Ammon News - By Amy Hybels

AMMAN - Anxious chatter spilled out from the black swivel seats amid the hum of hair driers in a busy salon in Wadi Saqra as dusk settled over the city.

It was new year's eve… but amid the primping, preening and polishing taking place inside, four women admitted they are looking for more than just external change in 2010.

A petite blonde in a glittering red top gazed at her reflection in the mirror as a stylist arranged her long locks into spiral curls framing her face.

Dina Mohammad Abu Alim was preparing to celebrate what she described as one of her "best" days.

The 25-year-old said she was meeting her husband that evening to welcome the new year at a party at her parents' home, where the couple would celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.

They were married at the Sheraton last new year's eve.

A smile spread across her face as she described her first year of marriage as a "good experience".

"You learn things that you can overcome," Abu Alim said, adding that the best part of being married is "having someone you love with you".

She said her biggest challenge as a newlywed is finding the balance between "work and home".

The young woman, who is employed in the Jordan Ahli Bank operations department, said having a baby and finding a better position at work top her wish list for 2010.

Despite the bliss in her own life, world events have not escaped Abu Alim’s attention and she said she still holds out hope for peace in the Middle East and her work in the world of banking has her closely eyeing the world's financial health.

"I hope the economy will be better in the coming year and there will be growth everywhere around the world," she remarked.

A 34-year-old woman, dressed in a dark jumper, leather boots and a thick strand of pearls, sat in the chair across from Abu Alim, where another stylist blow dried her hair while a manicurist polished her nails a deep shade of red.

Basma Nijmeh, who has just returned from a job in Dubai, said her personal goals for the new year include finding employment in Jordan and visiting her sister in the US.

But the beginning of a new decade has also inspired Nijmeh to use Facebook to reconnect with her friends from the Nazareth School in hopes of organising a community service project.

Nijmeh, who graduated from the University of Jordan before moving to Dubai for work, described her friends as educated and high-energy, noting that she wanted to harness that energy to make a difference.

"I'm thinking to spread an idea of charity work for me and them; everybody has energy and we can gather this energy and get benefit from that," Nijmeh said.

Maha Khamis, who sat in the chair next to Nijmeh, chatted about plans to meet her family and friends for dinner at a local restaurant with live entertainment featuring Egyptian singer Hussam Habib.

The 18-year-old, who is from Bethlehem, noted that while pursuing a teaching degree at the Applied Science University tops her list of personal goals for the new decade, what she really hopes for is that “peace will come to the poor children in Gaza".

Across the salon, long dark locks fell to the floor as Jumana Kakish entrusted the salon's co-owner Thaer Alasmar to give her a new look for the new year: a short, layered bob.

"I need this change with myself," explained the 22-year-old. "I need to change my lifestyle so I cut my hair, changed my look."

As she ran her fingers through her short hair, Kakish talked about plans to meet her cousins and grandparents at her uncle's house for a new year's eve celebration. They would be the first ones to see her new look.

"Hopefully they'll like it," she said. "I need their support now."

After eyeing her new hairdo in the mirror, Kakish said she may pursue a master's degree in the new year, noting that she also wants to look for a new job, perhaps working for an IT department in a large company. Right now she is teaching computer science at a local private school.

When asked what made her decide to cut off 12 centimetres of hair, she laughed: "I don't know, maybe thinking that we have to do a new year's resolution, we think of some changes!"

Changes which include more than just a new hair style in 2010.

(Jordan Times)

*** Basma Nijmeh, who is organising a community service project for 2010 with friends from high school (Photo by Amy Hybels)