Letters From Syria

I have recently been corresponding with another friend of mine in Syria. His name is Ziad. I worked with Ziad at Mahjoub House in Damascus in 2001 while I was there studying Arabic. He told me that he and his family were doing fine and that he has no plans to leave Syria (hopefully). He has a 12 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. He works as a Foreign Purchase Coordinator in an Austrian company that runs a paper mill in Deir Ez-zor city (a city northeast of Damascus that has seen a heavy amount of fighting). The company has a liaison office in Damascus and that is where he goes everyday "with some difficulties in transportation depending on the day itself."

He left Mahjoub House (where I met him) in 2002. He said the mill where we used to work was "robbed and burned by freedom fighters (Robin Hood gangs), occupied by them and then bombed by the army." That place had a lot of employees, so sad to think that they may all be out of work and doing who knows what to survive. He stated that he hadn't seen our boss Khaled since 2002. Who knows where that rich Syrian business man is? Did he have the cash and connections to leave the country? He was pretty close to Bashar Al Assad when I knew him or at least claimed to be. Maybe he is hunkered down somewhere in the country "protected" by the army. Who knows? It is all such a reality check for me. It is unbelievable to hear about all these places that I knew well, being destroyed. It is more difficult to think about all the people's lives all of this effects. Many of whom I know! Ziad goes on to say, "I feel very sorry for the situation we are living in and the civilians going down everyday. It is now anything but revolution. Maybe it was at the beginning, but not now for sure. Junkies, robbers, outlaws have succeeded to steal it from others." 

I asked him how easy it was to get food and needed supplies. He said, "materials in Damascus are easier to find than other areas, and yes there are certain areas that are safer than others." He goes on, "I called some of my friends in Aleppo: factories were robbed, disassembled and smuggled to Turkey. Of course this is my point of view. We need better civilized people to build the country, not worse who exclude the others. I believe you know really how Syrians (Muslims and Christians) used to live."  

In another email a few days later, Ziad answered my questions about a colleague named Sahar, who worked with us and who I have not heard much from. I assume she is safe though because she sent me an "invite" to her knitting page on Facebook. Ziad writes, "I don't know exactly what Sahar does, but I believe she is moving between Damascus and Homs. She married her cousin and moved to Homs before the crises in Syria."  Well, I sure hope she doesn't live in Homs anymore. According to the Syrian opposition, Homs has become a "blighted city," where authorities regularly block deliveries of medicine, food and fuel to the inhabitants. This past June, there were near-daily confrontations between protesting residents and Syrian forces. As a result of these circumstances, there have been more deaths in Homs and its vicinity than other areas of Syria. Homs was the first Syrian city where images of al-Assad and his family were routinely torn down or defaced and the first place where Syrian forces used artillery during the uprising. I will continue to try and contact Sahar. I would love to hear from her and know how she is.

Ziad ended his second email saying, "Life is not normal anymore in all Syria, and I pray to God to end this with the minimum losses. We are losing Syria and for sure not gaining democracy because some people just don't accept the others and respect their opinions. I long to see democratic and secular Syria (Religion is for God and homeland is for everyone)." I long to see a democratic Syria as well but I worry it will not become a reality anytime soon. I just hope and pray my friends can get through this long, awful crisis and remain safe. I can't imagine being there right now...

 

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day - Guy Fawkes also known as Guido Fawkes was involved in a gunpowder plot to assassinate the Protestant King James. Loads of gunpowder was put in the cellars of Parliament to go off at the opening. However, the King was tipped off and ordered a search of the cellars, where Guy Fawkes was found coming out and the barrels of gunpowder discovered.  The plot was discovered on the 5 November 1605. Londoners were encouraged to celebrate the King's escape from assassination by lighting bonfires. An Act of Parliament designated each 5 November as a day of thanksgiving for "the joyful day of deliverance." Although he was only one of 13 conspirators, Fawkes is today the individual most associated with the failed Plot. His effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by a firework display. This year we were invited to a bonfire night at a friend's house. There was a Guy Fawkes competition so we got some of Charles' old clothes and made our own Guy Fawkes. Much to the girls' disappointment, we did not win. I thought it was pretty cute though. He is stuffed with newspaper and garbage. 

We made carmel apples to eat while we made our Guy Fawkes.

Here is me and my man... who needs Charles!

Here is the big fire out in the field behind our friend's house. As I stated above there is a reason for this tradition but sometimes I think it is just a good excuse for grown men to play with fire. There were a lot of men very excited to burn things....

This is a Guy Fawkes that someone else made and that actually won the competition. Ours is better!

Here is another Guy Fawkes with a balloon head.

The burning effigies

There's our man, burning on the fire! The whole celebration is a bit morbid. The girls did sparklers and we set off a bunch of lanterns into the sky as well. Oh and there was fireworks.

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

Halloween

I didn't take that many Halloween pictures this year. All of these pictures were taken at a friend's party by her and then posted on Facebook so you may have already seen them. We had a fun Halloween though. Abby was Anne Boleyn, Sammy was Sacajawea and Alexandra was a cute little witch that repeated "hee hee hee hee!" over and over. (You can see the back of Sammy's feather head dress in the picture above. I never actually got a picture of her from the front with it on.)

I must say, it looks like I am enjoying myself. I dressed up as the Bride of Frankenstein. Actually, I was feeling pretty miserable. I woke up that morning with a terrible cold/flu, where I felt hot and cold and clammy all over. I can't believe I got this far with my costume. I didn't have the strength to do the white make-up all over. I did put on false eye lashes and black lipstick though. It was really fun to dress-up because the girls would stop what they were doing in the middle of the party and just stare at me.

Here is Alexandra making a spider cupcake

This party was from 11-1pm and by the time it was over, I was done. I could hardly function. I took the girls home and turned on movies for them and went to bed. I did not get out of bed again until morning. Fortunately Charles came home and took them trick-or-treating. Sammy went to a friend's birthday where she went trick-or-treating. They all came home with loads of candy or sweeties as they say here. 

I was in charge of the spider cupcakes and had baked a couple dozen the day before. I found this idea online. I thought they were pretty cute!

Chat with a Syrian Friend

I just finished chatting on Facebook with one of my Syrian friends. Her name is Areen. Areen lives in Damascus currently with her husband and two boys. She said that her house was bombed and partially destroyed. It sounds like they were able to salvage some of it by fixing windows and some walls but there is no heating or fuel for cooking. Winter is upon them and it is cold. I know because when I was there in the winter, I was always cold. She does have water. I assume she has a few hours of electricity a day since she said they bought a new t.v. when the old one was destroyed. I can't imagine how frightening it must be to live somewhere with your family knowing your house could be bombed at anytime. She wanted to move elsewhere but it is very expensive to live in the "safe zones." However, she also said that there really are no safe zones anymore in Damascus or anywhere for that matter. She also said that leaving the country is virtually impossible. She would have to go to Lebanon because all the embassies have closed. She can get food from the supermarket but a limited variety of items. She also made a frightening statement saying that there were piles of humans, stray dogs and cats everywhere in various places throughout the city. 

Areen normally works at a bank. She said that she does not work very much now but seemed to go in once in a while. I asked her what I could do. I asked if she needed anything. I asked if the mail system worked. She said that she thought it did but you never know what would happen from day to day. If I understood her right, she did not see any good alternative to Bashar al-Asad though I get the impression that she is not a loyalist to him she just does not see any good opposition leaders to replace him. I asked if she had heard of Mouaz al-Khatib, a former imam from the famous Umayyad mosque in Damascus, who was just voted in as president of the opposition in Doha. She had not heard. She stated over and over that Syria is a miserable place. She then asked about my children. How are they? How could I tell her that they are happily going to school, swimming lessons, gymnastics, have plenty to eat and nice warm beds to sleep in without fear. Their only worries are whether they will like what they are having for school lunch each day. My heart breaks for Syria right now. I wish there was something I could do...  

Discovering our Royal Side...

This week has been half term for the girls so they had the whole week off including Halloween. I have been dying to take them to Hampton Court Palace since they have now both studied the Tudors in school. Abby studied the Tudors last year and Sammy is studying them this year. They both LOVE reading about them. The above is a picture of Sammy and Alexandra with the crowns they got to make when we first got to the palace.

Here is a small part of the palace. This place is HUGE! Charles and I came here years ago when we saw an opera performed in the courtyard and had a picnic dinner in the gardens but we never really toured the palace itself.

Upon entering the palace, the girls went directly to the robing room and picked out their royal robes. They got to wear them the entire time we were at the palace. Here they are with their friend Zoe looking especially royal!

This is the ceiling of the great hall. (My camera is rubbish.)

Large tapestries cover the walls in the great hall.

Sammy, Alexandra and friends testing out the royal goblets, bowls and seats in the great hall.

The girls sat with Queen Katharine Parr (the last wife of King Henry the VIII) and her ladies in waiting, musician and a french ambassador. They taught them some Tudor songs. (There is a rotation among the queens since there was six wives. You go and never know who will be the queen that day.)

After singing with the Queen in her private chambers, the girls went to the great hall where some of the courtiers sent them on a mission as spies to the Spanish Ambassador. They were supposed to feed him some false information and embarrass him at court. They ran through the palace with the courtiers (running through passageways and doors that were not used by the public) and found the Spanish Ambassador on the toilet. He claimed to be waiting for some secrets papers from the French to be handed up the toilet. They told him the false information and he believed every word of it. Then they went to report what they had done to the King and Queen. Above is King Henry VIII and Katharine Parr listening to the spies' report.

Here is Abby in the King's Throne room, listening to the King. Abby and Sammy were so into every minute of this. They loved it and so did I! It all felt so exciting! The actors and actresses were amazing! Abby and Sammy loved the huge dresses the ladies were all wearing.

Here are my girls looking exceptionally royal!

The great clock tower

At the end of the day, Abby and Sammy went again into the great hall and were able to learn some dances and short plays in order to entertain the King and Queen at court. They were also taught what to do when the King entered the room in Tudor times. You stood and then went down on one knee and stayed there until the King says you can rise. King Henry VIII and Katharine Parr came into the great hall with the royal sound of trumpets. It was very grand. King Henry was even wearing the new crown that has just been made as an exact replica of his original crown. (The original was destroyed.) The King and Queen came in and sat on their thrones and watched the entertainment of the court. The girls danced and acted. Then the Spanish ambassador blurted out the wrong information and embarrassed himself according to plan. And we did all this while sitting in the REAL palace, in the REAL great hall, next to REAL tapestries... What an incredible experience! What a fun way to learn history!This is not a special event at the palace either. They do this everyday!

I would have paid more money for this palace. It was so worth our time. I bought a season pass so we can go back to Hampton Court as well as several other palaces (including the Tower of London and Kensington Palace) as much as we'd like for the next 15 months! Can you tell how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE living here? I love that my children study these things in school and then we can take them to the REAL, actual places where they happened. They study William Shakespeare, we take them to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Abby is studying the Romans this year, we can take her to see REAL Roman ruins in London and St. Albans. They study King Henry VIII, we take them to HIS palace! Its the same with the Victorians, the Georgians, Charles Dickens and the list goes on. Abby is dying to go to the Tower of London since she was Anne Boleyn for Halloween. She really wants to see where she was held and then be-headed! I am just as excited! 

Halloween Prep

This year we grew our OWN pumpkins! I think 
anybody can garden when you live in the UK. 
I put the seeds in tiny pots in the spring and put 
them in the green house. They started sprouting 
up quickly so I replanted them a few weeks later 
in the garden and did not think about them again. 
Now we've got our very own pumpkin patch! 
This is my first garden too. I also planted carrots, 
tomatoes and rhubarb. All of which turned out fantastic!

I am going to a Halloween party so I made these Cheddar Witch's Fingers. They were very fun to make. The girls have the week of Halloween off for half term this year. I am very excited about it. There is so much going on for Halloween the whole week. We have a lot of plans. I can't believe how much people here are getting into Halloween this year. I remember when we moved here in 2003, Halloween did not seem to be a very big deal. Over the years, I have noticed how much more popular it has become. An English friend of mine said she thought that after a great year celebrating the Jubilee and hosting the Olympics, Britains are looking for excuses to keep celebrating in light of difficult financial times. It is always nice to focus on something positive and fun. I have heard that there are whole streets in the village next to ours that are already decorated. However, no one here decorates until the week or so before. When Americans put up their decorations at the beginning of the month, we are somewhat mocked. I don't care. I put up my decorations near the beginning of October just to have them taken down by the painter. Oh well, they will go back up this weekend when she is all done. Sammy has been invited to a Halloween party on the big day and will go trick-or-treating with her friends there. I will be taking Annie, Abby and Alexandra around our village and the one near us where the girls go to school. Annie has never been trick-or-treating before so it should be fun to show her what the day is all about. Happy Halloween! 

Enchanted Forest

In September, we went to a lovely forest not far from our house. We had such a great day exploring the forest.

You cannot go into the forest without finding a very big stick of your own to walk with.

We found a rope swing that was a lot of fun.

Alexandra chose to sit in this cozy spot instead of taking a turn on the swing. It was a great view.

What could be better than ending the day walking back to the car with the help of your big sister.