Hail

Hail in Beirut, and little rivers

Cleaning Sidewalks

Yes, I wrote last week, it does snow in Lebanon, but not in Beirut. And that remains true, but it does hail. Now and then.

But today, while walking home from work, I got caught in this massive hail shower. It was the mother of all hail showers, and although not the size of ping pong balls, it still came down most impressively. The hail fell and bounced around, and left everything, for just 5 minutes, white.

Rain in Beirut results in rivers. How do I get to the other side of the road AND keep my feet dry?

Happy camper (with slightly inappropriate footwear)

With childlike enthusiasm I continued my way. Maybe not the exact same feeling you get as a child when you wake up in the morning to a hushed world and an orange glow, both signs of snowfall during the night, but still, a happy moment.  

The gentleman on the left decided to cross, the man on the right is still contemplating

And as I slithered through wet and slippery Beirut, wading through rivers as I crossed the streets, I noticed everyone was smiling. The hail cleared both sky and mood.

10 minutes later, clear skies