This is the Nicolas Sursock Museum. Located in Achrafieh it had an exhibit of French posters, which I saw yesterday. However, on the day that I took this picture the place was closed. Places here close are random hours. For example, people usually go to Museums on the weekend or on holidays when they have time. Nevertheless, this museum closes in the early afternoon on weekends and it is closed on holidays. How do I know this information? I tried going twice and succeeded on the third attempt.

Statue is located directly in front of the Museum. The girl hugging the statue looks really familiar. Wonder who she is?

This is a poster of Rafiq Hariri and his son Saad Hariri. I was talking to a taxi driver the other day and he told me a little theory about the Hariris. He said Saad doesn’t really look like his father nor does he look Lebanese for that fact. There have been rumors that his mother had a little affair with one of the Saudi princes. However, this is only a rumor poor guy is accused of being Saudi because of course he was raised there and you can’t get away not being affected and shaped by the country and society you were raised in. Taxi suggested that a DNA test be done in order to ensure that he was really Lebanese, especially since he will probably be running the country in a few months.

It took a lot of effort on my part to get this picture. Do you people have any idea how many soldiers I asked to take pictures with? At least 6 however they refused with the excuse that they were on duty. When I approached the guy in the picture he smiled and said yes. “Vite, vite…(French)” Of course if I hurried so no one would see. Although, as soon as I begin to pose for the pictures I see another soldier approach us. It was the soldier that I had asked before, walked over smiling (yes the one that refused to be in the pictures), and told me to hurry.

Pictures taken May 29th. The day of elections in Beirut.

Beirut is a very unique place to visit. It is a place where east meets west. Lebanon is a country where numerous groups and religious sects co-exist Armenians, Jews, and Arabs of different persuasions.

Its capital is a place where you can see women walking on the street with revealing clothes even by Western standards walking next to women which are covered from head to toe.

In this particular picture a girl is swimming with full gear and hijab/Iranian style.

If I had the desire to swim in the Mediterranean Sea I too could practically jump in. Although, the location where this girl was swimming is not very popular, only men hang out there, no actual beach. The beaches where the Lebanese go to sun bathe is actually located a couble of minutes from this place. Beaches in Beirut are very expensive about 20,000 Lebanese Lira ($1 = 1, 400 lira). People don't go there to swim just chill in the sun. I will not be partaking in this activity since I am already a lovely shade of brown.

Tis all for now.