Dear Friends,

I want to share with you a few thoughts (… the sober & semi-sober sequence of events!!!) of my 1st BHS reunion this past July 2001. ( I had wanted to attend previous reunions, but logistics –being in far away Washington- and circumstances were prohibitive. However, I earnestly kept up with past reunions thru the OSA yearbooks and other old scholars). Well here it is…

Thursday, July 5th (Pre-Reunion Warm-up !!!)

• Stepped out of the car opposite Kanaan’s.
• Immediately was confronted with big HI’s and bear hugs from Sarmad Al-Wadi (who I recognized), from Yahia Hammiddedine (who I DID NOT recognize, and to whom I apologized later !!!), and from “Captain Gus”-Ghassan Khammu –alias LUIGI !!! (who I never met !!!).
• Well, this started the TEMPO !! I was in for an “Eventful Reunion “!!!
• Introduced myself to the dear Mrs. Nuhad Misk @OSA’s office & registered “early” !!
• After settling-in at Kanaan’s “re-furbished establishment – Split Unit A/C & Satellite TV that eventually worked !!!”, I went down to join the guys –who were joined by Anwar Al-Aswad –alias Brightness Blackness !!! (who I never met !!!), and commenced the “Amstel Attack !!!”
• Ramzi Nuseibeh (My friend & boss in Kuwait) drove by Kanaan “Hooting” , happy to be “Home away from Home”, after a long drive from Amman.(I returned the salute with a raised Amstel !!!)
• Went to see some family members in Brummana (A good boy that night !!!)

Friday, July 6th (1st Reunion Day)

• Woke up “real early” and had a “Fabulous 1-Hour Tirweea’a” at Kanaan’s Terrace overlooking the dear old BHS. Was soon joined by Mr. Kirkbright !! (Who was staying next door at Kanaan’s – according to him…Ana Wil Amar Jiran !!!!!!)
• The sight of the school and the presence of the good old teacher “started the 1968-1973/4-can’t quite remember when I left BHS- trip down memory lane !!!”. Strolled down & walked in the BHS campus , all the way down to the good old Rizkallah house, saw my room...trip down memory lane continued !!!
• Bothered Mrs. Misk at OSA’s office with permission to use her e-mail services.
• Easy going registration morning, with coffee & mankoushes.
• Met Mr. Albert Kamel , this once virile sportsman and great educator...and felt very sad !
• Met Mr. Emile Sawaya, Mr. Saad Saad, Mr. Skelton, Mr. Abu Jawdeh, and Mrs. Baz, who immediately recognized me (quite amazing after 27 years !!!!)…and felt very happy ! 
• Met Ghiath Kutob –and wanted to hide- as I remembered the detentions he gave me when he was Head Prefect !!!
• It was great to meet – actually I was looking out for him- my good friend Sami Mina (we were at Loughborough University in the UK together after BHS), and his brother Issa and our common friend Kamal Qubti.
• More Coffee and lots of laughs and Tafnees !!!
• Met Lutfi Al-Mulla (from Kuwait). Introduced myself as a “ ’74 graduate”, to which he responded proudly “Expelled in ’68 !!!!!”. Quite hilarious I thought !!!!
• Went to Kanaan’s , with Sami, Issa, Kamal, and were soon joined by Sarmad, Yahia & Tewfik Al Far –alias Toy-, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Nayla Abufadel, Linda Nagem-Sawaya , Hoda Adlparvar-Wallace, Mona Shour…(THE GANG) and got down to a “Serious Amstel Attack”. (Yahia excluded !!!!!)
  
  
  Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Linda Nagem-Sawaya, Sarmad Al-Wadi, Ibrahim Qamar, Kamal Kopti, Sami Mina, Issa Mina, Tewfik Al Far, Yahia Hamididdine
  
  
  Ibrahim Qamar, Kamal Kopti, Sami Mina, Amstel, Amstel, (...), Amstel, Tewfik Al Far
  
  
• Kept looking out for Nassif Aoun –and his daughter ! Mistaken them several times for a couple selling corn cobs & flowers !!! The “Amstel Effect No doubt!!!”.
• Ramzi Nuseibeh drives by again –this time in the opposite direction- , “Hooting” – I returned the salute (again) with (another Amstel !!!)
• After downing a “respectable quantity of Amstel” – from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm- I, and the gang “grudgingly disperse” to “rest” and to “re-charge” for the “Gala Night” !!!! (I needed to disperse promptly to regain a semblance of respectability as my uncle was to meet me later that afternoon. The sight of a married nephew who fathered two boys, having a wild time with his buddies would have raised a few eyebrows among some members of the extended Qamar family !!!!).
• Proceeded –after getting a bit lost- to Waves for the Gala !! This was a night of mixed emotions. Great fun at meeting more friends, Sheikh Khaled Saab, Gus (ever present), Sabah & Rabi Baz, Tony Abboud, Eddie Aoun, Omar Maani (who screamed when he recognized me !!!), Nassif Aoun (finally located !!)……and many others, lots of booze, good music, singer, belly dancer, great food.  However, the fabulous evening was coupled with a mixture of happiness & sadness as my heart missed a beat when dear Faris Araktingi (who I’d thought would be in London, not in Lebanon) called my name ! (His brother Amin, my classmate at BHS and my very dear friend had passed away during the Lebanese civil war !!!!). We both choked at first, but somehow, managed to enjoy the rest of the evening. The festivities, fun and music, coupled with good food and booze were infectious !!!!
  

• Later on the “GANG” re-grouped in several cars and proceeded –after getting a bit lost….again- to Al-Janneh at Beit Meri. More drinks ! The ’72 Yearbook –BHS’s 1st- was passed around – I was co Editor-in-Chief –my dear friend and room mate at BHS, Bassim Farouki & I couldn’t agree who would be Editor-in-chief, so we decided to “split the position”…I must admit,  it was a lousy but a very imaginative Yearbook !!  Many great laughs at how we looked like !!! The night merged with dawn…and we reminisced about who went out with whom, and who “wanted” to “go out” with whom…etc.  Throughout, I was in a reflective mood, thinking of my dear friend Amin….and the great times we enjoyed together… and inwardly cursing the senseless violence that took him at his prime !!
  
  Continued ... 
  
  
  BACK: Amer Kurdi, Myrna Bardawil-Kurdi, Rima Dabit-Asfour, Hoda Adlparvar-Wallace, Sarmad Al-Wadi, Mona Shour, Christine Sabieh, Hilarie Auckland-Baz, Shirley Cottam-Bowman, Leena Saidi. FRONT: Tewfik Al Far, Yahia Hamididdine, Linda Nagem-Sawaya, Fuad Ramadan
  
  
  ...Anatomy of a Reunion Part 2