Friday

بدي صرخ بالعربي

كتابة هالمقطع أخد مني أكتر من البقية اللي تحت. عم بستعمل الكيبورد أونلاين

ما بعرف شو بدي إحكي

بس بدي صرخ بلعربي

لك يضرب حظي صاير متل الجاجة اللي نسيت الطيران و ماكانت تتعلم المشي مظبوط

آعد بهالغرفة لحالي

عم بحلق بهالشاشة

التلفزيون شغال وصوت صراخ شارابوفا

هي عم تلعب تنس صرعني

يبعتك حمة

بتعملي ٢٠ مليون دولار بالسنة وعمتصرخي؟

بدي صرخ بركي بعمللي كم مليون

طلعلي فتاق وماصار شي

يمكن لإنو عم صرخ بالعربي

صرلي ساعتين

بكتب بهالسطرين


بيكفي.... بدي خبي قوتي مشان إتجوز

عندك بيت بالشام؟


If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I'd own that mess of a block in the first picture by now.
Let me ask you this: Why would I pay around 10,000,000 Syrian Pounds (Around $200,000) for a flat in this mess, when I can get something like that house in the other picture for less than that?
Yes, I know it's because of the geographic location. That mess is at home, while the beautiful house is thousands of miles away on another continent. But I also live on that far away continent and only come home for a visit. I'm not saying this will never change. My dream was always to make it back home. I also have my parents house where the only resident living there now is my mom.
On the other hand, real estate purchase in Syria is one of the best investments one can make. When I visited home in 2001 everyone begged me to buy a house. After my last visit this year, I realized this wasn't a bad idea after all. My family house is worth around 6 times more than it did in 2001. Read this report and you'll realize the effect of the Syrian real estate market on the economy. The report states that the real estate and construction sectors employed together a total of 735,931 people in 2007 out of a total active population of 4,945,977, or 15% of the Syrian workforce. In other words, the size of the workforce in real estate is around three times the size of the sector’s share of Syria’s GDP (4.27%). Beyond economics, the importance of the real estate industry derives from the strong impact it has on the social and border development spheres.

Well, as they say back home كلمة يا ريت عمرا ما كانت بتعمر بيت

Thursday

Traffic


" Dear fellas, I can't believe how fast things move on the outside. I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they're everywhere. The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry"


I borrowed this phrase from my favorite movie The Shawshank Redemption . So many people, too many cars, trucks, busses...... Damascus looks like a constant rush hour in New York city. Every Damascene household had at least one car. Smog covered the city with a thick dark cloud. When I left home, everyone's dream back there was to own a car someday. Automobile prices were the highest in the world. " Be careful what you wish for, it might come true".

"Driving in Syria is hazardous and requires great caution. Although drivers generally follow traffic signs and signals, they often maneuver aggressively and show little regard for vehicles traveling behind or to the sides of them. Lane markings are usually ignored. Vehicles within Syrian traffic circles must give way to entering traffic, unlike in the United States. At night, it is very hard to see pedestrians, who often walk into traffic with little warning. Outside major cities it is common to find pedestrians, animals and vehicles without lights on the roads at night. Pedestrians must also exercise caution. Parked cars, deteriorating pavement, and guard posts obstruct sidewalks, often forcing pedestrians to walk in the street. Vehicles often do not stop for pedestrians, and regularly run red lights or “jump” the green light well before it changes."

This was a direct quote from the U.S. Department of State Website . It summarizes the chaotic state of traffic in Syria. It justifies my fear everytime one of my nieces walks 100 meters to her grandparents house down the street. Is there a quick solution? I'm not sure. I do know it starts with the people, the drivers.

Tuesday

Going Home


My brother picked me up at the airport. The streets looked the same except for a few new tunnels and overpasses. The same old stinky smell of manure greeted me at the end of the airport highway. Farmers break sewer lines to irrigate their land and the smell stretches for miles. The car raced through the winding streets of the old city. Ahhhhh..... I'm finally home.

We reached our neighborhood around midnight. The street looked dark and deserted except for the scores of smalls cars parked everywhere. I raced up the stairs to see mom and whoever would be there waiting for me. Mom was asleep on the sofa when I walked in. She openned her eyes and immediately started crying. I looked at her face and barely recognized her. I haven't been home for almost 9 years after all. Mom looked very frail and old with white hair, white eye brows, and wrinkles everywhere. I held back my tears at her sight. She's been a widow for over 27 years and raised us all alone without much help or resources. Now, she can barely walk alone to the bathroom without help. I was always a rebel growing up, and we argued over much, but I always loved her dearly.

I woke up the following morning to the sounds of car horns on our busy street. Walked out of my room to wash and brush my teeth. Mom was in the living room with two other women. I recognized the older one as our second floor neighbor. We've been neighbors for over thirty years. The young lady sitting next to her had a beautiful innocent face and a graceful skinny figure. Her black eyes radiated over a beautiful creamy complexion and perfect features. " She must be our neighbor's youngest daughter, the cream of the crop" I thought to myself. I exchanged greetings with my neighbor and the young lady looked at me then shyed away and stared at the floor. There is no aphrodisiac like innocence. My heart started beating fast, but I dismissed all thoughts after thinking of what age difference there is between the two of us. Mom told me after they left that our neighbor wanted me to see her daughter hoping I would propose. I laughed at the idea and mom had nothing further to say.

To be continued.....