It's a sunny day in Beirut, and it's my mother-in-law's birthday. We'll go downtown to celebrate her over lunch later today. It's a wonderful day, packed with good news.
Good news 1: Our bag has arrived to Lebanon! It took my husband a late night trip to the airport and some negotiations with a corrupt airport official but finally he got the bag back. My husband came back around midnight and we had a little celebration for the bag.
Good news 2: In Lebanon, the power company shuts the electric off three hours each day, alternating the intervals every day. The hotels and shops have their own generators, but for the life at home, you learn to live around the power cuts. You know when to cook, have access to the internet, do laundry, and other things, and you avoid going into an elevator when you know the power might be cut any minute.
So I asked, "when is the power being cut today?" and it turns out that the building now has a generator that my parents-in-law have bought themself into. It is luxury redefined!
I've spent the morning with my mother-in-law to run errands in Hamra. We've met the retired judge, the old man from the money exchange, and a guy in a gold shop that has a cousin in Vasteras. It's very nice to meet people and I realise I learn more and more Arabic for every day.
Sa77a och hanaaa ..., nice view and nice people in the picture. Now I know why Charlotte wants to spend holidays in beirout often ?! beside the people it´s the lebanese food ;) have a nice holiday. I wish you and Bashar a happy new year./ jack kantar
ReplyDeleteHej Jack, roligt att du har hittat min blogg! Och tack detsamma till dig och Alina! Jag glömde skriva att det är tack vare dig (och det är vi evigt tacksamma för) att vi har funnit Mehanna. Vi ska ta med Dana dit efter nyår.
ReplyDeleteJag försöker prata lite arabiska då och då, det går sådär för jag kan mest enstaka ord. Men jag förstår mer än vad jag kan uttrycka. :-)