Posts on Syria
March 21, 2006
My trips in Syria
As and when I get time I'll start writing this. For now I've put together a map! I couldn't find a good enough map that had all the places I had visited, so I drew my own (quite horrible) map that contains the real deal! More later!
Day One:
and Day Two:
Posted by vinayak at 12:05 AM
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March 17, 2006
Photos from Syria -- My favourites
I've put my favourite photos from last week on a seperate set on my Flickr collection. The other bigger set is also around, and contains all the 500 odd photos I took over my time there... they're pretty cool if you have the time :)
Here's a mosaic from the smaller subset:
Posted by vinayak at 11:22 PM
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Back from Paradise
Even though I was gone just for a week, I'm finding it very difficult to get back to the routine of every day life. Having spent a week barely talking to anyone who knew English, I'm suddenly surrounded by people talking all around me, and it feels almost foriegn. It's also weird being around so many busy people again too, it's such a culture shock :) Also, it's back to the crummy food at the Brunch Bow(e)l, and the end of a week's culinary orgasm.
On the bright side it's great to meet up with everyone again and tell them all my fun stories... some of which I'll write about over the next few weeks. Photos will be up soon!
Posted by vinayak at 2:40 PM
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March 14, 2006
Damascene hues and then some blues
I've spent the last two days exploring Damascus city, now that the teaching sessions have started. As always, there's plenty to write about, but I guess I will have to wait till I'm back in London to do that. All I can say is, if you haven't been here yet, you don't know what you're missing!
Incidentally, happy Holi! Would you believe that I bumped into not one, but TWO Indians at the Central Bank? They work with the IMF and are here on assignment, so we all got together and went to the only Indian restaurant in Damascus, and pigged out on some pretty decent Indian food. How funky is that?
Also, on a really disappointing note, I had to cancel my trip to India on short notice. This means that I have to wait till the summer to go back :( I'm really annoyed, and it kills some of the joy I had planned for this month. I'm trying hard to think of a bright side, but it's not so easy... I REALLY wanted to go back home!
More when I get back to London on Thurdsay!
Posted by vinayak at 7:21 PM
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March 11, 2006
A quick hello from Damascus
Each sentence is a brainwave... don't have much time to expand on them. Will write volumes sometime...
It's amazing what two days in a foreign country can do to your spirits. Until this line was written, my PhD apps hadn't crossed my mind since I left London. I ate the most amazing street food from the scariest looking shop, and didn't think twice about living to tell the story (Kevin and Gopika will be very impressed, given my OCD tendencies). I spent an entire day with kids on a school trip after their teacher asked me to join them as they looked around. I got good company and some Kurdish dancing, and in return they got to practice their English. I feel like Michael Palin. Befriended an Army contingent in Bosra, south of Damascus... we got on so well, they actually put me in their jeep and drove me to the border with Israel. Heavily armed but UN buffer zone protected, wore bulletproof vest and saw mean Israelis through binoculars, who were looking through their binoculars at mean Syrians (and an Indian). I contemplated waving but didn't trust the vest and helmet. Was scared shitless and wasn't allowed to photograph beyond a certain area... have fun snap of them smoking like weasels near Da'ara. UN dudes nice... one guy worked with Indians so kept shitting me with Bollywood film gossip... amazing! 1 in 7.67 Syrians have seen a Bollywood movie (preliminary estimate, LLN not yet valid, sample size of 23, will update this when verified). Got a thank you post card from the school kids. Hot women EVERYWHERE, don't think I'll survive much longer... might need to come back on the next visit as a married man just to tell myself there's no hope. Very liberal country, with the most courteous and fun people I've ever met. Even tout decided to throw his hat in and just talk after I told him eighty thousand times I didn't want his services... ended up practicing his English (and I my Arabic). I owe Hala, one of my students, much gratitude for "Ana Nabati" (I am vegetarian). Met three bakers (Lebanese, Iranian and Syrian) and we discussed (in Arabic and Dumb Charades) the concept of throwing George Bush's penis into the wood-fired oven. Something similar with the Army men too. Managed to dumbcharade my Army friend Mahmood (also 23) about dying young and being killed in action. He's ready, though he has a pregnant wife, but hopes that won't be the case. We then decided we would indeed grow old, grow beards read lots of books and have lots of sex (with our wives)... then die and meet next in heaven after passing through our respective religious checkpoints. I pointed out that I wasn't sure heaven was where I'd go. He thought about it for a while (probably revisiting his bachelor days) and said he wasn't either, so Insha'allah we'll both end up at the same place. Arabic getting much better, from 99% Dumb Charades 1% Arabic to 6% Arabic and 94% DC. That's enough to keep me alive and reduces my directional dyslexia. Bosra looked great -- Roman amphitheatre preserved very very well, old city looked awesome. Lots of kids to see it with, so we discussed history and mathematics and I tried to sell them some Economics. After just two days I find my ideologies beginning to align with Gopika's on many development issues... must talk about this in detail some time. Kevin/Janak, dudes, you're not going to believe the stories I have for you. Adds to the contradicting self theory, but what the hell, you'll love the stuff I have to tell you. Masa, got your mail and did most of the stuff you've suggested, will do the remaining one or two things on Monday/Tuesday! It took me thirty minutes in Syria to get my first Orange Juice. The Banana Milk came three hours later.
Okay then... my fifteen minutes are up. Hope everyone is doing okay! Anyone who knows me, mail me... and say hi.
Ma'asalama!
4 hours later... a photo update:
Army trio - Ahmed, Mahmood, Saqdar. Just after where we could take photos.
The School Gang with Math/Physics/Chemistry teacher (2nd from right)
Juice Stall - Al Hamidiya Souk post Orange Juice and Banana Milk double.
Al Umayaad Mosque at dusk. Are my prayers working?
Cop who saved me from starvation by pointing me out to Al Musri Falafel... spent twenty minutes dumbcharading and trying broken Arabic, until he says, "do you know how to speak English?". We had a good laugh.
The baking mujahadeen. Mohammed the Lebanese (Hizbollah from Ba'albek and proudly so), Ali the Iranian, and Mustafa the Syrian. Also featuring - the woodfired oven where we decided we'd fry George Bush's wee wee if we ever got a hold of it (no pun intended).
Al Musri Falafel - packing me a kickass dinner. Look at the left middle area of the photo. Kevin and Gopika, you'd be proud.
(rich) Arab wedding dance - Lobby of the Le Meridian Damascus. On asking Jihad (concierge extrordinare and pastor at large) what was going on, he proclaims "Divorce... divorce!". The other (cute female) receptionist dealt him a clean but efficient blow to his solar plexus. He then goes on to say that the dance is the equivalent of a bachelor party... they're talking about all the fun things he has to give up in a matter of hours.
Posted by vinayak at 2:13 PM
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March 9, 2006
Things to do in Syria #1 -- Even before I leave
Masa says:
"In Damascus, you'll see quite a few juice bars
with bunches of organges in a net hanging from the ceiling at the
entrance. Do try orange juice at such places. They'll squeeze six to
eight oranges on demand and serve in a large glass jar (the one we use
for beer). It's amazingly tasty and cheap. Also try banana milk. Again
it's marvelous.
Fruits and vegetables in Syria are so fresh and tasty (maybe they are
all organic). No contest with those in Tesco. :) I hear Italian
tourists, supposedly the pickiest people when it comes to tomatoes,
are impressed by how tasteful tomatoes are in Syria."
I can't wait... six more hours!
Posted by vinayak at 10:32 PM
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As promised, my escapist act of the year.
In less than 15 hours, I will be on my way to breathe fresh Damascus air. On Friday I'm probably going to chill out in the city... it'll probably be quite dead given it's the weekend there. Hopefully on Saturday, I'll run a day trip to Baalbek in Lebanon. On Sunday, I'll rummage through the Roman runs in the south of Syria, at Bosra. Monday through Wednesday will be in Damascus, with teaching sessions in the morning and some free time each evening!
Lots and lots of photos to come, I promise.
Until then, be good, and think of me trying to suggest to the waiter that I am in fact not from Mars, and that there are people in this world who don't eat Chicken, Lamb or Fish. All this, in Arabic.
Wohoooooo! Until we meet again... adios!
Some sticky notes:
Masa -- I've been trying to reach you, but just can't seem to get through. Tried the office, tried your mobile, visited your desk... you're a ghost! Mail me any more bright ideas that come to your head (Masa's already been to Syria last summer on holiday).
Kerry -- If you ever decide that just Seth isn't enough and need another hubby (i.e. in addition to the good Seth), count me in. Dr. Seuss is always a deal clincher.
Posted by vinayak at 5:32 PM
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