Yesterday, it rained. Who am I to say that the day of prayer on Thursday didn't bring about the favorable weather? At the very least, however, the rain was a most needed coincidence.
Today was the first day of the Islamic New Year: 1432 AH to be exact. Schools, banks and government offices were all closed (Qasid included). So, with my day off, I went to the gym. And for the first (and only) time in my life, I was asked if I was an Olympic athlete. So here's how that story goes: I was doing my thing at the local women's gym to which I am a member when one of the trainers approached me. She asked, "Where did you train before this?" I wasn't exactly sure what she was getting at so I asked for clarification. She said, "What sport, what country did you train at before coming here? The Olympics?" She was quite earnest in her questioning so I tried very hard not to laugh outright. Instead, I let my jaw hang for a solid 3 seconds before telling her that I worked out at my local gym in the United States. This seemed to be the answer she was looking for because she nodded her head several times and said, "Oh, yes, the United States." I am still unclear as to whether she understood my answer to mean that I simply enjoyed working out (as I intended my answer to mean) or if she took it to mean I was an Olympic athlete for the United States. At any rate, I have never been so flattered in my life.
After my gym excursion, Betsy, Shadea and I headed to the Balad to get food. But not just any food. Hashim's. Hashim's has quite the reputation. It is known to have the best falafal and hummus in all of the city. It is on the list of "must eat" locales in Amman (along with Al-Quds for falafal and Shwarma Reem for Shwarma). Hashim's is clearly a popular destination because any time I want to go downtown, I simply direct my cab driver to Hashim's. The restaurant is located in a rather inconspicuous alleyway. There are plastic tables and chairs set up in the alley and in one garage-like covered area. Upon being seated, paper mats were placed in front of us and a piece of pita was placed on the mat. Now, for the menu. Hashim's serves a total of 3 or 4 items. We ordered hummus, falafal, foul and potatoes (aka French fries) along with tea. I was not disappointed. The food was fabulous. I absolutely stuffed myself. After my experience there this afternoon, I will gladly perpetuate the restaurant's reputation and "must eat" status.
In other news, Mossad has been accused of perpetrating the shark attacks on tourists in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt. This BBC news story gave me a good laugh: Shark Attacks not Linked to Mossad says Israel
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