Beirut, Lebanon
By Denman
9 Aug 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
At the moment I'm living in Achrafieh neighbourhood in the capital of Lebanon... incase you don't know, that's Beirut
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
Lebanese, French, rich, poor, old, new, rebuilt, bombed, noisy, peaceful, chilled out, Mediterranean, chic, interesting and wonderful
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
About 1.5 months, I'm here for the working for the summer, and after that who knows...
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
My favourite thing about this city is the extreme contrasts you can find in such a small space, from religions, to buildings, to culture, to food, everything. ohhh.. and the sea!
My least favourite is that I hate the hierarchy here, people with money generally think they are better than others. Meaning there is lots of maid abuse - common in most of the Arab world. This I really can't stand.
Do you feel that you belong there?
well... do i feel i belong anywhere?? no. so, here as much as the next place
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
That it's all about war, religion and politics and therefore must be a horrible place to be. None of which are true. This city is still the Paris of the Middle East.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
That you can get a bank loan to have a nose job. Now that is mad!
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
For some reason I love looking at the abandon war torn buildings, they expel extreme sadness, yet are so extremely interesting to look at.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Beirut rocks and is totally misconceived by a large part of the world. You should all visit if you get a chance.
