Last Full Day

People tell us, nothing is free here. The last day Nisha and Nina started seeing more and more evidence to the contrary.

Nisha and I planned to take a cab ever since we first saw one, but an opportunity never presented itself. I never heard, Hi, I'm your opportunity, how do you do?. So I remain untaxied in Syria, except in an aircraft, and that planely does not count.

But the first time they wander off by themselves, they end up in a quarter far, far away and take a cab home. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's the date, but the taxi driver was so enchanted with the conversation that he waved to them and refused payment. Dull thuds were heard when the longtimers' jaws hit the floor.

And a lady was trying to sell some flowers, and we were rudely not buying any, so she gave one to Nina. Gratis.

And then later they were looking for a post-office, and the English speaker that happened to be in the same shop told them, It's over there, just around the corner, but listen, I'm going there, I will drop you off with my car, only badlier and worsely. Okay, this wasn't really a case of business non-transaction, like the first two, but still.

And there was again Nisha's haggling session of yesterday, but I have already talked about that. Looking at that objectively, it might not fall squarely in the "for-free" category, but roundly, certainly does. All depends on the category's shape, you know.

Why did I miss the taxi ride? Why was I not with them? I was doing last minute business transactions. Unlike theirs, mine were the real ones, with largely inefficient price negotiation tactics. (On my side. They did okay.) But, not my money: these items were ordered. I just hope my idea of what was desired coincided in a sufficiently large part with the image in the owner-to-be's mind. (Don't worry, I'm exaggerating. The price was fine, just not outrageously behaggled.)

Tomorrow, a couple of more items, to blow my last half thousand, and that's it. Zero balance — or it would be, if my uncle did not sponsor me quite so much. I blush just remembering it. I'm still embarassed, but I've accepted my beneficiary fate. So, thanks again.

But zero balance is what I'm aiming for. I don't have any use for Syrian pounds in Croatia. Pretty, but I'm not framing them. And I suspect they'd prove somewhat difficult to exchange. Besides, and at the risk of possibly reiterating the restated, there are things so cheap here that it's a sin not to buy them. Even though no holy tomes precisely prescribe Thou shalt spend of thy coins upon the holy city of Damascus with saintly largesse and magnanimity... Maybe it is under Charity. Both Islam and Christianity have that. Thou shalt be judged miserly, and convicted of a mortal sin, and burn eternally in a bonfire stoked of paper monies, lest thou purchasest at such discountly prices as one findeth in the holy city of Damascus? Possibly. So I'm not taking any chances, and I'm spending as the Good Books advise.

Then it's off to the airport, and if my roomies are up with their airline trivia and temporal mathematics, I'm in my home town by half past eight, their time. And hopefully, soon to be my time again, too. See you there, somewhen.