Jewellery & Turkish coffee!!

When I think of jewellery I think of investment...All my life I was never interested in wearing rings, bracelets or even earring...not even accessories...Once I got engaged, I got the chance to buy whatever design of jewellery, I prefer white, and I ended up buying the simplest ones I saw...
For some reason, I like how jewellery looks on some other girls but not on me! For example, it looked really nice on Nancy Ajram in her Damas commercial!
I also don't like the idea of "il talbeeseh" in the wedding parties..For me it's a very funny way of showing off...I don't know, but for some reason, many people still do it on their wedding parties!

I never forget to wear my engagement ring or my watch, but as for necklaces and bracelets, I don't even think of them, maybe because I'm veiled, and I don't see them on me while covering my body, so why wear them?!...I sometimes think: What made me bring them with me to the states?! I could have left them in a box back home instead of hugging their bag on my long trip :p

On Saturday, I was invited FOR THE FIRST time to a "Women Party". There is this 9 year old Jordanian girl, who had just finished reading the Quran, and so her mom, who happens to be a teacher at the school I work at invited me to her daughter's party and she told me that I'll get the chance to meet new people in this area...I got excited about it, and Jeeej told me that a 25 min drive to her house won't be much compared to the fun I would have over there...

They were right! Her big house was full of Arab ladies...with their kids...I still can't believe that I was there! Surrounded by so many Arab women!! How come I never knew about such parties?! How come I never met any of them! I had a great time there...the Arabic food was just great! I've been craving for REAL Arabic food, unlike what I cook:(

Tea was served in the regular small glasses, not in mugs! big Turkish coffee pots were there...traditional Turkish coffee cups...I felt so Arab there...and I just loved it...I remember how mama kept asking me to buy Coffee from Amman, and "bakraj" coffee too, she wanted me to buy trays and traditional cups, but I kept refusing...and NOW I regret it!! I should have!! Really...

I talked to many women there, and most of them have been living here for ages now!! I mean for 15 years and up. They kept telling me how I'll get used to being away from home, and step by step I'll learn what's important to get from home and what is not. They were ladies with kids, I was the youngest there, and felt clueless...We sat in the back yard, some women were smoking and others were craving for argeeleh...some women had bad jokes to tell, I didn't understand half of them...I mean, It was a typical Arabic night...I kept looking around me, trying to find a familiar face...like a cousin's face, a sister's...teta's face...mama's face...there were none! I miss my BIG family gatherings...It's strange how you don't miss these things until you loose them...

Now, since it was all women party, anyone would imagine what kind of clothes was worn, and the amount of jewellery exposed...It's funny how women find it so NICE & COOL to show their bodies off, covered with gold!

But mama, guess what...I wore the earrings you got me, and they were shining:)

Smart San Francisco

Yesterday we went to San Francisco, It was my 5th visit to that radiant city...I can never say NO to spending a whole busy day there:)

I'd love to move to this city, and I'm sure that whoever lives there is so lucky, for he'll never EVER get bored!!
I love the style of the houses built on the sides of the streets, like -Full House-, colorful and full of life, despite the fact that they are too old, like over a hundred year or something...I once had a tour inside of one of these houses, a pinkish one, that belongs to Jeeej's grandparents, and his uncle lives in it. You can never realize how big these houses are! I mean, from the outside, they look like barbie houses, but once you step in and go deep inside...they are really big!!

I didn't enjoy driving there yesterday...I mean it was so crowdy, and people were driving like crazy, parking their motorcycles and cars in the middle of the streets. It took us a lot of time to find a place to park our car at every single place we went to...

But still I love this city...I enjoy hiking there, at the bay area. Yesterday we did a lot of hiking, and at the end we were wondering why we haven't rented bikes to go around the city, so next time it will be on bikes:)

We took Jeeej's uncle, Berry, out for dinner, for he just had a serious operation, and we always enjoy time with him...He chose the Vietnamese restaurant -Budhai-, and the food we had was a blast!!

On our way to the rest., I saw something I only saw on TV all my life...some cops were arresting a guy on the street. They had him lay on the ground and they were trying to shut him up for he was yelling and shouting at them, the funny thing was that 2 other guys were sitting on the side walk -next to the cops and the guy being arrested-, so calm, as if NOTHING was going on 2 feet away from them!!! Uncle Berry said: There's always action going on here!!

Something so funny happened too...we were window shopping at the bay area shops, and we saw these very nice paintings...Jeeej was wondering how expensive they were, so he asked about one beautiful painting's price, so a girl working there grabbed it and asked us to follow her into this black room, where she'll turn off the lights gradually to show us that even in the darkness we can still see the painting...anyways...Me and Jeeej were talking in Arabic, so she asked me: Where are you from? I said: Jordan, Middle East. Then she looked at hubby and said: How about you? how can you speak Arabic, her language?! He said: I have learned it over there! so she said: you must have spent a lot of time in Europe!!!

Arabic in Europe...mmmmmmmm....that was sooo smart!!! hehehe...I, first, didn't get it...it took me a while till I started laughing at her!! That was so stupid, I mean smart! hehe

Maioush...Hang on there...I'm on my way!!!

One of the worst things in life is "gaining weight easily, and finding it so hard to loose it"! They tell you that your body weight changes after marriage, and they advise you not to do a lot of shopping before you get married because your size will keep changing...They said it's all related to psychological issues...

I say, this is NOT what caused me to gain extra weight since last September. The main reason behind gaining the 5 extra Kg was EXTRA eating! I feel so bad for I'm not treating my body the right way I should...I feel bad for my shoulders carrying all this extra weight...and so I decided to loose it all!!!

I miss Fitness one -Only women gym- back in Amman!! It was the best for me...Here, I wanted to subscribe in Curves -Only women gym-, but for some reason I didn't trust it's location! It's big and wide windows are exposed to the street, and since I cover, I don't want to exercise wearing my scarf on, No thank you very much!!

Since I can never loose weight without exercising, and since I can't exercise without machines...I brought GYM home! I got myself the Elliptical, and it's treating me well so far...

I don't have a skinny jeans to fit in - like Maioush- as a GOAL, but...I will put a counter on my blog...A count down, until the 7th of July...I have no idea how to create one on my blog yet, I need help:p

I want to loose 6 Kg...I have started yesterday...and I WILL MAKE IT!!
So, Maioush, Hang on there...I'm following you:D You inspired me girl:D

Malahiiiii...

What I have learned yesterday was that Nobody is too old to go to malahi!!!

Jubaiha city was the only place in Amman to go to...I remember how one of my Aunts used to get us -me and my sisters and most of our cousins- free tickets to spend the whole day there, playing all games...until we get bored. I remember how I used to get upset if I was told that I'm still too young to have a ride on some of the games...

Last Wednesday, I told hubby that I'm craving for sushi, from sushi boat! So he said: yea, we can go, but I have other plans!! He wanted to keep it as a surprise, but later on he had to tell me that we are going to Great America, because he had to ask me to wear something warm and to wear my scarf tightly so that it won't frly away!!!

I was like...how would it fly away?!?! What about sushi?! what if I didn't like it there?! Will it be okay to ride roller coasters here? Like the ones I've always seen on movies?!

Until yesterday...Walking through the gate with all the music, loud voices and people screaming around us,,,I felt the excitement...it was still early in the morning when we got there, sometime after 10 am. I thought we'd be the first people to arrive, but the parking lot had some cars parking and people were already enjoying their time! After our first ride, I called mama in Amman and told her how happy and excited I was for being in malahiii...

I remember, many years ago, in Six Flags, they used to measure our heights with a stick, to see if our height allows us to ride a roller coaster or not, if you are shorter than it, you won't make it, so I never did...both my parents -of course- and my sister Nour made it to most of the rides, and me and my other sister Rana would sit there watching them and wait for them to be done so we could move on to the next ride or game or show to watch!

These days, they have measuring signs, you stand by it, if you are taller, you may go, and wow, I really used to be a short girl year 1987!!

I had so much fun yesterday...and where ever we went the staff kept wishing us to have the best day ever in our life, and actually their wishes came true! I had an unforgettable day at Great America! I can't believe I was on one of their roller coasters, or that I've seen the 3D movie with a bunch of kids on jumping seats about SpongeBob squarePants!!!
We had a very ROMANTIC ride on the boat, with splashing water all the way around. it was all unbelievable...

It was a very busy week, Kids here are having their spring breaks, and thier parents kept rescheduling my private classes according to their kid's plans! I didn't mind it at all, some of them even asked for more classes, since their kids had nothing to do during the break! I just missed my blog, and checking other blogs...going through Qwaider planet and reading the titles of the posts I've missed make it so tempting to publish this right now and start reading what I've missed so far...

Going to malahi was exactly what I have needed to do! I'm just glad we got the seasonal ticket, so now we can go whenever we want till the end of 2007...how about next Thursday:ppp

Later on, we took some rest at home, and then I went with Jeeej to the park, where he was invited to play soccer with some of his friends, and I spent my time with the girl I met a couple of months ago...She is doing much much better,,,,And is really back to her normal life...

Thank you God for filling my days with joy over here:) Yesterday I couldn't be any happier...
Thank you jeeeeeeej :D I Love you...

Dream "BIG"...

In the early hours of the morning, if I'm disturbed while being asleep, I mean if I keep waking up and falling asleep again, due to noises around me, I start to see very short, stupid, irrational and illogical dreams!!
This morning it happened to me, and to my surprise, I remembered the very last funny dream I've had just before I decided it's really time to wake up and get off the bed!!! Usually, I would just remember that I had really crazy dreams, and that's it...no details,,,nothing!!

This one, I remember it in details...it was a very intellectual dream, and it had a very big meaning!!hehehe

The Dream:
" Jeeej and I were visiting our newly married friends, Dodo & AJ, at Dodo's family house in Amman. For some reason Jeeej and AJ decided to wrestle which was normal to see -in the dream of course-!! hehe...and then Dodo started talking to me about this very nice book she is reading, it was a green and blue book, full of pictures. It had chapters...The chapter my dream talked about was asking few questions about a certain farm with pictures. it asked: If you went to this farm, would you like it? So I answered: Yes!

Questions: what if we started to show the details in pictures? what if you know that the farmer planted the trees first, in organized rows, and then he planted flowers, in other rows, and then you saw vegetables in other rows ---The whole time, there were pictures displayed---, and then you saw rows of this and that...all well and neatly organized...would you still like the farm?! I answered: No, of course not!! hehe - well, for some reason, I didn't like the detailed pictures:p- ...and then Dodo, opened the next page to read "Al-3ata2 aham min al tafaseeel = Giving is more important than Details". And here, after she read it, I was sooo impressed!! hehehhehehee....and then Jeeej's cell phone started ringing!!!

I woke up impressed...and tried so hard to remember all the dream's details, and started laughing. After my good morning to Jeeej, I started telling him about my dream, and what a great meaning it had...he gave me that look and said: I'm so proud of you...and I'm lucky too!!!

hhehehhehehehe,,,

Well, I think it has a deep meaning!! My dream was BIG this time:)

Robin Hood in childhood

In 1987, My family lived in Alabama for about 9 months, for my father had to take courses over there. I was still 5 years old back then. When we left, we took SO MANY things with us back home, things that we really kept using for years, actually some of these things are still alive at my family's home in Amman.

One of the simplest, yet priceless things we got from there, was a VHS video tape, having the Disney cartoon "Robin Hood".
I still recall how my sisters & I kept watching it over and over again, for years, up until I became 12 years old or something. The number of times we watched it is uncountable! Every single time, I would laugh at the very exact scenes and would be impressed by Robin Hood's moves and smartness. The downs that the animals' town went through would always make me sad, and at it's happy ending, My heart would dance, EVERY SINGLE time!

The other day, Jeeej & I were waiting for the pharmacist to get my ear's drop subscription ready. To entertain the people waiting, they were showing a Disney cartoon, about the girl fighting in a war instead of her father, -Sorry Jeeej, but I forgot it's name :p-. Anyways, I started telling Jeeej about how much I love Robin Hood's movie, I wasn't surprised to know that it was one of his favourites too. I started telling him about my favourite scenes, and he started singing it's songs for me!! I felt sooooo happy having a conversation with hubby about Robin Hood!!

Few days ago, Jeeej added the movie to our list on Netflix. To make it even better, he put it on top of the list! I couldn't wait to watch it again, after all these years.

We got it yesterday...and I was speechless...

The scenes, the laughs, the conversations...everything...I could tell what would happen & what would be said next, it brought sweet memories to my heart, about a childhood filled up with joy and happiness, by Robin hood and many other things, along with my sweet sisters:)

Nourty, Renno & Mimy...I miss you so much!

HaPpY YuMmY dAy:D

I gave 3 classes today, came back around 6:30 pm, Had my first walk here with Jeeej in San Jose, for about an hour, came back, Jeeej won bidding on something really good on Ebay! I cooked Chinese, and now Jeeej is making chocolate chip cookies:) Once they are done, we'll watch the movie "Rocky Balboa"!! It's 9:43 pm now:) Isn't it a happy day:) Thank you God!!!

Two days offfffff.....

It doesn't feel weird at all not having days off on Saturdays and Sundays here, I don't know why! Back home in Amman, I remember how special my Fridays were among family. But here, I don't feel that on weekends, not even on Fridays...sometimes I loose track and and I start for seconds and sometimes minute wondering what day it is!!

Husbandi's days off here are Wednesdays & Thursdays. Most of the time, he goes to work on Wednesdays to finish a deal or start a new one. Based on that is my private classes schedule, I never give classes on Thursdays, I don't mind doing it on Saturdays & Sundays at all. So when he decides to take 2 days off in a raw, I feel sooooo good and happy! Because I know that 2 days off means a new adventure!

Last week, Jeeej did it! He asked me to cancel my Wednesday classes, because we were going to Sacramento and Auburn, to visit his brother & my In-laws...I was so happy when he called them to make sure whether they have free time to hang out with us while we are there or not, since it was still the middle of the week. but it all went great.

It was my 4th visit to my In-laws, they are almost a 4 hours drive away. This time it was the best drive, because of all the green hills around us. Breathtaking colorful scenery in Spring time! We first passed by suegrito's -dad-in-law's- work and went out for lunch, something healthy and vegetarian for him, so sushi was it. after that Jeeej made me spend one of the craziest two hours in my life, hehe, he took me Golfing, and car racing!!! We had a championship in mini golf!! I just loved it there, felt like a little child playing it for the very 1st time in my life! He won by 5 points, but who cares, I was enjoying time :D

Later on we went to suegrito's house and going there ALWAYS feels like going to a SPA. I feel so fresh while being there. The area they live in, the fresh air away from uproar. I had a long walk there around the area and spent sometime at the lake. The food I have there is always healthy and nothing but organic. I have no chores over there, so I just spend time relaxing...

Jeeej took me to Nevada old city, and we spent sometime there shopping. I just loved their shops and antique stores for clothes and furniture. We bought some stuff for our home. We had dinner in Auburn and then headed to Sacramento again and played Bowling with my brother in-law. Bowling feels so nice especially while wearing a wide skirt! hehehhee

So much action last week and still so much to do, and many cities and places to visit ahead, God's willing!!!
I love 2 days off in a row :D

Azeezeh fell down:(

I have two bad characteristics! Maybe more, but this is what I can remember right now:)
1- I'm an awful multitasker!
2- I forget names, numbers & directions easily! Actually I can't even remember them!!
So when it comes to driving, I always always loose my way...I don't know how!! Even back in Amman, I was this stubborn girl who would refuse to drive to a new place unless given directions in detail!! If I and any of my sisters were going out, I never preferred to be the driver. Going to sweifeyyeh for shopping by myself, was always a big challenge! Even walking there would drive me crazy! I could never tell where I was standing!

Last summer, when I came here...I would sit next to Jeeej while he's driving on the wide streets, so relaxed and enjoying the scenery around, while I'm wondering how he could do it! When he started giving me stick shift driving classes here, I was so tensed, trying so hard to concentrate on both, looking around and changing from one gear to another! It was like an impossible thing!!

Once we decided I can only drive an automatic car, one problem was left to be solved...Directions!!

My prince got me the Navigator:) For me, owning a car with no navigator here is worthless!! I depend on it 100% even though I drive to the same exact places every single week...but still, I just can't turn it off, until I reach the parking spot:D

Sometimes, when I turn the car on, the navigator takes a while to start functioning saying: "requiring more accuracy". I keep waiting till it starts working, no matter how late I would be to my appointments!

When Rina was here, we would be talking the whole time I'm driving, so most of the time, we'd get lost, simply because I can't drive well while talking, even though the navigator is giving me directions. Rina would start saying: Listen to Azeezeh!! Azeeezeh is starting to get mad!! Azeeezeh will slap you on your face if you misunderstood her again!!

And so, my new friend's name has become Azeeezeh, my lovely little navigator:D

Two weeks ago, Jeeej was playing with it's settings and he mistakenly changed the voice, I got pissed off, and asked him to give me back my Azeeezeh!!!

The other day, I was calling Maioush, while driving, and once I hear her voice, I just start laughing, I don't know why...Azeeezeh was talking to me, and still, I lost my way...it kept recalculating...and I started to panic...so I said to Maioush: Azeeezeh is betraying me! she is making me loose my way!!!! so Maioush started laughing saying that her car's name is Azeeezeh tooooooo!!! hehehehe

Today, I was driving peacefully, and about to reach my destination...and Azeeezeh fell down in my lap!!
Oh my God, I was about to cry!! What am I supposed to do without you Azeeezeh?!!? where should I gooooooo?!?! May God keep you safe and SOUND for me, forever:D

I love you Azeeezeh, and Jeeej:D

March Movies...

Wow,!! When I look at the list, I feel we've watched these movies a year ago!! It was a very long month with lots of action...Let's see:

- Mar. 2nd: The people vs. Larry Flint, A very heavy movie of a true story. We didn't expect it to be that crazy and loud, but we enjoyed it:)
- Mar. 5th: Daredevil, A comic book movie, Not my type of movies, but for some reason I liked it, maybe because Ben Affleck was in it;) No, really, we both liked it!
- Mar. 7th: The Illusionist, We watched it with Rina! Rina and Jeeej have seen it before, but it was my first. I didn't like it that much, maybe because I have seen The Prestige before, and started to compare between them, and of course The Prestige WON!
- Mar. 8th: 300...We went to the theater on the 8th of March, at 12:01 am just to watch the first show, and it was CRAZY out there. 20 theaters were packed in one building! People were laughing and yelling and clapping the whole time! They were wearing funny customs like the movie actors. Jeeej said he has never seen this big number of people waiting for a movie's first show!! Not even for Lord of the rings!!
as for the movie, I expected more, I mean, the story is not that deep, watching it was like watching a video game, But it was a great experience to be in a PACKED place just to watch a movie!
- Mar. 10th: Catch a Fire, A very effective movie, a true story that is full of action and drama, we loved it, and it made me cry:(
- Mar. 12th: Fly Boys: We both liked this movie, it was a long one, a true story about flying planes in war when they were still a new technology.
- Mar. 14th: Three Kings, A very good movie, about war in Iraq. A kind war that people don't get the chance to watch on CNN.
- Mar. 15th: The Zodiac: I didn't like it much, probably because it is a true story that never had an end, but it's kind of a scary story...
-Mar. 16th: Stranger than Fiction, Oh my God, We loved this movie! It's so different, it has comedy, drama and tragedy. I bet that everyone would enjoy this movie!
- Mar. 17th: Wild Hogs: It's sooooo funny!!! John Travolta played his role perfectly! We watched it at the theater and we both enjoyed it!
- Mar. 19th: Single white female: SICK SICK MOVIE, at the end of it I realized that I've seen it before, back in Amman. I watched alone it while Jeeej was in Arizona.
- Mar. 21st: One Last thing, A dying boy's story, making his dream comes true. Not a very exciting one, I ended up watching it alone after Jeeej fell asleep:p
-Mar. 22nd: Monster's Ball: A very powerful movie. Full of drama and emotions. We both loved it, and I cried here too :D
- Mar. 24th: The Motorcycle Diaries, A beautiful movie! A true story about two guys' trip on a motorcycle for 5 months. So touching!
- Mar. 27th: Sin City...WHY?! WHY WHY?! why did you think I would enjoy watching such a movie:(.
- Mar. 28th: Dead Calm: I love Nicoooooole!!! A nice movie for Nicole Kidman, full of suspense. She did a great job in this movie.
- Mar. 29th: Lord of the Flies, I love it's novel, and watching the movie was so nice, I mean, watching it made me remember the smallest details of the novel! A very good one, although it shows the human nature at its worst, this is why I believe some people might think it's a sick story and a sick movie!
- Mar. 30th: The Pianist, THUMBS UPPPPPPPP...I still can't believe what I've seen. A PERFECT movie. WE looooooved it!!!

So many movies! I can't believe we did it. Actually it's a big number compared to the previous months. Simply because Jeeej discovered that we can watch some movies from Netflix site right away. So when they are late in sending us our movies, all we have to do is watch one of the -oldies- they offer online:D