First evening in Beirut

3-13-10

I wrote this blog post yesterday upon arrival, but as I uploaded the post, the internet cut out. Sasha, EB’s son, commented that this is typical here. He explained that nothing gets done in Lebanon without excessive negotiation required between the factions that govern this fractured country.

My first post that disappeared into internet ether started with our flight, which was uneventful; smooth sailing, so to speak, across the Atlantic. Lufthansa lives up to its image of clean, efficient travel. EB and I lingered for a few moments re-packing our stuff at our seats after landing in Frankfurt --we were at the rear of the plane -- when the flight attendants shooed us off, with admonitions that every second was holding the airline up from “turning the plane”.

Five hours later, we boarded our flight to Beirut. The Middle Eastern ambiance was more apparent—crowded, lots of kids. I was sitting next to woman with a little dog. She kept taking her dog out its bag, and the little Chihuahua clambered into my lap. A few times the flight attendant scolded the woman to put her dog back in its carrier to no avail. Lucky that I like dogs (and it was cute!).

The city seems more dilapidated than I recall from the early ‘70s. Whether it is the scars of war, simple neglect, overcrowding, or the lack of consensus, the elegance that was here is still apparent, but the polish has faded. The contrasts which many Middle Eastern cultures display in terms of tradition, particularly women’s roles, are evident as well. Juxtaposed billboards at the airport announce that women in burka have a separate waiting area, and the other advertises jewelry showing a woman in handcuffs. Strolling Hamra Street, women are in headscarves (albeit fewer than in other Middle Eastern cities), and a lingerie store shows a mannequin in a chain mail bikini.

The Time Out Beirut magazine (Time Out is a British publication with local editions in many major cities around the globe). The Beirut edition is glitzy, artsy, and contemporary—with a sex column offering advice to a young woman bemoaning the appearance of her genitalia vis a vis what she sees on the actresses in the porn films she watches with her boyfriend. Only in Beirut!