Happy new year!

I know I'm a little late, but you'll have to forgive me. You see—Lebanese people are always late. But happy new year nonetheless and I hope that the first week of 2010 has brought you all good things. I haven't updated in a while because I haven't had internet access, but today I am officially connected (JOY TO THE WORLD!). So expect more frequent updates from your Arab-influenced friend.

A lot has happened to me and although I would like to take you on a detailed and thorough adventure through the past few weeks, I know that you, unlike me, may actually have a job and somewhere to be. Or you probably don't really care. So I'll give you a brief summary.

Mountain life, although filled with funny anecdotes about the electricity and the cold, quickly turned limiting as I realized I was seeing the same pair of 80-year-old women every day. Don't get me wrong, these women are feisty and fun, and I definitely put the jabal in the “horizon broadening experience” category, but when the heater stopped working in my room I quickly turned to my grandmother and said, “Please get me out of here.” She finally agreed to move into this apartment in Beirut a few days earlier than planned when she realized she was seeing the same 22-year-old every day and unlike herself, this 22-year-old was neither feisty nor fun.

As we were getting ready to move, we made a trip up to a nearby city to pick up a few things. In true mountain fashion, it started to pour. The road back was literally rocky and curvy, and with the rain it was even harder to navigate. But my grandma had been handing me the keys lately so that I could practice driving. I was so proud of myself, driving in Lebanon! If you can drive in Lebanon, you can drive anywhere!, they say. Well, I guess I can't drive anywhere, because I came around a bend and suddenly the wheels wouldn't turn, and the car wouldn't stop. I felt the car sliding in the water, towards the edge of the road. Naturally I did what any competent and adept driver would do and rammed into the monster tires of an 18-wheel truck. After the initial impact, I turned in shock to my grandmother in the passenger seat. I was blubbering, “Are you okay?” and she was blabbering “Are you okay?” so in short we were both okay. I turned around to check on my mother's sister-in-law and saw her sprawled across the backseat. I had a mini-heart attack, but when she sat up, her glasses diagonal on her face, and said “I bumped my toe”, I nearly passed out in relief. Everyone is fine, and we are really lucky. I know this kind of accident could happen anywhere, but I'm playing the newcomer card and just taking taxis from now on.

The new year was spent in my cousin's house turned nightclub where my mom's cousin kept serving me cranberry vodkas much to the displeasure of my grandmother who thought it was straight whiskey and kept feeding me bread-based foods. We waited for the countdown and then 5 minutes before midnight I guess all the old people got tired and said “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” and the hugging commenced, the confetti dropped, and then everyone left. I said, “What?”, shrugged, and sipped my cranberry vodka.

A few days later we moved to Downtown Beirut, which is an amazing location. There are remnant's of Beirut and Lebanon's past all over the city but there is a spirit of life here that I can't describe, tainted but positive, sectarian but helpful. Each neighborhood really deserves its own entry, so I'll keep this short and just say that it's phenomenal and I love Beirut already.

A few days ago, I interviewed with a great English publishing house here in Beirut for an editorial assistant position. If I get the job I would be helping them with a few projects and then pick up and develop projects on my own. I would also get the opportunity to travel with them to international book fairs as well as other Middle Eastern countries! Helping Lebanese and Arab authors get their words read and their voices heard is a very personal dream come true, so I was very excited when they called me yesterday for a second interview. Here's hoping! I'm also still looking to get involved in the film scene here but I think for now I'll see what opportunities present themselves in the field. There's really no industry here so to find an actual position is pretty difficult. And I'd rather work in publishing, which I also love, than work in television, which I don't plan to pursue and really don't have too high of an interest in at this point. So hopefully this progress will continue, but until then I've really been just trying to enjoy my time with my family and get to know the city, which is a person to get to know itself.

That's pretty much it from this side of the world. The news here keeps saying that Israel is planning to attack Lebanon in May, to which I respond by saying, “Crap.” Cool it Middle East, I'm here now. But other than that possibility I'm seeing a very bright and amazing 2010 up ahead.

For you that is. I'm just trying to stay out of war.

Hope you're all doing well! And again, happy new year!

Hey, this isn't like Lonely Blanet.

Today I became an official Beirut girl. I was honked at by taxis, cursed at by angry drivers, and my wallet is now empty. But I'm very proud of myself because I explored a huge part of Beirut alone and without any help. I had a map and my Lonely Planet guide, so I knew where I wanted to go. But a map doesn't really help you when there aren't any street names or signs posted anywhere. And as far as senses go, direction isn't exactly my best.

Listen, guys, I'm not going to lie to you. This blog is an open area, a thick line of communication based on complete honesty. Well, I may lie to make myself look better. But in this case I'm not going to lie, I was nervous this morning when my cousin dropped me off in front of her college and said, “You'll know you're at Rue Hamra when you see stones.”

What? What stones? Where? Are the buildings made out of stone? Are the streets—where are you going?? Wait! Help me!

But then I thought to myself, “Nasrin, you're smart. You're educated. You're an adult. You must depend on yourself and believe you can do this.” I must not have looked so convincing, because that's when an older gentleman asked if I was lost and I nearly cried, “YES! Can you please point me in the direction of Rue Hamra?”

He literally said, “Blah blah blah blah right. Blah blah blah blah left.” I swear he wasn't speaking Arabic. So I smiled, said, “Shukran”, and walked in one of the directions he mentioned, all the while freaking out more and more. I wasn't sure of where I was going. Not at all. But I wasn't going to call anyone, I needed to learn for myself. I kept checking Lonely Planet, which was so structured and organized, it didn't match Beirut at all. A lonely planet it truly was.

Finally I decided I needed to figure out what street I was on so that I could get to Rue Hamra, and from there my map could help me. I walked into a dress store and up to the nice-looking owner. I said in the best Arabic I could muster, “Excuse me, do you mind telling me what street we're on?” Then she said, in the rudest Arabic she thought I could handle, “How am I supposed to know what street we're on?”

…wow, someone didn't drink their mete this morning. You don't know the address of your own store? Where the hell am I? But I bit my tongue, which I've quickly learned to do, said “Shukran”, and left.

I walked out of the store, and that's when it started to rain. Literally. Oh great, thanks God, thanks. That's exactly what I need. Needless to say, I was down in the dumps. At least I would have been if I could find them.

I started to question all of my choices. Why had I come here? Not just to Beirut, but to Lebanon? I wasn't even capable of shopping? How was I going to survive in a country that was supposed to be familiar but with every step was becoming more and more foreign?

I looked up, wiping away a tear. Or a raindrop, whatever. That's when I saw them. Stones! The street was paved with stones! The most beautiful stones. I had found Rue Hamra. All by myself.

With this renewed confidence I found the places Lonely Planet recommended. Through these points of reference I stopped by shops, book stores, the American University of Beirut. I sat in a cafe and read the newspaper. I even went to a museum. (Nerd alert: I bought Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Arabic! But because the letter "p" doesn't technically exist in Arabic and is replaced by the letter "b", I actually bought Harry Botter and the Philosopher's Stone.)

I ended my day in Akil, an apparel store in the style of Ross. The only reason it's worth mentioning is because the music was so strange, I pretended to be browsing Abercrombie knockoffs when I really was just listening in shock. First there was an Elvis-style cover of Hot and Cold by Katy Pary, which was so weird. And by weird I mean amazing. Then there was Material Girl done in folk. I kept looking around to see if anybody else was reacting, but the only people in the store were middle-aged silicone ladies looking for trendy clothes. And when I say trendy I mean flashy, flashy, flashy. Makeup and flash, that's how to be stylish here. Which is why I came into the store in the first place. But I left as soon as a lounge version of Hey There Delilah began. Too flashy for me.

Overall, it was a wonderful day. Hamra, which was the area I was exploring, is a fun area where artists, hipsters, and students all hang out. I was able to see everything I wanted to see and best of all I did it all by myself.

I didn't make a mistake coming here! I'll be okay!

I hurried to my aunt's house excited to share the news of my accomplishment. But when I got there grandma told me there's a rumor that my parents sent me here because they were afraid I was dating an American guy and they didn't want me to marry him.

...I didn't make a mistake coming here, I didn't make a mistake coming here, I didn't make a mistake coming here, I didn't make a mistake coming here...

Anyway, pictures are coming as soon as I have a steady source of internet. Not having the internet is interesting. And by interesting I mean boring. Although, do you know how to play Spider Solitaire? I do. It's interesting. And by interesting I mean boring.

Your comments make me happy, thank you for your support! The Blanet doesn't feel so Lonely when I remember you're all on it, too! Hope you're all enjoying your holiday season!