Melting Pots

The heightened identity issues in NY in my everyday examination of it through academia and walking down those sidewalks forces me to rethink my own identity in the city I grew up for the largest share of my life, Amman. They make me think how Amman, this young city, is emerging....and blending identities; Bedouins, Palestinians, Jordanian non-Ammanites, Iraqis, Circassians, Armenians, Egyptians, and Syrians. Moreover, micro minority groups also exist; Greeks, Romanians, and Russians. A lot is inscribed on and perceived of these identities, many types being stereotypical such as the construction worker, the prostitute, and the good house cook (you can play the game of matching whom to which, it's not fun so I am not playing it). The way in which these identities were formed, most of whom fled from war, makes this city a place of immigrants with a history and many stories to tell. The presence of these identities is political, whether we choose to deny it or not. The setting of this city correlates to NY more than they claim Dubai does. Let's think deep, not posh. Think social networks rather than gleaming skyscrapers.

(In response to Amman and me)

From Sex in the City to the State

Here. No, I mean there.

America's 4th Most Miserable City

New York. Also worst for commute and income taxes.

White Harlem

From Behind Your Camera Lens, Do I Know Who You Are?

Every time I see a fabulous picture that one of my friends would have taken, I think of this question (bear in mind when reading this that they are not professional photographers, nor is the discussion about the pros). Building on a personal belief that a photograph is a two-way production between the photographer and the object/place/subject/person/feeling etc. being captured, it makes me wonder how much does this 2D depiction tell me about that person? What roads does it take me through in their intimate mental area that I never would have traveled down unless in very rare relationships?

Sometimes, I have to admit it may be tricky and the grounds of the depiction are murky because of its dual nature mentioned above. Add to that the technological aspect of how sophisticated the camera is and then the nature becomes tripartite. For instance, a wonderful photo may turn out to be a matter of using the right camera in a rich setting at an appropriate time of the day/night. A bummer, huh?

Once that is put aside, and you think of the crude eye and mind that were taking the picture, a lot of amazing aspects about a person emerge. After all, what they focus on tells you about their interests, how they focus on it tells you the way they think about their interests. A fabulous photo at the end is one which tells you that much about them in a way you can interestingly and deeply identify with. And maybe, just maybe, a result of such a realization is to move together along a widened understanding of each other, traveling down your newly discovered "mutual" intimate areas.

The Nest

Beijing being the host of the Olympics this year has pulled an architectural stunt to take our breaths away. Well at least it worked on me (and on some movie makers). The stunt is none other than Herzog and De Meuron's National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics (more commonly known as "the nest" since it looks like one). Having visited the site, I couldn't help but notice how some humble construction practices where working in line with the progressive; like in the straw filled blankets, and the messy corrugated sheets that circle the building at close proximity to its outer facade. Nonetheless to say, the landscape pattern on the floor wasn't as presented in the renderings, wherein it continued the pattern of skewed lines on its surfaces. Wonder what went wrong there.

Visually yours,

The Amman - NY Air Link

I can't help it. Call it a bias and I don't care, but I just love to draw on links between both cities. In this year's news (before its almost over): Royal Jordanian celebrates 30 years of nonstop flights between Amman and NY, establishing that intimate link with the dear Middle East.

Ok, so I was one of RJ's victims of the recent flights that got messed up... I had my flight change three times, I barely made it to JFK, but, such a mess was worth it at the end; like meeting someone you think highly of.
A whole page ad in today's paper presented an apology and detailed explanation for the mess, quite an interesting way to communicate to the passengers...which brings up a random thought; I wonder if RJ will be hit by the wave of neoliberalism and consecutively undergoes privatisation. Come on, why should it be, it's royal after all!