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Foreign Students
of Arabic language in Damascus - Syria |
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Text alone is not enough to
explain very accurately how the situation is. Here, I started adding some
pictures from my students recent (1990-2003) study and stay experiences in Damascus and
Syria. Since their study here is profoundly connected to local people and their
daily lives, the students' own daily life is so essential to determine his/her
progress. I wish it would help you feel how your experience could be, and I'll
try to make this page bigger and richer with more contribution. I hope you find
it useful. Hussein Maxos....
(please click on the photo to get it enlarged. Description is to the right of
the photo*)
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Here, I explain what seemed a complicated point in
Arabic. The smile reflects the student's surprise of how Arabic is so
logical and systematic. |
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Dabke or Dabkeh is the most popular dance in the Arab
world and the Middle East for all occasional celebration. |
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It is the main service bus station where you can go to
any part of Damascus. It is next to the national museum and called
Jisrara'ees. |
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Here is the real thing, the maximum efforts and the top
priority. The ears and eyes have to be open, sensitive and focused.
Muscles of the mouth (lips, tongue and throat) must work hard to imitate
and produce intelligible sounds. The brain will get the knowledge,
analyze, compare and understand. In such demanding atmosphere, being
flexible, friendly, informal and as close as possible to our actual
lives is very necessary.
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With five thousands
historical sites dating back more than seven thousand years, Syria
stands as one of the richest and the biggest outdoors museum. With
medium skills in Arabic, you can avoid hotels, restaurants and tourist
guides in order to enjoy the true Arab hospitality. Invite your friends
and relatives from home (for few days if you're intermediate or few
weeks if you're advanced).
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Picnics are very refreshing
activity during or after serious study. If you can combine the pleasure
with speaking Arabic, you will achieve the two goals that your body and
your brain need. |
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Most people take the service
that's for inter-city transportation, despite that taxies are very
cheap. In buses you can not be over-charged or lost anywhere, because
buses have fixed fare and routes. |
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Drinking the coffee (local,
Arabic or Turkish) is very popular daily ceremony for visits and
meetings with friends and relatives. The coffee drinking tradition
derived the fortunetelling that uses the coffee cup.
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While studying hard, one
needs a break, coffee, joke, or anything from time to time, depending on
the difficulty that has been fought. |
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This castle is very high and
beautiful in Syrian coast. |
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It is one of the best places
from the crusades time |
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Shopping in the Souk or the
market, not the touristic one, is a daily necessity and a brief
interesting experience. |
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Syrian food is really
delicious and healthy because it includes a lot of vegetables. Of
course, you can avoid the fat dishes.
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If parties include local
friends who speak Arabic, it is excellent opportunity to meet new
people. |
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This house is my father's in
the north, where I spent part of my childhood. Syrian houses are similar
to the Arab-Islamic-Middle Eastern houses. Due to historical and
security reasons, it is simple from outside but fascinating from inside. |
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It is not so comfortable but
so popular and you pay only five lira. They replaced the big-buses
state-owned company over ten years ago. Rumors say they will be replaced
soon, but how soon? |
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There is a huge market of
Arabic software. You can find hundreds of useful computer programs in
Arabic such as, dictionaries text editors, planners, yellow pages etc.
Don't hesitate to try. |
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meeting all kinds of people
including famous ones is possible. |
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Village and working class
Syrians prefer to eat on the floor without a table. |
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One of the most frequently
visited place by tourists in Damascus. It is the symbol of tolerance
when Muslims and Christians shared it to perform the two religions
ceremonies side by side for one century! |
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It overlooks the whole city
of Damascus. Local people go there in summer nights to enjoy the view.
It is mentioned in both Al-Qur'an and the Bible. |
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Non native students of
Arabic (speaking Arabic) with their Syrian friends on the boat going to
Award island, which is the only Syrian island and close to the coast. |
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Here, one of my student
spent some months |
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Students with their friends
playing music and singing near the sea.
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going outside Damascus, if
you speak Arabic, can be really interesting experience. |
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Many people who haven't
visited Syria think that Syria is a big desert just like the rest of the
Middle East. In fact, Syria has diversified geography such as;
mountains, plains, coast, hills, semi-desert and desert.
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Many people noticed that
many types of delicious Syrian food are not available in restaurants.
Simply, because it needs a dedicated and highly skilled housewives. |
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Join Syrian or Arab friends
to a restaurant or any public place for eating, drinking or
entertaining. I'm sure, they will not let you pay. |
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Where you live matters. Live
alone, with a family, with other foreigners, in an average working class
- middle class area, in the center or in the tourist area?? For the sake
of cultural immersion, you definitely should not live in tourist area or
with foreigners. |
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It could be a surprise to
know that in Syria you find many of the oldest churches in Christianity.
There are hundreds of old churches, especially in central and western
Syria.
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Deciding to go abroad to
study Arabic is not easy. One has to be full of
ambitions, hopes and energy. One has to work hard... will miss family
and friends for a while, but the fruits are really worth the efforts.
One would widen his horizons for a better future. yes. It's time to. |
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