The night before Eid

On the afternoon before the beginning of Eid, Hanan and Amira came over and Hanan worked on the canvas.

Hanan and Suzanne working before Eid dinner

After completing a couple of hours of work we headed off to Zarca where Hanan and her family live. I was invited to join her family in a traditional Palestinian dinner: Upside Down Chicken.

The first thing Hanan did when we arrived at her house was to show me her beloved garden. It is a beautiful, luscious ‘harbor’ in the middle of a crowded overpopulated desert city:

Hanan in her garden 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Upon entering the front door of the two-story living quarters, I noticed a mural on the inside wall and asked about it. Hanan created it shortly after she married and moved to Zarca.

Wall mural inside Hanan’s front door

We then entered her sitting room and had coffee. Amira’s friend Shaimaa came over and they invited me to walk with them to the souk. During Eid the souk is filled with numerous stalls lining the streets selling everything imaginable.

Amira and Shaimaa.

Amira and Shaimaa.

Zarca souk

Zarca souk

Zarca souk

While we were walking through the souk I talked about filmmaker Jan Parkinson coming to Amman on October 23. I decided that during our walk I would switch to inanimate objects as subjects in my photographs. I began looking closely at the mannequins in the shops and lining the streets and noticed ‘adornments” on the mannequins that I would normally not notice. Such as, one had a green spot painted on the side of her nose:

green spot

Another had a cracked neck wrapped in plastic, another had a hole in the middle of her face and yet another had a plastic choke band and one third of her head cracked straight through.

plastic choke band

cracked face

plastic choke band and cracked head

The children’s mannequins were uniquely bizarre. Amira thought they were scary. Shaimaa agreed. I think I agree too.

children’s mannequins

Because I was getting strange looks from passersby while photographing these mannequins, I switched to children’s bouncy rides and balloons.

children’s ride

children’s ride

children’s ride

As we continued through the souk we arrived at an underground passage, with shops in it, that led to the Zarca refugee camp souk.
[Click on any image for enlarged slide show]:

Zarca souk

stairway to underground passage to Zarca refugee camp souk

underground passage to Zarca refugee camp souk

underground passage to Zarca refugee camp souk

underground passage to Zarca refugee camp souk

Zarca refugee camp souk

Zarca graffiti

walking home

After a couple of hours of ‘souking” we returned to Amira’s home and had an incredibly delicious Upside Down Chicken that Hanan had been preparing all afternoon. Thank you, Hanan! Happy Eid to everyone!

Shaimaa and Amira

stairs to second floor

Upside down chicken, Palestinian traditional dinner

Upside down