Good morning all!
I slept a straight 5 hours, the longest I've slept since
arrival. It was 6 a.m., when "BUZZ BUZZ!" I leaped out of bed, surprised by an awful
noise coming from my wall; the intercom!
I hurried to my balcony and 4 stories down there was a delivery
man with what appeared to be a small bag and hot drink. He held these up, "at last someone
responds!" and I buzzed him in. Actually, I was thinking that
maybe I shouldn't have let him in. I
didn't order anything, and if he meant no good, then.... On the other hand, my instincts have been
good so far. There is a higher sense of
alert here, due to recent events in the city. Americans have specifically been
told to be more careful about travel in some areas by the US State Dept. It doesn't seem to affect us in the Hamra,, or University district. I registered with the US Embassy in Beirut , but heard about
the advisory from my friend Charlene yesterday morning. We have a locked gate
around this building, so must keep a tight hold on our 3 keys; gate key, door key, and laundry room key. We
have an elevator and stairs.
A minute later came KNOCK KNOCK on my 4th floor door! I was handed a hot
bag and coffee, "for 4D!". Turns
out the order was for my neighbor. I almost got a hot breakfast, delivered!
Loud speaker singing from a nearby mosque. The 6 a.m. call to prayer, is going
longer than usual. It's the end of
Ramadan (the lunar month's long fast) and beginning of Eid ("eed"). I mentioned in an earlier entry that during
Ramadan, the Muslims do not eat between dawn and dusk. As soon as the sun sets, fasting ends and the
Iftar ("eef-tar"), or feasting, begins. People are up late at the restaurants, and
there is a great deal of traffic in the streets until late into the night.
We celebrated two evenings of Iftar, one at a
restaurant. The other was at the
invitation of our headmaster, George Damon, who resides, privately, on the
rooftop of ACS school! He has created a
garden, surprising to discover as you reach the top of 5 flights of
stairs! There were large pots of lemon, olive
and ficus trees, starry white jasmine blooms, spreading clusters of sunset colored bougainvilleas, and bright red, pink,
or yellow flowering hibiscus. Enchanting! Plants and trees were all around
the perimeter of the rooftop which included an ornate covered area with comfy
outdoor couches and chairs. Among the
greenery, round tables were set with white linen table cloths. Stemware, filled with a variety of tempting
colorful drinks, from deep pomegranate reds to orange cactus juices, were
waiting for us. Large round trays on
each table were laden with pyramids of dried fruits (dates, figs, apricots),
olives (small, large, black, green, brown), nuts (shelled walnuts, pistachios,
pecans, hazelnuts) cheeses (goat, sheep, cow),and pita breads. From there we walked to the buffet tables to
sample a variety of fresh salads and meat dishes. Lebanese foods are bright with the tang of
fresh lemons, basil, mint, and cheese.
The dessert table tempted us with a dark chocolate cake wrapped in
satiny chocolate ribbons. It was a romantic setting topped off with 250 degree views of
the Sea. Here in the southern latitudes,
sun sets and night follows quickly. We
feasted under the glowing strings of lights. It was something I'll never forget.
The ending of Ramadan marks the beginning of Eid,
("eed") which is a 3-day celebration comparable to our Christmas, the
biggest Muslim holiday of the year.
People eat abundantly of special foods, and celebrate by wearing new
clothes and visiting their families and friends. I don't know if there is gift
giving, but I understand Eid can be quite elaborate. And STILL the singing continues from the
mosque tower, 60 minutes so far. This IS
something to hear! Banks and businesses
will be closed through Tuesday. I will
begin my respectful observance with a wonderful cup of Earl Grey tea. Singing continues....7:05 a.m. It's Sunday, my first Sunday in the Middle East .
There are 5 ACS teachers housed in the German Evangelical
Building Beirut and beyond so we
could stock up on whatever we needed at a mall. When it rose up in the distance, I was shocked. It was "American" style, but seemed out of place BIG. The building
itself was covered with 4 story tall sized billboards, featuring clothes and
perfume ads, and inside felt like being dropped into a giant Walmart store with American music, fast food represented by McDonalds, KFC, etc. It wasn't exactly cheap... but we shopped and rolled out carts filled with household
goods and groceries. These were loaded onto
the buses by two eager Lebanese mall workers, who lingered next to the bus
afterwards, waiting for their tips! The buses returned us to each of our
buildings. Unloading was accompanied by the sound of honking... Streets are narrow
and lined with parked cars,both sides, so cars behind must wait. Opening my booty was fun, and flat is beginning to feel a little more homey. I bought a doormat, detergent, dish towels, bowls, utensils, and potholders, as well as foods like olive oil, brown rice, and dried garbanzo beans; $200 for 8 bags of stuff!
Time to get dressed.
Today we are going on our second school field trip to the Jeita Grotto,
and Byblos . Jeita Grotto is an underground cave system of two distinct and enormous chambers. One you see on a walking tour deep into the cave. The other chamber you see from a boat. It is famous here and all over the world. I can't wait!
Next, ancient Byblos is believed to be the world's oldest port!
Excavations reveal layers of civilizations, dating back 8000 to 100,000
years ago, to the pre-pottery era. I
promise to take pictures and get them on line for you. Must giddy-up!
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