Damascene rose

So i have been in Damascus for a whole month now. Again with the time flying! It has actually been a fairly smooth and event free transition. Damascus is an easy city to meld into, get around and live in day to day. I was surprised at how quickly life has normalized, Syria is much less 'exotic' feeling than I ever imagined. It doesn't smack you in the face when you get off the plane, you can get around just fine speaking English or sometimes French and you can buy most food products you're after at the fancy new Cham City Centre mall (just down the street from me actually).

Not to say that things aren't different. It is ridiculously hot most of the time, there are stray cats all over the place and as a foreign lady I get a certain amount of attention (some helpful, some decidedly not). There are souqs and delicious sweets and plenty of hummous. The food is tasty...but I'm learning you get sick of eating Syrian quite quickly. In Canada and the UK I have been accustomed to having access to food from all different cultures....and the melting pot is delicious! As they say, variety is the spice of life. Not quite so true here...so mediocre curry, becomes to die for and previously frozen sushi, a real treat. Not to mention the distinct lack of alcoholic beverages at most restaurants. I'm not a huge drinker and didn't really notice this at first, but now it feels like my lucky day to be sitting on the patio at the 4 seasons enjoying a proper cocktail at a premium price. Maybe this is why diplomats have a reputation as alcoholics....Thank goodness for the duty free ;)

My other 'culture shock' from daily life...the bathrooms! All of mine came complete with a bidet of course and there is no flushing of TP allowed. Something about the pipes. I spent a few weeks being sick, sick, sick and spent rather a lot of time getting to know mine. At least chez moi there are proper thrones. In most public places there are squat style loos. I get it, these are practical on many levels and tend to be cleaner....however, they are much more suitably for middle easter attire than tighter, western style trousers. One step at a time!

Let the posting begin...

I finally made it to Damascus. It feels like it’s been a long road, but also ridiculously quick considering how much has gone on, especially in the past few weeks. My parents visited me in Ottawa for the last time, the good-bye parties with my FSDP group, finishing up projects at HQ, doing the inventory and pack-up and then one by one we all started to leave on our adventures. Before I knew it, I was on a plane. I had an easier time than most staying in my bubble for a bit longer because I was taking the first plane to well known territory to visit some friends in Europe. Then a rather nice vacation in Croatia later, I was in the airport waiting to fly to Syria. That’s when it really sank in that I was moving to the Middle East, somewhere I’ve never been and couldn’t even really imagine being. Maybe that’s what kept any fear and nervousness in check, the fact that I actually had no idea how things would turn out, so there wasn’t anything concrete to be scared of. So I waited patiently in the BMI business lounge (and waited….for 5 extra hours) and eventually boarded my flight, ate my selection of cheeses and drank some port, then fell asleep and woke up in Damascus. Initial impression: it is 5am, how can it be this hot?!! (for some reason I was under the impression deserts were cold at night…)

Happily I had an embassy ‘handler’ who whisked me through passport control and helped me get to my new home, a tiny marble palace kept on ice by aircon units in each room. I was feeling a bit buzzed at this point, so investigated all the rooms that were now mine for the next two years before passing out in bed.

back on track

i guess this project has been put on hold lately in favour of a busy, busy life (and plenty of free time laziness). i don't think anyone actually follows, so not really a big deal...

so, much has happened in the almost year since i quit posting. i worked in the office some more, completed IRPA training, had an insanely heart crushing break up, did overseas training in paris and mexico city and found out my posting. i'm moving to damascus in less than 2 mths!! hard to believe it is finally happening.

it's funny how something that couldn't happen soon enough 6 mths ago now feels like it is going to happen way too fast! the first of my colleagues already departed for post last week and the first big goodbye that is going to hit me in the heart happens this week. having lived in ottawa for almost 2 years now, i've been blessed to meet some truly great people who have enriched my time and been much needed companions in arms on this journey that can sometimes get a bit lonely.

overseas training was great. it was really the first time that all of us got a taste of what our job would actually be like. i'm happy to report that i liked it! this was good news as there was always a little voice in the back of my head saying, now what have you got yourself into? i found it very satisfying...but of course getting to train in paris and mexico was such a treat, who wouldn't enjoy working there?!

i was in paris for 4 weeks and loved getting the chance to practice using french and flex my tarte eating muscles. in fact, i ate so many pastries and sweets that the ladies in my favoured bakery would giggle every time i came in to purchase another treat. apparently it is not a normal parisian practice to consume tartes every evening...

i also got to take a weekend trip to normandy to see the d-day beaches. the views are amazing and evocative; this should be a must see for any canadian travelling in france. since it was winter when i was there, there was a total lack of tourists. an eerie fog had descended and i couldn't shake the lingering feeling of walking amongst ghosts. quite powerful really.



mexico city was also fabulous. i was lucky enough to get to share my training with 3 colleagues (one an excellent spanish speaker) so we had plenty of fun and adventures. the two things i take away from mexico are how incredibly lovely and warm the people are and how delicious the food is. having never experienced latino culture, i can say i fell in love and hope one day to be learning spanish and staging a return.