Unsure would best describe my state of mind as I sipped my warm cranberry juice and smoked a Camel cigarette I had bought from the Beirut Duty Free shop after returning from the US a few weeks ago. We were on a rooftop of a 12-story high-rise in the posh Beirut district of Verdun. It was my good friend Ahmad’s birthday and the burger patties and Frankfurters were rolling off the grill as beautiful House music blared from the speakers.

In the background though, not more than 500 meters away, armed men were exchanging machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The eery clickity-clack of the shots being fired and the deep bang of an RPG hitting or missing its target overshadowed the music at times, but no one seemed to really mind.

Look at what the neighbors posted

Tensions in neighboring countries and in northern parts of the Lebanon had spread to Beirut’s infamous Tareek Jdide, and a full-out street war had erupted. We could see the flashes of explosions, followed shortly afterwards by a deep boom and eventually a barely visible cloud of smoke. In any other country, we’d pack up our gear and run back home, glued to our TVs and hoping for the best. In Beirut though, the party went on strong all throughout the night.

I am certain the men fighting two streets away could hear our music, they could hear Ronin and Nesta, and Phil, and Stamina spinning the finest House and NuDisco. They could hear maDJam’s voice on the microphone repeating “Gino’s Blog Samsung” as he pointed to my Chelsea jersey. We were worlds apart and only meters away. A perfect display of the two Lebanons we have.

It was Ahmad’s (maDJam) birthday barbecue and ma were there long before any road was blocked and bullet fired. In my 21 years, I have survived plenty of violence including one war and several mini-wars. Heck, I even felt the heat of an Israeli F-16′s smart bomb explosion only a couple of hundred meters from where I was sunbathing in my hometown of Ehden in 2006. A few bullets and RPGs were nothing compared to that and were not gonna ruin my night.

That’s when I fell deep into thought. I retreated from the rest of the crowd and taped the video I have embedded in this post. Only a few days ago, I was bursting with passion and decided to try to launch a movement that was long overdue. A movement not concerned with the woes of the world and the politicians, but one whose main and only purpose is providing us normal citizens with the basic rights and services we pay for but never get. A movement to punish all those in power and show them that they are fake gods and idols, and that the only god was us, each and every beautiful one of us.

Now, many of you might think that we’re crazy, inconsiderate and just plain stupid for keeping the party going. But hey, isn’t that what we’re proud of and known for? Partying like there’s no tomorrow? All hell breaking loose around us, but what’s important is a DJ spinning and alcohol pouring?

I am not sorry for party rocking last night. Sitting at home in fear would mean the religious idiots with guns win. I wasn’t gonna let that happen. There were two Lebanons, as I said above. We have to choose between street fighting and gun battles on one side, street dancing and DJ battles on the other. It’s a no-brainer, I have already signed up to the second one and last night, you could say it was a night of resistance against the Lebanon Sunni extremists tried to plunge us into. I believe all of you will also sign up to this second, more awesome Lebanon. A Lebanon which cares about itself before Bashar al Assad or the Syrian people, a Lebanon which will not waste the blood, time, money and freedoms of its people for someone else’s wars.

I am glad I went, danced, drank and ate even though two fighters died on the street below. Lebanon is better off with less brainless, religious zealots. Perhaps the 18 injured will finally come to their senses too, and give up their arms and blind faith and begin living life. I don’t care if you express your shock and question my “patriotism” for refusing to stop having fun because idiots with machine guns and a 100USD petrodollar decided to go all GTA on Tareek Jdideh. Fuck them and fuck their masters, no one decides what I do and can do but myself, and of course the law.

To everyone panicking about the tourism season, I tell you, fear not. There will always be people like us, people who don’t care, people who value fun and freedom over political wrangling. Even if the whole country is plunged in civil war, we’ll find a safe spot and we’ll have a blast of another kind. Even as the battles broke out last night, the rest of Beirut was business as usual, only with much less traffic. Foreigners, worry not, if you come here and know the right people and places, you’ll be safer here than in the Bronx. As for the GCC countries, come one guys, it was a little too obvious =P How did you know shit was going down a whole day before it actually did? And enjoy your searing heat as we enjoy our breezy hills and mountains!

Conclusion: never let a monkey with a gun change the way you live your life. Live, laugh, love and let them kill each other till they either develop a fully functional brain, or they all die or get arrested.