I first came to Lebanon for a party in July 2002, and every Lebanese person I met talked about the country as if it were paradise on earth. Five years later the joy and confidence have been replaced by caution and concern for the country's long-range future - but the love that Lebanese people have for this country is just as strong.
I've lived in central Beirut for the past fifteen months, making me more than a tourist and less than a native, and every day give thanks that I live in such a bright, colorful, fascinating, sometimes delightful and sometimes frustrating country.