The land of extremes. A place where opposites seem to attract each other and then reveal the beauty of paradox. A place where the beauty of the mountains takes your breath away especially if you’re high enough to see the sun coming down on the sea and port, where their clothing ranges from covered women to the bikinis you see on the beaches, where most people in the nation are at least bilingual and many being trilingual, where the people are simultaneously incredibly gracious while being incredibly direct, where 18 religious sects coincide and the people are beautiful…. I mean really it’s kind of unfair that one nation has so many beautiful people.
Okay now you’re asking…”How do I book my ticket? Where do I sign up? Tell me for goodness sakes where the heck this place is!”
Well my friends, this is Lebanon.
Surprised? I hope not.
In being here about six months now I have fallen, deeply, madly and overwhelmingly for this nation. The amount of diversity and beauty in this small nation, with just above six million people, is astounding. The beauty of this nation from it’s ancient ruins and deep history, to the Cedars, to the mountains and the sea is wondrous. As the “Paris of the Middle east” the Lebanese people I feel are also the elegance of the Middle East. The way they walk, and the way they present themselves, everything dignified.
And can I quick mention the Arabic? For those who think Arabic is a rough language I would venture to say you may have never heard the Lebanese speaking. Now I find all versions of it beautiful but the style of the Lebanese Arabic is smooth and fluid like the French that many of them also speak. *Swoon*
There is also this beautifully frustrating way that they are in their hospitality and directness. Beautiful because of the warmth and honesty that it allows people to walk in. The Lebanese speak their mind, whether it’s in telling you how beautiful you are to telling you you’ve put on a couple pounds, it is nothing but honest. Frustrating for this Midwestern American girl who would love to be invisible (which my strawberry blonde hair makes impossible here) and just observe. Nope not gonna happen…that my friends is rude. You greet everyone as they come in and you learn everyone’s names… and sometimes more. (Let the reader understand here)
Though this post may be short it is only because I am still in the midst of these paradoxes and am delving into something, somewhere so beautiful I need to steep in it before I say too much.
With that said…. I am off to do more steeping
Wandering in the Middle East 