When I left for Damascus in October I had this blog all set up and ready to host my witty anecdotes and tales from my adventures. What I didn't bank on was government censorship.
Thanks for that, Bashar.
So for the last three months not only has this meant that I have been unable to update my carefully and lovingly crafted blog (blogger.com being the target of a blanket ban) but, perhaps more disturbing, this meant that Facebook was gone too. I guess the unregulated nature of Facebook and the reports in the western media of how users have been able to influence decision-makers was just too much of a scary thought.
Although looking back on my arrival in October, back in the days when accessing Facebook was still a legal activity, it was obvious that it was too good to be true. I met some Syrians towards the end of Ramadan who invited me and some friends out to an iftar party with them (the evening meal at sundown to break the fast) and when I made my way to an internet cafe the following morning I had a plethora of 'friend requests' waiting for me. Within 24 hours I had been invited to join at least 10 different groups as well as having a stack of messages piled in my inbox.
When every other channel of communication is so closely guarded, having the country's youth conversing under the radar was asking for trouble.
So, as I sit at my desk in England during my 2 week Christmas vacation, I'm going to take the opportunity to post and back-date all the posts which I couldn't publish at the time but was determined to write none the less!
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