Uncle Merched Nassar – Hassan El-Bietar

12th March 2000

Dear Manuel,

Thank you for the wishes regarding my return to SF. Are you planning to visit the States? Remember you have a home there as well. Keep in touch and update your news and where abouts. Give my best to your family and folks.

Here is nice story about uncle Merched:

He loved to eat and when it comes to sweet stuff he couldn't control his appetite. Halawet el-jebneh was his favorite. Mohammed Hitler, a guy from Bazbina, used to work at Al-Arjah in Tripoli. He told me this story:

Uncle Merched came one day and ordered plates of halawet el-jebneh. He asked Mohammed Hitler to be generous at the "atter" (sugar syrup). Well Mohammed Hitler was curious and asked uncle Merched why two plates. He told him he is waiting for his son to come. Mohammed Hitler prepared two plates and was generous with

"el-ashtah" and "el-atter" but was suspicious. He went inside and kept watching. Uncle Merched walked to the door and looked outside then returned to the table. He looked at his watch then shook his head. He started eating and finished the first plate in no time. He checked his watch again and looked toward the kitchen to see if any body is looking at him. In a very fast move he switched the plates and finished the second one.

God bless his soul, his appetite killed him but he was a great guy. I was a good eater in my youth and Uncle Merched never missed to tell me: "kol ya khol, kol, el-akl la leb-ghol". [Eat, uncle, eat – food for mules].