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The day has come when I have resumed sketching again.







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Today has officially been beauty day. I had my hair done. Face taken are of. New foundation. And two people said I look beautiful today. Only in Lebanon can a run-down raggedy teacher like me who is worn down from whatever turn into a beauty queen in less than two hours at a local beirut salon. Magic makers.





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No really. This is getting suffocating. People here are crazy. Period. And I love them. Period. Help!






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I love how it's almost 1am and people down the street are huddled up watching soccer on T.V. And so I learn that Ghana just lost to Egypt. My family in Ghana won't like this. I remember the pictures they sent last time Ghana won to Cameroon. The party went wild on the streets!





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One thing I learned to do in Lebanon, by Lebanon, because of Lebanon, is to love being alone even if for a full day or two. I see that it is a form of protection from the alternative of being out there and getting exposed to things I probably can't handle. Or can't handle yet. So I say to myself, Allah is protecting you and not isolating you. Yippee Ka Yeh cow girl! :-)





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There is melody in the air today ...





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Most teachers at the university here say the same thing -- first and second year english lit students can't put sentences together. But they will and can discuss voltaire with you like grad students.





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Everywhere I turn in Beirut, I seem to hear this new song by a Lebanese singer named Elissa -- if you can get the subtitles, you'll like it more. Here it is!





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I'm now on toot!



Check out the link and tell me what you think!






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Sometimes, I think I'm too child-like.






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Want to donate for Haiti? What to help out? Go to:

http://twitter.com/YELEHAITI






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On Earthquake situation in Haiti from Al Jazeera English: "Tuesday's quake - along with the more than 30 aftershocks measuring up to 5.9 in magnitude - was the latest tragedy to hammer the country, which has been scarred by years of unrest, crime and political tumult".

Follow the situation on Twitter by typing in: #Haiti

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Don't you love it, ladies, when he turns out to be gay?


PS: Did I mention that he is Muslim ...





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In the news: foreigners who look "foreign" aka white Caucasian, have been violently attacked and robbed in Lebanon. :-9






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شعر من كتابة محمود درويش :

وضعوا على فمه السلاسل
ربطوا يديه بيصخرة الموتى
و قالوا : أنت قاتل








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Some things are just unbarable. She tells me she's a muslim girl who prays and doesn't drink or do haram things and that she's happy to have met a muslim girl like me. Next day I find out she is dating three guys. And if you ask her, she insists that she doesn't drink or do haram things and that she's happy to have met a muslim girl like me.

The schizophrenia of muslims here is rrrrrrrrrrrreallly getting on my last nerrrrrrrrve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And this girl was raised in Toronto!






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There is a saying among the ladies here that Arab men are an open book in their emotions because it all shows easily, but a closed book in terms of their minds, because you can never know what they're thinking, even if you've lived with them for 20 years.

eek!






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Heartbreak hotel #2: Another acquaintance of mine said she moved to Beirut so she can marry her fiancee of one year. Two months after she came, he broke off the engagement. He said, once his mother saw her, she taught/thought she was "not pretty" enough for her son.

No joke, this woman's life changed completely, because one mother, influenced her son, who by the way is 33 years old.






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After this experience, I say with might and glory: Alhamdullilah I've known Islam in Canada and not here.







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I feel so old when the most, most, most most talented people I've ever met in my life are here and they're between the age of 20 and 23. Alhamdullilah I look younger than my age :-)





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My all time favorite Arab rap song ever ever ever!!!!!! for real, by boikutt, 20 year old palestinian boyyyyy: If you understand arabic hence the lyrics, you're lucky, some depth here...






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Some straight up palestinian rap by Boikutt (Ramallah Underground) performed in palestine back in 2007. Check it out.






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An acquaintance said she left her fiancee of two years because he wouldn't let her do yoga. hum. um. eh. err. okay.






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I'm sitting around in my pjs, marking papers, having choco puffs with milk, and listening to Tamer Hosny love songs. ya habibi what a life :-)




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