Time whizzed by - dunno how and where it went, and suddenly Vesak Day slipped us by too, and Steve is back from his short SG trip. It's actually the first time I am "Home Alone" in AD ever since we came here.
But all's good - my Home Alone chronicles started out really eventfully. The wifi set-up decided to break down right on Day 1, leaving me pretty much immobilised for work. Now, really, all things are so wired, connected, on the web - that without access to wifi, I felt I was so handicapped. So I had to decide what to do next, how to get unto work meetings, how to resolve the wifi problem and troubleshoot - all by myself. Haha.
But All Is Good. Thankful for good neighbours, Sean and Huining, who offered me a space in their house, and I had to lug all my laptops upstairs to their unit. :-)). So, chill and just do what you can - and the Day 1 ended well, with the technician coming in mid-afternoon... and goodness gracious, it was an Etisalat-only adaptor that had gone bonkers.
Kenji was obviously not very pleased with the visitor in the house - less so when he has a cap on and a bag of tools. Haha, my lovely dog - such a darling. He stood there whole time, intently looking at the man, emitting growling sounds now and then.
And during the 4 days, I never stepped out of Rihan Heights surrounding, and had the same food for lunch and dinner each day, save for the night I was out with Robert. Haha - I marveled at myself and Steve started to really believe his incredible wive can save him a lot of money as long as I stay home. He stocked up piles of salmon for me, and 1 big lettuce and a packet of ready-to-eat spinach - and seriously, that was more than sufficient for me. :)) I really ate fish and vegetables for 7 meals straight. Ha ha ha. I think the amount of Omega 3 in me must be the highest in recent days. My MIL couldn't believe it too - sometimes, I also cannot believe myself.
It's the same old fish, cherry tomatoes and vegetables. He he. 真的很好吃。
I also thought a little about Lebanon. It was a trip that was decided at the last moment, and I wouldn't say that it left a huge impression - perhaps because I was feeling tired and it was packed with day tours with quite some bus rides. Still, we were very interested to visit because of Lebanon's rich history - where it was a part of Canaan - the land flowing with milk and honey.
Unfortunately though, while you could still feel its awe, with the towering mountain-scape and valleys, and we tried to imagine how it must have been like in the days of Joshua and Caleb, in the city, it felt like there was this void of life. There were very modern skyscrapers and office buildings, but in the midst, also the dilapidated, torn-down, bullet-holed abandoned buildings. In some parts of the downtown areas, there was really a quiet stench to it.
The Holiday Inn hotel in Beirut is bullet-riddled, and is a reminder of the city's brutal civil war. And it stands rather oddly, right in the midst of downtown Beirut's glitzy redevelopments.
Having said that, we still did enjoy the visit. And I tremendously enjoyed the chat with Walid, visiting his house and eating street food, which was a nice change from the touristy places. He married a Singaporean friend, and we hung out with him, drinking beer at his balcony. :)
Hanging out, chilling, eating shawarmas.
We also visited the Cedars of Lebanon. Again - in my mind, I was thinking about splendor and grandeur, but later learnt that with deforestation, only a small part of the forest remained. This is again, so so sad. Nonetheless, the cedar wood and its biblical significance was poignant. There was still snow (or slush), and as the sun rays beat down and shine on the forested patch, the walk thru' the cedar forest was a nice and enjoyable one. :)
The whole tracing of history from the biblical days till modern Day Lebanon was packed into this 4-day trip, and perhaps all that remained of the trip would be the photos and memories, and the long bus rides. Still, the scenery of the ancient ruins with the modern day city, the architecture of the houses, the mountains and the valleys, the gardens and the hikes (and into limestone caves too) - remain a refreshing break from the work life, from the AD-SG life. Am still thankful for this short trip and getaway - so, some snippets here and there.
弹指神功。轻而易举。哈哈哈。This was at the site with the largest human-carved stone slab.
And there's really breathtaking scenery. :))
The limestone caves were super amazing. Super super amazing. It's deep inside the mountains. We glanced around and remember the thai boys stuck in the caves. There really doesn't seem to be a way of escape if one were stuck inside the caves...
Ruins, and ancient villages, and more ruins and more stones and more ancient villages.
And tired people all over the world like to squat down. By Day 3, I reached a point where ancient ruins start to take a toll on me, somewhat.
Steve and me - enjoying the local Almaza beer and wine. And hor - the photo bomber behind us don't seem so pleased. Haha. What happened??
Soldiers and military personnel are a frequent sight in Beirut. We see them everywhere.
And a part of the atas downtown Beirut - very posh, and prices are very ex too.
And now - back to being Home Alone - I kinda liked it. Being alone is a nice feeling - I think I am sometimes more a hermit-type person, and so these few days, i went on nice long walks with Kenji, took some time to smell roses and nectar along the way. Also managed to capture a bee - diving right into the nectar. Haha, やったー！
I marvelled - how did I get this shot??? My LG camera is also not the best in terms of lenses, but this is just such a timely effort (with the wind blowing and with Kenji tugging at me).
I also so loved seeking K's snout sniffing and exploring. 💗
And tonight, I am so thankful that Steve is back. It's nice being home alone for a change - I am very much left to my own devices but still, it's nicer to have that familiar, sometimes "oh-so-annoying" man in the background. Hehe. Last night, I contemplated whether I should pick him up at the airport, but I was so tired. He would land about 1130pm, and that kind of unearthly hour means it should be bed-time. And so... he really couldn't believe that I didn't go to the airport. When he reached home, he woke me up from my slumber and asked if I saw the message. I didn't of course but when I read it, I laughed so loud... What a terrible person I am.
Luckily - all is well. :-D
