I dont know about others, but i am not feeling any Christmas spirit or whatsoever. Yesterday was a depressing day and today doesnt feel like a Friday.

I dont know if it is the current situation or me, but that is the first year i dont feel Christmas at all ..

I need to party tonight, maybe that will change my mind, Vodka does wonders

Today I visited Jbeil, a city I lived in for 5 years while studying in university.  A city I was once extremely attached too. Now, my brother Patrick lives there.

I met my brother at his hairdresser who is also my tattoo artist.  I got an appointment to get a tattoo done on Monday.  I gave my brother and the tattoo artist a brief of what I wanted as a tattoo and they will both design something for me.  I would rather have a tattoo designed by my brother since it will add some sentimental value to me.

We then walked to a little cozy restaurant called Cookery.  When I was in university, I used to eat at Cookery regularly and my brother didn’t even know the place existed! Anyways, Cookery used to be  a small snack and has now expanded triple the size, added more to their menu, have waiters in uniform, plus wireless internet.  Their food is definitely not 5 star but it is decent food to eat.

We then walked around Jbeil so I can take pictures of the town I once loved.  It’s weird how I feel detached from the place now, but I guess recently I have been feeling detached from everything.  Hopefully, cross fingers, the pictures will be up some time this year.

I am hating the internet at this moment since this post is so meaningless compared to the one that did not publish, meanwhile the stupid post I just published DID publish!! The freaking irony!

I just wrote a long post! It’s gone!!! Damn it!! I usually copy my posts before publishing but I forgot to do so this time!!! It was a long sentimental post too!!!!

Well, finished uploading the pics from day 1 and uploaded the thumbnails of day 2 at Downtown (can be viewed here) but am still trying to upload the actual images.  Hopefully I will be done with that by the time I leave.  I also have pics from Kayan, a pub in Gemayze from that same day.  No pictures from yesterday and plenty of pictures from today in Jbeil.

Day 3 (yesterday) was a quiet day.  I left the house at 2:30 pm and headed to Hamra.  I still feel like a stranger in Hamra.  I don’t think I could ever get the streets or alleys memorized since I never lived in that area, nor did I visit that area much.  Some places still look familiar and brings back memories, like the place where Uncle Sam used to be on Bliss street.  Me and mom had lunch once there when I checked out AUB as a potential university.

Once done with Hamra, I came to ABC Achrafiyeh to eat and get online.

I was suffocated by the amount of traffic since it’s too much!! I didn’t feel to well and needed to go home and rest.  I was home by 8pm and spent the evening with my grandparents.

When my grandparents went to sleep, which was after the Hadi & Radi (or is it Radi & Hadi) show on LBC, I had the TV for myself.  My grandparents don’t have cable.  I browsed the Lebanese channels.  Most of them had political shows which I didn’t have the energy to watch.  I watched bits and pieces but really could not be bothered.  New TV had a program on children with cancer, which is interesting, but was more depressing than entertaining.  I decided to read.

I stayed up until 3am reading a book I had gotten with me.  I can’t even remember what it’s called.  Something about knowing all the best people or something along those lines.  Its by the same author of The Devil Wears Prada.  Long gone are the days of Milan Kundera, Paolo Coelho, and Najuib Mahfouz.  My mind can only take light reading books, which is maybe why I just bought 2 books by Candace Bushnell.

I think Second Cup, ABC Achrafiyeh has become a ritual.  Guess what? The connection seems to be faster today.  Just uploaded pics from day 1.  yay thats finally over with.  I don’t think you should have problems viewing it.  Will start uploading pics from day 2 now.

Been addicted to that song since yesterday for some reason, played a bit less than 100 times

By Cold Play

And the hardest part
Was letting go, not taking part
Was the hardest part

And the strangest thing
Was waiting for that bell to ring
It was the strangest start

I could feel it go down
Bittersweet, I could taste in my mouth
Silver lining the cloud
Oh and I
I wish that I could work it out

And the hardest part
Was letting go, not taking part
You really broke my heart

And I tried to sing
But I couldn’t think of anything
And that was the hardest part

I could feel it go down
You left the sweetest taste in my mouth
You’re a silver lining the clouds
Oh and I
Oh and I
I wonder what it’s all about
I wonder what it’s all about

Everything I know is wrong
Everything I do, it’s just comes undone
And everything is torn apart

Oh and it’s the part
That’s the hardest part
Yeah that’s the hardest part
That’s the hardest part

On my third day in Lebanon, I am still uploading pics from day 1, and trying to post about day 2, not to mention uploading pics from day 2!!!

I miss Kuwaiti internet connection.

Here I am at ABC Achrafiyeh once again, online to continue posting.  The internet is too damn slow!!

Anyways, yesterday after having lunch with my grandparents (at 11:30 am!!!), and after they rested, I got into a cab and headed to downtown Beirut with my camera.  I got out of the cab near the Annahar building and started roaming around.  The cafes were either closed, or open with the waiters sitting around.  There barely were any customers at any of the cafes, actually you could count them on one hand.  Keep in mind it was 1:30pm, which is lunch time.  Anyways,  I continued walking towards Riad El Solh square where I reached the tents.  I was expecting, from everything I heard, something filthy and disgusting.  Actually, they were well organized, clean, and friendly.  In regards to security, the Lebanese army checks your bag when you are walking in to see if you are carrying anything with you.  While inside, you realized how the camp is seperated into groups.  For example, Hizballah tents were gathered together, the Marada were together, the FPM together, etc.  I think that is a good thing so that each group is responsible for their own area.  There were a few guys sitting around smoking nargileh, the remaining while either resting in their tents or reading the newspaper.  Sukleen guys were around cleaning the camp, and portable toilets have been placed.

Towards the end of my “tour” a young man stopped me, he seemed like an AUB student (I am stereotyping), and asked if I had permission to take pictures.  I looked at him surprised, “I need permission to take pictures” and he replies yes, so I tell him I am not a journalist.  He asks if its for personal use and I say it is.  So he smiles and tells me to continue if I wish.

I left downtown, and headed to ABC Achrafiyeh which is where I posted from yesterday.  I must say, I am hating the traffic in the Beirut area.  The smell of diesel makes me dizzy, and the honks and traffic just suffocates me.  I think I will be heading North to Jbeil tomorrow away from the Beirut mess.

After, ABC Achrafiyeh, I headed to my aunts place and hung around there until around 7pm.  I then walked to Gemayze, enjoying the weather (which isn’t cold!!!!), enjoying the ancient architecture of the area (I wish I had the money to renovate all those buildings), and reminiscing about my life.

At Gemayze, I got to Molly Malone’s, a nice lit place where I started reading a book until my friends started showing up after work/classes, etc.  It was a pleasant night in which I was also introduced to a pub called Kayan which is a nice place with great ambience.  Once your in one of the pubs of Gemayze, you really don’t realize what’s going on in the country.  You just lay back, have a few drinks, smoke your cigarettes, enjoy some good music and good company.  The Lebanese life.