Internships and Trips
Trip Start
Unknown
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Trip End
Ongoing
Beirut, Lebanon
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
It's still warm here, and I am currently sitting in Cafe Younes, a cafe with delicious coffee and sweets that has been in operation in some capacity since 1932. I'm working on my Lebanese Arabic homework. This upcoming week is a break and I will be going to Cyprus! The flights to Cyprus are only a half hour and are cheap, so my roommate and another friend will be heading there for a couple days. We'll be going to see the monasteries in the Trood Massif, Salamis, which are well-preserved Roman ruins, and then we are heading to the beaches of Ayia Napa for some relaxation.
It's been a busy and productive time for me. I've gone on several trips, mostly facilitated by AUB. I went to the Shouf, an area in the mountains of Lebanon. We went to the President's summer residence, and went to see the famous cedars of Lebanon. Lebanon has a lot of geographical diversity, and it's nice to be able to leave the city for the clean mountain air, all in the course of an hour.
Last week I interviewed with the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA), and I will begin interning with them at the end of this month. LTA is the Lebanese branch of Transparency International. According to their website, its purpose is to " curb corruption and promote transparency in Lebanon, LTA is pursuing initiatives along the following 4 main programs: Democratization and Public Accountability, Promoting Access to Information, Transparency in the Private Sector, and Youth against Corruption." I obtained this internship with the help of my Islamic Finance professor, and I'm really grateful that he has been so helpful with internship search.
I went to my first Rotary presentation last Tuesday. We presented to the Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan at the Intercontinental Vendome. The members seemed impressed with our presentations and backgrounds, and we enjoyed getting to know some Lebanese Rotary members. I got a banner and will be bringing it back to the Albuquerque for my Christmas presentation. Noor and I also attended a Rotaract meeting in Beirut and are thinking of becoming more involved with that.
Time to finish my homework, maa saleme!
Comments
Yay! It sounds like quite an experience you are having!