Where am I?
Not a bad question, judging from my presence on this blog.
The answer is, yes, I'm here, still in Syria and still doing just fine. Doing great in fact. I've been a good deal busier than I had been, and because of this I haven't gotten any posts done. There's a big fat one that I've been planning for weeks (i actually wrote an outline for it) about a lot of big ideas about how we experience other cultures -- but I don't know for sure when I'll get it finalized since in the immediate future I'm staying busy.
In terms of Syria in the international news, I have a few of my own observations on the whole Danish Cartoon Hoopla, but most of my experience here has been regular life: studying Arabic, teaching English at a school for blind kids!, and studying `oud as well. The most interesting (and most complicated) thing I continue to experience is my continued conversations with different kinds of Syrians. As I acquire a more and more detailed and complex idea of "what life is like here", the less and less I can imagine how I could ever put together an adequate answer to the question: "So, tell us, what is Syria like?"
All in all, life is good. I miss things about home after all these months, but I can already feel the end of my time here approaching -- and it's a little bit scary.
That's the report for now. I will do my utmost to have a good post or two coming up in the next few weeks.
Peace.
The answer is, yes, I'm here, still in Syria and still doing just fine. Doing great in fact. I've been a good deal busier than I had been, and because of this I haven't gotten any posts done. There's a big fat one that I've been planning for weeks (i actually wrote an outline for it) about a lot of big ideas about how we experience other cultures -- but I don't know for sure when I'll get it finalized since in the immediate future I'm staying busy.
In terms of Syria in the international news, I have a few of my own observations on the whole Danish Cartoon Hoopla, but most of my experience here has been regular life: studying Arabic, teaching English at a school for blind kids!, and studying `oud as well. The most interesting (and most complicated) thing I continue to experience is my continued conversations with different kinds of Syrians. As I acquire a more and more detailed and complex idea of "what life is like here", the less and less I can imagine how I could ever put together an adequate answer to the question: "So, tell us, what is Syria like?"
All in all, life is good. I miss things about home after all these months, but I can already feel the end of my time here approaching -- and it's a little bit scary.
That's the report for now. I will do my utmost to have a good post or two coming up in the next few weeks.
Peace.
posted by RCC at 2/26/2006 10:08:00 PM
5 Comments:
Rich,
What a great thing you've got here! Now all you need is a little card with the url to send to people when they ask you what's been going on with you. I liked the clothes article quite a bit; your line about the hijab and personality reminded me of the time I spent in Mali, but there, there were more than two dozen ways to tie a scarf, each with its own nickname! So the headscarf tended to express the personality, rather than repress it...
If you don't mind I'll add your link to my blogroll. Keep up the insights!
Jonathan
Hi!!
I'm glad you have finally updated your blog! Please do that more often; this blog is interesting and well-written.
Good luck
YO RICH, ALMOST A MONTH. ARE YOU IN HIBERNATION? YOUR COMMENTERS ARE STARTING TO MAKE UP THE BETTER PART OF YOUR BLOG. GIVE US SOME BALANCE TO THE ANTARCTIC NEWS. U. NORRIS
never ever promise "a good post or two coming up in the next few weeks." those things never seem to pan out.
i hope this means you're out enjoying yourself!
hi richard~ i have only read 2 blogs-january, and i think the most recent one, & i wanted to say that i enjoy your really thoughtful and well written comments about life in syria. i am also glad to hear that you're happy over there.do you remember when i ran in to you last summer coming from summerbridge with your mom or something? i think she said something about taking time off from school being a waste of time--does she still think that? or has she come to see how AWSUM it is that you're taking such a great opportunity? we should hang out next year in boston w/emmy and have a mini gfs reunion(yaay choir!)... are you doing anything musical where you are? I bet the music there is wicked hot!...anywho, that's way off topic! but keep on having fun--i love reading about GFS'rs escapades everywhere! ~stef
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