JORDANIAN ODDITIES

Every place has its quirks, and Jordan is no exception. Here are just a few observations I made while walking through the mall yesterday.

First, Amman is home to just about every large chain restaurant we have in the US. Here these chains are expensive and are considered very nice places to eat, reserved for special occasions. With the exception of most not serving alcohol and none serving pork, they look just about the same. What makes Friday's different is that their name doesn't make any sense in the Arab world. The end of the work week here is Thursday. Thursday is the day everyone has to endure until, and then celebrate on after work has ceased. So the whole notion of, "in here it's always Friday" is stupid. In here it's always Saturday? Who cares. What they are saying is, "in here you will feel like shit because of all the partying you did the night before".

Photo two is a coke machine inside a very expensive gym. Run for an hour, then enjoy an ice cold coke. Red Bull is also available for purchase if you need a little extra energy on the front end of your workout.

And finally, Chix-filet, but this time it's not another American chain. This is a knock-off of an American chain. Knocking something off is extremely common here; from DVDs to watches to restaurants. Intellectual property seems to be one of the most common victims. Some magazines here are composed entirely of photos taken from Google images. In fact, some graphic designers spend hours meticulously removing watermarks from stock images in order to save the company from spending the $50.00 for the legal right to use them.