We arrived in Amman at 8 in the evening, and the first thing we did was to get a Jordanian sim card with 4g network (including free local calls & sms, and 3GB of data) from the Zain kiosque – it was about 20€ and worked well throughout the trip – even in the desert! A driver picked us up and took us to the home of friends where we spent our first night. The air in Amman was pleasantly warm and had a sweet and embracing scent, it smelled like a mix between apple flavoured water pipe smoke and warm desert sand.
We woke up early the next morning, had a joint breakfast with our hosts and took a cab to Amman’s southern bus station in the Wahedat area, from where we hopped on one of the local buses to go to Petra. (There is also a tourist bus service called JETT bus which departs to Petra every morning at 6.30am and returns at 5pm) The local buses from Wahedat depart every hour (or rather, once they are full) and the price is 7€ per seat, we got there at 8am and waited about 45 minutes to depart – and we paid for three seats – one each, and one for our bags. :)
The 3,5h trip through the desert isn’t very exciting in itself, but it’s always pleasant to look out the window and relax while the wind tosses your hair around. A nice and easy start to our trip.
With 10 days blocked out exclusively for my mother during my contract break in March, Mami took her persuasion skills out and convinced me that it was time for yet another trip with our backpacks. We looked at maps and weather reports together, thought of options that were not too far away yet not too close.. and when Daesh started smashing art to pieces in Iraq we agreed that Petra in Jordan was a place that we should make sure we experience as soon as possible.
We booked our flights to and from Amman without booking hotels, and I decided that if we’re going to spend days looking at monuments and beautiful desert, I want my mom to understand some of the local context and history, and experience some of the places I visited in 2010. So we added Palestine and Israel to the itinerary, and the circle was closed. March 9th to 19th 2014 – Jordan, Palestine, Israel. The photos and the stories are coming!
I got a Whatsapp message from a primary school friend: “Hey! Heard you’re in town! We’re organizing a surprise party for Vladi on Saturday – would be great if you could come. Hope to see you!”
Vladi is a friend I’ve known since first grade, we were buddies from the beginning and somehow almost always ended up in the same classroom while switching schools, all the way up until high school. We’ve managed to keep in touch throughout the years, 22 years to be exact, and I visited them just before leaving to Belize. Vladi has also been great at keeping the relations with many of the rest of our primary school friends, the friends from the neighbourhood, the people we grew up with, people from primary, middle and high school.
So, his girlfriend – and a girl I much liked to play with on the school yard, had organized a surprise party inviting all of Vladi’s friends to their apartment – and Vladi had no idea at all.
We shouted surprise, exchanged hugs and continued mingling in what for me was a nostalgia overload of faces and interesting life stories, people I knew as primary school kids were now talking about their parenthood and boyish faces had grown manly beards. In between the “this is sick!” and “wow, 7 years at least!?” greetings and hugs, there were laughs, some dancing, and a selfie stick that got to be the ultimate centre of attention all night. It was a great party, and I was very happy to be there.
Happy Birthday once more, Vladi! Thank you, Nilo! And the biggest of hugs to you all.
Here’s some added goodies from the archive. Wish I was at home right now so I could share some more!
A couple of days in Malmö with much enjoyed meetups with old friends and new little people. I was completely in awe to meet one of my best friend’s new baby, ever smiling little Benjamin, and also stumbled into the local Women’s Day celebrations. Love!
Last month, UNICEF Belize launched the National C4D & Communication Strategy to End Violence Against Children in Belize, TIME OUT, along with the new PSA Videos that are being aired at National TV. The event was well attended by the media and UNICEF partners, and the discussion that followed gave added insights as to how the country will continue advocating, listening, and working together to End Violence Against Children in the Belize.
LAUNCHING EVENT
THE STRATEGY
The strategy stretches over at least 2 years – and it is important to point out that “TIME OUT” isn’t just a “communication campaign” – it’s an initiative using mainly Communication for Development approaches, aimed at inspiring behavioural change and affecting attitudes towards violence over the long term. C4D is based on listening to communities and creating dialogue on the issues that affect them in order to find out why certain damaging behaviours are in place and how we can work together to find alternatives.
One of the cornerstones of the strategy will be the establishment of a baseline on the situation of violence against children through a nationwide KAPB survey (Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions and Behaviours). UNICEF has travelled across the country and met with more than 130 children conducting focus group sessions including theatre and other activities, to find out if and how they are affected by violence in their communities.
The strategy is based on the cooperation with our partners, and also incorporates community level initiatives such as training of teachers on positive discipline, parental training and strengthening of the child justice system.
COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC INFORMATION COMPONENT
Along with all of these C4D initiatives – TIME OUT also has a classic communication and public information component including posters, videos and other visibility items such as wristbands.
We are using the common concept of TIME OUT. However, the message today is not for children, it’s for adults – to take a TIME OUT and think – before using violent methods and teaching our children that these are acceptable/normal – and instead choose to use alternative methods to communicate and solve conflict.
“Basing our relationships on Understanding, Respect and Love.”
Through community consultations, we have learnt that one of the biggest challenges for parents is that while they don’t deem it necessary to use violence and negative discipline – they don’t know any other alternative. We are trying to inform about these alternatives, and strengthen parents in their confidence that a positive approach is possible.
The content of the videos has been inspired by the inputs collected from children across the country and there five videos on the five types of violence will be rolled out on a monthly basis:
– Verbal Violence
– Physical Violence
– Gang Violence
– Neglect
– Sexual Abuse
The videos are embracing the cultural diversity of Belize, and are acted by normal people – “maybe even your next door neighbour.” One of the main points that we learnt from the children and want to communicate is that – VIOLENCE HAPPENS EVERYWHERE in BELIZE, across all social, geographical and cultural borders in the country. It’s hidden in plain sight and it’s thus everybody’s business to address violence.
The videos will be aired on most of the media channels in the country, and will be added to this article as they are released to the public.
Swedish artist and illustrator Linnea “Limpan” has created a colouring book with alternative situations to those we might expect of our classic and well known super heroes. Here’s what she writes about it on her Facebook page:
“Boys learn from their role-models to act tough and aggressive and that showing vulnerability or emotion is equivalent to being weak or ”being a girl” (which is considered an insult in today’s society). They are taught through those role models to ”man up” and that ”boys don’t cry”. Girls on the other hand learn early on that their greatest asset is to be beautiful. When my son of three years old stopped crying because none of his heroes do , I had to take action because I think this is (excuse me) bullshit.
I decided to draw ten soft superheroes and ten strong princesses, just to give the kids some alternatives. This coloring book is free, partly because i want no trouble with Marvel or DC comics but also so that I can reach out to as many kids as possible. As a cartoonist and a big comic book-fan myself I know the superheroes are emotional and complex characters, the problem is that in the kids editions they show only aggression and violence.
If you like my ideas and wish to donate money to my future projects you can send it via paypal to linneita@gmail.com
Here are the ten Super-soft heroes and in a few weeks I will give you ten Super-strong Princesses.
Thank you!”
This is an extraordinary initiative that I think parents should print and let their kids play with and even bring to their preschools as an alternative for all children.
Thank you Linnea for challenging stereotypes and giving parents alternatives to what the children of today are being forced to see – I adore Spiderman in the wheelchair and the grocery shopping Hulk!
Click below to download the PDF – it has been taken down from Linnea’s dropbox probably by people who don’t agree with progressive change and that Batman possibly could make a loving father, I urge you to help Linnea save and spread the pdf as widely as possible – it’s not only free, it’s important!
The problem with small cities and even smaller expat communities is that people tend to leave a lot. Often, when you meet the nicest of people, they already have a ticket out. (I’m not going to claim I haven’t been guilty of leaving, too. Sorry, all.)
Sarah is one of the people I wish I had gotten to hang out more with, although I’m sure we will meet somewhere else on the planet – unless she comes to visit us before I leave Belize which is very possible considering how cold London is now.. Hurry, hurry back, we have palm trees! :)
We attended a small farewell party as well as an official reception to say good bye to Sarah – she will be dearly missed not only by friends but also by the many people she worked with here in the country.
Good bye and good luck, Sarah!
Right, and then Lu-C and I took some elevator selfies..
Luc spent almost two months here after we came back from New Year’s in Mexico. Apart from what I’ve already shared of our adventures, he ventured off into an entire world of culinary experiments. Including a chocolate strawberry-heart cake for Valentine’s, and an absolutely mind blowing chocolate mousse layered mint dark chocolate cake with mango sauce for my birthday.. plus a wide selection of other forms of chocolate.
There were breakfasts in bed with funny-face-pancakes, portobello mushroom fun, wine wine champagne, and the occasional movie-watching-snack overload.
The result? Kitchen got messy and girl got her lady parts back. Haha!
Nothing to report. February 17th is just the same as every year.
Fan means Devil in Swedish, by the way. The devil is in little misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict. That’s where he hides, destroying beautiful things from the inside.
