Fig season

The season of figs has arrived. I have never really seen fig before- looks like onions but it tastes sweet. Apparently there are two types..... yellowish green and black.

Up next: Grapes and then promegranates.... which will be in season in few months time. And according to the locals, it would be the last seasonal fruit for the year. But I won't be able to see them in Syria as tomorrow will be my last day in Syria. I will be leaving tomorrow from Damascus to KL via Bahrain. Can't wait to be back to tanahair tercinta.

Power cuts

The power cuts has intensified in Syria. From weekly, it has now become daily. Last Thursday, there was a 5-hour power cut in the day time (thank God I was at work). On the same Thursday, as we were preparing for dinner there was yet a 2-hour power cut in the evening. Yesterday, as I leave for work there was again another round of power cut.

Syria is severely short of power in summer when A/Cs are in full-blast and winter when heaters are also in full-blast. And there seems no respite for the time being. They couldn't plant up power stations fast enough neither are there many companies willing to work in power projects here.

Zuyao's guide to Arabic for survival

In an undeveloped Arabic country, the only language spoken is Arabic. And for a non-Arabic speaker from Malaysia, the best way to survive is to tembak some Malay words when you are at a lost of words. Chances are it may be correct. Some examples (Arabic in brackets).

Days of the Week
Ahad (Al-Ahad) - comes from the word wahid meaning 'one'
Isnin (Al-Ithnin) - comes from the word ithnin meaning 'two'
Selasa (Al-Thalatha) - comes from the word thalathi meaning 'three'
Rabu (Al-Arbia) - comes from the word arba'a meaning 'four'
Khamis (Al-Khamis) - comes fromt the word khamsi meaning 'five'
Jumaat (Al-Jumaah)
Sabtu (Al-Sabt) - comes from the word sabaa meaning 'seven'

Other Words Here and There
Mati (Mat)
Kerusi (Kerusi)
Musykil (Musykila) - used to mean problem
Arif (Arif) - used to mean 'to know'
Amal (Amal) - used to mean work/ profession
Majalah (Majalah)
Riadah (Riadah)
Akhbar (Akhbar) - used to mean news
Sebab (Sebab)
Tabib (Tabeeb)
Faham (Fahim)
Mungkin (Mumkin)
Sifar (Sifr)

Words not Related to Malay
Welcome (Ahlan wa sahlan/ Ahlan bekum)
Silakan (Fadalo)
Thank you (Shukran)
You are welcome (Afuan)
Chicken (Faruj)
Tomato (Panadura)
Potato (Batata)
Lamb (Karuf)
Fish (Samak)
Briyani (Kabsah)
Yes (Na'am)
No (La)
All (Kulu)
Tomorrow (Bukra)
Tonight (Alaila)
Fork (Shauki)
Generator (Mualid)
Rain (Matar)
Airport (Maatar)
Money (Masareh)
No Money (Mafi Masareh)
Sure (Akid)
Understand (Malum)
Old (Qadeem)
New (Jadeed)
Correct (Masbut)
I (Ana)
You for male (Anta)
You for female (Anti)
Crazy (Majnun)
Complete/ Kau Tim/ Finish/ Settle (Khalas)

A sugar factory

There lies a huge sugar factory complex just a few kilometers out of Jisr Shoghour. It is probably the biggest factory around this area producing a very important ingredient which is used much too liberally in Arabic tea and desserts. Basically they are not drinking tea with sugar, rather it is sugar water with tea. Despite the "importance of sugar" to the Syrian diet, the factory looks as if it has just survived a war. Definitely it lacks the dignity that should have been accorded to it. The entire building looks like it is going to collapse any time soon - rusty, dillapidated. Rusty trucks and buses lie abandoned in its compound. Almost half of the windows of the factory are broken. Wonder what they do when it rains (and it does rain quite a lot in winter) And somehow rather conveniently, exhaust pipes stick out of the broken windows billowing smoke of some sort. A sign that the factory is still in service. The only thing in the entire complex which looks in perfect order is the huge picture of the President mounted at the front entrance with some arabic slogan. Needless to say, the Syrians have incredible respect for their President.

But the most bewildering thing of all is the sugar factory is swarmed by trucks loaded with tomatoes every morning. Since when is sugar processed from tomatoes? Maybe this is some kind of Syrian innovation. Bring in the tomatoes and out comes the sugar. We have called it panadura shukar (tomato sugar in arabic). We have referred this incredible query to the locals and nobody has yet been able to respond affirmatively. Meanwhile, the mystery of tomato sugar continues in Jisr Al Shoghour...

Stay extended and it rained

My stay in Syria has been extended till the end of the month. It's only a few more days to go and I suppose I can bear with it although I'm dying to be back in Malaysia.

As if to mourn for my extension, the sky opened up and cried. It's been a long time since it rained. Summer is usually dry in Syria. So, it was a welcome to smell the fresh air as drops of water descended to earth. Only bad thing was my satellite TV reception was affected and I could not finish watching my weekly series of "Fringe". But as usual, the Arabian rain is nothing compared with the usual thunderstorms we have in Malaysia. It is more like a drizzle here...

So far, the summer has not been punishingly hot. It barely touched 40degC on only a few occassion. Most of the time, the afternoon heat is somewhat the same as in Malaysia (minus the humidity). The nights are still somewhat cool. But the wind is bloody strong. It is those kind of wind which will blow you off your feet! Thank God I'm not staying in the desert or surely the wind would've kicked up quite a severe sand storm. Nevertheless, the air in Jisr Shoghour is as usual dusty! It is amazing how much strength and tenacity the wind has. It has been blowing like this the entire summer with no sign that it will die down anytime soon.

Gonna go home soon

My stay in Syria will finally come to an end. Last Thursday, I was informed that I could be released from site. So what is left to do is just to clear up some stuff, handover some information and goyang kaki in the office. Meanwhile, I wait also for my return flight ticket to Malaysia.