Orient - ation

In a new city I always try to find landmarks to guide me - in Beirut it is the Orient Watch shop at the intersection of Hamra Street and my hotel's road which I navigate by... or appropriately Orient-ate myself.

After a long day contingency planning with my colleagues from Lebanon and Syria I went out for dinner with Kwok, Rick, Jeoung and Nigel to a seemingly sedate restaurant. As the evening progressed the lights were dimmed and the music turned up until suddenly we were in the middle of a buzzing bar full of lively stylish young Beirutites. On the streets coming back home there were hoardes of people from old men playing backgammon and smoking shisha to groups of stylish young teenagers warily eyeing each other up.... what a great city this is.