8.9.07

On my Job, Jongar, Settling in and Such

I have been in Dubai for a total of 5 months now and am still enjoying every minute of it. I started settling in by renting my own beautiful apartment with a view. I would've called it home, if it weren't for minor distractions like vacationing back in Jordan, or being shipped immediately afterwards to Saudi, the land of the empty as I like to call it.

I wouldn't have gone back to Jordan if it weren't for a family emergency, which usually either means weddings or funerals. Thank God it was the first. When I came back I was reluctantly shipped to Saudi for the equivalent time of my vacation as if I was being punished for vacationing so early within my career.

Boss: You're going to Saudi
Me: Emmm. Oman is nice this time of year.
Boss: Hehe, no you have to go. Saudi is nice.
Me: Bahrain?
Boss: Hehehe
Me: Ok ok between me and you, Qatar, but that's my final offer.

I was negotiating a lost cause

When people ask me what I'm doing in Dubai, I tell everyone that I'm a belly-dancer or strip-dancer, depending on the audience and their threshold for juvenile crap. That makes people nag more, not catching the drift that I don't like to talk about my job for the sake of the healthiness of the relationship I am trying to maintain. It's not one of those common jobs that you can mouth in one word like doctor or architect and everyone would go "Aaaaaaaahh"

I should've studied Physical Education and became a gymist or something.

When I talk to Jordanians about my job, I tell them I am Jongar, in reference to the fact that I am a one-man army and hence a powerful being in Jordanian slang (Jongar is the Arabic version of a Japanese anime called "Astro Ganga"of a giant robot fighting off invading aliens, that we as kids of the eighties grew up watching and loving)

As a kid I scribbled myself in harsh crayon markings next to Jongar, and when asked to write a composition about summer vacations, I would talk about my "friend" Jongar, and was known to kick my nursery mates' asses all the time screaming "Jongaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar" as if that justifies it.

Me: Jongaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar (all the while beating the shit out of a bawling kid)
Kid: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Nursery Teacher(pulling me from the ear): Sami how many times have I told you that you are not Jongar? And Kid is not evil alien from outer space ..
Me(flailing arms wildly around and singing the opening theme of the cartoon): Ow! Ow! Jongar, Jongar al-batal il-jabbar (Jongar, Jongar the mighty hero).

I wish Nursery Teacher would see me know, for she will undoubtedly realize that she was wrong all along and that I am none other than:

Jongar, Jongar, al-batal il-jabbar.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

i thought the link for jonger will take me to a dictionary to explain the meaning...then it simply didnot and went to the cartoon i used to watch too, but i prefer grendizer...wouldnot u....he more handsome...but i burst laughing...
really, what is ur job?? and donot say Jonger...
thanx for the laugh...

KJ said...

You been here for 5 months only? Wow I thought you stayed more. I've been here since 2002. Times have changed.

I understand completely about your complaints regarding Saudi. At least you're going for one month or so. I was told I am to be exported there for an indefinite amount of time (minimum one year).

I am to refuse my being exported (since it effectively cancels my residency here among other personal reasons). But the alternative for not going is to be fired.

Hmm.. go to Saudi or be fired. What a pickle ;)

CG said...

So whats wrong with Saudi then? Can't be worse than Dubai. ok ok, I know, but things are slightly better there than before. And things here are horrible compared to a few years back.

7aki Fadi said...

lol

2ultilly Jongar? hahahaha

Rambling Hal said...

I am beginning to worry about the average Jordanian male's obsession with this Jongar fella. Seriously. Like you guys don't have ENOUGH issues without making this public. Sigh. It really IS a lost cause, isn't it.

Expated in Dubai said...

@afaf, ok ok you caught my trick already..hehe..I'm a ra2asa bil-leil
@kj, I feel for you man, time goes so slowly in Saudi and every day is like the day before..it is pretty good for saving though
@cg, yes everyone tells me things were much better a little while before, but still for me circumstances are much better than where I call home
@7aki fadi, yes jongar al-batal il-jabbar
@Hal, no more than Jordanian women are infatuated with Lady, Lady. I have yet to meet a girl who hasn't had a crush on of Lady Lady's brothers; Edward and whoever

rosh said...

OMG, this is hilarious : ) Jungar, Grundaizer brings back many memories - those were the days eh!

So you were you a rebel with a cause in Kindergarten or just a plain trouble maker? :)

rosh said...

BTW, Saudi lifestyle pretty much redefines - absolute boredom! I remember a business trip to Saudi several years back. This 5 star hotel had 3 channels, the first television channle had prayer 24/7, the second was just blank (no activity) and the third - prayer 20hours and repeated newscast the remaining 4 hours!

I lost my mind. Hence called home (UAE) everyday and ate chocolate cake (it lifts my spirit, don't ask me why/how :) - all week, to keep sanity intact : )

Anonymous said...

so you are expated-in-ksa now?

Expated in Dubai said...

@rosh, yeah those definitely were the days. Actually me and my friends used to get into painful fights about who is stronger, Jongar or Grandizer. I always argued that Jongar is stronger cuz he never used any weapons unlike the wimp that grandizer is :)
Yeah we all develop weird hobbies when in Saudi, I started vehemently watching the Saudi football league and cheer crazily for Al-Hilal, for real
@wonders, only temporarily, thankfully, I'm back

Anonymous said...

ooh what a shame! i think your misadventures would be more interesting and funny in Saudi.. tyeb reconsider moving there?
:P

Dino$ said...

Dino says " AAAAH btishtighil jongar" and acts like she knows exactly what h is talking about..

u know i hate when ppl ask what you do and you know that it wont matter in their life.. and for me its always been hard to say graphic designer in arabic.. baser 2a2ool

tasmeem GrafeeeQi!! then they all say
"
AAAAAAH ya3ni bta3mali i3lanat il telfizyoon.. " ( can't they just admit that they dont know what graphic design is wa khalsoona)

La2 la2 mush TV graphic design

AAAAH ya3ni 3al CAmbyootar


Dina *sighs and says aaah aah combyottar


homeh : AAAAAAAAAAh 3irfnaa hatha shughulkum kteer kwaaaayis beejeeb kteer floos.. mhandiseh ya3ni..

Dino$ : ya 7asra

Expated in Dubai said...

@wonders, yeah right more interesting..more like Misadventure, chop chop, bye bye Sami. Then who would be updating this spectacular blog?
@Islamic Chocoholic, yes that is exactly the kind of trouble I run into when explaining my work, they'd be like, so you do this? Me: ummm not quite, then after experience, I say to myself what the Hell? "Yes I do that", just let us get over with this coversation

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