Most people try to put new plans for the New Year, this year I will keep my 2009 list and complete it till the end. No more unfinished plans and no more incomplete tasks.
First I want to review 2009 month by month... I think I really need this because it went by like a flash... Unbelievable.
January
WORK, WORK and more WORK, everyday including weekends from 7 am to 10 pm. Very hectic, a lot of reports and analysis to be done, nonstop call and e-mails flowing in my inbox. End of year appraisal was surprising to me, not because I don’t deserve the top performance report but because my stone-hearted manager finally gave up and granted me the recognition I deserve (not for too long unfortunately).
February
I don’t need to mention the work part since I was kept busy till end of June. This month was filled with contradicting feelings. Layoffs started at the beginning of the month and until the 16th and I was just mad, because I so wanted to just leave work hanging as a protest to the layoffs but had a lot of tasks and deadlines that I had to keep. I would say that during that period I finally realized that corporation care about money. I blamed myself for thinking so naively, but yet again good faith is a bad habit that I just can’t quit.
I went to Cyprus for four days to attend a course during which I escaped the frenzies of Amman. I tried not to get to know a lot of people because I just needed a break. However, I met the course organizers’ families and just adored them. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to get out of Larnaca but needless to say I just loved it. The city was calm, the sea agitated by the wind and migrating birds filling the sky. The Agios Lazaros Church was lovely and Hala Sultan Tekke on the side of the Salt Lake was just exquisite. I enjoyed the cuisine a lot. You simply can’t get enough of good sea food and Mediterranean style appetizers and salads.
We held the Toastmasters contest at the beginning of February, unfortunately my brother didn’t win and I was a bit heartbroken for him. I won the evaluation contest which was somehow a surprise because I didn’t think that I have done well.
This was the month when I learned a lot about database and related functions. Obliged to work without the help of my “very professional” colleagues, I added reading IT stuff to my to-do list and have to admit that I really learned a lot.
I also participated in the Toastmasters area contest and didn’t win. My club however won almost all first places. I was very proud of them.
April
Work, work, work added to that a few dates ;) Overall this month was beautiful, aside from the few quarrels I had with my team at work. Also, I started the idea of a book club with some friends so I had a few meetings and discussions with them.
Contestants’ preparation for Jordan level was ongoing.
May
Many events happened during May, the highlight was my little brother’s graduation from school. He was just handsome, I was very proud of him. It’s unbelievable how quickly he has grown and become mature. It somehow makes me relate to how my parents feel about me. It is very astonishing how kids grow; you plainly can’t accept it as a fact.
Some changes happened on the work place, one of my project managers resigned and of course this meant more work.
The division conference and contest were beyond description. My brother got an achievement award and he was very proud, I think it gave him a confidence push which he needed for his exams. My club got an award for each contest, but only one got to the district level. Everybody was just thrilled by our great success.
We started the book club officially with “The Alchemist” as the premiere. Our group is very nice and the discussion was so rich.
June
June passed like a blow. Many arguments and fierce battles at work that just made me depressed. A team from Palestine came to work with us and I met a group of extraordinary people. Towards the end of the month I was very busy preparing for my trip to Morocco and Algeria.
The second read in the book club was Orhan Pamuk’s “My Name is Red”. Although I couldn’t finish the book by the specified date, I enjoyed it a lot; a feeling that was not shared by my fellow readers.
July
I discovered how narrow minded people can be; including myself. Morocco is a place that I have never put on my travel wish list and I discovered how wrong I was the moment I saw the Atlantic from Ain Diab beach in Casablanca. I’ll talk more on Morocco in a separate post.
I traveled with my Mom and a colleague at work. This was the first time I travelled alone with my Mom and it was great, I just wish we had more money with us. We went for long beach walks everyday and out of Casablanca for the weekends.
Work in Morocco was not interesting at all. People thee are just slow to my pace and I felt working hours went by a like a slow motion movie. There were some long distance quarrels with Jordan team but I was just relieved by the fact that I don’t have to see them everyday. I got to practice my French and learned a lot of business terms in French. The Jordanian employees in Morocco branch were very sweet; and one in particular was very generous and he invited us almost everyday.
I met some Moroccan citizens and they were extremely nice to my mom and me. I will never forget the Souk shopping I experienced with them.
The cuisine was very delicious. I literally didn’t eat any red meat or rice during the three-week stay and I enjoyed every dish to the last crumb.
Sadly, I missed my sister’s birthday during my stay in Morocco. I went back to Amman for two days to get my Visa to Algeria.
August
I spent the first two weeks in Algeria and back to Amman for my annual vacation.
Algeria was even a greater shock than Morocco. I was a bit worried by the security situation but it turns out that there’s a bit of exaggeration in all that talk. This country is by far the most beautiful one I visited in my whole life. In some way it resembles Beirut in its green mountains, but manages to give a more beautiful aspect since it has higher mountains, French-style building and an endless sea shore. I couldn’t get enough of sightseeing.
Since I was alone, I had to be careful. But those who know me just know that I can’t be this kind of person. I met a lot of Algerians who were nice enough to show me around. One of those people was a very nice gentleman who is for sure the best flirtatious guy I have ever met, yet in a very sweet and gentleman-like manner ;)
Cuisine wasn’t very superb, so no big surprises except for a small diner that my driver took me to in Tipaza to have the best Shish Kabab I have ever had.
Back to Amman, I got busy helping my brother in the university enrollment process. I just can’t say that I enjoyed my annual vacation.
September
Work was hectic but calm. This was mainly due to the low energy levels in Ramadan, or shall I say to the decreasing meanness levels. I adopted the “ignore them” policy which really suited me well.
My mom’s birthday was out of convention. It occurred on the second day of Eid and Mom decided that she wants to visit all her family. I was a bit discouraged by her option but I was happy that she finally got to reconcile with being her true self with her family. Something that I really consider a drastic change in my mom’s uptight personality.
My birthday was the best in years. No glamorous gifts, but all friends were there. I really felt blessed that although we don’t get to see much of each other, but always manage to make it to our friends’ birthdays. Love was my greatest gift.
The book club’s read was “1984”. A great book that took my breath away. Orwell has such an unbelievable comprehension of human nature.
October
October was me trying to get back to my old working habits but failing to. I was very much depressed by the team but mostly by the unwise decisions of my manager. I just got tired of hearing the same stupid reasons over and over. My decision was to finish pending stuff and look for a new job.
October was also a month of personal outings and a lot of Toastmasters work.
I joined “Junior chamber International” and decided to rise my NGO involvement.
November
Work, Toastmasters, JCI, Book club, family outings and tutoring. Too much tasks to accomplish. I would mark this month as the first one in which work became a second priority. I’m not satisfied with that but it just happened.
We started the French Toastmasters club officially in November. Kicking it off with a speech craft. I like the group although we are well below the magical number of 20. I also enjoyed that it was an activity that I shared with my two sisters and brother.
Eid was very plain and not much happened, my remarkable achievement was my homemade Ma’mool that I prepared twice.
December
I finalized the year tasks for work and last two weeks went very smoothly at office.
I sat for GMAT and passed. I hoped for a better mark but was happy to get over with it.
Very hectic Toastmaster’s month but I like it a lot. Besides the French club, I helped the division with the German University club. Young people never stop to amaze me.
This month’s book club read was “Love in the Time of Cholera”. It made me feel that I will never have the kind of love I’m looking for :(
I’m ending the year with going out with my friends and seeing much of them and most important of all setting the RIGHT goals for 2010.
Next Post is my 2010 goals
