This is it! I finally broke-down and started a blog for friends and family only. This is hopefully going to be maintained on a semi regular basis — a hobby. I will blather on about life in the Middle East and all sorts of other topics that occupy my easily distracted mind. You can respond with comments and whatever else, just hang in while I get comfy with this blog thingy. 🙂
So an update…After spending 6 months in the soul suck/the blackhole/the cesspool that is known as Amman, Jordan, we escaped the first chance we got to a healthier climate…Beirut, Lebanon — its a lot different being here compared to just getting info on the news! I am in love with this city and country. In Beirut you can walk everywhere quite comfortably. I finally reclaimed the sense of direction I lost in the maze that was Amman. Much like in Cleveland I have a large body of water to use as my compass. If I have wandered too far somewhere I just head towards the Med and figure it out from there. The people, the food, the culture, the turbulent history (read Robert Fiskś Pity the Nation), the fact that unlike the dreariness and lack of color in Amman there is green space, beautiful architecture, life, and lots of it, not to mention that we have a view of the Mediterranean right outside our kitchen window. The atmosphere is relaxed (one wouldnt mind seeing the Lebanese get a president to further the relaxation vibe). I would love to see this country get it together, I would love to see all outside players back off (america, Syria, Israel…) and give this place a chance to stand without intrusion and occupation and of course IDF mass destruction.
We landed here the first week of February and quickly shed the many layers of clothing we wore to keep warm in Amman. It has been early-spring like since we arrived. Sunny, crisp and clear with a few days here and there bringing rain. Spent a few days ¨decompressing¨ at Talalś Hotel and running up and down Gemayze Street – did I mention there is a nightlife here? When we found out the owner had an apartment across the street for long term travelers we packed up and moved across the street.
The apartment is a cheap way to live long term. It has 4 bedrooms — 3 with balconies, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, and of course wifi. The roommates all get along and live in a communal spirit. Steven (a friend and co-worker of Jibrilś) and his wife Rana just took the last open room which has stopped the transients passing thru the apartment on the weekends AND has brought another female into the mix. Rana is from southern Lebanon and has taken over cooking dinner — homemade Lebanese cooking! I am learning some dishes for the day when we all split and go our separate ways. Got to hand it to her, she has come around to this kooky household with all the ex-pat, crazy foriegners. We are going to teach each other our native languages. She will teach us Arabic and Ken and I will teach her English. My Arabic still has a long way to go. I have some words, a few polite phrases, but still no ability to form/utter/slur a complete sentence.
I will be posting blatherings on all sorts of flotsam and jetsam. Pics, video, (once I can get the camcorder to learn how to play nice with my laptop) and possibly music if I deem it relevant and of course once I figure that aspect out also. This will also force me to master Gimp on Linux. My lappy crashed a couple of days ago while I was loading a new Linux system. Rebooted and I needed my Windows Vista start up disc which was left behind in Amman, the Linux OS was fine of course. Tears would not have been shed if I hadnt lost all my vids of Liz, Max and Ruby, Petey, Matisse, Olive and the Greys. After a couple days of sniffling and either ignoring or glaring at the laptop Jibril grabbed it and nursed it back to life and loaded a new Linux system — Mandriva, along with a cracked version of XP, HA I dare Billy Gates to come and get me and my illegal version of XP dung. Stupid money-grubbing Bill Gates!
Need to resize the pics and will get some posted in a day or so. Also busy doing some work for a website, preparing documents to be posted. I am in front of this box a bit too much lately. Like I said …distractions are always welcome.
Cheers!
Lynnś Weblog 
