My God, it’s been such a long time…I don’t even remember the last time I had Hooters…Lilian and I used to have Hooters almost weekly. I remember the first time Ranya (my sister) learned of my love for their wings and cheese fries…she was shocked! “IMAN! I can’t believe you go there! are you outta your mind?” she would uptightly ask (really, she’s the uptight one…but she’s still cool)…I explained to her that hot wings at Hooters are the best ever! Not to mention the fries..hmmm soo goood! I even invited her to join us on numerous occassions. She refused…so I invited her husband instead…that’s when she kicked me out of her house…I even asked Beesan (my other sister)…”yeah okay Iman..I really would fit in there perfectly.” (she wears Hijab) I don’t see why not honestly… The location I was a regular at is more family oriented than other locations I’ve been to… I don’t see why some have a problem with the place… aside from the friendly waitresses (whom by the way don’t look as good as most people assume they do) being complete airheads, the place itself is not bad at all… and the best greasy food can be found there! Buffalo strips, Buffalo shrimp, and extra hot chicken wings, with cheese fries is not the same if not from Hooters…

I’m so in the mood for some… I can’t go tomorrow or Sunday..perhaps Monday! I might take Ranya with me. She needs to see that she’s been misjudging the place…

I wonder if Hooters will be coming to Jordan anytime soon! if ever?! Can you imagine?!

Shaden’s post inspired me to list some of the things I love …

I love all types of seafood … grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, cocktail shrimp, lobster, crab, calamari, salmon, tilapia, mahi-mahi, catfish, tuna, clam chowder soup…

I love hot cheetos chips …

I love lime wedges drenched in salt..

I love my fries with mustard…

I love my veggie omelet with hot sauce…

I love my water ice cold with a lemon but without ice…
I love shoes…

I love powder eyeliner…

I love grocery shopping…

I love shoe shopping…

I love lip gloss…

I love annoying certain people…(yes, you’re one hamzeh… if you’re reading this…annoying you is a treat..because I only do it to people I really adore )

I love teazing the kids…their reaction is so cute!

I love peacocks…they’re beautiful…

I love this combo: olive skin, green eyes and black hair…

I love dimples…

I love reading Rumi’s work…

I love the final minutes before I fall asleep…

I love Chicago…

I love rainy nights…

I love toasted pita bread dipped with olive oil and salt…

I love popcorn with hot sauce…

I love eating green jalapeno peppers…(like literal bites to the stem)
I love my morning conversations with Dalia…
I love candles…

I love a cigarette after a good meal…

I love people..yeah, I really do! seriously.
I love myself when I’m in a loving mood!

Thanks Shaden for setting me in the mood to highlight some of the things I love. lol.

(I should add a new category called: Awww! what do you think?)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
And when I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, then when?
— Rabbi Hillel

If Not Now, When? is a High Holidays Campaign of an American Jewish group speaking out against the on-going israeli aggression in Palestine and the latest in Lebanon. ” We raise our collective voice to condemn the destructive policies and practices of the State of Israel. Specifically, as Jews living in the United States, we call on our communities to question the effect of our government’s unconditional political and financial support of Israeli policy. This uncritical support has enabled the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people and Israel’s historic and current military aggression in the region, including the recent war in Lebanon.” (Full Campaign Statement)

Also, make sure to watch If Not Now, When? a short film in which Jews speak out against the illusion of Jewish consensus on israel.

Read more about the 10 Days of Jewish Solidarity with Palestine & Lebanon at Jewish Conscience.

It’s always hopeful and encouragine to know that there are others who do have a conscience and are not silent about the injustice and aggression that is done in their name!

This sunday I want to go for the classy look. For Mays’ wedding, I was trying to go for the hot look…My mother was shocked when I walked through the door. She thought I was dressed for the cirus …and my brother, the one who is always honest with me, thought I was getting ready to work the corner!

The dress was hot, the make up was not too much, and the hair was nice, I told her…

you see, Iman …I’m not used to too much eye make-up like you…and my family is not used to seeing me with this much make up either. That’s why my mother thought I looked like a clown…an when I put the dress on, and the hair was done, my brother thought I looked like a tramp…so obvioulsy, the hot look I was trying to go for turned out ridiculously trashy.

Lilian is hilarious…She really did look hot! see… (the hair was not done!) and I guess her family obviously has much different taste than mine…

If you were an animal, which would you be and why?

It’s turkey day…My favorite part about Thanksgiving holiday is the food that comes with it. Induldge but don’t get too fat is my motto for this 4 day vacation! There is plenty to be thankful to Allah for; not just on Thanksgiving Day, but everyday… to be alive, to be blessed with good health, to be blessed with a wonderful family and the best of friends, to be blessed with a good job, to able to make a difference in someone’s life, even on a small scale… and the list goes on…

P.S. the madness starts tomorrow at 4 am…when people start lining up outside stores trying to get the early bird sales …some people get hurt trying to be first in line. seriously. be careful, and be safe!

Am I uptight? I don’t believe so (despite what one friend always says - it’s just that she’s overly wild..she needs to be locked up!) …am I too serious…reserved? It depends on the situation, (and since I got my hair colored lighter, my male co-workers say I don’t look as ’serious and intimidating’ as I did with dark hair… whatever that means!) am I outgoing? Most definitely…But for now I’m extremely disgusted and mentally scarred!

I mean, I’m not quite sure that I understand what makes people think they have the right to be completely appalling and tasteless…am I going to allow just anyone to talk to me in anyway he/she pleases? Never! When dealing with others, there’s a certain line that no one should ever cross…even if it’s in the name of fun! You see, there are certain things that are too serious, too private, too sensitive and definitely too personal to be ‘discussed’ with or even ‘mentioned’ to just anyone…

unbelievable!

More Israeli apartheid laws are being enacted and others being enforced. A new law will punish Palestinians using yellow-plated (”Israeli”) cars (including taxis) and punish the drivers unless they have special permits from Israeli occupation authorities. A Palestinian getting a ride even from a friend or a relative (or even an Israeli spouse) will get them both punished. The law was enacted and will go into effect in January. Israel also is proceeding with other laws intended to ethnically cleanse Palestine of a key segment of its remaining population and deny any international support to Palestinians. An apartheid law is being implemented removing Palestinians, including those born in Palestine, who hold foreign passports (and who were unable to retain or get the Israeli issued ID card, other set of apartheid laws stripped thousands of their ID cards).

Tens of thousands of Palestinians thus were denied their residency rights and families are forced to either separate or find other countries to live in. This coincides with accelerated plans to de-develop the remaining Palestinain economy by a system of strangulation. For example, Palestinians in Jerusalem are being separated by massive walls from Palestinians in the suburbs of Jerusalem (imagine the devastation to both suburbs and city in America if a wall is built around the city separating it from these suburbs).

BTW Bethlehem and Ramallah are each within 10 mile radius of Jerusalem old city and are thus suburbs. Unemployment in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) is now at 70% and over 50% of Palestinians who remained in Palestine live in poverty. 80% of Palestinians overall are refugees or displaced people (the largest and longest lasting among the world’s refugees). Foreigners are also now routinely denied entry to Palestine.

This is intended to remove witnesses and peace activists from the deepening apartheid/hafrada. How will we respond and will the hundreds of organizations around the US (and thousands around the world) that profess support for human rights rise to this challenge? Will governments be forced to obey the International Covenant against Crimes of Apartheid and Racism? Will more people write regularly to the media to demand they do their job and report the real news, not racist PR?

A new e-Book/Book on the Web explores some of the Israeli apartheid laws and practices: “Foundations of Civil and Political Rights in Israel and the Occupied Territories”

I got this email from Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh - who is on the National Executive Committee for the Palestinian American Congress. Every single day, we learn of new suffocating laws that are being drafted as a deliberate attempt to make the lives Palestinians living there more of a living hell than it already is under the brutal occupation and to drive away those people who are passionate about visiting and helping Palestine and Palestinians. So how will we respond?

We haven’t exactly forgotten our determination to make this world a better place in which to live. We just say, “Not yet.” We say, “We must make our living, first. We must first find security for ourselves and raise our children.” That rope of ideals to which we clung so tightly long ago has slacked in our hands. Our grip has loosened. And as we swing our goals to a place in the country where we can retire in comfortable security—you know, with two horses, and golf everyday, and a few chickens, and an orchard to make it deductible—well, we have let go of the rope forever. “Someday” simply never comes. Is this a preachment? No, because there’s nothing wrong with this life.

But this I believe. By using as a blueprint the words of Confucius, “Every thousand mile journey must begin with a single step,” I can hang on to that rope. Instead of waiting for some miracle to make me President of the United States, I can join a local citizen’s committee if my goal is to cleanup politics. I can work at being a member of the PTA if I want to improve our educational system. If I want to start a foundation for the benefit of others, I don’t have to wait until I’m rich. (Read on …)

A guy sitting at a bar at Heathrow Terminal 3 noticed a really beautiful woman sitting next to him. He thought to himself: “Wow, she’s so gorgeous she must be a flight attendant. But which airline does she work for?”

Hoping to pick her up, he leaned towards her and said the Delta Airline slogan: “Love to fly and it shows?” She gave him a confused look and he immediately thought to himself: “Damn, she doesn’t work for Delta Airlines.”

A moment later, another slogan popped into his head. He leaned towards her again, “Something special in the air?” She gave him the same confused look. He then removed Singapore Airlines off the list.

Next he tried the Thai Airways slogan: “Smooth as Silk.”

This time the woman turned to him “What the F*#K do you want?”

The man smiled, then lay back in his chair, and said “Ahhhhh, Royal Jordanian!”

Thanks Janet for the laugh!
On a more serious note, RJ is my prefered airline…despite the loud cries of babies, the constant nagging of kids, mothers fed up with their kids, the annoying cracks of sunflower seeds, and the uncomfortable seats I must say that non-stop is the way to go!

P.S. I had to censor the profanity, my 6 and 8 year old neices read my site …and I’m supposed to be a good example

I promise to:

Not Nag

Not Complain

Not Care

Enjoy my 4 day vacation

Not eat a lot

Work out 3 days

Buy at least one pair of shoes

Start working on the Refugee Kids project for the Summer coming up

Enjoy whatever comes my way…and mostly take it easy!

Have a great week