Have you ever noticed that action movie stars rarely (if ever) bleed when severely hit in a face-off? If Charlie’s Angels counts for an action movie, and it better not, then I honestly have issues with this bleeding “effect”. It does not exist! What sort of fools do they take us for, not making people bleed when hit? The “Angels” were not even bruised, not a scratch, niente! I bet the director thought damage applied to the face of a vixen of the sort cannot be promoted, it does not sell. Luscious lips, long hair and longer legs do sell, on the other hand.

I really have an issue with this. If you are going to feature a female as a leading action figure then it is not the assets that you should sell (that’s what the porn industry is all about; assets and fantasies, no?), and you should at least let your ninja lady get bruised every once in a while. There is a term used for this: Truth to Life. It is genuinely offensive to my taste that action stars, especially the females, seldom bleed or, say, break a nose (or a nail) in a fist fight.

But here’s an interesting bit about action movies starring females, and I always enjoy this bit: they almost always have a female rival. The catfights are usually, what’s the word? Too civil. There is somehow a part where the two girls grab each other by the hair (classic, I resent it), then if it’s a post-Matrix production you have the floating-in-the-air moments, and the a-girl-knows-how-to-kick-a-girl’s-ass line (rephrased), not to forget the mention of jealousy and the sadistic nature of the female villain.

Am I the only one who thinks that is getting just a tad old?

I will blog when I reach home I will blog if I reach home in one piece, so help me God.

Il Salone del Gusto si svolgerà a Torino (Lingotto Fiere), da Giovedì 26 a Lunedì 30 Ottobre.

“Profumi, colori, voci, personaggi, culture e storie creano la frizzante atmosfera in cui vi immergerete passeggiando per le vie del Mercato del Salone del Gusto: un percorso alla ricerca della qualità alimentare che quest’anno più che mai gli espositori si impegnano a garantire e preservare aderendo al Manifesto Slow Food e condividendo i principi legati al concetto di qualità allargata, attenta ai diversi aspetti del processo di realizzazione del prodotto.”

The Salone del Gusto will be held in Turin (Lingotto Fiere) from Thursday to Monday, October 26-30.

“Scents, colors, sounds, personalities, cultures and histories create the exciting atmosphere around you as you stroll through the lanes of the Salone del Gusto Market. You are on a journey in search of food quality. This year, as never before, the exhibitors are committed to preserving – to guaranteeing – food quality by supporting the Slow Food Manifesto, and by sharing the principles associated with a broader idea of quality attentive to every element in food production.”

Blogs usually say something about their authors. What is your impression of The Box? Is it…

1- Evil
2- Creative
3- Too serious
4- Sophisticated
5- Nonsense
6- (Something else, do share!)

Thank you for taking part in this opinion survey. Please post your opinion in the comments section and if it’s too special/private do drop me your mind at tutunai@gmail.com or use the form in The Contact in my sidebar. Grazie!

Last night as I was doing the rounds someone told me I should get the October issue of JO magazine because my blog was mentioned there. I managed to get the issue today and, Lo and Behold!, the URL of Tololy’s Box mentioned was incorrect. My face was as straight as the next wall.

Now while I appreciate being featured under the bold title of “Best of the Web”, I certainly find no sense in directing readers to my old blog (http://tololy.blogspot.com). There was even less sense when I read the paragraph concerned and discovered that it was about my post on the Pope’s speech.

I cannot quite digest the chronological order of events here: I wrote about the Pope’s speech only last month but I stopped using my old blog earlier this year. Why would someone who actually read last month’s post direct people to my old blog?

An honest mistake, I reckon, or artistic suicide.

On a slightly lighter note, I enjoyed today tremendously. It was an epitome of fruitfulness. I received a message from Janet, whom I miss and who in turn misses Eid in Jordan. I also met an old professor of mine and found him healthy and happy and still as delightfully (?) talkative as I recall him. A friend lost since the days of Italiano Uno phoned to wish me and the family a pleasant Eid.

I wrapped up a thicket of official paperwork and paid a little fortune in the process. I went to the library and returned then borrowed some books and, last but not least, I worked for a living and spent time with my family.

If that isn’t a fruitful day, I don’t know what is. What did you do today? Oh and Eid Mubarak to everyone!

I went the other day to investigate an antiques market, in hopes of finding a functional phonograph. The quest for a phonograph developed into a passion of mine only last month after I purchased some 50 classical music and Italian music records in excellent condition.

Before that life-changing event took place, I decided I wanted to quench my thirst for antiques and I started hunting for an old radio that my grandfather had. I started asking around the family for news of the ancient radio but my search proved to be fruitless because someone sold the old beauty.

The purchase of the records revived my passion. I went to an antiques market I had heard about in Zarqa city, it is also called “Soug El Harameyyeh” which translates to “Market of the Thieves”. The name can be attributed to the fact that some items sold there were originally stolen from their owners. I am not sure they still steal things and sell them, but the name remains.

I found only one phonograph but it was ruined. I had a record with me to try any would-be-mine phonographs I found but no trial was necessary for that machine. Now I’ll leave you with pictures taken during that invigorating trip.

I was just on the phone with my friend Mamdouh and I asked him about the name of the company that employs him. Remember this name: شركة الشمس الذهبية

I also asked about some aspects of his condition that I had written about in my previous post, which need correcting. Mamdouh’s contract expired on October 2nd and, unlike what I previously understood, he does not think he has to pay that company 500JD. He just told me that he can leave to Egypt if he wants to but the problem is that he doesn’t want to leave until he secures a Work Permit of some sort,so he can return to Jordan when he wants. The company still has his passport though.

Now he cannot get that permit unless he pays some 200JD +. I need to investigate this further and get back to you.

Jordan is full of good people who are ready to help. It wasn’t my intention to portray the country negatively and I certainly cannot find any good cause in one comment that only bashed the country and its people and stated “We Egyptians have made you who you are”. That is unnecessary bla-bla that shan’t feature in my Box.

After I posted about my friend’s situation, someone volunteered to give Mamdouh the 500JD that were to set him free. Amino and Hal offered to write articles about his case and get them published to stir public reaction. Mamdouh might decide he does not want to be interviewed for an article, but action must be taken to help secure workers’ rights in Jordan.

Making things personal helps people identify with them. I want to share the story of one of my friends to let you see the way some Egyptian workers live in our good country, and to seek your help.

Mamdouh was a college student in Egypt. He reached the third year of his BA but was caught cheating and was consequently suspended for a year. He didn’t mind and decided it would be a good break away from school, a break that he might put to good use. He got a job at a local pharmacy and, in his own words, “lived like a king”.

It was only for a year that Mamdouh could work because later on he will go back to school, study hard, get his degree and then graduate to a welcoming land of opportunity. He might even get engaged.

The inevitable happened. Mamdouh heard about Jordan and all about the opportunities it offers Egyptian workers, he even saw a number of his friends leave to Jordan and heard about the money they can make over there. His mind was set, “I will leave to Jordan too!”.

Once he got to the Promised Land, Mamdouh was with a group of other Egyptians who were snatched into the arms of a local services company. Since they had nowhere to go, and nobody to consult with or stay with, those young men were ecstatic that they found work so soon. Work means money, and money means eating, drinking, sleeping in a good place, and some saving.

Signing a contract with that company was the best strategy to survive this new environment. Mamdouh was asked to sign a cheque of 500JD as well as the contract. When he refused, the company people told him it is just a measure to ensure he does not break the contract. When he proved to be stubborn, he was persuaded by his friends to sign just as they did. He remembered that he had nowhere to go if he didn’t have the money, so he signed the contract and the cheque.

The company then confiscated all of the Egyptians’ passports. They said this was also a measure to prevent them from escaping work and violating the contract. Now the company literally owned them.

I met Mamdouh during the period of his “indentured servitude” with this company. He came across as a very decent, ambitious, polite, and helpful young man. Being around my age, we used to talk a lot and he told me how he ended up getting verbally abused every day by his Egyptian superior. The company appointed an Egyptian man to supervise the group of Egyptian workers they had, and this man’s technique was breaking these young men’s self-esteem into subjugation. Locals worked with the company like the Egyptians, but seeing the horrible conditions of employment, they would usually leave after a day or two. Only the Egyptians remained because they had no other choice.

The situation got worse. The company reduced Mamdouh’s salary from 85 to 75JD per month. The 10JD they deducted they said were for “insurance”. Mamdouh had to find another job to pay the rent so he started working from 4 PM until 12 AM in a liquor store.

This means his day starts at 5:30 AM, and ends past midnight.

Mamdouh’s contract specifically prohibits him from visiting Egypt. It extends over one year only. Mamdouh finished his service as the contract legally dictates last month, but he cannot go home. He can go to the Egyptian Embassy in Amman and they might help him get his passport back from his employers, but he does not have 500JD to pay the company.

Mamdouh is still working two jobs, waking up at 5:30 in the morning and not resting before it’s past midnight, everyday.

Who protects Egyptian workers’ rights in this country? Does anyone even care about them? Mamdouh may be lucky because he is educated and he does not have a family to support, but most of those workers are not as educated as he is and they have families that wait for them to put food on the table. If they didn’t need the money so bad, they would not submit to the many forms of abuse they suffer in so many places and in so many forms.

Does anyone know how we can help Mamdouh?

Hadeek el youm o ana 3am ba7ki ma3 nas 3al GTalk, fakkart “ana 3arabeyyeh, o hada 3arabi, lesh 3am ne7ki bil inglizi ma3 ba3ad?”, o mo bas mne7ki bil inglizi, la2 ana kaman bada22e2 3al spelling mistakes wel sentence structure o I expect ino ykoon kol eshe mazbout.

Fa sho, hadi isimha maskhara wella nifaq wella ta2assor bil ‘3arb wella high-culture-make-belief?. Ana 7atta most of the time bafakker bil inglizi o ma ba3raf lesh… ya3ni fi kalemat ma momkin a7keeha bil 3arabi o fi kalemat mosh mawjodeh bil 3arabi o lazem a7keeha bas 3a meen el 7a2? 3al 3arabi illi ma 3am yosa3 kalematna wella 3alena illi ma 3am nwas3o 7atta yestaw3eb 3alamna? Mo el lo’3a just a tool that we can expand and advance as best suits us? Wella does it stay fixed and we shape our world accordingly?

O lalli be2olo ino el lo’3a mosh jozo2 men el haweyyeh wel thaqafeh, hadi ana basameeha 7ejjet el mfalles. You don’t only regard the situation of a minority, in this case Arabs brought up abroad, and say that since they identify with being Arab without having to know the language then that naturally abolishes the importance of language as a tool of cultural identification or assimilation. Sho sar bil 3arab elle bil dowal el 3arabeyyeh? fosto2 fadi hadol?