The Amazing People You Meet

March 21, 2011 4 Comments »

wheelchair

Meet Charles.  He lives in Taanayel Lebanon and serves as the Quality Control department (ok – there are only 2 people in the QA Department including Charles!) for Arcenciel Organization.  Arcenciel is a really cool NGO which I wrote all about on Briefcase to Backpack recently – click here and learn more. While I was […]

The Culture of War

March 17, 2011 9 Comments »

Holiday Inn Beirut army

“Things may start shaking, so don’t make any plans on February 14th,” said Walid. ‘Shaking’ was Walid’s term for instability. He went on to explain the significance of February 14th to the Lebanese; this was the date that Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in a violent explosion that rocked Beirut right back into instability. […]

Up in Smoke: Hookah Culture in Lebanon

March 15, 2011 18 Comments »

Smoking shisha in Lebanon

Europeans call it Shisha, Lebanese refer to it as Nargile, and in English, it is Hookah. However, I prefer the name Hubbly Bubbly, a term I picked up while in Egypt. No matter what you like to call it, smoking a hookah pipe is essentially a form of relaxation that is deeply embedded in Middle […]

In Search of Souks

March 8, 2011 1 Comment »

saida labanon souk

One of my favorite things about Arabic culture is the souk culture. I was first introduced to souks on my first trip abroad to Turkey. I still remember walking through the Grand Bazaar thinking that it was the most bizarre place I had ever been. Then I traveled to Morocco and was introduced to Fes […]

Lebanon Contrasts

March 3, 2011 13 Comments »

Lebanon Cedar

Lebanon is such a confusing country. It is full of contrasts everywhere you look and with each person you talk to. Just when you think you understand it, you realize you don’t. I think only people who are native to here can begin to understand it. Living in Lebanon means living in uncertainty. It’s an […]

Travel Warnings and Decisions

March 1, 2011 6 Comments »

Beirut street corner

Please Note: The actual timeframe of this blog post occurred at the end of January. All is currently fine in Lebanon now. My blog runs about a month behind my reality while traveling. So no need to worry about my safety – this is old news! I looked out the window and wondered if I […]