tWoke up Monday with a clear agenda: "This has been nice, but it's time to go home." I shook myself awake. 5 a.m. "Carolyn, you aren't going home. You're getting up for your walk!" Luckily, the walk part was true! Weird. My dream seemed so reasonable, and the clarity of the thought stayed with me for a long time. Before I could feel sad, I hopped out of bed to meet Lucy for our early walk to the Corniche. So glad I had that reason to get up and go; grateful to have someone else to help me laugh it off!
Temperatures have dropped into the 20's celsius, which means the 80's for us Fahrenheit folks. In other words, I can wear my long pants again. Sometimes I even forget to turn on the AC when I get home... remarkable! Had my building buddies over for dinner on the balcony last night. We ate outside to Nora Jones and the ever present honking of cars below. It's nice being 4 stories up! But traffic on our one lane street is busy. You wouldn't think so to see it, but 5 or more cars lined up spells HONK HONK HONK! We enjoyed our dinner. I ran into fajita mix at a little market. The corn tortillas were already in the freezer, and salsa on the shelf. Time to put it all together! Lebanese apples went into a crisp; gluten free, and oh so good. I love the smell of apples and cinnamon; HOMEY!
This life is mentally and physically demanding. Besides a new classroom and culture to adjust to, there's a whole new way of shopping, laundering, cooking, and even cleaning. I mean, what a learning curve! I've always been a homebody. I've always loved my kitchen and all the equipment in my home. When I arrived here to my fully furnished apt, the toilet seat was hanging by a hinge, the AC didn't work, and I couldn't figure out how to turn on the stove. Why did the sink have two faucets? Yeah, I have two faucets in the kitchen sink! One is for cooking water and the other is for cleaning dishes. Neither is drinking water. That comes from a bottle. I make a weekly trip to the corner market and carry home a large container of water. This I pour into smaller liter sized bottles that fit in my little fridge.
The my fully furnished cleaning tools include a mop/bucket, small sponges, and a tiny broom on a 2 foot handle. Can you picture that? Sweeping a tile floor using a broom with a 2-ft handle? Well, that's what I've been doing. (Please laugh; it IS silly!) Luckily my friend Lucy has offered me her extra broom... I know; I'm such a cheapskate!
Laundering takes place on the 8th floor. I share two stacking machines with the building. There is no schedule; it's first come, first served. I've learned that if I'm up before 7 a.m., I can use both machines at once. They are quite small. Two bath towels, a hand towel, a couple of dish towels, and these things are full! The water is harsh. I've opted to hand wash quite a few of my shirts, pants, and underwear. I have a drying rack that has become a permanent fixture in my bedroom. I told you about those mini power blinks? Well, every time we have one of those the machines stop, and the dryers don't restart. That's another trip to the top floor... but I usually just go up there to find my laundry as wet as when I put it in the dryer, so downstairs it comes to the drying rack.
My feet are holding up very well, thank you. This is important, because it is my feet and legs that allow this life style to work. I walk EVERYWHERE: school, upstairs, downstairs, market, AUB, pool, and then home again. Walking is the glue that keeps it all going, and I really appreciate it. Exercise au naturel... just the way I like it. I'm really trying to find home here. I do miss my kids, my dad and family, my friends... I miss the green trees and clear clean air. Homesickness rolls in and out, part of the landscape. I'm just thankful for have so much and so many to miss!
Temperatures have dropped into the 20's celsius, which means the 80's for us Fahrenheit folks. In other words, I can wear my long pants again. Sometimes I even forget to turn on the AC when I get home... remarkable! Had my building buddies over for dinner on the balcony last night. We ate outside to Nora Jones and the ever present honking of cars below. It's nice being 4 stories up! But traffic on our one lane street is busy. You wouldn't think so to see it, but 5 or more cars lined up spells HONK HONK HONK! We enjoyed our dinner. I ran into fajita mix at a little market. The corn tortillas were already in the freezer, and salsa on the shelf. Time to put it all together! Lebanese apples went into a crisp; gluten free, and oh so good. I love the smell of apples and cinnamon; HOMEY!
This life is mentally and physically demanding. Besides a new classroom and culture to adjust to, there's a whole new way of shopping, laundering, cooking, and even cleaning. I mean, what a learning curve! I've always been a homebody. I've always loved my kitchen and all the equipment in my home. When I arrived here to my fully furnished apt, the toilet seat was hanging by a hinge, the AC didn't work, and I couldn't figure out how to turn on the stove. Why did the sink have two faucets? Yeah, I have two faucets in the kitchen sink! One is for cooking water and the other is for cleaning dishes. Neither is drinking water. That comes from a bottle. I make a weekly trip to the corner market and carry home a large container of water. This I pour into smaller liter sized bottles that fit in my little fridge.
The my fully furnished cleaning tools include a mop/bucket, small sponges, and a tiny broom on a 2 foot handle. Can you picture that? Sweeping a tile floor using a broom with a 2-ft handle? Well, that's what I've been doing. (Please laugh; it IS silly!) Luckily my friend Lucy has offered me her extra broom... I know; I'm such a cheapskate!
Laundering takes place on the 8th floor. I share two stacking machines with the building. There is no schedule; it's first come, first served. I've learned that if I'm up before 7 a.m., I can use both machines at once. They are quite small. Two bath towels, a hand towel, a couple of dish towels, and these things are full! The water is harsh. I've opted to hand wash quite a few of my shirts, pants, and underwear. I have a drying rack that has become a permanent fixture in my bedroom. I told you about those mini power blinks? Well, every time we have one of those the machines stop, and the dryers don't restart. That's another trip to the top floor... but I usually just go up there to find my laundry as wet as when I put it in the dryer, so downstairs it comes to the drying rack.
My feet are holding up very well, thank you. This is important, because it is my feet and legs that allow this life style to work. I walk EVERYWHERE: school, upstairs, downstairs, market, AUB, pool, and then home again. Walking is the glue that keeps it all going, and I really appreciate it. Exercise au naturel... just the way I like it. I'm really trying to find home here. I do miss my kids, my dad and family, my friends... I miss the green trees and clear clean air. Homesickness rolls in and out, part of the landscape. I'm just thankful for have so much and so many to miss!
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