some guy in lebanon

I’ve thought about what I’d say in this post for a long time. In so many ways, it’s probably the most important thing I’ll write on this foolish little blog, but it will also likely be the least conclusive.

I’ll recap, quickly, what’s happened over the past month and a half. In late August, I approached the NYC Lebanese Consulate, requesting a proper visa to go back to Beirut on, so that I could arrange for work papers and legalize my status in Beirut. They stamped my passport and sent it back to me.

Upon arrival at the airport in Beirut, I was barred from entering the country, and I went to Jordan. A wide range of people did their very best for me, but at the end of the day, it was to no avail.

I have booked my flight back to America, and will spend the next three months or so in Charlotte, NC, working for PayStream Advisors on an integrated communications project – I am blessed to have the opportunity to finish what I started with PayStream, and it is truly a lucky stroke to have things line up time-wise.

It’s extraordinary how things work out.

And as always, I’m in debted to a good friend for his help. It’s time to take my little Middle Eastern sideshow on the road, leaving Amman, Jordan, for Dubai. I’ll be there in two weeks.

I can’t even begin to thank everyone who has done their very best to get me out of this jam with the Lebanese General Security. Hopefully, come January or February, I’ll be back in Beirut with flying colors, ready to take on the world again.

In the meantime, I must go hibernate, and see what I can see, in that city built on sand they call Dubai. Perhaps I’ll do a little indoor skiing while i’m there…

To my family, and to my friends, thank you so much.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank one more group of people – the employees/owners of Liquid, the coffeeshop and second home of mine on Second Circle, in Amman. Here’s a picture of the store, Ahmad, and me. I would have been infinitely worse off if it wasn’t for this place…

It seems this is it – A final stand was made, and I cannot thank enough those who have tried their very best for me, and those who are still trying.

But it seems that there is no solution to my problem in Lebanon. For reasons I don’t understand, I am not allowed entry, not even to collect my things and empty my bank account. A work permit is the only option, but I cannot make that option work, for now.

So now I’m truly in diaspora… and it’s amazing to know what that feels like. Whatever it is that the Lebanese government assumes I’m up to, at least I know I’m not. I have infinite reasons to be upset, but for some reason, finally, after losing my cool for a few hours, I am strangely at peace with everything.

Thank you Amman for your help – And thank you Lebanon. Hopefully, somehow, I’ll see you soon.

Well well well – It has been an interesting week. For those of you who don’t know, despite having a visa from the Lebanese Consulate in New York, I was refused entry into Lebanon last week, and sent to Amman, Jordan, ostensibly to “think about what I’ve done.” Any city would feel like purgatory under this arrangement, it’s true, but arriving in Amman in the middle of Ramadan, this place feels acutely like the doldrums. Until today, as it is the beginning of Eid and things have returned to normal, there has literally been nothing to do but sleep and eat.

At least I can know tell a heck of a story!

A quick remark – I would like to take this moment to bring to light the pathetic response of the American Embassy in Beirut when I called them to let them know what was going on. Their response, “We can do nothing because Lebanon is a sovereign nation and it’s their call,” was as laughable as it was infuriating.

Not much new to report – planning on bunking down tomorrow for the elections – have been to the store to pick up the staples: beer, chips, snacks, diet Pepsi, cheese and crackers. Hopefully it will be a high-uneventful day.

I wanted to share these: The first is from the nightclub White, the second from Chilli’s Restaurant in Achrafiyeh, and the third are from the Sea Club Sporting (they call it a beach club but there’s no beach so I refuse to honor that title, even though it’s an awesome place.

First, White – didn’t expect to be back so soon but I had a great night out there and managed to get some reasonable pictures with the phone.

Next, a frightening and bizzarre experience at Chilli’s Restaurant in Achrafiyeh, which might as well have been somewhere in the Mid West or Boston or something. A truly strange experience to walk out of Beirut and into Chilli’s!

Finally, the wonderful club Sporting – I took a 360-Degree set of shots from where we (Me, Catherine and Nick) were sitting – you can see Rouche, the Sea, South Beirut, and the Ferris Wheel at the Amusement Park.

I also had lunch at the restaurant at the Club, which sits above the main pool areas – we were sitting to the far right.

Click “Read More” to see all the pictures.

This afternoon I took the time to import my blog that I kept while I was in Jordan. You can now find all the posts at http://www.williamcurtisdonovan.com/category/jordan
This way everything’s in one spot and I should get a noticable boost from the content.
It is funny to look back on all those posts – In many ways [...]

To all who are reading – in the interest of scholarship, here is my final term paper that I handed into my class, “Prospects for Democracy in the Middle East”
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Prospects for Democracy – Final paper – Will Donovan
In the Middle East, many of the elements that are normally associated with the development of democratic nations [...]

SO I know it’s been a while since I posted, and after getting yelled at by the appropriate agents (namely everyone who gives a hoot about this blog), I have decided to post.
But let me be honest, it’s been a sloooooooooow few weeks, hense the lack of any real content. I’ve come to grips with [...]

Ok, hello everyone back home! I have so much to say, so please stay with me…!
Two weekends ago, I spent a weekend with my program traveling around the south of Jordan, staying a night in Dana, which is a huge nature preserve, hiking up a huge mountain and meeting a lot of very nice Jordanians. [...]

So two days ago I sort of vented on this forum to identify my growing lack of patience at the perception of the Middle East as the proverbial black hole of the planet. Let me first reiterate: New Jersey is the proverbial black hole of the universe. That is a scientific fact.
Now, I realize, 48 [...]

dear mom and dad – i promise that whatever i say on this blog is entirely inconsequential to the rest of the world, and zarqawi is not going to show up at my door step and shoot me in the head because i write in it. please do not worry about it.
trust me, if zarqawi [...]

Sooooo…. what happens when you mix an international conglomaration of businesses hoping to rebuild Iraq, a conference designed to put these businesses on display, and bunch of Arabs with too much money, a few British companies who have no idea what they’re doing there, zero Americans, and a white kid with too much time to [...]

so i’ve discovered the most significant peril of living in jordan: if you somebody says to you “ahlein,” you’re in trouble. see usually they say ‘ahlen,’ which means ‘welcome,’ like ‘welcome to my home/shop/school/country.’ but then you’re supposed to respond with ‘ahlein’ which is like saying ‘double back on your welcome.’ but if they start [...]

So I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but I wanted to fill everyone in who’s probably given up on me saying anything new at this point…
I’m now right in the “hump” period, which is usually one of the most difficult of being abroad. There are almost exactly two months left in [...]

Though this has nothing to do with Jordan:
[EPA officials in the Bush administration sought to broaden this exemption by asserting that "routine maintenance" is any activity that amounts to less than 20 percent of a plant's value. But the ruling, written by Judge Judith W. Rogers, rejected that reasoning as illogical.
"EPA's approach would ostensibly require [...]

Heyyyyy! I’m still alive I swear, it’s just been a while. I’ve discovered that one of the interesting things about being in a foreign country for a while is that you stop analyzing everything that goes on, and you sort of insulate yourself to everything. They call this the ‘cultural low’ point, where you get [...]

feeling much better all! don’t have a ton of time but just hoping everyone’s well and that the states is still the states…
much love,wd

this post has really only a round-about connection with jordan, which i won’t explain. it is also intended to be vague, and it’s quite likely that nobody will understand it. ah well – just feel like throwing out a spur of the moment thought.
isn’t it odd that the smallest, most seeming inconsequential moments of passing [...]

hey everyone – sorry it’s been a while since i last posted. i’m missing everyone, and given a new mild medical condition (i.e. marginally sick) it’s made life a little bit interesting. a quick trip to the doctor tomrorrow should make everything better though.
karak last weekend was amazing – for those who don’t know, it’s [...]

We were up pretty late last night from going out to a club in downtown Amman – Fun, but sort of silly. They love trance music here, and it makes me want to throw up every time I hear it…
I’m not really in the mood to make any social commentary today. I’m sort of [...]