March 2010
1 post
Back from the Dead + Beirut
Sorry for the wait to you two or three solid friends out there who obligingly keep up with my blog. The last month (or two?) has been crazy and extremely boring all at the same time over here. Bad teachers, bad weather and just all together bad mojo has come and gone. Sadly my camera remains out of commission, nonetheless there is light at the end of the tunnel. Fuck I only have two months...
December 2009
1 post
Aleppo: First Blood
I traveled to Aleppo after my last exam in order to take full advantage of our week off. I was slowly recovering from some sort of death that I wouldn’t be surprised to find was the swine flu. It should be noted that the Swine Flu wields special weight in the Muslim world, further sealing my fate of a year without bacon. Life can be so cruel. At any rate my friends here had postponed our...
November 2009
3 posts
Ciao Bella
This I write in dedication to Flavia (pronounced FlaaAhviaA) and Eduardo, two Italians near and dear the hearts of our class. These two, of south and north Italy respectively, represented their homeland so well, wonderfully embodying all the good preconceptions we Americans have. Their lighthearted approach to life in Syria quickened all to smile. Anyone who can make you laugh while learning...
Fancy Tea?
Mmmmmmmm. Smoke, sweat and lights, lots of lights. There I was, drink in hand, wondering how the hell I ended up in a club in Syria.
It all started out innocently enough. Our class organized a nice dinner in the Old City just to get out and get to know each other. Dinner came and went. Tea was had, gallons. Then some women organized a mission to find booty shaking. Sadly they got to be the...
October 2009
11 posts
Wedding Iraqi Styles
Wedding number two in Syria. This one Iraqi. I returned to the scene of the crime in Zebidaany to find… more sheeps’ brain! I must be the luckiest cracker in Syria! There we were, myself, a couple Syrians and 40 to 50 Iraqi refugees. One could naturally see how this might be touch awkward for an American, but it wasn’t. In all honesty I’ve scarce met a family as...
venom →
Sheep Brain Death Ride
I have now been on my first out of town excursion in a mini bus, or death wagon. These lovely contraptions sport 12 seatbelts and transport anywhere from 15 to 50 passengers. Away we go to Zebadaany! Up up up the mountain. Lawnmower engine humming loudly above tradtional Arabic song. This one, Youssef informs me, is about a working man confessing his forbidden love to the woman he serves. ...
Larry David in the Desert →
Nationals beat writer stumbles across legendary Seinfeld license plates in Arizona.
Marriage. Just as scary here as at home.
I have now officially attended a Syrian Muslim wedding. It was quite the experience. Lots of men and dancing. I have to commend them on their ability to party hard without a drop of alcohol, though it frightens me to think of the potential bedlam had alcohol been present.
The men and women are kept completely separate from each other for the duration of the festivities. After many songs and...
Damascus, a week on.
It’s been over a week since I arrived in Damascus and I am finally starting to get my bearings. Going through the registration process to attend school here felt like going to the DMV every day for a week. Line after line after line, the great suspense always being “Am I even in the right line?” Alas I am officially a student at the University of Damascus, Ma ‘sha...