Dear Lebanon

We were friends.  And now we're not.  You know why.

A list of everything I've eaten today:
-half a piece of falafel

fml

More blogging when my health/sanity/happiness return, I promise.

Very Current

A great article by Rami Khouri (who came and spoke to SINARC) in today's NYT.  The money quote:

How to balance two worthy imperatives — justice and stability — is Lebanon’s great challenge today. A huge dilemma for the country is that most of the levers that will drive this process are in the hands of outsiders, including Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States, Israel and the Security Council. Events in Lebanon, as always, mirror wider tensions and regional and global deal-making.

Sorry I've been such a terrible blogger lately, the end of school has been hectic but I promise more to come before I go to Syria.

It's the Little Things

If you watch TV, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, or generally don't live under a rock you're probably aware there's been a little excitement down south.  Over a tree.  Of course, I am not mocking the deaths of four soldiers but it all seems a tad ridiculous.  Incredibly tragic, but ridiculous.

The part of all of this that made me smile was while reading Ya Libnan, a great blog all about (you guessed it) Lebanon.  At the end of a lengthy article about today's events and the reactions of leaders around the world was an automatically generated ad:

Yes.  Yes, I am planning to go to Lebanon this summer.  Right after reading an article about escalating tensions with Israel.  Definitely a good plan.

Amusing ads aside (alliteration too), I am perfectly well.  Watching a certain speech on television right now and having a normal (my last!) week at school.

The South

 

Or the Caribbean? My trip this past Saturday went to Sidon and Tyre, two southern coastal cities in Lebanon.  More to follow on them, but for now I'll say the south of Lebanon is gorgeous.  Most of the beaches are covered in trash, but those that are not were absolutely stunning.  When I could smell it, the ocean breeze was just what the doctor ordered.  There is far more to see than the coastline, so get excited for a crusader castle, a soap museum (I know, more soap...but I'll be brief), lots of beautiful ruins, and a hippodrome.

Also saw a little bit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) going through a checkpoint.  The troops I saw were from the Korean contingent.  Not going to lie, it was a little strange to see Korean soldiers all the way over here in Lebanon, but I imagine that is how people feel when they see American troops all over the world.

Musee Nacional

Also known as the National Museum, I went about a week ago to see the sights, and this is what I found.

Lots of mosaics:

But I saw a lot of those in Tunisia.  Lots and lots and lots.  The sculptures were a highlight, all very well preserved especially considering the conditions the National Museum has existed through.  Beautiful detail on a column:

The most memorable parts of the museum were it's idiosyncrasies.  I've seen lots of busts and sarcophagi, but I've never seen so many hippopotamuses (or hippopotami, depending on your preference):

They only came for a day, but it was an important one

This post is a tad belated as the King and the Syrian President were here on Friday, but it was a very important visit to discuss the STL (the UN's Special Tribunal for Lebanon) which has been in the news recently because its investigation is focusing on senior members of Hezbollah.  There wasn't too much coverage of the meeting here, oh, except for the live, daylong television coverage and the multitude of welcome signs (however not nearly as many as for Obama in Ghana last summer).

I'm not up on my Lebanese political blogs, but I do know one good one, Qifa Nabki.  It had two quality entries about the summit.  The first, a solid parsing of the positive changes in the dynamics between Saudi Arabia and Syria.  The second appears to confirm that the Saudis and the Syrians do indeed have a common interest in Lebanon's stability and both know that the STL has the potential to make Hezbollah feel cornered.  What does a 'cornered' Hezbollah result in?  Think 2006.  Bottom line, the Saudis are going to see what they can do about shutting down the tribunal.  There's a lot of rumblings in Lebanon right now, but here's hoping that everyone here wants peace and will talk before they start shooting.

Or at least wait until I leave in late August.  I kid, this is an incredible country with some serious problems,  but more than anything it deserves leaders who are invested in successfully coexisting with their rivals, not maneuvering for power regardless of the cost.

(As a side note, I watched a little bit of the live coverage at a cafe across the street from my dorm and I tried to engage the owners there in conversation about why the King of Saudi Arabia and the President of Syria were in Beirut, and they weren't telling me anything.  They definitely understood me, but were obviously convinced the blue-eyed girl standing in front of them would believe their categorical denials of any problems in Lebanon.)

Note to Self

Never let anyone I know climb Mt. Everest.  1 in 10 chance of dying is not an acceptable level of risk.

However, this article is inspirational and I sincerely hope the gentleman's trip goes off without a hitch.  If any country deserves a little bit of inspiration, it's Afghanistan.

As a side note, this could be an inspiration for all.  Despite the oft-heard cynicism, Afghanistan has the potential to be a model and inspiration for the rest of the world.  It was quite disturbing when I read recently that some people believed the US should abandon its mission in Afghanistan because nothing that happens there reverberates anywhere, while a success in Iraq would set an example for the rest of the Middle East.  I believe that inspiration for governmental reform can come from anywhere citizens of Middle Eastern countries decide.  But perhaps I'm not educated enough to know that discrimination against the Afghan people and their country is an accepted norm.