I'm in a bit of a Thing right now so forgive the LONG WAIT!!!
I know… I know…. There have been no postings in what feels like forever… My famished readers must have forsaken this little blog for dead. But I have decided to breath life back into it just to supply real life news from what the Lebanese are calling a war of epic proportions…
In other worlds I just thought I would let you know what was going on in this section of the world without anyone’s spin but mine...This morning they started repaving the areas near the airport known as Dahiya and Chueyfat(that’s how it’s pronounced not how they spell it) with bombs.
It was shortly followed by the compulsory fly-overs just to assess the damage.
I must say it is quite remarkable the precision of these weapons they are using. They can hit the building in the sweet spot and leave two others next to it still standing. Of course the glass and contents of them may become dust but the effect is something to witness.
I did when they hit the Manara. The plugged the thing right in the light bulb and left some of the glass that shielded it in place.
With such precision I am sure that the whole bombing thing went to these young pilot’s brains so they decided to bomb the ambulances. I know there are supposed to be rules of war concerning humanitarian aid but these guys get so bored in their fancy new jets that they take a little target practice now and then. It amazes me how silently the world has received the news that they have just blown up HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS!!!!
This sort of compassion was emulated by the Roman Empire concerning Christians in the coliseum. They only sent in the hungry lions.
Here at AUB classes have been suspended INDEFINATELY. Which according to one of my colleagues hasn't happened is a VERY long while. I don't see many of my professors around and the one or two whom I do meet are more the die-hards than the math types.Grocery shopping is also another interesting feat to have to accomplish. We have tissues and toilet paper but bread seems to be a big commodity here. I don't eat it... so me and my stocks of Basmati rice are a lot better off than the poor Lebanese fighting over slivers of dough.I am STILL Excercising. (Translation: peddling my bike over the shoddy roads of Lebanon) It seems the best way to keep my stress down and my sleep normal. Biking has now become heavenly in that I have no traffic to deal with and the only terrorizing part is when I pass the now empty fuel dumps on the sea road to the north.The neighborhood is full of NEW NEIGHBORS. This lot have NO MANNERS, little education, and aren't at all used to seeing the likes of me around. It's good that all the Natoors (doormen/ building superintendents) in the area know me and say hello because it seems to calm these Newbie's.In other news Abed's wife is giving birth RIGHT NOW and he is nursing injuries from a car accident. I think he snapped a ligament in his knee when the car hit him on his motorcycle, but all I can see is the dressings scattered all over him.Thank God I met him because there are NO TELEPHONE CARDS ANYWHERE...So fair warning mum... If my phone runs out... this could become use the USA PHONE LINE TIME. Sorry in Advance for the bill.I spend most of my non exercise days at AUB (the University has power all day and my apartment only at night it seems) But even this may not last long if the lines for gasoline and Diesel fuel are cut for much longer.
I have visited the mountains up above Beirut a few days ago in a wonderful little village called Broumana.
It's like SWITZERLAND up there!
There is an abundance of traffic, water, and fruit, but a complete lack of hotel rooms. Most of the Hotels in Hamra are beginning to empty (it’s too much for the destitute of Dahiya to pay) and those that are empty... go on to close.
In the south of Lebanon it is a completely different story. They are using artillery which is a "HELL OF A LOT CHEAPER" but also a hell of a lot more indiscriminant. Unlike those of you in the states we here get the full gory pictures with some irreverent low level ambulance guy presenting sections of children like they were lamb on sale at the butcher shop.
The weather up in the mountains is wonderful and I am thinking of visiting again with a German Neuroscience professor who I have become good friends with. Both of us are quite saddened by AUB's conversion into a Ghost town. It is even more depressing when we open the subject of what happens after this little change in the weather. It can’t rain Isreali rockets for more than 40 days and nights! Once Isreal lets up what happens with the people here. The powder keg is primed and ready to split Lebanon into Shi’ite and non-Shi’ite
The shi'ite poor are getting marginalized AGAIN as they seem to be in Iraq too. Something in me blames Iran for this because ever since there "Glorious Revolution" thier superpower aspirations have lead to funding terrorist groups. I'm not sure they understand that Xerxes empire has been HISTORY for over 10 centuries.But enough politics....the politicians can't help themselves let alone the people they are supposed to represent. When they do claim to be helping it seems they are conducting their very own version of Ocean’s Eleven on the population.
The Lebanese seem to live on rumors and to be honest I have grown sick of Dramatics. Tell me what actually happened and then go sob about some new myth you heard in the corner.War is not lived through by living from sound bite to rumor and back again.I have to thank Dad for reminding me of Iraq and what we faced there. Those of us with Kurdish blood have for generations known war and on Mum's side my Grandparents started a life together in one. So yeah I think I'm made of tougher stuff than this. Watching the Lebanese react to this attitude which I should have had at the outset is amazing. It sets them straight and they clam down.To be honest from what I remember of Iraq this still doesn't feel like much of a war YET! There is electricity and water. But I have been assured that the Mezot (Diesel) upon which Lebanon runs its generators is dipping below threshold levels. So things may get interesting soon.
Everything here in Lebanon is caught in Limbo and the roads into Syria though many in their number are dropping. All of the main roads have gone on to become pebble farms and iron pretzels.
I have been weighing out the idea of leaving... and on that note…they have sent in an assessment team and took out a few US citizens but the prospect of moving 25000 people seems pretty massive.
On that subject…this internet thing WILL NOT!!!
I GUARANTEE!!!!GO ON FOR LONG!!!Which worries me…as I have ONLY gotten Warden Updates from SOME SODDILY DONE WEBSITE the STUPID EMBASSY HERE IN LEBANON doesn’t tell us a GODDAMN THING.The other countries of the world are sending out mass SMS messages to their citizen's mobile phones I HAVE NOT RECIEVED ONE from the “GREAT U S of A” ...Maybe it would be good to register my British passport at least I can get news!!!
IT’S APPALING THAT THE SUPERPOWERED USA makes it’s citizens PAY TO GET THEM OUT! Maybe it is because they are cheap bastards who really don’t give a shit unless CNN covers it… that are charging for the ticket out… cost cutting includes keeping the people without information I guess. WAY TO MAKE YOUR CITIZENS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE!
Now remember folks Tax season is around the corner try asking where these taxes REALLY GO! But I am sure the ULTRA SHORT American attention span will keep them all safe from your rebuke.
It now seems that the Christian areas are the only ones free from attack. Good thing I have friends in those areas.Take care everyone and FOR GOD'S SAKE CALL!!!!
In other worlds I just thought I would let you know what was going on in this section of the world without anyone’s spin but mine...This morning they started repaving the areas near the airport known as Dahiya and Chueyfat(that’s how it’s pronounced not how they spell it) with bombs.
It was shortly followed by the compulsory fly-overs just to assess the damage.
I must say it is quite remarkable the precision of these weapons they are using. They can hit the building in the sweet spot and leave two others next to it still standing. Of course the glass and contents of them may become dust but the effect is something to witness.
I did when they hit the Manara. The plugged the thing right in the light bulb and left some of the glass that shielded it in place.
With such precision I am sure that the whole bombing thing went to these young pilot’s brains so they decided to bomb the ambulances. I know there are supposed to be rules of war concerning humanitarian aid but these guys get so bored in their fancy new jets that they take a little target practice now and then. It amazes me how silently the world has received the news that they have just blown up HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS!!!!
This sort of compassion was emulated by the Roman Empire concerning Christians in the coliseum. They only sent in the hungry lions.
Here at AUB classes have been suspended INDEFINATELY. Which according to one of my colleagues hasn't happened is a VERY long while. I don't see many of my professors around and the one or two whom I do meet are more the die-hards than the math types.Grocery shopping is also another interesting feat to have to accomplish. We have tissues and toilet paper but bread seems to be a big commodity here. I don't eat it... so me and my stocks of Basmati rice are a lot better off than the poor Lebanese fighting over slivers of dough.I am STILL Excercising. (Translation: peddling my bike over the shoddy roads of Lebanon) It seems the best way to keep my stress down and my sleep normal. Biking has now become heavenly in that I have no traffic to deal with and the only terrorizing part is when I pass the now empty fuel dumps on the sea road to the north.The neighborhood is full of NEW NEIGHBORS. This lot have NO MANNERS, little education, and aren't at all used to seeing the likes of me around. It's good that all the Natoors (doormen/ building superintendents) in the area know me and say hello because it seems to calm these Newbie's.In other news Abed's wife is giving birth RIGHT NOW and he is nursing injuries from a car accident. I think he snapped a ligament in his knee when the car hit him on his motorcycle, but all I can see is the dressings scattered all over him.Thank God I met him because there are NO TELEPHONE CARDS ANYWHERE...So fair warning mum... If my phone runs out... this could become use the USA PHONE LINE TIME. Sorry in Advance for the bill.I spend most of my non exercise days at AUB (the University has power all day and my apartment only at night it seems) But even this may not last long if the lines for gasoline and Diesel fuel are cut for much longer.
I have visited the mountains up above Beirut a few days ago in a wonderful little village called Broumana.
It's like SWITZERLAND up there!
There is an abundance of traffic, water, and fruit, but a complete lack of hotel rooms. Most of the Hotels in Hamra are beginning to empty (it’s too much for the destitute of Dahiya to pay) and those that are empty... go on to close.
In the south of Lebanon it is a completely different story. They are using artillery which is a "HELL OF A LOT CHEAPER" but also a hell of a lot more indiscriminant. Unlike those of you in the states we here get the full gory pictures with some irreverent low level ambulance guy presenting sections of children like they were lamb on sale at the butcher shop.
The weather up in the mountains is wonderful and I am thinking of visiting again with a German Neuroscience professor who I have become good friends with. Both of us are quite saddened by AUB's conversion into a Ghost town. It is even more depressing when we open the subject of what happens after this little change in the weather. It can’t rain Isreali rockets for more than 40 days and nights! Once Isreal lets up what happens with the people here. The powder keg is primed and ready to split Lebanon into Shi’ite and non-Shi’ite
The shi'ite poor are getting marginalized AGAIN as they seem to be in Iraq too. Something in me blames Iran for this because ever since there "Glorious Revolution" thier superpower aspirations have lead to funding terrorist groups. I'm not sure they understand that Xerxes empire has been HISTORY for over 10 centuries.But enough politics....the politicians can't help themselves let alone the people they are supposed to represent. When they do claim to be helping it seems they are conducting their very own version of Ocean’s Eleven on the population.
The Lebanese seem to live on rumors and to be honest I have grown sick of Dramatics. Tell me what actually happened and then go sob about some new myth you heard in the corner.War is not lived through by living from sound bite to rumor and back again.I have to thank Dad for reminding me of Iraq and what we faced there. Those of us with Kurdish blood have for generations known war and on Mum's side my Grandparents started a life together in one. So yeah I think I'm made of tougher stuff than this. Watching the Lebanese react to this attitude which I should have had at the outset is amazing. It sets them straight and they clam down.To be honest from what I remember of Iraq this still doesn't feel like much of a war YET! There is electricity and water. But I have been assured that the Mezot (Diesel) upon which Lebanon runs its generators is dipping below threshold levels. So things may get interesting soon.
Everything here in Lebanon is caught in Limbo and the roads into Syria though many in their number are dropping. All of the main roads have gone on to become pebble farms and iron pretzels.
I have been weighing out the idea of leaving... and on that note…they have sent in an assessment team and took out a few US citizens but the prospect of moving 25000 people seems pretty massive.
On that subject…this internet thing WILL NOT!!!
I GUARANTEE!!!!GO ON FOR LONG!!!Which worries me…as I have ONLY gotten Warden Updates from SOME SODDILY DONE WEBSITE the STUPID EMBASSY HERE IN LEBANON doesn’t tell us a GODDAMN THING.The other countries of the world are sending out mass SMS messages to their citizen's mobile phones I HAVE NOT RECIEVED ONE from the “GREAT U S of A” ...Maybe it would be good to register my British passport at least I can get news!!!
IT’S APPALING THAT THE SUPERPOWERED USA makes it’s citizens PAY TO GET THEM OUT! Maybe it is because they are cheap bastards who really don’t give a shit unless CNN covers it… that are charging for the ticket out… cost cutting includes keeping the people without information I guess. WAY TO MAKE YOUR CITIZENS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE!
Now remember folks Tax season is around the corner try asking where these taxes REALLY GO! But I am sure the ULTRA SHORT American attention span will keep them all safe from your rebuke.
It now seems that the Christian areas are the only ones free from attack. Good thing I have friends in those areas.Take care everyone and FOR GOD'S SAKE CALL!!!!
posted by otterinaround at 10:03 AM
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