1. Barbican. Seriously. Save yourself some grief and go to a restaurant that serves real beer if you’re inclined to indulge.
2. Dieting.
3. Crossing a street, except at mealtimes during Ramadan.
4. Hosting well-attended political discussions in your rented apartment. Attending is fine, but hosting is haram.
5. Feeding all the stray cats. They enjoy the trash in the cans. Anything more would be gluttonous.
6. The Internet at that place across from Berlitz. You know – the one with the Hezbollah flag in the window. Yeah, the Internet works there, but not when you want to use it.
7. Wading through the crowds at the Turkish Consulate on a Tuesday afternoon. (What makes Tuesday so special? Who knows.)
8. Getting up before 9 am.
9. Going to bed before 3 am.
10. Quitting smoking.
March 22, 2008 at 4:06 am
like what I’ve read so far, couldn’t be more true, sadly, I’m trying to quit smoking myself.
don’t forget to mention tips on public transportation, I always tell my folks I have done nothing if I haven’t made a Sarfees travelers guide in aleppo and sham.
Nice to see someone making a list
keep up the good work
April 10, 2008 at 1:43 am
“8. Getting up before 9 am”…lol
yep, I know, we are soooo lazy, I hate that.
“3. Crossing a street, except at mealtimes during Ramadan.”
I would like to add, except the time when BAB-AL-HARA Drama Show roll in TV.
April 10, 2008 at 3:51 pm
My public transportation experiences don’t extend beyond taxis and the buses that go to Sham. I’m half-tempted to try the Sarvees, though, if only because I’m a cheapskate. But on some level, they frighten me.
As for my forgetting to mention Bab al-Hara, consider that a dreadful oversight. Thanks for reminding me.