My name is Colette and I’m a 24-year old American who moved to the Middle East (living between Amman, Beirut and Ramallah) in June 2009. My first night out in Amman, I was asked if I was a ‘Half & Half’. I had no idea what that was, and so it was explained to me that ‘Half & Halfs’ are the descendants of Arabs who were not raised in the Arab world, but who, as young adults, chose to come back to ‘the old country’ to experience for themselves the world their families always told them about. Mom is a Lebanese American, so apparently, I fit the bill. The title cracked me up and I thought it would be fun to write about. So here you go – the impressions and experiences of life in the Arab world as seen through the eyes of a Half & Half. Plus, I suck at keeping in touch so I’ll keep the phone bill down and time at internet cafes at a minimum if I just give everyone the address to this site 😉
Words to live by…
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 TwainSearch…
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Half & Half 
very interesting blog! love the concept. you will give us an “external” point of view on the arab world. will keep following! 🙂
Thank-you so much – I’m so glad that you like it! I discovered your book when I first arrived here in Beirut and I love it – I so admire the style of your writing and drawings, so your compliment really means a lot to me! Congratulations on your success and thanks again!
I liked your blog quite a bit. What is the language center that you are taking classes at?
Thanks! I was taking classes at ALPS – it’s a good program but I’ve actually heard better things about Safi Institute, which is about the same price. Hope that helps!
Hey Colette, I couldn’t find your email anywhere… I want to tell you about a meeting with french journalists who are doing a review about lebanese blogs.. here’s my email, please send me yours so that i send you more details.
Hey! My email is —— – this sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for letting me know! I would love to know more! By the way, talked to Natasha and she said she really enjoyed going to the silk museum with you – excited to see your cartoon in the upcoming magazine 🙂 Thanks again for telling me about this!
Hey Colette, looks like quite a daring but rewarding leap you’ve taken! I’m intent on also heading to Beirut, at least initially, after I graduate from my university in 2011. Advice is hard to come by, so I’m wondering if you could give me tips on things like where to work, where to stay, etc. if I’m considering say 6 months in Beirut. I, too, want to uproot and set down like you, so I’m wondering how you do it!
Well, hello there, Colette. Looks like you should have taken script-writing class 🙂
This is Cem from İstanbul, as you have already remembered (right?) Just read a couple of posts, you are rocking.
Now your words will be under my spyglass, now and then.
Take care and sharpen your pen often.
Cem!! My brilliant producer and editor!! Of course I remember you!! I actually just emailed Annina recently and we were reminiscing about all the good times at the LFA. Hope all is well!! If I ever make it over to Turkey, I’ll be sure to come visit, and if you’re ever in Beirut, you’ll always have a place to stay! Miss you old friend! HUGS!!
Hi Colette,
I stumbled on your blog through google, and I gotta tell you I am in love with it!! Your posts are so interesting and engaging. I also noticed that you did an internship with Time Out Beirut and I’m starting mine in May (hopefully). I’m so so soo excited for it! Any advice from a former intern? ;-D
Hi Sara!! Thanks so much!! I’m actually working for Time Out Beirut now and loving it, but I’m a bit swamped at work right now – hence the lack of recent posts. Send me an email at ——–and we’ll chat more as soon as this next issue goes to print and I have a bit more free time!! Really really wonderful to hear that you’re enjoying my writing!! Can’t wait to meet you in the Spring! xxx
Hello Colette,
I just came across your blog while making some research on lonelyplanet.com. I live in Paris and I’m coming for a short vacation to Beirut so I couldn’t resist scrolling down and reading most of your posts!
Thanks and take care!
Atf
You’re welcome! And thank-you for the compliment! So happy that you enjoyed my writing – I’ve been too busy at work, but back to writing now. Finally! Hope you enjoy Beirut – it has something infectious about that gets under your skin and just makes you happy 🙂 Happy travels Atf!
Hi Colette – been missing your posts recently but great that you’ve found a job you obviously love! Please don’t stop posting though for those of us that can’t live in Beirut – your blog keeps me going between my regular visits. Can’t wait to be back in February!
Hey Colette,
I haven’t heard from you in a while, hope everything’s okay in Beirut 🙂
And as usual, missing your posts!
All the best,
Sara
Dear Colette! How are you?
My name is Bruno, and I write for a history magazine here in Brazil.
Now I´m finalizing an article about brazillian legends, subterraneans and jesuits, and I would like to publish the photography you took inside the cellar of Chateau Ksara (https://diaryofahalfandhalf.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/img_0418.jpg).
Do you mind if I use your photography on my work?
Thank you very much!
Hi just wanted to say I find your blog very interesting!I’m an 18 year old girl who’s fascinated awith Beirut but unfortunately I live very far from there!Your blog makes me wanna go there even more 🙂
Thanks so much! So happy to hear that people are still enjoying it! Hopefully I’ll find time to get back to it one of these days! If you ever make it over to Beirut, let me know!
Dear Ms Coltte,
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. ANHRI, is launching a new periodical .The new publication , WASLA, publishes bloggers’ posts and articles on current issues in Egypt and the Arab world. Here is a link for the first edition in pdf format: http://wasla.anhri.net/
Your contribution to WASLA is most welcomed if you would let us quote from your blogs after your permission. Your prompt response will be much appreciated
Best Regards,
WASLA Team
wasla at anhri dot net
Sorry for the delayed response but if you are still interesting in using quotations from my blog, you are more than welcome! All the best, Colette
I typed ‘intern Beirut’ into Google and this is what came up – thankyou! I leave for Beirut next Wednesday to spend a month interning on the Daily Star. The prospect of doing so is incredibly daunting but I hope it’ll be good fun! Just need to find somewhere to live .. haha. x
hi i used to live in the states but i m still working on getting used to it here. i like your blog. Do you live in Lebanon nowadays?
Surfing the waves of the web I am pleasantly stranded in this beautiful blog.
I write under the pseudonym of Josè Pascal (a descendant of the great Colonel Aureliano Buendía).
I invite you to visit my italian writing blog http://parolesemplici.wordpress.com/mytinbox/. I define this blog “In parole Semplici” as a “virtuacultural tin” box where they are guarded thoughts, memories, images, sounds, and simple stories. ”
If you want to participate and to have more informations send me a letter to inparolesempli@gmail.com
Good life and I hope to soon
Josè
A principle is the expression of perfection, and as imperfect beings like us cannot practise perfection, we devise every moment limits of its compromise in practice.- Mahatma Gandhi
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much, it’s almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
I love you’re blog! It’s very nice to see what goes down in Lebanon from an American point of view . I live in SoCal and visit Lebanon pretty often, but I like how I can relate to your posts and learn more about the culture. 🙂