"You are welcome!" - Syria before civil war

I was lucky enough to visit Syria shortly before civil war took hold of the country in early 2011. My memories of Syria are some of the happiest of my life, and I recall some of the most noble and friendly people I have ever met. Never before have I felt so genuinely welcome in another country. As I walked the streets, I was constantly asked where I was from. "England" I replied. "Ah, You are Welcome!" people would say. It's a phrase that still rings in my ears, meant with such sincerity and sentiment, the one phrase that captures my whole experience of this wonderful country.

As I follow the war on the news, I often find myself thinking about the people I met. I wonder what has become of them, where they are now. I wonder if they have been fighting or fleeing. I wonder if they are still alive.