05-29-07

The hotel staff is starting to warm up to us a little bit. There is still an awkward confusion in their faces, as if they simply have no idea why we would all get separate rooms and choose to pay the extra room rate when we could simply split the very small double rooms. Each day it seems like they are more welcoming. As I was taking photos of our rooms—just to prove that we’re not exaggerating—one of the clerks became very interested in the photos. Through a series of pantomime gesture and broken English he suggested that I should pose behind the front desk while he takes a picture. It was a successful cultural exchange—and funny—so he guided Robert to the desk (pictures to follow).

This is a proud country with a proud people, as most people are of their own country. At least once each trip someone has said to me something along the following lines, “Bush no good. America good.” Without guessing at the reasons for the first statement (although the guessing would not be so difficult), it is at least a little bit reassuring that people from disparate backgrounds can still get along. In 2005 it was a taxi driver who expressed “no good/good” sentiment to me. I tried to give the impression that we had a positive view of Syria. This year the hotel clerk recited the standard phrase. There is really no good way to answer but to reassure the person that we like the people we meet here. It would be inadvisable and unproductive to open a dialog about the importance of a multi-level universalistic electoral government based on the concept of limited terms. Maybe next time I will pose that issue to whoever says “Bush no good. America good.” Maybe not.

This evening a few of us planned to take an evening drink on a third-level terrace restaurant at one of the upscale hotels—not one of the expensive diplomatic style hotels, but still one better than our little hovel. When we arrived the terrace was closed, but one of the hotel staff directed us to the ninth floor terrace, which was open. The view was great. We watched as fireworks exploded in various quarters of the city, usually far lower than safety standards would allow at home. Many of the fireworks were lower than our terrace (photos courtesy of Robert to follow).