tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91400621581952679032024-03-13T14:11:33.864+02:00NourSpotI Believe This Is Heaven To No One Else But Me...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-4071126571367082862016-09-24T12:32:00.000+03:002016-09-24T12:35:11.387+03:00MY Favourite Beaches in North Lebanon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Driving back to Tripoli from Beirut on weekends, I alwaYs notice how beautiful the coastline gets as I near home, and how it especiallY calls out to me right after I exit the tunnel in Chekka and drive further North. When You take a closer look along that coast, You’ll see that it’s lined with a haven of special spots for sea lovers of all kinds. This summer, I made it a point to visit as manY of those different beach spots as I could, and with a little help from Instagram, I ended up discovering places that made me fall even more in love with mY North!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let’s start with Batroun, a citY just before the infamous tunnel leading North. It’s home to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Pierre-Friends-425369344213668/" target="_blank">Pierre and Friends</a>, which also doubles as a pub and restaurant. I've known the place for a good ten Years now, ever since high school, and what I love most about it is its verY laid-back and chill atmosphere. But mY favou<span style="text-align: left;">rite reason to love it, are it's incredible sunsets, behold:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not too far down that coast, is another gem of a spot: <a href="http://www.whitebeachlebanon.com/" target="_blank">White Beach</a>. Like P&F, it's also got a pebblY shore but the water is cool and it's got a mini rockY island in the middle of the sea with a Lebanese Flag proudlY poled to it. White Beach is also a surf school, and You can alwaYs catch windsurfers in the waters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kfaraabida (the area between Batroun & Chekka) is trulY one of the best locations I got to discover this summer, especiallY after the #SaveKfaraabida Campaign, that was launched to raise awareness about the recent project that aims to turn the area into a private Yacht Club. But for me to describe to You how incredible the area is in just words, I’d be doing it no justice... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of MY favourite spots there is Joining Beach. And to be honest, if I hadn't come across a few pictures of it on Instagram and known where to look, I'd have missed it completelY! All You can see from the road is a sign that reads "Joining" in Arabic. And even standing from the edge, You'd never have thought it to be an actual beach spot. It's 100% comprised of rocks, most of which is downwards slanting, not a verY comfortable place to laY down and tan (though a lot of people do) but the reason I loved it was because of everYthing that was underneath those rocks! It's also a great spot for cliff diving, and once You're under that water, You'll see an entirelY different world down there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But if You want to swim awaY from all the rocks and pebbled beaches, then You've got to take that tunnel in Chekka and You'll end up in El-Herri. And here's a little secret: If You're willing to make a little detour on Your waY, if You take Your first exit after the tunnel and head up, You'll end up at the monasterY of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Nourieh" target="_blank">Our LadY of Light</a> (SaYdet El Nourieh) where You can catch a breathtaking view of the sea from up above:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course You've got the most famous in the area: <a href="http://florida-beach.com.lb/" target="_blank">Florida Beach</a>, but You've also got an endless collection of smaller beaches that include BennY Beach, SandY Beach, and mY personal favourite: MiraLand. I love the latter because of its huge sandY shore. It's also one of mY favourite spots to rent a paddle-board (haské) and row it out to the sea. The water is usuallY calm and just knowing that a holY place rests in the cliff above You gives You a magical kind of feeling...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After Chekka comes a little area known as Anfeh. And boY has it ever grown in popularitY this summer! You’ve got the most well-known beach resort in the area, <a href="http://www.lasalinas.com/" target="_blank">Las Salinas</a>, and the slightlY less popular, <a href="http://www.marinadelsol.info/" target="_blank">Marina Del Sol</a>. But right adjacent to those two, is the now-popular Ta7t El Ri7, which is comprised of a collection of private chalets on a rockY cliff that is open to the public. The location has been painted in white and blue, reflecting Santorini-like vibes and nicknamed Anforini. All You’ve got to do is dive in! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">FinallY, it's back to mY hometown, Tripoli. If You want to talk beach resorts in the area, You’ve got the big three: <a href="http://www.palmabeach-lb.com/" target="_blank">Palma</a>, Naji, & <a href="http://www.miramar-lb.com/" target="_blank">Miramar</a> (in Kalamoun). Each resort has got it’s own charm, and nice beaches (& pools) to swim in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But if You reallY want the best beach experience ever, take a boat (for as little as LBP 5,000) from Mina's Port out to Rabbits Island!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">El Mina is home to nine islands, four of which have been declared as nature reserves, the most popular of which is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands_Nature_Reserve" target="_blank">Palm Island</a> (better known as Rabbits Island). It’s the second largest of the islands with a beautiful sandY shore and crYstal clear blue waters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You’ll want to make a full daY trip out of this one. You’ll need to pack some snacks and drinks to take with You as there's no food on the islands, and an umbrella for shade if You need one. Nothing beats a breakfast here (preferablY a man2ouché):</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While I've listed some of mY favourite Beaches in North Lebanon, I'm sure there are still a lot of more secret spots to discover! If You'd like to share, please leave a comment!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-45191332227007031092016-03-29T18:00:00.000+03:002016-04-17T12:58:37.495+03:00Let's Talk About The Souvenirs (Prague)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know how many people are like me when it comes to souvenirs, but I’ve got quite an obsession with collecting things from foreign places. If I could, I’d walk into every souvenir shop there ever was! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when it comes to buying souvenirs in Prague, there’s a myriad of options to choose from! I’ll start with “<a href="http://www.bluepraha.cz/" target="_blank">Blue Prague</a>”, because I know for a fact that everything in the shop is 100% Czech. I got a couple of souvenirs from there including these cute crystal dolphins (made with their famous bohemia crystal):</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’ll also find across many souvenir stores a bunch of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marionette" target="_blank">Marionette</a> Dolls and wooden <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matryoshka_doll" target="_blank">Matryoshka</a> Dolls (also known as Russian nesting dolls, which are placed inside each other in decreasing size). Though they’re originally Russian, they are available in almost every souvenir shop. One really neat thing I came across was a bunch of Matryoshka Dolls in the shapes of football players. This shop had dolls from all sports teams, which were quite a sight:</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now if you want something authentically Czech to bring back home for yourself, <a href="http://botas66.com/" target="_blank">Botas 66</a> is a Czech shoes store that sells awesome shoes in many great colours and designs. There's a shop not too far from Old Town (located at Skerepka 4 Praha 1 - Stare Mesto). I picked these black & white sneaks that come in both Yellow & Black Laces. You can check out their available collection <a href="http://botas66.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On another note, I'm also a big "cities" magnet collector (I love to collect magnets with cities' names on them) so I got two (one for Prague & one for Carlovy Vary) to add to my growing fridge magnets collection:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-23643076556870663092016-03-28T10:00:00.000+03:002016-04-09T12:37:37.347+03:00Let's Talk About The Food (Prague)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before flying out to Prague, I had heard from a good number of people who had previously been, that the food was no good. So let’s talk about the food…</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the first night, we had dinner at <a href="http://www.unorestaurant.cz/" target="_blank">Uno Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar</a> (located on the last level of <a href="https://www.palladiumpraha.cz/en/" target="_blank">Palladium</a> Shopping Mall). I wanted to try out a traditional Czech meal so I ordered the beef <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulash" target="_blank">Goulash</a>, which is served with potato pancakes and red onions. I have to admit, it was quite good (a lot better than I expected)! We even ended up having dinner here again on our last night, where I had a fresh greek salad, mixed with balkan cheese, lettuce, cucumber, red onion, peppers, olives, tomatoes and olive oil. And as a main course, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnocchi" target="_blank">Gnocchi</a> pasta, served with salmon, spinach and creamy sauce which was also delicious!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai9JzJ4hdGc/VwjEy_9dfbI/AAAAAAAADLM/fy50rIuMNBMOhnWYEvD6qKC2FzpP8komQ/s1600/IMG_8340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai9JzJ4hdGc/VwjEy_9dfbI/AAAAAAAADLM/fy50rIuMNBMOhnWYEvD6qKC2FzpP8komQ/s400/IMG_8340.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as a Burger Addict, Burgers is what I was really into trying out! So on our first full day after the walking tour, we found ourselves back at Old Town Square, where the first food place to catch my eye was <a href="http://www.meetburger.cz/" target="_blank">Meet Burger</a>. And it was hands-down, the best burger I had in Prague, let alone in a very long time. What I loved most about this place was that their buns and sauces are homemade. And the meat, which I ordered medium-well, was just delicious! Oh, and another cool thing that I (being a banker) liked about the place was that they have a wall filled with bank notes from around the world where visitors sign and pin bank notes (of course in small denominations) from their country on the wall:</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXtpez3IiSg/VwjFH9kNOXI/AAAAAAAADLY/yjgkJ3kyBdQ1QB-d4QohNkskj4xIQzmmw/s1600/IMG_8671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXtpez3IiSg/VwjFH9kNOXI/AAAAAAAADLY/yjgkJ3kyBdQ1QB-d4QohNkskj4xIQzmmw/s400/IMG_8671.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the second day after coming downhill from Prague Castle, we decided to check out the eateries on Kampa Island in Mala Strana. The first place we came across was called <a href="http://www.uzlatychnuzek.cz/restaurant.htm" target="_blank">U Zlatych Nuzek</a>, which is actually a Hotel/Restaurant. I definitely wouldn’t classify it as a burger place, but a burger is what I ordered. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the third day, I wanted to go for <a href="http://www.joyburgerbar.cz/" target="_blank">Joy Burger Bar And Grill</a>, which is located close to Powder Tower. It was quite packed at the time, but we managed to find a small table in the corner to chow. Their burgers were also good but out of the three burgers that I had tried in those four days, I have to give Meet Burger the crown. Nonetheless, here’s my Joy Burger: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for the desserts, one of their most famous delectables in Prague is The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strudel" target="_blank">Strudel</a>. Though it’s sold in many spots across the city, one of the best places to try it at is <a href="http://goodfood-karlova.cz/" target="_blank">Good Food Coffee & Bakery</a>, located at Karlova 8 (not far from Charles Bridge). I’d been passing by the place almost every afternoon and seeing the long lineup outside the shop, I had to finally stop and check out what all the fuss was about. So on the last day, I got in line. Boy, was it worth the wait! I had this Chimney Strudel which is filled with warm molten apple, walnuts, raisins, and topped with soft ice-cream (or whipped cream, your choice). A must try in Prague!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-2569733355897328522016-03-28T09:00:00.000+03:002016-04-17T11:47:07.475+03:00The Vltava River (Prague)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the most beautiful things you can do in Prague is take a boat cruise along the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vltava" target="_blank">Vltava River</a> (the longest river in the Czech Republic) at around sunset. There are many companies that offer rides for lunch or dinner, but even our hotel concierge suggested skipping the food and going along just to enjoy the scenery. Indeed, it was magical…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg881VUB1C4/VwjgvHncc_I/AAAAAAAADL4/hzP4fFAcnQ8evUexR_ELxruPo4CxmdwiA/s1600/IMG_8537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg881VUB1C4/VwjgvHncc_I/AAAAAAAADL4/hzP4fFAcnQ8evUexR_ELxruPo4CxmdwiA/s400/IMG_8537.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At sunset, which was close to 6:30pm in late March, you begin to visibly see the skies changing colour. The birds & ducks start making those deep quacking sounds, & flying across the river, as Prague Castle lights up from the distance…</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOggxIM1uzc/VwjhFGZEZtI/AAAAAAAADL8/ciU2T1PiRvghjPBDmEm9wXrcfcULwJtZg/s1600/IMG_8865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOggxIM1uzc/VwjhFGZEZtI/AAAAAAAADL8/ciU2T1PiRvghjPBDmEm9wXrcfcULwJtZg/s400/IMG_8865.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIk_v9B9qB0/VwjgvDaeE_I/AAAAAAAADLw/p9w8RQHj7joMx3yoPJ9ht1JaP-LGGJfcw/s1600/IMG_8619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIk_v9B9qB0/VwjgvDaeE_I/AAAAAAAADLw/p9w8RQHj7joMx3yoPJ9ht1JaP-LGGJfcw/s400/IMG_8619.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another delight that can be found along the river bank is a small stretch of a pebbled beach ground that many people have come to know as “Swan River”. It’s an area that’s usually filled with a flock of swans that waddle around the Vltava, and visitors can feed them as they’ve grown quite accustomed to human interactions...</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-36680229807765432492016-03-24T18:30:00.000+02:002016-04-17T12:59:03.597+03:00The John Lennon Wall (Prague)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After crossing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge" target="_blank">Charles Bridge</a> from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town_(Prague)" target="_blank">Old Town</a> to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A1_Strana" target="_blank">Lesser Town</a>, if you take your 1st Left & then Left again, you come across one of Prague's iconic gems: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Wall" target="_blank">The John Lennon Peace Wall</a> (located at Velkopřevorské náměstí, Malá Strana):</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZYiZEV1sWw/VwJcMAHn9JI/AAAAAAAADK8/LaYeipK_EhE1ZqoJeMwE-W4JSUwTXx8Mg/s1600/GOPR0061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZYiZEV1sWw/VwJcMAHn9JI/AAAAAAAADK8/LaYeipK_EhE1ZqoJeMwE-W4JSUwTXx8Mg/s400/GOPR0061.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This famous wall first started collecting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon" target="_blank">John Lennon</a> & <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles" target="_blank">The Beatles</a>’ inspired graffiti in the 1980s, as a symbol of Peace & Love, which it still stands for today. Everyday, new drawings and lyrics are added to the wall by its many visitors, constantly changing visuals. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">& To add to the ambiance, we came across a street musician singing and playing his guitar to The Beatles' “Let It Be”. I took this video of him and shared it on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDXdzU3NiXC/?taken-by=nourspot" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, where I later received a comment from one of his fans that he was actually a rising Czech musical artist, by the name of Thom Artway. I looked him up online and he appears to have some good music. You can check out his official page <a href="http://www.thomartway.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0Velkopřevorské nám., Malá Strana, 118 00 Praha-Praha 1, Czech Republic50.0861831 14.40731740000001150.0855461 14.40605690000001 50.0868201 14.408577900000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-23181767371455930722015-01-31T20:12:00.000+02:002015-01-31T20:12:52.636+02:00Love & I / I've Seen A Lot Of Love...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I often wonder how much Love the human heart can hold. How is it divided inside? Is there one place for each Love, or do some Loves share rooms inside? And what happens when a chamber overflows, does Love take the place of another? Or is that Love evicted?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love hits the heart first, & Love sets the beating pace.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After all, Love is fast, Love is a runner. And Love can leave you breathless. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I see Love walking, looking for a home in a heart. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Sometimes, Love finds one.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Love sleeping at night, its so beautiful when it’s dreaming. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Love waking up and making breakfast, holding hands, and smiling.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But while Love is alive, you’ve got to take care of it. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can’t put it down and expect it to be waiting for you to come back and pick it up where you left it. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love doesn’t always wait. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Love split between two or more, I’ve seen it being torn trying.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Love stolen, I’ve seen it crying. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I’ve seen Love putting itself back together. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of Love, I’ve heard it spoken but not shown, or shown but not spoken. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s a ShY Love. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes Love guards itself inside, and sometimes Love goes out freely.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes Love lies, and sometimes it begs. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But sometimes, Love apologizes. Love tells the truth.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And sometimes with one word, Love comes back. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I see Love in people’s eyes, in their voices and their embraces.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Love forget, I’ve seen Love grow old, and tired...</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once, I’ve even seen love shot, right through the heart.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in the end, I’ve seen Love die…</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But that’s the beauty of the human heart, it’s where Love comes from. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in time, it forms a new Love all over again… -NK</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-47074097323269679102015-01-30T22:12:00.000+02:002015-10-01T17:33:23.733+03:00MY Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1">"Dear Somebody,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As I sit here and begin to reflect on life, it’s like this feeling of excitement, adventure, happiness, sadness. You know, it’s hard sometimes…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Each day it's like something new, it's like a new story. You're never going to get that day back, but it all just feels the same. You wake up, you get ready for the day, same faces, same people, same streets you walk down, it all becomes so much and it feels like nothings gonna go the way you want it to, its like you’re working so hard for things and it’s never going to come together...</span></div>
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<span class="s1">and suddenly, something happens...</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I realize how beautiful life is, that I’m so lucky to be waking up, those faces I see, they’re perfect. The people in the streets I walk down, inspire me... </span></div>
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<span class="s1">You know I overheard people talking the other day, about how people need to have more patience. The word stuck: Patience</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m so young and I want things to happen so fast that I forget to slow down and appreciate all the little things...</span></div>
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<span class="s1">You never know what’s gonna happen next…" -A.R.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-1972792867051267452013-12-31T23:57:00.003+02:002014-01-01T16:31:43.371+02:00Realizations And Resolutions From 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's December 31st, 2013, just minutes to midnight and as I sit on the same couch in the same house as I do every year to write my resolutions, I can't help but think of how repetitive, broad and generic my so called resolutions have been over the past few years (<a href="http://www.nourspot.blogspot.com/2010/01/realizations-and-resolutions.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.nourspot.blogspot.com/2011/01/realizations-and-resolutions-from-2010.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.nourspot.blogspot.com/2012/12/realizations-and-resolutions-from-2012.html" target="_blank">here</a>): Pray more, Work harder, take better care of your Health. And of course, spend less time Online. Fast-forward 365 days, not much of a change, same realizations and same resolutions. But I wanted to give this year more consideration. I wanted to be more specific, more goal oriented. So after giving it some thought, I want to focus this on WORK and SOCIAL LIFE…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WORK: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, can I say this? Because I really want to get it off my chest: I want to teach the world about good service! And its a huge challenge, a concept most people I know just don't seem to get. What it means to put your client first, and to give him/her more than what he/she asks for. At the same time, I want to teach the world about ethics and how everything that comes out comes from within. How focusing on internal employee satisfaction resonates into external customer satisfaction. I want to teach the world my version of Business. And I want to learn from it too (because there's still so much I need to learn for myself)… The problem is that I've been "fire-fighting", spending most of my time solving other people's problems, trying to put out the fire instead of investing time in strategic thinking and development. THAT is what I want to work on. Time Management (You Don't "Find" Time, You "Make Time"). Organization ("Everything In It's Right Place"). Development ("Never Stop Learning"). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In turn, I'm on the right track on my MBA. By next month I should hopefully be finished with 21 Credits, and hopefully be one semester away from graduating in 2015 by this time next year... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which brings me to THE BIGGEST part I've neglected in 2013…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SOCIAL LIFE: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the rare days that I do have free time away from work or school, the number of close friends I have in Lebanon, let alone in Tripoli, can be counted on one hand. The number of outings I've had with friends, the number of gatherings and reunions, the number of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/welovetripoli" target="_blank">WLT</a>'s "Shoot As You Walk" Events that I've participated in, have hit an ultimate low in 2013. So to everyone I didn't make enough of an effort to keep in touch with, I sincerely apologize and promise to go back out and get back in contact soon…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So on those rare occasions, where did I escape to? Well, I travelled. In March, I went to Jordan to one of my best friends' Nadine and six months later in September, Nadine and I took a wonderful vacation to The USA. Going alone and for the first time to a country I've never been before made me feel alive. Like there's an entire world outside of the bubble you put yourself in… In 2014, I want to travel more. I want to go again to places I've never been before!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've learned that these are the rocks, the building blocks around which you make your life. And then everything else just falls between. Take a moment to watch "Jar Of Life" to understand what I'm trying to get at:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpau5YXk46Y" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpau5YXk46Y</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with regards to these "in betweens", I've still got the same hobbies as I've had before: Reading, Writing, Music, and Photography. But the thing is that they don't need to be resolutions because they're not something you "work" at. No, they're just there to give your life a little balance, to give you a high when you're feeling low…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I dedicate the year 2014 to self-development. It's not going to be a year for wishes or waiting around for someone/something or making life-altering decisions even though I'm honestly sick and tired of life in this city and country (which is a topic I'm not even going to get into right now). But those who know me know my positive spirit in the midst of negativity, and my big belief in God and loyalty. And I'm in a relationship with my work and my friends and family and my country. And like all relationships, when they get weak or broken, you don't just give up and let it go. You try to fix it (at least that's what I'm trying to do). And I've got a lot of fixing I need to do in 2014. So here's to 2014, and another chance for us to get it right! ;)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-19584078773820351862013-11-10T18:40:00.000+02:002013-11-10T18:40:08.453+02:00Our Lady Of Light<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've driven past the green mountains of Chekka a countless number of times before, on my routine city escapes to and from Beirut. And with each time I passed, I'd look to those mountains and wonder what lay on the other side, that looked out to the sea. "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Nourieh" target="_blank">Our Lady Of Light</a>", they'd all tell me, breath-taking views overlooking the coast. And it's in the North, "my North"...</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with each drive to and from, I'd look and long to go up those mountains, and finally see what they'd all been talking about...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hn3HmbBkvUw/Un-puzbUhMI/AAAAAAAACzg/lrKs7yjjt6c/s1600/994051_832739103272_1735350215_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hn3HmbBkvUw/Un-puzbUhMI/AAAAAAAACzg/lrKs7yjjt6c/s400/994051_832739103272_1735350215_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Last week, I promised myself I'd finally make the drive this weekend. And Mum promised she'd be the one to go with me. And so, after a pancakes Sunday breakfast and a few chapters of "<a href="http://www.elifshafak.com/kitaplar/the_frol.asp" target="_blank">The Forty Rules Of Love</a>", we set out. I had checked for directions online, all we had to do was take the side road just before the infamous tunnel of Chekka, and drive up to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamat" target="_blank">Hamat</a>. It took about 15 minutes to reach the monastery, where people were just finishing up their Sunday prayers. We walked on towards the blue we saw right behind the convent, which turned out to be one of the most breathtaking sights I've ever seen in Lebanon...</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1arsCiFUIY/Un-ppm59cgI/AAAAAAAACzQ/cC4mHbEq6To/s1600/1455118_832739218042_1847483762_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1arsCiFUIY/Un-ppm59cgI/AAAAAAAACzQ/cC4mHbEq6To/s400/1455118_832739218042_1847483762_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCuIAVSurV0/Un-pqGf-3JI/AAAAAAAACzU/rW-heWwXE10/s1600/1379732_832739667142_689000902_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCuIAVSurV0/Un-pqGf-3JI/AAAAAAAACzU/rW-heWwXE10/s400/1379732_832739667142_689000902_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQzOhWiY6KU/Un-poTb5ieI/AAAAAAAACzI/qWjXvy22j5E/s1600/1450725_832740061352_499477878_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQzOhWiY6KU/Un-poTb5ieI/AAAAAAAACzI/qWjXvy22j5E/s400/1450725_832740061352_499477878_n.jpg" width="400" /></a> </span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-Bs5z0AQqg/Un-pw7rUZ7I/AAAAAAAACzw/yzGLIXXX6sw/s1600/993461_832740570332_1958088320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-Bs5z0AQqg/Un-pw7rUZ7I/AAAAAAAACzw/yzGLIXXX6sw/s400/993461_832740570332_1958088320_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="text-align: justify;">I also learned of The Lady Of Light's legend, where "It is believed that two sailors built the shrine in the 4th century. One winter night, on a very stormy sea, the two sailors found themselves in peril. They began praying, and the Virgin appeared to them as a light and guided them gently to the shore of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoprosopon" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="s1">Theoprosopon</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> near modern day </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekka" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="s1">Chekka</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Governorate" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="s1">North Lebanon</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;">. The grateful sailors carved a cave in the cliff and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and called the shrine, Our Lady of Light. A Greek Orthodox monastery was built in the 17th century. The miraculous icon of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theotokos" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="s1">Theotokos</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> has been venerated for centuries for having glowed with light to attract wayward ships.</span><span class="s2" style="text-align: justify;"><sup>"</sup></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lebanon really is full of hidden wonders, and if you haven't visited The Lady Of Light, I encourage you all to do so. As for me, I'll always be on the lookout for the next hidden gem... stay tuned! ;-)</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-10643170581009397342013-10-18T20:35:00.000+03:002013-10-18T20:35:44.274+03:00I Wish You Enough...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Written By: Bob Perks)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I never really thought that I'd spend as much time in airports as I do. I don't know why. I always wanted to be famous and that would mean lots of travel. But I'm not famous, yet I do see more than my share of airports.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love them and I hate them. I love them because of the people I get to watch. But they are also the same reason why I hate airports. It all comes down to "hello" and "goodbye." I must have mentioned this a few times while writing my stories for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experiencing that pounding sensation in my heart. If I am watching such a scene in a movie I am affected so much that I need to sit up and take a few deep breaths. So when faced with a challenge in my life I have been known to go to our local airport and watch people say goodbye. I figure nothing that is happening to me at the time could be as bad as having to say goodbye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watching people cling to each other, crying, and holding each other in that last embrace makes me appreciate what I have even more. Seeing them finally pull apart, extending their arms until the tips of their fingers are the last to let go, is an image that stays forefront in my mind throughout the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On one of my recent business trips, when I arrived at the counter to check in, the woman said, "How are you today?" I replied, "I am missing my wife already and I haven't even said goodbye."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She then looked at my ticket and began to ask, "How long will you... Oh, my God. You will only be gone three days!" We all laughed. My problem was I still had to say goodbye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I learn from goodbye moments, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." She in turn said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I knew what this man experiencing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?" I asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, "I wish you enough." May I ask what that means?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more."When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He then began to sob and walked away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My friends, I wish you enough!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Taken From: http://www.bobperks.com/wish.htm)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-47630896943995752272013-09-18T23:30:00.000+03:002013-09-29T11:34:35.257+03:00Meeting Orlando Bloom!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was telling Nadine how much I loved musicals, ever since I saw my first in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty's_Theatre" target="_blank">Her Majesty's Theatre</a>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_(1986_musical)" target="_blank">The Phantom of the Opera</a>. It was in London in the summer of 2005 and my parents were booking tickets to go watch it. They asked me and my brother if we wanted to watch it with them. My brother, who was 15 at the time, wasn't in the least bit interested and I was in the middle of yes and no until I thought I'd give it a try. And when I did, I fell in love with it…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast forward to 2013, when I find myself on broadway, with a another chance to watch a live musical. I was looking at all the options I would have loved to see... until Nadine pointed out what was playing in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rodgers_Theatre" target="_blank">Richard Rodger's Theatre</a>: "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet" target="_blank">Romeo & Juliet</a>". Now obviously, R&J isn't a musical and it's a play we've all read and seen a hundred times before. And honestly, I never would have even considered it if it weren't for one tiny little detail… it was starring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_bloom" target="_blank">Orlando Bloom</a>! In. The. Flesh! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now let me tell you something about Orlando Bloom. Back when I was in high school, I had a huge B&W poster of him hung on my bedroom wall. In university, I had his pictures taped all over my d</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">orm, I had him as my desktop wallpaper, and I even got him on my surprise birthday cake! THAT is how much I loved Orlando Bloom! So, I forgot all the musicals and opted to watch his debut on broadway... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Live, he's a brilliant actor. He makes the play, and from the first moment he appears on stage on his motorbike, I just couldn't take my eyes off him. But, not to be biased, the play wasn't all that great. Or maybe we're just sick of Romeo and Juliet. But either way, I got what I went for: Orlando! </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b2StZLxZ5VY/UkfjPhxdn5I/AAAAAAAACxY/Dz__Ly72h6k/s1600/1238079_814014447632_765274030_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b2StZLxZ5VY/UkfjPhxdn5I/AAAAAAAACxY/Dz__Ly72h6k/s320/1238079_814014447632_765274030_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the play ended, I snapped a few blurry pictures of him and we went outside to find a small group of people waiting with cameras and the play's booklet. There was a metal bar setup in front of a back door and I couldn't believe my eyes that Orlando Boom was going to come out for autographs! It didn't take too long for the door to open and there he was! Nadine and I took about 150 pictures of him in 5 minutes, and here's the autograph I got from him:</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2X9sO-AzPJU/UkfjP3R1YRI/AAAAAAAACxU/dhcgp62NO24/s1600/1234146_814014617292_1291847650_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2X9sO-AzPJU/UkfjP3R1YRI/AAAAAAAACxU/dhcgp62NO24/s320/1234146_814014617292_1291847650_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S. On his way back in, I screamed "ORLADNOOO! CAN I TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU?" He turned around at the sound of my voice, smiled and said "Thank You" before going back in. Oh well, maybe next time? ;-)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0Broadway, New York, NY, USA40.7200363 -74.00134630000002340.671897799999996 -74.082027300000021 40.7681748 -73.920665300000024tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-9034950854042217932013-08-24T21:11:00.000+03:002013-08-24T21:40:34.386+03:00Tripoli In The Sky...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was having my hurried mid-day snack in the kitchen when I saw him coming out of the washroom. A minute later, someone else came up to use the washroom after him. They were making ablution (“wudu”) I realized, getting ready for Friday Prayer. The bank closes for an hour during Friday’s noon-time prayer and so I went back downstairs to finish the pile of work pending on my desk. I was so wrapped up in reading an email on the computer that I merely heard the glass next to me shake. “Was that an explosion?” she asked me from the other side. “No,” I said mindlessly, and carried on. My phone rang, “Nour, did you hear the explosion?!” it was Mum. “What, Mum? I felt the glass shake but…” Seconds after we hung up, an even louder one exploded, this time shaking the entire bank. I froze…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It didn't take long to get news of the twin explosions, and all I could think about was the proximity of Al Salam Mosque to my house. The phone lines went dead, no one could get a hold of another, and the panic began to rise. Me? I was still frozen. It still hadn't sunk in, how could an explosion have just rattled my hometown?! Yes, we've had gunshots and bombs before, but this one had hit closest to home…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know where I get it from, but I have a tendency of remaining calm in chaotic situations. I don’t panic, even when everyone around me is, but my mind was blank as ever. I started mindlessly packing up the files and papers on my desk, filing, locking up. I didn't leave until after most of the bank had emptied. I knew they were alright, I felt they were alright, but that was my heart working, not my brain…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I stepped outside, the streets were half empty. I walked to my car which, that day, I had found a parking place for in the backstreet. It was on an intersection that was now sealed off by the army’s barbed wires. One of the army men, who know me because I walk that street daily and ask me about interest rates almost every other day, came to pull the barbed wire aside, “Allah Ma3ek,” he waved me off. I rushed home, and when I saw the television screen, I felt a sting in my heart as tears began to well in my eyes…</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZMeosanRFU/Uhj2lS0-BKI/AAAAAAAACw0/UfCtaz6EE-8/s1600/1238218_10153120860600332_285876615_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZMeosanRFU/Uhj2lS0-BKI/AAAAAAAACw0/UfCtaz6EE-8/s400/1238218_10153120860600332_285876615_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Photo By: <a href="https://twitter.com/Beirutspring" target="_blank">Mustapha Hamoui</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is only at the far end of the street parallel to ours. 200 meters away, that’s it. That’s how close I lived to the mosque, the stores, the café shops, the buildings. But I was one of the lucky ones, because our building was just tucked away from the devastation. People I knew well had their homes shattered. Car parts had flown 10 stories up and into some people’s bedrooms, glass everywhere, balconies collapsed…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then the heartbreaking stories of those people, like the grandfather who went to pray, asking his three grandchildren to wait for him outside, and how he came back to find their fumed corpses. I knew people praying inside, people living outside…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But again, I was a lucky one. I was a lucky one because I wasn't there at the time, because I didn't see the smoke and the people dead and dying and crying, but my heart is burning. Because as much as I hate this city, I just as much I love it. And I'll always read your name in the sky Tripoli, won't I? All I have left to say about yesterday’s tragedy is God bless all the innocent souls, heal all the hurt, and protect what’s left. Tripoli & all Lebanon, always in my prayers… </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-83279791097897060212013-07-26T20:54:00.000+03:002013-07-26T20:54:16.672+03:00The Magic of My Tripoli...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I've written anything worthy of my city. Over the past few months, I've kept my head low and my expectations lower with all the shenanigans and trouble that's been cooking up in the city. I didn't recognize it anymore, and if I called it by name, you'd only hear it a whisper: Tripoli…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Two weeks ago, the holy month of Ramadan graced us. With it, the gunfire quietened, the burning tires and blocked roads stopped burning and opened up, and a fresh breath of faith breezed through the city. In this light breeze, I heard a voice. It sounded familiar, from not so long ago. It was my city, Tripoli, calling again. It was barely a whisper, but I heard it, I listened. And I answered... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This calling was from a group and event I oh so love, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/welovetripoli" target="_blank">We Love Tripoli</a>'s "Ramadaniyat" Shoot As You Walk. Every shot of every corner, street, place, and person in this city, every new lens test, and photographic learning experience, I am forever grateful to this group, esp. to it's head, Taha Naji. Our latest meeting was last Sunday, after the Taraweeh Night Prayers. Taha had decided we gather at a new checkpoint, The Municipality of Tripoli (i/o Nawfal Palace). It was quite a crowd; some there to socialize, some to walk, and some to take pictures. When we started, as we do every time, I like to make my way to the front of the group. I think you get better pictures of the streets and spirits as they are from up front. And that's where it all begins...</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmvsFydLFY0/UfKn1aesacI/AAAAAAAACvY/ORAVaN9CEs0/s1600/IMG_7737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HmvsFydLFY0/UfKn1aesacI/AAAAAAAACvY/ORAVaN9CEs0/s400/IMG_7737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We walked as we always do, and I always start off frustrated with the difficulty in taking good night photos. After several darkened and blurry snapshots, I finally find an acceptable camera setting and scout my eyes for "moments". I sometimes don't have words to describe what I see and feel. But when we entered the old souks, to the children, that's where my heart started beating for Tripoli again. From the drummer kids in the street, to the children playing with fireworks, to the mischievousness and carelessness on their little faces, that was their real life, raw. And for a moment, I was a part of it. See there's a quote about photography which speaks from my heart. It reads: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"WE ARE PHOTOGRAPHERS. We are not here to show people what they can already see. We are here to give them experiences they would otherwise never have experienced. We are here to preserve moments that otherwise would have been forgotten. We are here to capture things which have no words to describe." </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6Su0dCU2G8/UfKnZ5pVXhI/AAAAAAAACvQ/AxCyD6DKzwA/s1600/IMG_7641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6Su0dCU2G8/UfKnZ5pVXhI/AAAAAAAACvQ/AxCyD6DKzwA/s400/IMG_7641.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MYe-27pr97E/UfKomWktgxI/AAAAAAAACvo/gwNTQAdK-zw/s1600/IMG_7758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MYe-27pr97E/UfKomWktgxI/AAAAAAAACvo/gwNTQAdK-zw/s400/IMG_7758.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbN26w4cqE8/UfKwKEmmSVI/AAAAAAAACwQ/6P2utdppkuQ/s1600/IMG_7788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbN26w4cqE8/UfKwKEmmSVI/AAAAAAAACwQ/6P2utdppkuQ/s400/IMG_7788.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, I saw him. I hadn't seen him since last Ramadan, at this exact same location in Moussa's Cafe. I wouldn't mistake his cute face anywhere, and God, how he'd grown... </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hg6uGCljjY/UfKpKiErt7I/AAAAAAAACwA/1tFH7FbSJMY/s1600/IMG_7816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hg6uGCljjY/UfKpKiErt7I/AAAAAAAACwA/1tFH7FbSJMY/s400/IMG_7816.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't think he remembered me, as the only words I've ever told him year after year were "can I take a picture of you?" And he'd flash me his cute grin and enjoy the spotlight I'd give him. I later learned that his name is Omar. Omar had grown up so much since I first met him in 2010. He'd also gotten his hands on a motorbike, which he seemed to be enjoying more than anything. And his beautiful smile never left his face...</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhnENJu9_R8/UfKwRMpBtEI/AAAAAAAACwY/zCcC-aNLkQE/s1600/IMG_7810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhnENJu9_R8/UfKwRMpBtEI/AAAAAAAACwY/zCcC-aNLkQE/s400/IMG_7810.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Omar in 2013</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2EsYbKkBdI/UfKouT5BzgI/AAAAAAAACvw/bmlujQMpr0Q/s1600/IMG_7965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2EsYbKkBdI/UfKouT5BzgI/AAAAAAAACvw/bmlujQMpr0Q/s400/IMG_7965.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Omar in 2010</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We walked through the crowded cafe, bustling with hubble-bubbling locals, kids with toy guns, and of course, Omar circling around on his motorbike. I knew when we reached this point it was the end of our tour. But it was in that moment that I found it, I found that though I love shooting people candid, I loved shooting children candid even more. The souk kids, all of them, they just stole my heart. And I just can't wait to see them again!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPjFht4JDZA/UfKpGfJ7byI/AAAAAAAACv4/1yaq7Zgc_X8/s1600/IMG_7823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPjFht4JDZA/UfKpGfJ7byI/AAAAAAAACv4/1yaq7Zgc_X8/s400/IMG_7823.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you're still reading this, then with all my heart, I invite you to join me on some of the most beautiful experiences anyone can go through in Tripoli, and that's "Shoot As You Walk". And for double the magic, join a "Ramadaniyat" event because I still haven't shown you how beautiful it is… :-)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-17158109373287285752013-07-11T21:50:00.000+03:002013-07-24T22:02:37.009+03:00Lana Del Rey @ Byblos International Festival 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday was the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. It was also the first day of my TQM summer class at school. It was also the long awaited night of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/514407828595783/" target="_blank">Lana Del Rey in Lebanon</a> for the very first time! I barely had time to breathe yesterday, running from work to school and then off to Jbeil on an empty stomach. But wow oh wow, what a night!</div>
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I've always had a soft spot for Jbeil. The old souks, the beautifully cobbled streets and sidewalks, the vibrant night life, just walking through it is magic…</div>
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The opening act was for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thewantonbishops" target="_blank">The Wanton Bishops</a>, a local Lebanese band which I really wanted to like but it just wasn't music to my ears. There was then about an hour interlude, but from the moment she came on stage, till the moment she said goodnight, it was the most brilliant I've ever seen of Lana Del Rey. Her electrifying voice, her down-to-earth personality, being with my friends, the night… it was perfect! Here's the recording I took for Blue Jeans, the song that introduced me to her and my favourite song of her's since:</div>
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ATM, I can't help but wonder what performance I'll be looking forward to at next year's festival… Thank You <a href="https://www.facebook.com/festivalbyblos" target="_blank">Byblos</a> & Good Night! :-)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-30253687460237922162013-06-22T16:00:00.002+03:002013-06-22T16:02:22.769+03:00The House on 66 Houlahan Street<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">There is a house in a neighborhood
called </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrhaven" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Barrhaven</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. It’s a quiet two-story house, in an equally quiet
neighborhood. And if you look close enough, you’ll read the number 66 on the
top right corner of the garage door. That used to be my house, my 66 Houlahan
Street.</span><br />
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Throughout the years I've lived
in quite a few different houses and places. Some of which I remember, some of
which I don’t, some of which I've lived in for longer periods of time than
others, but I guess in the end we tend to remember the house we grew up in, the
house that we had our first memories in. And for me, it was the house on 66
Houlahan Street.</div>
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The reason I’m remembering is
because my parents are currently with my younger brother in Canada. They traveled
for his graduation. I’d obviously loved to have gone with them, but I had
classes, projects, and exams due, the last of which I finished just last night.
So while they were there, on the other side of the world, they took a road trip
to Ottawa, and they passed by our old house and they sent me this picture:</div>
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My entire heart smiled at the
sight of that house, with its front door and porch, bright green grass lawn, evergreen pine tree, and wooden fence around the backyard. I could tell you of the smallest
things I remember, like accidentally dropping a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loonie" target="_blank">loonie</a> underneath the front patio when I was little, and almost crying
that I couldn't get it out so Dad gave me another one. Or like the lemonade stand I set
up at the end of the lawn in an attempt to collect money to buy a <a href="http://www.pranceatron.com/kittens/kittykittykittens.html" target="_blank">Kitty Kitty Kitten</a>
from <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255956" target="_blank">Toys’R’Us</a> for $29.99. I remember that sweet moment when I made my last
dollar, and how excited I was for Dad to come home from work so he could take
me to go buy it. I still have it in my room today. Now imagine the entire lawn
covered in snow, and how my little brother and I would put on our snow suits
and build snow men and snow forts, and throw snow balls at each other. Of course,
I was always tougher than him, and I usually managed to make him cry!</div>
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I also remember my next-door
neighbor and first friend, Amanda. I remember when she and her family had moved
in right after we had, and Dad made me go outside and introduce myself. We instantly
became friends. It’s been a long, long time since I've heard from her and I’m
not sure if she even lives there anymore. But I’ll never forget her as being
one of my very first best friends.</div>
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Oh, I could go on and on about
this house, all the way up until the day it broke my heart to see we had hung
our “For Sale” sign at the end of the driveway…</div>
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Looking back, all I remember are
the sweet childhood memories I had here. It feels so nostalgic, looking
back at your old house and the street and neighborhood you used to live in. Especially
knowing that a new family is living in your old house now, and that new faces
fill your old neighbors’ houses, and new shops and establishments have popped
up in the once quiet neighborhood (they've told me it’s grown so much!).</div>
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But no matter how many thousands
of miles away I may be, I’ll always have a soft spot for this place. So God Bless
this house and the people in it, in 66 Houlahan Street. It’s my favorite house
in the whole wild world… :-)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-33220522227328056722013-06-10T21:45:00.000+03:002013-06-13T21:51:28.091+03:00Tickets to Lana Del Rey @ Byblos International Festival 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE6wxDqdOV0" target="_blank">Video Games</a>". It was her debut single, her claim to fame. It was the first song I heard and fell in love with for her. Swinging in the backyard, pull up in your fast car, whistling my name...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Throughout the year, I got introduced to more of her music and I especially loved "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bag1gUxuU0g" target="_blank">Born To Die</a>", "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRWox-i6aAk" target="_blank">Blue Jeans</a>", "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVjsGKrE6E8" target="_blank">Summertime Sadness</a>", and most lately, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_1aF54DO60" target="_blank">Young and Beautiful</a>". <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lana+Del+Rey" target="_blank">Lana Del Rey</a> has definitely made it to the list of my top artists of all time. And, I still can't believe my eyes, she's coming to Lebanon's <a href="http://www.byblosfestival.org/" target="_blank">Byblos International Festival</a> on July 10th, 2013! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember my first Byblos International Festival in 2010, I went with Toastmasters to see the famous local Lebanese Band <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/mashrou3+leila?ac=mashrou" target="_blank">Mashrou3 Leila</a>. Two years later in 2012, I went with my brother and cousins to see <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Snow+Patrol?ac=snow%20pat" target="_blank">Snow Patrol</a> (a band that I am absolutely in love with, and what a was a <a href="http://www.nourspot.blogspot.com/2012/07/snow-patrol-byblos-international.html" target="_blank">perfect night</a> it was!). And now, just when I thought I'd seen the best, Byblos International Festival outdoes themselves again and brings Lana Del Rey (along with a brilliant lineup you can see <a href="http://www.byblosfestival.org/" target="_blank">here</a>!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I'm a few weeks late in writing this post, but thank my lucky stars I'm not late in getting tickets (for me and two of my very best friends)! The very moment I found out she was coming, I booked! The only difference between this year and last year is that this year I decided to go seated because standing kills! And I'm too old to be standing these days! :-P Ahhh, and as of this moment, exactly one month remains till Lana lands in Lebanon! Can't Wait!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Till then, I leave you with one of her lesser known, but more upbeat songs (which happens to be my song of the week), <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yat38MrlWds" target="_blank">PARIS</a>:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-11959032089417236802013-06-10T19:11:00.000+03:002013-06-10T19:25:41.242+03:00The Halo Lifts...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a concept that has always fascinated me, about souls and angels and our human connections to one another. About how we can feel so close to some people, and about how long it can last until we grow apart. Because no matter how close, we always grow apart in the end, don't we?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe in soul friends and soul mates. I believe in angels too. And I believe that sometimes (though rare), you find these blessings in people. Its quite hard to describe these people, because while many will see them as normal human beings like you and I, to others, or to a select one, this person will be seen as something more. I'm not sure which term I can use to coin them, but heaven-sent to say the least...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This person will be your shining light, your protection, your shelter from all harm. This person will be by your side whether you need him/her to or not, whether you're right or you're wrong, looking out for you, your inner voice, your conscience, again, shining a light in the dark, knowing when it is dark (without you having to say a word), and never breaking that promise, that connection. It could be for just a moment, for days, weeks, months, or years, maybe several years. But eventually there will be a separation. And for the life of me I still can't understand why…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't tell you that I've changed or that the other person has changed either. Maybe the times have changed, maybe the winds have changed. But the beauty I used to see in some people is gone, just gone…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That halo that I used to see above your head, its been lifted, its no longer there. The light doesn't shine from you anymore. Why? Has it been transferred to another? Can you not have more than one special soul or angel in your life? Because the amount of love we have, can we truly distribute it among others or is it reserved just for one?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, we don't belong to anyone. We are only temporality placed in another's custody for a short or a long period of time. And no rings or words make you another's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though it breaks my heart, your halo has lifted. You have taught me and given me all that you could, little or great as it might have been, and I'd like to think I've done the same for you. Because I love you, I love you so much but I just don't like you anymore. And I think you love me but don't like me anymore too. And I think its at that moment, that moment of "love without like", that's the moment the halo lifts…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think i've found a new soul/angel now...</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-45719502934417218432013-06-09T19:18:00.000+03:002013-06-10T19:19:54.555+03:00Lang Leav: Souls & Angels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently discovered a brilliant author, <a href="http://langleav.com/" target="_blank">Lang Leav</a>. This author has several mini poems if I may call them, and they all speak to the soul. Among my top two for her are "Souls" and "Angels". I thought I'd post them here for you to see if they speak to you too. I also want to write something related in my next post… </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-56571024123553710782013-03-27T20:41:00.000+02:002013-03-28T20:43:16.906+02:00In The MEA Aeroplane Over The Sea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I'm back! Like I said, it was one of the quickest vacations ever, but it was a much needed vacation for me to de-stress from both work and school. And I have to say, mission accomplished! And you know <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_Milk_Hotel" target="_blank">Neutra Milk Hotel</a>'s "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6H8WcTPnWM" target="_blank">In The Aeroplane Over The Sea</a>"? Well, I couldn't stop playing it my head as I was flying back home. I even Instagrammed this picture from the <a href="http://www.mea.com.lb/" target="_blank">MEA</a> plane:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel quite pumped and ready to get back to business! In fact, I even went straight to Marketing Class this afternoon! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amman to Beirut: 135 Miles, Beirut to Tripoli: 53 Miles, Tripoli to Balamand: 8.5 Miles, Balamand to Tripoli: 8.5 Miles… 205 Miles in 12 hours and now HOME SWEET HOME! (L)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-71428363260572009722013-03-26T23:59:00.000+02:002013-03-28T20:30:38.676+02:00Jordan Day III: Amman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tonight was my last day in Jordan. Gosh, how quickly these three days have flown! We decided to stay in Amman today, to take a break from the past two days of adventure. We met up at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BlueFigJo" target="_blank">Blue Fig</a> with Mira for brunch, who couldn't stay for long because she had a job interview a couple of hours after that so she had to go get ready (fingers crossed for you, Mira!). Nadine then took me to <a href="http://www.tajlifestyle.com/Public/Main_English.aspx?lang=2&page_id=2" target="_blank">Taj Mall</a>, which wasn't open when I last visited Jordan in 2010. It's currently Amman's biggest mall, with great shops, diners, and entertainment. We walked around a bit before sitting at Starbucks for a drink…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later that afternoon, Nadine's mum drove us to town so I could buy some famous Jordanian Za'atar for Mum and some souvenirs for some friends back home. I also got to know some other parts of the city before she drove us back to the house to get ready for my last dinner, an AUB reunion dinner with Nadine, Sari, Mira, Akram, and Yazan. We went to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sevenbarrels" target="_blank">Seven Barrels</a>, a gastro pub with some good food and drinks…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jordanian hospitality never ceases to amaze me… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">100 Thank You's to a fun-filled adventure of a vacation, especially with Nadine, Sari, and Mira! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's to 9 years of pure friendship & counting!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0Amman, Jordan31.9565783 35.9456950999999666.4345438 -5.3628989000000331 57.4786128 77.254289099999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-83838343181702900872013-03-25T23:59:00.000+02:002013-03-29T00:29:40.864+02:00Jordan Day II: Madaba, Mount Nebo, & Bethany Beyond the Jordan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I woke up early this morning, with aching legs and feet. I guess it's because of all the walking we did in Jerash and Ajlun Castle yesterday. Despite the pain though, I felt excited as ever because today was the day I was looking forward to the most! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madaba" target="_blank">Madaba</a>, located 30km south-west of the capital Amman, is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad Mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-eara mosaic map of the Holy Land. We visited two churches in Madaba, The Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George and The Church Of Saint John The Baptist...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The top three photos are of the former church, with the third being of the Mosaic Map unearthed in 1864, which was once a clear map with 157 captions (in Greek) of all major biblical sites from Lebanon to Egypt. The mosaic was constructed in 560 AD and once contained more than 2 million pieces, only 1/3 of the whole now survives…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bottom three photos are of the latter church, which was built in 1913. What's special about this church is that it has a lot of underground tunnels and holds The Shrine Of The Beheading Of Saint John The Baptist (Patron Of Madaba And Jordan). It also has The Bell Tower which you can climb...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Bell Tower of this church is the highest vantage point in Madaba. It's quite a climb, but once you're up there, you can experience a wonderful panorama of Madaba and all its surroundings...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We then stopped for lunch at </span><a href="http://www.haretjdoudna.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Haret Jdoudna</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a magical village of restaurants, coffee shops and a traditional Jordanian Souk and Crafts Market...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo" target="_blank">Mount Nebo</a>, an elevated ridge in Jordan, approximately 817 meters above sea level, mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land that he would never enter. The view from the summit provides a panorama of The Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of The River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next, we went to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethabara" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bethany Beyond The Jordan</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to the place where Jesus was baptized, located on the Jordanian side of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Jordan River</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of the day, we went back up to The Dead Sea Panorama, which boasts a breathtaking view of The Dead Sea. It was a little too sunny to take good pictures, but I set up this tripod to get the three of us at the top of the world! :-)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com1Madaba, Jordan31.6218511 35.69699839999998431.1891916 35.051551399999987 32.0545106 36.342445399999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-56855679720676965522013-03-24T18:04:00.000+02:002013-03-28T20:50:13.516+02:00Jordan Day I: Jerash & Ajlun Castle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On my first Jordanian morning, I woke up at 8:00AM and Nadine made waffles which we gobbled up with a drink of orange juice in under 15 minutes before heading over to Sari's, who was our driver, tour guide, and of course best friend during the trip! The first direction on my Jordanian vacation was compass north, to the ancient city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerash" target="_blank">Jerash</a>, famous for its Roman ruins. We reached our destination in roughly an hour, with The Arch of Hadrian looming in front of us, indicating (especially to Nadine :-P) that we had arrived! I later found out that this arch was built to celebrate Emperor Hadrian's visit to Jerash in 129-130 AD...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When entering, the first thing you see is the Hippodrome, a partially restored Roman-era stadium. At only 245m long and 52m wide, it was the smallest hippodrome in the the Roman Empire... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took this cover picture with the background of The Oval Plaza, surrounded by a broad sidewalk and a colonnade of 1st century Ionic columns. This Cardo once lined with the city's major buildings, shops and residences. A complex drainage system lies below the stone paving, and chariot tracks can actually be seen in the stone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below is the South Theatre of Jerash, which seats more than 3,000 spectators and serves today as the primary venue in <a href="http://www.jerashfestival.jo/" target="_blank">The Jerash Festivals</a>. The brilliant design took all the factors in consideration, such as the sun's brightness and direction. For this reason, the theatre was built in a way so to allow the least amount of sunlight to disturb the audience. And the remarkable acoustics allows a speaker at the centre of the orchestra floor to be heard by the entire auditorium without raising his/her voice!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daily features include bagpipers in traditional Jordanian military dress such as this friendly one we took a picture with!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up was </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis_(Jerash)" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Temple of Artemis</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo), built on one of the highest points and dominated the whole city. It's an impressive temple ruin dedicated to the patron goddess of the city. The temple was designed to be earthquake-proof so some of the columns move and you can feel it if you insert your fingers between the section of the columns!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below is the smaller second North Theater, which was planed to be either a small performance space or a city council chamber. If you looks close enough, you'll see that the group of tourists behind us have their arms outstretched like Nadine and me, what a funny British group they were!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time we had finished our tour, we were absolutely famished. So for lunch, we went to </span><a href="http://www.lebanese-house.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Lebanese House</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. It's one of the oldest Lebanese food restaurant in Jordan, established in 1977 in Jerash by a Lebanese woman named Antoinette Rami, better known in Jordan as Umm Khalil. The food, especially the mezza, was scrumptious! I even tried the famous Labneh Jerashieh, a thick cheese-like yoghurt which also tasted incredible!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After lunch, Esper (Sari's Nokia GPS, which was surprisingly accurate!) lead us to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajlun_Castle" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Ajloun Castle</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, located on the top of a mountain just outside the small city of Ajloun, a mere 10 miles away from Jerash. It's an Islamic fortress, built during the period of the Crusades. The castle is an interesting maze of passages and levels, and offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area of northwestern Jordan... </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0Jordan30.585164 36.23841400000003423.6464005 25.911265500000034 37.5239275 46.565562500000034tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-27397692517466109902013-03-21T21:21:00.002+02:002013-03-21T21:22:27.642+02:00Happy Mother's Day 2013!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If there's one thing I love about March, actually, three things I love about March, it's that March is Mum's ultimate month! See, Mum's birthday is March 1st. Mum is also a teacher and so Teacher's Day is her second March celebration. And of course, Mother's Day is in March, making it Mum's third March celebration. And seeing a triple smile on her face puts a triple smile on my face as well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After work this afternoon, I stopped by our local flower shop to pick out flowers for Mum. There weren't too many left as the day was half over, but I managed to spot this beautiful pink and white bouquet, which I immediately picked up to take for her. Luckily, she was still out by the time I got home so I set them up in her room for her, which she was pleasantly surprised to find when she got home...</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"For all the times you gently picked me up when I fell down, for all the times you tied my shoes, and tucked me into bed, or needed something but put me first instead, for everything we shared, the dreams, the laughter, and the tears, I love you with a "Special Love" that deepens every year…" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, I truly felt the Mother's Day spirit, both offline and online! Today, each time I opened Facebook, my newsfeed was flooded with pictures of friends with their mums and heartfelt greetings. And to see all those posts and all those blessings makes me feel glad to live in a world filled with so much love… so again and again, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-71933537015985766652013-03-11T23:40:00.001+02:002013-03-11T23:40:58.633+02:00Now Is Good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I think I've mentioned this before, about the months of March and April being the months of loss. I've always thought of them as the months that, when the weather gets warmer, the ice melts away (in a figurative meaning), leaving only those who were strong enough to have survived the winter. And I heard the first death note on Saturday...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of our work day, one of the tellers chocked out in sobs. He found out that his father had passed away. Some colleagues rushed over to console him but I just sat there, unable to move. I didn't know what to do, what to say. While most would say "I'm sorry for your loss", I felt like that those words weren't enough. No words were, or ever could be enough to express a loss, especially in that moment. So, while I still wished I'd said something, I couldn't…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later that afternoon, I was watching a DVD, "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937264/" target="_blank">Now Is Good</a>". Its about "a girl dying of leukaemia (who) compiles a list of things she'd like to do before passing away". I don't tend to get too emotional during movies but towards the end, it was strong enough to bring tears to my eyes. And it made me wonder, if you knew you was going to die, would you really want to "do things" or would being surrounded by your parents, your little brother, your best friends, and if you're lucky to have him, your boyfriend be enough? Just being with you, day in and day out, with so much love, until one day, you just disappear, you cease to exist...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Our life is a series of moments. Each one a journey to the end. Let them go. Let them all go…"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After work this afternoon, I went with a group of colleagues to give our condolences. I sat in a seat I always sit in during times like these, I thought the same thoughts I think of during times like these, and I silently prayed for another lost soul I never knew but feel like I did. Because in the end we're all brothers and sisters, we're all one family with the same thoughts and feelings towards what matters most in life...</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00901117152759357236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140062158195267903.post-57898669419834609592013-03-02T20:54:00.000+02:002013-03-03T13:02:37.894+02:005 Years, Since You've Been Gone...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, its been 5 Years since you've left us. Not a year's gone by in which I haven't thought of you, especially on March 2nd. And even though I didn't write to you last year, you were and always are on my mind and in my heart…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some days, its hard to believe that it's already been 5 years. Most of my memories of you are frozen in time, and when I think of you, I think of my childhood and the times we've shared together. And your house, mostly I remember your house, the house that helped build me…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember the day Dad took me and Fawzi to your house after you had left us. I took countless pictures of your old house, because I thought, well, I thought pictures were the best things I could keep of you. I think it was also in that moment that I subconciously rooted my love for taking pictures of each and every moment, person, and place, because when you look back, it's those snapshots, those moments in time that bring back the sincerest of smiles…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was going through some of those old photos today, and one of the pictures that stood out to me the most was this one of the desk in the dining room. This old desk, with the old treasures in it's rusted old drawers that I had to pull with all my might to open, the crossword puzzles, the same desk that dad and my uncle used as kids, the desk I used to write and draw on. The desk of creativity, as I should call it. The desk also reminds me of you because it was a source of development, and you loved everything that helped us grow…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teta, a lot's changed in the last 5 years. Starting with myself, I started working at the bank exactly a year after you had left us. So every work anniversary, I remember you. I also started my MBA. And you, having been a school principle, know the importance you've always placed on education. Fawzi's in his last year of university before he graduates with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. It's Samar's first year of university and Wassim's last year of high school. Tala, like me, is still working. And as for Diala, she finished her Masters in Comparative Literature and she's also married now and has a beautiful baby girl, named Yara. I'm sure you'd be proud of us all...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also remember you during our rare, but favoured family gatherings. I always remember how your eyes used to light up at having the entire family together, over meals, and over special events. I might have not appreciated it at the time, but now, every time we're together, I understand the importance of family and being together that you oh so treasured…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God, how I miss you and the sweetness of your beautiful soul. I know you're up there, looking down on us, with Jiddo. I pray that you are both doing well and send you all my love… </span></div>
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