A Childish Day

The first couple weeks I've spent in Damascus have been energetic, I met people discussing with them possibilities to organize few activities in Damascus. I was full of hope and aspiration but sooner I started to lose both, a wave of depression was slipping into my day. The death of Yazan's parents- inspiring Syrian citizens, the inactive Damascus, the laziness of Ramadan, and in my humble opinion the stupidity of people I meet, all contributed into making me a home-staying volunteer.

In the past month I was scattering my CV, sending it via emails to whatever that comes to mind till I received an interesting call from a leading private school in Syria. I went to the interview couple days ago and they asked me to come today to see other teachers as they run the class. So I did.

Dad gave me a lift this morning, I went to meet the head of the first Kinder Garten in the school, very handsome lady, very authorial yet gentle. She was kind enough to take me to the classes and invited me later to chat about what I've observed.

I always knew I am childish, I just didn’t know I was a child! I loved sitting at those mini chairs, looking at the draws all over the walls. My heart went faster when the teacher was about to distribute the colors to draw a circle around the word "bed". One of the teachers asked if I want to join the children to draw a sun, I had to grip myself together and sound as a teacher: "ahh..hehe...not really."

But I can resist anything but temptation, the children were four years old, they all looked at me wondering, is this our new teacher? "Hi Miss Razan!" Lazily everyone shouted as I was introduced to the class. I couldn’t but smile to the small faces that kept looking at me, some of them want to go to the bathroom just to see me closer. Some of them left the teacher completely and started to make funny faces to make me laugh, now that girl is my favorite. Her name is Sima.

It went bad when the students are now competing with one another, who will Miss Razan smile to the most? It is all about the smile in their world. One of the children went to the bathroom and kept the door a bit open to show me that he is still smiling while peeing.

They were repeating what the teacher would tell them just for one thing they mostly wanted. They wanted a smiley face sticker on their foreheads. They would say anything, do anything, as long as they get that yellow smiley face.

Tomorrow is the Eid, "eid of what?" One asked, "Eids are made for boring grownups" I said. "I am sure you have Eid every single day". He knew I was joking, he laughed at me and showed me his spider-man bag. Another student came to me asking me what I am writing on my notebook, "I am taking notes about you, what's your name?" "My name is Bryan, mam". The boy said.

Yes, this school has non Syrian students, but they all have the same faces; smiley faces, they've created my day, and put a day-lasting smile on my face. I think I would want to spend my upcoming year among children, Syrian grownups are too boring to me.

Before going home, the students were given presents by the school; a bunny mask. Some of them held it and put in on their faces, some of the students hit others with it, another called it: "baby أرنب " (Rabbit), and as I was smiling and turning my head to look at other students, a student stood up, waving the mask right and left shouting:

"This is my new Syrian flag!".