July 15, 2006

Should I stay or should I go? (But that's more of a rhetorical question.)

What a dumb question you might ask. Everyone is telling me to leave. At least all the e-mails I receive are telling me to leave.

I just talked to an American at AUB. She's getting in a car and going to Syria in half an hour. She knows this other group going in an hour if I want to come down now.

I think going through Syria is a bad idea. Maybe I've lived in Aley too long. But I don't feel safe in Syria. I have neighbors who've spent long times in Syrian jails.

Oh, and I don't have my passport. It's somewhere in Beirut.

She said the U.S. government is going to organize a convoy for Monday, probably to get Americans to Cyprus.
(And really I'm wondering more if I get an all-expense paid trip. That could really help me out. My mom said No, though.)

And then there's just the moral and emotional weirdness of my friends, half-joking, saying, "Take me with you."

I'm just not that freaked out. Bassem, who teaches high school Social Studies in Arabic at my school, predicts Hizbollah will back down in the next couple days, and it will end. Lebanon's economy is just going to be killed. He thinks it'll take about 6 months to rebuild the roads, bridges, airports.

There was nothing last night.
But I think they're pounding Ein Helwe right now, the most notorious Palestinian Refugee Camp in the south of Lebanon.

I'll work on getting that passport, and if the U.S. government organizes something, I'll go with. But I'm not heading in some car to Syria. No way.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jane,
This is Dilek's dad Haluk. We have all been concerned greatly about your safety and with the escalation of attacks into Beirut by Israel.I am glad that you have electricity and some friends nearby. I hope the evacuation by US will take place soon and you can be removed from the coflict zone. If you are evacuated to Cyprus and may have an option to fly to Turkey please keep in mind my mother Sema in Istanbul will be happy to host you there. If you need to contact her let me know I can give you her phone number and adress.Your common sense about which options to choose from seem good. Continue exploring them. I wish for your safety and others around you as this conflict continues for a while. With all our deep concern and best wishes for your safe exit out of the current hostile situation,
Haluk (Dilek's DaD)