Two completely unrelated stories from the past week
First, I went to the town of Beit al-Din with Kate, Kate's sister who came to visit, and our friend Abood. We saw two castles. One was gorgeous and the other one was super creepy. The story goes: there was a boy named Moussa who loved a girl and told her that he wanted to marry her. She said that she would only live in a castle. So he built a castle. Then married someone else. He turned the castle into a wax museum that attempts to capture a history of Lebanese culture and war. There are rooms with stuff like men smoking arguili, women cooking manaesh, and The Last Supper (which was in Lebanon of course). Moussa also has a collection of weapons and bullets from the civil war (in Lebanon so they're all really modern). We all felt a little weird when we exited the building so we sat in a garden and watched the mist settle in around us. Then we asked someone when the bus would come by. He said not for another hour so someone suggested a cab. Then Kate's sister says "there's a cab." We turn around and the taxi driver waves at us. Turns out to be the same guy that drove us to Damascus a week and a half earlier! Ironic, huh? but he can't take us back because because he is with people and tells us to wait for the bus, but then just as he says this a bus pulls up. No one on it. We ask the driver where he is going and he says some place right outside of Beirut. We get on board and one bus later we're back in Beirut.
Second, I had my last day at the language center the other day and I was going to skip, but my teacher begged me to come the last day... because she made me a birthday cake! She also made punch (lemonade with rose water- don't do it!). I guess I really have created a community here. I like talking to the owner of the cell phone store about his new fiance and discussing everything from how my arabic is coming along to his daughter's education in Canada with the guy who I buy water from. I'm honored that Im Shakim always gives me a free pack of gum when I buy a sandwich and feel special when the guys at the post office offer enormous grins when they see me check my mailbox and pull something out (we created a special bond on 2/14). And I think it's really sweet that the waitress at Universal Snack always runs outside to wave hello when she seems me walk by. And it's endlessly adorable that the guy at the video store doesn't let other people rent the David Attenborough series and never charges us for late fees. And I love that I can talk to my roommate about her boyfriend, dreams, and family values. I really created a community here. I made myself a home. And in eight days I'm going to try to pack it all into a suitcase.
Second, I had my last day at the language center the other day and I was going to skip, but my teacher begged me to come the last day... because she made me a birthday cake! She also made punch (lemonade with rose water- don't do it!). I guess I really have created a community here. I like talking to the owner of the cell phone store about his new fiance and discussing everything from how my arabic is coming along to his daughter's education in Canada with the guy who I buy water from. I'm honored that Im Shakim always gives me a free pack of gum when I buy a sandwich and feel special when the guys at the post office offer enormous grins when they see me check my mailbox and pull something out (we created a special bond on 2/14). And I think it's really sweet that the waitress at Universal Snack always runs outside to wave hello when she seems me walk by. And it's endlessly adorable that the guy at the video store doesn't let other people rent the David Attenborough series and never charges us for late fees. And I love that I can talk to my roommate about her boyfriend, dreams, and family values. I really created a community here. I made myself a home. And in eight days I'm going to try to pack it all into a suitcase.