Hurricane Sandy: Kick-Ass Woman of the Week

Hello readers and followers!

So after a few not so fun days with no power.. Ladies and gentlemen I am back with my latest kick-ass woman of the week: Sandy.. Hurricane Sandy. It was sort of an easy choice.. Here’s why:

Coming from Jordan, in the Middle East, I was simply awe-struck with what I saw. Winds that roared, and rain that just didn’t stop. I lost power Monday night and didn’t get it back till early this morning.  A few friends and I decided to go into the city to see some of the impacts and even they were speechless, despite witnessing instances of extreme weather in the past.

Here are a few pictures and videos highlighting some of the damage in and around New York:

A Crane Hanging by a Thread in New York

Part of the Financial District in New York

Lower Manhattan

Queens Flooded Streets

New York’s Subway System Shut Down

I also wanted to end this post by expressing my deepest gratitude to technicians, rescue crews, firefighters, and police officers who have been working around the clock to bring New Jersey, New York, and the rest of the East Coast back on its feet. The way people have come together in their communities is in itself a powerful force to be reckoned with that even Sandy couldn’t bring down..

Until next time..

A Worrying Sign

Mother Nature has made this Eid wonderful. The weather here in the city has been amazing, and I have finally began to grasp the concept of using degrees Fahrenheit over Celsius. At first, any time I looked up the weather forecast and saw the number 85 I’d freak out. That has thankfully become a rare event now 🙂

Spending Eid in the US was extremely special, and, without sounding too cheesy, symbolized some of the true values of America. My friends and I feasted on authentic Italian food as we discussed our plans for the Fall. My effect on my friends also shone through as the conversation soon took a turn to discuss some recent social and political events, these included the fatal attack on the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and how various religious institutions came together to mourn those who were killed. I was touched by the reactions that I saw on the news. It is these qualities of pluralism and tolerance that are rooted in both American and Muslim ethics.

Eid is all about reaffirming those ideas, and symbolizes a fresh start. We all toasted to that as we ended our dinner. By the time I got home it was around midnight. I decided to call my mom (an early bird) and see how Eid festivities were in Amman. She said that even though that it was great seeing almost every single aunt, uncle, and cousin, most conversations focused on an unsettling story out of Jerusalem. The story gave me chills.

Last Thursday night, during one of the final nights of Ramadan, a group of around 20 Jewish teenagers attacked four Palestinians between the ages of 14 and 17 as they were walking around an area called Zion Square.  Nine Jewish teenagers have been arrested so far, and according to reports, Israeli police believe that one of the Israeli teenage girls incited the group to attack the Palestinian youth after claiming to have had a relationship with an Arab. One of the Palestinian teenagers, Jamal Julani, was badly beat up and lost consciousness at the scene. Paramedics were miraculously able to revive him and he is now recovering.

One of paramedics recounted what she saw at the scene on her Facebook page. The Israeli +972 magazine translated what she wrote:
“It’s late at night, and I can’t sleep. My eyes are full of tears for a good few hours now and my stomach is turning inside out with the question of the loss of humanity, the image of God in mankind, a loss that I am not willing to accept. But today I saw a lynch with my own eyes, in Zion Square, the center of the city of Jerusalem… Those who were kicking [Jamal] fled and the rest gathered in a circle around, with some still shouting with hate in their eyes.”

In court, the primary suspect in the beating of Jamal admitted to his actions with no signs of regret or remorse, stating that if he had the chance he’d do it again because Jamal was an Arab.

The event should be a wake-up call to all of those still hoping and wishing for a peaceful end to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. With such deeply embedded hatred that is so easily unleashed, true progress on this issue cannot be achieved. Palestinian and Jewish youth are physically segregated from each other. Fear, racism, and prejudice are outcomes of this segregation. Without a united educational front that is pushed for by both parties, it will be impossible for Israeli and Palestinian youth to overcome the stereotypes they are taught about one another.

Peaceful interaction is key, and if the future lies in the hand of youth like those responsible for the attack, there are a lot of things to fix and a limited time to do so.

“Stay a tourist, forever”

Recently, the weather has been hindering my sense of adventure. A couple of days ago, I vowed that at the first hint the weather was getting better, I’d make my way down to the city, and get something off my bucket list; I would visit the Empire State Building observatory. After carefully examining several weather forecast websites, I had my opportunity. I knew that the building was one of the most famous globally. While I waited for the first signs of sunlight, I did a little bit of research. I decided to purchase my ticket to the 86th floor online, and then upgrade to get to the 102nd floor observatory once I got there in order to avoid the huge crowds that I knew were already lining up. As soon as the sun reappeared, I made my way to the city with great anticipation.

I saw my destination. Words will not be sufficient to describe how tall the building was. I was already in love with the city, and I knew that seeing it from a very new angle would make me love it even more.

The lobby of the building was bustling. Tourists could be distinguished from others by their cameras, and almost every single person around me had one. I commended myself for purchasing my ticket ahead of time. I only had to endure a couple of lines: the one leading to the elevator, and the one leading to the actual observatory. Yet again I was surrounded by the melodic tunes of languages, some of which I couldn’t even identify! As I made my way closer to the last kiosk, I froze at the first glimpse of the view ahead of me. The man at the kiosk literally had to wave his hand in front of my face to bring me back to reality, because what I was seeing was out of this world (excuse the cheesiness.)

The man was laughing hysterically at my intrigue, and I laughed along. Once he pulled himself together, he turned to me and asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Jordan, but that I had moved to the States recently and was still in my tourist phase. Before finally letting me enjoy the full magnificence of the view, he smiled very sincerely and said,
“I’ve lived here my entire life. The city still surprises me every day. No matter what you do, stay a tourist, forever.”

Those words continued to resonate within me as I soaked up the panoramic views of the city I would now be calling home. I now understood what the man at the Kiosk was saying. Looking at the city from this height, one immediately realizes that it would take more than a lifetime to experience all it had to offer. A jolt of adventure came over me, and on the 102nd floor of one of the most magnificent buildings in the world, I made the decision to stay in my tourist bubble, and head to the US capital, Washington DC this weekend into Monday, which marks Memorial Day.

I will be spending the next few days doing several things. First, I am going to figure out exactly what Memorial Day commemorates. Following that process, I will be planning out my schedule in DC, and tentatively choose the monuments and museums I plan on visiting.  If you think there’s a monument, museum, or site that I should not miss in DC, please let me know! With weather permitting Inshallah, I will have amazing pictures and stories for you next week.

Enjoy your weekend 🙂