Living Situation

My laptop is internet-capable again, thanks to a solid couple hours of googling the problem, so here I am with the first of what will hopefully be regular posts.

I've been here for just over a week now, and am thoroughly settled into my space. I feel, though, like I've been here for at least a month. Maybe it's the rapidity with which the sights and sounds that were strange at first have become ordinary: the calls to prayer from the mosque near our building, the tank permanently stationed down the street, the carts selling edible cacti, the constantly screeching tires and horns that sound like sirens have all become part of my day-to-day life.

This isn't to say, though, that I don't continually marvel at some of the things that Beirut has to offer, but since I've not updated much, I'll start out with something simple.

Let me show you my room:

It's a very bright room in the daytime, and airy, so while I'm in here I never feel closed in. Many thanks to everyone - and there are a good deal of people - who helped me to get here, and some of whom have left personal traces all over the room. Wherever I look I see reminders that there are wonderful friends and family members in my life, so, again, thank you!