JUNE 28, 2011

Today we took the teleferique to go to Harissa, the city of Lady Lebanon (Virgin Mary). Basically, it's like a ski-lift from the beach all the way to the top of the mountain. 

This is the view from the shore. The teleferique goes all the way up to the tip of the mountain.

Inside waiting for our "car".

Almost halfway up.

I love the background! AND MARC!

This was one of the churches.

View from the top!

Lady Lebanon. Most sacred church. You can walk all the way around the stairs to Virgin Mary and pray silently.

Inside the Lady Lebanon church.

ME!!!!!

I have more pictures, but the internet sucks. It's taking too long to load.

I also met Tannous in Jbeil (Byblos). He showed me around his undergrad university Lebanese American University (LAU). Joseph, Bassam, and Salam went there too. It is the most expensive university in Lebanon. There are only 2000 students who go there. The campus is really pretty, very Lebanese style, and very GREEN. It's not too big like VT, and not too small. It was graduation night tonight and I got to see some of the students and meet some professors. The girls dress like they're going to the club. Their faces are painted with makeup, high heels, short dresses. Definitely not used to it since VT girls wear pjs and sweatpants to class. I also met some engineering professors who used to be HOKIES!

JUNE 27, 2011

...NORMAL TO SEE:

- people standing in the middle of the highway and selling random crap (CDs, cowboy hats, handkerchiefs, DVDs, towels, etc)

- people driving 4 wheelers instead of cars

- 13 year olds asking the bartender how much alcohol is

- 12 year olds watching Hangover II at the movies


OH and what's with guys always wanting to pay for everything? I literally have to fight with everyone I go out with. AND I HATE LOSING.

JUNE 26, 2011

We were all invited for a family lunch today up in the mountains. Every family brought something with them. My mom made her famous potato salad with green onions, my aunt Jocelyne got grilled chicken, my aunt Josephine made roast beef with vegetables and tabbouleh, my uncle Samir made hummus and baba ghannouj, my aunt Amal made the raw meat with burghul and got meat pies,  my uncle Nabil got every flavor of ice cream, and uncle Walid got cookies and booze haha. 

JUNE 25, 2011

I had the best breakfast in the world this morning. We bought "ka3kit knefi". It basically is like croissant with sesame seeds on top, filled with melted cheese and simple sugar and rosewater syrup and smeed (i have no idea what it's called in English and Google is not helping me!).

Uncle Walid showed us the historic/childhood side of 3aley. Him and my dad and most of the Haddad family were all born and raised here, but when the Civil War happened in early 1980s, they all ran away to the north side of the country (where I live now). So he showed us my dad's childhood home and his elementary/middle school. His house was burnt and destroyed in the war, so no one lives there now. The construction on the outside is still in tact but the inside is heartbreaking.

This used to be a window. The end cuts off at me and Dee's waists. Everything below was blown up because a bomb was thrown into the house. SO SAD.

This used to be my grandpa's little spice shop. It's been shut since the war.

This is Emilio's elementary/middle school with the nuns.

View of 3aley from the famous 3aley balcony.

JANA <3

Ok, so my uncle told me that in the small painted parking lot (next to the yellow and blue stripes, behind the big building) is where they test you for your driving license. The only thing they want you to do is move forward, move backward, park, oh and here's your license.

When we were done, my uncle was driving down the main road of 3aley and said: "Let's show you girls the American side of 3aley. Here's Krispy Kreme, Subway, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

JUNE 24, 2011

My friend Mustafa Hariri (Samer Hariri's cousin) came to 3aley from Beirut to see me! I haven't seen him since junior year high school. We were catching up on the 7 years we missed. 

I don't really want to bore you with another day of shopping day, so let's just skip over to dinner when we all went to eat at this amazing Lebanese cuisine restaurant. And by we I mean me and Dee, Racha, Rana, and Jana, Uncle Walid, and the girls' cousins from their mom's side. This place is gorgeous. The decor and the view were absolutely breathtaking.

Walid ordered the mezza: tabbouleh, fattoosh, hummus, baba ghannouj, loubi, tomatoes with garlic sauce and sumac, fries, grape leaves, cheese sambusah, meat sambusah, kibbeh, chicken liver, mini hot dogs, chicken sautéed in parsley and garlic, and RAW meat with olive oil. Dee is supposed to be "vegetarian" but she ate the whole plate. SO GOOD. For dessert we had all kinds of fruits, pita bread dipped in molasses, and a bunch of weird stuff that I swear I have no idea how to describe. JUST KNOW THAT EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS :)

When we were ordering drinks Walid asked me what I wanted. I just wanted water because I felt so dehydrated. He said: "Only water? You'll get drunk!" He ordered a beer for his 12 year old daughter and nephew, 3arak (Lebanese liquor) for his 16 year old niece, and he refused to order me a water lol. 

Wanna know why Lebanon is the best? Our waiter was drinking 3arak on the job. Need I say more?

JUNE 23, 2011

OUR UNFINISHED HOUSE ON THE COAST

THE VIEW FROM MY AUNT AMAL'S HOUSE

MY UNCLE NABIL'S OTHER HOUSE IN THE MOUNTAIN

COLORFUL LEBANESE MONOPOLY MONEY

(everything is written in French)

1500 Lira is $1

RANDOM:

• Jana: "Out of all the memories we had in summer 2004, I remember you puking the most." 

         APPARENTLY IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK...WTF?!?

• So the last time I was here, there was no such things as traffic lights, and even if there were, they are just street decorations. Now, SOME people are actually stopping at a red light. Never thought this day would come…

• Speaking of driving, you know when the road forks and there's a yield sign on the right, well my dad decided not to take the right lane to yield so he was BACKING UP on this little yield road and we were about to hit a bus hahahahahaha. THIS IS THE LAND OF THE FREE!

• It's normal for anyone to carry around a gun or rifle. 

            Jana: "We have an AK47 hidden in our house." NO BIG DEAL, RIGHT?

JUNE 22, 2011

Today me and Dee spent the whole day with my aunt / 2nd cousin. We went to ABC which is a 5 floor department store. You could say it's like Macy's. Shit was so expensive for no reason. We then went to Bossini - I bought a lime green shirt. We then went to Roadster Diner. It's like Applebee's or TGI Friday's (they have them both here!). I ordered the fish filet, coleslaw, and steak fries. We then went back on the road and went to all my favorite European stores: Zara, Vero Moda, Stradivarius, Pimkie, XOXO, and Miss Selfridge. All I have to say is, thanks for taking all my money :)

We then went to eat gelato. The cafe had over 50 flavors including mint chocolate chip (which was full because nobody eats that crap) and green tea with mint. I had 2 scoops of the dark chocolate. I walked out of there with ice cream all over my lips. My aunt drove us back to her place in the mountains. There was traffic on the lane we were supposed to go on, and she didn't "feel" like waiting in traffic, so she just went against traffic on the other lane, like what she did was NOTHING. She is my hero.

I spent time with my 3 cousins: Marc (16), Myriam (13), Peter (9). Marc is a ginger. I have NO idea where he got his red hair from. Myriam looks just like Dee, olive skin and dark hair, and Peter looks like me. Myriam and me and Dee are the only Haddad girls. The other Haddad men have sons, and my aunts changed their last names.

Today Peter said: "I will be the next Elie Saab. I will make a dress out of KAAKAA for Lady Gaga. I'm sure she would wear it!" I LOVE HIM. I am actually learning more French by talking to him. Oh and he is SUCH a flirt. He told me likes 2 girls in his class and he cannot make up his mind which one he wants as his girlfriend. His mom also told me that Peter loved his science teacher last year and he asked her to marry him HAHAHAHAHAHA. I REPEAT, I LOVE HIM. I'm think of making a website called SHIT MY 9 YEAR OLD COUSIN SAYS. I will tell you more cute stories about him. He is definitely my favorite cousin from my dad's side.

I'm going to bed now before the electricity goes out again. Beach in the morning?

JUNE 21, 2011

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JUNE 20, 2011

Hello world.  So, most of you must be thinking "ugh another blog", but I figured it's the only way to show everyone how I'm spending my summer on the Mediterranean.  Our trip was on Qatar Airways from DC to Qatar to Lebanon.  We got here at 3 am local time.  By the time we got our luggage and drove home, it was around 4:30 am and believe it or not, we weren't even sleepy!  Me and Dee actually stayed up to watch the sun rise.  After that we opened all our closets, and were digging into our childhood memories.  We found a little white and red dress that I wore when I was 2 years old, size 33 sandals (size 4 or 5 in kid's), old VHS tapes, and Barbies LOL!  We finally fell asleep at 7 am, woke up at noon, and had breakfast (yes, breakfast!) on the balcony. We had za3tar pies, cheese pies, and meat pies. After that we walked around the mango and banana trees that we planted 7 years ago. 

Dee wanted dessert and couldn't wait any longer so we went to the grocery store to get her KitKat. Let me tell you something, KitKat in the Middle East is AMAZING.  MUCH MUCH MUCH better than KitKats in America.  Water bottles are really cheap too.  I bought a small water bottle for 35 cents?  There were also huge, and I mean HUGE, Vodka bottles. 

It was for $100. 

We then went to visit our aunt Amal in the valley, and Teta (grandma) and Uncle Samir in the mountain.  Dee was so scared on the way to Teta's house.  I don't really know how to explain the ride.  Just think of it as twisty one-lane roads with no side railings.  If 2 cars just so happen come face to face with each other, someone has to pull over on the side.

What was even more scary was how sick my Teta is.  I haven't seen her since 2004.  She teared up when she saw us.  I was trying so hard to hold back my tears.  I feel like most of her sickness is because she's lonely :(  People always take their grandparents for granted.  Growing up we always were dragged to go to Grandma and Grandpa's and never really wanted to spend time with them.  Now, it's times like these you wish you never acted like that.  Anyway, we were going through old pictures and it's crazy how much I look like my Teta and Dee looks like Jiddo (Grandpa).

Teta has a BIIIIIG garden, filled with olive trees, cactus trees, apricot trees, lemon trees, plum trees, and her own vineyard!

We left Grandma's and were all craving shawarma and falafel.  Best fast food sandwich in the world. It's basically smoked chicken shavings, lettuce, pickles, french fries (yes, in the sandwich) and garlic sauce wrapped in pita bread.

We then went to see my dad's little brother, Nabeel and my aunt.  His wife is actually my second cousin!  Her mother is my dad's dad's sister's daughter.  They both have 2 sons and 1 daughter.  I haven't seen the youngest since he was newborn!  He's too adorable now. He speaks fluent French and wouldn't stop talking and jumping.  Dee actually said: "Let's make a video of Peter and upload it to YouTube as drunk little boy!" 

We're home now. It's almost midnight and I am exhausted! I don't know what the plan is for tomorrow, so you'll just have to wait and see.

xoxo