Damascus
I have arrived in Damascus and I am still alive. The flight was rather uneventful, but I met three classmates at Gardermoen, so I wasn't all alone. There was a man waiting for me and another girl at the airport in Damascus, he took our passports and got us through the control and everything without waiting in a line. The Students' Service Office took us on after all, and they've taken good care of us. They fix everything from water to a Syrian sim card, which doesn't work on my phone anyway, so I'll have to try to fix that.
The city is big, maybe 4-5 million, and there's people everywhere. It's very hot, +35 centigrade yesterday, in the shade. We are sweating like pigs, but we manage somehow. The two most striking things about Damascus are the pictures ang posters of president Bashar al-Asad that you see absolutely everywhere, and the policemen that are also everywhere. Half of them are armed, and their uniforms look military to me. (We've seen soldiers as well, but not as many).
Today we are getting a guided tour of the university and the city. I am currently in an internet lab at the language institute of the university, where it is pleasantly cool. Later today, we are going to meet our host families, and we are looking forward to that. By "we", I mean myself and a girl from my class, Lykke. We are staying at the same hotel, the Fardoss Tower downtown. Our host families live in the old city, so we are going there to meet them, to learn how to take the minibus (or van) to the university from there, and also to visit the big suuq. Should be fun!
Everything is very cheap here, but that's a good thing since we are spending 2100 USD on this fundamental services package and tuition fees. People are also very friendly, some are too friendly, but nobody has been unpleasant so far. The traffic is immense and crazy, though, the drivers are ruthless and will generally not stop for anything. We fear for our lives when we cross the street, but the locals just stroll across as if they're taking a Sunday (Saturday!) walk.
No pictures yet, I'm afraid, but I hear rumours there's a wireless network somewhere at the university, so I can update with pictures from my laptop later. Please excuse any typos, I am not used to this odd PC keyboard! ;)
Ma`a as-salaama wa-'ila l-liqa'!
The city is big, maybe 4-5 million, and there's people everywhere. It's very hot, +35 centigrade yesterday, in the shade. We are sweating like pigs, but we manage somehow. The two most striking things about Damascus are the pictures ang posters of president Bashar al-Asad that you see absolutely everywhere, and the policemen that are also everywhere. Half of them are armed, and their uniforms look military to me. (We've seen soldiers as well, but not as many).
Today we are getting a guided tour of the university and the city. I am currently in an internet lab at the language institute of the university, where it is pleasantly cool. Later today, we are going to meet our host families, and we are looking forward to that. By "we", I mean myself and a girl from my class, Lykke. We are staying at the same hotel, the Fardoss Tower downtown. Our host families live in the old city, so we are going there to meet them, to learn how to take the minibus (or van) to the university from there, and also to visit the big suuq. Should be fun!
Everything is very cheap here, but that's a good thing since we are spending 2100 USD on this fundamental services package and tuition fees. People are also very friendly, some are too friendly, but nobody has been unpleasant so far. The traffic is immense and crazy, though, the drivers are ruthless and will generally not stop for anything. We fear for our lives when we cross the street, but the locals just stroll across as if they're taking a Sunday (Saturday!) walk.
No pictures yet, I'm afraid, but I hear rumours there's a wireless network somewhere at the university, so I can update with pictures from my laptop later. Please excuse any typos, I am not used to this odd PC keyboard! ;)
Ma`a as-salaama wa-'ila l-liqa'!