Anthony Bourdain in Beirut
UPDATE: See Ed’s piece for an informative live chat transcript with Bourdain.
My favourite TV chef, Anthony Bourdain, was in Beirut filming an episode of his new Travel channel series No Reservations when the shelling started.
He’s OK, but this a missive on eGullet’s forums lets people know what’s going on:
I was standing with a group: a Sunni, a Christian, and a Shiite—by the Hariri memorial when the gunfire started and the Hezbollah people appeared driving through city center and honking their horns in “celebration” for the capture/kidnappings. The look of dismay and embarrasment on all three faces…and the grim look of resignation as they all— instantly— recognized what would inevitably come next…it’s something I will never forget. Of the three, our Shiite security guy, a tall, taciturn man, was the last to leave us, insisiting on staying by our side though he and his family lived in the much more perilous Southern part of Beirut. After witnessing many quick telephone exchanges between him and his family, and as more bombs and shells began to fall, seeing him nervously fingering his prayer beads, we finally convinced him to leave. His house was later flattened.
July 19, 2006 2:54 PM
