Hi,
Welcome to readingwhilefalling.
I began this blog at the start of the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and kept it up until the cease-fire.
In June of 2006, I scraped together my (paltry) savings and took off for the middle east, determined to get a better, first-hand understanding of the region, its people and all its purported complexities. In spite of my grand itinerary, my first and last stop was Beirut; three days after arriving, Israel bombed Hariri Int'l Airport and I was stuck.
I spent the war assisting a local NGO with its psychological relief program directed towards children who had had their homes destroyed and who had lost loved ones.
Also, I did my best to keep a record of my observations and experiences: RWF, a series of photos, quotes, conversations and (a pile) of thoughts.
Given the circumstances, the hastily written blog still has spelling errors and parts that need obvious edits. Nonetheless, at the request of a few and for authenticity's sake I've decided to leave the blog up, unedited, in case anyone (now or in the future) might find it useful.
So, if this is your first time here, I suggest you flip back to the first post and work your way to the front.
Good luck and thanks for reading,
T
