3 MINUTES WITH :: Chris (Christian) Khayat

Chris ( Christian) Khayat

• November 19th 1948
• I was at the School between 58 and 62 Grades 4 to 7
• I live in Vancouver, British Columbia  Canada
• I left Beirut for Canada in 1968…settled in Vancouver…hired by Air Canada in 1970.
• Took early retirement in 2007…. I have three children and two and a half grandchildren…my oldest daughter is due as we speak!
• Having spent my life flying all over the world, I am now enjoying some peace and serenity. I am an avid fisherman! Every chance I get.

1. How was life in Beirut different in those days and what are your most vivid memories of that time?

Of course we were very young then and saw Lebanon thru a child’s eyes but I have very fond memories of the 50s and 60s in Beirut.
Beirut was a great place to grow up in those years. Less polluted, less traffic, less people. It had a laissez faire attitude. We were lucky to be there

2.   How do you think that the years of school in Beirut have influenced your later life?

Well for one thing, between the Anglo American section and the summer camp, I learned how to speak Italian.
Bro Dell, Don Morra, Father Aldo, brother Frank, Brother George etc… to name a few, molded us into what we are today!
If I have a mean streak in me sometimes, I blame it on Father Bias! hahaha! he didn’t like me very much and I wasn’t crazy about him !

3. Whom did you stay in touch with over the years?

There are certain friendships that time and distance do not affect. I am almost daily in touch with Elie Moussalli, (Toronto ) Joe Khoury, (Toronto) his Brother Jacques Khoury (Vancouver) and Richard Spratt (Ottawa). Over the years I have kept in touch  with Jim Downing ( Sweden) Jerry Aquilina and Peter Schniering ( Australia)….just recently was in touch with Patrick Cullumber and a while back re-connected with Richard Shorter  who is in Western Australia  and have heard from Russell Lamont and Jihad   “Jad” Azkoul.

4.Would you have liked to stay in Beirut after having finished school? And do you think your life would have been different?

I never really thought about it but when I retired I looked into spending six months there every year! But that has not panned out……yet!
Vancouver has been home for over 40 years, my kids are here and my grandkids too. I have gone back to visit many times and I am always melancholy when I leave. I love Beirut….a city like no other….and I pray that the Lebanese finally get the “calm” they so deserve!
The friendships with my friends still in Beirut just magically continued after all these years. The internet helped a lot as well.

5.Do you think you will return to the Lebanon one day? And if so, or not, why?

See previous answer

6.Are you interested in taking part in future reunions of ex-students?

Interested??? Is the Pope German? of course!

7.What do you think of this website and how can we improve it?

I think I read someone who suggested an easier way to keep in touch as in Facebook but thru this site! You guys should be commended for   doing such a great job of keeping the memory of our school alive! Bravo! and Kudos to the three of you.