Alone in the Backseat Photos: Chapters 41-42



Here is the final installment of the photos that accompany my book.  As I have said in the previous posts, these photos aren't that exciting out of context... except maybe the one of Kinda...

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Chapter 41 Long-Distance Platonic Life Partners

Page 201: "I look like a slob next to [Manal] in all the photos from that trip [to Florida]. I don't even care. She was so glamorous and beautiful; I was entertained just looking at her."




Page 202: "That spring Manal joined me and my parents again for a week in Paris."




Page 202: "When I was little, my dad built me a dollhouse..."



Chapter 42 Welcome to Lebanon

Page 204: "Happily, Manal found someone... and she ended up marrying him in Lebanon four years after we met."




Page 205: "My best photo from the trip I took while lying at the Phoenicia pool...In the photo there is the pool in the foreground and in the background on the left and right are the Phoenicia Hotel buildings flanking the Holiday Inn skeleton in the middle. I just happened to snap the shot as a waiter's tray carrying a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne entered the frame...It says to me, "Now let's drink champagne as we ignore that which is right in front of our eyes."




Page 205: "This time family time was in the mountains of Hasbaya, Lebanon. Family breakfasts were eaten on the terrace overlooking the morning sunlight on the mountains, Lebanese breakfasts of cucumber and peppers and tomatoes and olives..."




Page 208: Bougainvillea and oleander grow everywhere, the roads are lined with purple thistle-like flowers.




Page 208: Fertile anarchy.


Page 209: "Lebanon seems to be a free-for-all with no actual freedom. Or, as Manal's cousin put it in Beirut when I asked him what was the best and worst aspect of Lebanon, 'I have total freedom to do whatever I want... but it's a fucking jungle.'"




Page 210: "At Manal's aunt's house, we sat with her on her terrace and drank her lemonade, at raisins that she had died herself from her own grapes and munched on almonds and walnuts rolled up in figs."




Page 212: "So, now I found myself in Deir al Oumara Hotel in Deir El Qamar, in Lebanon, in the Middle East. The hotel was formally a palace built in the 1800's. The palace has a square courtyard which is enclosed on three sides by Ottoman and Florentine styled arcades and on the fourth, offers a breathtaking view of the mounts, behind which the sun sets."




Page 212: "In the middle of the courtyard is a simple and elegant octagonal fountain, surrounded by rustic wood tables scattered among teal blue metal ones."




Page 212: "Manal's cousin Kinda wore a full length cerulean blue gown with matching eyeliner and glitter outlining her eyes. I never knew how badly I needed a cerulean blue gown and eye glitter before seeing Kinda." [FYI, this photo is the whole reason I wanted to do these photos posts - look at how gorgeous she is!!!!!]




Page 212: "As the bride and groom made their entrance and everyone surrounded them on the dance floor for the first dance, the sun had set and the sky over the mountains was bright orange. We danced to Arabic music, celebrating the bride and groom; there I was, an American Jew surrounded by Lebanese Druze Arabs, dancing and thinking that it was one of the most special moments of my life. "




Page 214: "After getting to spend time again with Manal, it was hard saying goodbye once again, knowing that we'd have to go back to our long distance relationship."



I probably spent 30 hours at least pulling all these photos together and creating these four posts so I hope you enjoyed them! It was a lot of work!! :)

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Comments

  1. I just finished the book, which was a pleasure to read. I didn't want to put it down. Being able to follow Jennifer as she recollects her travels and childhood. Her story of love and world travel make me yearn to visit these locations. Being able to follow along with the pictures from here feel like bonus content. Remembering how life was before the inundation of cell phones and Facebook. Waiting by the phone or mailbox. Jennifer tells us the story of her life and what she had to go through alone in the backseat to have those 25 perfect days

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    1. Anonymous, I don't know how I missed this lovely comment but thank you so much! I am so glad you liked the book!! I love what you wrote! If you haven't already, please put that on Amazon!

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