Classes at the University of Damascus started yesterday… and I have certainly learned at least one valuable lesson already. Children, listen closely. Do not make jokes about how funny it would be if you guessed all the right answers on a test and got put in a very advanced class, and certainly do not follow that up by saying you don’t mind what level you are in as long as you’re not the only one. On the bus ride into the university yesterday morning various Edinburgh students were rehashing the test, and of all the question they mentioned I hadn’t got [View Full Entry]

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I have found a flat! After contacting Yalla House on Friday I met with my agent Hani on Saturday and he took me to meet Tony, a local of Bab Touma who seems to know everybody, and is clearly the main man when it comes to finding tenants for local families. He is hilarious in a slightly creepy way, tall and dark with a little beard, he seems to be always dressed in shiny black shoes, black trousers and a black shirt which he unbuttons almost to his waistband, the better to show off his incredibly hairy chest. A gold medallion [View Full Entry]

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After two years of anticipating this trip it's hard to believe I'm really here... and of course it is nothing like I had imagined, and of course now I'm here I am certain it could never have been any other way. I arrived on Wednesday night after a twelve hour journey and was met at the airport by ‘Johnny’ a local Syrian guy who took me back to the Damascus Hostel in Bab Touma, the Christian part of the old city. The hostel is lovely, literally perched on top of the old city wall, with a rope ladder up the old [View Full Entry]

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Retour au Paradis des rencontres Dès l'arrivée de Cécile, nouveau membre de notre équipe (courageuse!), et après un passage festif dans la famille de Louay à Maaloula, nous filons sur les routes syriennes, toujours aussi hospitalières aux auto-stoppeurs, vers notre bien aimé monastère Mar Moussa el Habashi. Nous connaissons bien l'ambiance de cet oasis de paix entre ciel et terre où se retrouvent des hommes et des femmes de bonne volonté issus de toute religions, confessions et spiritualités pour apprendre à se connaître et à s'aimer. Nous y retrouvons des vieilles connaissances (N [View Full Entry]

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When we were preparing for our Middle East adventure, we read, researched and studied the history, politics and basics of each country. We had meetings to develop our itinerary and discussions to finalize our list of things to do while we were in each region. During those heated moments we also discussed what we might shop for or bring home as gifts. One of the most exciting things we discussed was Kyle's plan to get a tailor-made suit in Damascus, Syria. Apparently, the Damascus silk and the Syrian tailors are known world-wide. (News to dad and me!) A fitted suit was [View Full Entry]

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La Syrie chez nos amis Bien sûr on est déja venu en Syrie, mais on n'a pas le fait le tour des richesses de coeur de ses habitants. Nous avons déjà des amis ici: Louay qui nous reçoit à Damas, se relève deux fois dans la nuit pour nous emmener à l'aéroport et nous accueille avec sa famille à Maaloula avec Charaf et Guillaume, d'autres amis lyonnais! Après le passage à Mar moussa nous faisons halte à Homs avant de monter vers Alep pour rejoindre May qui fait de nous les "special guests" de son cours d'Anglais ! Expérience inédite ! [View Full Entry]

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Hi everybody! We're so sorry for the long delay in updating, but we've been getting our travel on and so internet has been few and far between. Last weekend we went to Palmyra and hung out with some Bedouins and their camels. Last week we finished the Arabic course and ran wild through the souq and restaurants and up Mount Qaysioun to watch the sunset. Then we celebrated our new freedom from Arabic lessons by jumping on a bus with some friends and heading for Hama, where a driver in a 1950s Pontiac took us roaring along the sides of the [View Full Entry]

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I know we have not "blogged" in a while. I hope no one thought we were dead, but it would be nice to know that someone was paying attention! We have had no Internet access, English newspapers, or English television for 5 days. We are feeling a bit disconnected from the world--Dad said it seems so long ago that we were in the USA that he has forgotten what his mother looks like! So, it is nice to get comments from everyone who has sent them. Kyle brought his laptop and in Damascus we were able to access the Internet and [View Full Entry]

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We left Syria and headed to Lebanon not knowing what to expect. From the level of anxiety evident on our driver Wael's face, we were concerned the crossing would be an ordeal...and we were not disappointed! We drove through some back roads, wandered around some small villages and passed through some military checkpoints before we found the border crossing. Of course, there were soldiers everywhere and very little English was spoken. We pulled up, parked the car and got out with many eyes fixed on us. We stood by the car for awhile as our driver worked on the paperwork for [View Full Entry]

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I am sorry that I have not kept yall updated in a while. Getting internet for more than a few minutes has been a challenge but right now it is a nice reprieve from the extensive traveling I have been doing. Lets see where to start. Last...Monday, yes I think it was Monday there was a shooting at the University of Jordan between two bedoiun tribes, Al Anwans, (the agressors or agressives) and the Bini Shaher (Sons of the Rock) best match up ever. Anyway the details have not exactly been released even by my professor Dr Najah who is a [View Full Entry]

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