They call us 'Half & Halfs' – young adults of Arab descent, raised outside the Arab world, now coming back to live in the 'old country' our families always told us about.
About a week ago, my flatmate Cagil (pronounced ‘Chill’) and I were sitting out on her balcony, drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and listening to Fairuz belt out ‘Le Beirut.’ Complete bliss. As we sat there in our white plastic chairs, our feet propped up on the rusty steel railing, red wine dribbling down our chins (well, my chin – Cagil doesn’t have the same problems I do with spills and messes) we tried to figure out what it is that makes this disorganized city, so full of contradictions, so special – why do we love it so much? And although we couldn’t quite pinpoint one specific thing, we did manage to cover a whole spew of things that are uniquely and wonderfully ‘Beirut.’
Constant power outages that leave you peeing in the dark, locked in café with electric doors, sweltering without air conditioning, and cursing your dead computer battery
Completely veiled women with bright purple platform heels peeking out beneath their burquas.
Cold (aka luke warm) showers on a sticky summer afternoon
Grilled ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches from Dany’s
Meeting at least one new person every day
Joking about my former unibrow and mustache with people who can honestly relate (we Lebanese are a rather hairy people)
My natural eyebrows
Amazing people from all over Lebanon and the world who are willing to open up completely; who become your best friend, your soul mate in only a few days time
Stores that appear and disappear in a month’s time
M'juddera
Popping olives like candy while we dance around the kitchen, Louis Armstrong playing from my laptop, cooking m’juddera (lentils and rice – by the way – LOVE that its called mmmmm judera cause it really is muah-ha mmmmm boy delicious) with friends
The world’s S L O W E S T and most expensive internet connection
Walking south, while taxis driving north honk at you and offer you a ride
Six people jammed in the back of a Service (shared taxi)
Eating three meals a day at BarBar
The hilarious but inevitable realization that after eating three meals a day at BarBar, even your sweat has begun to smell like garlic
Seemingly sweat-free Lebanese women with perfect nails, hair, skin and clothes, strutting down Hamra
Spending long afternoons at Ants, browsing jewelry and dresses or just chilling and drinking tea with Fahan, Sebouh, Karen, Raghda and Noor
Countless marriage proposals from taxi drivers
Iced coffee at Café Younes with a constantly growing group of friends
Singing along while friends play guitar and drink cocktails on your roof
May and Leila enjoying fruit cocktails for breakfast
Fruit cocktails (an assortment of sliced fresh fruit topped with a sugary syrup, sweet white cheese, pistachio nuts, almonds and a slice of avocado – AH! Too good!)
Friday night concerts by ‘Chahadine Ya Baladna’ at Walimat
Techno dance parties in the back of taxi cabs…complete with flashing lights…at 3pm
Silent old movies screened with subtitles on the walls of De Prague
An unhealthy obsession with Knafe
Knafe!!
Old men, sitting outside cafes in white plastic chairs playing backgammon or smoking
Communal water bottles on mini buses
Sitting on my orange sheets with friends in my room, drinking wine, eating chocolate, talking and cracking each other up until the wee hours of the morning
Me, wrapped in my orange sheets, and so happy!
That newfound, deep and unconditional love we have all developed for air conditioners
That renewed, deep and unconditional hatred we have all developed for mosquitoes
The first fresh figs at the end of August
My infamous fig binges have earned me the nickname 'Teeny,' which in Arabic means 'My fig'
Eating figs until your stomach starts to gurgle and you come to the terrifying realization that you can fart on cue
Long, intimate evenings with Señor Hamam (Hamam = Toilet in Arabic) after binging on figs
Realizing that you’ve never before talked about your bowel movements on such a regular basis
Dancing with Omar at Oceana
Sipping an ice-cold Almaza with friends at Barometre and snacking on an assortment of Lebanese dishes (mezze)
Dancing all day in the pool at one of Beirut’s beach clubs
Being offered tissues by random strangers, blown away by how completely drenched in sweat you’ve allowed yourself to become
Ordering an obscene amount of food from Kabab-ji…and devouring every last bite
Lazy days in the pool with friends that you’ve known for a few days, but feel like you’ve known for years
Farah, Rianne, me and Leila floating in the pool at Sporting
Sitting on the balcony with Cagil, drinking wine, discussing what makes us happy in Beirut
In my post on Sour, I included a photo of a young Muslim girl going swimming, covered and veiled – a concept completely foreign and interesting to me. And you know how sometimes when you learn something new, it somehow seems to pop up everywhere??? So here’s what I’ve found out about Muslim swimwear, which now seems to pop up everywhere:
At the beach in Sour, as far as I could tell, these women and children were going swimming in their clothing – a naïve but understandable assumption. But, as it turns out, there’s actually a relatively large market for full-body swimsuits for Muslim women that allow them to swim without exposing themselves. And better yet, they call the swimsuits ‘burqinis.’ (burq – from ‘burqa,’ the Arabic word meaning the full Muslim veil, and ‘-ini’ is taken from ‘bikini’) I love it!
One of Ahiida's designer burqinis weighing in at a whopping 160 Australian dollars = abt. 135 American dollars, 95 Euros, or 203,000 Lebanese Lira
If you google ‘burqini,’ one of the first sights to pop up is Ahiida Burqini Swimwear, a company founded in 2004 and based in Australia that specializes in “dynamic swimwear and sportswear for today’s Muslim female.” The company was actually started by a Lebanese woman named Aheda Zanetti, who moved to Australia as a child, and frustrated by her inability to participate in prevalent Australian water sports, decided to design a swimsuit specifically tailored to the modern Muslim woman. The resultant burqini allows Muslim women to easily and flexibly swim and compete in water sports, while still remaining completely covered. Clever, huh?
While this trendy Muslim swimsuit is all the rage in Lebanon and Australia, the burqini and the Muslim burqa in general have, unfortunately, been topics of controversy in France for a few years now. Why France? They have the largest Muslim minority population in the EU, and there are those that believe that discrimination against Muslims will decrease if they become less visibly Muslim and more visibly French. Plus, there are entire lobbies of French women (well, and men for that matter) who see the veil as an infringement upon women’s rights. I’ve summed it up in an insanely brief way, but needless to say, it’s a sticky situation.
Anyway, the reason I bring all this up, is that there was actually an article today (see – burqinis everywhere!) in the Daily Star - ‘Paris Pool Bans Woman in Burqini Swimsuit’- discussing the controversy that has arisen over the use of the burqini in France:
“A Paris swimming pool has refused entry to a young Muslim woman wearing a ‘burqini,’ a swimsuit that covers most of the body, officials said Wednesday. The pool ban came as French lawmakers conduct hearings on whether to ban the burqa after President Nicolas Sarkozy said the head-to-toe veil was ‘not welcome’ in secular France. Officials in the Paris suburb of Emerainville said they let the woman swim in the pool in July wearing the burqini, designed for Muslim women who want to swim without revealing their bodies. But when she returned in August they decided to apply hygiene rules and told her she could not swim if she insisted on wearing the garment, which resembles a wetsuit with a built-in hood. France, home to Europe’s biggest Muslim minority, has set up a special panel of 32 lawmakers to consider whether a law should be enacted to bar Muslim women from wearing the full veil, known as a burqa or niqab.” – AFP
Amazing that a glorified wetsuit could stir up so much controversy. I for one have always been a proponent of the belief that respect for differences rather than forced assimilation is a better way to create a peaceful society, but I can respect that this is a complicated issue.
Yesterday, I was sick in bed all day with the flu. I guess that’s what I get for going on and on about how Friday is my lucky day. I jinxed myself. Damn. Knew it was too good to be true…But, don’t fret! I was feeling a bit more energized today and when Ozge and Charles pitched the idea of heading to the beach, I couldn’t resist. Besides, if I’m going to be sick, I’d much rather be sick at the beach – you gotta’ admit, lying in the sun is much more entertaining than lying in bed at home.
So, we headed north to Jbeil (pronounced Je-bale, and also known by the Greek name, Byblos), to the beautiful beach club, Eddé Sands. Charles had been there before and knew how to sneak us in so we didn’t have to pay the ridiculously expensive entrance fee. Score! Once inside, we all slipped into our bathing suits and oooched! and ouched! our way over to empty beach chairs, burning the soles of our feet on the scorching sand. No sooner had we stretched out on our chairs, than Omar called to say he was also the beach – ah! Too good to be true! And just like that, our fabulous foursome was all together sipping beers and relaxing seaside.
Ozge, Omar and Charles, chilling at the beach
Eddé Sands is pretty ridiculous. The place is massive – there are 6 pools alongside the beach, restaurants, fish ponds, bars, music, amazing landscaping, a view of the ruins of Jbeil. They host concerts and all-night parties. They were actually setting up for a wedding while we were there – laying down the dance floor, setting up lights and carrying in massive crates of flowers. Looked like it was going to be one extravagant bash!
Eddé Sands (Beautiful photo by Ozge)
Ah! Okay, side note – weddings in Lebanon. Oh my crap. What an ordeal. At a friend’s party the other night, I met a wedding planner. As she regaled me with tales of the MILLION DOLLAR weddings she organizes (no joke, many spend even more), I felt like a little kid enraptured at story time. It was unreal. It baffles me that people are willing to spend SO much on one day.
My brother and I on our way to the moon in 1992
But then again, I’ve always had simpler tastes – after all, I’m the kid who would put aside her toys to play for hours with her brother, transforming a cardboard box into a spaceship and taking trips to the moon. To each their own, right? Some people take out loans to pay for their studies or to buy a house, in Lebanon they take out loans to look like Barbies and throw weddings on the scale of the Oscars.
Walking around Beirut, every now and then you’ll see a wedding procession driving by – the bride’s car smothered with bows, ribbons, flowers and fluff, all the other cars honking as they go by. And when I say honking, I mean hands slammed against the horn, never letting up. Actually gives me a headache, but here it means party party! Women in the cars and even passer-bys will cup their hands over their mouths and let out what a friend of mine fondly refers to as the high-pitched Lebanese yodel, a celebratory cry, which in Arabic is actually called ‘zalghouta.’
Check out this video of my friend Jad crying out a zalghouta:
Lebanese makeup at it's finest
Oh, and the outfits! It’s like an 80’s prom gone wrong – everyone dressed in the poofiest, most glitter-drenched dresses the world has ever known. Hairstyles that rival Amy Winehouse’s famous beehive for height and volume, with vibrant streaks of blond added in especially for the occasion. Sequined covered shoes that can be seen sparkling from miles away. The bling bling these girls decorate their fingers, necks, wrists, ears and hair with would do Elizabeth Taylor proud. And the whole ensemble is complimented by makeup that would do drag queens proud.
Everything in excess.
A Lebanese Bride
My friend Rianne actually went to a Lebanese wedding during her first week here in Lebanon. Later she told me stories of the ceremony, held at a massive mansion in the hills overlooking Beirut. There were rotating video cameras on cranes, candles everywhere, chefs ready and waiting to cook you whatever your heart desired. There was a massive dance floor surrounded by hundreds of tables, flowers popping out of every surface imaginable. And as a grand finale – fireworks!
Fireworks in general seem to be big in the Middle East. In Amman, Ramallah and Beirut, I regularly heard the popping of fireworks or firecrackers, most relatively small, going off at night, or even mid-day. But whenever we see a massive fireworks show going off in the skies over Beirut, my Lebanese friends joke that with each explosion the only sound the groom hears is that of the money draining from his bank account. I think I’m going to have to try to go to one of these Lebanese weddings before I leave. I have to see all this for myself…
But anyway, back to the beach.
Omar, me and Charles modeling our beautiful beach-wear at Edde Sands (Photo by Ozge)
The four of us had an amazing time – lounging, soaking up the sun, taking the occasional dip in the Mediterranean, or one of the pools. When hunger struck, we made our way over to one of the little restaurants where we ordered the cheapest thing on the menu – big salads (trust me, I’m not one of those freaky skinny girls who only eats rabbit food, but on a hot day this was just what the doctor ordered. Plus, there was chicken in it and the thing was massive. I’m just saying). Waiting for our food we sipped on jallab, chatted and laughed.
Ozge enjoying her delicious glass of Jallab
Omar enjoying his delicious glass of Jallab
Ah! Jallab! This stuff is amazing! The perfect antidote to a sticky, hot summer day. Jallab is an mmmmm boy delicious juice drink that I would love to claim as Lebanese, but it’s popular throughout the Arab world, so really, I have no idea where it first appeared. It’s made with a syrup made from date juice, molasses and rose water. You mix the syrup with water and ice, top it off with pine nuts, fresh almonds and golden raisins, and switch between straw and spoon until the glass is empty. And Louis Armstrong croons, ‘Heaven! I’m in heaven! And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak, and I seem to find the happiness I seek…’ *Sigh*
Around 8pm, as the sun began to set, the four of us packed up our bags, said goodbye to Eddé Sands, and walked (about 20 min.) into Jbeil to explore the city and get some dinner. Jbeil was founded around 5000 BCE. Okay, coming from the States where no building is over 300 years old and especially coming from California, which didn’t even become a state until 1850, I LOVE being constantly surrounded by so much history! I mean, Jbeil is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities IN THE WORLD. What the what?! Doesn’t that blow your mind???
It’s an old Phoenician city and it’s insanely beautiful. I mean, I love Beirut, but this place just has so much character and charm oozing out of every street corner.
Charles, me and Omar walking around downtown Jbeil. (Photo by Ozge)
Just to clarify, Phonecia was this fantastic ancient civilization that was composed of a massive chunk of modern-day Lebanon + bits of Palestine, Israel and Syria. It lasted from the 1500s BCE until the 300s BCE and for a large part of that time, Jbeil was actually their capital city. Woot.
Map of Phoenicia
The Phoenicians were also the ones who created the alphabet that is widely believed to be the ancestor of almost all modern alphabets. So how ‘bout them apples? Yeah, these guys were awesome. All of their big cities were located along the coast because they were all about maritime trade. Actually the Greek name for Jbeil – Byblos – came from the Greek word for papyrus – ‘bublos’ – which was the main import the Greeks received from the Phoenicians in Jbail. Ah sooooo!
Our amazing wristbands! Here's to tacky souvenirs!
We walked past the 12th century crusader castle and through the old souk where we browsed clothes, jewelry, nargiles, postcards, handcrafts, etc. and each dropped about 50 cents on cheesy Lebanon wristbands. We popped into the famous shop – Mémoire du Temps – where you can browse and buy old fossils. The shop is nuts. It’s relatively small and every available bit of wall and shelf space is covered with ancient fish fossils – including one of a 4 meter long shark. Apparently it was opened by the paleontologist Pierre Abi-Saad, a native of Jbeil. Abi-Saad’s family has owned a quarry in the city for generations, in which they discovered thousands of perfectly preserved fossils of fish, most species of which are now extinct. Apparently, in the fall and spring, you can actually go on fossil digs with this guy for FREE. I’m going to have to get in on that!
The old souk in Jbeil (Another beautiful photo by Ozge)
By 9:30pm, the souk was beginning to close up and the cafes and bars to open up. Within a few minutes, the streets went from housing baubles and bangles to housing tons of folding tables and chairs that quickly filled with hungry locals and visitors alike. Hungry ourselves, we headed down to the harbor – the former hub of all Phoenician trade. At night the harbor is so beautiful – all the fishing boats docked for the night, the medieval walls and old Mamluk towers wrapped around its sides, and little lights from restaurants reflecting in the water. Very cute.
The view of the harbor from the restaurant Chez Pepe (Photo by Ozge)
Omar, me and Charles out for dinner at Pepe
For dinner, we decided to go to Chez Pepe: Byblos Fishing Club. The restaurant is right on the harbor and is famous all over Jbeil for its fresh fish. YES! The restaurant was founded by this guy named Pepe Abed – a Lebanese man born and raised in Mexico. He moved back to Lebanon in the 1960s and opened his now famous restaurant in 1963. Apparently Pepe really knew how to throw a good party and his restaurant attracted the glitterati of Lebanon and the world – politicians like Czech President Václav Havel, film stars like Marlon Brando and Bridget Bardot, etc. Pepe’s was the IT restaurant in Lebanon.
An old photo of Pepe Abed, showing off his photo wall of fame
Then boom. Civil war. During the war, Chez Pepe closed its doors and Pepe flew back to Mexico where he worked saving money to reopen his restaurant when things cooled down in Lebanon. It didn’t have the same ‘star’ power it once boasted but if you go now, there are still tons of photos on the walls of Pepe and his famous guests. Sadly, Pepe died at the ripe old age of 95, in the winter of 2006. Sounds like the guy had quite a life! His son runs the business now, and it really is a blast of a place – it’s so nice sitting outside and feasting on lip-smacking good Lebanese cuisine. You actually get to pick the fish you want from a large ice filled case. It’s fantastic! It’s served with tahini (sesame paste), lemon and pita. And that’s not including the wide selection of mezze dishes – hummos, moutabal, tabouleh, etc. Good food gives me such a happy rush and when we finally finished our meal, we were are bursting with joy…and out of our pants – luckily I was sporting baggy shorts. Oh yeah.
Dancing in the streets of Byblos (photo by Ozge)
Pole dancing in the streets of Jbail
Happy and full, we walked back into the city center where all of the outdoor bars were now overflowing with people, drinking and dancing in the streets. We took a seat at an outdoor bar called Iguana and tried their signature drink – an icy cocktail, blended like a frozen margarita, made with fresh kiwis and vodka. So good! We sipped our alcoholic kiwi slushies and danced in our chairs to the music playing from a nearby live band, singing songs in Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian and French. A little after midnight, we were all feeling wiped out and I was becoming more aware of the fact that I have the flu. So we danced our way through the crowds and hailed a cab back to Beirut. You know, yani, just a typical Saturday in Lebanon…haha! What the what?! How is this my life??
I’m in love with Beirut!! Today was such a fantastic day! Dude. I think Friday is my lucky day. No joke. I mean, in general, it’s a brilliant day. If you work or have class, all day you can’t help smiling because you know the freedom of the weekend awaits. If you’re Muslim, it’s the first day of the weekend, so that’s freaking fantastic. Really – there is nothing bad about Fridays. They’re just all-around wonderful! And here in Beirut, they’ve all been beyond amazing.
Manaeesh! Mmmm, boy!
Met Omar for coffee after class and we chatted till around 1pm, when Omar introduced me to my now beloved BarBar to grab a quick lunch. Okay, BarBar is brilliant. My love for it rivals my love for Fridays in Beirut. It’s basically a full block of different take-out places in the Hamra neighborhood, all run by the BarBar Trading Company. There’s a shwarma place, a falafel place, a manaeesh/fatayer place (manaeesh is basically thick round delicious bread, covered in zaatar & fatayer (aka – spinach pie) is bread, folded into a triangle, with spinach filling), a fresh fruit smoothie place, an ice cream place, a pizza place, a sandwich place – basically it’s heaven. And everything at BarBar is cheap – you’ll never pay more than $2 for any food item. Oh, and they deliver. On cute little motorbikes. I LOVE IT! How I did not discover this place sooner, I will never know.
Part of the BarBar strip, by night
After eating, we each went home to get bathing suits and met up about an hour later to head down to St. George’s – a beach club in Beirut, just off the Corniche (the boardwalk that runs along the sea), that’s been operating since the 1930s. There are two main pools at St. George’s, filled with chlorinated salt-water. Omar and I swam, tanned, talked and people-watched until closing around 6:30pm. Ah! Such a great afternoon!!
One thing that’s impossible to miss if you’re anywhere near St. George, is the gigantic banner, covering the side of the large building bordering the pool, that reads “STOP SOLIDERE”.
I’ve been trying to figure out the story behind the sign, and so far, this is what I’ve found out: First of all, Solidere stands for ‘SOciété LIbanaise pour le Développement Et la REconstruction de Beyrouth’, which translates to ‘Lebanese Society for the Development and Reconstruction of Beirut.’ Basically, it’s a group that was created in 1994 by former Lebanese prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, to oversee all the planning and redevelopment of Beirut after Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990).
Rafiq Hariri
So on the outside, it looked like they did a lot of good. Actually, the first time I came to Lebanon in 2005, right after Hariri was assisnated, Mom bought a picture book publsihed by Solidere that showed photos of Beirut destroyed after the war, alongside photos after Solidere’s reconstruction projects. We were impressed.
But, what, to me, as a passive tourist, looked pretty on the outside, actually had a kind of corrupt and messy process behind it. According to a 2007 article in the Daily Star by Lysandra Ohrstrom, (Solidere: ‘Vigilantism under the color of law’), beginning in 1994, “…Solidere exchanged property rights from between 100,000 to 150,000 tenants and landowners in exchange for shares in Solidere itself. But after the completion of the rehabilitation the former occupants were guaranteed either the right to return to their property or the company’s profits were to be distributed as just compensation.” Problem is…most people still haven’t seen compensation, and going broke waiting, many have sold their property and are now basically fucked. Adding insult to injury, a lot of people were pissed that in it’s reconstructions, Solidere modernized the city, taking away from it’s historical and traditional character. They ”…demolished 85 percent of the city’s memory considering buildings to be too badly damaged to be worth preserving, and denied property owners and tenants their right to return to where they were operating from before.” Not cool Solidere, not cool.
As for St. George’s – it’s this fantastic little beach club right by the water that was one of the first in Beirut, and it’s marina is iconic here. The building that the big sign is hanging on, is the old St. George’s hotel, which was destroyed during the civil war. The beach club itself actually just reopened within the last year, as it was completely destroyed during the 2006 war with Israel. Problem is, Solidere has blocked the owners of St. George’s from reconstructing the hotel, taken away their rights to the marina and sometimes have even blocked people from entering the beach club – all part of efforts to put pressure on St. George’s to sell to Solidere. Boo hiss. So yeah, from what I’ve heard thus far, I’m with St. George’s. Stop Solidere!
Having fun getting ready to head out on Friday night
Anyway…after an amazing afternoon at the pool, Omar and I went our separate ways with plans to meet up later tonight. A shower and a quick nap and before I knew it, it was 9:30pm. I got dressed for a night out while sipping on the red wine I bought at Chateau Ksara – yum! And at 10pm, I was off!!
Zeina and Salam
Met up with Ozge and Charles on Hamra and the three of us headed down to Gem for drinks and good conversation. After about an hour, we were joined by Jeff and a French girl he knows from work, who’s name I’ve completely forgotten. Another hour and Omar showed up with his friends Salam and Ziena. Lots of laughing and chatting and shots made with tabasco sauce, vodka, lemon juice and topped by olives followed.
Half of Jeff's head, Omar, me and Charles squashed in the cab, but still ridiculously happy!
At 3am, with a good buzz going, we said goodbye to Salam and Ziena, and the remaining 6 of us squashed ourselves into the back of a taxi in search of the perfect place to finish off the night. We ended up at this swank beach-side club called Island, that’s part of the Riviera Hotel. Jeff got us in for free so woot! happy day! Chilled with drinks at the bar next to the pool, danced and laughed until around 5:30 am.
And now it’s 6:30 and the happy buzz from tonight is just beginning to wear off and I’m feeling completely exhuasted. The sun is rising outside my window, the temperature is rising and my beloved roof rooster is crowing his heart out. I think it’s time for bed.
Okay so first of all, Friday night was fantastic! My friend Lara, a former AUB student, introduced me to some of her friends here in Beirut who invited me out for the night. The first text came in the late afternoon from Lara’s friend, Jana, informing me that we were all meeting up at 8:30 pm in Gemmayze. Around 8 pm, I texted back to find out where, to which the response was: “Sorry u can never set a time with Lebanese…meeting at 10:30pm at Gem.” I love it!! These are my people!!
Gemmayze is in the western part of Beirut and is known for its crazy nightlife. It’s a really beautiful part of the city as well – it wasn’t damaged as much as other parts of Beirut were during the civl war and as a result, the streets of Gemmayze are lined with these old, charming buildings with beautiful iron-wrought balconies and large, arched windows.
At 10pm I bartered my way through taxi drivers to find one who would take me down to Gemmayze for 5000 Lira (about $2.50). After 40 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic (a trip that normally takes about 10 minutes via taxi), I was dropped at the bottom of the St. Nicholas Stairway on the busy Rue Gouraud and rushed up the steps to Gem, to meet Jana and Taarik. The bar is actually built inside a renovated, old stone house and has a trendy indoor section and a spacious, outdoor section. A really relaxed, chill place to start the night.
Jana and Taarik
Soon after I got there we were joined by more friends of Jana and Taarik – Sulaiman, Saher, Abdoun, and about 4 or 5 other people who’s names I’m embarrassed to admit, I’ve completely forgotten. Almazas, tequila and lots of talking. Most people in Beirut speak English and Arabic or French and Arabic, or all three, and all the languages are mixed in conversation. For example, Hal has a shirt that says ‘Lebanese greeting’, above which is written ‘Hi, Kifak?, Ca va’ (Hi in English, ‘How are you?’ in Arabic and ‘I’m fine’ in French). Taarik is a Lebanese Brit, and like me, doesn’t speak Arabic fluently, so for our benefit, most of the conversation was in English with the occasional Arabic word or phrase thrown in. So fun! And such fantastic people!!
Around 1am, we all split up and Jana, Taarik and I headed off to a club called Basement where we danced till 5am. $1 hot dogs at a stand outside the club at 5:15am and then home again home again where I covered my head with my sheets to try to block out the rising sunlight and muffle the sound of the neighbors rooster and the call to prayer echoing from the nearby mosque.
At 10am, I rolled out of bed, not particularly well-rested, but happy and awake nevertheless. I slipped on my bathing suit under my clothes, grabbed an apple for breakfast and ran out the door to meet Lara, Taarik, Suleman, Abdoun and Yasmine (Taarik’s cousin) to drive to the beach.
One of the pools in 'Oceana'
The beaches here in Lebanon are almost all private, and if they’re not, truth be told, they’re pretty nasty. That means that unlike in San Diego, where anyone can go to the beach for free, there are a series of, for lack of better words, beach clubs which require an entrance fee and provide access to the beach, but are also equipped with multiple pools, bars, DJs restaurants and insanely beautiful people. Unfortunately, the sea is actually pretty polluted, so most people stay in the beach clubs, swimming in the pools and sipping cocktails. It’s a little excessive, but not a bad way to spend a sweltering summer afternoon.
The boardwalk in Oceana leading to the other pools and restaurants
At Oceana, the beach club we went to (about 20 minutes outside of Beirut located in the middle of a seaside banana orchard) there were three swimming pools – one that was relatively small, and surrounded by lounge chairs, each with their own nargileh (shisha, hookah, water pipe – whatever you want to call it); a second pool that was primarily for children; and a third pool for those 18 and older. Lara, Saher, and a couple others met us there where we all spent the afternoon sunbathing, snacking, talking, napping and swimming. Around 6:30pm, we all headed home, sunkissed and smiling. I love summer!
Up at 8:45am, wolfed down a bowl of cornflakes and threw some clothes on before sprinting out the door, late for class as usual. Luckily, my class is about a 5-minute, fast-paced walk from the apartment (I’m not good at the whole running thing), so I was only about 10 minutes late…still, oops.
Map to my Arabic class - Right now, Cousin Stephen and I are living just off Jeanne D'Arc Street
Arabic class until 11am, chicken schwarma from a street vendor for lunch – cheap and oh-so-delicious – and then a stop by Librairie Antoine, the local English/French/Arabic language bookstore in Hamra. History nerd that I am, and knowing embarrassingly little about Lebanon (especially given that I’m half Lebanese and staying here for 2 months…oops again), I bought ‘A History of Modern Lebanon’ by Fawwaz Traboulsi, and the Lonely Planet Guide to Lebanon and Syria. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon in De Prague, a cafe in Hamra, reading. So happy
De Prague is an amazing cafe. Now tied with Cafe Younes as my favorite in Beirut. Because it’s near the American University of Beirut (AUB) campus, it’s always packed with students. The food is delicious, they put rose-water in their lemonade, there’s good music, free wifi, comfortable couches and good company – what more do you need??
Inside Cafe de Prague
After a chill afternoon with my delicious new books, I headed home for a quick siesta and made plans with new friends to meet up tonight. And now, it’s 9:30 pm, and I have to get ready to go out in Gemmazye – it’s Friday night in Beirut!! I’ll let you know how it goes! Happy weekend!!
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Discover.
- Mark Twain
At 3am, with a good buzz going, we said goodbye to Salam and Ziena, and the remaining 6 of us squashed ourselves into the back of a taxi in search of the perfect place to finish off the night. We ended up at this swank beach-side club called Island, that’s part of the Riviera Hotel. Jeff got us in for free so woot! happy day! Chilled with drinks at the bar next to the pool, danced and laughed until around 5:30 am.
At 10pm I bartered my way through taxi drivers to find one who would take me down to Gemmayze for 5000 Lira (about $2.50). After 40 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic (a trip that normally takes about 10 minutes via taxi), I was dropped at the bottom of the St. Nicholas Stairway on the busy Rue Gouraud and rushed up the steps to Gem, to meet Jana and Taarik. The bar is actually built inside a renovated, old stone house and has a trendy indoor section and a spacious, outdoor section. A really relaxed, chill place to start the night.
