If I could choose…

For today, the homework for English class was to write a few lines on ‘if I could live in any country in the world, I would choose…’. I present you with a random sample of the choices of the 9-year old students of Rawdah HS Elementary school in Southern Beirut:

“…I would choose Spain, because my parents studied there and lived there for 15 years and they speak very good Spanish.”

“…I would choose Denmark, because I have the Danish nationality, and it is a very green and peaceful country.”

“…I would choose Dubai, because my father and my uncles work there, and they cannot travel to Lebanon often.”

“…I would choose London, because the schools are free, there is no pollution because of smart actions of the government, and because the roads are good and very far from the houses so you can have calmness in your living room.”

While the first three choices point mercilessly at the rather saddening exodus of Lebanese people that is going on and has been going on for decades, the last one just makes me nod my head in agreement. I can’t wait to spend some time in a city that does not have honking cars everywhere, all the time…