Leigh in Azerbaijan

Last night Chee Wan (early childhood teacher), Gillian (MYP co-ordinator) and I had tea at the Lebanese Restaurant, Beirut. It had great ambience, friendly waiters with good English and a large TV screen showing Arab pop videos that were modelled on western videos. e.g. woman singing song, showing her anger at a male who is found dating someone else. She then proceeds to belly-dance with her group of female friends in front of him and his date wearing a big smile, finally ending by the whole group and his date hitting him with their handbags.

We each ordered two small dishes which we shared. There were dishes of eggplants, dried tomatoes, pine-nuts and lots more wonderful things. One of them in English was clumsily translated “Lamb Balls”. They turned out to be some sort of cross between mushrooms and chicken. Some time during the night we asked each other what we were eating, figuring that these were the Lamb Balls, so Chee Wan asked a waiter. He politely told us that they were lambs’ genitals, as no doubt you’ve already guessed. Strangely, when we were finished eating there were a few Lamb’s Balls left on the plates, even though we both agreed they were very good.

I count six days of classes to go. Ah the break will be good.

I walked to school again this morning on a new route after studying Google Earth. I didn’t quite make it however as I accepted a lift from Michael and Jim’s taxi again. I wasn’t expecting them on that new route. I therefore still have not walked the quick route that I gather requires quite some distance walking along the edge of a rubbish tip. The rubbish gets offloaded on the edge of the valley next to school and every now and again is ignited, filling the valley with the smell of burning plastic.