Syrian Feast

Werner's been tutoring Eilaf in English.  She's a refugee from Syria who had studied English before she and her family hit the long, hard road to escape the war there, going through Greece to Turkey and finally (part of the family) settling in Germany.  She wants to get her German Abitur so she can go to university and study and have a career.

We haven't "sponsored" her family - we give no money - that is something that the German state provides.  But in the months that Werner has worked with Eilaf, we have learned about her family and their struggles and I don't know how anyone could not be moved by their story.  And frankly, in the big picture, they've not done badly.

Eilaf's mother and the brothers who were with her in Turkey for so long are now in Bremen - the family is finally together.  One of her uncles and his wife are in another German town.  The rest of the extended family is still in Turkey awaiting papers and permissions.  They are at least out of the war-torn area.

At Christmas, we had Eilaf, her sister, one brother and her father here for dinner.  Today, they returned the favor.  We celebrated with them, with her mother and the other two brothers, her uncle and his wife.   What a great looking bunch of folks! And what a spread!!

Ten more could have come and we'd still be full!  We had Kibbeh, a bulghur/flour mixture worked into a mass and then filled with meat.  Salad, of course, with tomato and lettuce and the usual but then the unusual of thin slices of lemon peel. Yummy!  And stuffed dried aubergine.  The stuffing was spicy and the dried aubergine tender and tasty.  I made this myself one time, but not nearly as well.

Werner and I were a little bit worried about this event since there were so many language barriers.  Eilaf speaks English and German pretty well, dad some English and less German, the sister a fair amount of German.  Mother and younger brothers only Kurdish.  You get the idea.  The larger burden was on Eilaf and she was a trouper.

We avoided politics but talked a lot about cultural differences and just getting adjusted to a new life.  They were a little surprised, and I think a little teeny bit disappointed, that their foods were not unknown to us. But you all know how much we love to eat and to experiment, so, sorry Eilaf!  Regardless, it was all delicious. 

Afterwards, we talked a bit more and then we had live music.  Eilaf's uncle is a professional musician and studied classical guitar in Syria.  We got a taste of his talent. 

All in all a wonderful afternoon!  I am looking forward to more "Fests" with Eilaf and her family.