There are many reasons why I love Beirut, the city where I immediately felt at home.

I love the repeating clicking sound that the falafal guy makes at Barbar.
I love "Hi, keefak, ça va?"
I love watching children play at Raouche.
I love watching pretty girls from the bench in front of Coffee Shop.
I love the smell of fresh air at la Centrale when the roof opens up.
I love buying books at the Librarie Orientale and Antoine in Hamra.
I love the cats at AUB.
I love eating ice cream on Bliss Street.
I love watching girls in high heels climb the high hill to get to LAU.
I love the Corniche on a Saturday afternoon.
I love getting caught staring by pretty girls at De Prague.
I love complaining about the salt water pool at St. George.
I love ordering "wahad manouche, y'anni cocktail, jibneh ou zataar, please."
I love chatting about the mondiale while taking a service.
I love drinking root beer, which I can't find in France.
I love rue Monot during the day.
I love that I can have anything delivered and everyone knows where New Perfect Home is.
I love eating Dunkin Donuts and reading the newspaper.
I love the Visit Palestine poster at Barometre.
I love complaining about the way downtown was redone.
I love saying "buzzle" and "blease."
I love learning a Sierran folk song from a Lebanese friend.
I love that I get teased for using fus-ha.
I love Lebanese girls giving me butterflies in my stomach.
I love my friends.

I love you, Beirut, and I miss you terribly already.

masrou2a men "The Lebanon Chronicle", www.thelebanonchronicle.blogspot.com