Planet.Syriamirror.net - Syria at Work

Syria at Work

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:18:38 +0200

Inspired by Studs Terkel's book 'Working', Syria at Work is a collection of oral histories gathered by students at the British Council - Damascus. Read and enjoy these profiles of Syrian workers, their lives, routines, successes, heartbreaks, and dreams.

Security Manager

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 14:36:13 +0200

I think I wasn’t born to be an officer, but I was affected by the circumstances that surrounded me. I graduated from the Syrian Academy of Military Science.

It was a very hard job, dealing with different kinds of soldiers, hard training and exhausting duties.

I had no time for my family, especially my young boy and girl.

Diplomat

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 14:28:12 +0200

Diplomats are people who work in the shadows, the people always behind the politicians. To get a whole picture about the good and bad sides of the job, we are talking to a diplomat of Foreign Affairs in Damascus.

I’ve been working since the year 2000.

Private Driver

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 14:19:11 +0200

It was about six months ago when I first met Mr. Jaber. He was a private taxi driver. He told me a lot about his life in that month which I spent with him.

Guitar Teacher

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 13:00:10 +0200

I wasn't thinking of being a guitar teacher. Music was my hobby. When I was 17, I went to Russia to study electrical engineering, and for some reason, things were changed, and I decided to study music.

Sandwich Maker

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:50:09 +0200

I know a 33-year old guy whose work is to prepare shawarma sandwiches in a small shop for selling junk food near my home. Know what he tells me? "Maher, I am bored of all this! My daily life is the silliest one I've ever known or heard about. Every day in the morning I come here at 9 o'clock. I say good morning to many of the neighborhood shopkeepers without caring if they reply or not. Then I shout at the little guy in the shop who didn't finish the cleaning. Or maybe I will wait for him to come so I can explode in front of him for being late.

Indonesian Maid

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:29:08 +0200

It was last March when I traveled for the first time ever, away from my family, but I had to do it to support my family. That's why I signed a contract to work for a Syrian family. My seven sisters warned me about Arabs, and how their Caliph would make me his slave, and that his son would rape me. So I went to a doctor who gave me medicine which made me unable to have children anymore. When I got here, I was surprised that nothing bad happened, and I was told that there is no Caliph anymore.

Tea Boy

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:26:07 +0200

Here is the tea boy. Is he happy? I thought I was happy one day, but I forgot the meaning of happiness now.

Train Driver

Tue, 6 Dec 2005 14:53:06 +0200

This man is my grandfather. He is 88 years old. I suppose he is old enough to have rich experience in life.

The Waker

Tue, 6 Dec 2005 14:44:05 +0200

It has not been a long time since Ramadan passed. I remember when I was a child and for many ages before there was a person called the Mosaharati.

Taxi Driver

Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:09:04 +0200

Mr. Sami, a friend of my family, has been driving a taxi for several years. He enjoys his work because it gives him a chance to meet a lot of interesting people.