weavers in the early 60's while performing in coffeehouses and clubs in upstate New York and New York City. He was also well acquainted with Pete Seeger; McLean, Seeger, and others took a trip on the Hudson river singing anti-pollution songs at one point. Seeger's LP "God Bless the Grass" contains many of these songs.

And we sang dirges in the dark

A "dirge" is a funeral or mourning song, so perhaps this is meant literally...or, perhaps, this is a reference to some of the new "art rock" groups that played long pieces not meant for dancing. In the dark of the death of Holly.

The day the music died. We were singing...

Refrain

(Verse 4) Helter Skelter in a summer swelter

"Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song that appears on the "White" album. Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired"by the song (through which he thought God and/or the devil were taking to him) led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders.

Is "summer swelter" a reference to the "Summer of Love" or perhaps to the "long hot summer" of Watts?

The birds flew off with the fallout shelter Eight miles high and falling fast

Without a doubt this refers to the Byrds who helped launch David Crosby to super stardom. The Byrd's song "Eight Miles High" was found on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension." They recorded this song when some of the groups members were considering leaving (some of the groups members actually left the group because they refused to flyin an airplane). A fallout shelter was sometimes referred to as the fifth dimension because of the 1950's fascination with sci-fi and the futuristic appearance of a fallout shelter. This was one of the first records widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics.

But...

Another idea considers The Beatles' "Helter Skelter."A line from the song reads, 'I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you.' The similarity is pretty obvious.

It landed foul on the grass

One of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana.

The players tried for a forward pass

Obviously a football metaphor, but about what?It could be the Rolling Stones, i.e., they were waiting for an opening that really didn't happen until The Beatles broke up.

With regard to the next idea, the players maybe other musicians who received the opportunity to shine when Dylan was injured.

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near his home in Woodstock, New York. He spent nine months in seclusion while recuperating from the accident. This gave a chance for many other artists to become noticed (see the next interpretation).

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume

Drugs

, man.

Well, now, wait a minute; that's probably too obvious (wouldn't want to make it easy). It's possible that this line and the next few refer to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The "sweet perfume" is probably tear gas.

It could be the fact the since Dylan was temporarily out of the picture, the future looked bright for many artists. The Stones, for example, may have been given a brief chance.

While sergeants played a marching tune

Following from the second thought above, the sergeants would be the Chicago Police and the Illinois National Guard, who marched protesters out of the park where the Convention was being held and into jail.

Alternatively, this could refer to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Or, perhaps McLean refers to The Beatles' music as "marching" because it's not music for dancing.

Or, finally, the "marching tune" could be the draft.

**(What did the Stones release in '66??)

We all got up to dance Oh, but we never got the chance

The Beatles' 1966 Candlestick Park concert only lasted 35 minutes. But at this point The Beatles were not "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)

Or, following on from the previous comment, perhaps she was considering the hippies who were protesting the Convention. They were known for playing their own folk music.

'Cause the players tried to take the field, The marching band refused to yield.

Some folks think this refers to either the 1968 Democratic Convention or Kent State. If the players are the protesters at Kent State, and the marching band the Ohio National Guard...

This could be a reference to the dominance of The Beatles on the rock and roll scene. For instance, the Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" in 1966 -- an album that featured some of the same sort of studio and electronic experimentation as "Sgt. Pepper" (1967). The album sold poorly because of The Beatles.

The other Beatles reference here refers to the Monkees. The Monkees were merely actors (or players), they were not a true band but a fabrication attempting to replicate The Beatles. The players tried to take the place of the Fab Four but the band wouldn't step down.

Or finally, this might be a comment that follows up on the earlier reference to the draft: the government/military industrial-complex establishment refused to accede to the demands of the peace movement.

Do you recall what was revealed, The day the music died?

**Check for any controversies released on Feb3, 1959.

We started singing

Refrain

(Verse 5) And there we were all in one place

Woodstock.

A generation lost in space

Some people think this is a reference to the US space program, which it might be (the first moon landing took place in '69); but that seems a bit too literal. Perhaps this is a reference to hippies, who were sometimes known as the "lost generation," partially because of their particularly acute alienation from their parents, and partially because of their presumed preoccupation with drugs (which was referred to as being "spaced-out.")

Being on drugs was sometimes termed -- being lost in space because of the TV show, "Lost in Space," whose title was usedas a synonym for someone who was rather high... I keep hoping that McLean had better taste. :-)

With no time left to start again

The "lost generation" spent too much time being stoned, and had wasted their lives. Or, perhaps, their preferences for psychedelia had pushed rock and roll so far from Holly's music that it couldn't be retrieved.

So come on Jack be nimble Jack be quick

Probably a reference to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was released in May 1968.

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick

**The Stones' Candlestick park concert? (unconfirmed)

Jack Flash is also a cockney slang term for pharmaceutical heroin. If you know how to use heroin, you understand the reference.

'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

It's possible that this is a reference to the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil."

An alternate interpretation of the last four lines is that they may refer to Jack Kennedy and his quick decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis; the candlesticks/fire refer to ICBMs and nuclear war.

And as I watched him on the stage, my hands were clenched in fists of rage; No angel born in hell, could break that Satan's spell

While playing a concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1968, the Stones appointed members of the Hell's Angels to work security (on the advice of the Grateful Dead). In the darkness near the front of the stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death -- by the Angels. Public outcry that the song "Sympathy for the Devil"(because of "satan's spell") had somehow incited the violence and caused the Stones to drop the song from their show for the next six years. This incident is chronicled in the documentary film "Gimme Shelter."

It's also possible that McLean views the Stones as being negatively inspired (he had an extensive religious background)because of "Sympathy for the Devil," "Their Satanic Majesties' Request"and so on. This is a bit puzzling, since the early Stones recorded a lot of "roots" rock and roll, including Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away."

And as the flames climbed high into the night, To light the sacrificial rite

The most likely interpretation is that McLean is still talking about Altamont, and in particular Mick Jagger's prancing and posing and "climbing high" while it was happening. Or the bonfires around the area could provide the flames. The sacrifice is Meredith Hunter.

(It could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix burning his Stratocaster at the Monterey Pop Festival, but that was in 1967 and this verse is no doubt set in 1968.)

I saw Satan laughing with delight

If the above is correct, then Satan would be Jagger.

The day the music died He was singing...

Refrain

(Verse 6) I met a girl who sang the blues

Ms. Janis Joplin, the lady of the blues.

And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away

Janis died of an accidental (accidental my ass!)heroin overdose on October 4, 1970.

Or...

The girl might be Roberta Flack. Its rumored that she wrote, "Killing Me Softly (with his song)," in response to this lyric in his song.

I went down to the sacred store Where I'd heard the music years before

There are two interpretations of this: The "sacred store" was Bill Graham's Fillmore West, one of the great rock and roll venues of all time. Alternatively, this refers to record stores, and their long time (then discontinued) practice of allowing customers to preview records in the store. (What year did the Fillmore West close?)

It could also refer to record stores as "sacred" because this is where one goes to get "saved." (See above lyric "Can music save your mortal soul?")

But the man there said the music wouldn't play

Perhaps he means that nobody is interested in hearing Buddy Holly et. al.'s music? Or, as above, the discontinuation of the in-store listening booths.

And in the streets the children screamed

"Flower children" being beaten by police and National Guard troops; in particular, perhaps, the People's Park riots in Berkeley in 1969 and 1970.

It is possible that this refers to the Vietnamese children. Life magazine was famous for publishing horrifying photos of children in Vietnam during the Vietnamese War.

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed

The trend toward psychedelic music in the 60's?Or again the hippies who were both great lovers and poets who would then be crying because of the difficulties of their struggle and dreaming of peace.

But not a word was spoken The church bells all were broken

It could be that the broken bells are the dead musicians: neither can produce any more music.

And the three men I admire most The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Holly, The Big Bopper, and Valens -- or --

**Hank Williams, Presley, and Holly (check this)

--or -- JFK, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy -- or -- or simply the Catholic aspects of the deity. McLean had attended several Catholic schools.

They caught the last train for the coast

Could be a reference to wacky California religions, or it could just be a way of saying that they've left (or died -- western culture has used "went west" as a synonym for dying). Or, perhaps this is a reference to the famous "God is Dead" headline in the New York Times. Some have suggested that this is an oblique reference to a line in Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale," but I'm not sure I'd buy that; firstly, all of McLean's musical references are to much older roots: rock and roll songs; and secondly, I think it's more likely that this line shows up in both songs simply because it's a common cultural metaphor.

The day the music died

This tends to support the conjecture that the"three men" were Holly/Bopper/Valens, since this says that they left us on the day the music died.

And they were singing...Refrain (2x)

I took this information from here

Happy 24th of June Jordan!

2007-06-23T16:13:00.000+03:00

title "Happy 24th of June Jordan!"
"Happy 24th of June to all Jordanians"

I Miss........

2007-06-10T23:25:00.000+03:00

I Miss Life...

Einstein said: "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

I Say..... I'm living my life as if its a candle, I'm useful for many, but I'm burning myself too fast.

I Miss Dreams...

Victor Hugo said:"There is nothing like a dream to create the future."

I Say: "I'm not awake to see my dreams while sleeping, I no longer have the power to create my future."

I Miss my SM....

Richard Francis Burton said: "The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself."

I Say: If a human was to be worshiped, I would've built a temple to chant to your grace, if a man was to choose to whom he looses his soul, I would've been without one where mine would've been lurking around yours.

I Miss Faith....

Mary McLeod Bethune Said: " Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible."

I Say: "possible and impossible are the same, what does faith mean."

I Miss Luck....

Jean Cocteau Said: "Of course I believe in luck. How otherwise to explain the success of some people you detest? "

I Say: I used to have it.... I lost it a while ago, I don't know where, I looked but I didn't find it, I found a note saying I'm leaving.... I left, sorry bad luck."

I Miss a lot of things............... I need time!!

To a Dear Friend.....

your voice is my favourite melody,

your laughter is my only remedy,

and only you,

within all mankind,

share my soul, my happiness

my sorrow, my ecstasy, and misery

within all man kind you are my soul mate!!

Why I Fired My Secretary

2007-04-29T11:52:00.000+03:00

I'm not a big fan of copy and paste stuff also forwards, but this one I really want to share!

Last week was my birthday and I didn't feel very well
waking up on that morning.I went downstairs for breakfast hoping my wife would be pleasant and say,"Happy Birthday!" and possibly have a small present for me.
As it turned out, she barely said good morning let alone" Happy Birthday."I thought... Well, that's marriage for you, but the kids....They will remember.

My kids came bounding down stairs to breakfast and didn't say a word. So when I left for the office, I felt pretty low and somewhat despondent.
As I walked into my office, my secretary Jane said, "Good Morning Boss, and by the way Happy Birthday !"
It felt a little better that at least someone had remembered. I worked until one o'clock, when Jane knocked on my door and said, "You know, It's such a beautiful day outside, and it is your Birthday, what do you say we go out to lunch, just you and me."I said, "Thanks, Jane, that's the greatest thing I've heard all day. Let's go !
" We went to lunch. But we didn't go where we normally would go. She chose instead a quiet bistro with a private table. We had two martinis each and I enjoyed the meal tremendously.

On the way back to the office, Jane said, "You know, It's such a beautiful day... We don't need to go straight back to the office, Do We ? "I responded, "I guess not. What do you have in mind?
"She said, "Let's drop by my apartment, it's just around the corner.

"After arriving at her apartment, Jane turned to me and said, " Boss, if you don't mind, I'm going to step into the bedroom for just a moment. I'll be right back." "Ok." I nervously replied.

She went into the bedroom and, after a couple of minutes, she came out carrying a huge birthday cake ...
Followed by my wife
my kids
and dozens of my friends and co-workers, all singing "Happy Birthday".

And I just sat there...On the couch...

Naked.

Poor Kermit

2007-04-22T21:36:00.000+03:00

Going To Egypt!

2007-04-08T23:11:00.000+03:00

yup going to Egypt from the 12th-18th of April! that with no doubt will be fun!!

The Women Arabic Music Ensemble of the National Music Conservatory (Al-Nashmyat) will be performing a couple of concerts at the opening of the Jordanian Cultural Week in Egypt also at some Jordanian artist's Painting Exhibitions!!

Nashmyat
Ramz Sahuri
Obeida Madi
Mai Hajjara
Tala Kayyali
Rania Kayyali
Me Sabanekh
..............................................

haha gonna enjoy it so much walla ja3alo la 7ada daras walla tmaran!!
Wish us Luck again :D

Back from Paris!!!

2007-04-08T22:35:00.000+03:00

so we came back from Paris a couple of days ago!! we had so much fun!! didn't get a lot of time to do or see much, but it was fantastic, superb and faultless!! the groups we were with were such light hearted!! we actually enjoyed it to the max!! I'm glad I got to meet all these fantastic people!

The Concert was amazing HRH Queen Rania looked adorable and majestic as usual! unfortunately we couldn't take pictures for the performance because there was no photographing allowed!!

GOING TO PARIS!!!

2007-03-28T23:11:00.000+02:00

I always wanted to go there..now its a Dream come true..
I've got a concert on the Occasion of the visit of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah to UNESCO for the concert of traditional Jordanian Dance and Music
The Night of Jordanian Treasure.....
isn't that great i can say one day that i have performed for Her Majesty!!! SO EXCITED....

Who's going???
(I don't know still who else is going from here but there are some more groups!!)

and US of Course:

two ensembles performing together:

1. Arabic Music Ensemble

Yarob Smeirat-Violin
Isam Elayyan-Oud
Tala Kayyali-Qanoun
Hind Sabanekh- Percussion

Accompanied by

2. The Mahabeesh Ensemble

Mohammed Taha
Sinan Haddadin
Khalid Maani
Naji Rizeq

Wish us Luck!!

How Rare is My Personality?

2007-03-28T21:39:00.000+02:00

Your Personality is Very Rare (ENTP)

Your personality type is optimistic, curious, enthusiastic, and open.
Only about 4% of all people have your personality, including 3% of all women and 5% of all men.You are Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

SNOW!!

2007-03-15T11:40:00.000+02:00

I took these pics at around9:00 a.m this is our garden!! I dont know if i like snow or not! at this moment i DON'T...

A Mother's Day Concert

2007-03-15T11:30:00.000+02:00

For the Ones we LOVE
For the Ones we ADORE
For the Ones we APPRECIATE

Amman Symphony Orchestra
Mohammad Sidiq, conductor

Presents

Mother's Day Concert

Wednesday, 21 March 2007. 7:00 pm

Al Hussein Cultural Center – Ras Al Ain

Also in the program songs celebrating the occasion

My Fair Lady; Ave Maria; Haydn's London Symphony……

The program will include:

Classical

Jean Sibelius (1865-1956).............Valse Triste Op.44
Fredrick Loewe (1901-1988).......... My Fair Lady
Charles Gounod (1818-1893)........... Ave Maia
Solo, Nadin Shahwan

Josef Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony no.104 (London)
Adagio-Allegro
Andante
Menuetto-Trio
Final (Spiritoso)

Arabic
أحن إلى خبز أمي ..................solo, Ala' Al Shobaki
Oud, Humam Eid

ست الحبابيب .................. solo, Natali Samaan
Oud, Issam Alaian

أمي يا ملاكي ................... solo, Laila Abbas
Piano, Iyad Al Saghir

Ticket price: JD5

Tickets available at:
Al Qasr Howard Johnson Hotel, tel. 5666140
Café Moka, tel. 5926285
Music Box, tel.5815745
Extra Music, tel.5861885
Romero Restaurant, tel. 4644228/7
Cozmo, tel.5501240
The Good Book Shop, tel.4613939
Al Hussein Cultural Center, tel. 4735187
National Music Conservatory, tel. 5687620/1 -5605772

3 trumpet...

2007-03-14T23:23:00.000+02:00

Top to bottom: Rayan's Mine and ostazna'z... this is my 11th year playing trumpet :)

Leave letters.....

2007-03-14T22:48:00.000+02:00

for all of those who know me in person I think know that I do a good imitation of Indian English accents!! but i got this email from a friend of mine it made ma laugh so much i thought to share it with y'all.

This is a collection of leave letters and applications written by people in various places of India ...

Infosys, Bangalore : An employee applied for leave as follows: Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave.
This is from Oracle Bangalore: From an employee who was performing the "mundan" ceremony of his 10 year old son: "as I want to shave my son's head, please leave me for two days.."
Another gem from CDAC. Leave-letter from an employee who was performing his daughter's wedding: "as I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave.."
From H.A.L. Administration dept: "As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave."
Another employee applied for half day leave as follows: "Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clock and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave"
An incident of a leave letter "I am suffering from fever, please declare one day holiday."
A leave letter to the headmaster: "As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today"
Another leave letter written to the headmaster: "As my headache is paining, please grant me leave for the day."
Covering note: "I am enclosed herewith..."
Another one: "Dear Sir: with reference to the above, please refer to my below..."
Actual letter written for application of leave: "My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave".
Letter writing: - "I am in well here and hope you are also in the same well."
A candidate's job application: "This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'...As I am both(!! )for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience, I am applying for the post.

Coming Concert

2007-03-06T23:50:00.000+02:00

فرقة عمان للموسيقى العربية

صخر حتر

و

فرقة الغناء العربي

نزار فارس
في

"لبنان يا قطعة سما"

أمسية من الغناء اللبناني

الأثنين 12/3/2007– الساعة 7:30 مساء
مركز الحسين الثقافي-رأس العين

يتضمن البرنامج

سماعي كرد ................ عزف المجموعة
أرجعي يا ألف ليلة وليلة.......غناء المجموعة
بنتزاعل و بنرضى ........... غناء محمد حرم
يا عاقد الحاجبين ............. غناء ليلى عباسي
يا فجر لمَا تطل ............. غناء علاء الشوبكي
عالضيعة ................. غناء رمز الساحوري
نقيلي أحلى زهرة........... غناء المجموعة
بيت بالجنوب............... غناء فراس طعيمة
يا عاشقة الورد............ غناء نزار فارس
يا طير الطاير................ غناء نتالي سمعان
سقى الله................. غناء نزار فارس و المجموعة
سبحان من جملك.......... غناء نزار فارس
لبنان يا قطعة سما.............. غناء نزار فارس

البطاقة بـ5 دنانير
البطاقات لدى:
فندق القصر، هاتف 5666140
مكتبة الكتاب الجيد، هاتف 4613939
ميوزك بوكس، هاتف 5815745
مطعم روميرو، هاتف 4644287
اكسترا ميوزك، هاتف 5861885
كوزمو، هاتف 5501240
مركز الحسين الثقافي،4735187
المعهد الوطني للموسيقى، هاتف 5687620

بتنظيم كل من: المهعد الوطني للموسيقى و أمانة عمان و مركز الحسين الثقافي

YUU HALUU

2007-03-05T20:59:00.000+02:00

It's been such a long time!! oh well i FINALLY have ADSL (ma32ool ou nos) hehe but my P.C is still suffering from major technical problems! well i guess all is good i got 19 credit hours this semesters at the university (ba3raf majnuneh) and I don't have time to do anything and my work at the school is killing me slowly!!

I'm trying to find something to write about but i cant!! nothing has happened I wake up study and study and after that I have a lecture or two and then go to work studied some more and maybe practice and then I go back to sleep after I study some more of course!! so I guess so far all is good!! My brother still didn't by a car hes still using mine! and now I'm planning my summer and where I'll be spendin it!!

I'll come back with more news soon :D

What a Day!!

2007-01-30T17:13:00.000+02:00

So far nothing is going well! Mom is not in town so I'm home alone :D woke up and found that there's no gas! And no hot water, and my younger brother Hussam has deleted my Need For Speed Carbon account on the PS2 because he neede space on the card and I had 40% done! So i guess all that is kind of good until i went out and i found out that my elder brother Nichola has parked Sameera (my car) somewhere and it got bumped! (yeah why would he care he's getting a new car soon) oh and then sameera decided that she needs some juice, and refused to go anywhere unless she got some luckily i know how tto do it and i got the tools for it!!hehe! I'm waaay beyond schedule here! Better go get ready for the concert!

this is Sameera ili mu radyeh tishtaghel!!

bas hala2 a7san sarat il7amdila! hehe

Brass Quintet :)

2007-01-30T11:09:00.000+02:00

This is a dream come true! I always wanted the conservatory to have a brass quintet... we did it we formed one then let the conservatory know about it :D because if we lest it to them, it would just never happen! the cool thing about it is that we're only girls! I'm so sure that we're going to enjoy it so much! these are the current members:
Hind Sabanekh-Trumpet
Rayan Qaqish-Trumpet
Tanya Twal-French horn
Talar Karakashian- Trombone
Dima Abdin-Euphonium-Tuba

The thing is we have no name for the quintetyet! we dont want something traditional, and nothing very funky! Jordanian brass is lame people will think we're either a brass company, a mine, or a group of blacksmiths! lol it would work somewhere else but not here!
also we dont need something that has the conservatory's name in it! its waaaay to long! i wouldnt be able to memorize it then! so if you have any ideas tell me!

Whats Amman Symphony Orchestra (ASO) Up To??

2007-01-30T01:17:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow Amman Symphony Orchestra will be launched at 8.30 at the King Hussein Cultural Center.. Unfortunately there isn't any tickets nor invitations for all of you to attend! Any ways today was the General rehearsal for the program, the Orchestra is going to perform its First performance as the Amman Symphony Orchestra playing Mozart, Strauss, Dvorak, Brahms and more!

The National Music Conservatory(NMC) Arabic Music Ensemble will Perform a number of classical Arabic selections including Al-laylu ya layla Solo: Nizar Faris, Rij3at layali Zaman Solo (a young girl i don't know her first name but family name is sam3an)

Also the NMC string ensemble will perform Thikrayati(QASABJI) and Longa Ryadh (Ryadh al Sunbati)

Hopefully it'll all work well it was a total chaos today at the general rehearsal!! We were all over each other and we finished around 10.30!!

here are some pics of the general:

they're not that good, but they'll do i guess!

the ASO small but nice and hopefully musically active

conducted by Mohammed Othman Siddiq

to the left is the Arabic Music Ensemble.. In the concert two soloists will be siniging with them and the (Mahabeesh) will play with them one of the Jordanian traditional songs Reedaha.. (for all of you that don't know what a Mehbash is its an old instrument used to grind coffee been in the past and due to the fact you use the act of grinding (beating with a stick) we conceder it some how a traditional percussion instrument) conducted by Sakher Hattar

anyways i wish i could post some more! Its taking me ages I'm on dialup (still)!!! I don't know if I'll take pictures tomorrow I'll try my best! Wish us luck.. :) we need it, inshalla we'll get good funding for this orchestra! Amman must be proud to finally have an activity that puts Jordan on the world's musical map! Although its small, its better than nothing! Good luck ASO love you all see you tomorrow :)

Common sense

2007-01-29T18:28:00.000+02:00

Common sense, isn't always common as you know!

I Need to get the hell out of here....

2007-01-27T00:31:00.000+02:00

Help.... Yes I need it. I'm Willing to do what ever it takes just to get out of this place. Suffocation is what I'm dealing with most of the week, the rest I suffer from other things, mostly drowning as if I'm being pulled by a greater force to the unknown (I'm sure its not water), (sometimes bakuuun shway mrash7a) I hold on to the last ray of light I have that connects me to the most realistic part of my dreamy world (daw min il share3 i guess daw il baladyeh)... I see it there, I try to reach out. Everything is impossible. Out of reach. No explanation, no truth, no nothing. I finally fall asleep...

I hate that stile of writing... But that doesn't change the main subject, sorry if you found me very lame, boring, weird, what ever you wanna call me .... Etc but I want to get out of Jordan for the sake of Jordan and ME!!

I really love my country more than anything in the world (not really true I haven't seen all the world) but sometimes you have to go and let go!
Me and my friends in the conservatory are suffering here, Amman is killing us softly and what ever we do doesn't satisfy her!! Honestly its not our problem any more we tried so hard but its all the same Â£$%^ but different toilet, people of Ammann are still not ready for what ever is going on and what ever were trying to do!
I remember a few years ago a friend of ours went to study in Canada and he was the happiest Dude ever(hada il 7aki zaman), fortunately for the conservatory they got their selves a good teacher but unfortunately for him he came back to find nothing worth coming back for and he turned to the most depressed Dude for 2 months(jdeeed).. (no hedidn'tt get over it he went back cultural shock you may call it if you want).

soI'll re-phrase my title: I Need to get out of the hell I'm in here! not that I mean anything bad, but I want to know what i'm truely made of in a place that appreciates what we do! even if it was on corners of streets! at least i wont feel that I've studied what I've studied for nothing!

I walk down the street....

2007-01-27T00:01:00.001+02:00

I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes years to find a way out!
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I pretend I don't see it. I fall in. I cant believe I'm in the same place!! But its not my fault, it still takes a long time to get out..
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk, I see it there, I STILL fall in, its a habit... My eyes are open, I know where I am, its all my fault. I get out immediately.
I walk down the street, there's a deep hole in the side walk...... I walk around it.
I walk down the street, No No No!! I walk down a different street..........

What's up....

2007-01-18T09:18:00.000+02:00

It has been a while since my last blog! I feel so away... I've has exams during the past few days it was so damn hectic!
I never recall doing this amount of exams not even during tawjihi! not to mention that 3 teachers don't want a final exam they want a project with an essay!! damn that kills and takes alot of time too especially if you have to do it all with no computer! (yeah my screen is busted, happened two weeks ago).... nevermind...
today is my final Trumpet Practical exam, yes i have practiced well maybe not enough though, I still havent found out what enough is! this scares the hell out of me!!! I also have to hand in my analysis project (hope to finish it on time)!!
so this is so far what been going on!

OH OH about the orchestra thingy the Amman Symphony Orchestra, damn i thought that the auditions are only to officialy document that auditions happened! but damn it was so serious!!!! they accepted only thirty musicians out of that have auditioned (maybe around 60 did) when I knew all that i was sure that i wasnt accepted i didnt even look for my name on the list! this thought was changed after they gave me the contract to sign!! I'M A MEMBER OF THE FIRST AMMAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA... even though that might not change a thing in Music in Amman but its better than nothing!

better bounce of to finish my analysis project!
(sorry for all the spelling mistakes i didnt check i'm sure there is but I dont have time to check)

CONCERT ANY ONE??

2007-01-09T22:17:00.000+02:00

Dear Music Lovers,

The National Music Conservatory/ Noor Al Hussein Foundation

Cordially invites you to
The 1st Annual Student Concert – College Level
Academic year 2006-2007

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 – 7:30 p.m.
Al Hussein Cultural Center

Ras il-Ein

Its going to be nice so please try to come! free entrance and we're students we need all the support!

To share...

2007-01-02T20:34:00.000+02:00

One of my best friends from Palestine Wisam Jibran came to Jordan the day before yesterday, did a small concert in Maqha Jafra down town. He gave me a copy of his poetry book he wrote a couple of years ago, which really touched me because he means the world to me now so is his book! I started reading it and I though about translating some of what he has written for you to read :) the name of the book is called Rateela2 (historical name for a cave) and whenever I find time I'll translate a bit more! I just hope that my translation will fulfill its original meaning!!

History is an Action. A myth is a desire.
History is an arrow dragging the conquerors feather over the leaves of the remaining time.
A myth is a dream racing the wind... The wind is an awaking, this is how an autumn whispered after a fire of a long summer.

Beside an opening of a cave I sat down and wove my strings, and I saw a future, a future where the myth mingled with history, and I was the desire, and I was the action, and I was the only witness....
History is a tale of existing, a myth is a tale of authority and influencing.

Greetings....

2007-01-01T23:04:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year all, hope everything goes well for you this year :)
every single year I say I want to do this and that and that yah but that doesn't work I don't do anything or I might do a thing or two but that's all!!
so this year I'm going to try something new! I'm going to write everything down and then I'll be able to compare and I'll make my self do them coz I have them already posted on my blog (u know what I mean)
so here's how it goes:
1. Must lose weight
2. Must practice more to get a scholarship
3. Read more about composers and do more of the listening part.
4. Buy a Cajon (I doubt; due to lack of funding)
5. Get internet to my house and get connected to the world once again!!!
6. So far that's all and I'll add if I had anything new!!

so I hope every one of you will reach his/her goals some way or another

P.S you cant fly high with eagles when you're surrounded with turkeys (good luck to you all)

long time no post :)

2006-12-29T14:46:00.000+02:00

Happy Holidays all.... its been a while since i last posted a blog, I've been very busy not to mention that i dont have internet connection at home!!! (dont ask why, or how i'm surviving) enjoy your holiday season people! Happy Eid and Happy NEW YEAR!!
I better go and practice!!! no work no ma3had my teacher wants me to practice six hours a day!! lol i better start soon hehe!! take care yall.

ME!! BLITZEN...

2006-12-23T13:47:00.000+02:00

You Are Blitzen

Always in good spirits, you're the reindeer who loves to party down with Santa.
Why You're Naughty: You're always blitzed on Christmas Eve, while flying!
Why You're Nice: You mix up a mean eggnog martini.

click here to check Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

And another CONCERT...

2006-12-18T16:28:00.000+02:00

be there people its going to be very nice hopefully!! and Karim Said is a nice person and performer,so we better support him! (minna w feena) not to mention young and talented as well....

Break a Leg man!!

AUDITIONS YUCK!!

2006-12-17T10:17:00.000+02:00

so today is the day!! at last auditions for the Amman Symphony Orchestra! I have to say the truth! i'm not prepared, i dont feel like going to the auditions, and i'm to sleepy!!! it doesnt feel like an audition! i dont feel like having my before the audition vodka shot (why) ?? becayse its waaay too early to do that and i'm dont drink usually so i dont want an upset stomach on stage!! i better leave to the audition now! dont wish me luck!!!!!! wish the Amman Symphony Orchestra that!!

AMMAN COMMUNITY BAND

2006-12-17T10:01:00.000+02:00

Come and enjoy a nice christmas concert (free entrance) we're playing nice christmas music :) Happy Holidays Y'all :)

HE TOOK SAMEERA

2006-12-13T09:25:00.000+02:00

My brother Nick, has been working in Qatar for a while!! hell ya i missed him loads! but SAMEERA was (is) MINE until he came back for good last week!!! (drum roll)... he found a job here in Amman, and he took Sameera away from me! "its only for a while" he said, (define while please)....
I need Sameera more than any other thing lately! why should i be the one who takes Taxi's and Buses! hes 6 years older than me he can do Taxi's and buses too! why now?? WHY ME?? I hate to take buses when i have my bag, my Trumpet, and my Tableh... it really sucks! (osloub il qame3 ili ma be5las)

P.S incase you're wondering who's Sameera, its MY car! I have no Clue why I called it that why! its better than Honda Sabanekh!! lol

Happy India (Hind ilsa3eed)

2006-12-12T18:19:00.000+02:00

I'm so excited you might find it very silly but i'm getting a harmon mute (Wah-wah mute) for my trumpet and a silent brass:) i told mom can i order one this will be my christmas present and my birthday and the next christmas present and my birthday and so on :D lol she agreed haha!! when i get my harmon mute Jazz will be so much fun! and when i get my silent brass ahhhhh where shall i begin... i'm gonna practice day and night, night and day then day and night, and maybe night and day, after that day and night....etc!! no one can tell me to shut that brassy thing up (not that anyone is allowed too)!!! as much as it sounds silly as much as i'm happy, even more!! hope y'all get what you want for christmas and birthdays and everything :D
Peace

Question please :P

2006-12-03T15:55:00.000+02:00

so i was just wondering??!!
If a fine is a tax for doing well, will that tax be a fine for doing wrong!!???

g2go got orchestra practice in an hour better go warmup !!!!

Due to the fact that.....

2006-12-03T15:29:00.000+02:00

I can see that music business is "flourishing" here in our beloved country so due to the fact that it is or might be or will be it doesn't matter its all the same, I as your friend in music will try to give you some pieces of advise to all of you newbies that want to play in gigs or restaurants or even start a "band" its not easy as you think!!

Top Facts of Life for Playing in Clubs and Restaurants:

Unless you are in a concert situation, most of the people are not there to hear you. Your music is incidental. People go to restaurants and bars to eat, to drink, to socialize, do business, or maybe to be alone in a crowd. So if you reach some of them and entertain them, you've done a hell of a job.
In most restaurants, your main objective is to try to entertain without bothering anybody.
Any volume is too loud for someone.
The crowd would rather hear a terrible rendition of "Sweet Caroline" than the tastiest arrangement of one of your originals that they've never heard before.
The customer who asked for "Sweet Caroline", his favorite song, won't realize you're playing it until you actually reach the word "Sweet".
Someone in the crowd will have halfway heard you play "Sweet Caroline" and it will remind him of the song so he'll request it right after you've just played it.
Your slowest night, with the most obnoxious crowd and the worst response, is immeasurably better than the best day you ever had at a day job!!!

NEW RULES FOR BANDS IN THE 21st CENTURY:

Never name a song after your band.
Never name your band after a song.
Never start a trio with a married couple.
Before you sign a record deal, look up the word "recoupable" in the dictionary.
A string section does not make your songs sound any more "important".
If you sound like another band, don't act like you're unfamiliar with their music ("Oh does Rage Against The Machine also do rap-rock with political lyrics?")
Never enter a "battle of the bands" contest. If you know you're already a loser.
If you use a smoke machine your music sucks.

with all do respect to all the bands that are starting in Amman- Jordan... Good luck to all of you! Get some music theory lessons! And maybe read a book about being in Tune or in Harmony!

Remember... then PRAY

2006-12-02T18:46:00.000+02:00

You were walking in the dark, lost, cold, tired, i bet you want to go to bet dring a hot cup of milk and sleep.... so at last you find a tunnel mybe you think this might be a way out of this dark place!! so you go to towards that tunnel, and you enter it fearing nothing!! having nothing on your mind but the image of a hot bath and clean bed sheets. you're half way through the tunnel, maybe less maybe more who knows! and you see a LIGHT you feel Happy, you start running towards it! now remember there is light at the end of Every tunnel just pray that its not a train!!

P.S (i'm so bored! this came out of my boredom)

1 DECEMBER WORLD AIDS DAY

2006-11-30T18:53:00.000+02:00

You, Me & US ... CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF HIV....

check the website

God help those who have HIV.....

this just popped into my mind!!!!

2006-11-25T12:09:00.000+02:00

when writing on a lined piece of paper we always skip the first line, why dont they make lined paper without the first line??

I HATE ISLAMIC ART HISTORY!! (no kidding)

2006-11-25T11:55:00.000+02:00

so i asked the proff to let me go to the bathroom while i sit here to blog this:

*I'm so sleepy

*the dude doesnt know what hese talking about

*and due to the fact that i'm sleepy i cant understand what he's talking about!!!

*I need coffee!!

ok i have to go back to class he's an ass he wouldnt believe that i was in the bathroom all that time!!

MY EXAM

2006-11-22T12:40:00.000+02:00

so at last today i DID my Trumpet technical exam!! i feel so good oh my good what a feeling! i'm willing to do any thing right now!
i got 27/30 for the first time in my university life i got over 25!! thank y ou osatazz Rani... you ROCK man i love you!! you're the best teacher a trumpet player can ever have!
my program was 2 scales 2 octaves G major and Minor and two etudes by Vorm!! I DID GOOODD YAAAAAYYYY
now i have to get ready for my final at the end of the semester :)
I FEEEELL GOOOD NANANANA

Deep thoughts

2006-11-21T21:43:00.000+02:00

For all of you folks who kiss ass to get to the top a thing I'd never do!! Here's a little thing from me to you I'm not going to use names so don't worry!! And I wont do it no way!!

the other day a turkey was chatting with a bull: "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."
"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
the Turkey then was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
so you see Bull sh#* might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there. Keep it in mind!!

RJ must start improving some way or another

2006-11-21T20:57:00.000+02:00

Ok, as much as I love flying the world as much as I hate Royal Jordanian!! I tried it in short distance trips and long distance trips! Where to??? The U.S & A it was so awful i felt as if I'm ridding the shitty transportation busses we have in here in Amman!!! Its was ok on our way to the states but back!!! WTF it was so bad I cant even describe it!! Seeds (bizer) on the floor! Dirty bathrooms, not to mention the smell!! ahhhh thinking of it drives me crazy! But I really think it can be better if they do something about the flight attendants! They're always grumpy, too slow and don't want to work! (I really made them go wild though hehehe what can I do it took them an hour to get me water after a while I went and got it my self) Any ways I got an Idea for the slogan part I have a joke for you RJ here it goes:

A guy sitting at a terminal noticed a really beautiful woman sitting next to him.
He thought to himself: "Wow, she's so gorgeous she must be a flight attendant. But which airline does she work for?"
Hoping to pick her up, he leaned towards her and said the Delta Airline slogan: "Love to fly and it shows?"
She gave him a confused look and he immediately thought to himself:"Damn, she doesn't work for Delta Airlines."
A moment later, another slogan popped into his headway leaned towards her again, "Something special in the air?"
She gave him the same confused look. He then removed Singapore Airlines off the list.
Next he tried the Thai Airways slogan: "Smooth as Silk."
This time the woman turned to him "WTF do you want?"
The man smiled, then lay back in his chair, and said "Ahhhhh, Royal Jordanian!"

Well Said!!!

2006-11-12T14:54:00.000+02:00

There's music in the sighing of a reed;
There's music in the gushing of a rill;
There's music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.
~Lord Byron

GREAT Concert Disasters

2006-11-12T14:44:00.000+02:00

All of us ( Orchestra members) know what a concert disaster is!! They're not nice at all the moment they happen but after a day or two you look back and cant stop laughing!! Oh well shit happens and we laugh again!! I found a site that has some nice stories check'em out GREAT CONCERT DISASTERS

WINNING ELEVEN COMPETITION

2006-11-12T13:26:00.000+02:00

I really like playing Winning Eleven!! Its a nice game it kills time actually!! Oh well for all of you that are interested there's a competition Taking place at the INHOUSE cafe!! Go for it y'all!!

ENJOY

CONCERT........ CONCERT

2006-11-11T16:57:00.000+02:00

if a black box appeared click on it to show the poster!

Why Once Upon a India??

2006-11-03T21:17:00.000+02:00

Well I know this was supposed to be one of my first blogs but I have no clue why I didn't post it!! Its not a big deal but it all goes back when I was in School and I was a member of the Amman Baptist School Band, one of the band members called Yazan A. He used to call me India, he used to translate some words literally and use them in his sentences which is very funny because my name is Hind translated India, so it kind of stuck with me till now all the band members call me India I got used to it.... Its good that they didn't get to my grandfathers name (Nakhleh) which will be translated to PALM!!! Or my family name (SABANEKH) it'll end up to be SPINACH... (3elet sar5asyat) so I thought India in comparison with those two is fine!! India Palm Spinach..... Interesting thinking about it Popeye might be one of my ancestors.......

The 15th Festival and Conference of Arab Music

2006-11-03T20:30:00.000+02:00

Jordan is participating in the conference (good luck) which is taking place in Cairo Opera House hopefully we'll do good in the performance and get a good rank in the percussion competition (Mohammed Taha is representing Jordan)!! i'm so excited about it, the thought of visiting the Cairo Opera House gives me a boost of excitement!! how about performing there!! I still havent tried it!! three more days left and i'll tell you about it when i come back :)

ATTITUDE

2006-11-03T16:19:00.000+02:00

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company….a church….a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

By, Chuck Swindoll

"KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"

2006-11-03T16:10:00.000+02:00

It's funny I never thought about it this way, every medicine bottle or box has this sentence on it! "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN" I always thought that children do cause a headache sometimes/always but i never thought that it'll get to this level!!

where will it lead...... and till when

2006-10-24T16:05:00.000+03:00

We musicians are being humiliated. Yes humiliated and we're doing nothing about it. Or we're trying but nothing is working out. Oh and please let me clarify what I meant with musicians according to dictionaries:

I'm not going to bore you with all the details..Only headlines!!!!

Music is a form of entertainment or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. It is expressed in terms of pitch (which includes melody and harmony), rhythm (which includes tempo and meter), and the quality of sound (which includes timbre, articulation, dynamics, and texture).

A musician is a person who plays or composes music. Musicians can be classified by their role in creating or performing music:

A singer (or vocalist) uses his or her voice as an instrument.
An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.
Both singer and instrumentalist can be improvisers, who create real time music.
Composers and songwriters write music.
A conductor coordinates a musical ensemble.

According to Alfred Alexander, "a singer is a person of adequate musicality, who is gifted with a voice of such power and beauty that competent judges can recommend singing as a career"
i.e. please don't compare "musicians/singers" you see on T.V to us, we read notes and know music theory, not to mention if we know how to sing, we sing in tune and know what were doing, at least we know what a demihemisemiquaver means,!! They're not even worthy of being called artists (fanan/fananeh) why do WE waste our time in studying music theory, harmony, counterpoint, analysis, and conducting, this is only a short list of what we go through in our music knowledge process and many of us might not even succeed in them what makes those people better than us?? I guess we know: they can sing out of tune easily, they have money, and female singers can dance and sing out of tune at the same time!!! Great that's excellent now i understand and actually now I can see the future or music!! I wonder how Beethoven and Mozart didn't see it!! what a waste of time and talent if i may say!!!!

Our music, Our Jordan

2006-10-24T15:44:00.000+03:00

The other day I was asked by a bunch of extremely important people about my field of study in university, I answered with all the pride in the world glittering in my eyes and voice “ I’m a 3rd year Music student Trumpet major at the National Music Conservatory.’’ And they all had the same reply music in Jordan and a Conservatory in AMMAN???
What are you talking about Hind this is nonsense don’t waste your time and your money go study something descent in a university!!!! People here don’t deserve art, they’ll never learn and never will understand and develop (3omorhom ma bet3alamo wala beseeru)
Oh hell yeah that’s correct and so true. If our beloved country is filled with people like you we’ll never be and never learn!! I calmly replied to defend everything I stand for and believe in my MUSIC: “What do you want me to study in university? English, marketing, business…etc our country is filled with those majors and graduates can’t find work; they don’t need me to add to their unemployed citizens list!!! If you only knew your country and culture well enough you’ll know what I’m doing in studying music.” Deep inside I thought why am I wasting time on such ignorant people with money in their pockets and nothing in their brains! But then it came back to me… those are exactly the people that need to understand that music isn’t what’s seen on T.V in video clips, music is in a sense a summation activity for the expression of values, and the psychology of a culture is exposed in its music. A great philosopher once said that “if you want to learn about the culture of a certain civilization listen to its music.”
Our Jordanian/Palestinian traditional music reveals a lot about our culture and life during the time this music has developed and evolved, but its our duty to keep it alive, unfortunately if we don’t two or three generations from now all of this music will be buried under the ground! Or God forbids history will repeat it self and what once happened with our knowledge and science will happen to our music, another civilization will come and steal it from us, and we‘ll actually do nothing about it and they say that its theirs and add it to their list of achievements and repertoire. People from all over the world come to learn Arabic music here in Jordan; they find it very difficult to understand and perform yet so nice and touching.

I’m not asking you to start buying Jordanian music and listen to it day and night, its only about knowing your Jordan, your culture, for its all in our music, teach it to your children and one day hopefully your children will teach it to theirs. This way we’ll keep it alive, clean, and maybe spread it every where, but most important of all keep it ours let it not loose its identity and be affected with what you’re calling now a days “music” for it’s a shame.
This is our music, our Jordan: yesterday, today, and Tomorrow……

HAPPY EID Y'ALL

2006-10-23T20:21:00.000+03:00

Happy Eid to everybody all the best wishes to you and your families!!!

VACATION AT LAST!!!!! WOOOOOWWWW

MY CAR

2006-10-19T20:45:00.000+03:00

STICK AROUND
I May need someone to BLAME

Thats a GOOD one

2006-10-19T19:41:00.000+03:00

-A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory
-Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
-A pat on the back is just inches away from a kick in the butt.
-Light travels faster than sound.This is why...some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
-Nurses have a lot of patients.
-If you'll regret it in the morning.... sleep late !!
-If your nose runs and your feet smell...you're probably built upside down.

RAMADAN!!!

2006-10-18T03:25:00.000+03:00

Honestly I thank God it only happens once a year!! People drive me crazy during this month and worst of all they drive around town like I don't know what!! I don't deny that this holy month adds a unique sense of warmth that bonds family and friends together, but it shouldn't affect your mood and life!
people are angry all the time screaming, yelling and then they tell you excuse me I'm fasting!!! People you don't fast for me or people around you leave it between you and God, that's the way it was and that's the way it'll stay!

I bet some of you (if you live in Amman- Jordan) saw a Silver Honda Civic that is hit on the right back corner with a sticker on top " Stick around I may need someone to blame" well if you did yeah that is MY CAR and the dude who hit me at 5.00PM said sorry I'm fasting and I could smell alcohol in his breath!! It was 5:20 when the police man came to do the legal traffic paper work when he told me "I have to go and break my fasting sorry I cant do that thing now wait for me at the station"..... The (excuse my French) ASS-HOLE made me stay till 10:30 in the station! WHY coz he wants to break his fasting for 4 hours!!!! What the hell was he eating for four hours!!! I hate peoples attitude in RAMADAN its no longer humane its something else! be careful people what you do to other people when you "fast"

Head lines

2006-10-18T03:01:00.000+03:00

Well I guess everybody have a room in side their brain that they can lock their selves in and think for ever, or maybe even look at the past, remember your life, or even remember everything that has had a profound impression on you no matter how small it was!! For me when I got to this room I see sentences and words!!! All had or will have a part in forming my future and it makes me realize and remember actually that I do think and I do exist!! Interesting is what I've found the last time I entered..... Large sentences huge meanings, great words and massive affects:

**Do everything for the glory of God.
**Attitudes are caught not taught.
**lead, follow, or get out of the way.
**Music isn't a universal language its a universal form of expression.
**I'd rather be optimistic and a fool rather than pessimistic and right.
**life's a journey not a destination.

and many many more these might only be sentences to many people but for me I learnt at least one thing from every point..... Its funny how I cant remember any more but I'll always remember who taught me every thing about me, my life, what will I be, and what I am!!
Our Band Director Miss B. Johnson

This is a Test

2006-10-18T01:36:00.000+03:00

Testing Testing 123... tst tst