MATBA2IYYEH
In the good ol' days and I mean good ol' days the school that I went to in Beirut, Lebanon used to provide a service that I don't think exists anywhere in the world today. You could have your own hot home made meal for lunch. Sure we did not appreciate it much back then that mom woke up 2able ddaww - before sunrise- to get you ready for the school bus and get your breakfast and lunch ready. Breakfast, you would have at home, but lunch you would have to do the uncool thing and take it with you and carry it in a food carrier the Matba2iyyeh. It's about 6:30 or so AM and I would be all set to go, school uniform, maryoul :p , a heavy school shanta with all the school books:( and of course, don't forget the Matba2iyyeh.
Mine was, unlike the stock picture I borrowed a 3 tier food carrier. The bottom part would have the cooked food, in the middle maybe some rice and the top some fruits or other no-need to heat stuff.
At school each class lined up, 2 by 2, and when ushered to do so, entered the building to go to class. There was a special place to place the Matba2iyyeh for the food service people to handle it later comes lunch time.
So, it's lunch time and the mess hall was on a lower level. Get your Matba2iyyeh and go to your place at the table. Stand and wait for prayer and then get your food into a real plate and use real -non plastic- forks, spoons and knives. What needed to be heated up was done for you.
Today's lunch was kousa me7she blaban and grapes for dessert... mmmmm I wish :p
Some things in life you take for granted, until they are no longer there and.. aahh the little things mom used to do were not so little.
Happy mother's day, everyday.
