Blogging Beirut

(more photos after the jump)

Naharnet: Government + Tayyar: Opposition


-finkployd- Over & Out

high res

tags: beirut, lebanon, lebanese, waterworx, broken, hearts, achrafieh, gemmayze

-finkployd- Broken on Blogging Beirut

Last Updated: 17:27 Lebanon Time (Summer Time)

- The Lebanese Army has requested an official retraction by the Government of the two decisions (telecom & airport) that set off this 'war'.

- The Lebanese Army has said that the decisions of the Government regarding the Airport and Hizballah's Telecommunications Network are null and void (effectively overturning the decisions). The Head of Security at the Beirut Airport will not be replaced, and the telecom issue will be dealt with in a manner that does not affect the security of Hizballah. And followed with a statement asking all armed parties to get off the streets and take down the roadblocks.

- Many dead in clashes between pro-government militias and opposition militias in North Lebanon.

- The opposition is considering reinstating its control over the Western part of Beirut [after pulling out yesterday] after pro-government militias took to the streets anew.

(more news after the jump)

It's midnight. Friday night. Beirut is deserted. East, west, left, right... It's deserted. Gemmayze is empty. Brummana is full. Reminds me of Israel's war in 2006. A light of hope flickers red - Torino's open. The red is soothing - you'll never hear about soothing red in books. I step in to a full house. The usual bartenders, aging but forever young, man the bar. A rosee please - i'm not sure why i drink rosee, perhaps because I'm not much of a drinker. Lots of 'ajehnib' (foreigners) speaking in multitudes of tongues, mostly journalists drinking away their existential ponderings. I look around, a man catches my eye, he tips his hat to me - a picture on an LP. An old friend walks in. He doesn't remember me. In 2006 we exchanged anecdotes of body counts and Israeli brutality - he's a cameraman. Tonight he's cheery, making money covering a different kind of war, perhaps by the look on his face a peaceful war - if there ever were such a thing. Fighting has all but died down in the capital (Beirut). He kisses the blonde next to me - hi keefik ca va? Torino closes its wooden doors. It's going to be a long night.



tags: torino express, gemmayze, beirut, lebanon, lebanese, video, film

-finkployd- Winding Down on Blogging Beirut

Updated 23:59 Lebanon Time

- Beirut sleeps tonight. No fighting. No gunfire. All is calm. Sleep tight.

- Most PSP offices are now under the control of the Lebanese Army. Jumblat has ordered the main PSP HQ to be evacuated.

- West Bekaa & Rashaya are now under the control of the opposition.

- Heavy gunfire in Aley, 3 reported dead. Major fighting between Jumblat's PSP (not PlayStation Portable) militia and Hizballah.

- Saida, Hariri's hometown, is under the control of the opposition.

- Reporting from City Mall: Open, but with reduced activity. Most shops were closing at around 8 PM. Lots of traffic in and around cafes (Dunkin Donuts / Moka More), with laptops open refreshing pages for updates.

- Reporting from ABC: Only 2 parking levels are open. Not much activity, but around 70% of shops open. Virgin is closed. Most shops were closing down by late afternoon (7 PM). I'm not sure about the theaters though, didn't check. Paul had closed the kitchen at around 6 PM.

(more of today's news after the jump)

what to do, what to do, it's 4 PM, thursday afternoon...

i slip into the local lounge to find an audience to a 20 inch LCD, with Nasrallah speeching.



a rosee please, munching on a pastry from paul, with a camera in hand photographing the scene.

it's a beautiful day out, but people are inside.

a lotto seller just passed the fascia... what a country.

i love lebanon.

(more photos after the jump)

by 3 PM, the office was deserted... so i made myself a nescafe and waited it out till 5 - the internet was exceptionally fast.

5 PM, hunger strikes. close shop, head to the car. change into shorts, shirt, and birks - the chirping of birds was deafening... where'd they all come from?

where to eat? it's 5 PM... let's see if hamra's open.

3 minutes and i'm on bliss, at charlie's hotdogs (best hotdog in town).

ketchup, mayo, and a bit of mustard - oh and a pinch of onions pls.

yummmm, ok what's next... into hamra, past gefinor, and out onto bab idriss.

4 minutes and i'm in gemmayze. i drop into paul for a pastry - a raisin swirl?

get back into the car, and drive right up to spinout for a drink.

i park on the side of the street, and here i am writing to tell you that everything i've just done would have been impossible on a normal day in traffic jammed beirut.

what took me all of 7 minutes of driving, would have taken over an hour.

i thus dub today: BEIRUT TWILIGHT ZONE

tags: beirut, lebanon, lebanese, general strike, twilight zone, may 7 2008, story, anecdote, charlie's hotdogs, paul, pastry, raisin, diet coke with lemon, onions, mustard, ketchup, mayo, driving, cruising, traffic jam, government vs oppposition

-finkployd- Beirut Twilight Zone on Blogging Beirut