Day 2
Not quite completely adjusted to the time zone switch (7 hours ahead of EST), I found myself with about 2 hours to kill before the morning meeting. My addiction to coffee—habitual more than chemical (at least that’s what I tell myself)—lured me into hitting the streets around Yarmouk in search of a café [maqha] and a bit of food. I ran into another student on his way downstairs and we teamed up to explore the morning scene.
University Street [sha’ria jaam’ia] is very quiet compared to about 1 am when we were out for some sandweeshes last night, and it took us about 10 minutes just to find a coffee shop that was open. The owner kept responding to our Arabic with equally dubious English, but he at least he understood almost everything I was saying. Beyond ordering I tried to make some small talk, but let me assure you talking about the weather in Arabic is just as humorously awkward as in any other language.
The coffee is Turkish by tradition (in the cities at least), which is a stronger, at-least twice brewed variety flavored with cardomom, and can be bitter on your first go without sugar [saada]; but it's a taste by now I prefer. Just don't swallow the last bit or you will be chewing coffee grounds. It's a nice change from Starbuck's Breakfast Blend anyhow, so I am looking forward to a lot of cups before the summer is over.
So are the maqha owners.
2 comments:
but is turkish style better than dunken donuts coffee?
i'm just now reading all your entries as i didn't realize you had a blog, and i've got to comment on this one - i LOVE turkish coffee, definitely puts starby's to shame :)
hope youre doing well and enjoying yourself!
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