Reflections on Beirut

My first experience in Beirut was a trip at 4 am from the airport to the Kids Alive orphanage that will be my home for the next 5 weeks. The quiet, almost serene, early morning streets tell a different story than what is found during the day. Beirut is a magnificent city. A bustling metropolis built in, on, and around mountains that nudge up against the Mediterranean. As you drive through the busy streets, however, remnants of past and present conflicts are evident. There are the destroyed buildings from the car bomb that killed the president 3 years ago, the rebuilding projects from the Israeli attacks a few years back, tanks guarding busy intersections, a few more soldiers than I’m used to seeing, and a Hezbollah stronghold here or there. It is, however, truly a lovely city, better than I expected…and I’d heard good things.

I’m staying at the Kids Alive children’s home with 2 friends who work here. The accommodations are nice and the weather has been beautiful, so I have no complaints. The children’s home is located in a suburb of Beirut, but I’ve managed to get around the city a bit. I always tend to feel more at home in areas of poverty, so I was happy to visit a care center that Kids Alive runs in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Beirut and see how the needs of kids from the area are being met.

Arabic studies are going well. I can now proudly say that I know about ¼ of the alphabet. In a few more weeks I’ll have the alphabet knocked out and can really begin grasping more how the language works. My plan is mostly just to study and try to experience as much of the country as possible with the rest of my time. The kids at the children’s home are gone for 2 weeks, so there won’t be much going on around the campus, which is probably a good thing as I’ll have a pleasant, quiet learning environment…I’m easily distracted.

All is well and life is good (and I had schwarma today, so I am doubly satisfied). Someday I’ll take pictures and post them, but those of you who know me can testify that documenting my travels through photographs is not my strongest quality.

Until next time…