All is well here! I am just now getting over my jet lag, and starting to settle in. It has been a flurry of activity over the past few days as family arrived from Damascus for the party Talal's parents had planned for us. So many people! Every time I turned around, I was being introduced to a new cousin. We decided that a family tree would be in order to make sense of the complicated relationships. It was like my Big Fat Syrian Wedding...
The party for us was last night, and everyone was so kind to me. I have learned to say many things in Arabic, including hello, how are you, and good bye, which seemed to greatly impress the guests. So as I was told, I was a big hit. I was showered with gifts from so many people (cousins I think), and by the end of the night I was glowing in Gold... So very generous. I ate, and ate, and ate, which of course I am very good at, and that makes everyone happy.
A few of Talal's cousins and aunts speak English, so they have been saviours to me. It has hopefully helped the rest of the family to "see" my personality:)
I have posted a few pictures from the party, and some from my limited travels around the city so far. The extended family will be leaving this evening, so the sightseeing will begin soon.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
We made it!
So Talal and I made it to Damascus last night around 9pm, where we were to wait in the airport for 3 hours for a flight to his hometown of Aleppo. No big deal, right? However, after 2 hours, we were finally allowed to check in and discovered that our flight had been cancelled. But the interesting thing is that this was not announced, nor did anyone tell us this when we went through security. I just happened to look up and see that the flight was no longer displayed on the departure screen. The whole Damascus airport experience was entirely crazy, and the story really deserves to be shared in person - I'll have to fill you in on this when I return.
So after Talal inquired with no less than 4 people, getting different answers from them all, we finally confirmed that in fact the flight was cancelled, and so at 12:30am, we resorted to getting a car service to drive us the 4 hours from Damascus to Aleppo. We finally made it to his parents house at 4am, and I've never been so glad to be "home".
Upon my arrival, my mother-in-law greeted me with a kiss on each cheek, which I took as a good sign. I greeted her with whatever Arabic I could muster at 4am (which isn't saying much). I could finally relax.
So now I'm here, sitting in my in-laws living room, hanging out with the Attar family. I met my 9 month old niece today (Talal's brother's daughter), and she is totally cute. I enjoyed a HUGE meal of stuffed grape leaves, lamb, and yogurt (Talal's favorite), and I ate everything my mother-in-law put on my plate. I will easily gain 5-10lbs on this trip, but all in the name of making a good first impression:)
Talal's brother, Azem, speaks very good English, so I had someone to talk to today - I was so grateful. Everyone has been extremely nice, and Talal's mom liked the purse I gave her (I think). She shows little emotion (like Talal), so it was difficult to tell.
All is well so far - will keep you posted!
So after Talal inquired with no less than 4 people, getting different answers from them all, we finally confirmed that in fact the flight was cancelled, and so at 12:30am, we resorted to getting a car service to drive us the 4 hours from Damascus to Aleppo. We finally made it to his parents house at 4am, and I've never been so glad to be "home".
Upon my arrival, my mother-in-law greeted me with a kiss on each cheek, which I took as a good sign. I greeted her with whatever Arabic I could muster at 4am (which isn't saying much). I could finally relax.
So now I'm here, sitting in my in-laws living room, hanging out with the Attar family. I met my 9 month old niece today (Talal's brother's daughter), and she is totally cute. I enjoyed a HUGE meal of stuffed grape leaves, lamb, and yogurt (Talal's favorite), and I ate everything my mother-in-law put on my plate. I will easily gain 5-10lbs on this trip, but all in the name of making a good first impression:)
Talal's brother, Azem, speaks very good English, so I had someone to talk to today - I was so grateful. Everyone has been extremely nice, and Talal's mom liked the purse I gave her (I think). She shows little emotion (like Talal), so it was difficult to tell.
All is well so far - will keep you posted!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Ready, Set, Syria!
So things went from really bad, to really good. Since my last blog, many good things have happened.
Good thing #1
We were able to book a hotel room online and actually check in before a sea of people arrived at the hotel which was apparently already overbooked.
Good thing #2
I did get to eat pizza last night for dinner, and it wasn't half bad.
Good thing #3
This is where we really hit the jackpot. Apparently the woman that helped me rebook our flight yesterday felt so bad for us (remember, we got booted from BMI and were told this is a British Airways issue, then British Airways told us they can't help us and booted us back to BMI) that she rebooked us in First Class. Cha ching! Now I can feel rested and relaxed for the meeting of the in-laws (which is good because I was up until 3am again, this time playing brickbreaker on my blackberry and listening to my ipod to try and fall asleep.
Kristen Wotsch, I am thinking of you as I sit in the middle of Heathrow Terminal 1 staring directly at a lovely Burberry store.
And Robbie Baker, Talal is thinking of you, as he just finished his cappucino in the Platinum Club Business Lounge, courtesy of our First Class upgrade. You would be so proud.
Good thing #1
We were able to book a hotel room online and actually check in before a sea of people arrived at the hotel which was apparently already overbooked.
Good thing #2
I did get to eat pizza last night for dinner, and it wasn't half bad.
Good thing #3
This is where we really hit the jackpot. Apparently the woman that helped me rebook our flight yesterday felt so bad for us (remember, we got booted from BMI and were told this is a British Airways issue, then British Airways told us they can't help us and booted us back to BMI) that she rebooked us in First Class. Cha ching! Now I can feel rested and relaxed for the meeting of the in-laws (which is good because I was up until 3am again, this time playing brickbreaker on my blackberry and listening to my ipod to try and fall asleep.
Kristen Wotsch, I am thinking of you as I sit in the middle of Heathrow Terminal 1 staring directly at a lovely Burberry store.
And Robbie Baker, Talal is thinking of you, as he just finished his cappucino in the Platinum Club Business Lounge, courtesy of our First Class upgrade. You would be so proud.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Update on the Heathrow crisis
Ok - things are starting to turn around...
Due to Talal's ingenuis yahoo instant messaging idea, he was able to connect with Verizon via his secretary back home and got the beloved Blackberry working. So we are now "reconnected" with the world - Yeah!
And due to my persistence, (after being bounced from BMI to British Airways and back again), I was able to get us rebooked on a flight to Damascus tomorrow. Looks like I'll be able to see the Syrian countryside after all!
Now we are off to find a hotel, and with any luck, I will be posting on my blog from the middle east tomorrow!
Due to Talal's ingenuis yahoo instant messaging idea, he was able to connect with Verizon via his secretary back home and got the beloved Blackberry working. So we are now "reconnected" with the world - Yeah!
And due to my persistence, (after being bounced from BMI to British Airways and back again), I was able to get us rebooked on a flight to Damascus tomorrow. Looks like I'll be able to see the Syrian countryside after all!
Now we are off to find a hotel, and with any luck, I will be posting on my blog from the middle east tomorrow!
Trip to Syria Delayed....
Well, now things are starting to get interesting. Just my luck...
So I was all psyched for my big trip, and then mother nature decided to throw a wrench in the plan. London is currently experiencing the worst snowstorm in over 2 decades and thus all flights out of Heathrow are essentially cancelled. Talal and I didn't discover this until we were already AT the airport, so we are in effect stranded here until further notice.
But this is where things go from bad to worse...
Issue #1
Lack of effective communication tools. Talal's super duper high-tech
I-phoneesque "international" blackberry storm has not had a signal since we landed in London and we have been unsuccessful in activating it so far. Now that we are stuck in the airport, crisis mode is setting in so we decided to make yet another attempt to get the bugger working. Unfortunately, Verizon in all their glory will not allow you to do this online, and asks that you call a 1-800 number for help. That would be a potential solution if in fact there were any calling cards to be had in this lovely Terminal ... So the Blackberry is on holiday until further notice.
Issue #2
Rebooking our flight. Currently, BMI (a subsidiary of British Airways) is only rebooking passengers that are "in transit", which apparently doesn't include us because we have been in London for 2 days. So they gave us this fabulous piece of paper basically saying that in order to rebook we have to call customer service, but to expect delays in getting through as everybody booked on flights today are also trying to reschedule... doesn't matter anyways because we don't have a working cell phone or a calling card and we can't seem to get the payphones to work...
Issue #3
Flying to Syria. So apparently, flights to Aleppo (Talal's hometown), are not in high demand, thus there are only 2 flights a week (yes, I said 2 flights a week) into Aleppo from London, so missing the flight today means there won't be another flight until maybe Thursday or something. One alternative to this would be to catch a flight to Damascus, which is slightly more likely as there are about 5 flights a week to Damascus. This might mean we could leave London tomorrow, but we would then have to rent a car in Damascus to make the 3 hour drive to Aleppo(might be a great way to see the Syrian countryside??? I'm trying to keep my "glass half full" hat on). I am, however, reluctant to book a flight out for tomorrow as the storm is supposed to continue on through tonite into tomorrow, so we could be facing this all over again. Part of me is thinking we should lay low until Wednesday. Better start searching for a few good English Pubs to kill time.
Talal is super duper happy at this point, as I'm sure you all can imagine. He even had his mocha and double chocolate muffin this morning, but even that is not making this situation more bearable for him.
Up until this point however, London has been fabulous. I love this city. The people are overall very cheery and helpful, and I can't seem to get enough of their accents. We took one of the double-decker tour buses around the city yesterday, which seemed to be the best way to see the sights in the short time we had in the city (or the short time we thought we had!). We also did a Thames River cruise, where we went under the actual "London Bridge". (Robbie, I immediately thought of you busting out your best Fergie impression...)
And for those of you that have read the book or seen the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl", we made a stop at the Tower of London, which is where Anne Bolyen (one of King Henry the VIII many wives) was beheaded. It was fascinating to see this historic landmark after just having finished the book.
I made sure to have traditional fish and chips last night for dinner, although I must say I wasn't that impressed. I might opt for pizza tonite, as I'm pretty sure I won't be eating that in Syria. Becasue of the time change, Talal and I were wide awake last night and caught the Super Bowl from our hotel room. Good for Talal, he feel asleep after that. Bad for me, I couldn't sleep for the life of me and found myself working out in the hotel gym at 3:30am. Now I am wide awake and ready for a fabulous day at Heathrow.
Hope you all are well, and I'll keep you posted if we can find a way out of the UK...
So I was all psyched for my big trip, and then mother nature decided to throw a wrench in the plan. London is currently experiencing the worst snowstorm in over 2 decades and thus all flights out of Heathrow are essentially cancelled. Talal and I didn't discover this until we were already AT the airport, so we are in effect stranded here until further notice.
But this is where things go from bad to worse...
Issue #1
Lack of effective communication tools. Talal's super duper high-tech
I-phoneesque "international" blackberry storm has not had a signal since we landed in London and we have been unsuccessful in activating it so far. Now that we are stuck in the airport, crisis mode is setting in so we decided to make yet another attempt to get the bugger working. Unfortunately, Verizon in all their glory will not allow you to do this online, and asks that you call a 1-800 number for help. That would be a potential solution if in fact there were any calling cards to be had in this lovely Terminal ... So the Blackberry is on holiday until further notice.
Issue #2
Rebooking our flight. Currently, BMI (a subsidiary of British Airways) is only rebooking passengers that are "in transit", which apparently doesn't include us because we have been in London for 2 days. So they gave us this fabulous piece of paper basically saying that in order to rebook we have to call customer service, but to expect delays in getting through as everybody booked on flights today are also trying to reschedule... doesn't matter anyways because we don't have a working cell phone or a calling card and we can't seem to get the payphones to work...
Issue #3
Flying to Syria. So apparently, flights to Aleppo (Talal's hometown), are not in high demand, thus there are only 2 flights a week (yes, I said 2 flights a week) into Aleppo from London, so missing the flight today means there won't be another flight until maybe Thursday or something. One alternative to this would be to catch a flight to Damascus, which is slightly more likely as there are about 5 flights a week to Damascus. This might mean we could leave London tomorrow, but we would then have to rent a car in Damascus to make the 3 hour drive to Aleppo(might be a great way to see the Syrian countryside??? I'm trying to keep my "glass half full" hat on). I am, however, reluctant to book a flight out for tomorrow as the storm is supposed to continue on through tonite into tomorrow, so we could be facing this all over again. Part of me is thinking we should lay low until Wednesday. Better start searching for a few good English Pubs to kill time.
Talal is super duper happy at this point, as I'm sure you all can imagine. He even had his mocha and double chocolate muffin this morning, but even that is not making this situation more bearable for him.
Up until this point however, London has been fabulous. I love this city. The people are overall very cheery and helpful, and I can't seem to get enough of their accents. We took one of the double-decker tour buses around the city yesterday, which seemed to be the best way to see the sights in the short time we had in the city (or the short time we thought we had!). We also did a Thames River cruise, where we went under the actual "London Bridge". (Robbie, I immediately thought of you busting out your best Fergie impression...)
And for those of you that have read the book or seen the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl", we made a stop at the Tower of London, which is where Anne Bolyen (one of King Henry the VIII many wives) was beheaded. It was fascinating to see this historic landmark after just having finished the book.
I made sure to have traditional fish and chips last night for dinner, although I must say I wasn't that impressed. I might opt for pizza tonite, as I'm pretty sure I won't be eating that in Syria. Becasue of the time change, Talal and I were wide awake last night and caught the Super Bowl from our hotel room. Good for Talal, he feel asleep after that. Bad for me, I couldn't sleep for the life of me and found myself working out in the hotel gym at 3:30am. Now I am wide awake and ready for a fabulous day at Heathrow.
Hope you all are well, and I'll keep you posted if we can find a way out of the UK...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The panic sets in...
Ok - so three more days and I will be on a plane headed east - really far east - and I am so not ready. I am worrying about everything big and little now, and feeling very unprepared. My latest anxiety centers around making sure I pack the right pants to go with all of my flat shoes, so that I won't be towering over all of my new relatives, that are all going to be shorter than me to begin with. It doesn't help that 90% of my shoes have a 3inch heel - DSW here I come... And, my husband has instructed me to dress conservatively (aka boring), so shopping for our formal events should be fun.
I am also on a mission to find the perfect "please like me" gift for my new mother-in-law. Talal suggested a cashmere sweater, but clearly he has no idea how disastrous that could be. I mean the easiest way to offend a woman, no matter where she is from, is to give her a piece of clothing that is either too big or too small (What? you thought I was that big? or the awkwardness of trying on something that is clearly too small...) A purse perhaps. However, I have been in search of the perfect bag for myself for the past 6 months, and that has gotten me utterly nowhere. Maybe the purse gods will smile down on me and I'll stumble upon just the right bag...
I am also on a mission to find the perfect "please like me" gift for my new mother-in-law. Talal suggested a cashmere sweater, but clearly he has no idea how disastrous that could be. I mean the easiest way to offend a woman, no matter where she is from, is to give her a piece of clothing that is either too big or too small (What? you thought I was that big? or the awkwardness of trying on something that is clearly too small...) A purse perhaps. However, I have been in search of the perfect bag for myself for the past 6 months, and that has gotten me utterly nowhere. Maybe the purse gods will smile down on me and I'll stumble upon just the right bag...
Monday, January 19, 2009
Countdown to Syria...
11 days until my big sendoff to the homeland. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the whole trip at this point. I mean, I do know how to make stuffed grape leaves and I know how to say "hello, my name is Jodi" in Arabic, so I'm fairly sure I'm all set. I mean, the worst that can happen is I get traded for a camel and a persian rug and spend the rest of my life in the desert. (as long as they have ice cream in Syria, I think I'll be ok)
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