Saturday, July 7th (2nd  Reunion Day)    

 
Tewfik Al Far, Linda Nagem-Sawaya, Issa Mina, Yahia Hamidaddin, Ghassan Khammu, Amer Kurdi, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Ibrahim Qamar, Nassif Aoun, Fuad Ramadan, Kamal Kopti

• Woke up (not so early) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace -without Mr. Kirkbright.
• Bothered Mrs. Misk again at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services.
• On to some serious business for a change ! Attended the inauguration of the re-furbished Meeting House. Had “goose bumps” at reciting the Lebanese national anthem, and  singing the BHS song. Sami Mina (Jordan Chapter Head) and Sarmad Al-Wadi (OSA’s 70’s rep) were “supposed” to speak at the meeting, but were “too hung up” to make it !! All was  forgotten in the BHS  “tolerant spirit” !!!!
• Went with Eddie Aoun to visit Faris Araktingi in Roumieh. It was a heart wrenching experience at first to be at Amin’s lovely home , without having him around, after all these years !! After a while, though, we all relaxed and remembered the many good times and consoled one another at our common great loss ! However, life must go on…so we downed a few Amstels...and went down memory lane…once again !
  
• Back to Kanaan’s ! The “GANG” had re-assembled !!  Plans were set in motion to have a “Collective Heavy Mouloukieh Lunch” at Manhattan !! Unfortunately, Manhattan was not serving it on Saturday (a traditional Sunday meal) !!!  Kanaan’s came to the rescue !!! Offered to arrange a “Mouloukieh Banquet”. During the 2 hour wait, more respectable quantities of Amstel along with some smuggled blue label scotch, courtesy of Omar Maani, were consumed ! During the “Banquet”, Yahia offered “his secret red hot sauce” to some of the “hard core eaters”!!! Most got hit bad, but Nassif Aoun took the brunt of it !! The poor guy is probably  still suffering !!!  Filled to capacity with drinks & food, the GANG “grudgingly dispersed….again” to “rest” , “re-group” and “re-charge” for the BHS Street Party that evening !!!
  
  
  
  BACK: Yahia  Hamidaddin, Sarmad Al-Wadi, Kamal Kopti, Sami Mina, Ibrahim Qamar, Issa Mina FRONT: Amer Kurdi, Fuad Ramadan, Tewfik Al Far, Omar Ma'ani, Nassif Aoun, Ghassan Khammu
  
  
  

• Right on queue.  At 8.00 pm sharp, the street band blared ! The street party had begun !!! Started the evening on a “civilized note” nursing a few drinks with my friend Ramzi Nuseibeh and his family & friends –notably Sheikh Khaled Saab , and Ghiath Qutob-who gave me permission to be outside BHS campus that night !  Armed with this permission, I “spotted” and “re-joined” the “GANG”, and proceeded with downing a few “Upscale Heinekens” !!! Soon, the “ambience” became too quiet for the ‘70’s GANG, and we started livening up the party !! Belly dancing, twisting, dancing, fire works helped,  and lots of fooling around & Tafnees went on around until very late !!!
  
  
  BACK: Sami Mina, Faris Aoun, Omar Ma'ani, Nassif Aoun, Kamal Kopti, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Issa Mina, Yahia Hamidaddin, Sarmad Al-Wadi, Tewfik Al Far FRONT: Stephanie (Nassif's daughter), Lama (Omar's daughter), Linda Nagem-Sawaya, Christine Sabieh
  
  

• The GANG later re-grouped and proceeded to 401 (owned by my good friends Tony Abboud, Eddie Aoun & Sabah Baz). By that time, I’d had “too much blood in my alcohol” and decided to finish the night/early morning with coffee and water in an effort at “self de-toxification” !! It worked, and I walked back slowly down the Brummana main street – and down memory lane again- back to “my re-furbished air-conditioned room” at Kanaan’s !!

Sunday, July 8th (3rd & Final  Reunion Day)

• Woke up (quite late) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace -with Mr.Kirkbright.
• Bothered Mrs. Misk again at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services. (It was supposed to be her day off – but she was faithfully there, ready to help) ! Browsed thru & chose reunion pictures.
• Went to church.
• Proceeded down to the BHS pool for a swim, and was soon joined by Sarmad, Toy & Yahia. After a good swim, we (joined progressively by other members of the GANG) assembled at the upper drive to cheer the Rizkallah, Little & Waldmeir teams at the sports events.
• Having exerted considerable energy “cheering”, the GANG proceeded to the much anticipated traditional lunch by the pool. After a delicious lunch we went into Dobbing Hall and remembered our “Drama” and “back stage” days !!!
• Made arrangements to visit family in the afternoon. My young aunt picked me up at Kanaan’s to the cheers, grins & winks of the male members of the GANG (still nursing Amstels at Kanaan’s) who thought that I’d scored !!! She assured them that she was indeed my aunt. They were not convinced !! Agreeing to meet later for the final night at Al-Janneh, I took leave of the wild GANG to a sober and serene family gathering . (Which  turned out to be much needed before the GREAT FINALE at Al-Janneh !!!!).
• Later in the evening, and with a final burst of energy, and with much anticipation, the GANG , along with other friends and old scholars ,including the Old Scholar’s MOC/Godfather….GUS (alias LUIGI) assembled at Al-Janneh for what was to be a truly memorable night !!!! The grand table accommodating the now “Extended GANG” soon got into the Arak, Wine, Scotch, Arghileh’s, Mezzes……, and the beautiful “ambience” was enhanced by a couple of “well endowed” belly dancers !!!!
  
  
  Ghassan Khammu, Hoda Adlparvar-Wallace, Tewfik Al Far, Deena Mrowa, Myrna Bardawil-Kurdi, Amer Kurdi, Malek Mrowa, Fuad Ramadan, Yahia Hamidaddin, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Ibrahim Qamar, Sami Mina, Mona Shour, Rima Dabit-Asfour and husband.
  
  
   As morning hours loomed, and as the full effect of drink and delicious food and music took hold, the extended GANG took over ! All other patrons had gone, and Al-Janneh soon became the domain of the GANG, led by LUIGI, along with a lone patient guitarist !! Needless to say, LUIGI WAS ON FORM, and was egged along by yours truly with chants of “…LUIGI…LUIGI…!!!”, “ no F--- on the table !!!!“, and “put S--- on the table!!!!”...etc until we couldn’t laugh anymore !!! I don’t recall having laughed so much for a loooong time !!! (Allah Yatinah Kheir Ha’dduhuk) !!!! It was truly a night to remember...and a memorable FINALE. As the night/morning bash ended, goodbyes had to be made. All good things must come to an end.  Poor Shirley cried ! It was very touching !!! The GANG re-assembled at Sarmad’s-Yahia’s-Toy’s apartment near Kanaans till morning for more reminiscing !  I “staggered” down to “my re-furbished air-conditioned room” at 5.00 am !!! Sarmad & Shirley barely had time to pack for their 11.00 am flight to London !!!!!!

Monday, July 9th –Post Reunion 

• Woke up (quite late) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace -with…LUIGI…!!!!
• Bothered Mrs. Misk again at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services.
• Had a business meeting in Beirut
• Couldn’t wait to get back to Brummana !!
• Spent the evening nursing Heinekens with my friend Tony Abboud @401…..and remembered the good old days !

Tuesday, July 10th –Post Reunion 

• Woke up (decent time) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace - alone...contemplating the fabulous reunion!!!!
• Bothered Mrs. Misk again at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services.
• Had another business meeting in Beirut
• Couldn’t wait to get back to Brummana !!
• Spent a quiet evening with family members in Brummana

Wednesday, July 11th –Post Reunion 

• Woke up (decent time) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace - alone...contemplating the fabulous reunion!!!!
• Bothered Mrs. Misk again at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services
• Had yet another business meeting in Beirut
• Couldn’t wait to get back to Brummana & had a hearty lunch at Fakhr Eddin with Samir Baki, an “older” old scholar and a fellow Rizkallan !!
• Spent the evening nursing Heinekens with my friend Tony Abboud, and with dear Faris Araktingi @401...and remembered the good old days !

Thursday, July 12th –Post Reunion 

• Woke up (decent time) to another fabulous Tirweea’a at Kanaan’s terrace - alone….contemplating the fabulous reunion!!!!
• Left Brummana & Lebanon…still contemplating the memorable reunion.

Kuwait: July 25th

• The spirit of the reunion & BHS still lingers on !!! What is so special about the place ? I guess it is a combination of the tangibles (the unrivaled BHS campus, the lively beautiful Brummana, Kanaan’s, Scands, 401, other places….etc) , and the “intangibles” (the spirit of the staff , the fabulous old scholars, the active student body, the warm people of Brummana, the camaraderie, the memories, the love, the caring, the Tafnees & fooling around…….in short, the unique, unexplainable  BHS “Bond”!!!).

• Seriously considering sending my boys (15 & 13 year olds) to BHS !!!  I think they will go for it . If they gain a fraction of what I gained from that remarkable institution…then they would have gained a whole lot !!!!
  
  
  Christine Sabieh, Sarmad Al-Wadi, Ibrahim Qamar, Yahia Hamidaddin, Linda Nagem-Sawaya, Sami Mina, Hoda Adlparvar-Wallace, Issa Mina, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Tewfik Al Far
  

See you next reunion & wishing you health & peace of mind,  Ibrahim Qamar