If Logan is Walter, does that make me the dude?

Cover of The Big Lebowski

I alluded to it before. According to a New Zealand Travel Warning website, Beirut is in the part of the Lebanon classified as merely ‘very dangerous’, not ‘extremely dangerous’.

Don’t worry, I’m not losing my nerve. On the other hand well, I mean, Crikey! I was at the home of an old friend this morning who told me about a Mossad (Israeli intelligence) website, that listed all the reported threats to security for that… afternoon, and there appeared to be quite a few. Apparently a large shipment of Hizbollah explosives and ammunition had just sailed unimpeded to Lebanon from Egypt like Cleopatra going up the Nile. On the whole, it was all just about as bad as you could wish not to hear.

Now, Logan and I have been friends for a long time and I daresay always will be. The guy has been in a combat zone and seen shots fired in anger, as it were, served in the military and likes a cigar and a big Aussie red (wine) as indeed do I. He lives with his charming wife and two very bright and well mannered children. He also, and I don’t think he’d mind me saying this, is sometimes a bit like the character John Goodman plays in The Big Lebowski, only with the occasional limp caused by shrapnel fire.

Regards the dangers of moving to Beirut, I’ve thought about it, of course.

In my time I’ve seen guns being pulled and written about the Serbian underworld, and met them up close. Once I saw someone get shot – right on the street beside me. And of course I lived in the Roma neighbourhoods of Budapest. At one time or another, I’ve been chased by Hungarian cops, thrown in a Polish drunk tank, beaten up by skinheads and even had beer bottles thrown at me when my high school band played in front of the wrong crowd.

Right. Not exactly the same thing. By a long chalk. But it’s the best we’ve got, and we’re going anyway.

In reality, I’m not being flip about any of this. I will be taking every sensible precaution, and keeping my wits about me. Logan even recommended the best possible flak jacket, which was nice to know, but I’m hoping it won’t come in handy. I just finished editing a piece in Time Out Beirut where the editorial team got together in some fabulous location to eat gourmet chocolates, and write witty little comments about them for an article. The Four Seasons are confident enough to be opening a hotel in Beirut next year too. That doesn’t seem very terrorists-and-bombs to me, but we’ll have to see when we get there.

Ciao ’til tomorrow.