Life in Beirut

I've had an interesting introduction to Lebanese culture. As I'm sitting writing this, middle eastern music is wafting in my open door from somewhere down on the streets below. The Lebanese are very proud people. They love their country a lot and whenever they talk to me they are always telling me how beautiful their country is and asking if I like it better than Australia.

Yesterday I had a cultural experience. I went to the hair salon to have my hair washed and blow dried. Apparently women here do this regularly and it is pretty cheap to do it. I'm glad I don't have a sensitive scalp as I just about had my hair all ripped out and my scalp burned to a crisp. And I also got asked why I was not married with babies. To be Lebanese is to always look neat and clean and like you have a lot of money...even if you don't. People talk like they have a lot of money to throw around even if they are barely getting by. And they will always give you advice and their opinions on things whether you asked for it or not.

Mimi and I at the hair salon

The other thing I find remarkable is that the Lebanese (especially those in Beirut) love to push boundaries. For example you will see a Muslim woman walking along with her head covered in a scarf but wearing the tightest of jeans and a tight fitting shirt. Apparently brides here try and find the most revealing 'sexy' dress they can. I was with my host Mimi and we went to buy a new sink for their kitchen and the lady at one shop would have been in her 50s and was wearing hotpants with a 'shirt' that pretty much showed us her entire bra. Interesting contrasts.

In Beirut there is no grass, or playgrounds for children. Well actually we did go to a playground but you had to pay to enter...and it wasn't all that different to the children's playground at Heathcote or Kings Park. And the little bit of grass they had was roped off so you couldn't walk or sit on it. Just there for looks. I find if difficult imagining bringing up children in a place where you have to pay to take them to the park or the beach. Yes you even have to pay to get onto the beach ($10 per adult and $5 per child). It is definitely a different place to be. I'm still in shock after paying $10 to spend a day at the Mediterranean Sea.

Yuppi Park

The boys playing in the Mediterranean Sea

But there is so much hope in the air. People are still here, living, amongst piles of rubble and amongst buildings with telltale signs of war. Today I met a lady who came to church with us for the first time. She is a Muslim and her father died when she was very young. Her mother was killed in the war and so her grandparents brought up her and her sister from the time she was 3. She was married off to a man at the age of 13 (her sister was married off at 11½). She has 5 children with the eldest being 18. She says that she grew up with her children. She is now living at a women's refuge as she had to run away from her husband who is abusive to her. In her culture this means that her husband keeps the children. So where is the hope? Today she came with us to church and afterwards we brought her to Nabil's mother's house for lunch. Before we sat down to eat he was able to share with her all about who Jesus truly is and what he means to Nabil and what he can mean to her. She said that when she was sitting in church she felt something different...joy and peace. And right there in the lounge room today she prayed with Nabil and asked God to accept her and became one of his followers. So even amidst the ruins of her life, she is finding faith, love and hope.

Mimi with our new friend!

P.S. I found out what the big boom was that I thought was a bomb in my last post. It ended up being a canon being fired to wake the Muslims so they could eat before sunrise...being Ramadan and all. So I am still very safe!

Beirut at sunset