It’s been a few months since I’ve left Lebanon, but I still get emails asking for advice about learning Arabic in Beirut, so instead of writing the information over and over again, I figured I’d put my advice out here for all those who are interested. If anyone still has questions after this, please email [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Lebanon, Question
7 Reacties » | 17 april 2010

… that you’re back in Beirut?
It’s when you run into 11 people you know in the first 6 hours after leaving the house. It’s when you wake up from the sound of construction works and the smell of foul. It’s when you can have a cup of tea in a hidden place on the seaside. [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Lebanon, Tourism, Typical...
2 Reacties » | 5 januari 2010

WHAT I WILL NOT BE MISSING
- The daily electricity cuts
- The honking cars
- The clouds of cigarette-smoke in bars and restaurants
- The chaos
- The homophobia
- The honking cars
- The screaming of ‘Taxi! Taxi!’ when I walk by
- The unbelievably slow internet-connections
- The racism
- The roofs that are not built to prevent rain from entering the house
- The construction rage
- The speculation about ‘when will the next civil [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Internet, Lebanon, Life, Personal, The Netherlands, Typical...
8 Reacties » | 24 september 2009

… you collectively park on the other side of the road. Brilliant.

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Quickie, Typical..., Visual
6 Reacties » | 28 augustus 2009

I was waiting in line at the photo-shop on the corner for the girl in front of me to pick up the prints of a roll of film she had brought in earlier. She was probably around twenty years old.
The man in the store fished out her order from the stack and opened the envelope. [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Life, Quickie
2 Reacties » | 25 augustus 2009

It’s been four summers in Lebanon, this year, and I’m seeing the patterns, the rituals, the routine.
I’ve seen the Lebanese expatriates come, party, and go. I’ve seen the international students at AUB getting lost in Hamra in June and looking like they own the place in August. I’ve seen the enormous Saudi cars fill [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Lebanon, Life, Personal, Typical...
Geen reacties » | 22 augustus 2009

… but no, it’s a jewelry store. (Found in Basta, Beirut, June 2009.)

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Quickie, Visual
3 Reacties » | 22 juli 2009