The News In English

The last several post have been pretty negative I have to admit .Things have started to look up again, I am happy to report !The people in Tagura are so nice and helpful I am proud to say . Moe and I were out shopping and I can't count how many times we had different people help us carry our bags to the car for us . Or offer to go into a store to do our shopping for us,because the store had steps leading in to the store that were difficult for either Moe or I to climb .The man that owns the laundry we use reprogrammed Moe's mobile phone for him when Moe had to install a new Sims card into his phone . Moe nor I could figure that out and Nuri offered to do it for Moe . Now how nice is that ???

Yesterday I was brought to tears as we were out cruising Tagura when the car in front of us stopped traffic , the driver got out of his car to walk a elderly blind man across a very busy street .God bless him .The coffee bar we go to brings the coffee out to our car for Moe after he orders it , so that Moe may go sit in the car  with me.One of our neighbors carried a heavy bag of groceries up the stairs for me the other day , even though I told him I could carry it myself . My friend that is ill and her sister in law have decided to send over little plates of goodies during Ramadan this year so I won't have to stand so long in the kitchen cooking . I am so over whelmed by the goodness of the people that have touched our lives .Thank You God !

On a different note and not so positive ... it is that time of year now when it is warm enough to open your house , so many of our neighbors , 3 to be exact , are remodeling their Condo's . So , all we hear morning noon and night is .... KA BOW ! BAMM ! BOOM !KABOOM !! Over and over , as the entire building shakes in rhythm  to the hammer blows .Yesterday as I was trying to put up the groceries , the man underneath us wanted to come through my kitchen so that his plumber could climb out my kitchen window to drill his new water pipe to the outside wall . I said ok , but had to walk out of the kitchen . I couldn't stand to see that poor man dangle 4 stories above the ground out my window , possibly to fall to is death . He didn't thank goodness !And here I was worried about the sound of my vacuum cleaner waking the baby upstairs up!  LOL !

The weather here in Tripoli has been the strangest I can ever remember for this time of year .The last several weeks it has been mainly dusty and hot , or cloudy , dusty ,hot and humid . Normally it is still coolish/warm and mainly sunny.Today it it was sunny and warm .Nice . I did the laundry that stacked up while the sand was flying around .

It is also beach weather here . With so many of the public beaches walled off from public use this year , the beaches that are open are packed even though the weather has been uncooperative until today .There are water ski's for rent . I think there might even be boats for rent by the day . I heard rumors to that effect anyway .No life guards in sight so far though .

Whatever your summer brings your way this year , be safe and be happy .OTE

The Endless Wall

 

I am so depressed . We went to Khadija's funeral today , Moe and I .I am terrible . I hate funerals and as awful as it may be , I try to avoid them as much as possible , but Khadija's , I couldn't .I just seem to absorb all the grief from others and by the time I leave a funeral , I am overwhelmed by grief .We went in the early afternoon and it wasn't crowed at all which was nice, so that I had a chance to sit and talk with her daughters. We stayed for a couple of hours and then made our way home .

I thought that since we both were sad, that prehappes a drive in the country side might lift our spirits some .I drove us out to a favorite area that we like to go to. It is normally covered in wild flowers this time of year , but not this year . We didn't have enough rain this year to allow wild flowers grow .Things were already starting to lose their fresh green look and fade to brown.That didn't do much toward cheering us up .

Ok , so that wasn't a winner ideal !We talked it over and decided to take a chance on the drive along the sea coast . The Libyan sea coast is one of the longest in North Africa and the coast that runs along Tagura is one of the best views you will ever see of the Med. Actually spectacular in many places .BUT much to our dismay ...a new campaign by the government  has walled off most of this coast line blocking the sight of the sea. Not just from public view ,but now beaches that has always been accessible for the people to enjoy are no longer open to the public .Access is denied by the WALL .Now , that is too depressing for words .

Back in the mid 70's , a law was passed stating that no buildings could be built within 100 meters ( that is about one American football field long ,or one soccer field long ) of the sea . This was to protect the beaches and to make sure that the ordinary person had access to the beaches .For many years this law was strictly enforced . Then it was ok if a beach hotel was built on a beach , but only with very special permission .Not too many of those were ever built . The beach was enjoyed by all . And as I said before, the drive along the sea when the road followed the coastline , was incredible !

Now we have all sorts of new projects in the works and the beach is going the way of the Dodo .There are new chain hotels being built on beaches or near the sea .Restaurants , and tourist villages are planned to go up soon , even a new sea port is projected for the future were beautiful sandy beaches once were . The saddest thing is that now when you drive along the sea , all you can see is the wall that has been built to block the view of future construction .

I am all for modernization , but there needs to be a balance somewhere .Most people here live for the summers because of the beaches .For many families this is a treat , to pack up the house and move to the beach for a day of relaxation and fun. For many women , this is about the only time they can get out of the house or apartment, and enjoy the outdoors with their families .And it was FREE .

After seeing the wall  stretch for kilometers along the sea , we were both too sad for words. What a loss for the country .