The Dilemma of Weather in a Small Country Called Jordan

You all know I live in Jordan. Well, last week it snowed a lot in the Southern parts of the country. What was very interesting about the snow storm was that nobody was prepared for it – not the government, not the people, and not even cars. Many people were literally trapped in the snow in the South, and it was comic how the almighty tax-fat government with all its faculties could not save them.

This entry is not about the government, as entertaining as that subject is, but it is about the Jordanian Meteorological Department. The department failed miserably last week when it did not produce accurate weather forecasts, and did not inform the people of what is coming.

That was only the beginning, however. The meteorological department denied that there will be snow on Sunday earlier this week. People checked online weather websites and learned about the anticipated change of weather. But when confronted about this during an interview, the president of the department strongly dismissed any “rumours” of a change in weather and he vehemently attacked the presenter when the latter told him that news about an upcoming change are all online, contrary to his predictions.

The really amusing part was yet to come. On Sunday, the South of Jordan saw more snow and Mr.Weatherman’s predictions were proven wrong. Not only that, his attitude in that interview was replayed during the 8 PM news. I thought Jordan TV did a brilliant job when they replayed the piece and contrasted it with, well, reality.

Mr.Weatherman was evidently scandalized by this and he must have taken it quite personally, because the next day JTV said that they cannot air a weather forecast because the Jordanian Meteorological Department did not supply them with any. How very game-like, won’t you say? Walaw ya3ni!

JTV people now rely on the internet to get their weather forecast for the 8 PM news, and a whole country does not use the facilities at the Jordanian Meteorological Department anymore because that person has a chip on his shoulder. I wonder how can a public servant rebel in such a silly way and deprive a nation of news that is paid for. Why doesn’t someone do something about this?

Since it is all a power game, I suggest we settle this dispute the good old Jordanian way – over a finjan* of Arabic coffee. I should change the title of this entry to The Dilemma of Weather and Wasta** in a Small Country Called Jordan.

*Finjan: small traditional cup of coffee
**Wasta: a local phenomena that involves the use of connections, through family or acquaintances, to benefit unlawfully