Diaries of an Indignant Lebanese — part 4
Tuesday, 17 August, 2021
13:58
I’ve been looking for water bottles for over a week now. And it’s been a nightmare. I called the minimarket around the corner, and they’re out of stock. I downloaded an app and ordered a pack from a bigger market. The order comes back to me with the suggestion to replace the pack of 6 bottles with something else. Like what? Wine? Gum? Seeds and nuts?
So, I waited a couple of hours in the hope that they would refill their stock. Made another order. Same problem. It took me another trial at yet another shop to get my water bottles.
14:22
The 6 bottles just arrived. Eventually got them from a gas station because the markets ran out of them. Do you think I can find gasoline at the dentist's?
14:36
Anything is possible these days…
16:00
I am currently rescheduling the meeting I had planned with a Lebanon-based coworker because he has to go out and look for gas. He’s been without gas since earlier this morning and has no means to cook food or heat the water.
16:08
And that’s when the working life meets the Lebanese life…
17:11
Second power cut of the day. The first one was shorter. Looks better than last week. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Or is it a decoy? A short break before a more debilitating tempest?
18:51
Definitely was a decoy.
19:20
Today’s meeting was canceled. My coworker is still roaming the streets going from one place to another to get gas. He’s about to run out of fuel and his phone battery is about to die. Sent him a couple of locations for gas factories but I doubt any is open at the moment. Someone is not going to enjoy a “showerless” day.
19:45
19:45
Just learned that there has been another explosion (other than the one in Akkar)… this time it’s in Beirut. Militants fired a B7 on a gas station; they’re from the Zaiter clan…
Just a couple of days ago, in Akkar, a guy shot a tank that contained thousands of tons of fuel that remained there for the people to access for free, after the Army had seized the bigger portion that was meant to be smuggled. The son of the smuggler preferred shooting the tank to seeing poor people benefit from those precious drops. And that meant that more than 30 people had to die and more than 80 are suffering from injuries. It’s not as if hospitals had the means to manage yet another crisis… They’re calling for med donations to be able to treat the burns…
And now, this! A rocket. In Beirut… At a gas station. What’s wrong with people?
19:51
Oh, no! I had no idea…
23:17
Another update. An electricity substation exploded, too. In Beirut.
23:18
Heard about that one. Something weird is going on.
23:28
When isn’t that the case?
