Experiment with Love

December 28, 2006 at 2:55 am · Filed under Arab Culture, Art, Music

My love for her is unreasonable; she has neither the history of Damascus nor the culture of Baghdad, she has not the mosques of Cairo nor the skyscrapers of Riyadh.

What she does have though is a million steps. The daughter of mountains can not but have a million steps, squiggling endlessly from mountain to mountain, a never ending bundle of lines that start at the center and edge outwards like veins extruding out a throbbing heart, giving life to the well-toned arms, the tattered legs, the dirty hair, and the jeweled limbs.

Amman. The city of stairs.

How I love her.

(Movie footage taken while going up one of the many stairs that lead from Downtown Amman to Jabal Amman for a group class project. Music by Rum.)






  • http://moeys.net Moey

    nice video, music and good work roba

  • http://philocrapy.blogspot.com Sleepoholic

    I Can Feel The Love And Authenticity …
    But where it leads to … the End Of all the stairs …
    Keep on the Good Work Your Blog is a daily entertainment ….

  • http://jadmadi.net/ Jad

    This is bloody creative Roba, just what we expect.

  • http://figaddict.blogspot.com Sari Al-Hiari

    Nice. I like the music.

    This idea has the potential to be spun off into a phenomenon.

    Lets get more people doing this. We may end up with a documentary of all Ammani steps.

  • http://blog.sweetestmemories.com Qwaider قويدر

    It’s so claustrophobic ….those stairs seem to go on for ever, in extremely tight corners and very narrow passageways …..
    I think you wanted to help show the emotions behind the feelings …. very nice

  • http://mazz1983.wordpress.com/ Mazz

    cool vid.
    a Rum FAN! kooool!

  • http://3adoola.blogspot.com adel

    3an jadd 5awwafteeni. very good work :)

  • http://confessionsofavegetarianshark.blogspot.com/ Averroes

    Nice, both clip and words, Amman isn’t simply a city..people usually affeliate cities with buildings, intellect, or maybe weather..but Amman has this mysterious ora..probably an ora inherited from the Gods of the Ammonites, the thought that ancient Roman Ammani who came up with the idea to name it “Philadelphia” which so eloquently means “City of Brotherly Love”, the blessings of passing prophets who at one point sat under a tree on its outskirts on their way to its twin across the river…Jerusalem.

    Amman is not a city..its a blood line..a family tree..of prophets and saints..mothers and sons..warriors and lovers.

  • http://mkhawaja.jeeran.com Khawaja M.

    Wonderful!
    It moving camera made me curious to see the end..

    Great Job :)

  • http://www.ramblinghal.blogspot.com Hal

    I had no idea there were so many stone steps in Amman. I never see steps. Wait, that’s probably coz I don’t really know Amman. When you gonna take me on a tour dude?

  • http://betqa.blogspot.com Beti

    Seconding Hal’s request, I would like a tour as well… I was also thinking today might be a good day for sushi… what about Sunday?
    Great video :)

  • http://reme.wordpress.com/ Reme

    not bad.

  • http://www.iread.blogspot.com manal y

    u have been tagged, check my blog and lets shake it ;)

    and i have not yet checked your thing i will soon its seems nice everybody is loveing it

  • nada

    cuuuuute ;D

  • http://je-suis-ici.blogspot.com Ha Ana Za

    great work roba! You really made me see the truly beautiful side of Amman…..thanks :)

  • http://hareega.blogspot.com Hareega

    fantastic vidceo, short but awesome, really well-done

  • http://www.yabco.blogspot.com yabco

    it seemed ammanfull;

  • http://travellerwithin.blogspot.com Mohamed

    Nice! I’ll make sure i bring comfortable shoes when I visit …
    OR i’ll just wait until they have a telepherique all over the city :)))

  • ayyob

    what area of amman is that? i would love to know

  • bo

    VISIT THE NEW JORDANIAN BLOGGERS HUB
    http://JordanBlogs.net

  • bug_man

    oh nice

  • Yazan Salameh

    hmmmmm, didnt like the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    and the music isnt that great!

  • Laurie Blanchard

    Hi Roba,
    I found your film fascinating. I was a little afraid for your life. I’ve been so caught up in filming before that I fell on my ass! Stairs hurt when you hit them.
    Great film, and as you already know, I love your website and I am looking forward to learning more about your beautiful country. The beginning of your post was so lyrical, it brought tears to my eyes. It truelly sounded like a song.

    My love for her is unreasonable. (beautiful)

    all the best,
    Laurie