Back in the free world

So, I'm back and now that the initial euphoria of being home is wearing off, I realize I have to deal with some deeper issues. Do I want to stay in Syria? Can I handle it? I am going to regret moving back to Canada when things get mundane? I just watched a movie last night with Amber and Zaak called "Cairo Time" with Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig, it showed some of the cultural differences that I've been experiencing. One example is how the main character ( a blonde women in her 40's) walks around Cairo and gets stared at by men of all ages, as well as going in to an only men cafe. It's difficult for me to express my challenges in Syria, so it was interesting to see it expressed in a film. A bit of humor was when Patricia goes for a boat ride on the nile, and Alexander asks why she looks uncomfortable and she tells him that she doesn't swim. He then says "doesn't everyone have a swimming pool in their back yard" and she says "don't you have 4 wives". Stereotypes go both ways...

Baby shower

Yesterday evening I went to a baby shower and forgot to ask about the dress code. I was shopping with a friend right before, I was wearing dressy boots, jeans and a nice top but when I got to the apartment, all the other ladies were wearing dresses,jewels, nylons and heels and hair done... I almost went back home to change, but sucked it up and decided to remember this lesson, when in doubt always overdress!

A home

I think if we had found a house right away, it would have made us feel I part of this community more. We saw another apartment last night, I hated it with every fiber of my body! Really strange layout with a long corridor to get to the kitchen, low ceilings and small poky bedrooms. They tried to sell the sea view, but when you're on the balcony you have to crane your neck to the left (where the neighbors' balcony is) and the rest of the view is other buildings. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find something decent! What's the point of living so close to the Mediterranean when you can barely see it!?

Confusion

Now that I'm leaving in two weeks, I'm trying to wrap my head around how I feel about this place. People are going to ask me, and I have to come up with something short and sweet... Something positive or negative will happen and I'll feel justified in either writing this place off or endorsing it, but I can't seem to find a happy medium. Maybe being out of the country will give me some perspective...

Wedding fever

Last weekend we had 2 weddings; one on Thursday evening and the other on Friday. The first one was a the former secretary from the consulate, and they did things very differently. Their party was literally on the beach, in the sand! This is really uncommon here, and the person who drove us was fretting about her expensive dress trailing in the sand and her satin shoes... We ended up leaving early, right after the power went out. The second wedding was more typical for here, a lot of pomp and circumstance. The reception location was new, and a little small but we had a great time! Their happiness was so tangible that it spread like a virus! Now that our wedding anniversary is fast approaching, I hope people had a fun time at our wedding, because we did!!

Back to Canada for a visit!

We're leaving for Canada on November 20, which means a little more than a month! (Not that I'm counting :)
So, I'm really excited to leave and see friends, family and my old life. I'm excited about wearing whatever I want,
being able to do everything on my own, and being an unknown. I finish this session at the consulate next Saturday,
and it will be a rather nice break. I've been working non stop since July, with only one or two days between sessions.
It will be interesting to see how I feel about things when I'm back in Canada...

Cooking

Yesterday I FINALLY went to buy my own produce at a little stall nearby... I don't why I waited so long... I thought maybe they wouldn't speak English or that I would get ripped off, but it was fantastic!
I bought some limes, necatrines, potatoes, carrots, a melon, some apples for about $3! I also soaked some white beans overnight and cooked them for an hour and a half, adding some bacon, potatoes, garlic and beef stock, it was amazing!