Syria, habibi
Some people have asked me how living in Syria has been. I'm not sure how to answer a question like that. Living here is phenomenally fascinating. It's completely different from any other place I've lived, and learning a new alphabet and language so I could get around here has been challenging.There are many things that I like about Syria. People here are really friendly and welcoming, even in the face of all the hardships life here brings and even to Americans. It's impressive to me that many people here are careful to make a distinction between Americans and their government, something that many Americans fail to do when thinking about the Middle East. It's shameful to me that fellow Americans speak so harshly about the Middle East when they know so little about it.
I like that it's relatively safe here, that I can walk around without fearing being mugged or attacked, even at night. I realize that this is because of the everpresent police force and that's discomforting. It's one thing that makes living in Syria sort of wistfully difficult. I want to walk around at night but I don't know if I'm willing to permanently live with such a police force.
I like living in Damascus, a city with so much history. It's the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and it shows in the Roman ruins that dot the old city and in Straight Street, the street on which, in the Bible, Saul has an encounter with God, changes his name to Paul, and becomes an Apostle. Today it's lined with restaurants, shops, and houses. It's difficult to live here and not to think about religion, history, and how the thousands of years of history shape the way people here think.
There are things I will not miss about Syria, though. I will not miss men staring at me and making comments (such as the man next to me at the bank this morning who looked at me appreciatively and said 'So chic'. I had to supress my laughter, as I'm currently wearing black pants, a lime shirt, and some red and white socks with my black sneakers, as I got tired of rummaging through my suitcase looking for clothes that matched). It really is bothersome that men feel free to stop and stare at foreign women here. There are definitely double standards for foreign women. Whereas it would be awful for a man to whistle at a woman in hijab and just damning for him to touch her, as I've experienced, somehow it's okay for men to reach out and grab foreign women.
I won't miss the sadness of knowing the paradox of Syrians being such hard workers and having so much potential and the feeling that I get from some of my friends that there is little hope here. Syria is a beautiful place and, while it's difficult to predict what will happen, it's sad to think that there are people here with so much talent who might never get to use it.
Living in Syria has been fantastic. I'll definitely be back. No Inshallah about it.
posted by Travel Chick @ 1:25 PM
2 Comments:
(This is certainly arguable, but...) I would contend that the safety of Syria's streets is not especially because of the heavy police presence (although I'm sure that contributes) but because of the nature of the Syrian people. They are, in general, a family-oriented, non-alcoholic, and drug-free population, factors which seem to have produced a society in which people genuinely care about each other.
In contrast, you can live in a place like Moscow, Russia and fear for your safety any time after dusk, even when not alone. Notice that the Russian society, in general, has massive problems with alcoholism, drugs, and the disintegration of the family as the basic unit of society. These are problems that a policeman on every street corner couldn't necessarily solve.
But either way - the streets are safe, and I am glad!
Many female tourists complain about the "looks" and the "double standards". It's a shame!
Bridget is right. The security is not only about the police.
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