DiiGMaa's Big Bro Reporting Live from Lebanon

My poor dear mother has been really worried about my big bro that's in Lebanon on a business trip.. she didn't sleep a wink the past 2 nights and is still glued to the TV and abusing her mobile trying to reach him at all times.. sometimes she has luck and sometimes she just sits back and prays for his safety...

I remembered my college years and 9/11

and when the war started 2003... I was on spring break in LA & Vegas.. My Big Bro was the one that always got a hold of me and made sure to keep me posted.. eased my worried self with his random jokes, sarcasm and caring tone..

Lately I could only trade places and try to be the one to comfort coz I have never received such serious msgs from my Bro, like the ones I received yesterday.. I'm used to up lifting and cheerful msgs that are full of personal jokes and a joyful tone.. these were simply informative.. almost journalistic.

These are a few examples of the sms's he sent me during the day..

Date: 14-Jul-06

Big Bro:

05:39
We are ok. We are sooooooo far away from the bombing. Tell Mum. We are watching TV just like you.

21:12
The convoy started moving heading to Zahla on farraya road. The bombing raid has started hizbala has started hitting the Israeli ships in front of Beirut.

22:01
We just reached the altitude of 1239m we are crossing the clouds now, the other road we avoided “Bekfayyah” has loads of traffic and bombings around it. We are getting safer now that we took this road. We still have 1 hour to reach our destination.

22:21
We have just reached 1706m isolated mountains near Tartish the Village lights are far away, a few cars around us driving crazy!! We saw some jets earlier but flying too high.

22:27
We have just reached “Abiqaa3” our destination is 5 minutes away.

23:51
We’re in bardoon Restaurant in Zahla near waterfall amazing weather we are crossing over to Syria at day light.. its safer and only 15 minutes.

Date: 15-Jul-2006

10:14
Justgot this sms from *friends name*,
"But *Brothers name*, they are bombarding homs road. They Just hit the entrance of my village ras baalbeck and the village after al kaa that leads to homs. Don't take this road. Are you taking al manaa?"
Me(Big Bro): yes we are about to.

I'm starting to worry ppl.. I feel like he's keeping me posted just in case.. I don't like these msgs.. I want my brother back and I want his funny sarcastic sms manner back with him !!

11:11
Dear all,
we have just started moving towards the Syrian boarder.. we just got news the other roads have just been hit and we are sticking to our planned route through almasnaa boarder point, we have picked up more women and children our total now is 16 people, in a large bus. I will keep u posted.

12:25
The problem is from the lebanese side, they only have 3 employees for 1000s of people. It looks like we gona be here a long time.

12:48
The bombing raids just started. They hit shtoora 15min from here. Now the main rd behind us is cut off from the raids at shtoora. Ppl will have to find other ways if there is to this boarder. There are thousands of ppl on the boarder its getting very hot and some are loosing their cool. We finished our passports fast but the road is blocked with cars.

13:10
We reached the boarder; there is a line of cars we saw Kuwaiti families waiting under the shade of shops.

13:53
Dear all, we r on the Syrian boarder, Kuw embassy staff r handeling us now.

15:03
More raids on the road we were on a while ago on the lebanese side. One of the cars behind us came with shattered glass. 12 people are dead and many injured. Only 3 Km away from the boarder. They just informed us that they are also threatening to bomb the road to damascus on the Syrian side. We r on that road and we have 20 min till we reach the road to Jordan.

15:25
We just took the exit to the road to jordan.

16:58
Just heard that enemy planes are bombing the border point with syria in almasna.. The same check point we were in 1hr ago. 4 are dead. We r still on the syrian side of the border finishing our passports.

17:13
We just heard there was 4 strikes on the leb - syrian border on THE SYRIAN side, we r approaching the jordan side of the border.

18:16
Dear all, finally we have entered Jordan, all is well and safe, we pray for those in Lebanon a safe and peaceful exit from this war.

UPDATE:

My Big Bro is currently safe in Jordan and will be flying home tomorrow inshalah !!