Two weeks...

This is the time we spent in Beirut, where we finally completed theUrsinoproject with some highly motivated students. What a joy it was, after two and a half years of waiting, to discover the culinary heritage of Lebanon with them, to talk about its sweet and savory delicacies, to marvel at the history and stories of Lebanon as well as its iconic dishes! They would never have imagined that Lebanese tabbouleh has only been around for about 200 years, or that tomatoes were brought to Lebanon by the English, or that the lemons used in the famous lemonade, hummus, and tarator sauce originally came from Kashmir! 

And yet...

More than ever, we are convinced of the importance of this project, which encourages teenagers (and the adults around them) to realize that our cultures have always been the result of diversity and that diversity can be an incredible source of richness.

A project full of twists and turns

We launched the Lebanese phase of the Ursino project in October 2019, but were immediately halted by the popular uprising that began as soon as we arrived. Since then, the students have been eagerly awaiting our return. We therefore had every intention of returning in March 2020, but that was without taking into account the health crisis, followed by the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020.

For us it was frustrating, for these teenagers it was a violence we cannot even imagine.

Our mission this time was, of course, to raise awareness of cultural diversity, encourage them to engage in dialogue with their community and elders, and take an interest in the history of their food, but also to bring them a little sunshine and joy and connect them with the world. The same world that is currently so difficult for them to access due to the monumental economic crisis Lebanon is experiencing. This brings us back to Konstelacio's original purpose: to bring the world to children when they don't have the opportunity to travel easily.

What we will remember from this extraordinary experience...

  • The students' eyes shining with curiosity and motivation
  • Their involvement in this project, despite the context and the schedule (we finished on the last day of school before the exams!)
  • The incredible welcome we received from the Lebanese people, and especially Eva Maria, a teacher at the school, who invited us to stay with her family in the mountains and took the time to tell us all about Lebanese cuisine in detail.
  • The wisdom and kindness of Ms. Nayla Khoury Daoun, director of this inclusive school. An encounter with those who leave a lasting impression on you and inspire gratitude and humility.
  • The students met our ambassador,Chef Youssef Akiki, who has had an astonishing career, matched only by his modesty. He even offered them internships at his restaurant. A huge thank you to him for his time!
  • The patience, responsiveness, and expertise of Mabelle Chedid from theFood Heritage Foundation, who verified, supplemented, and enriched our students' historical research.
  • And, of course, our wonderful team, diverse, close-knit, and supportive...

In conclusion

It is difficult to fully convey to you all the emotions we felt, how touching our students were in their curiosity, our amazement at this people who have suffered so much for so long and yet are unparalleled in their generosity. In short, we struggle to find the words to make you feel how deeply moved we are by this vibrant human adventure.

Nevertheless, we will attempt to do so in the coming weeks with videos produced by our favorite director, Simon Guyomard (Spoon Production).
We are now working on editing the video clips of our students (from Saint Brieuc and Beirut) and preparing for the next stage of our adventures in Lyon, Morocco, and Ireland.

So, as our English-speaking friends say... Stay tuned!