Women's Entrepreneurship Development Conference WED Conference Website Preparation Soon after returning from Japan in early 2009, I sat down with my two bosses and discussed a conference that they were planning in cooperation with International Labour Organization. The conference was to focus on entrepreneurship in the Arab world and while I had little to no choice in becoming the conference manager, I quickly decided that my main goals were to make the conference informative and practical for pa [View Full Entry]

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Jerusalem Click here for more photos Introduction The following are my impressions of a short 3-day trip to Jerusalem after having lived in Amman for apx. 8 months. I realize that what follows will not be comforting words for most people, but I hope that you will at least respect my attempt to make sense of this city’s long and complicated history. This is not an attempt in anyway to recruit you to the side of the Palestinians or the Israelis. As you will see [View Full Entry]

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Intro I apologize for being in a drought for the last 5 months but between putting together a three-day conference for entrepreneurial women in the Middle East and a few travels here and there, the blog took a backseat. I intend to do some catching up with this series of coming blog entries. New Year's in Japan Tokyo Shrine During New Year's While I previously had very little interest in visiting Japan, there was no way that I was going to turn down a trip there during the 2008-09 winter holiday to see my pare [View Full Entry]

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Preparation Some time after the last Eid al-Futr (Oct. 1 -4), I began thinking about what I was going to do for the coming Eid holiday in December, Eid al-Adha. (The Eid holidays are huge national holidays in Jordan that combined with weekends can add up to 5-10 day vacations. Whereas working in a Muslim country as a non-Muslim can have its drawbacks, the Eid holidays are a definite bonus.) Number one in my head was to take advantage of my location in Jordan but without spending a whole ton of money. I had thoughts of Iran and Egypt or even [View Full Entry]

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Day 4: The Invisible Enemy Begins His Assault Day 4 Video Journal I woke up on the fourth day with one thing on my mind, I wanted to get from Cave 3 Camp to Kibo Camp without any major altitude issues. This meant that I needed to remain disciplined about my movements, my breathing, and most of all my sleep. I had a 4 to 5 hour hike ahead of me that would get us into Kibo camp by approximately 1PM and then I would need to get some food inside of me and conserve as much energy as possible until [View Full Entry]

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Karibu!!!! Mambo!?! Besides Brazil, which you all know I love with a passion, there are few places in the world that have grabbed my attention from the minute I stepped off the plane and held it so vigorously as did Kenya and Tanzania over the past 10 days. Coming from the beautiful, yet monotone, windy blown hills and deserts of Jordan to the warm plains and lush tropical forests of Eastern Africa, I felt as if I had been reborn into a new life. As I walked through the airport and was greeted at the immigration counter with a large white [View Full Entry]

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Instead of sitting around drinking tea in a new city or lounging around on a beach this coming Eid, I have decided to take on a challenging adventure that includes plenty of dangers and more than likely a headache or two. In mid-December, the location and success or failure of the secret trip will be revealed... [View Full Entry]

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Coming Soon! I haven't had time lately to properly write part 3 of the series. However, I will write this soon enough. For the meantime, I am going to release a handful of photos from part 3 for your viewing pleasure! ENJOY! All Pics Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/maikbyrne/Syria# [View Full Entry]

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The Story of a Fight Over Olive Trees The sign over the once functioning Golan Hospital reads, “Destructed by Zionists and changed it to firing target.” In 1967 during the Six Day War the Israeli army pushed into the Golan Heights and began an occupation of more than 450 square km of formerly Syrian territory, which included the small village of Al-Quneitra. However, only six years later the during the Yom Kippur War the Syria forces pushed back and negotiated a cease fire with Israel that remains in place today. The cease fire returned 150 square km of territory back [View Full Entry]

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Be careful of the soma... Whatever they say about Syria and its government, don’t be fooled. The Syrian people are some of the most generous and lively people you will meet anywhere, and the food, history, and landscapes are unparalleled. The country is one of the safest I have ever been to, in great part due to the police that roam every corner, and it was a joy to be there. The Syrian people are good people that share our hopes, dreams, and desires for a better future while paying special attention to enjoy the pleasures of life. After my trip [View Full Entry]

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