Tastes of Life

Welcome Easter egg couriers!

Like mother like daughter. Sacha is off experiencing life on another continent; getting in touch with her British roots. However, she was the express courier for the Easter eggs from England. She had to bring Elie along with her to help carry them all... It's been interesting to hear life from her point of view. So many things she talks about missing revolve around food. And that got me thinking about the things I have missed from the three capital cities I've lived in...

I think that all those people out in "Blogland" who have lived for some time in more than one country will be able to relate to this. I have had the, sometime, pleasure of living in 3 capital cities during my lifetime. I was born and grew up in and around London, lived for 5 years in Paris, then moved to Beirut in the mid 80s. So, three quite different capital cities with their very own customs and cultures.

Never did I imagine the internal confusion these unique living experiences would cause in my life! When I went to live in Paris I missed speaking English, eating good bacon, and drinking a decent cup of tea (the milk was terrible and made the tea taste really bad). Once in Beirut, I still missed all those things, but could add to the list pain au chocolat, cafe creme, walking along the Seine and visiting the pet shops, and drinking good champagne for a very reasonable price! Having been a resident of Beirut for over 20 years there are many things I miss when I travel for any period of time. It seems that wherever I am, I will be blighted with longing for many things from those places I no longer frequent...

When East meets West at Easter

What has this got to do with Easter eggs, I hear you cry? Well, the picture above is a great visual representation of what I mean. How different could you get than the two types of treat pictured? One of them is a traditional chocolate Easter egg, known and loved across the UK and in many other "Western" countries. Underneath is a selection of maamoule, delivered fresh to the door by our neighbour just as she finished baking them. In Lebanon, this is the traditional Easter treat; stuffed with either nuts or pureed dates. Yum - to both!

When in Lebanon I bemoan the lack of decent tasting Easter eggs; if you've ever visited the supermarkets in England on the run-in to Easter and seen the massive selection there you will understand exactly what I mean. If in England, I know I would get nostalgic for the sweet and crumbly maamoule, especially the home-made ones delivered by Amale.

It seems that one side-effect of experiencing varied cultures and continents is that you will forever be yearning for something that you no longer have. Perhaps a small price to pay...