THE CAVE WHERE LOT'S DAUGHTERS DID THE NASTY (WITH HIM)

"Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

Genesis 19:17

The bible is such a unique source of history and life lessons. One of my favorites is the story of Lot. Lot and his family narrowly escape before God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but not before offering his daughters to placate a screaming mob of sodomites. Luckily the mob is made blind and Lot's family escapes un-sodomized, but along the way Lot's wife disobeys God, looks back at the now burning cities, and is turned into a pillar of salt. Fully understanding the severity of the situation, Lot and his two daughters climb the hills overlooking their old homeland to seek safety (see bottom photo). They find a nice cave (see middle photo). Things are going well until the daughters decide they need to continue their bloodlines. They get their father drunk (each on a separate night) and have "relations" with him (see top photo). The plan is successful and each daughter becomes pregnant. I visited the cave yesterday and it really got me thinking about the moral to this story. The best I have is this: "If you offer your daughters to an angry mob of sodomites, don't be surprised if you wake up one day with a wife as a condiment and a pair of grandsons that bear an uncanny resemblance to yourself."

DRIVING IN AMMAN

Accepting a cultures idiosyncrasies is an important part of maintaining sanity as an expat living abroad. I have done this in many regards concerning Jordan, but can't seem to when it comes to the driving. There is an overwhelming selfishness and stupidity in several aspects of the operation of motor vehicles here. A good example is pictured above. Julie and I sat in traffic for over twenty minutes to get around this accident. As you can see, there is no real damage to either the cement truck or the car, but instead of pulling over to the shoulder, people will wait indefinitely for the police to arrive. I've been told by police that there is no need for this, but people do it anyways, traffic be damned. There are two other techniques that also drive me insane. People flash their lights at you when they want to pass here, which makes perfect sense on the highway. But they also do it in the city, on one-way streets. They expect you to pull over to the shoulder so they can pass. This technique is also used in traffic, similar to the way an ambulance might command cars to pull aside for the good of the patient. But here it's not an ambulance, it's usually a Mercedes, and they become enraged when you don't move. I never move. And lastly, there is the formation of new lanes technique. If a street is full of traffic, people will go down the opposing side into oncoming traffic and start new lanes. The only problem is they typically block the opposing lane completely, making traffic ten times worse! I've tried saying the serenity prayer; it doesn't work.

MORE PHOTOS FROM BAQA'A REFUGEE CAMP

Just wanted to post a few more of my favorite pictures from the Baqa'a Refugee Camp that weren't published in Jo magazine this month. Enjoy!

CAN YOU GUESS THE "PROFESSIONAL" PHOTO?

One of these pictures was taken by a professional photographer and the other three were taken by students in my photography class on a recent trip to Salt, Jordan. Can you pick out the pro shot? Names have been adjusted to make it a bit harder. Please post your best guess. Sorry photography class, you can't guess.

Update: The contest was rigged. All the photos were taken by students in my class. Thanks for guessing.

JORDAN STILL NOT "GETTING" GREEN

I've noted before that Jordan tries to be good. They do try. The city of Amman just launched a big campaign to try to curtail the incessant littering that is ingrained in the culture here. Problem is, the city seems to be confused about the difference between not throwing trash on the ground and the actual act of recycling. After a recent night out I discovered the items pictured above on my dashboard (placed by the valet). The white flyer urges people not to liter and says if you do there will soon be a fine, though no fine is noted. The paper bag is a trash bag for your car. Because it is lined with plastic it is in fact not recyclable. And finally, the city has thrown in an icon to hang on your rear-view mirror that announces to the world "I recycle", but in reality says "I put my trash in the bag". Keep trying Jordan!

MEET ED CONLON

Life continues to be interesting here in Jordan. I got a call the other day to shoot an author's book photo. The guy who called sounded American and said he was working with law enforcement here. When I arrived at his apartment he introduced himself as Ed Conlon, an NYPD police officer stationed in Amman. Apparently after 9-11 the NYPD decided they needed intelligence officers working with local police forces around the world (mostly in the Middle East of course). In addition to being a police officer, Ed is also a best selling author. His first book, Blue Blood, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and inspired the new CBS show Blue Bloods. The book I took his picture for, Red on Red, is his first work of fiction and is due out in April 2011. Check out Ed on the Daily Show by clicking here.

INSIDE BAQA'A CAMP

Baqa'a refugee camp, located 20 kilometers north of Amman, is one of six emergency camps set up in 1968 to accommodate Palestine refugees and displaced people who left the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It is currently the largest camp in Jordan with over 100,000 registered refugees. Since 1968, the camp has transitioned from temporary tent structures to more permanent concrete buildings. The land the “official” camp occupies (approx. 1.5 square kilometers) is one of the most densely populated plots in the country. Major problems inside the camp include poverty, child labor, inadequate trash collection, and high unemployment and divorce rates. Baqa’a is a rough place, but under its surface lies a community full of humanity that has endured untold hardships. Above is a photo essay I did for Jo Magazine about the camp.

AMMAN COMEDY FESTIVAL: SLOWLY BUT SURELY

Last night I attended the final show of this years Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival. In a city where typical weekend entertainment is family trips to the mall, a comedy festival with big name headliners like Omid Djalili, Gabriel Iglesias, Dean Obeidallah, and Dean Edwards is reason to celebrate. Generally speaking, the show was very funny. If there was any doubt about whether Arabs can laugh at themselves, it was put to rest last night. At least two of the comics noted the abundance of bald but otherwise overly hairy men in the audience, and one suggested Arabs do an eyebrow comb over. The one aspect of the show I was disappointed by was that many of the comics seemed to trip over the same Middle Eastern stereotypes in an attempt at easy laughs from the audience. No one really took the opportunity to dig deeper into the culture with any kind of raw comedic insight. Being an insider to a culture gives you a certain privilege to push boundaries, and I feel like those boundaries were only slightly nudged last night. Having said that, this is Jordan, and I'm sure the comics were holding back in their acts (I'm just not convinced it was necessary). On a final note, somebody please tell comic Sherry Davis that catch phrases and actions (she jiggles her body after jokes) are not funny. I thought after Ricky Gervais mocked catch phrases with such vehemence on Extras that no one would have the balls to keep using that cheap little trick.

MEET DEAN OBEIDALLAH

You may have already heard of comedian Dean Obeidallah. He's an American comic with Arab roots (his father is Palestinian). Dean's act uses comedy to diffuse the often tense and misunderstood relationship between the Arab world and the West. Badly needed after 9-11, Dean and a few other comics formed the Axis of Evil comedy tour to help show American's that Arabs can in fact laugh at themselves. Dean is in town to headline the 3rd annual Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival. He is also the executive producer of the hugely popular event. I convinced Jo magazine to let me try to do something more conceptual than sending a staff photographer to take a picture of Dean in the hotel lobby. To their absolute credit, they said yes. Less than 24 hours after flying in from New York, Dean agreed to do this shoot in his bathroom at the Hyatt. It was tighter in there than I thought, so I couldn't quite get my lights the way I wanted them. I also regret not putting a little toothpaste foam dripping down from his mouth.

THE REALITY OF REALITY TV

Our House Hunters International experience came to a close today as the crew wrapped filming here in Jordan. The experience gave me an idea for a drinking game: if one was to take a shot every time you suspected I was lying or being disingenuous, you would need to be the heavyset Nepalis woman from Indiana Jones to remain conscious for the whole 22 minute show. I did my best not to look like a chump, but it's now in the hands of some crafty editors in New York, who if clever enough, might be able to cut around my biting sarcasm, profanity, and barrage of inappropriate comments.

THE NEW KID IN TOWN: GO MAGAZINE

If your only entertainment is weekend trips to City Mall (and unfortunately there are a lot of you), the new magazine Go should come as a breath of fresh air. They are out to dispel the myth that there is nothing to do in Jordan. The magazine was created totally from scratch through a ton of hard work by the editors and designer. I wrote and contributed photos for the two pieces above. Look for the December issue on shelves soon, perhaps on your next trip to City Mall!

A COUPLE OF MY FAVORITE PICS FROM CLASS

I was right to have high expectations of my students. Their photos were great! Here are a few of my favorites from class today. Everyone had some great ones, but these are a few that really impressed me.

TEACHING PHOTOGRAPHY IN AMMAN

For the past month I've been teaching a photography class at an arts college here in Amman called SAE. It is a good school, and one of very few opportunities here to learn photography. Professionals in Jordan don't like to share tips and advise I suppose out of fear they may educate someone else into their jobs. I don't share that fear. I miss the way photographers in the US push each other to be better and the community they form. My students are very talented and have really impressed me thus far (we are a third of the way through the twelve week course). Yesterday we had a field trip with the aim of getting practice taking street photography. Not an easy thing in any country, but down right difficult in Jordan. After only an hour out on the streets of Madaba, they captured a ton of people pictures, doing the tough things I was asking them to, like staying with a subject for a while and moving people into better light. They went out again and got even better stuff. It should be noted that the majority, 12 of 17, are women. This is not the easiest country to be a woman, or so I've heard and seen. Appallingly, there are no women in the photography business here, but in my opinion, they have a clear advantage over most men; they can photograph women much easier than a male photographer. We ended the day on the farm of a friend taking magic hour photos of a gypsy family. A really great day of photography. Tonight I get to see what they shot, and if they'll let me, I'll post some of my favorites on this blog. Above are a few of my favorites that I shot.

WHERE "DEAD SEA" MUD REALLY COMES FROM

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These pictures were taken at the plant of the largest Dead Sea product manufacturing company in Jordan. I think most people envision their high priced Dead Sea mud coming directly from the idyllic shores of the actual Dead Sea. Well, it doesn't. It comes in bags from land owned by the Arab Potash Factory (they produce potassium chloride used in fertilizer), a heavily industrialized area around 20 kilometers south of the actual Dead Sea. It is purchased for around 30 cents per kilo, processed in a factory in Sahab, and then sold for up to $60 a kilo. A healthy profit margin for mud. These pictures show how the mud is processed. 1: Mud from the Arab Potash Factory arrives in canvas bags. It is removed and placed in plastic barrels. 2: Water is added to the mud and it is liquified using a large blender-like machine. 3: The muddy water is poured through a screen to filter out large impurities like rocks and sticks. The mud then sits in the barrels for 2 days to allow harmful chemicals to separate from the mud. 4: The mud is pumped to the roof of the building and is spread into thin layers and allowed to dry for two weeks. This evaporation process also leaches unwanted ingredients from the mud. After two weeks, the hardened mud is shoveled off the roof and put into large plastic bags. 5: The mud chips are placed into an industrial blender. It is here that many of the healing ingredients of "Dead Sea" mud are added along with water. 6: The final product is put into a fancy container. It will soon be purchased by an overweight American hoping to take a few years off her wrinkly face.

MEET ALI SULIMAN

I've got to start learning more about the people I photograph before I photograph them. I took this picture of Ali Suliman in the smokers lounge of the Sheraton Hotel in Amman. I was told by Nox magazine that he was an actor, but little did I know he played architect Omar Sadiki in Ridley Scott's Body of Lies. He was also one of the leads in the terrific movie Paradise Now, which was nominated for an Oscar. I don't think I would have taken a different photo, but I might have had more to chat with him about as I set up my lights. To his highest credit, he never once name dropped or rushed me through the shoot.

HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL

Yes, Julie and I will be on the reality TV show called "House Hunters International". The show flew us back to the US so we could shoot for one day in our old floating house in Portland. The premise of the show is that people from the US or Canada sell their homes and move somewhere else in the world and look for housing. To be perfectly honest, neither of us have any desire to be on TV, we both just really wanted a break from Amman. It was great being back in the US. It was perfectly dreary and cold the whole week we were there. I'll keep everyone posted when I find out the actual air date of the show (probably not until March). I have a few more posts about our time back stateside, but I am exhausted from this world-wind tour. Give me a few days back in Amman to recover.

MY FIRST COVER FOR JO MAGAZINE

A year an a half ago when I arrived in Jordan, the first magazine I came across and was very impressed by was JO. It's the only magazine here that regularly address the tough issues. It's also one of the only magazines here that shoots their own covers. I had tried several times to get work with them, but they never needed anyone. I ended up pitching a couple of ideas a few months back and that's how I finally got published. The cover feature this month is a reworking of a piece I wrote for Nox magazine. Since that article published last March, the city of Amman secured the main landfill and the men who used to go inside and pick out the recycling to make a living are out of work. The article tells their story. Next month I have another feature that was one of the most challenging things I've ever shot.

ONE GOOD REASON TO MOVE TO JORDAN

KAYALI JEWERY CATALOG FINALLY FINISHED

I shot these jewelry images back in January of 2010, and the catalog just came out. The pieces are available at Kayali Jewelry here in Amman. Check it out if you're in town. They just remodeled.

"THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED"

It's probably not a coincidence that a documentary that shows Hugo Chavez in a light reminiscent of early American heros like Abraham Lincoln is impossible to find. The only place I could locate it was on google videos. The film follows the democratically elected President of Venezuela through a ridiculous coup attempt that was clearly orchestrated by the US government. Why would the US attempt to overthrow a hugely popular democratically elected president? Because he nationalized the oil business and restructured profits to make sure people in Venezuela benefited from their abundant natural resource. It is amazing the lengths rich people will go to to maintain their wealth. In this case, which I believe to be getting more and more rare, the rich people lost.

PRICE OF PETRA DOUBLES IN JUST FOUR YEARS

Today the cost of a single day entry ticket into Petra was raised from 33 JOD to 50 JOD (from $46 to $70). When I visited in 2006 the cost was 24 JOD. It's getting kind of expensive to see this wonder of the world. It may in fact be the most expensive wonder in the world! Is it wonderful? Yes. It is a must see. Could they use another kid inside selling postcards? No. These are pictures I took this past weekend right before the price increase.

SESAME STREET JORDAN

I blogged a while back about how taking lousy work was effecting my passion for photography. In an effort to maintain my passion, I've started saying no to jobs and have ended retainers that aren't pushing my creativity. One such job was working for the Children's Museum. Don't get me wrong, it is a lovely place, but the work was monotonous and simple. Here are two photos I took for them at a recent Sesame Street Live performance. They have the show here in the Middle East with different characters. The stars here are named Tonton and Juljul. What was crazy about this performance was that at the end the characters got mobbed by kids. It took all the museum staff plus some security guards to escort Tonton and Juljul to a safe location.