Syria: On My Short List of Places to Visit

Credit: Merriam Webster

Everyone I know who has gone to Syria loves it. It is on the short list of places I want to go. After its current troubles subside.

Why do people love it? The friendliness and graciousness of the people, the history, the scenery ...

As for friendliness, here's what Wandering Earl had to say in his post The Most Important Word in the World, "Finally, I had found a town in Syria that was not as ridiculously super-friendly as all the rest. I had been expecting it to happen at some point, because, after all, it would be impossible for every single city, town and village in this country to maintain such a high standard of hospitality. ..."

... and then tells the tale of going to the camel races with a new-found friend.

Here's an odd but compelling travel video for Syria. A CCR song for background, of all things.  



For some reason, Wandering Earl's post reminds of the unfriendly response an American United Airlines employee gave to a distressed German passenger in Chicago's O'Hare Airport. A German woman came up to the gate counter, in a panic about getting to the right gate on time, trying to get information about the correct gate from the counter employee. The United Airlines employee, after brushing the German woman off curtly, called after the woman as she ran away to another gate, "English! English!"

Ick.

This was a shame, as that poor tourist left with a poor impression of Chicaogans, when in fact, what I remember most about my visit to Chicago a year ago was how friendly the people were!

[I learned from a customer service study that it takes 10 positive encounters to offset every one negative encounter, and this holds true in business and personal relationships.]