Not to get all New-Age, but I think that every place has a spirit, a kind of vibe that pervades the entire country. Maybe it's not there all the time, but you can hear it in the people you talk to, taste it in the food you eat, feel it when you're walking down the street. It's a hard thing to articulate, but in Lebanon, it was wild. Maybe the whole lack of government thing contributes to it, but it seemed free. Not in the western sense of FREEDOM in all caps, but as in anything could happen. Syria seemed more rigid, structured, but still incredibly warm. Even though you recognize that saying the wrong thing could easily end you up in prison, that rigidity is countered by the shopkeepers shouting at you "you are welcome in syria!"-- even if you're making no indication to come buy some of their wares. Jordan somehow seemed more ancient and more modern, maybe because the bedouin version of texting-while-driving seems to be by donkey.
I found myself trying to pin down Israels spirit. And it's boring and hostile. Not to make huge generalizations about a country (cuz I haven't already done that in this post..), but so far, the people I've met have been largely arrogant, unfriendly, and self-centered. Maybe it comes from having to perpetually defend yourself, having a culture so largely based on the idea that 'we have a right to be here and you don't', or maybe I'm just used to people being so friendly.
But I don't know. Could also just be Tel Aviv. Still, part of me wants to try and hop the border back to Beirut.
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