One of the highlights of this trip to amman has been meeting those 3 pillars of the Jordanian blogsphere: Khalidah , Jad and Bakkouz. To be perfectly honest, Bakkouz was someone I wasn't particularly eager to meet at first, because of the previous run-in we had with each other  during the Free-Alaa campaign. However upon meeting him, my opinion changed drammatically, because he was nothing as I expected him to be. When you read Bakkouz's blog, you would think that he is the energetic, crazy, funny dude, so meeting him and seeing how quiet he is is usually quite a shock. And then you get it: Bakkouz is sneaky funny. The Silent but Funny type. You know that kid that sits next to you in class and be silent the whole time, and then will throw in a single word or comment, and it would be a Bullseye in terms of hilarity? That's Bakkouz. He is the kind of person who at an exam would ask you how was your weekend right after the teacher told everyone not to speak. Subtle, calm, but very effective. Great Guy.

Anyway, the person who was organizing this outing was Khlidah, and if Bakkouz was an example of how a blog can be different than the person who writes it, Khalidah is the definitive proof. Khalidah is a tough cookie with a forceful personality and a playful attitude, 3 traits you would never know if you read her blog. She is as sarcastic as they come and she doesn't mince words. How could I not love that? Anyway,the 3rd person that she had invited was someone I had never heard of before, but apprently was a big deal in the ammani blogsphere and one of the driving forces behind Itoot: Jad Madi. Jad is a fantastic and brilliant dude. A real fountain of knowledge this guy. Ask him anything, he has the answer. You know the people who carry around the air of inevtiable success? That's the guy. Anyway…

So after we all meet up, it is decided that we are going hang out at a place called the Books @ cafe, which immedietly became one of my favorite places in all of Amman.

It's basically a two story building, with the ground floor being a library and the upper floor a restaurant/bar/coffeshop. It's actually divided into 3 sections: The bar section with the regular restaurant seating, the cyber-Cafe, drinking coffee while cruising the net section (and they only give you a speed of 14 kbps, the bastards)…..

And the Outside seating area, which serves Hookah's every day after 5:30 PM. 

As you can see, the place is beautifully designed and segmented, an all-in-one stop shop specifcially tailored to me. I mean, it has a bar, hookah's, food and internet. What more could I possibley ask for?

The next day I met Bakz and jad at Mecca mall, the big bad new mall in town, which meant that Roba had to drive me there, park her car and get me in. You see, they don't allow you into Mecca mall if you are a guy by yourself, or in a group of guys. You have to be coming in with a girl, lots of girls, or a family to be allowed in. The reason? They don't want the female mall dwellers harassed in any way, and what better way to do it other than preventing all-male groups from getting in? Sure, it's sexist and unfair, but it works for them. Hell, it's like a policy everywhere: Must be with girls. According to Roba, it's the same in bars, hookah cafes and other hang out places that are not "Hafartally" ( jordanian for low-class). The moment you see groups of guys instead of groups of girls in a place, that's a sign of Hafarally-ism.

It must be tough to be a single guy in Jordan.

So, here I was inside of Mecca mall, and I decide to go to the local DVD/Cd/Book Megastore, where I was greeted with this as I was walking in:

Lord… Have…Mercy!

Ignoring that while I could, I started crusing around and found the original Wickerman on DVD, which I had always wanted to see, but was hesitant to buy it due to its highly expensive price. Here enetrs Bakkouz and I show him the dvd and never take it back, clearly deciding that I am not gonna buy it. I end up buying the 33 strategies of war instead, thus completing my Robert Greene collection, and after we head out by5 minutes or so, Bakkouz gets out the Wickerman dvd from his jackets and asks me point-blank: "You paid for this, right?"

Freakin Bakkouz!

So, amman dwellers, i would love to inform you that those alarm beeping things that aim to prevent people from shoplifting from that specific megastore, ehh, they don't work. I am not encouraging you to go there and shoplift every DVD and book you may like at the place, I am just letting you guys know. Maybe one of you will tell them. See, good samaritan here. But if you do shoplift, make sure to send me "A History of Violence". I really want to see that. 

Also I would really like to inform you that Bakkouz is now an official supporter of the Neo-con American Right-wing Zionist Christian Imperialist Conspiracy in the Middle-east! Hearts and minds people. Hearts and minds.

Muhahahahahahahaha…