Georgia Paterson Dargham
I grew up in a sweetly parochial corner of the south-west coast of England, where the beach was my main exploration ground, in fair weather and poor. There I learnt how to kick limpets off a rock with a welly in order to gouge the pale, tremulous flesh out of the shell for use as bait and how to get a grip on the ferocious little velvet swimming crab without being gripped back. Though my parents had more interest in my rockpool findings than my schooling, they gave me a journal when I was five, and I began exploring the world of words. In the same year, the death of a kindly great-uncle allowed us our first family trip abroad, to Paris. I gradually awoke to the realisation that there were many other domains to explore, both physically and linguistically.
I moved to Paris at 18 to study French Language and Culture. A master in Media led to a job as a press analyst and abstract writer until life in France began to feel too sedate and I moved to Beirut, becoming self-employed by the same token. Moving from a nanny state to a DIY nation provided many reasons to laugh and to wonder. Ginger Beirut began as a collection of short pieces on Lebanese life and culture as seen by an outsider and led to work for the BBC programme From Our Own Correspondent.
Life has moved on and I now write from Andalusia in southern Spain, in a town which mixes the wide buggy-friendly pavements of Western Europe with the jacaranda, the warmth and the easy ways I learnt to love in Lebanon.
Ginger Beirut was selected as one of Lonely Planet’s top blogs and many articles have been featured on their site.
You can listen to my work for the BBC here and here.
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Really enjoyed reading you blog !!all that I read so far is true about lebanon! Keep up the great posts!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed reading.
Hey there,
How are things with you?
I have just spent the month working with the army to provide security for the olympics. For this period all i have had to do is turn up on time and obey orders, meaning little or no thought is required, and i have had no responsibilities. This time away from the wir (?) of daily life made me nostagic in many ways about my past, as well as parts of my current daily doings. I’m not sure if missing bad things as well as the good ones defines nostalgia. I had always thought it was missing things that you enjoy, or found comfortable, knowing that even the worst situations can become normal very quickly if we can adapt to them. Your blog update made me think that while too much of a good thing is bad, occasionally a little of a bad thing is good…
I also found this month to be a golden opportunity to look forward to the future, to ask the difficult questions – where will i be in 5 years time – and to realise that the answers weren’t all the shortest and most direct route ahead. I’m not sure if life will once again obscure the underlying aims/desires/aspirations once i get back to work and have to focus on more immediate priorities. I hope not.
Anyways, I hope you had a good trip back to the UK, that you keep up the blogging, and to hear from you soon.
All the best
David
Great to hear from you David! Sound like you had an interesting summer. It’s so good to occasionally see beyond what’s urgent and consider what’s important. I certainly intend to keep blogging, despite the irregular rhythm. Thanks for getting in touch.
hi there
are you still living in beirut?? i am researching blogs from foreigners living in beirut as i am really keen to move there.. originally from australia and i have been beirut numerous times now… i am trying to get a better understanding of life there. hoping you can advise??
firstly, looking for a stable job… accommodation and all that i can think about after!
hope to hear back from you soon!
katy
I really enjoyed reading your posts. Hope you keep on writing.
Thanks! I hope so too, just have to scrape together some time :) Meanwhile subscribe via reader and I’ll do my best.