Going to Syria

It’s Eid al-Fitr (the celebration at the end of Ramadan that lasts 3 days). I’ll be going to Syria (Damascus) with some friends from the language center (Houston, Andrea and Jennifer) until Thursday! There was a suicide bomb that went off a few days ago…call me crazy since it was still an act of terrorism, but it will not be as dangerous as I know many people back home will think. It hit a government building, the exact intensions unknown at the moment. Given it being Eid and such an event having occurred, I have a feeling security is going to be more strict than I might ever witness during my year here.

School is moving along well. I’m still learning, although each day there are hundreds of new words thrown at me wit’s so hard to keep up. Today I went to play soccer with some friends…I did really well considering I haven’t seriously kicked a ball since High School. Ramadan was a good experience…but I’m glad it’s over, since it will be easier to grab some food or a drink out in public during the day. Things were more calm than usual, although you could tell the stress of hunger and thirst on some occasions…especially on the road, before dinner.

I had another Iftar at an orphanage with Adeeb, the president of the Rotaract club I’ve been volunteering with. We’ll also be starting some fundraising and outreach programs sometime, and after sharing that I’ve had some experience doing so, I will be helping out quite a bit I’m sure. I also volunteered with a Jordanian community service group called Action Committee at an Iftar with refugee children, with my friend Andrew. I will upload pictures after I return from Syria. The kids were very enthusiastic to talk to us, and we had a great time.

The other day some friends and I went to some ruins in Amman (Roman and Byzantine). Those pictures will also be uploaded after I get back from my trip to Syria. Stay tuned…