He’s the Maan
Maan Kerbaj
Chelsea Meerians, Staff Writer
August 31, 2009
Filed under International Spotlight, Photos
Miles away, in Western Asia is the small but scenic country of Lebanon; a nation comprised mostly of mountainous terrain and a unique cultural identity. The country is situated between Syria to the North and Israel to the South with 140 miles of coastline displaying the picturesque Mediterranean Sea. Le Jardin Academy has the pleasure of hosting an exchange student from this overlooked land.
Maan Kerbaj is a 16 year boy who enjoys basketball, Internet chatting, and hanging out and is excited to be in Hawaii as he says “everything’s good” here. So far he has discovered life with a new host family, which he enjoys as he feels it will be a good experience. He also said that his favorite part about Hawaii so far is viewing the beautiful Kaneohe Bay as it is a “wonderful scene”. Maan looks forward to participating in forty hours of community service with United Nations and his main goal during his stay here is succeeding in school.
Maan advises that travelers visiting Lebanon should “learn how to make Lebanese food and experience the nightlife” during their time there. It is no wonder since the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, has often been referred as the “Paris of the Middle East” and has been noted for it’s newly re-constructed city after the Lebanon Civil War which lasted from 1975 to 1990. The country itself is known for it’s ethnic diversity and blend of religions including Islam and Eastern Orthodox. Though it is only roughly three-forth’s the size of Connecticut, Lebanon’s reputation precedes for it’s distinctive music known as ‘Jabali’ and it’s national cuisine, a meat pie called the ‘kibbe’. Lebanon is also known for being one of the banking capitals of the world and for it’s rich history.
Lebanon sounds (and looks) like an interesting and beautiful place. Thanks, Chelsea for the wonderfully written article. Good luck to Maan!
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