Rola Harmouche is a Canadian of Lebanese origin. She moved to Montreal with her family in 1989 during the civil war. She is now a PhD student in Computer Engineering at l' École Polytechnique de Montréal . Rana Ockaili is a grade 12 student at the International College in Beirut. She is hoping to attend the American University of Beirut next year and plans to have a career in the field of animation and visual effects . She enjoys singing, playing guitar and basketball in her spare time.

On the evening of Saturday July 15, 2006 (9:30 pm in Montreal and 4:30 am in Beirut), I was in Montreal when Rana (chatting nickname Occhi_Verdi) instant messaged me from Beirut while the southern suburb of Beirut was being hit by Israeli air strikes. I was supposed to be on a plane to the Lebanese capital on July 12 th - the day the airport was hit. Instead, I find myself constantly attempting to get updates on friends and family in Lebanon. I was both disturbed and intrigued by the ability to communicate with someone as they were being bombed, for Rana is going through a lot of what I went through as a child during the Lebanese civil war and Israeli invasion of Lebanon. That’s why I wish to share this conversation with others who may or may not have experienced the fears that a kid feels during a war. Below is a condensed excerpt from the conversation including typos and chat abbreviations. Brief explanations and translations from Arabic have been added in square brackets when needed. The number “ 7” has become a common online chat equivalent of an Arabic letter similar to “h”, and “ 3” is an Arabic letter that has no English equivalent and can be ignored by non-arabic readers.

Occhi_Verdi: hey

Rola: Heyyyy. how are you? and why are you up?

Occhi _Verdi: cuz they're bombing nw and i cant sleep

Rola: damnnnn. are they really close?

Occhi_Verdi: da7yeh [Dahieh - the suburb south of Beirut]

Occhi_Verdi: Crap. another one. its so scary

Rola: i remember. can you try putting headphones on? i used to put my pillow on top of my head

Occhi_Verdi: i can bas [arabic for but] i dnt want to not knw wats happening

Rola: where's your mom?

Occhi_Verdi: sleeping nxt to me

Rola: then put headphones on. if anything happens (God forbid) she'll wake you up

Occhi_Verdi: i would feel more scared with headfones on. duno if u understand me bas hek [but like this] its better. i have newtv [a television station in Lebanon] on and they have live coverage of da7ieh. so i hear the bombs in the air and prepare myself u knw

Rola: Oh ok. cause otherwise you're scared of the unknown

Occhi_Verdi: Yea i guess. and my friend in nigeria is online keeping me company

Rola: makes sense. what are they hitting in da7yeh?

Occhi_Verdi: dunno just around it. howz everyone ? ur mom n dad nader n shadi [Nader and Shadi are my brothers]. everyone fine?

Rola: sad...

Occhi_Verdi: yea i guess say hi to em all for me. i miss u all alooott

Rola: me toooooo. i was looking forward to some guitar playing at your house

Occhi_Verdi: hehe yea me 2 i swear i thought of that

Rola: I even cut my nails!

Occhi_Verdi: my friend and me were talking of starting a band too a garage band u knw

Occhi_Verdi: hehehe

Rola: so how is your guitar playing now?

Rola: oh cool

Occhi_Verdi: well better than before but i left the teacher a long time ago

Occhi_Verdi: god that was loud

Rola: and practicing on your own?

Occhi_Verdi: well yea. i'm practicing and i donwloaded books off the internet

Rola: that's smart

Occhi_Verdi: im doin fine all i need is a bit of rythem guitar u knw. cuz u cant sing and play lead at the same time. btw mom sais hi

Rola: she's awake?

Occhi_Verdi: hehe she woke up for a second and went back to sleep. she woke up 3al darbeh [from the explosion]

Rola: oooooh. my friend plays ... he's REALLY good. plays at clubs often

Occhi_Verdi: nice. how long has he been playing?

Rola: he's been playing since he was a kid but never took lessons. learned from books ...

Occhi_Verdi: yea that makes sense. i sometimes have the impression though that guys learn faster and their fingers are better for guitar playing than girls ...right?

Rola: Hmmm I don't know. could it be because they have bigger fingers?

Occhi_Verdi: hehe maybe

Rola: because every guy i know has an easier time learning chords than me

Occhi_Verdi: Lol. and longer

Rola: yehhh. I have a lot of trouble with chords. F chord - still can;t do ...

Occhi_Verdi: u dnt have to do it as a bar chords although i find the bar chords easier than the other one

Occhi_Verdi: WOW Loud!!!!

Rola: close??

Occhi_Verdi: 7aret 7rek [Haret Hreik – an area in the southern suburb] still. but so loud i had my ears shut though cuz i heard it on the tv coming b4 it hit

Rola: how do they know what's hitting where on tv?

Occhi_Verdi: new tv have their camera live in da7yeh they're in some building live and thats where its hitting

Rola: that's pretty risky their job is very scary

Occhi_Verdi: i knw. 7aram [poor them]

Rola: are you a good writer?

Occhi_Verdi: yee [a complaint] again. but i ddn t hear it here on tv

Occhi_Verdi: well yea i write really well in english and arabic i guess. cuz i got exempted in arabic

Rola: Shattoura [smart girl]. then if you want, I have a job for you

Occhi_Verdi: wat kinda job?

Rola: you can write an article about what you're experiencing in the war

Occhi_Verdi: hehe thx

Rola: or the bombings. cause no war I hope ...

Rola: you don't want to?

Occhi_Verdi: yea lets hope

Occhi_Verdi: no i liked the idea actually alot

Rola: I can try to get it published here

Occhi_Verdi: oh cool. i luved the idea cuz hek [this way] i can put it all on paper u knw

Rola: yehh exactly writing used to make me feel a lot better during the war. and this way you can tell others, who have never experienced this, how you're feeling

Occhi_Verdi: hope it does (another one jst hit. it's like living on the edge i swear)

Rola: Yehhhh I remember twice, bombs hit right next to our building. one right behind us in the alley. it was soooo loud I thought my life was going to be over. hey are you sleeping in the corridor?

Occhi_Verdi: nop in mom's room. my friend was jst on the fone with me :') we'r soo scared

Rola: where does he/she live?

Occhi_Verdi: Here. u knw where galerie batal is. Right. close to ur house

Occhi_Verdi: layken nseet [I forgot]. sara harmoush. u knw her. Hehe. fekre mish ma3eh [my head is not with me]

Rola: ohhhhh 3ammo 7ikmat's [uncle Hikmat’s] daughter?

Occhi_Verdi: yea. i swear she made me cry

Rola: poor kid. yeh they live right behind our house

Occhi_Verdi: i knw. i swear i'm crying i feel so bad inno [because] we' r scared w hek [and stuff]

Rola: of course. how else would you feel? are you gonna stay on the phone with her? is she with her sister ... ? (2 is better than 1)

Occhi_Verdi: nop i hung up. i think her sis is sleeping still but i told her to call if she needs anything. she was asking where the bombing was cuz they dnt have electricity 7aram [poor them]

Rola: oh poor them. we don’t either (my uncle)

Occhi_Verdi: ur uncle is still in leb???

Rola: thank God you still have it

Rola: yeh, he's still there ... have you been talking to Rasha and Wissam? [Rana's sister and brother, respectively. They’re in Los Angeles and Rasha was due to give birth in mid July]

Occhi_Verdi: y ddnt he leave ?

Rola: no, he's there. his family left ...

Occhi_Verdi: we r leaving for the mts [mountains] at 9 i think with sara's parents. bas [but] rasha said stay put. so dunno. bas [but] i think fo2 [up there] its safer than here

Rola: it's safe to go?

Occhi_Verdi: Dunno we'r gonna take a small road not the main one cuz that's bombed. bas [but] hani [Rasha’s husband] came from sawfar [a village in the mountains] today. so i guess we can. and my uncle up there has a malja2 [bomb shelter] so if we need to

Rola: damn. Hani is still there huh

Occhi_Verdi: no he came from sawfar bas [but] their house in sawfar.. glass broke and doors flew and nothing remained on the walls

Rola: I mean he can't go to LA anytime soon

Occhi_Verdi: no guess not they closed up leb [ Lebanon]

Rola: Yeh. closed for business. not for long hopfully

Occhi_Verdi: hehe yea. and all bush can say is "nucular weapons" hehe. i swear he dsnt knw how to talk english he's so funny

Rola: J did you see the report with the Russian president? it's hilarious

Occhi_Verdi: hehe yea i swear

Rola: honestly i don;t care what happens. i just want the bombing to stop. is your mom awake again?

Occhi_Verdi: yea ur right. yea mom n dad r up now

Rola: salmeh 3laiyon [say hi to them]

Occhi_Verdi: sure wosel [the hello has reached them - direct Arabic translation] they say hi too

Rola: almost 5am where you are. soon sun will be up

Occhi_Verdi: yea 4:40. ya rab [pray to God] hope they dnt start again

Rola: are you gonna try and go to sleep?

Occhi_Verdi: nop dnt think so. maybe i'll sleep up there. here my mind keeps racing not knwing wat to expect and when. inno [that is] today woke up at 7:30 cuz rasha called and then i fell asleep in the afternoon and walk up the first time because of a bomb (more like jumped up) then slept again then jumped up again after a second bomb hit

Rola: Ooft [complaint]. soon enough you'll be on your way i guess

Occhi_Verdi: yea in around 4 hrs. if nothing happens

Rola: iza alla rad [God willing]

Occhi_Verdi: yea

Rola: i hate when my mom sais that. i ask her "can i go to the movies tomorrow" she answers "iza alla rad"

Occhi_Verdi: hehe

Rola: why would god not want me to go to a movie?

Occhi_Verdi: heheheheehe. mom is laughing too

Occhi_Verdi: hehehehe ur so funny i swear

Rola: I'm here for your entertainment :)

Occhi_Verdi: hehe thx 7ayeteh [darling] lol. wish i could c u lyom 2abel bokra [today before tomorrow - meaning really soon]

Rola: me too I swear. the minute the sirport opens, I'm there

Occhi_Verdi: nooo we'll come. y would u wanna come n risk it

Rola: yeh i would. it feels wierd to be away at a time like this. I don't know how to explain it. but it's like I'm already there, I'm constantly worried, always watching the news

Occhi_Verdi: i was asking my mom everyday since summer started when are taunt houda [my mom] and rola and nader and shadi coming. n she kept saying that u n ur mom i think were coming soon. now look wat happened

Occhi_Verdi: yea i get u

Rola: the day I leave. well thank God the airport wasn;t hit when I was in it

Occhi_Verdi: yea thank GOD

Occhi_Verdi: ah crap. started again

Rola: crap

Occhi_Verdi: 3al soltan braheem [at Sultan Braheem] thats next to ouza3ee [Ousae – an area on the way to get to the mountains]. bas [but] we'r goin another way

Rola: any hizbolla there? or just because it;s a road towards the outside of beirut... hey, are you going to have access to internet in the mountains?

Occhi_Verdi: dnt think so i wanna c if sarah has a cyberia [an internet service provider] or something account so we can hook up the fone line

Rola: that's right you have high speed internet. there are no internet cafes just in case?

Occhi_Verdi: there is i think bas [but] i wont dare go

Rola: because it;s full of nasty slimy guys?

Occhi_Verdi: hehehe that for one yea

Rola: nice pictures [her chat pictures]

Occhi_Verdi: hehe thx. did u c the one when i was singing

Rola: Yup. where was that taken?

Occhi_Verdi: skool. a concert this year in april

Rola: Nice. so do you have a lot of fans? (asside from you mom)

Occhi_Verdi: heheh yea a couple hehe bas [but] i wanted to make this garage band i told u n mom wasnt with the idea. but i want it sooo much and nw more than ever u knw. i told her it wont distract me from studying plus its summer nw or was

Rola: yeh it's a good outlet

Occhi_Verdi: and i dunno told wissam to talk to her

Rola: does she listen to him?

Occhi_Verdi: but this happened n who knws when it will end. sometimes she does

Rola: who's the friend you're gonna have the band with? can you practice in the mountains?

Occhi_Verdi: i dunno if he can go up there he lives in daw7a [Dawha, an area far from where Rana is going]. bas nshalla [but hopefully] when things calm down

Rola: hopfully ya rabb [praying to God]. is your mom still around? or did she go back to sleep?

Occhi_Verdi: no khalas [finish] we'r all awake. preparing our stuff. its like i dnt want to leave my guitars (electric and acoustic) and the printer u knw and my stereo and my room. it sux L

Rola: are you gonna bring your guitars? both is hard huh

Occhi_Verdi: mom said take the acoustic one if u want with u. but im taking my laptop ipod and definately my texax instruments calculator. hehe got it from states this year. i jst saw it and told mom yee im nt leaving that here

Rola: how about the prize you got last summer? The light pen. was that what you got from IC?

Occhi_Verdi: oh for the IT prize. u mean the pen for writing on the pc?

Rola: yeh

Occhi_Verdi: w yee [and oh] there'z a plaque i got a music award. dnt wanna leave a thing i swear

Rola: Habibti [sweet heart] the house will stay

Occhi_Verdi: nshalla [hopefully]. i hope so. im so scared

Rola: you're leaving just so you wont be stuck inside the house all the time. more freedom in the mountains. less noise ...

Occhi_Verdi: yea i guess

Rola: did the bombing stop?

Occhi_Verdi: nw yea since the last one on ouza3e

Rola: ok good

Occhi_Verdi: oh they jst hit b3albak [Baalbak is an area in northern Lebanon containing historical Roman sites]. 2 bombs

Rola: what?? why? what's there?

Occhi_Verdi: i dunno they've been hitting there since yesterday

Rola: oh didn't know that

Occhi_Verdi: they havent left a place 3anjad [really]. im looking at stuff n i dunno wat to take

Rola: essentials, some clothes, your laptop, ipod, phone, guitar, some books maybe

Occhi_Verdi: i wish i got my books for summer reading before

Rola: is that mandatory?

Occhi_Verdi: i want to finish that and start next year's physics and math program bas [but] ddnt get any

Occhi_Verdi: yea it is. if we go back to skool

Rola: do you have any idea what it would be about? I can send you documents about the topics ...

Occhi_Verdi: dunno i'll check out the papers b4 i leave n tell u. thx a lot. i'll c wat i can do

Rola: do you have a phone in the mountains? what;s the number?

Occhi_Verdi: [number omitted] and u guys have our cell fones right

Rola: cause i hear cell phone not always workin ...

Occhi_Verdi: yea mtc [a cell phone carrier] mostly, and mom and me have that. but still in case [number omitted]

Rola: k, we'll be in touch

Occhi_Verdi: sure. can u receive msgs on ur cell fone from leb?

Rola: yes, and i can send you some [number omitted]

Occhi_Verdi: oh ok cool. im gonna try to mc u [miss call –people page each other in Lebanon by dialing and hanging up] tell me if u get it ok?

Rola: ok

Occhi_Verdi: so... did u get it?

Rola: yehh

Occhi_Verdi: ok cool. i'll msg u as soon as we get to the mts if there was any signal there

Rola: great thanks. wow it's now morning there

Occhi_Verdi: Yea i knw

Rola: packed yet?

Occhi_Verdi: yea i guess. im looking to c wat i have to put more. then i shower. i'll talk to u be fore i leave

Rola: Ok

[She got to the mountains safely. God was willing]

A special thanks to Prasun Lala for his tremendous help and input.