Ali is still in Marjayun

I just talked to Rola and she said they left her brother, Ali, there, because he "didn't want" to come back with them Wednesday morning. Ali is a 9th grader that I taught World History to this year.

He's with his mom in Marjayun, a village in the South. Wednesday morning they started bombing. A bomb went off about 100 meters from their house and some of the rocks hit grandpa. So they hightailed it to Beirut.

But now there's no getting out of the South. They've destroyed all the roads.

And so now I'm really mad and upset. All the emotions are starting to flood me and it's really hitting me.

I finished packing, by the way. I'm ready to go. They say when we get to Beirut it'll take 15 minutes to get my passport from the office of the General Security. But what takes 15 minutes in Beirut???

Oh, and the latest update from the U.S. State Dept. is that they're working with the Dept. of Defense to get some kind of boat to take the Americans to Cyprus. And from there they'll get flights for us. And they said we have to pay for it, but they'll stick us with the bill later. (That was one positive I was hoping to get out of this--a free flight home. . .No luck there.)

So now I'm about to go to Rola's house for dinner. This was supposed to be the last night we could spend together, the group. But the other Rola is in Broumana, the other mountain, and can no way come, and I haven't been able to get through to Randa or her husband Rabih all day.

I guess I've been really calm up to now. But now things seem different. I'm starting to get freaked out--mixed with feeling rushed, really pissed off that I have to leave this way, and not wanting to leave.

What the hell is Israel doing? Why are they trying to trap us? How can they destroy so quickly what took so long to rebuild? It's so disgusting.

I wouldn't leave, if it wasn't for my mother and father and I guess my siblings and others, who would really freak out if I didn't take this boat when I had the chance.

You know everyone was telling me to get out from Wednesday, and I was like whatever. And I guess you all were right.

I don't think this is going to blow over, and I think it's going to be really hellish staying here. Not for the bombs and stuff, which God-willing will end soon, but for all the shortages--gas, food, water, electricity.

But I don't know if I'm blowing things out of proportion. Right now, I'm just really upset and shaking.

On the news, they show these little kids that the Israeli soldiers sliced into pieces. That's what people are talking about.