Coping With Bombing
Israel is bombing Lebanon and threatening to make moves on Beirut. The power could go out at any time.
War is on the lips of most Lebanese.
One's reaction to such things is strange. You become transfixed by the activity. The news is on. One scrutinizes any loud noise: "That's just a passenger plane arriving at the airport."
There's also an element of detachment. You start singing "Yes, we have no bananas." You think about what people in Marbella are doing right now. You think about all the people flooding the highway from the South. You start watching Fashion TV as you flip between al Manar and LBC. You think about what it would be like to work for Fashion TV in the marketing department, or something. They've got fantastic music on that channel. Who spins for them?
You make plans to have parties and goad people into coming, even though they're cautious and worried they won't have power.
You try to get back to editing the 77-page document you've been working on for a week, but keep checking email, websites, TV news, the radio, calling friends: "De Prague at 8? No, I guess 10 would be better. Have you eaten lunch? I'm hungry. Thanks for the offer, but I don't want to drive across the city right now, and I don't want to have to see your whole family right now because I'm pretty scruffy. Yeah, I'm wearing my 'Hug It Out' t-shirt."
How soon can I leave?
posted by Charles Malik @ 6:31 PM
9 Comments:
reactions are very strange indeed.
events like these always kind of make me dig my heels in, especially in lebanon. so the question that has been on my mind all day is just the opposite of yours:
if war breaks out, how long can i stay?
The power could go out at any time...How soon can I leave?
Yes you're so right. We should all pack our things and leave. Especially if there's no more electricity to watch Fashion TV...
So what's keeping you here??
Carine,
I hate the mentality more than anything else. I can put up with the violence. On my trips to Iraq, the violence (which is a lot more evident) was not what angered me.
Delirious,
Not much is keeping me here. I'm about to leave. As noted above, it's the mentality that it's alright to kill other human beings to free human beings in prison. That's ridiculous.
Entire villages left Lebanon. More are on their way out. It's sad, but that's the country we live in.
I'll take FTV over Manar any day of the week.
Boo to Hassan!
Hooray for Manolo!
LP-- your response makes me think you misunderstood my comment. what do you think i was saying?
your reaction to today's events is more logical than mine, which is why i left a comment. i have no idea why i feel this way, but whenever bad stuff starts to go down in lebanon, i somehow NEED to be here... if i'm abroad, i wish i weren't, and if i'm here-- even imagining worst case scenarios-- i want to stay as long as possible...
i just think it is extremely unfair for one lebanese group to undertake actions that have very grave and deadly repercussions on the whole of lebanon and the lebanese people.
Is this the right timing to kidnap two soldiers and provoke israel , an entity that is much more powerful than lebanon who can exact a devastating revenge on us.
Who will build and pay for the bridges, roads, houses, and lifes that will be destroyed by this highly irresponsible action.
Hizbollah liberated south lebanon , thanks you alot.
But let it go, let us live and prosper , and be happy.
Mr nasrallah shame on you....
Your piece is so evocative, it tugs at the strings of the heart...
Shame on Nasrallah and the government for allowing them to exist..Olmert threatens that Israel will set Lebanon back 20 years if the soldiers are not returned and there will be no negotiations for prisoner exchange.
Well thought out planning (5 months) to do this stupid act in the middle of yes, our PRECIOUS tourist season...
Ramz, they are just as Lebanese as you will ever be! They are Shi'ites and Lebanese. Just as you are foaming at the mouth and Lebanese. And these "terrorists" freed your Lebanese South from that other group of evermore bloodthirsty terrorists, the Israeli military. And that Dahyeh is where I grew up and where my family lives. How would you like me hoping that the entire area where you and your family live be eradicated? How fucked up of me would that be? Be very careful of what you wish for, it might very well come true, or a stray rocket might eradicate someone you love and then you'd be more than sorry for the consequences of your loose fingers...
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