YUSIF IN THE HOLY LAND (report #1)

The figs mature & ripen overnight. Each morning I go out to the fig tree and fill the bowl with sweet figs “ALLA-IMMO” an Arabic expression meaning “from the Mother” i.e. Fresh from the Mother tree”. The fig tree is barely 8 feet tall and one can easily reach the fruit from all branches that expand about 6 feet in diameter. The fig tree is in front of my Cousin’s house, which is on top of a high hill, overlooking the sprawling city of AMMAN, JORDAN. When pronounced with a double ‘MM’ it is the name of the city. When pronounced with a short ‘M’, AMAN, it means Faith.

Faith is an apt description of this modern and beautiful city of about 2 million, which is spread over 7 mountains. There is a major emphasis on religion here “ISLAM” and we arrived, on 9/3, during the Holy Month of “RAMADAN”. Ramadan, is based on a Lunar Month of total fasting, from sun rise to sunset and culminates in a 3 day holiday called EID, reminiscent of CHRISTMAS, in traffic jams, gift buying, family gathering, gaiety and celebration, though not based on the same reason.

My sister, Leila and I came on the last week of Ramadan and today, Friday, September 10, 2010 begins the Eid which ends Sunday at sunset. The routines of the city are changed during Ramadan and the city is virtually shut down during the Eid.

Most buildings in AMMAN, both residential and commercial are made of white stone with a few high rise buildings made of glass. There are some traffic jams, though nothing like other major cities of its size.

Our plans to take side trips to the surrounding countries of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and the Holy Land were temporarily delayed by Ramadan, which meant, the first 10 days of our 55 day trip is spent with our Cousins in AMMAN.

Monday Sep. 13, begins our first sojourn to Lebanon, where we hope to spend about 5 days seeing the country of some of our ANCESTORS. My sister, Leila was 9 and I was 12 when we were displaced from our birth place in Haifa, Palestine, in August 1947. Though, I have been back to the Middle East several times, as well as a trip around the world, this is Leila’s first trip in 63 years. I promised to escort her and take her to visit Cousins, friends and relatives in various countries in the Middle East.

After Lebanon, we plan to go to Syria for about 5 days, then Egypt for a week or 10 days and return to our birth place in Haifa, with tours through Israel and the West Bank.

If time permits, and the money holds out, we plan to take a 4 day trip to ISTANBUL, TURKEY to visit a non-Arab country and see the remnants of the Ottoman Empire! As we travel and I find time and a computer, I will send a continuation of this report along with highlights of where we visited and some details about the sights and sounds of the area and the people.

Though, I wrote this report on Sept. 10, ’10- – - It’s not certain what day it will reach you, as there is both a difference in time zones as well as the time it takes me to type and transmit this message.

For now, I extend to you and yours, a Happy and Blessed Eid from the Ancient World of the Bible and the Koran!

Yusif

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