Dear Beirut...
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Marlies
20 Oktober 2012 | Libanon, Beiroet
(Hi reader, if you haven’t read the news lately: maybe you should do so before reading this blog….)
Dear Beirut, you never cease to amaze me…. I thought I got to know you a bit in the last year-and-a-half. It’s a relationship in progress though we’re both not sure if we should stay together I have accepted your organized chaos, which I, in exchange, may mock, criticize and secretly admire. Just when I started to refer to you as my ‘home away from home’ you show me your unpredictable ruthless side….
Life goes on as it always has. The Lebanese, as I descripted before, are amazingly resilient and pragmatic. The evening after the bombing Hamra-street - always full of life and finding a good place to sit can be a real quest - was only slightly less busy. People were going out and enjoying their Friday night almost as usual, while the news was buzzing everywhere of course! I was, once again, surprised by this country and its people. However, at the same time, people are clearly shocked, scared and – somehow – captivated by the event. Their excitement is not indicating they are happy about this at all, but some people seem to contradict themselves when talking about the bombing….
About half an hour after it happened the security officer in the office suddenly made a general announcement (really scaring me and my colleague until we realized his voice came out of the phones) to tell everyone not to go to the affected area. My Canadian colleague and I looked at each other wondering why he bothered to tell us; of course we would not go there! But in the hours that followed I noticed some Lebanese (and also some well-integrated foreigners) eagerly pulled out their blackberry or I-phone to show me video’s or pictures they took from the bombing scene and posted them on Facebook. Why? Disaster tourism? Will other people think you’re cool? I don’t understand it.
Of course everyone is talking about it. Yours truly included. However, I refrain from speculating about what will happened next because my knowledge about Lebanese politics is by far not advanced enough for that. Some people’s prediction is very re-assuring: ’It was an assassination and this will be the end of it. Don’t worry. In a day or two things will be almost back to normal.’ But some others kind of scare me: ‘One bomb is always followed by a second. Just wait a day or two and you will see.’ That’s not very good. However, they both seem to agree that whatever will happened; it will be happening in a day or two, so at least that limits the suspense ;)
Dear Beirut, several people have asked me if I will leave you now. If I feel to unsafe to stay. If my sensitive and ignorant European persona will now pack her things and flee to somewhere safer. But I hope you know me better than that! I will not leave you yet as I am sure you will amaze me and come out of this stronger. You always have so far!
Love,
Marlies
Dear Beirut, you never cease to amaze me…. I thought I got to know you a bit in the last year-and-a-half. It’s a relationship in progress though we’re both not sure if we should stay together I have accepted your organized chaos, which I, in exchange, may mock, criticize and secretly admire. Just when I started to refer to you as my ‘home away from home’ you show me your unpredictable ruthless side….
Life goes on as it always has. The Lebanese, as I descripted before, are amazingly resilient and pragmatic. The evening after the bombing Hamra-street - always full of life and finding a good place to sit can be a real quest - was only slightly less busy. People were going out and enjoying their Friday night almost as usual, while the news was buzzing everywhere of course! I was, once again, surprised by this country and its people. However, at the same time, people are clearly shocked, scared and – somehow – captivated by the event. Their excitement is not indicating they are happy about this at all, but some people seem to contradict themselves when talking about the bombing….
About half an hour after it happened the security officer in the office suddenly made a general announcement (really scaring me and my colleague until we realized his voice came out of the phones) to tell everyone not to go to the affected area. My Canadian colleague and I looked at each other wondering why he bothered to tell us; of course we would not go there! But in the hours that followed I noticed some Lebanese (and also some well-integrated foreigners) eagerly pulled out their blackberry or I-phone to show me video’s or pictures they took from the bombing scene and posted them on Facebook. Why? Disaster tourism? Will other people think you’re cool? I don’t understand it.
Of course everyone is talking about it. Yours truly included. However, I refrain from speculating about what will happened next because my knowledge about Lebanese politics is by far not advanced enough for that. Some people’s prediction is very re-assuring: ’It was an assassination and this will be the end of it. Don’t worry. In a day or two things will be almost back to normal.’ But some others kind of scare me: ‘One bomb is always followed by a second. Just wait a day or two and you will see.’ That’s not very good. However, they both seem to agree that whatever will happened; it will be happening in a day or two, so at least that limits the suspense ;)
Dear Beirut, several people have asked me if I will leave you now. If I feel to unsafe to stay. If my sensitive and ignorant European persona will now pack her things and flee to somewhere safer. But I hope you know me better than that! I will not leave you yet as I am sure you will amaze me and come out of this stronger. You always have so far!
Love,
Marlies
-
20 Oktober 2012 - 22:03
Juul:
Dear Marlies,
As you are my daughter, Beirut is now my 'city-in-law'.
So...
With love,
Mom -
21 Oktober 2012 - 08:31
Maartje:
Hey Mar,
sterkte ermee! hoop dat het verder rustig blijft in de stad!
groetjes Maartje -
24 Oktober 2012 - 13:57
Berthe:
Hoi Marlies,
Wel heel fijn weer wat van je te horen, want als er zo'n bom valt denk ik wel meteen aan je hoor. Gisteren was ik met Juul naar de film en van haar hoorde ik dat je rustig was, gelukkig maar. Ik hoop voor jou en je mede stadgenoten dat het hier bij blijft.
Veel liefs van Berthe en natuurlijk ook van Bert, we denken aan je... -
25 Oktober 2012 - 11:34
Piet Nelissen:
Beste Marlies,
Uit ervaring weet ik dat buitenstaanders het gevaar in een land overschatten zodra er een of andere gewelddadige gebeurtenis op TV gemeld wordt. Diny en ik hebben meermaals per bus rond gereisd door Mexico terwijl veel mensen in Nederland het land vanwege de drugsoorlog veel te gevaarlijk vonden. Dat gevaar is echter beperkt tot bepaalde streken of steden dus als je dat weet en je hebt ervaring genoeg om je omgeving aan te voelen en qua risico in te schatten,is het allemaal wel te doen. Je kunt natuurlijk wel altijd de pech hebben op de verkeerde tijd op de verkeerde plaats te zijn. Dat kan hier ook maar de kansen daar in Beiroet zijn -denk ik- wat groter.
Ik denk overigens niet dat het helaas niet bij die ene bom zal blijven. Daarvoor is de politieke situatie te explosief. Het directe gevolg van de bom is meer politieke instabiliteit. Met de gebeurtenissen in Syrië denk ik dat die politieke instabiliteit niet zal verminderen maar eerder zal vermeerderen. Veel hangt af van Hezbollah en de tegenstanders daarvan.
Ik wens je veel sterkte.
Piet
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