Queer ways April 8, 2007
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Beirut, Lebanon, Manama, Pictures, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Sweden.19 comments
On the parking lots by some of the malls here are yellow spiky metal thingies sticking up from the ground that are designed in a way that you can only drive from one direction or they will puncture you tires. They also have them by the gates of many compounds to protect them from evil minded people. If you drive from the right direction they will be pushed down into the ground as you drive across them. If you drive the other way, well then you will have to make a visit to your local tire company very soon. Seems some people aren’t aware of this, or well at least not the Asian driver that took his employers big ass GMC and drove the wrong way just as I left Dhahran mall. First I heard like a strange sound as if he was driving with his wheels touching the sidewalk and then the sound of tires going flat. He didn’t realise that all tires were going flat until some Saudi guys started pointing and waving for him to stop. Hmm poor guy probably got a one way ticket back to wherever he came from…
Not much happening here. Still haven’t been to Bahrain since mid January and it’s like buhu. I am hoping the passport will come next week. Not sure how I feel any longer about things other than I know it’s not normal for me to live in a place like this. I know if you’re brought up here you think it’s all normal but to me it just isn’t. It’s just too weird for me not to see women anywhere…Ah I won’t go into that.
Was hoping to go to Beirut sometimes April but I don’t think it will happen since my mother in law is heading this way soon. Ah, how I miss my Beirut.
Something I find quite interesting here is the gay Filipino men working in some of the shops here. How do I know they are gay…? Well they are blatantly gay no doubt about it, and I find it quite cool. Before you come here you hear so much about gays having a hard time here and I am sure that’s true but these gay men working in the shops (and being all gayish as these guys are) are a slap in the face of the system here. Or isn’t it? Is it perhaps just a notion that gays aren’t welcome in this society? Anyway, I am less sure of their nationality than I am of their sexual orientation. They make me smile though.
And by the way, I know it is common here and in some other Arab countries that men hold hands but I still can’t help but smiling when I see it. It’s just so cute hehe. My son just can’t get over it. If you saw two men holding hands in Sweden you would know for sure they are gay (unless they are arabs that is hehe) but of course that’s not the rule here. I just feel like “coochycoochy how cute” when I see two tall men in thob, gutra and beard holding hands muaaahaahaha. Such sweeties.
Lebanese goodwill January 25, 2007
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Lebanon, War.add a comment
As Chirac is making jokes about the delayed lunch at the international conference that is held in order to raise money to rebuild Lebanon the Lebanese riots have once again begun. This time it started at the Arab University. Apparantly student trading insults which in the end turned out to fights, rocks being thrown and cars set on fire. Most Lebanese channels have been following the conference but NEW TV has been showing footage from the areas of the fights. Fights that are spreading from area to area. Before lunch Chirac said that a total amount of 7 billion dollars had been raised so far. Pretty nice, but what if they put a bigscreen tv in the hall of the conference and showed all the delegates what is going on in Beirut right now. Would they really want to hand out their money or cancel debts to a country full of people with no will whatsoever to improve things. Don’t think so.
Denmark gave Lebanon 3.5 million dollars which I think is quite big of them. When the Danish consulate was burnt down last year the Lebanese army didn’t really lift a finger to stop people. They did a good job in protecting the rest of Achrafie but that was about all they did that day. We can all have our opinions about Denmark after what happened but I still think it’s quite big of them to even participate in this conference.
And here goes the the Lebanese again January 23, 2007
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Israel, Lebanon, War.3 comments
Beirut is on fire once again. There is nothing that can justify this kind of action. I am so dissapointed that the Lebanese never ever stop this fucking bickering. Cus that’s all it is. Nasrallah holds mighty speeches, Aoun bitches, Saad moans, Jumblatt twirls back and forth changing sides as it suits him, Geagea cries like a baby, but in the end they don’t make any fucking progress at all. I’m so damn sick of it. As if they needed the Israelis to fuck their country up. I can’t see them ever getting on as LEBANESE. Simply beacause being Christian, Sunni, Druze or Shia is much more important.
What is wrong with you guys? You have the greatest spirits in the Middle East, the most beautiful and hospitable people, the most stunning country, the best food, the greatest capital… but you still bitch. Aren’t there any common grounds upon which you can be united? I am seriously sick of you my beloved Lebanese.
The never ending Lebanese story November 21, 2006
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Lebanon.4 comments
Lebanon’s minister of Industry Pierre Gemayel was assassinated today as he sat in his car in New Jdeideh. According to reports his vehicle was rammed by the 
assassins’ car before Gemayel was shot at point-blank range as the assassin got out of the car and walked up to him. Pierre Gemayel was a member of the infamous Christian Phalange Party of Lebanon which his grandad (also named Pierre Gemayel) founded in 1936. The Phalangist are believed by many to be among the responsible for the 1982 massacre in the Palestinian refugee camps Sabra and Shatila
This assasination has heightened the already tense political situation in Lebanon where recently five shia ministers resigned after Lebanese political leaders broke off round table talks without having come to a conclusion to the crisis facing the country.
Saad Hariri, leader of the Future Movement and son of the late Rafik Hariri broke of a news conference after hearing that Gemayel had been shot and hailed him as a brother and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Need I go on?
Another tragic assassination in Lebanon and surely not the last one. During the war on Lebanon by the Israelis I was devastated but apparantly the war was nothing but an interruption and a disturbance for the Lebanese in their bickering amongst each other.
When will they stop fighting and killing each other in this small but amazing country? Probably never. It is like someone combined the crooks and plots of the movies Street Fighter and all the Batman movies and made a country with a screwed up political system.
So many Lebanese dissapoint me greatly. At the Mövenpick lunch the other day I sat next to a Christian ex-colleague of my husband. We can call this man eeh, Hitler. As we started talking about the war of 2006 he exclaimed that it was Terrible! Yes, I said, With all the bombings and killing, really terrible. Ah, he goes, The bombings weren’t so bad? How do you mean, I said, What about all those villages in the South? What villages? Only shias live there, he said with a laugh. We all laughed in my neighbourhood when we heard of it….said lil Hitler. Who is up for dessert?
Needless to say, my jaw dropped when he expressed his views on the war. Unfortunatly his way of thinking is not uncommon in Lebanon.
When I lived there I often met people that thought that other groups deserved to be kicked out of Lebanon or even be killed. In my love for the people of Lebanon and due to my naive outlook on them I always argued with whoever spewed hate on the other side, whatever side it might be. I am really dissapointed in them and I think the chances of the Lebanese living peacefully toghether is as great as the Israel-Palestine conflict to be solved.
Oh and just one more thing… August 8, 2006
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Lebanon.5 comments
To all the Israelis out there (just did my second news round of the day), I hate to say it but I fucking hate ya all.
The Children of Qana July 31, 2006
Posted by Aella in Beirut, War.4 comments
As I was sleeping in my warm bed,
they were forced out of theirs in little pyjamas,
sleepy eyes and with little warm feet they tumbled to the shelter
As I woke up at night to feed my baby girl,
they cried in the dark, dusty, crowded room,
little hands trying to wipe their last tears
to no use at all
As I woke up from the laughter of my daughter and kissed my sleeping son,
they screamed from the noise of falling bombs,
terrified clinging on to their crying mothers
to no use at all
As I made breakfast, watched the sun kiss the rooftops, listened to the cries of sea gulls
they were dug out from the rubble
still in their little pyjamas
still desperatly clinging on and
still in the embrace of their beloved mothers
all with cold feet
Soppy bi*ch July 28, 2006
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Lebanon, Sweden, War.add a comment
Listened to one of my old favourites as a child today and it kinda hit me hard…cus of the situation today..
Anthem from Chess
No man, no madness
Though their sad power may prevail
Can possess, conquer, my country’s heart
They rise to fail
She is eternal
Long before nations’ lines were drawn
When no flags flew, when no armies stood
My land was born
And you ask me why I love her
Through wars, death and despair
She is the constant
We who don’t care
And you wonder will I leave her — but how?
I cross over borders but I’m still there now
How can I leave her?
Where would I start?
Let man’s petty nations tear themselves apart
My land’s only borders lie around my heart
Guilt July 26, 2006
Posted by Aella in Beirut, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sweden.2 comments
Been to the dr today for some test so I can proceed my visa application process. Will have to take wait a few days for the results.
Don’t know what to say about things anylonger. Really don’t.
There will be a demonstration here on Friday. I will go there.
What can I do for people now? Any really good suggestions?
S as in Saudi 