I meet my neighbor at the check-out counter of the local supermarket. We discuss the weather (beautiful), the report card of the kids (don’t get me started), the cost of living (god-awful, prices have hiked up some 33% according to my grocery bill) and the ‘situation’.
So what will I do in case of a war, she asks?
I don’t really know, I tell her.
We have discussed it a bit over dinner. Hubbie went through 15 years of civil war and had to be shipped out to get his high school over and done with because schools were just never ever open, and his parents wanted to keep him out of the militias. Other than that, he was stuck here pretty much all the time. He doesn’t think it is advisable that we put our 14 year old son through the same thing. All the opportunities missed, the friends lost, the property damaged.
So I say: “Well, hubbie doesn’t like Holland, and I don’t want to go to the States. He doesn’t like France, so that’s off the list as well. I am thinking Australia. He says Jordan is an option, but that place is so boring, so we don’t know yet. We’re still negotiating this one.”
I notice she is looking at me with big eyes.
“Why all this planning? It’s only going to last a month, just like last time,” she replies surprised.
“What do you mean, a month! Last time it took you guys fifteen years,” I tell her.
“What war are you talking about!?”
“What war are you talking about?” I reply.
“The war with Israel,” and she looks at me as if I am stupid.
“Oh,” I say. “That war. I though the other war.”
“No, we are not going to have a civil war", she says.
“Lebanese or dollars?” asks the check out lady; it is my time to pay.
The diversity in this place is without limits. I can choose to ski or swim in the Mediterranean on the same day, I can attend pro- and anti-government demonstrations in one day, I can choose between wars (civil or foreign aggressor) and I even can choose whether I pay in Lebanese or dollars with my ATM card.
So what will I do in case of a war, she asks?
I don’t really know, I tell her.
We have discussed it a bit over dinner. Hubbie went through 15 years of civil war and had to be shipped out to get his high school over and done with because schools were just never ever open, and his parents wanted to keep him out of the militias. Other than that, he was stuck here pretty much all the time. He doesn’t think it is advisable that we put our 14 year old son through the same thing. All the opportunities missed, the friends lost, the property damaged.
So I say: “Well, hubbie doesn’t like Holland, and I don’t want to go to the States. He doesn’t like France, so that’s off the list as well. I am thinking Australia. He says Jordan is an option, but that place is so boring, so we don’t know yet. We’re still negotiating this one.”
I notice she is looking at me with big eyes.
“Why all this planning? It’s only going to last a month, just like last time,” she replies surprised.
“What do you mean, a month! Last time it took you guys fifteen years,” I tell her.
“What war are you talking about!?”
“What war are you talking about?” I reply.
“The war with Israel,” and she looks at me as if I am stupid.
“Oh,” I say. “That war. I though the other war.”
“No, we are not going to have a civil war", she says.
“Lebanese or dollars?” asks the check out lady; it is my time to pay.
The diversity in this place is without limits. I can choose to ski or swim in the Mediterranean on the same day, I can attend pro- and anti-government demonstrations in one day, I can choose between wars (civil or foreign aggressor) and I even can choose whether I pay in Lebanese or dollars with my ATM card.
1 comment:
Bush ???
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