Teacher's Day Still Alive and Kicking - Just

Teacher’s Day – A Lebanese Tradition

I can still remember the first year I taught in Lebanon; I can especially remember my first Teacher’s Day. I suppose it was more memorable than others due to the fact that it came as such a surprise. After all, I’d been working hard at all kinds of things up until then and never had a whole day totally dedicated to my labours! Now, here I was with not only a day off from school, but a bag of loot to take home!

Before you get too excited, let me explain what I mean by a bag of loot. Back then, most of the presents I received, and I got quite a few that year as I taught English to 63 students, were from the local $1 shop. They were an eclectic variety of badly cast cherubs with lopsided smiles, mugs with various messages (all of which were very polite), and other such china gems. They served as faithful dust collectors in nooks and crannies around the house bringing back happy memories of smiling faces.

Robert, Sarin, and I
at the Teacher’s Day
party in Le Grey
(Left is me - right is Sarin. I'll leave you to guess where Robert is...)



Where I’m working at the moment they have decided that Teacher’s Day should not be celebrated with gifts to teachers. Boo hah I hear you cry! Well, that’s just what the majority of teachers cried, too! This year’s “celebrations” were rather muted to say the least. With no gifting frenzy featuring children struggling up to the 4th floor carrying overflowing bags, the whole day was quite an anti-climax. It appears that Teacher’s Day with no presents doesn’t only mean a lot less to the teachers, the children seem to have totally forgotten about it. Maybe the parent-bought presents were the only tangible reminder of the existence of this special day to honour their hard-working mentors.

It might be more ethical to have no Teacher’s Day gifts, but it sure has gone a long way to killing the day! Thank goodness for the party… Well, we had one this year, who knows about next!?

The Importance of Pets

Recently I’ve been contemplating the role that pets play, and have played, in my life.

I’ve always been surrounded by animals; that’s an easy thing when you grow up in England! It seems that everyone has either a dog or a cat, or both as was our case. I was also lucky enough to have three ponies that were my main focus of attention for many years and brought me so much pleasure. Toby, the naughty first pony, who had real character and was quite a “Jack the lad.” Next came Gemini, Gem to her friends. She was a real high-class lady; totally dedicated to me and an affectionate friend. Soon after Gem came to live with us she gave birth to a foal called April. We called her that because she was born on 1st April. A beautiful palomino foal born to an aristocratic chestnut mare. Those days are long gone and distant memories.

When I moved to Beirut in 1985, I was immediately struck by the lack of animal life. It was the middle of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) and I suppose it should have come as no surprise that there weren’t any birds flying around. The nightly shelling sessions took care of that. I think the part I wasn’t prepared for was the lack of interest that the majority of the Lebanese population have towards animals. Things have been changing slowly over the years I’ve lived here. I suppose that we could now say we are in the phase where people find animals “cute” and want to have one. Unfortunately, most of them don’t really understand the commitment ownership of an animal brings.
Thomas Having a Nap

We are lucky enough to have two beautiful cats that share our lives up in Mansourieh. You may have read my previous posts about Lady. Well, she finally lost her battle with cancer in February, 2008. It was a great loss for us as she had been part of our family for 16 years. Thomas was forlorn! We struggled with the idea of getting another cat for a while. In May, someone leaving Lebanon needed a new home for their cat. It was a female, and she was black – just like Lady. It seemed too perfect to be true, so we decided to give it a try and see if Thomas would accept a new friend. It took about a week for him to stop hissing at her! If you could just see them now, washing each other and playing hide and seek underneath the bed…

Thomas and Bella need a rest after the most recent battle in "Cat Wars!" Needless to say, neither of them ever ends up with any injuries - except, perhaps, to their pride!

So, back to my original point. Animals bring a great deal of happiness to my life. Just having Thomas and Bella (our new lady of the house) waiting at the door when we get in at night always brings a big smile to all our faces, however tiring or stressful the day has been. In fact, as I type this Thomas is snuggled up against me.

As Bella proudly models the quilt my mum made for Matthew showing different flags from around the world it makes me think - Pet lovers of the World unite! :)

Beirut to Bangkok

This rather beautiful young lady was there to greet us as we arrived tired and feeling in desperate need of a shower at Bangkok airport. We had been travelling for about 22 hours and did not have the prospect of a hotel room to stay in until the afternoon (it was now about 7am). So, adrenalin kept us going.

What were we doing in Bangkok, you might ask. Also, who are "we?" "We" are a group of administrators and teachers from ACS. "What" is the NESA Conference. I was there as a presenter together with Salwa. It seems like a long time ago that we won the trip after the Mini NESA that took place at school in early November.





When we arrived at the hotel, the Shangri La, this handsome elephant was there guarding the doors. His twin brother was on the other side.

So, no room for a few hours, what's a girl to do. Go for a whirlwind sightseeing tour of Bangkok, of course. The fact that it was about 38 degrees and 90% humidity didn't matter. Well, it didn't matter at the time but by the end of the touring most of us felt like we were going to faint...

The picture above shows the Golden Buddha. It was an amazing sight, made from pure gold and weighing in at some ridiculous tonnage. We heard the story of how he was made from donations by the peasants many moons ago, and how he was covered in a cement casing when their original homeland was occupied. The occupiers never realised what was under all that cement and when the Thai people asked to take their dear Buddha with them to their new capital, the occupiers didn't object at all. As soon as he arrived he was "disrobed" and has since sat in all his finery.

This has to be one of the biggest Buddhas in existence. To get some perspective, look at the door at the top end of the picture. People come about one third of the way up that door - you can just about make out the shape of a person standing there. Look how high above the door the Reclining Buddha's head is!

One of our favourite pastimes in the evening was strolling around the Night Bazaar. We had such fun there. The people were very friendly, even if they were trying to rip you off. But, bartering was all part of the game. You could be sure that any starting price would at least halve and, in some cases, end up one third of the original number given. I'd never bartered before and had such a good time. We went back about 3 times; that's not bad for a 6 day stay!

We mostly travelled around in taxis. Hint: whenever you take a taxi in Bangkok make sure it's with the meter or you can end up paying triple for the fare. One daring night, on the way back from the Bazaar, we decided to take a "tock tock." We had a young driver and we were four sitting in the back; how we managed to all squeeze in don't ask me - suffice to say that I was sitting on the floor! Well, he was driving pretty erratically so a couple of the girls started screaming. He thought they were having a good time so decided to play to the audience and began driving like a maniac! I mean, we're all from Lebanon and are, therefore, used to crazy driving. Boy oh boy, this guy was more than crazy. By the time we got back to the hotel we were hoarse with screaming and laughing, in equal measures.

One of my most pleasant memories of Bangkok will be the fruit. There was so much of it and it was delicious; especially the fresh pineapple. We had fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes fruit being the only component of that particular meal.

So, all in all I had a good experience in Bangkok. It was interesting to see the Far East. It's so different from either Europe, North America, or the Middle East. I found the heat oppressive and the smells in the streets overpowering. I loved the people and the general "busy ness" of the place. It was a wonderful opportunity to see another culture and country - I'm glad I went.

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...

Cafe Younes in Hamra

Cafe Younes in Hamra. Providing the Lebanese public

with quality coffee since 1935

Charles and I performed one of our Saturday morning rituals; we popped into Cafe Younes to get some ground coffee and also enjoy drinking a coffee while watching the world go by. We bought 3 packets of 200 grams of coffee - House Blend - and two filter coffees to sip slowly in the spring sunshine. All that and we paid the same as we would have for 2 coffees and a piece of cake in a well-known international coffee place decked out in green just a 5 minute walk away. To anyone who knows Cafe Younes, we sat outside on the rickety stools being careful not to lean on the bar tables, which would have certainly resulted in our coffee ending up in our laps!

Saturday morning was warm and sunny. The Khamsine wind had been blowing in the night making the temperatures rise accordingly. For the first time this year I was out with a long-sleeved t-shirt but no jumper. It was such a peaceful scene. We could hear the beeping of the cars and taxis on the nearby Hamra Street in the background. However, our part of Hamra was calm, the most noise coming from the other coffee drinkers as they discussed "things" - mostly politics and the "situation." Conversations were going on in Arabic, French and English; frequently in a mixture of all three. That's Lebanon.

The new Younes - more upmarket but keeping the tradition alive

As I glanced across I could see the "new" Cafe Younes. Finally, in 2008, they have branched out. Not too far, mind you. They have bought the shop just down from their original place and made it into a posh version of the Younes we know and love. No more tottering on shaky bar stools while balancing your coffee on a table that seems intent on not performing the duty it was made for. Oh no! The new Younes has real tables and chairs. There are even sun shades ready for the inevitable summer heat.

Congratulations Younes! Let's hope you're here for many year to come.

Village People Lebanese Style

I took my class skiing at the beginning of this week. We went to Faqra (sounds quite rude when you say this in English) and spent two days up there. The snow was OK, by next week I think it will be well past its best. Going to Faqra is a tradition at my school. The kids all look forward to reaching 3rd grade because that's the grade when you spend your first night sleeping up in the lodge. I'm not sure some of the parents feel the same way; it's not easy letting your kids out of your sight when things are still so unpredictable politically.

Beginners group is tough work

Many of them spent the first day just learning how to stand up on their skis. It's really the toughest for those who have never tried it before. They have to use muscles they didn't know they even possessed, it's cold, it's tiring, etc.

The amazingly talented and multi-lingual coaches

Andre was there organising it all. He had the"3 Nos" - no nagging, no complaining, no whining. We added a 4th, no moaning. He liked that one, being francophone it was a new word for him. Now's the part that inspired my title. I was thinking about the ski coaches, the "monitors." Basically they're all men, young and old, from the villages nearby. What amazes me is that they conduct their ski lessons in either Arabic (OK, that's easy), English, or French. I wouldn't be surprised if they could also manage in Italian and Greek! It made me wonder, would anything comparable happen in my home country, England? The recollection of my grandmother's take on language flashed back to me. She was a real Victorian, born in 1890. She reckoned that anyone could understand English, you just had to speak loudly enough!

You'd have thought the kids would have had enough snow after all that skiing on the first day, but no. They were still full of energy (where do they get it from?) so we went out and had a snowman making competition.

Seven snowmen soon took shape, I wonder if they're still there

It was such a peaceful two days. Really, it's hard to get a grip on reality and remember that we are going through such turmoil. We seem to be heading closer and closer to some kind of disastrous outcome, either in the region or, more specifically, in Lebanon. I once heard someone say, "If they give birth in Palestine we have the labour pains in Lebanon." They said that was true for everything that takes place among our nearest neighbours. So, I just want to focus on the scene below that shows the mountains just before sunset; and try to continue my pledge, "Be optimistic!"

The Lebanese mountains at their best, covered in snow

Lady - A Special Companion

What a beauty! Lady at the ripe old age of 14.

Lady has been a member of our family since she was a very young cat; that was way back in the spring of 1994. Friends often refer to her as “the phantom cat” due to the fact that they never get to see her, except in photos. Some of them have known us for more than 10 years and never set eyes on her. One friend who suffers from severe cat allergies visited our house for three years before discovering we have a cat. She has always been that way, extremely nervous. We think she was mistreated when she was a kitten, and that she probably comes from mixed birth with some feral cat in there somewhere.

When it comes to us, family, she is very affectionate. She practically lives in our bed, only coming out for the necessities of life. However, she simply adores the time of day when we go into the bedroom and spend some time with her. She lies on the bed purring and “talking” to us in muted tones. Everything Lady does in kind of low key, almost “undercover” – she would have made an exceptional spy cat!

Lady wakes up under Thomas' watchful eye.

Lady is not well. She has already had two rounds of surgery for cancerous tumours; the most recent being last June. After that one we did a biopsy and discovered that she has the worst kind of malignant tumour possible. The whole process of surgery is extra stressful for Lady. Bearing in mind that she likes to spend her entire life in our bed, imagine how she feels about being put into a cat box and taken to the vet. She hates it and demonstrates her displeasure with real “belly howls” all the way down to Beirut in the car, all the way to the vet’s from the car park, all the time we are waiting in the waiting room – you get the picture.

Now the dilemma. Should we have Lady’s now huge tumour operated again? There is no way she is going to get better. The next tumour will most likely grow even more quickly than this one, and that has reached tennis ball size in eight months. The stress of what she has to go through is like torture for her. On the other hand, operating may give her a few more months in the family bed. She doesn’t seem to be suffering at all and is still eating and doing all the normal things a cat does – as normal as Lady will ever be, that is! It will mean we can put off having to say goodbye to her now. Sacha will be able to see her again when she visits at Easter.

Hum, not an easy one and at the time of writing the jury is still out. Somehow I think that a verdict of “operate” will probably be pronounced as none of us have the heart to take any other decision.

Imagine, here we are in Lebanon where a pizza delivery guy was recently just shot and killed as he delivered a couple of medium marguerites and a bottle of Coke near to a demonstration. Most Lebanese would tell us, “Get your priorities right” they’re not renowned for being a very animal friendly race. I have university educated friends, professional people, who consider getting their kids a kitten to play with in their summer house and then just abandoning it when they leave back to Beirut in September is “normal.” I know a science teacher no less, who thinks that keeping a duckling in a tiny cage and letting the kids bring it to school where it cries pitifully all day long is “fine.”

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by the lack of animal ethics displayed even by the educated elite of our society. In the present situation with our current preoccupations what to do with a 14 year old cat would, understandably, come at the bottom of most people’s list of priorities.