It seems more clear recently how things go full circle.
I was in a shop buying a notebook (ever the writer needs) and it stuck me how just four years ago i was kneeling on the dusty floor of this shop trying to buy enough files for my new file cabinet and was making sure I had enough labels and tags for each folder and I was buying about 100 of the file folders so I had them quite spread out around me on the floor. I never imagined four years later I would have accomplished all I have done or how changed a person I would be. Even further in the circle would be the first time i set foot in that shop and smelled the beautiful scent of stationairy proucts....ahh it was love at first smell. Time fades so fast and we never know what is around the next bend, you know.
It was also in this shop years ago, i was looking for a grave leaf vine stencil to paint a shelf I had gotten as a gift. I wanted to paint it and give it as a gift to another friend of mine. I looked and searched and shook my fist at the lack of stenciling options. This last time i was in there getting my notebook I saw it a beautiful grape vine stencil, i thought wryly, ahhh NOW you get it...four years too late... it's just as well though for Allah is the best of planner and my friend no longer lives in Lebanon anyways, she went back to Sweden.
Looking around the city the western influence has crept swiflty into place. Lingiree clad women on bilboards and seductivly posing around the more "developed" and more glamourous sections of the cities. Hijabi girls who could hardly be called hijabis. Double the amount of cars on the road and more noticably the better and newer imported cars on the road. Buildings popping up and new streets directions being changed from two way to one way now. It's amazing how cities change.
Nationalism is increasing here in Lebanon. Every other commercial is a nationalistic patriotic song or theme. They are quite stuck in my head.... Especially the opera one...... LUBNAAAAAN!!!!!
They think this is the solution for the wars to end here in Lebanon, having everyeon identify themselves not by religion but by the common thread that they are Lebanese. To a point this would work...
EXCEPT... for the fact that Lebanon has the most DIEHARD extremests from EVERY RELIGION. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE is going to forget theat their religions come fist and their nationality second....
hmmm but then I double think.... the rise in Western influence is really leading people away from their religions into a consumerism age where people become confused about who they are and what they stand for.... SO I guess as always the debate is up in the air, the DIE HARDS are here to stay and the whishy washy LUBNAAAAANi people always meet head to head. I enjoy the political sketches showing the stupidity of the politicians here. They have about three or four weekly programs and no one misses them. They are HILARIOUS!!!
I love my Lebanon, do I love Lubnan? Hmmm.... that's a question to think on.....
Last Friday was fun for our family. Since this month in Homeschooling is Farm Animals, Farming Crops, Gardening, and Weather I begged my hubby to go see some goats and sheep at a local farm or selling market. He said there is one right near our house! So we drove just a few minutes down the road. For those in Al-Ain it is right near the oasis downtown. We entered a large area lined on both sides by trucks full of sheep and goats. It was amazing.
Every truck had about two or three men sitting in front of it and as we pulled up everyone stood and started talking to us to come see their animals to buy. My husband had to keep waving them off nicely and finally they figured it out we weren't buying. Maaaaan I was soooo upset I didn't bring my niqab because they were all staring at us and especially me. So I just tried my best to pretend they didn't exist as I got my kids out of the car and let them check out the goats and sheep. They wouldn't go near the rear of the truck so we could pet them which was disappointing cause I wanted my daughter to feel the difference of their fur. But we talked about what they eat and why they look different and she got to hear how funny they sound bleating. The lambs cry are soooo sweet awwww~! I wanted a little goat or lamb for my garden and we wished really hard we could afford one. On the way out I saw a beautiful red and cream baby and was like awww please!!! So hubby asked how much and was told 300dhs $81USD. Our hearts sunk. Too much for us. So we declined.
We took a quick drive through the Oasis to get back to the main street (near out house lol) and then went South towards the Hilton Roundabout then continued South to the New Mall Built called Bawadi Mall. So we got there and they had some spacious parking not like Al-Jimi/Carrefour Mall. So we easily got a spot and went inside. they had a cute small fountain that sprays up in the air in rhythms then surrounding the elevators is an optical illusion where they have like fishline string going down in rows with water dripping down each line making it look like water is dripping from the ceiling three floors up tot he small pool at the bottom. They have it roped off but I think the wall should have been built higher because small kids could easily climb up and fall in.
So then the top floors were sectioned off while they finish building it. The only thing open was the Carrefour shopping food mart (Kinda like Super Wal-Mart) and a coffee shop. I told my family we should celebrate going to the new mall lol and so we had some very low priced coffee and cakes which were tasty. The cheapest cafe I've ever been too. Then while Hubby prayed at the small masjid there I went into Carrefour and bought some sorting accordion files. It will be better when they open the rest of the mall. It's nice living between two malls now. The new one will feature the largest Play place for kids in AbuDhabi and also stores we don't have yet in Al-Ain like Ace Hardware...oooh i love ace!
One thing that makes me hate malls though is they always only put like two SMALL elevators for all the lazy people who don't want to use escalators, the mothers with strollers who can't use the escalators and the people with Shopping carts that can't and the handicapped people who can't use escalators. Hello a lot of people need elevators but they always ONLY put two!!! ARG!!! They need some hospital sized elevators for malls! Not these dinky-can-only-fit-2-strollers-max ones. AND what is with these PEOPLE who can't walk six more steps to the ESCALATORS (flat escalators too,-slidewalks) and free up the elevators for others. They are young people too that do this. Not elderly. Like I've seen whole families at Al-Ain Mall rush to the elevators cutting in front of wheelchairs and strollers to get in first! MAKES ME FURIOUS!!! HELLO! the escalators would be faster if you're in that much of a hurry! Then pouring out of the crowded escalators are two more families that could have taken the escalators! AAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!!! The other day at Al-Ain Mall I had to wait like 15 minutes to get from the second floor to the third floor because all these people kept cramming in and I had a stroller I couldn't take the escalators! Stupid architects really!
Al-Ain Mall Elevators
But all in all it was a great day and certainly informative for my kids!
So far things having been going well the past year. I've stabilized my life enough to where I can take the time to write a lot more. I've only been able to write off and on the last 3 years. Ah the good old days when i was pregnant with my first baby and had SO MUCH TIME I never knew I had-- All to myself!
I've taken to walking an hour or more around AL-Ain just to see how far I can walk and see what there is down all those side streets i never take when my husband is driving. Not that I can buy anything but window shoping and window eating is always nice! Plus it gets my head out of the house and gets my kids a breath of fresh air. Near the Downtown building of "Homes R US" are massively expensive houses all parked up with the fanciest cars imaginable. I'm looking at it mouth agape knowing the only way I'd ever live there is if I sell everybook I've ever thought of and they were all best-sellers. (I.E. It will never happen) I don't REALLY want a house and car liek that though because i can think of dozens of better things i can do with the money like help poorer people.
My daughter will start pre-school soon again and I'm so happy to have the mornings inbetween brestfeeding my son to myself for writting. I also re-designed my garden today now that my very generous and helpful Philipino neighbor has gotten me more bricks!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Support Earth Hour March 26, 8:30pm, Turn Off Your Lights!
