Learning Arabic

We are 80 hours into our lessons and Rasa is speaking Arabic about 90% of the time in our class.  For me, well, let us just say I need to study a bit more.   Here is a sample of the Arabic alphabet.  After two weeks of class, we were reading this.  We could sound out words but not quite understand them.  As of now, we can read a bit faster and ask for things in a store or order food without a problem.   Here is the main office and Muhammad, who is one of the admin staff.  This is where I use the internet, which is a lifesaver because the cafes do not let connect my laptop there.  Although, with US sanctions blocking Skype, PayPal, and even downloading Google Toolbar the internet is not nearly as fun.  I just don't see how banning Google helps Lebanon though.   This is waiting area with satellite TV.  The door is always open for us when we need our BBC fix.   Besides language lessons we have been trying to learn about the culture too.  This includes food and luckily, Maher loves to cook.  When he invited us to his farm in Deir ez-Zur, one of our most important lessons was learning the fine art of kebabs.  These are eggplant kebabs with chicken.   The other big thing we needed to know was how to shop, asking how much and understanding what they say.  Rasa and I love shopping for handicrafts so we decided to practice our bargaining skills with something a bit smaller, like pickles from the shawarma man.   Most importantly, what would any cultural lesson be without knowing how to pour a proper cup of tea?  There really is a method to it.  Just remember to drink your water first.  If you drink it after the tea, it appears you are cleansing your palate and this is insulting to your host.   Here we are at the Umayyad Mosque in Old Damascus.  You have to love Rasa's outfit, she looks just like the Jawas from Star Wars.  Seriously though, one of the most interesting parts of our lessons has been learning about Islam.  For Rasa and me, this topic and politics takes up at least three hours a week of questions.

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Development Project Coordinator
RobRasa.com/hisblog
Cell: +963 888-861-483
Voice Mail: +1 (631) 458-1119

Stuffed Camel

This was a busy week for us: Rasa started working, we had to visit immigration, winter arrived and we discovered a new local delicacy.   Since arriving, our expenses have been a bit more than we had budgeted so Rasa decided to get a job with Belitz teaching English to kids.  The funny thing is though; this is the best paying job we have had in the last four years!  Because she has her TEFL certificate, she is getting about $10 per hour.  Every little bit helps extend our journey.   Then it was two days of fun at the immigration office.  It all starts with getting three copies each of your passport, visa and the extension form.  After you have all this filled out, you then have to push your way to the back corner of the room below for another form.   After you fill out the 5th piece of paper, you need seven signatures from four different people.  Then you push your way to the back corner again and drop it all off.  The next day, your passport is ready to be picked-up.  See how bedraggled it left this poor women?   After four years of suffering in tropical humidity, we are bitterly appreciating the freezing winter here.  We finally had to install the gas heater in our living room.  The round looking tank on the poll is full of gas (yes, the kind you put in your car).  You turn the knob to drip feed the fire below.  They say it is safe.   This is the traveling gas station.  He walks up and down the streets honking a horn so you can bring down your jerry can to fill-up.  This is the cheapest way to heat your house, gas here costs ¢63 per gallon.   STUFFED CAMEL (the ultimate Syrian appetizer) 1 whole camel, medium size 1 whole lamb, large size 20 whole chickens, medium size 60 eggs 12 kilos rice 2 kilos pine nuts 2 kilos almonds 1 kilo pistachio nuts 110 gallons of water 2 kilos of salt 5 kilos of black pepper Skin, trim and clean the camel (once you get over the hump), lamb and chickens.  Boil all together until tender.  Cook rice until fluffy.  Fry nuts until brown and mix with the rice.  Hard-boil the eggs and peel.  Stuff the cooked chickens with hard-boiled eggs and rice mixture.  Stuff the cooked lamb with the stuffed chicken and more rice.  Stuff the camel with the stuffed lamb and the rest of the rice.  Broil over large charcoal pit until brown.  Spread any remaining rice on a large tray and place camel on top of rice.  Decorate with boiled eggs and nuts.  This little dish serves a friendly crowd of 100 people.   As good as the above recipe sounded, later that night there was this large grill in place of the camel head.

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Development Project Coordinator
RobRasa.com/hisblog
Cell: +963 888-861-483
Voice Mail: +1 (631) 458-1119

Halabiyya Ruins

On our last day in Deir ez-Zur, we made a daytrip to the ruins of Halabiyya.  Situated in the middle of the northern desert ( 35°41'22.4"N, 39°49'8.9"E), this Byzantine town was used as a forward-defense against Persian invaders.   This is the northern wall with the Rahbi Citadel sitting on top of the mountain.  Halfway up is the main hall, which is impressively preserved.   The ruins pour down right into the river so it is only reasonable that the government build a road right through them.   Taken from atop the Citadel, you can see the southern wall and Euphrates River.   Here is Rasa examining a doorway that leads to the watchtower stairs.   This is the inside of the main hall.  It was striking to see three floors intact in such a massive structure.  The intended purpose of the arches is to support logs, which then make up the foundation for the floor.   One day my climbing is going to crumble a 2000-year old building.   Luck, not skill.  I just happen to catch this shot on the drive back because I stopped to use the bathroom.

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Development Project Coordinator
RobRasa.com/hisblog
Cell: +963 888-861-483
Voice Mail: +1 (631) 458-1119

Lunch with the Bedouin

The next part of our Deir ez-Zur trip was a day with the Bedouin.  Although we did not sleep in the desert, they still invited us to eat with them on the floor.   This is the youngest daughter, Amira.  She has ten siblings from two mothers.  I would compare this family to a rural farming family in Honduras except that here they are sheepherders.   Twice a day the first wife makes bread for the family.  This is their main food staple.  For us, she made some bread with lamb and spices mixed in.    Here is Rasa learning how to flip the bread.  She has always liked to play with dough.  To cook it, she spreads it out on the white pad and then sticks it to the side of the mud oven (the hole on the bottom right).  When the bread is fully cooked, it starts to bubble and to peel off.  They use cotton twigs left over from the harvest to fire the oven.   I finally made friends with the youngest boy.  He just cried when we first got there but a little candy and seeing himself in the camera won him over.   What would a nomadic family tent be without satellite TV?   After lunch, we helped Abu Fouaz bring in the herd.  I kept trying to give the sheep hugs but they are just not as friendly as turkeys.   This is the queen sheep and where she goes the rest follows.  She has the bell so the kids can hear her when she tries sneaking away.

Robert J Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Wat/San Development Consultant
RobRasa.com/hisblog
Cell: +963 888-861-483
Voice Mail: +1 (631) 458-1119