Everyday life adventures
Door: Marlies
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Marlies
09 Maart 2011 | Libanon, Beiroet
What is an adventure to me is just another day in ordinary life to others.
My flat mate made me write down what I had to say to the taxi driver in order to get to the office and to get home again at the end of the day. Very useful! I stood by the main road, stopped a taxi (that is to say: the taxi stopped and then I noticed 'hey a taxi' ;) ) the driver immediately understood me and for a moment I felt back in Kumba! A short drive past the boulevard later I arrived at the UNHCR office: a tall building, nine floors, where about 70 UNHCR staff members work. However, my supervisor was not present and won't be present for the next few weeks since he has been send on emergency mission to Tunis. Of course. But no problem, his colleague, my temporary supervisor, assured me, I can start my project without him. My other colleagues are all very nice as well. I am amazed by their ability to switch language faster than I can notice. Among the Lebanese it seems to be mostly Arabic. However, when a French colleague walks in the language is quickly adjusted. To me they speak English but since my temporary supervisor is French he tends to switch to his mother tongue often and not rarely in the middle of a sentence. I can understand French but when the language is switched that quickly I sometimes can't keep up. But it's educative and jealous making ;)
Today didn't start very good. It was raining so hard when I left the house that my shoes were soaked by the time I reached the main road. Fortunately, when I arrived at the office Jean-Paul told me I could attend a heads of unit meeting where the course of action for the next five years for the Lebanon UNHCR office would be planned. Very interesting! All the problems that were discussed seemed (surprisingly enough) not new to me. I was glad to realize that I do know more than I sometimes think. The solutions were practical yet inventive and the discussions did not always lead to consensus but always lead to new professional insides. I felt as if I was a stranger looking in to my future (let's be ambitious, why not? ;) ).
After a long and wonderful second day I went home (rain again! I didn't leave Holland for this?!) and hopefully I can buy some fruit at the small shops across from the house which reminds me so much of the Kanaalstraat. The world is such a small place after all :)
Byebye
Marlies
My flat mate made me write down what I had to say to the taxi driver in order to get to the office and to get home again at the end of the day. Very useful! I stood by the main road, stopped a taxi (that is to say: the taxi stopped and then I noticed 'hey a taxi' ;) ) the driver immediately understood me and for a moment I felt back in Kumba! A short drive past the boulevard later I arrived at the UNHCR office: a tall building, nine floors, where about 70 UNHCR staff members work. However, my supervisor was not present and won't be present for the next few weeks since he has been send on emergency mission to Tunis. Of course. But no problem, his colleague, my temporary supervisor, assured me, I can start my project without him. My other colleagues are all very nice as well. I am amazed by their ability to switch language faster than I can notice. Among the Lebanese it seems to be mostly Arabic. However, when a French colleague walks in the language is quickly adjusted. To me they speak English but since my temporary supervisor is French he tends to switch to his mother tongue often and not rarely in the middle of a sentence. I can understand French but when the language is switched that quickly I sometimes can't keep up. But it's educative and jealous making ;)
Today didn't start very good. It was raining so hard when I left the house that my shoes were soaked by the time I reached the main road. Fortunately, when I arrived at the office Jean-Paul told me I could attend a heads of unit meeting where the course of action for the next five years for the Lebanon UNHCR office would be planned. Very interesting! All the problems that were discussed seemed (surprisingly enough) not new to me. I was glad to realize that I do know more than I sometimes think. The solutions were practical yet inventive and the discussions did not always lead to consensus but always lead to new professional insides. I felt as if I was a stranger looking in to my future (let's be ambitious, why not? ;) ).
After a long and wonderful second day I went home (rain again! I didn't leave Holland for this?!) and hopefully I can buy some fruit at the small shops across from the house which reminds me so much of the Kanaalstraat. The world is such a small place after all :)
Byebye
Marlies
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10 Maart 2011 - 14:39
Tinussie:
Hey Girl!
This is gonna sound really stupid, but what exactly ís going to be your project over there? Hearing and talking three different launguages is very educative! But also very hard to keep up, I understand! I could only understand one, so I wouldn't come very far ;)
It's good to hear the people are so nice and helpfull to you. Are you not homesick yet? Probably not with all the rain and living in a street just like the one at home... Anyway, I'm glad to read you're heving a good time. Hope we can skype this weekend! Let me know!!
Love you!!!
Tinus -
10 Maart 2011 - 16:15
Marlies Rotshuizen:
Heej Tinus, jij als bijna-lerares zou toch moeten weten dat er geen stomme vragen bestaan :p In Libanon is een grote groep Irakese vluchtelingen. Ze mogen als vluchteling niet in Libanon blijven dus voor iedereen moet een andere plek gevonden worden (terug naar Iraq? Verblijfsvergunning voor Libanon? Een derde land?) Er is een groep die nogal problematisch te plaatsen is en die ga ik nu allemaal bekijken en een aanbeveling doen over wat er met hen moet gebeuren. Dat is mijn werk in een notendop die kort door de bocht gaat, zegmaar ;)
Not homesick yet :p Ik denk dat ik me hier wel thuis ga voelen! Maar misschien is dat omdat het weer me nu zo aan NL doet denken... (koud en regen)
xxxx -
11 Maart 2011 - 10:13
Elsje:
Leuk geschreven Liesje :)
Misschien leer je dus wel meer dan 1 taal tijdens je verblijf daar :D
Kusjeee -
14 Maart 2011 - 11:12
Petrus Nelissen:
Verschillende talen spreken is en blijft een wonderlijke ervaring.
Wat is jouw project?
Je schrijft als een film. Mooi.
Groeten
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