I can't believe that by the end of this week I will have been in Damascus for a month and my first class at university will be done. Yesterday was Mohammed's (the prophet, not my host dad) birthday, so we all had the day off of school. Instead of giving us a three-day weekend, we have to go to school tomorrow, and next week will be a six-day week at university, ending with our final exam. It will be a long week, but after that it's off to Jordan for me... I'm looking forward to the vacation.
This week I enjoyed having dinner at Zilal's house. I met Zilal outside Jamea Abu Noor (mosque) last week, and we chatted a little bit and exchanged numbers. Zilal is learning English, but while I was at her house we primarily spoke in Arabic, especially with her three Turkish housemates. The Turkish meal prepared by one of her housemates was delicious, and I ended up staying at their house for close to four hours. I hope to visit them again soon.
I also went to the hammam for the first time in Syria. The hammam was actually really really nice (in comparison to the one in Morocco, though nice by any standards). It was kind of hidden away on the street with a curtain over the door. You have to knock on the door for someone to let you in. Women use the hammam from 8am to 8pm, and then it's men's hours from 8pm to 8am. The architecture inside is absolutely gorgeous (unfortunately no pictures were taken - I don't think the partially dressed women would have appreciated that). When you first enter the hammam, you enter the main room were you are given a comfy bench and drawer to place your clothes, and then you wrap in your towel and walk to the second room. My friend Elizabeth and I sat in the steam room with an older British woman. It was interesting to hear her travel stories from throughout the Middle East. After the steam room I was scrubbed down by one of the attendants, rinsed off in a third room, returned for a massage, and then soaped on and rinsed off again. When Elizabeth and I returned to the main room, after getting thoroughly clean, there were a lot more women than when we arrived. As we changed back into our clothes, the music was cranked up, and we sat back and watched some of the women dance. Free tea was offered to everyone, and some of the women smoked hookah. Apparently one of the younger girls is getting married soon, and she and her friends were celebrating at the hammam. (coincidentally, the next day in class we read an article about hammams, and it mentioned that it was traditional for brides and grooms to celebrate at the hammam with friends before the wedding... separate male and female hammams of course). So that was really interesting and fun to watch.
Side note: I'm sitting in a cafe right now typing this up and have enjoyed listening to Enrique Iglesias on the radio for the past couple of songs.
I walked to this cafe from my house. Not a far walk, but it took me through a rich neighborhood with a large government building. The neighborhood is fairly well guarded, and when I say well guarded, I mean there are plenty of guards with guns. One of the perks of being caucasian (as terrible as this sounds) means that they assume I belong in this neighborhood and have never been questioned as I walk through the gate and past each guard. I wonder if the guns are loaded (I'm sure they are), but don't really want to think about that too much. I've also gotten really used to ignoring men on the street, which I hate doing, but if you respond to their "hello"s or "oh my god"s or blown kisses or anything else, it only leads to trouble with questions about where you're from, why you're here, what time you get off of university, and requests for "something to remind them of this beauty" (their words, not mine). So I've learned to just ignore it all.
The souqs were decorated with banners of all different colors hung from the ceiling for Mohammed's birthday. I was expecting a holiday somewhat similar to Christmas, or at least some special traditions, but besides these decorations and the day off of school, yesterday was just a normal day in Damascus. Mohammed (my host dad) brought home some special sweets, and Judy and I ran some errands in the souq - most stores were open.
Last night I met some classmates in Bab Touma, and we had dinner and sweets at Francine's house. This was the first time I met Francine. She's a lively 70 year-old student at university from France, and is returning to France this week. We enjoyed some good Lebanese wine, interesting conversations (the other students were from Spain, Canada, France, Germany, China and Japan), and good food. It was a late night, but fun.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bosra
I've had a really great weekend, full of احمد الله (ahamdu Allah, or praise be to God) moments. Friday I visited my private teacher, Basima's house. Her family was very welcoming and hospitable (a common characteristic of the Middle East). I was fed way too much food, learned many new vocab words, and got to play with Basima's young nephews. Her brother and brother-in-law drove me home. It was a nice visit.
Yesterday I traveled to Bosra with my friend Astrid, about a two-hour bus ride from Damascus (really close to the Jordanian border). The first ahamdu Allah moment was that my taxi arrived at the bus station at exactly the same time as Astrid's, so we were able to figure out the tickets together. The cashier at the ticket counter told us we could buy return tickets in Bosra, not to worry, even though Lonely Planet (and my host family) advised buying both tickets in Damascus. We took his word for it, and in an hour, were off to Bosra. As soon as we arrived in Bosra, we tried to buy return tickets, but we were told all of the buses at all departure times were full. There were no bus tickets to be bought. We started to get worried, but we told that we could take a service bus to Dar'a, and from there, catch a bus to Damascus. We figured, we couldn't really worry about it too much right then, so we left to explore Bosra.
The main attraction in Bosra is a huge theatre with a citadel built around it. In its heyday, the theatre could house 9000 people. It was really amazing to see in person. Everything was very well preserved. We then explored the old city a little bit, stepping in to antique stores and eating at Matam Philip, or Philip's Restaurant. Our server at lunch also told us that all of the return buses to Damascus were full, so after lunch we tried to figure out the service bus thing.
We approached a man sitting in a parked, empty service bus and, in Arabic, explained that we eventually needed to end up in Damascus, though if we could take a service bus to Dar'a, that would work too. He told us, no problem, he was going to Damascus, and we could join him, just wait thirty minutes. Ok, so what's the catch? We tried asking him how much it would cost, and he said we were his guests, no worries, no money. Astrid and I were a little apprehensive about this - it sounded too good to be true. But we decided to wait thirty minutes, and sure enough, around ten Iraqi women show up. This was their bus from Damascus to Bosra and back for the day. They had two available spots, and we were more than welcome to join them.
Before we left Bosra, we walked through the old city again with the group of women. They showed us the cathedral where a priest told Mohammed he would be the prophet. We also visited the mosque Mohammed would visit every year and saw Mohammed's camel's footprints in the stone. On the bus I sat up front with the driver and a young boy who talked with me and shuffled through the music. The women behind me passed around apples and sang along to the music. About an hour outside of Bosra, we pulled off the highway and a portable oil stove was brought out. We stretched our legs and enjoyed tea, coconut cookies, cucumbers, and oranges. True to his word, we were brought back to Damascus safe and sound, and Astrid and I didn't have to pay a cent. The women were very friendly and sweet. It was a great experience, surreal as it was. Definitely one of my favorite moments in Damascus so far. Ahamdu Allah!
Yesterday I traveled to Bosra with my friend Astrid, about a two-hour bus ride from Damascus (really close to the Jordanian border). The first ahamdu Allah moment was that my taxi arrived at the bus station at exactly the same time as Astrid's, so we were able to figure out the tickets together. The cashier at the ticket counter told us we could buy return tickets in Bosra, not to worry, even though Lonely Planet (and my host family) advised buying both tickets in Damascus. We took his word for it, and in an hour, were off to Bosra. As soon as we arrived in Bosra, we tried to buy return tickets, but we were told all of the buses at all departure times were full. There were no bus tickets to be bought. We started to get worried, but we told that we could take a service bus to Dar'a, and from there, catch a bus to Damascus. We figured, we couldn't really worry about it too much right then, so we left to explore Bosra.
The main attraction in Bosra is a huge theatre with a citadel built around it. In its heyday, the theatre could house 9000 people. It was really amazing to see in person. Everything was very well preserved. We then explored the old city a little bit, stepping in to antique stores and eating at Matam Philip, or Philip's Restaurant. Our server at lunch also told us that all of the return buses to Damascus were full, so after lunch we tried to figure out the service bus thing.
We approached a man sitting in a parked, empty service bus and, in Arabic, explained that we eventually needed to end up in Damascus, though if we could take a service bus to Dar'a, that would work too. He told us, no problem, he was going to Damascus, and we could join him, just wait thirty minutes. Ok, so what's the catch? We tried asking him how much it would cost, and he said we were his guests, no worries, no money. Astrid and I were a little apprehensive about this - it sounded too good to be true. But we decided to wait thirty minutes, and sure enough, around ten Iraqi women show up. This was their bus from Damascus to Bosra and back for the day. They had two available spots, and we were more than welcome to join them.
Before we left Bosra, we walked through the old city again with the group of women. They showed us the cathedral where a priest told Mohammed he would be the prophet. We also visited the mosque Mohammed would visit every year and saw Mohammed's camel's footprints in the stone. On the bus I sat up front with the driver and a young boy who talked with me and shuffled through the music. The women behind me passed around apples and sang along to the music. About an hour outside of Bosra, we pulled off the highway and a portable oil stove was brought out. We stretched our legs and enjoyed tea, coconut cookies, cucumbers, and oranges. True to his word, we were brought back to Damascus safe and sound, and Astrid and I didn't have to pay a cent. The women were very friendly and sweet. It was a great experience, surreal as it was. Definitely one of my favorite moments in Damascus so far. Ahamdu Allah!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
traffic in damascus
So another week has come and gone in Damascus. Class is going well for the most part. The grammar is really easy, but the vocab is all new and I'm getting a lot of practice speaking and listening to others. I had my midterm today, and it was actually fairly easy. My host family helps me out a lot too, which is really nice. I asked Am Anas if I could live with them longer, so I'll just be staying with them the whole time now (until mid-May).
I think I've already written about the traffic in Damascus, but I suppose just to reiterate: the traffic here is ridiculous. I would not want to drive in Damascus. I take a service bus whenever I want to go somewhere (the city is also nice for walking). The service buses only cost 10 Syrian lira, or about 20 cents. They pick you up wherever, and drop you off when you say "ala al-yameen, lo samhat" or "on the right, please." Like the roads, they can get pretty crowded sometimes, and which point it's nice to be a girl - most men will give up their seat for you. I asked one of my friends if people in Syria were better drivers than in the states, because cars weave in and out as they please. He said drivers just relay on communicating with each other here. Whereas in the states, everyone assumes that the other drivers will obey traffic laws, here everyone keeps an eye on everyone else, honking frequently to announce their presence. At all times of the day (and night) the streets are loud with the cacophony of traffic.
I think I've already written about the traffic in Damascus, but I suppose just to reiterate: the traffic here is ridiculous. I would not want to drive in Damascus. I take a service bus whenever I want to go somewhere (the city is also nice for walking). The service buses only cost 10 Syrian lira, or about 20 cents. They pick you up wherever, and drop you off when you say "ala al-yameen, lo samhat" or "on the right, please." Like the roads, they can get pretty crowded sometimes, and which point it's nice to be a girl - most men will give up their seat for you. I asked one of my friends if people in Syria were better drivers than in the states, because cars weave in and out as they please. He said drivers just relay on communicating with each other here. Whereas in the states, everyone assumes that the other drivers will obey traffic laws, here everyone keeps an eye on everyone else, honking frequently to announce their presence. At all times of the day (and night) the streets are loud with the cacophony of traffic.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Valentines Day everyone! As I walked through Bab Touma last night (in the old city) I passed many stores selling large red teddy bears and hearts. Red tinsel hung between the narrow, old cobblestone alleys of the old city, and many restaurants advertised Valentines day specials for couples. While riding a service bus to university this morning, I watched a man decorate his car with a pink feather boa. Apparently Valentines Day is a big deal here. And so, from Syria, I wish you all a very happy Valentines Day!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
first week at uni
Today's Saturday, which means the weekend is almost over, and I return to university classes tomorrow. The weekend here is Friday and Saturday, with Friday being the Muslim holy day. It seems like the minarets are louder and the calls are more frequent on Fridays, and most stores are closed.
After this first week of class, I feel like I'm becoming more accustomed to Damascus and am falling into somewhat of a daily routine (as much of a routine as you can have in Syria). I have class at university Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm. I leave my house around 8:40 to catch a service bus to uni, and then after class I either catch a service bus back home, or get some coffee/a meal with friends. Lunch with my host family is the biggest meal of the day, and is usually around 2pm, though really its whatever time I come back and want to eat. The whole family eats together (in front of the TV) on the weekends, but during the week we just all help ourselves whenever. The TV is almost always on, and every night Judy, Am Anas, and I watch a Turkish drama dubbed in Arabic. It's in colloquial Syrian, so its a little difficult for me to understand, but the first episodes involved a woman faking her pregnancy (her mom kidnapped a baby for her), and another women being kidnapped (she eventually escaped), and now the main characters are in Istanbul, and theres some romantic tension building up between two characters. Judy and Am Anas love the show, and its fairly entertaining.
Yesterday I went with Am Anas to visit her aunt. Syrians are very proud of their hospitality, and it's really quite amazing. We were brought Arabic coffee (very thick, with the coffee grounds settling in the bottom of the cup), plates of fruit, some sort of sweet with cheese on the bottom and dough on top (delicious!) and then tea. After staying at her house for quite some time, we left and drove to the old Damascene house in which Am Anas was raised. The house has been renovated to make it more modern (it's at least 150 years old), but the floors, ceilings, and stairs are original, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The house centers on an open-air courtyard, and the roof had a great view of old Damascus. We then bought falafel sandwiches and drove to the top of the mountain to eat them with a view of the night lights of Damascus. I could see the green lights of mosques all throughout the city.
Damascus is busy. It can be loud and dirty. But the people are genuinely friendly (with the exception of some creepy guys), and I'm becoming more comfortable and starting to like the city.
After this first week of class, I feel like I'm becoming more accustomed to Damascus and am falling into somewhat of a daily routine (as much of a routine as you can have in Syria). I have class at university Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm. I leave my house around 8:40 to catch a service bus to uni, and then after class I either catch a service bus back home, or get some coffee/a meal with friends. Lunch with my host family is the biggest meal of the day, and is usually around 2pm, though really its whatever time I come back and want to eat. The whole family eats together (in front of the TV) on the weekends, but during the week we just all help ourselves whenever. The TV is almost always on, and every night Judy, Am Anas, and I watch a Turkish drama dubbed in Arabic. It's in colloquial Syrian, so its a little difficult for me to understand, but the first episodes involved a woman faking her pregnancy (her mom kidnapped a baby for her), and another women being kidnapped (she eventually escaped), and now the main characters are in Istanbul, and theres some romantic tension building up between two characters. Judy and Am Anas love the show, and its fairly entertaining.
Yesterday I went with Am Anas to visit her aunt. Syrians are very proud of their hospitality, and it's really quite amazing. We were brought Arabic coffee (very thick, with the coffee grounds settling in the bottom of the cup), plates of fruit, some sort of sweet with cheese on the bottom and dough on top (delicious!) and then tea. After staying at her house for quite some time, we left and drove to the old Damascene house in which Am Anas was raised. The house has been renovated to make it more modern (it's at least 150 years old), but the floors, ceilings, and stairs are original, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The house centers on an open-air courtyard, and the roof had a great view of old Damascus. We then bought falafel sandwiches and drove to the top of the mountain to eat them with a view of the night lights of Damascus. I could see the green lights of mosques all throughout the city.
Damascus is busy. It can be loud and dirty. But the people are genuinely friendly (with the exception of some creepy guys), and I'm becoming more comfortable and starting to like the city.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
First week... Damascus, Qala'at Al-Hosn, Afamea, wa Hama
So I've now been in Damascus for a week, though it's felt much longer. The first couple of days were pretty overwhelming. First impressions - Damascus is big and there's a lot of traffic. I'm finally learning my way around though, or at least which minibuses to take, so I'm feeling more comfortable in the city. The first couple of days were very busy, registering at the university, getting my blood test (I don't have AIDS... woohoo! --if the test had come up positive, I would have 24 hours to leave the country), taking the placement test (I'm starting in the beginner 3 class), and meeting my private tutor. Maybe the most surprising thing so far is the cold. It actually snowed a couple of days ago. Not enough to stick, but still quite cold.
My host family is really nice. I have a host mom (Am Anas), dad (Mohammed), and sister (Judy is 13 years). They are really patient and helpful. Judy talks in the Syrian dialect a lot, but my host parents speak fusah, and I'm picking up a little of the dialect as well. I feel like al-kitaab has failed me in basic conversation, but I'm learning many new words every day and hopefully improving in that aspect (this is a very humbling experience). We have a pet turtle which sleeps in a box outside of my room. She's fun to watch. Two days ago I traveled with Am Anas to her sister's home and later her daughter's. So far I've eaten most of my meals with the family, and they've stressed to me several times that I'm home now, I'm their daughter now, and I can help myself to whatever. Mafi mushkila - no problem. Everyone is very hospitable.
Thursday I met my private teacher, Basema. My lessons are at a private school next to a mosque, and my first lesson was actually inside the mosque. I had to take my shoes off and cover my head. We were on the second floor of the mosque, with other female students studying around us. I'll meet her three times a week in the afternoon for two hours at a time.
Yesterday I traveled with Arabesk to Qala'at Al-Hosn, Afamea, and Hama (north of the city). It was really nice to leave the city and see snow covered mountains and green fields. Qala'at Al-Hosn is a huge crusader castle (possibly the biggest in the world?) and in really good condition. It sits on top of a mountain and has a great view of the cities, olive trees, and fields below (with snow-covered Lebanese mountains in the distance). Afamea is a city first built in the 3rd century BC. Archaeologists have restored some of the columns, but much of the site still lies in ruins. It is a huge site and very impressive to see in person. We only stayed in Hama long enough to see old water wheels and buys some sweets for our ride back home.
Today was my first day of class at the university. Unfortunately I missed half of class because I had an appointment at the US Embassy to get a letter for university (and they gave me the wrong thing, so I'll have to book another appointment). My teacher is really nice and patient. The students are all ages and from all over the world. It's interesting to hear all of their stories. Class is from 9:00am to 1:00am, with 10min breaks every hour.
And now I should probably go study. It's a lot to take in, but it's good.
My host family is really nice. I have a host mom (Am Anas), dad (Mohammed), and sister (Judy is 13 years). They are really patient and helpful. Judy talks in the Syrian dialect a lot, but my host parents speak fusah, and I'm picking up a little of the dialect as well. I feel like al-kitaab has failed me in basic conversation, but I'm learning many new words every day and hopefully improving in that aspect (this is a very humbling experience). We have a pet turtle which sleeps in a box outside of my room. She's fun to watch. Two days ago I traveled with Am Anas to her sister's home and later her daughter's. So far I've eaten most of my meals with the family, and they've stressed to me several times that I'm home now, I'm their daughter now, and I can help myself to whatever. Mafi mushkila - no problem. Everyone is very hospitable.
Thursday I met my private teacher, Basema. My lessons are at a private school next to a mosque, and my first lesson was actually inside the mosque. I had to take my shoes off and cover my head. We were on the second floor of the mosque, with other female students studying around us. I'll meet her three times a week in the afternoon for two hours at a time.
Yesterday I traveled with Arabesk to Qala'at Al-Hosn, Afamea, and Hama (north of the city). It was really nice to leave the city and see snow covered mountains and green fields. Qala'at Al-Hosn is a huge crusader castle (possibly the biggest in the world?) and in really good condition. It sits on top of a mountain and has a great view of the cities, olive trees, and fields below (with snow-covered Lebanese mountains in the distance). Afamea is a city first built in the 3rd century BC. Archaeologists have restored some of the columns, but much of the site still lies in ruins. It is a huge site and very impressive to see in person. We only stayed in Hama long enough to see old water wheels and buys some sweets for our ride back home.
Today was my first day of class at the university. Unfortunately I missed half of class because I had an appointment at the US Embassy to get a letter for university (and they gave me the wrong thing, so I'll have to book another appointment). My teacher is really nice and patient. The students are all ages and from all over the world. It's interesting to hear all of their stories. Class is from 9:00am to 1:00am, with 10min breaks every hour.
And now I should probably go study. It's a lot to take in, but it's good.
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