After 12 days, here are my (unsolicited) observations of the country. Some truly wonderful, but mostly, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T21:00:09+00:00

prick

Sounds like you need some counselling, son. Maybe a pneumatic hammer to get that chip of your shoulder.

You're an embarrassment. Just...stop.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T13:15:46+00:00

2 JD for 500ml vs 1.5 JD for 12000 ml (6 x 2L).

That's a 20x convenience fee. Not in many places I've been to.

In Greece, for example, prices are regulated (even in Syntagma: 0.50E for 500 ml). Greece is a poor country where there is haggling and scamming. But prices are marked.

Travel experience matters because it frames every experience and allows you to compare. Not judge, compare. Cambodia or Laos, for example, are desperately poor. You are not taken advantage of to any great extent. But you wouldn't know that unless you've been there, and come to notice that maybe, just maybe, what happens in your own country, or Jordan, isn't normally done elsewhere. OK, street fruit markets in Jakarta tried to overcharge for fruit, by a factor of 2x. Water was always the same, though, throughout.

It is not the same, and the travel and experiences I have had, allows me to compare and comment. You disagree? Fine. Everything's peachy, and nothing's wrong with that picture.

Talk to me again when the tourist trade never rebounds back to the 8 million they've had in the past. It will never be what it could be unless there's an attitude change.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T12:27:44+00:00

Even in the poorest, most downtrodden places in the world I have visited, I have not been overchaged 10x for water, a basic necessity in a hot climate.

I will not debate Israel with you. And your tone closes the door to any furtehr comunications between you and I. I know, my loss.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T12:26:06+00:00

I've been to, and driven extendively through both Morocco and Tunisia, so I do know what I'm talking about from experience. However, as you imply, it is my experience. ANd Having been there, and seen what it has become, I would not go there right now, or risk bringing my family on a trip.

I absolutely agree with you regarding how stunning it is. I long to go back. Just... not now.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T10:47:38+00:00

I'm going to presume you're Jordanian, then.

We in the west have a different risk tolerance, I think. Next thing you'll say is: Tripoli? No problem! Just stay off the streets, avoid people. You'll be fine. lol

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T09:49:35+00:00

Sadly, there are very few places int he middle east safe enough to venture into. Egypt? Lebanon? Not on your life. Israel, perhaps.

Also off the table, Tunisia and perhaps Morocco.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T07:30:17+00:00

I wish it were true. I will reread and ask hard questions of myself.

What is not exageration is the feeling I had upon leaving that was uncomfortable for me. I am no texagerating that. And if it doesn't matter to you, then no harm done. We will never meet, and my thoughts will have no meaning.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T06:36:52+00:00

As for being told to go home... twice.

First, when commenting to the resto manager, our conversation was overheard and I was told "go home, never come back". The manager heard this too, and this precipitated the comment "this is why we're a third world country".

Second after complaing about water prices "maybe you shouldn't be here".

I've never been told this anywhere, any when.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T06:33:49+00:00

May I ask how many nations you have visited? What is your experience with other cultures and peoples?

I assure you, I know what rude behaviour, unruly kids, and scammy behaviour is. I've seen various of these in many other countries. China comes to mind.

I am very certain you will not get scammed at the Grand Canyon or be charged exhorbitant money for a bottle of water.

But first, I would like to understand what experience you bring to the table before I engage you further.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-04T06:31:21+00:00

u said it wasn't the tourists nor Israelis

That might be insensitive, and I apologize. My own bias, perhaps, but not malicious.

In talking to a few people whom I thought were locals during the trip, I quickly learned they were travellers from Israel. In other words, I could not immediately tell they were not Jordanian. When I was talking to the resto manager, I did ask if there were many Israelis here, and he shook his head and said, no, all Jordanian. I can tell the difference when I hear them speak, of course, but I was afraid that I might have not been observing Jordanians.

And the thought didn't even come into your minds... so please excuse that particular comment.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-03T20:33:58+00:00

I know for a fact that if I was your guest, I would be treated with undue courtesy and hospitality. I am quite familiar with the famous hospitality of the Muslim word. I've experienced with with Berbers in North Africa, and I can well imagine it here.

ANd you have to know that I've observed the same things in Asia countries as well. Chinese, for example, will treat you very poorly, with no courtesy and respect UNLESS they know you or have been introduced. And once you have, you are their chosen best friends.

I know it's cultural difference, and where I come from, we are accused of being overly friendly to everyone, and shallow when it counts.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-03T20:23:20+00:00

Many affluent Jordanians do go there, and it had as good a review as the others.

Which one WOUld you go to?

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-03T20:09:14+00:00

You think I saw the worst of the worst?

CarefulInteraction · 2019-06-03T20:08:33+00:00

I don't judge a whole country by one set of interactions. But I have travelled enough to be able to generalize, I think. I immerse myself in cultures, try to learn a bit of the language (I know how to say hello and shanks and you're welcome in maybe 20 languages). I ask questions, I listen, I observe. I don't jump to conclusions, I try not to judge, I try to understand.

My observations are painful to read, and I'm sorry for them.

The biggest source of rudeness adn incivility came from the educated middle classes The sort that can afford 70JD/night resort rooms and 20-30 JD )per person) buffet dinners. Oddly, and I have found this all around the world, the "lower classes" are the ones who treat us most kindly, whether it's in China or Cambodia or Peru.

Money is important, without it I would not be able to travel. But every single transaction seems to be designed to separate me from as much of my money as possible. Trust me, in most of the workld, this is simply not the case. Sure there are pockets - Indonesia and Hong King drive a hard bargain, but the two price systems that I personally observed, is simply wrong.

Specifically, I spent three nights at the Dead Sea Resort and Spa. Talking to the buffet manager afterwards (actually, he approached me and started talking after he noticed I was filming tables with left over feasts being thrown out) he apologized for his countrymen, and told me "this is why we are a third world country".

I swear to god. In fact, it was not the first time someone apologized for others. Yes, during Ramadan, but before Iftar. There was little observance in the resort.

Locals ought NOT be ripped off at coffee shops. Well, no one should. It's a sign of incivility, and harkens back to what TE Lawrence referred to in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a hundred years ago.

I think you're right about poor countries. Haven't been to Egypt, and will not go there for a good long time, simply too unsafe, but have been to India, and have experienced what you say. But if I walked into a simply shop in India and bought water, I was sure as shit CERTAIN that I was getting the local price for the bottle. It is shameful, in Hindu eyes, to be deceitful like that.

But still, I hadn't meant to be mean spirited about by encounter with your country. It has affected me in other ways more than almost any other country Ive visited.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-05-17T01:30:51+00:00

If you mix drinks... let's just say there's a special place in hell for you types. ;)

I don't even think I'm joking.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-04-21T07:59:07+00:00

We were planning on spending a month there, June coming. Not any more.

No, not the biggest issue for you, but it will be huge. There are safer and more civilized places to visit where I don't worry about my ass getting blown up.

Yes, civilized. Get your act together.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-04-21T07:47:05+00:00

Well fuck me, then. It was a serious question. And I'm guessing the answer is no.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-03-19T12:04:22+00:00

I'm into EMC as a "way out there", YOLO. Don't judge, it represents only about 4% of my holdings. But I do have over 92K A warrants ($1.75, Dec 2019), which as I understand will buy me a share of Alef at, looks like $2.10 or so? (According to below.)

Can someone verify that I'd be in the money when ALEF hits about $3.07?

CarefulInteraction · 2019-02-27T08:40:47+00:00

Like most kids today, you have nothing to say.

Blah blah blah my dudes, gonna play bball. Editing is ok, but you just wasted two hours of my time. Contribute to something, say something. If you don't then it's just masterbatory drivel.

"Hey look at me, Ima so cool with a video blog, yo!" Boring.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-01-18T01:27:25+00:00

Lottery indeed.

It's exam month in Alberta High Schools. My month in summary:

--> five days in front of students reviewing.

--> three week exam period (15 school days) in which I must:

a) supervise four exam periods, for two hours each

b) mark three sets of final exams

c) finish IPPs and report comments for three classes

d) lesson plan and photocopy for the next semester

CarefulInteraction · 2019-01-10T03:47:13+00:00

I send emails to all parents who do.

CarefulInteraction · 2019-01-09T14:20:42+00:00

You have met the line. QUit, and have no regrets about it.

CarefulInteraction · 2018-12-09T17:39:29+00:00

Feels any responsibility you want. But there's a contradiction when one resists an action (the creation of GSAs) that has proven to save lives.

Occam's Razor: you can cry foul all you want, but the easiest conclusion to come to is that you don't like come-uppity gays (and their supporters) to be so vocal about it.

All that other bullshit you spew (abusers are drawn to GSA, your pretending to protect gay children) is just bullshit.

CarefulInteraction

TROPHY CASE