<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Arabic-L: Fri 21 Dec 2007</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <<a href="mailto:dilworth_parkinson@byu.edu">dilworth_parkinson@byu.edu</a>></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">[To post messages to the list, send them to <a href="mailto:arabic-l@byu.edu">arabic-l@byu.edu</a>]</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">[To unsubscribe, send message from same address you subscribed from to</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="mailto:listserv@byu.edu">listserv@byu.edu</a> with first line reading:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> unsubscribe arabic-l ]</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-------------------------Directory------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">1) Subject:Syria info</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">2) Subject:Syria info</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-------------------------Messages-----------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">1)</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Date: 21 Dec 2007</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">From:Alexander Magidow <<a href="mailto:amagidow@gmail.com">amagidow@gmail.com</a>></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subject:Syria info</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">Futhermore, regarding homestays (since others here have posted program information):<br>Many foreign students residing in Damascus stay in the Bab Touma area of the old city, where there are quite a few families willing to host students. Most people I know who've done this have gotten a lot of practice with their colloquial Arabic. Your program may be willing to set you up with a specific homestay, but again I don't think this is entirely necessary.<br><br>Price in the area vary from about 7-12 thousand Syrian pounds($US140-240)/mo, though one should always bargain. This can as much as halve the prices on some rooms.<br><br>In order to look for rooms, you can simply ask shopkeepers, etc. Internet cafes can be quite helpful as well, particularly since the staff often speak excellent English if that is an issue. It is quite rare for someone to look for a room more than a week or so in advance, and if you do you may be obligated to put down a deposit or begin paying rent early.<br><br>Be sure to inspect the kitchen and bathroom facilities for renters, which are often separate from those of the family, and make sure that there is a "khazaana", a storage device for water, as it generally cuts off in the afternoons.<br><br>I hope this is helpful,<br>Alex</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">--------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">2)</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Date: 21 Dec 2007</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">From:<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039); "><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; ">"NEWMAN D.L." <<a href="mailto:daniel.newman@durham.ac.uk">daniel.newman@durham.ac.uk</a>></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subject:Syria info</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Hello, <br><br>The two most popular destinations are: <br><br>1. University of Damascus<br>Arabic Language Centre<br>Language Institute<br>Damascus <br>Tel : +963 (0)11 2129494<br>Fax : +963 (0)11 2120464<br>e-mail : <a href="mailto:inquiries@arabicindamascus.edu.sy">inquiries@arabicindamascus.edu.sy</a><br><br>2. Institut Français d'Etudes Arabes de Damas (IFEAD): <a href="http://wwww.ifporient.org/">http://wwww.ifporient.org</a><br><br>You may also wish to consult the Syrian Studies Association site which provides detailed information and reviews of the various places in Syria that offer Arabic classes: <a href="http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm">http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm</a> <<a href="http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm">http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm</a>> <br><br>Best wishes,<br>D. Newman<br></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">--------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">End of Arabic-L: 21 Dec 2007</div></body></html>