[LCM Articles] Only in Lebanon

[Farrah Haidar]

Taking Lebanese hospitality to a whole new level....


Non-combatants in South move to engage international forces

By Rym Ghazal 
Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 28, 2006 
 
NAQOURA/TYRE: For the residents of Southern Lebanon, the arrival of thousands of United Nations troops has brought more than security: It has meant financial prosperity, new friendships and, for some, battalions of potential husbands. 
Nancy Azzi was adjusting a new blue bikini on the public beach in Tyre earlier this week in the hopes that some UNIFIL troops might pass by. Images of hundreds of Spanish troops disembarking on the beach's shores were plastered across Lebanon's newspapers and television screens earlier this month. 
"I just came to have a look," giggled Azzi, 18, who along with her friend, Solvana Rizk, drove from Jounieh north of Beirut to "enjoy" the latest addition to Lebanon's beaches. 
"The Italians are gorgeous! I watched them on TV as they arrived at the airport and I knew I had to come down to the South and meet some of them," said Azzi, whose new bathing suit, a shade of blue close to that of the UN flag, was bought in "their honor." 
But Azzi added that she hopes to have more than a "meeting" with the Italian troops; she is actually hoping to find "the man of her dreams" among the 1,000 Italian soldiers deployed to date. 
The Italian contingent has taken took control of a 275-square-kilometer sector reaching along the coast from the Israeli border to the Litani River. 
In accordance with the UN-brokered cease-fire, a 15,000-strong UNIFIL force is to help the Lebanese Army re-establish control over the South. 
About 5,000 UN troops and 10,000 Lebanese Army soldiers are already in the region, while Israel is expected to withdraw the last of its troops from Lebanon this week or next. 
A random polling of women interviewed in the South unanimously voted the Italian troops as "the sexiest," with a few gushing over recent photographs in the media of French Foreign Legion soldiers in shorts and muscle shirts rebuilding ruined bridges. 
However, women are not the only ones excited about the expanded UNIFIL; businesses are also looking forward to boosting their clientele with night clubs, restaurant and hotels planning to organize special events for the troops. 
"We are planning to have Italian night, for instance, where we will serve Italian cuisine and play Italian music," said Ghanem Talib, an employee at the Tyre Rest House. 
The posh hotel was overbooked with journalists and humanitarian organizations during the month-long war and is hoping that the foreign troops might also take up permanent residence at the hotel. 
"We are expecting things to pick up since people feel safer now that the troops are here, and also will be curious about them given their multiple nationalities," said Talib. 

Restaurants next to UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura listed hummus as one of the most popular dishes with the troops, with steak and beer running a close second. 
Some shops in the war-torn Southern villages near the UNIFIL base have posted "Welcome UNIFIL" signs and stocked up on traditional Lebanese trinkets, electronics and music in an almost desperate attempt to compensate for all of the revenues lost during Israel's devastating offensive. 
Hizbullah flags and nargileh are the two most popular items sold, said several of the shopkeepers interviewed by The Daily Star. 
Meanwhile, hundreds of Lebanese from across the country are trying to get themselves inside the headquarters in Naqoura, with job applications flooding into UNFIL. 
"We still are waiting for the final budget figures to come in from the New York headquarters that will determine how many new positions will open up," said UNIFIL spokesperson Alexander Ivanko. 
UNIFIL currently employs over 300 Lebanese, making it one of the top job-providers in South Lebanon. 
"They provide stable and better pay than any of the local companies," said Warda Aalm, a recently hired member of the cleaning staff at the UNIFIL base who is earning $1,200 a month. Aalm's previous employer paid her less than $500. 
The criminal element is also looking to cash in on the opportunity, it would seem. Police recently arrested a man for charging people a fee to fill in application forms for UNIFIL positions. The forms now have the word "free" printed on them. 
Any way you slice it, UNIFIL is becoming a major part of life in Southern Lebanon, with troops regularly seen chatting with locals, sharing a drink and discussing politics. 
It must also be said that flirtation and infatuation have affected both sexes equally. 
"Gracias!" beamed Areej al-Eeshi, 10, who has been learning Spanish from a soldier who frequents his mother's restaurant in Naqoura. 
"It is fun learning a new language. I keep adding new phrases into my notebook," said Eeshi, who befriended Rochana, one of Spain's female troops. Eeshi blushes at the mere mention of Rochana's name, who he describes as a "pretty blond." 
"She is different, and I like talking to her," he said.
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