Manamania
http://cedarseed.livejournal.com/
I didn't write yesterday about what happened to me when I stepped off the plane in London. I went straight to an ATM and surprise: my card wouldn't work. I had exceeded my allotted withdrawal for August so there's nothing I can do until next month (as I found out through a few sms to my parents). So here I was with just enough Euros in my pocket (to think I almost left them at M-haus) to get to the station where A was supposed to meet me. But the "Lebanese thing" had been put into motion... My dad messaged a friend of his in London, but he turned out to be in Paris so he in turn messaged a friend of his in London, who met up with me that afternoon to advance me enough for the rest of the month. (And he showed up with his own refugee, too, who was in London when it all started and is still stuck here). So this guy, Lebanese of course, went out of his way to rescue the daughter of a friend of a friend, and was ready to do more if I needed it. Man, I love my country.

Jamal's Propaganda Site
http://jamalghosn.blogspot.com/
Lebanon's National Basketball team arrived in Japan today to participate in the World Championships. I highly doubt there is any team in this tournament that had as rough a time preparing for this tournament, so basically just the fact that we are there is a huge accomplishment. Still a win at this stage would be nice. Our best chances to avoid a winless participation are in our first and last games.
Lebanon-Venezuela, Saturday 7:00 am Beirut Time
Lebanon-Argentina (Olympic Gold Medalists), Sunday 10:00 am
Lebanon-Serbia & Montenegro (5 Time Champions under a different name), Monday 10:00 am
Lebanon-France, Wednesday 1:00 pm
Lebanon-Nigeria, Thursday 10:00 am
Yalla Ya Shabeb!!!

Lebanese Bloggers
http://www.lebanonheartblogs.blogspot.com/
Mazen's mother's birthday was weighing on his mind. And on ours. He was supposed to be with her for it, in that World Before Any Of This Happened. There was the Peace my mother believed in in that World, the Life As It Was Happening Before. There was life as I remember it too vividly, as I try to will it again. The life with its infinite small details that have become strangely irrelevant now. And there's the silence, this unrelenting silence in my mind, that gets quickly filled, at the first thought of words, with old fragments of song, of Fairouz wailing, "Ya natreen el-talj, ma aad badkoun tirja'ou?" You waiting for the snow, don't you want to come back?