Ministry of Information and the Media
Boston Time: 3:20 PM 28 May
Damascus Time: 10:20 PM 28 May
Each event we attend is a strange formal surprise, as we are always unsure of what to expect. Today we met with the Minister of Information in a press conference with some members of the Syrian media.
Syrian television camera man and microphone man.
I do not like press conferences, although I am told they are different in the states. The video and cameramen kept knocking my knees and stepping on my feet and in my sight line. The minister and his translator, as well as members of the press core, continued to talk over each other. Often, Arabic sentences or side comments were left without translations, and though they weren’t intended for the entire room, this felt a bit rude. The physical discomfort made it hard to completely focus in on the verbal content of the meeting.
The Syrian media was also present during our meeting with the Mayor of Quneitra before touring the Golan Heights. There too I felt annoyed and uncomfortable by the constant shuffle, disruption and imposition of my personal space. My face was on Syrian television news.
Be sure to read the blogs of my peers for more (actual) insight into the intense meeting.
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