Friday, September 4, 2009

Living in Lebanon?

3 September 2009 - Beirut, Lebanon - Le Cremier in Achrafieh

I haven't been blogging lately because this is a travel blog and I don't really feel like I'm traveling when I'm in Beirut. I'm starting to think I maybe kinda...live here? My trip to the US combined with Alyssa's recent arrival in the UK reminded me that I don't have a home. My last home in London has been re-letted to a young, ambitious, female ibanker who was made redundant in the US but found a new job right away with a Japanese bank in London. She's living in my former flat in Marylebone, working until all hours of the night and likely ordering take-away from all my favorite restaurants. I hope she's enjoying Regents Park.
I was certain I'd return to London after this year, but I don't know anymore. So, I keep thinking no one wants to hear about what I'm doing in Beirut since I'm really just hanging out...but since everyone keeps asking me what I'm doing...I'll try to post some of the random stuff I do around here.
It's Ramadan and lots of people are fasting until iftar in the early evening. Osama starts thinking about breaking fast early in the morning, so around 9am we were chatting on msn and he suggested ice cream in Achrafieh late in the evening. So I did whatever it is I do all day to kill 12 hours - which included writing, napping and running on the Corniche - then he picked me up and we drove across the 'green line' to Achrafieh, which is the non-Ramadan side of town, Osama reminded me. Beirut has all these cool art installations up for Ramadan...and I think I saw one in Achrafieh. I'm going to have to investigate...which is another good example of things that occupy my time.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heya there Ali, ya'll obviously don't know that ya home is where ya heart is and its looks like your heart is stuck in Beirut for the present and at least into the unforeseeable future.
Waddya mean, you ain't travelling ?!?!?..duh....didn't you just write that you went to Achrafieh to get some icecreams? ain't that travellin? So, see, you are still getting about and as sure as grits are grits, ya don't have to fret about Ramadan, not when there are green lines everywhere that you can travel across to get to icecream palours - a real pity though, truly, that you did not go into detail as to variety of icecreams ! As a matter of interest, these 'green lines', are they really green lines as such, or imaginary green lines ? - would have preferred orange lines myself. Y'all should go visit with Alyssa and crawl round the Enlish pubs - warm beer, yum - Rosie's goin' over, but alas, sadly not my good self, am tied to Kapok tree -not physically, you understand,but just sort of like your green lines tied to Kapok tree, except am tied by orange lines.
Hey, have heard no mention from you of Nancy - she caught up with you yet and are you sneakin' home donuts for her ?
::o9 am sending over to you lots of love and keep in mind you are travelling, maybe not great distances, but travelling still so keep on blogging - you have fans you know ! (Plus, when new blog is up, know you are safe)

Anonymous said...

Is very, very pretty icecream parlour picture you have blogged - especially pretty is vibrant signage, such brilliant colours - is almost like siren's call in reverse, enticing through eyes instead of ears for one to come and gorge oneself onto the rocks beyond redemption surrounded by blubber (no, not whale blubber, own blubber created through eating too many icecreams....honestly, the people that designed this sign should be sued - seriously)
Also, please do not 'kill' hours, hours are to be 'used' - I hear you just said "ppffftt..whatever", well young lady, the whatever of the matter is that 'used' hours are more productive whereas killed hours are not - a very fine line between the two, quite similar to the green and orange lines we live with ::o9
O&X's from Myra Kapok.

Anonymous said...

Oh, boo hoo, somebody else living in your Marylebone flat....that's terrible,,,,sniff sniff, sniff sniff.....don't worry but,,, if you want to go back to England at any time, you just let Flutters know, she'll take herself and her army (which she keeps up her sleevy) over to your flat and get rid of that beatnik for you. You should go back to england, we are,we're going back with Fries....YAY, can't wait..we've finished our hibernating so don't have to worry about going there when it's gonna be freezing butt weather.
Onya from Rex & Ollie & Tex (Tex is from Austin,Texas) ,:o) ,:o) ,:o)