Beirut

It is hard to accept, but people in Lebanon are not that bad. The impression in Dubai is that they are mean and to themselves and a whole bunch of other stuff, but the common person in Beirut is simple, stylish, extremely ... extremely ... extremely proud of being a Lebanese, and kinda friendly as well. (All the waiters were friendly and I have not gone shopping but I am sure I will be given better treatment than I get in Zara)

Needless to say, women are just out of this world. They are fashionable, sexy, kinda mean (I've only heard that - obvisouly a desi like me would never go and talk to one because of sheer fear of embarassment that she might say something in French that I would would not understand and a hundred people around would laugh at me thinking "nice try habibi, but you aint LIBANAISE sucker !!!".), and yeah they are always alongwith other men who just dont look good at all (no I am not jealous !!! Its a fact!).

They have Super Clubs in Beirut. My weird imagination did not want to think too much about it but then a colleague just made it very clear what these places are. Lets just say, I saw a beautiful bazar in Byblos and a Super Club close to it reminding me of Sultanahmet in Istanbul and Pat Pong in Bangkok. Its a "PIMPING" place - literally.

We had lunch at a restaurant on a high cliff in Byblos overlooking the ocean. Whoever does not believe in God, please visit this restaurant and you will definitely change your mind. The food, as expected, was amazing. A colleague and her husband took me out to this place, and they ordered food for me as well. I just binged, because my stomach kept reminding me I am a punjabi and that too a lahori, with a sweet tooth - lethal combination. Interestingly, when I was finished, I was told that all of the food was just starters, the main course is on its way. Yeah, I had the main course as well.

Beirut is not as war ridden as we see on television. However, the civil war and the last three years have taken away a lot from the "Paris of Middle East". You see the military and tanks on the streets but they are just there because of the battle these past few weeks. It is a beautiful place, with a history, culture, and as a colleague put it "a soul". It just makes one wonder what would this place be like if there was no war - but then something needs to satisfy the egoistic needs of all the greedy men of the world.