Syrian activities

After a few hours of running through the souks, I'm sitting down and having a bit of time for myself.

It is not easy to be alone in Aleppo. This morning I got up, took a shower, made some tea and started having breakfast and thought : "This is nice, sitting here in my own room with the sun shining and everybody still sleeping..." but then, some visit. Serwat's Mother was announced by Saadr, half of twins and one of the 2 youngest children in that family.

I did not mind, because I like them very much and Serwat's mother is a calm and warm person. She never went to school, but she is able to express herself in a way that I can understand, which a lot of Syrians who went to school until 14 or 18 cannot.

Anyway, she announced that she would go to the souk and as I needed some things, I said I would go with her. After having poured some tea for her that she drank without comment, she went back to join Serwat.

I do not know whether she liked the tea, because she will never tell. It was the first time that I made some. I liked it, but it was a bit too strong, probably.

I have got now the necessary stuff in my room to make and serve tea, coffee, flower tea and simple meals.

But back to the souk... I like running behind Syrian woman in the souk trying to buy things. It helps me understand the Arabic way of shopping and to it also helps me to understand the value of the goods sold in there. It is very tiresome, because the souk is a complicated net of small streets full of shops and people and donkeys. The most important lesson I learnt is that you have to go around the shops selling the article that you want, compare prices and then start bargaining. It also helps being befriended with the shopkeeper or knowing a friend of the shopkeeper.

A few hours in the souk is equal to 1 hour in the gym which I haven't visited yet. I have been too busy moving around, cleaning, buying and visiting.

Yesterday, for example, we drove towards the Turkish border and visited a whole bunch of Byzantine Dead Cities. There are about 800. It keeps you fit climbing over walls and jumping from one rock to another. I'm starting to be very good at it and have taken the discipline to a higher level. I'm actually trying to do it without getting my cloths or hands dirty.

Dust is the worst enemy here and until today it hasn't rained. The villagers are praying for it.