Blogging the War Away. [part I]
It’s a little bit funny. When the fighting was raging on in Lebanon, many Lebanese Bloggers were angry, in rage, and defying. We wrote and wrote, posted and protested. We were strong, proud, and man we were loud!
After the ceasefire, we seem to have lost momentum, and got drained out of all energy we had in us. Skeptical that the war is over just like that, and while cautiously waiting for the volcano to erupt once again, we curled up in a fetal position and cried NOSTALGIA, digging deep in our memories, reminiscing on good days long gone, listening to Fairouz, while we try to recuperate our mental balance and physical stability.
Or is it just me?
Everything I write and think about these days can easily be associated to a kind of a romantic, nostalgic, and “bourgeois” rambling.
Hah! If “music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel” as per Madonna’s words, I think war should bring them closer together, or at least blur the divide between them.
But actually this may be too utopic, and instead the line will be drawn even clearer. I think this will all be a more evident and obvious during the aftermath.
I wish our borders were as clear and as defined as the social, and ideological divide and divergence, which exists in Lebanon.
But honestly, Bloggers did a hell of job!
“This is the most blogged war ever” – CNN (AC360).
Truth be told, the Lebanese Bloggers had a lot of help too. The Lebanese media played an important role. They were particularly fast, vigilant, and efficient in portraying the reality of what was going on. We also received tremendous support from “foreign” blogger friends, who took on our case, and carried it into the intimacy of their own blogs, and delivered it to their own readers. They believed us, and they offered to lend us a hand. In this case they offered to help make our voices reach further, faster and easier. Some even went to the extent of posting a Lebanese flag on the index of their blogs to show their unconditional support for peace, and for truth.
We were all in the same trench, fighting the same demon. We were all, together, trying to put an end to “terrorism” in all its forms and shapes.
The war is not over yet; so please conserve your energies. But I never really got to thank you properly. I can’t name you all, but I can name the bloggers who left comments on urban_memories, and I know supported us, and still do:
Red, *(asterisk), pie and zee, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.
And to my gorgeous Lebanese Bloggers, whom I never met, and became close and good friends with, I give you a big hug, and a big kiss kiss without the bang bang inshallah (in God’s will).
To be continued…
posted by _z. @ 10:30 PM
20 Comments:
you're such a beautiful soul Z., don't worry we still have a lot of energy, hey we're lebanese... if we can dance for 10 hrs straight..
I regret the circumstances that led me to your blog, _z, but boy, am I glad I found it! We have the BBC here and papers like The Independent and The Guardian, but your own posts and Rosie's letters from Beirut were consistently far more enlightening than anything on our media. So, really, it is us who should thank you.
Here is sincerely hoping that the ceasefire holds and that your beautiful country recovers from the madness inflicted upon it.
No, we were definitely not in the "same trench."
:)
what an experience eh?
(umm..am i included in your gorgeous blogger list?)
Your words were not only kind and appreciative in a human sense, but also analytically sane.
Yes, it is "not over yet" and much still has to be done, secured or accomplished.
Or maybe I should say: Much still has to be understood and embraced in a new way.
The old dreams are gone, more so than ever.
But are we not all in the same boat, longing for new costal waters?
Don't we all have to reinvent "the dream", replenish it anew, wherever we are?
Mirvat! you can dance for 10 hours straight?
red, thank you for your kind words and constant support.
mmmmmmmm Anton.
princess... what question is that! of course you are. you were my introduction to the group. but we want your old name back. If you like we can call you princess L. if you insist on the princess.
And mr. zee, what can I say? you have always been the wise and analytical voice of reason here; trying to make sense of all this madness.
thank you for keeping us en-garde!
Ziad, you said it, what perhaps all of us were thinking, and forgot to think... You put your finger straight on the pulse. What a true and heartfelt post! (And I loved that great screen capture--says it all!)
Yes, nothing brings people together, or tears them apart, like war. Let's hope that's the end of it (at least for us--god knows we've had more than our share!).
And unlike the Princess, I'm not gonna ask. I'll just assume I'm one of the "gorgeous Lebanese Bloggers"; and I thank you! ;)
In hope that at least the North American contingent of us can meet soon...
Hey, _z.
I feel slightly uneasy at the way it seems in blogland that the war is over. I have kept my flag, though moved it down a little (I feel uneasy about this, too). My posts on the crisis are now in a drop-down menu.
It's been great "meeting" you, and I will continue to visit, of course. Like Red, I'm glad we hooked up. Shame about the circumstances.
Hopefully this truly is all over now and Lebanon can be rebuilt. It'll be a long road, I fear.
Great post.
Very well worded and I totally share your sentiments.
*nodding*
How Gorgeous!
hehe ashraf, thank you for your words... And I second your aspirations and hopes...
Thank you so much *(asterisk). the decrease of enthousiasm is normal, no need to feel bad about it. I also was fed up of war and sad posts, and kept wondering when was a good time to switch. I guess what I really wand to say is that we all need to catch our breaths.
babykaos, thank you. and welcome to urban_memories.
mar hayda inte el gorgeous, merci!
by the way, how come your friend can dance for 10hrs straight?
Ha! thank you for the baousi.
And here is a baousi for you, mwaaaaaaaah :D
;)
i grew up around the world.. partly in DDO in mtl.. i hope we one day get along in our region as i did with my middle eastern nonjewish friends in mtl..
lirun
telaviv
shou zouzou khatyarna? :)
i love to dance.. i used to take classes, salsa, ballroom and tango for 3 hours starting 5 pm then go off to the clubs till 5 am.. eh libneniyye
maybe the day will come when Mirvat will teach me tango ... what a site that would be:)
Oh _Z - I am not moderate, nor wise, nor even street smart.
I am only a skinny guy worried out of his wits.
That's all.
I hope so too lilrun! welcome to urban_memories.
walla walla mirvat, eh khatyaret ana men zamen. i am impressed. and please why don't you teach zee how to tango.
kessak zee (kessak = cheers)
Hi.
I did not even know ther were so many of us. Yes, I too slowed down my blogging and my last post is just a description of a dream I had. I don;t think of it as a sad thing, though....
-W
Hey Walid, you are right. It is not a sad thing at all.
thanks for dropping by.
Amen!
thank you z
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