My Flower

I was walking around AUB and saw a flowering bush that I really liked.  I showed a photograph to Mikey (our resident shrub expert) and he told me that it was a Lantana, a flower we have these in the US, but that doesn't grow from flowers to bushes because it isn't warm enough. 

A few days later Mikey and Cindy came home with a flower they bought off a man off the street, and so I set out to find him to buy my own lantana to keep while I'm here. 

Mikey and Cindy bought a Verbena.

When I found him, I knew:

I asked if he had lantana and he said he didn't, but could get one if I came back the next week.  He also helped me practice the proununciation of my good morning, which is "Sab7a L5iir" when transliterated (the 7 and 5 stand for different complicated h sounds we don't have in english).  You have to say it like you have something stuck in your throat.

I went back this week and sure enough, he had a lantana for me.  He could only find yellow, but told me he would look for one in other colors and I should keep checking in.  It was only 4,000 Lebanese Lira, which is about $2.66.

I'm excited to wake up to my pretty yellow flower everyday.  I plan to give it to a Lebanese friend when I leave, and since it only has to be watered twice a week, chances are it'll live until them.  Whew...