Anticipation and excitement overwhelmed us as we boarded a Swissair 747 jumbo jet in New York. Our Adventure adventure in Lebanon was about to begin, and my husband Henry and I were looking forward to new and unusual experiences. After arriving in Beirut, we went to a hotel where we watched the moon shine brightly in on the Mediterranean Sea as if it were welcoming us to the "land of milk and honey," as Lebanon is often called by the natives. Our first chore was to find a suitable place to live. Lebanon The majority of the city's people live in apartments, so we hoped to find a small apartment. We discovered that most apartments were must larger than those in the United States, the reason being that they are built with by Linda Santschi Finn entire families in mind. Young people live with their Kent State '72 parents even after college and marriage. The smallest apartment available had two living rooms, three bedrooms, and three baths, all with marble or tile floors. After attempting to take care of it for three months, we soon found out why most people For most people, the fierce street fighting, bombings, require outside help. and other events of the turmoil in Lebanon were matters Like most Beirut apartments, ours was surrounded to read about in the daily papers. For Linda Santschi by balconies from which we were able to enjoy a breath- Finn, rE-Kent State, and her husband Henry, they taking view. The balcony served a utilitarian purpose, became a reality of life. too, for like most Lebanese, we had no clothes dryer President of her chapter in her junior year, Linda and dried our laundry in the summer breeze. relates that "meeting new people, living with others, Very soon we discovered that the tap water was sharing in joys and sorrows, and making lasting friend- unsafe for drinking, and we both became extremely ill. ships" are aspects of being a Delta Gamma which Fortunately, we had three bathrooms equipped with enabled her to "better adjust to the difficulties that Western toilets. arose while living in Lebanon." Because we enjoy eating different things, trying Lebanese food was quite an adventure. Flat, round, unleavened Arabic bread is a part of every meal. Lamb, chicken, and rice were creatively cooked in many deli- cious ways. Lebanese women usually spend many hours preparing the main meal which is eaten at noon since the men have a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break. We became accustomed to going into a butcher shop to see cows and sheep hanging after the morning slaughter which took place in front of the shop. Fruits and vegetables were large, plentiful, and suc- culent. Many canned and packaged foods could be purchased, but flour and mixes often contained weevils, and cookies and cereals were frequently stale since they were imported from Europe and America. This was especially upsetting since the price of food was at least double what we would pay in the United States. Most shopping is done in little stores where the owner usually offers one a cup of coffee. We found the Lebanese people to be friendly and hospitable even though we knew little of their Arabic language. In most instances we managed very well, since English and French are extensively used. The Lebanese are genu- linely interested in the American lifestyle because many have relatives and friends living in the United States. Henry is employed by a tire and rubber company. Because his territory is the Middle East, he traveled quite often. One trip took him to Saudi Arabia during the Moslem holiday season of Ramadam when he and LINDA ENJOYS the beauty of the Lebanese countryside. a friend almost received unwanted haircuts. Religious 12/SPRING 1976 THE ANCHORA OF DELTA GAMMA