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Christel's Diary

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25 March 2007

Weeding

It seems like there is no end to the weeding job. I estimated 1 week, but was so wrong. It will take a few more weeks.

Syrians don’t have the habit of controlling weed everywhere in the garden. They just do it where needed and do not necessarily take out the roots, just cut it and leave it hoping it will dry and die, but grass and alike are strong and when the roots find the least bit of water they continue to grow. I tell them foreigners do not like “hasjiesh” in the garden (;-)) while taking out big and small varieties. Nobody tells me to stop, so I must be doing it right.

It’s not a very challenging job for the mind. A very rewarding one, though. It often feels like “playing in the sandbox”. Not a bad way to enjoy the morning and afternoon sun. I often stop at noon until 3 or 4 in the afternoon to so something in the house or just have a rest.

Today it was raining on and off. Typical spring showers with burning sun moments in between.

There are new puppies nearby. I didn’t go and have a look. It would be too hard to leave them.

Am thinking about taking in some tortoises. Christians (or is it Armenians ?) have the habit here to keep some. They say they bring good fortune.

Meanwhile the cricket living on the ceiling the whole winter has left the building. I wonder where it got to. It never made a sound. Just moved from one room to the other from time to time.

I like this season. So nice to sleep with the windows open. To have the living room full of wild flowers.

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12 March 2007

My first ice cream of the year

While outside some workers are putting tiles in the camping’s facilities room, I’m looking up the freshness of the house. I’m from Belgium and the sun is hot. Not used to it.

Summer habits are coming back. At 4 p.m. I will venture outside to do some weeding. I started yesterday and hope to be finished in a week. That would be a nice achievement. The camping/garden will look a lot cleaner. I just have to be careful to leave the useful stuff, as some varieties are used to make salads and some will soon be nice smelling flowers (in the evening).

Almost all of the neighbour from across the road’s bees have died. That’s the second year in a row he has got this problem and he doesn’t know why. Is it a disease or is it too cold in the winter ?

This week I discovered that more and more people are reading the information I leave on the internet and that they are using or just enjoying it. I was wondering about that. Some have contacted me to help them with their upcoming trip to Syria. It works : they are happy to find a local contact and I have something to keep my mind occupied. A few of them have asked Mohamed to be their driver and I will go along touring the country, when possible. This is definitely a win/win situation, as my ex colleagues would say.

They are not really yet “ex”, but soon will be, as my employer does not want to extend the “career interruption”.

I had my first ice cream the day before yesterday and am killing a few flies every day. Am thinking about installing the mosquito net soon.

We just had one little hick up this week : the wall around the camping cannot be built before we know the exact frontier with the neighbouring field. The “knowledgeable” administration in Aleppo has given us the wrong measurements. Hope this will be solved soon, as we need a wall before we can host some campers.

And it is nice to have the privacy of such a big space.

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04 March 2007

Marriage problems

As said before, spring has started. Everyday is changing like eating habits. We’re savouring the last buckets of sheep yoghurt and everywhere salads are served. Carpets are being cleaned or just hanging over the wall. Onions and hummus are being planted. And nature is full of colourful flowers.

It also seems like spring brings changes in mood. When visiting, marriage problems are the main issue. Some daughters returned to live with their parents or are sent back home. I wonder whether this is a chronic or an acute problem. Time will tell.

Often, women leave the house after a big row with their husband. Usually, the husband takes them home the next day. But, now the problems are of a different nature and the husband does not come and fetch the wife home the next day, nor the next, nor the next…

When couples row, immediately family and friends start negotiating to get them back together. A lot of talking and drinking tea. More than usual. Each time, the frustrated ones become less frustrated.

When somebody is ill, friends and family are visiting all the time - or at least phoning – until the ill one is cured. I find this strange, because I like to be alone when I am ill. Here ill people asks family to stay with them, even when they are in big pain or just sleeping the whole time.

Syrians are afraid to be alone and when they are weak this fear is even bigger.

Sleeping rooms have fixed little night lamps and they are used all the time.

At night the village looks like a Xmas tree. Every house has at least one outside lamp burning. Some have several in different colours. And some are equipped like discotheques.

Some 30 years ago there wasn’t even electricity in the village.

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