Amman – Sleeping and luxuriating
I finally make it out of Baghdad and enjoy deluxe accomodations and comfy sheets. I’m in my five-star hotel in Amman right now, luxuriating in air conditioning, minibar, room service, and I’m watching Seinfeld on TV (even though it’s the [...]
Amman – Frustrated, bailing
Finally facing the fact that I’m not getting in to Iraq from Jordan any time soon, I come back to Amman and make plans to fly to Kuwait. The frustration is through the roof. Actually, that’s not even true anymore. [...]
Amman – Anxious midnight thoughts
Up after Bush’s speech, figuring out what I have to do for the next few days. It’s five in the morning here and I just heard the loudest military airplane over my hotel. There is such mad nervous energy around [...]
Amman – Frantically Preparing for the War
Me, and every other hack here, is getting gear, renting border homes, and generally getting ready for the war which is likely to start very soon. Things are changing here, people are getting ready for the war. After a few [...]
Amman – Honor Killings, Impatient Thoughts
A snow storm shuts the town down and drives me crazy, as do a lot of other things in Jordan and Israel. This whole week seems to have disappeared into a black hole. There was a massive two-day snow storm [...]
Amman – Exasperating Bureaucrats, Terrified Reporters
I wander around the frustrating city of Amman, talk with some somewhat confused Iraqis, and explore the chances of getting killed in Baghdad. My brother shipped me some DVDs so I would have something to watch other than the horrible [...]
Amman – Angry, Hopeful Iraqis; Weakly Angry Jordanian
I find myself in the midst of an anti-America protest and sitting on rugs with Iraqis discussing Zionist conspiracies and the great hope for a wonderful war. I haven’t heard the Arab response to the Columbia disaster, but I’m looking [...]
Amman – Random Thoughts on a Quiet Day
I try to understand Families, Tribes, and the absolute obsession with Date Books, while sitting around watching TV in my hotel room. I haven’t left the hotel barely in two days. I was working so hard yesterday and today I’ve [...]
Amman – Israelis in Jordan and the Jordanians who love them
I’m stunned by meeting Israelis in Amman and meeting Jordanians excited to do business with them. Can business solve the Arab-Israeli conflict? I’m getting sick again of hearing the endless anti-US, anti-Israel speeches. I’ve had a bunch of them the [...]
Amman – even quieter than ever
A slow, mopey time in a dull city, conserving energy for the big war. The reporters are coming back to Amman. I keep running in to people in the hotel who just came back yesterday or today. I’m getting emails [...]