With children of thalassaemia from the Syrian Thalassaemia Support Group... 
With my wife in front of Saudi Arabia's booth... 
The Kelisa that caught my lens...parked on the wrong place!!
The process of making ice cream in Damascus...I attended the 1st Pan Middle East Conference on Haemoglobinothies in Damascus, Syria recently. The two day conference were jointly organised by the Thalassaemia International Federation - TIF, World Health Organisation Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office - WHO/EMRO and the The Syrian Thalassaemia Society. The Conference was under the patronage of HE Mrs Asma al Assad, First Lady of The Syrian Arab Republic and was officially opened by Hon. Minister of Health, Syria.
It was the first conference held in the middle east organised by TIF. More than 300 doctors and over 200 patients and families of patient from Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon attended the conference. It was held in the Four Seasons Hotel, located in the city centre of Damascus.
More than 20 speakers from UK, USA, Italy, Iran, Lebanon, Greece, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were there giving the latest up dates and new developments on the treatment of thalassaemia. Prof Ali Taher from Lebanon, John Porter and Paul Telfer from UK, John Wood from USA, Maria Capplelini from Italy were names synonymous to the thalassaemia community were all there giving their inputs. It was indeed a good educational programme. As for me it was really an honor to be part of this memorable event.
Since it was my first time in Syria, I was shocked to find that many Malaysian made cars were roaming the streets in Damascus. There were Kelisa, Wira and Gen 2 being driven by locals. I was told by the Director of Rooms of Four Seasons, Mr Farid who has worked in Langkawi before that the CEO of Proton himself has been in Syria promoting the national cars. Something to be proud of in a totally foreign land. My only regret was that Kelisa were used as taxis in Damascus!!
It was the first conference held in the middle east organised by TIF. More than 300 doctors and over 200 patients and families of patient from Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon attended the conference. It was held in the Four Seasons Hotel, located in the city centre of Damascus.
More than 20 speakers from UK, USA, Italy, Iran, Lebanon, Greece, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were there giving the latest up dates and new developments on the treatment of thalassaemia. Prof Ali Taher from Lebanon, John Porter and Paul Telfer from UK, John Wood from USA, Maria Capplelini from Italy were names synonymous to the thalassaemia community were all there giving their inputs. It was indeed a good educational programme. As for me it was really an honor to be part of this memorable event.
Since it was my first time in Syria, I was shocked to find that many Malaysian made cars were roaming the streets in Damascus. There were Kelisa, Wira and Gen 2 being driven by locals. I was told by the Director of Rooms of Four Seasons, Mr Farid who has worked in Langkawi before that the CEO of Proton himself has been in Syria promoting the national cars. Something to be proud of in a totally foreign land. My only regret was that Kelisa were used as taxis in Damascus!!
Though Damascus is relatively a peaceful city with no sign of street beggars, drug addicts and pick pockets, taxi drivers were all behaving like vultures looking for prey to cheat. Passengers were at their mercy for a nominal fares...I was charged three or four times the normal fare every time I took a taxi to any part of the city. Meters were only a mere sign of formality. A bad experience as compared to my expectation of a great nation!!
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