My Arabian Odyssey - learning Arabic, separating people from politics and dispelling myths in the heart of the Middle East

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About this blog

Following my adventures in Yemen, I headed off to Syria - one third of an Axis of Evil - to continue my Arabic studies, find work here and there, and sample the realities of life in a pariah state. This is the ongoing tale of my fortunes - and misfortunes - that I hope will carry me all across the Middle East...

Copyright © 2007-2008 Tompsblogs - All rights reserved.

• 1

  Prologue   Istanbul, Turkey on Feb 23, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 2

  And so begins a new adventure...   Istanbul, Turkey on Feb 23, 2007 2 pictures 0 comments
• 3

  A grand day out   Istanbul, Turkey on Feb 24, 2007 34 pictures 0 comments
• 4

  The uglier side of Istanbul   Istanbul, Turkey on Feb 24, 2007 0 pictures 2 comments
• 5

  An Englishman and an Irishman walk in to a bar...   Istanbul, Turkey on Feb 25, 2007 31 pictures 1 comment
• 6

  Gazientep   Gazientep, Turkey on Feb 25, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 7

  Planes, no Trains, and Automobiles   Kilis, Turkey on Feb 25, 2007 0 pictures 2 comments
• 8

  Finally back in the Arab world   Aleppo, Syria on Feb 28, 2007 29 pictures 0 comments
• 9

  The hostel's shite but the Old City's a delight   Damascus, Syria on Mar 1, 2007 15 pictures 0 comments
• 10

  Syria - a very different place from Yemen   Damasus, Syria on Mar 2, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 11

  My new digs   Damascus, Syria on Mar 15, 2007 5 pictures 0 comments
• 12

  Sidnaya   Sidnaya, Syria on Mar 16, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 13

  Observations and impressions   Damascus, Syria on Mar 20, 2007 0 pictures 2 comments
• 14

  Discovering inner peace... no really!   Maaloula, Syria on Mar 26, 2007 12 pictures 1 comment
• 15

  Salamiyah   Salamiyah, Syria on Mar 30, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 16

  Water-pipe etiquette   Damascus, Syria on Apr 2, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 17

  School-boy crush   Damascus, Syria on Apr 13, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 18

  As close to Iraq as I'm gonna get any time soon   Ain Diwar, Syria on Apr 18, 2007 16 pictures 0 comments
• 19

  From the Tigris to the Euphrates   Deir az-Zur, Syria on Apr 19, 2007 12 pictures 0 comments
• 20

  A diamond in the desert   Palmyra, Syria on Apr 21, 2007 30 pictures 1 comment
• 21

  My movie debut, Part One   Crac des Chevaliers, Syria on Apr 29, 2007 0 pictures 3 comments
• 22

  My movie debut, Part Two   Crac des Chevaliers, Syria on May 1, 2007 31 pictures 3 comments
• 23

  Beirut, Part One: Hangin' with Hizbullah   Beirut, Lebanon on Jul 12, 2007 0 pictures 1 comment
• 24

  Beirut, Part Two: just what the doctor ordered   Beirut, Lebanon on Jul 22, 2007 54 pictures 0 comments
• 25

  The power of football...   Saeda Zainab, Syria on Jul 30, 2007 17 pictures 1 comment
• 26

  Another year, another Ramadan in the Middle East   Damascus, Syria on Sep 13, 2007 0 pictures 0 comments
• 27

  My European sub-plot   London, United Kingdom on Jan 13, 2008 0 pictures 0 comments
• 28

  Berlin   Berlin, Germany on Jan 16, 2008 24 pictures 0 comments
• 29

  Prague   Prague, Czech Republic on Jan 18, 2008 19 pictures 0 comments
• 30

  Vienna   Vienna, Austria on Jan 20, 2008 16 pictures 0 comments
• 31

  Bratislava   Bratislava, Slovakia on Jan 21, 2008 11 pictures 0 comments
• 32

  Budapest   Budapest, Hungary on Jan 24, 2008 20 pictures 0 comments
• 33

  Belgrade   Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro on Jan 25, 2008 9 pictures 0 comments
• 34

  Somewhere between Belgrade and Sofia...   Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro on Jan 26, 2008 5 pictures 0 comments
• 35

  Sofia   Sofia, Bulgaria on Jan 27, 2008 16 pictures 2 comments
• 36

  Istanbul   Istanbul, Turkey on Jan 28, 2008 1 picture 0 comments
• 37

  Finally back home... well, Damascus at least   Damascus, Syria on Jan 29, 2008 0 pictures 0 comments
• 38

  A final farewell to the Arab world   Damascus, Syria on Jul 19, 2008 0 pictures 2 comments