My last week

This is my last week in Syria before my return to Belgium, for a while. Suddenly the time is passing by very quickly.

I'm very popular in the village, because the women are curious about my habits and the children like to do there English homework with me.
Sometimes it is not easy explaining what the exercise is about, as they are all small children and do not understand English. So, I have to explain in Arabic and sign language which I also do with the women when they want to know something.

I've got 2 new friends : Ahmed is 5, and Rehaaf is 3. Ahmed is learning how to count to 10 in English. When I will leave, he will know. His little sister shows me often 4 fingers and asks me "how much?". When I respond "I forgot", she says "foul".

Sometimes I am leaving the house for a long time, and then they are very glad to see me back.

Yesterday morning, I had some quality time with Ahmed in my room. Is slept in late (until 9, actually) and he couldn't wait for me to have a wash and come to the living room. He knocked on the door and came in and staid chatting with me for an hour telling me he was very worried the day before, because I came in very late when he was asleep and he thought I had returned to Belgium. I needed some coffee and made some and he wanted some too, chatting politely about the weather and the family and returning the empty glass with a "daime" which means something like "I wish you a lot of prosperity". Then he left to give me time to prepare for the day.
I think tomorrow we will have some time together because today I left very early for Hama and am spending the night here. He's probably asking his every 5 minutes whether I will return.

In the afternoon, some family from the other village was visiting. The girls where all the time with me asking me a lot of questions -of course - and offering me all kinds of delicacies from the garden, the weed that we would never keep in the garden ;-)

Whenever I feel like I get in some kind of routine or think I will be bored that day, something is happening or someone is visiting. Never a dull moment !