I’ve started working on a new project with Association Najdeh in Chatila. More on that later, but for the moment I can show you what I have achieved so far, which consists solely of having photographed dead tarantulas in the basement of the vocational center.

poisoned tarantulas

Also, while helping to show a few Australian tourists around the camp yesterday, we were entertained by a gaggle of little kids playing “dress up”.

chatila-dress up kids

Last night, Carrie and I sought out an Armenian restaurant neither of us had tried before. The name is great, I don’t know what it means in Armenian, but it is called “Mayass”. It turned out to be a fun place. It’s in an old house and the food is delicious, we had manty (little dumplings in yogurt sauce), fried potatoes with garlic and parsley, and some sort of meat in a spicy tomato sauce. There is a funny old man with a ponytail who goes around and serenades guests with his guitar. However, the highlight was probably the fact that Dan Rather was sitting at the table next to us all evening. Naturally, we spied on the conversation a fair amount. He was very gracious and dignified and it was odd to listen to that absolutely familiar voice not coming from the TV set.

When the guitar player came by, Mr. Rather asked for a “Lebanese song”, and the fellow obliged, followed by a fairly weak rendition of “Strangers in the Night”.