Don’t linger, move on…

To a great friend whose heart is as pure as white daisies and her optimism is simply infinite…

No matter what, always remember that you are BEAUTIFUL inside-out.

Years go by, life goes on and there is no turning back. Good and bad, memories fill your heart and thoughts. You wish to relive all those unforgettable fairy tale moments and irreversibly forget those horrible sleepless nights. But in vain!

Don’t linger, move on…

The time to live fully is NOW. There will always be something lacking: preparation, self-esteem, readiness, etc… but what needs to be overcome is the fear ‘to start now’.

It takes a lot of courage to let go and to loosen the brakes, but what are friends for after all?

I know sadness is filling your beautiful heart.

I know deception is eating up your optimism.

I know loneliness is scaring you.

But never forget who you really are. Always remember the fun, sensual and life loving person who used to be present and used to live passionately. That person is still there and it is up to you to awaken it again!

Be with the people you love.

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you even when you don’t see it yourself.”

Don’t linger, move on… Life is too short to lose time waiting.

Law 174… yeah right!

Though I wouldn’t want to start 2013 on a bad note and with pessimistic thoughts, but the outrage of living in this country and paying taxes (for absolutely nothing) is just too much to take!

                          

If we cannot start by respecting the simplest, most useful of laws that hints to what ‘civilized’ means, then so long civilization!

By definition, a law is a rule enforced by the imposition of penalties. This is only the definition, and, we Lebanese (the smartest of all), will always find a work around any law.

That is not the main issue, as I got to a point where I convinced myself that this is only human nature (wanting the forbidden) and maybe, in our case, human nature is slightly ‘magnified’.

The issue is rooted into the system itself:

 On September 3rd 2012, smoking was officially prohibited in all enclosed bars, restaurant and cafes in Lebanon in accordance with Law 174, which passed exactly a year ago.

It was finally a sign of a new modern government…. A promising beginning, a naive (very naive indeed) hope, glimpse of light in a corrupted country. YES somebody cares…

Though the law was not fully respected and strongly criticized/objected by restaurant and hotel’s owners… we could finally go into a mall’s elevator without suffocating in a cigar’s smoke (which by the way is more of a trend!)

Until it was time to party… until it was New Year’s Eve, and the Lebanese aka ‘party animals’, where out in pubs/bars/restaurants to celebrate the beginning of 2013.

Surprise: Everybody was smoking everywhere AND surprise, surprise: No one was breaking the GREAT 174, as apparently, the law was suspended for the festive season (Or maybe due to lack of resources whereas only a handful of controls are assigned the enforcement tasks in the 10452 Km2).

When the ‘system’ is finding work around for laws, how can we expect any improvement? 

How can a population change when the whole 'system' doesn't allow it?

Honestly...speechless....

Ending with a quote for the Great Gibran Khalil Gibran from the Prophet (Wondering whether his genius works would have been recognized worldwide if he had stated in Lebanon!) ...

“Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.

Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.

Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years
and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.

Pity the nation divided into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation”

To a spectacular Lady

An iron Lady with the heart of a child.
A wise Woman with a juvenile smile.
Expressive eyes that always convey what your discreetness tries to hide.
Fiercely independent yet unconditionally devoted to us.
Never a quitter with a vibrant love for life.
The most beautiful social butterfly, that, with her optimism, touches the heart of everybody around her.
A blessing in our lives, a role model, an inspiration...
I cannot but admire your elegant and chic persona that never surrendered to life's heavy burdens.
I love you mum!

Free Fall

During my continuous trips to UAE on projects, in 2008-2009, I have decided to reward myself for the long hours of work and make one of my dreams come true: Sky diving.

I have always wanted to sky dive, but when it came to taking a decision, I always had cold feet, until I was able to convince my best friend to share the experience with me. (Which was not very difficult to do…:) )

It was, by far, the most exciting, terrifying and freeing moment of my life.

As the plane reached the 13,000 feet, the door opened and as I sat on the door’s edge, breathing got harder.

 I was asked by my professional tandem partner if I changed my mind, and though I was scared to death, I said no.

All I remember next is tumbling out of the plane, unsure of what was up and what was down. The free fall was quick (9 seconds at most) that I couldn’t catch my breath.

The view, however, was amazing over Umm Al Quwain where the scenery of the Persian Gulf and the desert’s sands helped me keep calm.

I am still not sure what I miss more; the strong adrenaline rush – the free fall – or the calm sensation and peace that followed.

What is certain is that Adrenaline rush is addictive.

We get tattoos. We jump in the sea in the middle of the night. We do stupid and extreme things. We jump from planes. We drive fast. We run. We get crazy haircuts. Or simply we do something new…

All for this exquisite, short term pleasure that keeps us going on!

All for this “feel good” moment that alleviates the stress, routine and boredom of the daily life!

But as a matter of fact, I miss both, as you can only appreciate the uniqueness of the moment after withdrawing to a calmer state.

And while waiting for the next (forced or natural) adrenaline rush experience, I’ll try to compensate with a good dose of caffeine :)

Toi et Moi

Je voudrais m’envoler à l’autre bout de la terre, avec toi, seuls, cachés là-bas.

Je voudrais me perdre, avec toi, allongés à la belle étoile, oubliant les heures, les jours et les mois.

Et si jamais tu me demanderais, que faire ? Où s’évader ?

Je répondrai, là où le ciel nous contemple, la mer nous parle et les forêts nous racontent les secrets des nuits d’automne éclairées.

Partons alors… vivre sans règles ni lois… Toi et Moi.

A walk to remember

I have always loved this city. Who doesn’t anyway!

If you’ve ever been to Byblos (Jbeil), I bet that you were enchanted by its spirit… yes I say its spirit (Whether it is the harbor, the Mediterranean Sea, the 10000 years old stones holding the civilizations’ secrets or the traditional Lebanese houses; especially this one house, standing alone on the hill, overlooking the clear blue sea and incarnating in its solitude and uniqueness the sorrow, beauty, glory and pride of a nation).

It was 7:30 AM, and for the first time, I had the city to myself.

I have often visited Jbeil by night, for a concert, a drink in one of its modern busy pubs or for a romantic escapade. Plenty of memories there… Good and bad, they remain memories of ‘old and wise Byblos’.

So back to 7:30 AM, to my random morning walk, to the day I fell in love with a city.

As I passed through the medieval walls surrounding it, I was greeted by an old lady, with a warm smile on her face: “Bonjour tante”, she said. Unlike her, I replied with a very shy “Bonjour” but understood immediately that, waking up with Byblos, gave me the leverage of being part of the morning ritual.

I continued my walk, heading towards the harbor. I crossed the historic quarter where every wooden door and abat-jour window told an intense story. To my left stood the castle deserted. Only a very old man, all dressed up, with a red tarbouche on his head, a cane in one hand and a ‘man’ouche’ in another welcomed me with a wide smile: “tfadale ammo” (inviting me to have breakfast with him). I was overwhelmed! I thought this man only existed in my mother’s memories and stories. Well I finally met him! And I am glad I did!

Few meters separated me from THE port.  I could see from far that it was busy, not with fancy boats (the usual sight on  Sundays noon) but with very modest fishermen’s ones.

They were cleaning and undoing their nets. Few people gathered around them to get the best of today’s catch.

One of them called me politely. He insisted he had good fish and recommended I take them. “Almost a kilo, you will not regret it!”  He shouted.

A mid aged man, long grey hair, all dressed in a white suit, sitting on a bench facing the port, smiled to me and spoke slowly: “The fish is good, don’t worry if you are not a connoisseur, trust me it’s good!”

He was right, I was confused and it was not because of the fish. I was simply charmed.

I sat there for an hour or so, contemplating the still water, thinking…. It was not that random after all! The ‘morning Byblos’ resembles itself more than the ‘evening one’.

The wrinkled faces I met, that greeted me with generous smiles and made me feel at home, withhold the spirit of the wrinkled city’s stones.

The spirit of a city…..

Talk vs Speak

Are you feeling the same way I do: the more I meet people, the more I realize that we often speak but seldom really talk.

How many times have you wished for moments of silence, for running away from the daily busy and noisy surroundings (whether it is the city you live in, the babbling coworkers, your demanding family or simply the TV)?

Not only do I yearn, these days, for silence, but also for talking! I crave for good conversations, meaningful ones, for conversations made out of love and passion, involving not only words but also good deeds.

It’s said that “Silence is gold”; I say “Talking is gold”.

Of course I am not generalizing, as in the midst of the chaos, I stumble upon people who like to pause and have a genuine, “from the heart” talk.

So, bottom line, a little less speaking, a little more talking please!