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| Bilbo scopes out the competition for his own book "There & Back Again" |
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Beirut
Or rather, *I'm* in Beirut. I have an apartment in Hamra. I haven't got a job yet, but I've started volunteering at Shatila. I went to Baalbek. And also, a PC party. I went back to Byblos for a bit. I nearly got raped near the pigeon rocks, in a small watery cave. Things yo yo so much I'm not sure if everything's amazing or awful in my life right now, I'll wake up one day and everything that needed solving is solved, and then I find out my sub-letter skipped out on me without ever paying rent and my landlords' want a $1000 in reparations. I don't even know. Still. I'll keep soldiering on. It's hard to think things are bad when you really know what bad is, so deep it's in your bones.
That thing I wanted to say, way back during my last days in Rashidieh. Tragedy doesn't cross out tragedy; nor does it justify any. This one girl in my camp talked about her worries that she would go to former concentration camps and could only think about how the Israeli government used them to stir up hatred for Palestinians during high school field trips by saying "Look at what the Nazis did to us; Look at what the Palestinians want to do to us now." Well if that's true, that's tragic, but it can't make what happened in those concentration camps any less.
During orientation we talked to '48 survivors who had fled their homes over 60 years ago. What struck me was how similar their stories were to those I'd heard from Holocaust survivors during my class last year. So much running and screaming and hiding. So many mistakes. One girl said she grabbed her little brother and ran and only realized later that she'd only grabbed a doll. If you had heard that story without context would you know if that little girl had been Palestinian or Jewish?
If any family or friends out there are reading this, stay tuned for more updates on my travels and more pictures of Bilbo soon.
That thing I wanted to say, way back during my last days in Rashidieh. Tragedy doesn't cross out tragedy; nor does it justify any. This one girl in my camp talked about her worries that she would go to former concentration camps and could only think about how the Israeli government used them to stir up hatred for Palestinians during high school field trips by saying "Look at what the Nazis did to us; Look at what the Palestinians want to do to us now." Well if that's true, that's tragic, but it can't make what happened in those concentration camps any less.
During orientation we talked to '48 survivors who had fled their homes over 60 years ago. What struck me was how similar their stories were to those I'd heard from Holocaust survivors during my class last year. So much running and screaming and hiding. So many mistakes. One girl said she grabbed her little brother and ran and only realized later that she'd only grabbed a doll. If you had heard that story without context would you know if that little girl had been Palestinian or Jewish?
If any family or friends out there are reading this, stay tuned for more updates on my travels and more pictures of Bilbo soon.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Beirut on a Budget
To distract myself from certain unaliable facts, I've decided to write up a blog entry on where to go in Beirut if you find yourself with limited funds. I'll update the list it as I find more things to add...
Mezzo di Pasta
Very frequently I go to Mezzo and get their large combo meal for 12,500 lires (or $8.33) and that is usually enough to last me all day. True story. For the large combo you get a big helping of their fresh pasta, a small, delicious chocolate crepe & a drink. Also pita bread if you know to ask for it. They have a wide range of pastas and sauces. My personal favorite meal is to get the Indy sauce with cheese, which results in a spicy, delicious, almost curry-like mac & cheese. They're open late (until midnight every day, at least at the Gemmayzeh branch) and they also have excellent 'Happy Hour' meal deals between 4 and 8.
Feyy
In Gemmyzeh, this restaurant actually shares the same building as Mezzo, which is how I found it. Cheap middle eastern & mediterranian
sandwiches & deserts are available, and they too have excellent 'Happy Hour' deals. Their food ain't half bad either.
BarBar
Everyone knows this one, but still, it has to be mentioned...cheap & open late, it's a great choice if you're in the Hamra area and craving a snack.
Random Mankoushe Stands
Mankoushe (prounounced Man-a-eesh for singular or Man-u-shee for plural as far as I've heard) is a type of middle eastern pizza. Like with pizza, you can frequently get a variety of toppings, but unlike pizza in the US, it will only cost you a few bucks for a whole one.
Hotel Al Shahbaa
Ok so it's pretty much run by the Lebanese version of Michael Scott (and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Like Michael Scott, the guy has a heart of gold. But he can also be strange, to say the least and he will awkwardly try to flirt with you). If you stay here, you won't have a ton of privacy, the other people running the place frequently walk around in very little clothing and there isn't air conditioning. Why, you might ask, should you then stay at Al Shahbaa? Well like I said, the guy running it is very nice. I had a simple, but large room to myself for only $20. Dorm beds only cost $12 and if you're ever in dire straights the guy will work with you to find someplace to sleep, even if you have little or no money. You'll also get free tea or coffee in the morning. But best of all, there's free access to more-than-adaquete internet.
Talal Hotel
For $13 you get a "dorm" bed in a room with only 3 beds *AND* you get air conditioning. The people are pretty nice here, and let me store some bags overnight for free when I wasn't staying there. They might or might not give you free tea or coffee, but it's certainly more comfortable than Al Shahbaa.
The Mayflower Hotel
For those with larger budgets or who just want to have a treat (like I did on my birthday), you may want to stay at The Mayflower. It's renowned for its former guests- Graham Greene, Russian spies & foreign correspondents during the war- than its service, but it's nice. I wouldn't say it necessarily deserves it's 4 stars, but it's a still a pretty nice find for $70 (as it often is on booking.com's website). The breakfast buffet, nice bathrooms, air conditioning, & free excellent internet probably make it worth it alone.
Hotel Amada
Located a 30 minute walk away from Byblos, this gay-friendly hotel & hostel is worth staying at if you want to spend more than a one night exploring Byblos without emptying your wallet.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is always of great benefit to adventurous travellers on a budget. Be careful though! I've found there is a higher-than-average number of creepy males lurking on Lebanon's.
Where to Eat
Mezzo di Pasta
Very frequently I go to Mezzo and get their large combo meal for 12,500 lires (or $8.33) and that is usually enough to last me all day. True story. For the large combo you get a big helping of their fresh pasta, a small, delicious chocolate crepe & a drink. Also pita bread if you know to ask for it. They have a wide range of pastas and sauces. My personal favorite meal is to get the Indy sauce with cheese, which results in a spicy, delicious, almost curry-like mac & cheese. They're open late (until midnight every day, at least at the Gemmayzeh branch) and they also have excellent 'Happy Hour' meal deals between 4 and 8.
Feyy
In Gemmyzeh, this restaurant actually shares the same building as Mezzo, which is how I found it. Cheap middle eastern & mediterranian
sandwiches & deserts are available, and they too have excellent 'Happy Hour' deals. Their food ain't half bad either.
BarBar
Everyone knows this one, but still, it has to be mentioned...cheap & open late, it's a great choice if you're in the Hamra area and craving a snack.
Random Mankoushe Stands
Mankoushe (prounounced Man-a-eesh for singular or Man-u-shee for plural as far as I've heard) is a type of middle eastern pizza. Like with pizza, you can frequently get a variety of toppings, but unlike pizza in the US, it will only cost you a few bucks for a whole one.
Where to Stay
Hotel Al Shahbaa
Ok so it's pretty much run by the Lebanese version of Michael Scott (and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Like Michael Scott, the guy has a heart of gold. But he can also be strange, to say the least and he will awkwardly try to flirt with you). If you stay here, you won't have a ton of privacy, the other people running the place frequently walk around in very little clothing and there isn't air conditioning. Why, you might ask, should you then stay at Al Shahbaa? Well like I said, the guy running it is very nice. I had a simple, but large room to myself for only $20. Dorm beds only cost $12 and if you're ever in dire straights the guy will work with you to find someplace to sleep, even if you have little or no money. You'll also get free tea or coffee in the morning. But best of all, there's free access to more-than-adaquete internet.
Talal Hotel
For $13 you get a "dorm" bed in a room with only 3 beds *AND* you get air conditioning. The people are pretty nice here, and let me store some bags overnight for free when I wasn't staying there. They might or might not give you free tea or coffee, but it's certainly more comfortable than Al Shahbaa.
The Mayflower Hotel
For those with larger budgets or who just want to have a treat (like I did on my birthday), you may want to stay at The Mayflower. It's renowned for its former guests- Graham Greene, Russian spies & foreign correspondents during the war- than its service, but it's nice. I wouldn't say it necessarily deserves it's 4 stars, but it's a still a pretty nice find for $70 (as it often is on booking.com's website). The breakfast buffet, nice bathrooms, air conditioning, & free excellent internet probably make it worth it alone.
Hotel Amada
Located a 30 minute walk away from Byblos, this gay-friendly hotel & hostel is worth staying at if you want to spend more than a one night exploring Byblos without emptying your wallet.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is always of great benefit to adventurous travellers on a budget. Be careful though! I've found there is a higher-than-average number of creepy males lurking on Lebanon's.
Where To Go
AUB
This campus is lush, and definitely worth a visit for it's free archeological museum & the nearby street art that famously surrounds it.
The Pigeon Rocks
Gorgeous, and for less than $10 you can score a boat ride around them.
Nasawiya
This lovely feminist cafe takes payments in donations only. They're also currently selling 3 t-shirts for only 10,000 lire (approx. $6.50!). They frequently hold cool movie screenings & events and they have an excellent library.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
At Amada Hotel near Byblos
I have a lot to update on here, but in any case, I'm outside Byblos in a town called Fidar staying at an awesome gay-friendly hotel with no address (literally, half the businesses in Lebanon have no address). Spending quality time recovering from sickness and being broke. Send good thoughts my way please!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Reflections: Part 1
I've spent most of today sick and either having bizarre, delirious dreams or thinking about what to write. I'm upset at myself for being sick during the last week, and because we're only really getting things together for photography club now, and yet I feel so sick I can barely function. The only reason I have internet right now is because I needed to check to see if my bank had replied to my e-mail (they had! Yay I probably won't be homeless!)
I wanted to say something I hadn't been able to fully contemplate, but I've failed. I'll have to wait until tomorrow hopefully.
I'm not ready for the program to end.
I'm not ready to let go of my students.
And this is made further complicated by the fact I have no idea what I'm going to do next week.
I wanted to say something I hadn't been able to fully contemplate, but I've failed. I'll have to wait until tomorrow hopefully.
I'm not ready for the program to end.
I'm not ready to let go of my students.
And this is made further complicated by the fact I have no idea what I'm going to do next week.
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