Emily’s blog

I haven’t written in such a long time because I no longer have different and interesting things to report about.  My life has become normal and ordinary and I am not experiencing anything new anymore; I am just living it.  And I felt that it would be like writing about my everyday life in America and this is one of the reasons why I just dropped off the face of the earth.  Sorry guys.

But now, I have about 2 weeks left in Syria and I have so many mixed feelings.  But before I explain how I’m feeling now, let me give a quick recap of the past couple of months.

First off, it is EXTREMELY difficult for a single Western woman to live here alone.  It is one of the most difficult things to do, especially if one doesn’t know the language very well.  Even though Syria is one of the few Arab countries that allows women the most freedoms, it is still very much a male-dominated society.  And if you will allow me to be very real, this is a sex-starved nation and when they see Western women, they perceive them as being easy and sex-addicts because their only perception of Western women is from movies (mostly American) and then from the European women who come here and solidify the stereotype.  Sorry Europe, but it’s true.  And this perception does not change because it is very difficult and expensive for Syrians to travel to Europe or America and they never get a chance to see with their own eyes.  So when normal Western women come here and try to walk down the streets, it’s so difficult.  The only time that I don’t have ANY trouble is when I’m walking with Syrian men.  Sad, but true.  And this is the only place that I have actually been grabbed by men just walking down the streets.  

When I was trying to do things on my own, it was very difficult and I wasn’t enjoying my time here.  And I was constantly fighting against the culture.  But slowly, over time, I started to become dear friends with a certain group of Syrians (ok, so they’re all guys, but whatcha gonna do?) and slowly, I was accepted into their circle.  I cannot tell you how much this helped me and increased my happiness and decreased my stress.  I was actually able to enjoy my time here and smile and laugh and not worry anymore about being taken advantage of.  These group of guys have actually become very close and dear to my heart now and I consider them my family here.

But at the same time, being in the Old City has it’s downfalls and dark sides.  There is definitely a very big underground network here run by a handful of certain Arab men who rent out old Arabic homes to foreigners.  And along with that comes the partying and women and sex.  Being here now for 6 months and interacting with these guys, I know exactly who is good and genuine and who to stay far, far away from.  Life here in the Old City doesn’t really change.  And the people never really leave it.  So whenever there are any new foreigners, especially women, the guys try with all their might to win them over.  This surge of energy lasts for maybe a few days until the newness wears off and then everything goes back to normal.  Well sometimes this causes tension and problems because there are two different paradigms clashing against each other and the Arab guys end up either “fishing” the girl or making another enemy and totally pissing off the woman.  This causes a lot of frustration for the guys who have more of a Western mentality and who are really truly looking for a serious relationship because this “fishing” creates the stereotype that all the guys here are only looking for sex.  

 I am so fortunate to have quality friends who look out for me, but most girls aren’t that lucky.  A lot of problems here aren’t even caused by what someone does, but by what they don’t do, which is totally backwards in my mind.  Arabs are probably the most generous and friendly people that I’ve encountered, but they are also the most easily offended people.  And when the Western mentality meets the Eastern mentality, it’s very easy to have cultural misunderstandings and arguments over something that never had to be an issue.

So that’s the recap in “about” a nutshell.  Life is pretty good now.  I am taking private lessons from my friend who is an English and Arabic teacher at Damascus University.  For my last month here, I no longer wanted to be bound to the daily stress of commuting 2 hours every day to uni and having 4 hours of class only to be bored and frustrated because the class is next to impossible due to the amount of content in such a short time.  I wanted to enjoy my last month here.  So now, I wake up, drink tea, study a little, have my lesson, eat, go walk around, drink some more tea, go to a café and watch people, visit friends or have them come to our house, hang out on the roof of our house, or go out with my Western friends and drink more tea.  It’s such a nice, slow, lazy life and I LOVE IT!  It’s refreshing not to be bound by the constricts of time that the West is so accustomed to.  I never plan my day, I just let it happen and it always seems to fill up.  And plus it’s been so dang hot here…maybe in the 90’s every day…so this combined with the lack of time = NO WORK EVER GETS DONE HERE!   

There was definitely a point in time about 2 months ago where I had hit rock bottom and when I actually moved my ticket from the end of July to the end of June because I couldn’t take it any more.  I had had it with everything and I was so stressed and frustrated.  But now, if I had to stay here another 6 months, I think I could do it.  But then I don’t really want to stay here any longer, but at the same time I do.  Because now, I actually understand the majority of conversations (even without translating in my head) and I am actually able to hold solid conversations with the locals who don’t speak any English and I’m able to express my personality in Arabic, which for me, is the best feeling in the world!  It’s so cool!  I finally feel like I’m on my way to becoming better and more fluent, but at the same time, this momentum will be killed because I’m leaving in 2 weeks.  So it’s like a double-edged sword.  As beautiful as my time has been here these past couple of months, it’s time to come home.  I will never, ever forget my time or my dear Syrian friends here.  And I know that I will come back for sure.  

BTW!  I'm famous!  We were at a nightclub one Thursday night and me and my American friend had our picture taken and published in a Syrian magazine!!!  Don't worry, mom: I bought a copy and will bring it home.

Yes, Emily is still here.  I apologize for not blogging for 3 months, but once school started and daily life happened, I became lazy and I didn’t really have anything interesting to blog about.

Just a brief update on things: I recently finished the second level of Arabic.  I can’t believe that I’ve been in Syria for 3 and a half months and have been studying for 2.  The weather is finally starting to warm up.  It's been in the 70s probably and very moderate.  I am enjoying this weather because soon it will be way too hot! 

I still wake up some mornings not knowing where I am.  And there are days where I don’t even think that I’m in Syria or in the Middle East.  But then there are the days that I am reminded every minute that I’m very, very far away from home.  My Swedish friend was telling me the other day that he was feeling homesick and he said he is only a 5 hour plane ride from home.  I just started laughing because I’m like at least an 18-hour plane ride from home!  That put things in perspective for him…  

I have some pretty cool friends here and my closest Western friends are from Sweden and America.  On a daily basis I am reminded that one cannot change or control the circumstances that affect a person’s life.  However, the one thing that we definitely can control is our attitude and how we react to the given circumstances in life.  Another thing that has really been made apparent to me is that you cannot run from your problems.  You either have to face them or they will follow and haunt you, regardless of where you are.  I see many people who are backpacking through the world, in search of happiness, but who still haven‘t found what they‘re looking for (thank you, Bono) after 20-some odd countries. 

I was discussing with one of my friends the other day about how to define happiness.  The argument came about that people are only in pursuit of happiness and that they strive to perfection because they think that this will make them happy.  Yes, on some level, I agree with this statement, but then I feel that there is something more, something more metaphysical that we as people have.  (This is where my faith comes in)  And especially by being in Syria, I have seen that any of my problems that I think are so big don’t even compare to the Iraqi refugee who lives in our house.  When I compare my situation and my blessings to his, there is without a shadow of a doubt that I have nothing to complain about because after these 8 months, I get to return home to a good life while he is stuck.

I was recently at a St. Patty’s day party at the British bar , which is located near the British Embassy and it was like stepping back into the West.  I immediately felt like I was back in London at the pub, except for the fact that I was speaking to Syrians and ordering my drinks in Arabic.  It was kinda cool, but all I heard were people complaining about how terrible it is in Syria and how sub-par this life is compared to their lives back home.  This really frustrated me because Westerners are so privileged and spoiled and they don’t know how good they have it.  And then they come here and complain about life, etc.  But I think that what Westerners forget is that this is reality and life for Syrians.  They can’t change it, so who are we to come to their country and complain that this life sucks.  Just another observation of late.    

There are still some cultural things here that I don’t think I will ever get used to.  Like the fact that I cannot walk down the street without creepy guys coming up to me and making inappropriate comments in both Arabic and English.  They also stare like they’ve never seen a woman before.  I have picked up the habit of just staring at the ground and ignoring them.  My American friend has it worse though because she’s blonde.  She actually was followed and chased down by some Syrian guys who wanted her number.  So ever since then, her guy cousin walks her everywhere she goes.  He even escorted me to my doorstep home from their house by taxi one night because he knows how disgusting and perverted a lot of Syrian guys are.  

Anyway, enough of my deep thoughts for a while.  Other than the occasional feeling of homesickness and being ripped off and sexually harassed, this has definitely been a worthwhile experience that I’m very glad for.  More to come in the future when new, cool and totally exciting stuff will happen to me!!  haha....

Also, I'm putting up some random pics for you all to enjoy!

It’s snowing in Damascus!!!!!!  Man, I’m totally bummed.  I was trying to get away from the cold, snowy winter of Seattle!  And to think that I would find it in the desert, how apropos.  

Anyway, class is going really well.  It seems to be flying by, which is a blessing because right now I’m in kind of a funk.  It seems like everything that I eat makes my stomach bubble and churn and I feel like I’m going to vomit for about an hour in the morning and again at night.  I hate it.  I just want my body to adjust already!  I think the food accompanied with the whole stress of my living situation has really put a lot of stress on my stomach.

But “shwai shwai” as they say here or “little by little,” I will adjust.  My new room is really cool.  I love it, so that helps me deal with everything else that is going on around me that is totally freaking me out.  

I’m FINALLY starting to get into a normal pattern and I am studying and hanging out with friends.  I still can’t get over the taxi drivers here and have taken on actually quite an aggressive attitude towards them when they ask me for way more than what the meter says.  I can’t stand it and it makes my blood boil. 

So things are ok now.  I’m just trying to do my own thing and take care of myself as best as I can.  Sometimes I don’t really eat, either because my stomach is angry or because I just don’t want to eat the same thing again.  But it all comes out in the wash. 

I’m so excited that Falak will be moving to Damascus to train for her new job!  Thank God.  Really.  It will be good to have “family” near me.  

Well, I have a new place!  I moved into my new room and it’s super cool.  I feel like I’m living in the dorms again, though.  But I guess that is a small price to pay for normalcy and privacy.  It’s actually pretty cool.  There are 2 Korean guys named Kwon and Kim and they are here in Damascus just to operate a Falafel shop!!!!  Hahaha…..so I think they will feed me a lot.

I guess the guy who owns this house has taken one of his friends and the police to confront the old lady about giving me my money back.  I just heard about this from my friend and will keep you all posted about how this plays out.  I really didn’t want to drag the police into this mess, but I think it’s inevitable.  

Anyway, I’m going to try and post some pics for your viewing pleasure.  Please, I know that you all want pictures and videos, but the internet here is really hit and miss and it’s incredibly slow here.  So you might have to wait for the videos until I get home.  Sorry.  L

So my living situation has gone from bad to worse over the course of this last week.  I guess I’m in a state of shock and wonderment at how things have declined so rapidly without me really doing anything to make the situation worse.

Basically, the old lady is now telling lies about me saying that I asked for a new mattress, that she bought me a new space heater, that I’m always asking for food, that I’m ungrateful because I never bring her and her daughter presents, that I have a boyfriend who pays everything for me, that she needs more money now for some electricity insurance….the list goes on and I’m so completely confused as to how or why this crazy old lady has come up with these lies.  

The other day, my awesome Australian friend introduced me to a guy who helps people find places to stay and he showed me a room in a big Arabic house that has all foreigners staying there.  Mostly Europeans are staying there, so this is good.  The room is cheaper, 3x the size of my current room and it is has a double bed and a couch!  It’s really a great room.  Electricity and water are already included and they don’t require extra money up front.  PLUS, there are no old ladies with their depressing daughters who are nosy and try to steal your money!

After we found the room, Falak and I went to visit the old lady to tell her that I am moving and to try and get my second month’s rent back.  And this is where it got ugly.  This is where all of the lies came out and really this whole situation has been a big misunderstanding from the very beginning; both language and cultural.  So needless to say, the old lady will not give me my money back because she’s so desperate for money and it was at this point that I broke down in tears because I thought that she was a better person than this.  And obviously she needs my money more than I do and it was this realization that really hurt my feelings that she would treat me in this way.  But I guess this is how it goes in a world where people are so miserable and desperate.  I’ve learned a lot from this experience.   

So tomorrow, Faisal will help me move and we will try and sit down once more with the old lady to ask for my second month’s rent back and if she still won’t give it back, then we will tell her that we will report her to the police.  It’s not right for her to keep my money (it’s a HUGE sum of money and no wonder she wants to keep it), but if she still refuses, then God help her.

Will keep you all posted once this plays out. 

Other than that, my Arabic classes are going really well and I’m meeting some really cool people.  This area of my life is going really well and it’s a nice escape from all of the stress that I’ve been dealing with.

And to top things off, I’m now really sick.  But things could be much worse and I’m grateful that they aren’t.  So for that, I am blessed.  This too shall pass.

So yesterday, I tried to post a blog, but the internet was soooo slow, that I just said forget it.  Thus, I am posting today and a lot has happened since then, which has drastically changed my mood and consequently today's blog.

Yesterday was my first day of class.  I have an amazing teacher; she is young and energetic and makes learning Arabic a real joy.  I am making friends with my classmates, which is a good thing, as well.  I was very happy with my first day.  I was very happy with my second day, too.  Arabic class brings me joy and I look forward to it.

Since the beginning of last week, I am finally a Syrian resident!  It’s a good feeling, but the Immigration Office is probably one of the last places that I want to return to along with the HIV clinic.  Unfortunately, I will have to go there every month to renew my permit because I can only get month-long extensions due to the nature of my classes.  Such is the life when a foreigner wants to stay in Syria for a prolonged period of time.  I’m just thankful that I have my friend, Faisal who will go with me!

But then last night, the old lady who I live with said to me in Arabic and this is the gist of what I could understand:  If I want to eat every day with her and her daughter, then I have to pay her 5,000 Syrian pounds (about $100).  And I don’t know if she said every month or for 2 months….This was so shocking to me because this was not part of the agreement that we had come to before I said I would live there.  She had said that it was perfectly fine for me to eat with them every day.  And then she proceeded to explain to me that one kilo of meat costs her 600 pounds, but here’s the thing: WE HARDLY EVER EAT MEAT!  The only time she cooks meat is on Fridays and even then it’s just chicken wings with potatoes and onions.  Plus, my Australian friend went to the market with her and watched her buy enough meat to make kibbe (which are traditional small little fried things stuffed with meat) which fed us and her daughter’s family (7 people) for 3 days and it only cost her 500 pounds.  So this left me with a sour taste in my mouth and I really, really don’t appreciate her trying to take advantage of me like this.  Faisal is going to come over and rectify the situation, but I’m not eating with them until he can.  It just makes me really sad and angry because this wasn’t what we agreed upon, I’m being taken advantage of and now I have to fend for myself. 

 So this leads me to my next point.  During my time here in Syria, I am learning the lesson of thankfulness.  It didn’t fully hit me just how good and easy I have it back in America until I actually LIVED in Syria.  Even the smallest things that I’m given, I’m constantly thanking God for because things don’t come easily here, which is teaching me true gratefulness.  Falak made the ever insightful comment to me that maybe this is the reason that I am in Syria; to learn how to be truly thankful.  Either way, with everything that has happened to me, I feel my heart opening up once again and things that I wouldn’t normally give a second thought to or that I wouldn’t normally do back in the states, I am doing.  It feels like a layer of dirt is being washed away from my heart and even though it sucks right now, it’s a beautiful feeling.

Anyway, I have a possible out of this current living situation, but I can’t do anything about it until Wednesday.  Inshallah, this will work out and I won’t have to deal with the old lady trying to take advantage of me anymore.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here’s the update: I did find a room in an old house in the Christian part of town called Bab Touma.  The house is a traditional Arabic style home so when you walk in the front door and look up, you see sky!  I live with an old lady, her daughter and their dog.  They are very nice people.  The old lady only speaks Arabic and she just talks and talks to me like I know what she’s saying.  Most of the time, I have no idea what she’s talking about, so I just smile and nod.  But these are very nice people and even though I don’t speak their language very well yet, we still communicate.  Somehow…. 

Today was the first time that I have ever experienced it literally raining inside my house!  Right now, the downside to this situation is that everything is exposed and very cold.  There is no central heating/cooling, so we have to use space heaters.  I’m not used to brushing my teeth in the freezing cold.  

I am slowly starting to get adjusted to life here in Damascus.  For New Year’s we went to a party at a nice hotel and there was music, dancing, a belly dancer and lots of fun!  I had a great time and it was exciting to be in Damascus for the New Year! 

I finally was able to register for classes.  It has been a very long, arduous process that still isn’t quite over yet because I must go to the office of immigration and apply for a residency permit.  Hopefully all this business will sort itself out and I won’t have this little black cloud constantly hanging over my head.  

Getting my HIV test was a cultural experience i.e. shock.  Anything in Syria and especially government-related is a long and tedious process.  I showed up at 8:30am when the center was supposed to open.  There were already people crowded around the front gates.  Then a guy came to the gate and said they were going to open at 9am.  Everyone started shouting and pushing; I couldn’t believe it.  At 9, the guy came back and people started holding up their passports and shouting.  This man called out various countries and took people’s passports.  It was then that I realized, “hmmm, maybe I should take my passport out, too.”  Now, I had absolutely no idea what was going on because everything was in Arabic, but I do know some words and after a while, I did get the gist of this madness.  So then the guy called out for student passports and I handed mine through the gate.  I was so scared because I didn’t know if I would get it back or what I was supposed to do next!

After an hour of waiting in this crowd and being totally smashed and pushed and shoved, they finally let students push their way through to get tested.  Even though there was all of this pushing and shoving in the crowd, I did notice that if a lady was trying to get through the crowd, people would try and make room for her to pass.  This was very interesting to witness.  And I’m so thankful that this would never happen in America because this was a very scary and uncomfortable thing for me to do.

Life is hard here in Damascus.  The taxi drivers like to take at least 10-20 Syrian pounds over what the meter says.  I like to refer to them as “Blood suckers” because that’s what they are.  

My Syrian friends are trying to encourage me to take the buses and the mini buses.  This is probably the most frightening thing for me here because since I live somewhat far away from campus, I have to take 2 buses.  And it’s not exactly like these buses run on a published schedule or even come to a complete stop to let passengers on.  It’s dirt cheap, but honestly, I’m scared to death of taking the buses by myself right now.  And it’s really hard to find a mini bus that isn’t already full.  

I have an Australian lady friend who is taking the same class as me.  She lives close by, so hopefully we can ride the buses together so that I can make the transition from taxi to bus!  Scary.

I have also noticed that everyone here wants to leave Syria.  They say that life is very difficult and things are hard.  They want to go to America or England or Australia, but it’s very difficult for them to get into these countries.  As the general rule goes, life is easy if you have money.  A person can live like a king here in Syria if he has money.  But if he is poor, it’s a miserable and depressing life.  It’s a different kind of poor from being poor in America.  At least in America, there is the chance at a better life.  That’s not the case here.  The government keeps raising the taxes, but keeps the salaries the same, making it very difficult for most people to afford the cost of living.  The average Syrian salary is around $100-200 dollars per month; hardly enough to live off of.

Right now I feel like I’m still in transition.  I really miss America and my family and friends.  And I get frustrated because I still can’t communicate with people very well yet.  I think that I do best with taxi drivers.  Thus, I am anxious to start classes!  Sometimes I still feel like I’m dreaming, but then realize the next moment that no, this is reality.  I’m hanging in there, though.  If anything, this whole experience thus far has shown me just how strong I am and crazy, too!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here’s the update: I did find a room in an old house in the Christian part of town called Bab Touma.  The house is a traditional Arabic style home so when you walk in the front door and look up, you see sky!  I live with an old lady, her daughter and their dog.  They are very nice people.  The old lady only speaks Arabic and she just talks and talks to me like I know what she’s saying.  Most of the time, I have no idea what she’s talking about, so I just smile and nod.  But these are very nice people and even though I don’t speak their language very well yet, we still communicate.  Somehow…. 

Today was the first time that I have ever experienced it literally raining inside my house!  Right now, the downside to this situation is that everything is exposed and very cold.  There is no central heating/cooling, so we have to use space heaters.  I’m not used to brushing my teeth in the freezing cold.  

I am slowly starting to get adjusted to life here in Damascus.  For New Year’s we went to a party at a nice hotel and there was music, dancing, a belly dancer and lots of fun!  I had a great time and it was exciting to be in Damascus for the New Year! 

I finally was able to register for classes.  It has been a very long, arduous process that still isn’t quite over yet because I must go to the office of immigration and apply for a residency permit.  Hopefully all this business will sort itself out and I won’t have this little black cloud constantly hanging over my head.  

Getting my HIV test was a cultural experience i.e. shock.  Anything in Syria and especially government-related is a long and tedious process.  I showed up at 8:30am when the center was supposed to open.  There were already people crowded around the front gates.  Then a guy came to the gate and said they were going to open at 9am.  Everyone started shouting and pushing; I couldn’t believe it.  At 9, the guy came back and people started holding up their passports and shouting.  This man called out various countries and took people’s passports.  It was then that I realized, “hmmm, maybe I should take my passport out, too.”  Now, I had absolutely no idea what was going on because everything was in Arabic, but I do know some words and after a while, I did get the gist of this madness.  So then the guy called out for student passports and I handed mine through the gate.  I was so scared because I didn’t know if I would get it back or what I was supposed to do next!

After an hour of waiting in this crowd and being totally smashed and pushed and shoved, they finally let students push their way through to get tested.  Even though there was all of this pushing and shoving in the crowd, I did notice that if a lady was trying to get through the crowd, people would try and make room for her to pass.  This was very interesting to witness.  And I’m so thankful that this would never happen in America because this was a very scary and uncomfortable thing for me to do.

Life is hard here in Damascus.  The taxi drivers like to take at least 10-20 Syrian pounds over what the meter says.  I like to refer to them as “Blood suckers” because that’s what they are.  

My Syrian friends are trying to encourage me to take the buses and the mini buses.  This is probably the most frightening thing for me here because since I live somewhat far away from campus, I have to take 2 buses.  And it’s not exactly like these buses run on a published schedule or even come to a complete stop to let passengers on.  It’s dirt cheap, but honestly, I’m scared to death of taking the buses by myself right now.  And it’s really hard to find a mini bus that isn’t already full.  

I have an Australian lady friend who is taking the same class as me.  She lives close by, so hopefully we can ride the buses together so that I can make the transition from taxi to bus!  Scary.

I have also noticed that everyone here wants to leave Syria.  They say that life is very difficult and things are hard.  They want to go to America or England or Australia, but it’s very difficult for them to get into these countries.  As the general rule goes, life is easy if you have money.  A person can live like a king here in Syria if he has money.  But if he is poor, it’s a miserable and depressing life.  It’s a different kind of poor from being poor in America.  At least in America, there is the chance at a better life.  That’s not the case here.  The government keeps raising the taxes, but keeps the salaries the same, making it very difficult for most people to afford the cost of living.  The average Syrian salary is around $100-200 dollars per month; hardly enough to live off of.

Right now I feel like I’m still in transition.  I really miss America and my family and friends.  And I get frustrated because I still can’t communicate with people very well yet.  I think that I do best with taxi drivers.  Thus, I am anxious to start classes!  Sometimes I still feel like I’m dreaming, but then realize the next moment that no, this is reality.  I’m hanging in there, though.  If anything, this whole experience thus far has shown me just how strong I am and crazy, too!

Don’t worry; I’m still here!  Sorry for not writing in a few days, but I have been very busy.   Last Saturday Falak and I traveled to Damascus to try and find a place for me to live and register me for Arabic classes.  We had a deadline of Tuesday to be back in time for the Muslim holiday, Eid.

While I was in Deir Ezzor the last time, our friend, Ahmad was on the hunt for a room for me.  When we arrived on Saturday, he took us to see the room.  It had everything: bed, satellite TV, phone, little kitchen, washing machine, A/C, heat, etc.  The bad thing about this room was that it was a ghetto.  This was unfortunate because it was a completely furnished room that was close to the mini bus, but even the Syrians thought it was a dump.  The owner wanted 12,000 Syrian pounds per month (about $250) and then he said that I have to pay a “foreigner tax,” which he said is 18%, but then told us it is 10%.  This is expensive and I was so torn over what to do because we had little time in Damascus as it was to get everything done.

So, in haste and desperation, I gave him 5,000 pounds ($100) to reserve the room and we were to come back the next day to sign the contract, etc.  Granted, I have absolutely no idea what rooms are like here in Syria.  I knew that they would be below American standards and I was ok with this, but I had no idea it would be like this.  However, according to Ahmad, this was the cleanest place he had seen.

When Falak and I got back to the youth city, we were like, “What the hell did Emily just do?”  We couldn’t believe how ghetto the room was and it was at that point that I changed my mind.  We knew that we would need a man to help us, so we called the brut squad…aka…Faisal.  We asked him to come with us the next day to get my money back and to protect us from the creepy old man.

The next day Falak, Faisal and I went back to the room.  When Faisal saw it, he couldn’t help but laugh because he couldn’t believe how ghetto the room was.  When the old man arrived (along with his backup dude), Faisal told him that he worked for the government and that he was a very important man.  He then asked the old man for my money back and upon hearing that Faisal worked for the government, the old man gave all my money back.  People here don’t want any trouble from the government, so this man was probably shaking in his boots!  Haha….it was so funny to witness this transaction.

We then went back to Faisal’s office at the Revolution Youth Union.  I met all of his coworkers who immediately got on the phone to inquire about housing for me.  They knew about a dorm that housed foreigners who are studying at Damascus university, but they couldn’t get a hold of the man in charge.  So they told us to come back the next day and they would know by then.

Turns out that once they heard I was American, they wanted to charge an arm and a leg for one room: 25,000 pounds, which is about $600.  So that was a no go. 

The rest of the our time in Damascus was spent trying to find a room and registering me for classes.  I’m telling you, finding a room for a single woman in Syria is like trying to wring water from a rock!  It’s next to impossible.  Currently, we have our friends, the Syrian government, friends of the government and friends of the friends of the government looking for a place for me to stay!!!!  It will truly be a miracle of God to find a home for me. 

Hopefully when I return to Damascus, things will be all figured out.  Will keep you all posted.

So now I am back in Deir Ezzor for the holidays.  It’s so cute because Omar is fascinated that my toothbrush looks like his!  He thinks I’m so different: different money, different language, different look….he was so surprised that I have a similar toothbrush.  This morning, he asked Falak if there is a bus that goes from Syria to America!!!  WE LAUGHED SO HARD!  He also told Falak that I look like Jennifer Lopez.  Ok, I’ll take that one!  He’s soooooo cute.

Also, I am really starting to miss America.  Wow.  I just want to be able to walk down the streets without having the whole town stare.  I want to be able to communicate with people and feel comfortable going out on the streets.  It's kinda sad; I really can't get by yet without a friend to translate for me.  And I am so dependent on others right now, it's crazy.  I feel like I've somewhat lost my independence and it's very hard for women, especially in this town.  It's still very dominated by men and the woman's place is really at home.  

Friday night, Falak and I forced ourselves to go for a walk outside because we had been stuck in the house all day.  That's pushing the limits here in Deir Ezzor and we were definitely harassed by sick, perverted men who would drive up to us and tell us to get in their car.  Wow.  I've never screamed profanities at complete strangers before, but being here has really brought this out....

Tomorrow, Falak's aunt is having a Christmas party for me at her house.  She is so sweet to do this for me.  It is going to be so much fun!!  On Wednesday, I will travel back to Damascus to look at 2 rooms in homes in the Christian part of town called Bab Tooma.  Hopefully one of these rooms will work out and I will have a home to call my own and finally drop all my stuff off at!  One of my suitcases is still with Ahmad, which sucks because most of my clothes and shoes are with him.  :(