March 28, 2021 One more week, one more weekend. Not much to report. Several religious celebrations are taking place, creating the conditions for the virus to spread. Thursday was a holiday here; the Feast of the Annunciation. I didn’t teach. Today is Sunday of Palms and the streets were brimming with Homo Sapiens. I just … Continue reading Beirut: religion and COVID, Phoenician Wall, Rounding the Horn
Mach 22, 2021 It was an uneventful weekend. Saturday we were invited for lunch at a friend’s house to celebrate her birthday. We had home-made Lebanese food, arak, plenty of wine, and multiple desserts. We came back late and Sunday we paid the consequences. But I did manage to go for a run at the … Continue reading Beirut: a pleasant weekend, still no government, progress planning the sailing trip
March 14, 2020 Yesterday we moved to another bubble where we continue to scape reality. We left the apartment yesterday, Saturday, morning and drove to El Kfour, a village in the mountains north of Beirut that overlooks the bay of Jounieh. We are staying at Beit Trad - Guest House. It used to be the … Continue reading El Kfour: escaping reality, a new interpretation of psychosis, got airplane tickets.
February 28, 2021 We arrived to Beirut on February 15, late afternoon, after a very long and tedious trip from Ecuador with scales in Atlanta and Paris. The city remains under lockdown; most businesses are closed and to go out one needs to get a permit from a government web site, indicating when you are … Continue reading Back in Beirut: lock-down, vaccines, and climate change
February 8, 2021 Because of the time difference with Beirut (-7h), my wife Natalia has to get up early several days a week to participate in virtual meetings; sometimes at 3:30am, often at 4 or 5am. I wake up when she does and can’t always go to back to sleep. This means that we have … Continue reading Casa Blanca: Clock Reversion
January 28, 2021 We are still here in Casa Blanca and will likely stay put for another two weeks. Beirut remains under a lockdown, apparently the most stringent in the world. We are in the mist of the rainy season. The skies are gray and heavy, the days humid and hot, and there are plenty … Continue reading Casa Blanca: Missing opportunities for the local economy
January 11th, 2021 We have been here in Casa Blanca for almost one month and it is likely that we will stay for yet one more. The reason is that Beirut is, again, under lock down; a severe lock down with all business closed. It seems the Lebanese partied hard during the holiday season and … Continue reading Casa Blanca: good times, delayed return
December 20, 2020 Natalia, Marina (who came from Washington DC), and I are back in Casa Blanca. We arrived Tuesday early afternoon after a 5.5h drive from Quito. The journey from Beirut was long but uneventful. This is supposed to be the rainy season yet we haven’t experienced much rain and the hills surrounding … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Same – Ecuador
December 6, 2020 We had a fine Thanksgiving with a few friends who came over for lunch (the lockdown started at 5pm so we couldn’t do dinner). I was in charge of the Turkey, gravy, the stuffing and the selection of wines. This time I cooked the stuffing separately, in a casserole. I filled the turkey, … Continue reading TG, Arm, Shouf Biosohere (Cedar Forest), Deir El Qamar, Mast, Fiestas de Quito
November 8, 2020 The last several weeks, particularly after October 12, have been very difficult; a struggle. And not because of the situation in the country, not because of the explosion and personal losses. I will only say that relationships are sometimes complicated and require infinite patience and perseverance to make them work. Things … Continue reading Beirut: A new place, a new beginning, the start of the race, update
