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Monday, November 26, 2007

The Middle East Experience

Since Ellen is not writing anymore in the blog because she doesn't like the fact that people know about her life constantly and she doesn't know anything about others life i'll keep writing no matter what especially since i have so much to say as well.
Well first of all I went to Jordan and Syria for 16 days. I just loved Syria it was such an amazing experience like it was just one of those trips in which i really learned loads and got to meet amazing people.The interesting thing about all this is the fact that when i told people that i was going to the middle east they were like WOW that is something by itself and then when i said i was going to Syria everyone was like Jesus that is going to be dangerous and not only that i also went by myself which added excitement to the hot pot of soup, and even if you log into the US department of state they quote basically don't go because is dangerous. Well first of all its all media. Syria is one of the safest countries i have ever been and its all Media brainwash. The western world is brainwashing all their citizens into believing that the world is a dangerous place and everyone keeps living with fear and therefore more controllable reducing the possibility for humans to exercise a more pure form of free will and conscious choice. In addition specially Syrians and some Jordanians were incredibly amazing so so so incredibly friendly and i was freaken shocked. Syrians opened their arms and said welcome to our home and that was incredibly amazing and if a Syrian knows an English word that would be 'welcome' because that is the first thing they say when they see you on the street which is Welcome Welcome to Syria can you imagine those words coming from Arab terrorist?? not only that they see ya they talk to you ask about your life, country, family, work, beliefs, religion, likes and dislikes (without asking for any money) and they wish you a good trip in Syria and happy life fancy that (I am Not exaggerating)!!!!!.
The biggest lesson in short was that people by nature are capable of giving love, but at the same time there is incredible fear of such a risky act. I believe and know that this a fundamental human act that could sustain us living in the current desperate world that we live in full of poverty, hatred, war and disbelieve. I believe human beings are good by nature but sometimes is just hard to see it and believe it and especially being able to "give" it and "receive" it. We are also so full of prejudice and preconceptions about people, ideas and places that blurs everything around us with a tainted and deviated perception that in a way stops this inner human act of giving and receiving.

Syria
This is in Damascus Omayyad mosque one of the islam's greatest architertural monuments and it has an incredible peaceful atmosphere. Plus Damascus incredible old city would just blow you away.




Spice stall in Aleppo Souk (Aleppo Market) you can tell how important Syria was for the east ern trade in earlier centuries.


Gold Souk



Apamea This is a Roman city from the 4th and 5th century these are the columns if the main street you can feel how the roman had such an incredible power.



This is an old man selling Spices in little bags i was just shocked by the simplicity of the trade and how this probably 65 year old man makes a living out of bags with spices, i wonder how many children he has and a wife to support since muslim don't work in the regular trade at least in Syria? Would that be enough to make a proper living????????


This is in Damascus and as you can see there is a little boy at the back with a funky custom giving a sort of flavored water . The first day i arrived in Syria a committed the mistake of drinking a glass of that water because the boy was extremely persistent so i took the glass and zip down the contents which cause me a serious diarrhea which didn't go away for 24 hours and i ended up taking antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria. Although Syrian food is incredibly beautiful.



Anyway hope i made it clear enough. There is just an incredible world out there!, full of incredible people this fact just gives me a sense of peace .

I'll put a post for Jordan soon enough


Adrian