QBP

What do you say to the British Ambassador while celebrating the Queen's Birthday Party at their house? My line was, "What great posture you have, do you practise the Alexander Technique?" Although my line was way overshadowed by one of the guys I work with playing the Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen" on his lawn. Now, that is class!

Danish culture

The Danes have been keeping a pretty low profile in the Middle East after the Mohammad cartoon fiasco of a couple of years ago. But the cultural centre in Damascus decided to get back into the scene with a DJ playoff between a Dane and an Arab. Pumping house music coming out of an old Damascene house, filled with an assortment of expats and locals.
Another random event in the life of Limebelly in Syria.

Dead Sea

What do you do when the hotel reneges on its special offer price when you get to the reception desk? Sneak in!
I spent a wonderful weekend floating in the Dead Sea, drinking cocktails, pampering in the spa and all while hiding out and having breakfast smuggled to me in the room. A most satisfying experience!

UEFA cup

Being the person that people notice wherever you go because you are white and blonde has got to have some perks. This week I made the most of standing out from the crowd when I went to watch the UEFA cup final. The barmen know me because I think I'm the only European woman who goes in the bar. Not only did I get a seat in the packed place, but right at the front.
Unfortunately most of the spectators were supporting the Italians, so I had to get a Liverpool chant going to liven the place up a bit. I guess doing things like that might add to the fact that people often know me before I know them!

My first surfer

I had my first Couchsurfing experience this week.
A Greek guy came to stay with me for a few days on his way to study in Israel. I was perhaps a bit too eager but Pantelis was an amazing guest; polite, tidy (much more than me), and really interesting.
I feel like I may have been a bit spoiled with my first surfer, but the experience has made me even more enthusiastic about hosting people.

Jet Set

Oh how I love random experiences. In Damascus, in a really dark club, like something out of Miami Vice, at a stranger's birthday party, drinking beer with an Iraqi Muslim and a Syrian Christian at 7pm on a Wednesday night. Ahlan wa Sahlan!

Jorno's

I'm staying with a friend of mine in the most conservative area of the city, which makes walking down the street an interesting experience. No matter what I wear, I am a freak! Blonde, white woman by herself. Shock horror.
It was a relief to find the Journalists' Club as an island sanctuary in the middle of all this.
The club is a big, open, licensed restaurant with a troop of smiling Kurds serving the beer. You do still get stared at, but at least you can have a beer along with it here.