Beirut.. Beirut 3a bali!

Two days ago, I went to work as usual and I was feeling very hungry in the morning. I felt longing for a labnah and za3tar man2ousha from Zaatar w Zait in Beirut. I don't know why the idea came to me like that in that particular morning, and why it had to be in Beirut and not in a Dubai bakery for example. I miss the sunny and chilly mornings, walking around in my boots and coat to go have breakfast and coffee, and savoring the warm man2ousha in preparation for a long day ahead.

There is something about the air and the atmosphere in Beirut that is totally unlike the stifling Dubai. Maybe it was also being away from work and from stress that made me feel so relaxed, but  I know it was also definitely the place. Waking up to the sound of church bells on Sunday morning was a new experience to me, it was refreshing to feel a different type of energy, to sense a different kind of tolerance that doesn't exist in a lot of other places. Even the political faction posters all around the city reminded me that there's more in the world than tribal leaders who became rich kings of the desert. The bustling chaotic streets made me smile when I realized there're places in the world that can look like Cairo.

The most striking scene of Beirut that I have in my mind is a big old building with a hole in it- near the Martyr's Square (Sa7et el Shohada, where Rafiq El Hariri is currently buried). The building looked totally abandoned and its walls turned black, it looked like it used to be a big water tank of some sort.  All around it were nice-looking new or renovated buildings and it was the only building left untouched with the black walls serving as a stark reminder of what had happened there. Turning around to the other side of the square, you can see the Martyr's Statue. The statue is full of bullet holes that can be noticed from a distance and is also kept as a reminder of what had happened over the years. It stands opposite the ultra shiny and clean Hariri mosque that contrasts in color and shape with everything else around- and to the side of the statue is a big vivid poster advertising a new fancy real estate project to be built next to Sa7et El Shohada!

To me, all the contrast between old and modern, all those problems faced daily by people in Beirut, all the political debates, and all the little places to have coffee and a heated discussion with your friends are signs that the city is alive, with character, history, and a controversial future.

I miss Beirut...