Mmmmm, weekend.

I've seen and done so much these past few days that I feel like I'll burst if I don't write it all down. From the slick to the rugged, I've experienced a few more sides of Lebanon.

On the shiny side, my dad and I enjoyed some drinks at his favorite bar, Cayenne, close to the apartment. We sat on wooden stools in the crowded hangout and laughed with the bartenders as we all basked in the long awaited Friday afternoon ease. We walked through Gemmayzeh, a region famous for its roaring nightlife, to arrive at a cozy Italian restaurant to share some homemade lasagna and crispy pizza under the moon. The red and white checkered tablecloth had teeny black ants sewn into it. A whimsical touch. After dinner, we came nose-to-nose with a fuzzy Pomeranian puppy in a pet store window. His quizzical look stole my heart immediately, but my dad wasn't so enthused. Don't worry, Butterscotch. We'll come back for you.

Saturday morning was l-a-z-y and wonderful. I slept in until around 10:30, and we decided to pack up for a day at the beach. Seemed like everyone in Beirut had the same idea, too. While sampling nearly every radio station, including a static-ridden Portuguese channel, we inched alongside honking Mercedes' to reach the sunny, secluded Lazy B beach. My equally pale dad and I wafted between the rocky waterfront and the shade of the wobbly umbrellas covering our chairs. We read our novels side-by-side until the sun took a dip into the horizon. For dinner, we shared a grilled garlicked and hot-peppered grouper with hummus, cauliflower and eggplant. Uh-mayzin.

This morning, we woke at the crack of dawn to support Beyond Beirut's very first alternative tourism jaunt into the villages outside this city. My usual terror at the thought of walking across

busy streets was pleasantly unwelcome. NO ONE was awake. This is definitely a stay-out-late and sleep-in-even-later kind of culture. Reminiscent of Spain, a place I still have nostalgic pangs for.

This was a day of Roman temple climbing, fuzzy green almond picking, homemade Lebanese lunch tasting, new friends meeting, and warm sun-soaking. We also spent quite a bit of time on a bus whose cool air was a welcomed refuge from the beating yellow orb. I have some cheery pictures from today, including a series of pleasantly-surprising macro shots after finally discovering this setting on my trusty red Canon, but I'm so droopy-eyed that they will just have to wait for another time.

While I would love my time in Beirut to only consist of beach trips, sightseeing and sampling the mouthwatering local cuisine, I actually came here to gain some work experience with a Public Health company. I have a meeting with the CEO tomorrow afternoon. He sounds like a kind man from his email voice, which I'm told mirrors his true personality. I'm looking forward to adding a new dimension to my time in Beirut with this opportunity.

Now, with grateful feet and a belly full of pillowy Tiramisu ice cream, I'm enjoying a low-key evening with the Australia-Germany game playing in the background. It's a pretty close game (not). Poor Aussies...you're good at much more than football. You have really groovy accents, and I'm sure you fare better on the rugby field. Don't be sad.

Goodnight!