2020
Zaza
Which of the four worlds do you believe that your character will be living in?
Ecological Age
Why?
An Syrian /American expat / businessman rose to the opportunity provided by the US stimulus funds and invested into a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the Syrian Desert. The huge solar farm produces electricity through photovoltaic cells as well as through concentrating the sun's heat to boil water from the local source and drive turbines - thereby providing for a large part of Europe's renewable energy demand.
Strategic partnerships with neighbouring Irak - emerging from a long war - consolidates business opportunities in the area and provide new opportunities in the Arabic world. A new supergrid transmits electricity along high voltage direct current cables through Turkey into Europe and as far as the UK and Denmark.
Strategic partnerships with neighbouring Irak - emerging from a long war - consolidates business opportunities in the area and provide new opportunities in the Arabic world. A new supergrid transmits electricity along high voltage direct current cables through Turkey into Europe and as far as the UK and Denmark.
What has been the most significant event in their life over the past 10 years?
Zaza got married to Wadi three years ago - much older than her, but her parents found him a catch - and is now expecting her second child. Her 2 year old daughter is called Zulabia.
What is most different for the character in 2020 compared the way they lived in 2010?
Palmyra has seen an unprecedented renaissance, attracting large amounts of international visitors and professionals. This lost oasis in the desert promises to turn into a new powerful city.
What has remained the same?
Her parents are still living near the ruins. Zaza is still hugely bored with her life.
What is their lifestyle now?
Wadi and Zaza have a regulated working class life which unfortunately bores Zaza to death.
Where is your character living now?
She now lives with Wadi, her husband, in a new built, yet humble brick house in the city. The uninspiring neighbourhood was developed by a Dubai developer, based on a European design.
With whom are they living?
Alone, with their kids.
What is their occupation now?
Wadi is a worker in the plant. Bedouines were sought for jobs in the plants, since it does involve local knowledge and demands to be at relative comfort in the heat. Again, like in earlier times, the bedouines did manage to rise to thian unprecedented opportunity.
She looks after the kids and twice a week attends a "bedouin cultural awareness" course for worker's spouses. This is meant as a privilege but hey, she would so much prefer to be allowed driving a car or using the internet.
She looks after the kids and twice a week attends a "bedouin cultural awareness" course for worker's spouses. This is meant as a privilege but hey, she would so much prefer to be allowed driving a car or using the internet.
How to they get there?
They are picked up by shuttle. This was part of the sustainability proposal of the early plant.
How does your character get around in general?
They still walk and (illegally) have their camel in their backyard. All bedouines do this, although no appropriate space is provided for this in the design. They have to guide the camel across the low ceilings of the living room if they want to take it for a ride. Guess how unhappy the poor camel is, which shows in a massive eczema on the nose.
Do they travel?
By bus.
Private motorised long distance transport is still the privilege of the managing directors - mostly part of the country's ruling clan.
Private motorised long distance transport is still the privilege of the managing directors - mostly part of the country's ruling clan.
What is the furthest distance they have travelled?
Wadi went on trips to Irak, Turkey, Lybia and even Greece.
Zaza remains a homebound woman.
Zaza remains a homebound woman.
What is the one place they would like to visit?
She likes the American businessmen, they have great teeth and are smiling a lot. And they speak nice Arabic. Chicago must be a great place.
What is their favourite meal?
organic camel-burger from the NAT take-away
What is something they have never eaten but would like to try?
schwarzwaelder kirschtorte.
What do they purchase on a regular basis and where?
she goes to the market and buys mint and lemons for her drink. They have become cheaper since the new greenhouses have been built in the oasis gardens.
What was their most expensive purchase?
A massive double bed - pink, horrible and big. It was a present that still weighs on the monthly bills.
What technology could they not live without? Has this changed over time?
A fridge and a TV.
The water-filter is also very important.
The water-filter is also very important.
What was the last book/website they read/perused?
She is not very good at reading, but watches TV.
There is some Arabic soap that brings her through the afternoon. Electricity is so cheap, see?
There is some Arabic soap that brings her through the afternoon. Electricity is so cheap, see?
How does the character socially interact now?
She goes to the market and the "awareness" classes and brings her daughter to play. She does often has the feeling that she hasn't received her share of life and snobs the other women, although what could she complain about, really?
How do they relax?
Wadi relaxes on the big pink bed.
She relaxes when Wadi is out of the house.
She relaxes when Wadi is out of the house.
What is their next big life event?
The second child, she is sure that it will be a son. She is looking forward to him!
What do they care most about now?
Wadi speaks a lot about the amazing opportunities ahead, and speaks as if he was to become boss of his company tomorrow.
Zaza dreams about having more fun. She plays a lot with her daughter and they tell each other stories.
Zaza dreams about having more fun. She plays a lot with her daughter and they tell each other stories.
What is a headline from their local paper now?
Syrian President visits PSP (Palmyra Solar Plant). The delegation arrived by helicopter and stays in the Hotel "Bashar of Arabia", where they have a photo-session with a Kuwaiti investment firm.
In a paragraph describe a typical day in the life for your character from the moment they wake up until they go to bed.
Zaza wakes up at 5am, with the first rays of life, while Wadi is still asleep. She walks out into the morning and returns later to prepare him his breakfast which she brings to the huge pink bed. When the shuttle honked in front of the door to pick him up, she goes back to bed and plays with Zulabia.
They later go to the market together, and Zulabia gets brackets and rings for her hands and feet. There are so many things she is not supposed to do herself, but she lets Zulabia be a child. If other women complain than shall be it.
She passes the afternoon in front of TV. Sometimes a brother would pass, and take her to her parents.
She starts cooking for Wadi in the afternoon. She tries to bring Zulabia to bed before Wadi arrives - and they eat dinner quietly in front of the TV.
They later go to the market together, and Zulabia gets brackets and rings for her hands and feet. There are so many things she is not supposed to do herself, but she lets Zulabia be a child. If other women complain than shall be it.
She passes the afternoon in front of TV. Sometimes a brother would pass, and take her to her parents.
She starts cooking for Wadi in the afternoon. She tries to bring Zulabia to bed before Wadi arrives - and they eat dinner quietly in front of the TV.