Driven by Curiosity…

  I attended a workshop, where Aqel Biltaji was the key speaker. He took us on a delightful trip that started from the female and male vocal classifications in opera singing and ended with the hot topic: the plan to sell the area of the King Hussein Medical Center, along with the areas around it. ( He has a great deep voice, by the way)
 

Beside the fact that he is extremely charming, his almost three- hour lecture/workshop was informative, amusing and enlightening.  He showered us with stories, anecdotes and jokes from his life.  However he did not allow the original thread out of his mind. Public Speaking. An area, he has proved over the years that he excels at.
 Biltaji is a former minister of tourism and is currently a senator. He is also a floating ambassador. This means, wherever he is, he has the responsibility  and the authority to represent Jordan. He carries himself so lightly, with such a positive attitude, that I almost forgot the amount of responsibilities he must have in his daily life.
 

“In your lives, look around you, see the beauty in the little things. Go to work, enjoy what you do…. Build an exchange between yourself and your surroundings….”
 He spoke generally about the Hussein Medical City. His defence was that when the hospital location was chosen, it was meant to be a quiet area, suitable for a hospital. Today that area has become one of the busiest areas in Amman, a detail that can’t be ignored, since a patient would die, while his ambulance is stuck in traffic between the eighth circle and the madinah. 
 

He reminded us that people had similar reactions, when Abdali was sold. He then defended the project in hindsight, as a project that would revive the Aabdali area, would create employment and modernize life there.  Would also get rid of the suffocating traffic that was created by the old Mukhabarat and army quarters.  His theory about the subject, was that today, Jordan is seen as a possible place for IT and banking back office services.  That area is the perfect location for such project.  He agreed however with some of the objections, that people deserve to have more transparency, and that we (culturally) believe that anything that is hidden, implies that something is wrong. Suprisingly, the next day I was watching the news from afar and heard an official talking about the rumours,  and promising full transparency when it comes to selling that area (could not see who he was, as I was too far away from the TV.)
 Biltaji, mentioned his wife on several occasions, he spoke very highly of her achievements. Dr. Nuwar Fareez is a famous doctor in Jordan.  And since all the attendees were women, they were interested in his marriage. He answered some questions his life and the dynamics of their relationship. He explained that they both worked towards very ambitious careers, and that because of her work, she had to go abroad three times, each time for a whole year, and for his work, he also had to leave for 8 months.  However, they both knew they had to support each other; that it takes two to tango. “ when you get married, your breath becomes one, as my mother used to say.  And even though we have a hectic lifestyle, neither one of us became successful on the other’s account, we worked in sync.”
 

Biltaji attributed most of our trouble as a nation to the fact that we lack loyalty to this land, that we lack a sense of belonging. We don’t feel like citizens, he explained that this country would give a lot, if someone is willing to give back.
 “I was born in Gaza, grew up between Khalil and Ramallah. I never dreamt of what I have achieved today.  From being a homeless refugee in 48 to being welcomed in most households in Jordan.  This country has given me a lot.”

I really enjoyed listening to him.