I don't drive. I like to live in cities where it is not a requirement. Since leaving the familial home, I've lived in New York, Cairo, Washington DC and Damascus, none of which require a car. This is at the top of conditions for future living as well.
But I rented a car last week.
Overall, not as much fun as just taking servees. After a year, I'm down with the servees. I know how to get from A to B and if I don't, I just ask. It's easy. With cars, there's oneways and highways and weird-ass twisty streets. I know my way around pretty well as long as I'm on a servess route I know well. Outside of that, not so much.
There are some mad aggressive drivers here! On the Damascus-Homs and Hom-Tartous highways (yes, we went to Krac des Chevaliers) people drive up on your ass if you are in the left lane, no matter that you are actually passing 3 trucks, making it impossible for you to move over now. At night, they not only honk but flash their brights, as if to say MOVEmoveMOVEmoveMOVEmoveMOVEmoveMOVE. Do you not see this truck I am passing? Or the motorcycle I'm passing? Would you like me to move over immediately and just kill the dude? Even when there were trucks in both lanes, meaning one has to slow down and wait for a lane to clear up, there would be a dude on my ass blinking his brights and honking. Come on!
In the city, lanes lines are apparently suggestions.
Some roads aren't marked all that well, which is how I ended up a bunch of villages when returning from Tartous at night. But on the upside, I got to ask some people for directions and the Tartousi accent is so cute! Really adorable. I could listen to a Tartousi man giving me directions to the autrostrad all day.
Driving is also expensive. Filling up my tank is at least 2000 lira ($40) and that stuff seems to go quick. Servees and inter-city buses are better by far.
But parking in Damascus appears to be mostly free. Except when it's not, like last night around Sahat Arnous. I didn't see any signs, and came back after an hour to find a boot on my car. Turns out a block away there was a small sign about paying 50 lira an hour for parking. The man was very nice, and told me since I didn't know we'll just pretend I paid him for an hour and he'll tear up the ticket. He thought I was Russian (many do) but when I said, no, American he congratulated me on my new president.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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2 comments:
Hello,
I'm a syrian student (medicine) living in jordan.I stumbled upon your blog sometime ago accidentally, and I must say, i enjoy reading many of the things you write here.
When it comes to syrian society/life, everything you write here is so familiar to me.But I particularly enjoy reading how you view/experience life there from your own perspective.And I admire your positive attitude towards observing ,exploring and immersing yourself in a different culture, while objectively and honestly documenting your experience,feelings and thoughts on your life there.I think it adds a great deal of authenticity and endearment.You seem like a nice, open minded person.
I just wanted to say "Hi" :)
I've driven in London and in Amman. London seems much more peaceful - and on the surface it is. But the sniping, the rudeness, the disregard for others makes me hate driving there.
These are my translations. Hoot in London: "you idiot". Hoot in Amman: "come on, move".
It's just like person to person exchanges. People will push in front of you more often in Sham than in London. But they will never push you over in Sham - in London, they wouldn't give it a second thought.
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Well, we'll have to find you a job quickly then! And then find me one!!
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