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ونفى مسؤولون ان للخطوة التي تعد الاولى من نوعها على المستوى الرسمي وشملت القضاء على 750 خنزيرا أي صلة بمكافحة انفلونزا اتش1ان1 قائلين انها جاءت بعد ان رفض أصحاب المزارع فى قريتي السماكية وحمود في الكرك الانتقال الى مناطق أخرى أو التخلص من الحيوانات رغم احتجاجات وشكاوى سكان المنطقة. وقال عيسى الشبول الناطق الرسمي باسم وزارة البيئة لرويترز ان "عملية الذبح لا علاقة لها بانفلونزا الخنازير وانها جاءت نتيجة شكاوي متكررة من أهالي القريتين لوجود مزارع الخنازير وسط المناطق السكنية وانبعاث روائح سيئة عنها.

لكن الشبول قال "تم منح أصحاب المزرعتين عدة مهل لنقلها الخنازير الى مناطق أخرى أو التخلص منها دون أن يستجيبوا" مضيفا أن خطوة التخلص من الخنازير لم تشمل مزارع في مناطق أخرى بعيدة عن المناطق السكنية

المصدر: الاردن يقضي على مئات الخنازير  أخبار الشرق الأوس  Reuters

تريد تربية الخنازير؟ لماذا بين التجمعات السكانية؟ لماذا لا تبني مزرعتك بعيدا في مناطق معزولة؟ يعني ما في صحراء عنا في الكرك؟

وقال المستشار الاعلامي بوزارة البيئة عيسى الشبول في معرض رده على سؤال لـ "الدستور" ان من يحاول تربية الخنازير في هذه المزارع سيكون تحت طائلة المسؤولية وسيتم مصادرة ما بحوزته والتخلص منها بالاعدام ، مشيرا الى ان من يرغب بتربية الخنازير عليه اختيار المكان المناسب بعيدا عن الاماكن السكنية وعليه ان يلبي الاشتراطات البيئية اللازمة في هذا المضمار وفق الانظمة والتشريعات المعمول بها.

المصدر: جريدة الدستور  إعدام 800 خنزير في السماكية.

أيضا: محافظ الكرك يؤكد إعدام الخنازير في مقابلة على التلفزيون الأردني

Join Jordanian Blogger Nasseem Tarawneh, click on the link below. See how you can help:

 http://www.black-iris.com/2009/09/09/revisiting-that-open-letter-i-wrote-to-orange-telecom-jordan-on-their-terrible-service-call-to-action/

I like the following part of his post:

Consider it an experiment in Jordanian social media. People are constantly asking me whether Jordanian bloggers have an impact on politics in Jordan – and I always say probably not. But let’s see if we, as customers and as citizens, can use blogs and social media to impact the private sector.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of just writing…

This morning, I woke up after a night full of bad dreams. An idea crossed my mind of stopping concentrating on writing. But why?

Yesterday’s afternoon and evening, my second Language-Exchange meeting took place. In it, I only had half an hour out of 2.30 meeting. Despite how short my turn was, I was furstrated how writing needs a lot of practice.

What is more, I thought that I must be concentrating on something that will help me in medicine. Surely, writing will have a very minor role in Medicine.

As a result, from now on, I want to practice reading and comprehension from a book which I recently bought from Irbid:

Medical Terminology A Living Language, Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frught, 3rd edition.

Concentrating on Medicine, my specialty, or conecntrating on more than one thing (medicine and writing)? I should concentrate on the former.

If I am a good doctor, this will help me –somehow- in my writing.
If I am a good writer, will I be a good doctor? Impossible!

Yesterday afternoon, exactly at 4 o’clock, Chris, a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan, visited my house. It was the second time to welcome Chris in my house.

After eating some Qattaef –sweets made during Ramadan, we started. Honestly, I didn’t prepare anything for the lesson. However, only 2 or 3 minutes after starting, I was totally immersed in the questions that Chris rained me… He didn’t give me a chance to worry about not preparing. There was always something to be asked. The meeting continued till about 7:15. Time just passed by as fast as time passes by when you are watching an Oscar-winning movie!

What I like the most about this first meeting is not only the new English words I learnt, but most importantly, the comments that Chris gave about the way Moabite speaks, moves, and interacts. I know the loser I am in social activities!

A great comment I received was the way I sat in my Chair; whenever I was asked a hard or ambiguous question, I leant forward on the table. Why not? I just did it involuntary. Is it really important not to lean forward? I knew that I did this action but I didn’t know how it can be interpreted! So I just did it!

Then came the enlightening insight. After hearing Chris’s point of view, I was both amazed and happy; amazed because of the serious, unacceptable, and rude connontations of my apparently action. Happy because how much elegant and respected I would be if not doing the “simple action” of leaning forward. So, how leaning forward can be interpreted?

Leaning forward, closer to the person opposite you, is interpreted as being aggressive, and forceful. It is as if you are trying to force your opinions onto others!

A big thank you! I know that being socially nice, loveable and elegant can be learnt if given such comments! Will I become a nicer social person? If such comments continued… Please!

Another comments: I am going to type them so as firstly not to forget them and secondly to apply them in my life.

When speaking, don’t raise your voice! Always, keep your voice low!

How high does my voice gets when in a debate! Oh my God! I have been always told that I appear as if I am literally “fighting”. Why? I believe that raising voice indicates lack of confidence and lack of ability to convince others with your point of view using words!

Protect personal spaces of “others”!

Again, this has something to do with “Leaning forward” toward the people opposite you. It didn’t take me long to apply this advice. Yesterday evening, after delivering Chris to his house, I noticed how close I and my brother were walking. It was as if we were walking in a 50cm-wide road. A small kitten couldn’t fly between us! We were walking shoulder to shoulder. But why push each other through out the road? Couldn’t we notice that our hands clashed between now and then? Problem identified!

# Correct the following sentence:
- This has been going on since 6 years.
- If you specified the duration of an action, then you don’t use “since” but use “for”. The correct form is:
- “This has been going on for 6 years.” Or, “This has been going on since 2003”

#Do you pay attention to what is written on the clothes you buy? Some people wear clothes without paying attention to what is written on them. Sometimes, this can cause you a lot of embarrassment not to expect humiliation.

A friend of mine once saw a Syrian girl wearing a pair of jeans that had a two-word sentence written on them. The sentence read: “Spank Queen”!!!

Does the girl understand what that sentence means? In our conservative societies, I don’t think so. Nonetheless, there is a?? good news. How many people have good English enough to understand the meaning of this sentence? I don’t think there are many!

Are you one of the “few” or one of the “many”? In other words, did you use or will use a dictionary to find out the meaning of this sentence? What about me, I am one of the “many”. I had to be told the meaning of this sentence. It means,???:??? “Slap buttocks” with sexual connotations of course!

There could be an honor crime is on the way!

# [Itinerary]
- We didn’t worry what places to visit, the tourist guide had already prepared an ideal itinerary.

- When Mr. Smith read the itinerary of the journey, he didn’t only sign up, but also, invited some of his friends.

list of places to be visited: a plan for a journey listing different places in the order in which they are to be visited

- There is a famous publishing company that publishes itineraries. The name of this company is “Lonely Planet”. I love their itinerary of Jordan.

There is a famous publishing company that publishes itineraries. Its name is “Lonely Planet”.

# [Epiphany] 

- I was watching TV when I had this unbelievable epiphany of what I wanted to accomplish in my life; to become a skillful physician.

- The physician claims that he was able to come up with this cancer drug in an epiphany!

- It came to Moabite in an epiphany that the post about Peace Corps Volunteers learning Arabic is offending.

sudden realization: a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence
It came to him in an epiphany what his life’s work was to be.

# [Epitome]

- I will work hard to become an Epitome of a hardworking Medical student.

- Do you think that he deserves to be called “The Epitome of Honesty”! For God’s sake, he is as cunning as a fox.

- Peace Corps volunteers who taught me in Mu’tah University are the very epitome of selflessness!

typical example: a highly representative example of a type, class, or characteristic
Isn’t she just the epitome of elegance?

# [Irregular Plural]

The plural form of some nouns is not formed by adding “s”, “es” or “ies”… I can’t recall more! To be more precise, I don’t want to!

Example of irregular plural in English:

- Ox –> Oxen
- Goose –> Geese
- Tooth –> Teeth

# [Tangent]

- Can I bring up a tangent? There is a lot of time left!
- Can you explain more. I believe that you started a big tangent! 
- I recommend this doctor, he spends all of the lecture time teaching. He never bring up tangents!

digression: a change of topic that is not relevant to the subject currently under consideration

# [Diagonal]

- A diagonal is a line connecting two angles in a square or rectangle.

line joining angles: a line that joins two opposite or nonadjacent angles or corners of a straight-sided geometric figure

# [Elvish]

- The student said that he was advised not to study Arabic. He was told that Arabic is harder than Elvish language. This advice is the epitome of putting-off others!

- Just a J. R. R. Tolkien invented new languages, I want to invent new set of social duties. Just because a diagonal can’t connect two adjacent angles, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore your neighbors.

J. R. R. Tolkien invented two languages he referred to as “elvish.”

# [Nuance]

the nuance of using “care to learn Arabic” in the post talking about Peace Corps volunteers in Jordan brought me bad reputation!

subtle difference: a very slight difference in meaning, feeling, tone, or color

عطوفة محافظ الكرك فواز ارشيدات يؤكد إغلاق مزارع الخنازير في بلدة السم

معقول؟ ممكن؟ خلينا نستنى!

[In the photo on the left, you can see the old man whom I met. The photo shows Hassan Sabha celebrating the average of  his son, Qutaibeh. I found it in Alghad newspaper website.
In the photo on the right, the marks of Qutaibeh. The lowest of which is the Arabic Language mark 66/70]

Finally, I have something interesting to write about. “Travel More… You will see more!” Truly, if I stayed in Smakieh, I would never have had the chance of meeting this person I met today. How lucky was I to get this chance! I am really proud to write about it in my Blog!

Yesterday, I arrived in Irbid at my brother’s. I left Smakieh at 10:25 and arrived in Irbid little before 4 o’clock. It was a very long journey!

Who did Moabite meet? Why does he feel very happy now?

Minutes ago, I was searching to buy empty DVDs in Yarmook University Street in Irbid. شارع الجامعة I entered this computer shop. There were 3 Omani girls standing inside. I ignored them and immediately headed to the vendor. The vendor, a young guy aged 28 year-old as I deduced from our later conversation, was talking to an old man. As soon as I neared them, the old man spoke to me. His voice was very soft. His hair was totally white. He was about 1.7 M tall. A very huge smile was drawn on this man’s face. He was very happy. Why? You don’t usually find extremely happy people around you in Jordan!

“He says that my son’s marks are not real!” He told me happily, proudly and as if he knew me!

For moments, I didn’t understand what was going on. What is this old man talking about? I thought. The old man then continued, “…average is 99.1%” Suddenly, I knew what he was talking about. I did not only understand that it is about some student’s marks in Tawjihi, but also, I knew the student who got those marks. Yes, how can’t I? The average of 99.1% was got by only one student in Jordan. This student is named, “Qutaibeh!” I saw him on Jordan TV.

-         “Qutaibeh!” I said, after little thinking. I said it like a happy student answering a question.

I was right. The man who was standing in front of me was the father of the First student in Tawjihi of 2009. How happy was I! I was then happier than the proud father himself!

Next thing I did, without hesitation, was shaking hands with the proud father. Because he was catching firmly to his son’s marks, he took some time to shake my hands.

I decided to make advantage of this extraordinary meeting. I acted like a reporter. I wanted to write the information I get in my Blog.

-         “Did your son prepare to Tawjihi a year before?” This was my first question. Actually, I was very quick and very confused that my question wasn’t comprehensible.

-         “What is your son going to study?” I changed my question.

-         “Medicine!” He answered even more proudly.

-         “Where?” I said as if remembering a very important question. Will he study in USA? Britain? He can choose whatever country to study in, won’t he? Won’t he be given a scholarship by the Ministry of Education? I think that he will choose the USA. I thought.

-         “Jordan University of Science and Technology!” This is where his son will study. I was amazed. Why?

-         “But why?”

-         “It is better!” The father simply said. He elaborated vaguely, “Irbid… here… relatives…” He finally said, “He will get a scholarship!” The father was in a hurry. I asked him to see the marks.

-         “Can I see them?” I asked him. “So that I can say that I saw the marks of the student who got the highest average in whole Jordan.” I said. The father didn’t comment. He simply held the orange-colored paper in front of me. “100…110″ Then I stopped, I noticed the Arabic Language mark, it was 66. I asked him about the reason. I can’t recall exactly what he answered.

The father then started to walk. I asked, then from a distance, “Are you a doctor?” “I am an Engineer!” He answered with the same smile still drawn on his face. “Where can I find a scanner?” He asked the vendor from a distance. I guess that he wants to hang a copy of the marks in his house. Why wouldn’t he!

Next, I talked to the vendor. “Do you know that that man’s son got the highest average in Jordan?” “I just remembered that I finished Tawjihi 10 years ago!” He stupidly answered to hide his ignorance. To make it worst, he started to say how people who are successful in “Schools” are not always “successful” in life. What is more, he argued that the most successful physician failed many times before succeeding. I was interested in this last comment, so I asked him to give me an example. “… I don’t recall!” That’s how our conversation ended and I started to talk about what brought me into the shop, “4 DVDs… One JD?” I bought four.