I'm in Lebanon shooting a movie called "Blood Taxi."
Cinema Paradiso meets Lost in Translation. Though for my part, i'm expecting a bit of Lost in La Mancha with an Arabic twang.
This guy owns one our our locations. A bakery. I bought one of Lebanon's staple snacks here. The name of this snack translates to "meat on bread" - the resulting delicacy did not dissapoint. As a side note - people look very skinny on a 17mm lens when the camera is held perpendicular.
A friend from the meat on bread shop.
Arabic Translation Quiz - (for answer see next picture)
The glamour of hours spent in the basement of Starbucks with a computer and a script. Now, you might be saying - "what kind of idiot goes to Lebanon and spends his time in Starbucks?" Normally, I'd agree with you (though my friend Chris who prides himself on eating at a McDonald's location in every country in Europe might not). However, in this case, Starbucks is the only coffee shop in Beirut that does not allow smoking inside. It's also one of the few places you don't hear incessant car honking.
My meat shop...as opposed to my bread shop.
Arabic Translation Quiz - (for answer see next picture)
The glamour of hours spent in the basement of Starbucks with a computer and a script. Now, you might be saying - "what kind of idiot goes to Lebanon and spends his time in Starbucks?" Normally, I'd agree with you (though my friend Chris who prides himself on eating at a McDonald's location in every country in Europe might not). However, in this case, Starbucks is the only coffee shop in Beirut that does not allow smoking inside. It's also one of the few places you don't hear incessant car honking.
My meat shop...as opposed to my bread shop.
5am calls to prayer...are fun to listen to from bed.
My pasta salad came with...mayo. The Lebanese might enjoy life in South Carolina.
Ahh - the final picture I took before an ill fated snap shot led me to an encounter with the secret police who forced me to erase it. The police detained me for about 30 mins and spent that time photocopying my passport - but otherwise were quite cordial. I should add that i don't think my passport photo helped my cause. (see below)
My friend Jeff Weiser would be a model in Lebanon!
Kid with funny pants.
Evidentally there are hobbits in Lebanon.
NEXT TIME:
My pasta salad came with...mayo. The Lebanese might enjoy life in South Carolina.
Ahh - the final picture I took before an ill fated snap shot led me to an encounter with the secret police who forced me to erase it. The police detained me for about 30 mins and spent that time photocopying my passport - but otherwise were quite cordial. I should add that i don't think my passport photo helped my cause. (see below)
Either the Lebanese police don't realize that there are other ways to take pictures than to aim my enormous Digital SLR at a block of apartments (hidden cameras must not have hit Lebanon yet) or the police are really bored.
My friend Jeff Weiser would be a model in Lebanon!
Kid with funny pants.
Evidentally there are hobbits in Lebanon.
NEXT TIME:
Rafik Hariri's assassination demonstration, free condoms and lots of parking for your moustache.
I'm so amused, particularly by the kid with weird pants and the hobbit house. I wish you could bring back some meat bread for me to try.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you were in Lebanon. Your photos are great. Keep 'em coming!!
ReplyDeleteJon S.
Charles, those 5 a.m. calls to prayer will stay with you for years and years; they're haunting somehow and I still have the chants in my head from a trip to India almost nine years ago. About that passport photo ......
ReplyDeleteHey, that lebanese kid stole my pants!
ReplyDelete