beirut beirut
okay. so this started out as an email to my friends in ny. but then i didn’t send it so i’m posting it and other rambles here. ujb - if you read this, please don’t take it seriously. just wanted a place to ramble all my worries, etc. without making other ppl upset.
things here are okay. i sent out an email yesterday to my mom and dad saying that idk what they saw on the media but it’s not as bad as they’re making it sound.
to be honest though, it’s not the ideal situation. i’m in a safe place in beirut and i contacted the us embassy to let them know i’m here. which was mildly useless. guy gets 3 calls a day from his country’s embassy making sure he’s feeling super, and i can’t even get myself on the freaking listserve for the us embassy.
this sounds awful - but i’m not gonna lie - about 3 days ago i was really upset b/c of everyone in lebanon hurting or watching their newly-rebuilt country crumbling once again, but also mildly excited by being around all of this.
but it’s not exciting anymore i want it to stop.
sorry to send you guys an email like this, but everytime i talk to other ppl i have to be like ‘no everything’s peachy’. and i don’t want to be dramatic. things will be fine. but idk when they’re going to settle this. i think it’ll be soon. but my flight out on sunday morning isn’t happening.
sorry to send you guys an email like this, but everytime i talk to other ppl i have to be like ‘no everything’s peachy’. and i don’t want to be dramatic. things will be fine. but idk when they’re going to settle this. i think it’ll be soon. but my flight out on sunday morning isn’t happening.
having the option of getting out is all i want. it’d be nice if everyone had that option.
israel bombed the north, the south, the ports, the highways, and the airport. twice. so air,
land, and sea are out. i could probably get a taxi or bus across to jordan though - which
is only dangerous for a few hours on the border, but that means i have to pass through
damascus - and syria is not a fan of americans. i know, b/c i called the embassy to see
if i could just get a transit visa to pass through, and they gave it a big hell no.
(update since i wrote this: it’s really dangerous and expensive as hell - and that’s if i can even find a taxi to take me to syria/the syrian border. where there are fairly frequent bombs.)
i’m at work now. so’s everyone, i don’t think they’ve left from last night.
last night we went to a friend’s house to watch cnn. it’s our only friends left here - a couple. the rest have all fled.
i’m glad i didn’t mention my little lebanon trip to too many ppl. better to mention it when back on us soil.
we hear bombs and guns and explosions a lot - maybe 2 each hour today. it’s hard to tell which side it’s coming from - though usually it’s the israelis. they’ve gotten louder and today were really close. before we could see smoke and flames and other things that i’m not sure what they were, but it was miles away - at least 10. but now today they hit the lighthouse (about 200m away) and inside manara - which is the district i live in. it was on the other side of manara though. it’s just so loud that it sounds closer than it really is.
today guy and malek went towards the south to bring food to malek’s parents. rockets flew past above malek’s car and exploded 100ft from where they were. guy and malek came right back reeking of smoke. stupid stupid boys. with defective defective survival instincts.
honestly, it’s just that i’m not used to this. spoiled safe american life. where we’re staying is in b/t 2 american universities - w/in 2 minute walking distance of AUB the major one. it’s in a church. in a muslim area. and probably the safest part of the city. i am safe. i am not alone. and i am well-fed. - even found an internet cafe that’s open. and one restaurant.
i’d be perfectly fine if i had the reassurance that at some point before china/school starts i could get out. and it looks like i’m out of luck there.
July 15th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
Of course I’m going to read this, I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I saw the lighthouse on the news today, there were U.S. news crews right near you on that walk along the water. I want you back here, sitting on my couch with a glass of wine, regaling us with your tales. Now.
Keep your head down, and stay in touch with the embassy, they are planning a possible airlift to Cyprus. Please make sure you are on it. They are talking to the Israelis now. I love that they will charge you for the evacuation - please don’t worry about that, I’ll pay if need be. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do from here.
I love you, kid. You’ll be ok, just stay smart. And tell guy (and whoever else) to stop taking chances.
UncJB
State Dept statement http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/lebanon/PR_07_15_06_State_Announcement.html:
The U.S. Department of State continues to work with the U.S. Department of Defense on a plan to help American citizens depart Lebanon. As of the morning of July 15, we are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel. Commercial airlines provide the safest and most efficient repatriation options to final destinations. The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of the trip directly handled by the U.S. Government, Americans will be asked to sign a promissory note and will be billed at a later date. The U.S. Embassy will release additional information as it becomes available to include specific details about the transportation arrangements and the costs travelers will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure adequate flights are available to help Americans depart Cyprus and connect to their final destination. The Department of State continues to work around the clock to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to register with the U.S. Embassy, preferably on line at http://lebanon.usembassy.gov or by fax at +961 4 544 209 or +961 4 544 037. The U.S. Embassy reaffirms the firm, enduring and non-negotiable commitment of the United States to Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
March 21st, 2009 at 2:25 am
Your blog have a good sense of humor,i guess so do you.