When I think about how much time and effort the Lebanese put into cleaning and keeping their flats and homes clean, it boggles my mind. But alas, I was one of those who did put tremendous energy and time into keeping my homes clean. What most comes to mind is the 4-day cleaning of our mountain Kfour flat. We lived in Beirut during the school year and lived in our mountain house during the summer months. Since our flat was vacant all that time during the school year, it was a hell of a job to clean and prepare before our move. Definitely, having a clean flat in Lebanon is and was paramount and I surely complied.

So about a couple of weeks before we would move to the mountain, our housekeeper and I would plan to clean the mountain house. We would also take along our concierge Riad (see the previous blog post about him - he is a wonder) as he could do all the heavy lifting, literally, He would clean the doors and windows, which needed removing, and any other heavy hard cleaning that needed to be done, like cleaning the light fixtures and the kitchen cabinets. He'd also move the refrigerator and stove to clean that "hard dirt and grime".

And clean we would. We washed every curtain, every pillow and duvet, and all the sheets. We cleaned every cabinet and drawer and literally every surface. We'd clean every light fixture and all the paintings and art pieces in the place, and man there were a lot. Our flat was a gallery of my work, a spiritual joy to behold but cleaning all these art pieces took time and energy.

I'd also have Riad arrange the flower beds and plant the window planters so when we finally moved, there were flowers "a blooming". I most loved the flowers in my daughter's windows. The light was such that the flowers thrived and were a burst of color. Beautiful they were: pink, purple, mauve. Golden memories! Golden!

We'd also clean the playground below which is where we played our infamous soccer/football games. After nine months of no care, the playground was a mess, a total trash can since the neighborhood people threw their rubbish there. (I will never understand why, so don't ask.)

We'd also clean the parking lot which was also a rubbish dump for the residents. Honestly, I will never understand how any one who lived in the complex could throw trash there, but they did. Still a sore point for me!

Now moving from Beirut to Kfour was an ordeal. I would start at 4:00 am on the morning of the day and take the first car load of "our stuff". I would usually go up and down twice before I moved the kids, the dog, and the housekeeper. Once there, it would take me and the housekeeper a few hours to put up the clothes and arrange the house. I'd also have to go to the grocery store that day to stock up the pantry and refrigerator.

I usually had to go back to Beirut the following day very early to get the rest of the stuff. Think about it: I had to bring my children's clothes and books and stuffed animals and anything else they wanted and needed for the summer. I would have fights with my children about what they could bring. My daughter was the worst.

But hell, it was worth it. Our flat was so pleasant, so joyful and happy and clean! Yes clean! On the first night of sleeping in Kfour, my children would wiggle into their beds, comment on the clean fresh sheets and fluffy nice smelling comfortable pillows and duvets and sleep "like babies". Our flat was a home. It was so wonderfully cheerful, with immense character. I, myself, would also sleep like a baby from sheer utter exhaustion! I never minded as it was well worth the effort.

So yes, the Lebanese may obsess about cleaning. They can after all control the state of their homes. They can't control the state once they walk outside their homes though. And so you know and can understand through this blog post that for the Lebanese, having clean flats is paramount.

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