Living in the Old City...

A week ago today I moved to the 'Christian Quarter' in the Old City in the eastern part of Damascus. Upstairs the family live with three other students... downstairs we have about 6-8 students, all of whom are studying Arabic. Most of them at the moment are Norwegian, a German, a Turkish girl and two Brits; this is always changing of course. The rooms are fairly spartan but it's all pretty clean and although the toilet ratio isn't one to shout about, the atmosphere and the nice courtyard make (and all for only 65 a month!) this place a great one to live.

The house itself lies peripheral to the complex maze of narrow alleys that make up the old city. When you walk along these narrow paved roads you feel like you're in a time warp; the small shops, old architecture and the handicrafts that line these streets make this an alomst timeless place. But this doesn't mean that Syrians haven't kept up with the rest of the world... look carefully and you'll find even satellite internet cafes.

One of the best things about being here is the personal security and safety. With such a omnipresent security service you can walk the streets at 3am with next to no fear of and physical harm. But of course all this changes. With another recent influx of refugees from Iraq, i've heard a few complaints by Syrians that crime is increasing (some say that this is because of the influx of poor Iraqis. But it is still at an unbelievable low.

Pictures to come...