The Party

So, it rained all weekend and thus we didn’t go to Bosra as hoped. By rain, I mean “get the Ark.”  It sucked, plus it is cold.  The kids were disappointed because they wanted to go out and get drunk, so there was only one thing left to do – have a party.

We went to dinner at Beit Jabri on Thursday and a good time was had by all.  Massive amounts of food was consumed, and the famed dessert, “chocolamo” was eaten with reverent silence. Then, a few limericks were composed in it’s honor, narjile was smoked, and we disbursed for the evening.  It was 12:30am.  Time is really different here.

Due to the rain, we stayed in Friday and studied (okay, I did) and our new roommate moved in.  She is wonderful, works for the UN and is taking a “break” to study Arabic.  A good addition to the house!  We shopped for food and people began to converge.  There is a house narjile (water pipe) so that was sparked up.  Then, there was a beer run.  More smoking, eating took place, and I made a giant pot of soup.  Most of the European Union was represented:  Spain, England, Estonia, Germany, and little old me for the US.  More people came, and more beer was ordered.  Since I don’t drink, I supplied people with tea and food, and the soup was,  in my humble opinion, quite good.  It was also lentil soup, so it was a cleansing experience for many, I suspect.  Sorry, gang!

I bought cake and really amazing macaroons from the bakery around the corner, and they were consumed with much gusto.  Around 11:30pm, I was getting tired – we had been sitting on the patio, in the wet and cold for several hours.  There is no “roof”, just an awning we pull back in sunny days, so it was cold, wet and there were puddles everywhere.  Periodically, someone would get up to squeegee the floor.  No one, including me, fell down the stairs, which is quite something as well.

A musician arrived with a guitar, and I learned this was the young man my Spanish friends heard the other week at the famed “German House Party”.  He is Iraqi, from Baghdad, and also fluent in Spanish.  He could play Arabic songs, of course, and also many Spanish songs.  He had an incredible voice, and despite the cold, we plied him with beers and cigarettes to keep his strength up.  Picture this:

7 people are sitting on a cold, wet patio at 12:30am.  It is dripping rain, and we can all see our breath.  Our musician is playing the Gipsy Kings while we all sing, clap and periodically dance.  One of my Spanish friends is an excellent flamenco dancer, so she got up, beer in hand, and did a lovely dance.  Then she sang.  So, I got to hear Gipsy Kings, sung by an Iraqi in a 400 year old house in the Old City of Damascus.  Amy, when he played “Bambolero”, I thought of you, and us driving like fiends through Acadia in your ancient car in 1990, singing along to this song.  (Congrats on the new car!!!)

I had to conk out by 1am, and everyone wound down by 2am.  They even cleaned up, and everyone was basically fine the next day.  We went out in the rain for Syrian fast food, going to a place called “Ancient Damascus Snack.”  I had a fish sandwich and really great french fries.  Mmmmm.  Bad for me.  Then, I virtuously had lentil soup for dinner.  Well, and some eclairs.  One can’t be good all the time.

We have cake and more macaroons tonight, and I think another party is being planned for the end of the week, when classes end.  I have been studying every night for several hours, reviewing everything and might actually pass this one.  Wish me luck, and send me good brain vibes!

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