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COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH ships tomorrow
Following is one last excerpt from my book Coffee with Hezbollah, scheduled for release by New World Digital, Inc. tomorrow, February 1, 2010. The book is a political travelogue about the hitchhiking trip through Lebanon that photographer Amelia Opalinska and I conducted in the aftermath of the July 2006 war orchestrated by Israel.
Previous excerpts as well as a promotional video can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
One dollar of every book purchased will be donated to SOIL, an NGO currently bringing effective disaster relief to Haiti.
For additional information about Coffee with Hezbollah or to PRE-ORDER the book, please visit: http://belenfernandez-writings.blogspot.com/.
Many thanks,
Belén Fernández (belengarciabernal@gmail.com)
EXCERPT FIVE
Location: Tyre and Bint Jbeil, south Lebanon.
Context: Amelia and I meet a Jordanian United Nations official named Setan for dinner in Tyre. He has recently been promoted to the title “the Great Setan” by removing us in his UN vehicle from the village of Bayada—which we had inadvertently become stuck in while trying to hitchhike to the war-ravaged town of Bint Jbeil—and accompanying us on a tour of Spanish soldiers at UNIFIL headquarters on the Israeli border. It is midterm election day in the U.S.
COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH to contribute to disaster relief in Haiti
Following is the penultimate excerpt that I will post from my book Coffee with Hezbollah prior to publication by New World Digital, Inc. on February 1, 2010. The book chronicles the post-July War hitchhiking trip that photographer Amelia Opalinska and I conducted in Lebanon in 2006. The first three excerpts can be read here, here, and here; the book’s promotional video—courtesy of Amelia, with music by Marcel Khalifé—can be viewed here.
The publishers have agreed to donate 1 dollar for every book purchased to SOIL, an NGO in Haiti which prior to the earthquake dedicated itself to such projects as installing composting toilets. Read SOIL’s mission statement here for an explanation of how these projects combat the environmental and economic degradation to which Haiti has continuously been subjected.
To view Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times video about SOIL’s pre-quake activities, click here; for examples of the group’s post-quake commitments—and analyses of the current situation in Haiti—read posts by SOIL’s Sasha Kramer here and here.
For additional information about Coffee with Hezbollah or to PRE-ORDER the book, please visit: http://belenfernandez-writings.blogspot.com/.
Many thanks,
Belén Fernández (belengarciabernal@gmail.com)
COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH to be served in 10 days
Following is another excerpt from my book Coffee with Hezbollah, which chronicles the hitchhiking trip through Lebanon that photographer Amelia Opalinska and I conducted shortly after the Israeli assault of 2006. The book is due for release February 1, 2010 by New World Digital, Inc.
Previous excerpts can be read here and here, and a short promotional video by Amelia—with music by Marcel Khalifé—can be viewed here. Two more excerpts to come.
For additional information about Coffee with Hezbollah or to PRE-ORDER the book, please visit: http://belenfernandez-writings.blogspot.com/.
Many thanks,
Belén Fernández (belengarciabernal@gmail.com)
EXCERPT THREE
Location: Kfar Kila, Lebanese-Israeli border (where the book’s cover photograph was taken).
Context: Amelia and I arrive to Kfar Kila at night and are invited to stay at the house of Ali and his family, who refer to the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon 6 years prior as “Freedom 2000”; proximity to Israel nonetheless results in difficulties sleeping.
In the bathroom I established that the family’s citrus garden was not being bombarded. I crept downstairs, where I established that:
- it was 5.32 AM according to the Hezbollah clock.
- it was a different time according to the other clock.
- the bombardment was a combination of French UN trucks banging down the street and the household washing machine.
COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH to the tune of Marcel Khalifé
Following is a short promotional video for my book Coffee with Hezbollah, done by the book’s photographer, my traveling partner Amelia Opalińska. The video includes images of our hitchhiking journey through Lebanon in the aftermath of Israel’s 2006 assault and is set to the track “Coffee Trees” on the aptly named album “Arabic Coffeepot” by renowned Lebanese musician Marcel Khalifé.
To see excerpts from the book that I have posted on PULSE, click here and here.
Below the video is a description of Khalifé’s abilities by late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, kindly provided to me by Mustafa Habib of the Nagam Cultural Project, the institution that oversees Khalifé’s works.
Second invitation to COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH
Following is the second excerpt from my book Coffee with Hezbollah, due for release February 1, 2010 by New World Digital, Inc. The book is the product of the hitchhiking journey through Lebanon that photographer Amelia Opalinska and I conducted in the aftermath of the July 2006 war waged by Israel.
The first excerpt can be viewed here.
More excerpts to come.
For additional information about Coffee with Hezbollah or to PRE-ORDER the book, please visit: http://belenfernandez-writings.blogspot.com/.
Many thanks,
Belén Fernández (belengarciabernal@gmail.com)
EXCERPT TWO
Location: Beirut and Cuba.
Context: Amelia and I are initially hosted in Lebanon by a Syrian acquaintance, an employee of Subway Sandwiches near the American University of Beirut (AUB) who has acquired the nickname “the Islamic Revolution.”
We were transferred from Borj Hammoud to the house of another Syrian named Basel II, in Basel II’s BMW. The Islamic Revolution encouraged Amelia and me to huddle on the floor of the vehicle during transfer, either because:
- he did not want us to register our coordinates (thus according us far keener spatial sensibilities than was necessary), or
- he did not want us to see the speedometer.
You are invited to COFFEE WITH HEZBOLLAH
Following is an excerpt from my book Coffee with Hezbollah, due for release February 1, 2010 by New World Digital, Inc. The book is a satirical political travelogue about the 2-month hitchhiking journey through Lebanon that photographer Amelia Opalinska and I conducted in the aftermath of the July 2006 war inflicted by Israel. It includes episodes from Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, as well as relevant anecdotes from previous hitchhiking expeditions in Latin America and Europe.
I will be posting additional excerpts from the book in the coming days.
Coffee with Hezbollah can be pre-ordered now at http://belenfernandez-writings.blogspot.com/.
Many thanks,
Belén Fernández (belengarciabernal@gmail.com)
EXCERPT ONE
Location: Tyre, south Lebanon.
Context: Our newly-acquired friend Samir—a jack of all trades who picked us up hitchhiking outside Beirut—has been lending his services to the demining NGO Norwegian People’s Aid, whom he refers to as “the Norwegians.”
Samir had just finished commissioning a taxi to take the Norwegians to breakfast and was now organizing a post-breakfast real estate tour. The Norwegians had a temporary headquarters in downtown Tyre but had requested a villa; Samir had located one outside of town that was owned by a Lebanese man from Senegal. Amelia and I enrolled in the tour.
Belén Fernández 