Finally!

Over the past week, I spent most of my time overindulging in delicious Lebanese cuisine and touring around the city. I have also been enjoying Beirut’s legendary nightlife, the vibrancy of which is in direct proportion to the depth of the political crisis. Most of my appointments and interviews have unfortunately been canceled, but finally ALEF and the student group from AUB decided to reschedule the workshop for today.
Surprisingly I was not at all nervous for my first solo training—though the fact that I wasn’t nervous freaked me out a little. But I was well prepared, especially since the workshop was already canceled twice at the last minute. I was scheduled to give a 4-hour negotiation workshop for a group of 40 students, but only about 10 actually showed up. I was momentarily disappointed at the low turnout, but I didn’t let it show and ultimately enjoyed the fact that I was working with a smaller group. The workshop was more intimate and interactive than it could have been had more people attended. The group was great: they took to the material, asked lots of questions, pushed back, engaged each other in discussions, and whole-heartedly participated in the role-plays. There was a great energy in the room and I was loath to cut it off even though we went one hour over time. Ultimately, it was a great first experience and a lot of fun-- though utterly exhausting. I really can’t wait to do this again!