Today, more than ever, the issues of the Middle East appear to be made of iron and blood, instead of recyclable plastic.
Ironically (and sadly for France), Bambi’s trip back home from Beirut’s airport, via Paris and Montreal, was finally safer than her stop in Paris Charles De Gaulle airport where there has been a false security threat. Beirut airport police or security staff seemed in a happier New Year mood, joking with passengers, than at Charles De Gaulle airport, Bambi immediately noticed. She then quickly understood why. Luckily, this terrorist threat was a false alarm. Even if turned out to be fake, it resulted in an evacuation and unfortunate delays to many passengers.
Talking about delays, Bambi would like to salute the professionalism and thoughtfulness of the Air Canada pilot (whose name she unfortunately cannot recall). He kindly took the time to come personally to the gate to update passengers, to reassure them, and inform them that they will bring us safely and smoothly to Montreal, despite the delay that was beyond their control (and for which he even kindly apologized). He tirelessly repeated the same information to groups of passengers and took the time to answer each question.
Indeed, the trip was smooth with an excellent service, both on board and on the ground. Bambi’s luggage did not make it to Canada with her (at least, she made it :)). However, an hour upon her arrival, she received an SMS from Air Canada that her luggage was located. In less than 10 hours, she received a call from the local delivery service. The luggage made it to Sackville within an hour later. How efficient!
Now, to come back to the purpose of this post, Bambi would like to say that on two opportunities she felt like being Greta T. whilst visiting Beirut. She once even slept with sadness in her heart, thinking about how her birth country does not have the opportunity to recycle its waste materials like Canada and the rest of the world, even in 2020! She then told herself: OK calm down Bambi, Lebanon has now much more serious issues than that one.
She is saying all this whilst saluting everyone’s personal and community efforts. For instance, Bambi’s mom has been walking in her Beirut neighbourhood for over a decade now, using the beautiful handmade tissue gift bags of the Sackville Craft Gallery to shop her groceries from the nearby stores.
Another significant and symbolic example is the cleaning/recycling efforts of the Lebanese people in the revolt squares in downtown Beirut (https://tinyurl.com/rtl5wee).
Mind you, Lebanese grocery stores are now considering imposing a price on plastic bags. With the economic crisis, Bambi wonders if it could help better to proceed by offering a small discount for customers who bring their own recycling bags. This being said, Bambi hopes this effort would be more successful than the country’s bill 174, prohibiting smoking in restaurants and other public places.
Yes, despite personal initiatives here and there, there is no governmental successful recycling efforts of garbage in Lebanon. Their government only knows how to endlessly recycle its same corrupt political leaders and problems.
What would Greta T. say if she visits Lebanon one day? Will she be sad like Bambi?
Well, in a small yet symbolic (apparently silly?) gesture, Bambi did not throw her Tylenol plastic box in Beirut. She carried it in her luggage all the way in order to recycle it in Sackville.
Will this gesture make any significant difference? Of course not, unless others also do so. It is a friendly wink to both our beautiful planet and to Greta T. whom Bambi is far from sanctifying, as others do. She rather simply prefers to respect her, saluting her noble passions, obsessions, and immense talent. This allows Bambi to keep a critical eye on a global movement that sadly appears to be using both her passions and obsessions.
Regardless of her personal opinion above, Bambi has learned from Greta T. to act according to her values in this Tylenol example. For this, she thanks her wholeheartedly!
During her long trip back to Canada (three airplanes), she had enough time to have another thought for Greta T. This time, she thought to herself: Too bad for Greta to be missing out on the pleasures of flying. Bambi is saying so because she enjoys such long trips in which she catches up on movies and works efficiently. She also makes sure to have long enough transit time in order not to rush herself; even wild deer take care of their well-being. She uses her time in airports to work and to also enjoy herself. Perhaps packing is the single aspect of travelling she likes the least. She sometimes jokes, saying that the most fun trip in life would be the last one. Why? Because when we die, we travel without luggage ?.
Seriously, to end this post on a happier note, Bambi would like to thank the brilliant human invention of airplanes. Like million of other folks, Bambi can jump across continents to hug her loved ones (and ship small empty Tylenol boxes).
Safe travels to everyone, whether they use quad bikes, cars, boats, trains, airplanes, or what have you. Happy 2020 to all!
