Hello there! I am well and able to blog again. My last post was sometime in June and it was a happy one indeed. The whole world was engrossed in the World Cup, Uni was out, and the weather in Beirut, Lebanon, was gorgeous. However, as the saying goes, there was trouble brewing in paradise. My life, and the lives of some 3.5 million souls, was about to take a dramatic turn. Literally in 3 days, we went from having everything to literally being in a war zone. Lebanon was plummeted into a war that spiraled out of control for over a month.

I am not going to get political here, neither am I going to point fingers because it was just too much for me to comprehend let alone make sense of it (for I believe that no sense can be made out of it). Instead, I am going to give a rough account of what happened to me from then until now so hopefully I can get back into posting other more upbeat stories. My mother, 2 brothers, and I experienced 10 of the worst days of our lives. For 10 days we were bombed day in and day out. What we had called home for several years was shattered. When the British embassy came to evacuate us from beirut on around day 10 we left with mixed feelings. We were relieved that we were departing but our hearts bled for our family members, friends and loved ones who were left behind. He were filled with immense sadness for the many poor Lebanese who could not leave, for the weak, the sick, and the elderly who were going to experience 30+ days of intense bombing, lack of food, medicines, and even shelter. It was so sad to see how a strong, proud nation that had enjoyed relative peace for fifteen years since the civil war ended, that had rebuilt the city in splendid fashion was experiencing yet another catastrophe.

My mother, brothers and I were evacuated because my mother was not well at the time and all of that added stress meant that we were to leave first. Our ride for the 12 hour trip would be the HMS Gloucester a British Navy ship! It was an exciting trip to say the least! It was also an immense honor to meet the brave men and women who serve Britain so honorably and admirably. The sailors were wonderful hosts (especially you Jim!) and the trip was amazing. They gave us their bunks, provided us with food and drinks, and even took us on deck to gaze at the gorgeous nighttime sky at midnight. It was a magnificent trip and the early morning sky coupled with the salty sea air of Cyprus was a great way to start the day! In Cyprus, we took 12 days of much needed R&R! We stayed in our favorite furnished Apartment in Larnaka called Petrou Bros and Mario the owner made for an incredible host. We visited Mario under much happy circumstances in 2001 for a family holiday and his hospitality is unmatched. After much sunbathing and dinning we left for Bahrain, a small Gulf Island in the Middle East where we teamed up with dad who drove down from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). We spent 5 days there shopping, eating, and taking in the sites and sounds of this delightful little country. Finally we made the 3 and a half hour trip across the border to Riyadh where I spent 6 weeks chilling in the compound (a group of villas, pools, and other cool things where we live), watching movies, and swimming. To say that there was no time for blogging would be an understatement! Some highlights included my dad buying a gorgeous new iMac, Rory and I installing windows on a second partition (blasphemy to some!) and playing some killer PC games like Prey and F.E.A.R!! macs rule!!

By this time, the bullets, bombs and madness had come to a close and the country was starting to get back on its feet. My university (The Lebanese American University) reopened and decided to open an intensive 4 week summer module. That was music to my ears because I am a senior undergrad in Marketing! Taking that module has allowed me to graduate at the end of this Fall (which for us means around early February 2007). Because I have so little credits left, I had no choice but to return to Lebanon and continue my degree as I was not willing to transfer to another school and risk losing credits and what not. The summer module was grueling and we have now completed 2 weeks of the Fall term and it is only now that I am able to blog. One a closing note I would like to add how incredible the Lebanese people are. The streets are hustling and bustling again, the tourists are starting to trickle in, and things are starting to get back on track. Lebanon has often been compared to the mythical Phoenix (a bird that would rise again from the flames) and I do think that this is a fitting comparison because the resilience of the Lebanese people and the determination of them to forge a bright and strong country that they can be proud off is a an amazing and humbling site to behold.

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