My Trip to Lebanon: Disappointing Progress in Germany

Note: These were written during my trip to Lebanon and so arent actually occurring. I wrote them each day during my trip on my computer because my internet accessibility was greatly restricted. They are each being posted on a different day. The time and date is usually mentioned at some point in the piece and you may notice changes in word tense because I alternate between what I’m doing as I type the blogpost with events that happened throughout the day. Although I went for family, I took the opportunity to blog my experiences mostly surrounding my discoveries of political, social and religious issues in the country.


As my followers already know, I don’t usually discuss my personal life too much, however, I’m making an exception. Before I began my travel, my former college roommate mistakenly asked if I was traveling to Lebanon for my blog. I corrected him by saying that I was going for family, but he made me realize the trip would be a great opportunity to try to (briefly) reconnect with the country I grew up in as well as Arabs from the region and let my readers know about it; that is the purpose of this series. Through it all, I hope to make it a pleasant read as well.

This is the view that greeted me at Frankfurt. (My photo)

As I type this paragraph I’m sitting in the main airport in Frankfurt, Germany. I’ve been stuck here after arriving from Boston, USA for seven hours with two more to go and it JUST OCCURRED TO ME that I should type out my thoughts before I lose them.

Lufthansa flags with a German man. (My photo)

I flew on Lufthansa which is a decent airline that stops through Germany. The only regret I do have about using it is landing here, Frankfurt, where I have no internet. I’m here, typing on Microsoft Word after spending hours searching for a rumored Starbucks that offers free Wifi with a purchase of a cup of coffee. After, literally, 3 hours of misdirection by every attendant in the damn airport, we arrived at the Starbucks, only to find that the rumor was just that: a rumor; the waitress laughed.

Our gate had cots! (My photo)

                Frustrated, we returned back to our gate and sat there, searching for an outlet to plug our dying laptops, only to be reminded that, in fact, our US plugs don’t work on European outlets. Some way, somehow we mustered the strength to leave (note I’m wearing Loafers with no foot support!). We left our gate seats to purchase a “converter” (not its real name) so we can use the German outlets. We were guaranteed that if we left the gate we wouldn’t have to go through customs once more; upon returning we realized we were lied to ….again. (Bastards! It’s no wonder Germans have such a bad rap!) After standing in (what seemed to be) a longer line each time, I have finally found myself here, typing away with a nicely charged laptop while gazing at these massive airplanes prepare, arrive, and leave. Two more hours, breath.

                To pass the time I’ve decided to watch a movie. I whipped out my long overdue version of Repomen and watched as my movie was constantly interrupted by people wishing to use my toughly fought over German electric outlets. Two of those interrupters weren’t so sour of men. The first man, 5’9 dark in composition but bright in personality at the age of 35, came up and asked me directly if I was Arab. Fearing he was in line with the FBI, I began yelling out about how the Jews controlled him; I also declared my dominance over everyone else. All jokes aside, in response to his question, I told him I was and, as it turned out, so was he. It was refreshing to meet him and we discussed the uprisings throughout the region. He showed the same hope that all other Arabs I know have shown, and was traveling to Bahrain to visit family who had been injured from the government’s harsh crackdown. We exchanged pleasant conversation until his daughter started beating up his son.

                I returned to watching Jude Law gut people in his movie, until I was interrupted by another man, this time, far shorter in composition but just as friendly. He asked permission to use my outlet and after checking my fully charged laptop battery, I allowed him to use it (Making the world a better place, one outlet allowance at a time!). After discussing how frustrating no free wifi was in the airport, the conversation shifted to our travel itineraries. I told him I was traveling to Lebanon, and he responded with joy as he told me he was traveling back home to Tunisia. As with the last man, the conversation turned to the uprisings where we discussed corrupt politicians, the brutality of Ghaddafi and Al-Assad, and the power and potential of the Arab youth. It, again, reaffirmed my beliefs that, as Arabs, we were moving to more progressive governments but more importantly, more progressive ideas.

A change in mentality of Arabs wasn’t the only thing reaffirmed during the conversation. It also reminded me of the sad anti-Semitism that prevails in Arab societies and train of thought. As we were discussing the horrible crimes of Al-Assad and Ghaddafi, the second man said (translated):

“These dictators aren’t just on the same level of Jews, they are worse than Jews, they are devils.”  I can’t quite get a perfect translation on the last word, but you get the point. He was very seriously implying that Jews are just one notch less evil than the devil (or evil equivalent) on the Evil Scale.

The uprisings in the region have brought great change to so many people. Even if, as I predict, the economic situations of the nations like Egypt and Tunisia don’t change immediately, they will soon have the freedom to change their leadership accordingly; that is what the Syrians, Bahrainis, Yemenis, and Libyans are fighting for. Yet here we are, progressively pushing forward as we continue to stomp on the one of the most historically hated religious groups in the world. 


We must realize that as our hearts are inspired by the Arab youth, our minds must recognize that holding such hate against a people will always hold humanity back. I’m not saying that the policies of a nation that identifies as a Jewish one armed by a Jewish army are just (I have a draft post in the works), but I am saying that pointing our finger at others seems rather childish by now; blame isn’t needed, introspection is. I’m reminded of the hatred toward Jews as I sit here in Germany watching the sun hide behind the sparse yet thick clouds; let us not allow our thoughts to go down that path once again because one time is one too many.

Thursday 6/23/11 7:55 pm Frankfurt, Germany. Soon to be on route to Beirut, Lebanon. 

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