Sunday, 31 August 2003, Jaramana, Syria
90 degrees, SUNNY

Wake up late, as usual. All the food in Ommee's kitchen now makes me wary especially when I peek in the bottom of the refrigerator, and see a jumble of pots and pans. Except food is included in these pans. Last winter, it seemed the cleanliness level was higher - I guess it's summer now, and there's more bacteria activity. I was happy to see the addition of a dishwasher, though, which makes dishes a lot more appetizing to eat from.

Today, I've agreed to a visit to Naeif's aunt's house for lunch. I adore this woman, and her food is always delicious, her kitchen spotless. We hang around until 3 or so, then go over for lunch. She's made cousa laban which I love. Cousa are similar to small zucchini, stuffed with lamb and rice and swimming in a tangy yoghurt sauce. Everyone is over there, Ommee, Ebbe, Ghazwan and a pile of kids - Naeif's aunt's daughters and their kids and husbands too. There are also new twin babies - Amjed and Jowad sporting cute baby dishdashis! Everyone is very amused with pointing out the baby dishdashis to me, knowing how attached I am to wearing mine. Rama is running around shrieking - last year's new baby. I mention to Naeif that they life of a "baby star" is short here when a new baby appears in the family every year. Rebal takes on the responsibility of pointing out each child, except the ones I know well, and telling me their names. After lunch, we sit in the garden, eat fruit and drink tea. It's not so utterly hot out anymore, and pleasant to be outside. Finally, Naeif and I leave for home, we've got a party to go to, and need naps!

Ghazwan takes us over to Naeif's friend Raji's party at his house. Raji got married last year, so we pick up a house plant as a gift since obviously we weren't able to attend the wedding. Weddings in Syria in the summer happen on average about three times a week, it seems, everyone noisily celebrating and dancing in the streets. Raji's wife, Alhem is really pretty - resembles J.Lo, and their new baby (everyone has a new baby right away) is cute. Their house is very cute and spotless. I forget that most of the houses in the Middle East ARE spotless - Naeif's, I think, gets dirty quickly because there are always so many people running in and out of it all day. We sit on the couches, and snack from a spread of food that is covering about three normal size cocktail tables. There is taboulleh (which turns out to be the most delicious I've ever eaten), tuna salad (with corn!), kibbeh nayeh (raw lamb with olive oil), baba ganouj, hummus (these two shaped into star patterns on the dish) and lots of cut up raw vegetables. Raji turns on his enormous TV, and plays a few music videos and we bust out the Arak and Barada beer. Then a program comes on which is the Arabic version of American Idol! There are men and women singers from Tunisia, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon competing. Even with the language barrier (mine) we all have a lot of fun approving or disapproving of the singers. There is a spectacular woman - Rouwah, Syrian, competing, and she's my pick, but she's beat out by a woman who is slightly heavy - sort of looks like Nancy Wilson in her fat days - but still beautiful and has a gorgeous voice. It seems this program - with the same theme music as the American version - is hugely popular with Syrians, and everyone watches it.

Speaking of gorgeous women, these Syrian babes slap me silly! There is one woman at the party, Naeif's friend Ossama's wife, Leyalh. She's quite tall, slim and has straight blonde hair - she looks like she could be an American supermodel, all dressed in black with super cool black mules with stiletto heels. They chat awhile, and Naeif then tells me that Leyalh is pregnant! I make a gesture, like "where is she keeping the baby?" This gets a lot of laughs and Ossama squeezes his wife until she jokingly slaps him to stop. They're a cute but unusual couple - she's gorgeous, and he's kind of a big lug guy. I wonder how a guy like him got a beautiful girl like that, and tease him (via Naeif) by asking - he says he put the ring on her finger quick before she could say no. After watching him, though, I can totally see the appeal - he's always laughing or singing, a really sweet, funny guy, and he gets cuter and cuter in my eyes. There is another couple, Abu Abdou (but his name is Samall) and his new fiancee (didn't get her name) another fabulous woman. Naeif's friend Weesam shows up, and gets teased unmercifully because he is the only single man in the bunch. He starts playing his oud, and Ossama plays the bouzouka, and we jam out to some Arabic tunes. I offer a slightly Arak-fueled version of "Ice, Ice, Baby" and as much of "Slim Shady" as I know bringing a culture I'm completely not a part of (rap) to a culture I'm only living on the fringes of. Around 3, Naeif and I stagger home.