Damascus: thin sheen of normality coats menace in once-friendly city | World news | The Guardian
▻https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/17/damascus-thin-sheen-of-normality-coats-menace-in-once-friendly-city
After six years of war, people go about their business in Damascus but keep their heads down as peace stops and starts around them. Shops shut early; creepers grow over the doors of the capital’s hammams, or public baths. A thin sheen of normality coats the menace in what used to be a vibrant, friendly city.