THE BLOG:

The Black Iris is the national flower of Jordan and can be found all across the country, particularly in the southern city of Kerak where my own ancestors hail from. It blooms in the spring with dark black petals and is a national symbol of growth, renewal and change.

From the keyboard of Naseem Tarawnah, come the digital words of a 24 year-old male’s analog life in Jordan. From cultural journeys to poetic ramblings, this blog was created, amongst many things, to address Jordanian issues ranging from the political to the social and to chronicle the extraordinary voyage of metamorphosis that this nation has embarked upon.

THE AUTHOR:

Naseem has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Administrative Studies, with a specialized Honors Degree in Public Policy & Administration. He is currently finishing his master’s degree in Public Policy & Management through the University of London. Naseem currently lives in Amman with his retired parents who, although absolutely lovely, love to drive him mad about his life decisions. Nevertheless, he drives his prize possession: a pickup truck. A self-described practicing moderate Muslim. A lover of books, movies, hip hop and rock, Naseem enjoys heated debates on politics, history and religion as well as good food, the company of friends and is certain that if Amman was home to any body of water, he would also enjoy long walks along the beach/river/lake/muddy pool.

In his spare time he writes haphazard poetry, plays the guitar, observes the Jordanian blogosphere, and lies on his bed thinking of ways to save the world. His favorite novels include To Kill A Mockingbird and Great Expectations. He often quotes lines from the movie Fight Club and has memorized all 156 episodes of the West Wing.

In March 2007, he co-founded an online Jordanian citizen-media project called 7iber dot com (’ink’), with two other lovely people. He is also an author for Global Voices - a new media project run by Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

Throughout his life, he has been described as a brother, son, friend, walking encyclopedia, blogger, comrade, politician, activist, moderate, extremist, liberal, conservative, oratorical snob, and writer. Those closest to him might describe him as witty, sharp, stubborn, unrelenting, “the annoying guy”, and, of course: brown. Naseem also likes to talk about himself in the third-person as it gives him a sense of importance and self-worth.

If this about page has left you wanting to know more, you can contact Naseem by emailing him at tarawnah [at] gmail dot com, poking him on Facebook, connecting with him on LinkedIn, or buying him a nice gift.