Syrian woman builds better life through unlikely friendship with Saint John retiree and his wife

If all of your friends look like you, talk like you and are the same age as you, you can have a 
good life.

But you’re missing out on experiences and perspective that could make your world much richer.

Just ask Asrar Aldekas and Kevin Standing.

On the surface, the two Saint John residents may not seem like two people destined to be best friends.

Standing, 57, is a born-and-raised New Brunswicker who recently retired due to medical reasons.

Aldekas, 29, fled Syria several years ago during the country’s civil war, arriving first in Lebanon, then in London, Ont. She eventually landed in Saint John in 2019.

Arriving on