Fame

Have you ever tried to search your name on Google? It's a test to see how famous you really are - a search for 'Peter Nott' results in 1,310,000 hits. But try my new occupation of 'pavementologist' and you get only 10 hits - 4 of which relates to me. The wonders of the Internet has meant that we can read newspapers thousands of miles away from the UK. It has also allowed us to search Google for our friend, Bex Morton, who has just had her first article printed in a national newspaper. Sorry Bex, but a search for 'Bex Morton Observer' produces 2,000 hits, a long way from true fame as a 'pavementologist'.
I have recently become aware just how quickly one can become part of the community. There are over 16,000 taxis in Amman. Yesterday I was struggling to get taxi, when I noticed one that was travelling in the opposite direction turn around and come back to pick me up - he recognised me (I must have given him a generous tip the last time I rode with him) he even remembered where I lived. This is one advantage of standing out in the crowd - was it because he knew that I am one of only a few 'pavementologists' in the world OR perhaps because I am the only person in Amman with ginger (red) hair, beard and glasses? P