Favorite Time of the Year

This is my favorite time of the year. I probably say that about every season, but somehow, this one is IT. If you go back in my post history, I probably have a ‘Favorite Time of the Year’ post every fall. I like every season in this place, probably because they are so distinctly different and do not really blend unnoticably into one another. In Holland, the seasons sort of merge. In Lebanon there’s a cut-off point; a period where you notice a sudden change in temperature and light.

Fall brings darkness. You see the sun set when you come back from work, and the lights of the city go on while you walk back. I used to drive to and from work by car, but a sudden parking issue brought an end to that some time ago, and I am glad it did. When you walk, you can ‘feel’ the town. The habits of people change with the seasons.

Wintertime started not too long ago, and when I leave work, it is dusk. And so I walk through the city, as everyone hurries home. I pick up my daughter from her sewing lessons in an old Lebanese building, where one floor fits two (that’s how high the ceilings are!) and where the hallway light switch makes a ticking sound because it is on a timer, in an old and traditional neighborhood in Beirut, and together we walk home through streets and traffic, as we discuss our day.

We move from dusk to darkness, and when we we’re almost home, we cannot see the sidewalk anymore, because there’s no government electricity, and the street lights are off. The headlights of cars on the street light our way. And then we’re home.

We draw the curtains, make tea, and wait for the other family members to trickle in. My favorite time of the year.