On my way to Beirut

So more then half way through the flight, I realize that I'm sitting in the wrong seat. That in fact if I'd sat in the right seat I would have had more rooms for my legs cause it's the emergency exit. I was in the seat directly behind it. Like usual I was not able to sleep. I pretty much checked the time every half hour. If I slept at all it was no more then 30 minutes.

Got to Heathrow 2 hours late, and of course had to go through security check of terminal 3. I don't get that coming off a plane where you've just gone through security to get on, you must go through security immediately. I mean where do they expect us to pick up stuff. I suppose that it's easier to scan everyone then to figure out what country they were from and how heavy duty they have been checked.

Of course you must only have one bag, not even a purse along with a bag, and you must take off your shoes. Waited 30 minutes in a line-up of probably 500 people along this endless corridor it seems.

While waiting in line, my sighing got the guy next to me talking. Just from the sound of his voice I knew he was Lebanese. He had the same accent as Samer speaking English. He bitched about how coming off a plane, we have to go through security.

Finally get through security at same time as Lebanese guy, and we both end up in the same area looking for the MEA counter, there isn't any. Finally we look for information and they tell us it's gate 27, and the plane is boarding. We run like mad to gate 27, and there they checked us in. Apparently a plane from NYC had landed at same time as mine, and I'm guessing between my plane and his plane about 4o passengers were flying to Beirut with MEA. So at least the plane waited for us before leaving. This was rather fortuitous.

We get on the plane and I have to fill a card to enter Lebanon as a foreigner. That is when it hit me that I had left the address where I was staying in Beirut at home. I stressed on the plane hoping my cell would work in Beirut airport so I can call fiance.

The MEA flight was interesting. It's the most children I've seen on a plane in years. Everyone is so friendly> Everyone and their mother talks to you. THere is a certain joy de vivre. Of course I surmised that a lot of Lebanese were coming home to visit. I was one of hte few non-Lebanese on the plane.

Just as we were about the land in Beirut, when I saw the outline of the coast and the buildings, this incredible urge to cry hit me. It wasn't because I'd finally made it to Lebanon after this dreadful week. It wasn't because I was reuniting with my fiance after 3 months apart. It's the first time I go anywhere that I get such intense emotions.

We landed and I noticed army dudes in the Airport. But they seemed more docile then the ones I saw in San Francisco in 1991. I was expecting the military presence. I get to the customs officer and thankfully after telilng him all I knew is that I was staying in Beirut, and that in the excitement of getting married in the next few days I'd left the address at home. He finally said he'd let me through 'this time' without the address.

A friend who I mentioned this, says, you always say "I'm staying at the Plaza hotel". Apparently every city in the world has a plaza hotel :P

My luggage was easy to spot and as I crossed customs I ran into my Lebanese companion of earlier one more time and then found my fiance and his mom waiting for me at the airport arrivals.