By Nolan DiFrancesco > Junior > International Studies > Johns Hopkins University
The cheers were deafening. Packers fans outnumbered Steelers fans twenty to one. (There were twenty Packers fans, I was the “one.”)
The bartender looked the part of an Irish bar owner. Except it was a British pub (”Not English, British,” he was quick to point out.) The menu was simple: fish n’ chips or a hamburger for their American visitors. On the walls hung classic advertisements of European lagers.
Inside were people from Chicago, Atlanta, LA, three out of place girls from Alaska…. and then, of course, Lebanon. This was no super bowl party in Dallas, this was Beirut.
And yet it felt just like home.
The game started 1:30 a.m. local time. But that certainly didn’t stop the expat crowd from showing up. Some Steelers fans arrived soon after me. I’m not sure if “fans” would be the correct term, though. (”The Steelers have such a better name. Packers? I mean, come on… Packers!” Exclaimed one Beiruti whose interests were more decidedly in “futbol” than “football.”)
Patrick, the bar owner and the self-described Robin Williams of the Middle East, was in his element. He didn’t care much for the game, but loved to rag on whoever was losing. I took much of the heat from his Irish brogue throughout the night.
Patrick, bar owner and the self-described Robin Williams of the Middle East
The night went splendidly. Except when it didn’t. The Steelers lost a close one. It was a painful, painful game.
The game finally ended around six in the morning. I was expecting to sulk home, but this was Beirut. And in Beirut, the night doesn’t end when the sun rises, especially when there was an open bar with plenty of beer. Some drank in celebration, some in sorrow. By now I was just interested in tasting the surprisingly solid selection of Lebanese brews.
The expat crowd is loving the game
Lebanese people are some of the most friendly you could ever meet. I had been in the city for all of 12 hours, but I was welcomed with open arms. We talked sports, politics, women, you name it.
I finally stumbled out of the bar by 8 in the morning, with people and cars crowding the street headed off to work. I had to make it back to my new home, the American University of Beirut, by 9 for our first day of orientation. I would be in store for a looong day.
This was Beirut so far, and I was loving it. Beirut is a city with an inauspicious past but with amazing people. It is a city I plan on learning so much more about in the coming days and months. This blog will be a place for me to share these thoughts and experiences, good and bad, as they come. Hope you enjoy!
Tags: Beirut, blog, Lebanon, superbowl, travel
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on Sunday, February 13th, 2011 at 11:48 pm and is filed under Study Abroad.
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