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55.1%ANMag Issue 17 Personal Maintenance
The Simple Life
By Suha Karaky, Managing Editor
Beirut, Lebanon − It was early morning in my village of Ain Bousoir in Southern Lebanon. I was woken up by the sounds of chirping birds, clucking chickens, mooing cows, and my four-year-old cousin’s cute words. At that moment – in spite of the early hour and the lack of caffeine in my blood – I could not help but realize… Life in the countryside is so trouble-free, so far from the complex – and quite electrifying – vibes of urbanity!
From the second I arrived at the village, and after a two-hour agonizing drive, soothing amazement started to dazzle me. Astonished I was by the simplicity, the kindness of whomever I encountered, the broad smiles, and the running children – an atmosphere of enchanting chaos!
Abrupt visits at dinnertime, unexpected comings and goings, an old lady popping in just to satisfy nature’s call… That was primarily a fact that bewildered me to a great extent. As a “city girl” – and that is what the villagers like to call me, as a matter of fact – the custom is receiving phone calls before anybody even dares to set foot in “my territory”. However, rural homes are borderless. “Knock, knock! Who’s there?” is a statement villagers never use – not even in their jokes or bedtime stories… Mi casa es su casa!
“Casas” in Southern Lebanon offer a variety of dishes, most of which revolve around the use of ingredients produced – or harvested – right there in the village. Not only do they base their meals on vegetables and fruits that are freshly-picked from the garden and immediately chopped or cooked; core ingredients of numerous recipes include legumes, beans and, most importantly, meat that is freshly-cut at the next-door butcher’s. This nutritious lifestyle was another element that intrigued the city girl in me. The in-house baked markouk bread, the early-morning mankousheh and the stress on greens and pickles all made me grasp the idea that my digestive system needs intense cleansing, something a week in the village would definitely make possible!
At lunchtime, my fellow villagers were basically “fighting” over the city girl, each trying to have me as his/her guest and to offer the crème de la crème. This hospitality is certainly unique, an extraordinary spice that our urban lives sensibly lack. There is a special flavor in my village – and probably in any village – a taste intensified by a dash of warmth and a sprinkle of generosity.
As the clock ticked and when the metropolitan alarm went off, my countryside weekend was over, and my bags were packed, and I was ready to go – not on a jet plane though! It had been a long time since I spent one whole night in Ain Bousoir, actually since 1989. After almost 20 years, the experience was incredibly different, hide and seek replaced with after-midnight walks and chitchats. Yet, one thing remained unchanged – the simple life!