Christmas eve.

At Christmas eve Elin had got a Christmas dress. She looked so wonderful!

She is resting on top of the gift table. I think this blog ends up to be a blog about Elin instead of everything else!

A child is born ....

Elin was born two days ago!

Here are the proud grandparents!

Earthquake

Woke up this morning that someone was shaking my bed heavely. Heard my son from another room saing: What's happening.
Immediatly I answerd: It must be a earthquake. I don't know how I knew so directly.
Later we heard on the news that it was the biggest earthquake in Sweden for more than 100 years. The magnitude was 4,7.
No one was hurt.

Still waiting for my luggage! It disapered somewere in Budapest!

Going home .....

Today I'm packing, tomorrow I'm going to Sweden for a couple of weeks. Can't wait to meet children and friends!

Until then enjoy some beads from the Amman souk. Only plastic ones I'm afraid! But still very nice colours!

Christmas Tree

The Dubai way of Christmas decorations. I felt a genuine feeling that Christmas is coming soon!

Sky line

The beach was really very lovely. We took lot of walks along it. And the weather was also perfect.

Burj Al Arab

This was the closest we could come to the Burj Al Arab, the famous hotel. If you want to go inside to have a look at everything, it will cost you about 100 dollars.
If you chose this hotel for staying in Dubai, you will be picked up at the airport by a helicopter!

Shopping Malls

The first night in Dubai we took a bus shuttle from the hotel to Mall of the Emirates. It is not only a mall filled with things to buy, they have also a ski slope! People could rent clothes, shoes, snowboards etc. It was minus three degrees behind the big glass walls. We never went in there!

Dubai

It's Eid el Adha.

Holidays for Bo, so we decided to go to Dubai for a couple of days. I have never been here before but always wanted to see what it is like.
Well, it's just crazy!
Having stayed in a country like Egypt for some time, where things never really get finished. This is remarkable because this is totally the opposite.
My God, they are building everywhere, and what projects!

The high building to the right will be one of the worlds highest buildings. At the moment it is 800 meter high! I don't think I would like either to go to the top or work or live there.This is a vision about the future. Not very far from now if the economy stays stable in the Emirates ....?

Countryside Part Two

Forget what I wrote yesterday about ”monotonous” and only sand ......
Today we went up north from Amman. We had red about a Forest Reserve in Ajloun, only a seventy-five minutes ride with car from Amman. We longed for a walk in a forest!

The view was so different from what I wrote yesterday. Lots of hills and some green trees and cultivated land.

Further up on the hills we saw pine forest.

and also remarkable fields with yellow stones.

We finally reached the Reserve, it took two hours for us to find the place! We went a two kilometre long self guided trail.

Part of the area is called The Oak Forest Escape. But I don’t recognise the oak leaves.

Very early crocus!

Countryside

As soon as you come outside Amman, the countryside is rather monotonouse.The roads are very good thou.

The desert looks very different depending on clouds and sun shine.

If you are lucky you maybe will see some camels here and there. Apart from that ....nothing. Only sand!

The Wild Jordan Center

It’s difficult to find any tourist information in Amman.
The Wild Jordan Center is maybe the closest you can come. Here you can find information about your visit in Jordan if you like biking, hiking, climbing, bird watching or go to the archaeological sites.
The Center is located on the top of one of Amman’s many hills.
The big glass walls offer a terrific view over Amman now when the big terrace is closed.

But you can also find a good souvenir shop and a VERY good café and restaurant. The food is organic and made with lots of herbs and fresh vegetables from nature reserve projects.

I went there yesterday with Melissa, an American friend.

The Souk

Today I went with my Danish friend Lise down town to the Souk. First we went into a small shop that had not been changed since it was established in the fifties. It was a shop with thousands of different buttons, ribbons and decorations.


Deep inside the souk there are a lots of whole sale shops. This one for instance where you can purchase all kinds of things you can put on a gift. Like ribbons and other kinds of decoration.
This man speaks Swedish (stockholmska!) and is very happy when he gets a chanse to practise.

Traffic

The traffic here is heavy. Lots of fancy cars, never seen so many Mercedes, Bentleys and Jaguars before. And every one drives very fast. No one pay much attention to traffic signs, they seems to be as a suggestion only. “This could be a one way road, but if you feel you want to drive in the other direction, it’s ok!”
Someone said that the Jordanians believe that the driving mirrors are for decoration only. No one ever look in them, so maybe they are right!

But suddenly a policeman stops the traffic from all directions and five black cars, some with dark curtains, pas by even faster. That’s the king, or someone else from the royal family who are taking a ride. After some seconds the policeman waves and the traffic starts again. This is a man who has no problems with the traffic in this country. “Flytta på er här kommer jag!”

Japanese food

Yesterday evening I went with our neighbours to a European film festival. We watched a Spanish film called Secretos del Corazon. A fantastic, sensible and moving film.
Yes it was in Spanish with sub title in Arabic! But some things are universal. Afterwards we went to a Japanese restaurant. I had a pemelo and shrimp salad. Which was delicious.

Our Christmas tree

I found our small Christmas decoration things from Egypt. They are made of camel boons and are very charming. You can hardly see that the angel is an angel! Together with some red ribbons it looks rather Christmas like.
I made coffee to Bo 4.30 this morning because he went to Beirut with the first morning flight. Well, I went back to bed for a couple of hours ….Hope he could sleep some minutes on the plane.
Right now Johan is on a plane back from Brazil, Peter on a plane (or train?) to Stockholm, Fredrik on his bike back from work.
I’m looking forward to Christmas and the time when we are all together again!

Can’t find any “Julstjärnor” so instead I look at my Christmas red geranium.

Flowers

I haven’t bought many flowers since we moved to Jordan. But yesterday I strongly felt it was time for it.

Today I have made some preparation for Christmas. I have been wrapping gifts. It looks like I have made it easy for myself and bought the same gift to my fourteen friends! But that’s not the whole truth.
I’m doing it for Bo (and for his fourteen friends!).
You can see a small flash of what’s inside in the front. If you can guess what it is you will get that one for Christmas because we have one left over. Först till kvarn …..

Purses to put things in.

I do lots of sewing these days. It is always rather small, silly projects. For the moment I ‘m making small pursers or holders to put things in.

My favourites are my IPod cover and my passport cover.

Purses for money and make up stuff.

A small quilt basket to put what ever you want in.

Som more storage things.

One purse for my cell phone and IPod cables and one for my hearing aid batteries.