10 May 2022

It has been a long time since that eighth grade class

Mrs. Bowmick was the first one to introduce me to this place called the Dead Sea. She was our Geography teacher. It was 1980. My eigth grade. I was fascinated by the facts she had taken us thru. The lowest point of the earth. The saltiest water – so much so that you would float in it.

Every unsuccessful swimming attempts much later in my life would bring back wishful thoughts that all swimming pools were a Dead Sea for me.

Today, for the first time in my life, I saw what the Dead Sea looks like. Whatever the imaginations of that eighth grader was (I am too old to recollect) certainly met reality today. And what a great reality it is!!

This picture was taken when I was at the lowest land elevation on earth!! 1350+ feet below sea level.

That is me. Behind me is the Dead Sea. Behind that is the West Bank. And behind that is the sun!

Given the depth of the Dead Sea shores, the conflict in the West Bank and the beauty of it all, my friend Anusuya describes it best – “Swargo, Morto, Patal!” (Heaven, Hell and Earth!”

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10 May 2022

Wait, what?

“Mahmud, what are those plants? They look like banana trees”
“They are banana trees.”
“What? I thought Jordan is mostly a desert.”
“It is.”

Apparently, there is this area called the Central Jordan Valley that we were driving thru that is an exception to the rule. This valley grows banana, various citrus fruits, strawberries and what have you.

Bananas in a desert!! I had no idea!

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10 May 2022

That unmistakable way of welcoming a guest

Any one of you half knowledgeable about this part of the world will know that tea and welcoming guests go hand in hand. You may remember the uncountable glasses of tea my dad and I used to drink sitting on the patio without saying anything to each other.

I remember my friend Ed who was on active duty in Afghanistan and how surprised he was that any place he would go to, invariably he would be offered tea and then once he was done, would be politely asked to leave to keep himself safe.

Just before the pandemic, you may remember my trip to Muscat. The driver who took me around – we still talk on his birthday (Mohammed Mubarak Khamis Humaid al-Jabri) had insisted on treating me to a glass of tea. “Karak Chai”, he had told me.

Today was no different. Mahmud – my new driver friend for life – insisted that he welcome me to Jordan by treating me to “Karak Chai”. He just would not let me pay for it.

For folks from India, you probably remember “Kadak Chai” in certain parts of northern India. It is essentially the same milk tea spiked with cardamom, clove, sugar etc. Tastes heavenly.

The young gentleman in the picture is Bilal. He is from Egypt. While making tea for us, he gave me a lesson on the short stretch of water in Aqaba that separates Egypt from Jordan.

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9 April 2022

Intersection points again!!

On our boat ride from San Pedro to Cay Caulker, Sharmila and I sat on the upper floor of the big catamaran. Eventually, I gave up my seat to an elderly lady and stood at the forward edge on the bow side so that I could take in the wind as we sped towards our destination. There was a local gentleman standing next to me and then another couple next to him. Thru the trip, I could hear the lady chatting up the local. From the accent, I had no doubts that she was Indian. In any case, soon the conversation became white noise as I started taking the beauty of the cerulean waters in.

I did overhear her asking him when the last water taxi to return would be at. He professed ignorance but suggested “most likely 6 o’clock”. For a moment I thought of letting them know it was 6:15 but thought the better of butting into their conversation.

In any case, after enjoying the day on Caye Caulker, Sharmila and I caught the 3:45 water taxi back. I, again, stood on the bow side. Surprise! Surprise!! Suddenly the same couple came and stood next to me. This time, I broke the ice – “I thought you were going to take a later boat?”

“Yes, but we are a little far away from San Pedro boat station. So, we are taking this earlier one.”

Presently, we got to talk about where they lived and what they did. Their daughter was also on the boat traveling with them. I did eventually go talk to her. Like every adolescent kid, she was keeping a safe distance from her parents!

“So, where are you originally from?”, I asked.
“India. Both of us”
“Where in India?”, I asked thinking I might find some connection.
“West Bengal.”
“Oh! Where in West Bengal?” (As you must have guessed, I am from that state too)
“Kolkata.”
“Really? Both of you? Where in Kolkata?”
“I am from Tollygunge and she is from Dunlop Bridge”.

You can only imagine their surprise when I told them that my brother stays a stone’s throw away from his house!!

“You are Bengalis too?” she asked
“Of course!!”

By this time, the boat had picked up speed and it was becoming difficult to hold a conversation down with Manosij and Sudipa in the strong winds.

However, after getting down, we did finish up our conversation and exchanged our contacts. And then as parents often do with their adolescent kids, we made her daughter take a picture of us. Which Ariana gracefully did.

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