Just got dropped off after seeing "Skyfall", the new James Bond movie. Arij drove Charlene and me to our first Beirut movie theater. The movie was in English with subtitles in both Arabic and French. So glad that the voices were the ones we love to hear(!). Movie is explosive and Fun! I'll only add here that it makes me sad to see Judi Dench in her "last role" with 007 series. She's always a favorite. As I sat on my red cushy armchair, (nicest movie chair I've ever sat in at ANY theater) I told Arij about the Clyde, our single aisle community theater back home; "They even pass the donation bucket when someone is in need!" She said, "I would love to go to such a theater!"
Saturday is an important day. No school, YIPPEE!
It's also the only day of the week I can get inside a bank. Banks hours are 8 a.m. to 1 pm, Monday through Saturday. What with setting up bank checking and savings accounts, picking up debit and credit cards, returning for pin numbers, using ATM machine, it's become a weekly destination. You choose lira or dollars when you withdraw money from the ATM. My checking account also has two parts; Lebanese lira, and American dollars. The monthly paycheck is automatically deposited in lira, hence the deposits of 3,000,000! Three million translates into 2,000 USD. Since our housing costs are covered by the school, this is food, internet, telephone, travel, and savings (for travel!) money. And guess what? Finally got email from the ACS business office telling me I can come pick up my passport. It's been tied up in the residency visa process since August!
Today at the outside gate to our building, I see Angela without her little white dog. This is the second time I've seen her without him, so I ask, "How is People doing?" "Oh, he is fine, fine. I take him out for a long walk early, 5 a.m., but not good to walk him in all this traffic." She's got a point there. Angela is French, but has lived in Beirut for over 14 years. She is a lovely, tall woman, probably in her late 60s, with a strong French accent. I ask, "Are you going shopping?" "I hate shopping! I go to one store to buy all my groceries." Really? So I get up my courage and ask, "May I walk with you a ways today? I'd like to see this favorite store of yours." She quickly replies, "Oh yes! It's very close!" Turns out to be a health foods store, very small, tucked just down the road from the TSC market where I usually shop. Inside, I'm introduced to its owner, Rajif, and Angela takes me on a thorough tour, leaving nothing out: "Rice cakes here... this is the only tea I drink!... See this chocolate? 85% cacao... and see all the dried fruits? Organic oats and grains... this is what I eat every day." Angela is a vegan! Liz, I kept thinking of you! I filled my bag with rice cakes, toothpaste ("You will never need to see a dentist again!"), a bar of herbal soap ("Smells so lovely") and whole fresh walnuts. We left the shop together, happy with our purchases. And me? Happy that I'd reached out to know her better.
Another Saturday errand is to the Patisserie New Bourgeois, where Silvnan makes meals to sell. Her shop window is filled with pastries. Inside you see a long cooler-counter with ready made meals. Tom, an ACS teacher in his 8th year, first introduced us to the shop owners. Silvnan and her husband run it together, but she does all the cooking. By this time, Charlene has joined me. As soon as we enter, husband pulls out the white plastic chairs, filling the narrow aisle, and motions for us to "Sit down, Sit down!" He pours us demi tasse cups of black coffee. Silvnan hands each of us a slice of orange sponge cake. Today I choose the stuffed cabbage leaves with roasted carrots, homemade pumpkin soup, and fish on rice with roasted slivered almonds. Each dish is 10,000 LL, just less than $7, and is packed into containers to go. To our orders, Silvnan adds a sauce for dipping, and a cup of her dessert pudding. Mine is vanilla coconut; YUM! We chat while sipping coffee, then pay for our purchases. At this point Silvnan asks, "Where were you next weekend?" She meant 'last weekend'. i explain, "I was gone, went camping last weekend." Silvnan continued, "I waited until three o'clock, looking for you with pumpkin soup". Oh My Gosh! It dawned on me that while it's been a pleasant errand for the past several weeks, it's also their livelihood! "Silvnan, I'm sorry that you waited for me! Next time I can't come, I'll call and let you know." With that, I promptly add her number to my cell phone. I think this means I'm a "regular", and I realize that it feels good!
Next stop is the hummus guy. Today, I bring my own container; 1 kg His usual serving is 500g, but I love it so much, I'm doubling! He fills my container to the top, lid on, and charges me 10,000LL. It is so sesame-lemony good! I'm addicted. I eat it on cut veggies, cooked veggies, as a spread on pita, or added to hot rice. I enjoy a spoonful right out of the container... and that usually leads to another. Those of you who know me may already know about this 'one' bad habit of mine...
Now it's time to head home, a plastic bag hanging from each hand., my shoulder bag filled, but something leads me right into a florist shop, one I've passed many times. This shop is brimming with long stemmed flowers, and the roses especially catch my eye and nose, but these are not what I came for. To the man behind the counter I say, "I need compost mixed with Lebanese soil. Do you have this?" He understands my English and assures me that he does. "I have 2 hibiscus plants, about this tall, that need to be planted in large pots I already have. Can you do this?" He nods, Of course!
"I'll drop off these bags and bring back a plant and pot in about 20 minutes." Sure!
In about 20 minutes, I'm back with the pot and plant. From the back room he grabs two bags of compost, and then out comes a large pot full of sandy red Lebanese soil. "Ah, that's what I need!" I exclaim, excited that he has this amazing soil. He and his young assistant replant the hibiscus into its larger container.
The young assistant turns out to be the wheel barrow I'd asked about. He follows me back to the flat. We stop twice so he can switch shoulders, but no way am I to help carry. I lead him upstairs, and he sets the hibiscus down on the empty saucer on my balcony. I point out the second hibiscus and decide to take the jasmine plant and its pot as well. Back we go to the florist. This time the owner has already mixed the soils together, and notices my 3rd plant without missing a beat. As soon as these are replanted, the young boy, Mohammad insists on carrying the jasmine plant for me. He will make a third trip to get the big hibiscus. He is Syrian, speaks Turkish and Arabic, but no English. He has no family here in Beirut. I try to ask him some simple questions, but this mostly leads to laughter. He is very kind. When he brings the third plant upstairs, he heads straight outside to its saucer. I thank him and hand him 13,000 LL, or about $9, which is a pretty nice tip. He thanks me, but doesn't stop to count. I walk him out to the elevator, and say, "Adios Mohammad". He asks, Allemande? (German?) I answer, "American". He responds with a big smile, and says,"That Very Good!" As the elevator door closes, he blows me a kiss!
So this is my Saturday. See what happens when you step out into the world here? You never know where your feet will take you.
Saturday is an important day. No school, YIPPEE!
It's also the only day of the week I can get inside a bank. Banks hours are 8 a.m. to 1 pm, Monday through Saturday. What with setting up bank checking and savings accounts, picking up debit and credit cards, returning for pin numbers, using ATM machine, it's become a weekly destination. You choose lira or dollars when you withdraw money from the ATM. My checking account also has two parts; Lebanese lira, and American dollars. The monthly paycheck is automatically deposited in lira, hence the deposits of 3,000,000! Three million translates into 2,000 USD. Since our housing costs are covered by the school, this is food, internet, telephone, travel, and savings (for travel!) money. And guess what? Finally got email from the ACS business office telling me I can come pick up my passport. It's been tied up in the residency visa process since August!
Today at the outside gate to our building, I see Angela without her little white dog. This is the second time I've seen her without him, so I ask, "How is People doing?" "Oh, he is fine, fine. I take him out for a long walk early, 5 a.m., but not good to walk him in all this traffic." She's got a point there. Angela is French, but has lived in Beirut for over 14 years. She is a lovely, tall woman, probably in her late 60s, with a strong French accent. I ask, "Are you going shopping?" "I hate shopping! I go to one store to buy all my groceries." Really? So I get up my courage and ask, "May I walk with you a ways today? I'd like to see this favorite store of yours." She quickly replies, "Oh yes! It's very close!" Turns out to be a health foods store, very small, tucked just down the road from the TSC market where I usually shop. Inside, I'm introduced to its owner, Rajif, and Angela takes me on a thorough tour, leaving nothing out: "Rice cakes here... this is the only tea I drink!... See this chocolate? 85% cacao... and see all the dried fruits? Organic oats and grains... this is what I eat every day." Angela is a vegan! Liz, I kept thinking of you! I filled my bag with rice cakes, toothpaste ("You will never need to see a dentist again!"), a bar of herbal soap ("Smells so lovely") and whole fresh walnuts. We left the shop together, happy with our purchases. And me? Happy that I'd reached out to know her better.
Another Saturday errand is to the Patisserie New Bourgeois, where Silvnan makes meals to sell. Her shop window is filled with pastries. Inside you see a long cooler-counter with ready made meals. Tom, an ACS teacher in his 8th year, first introduced us to the shop owners. Silvnan and her husband run it together, but she does all the cooking. By this time, Charlene has joined me. As soon as we enter, husband pulls out the white plastic chairs, filling the narrow aisle, and motions for us to "Sit down, Sit down!" He pours us demi tasse cups of black coffee. Silvnan hands each of us a slice of orange sponge cake. Today I choose the stuffed cabbage leaves with roasted carrots, homemade pumpkin soup, and fish on rice with roasted slivered almonds. Each dish is 10,000 LL, just less than $7, and is packed into containers to go. To our orders, Silvnan adds a sauce for dipping, and a cup of her dessert pudding. Mine is vanilla coconut; YUM! We chat while sipping coffee, then pay for our purchases. At this point Silvnan asks, "Where were you next weekend?" She meant 'last weekend'. i explain, "I was gone, went camping last weekend." Silvnan continued, "I waited until three o'clock, looking for you with pumpkin soup". Oh My Gosh! It dawned on me that while it's been a pleasant errand for the past several weeks, it's also their livelihood! "Silvnan, I'm sorry that you waited for me! Next time I can't come, I'll call and let you know." With that, I promptly add her number to my cell phone. I think this means I'm a "regular", and I realize that it feels good!
Next stop is the hummus guy. Today, I bring my own container; 1 kg His usual serving is 500g, but I love it so much, I'm doubling! He fills my container to the top, lid on, and charges me 10,000LL. It is so sesame-lemony good! I'm addicted. I eat it on cut veggies, cooked veggies, as a spread on pita, or added to hot rice. I enjoy a spoonful right out of the container... and that usually leads to another. Those of you who know me may already know about this 'one' bad habit of mine...
Now it's time to head home, a plastic bag hanging from each hand., my shoulder bag filled, but something leads me right into a florist shop, one I've passed many times. This shop is brimming with long stemmed flowers, and the roses especially catch my eye and nose, but these are not what I came for. To the man behind the counter I say, "I need compost mixed with Lebanese soil. Do you have this?" He understands my English and assures me that he does. "I have 2 hibiscus plants, about this tall, that need to be planted in large pots I already have. Can you do this?" He nods, Of course!
"I'll drop off these bags and bring back a plant and pot in about 20 minutes." Sure!
In about 20 minutes, I'm back with the pot and plant. From the back room he grabs two bags of compost, and then out comes a large pot full of sandy red Lebanese soil. "Ah, that's what I need!" I exclaim, excited that he has this amazing soil. He and his young assistant replant the hibiscus into its larger container.
The young assistant turns out to be the wheel barrow I'd asked about. He follows me back to the flat. We stop twice so he can switch shoulders, but no way am I to help carry. I lead him upstairs, and he sets the hibiscus down on the empty saucer on my balcony. I point out the second hibiscus and decide to take the jasmine plant and its pot as well. Back we go to the florist. This time the owner has already mixed the soils together, and notices my 3rd plant without missing a beat. As soon as these are replanted, the young boy, Mohammad insists on carrying the jasmine plant for me. He will make a third trip to get the big hibiscus. He is Syrian, speaks Turkish and Arabic, but no English. He has no family here in Beirut. I try to ask him some simple questions, but this mostly leads to laughter. He is very kind. When he brings the third plant upstairs, he heads straight outside to its saucer. I thank him and hand him 13,000 LL, or about $9, which is a pretty nice tip. He thanks me, but doesn't stop to count. I walk him out to the elevator, and say, "Adios Mohammad". He asks, Allemande? (German?) I answer, "American". He responds with a big smile, and says,"That Very Good!" As the elevator door closes, he blows me a kiss!
So this is my Saturday. See what happens when you step out into the world here? You never know where your feet will take you.
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