A Very Lebanese New Year

One of my New Year's Resolutions is that I want a Black male lover. After dating mostly White guys and Arab guys, I'm ready for something different and it doesn't get more different than a Black man. Kind of easy to acquire one in this day and age, but I yearn for something really special. A smart and sexy brother, not just a dick on two legs. Still, I'd like to think with a little work and effort, anything is possible.

My name is Augusta Khaled, and I'm a young woman living in the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario. I was born in the environs of Baalbek, southern Lebanon, to a Lebanese Christian father and a Senegalese mother of partial French descent. I am Black, European and Arab, the daughter of three very different worlds. My parents, August Khaled and Michelle Camara moved to Canada with me fifteen years ago. A lot of Africans and Arabs are moving into Canada, where they form sizeable portions of the immigrant populace in this part of North America.

I stand five feet eleven inches tall, slim and fit but quite curvy where it counts. I have light bronze skin, long curly Black hair and pale brown eyes. I think I get my great height, big breasts and large buttocks from my mother, who is herself half Black and half White. As for myself, people often think I'm either totally Arab or Hispanic, but I remind them that my mother is of partial African descent. I am a woman of color through and true. That's how I identify and I am absolutely proud of my origins. Even though I grew up in the Lebanese Christian community of Ottawa, Ontario, I've always been fascinated by people of African descent. I do have some African blood in me, as do many people in the Arab world, even though they often deny it.

I'm ashamed to say that I once gave into that pressure which mixed people often feel in today's society, which is far from color blind. A lot of the mixed guys and gals I knew growing up tried to identify with the non-Black side of their heritage, and they figured the world would go easier on them because, well, it's tough being Black. I once felt that way, until I discovered that by embracing my African heritage, I was tapping into a great power. The power of Black women and Black men who came before me. Greater than anything my Lebanese heritage could provide, because no one out there is as resilient as the Black person. Every day Black people endure hell on earth, yet in spite of racism and the nightmare they endure, they seem happier and more alive than any other race of people. I guess that's why I am proud to say that I am part Black. I'm not Lebanese or French. I'm a mixed woman.

Today I turn twenty two, and I decided to give myself a special little treat. I was walking around the Saint Laurent Mall in the east end of Ottawa when I came across an interesting specimen of Black masculinity. I saw him walking into HMV, and decided at once that he would do just fine for what I had in mind. I approached him, and smiled as he made his way toward me. That's the thing with us girls when we approach men, and we always approach them, make no mistake about it. The key to it all was this, how to put yourself in a guy's sights and have him think it was his idea to approach you. My pawn of the day fell for it, hook line and proverbial sinker. I turned on the charm as he grinned at me, asking me what kind of movies I was into.

I was twirling a copy of the Andromeda Season One DVD in my hand, and smiled innocently at the tall, broad-shouldered young Black man who was eyeballing me. He introduced himself as Eugene Bertrand, a proud son of Montreal-Nord. I have met quite a few Haitians in my travels in the Province of Quebec and I find Haitian men quite beautiful and masculine. Eugene Bertrand asked me where I was from, and I told him I came from two places, Senegal and Lebanon. He blinked in surprise, and I shocked him further by showing him a picture of my parents. Arab father and Black mother, that's the magic combination which brought me into this world, read it and weep.

Anyhow, where was I? Oh, yeah, I was telling you about my encounter with Eugene Bertrand, the handsome young Haitian man I met at the mall. We stood there and talked, and as it turns out, we had quite a bit in common. Eugene is new in town, having transferred from McGill University to Carleton University. Apparently his grades at McGill University weren't too good. Hmmm. All the cute ones are slackers anyways.

I told Eugene that I was a Criminology major at Carleton University and asked him what brought him from the beautiful City of Montreal to the dull little hamlet of Ottawa. Eugene shrugged, and told me that life can sure be funny sometimes. He licked his lips, and asked me what I was up to. I told him I was updating my DVD collection, and then I was grabbing a bite. Eugene walked with me to the counter and I paid for the DVD, then we went to the Food Court together. And just like that, I found myself sitting across from this gorgeous guy, eating some delicious Chinese food and talking about the NHL lockout, of all things!

I was all smiles as Eugene and I chatted, and I must say that I really liked what I was hearing. So much that when he asked me to catch a movie with him the next day, I was all for it. We exchanged numbers, and he gave me a heartfelt hug before departing. Apparently he had to help his uncle in Orleans with some basement repairs. I waved him goodbye as he went down the escalator. Hot damn, this brother has a really nice ass! I smiled wickedly at that. The things I'm going to do to him when we know each other a bit better! Wish me luck, ladies and gentlemen.