workers in Syria

At the Citadel yesterday I sat down in some shade and when I stood up and climbed the a high point I couldn't find Zoe. She'd ended up outside the citadel, and after waiting for a bit went shopping. I headed back to the hotel, but on my way decided I needed to take a picture of a sewing machine.

They were Jaki brand, and this amused me. I thought I'd take a picture for my friend of similar spelling, but given there was a gent behind the desk I asked permission. Inevitably some other fellow appeared who wanted to speak English...the point of this story is not another "and then I had tea" although there was tea. So let's get on with it.

A lot of people, Syrians and Jordanians, are interested in me because I'm Canadian and they want work. The fellow yesterday was attending a language institute so he could learn English and get to Canada. He was asking all sorts of questions on the state of the garment industry in Canada. He is a sewing machine technician and that was the obvious line for work
(later they were asking about his friends curtain and furniture cover fabric samples and where they might be sold in Canada...why do they expect me to know these things?)
I did my best to give what I knew and also told him his best bet for work or getting to Canada was to write the Canadian embassy and see what's up. He seemed to think I would be the key to him getting to Canada somehow...maybe as a sponsor? Although I'm not sure how a man of my particular resources would be able to help. Especially if I'm in France.

The interesting thing is the desire to work. There is not much work here. There is a reason so many people seem to be engaged in retail of various kinds...it's easy to get into and if you sell a few pieces a day you can even make a living at it. Not everyone has asked me how to get to Canada to work, but a few have and even those that haven't sometimes have recently returned from overseas work.

And now I have a distinct feeling I was going somewhere significant;y more interesting with this and I've just totally forgotten where it was. Heh. That's what I get for listening to music while I write. Thus is life.

Workers in Syria. Who knew. Hey Fort MacMurray, here's your next direct flight location...just don't hire any Bedouin.