Life in Beirut is fascinating for me.  I love this area, Hamra, where I live; close to everything I need.  The traffic noise on the one way street below can become chaotic; honking, loud music or voices, but overall, I love it.  I love hearing different languages, and enjoy using my simple Arabic vocabulary.  "La Shokran" (No thanks!) to the taxis that offer me a ride. "Afwan" (Excuse me!) to the man standing in the doorway I need to enter. "Baddii awaii" (I want coffee) to the shopkeeper, who grinds up the blend I ask for. The hard part is passing sidewalk women, babies on their laps, begging for hand outs.  Young 4 to 8 year old children squat on the sidewalk, springing to their feet and asking for a hand out as I walk past.  These are hard things to see.  Sometimes I give. I've also learned how to say No: avoid eye contact and walk by briskly.  I hear their words, begging me to have pity, to stop, to give.  I passed 4 such people on my way to the bank today. I had no cash, so it wasn't a choice, a justification?  It gets easier to ignore... but what does that really mean?

Ran my usual errands this morning; Hummos man for my fresh hummos addiction.  There is nothing like it, anywhere.  He serves up a half kilo carton and adds a tray of veggies (fresh tomato, olives, pickle, onion, radish, and fresh mint sprigs) along with a platter sized pita and spoon, in case you can't wait to get home; All for $3.

The green grocer is next to the hummos guy, where I bought avocados, tomatoes, bananas, salad greens, kiwis and oranges, all for $8. EVERYTHING is grown locally, and oh so good.

Just a short way down the road is the Bourgeois Grocer where the Madame sells homemade trays of food you can reheat at home.  I lived on her food the first 3 months I was here.  Still enjoy going in on Saturday where the Monsieur pulls out the big while plastic chair and hands me a pastry and demi tasse of his ground coffee.  First we sit and visit.  Then it's time to step over to the case to select the week's fare.  No matter what you choose, Madame always throws in an extra something; dessert, salad, or side dish.  They are adorable, and the high point of my shopping Saturday.

Darling owners of the Bourgeois Grocery; fresh food take out for reheat at home

Making Zatar bread; delicious!

My least favorite trip was to the bank... another snafu.  It was a standing joke for us (newbie teachers Lucy, Charlene and me) that we made weekly Saturday walks to the bank for the first two to three months after our arrival here.  It was all about...setting up accounts, payroll deposit, internet bill payments, getting cash, sending cash, unraveling ATM and credit card problems... You just can't believe all the little mishaps that cropped up those first months. The first thing about banking here, it's not computerized to the extent we are accustomed to in the States.  When you open a credit card account, you sign, sign, sign.  Then you wait.  You're told to come back the next week, and when you do, they're not ready.  So you set up a regular bank trip, and find out that another piece of information is missing.  Get that done, return the next Saturday to see what's happened since the week before.  It was an exciting day when we got our ATM cards, end of September.  A very exciting day when the credit cards were issued in mid- November.

My bank trip today was about recovering an ATM card.  I was out of lira last Sunday and went to the ATM. My card went in, everything seemed usual, until my card wouldn't come out again, nor did the requested cash. Reason given?  Address update needed. WHAT?  Luckily I had a cupboard full of food and a few $20 dollar bills in my travel folder. You want to be ready for surprises like this, and I got through the week just fine.  Today I found out the machine ate my card because it had "been in the ATM machine too long"... HUH??  Well, I have my card and lira now, and can once again patronize the hummos and green grocer stands; back to fresh foods!

So yes, there are inconveniences.  There are surprises. The infrastructure we take for granted at home isn't the same here.  You learn right away NOT to make ATM withdrawals during the last days of any month. Cash machines run out of cash and show a debit from your account, even though you didn't get any cash.  That's another trip to the bank! You have internet and electricity, but outages, though common and usually brief, are enough to end your Skype call. There is also the 3 hour rotating outage every day, which is softened by the building generator that automatically kicks in, but also ends your Skype call.  These problems are just part of everyday life, and as you live here, you adjust and don't even blink.  When the power would go off in my classroom back on Whidbey Island, all the kids would jump off their chairs with anticipation!  Here, the power goes out and there isn't a reaction; classroom life just goes on.  And trash? That could have a chapter all to itself...

As I said earlier, life here is different, but fascinating. I wouldn't trade where I'm living now for anything else. Why?  Life in Beirut is a sensual feast that knocks me over from time to time.  It's the intrigue that captivates and won't let go.

Beirut's downtown Blue Mosque, where you are welcome to visit.

Bangkok!

ACS teachers arrived in Bangkok after 10 hours of flight time; 4 hours from Beirut to Qatar, then the 6-hour flight to Bangkok.  I gratefully stepped off the plane in Bangkok and was blasted by the 90+ degree heat / 100% humidity, as predicted.

Top ten first impressions:
1. HOT and humid; soaked through
2. beautiful, gracious people; found myself with hands together, bowing back.
3. street cart pad thai is delicious!
4. curb side fresh pineapple, mango, ... puts the life back into you!
5. giant insects mounted in frames for sale; should have bought one.
6. 100's of fish fins breaking the river's surface
7. immaculate cleanliness, even in the subway restrooms!
8. temples with layer cake rooftops; upturned corners
9. Buddhas: golden and jade
10. saffron robed monks

ACS supported this trip to the NESA conference for teachers.  I met teachers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bangkok, Cambodia, and even got to know my ACS colleagues better. I greeted Lucy Calkins, writing guru!  After the first day of the conference, she left us in the care of her trainees.  They were fine, but sitting and sitting for hours at the conference was often the last thing I wanted to do. As soon as we were excused, it was out to the streets.

We discovered the fun of getting out.  Took the subway to Chatachat Market, a 28 acre open air extravaganza.  Went from stall to stall, searching for Lucy's favorite mango rice and found textiles; scarves, wrap skirts in beautiful fabrics, fun pants. We practiced the art of bargaining for goods.  I did buy worker pants for the boys, cool pants for the girls, scarves, bracelets, and elephant motif purses. Skipped the giant framed spiders and scorpions; what was I thinking?  Boarded the Sky Train back to the hotel.

                                     

Justin, Rania, and Anita on our river speed boat.

In our Royal Palace sanctioned wrap skirts;  me, Siestke, Rania, Cori

Palace Dragon's foot; you should've seen the dragon!

Market Place: Legs and Wings for sale

My favorite trip was a speed boat trip up the river. We sped past temples with their layer cake rooftops and flip up corners.  We rode along catching spray now and then, when suddenly slammed down in a watery trough and got drenched, especially Rania and Anita in the back.  Justin's famous advice:  "Don't lick your lips!"  This was after we noted the abundant flotsom of shoes, bottle caps, and plastics floating by.  More noteworthy were the fish!  The water stirred with the rising of hundreds of fish fins; coming up to the surface, then turning on their sides, eyes looking up at us, and then down they went.  We could only guess they were coming up for oxygen. .. maybe hoping for a crust of bread?  We didn't need reminding to wipe our faces on backs of our hands.

Best of all?  Foot massage.  One hour of foot massage complete with manicure, was $7, equivalent.  We tipped generously.  It was just wonderful.  From feet they went to neck, head, and back.  Oh My Gosh.  I knew that I would miss that part of Bangkok the most.

Worst omission was not meeting up with former South Whidbey teacher, now admin, Melanie Shaafat.  Next trip will be all about visiting Thai elephants and Melanie.  I want to see those giant blue butterflies alive and well.  Six-inch arachnids have a certain appeal... My students will tell you I'm not afraid of leggy critters!  Yes, I've got to get back to Bangkok.