Tanya,live from Beirut

Humour always helps!

2006-08-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Interesting links

2006-08-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I gathered up a few interesting sites you can visit.
George Calloway fired it up while being interviewed on SkyNews and he spared noone!check him out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=249JaIaubVw

More oily beaches pictures at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060731-lebanon-oil_2.html

On a more personal note, my fave graphic designer (B,that's you), took part in the creation of this very hip way to be against war:
http://www.minimalresistance.org

Post war fears.

2006-08-17T03:08:00.001-07:00

The July 2006 War ended on August 12th, one month after it was launched. That evening, I realized something. This country has gotten used to conflicts, wars and instability so much, that whenever "peace" is declared, lots of people do not know how to react. They do not believe in peace anymore. Everyone says this is not the end. They all wait for a new conflict to emerge. A car to explode. A journalist to be murdered. A neighboring country to come up with some new plan to get its hands on Lebanon. A war to erupt. Someone told me: "You have to understand, this country will NEVER know peace of mind. There will ALWAYS be some conflict taking place on these grounds. It is hopeless." That frightened me. Our parents have been fighting wars since the 70's, in order to spare us and our future children from seing the country being destroyed, and from living in fear like they did. Many gave their lives for that cause, many lost everything, many had to leave... What hurts so much, is that it all went down the drain. History does repeat itself! All the pain, sadness, misfortune, death and terror the past generations tried to spare us have come back, taunting us and making us understand they were here to stay. Like a dagger through the heart. Should we believe there is nothing we can do? Submitting to that would determine Lebanon's fate as a fatal one. And honestly, that frightens me a lot...

Marée Noire.

2006-08-11T16:49:00.001-07:00

La marée noire reached Jbeil beaches . Hello sealife!

Rock of Pigeons in Raouche,in not so blue waters.

Beirut bridge is falling down,falling down...

2006-08-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Photos I took of the Maameltein bridge and the Casino bridge after they were both hit, on August 4.

Cellular mushroom.

2006-08-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

July 22nd,2006. This is what I saw from my house, when the Fat'a T.V. and mobilephone station was hit.

From Beirut to Ireland

2006-08-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Irish friends of mine emailed me when they got news of the war in Lebanon, asking how things were going over here.. My reply was a bit fiesty I guess, but it was a cry from the heart. Here goes:

Aug 3, 2006
Dear friends,
I just got to reading your email. Well,as you have probably seen on the news, my poor country's being torn to pieces because certain parties want to settle their personal conflicts on our grounds. Although the south and the Dahyeh area are the main targets, the tension is felt everywhere, all over Lebanon.
The situation is as follows: Electricity is being reduced, generators are running for less hours because of the lack of fuel. Fuel! That is one problem that needs to be solved asap because it is getting intolerable; in order to get fuel into you car, you can wait in line for your turn somewhere between half an hour up to 1h and a half! In Beirut, almost all restaurants, pubs and clubs are closed. In the Down Town area, even stores and shops are closed. And if you happen to run by an open door, the mood is far from being cheerful. Businesses,offices and companies open till 3pm at the most, because people would rather get home early. You know, bad situations usually escalate around the evening and during the night. Around Jounieh and these parts of town, things are better: many places still welcome customers, but we're not always keen on going out.
We're disgusted by the way things are going. Now, around 850 Lebanese civilians have died and more than 3000 are injured. More than 50% of both are children. There are now ONE MILLION refugees who have left their houses, their possessions, their history and roots behind..They have been offered shelter in centers, but mostly, in schools all over the country. 10% of the women refugees are pregnant and it is said that a large portion of them have lost their babies due to fear,shock and exhaustion. The medical community fears that long gone diseases such as cholera and tiphus will spread in refugee centers because of the sanitary problems. There is a lack of nutrition, medication and especially water and good hygenic conditions in those places, despite huge efforts to help out.
No powerful country is reaching out to help in stopping this war. And even it is stopped soon, we worry about the "postwar". Will the economy survive? Will the refugees be able to rebuild their homes? Will the young children be healed of their emotional scars? Will schools be able to reopen?Will any of our friends that have left the country come back? Will I be able to go to university next year and graduate? And that doesn't cover half of the questions on our minds.
The local and international media is showing horrible pictures of battles and massacres in Lebanon. Interviews are being conducted with people who have lost their whole family and who have noone to look after them. We hear incredible stories of young girls and women who have lost their memory and do not know who they are, due to the sudden psychological blow this war has hit Lebanon with. By that, the media is trying to sensibilize the international opinion. But, my dear friends, the USA and other countries have not taken pity on us yet. They can, in the click of a finger, order and produce a cease fire. But they DO NOT wish for that to happen now. It is in their interest to keep the war going until who knows...
Unfortunately, this beautiful country is being disfigurated. The parks and beaches where we used to spend time are now empty, deserted by a population in desolation, crying for their bleeding country.
I did not wish to send you news like I just did, sad and dramatic, but I felt compelled to do so.
Think of us so we'll get your positive thoughts and keep hope floating around. Could you do me a small favor and send my words to all your friends in Ireland and elsewhere, so that everyone can see what is really happening to us and maybe, for those of you who believe, pray for Lebanon, because that might be the only thing one can do now?