When I say "neighborhood," what do you think? Is it a real memory that pops into your mind? Is it a picture you've painted over the years, brushstrokes stolen from decades of primetime family shows? Who has defined it for you? When I think of neighborhood, I hear Ray Charles, soulful and sort of rusty, … Continue reading Ray Charles in Jordan
Category: Food
“He is from Karak. Ask him about Mansaf.” “Have you had Mansaf? You know the best one is in Karak.” “Have you heard of Karak? It is like the capital of Mansaf.” Never have I been asked the same food-related question three times on a first day in any country. Since I arrived here almost … Continue reading Off with His Head!
It is the quintessential love-hate relationship, a push-pull of epic proportions. Architects have tested their limits of innovation designing opera houses in his image, and chefs have surely convened in secret to unlock his potential. He is an icon, praised and cursed at the same time, highly valued but also reviled in public. Some call … Continue reading Long Live the King
I wondered what was in the red bucket. Was it sauce? Was it water? Was it mystery ingredient? Before I could ask, the ear of grilled corn dove straight in for a long bath in that red bucket. Last time that I ate something before asking what it was, I ended up with betel nut … Continue reading Red Bucket. Red Lantern. Red Envelope.
Masala Munch compels me to write another post about India. Still sleeping in a fleece through my last night in India, I nonetheless found Delhi a warm relief from the heights of Srinagar, where it started snowing again the day I left. I have defrosted indeed. In fact, I am sweating, my body once again … Continue reading Masala Munch
Accumulating dust in the backroom of nostalgia sits the Razor scooter, the most sought-after toy for a few years of my childhood. It is a fad etched permanently into early 2000s pop culture and a relic of the last days of relatively lawsuit-free horseplay in suburban USA. In all my years playing with that scooter … Continue reading Switzerland’s silent genocide
