The Old Man & his Bread

On a windy autumn day this old Jordanian man made his way slowly up the hill. When he reached the trash cans in the street, he paused and slowly glanced around. He set down his sack and bent down to pick up a plastic bag. The plastic bag contained a few loaves of stale arabic pitta bread. He quickly grasped it and walked away. A few metres away, having noticed that his load was lighter, he remembered his sack and went back to get it as swiftly as his old legs could carry him.

Pugalicious Pablo

Man's best friend....how adorable is he ;)

Urban Planning Dingbats

Rant: Dear whoever the fool was who designed the majority of streets in #amman plus the bigger fool who blindly issues building permissions; this is precisely the situation you should have been able to forsee when you allow SIX new buildings to be built simultaneously in the same limited area.

Notice the TWO #cement #trucks blocking the roads whilst the furniture delivery van and the parked residents' cars ensure that the THREE roads remained closed for a few hours.

Sheer genius.  Not.

Barbeque Love

Nothing brings back memories of my childhood as a great barbeque :)

Persistence pays!

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. ~ Calvin Coolidge

The Elegant Grey Heron in Azraq

The Grey Heron, is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions #azraq #wetlands #jo #birdloversworldwide #birds4all #birdsgallery #birdsinfocus #birdspecieslink #greyheron #heron #azraq #azraqwetlands #wetlands #jordan #september2013 #migration #migration2013 #migratorybirds #birdspotting #desertphotography #jordan #jo

Bird of Paradise

And justifiably so. What a beautifully glorious flower it is!

The Bedu of Northern Jordan

Beautiful #Jordanian #bedouin woman who has moved to #ashrafiya in #mafraq . She lives in this colourful tent with her family. Her son is unemployed despite the fact that there are #syrian #refugees working in the nearby tomato fields.

According to the son tomato picking is back-breaking work that shortens a man's life span. Ironically they believe it is ok for their 2 sisters to pick tomatoes.

She was happy for me to take her photo although she hates her #tattoos and wants to have them removed. #nomads #life #nomad #bedouin #photojournalism #jordan

Life goes on : A Syrian refugee bride

A #syrian bride-to-be prepares to leave the hair salon to go to her wedding ceremony. She met her groom via #whatsapp. They both live on the outskirts of the #zaatari #refugeecamp. Her name is Jawahir (translates to Jewels). She is 33 years old and her groom is 27. Although this is her wedding day she is finding it very difficult to feel happy since 48 hours ago she received news that her cousin had been killed fighting with the #FSA against the regime in her village of #Dira'a in #Syria. #refugees #refugee_life #marka #jordan #wedding # rituals #lifegoeson #life

Red Hibiscus

Not only is this flower exquisitely beautiful but when dried it os used to make karkadeh...a delicious intensely deep red drink made by boiling the flowers and adding sugar. The liquid is then kept in the fridge and served with ice cubes as a refreshment particularly during celebrations.

It is said to be particularly beneficial for those with high blood pressure.

#flower #hibiscus #red #nature #herbal #healthy #drink #amman #jo

Lonely Sunset

Sunset over Zaatari Refugee Camp as a lone Syrian child walks home to her tent on the dusty hills.

#Zaatari #refugee #Syrian #refugee_life #children #silhoette #sunset #photo #jordan #jo

A Day in the Life of a Syrian Refugee

Transporting mattresses home at sunset. Wheelbarrows are the main source of transportation for shopping, goods....and children.

#instagram #photo #galaxy_zoom #samsung  #photojournalism #refugee_life #refugee #Syrian #syria #sunset #refugee_camp #Zaatari #jordan #jo

The Desert Run

A very young #Syrian girl runs across the #desert at #subset to join her friends.  The #refugee #children if #Zaatari refugee camp can be found playing outside towards the end of day when the oppressive heat finally starts to cool. Notice the size of the trash dumpster silhouetted in the distance.

Syrian Refugees harvest Tomatoes in Al-Ashrafayiya

Syrian refugees from Hama'a picking tomatoes in Ashrafiya, Mafraq. The land is leased from the Jordanian land owners by Palestinian who are bedoiun refugees from Beir Al-Sabi'e. The Palestinian bedouins employ the syrian refugees. They also live alongside the Syrians in tents opposite the tomato fields.

The tomatoes that are being harvested will be exported to the neighbouring Gulf countries.

The going rate per hour for harvesting tomatoes is JD 1 per hour.

The syrians typically work from 7am  till 12 pm  and then again from 2pm till 6pm. So the most that they will make for thus bacjbreaking labour is JD 9 per day.

Jordanians typically work for JD5 per day since they choose not to work in the afternoon when they prefer to go home to be with their kids after school. 

According to the wife of the Jordanian landowner the relationship between the  Palestinian lessor and the Syrian farmers changes from employer and employee after working hours whereby they are seen to socialise together whilst he also ensures that they have sufficient water and electricity for their daily needs.

# refugees #syrians #farming #mafraq #jordan