Category Archives: Morning Diary

Sun Setting over Lebanese Mountains

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It can be dreamy, to watch the sunset. But it can also be awakening.

To a day, when the road started from the suburban area in northern Beirut, Rabieh, up towards the Cornet Chahwan town in the Mounts of Lebanon. We parked to overlook the magical Mediterranean Sea. The sun was on a straight angle towards the sea, forming a shiny magical luster that ends in merging the skies and the sea. The trees automatically became darkened, and the shadows of the clouds imprints over the waters, forming an illusion. It was the perfect start of the day, a perfect form of meditation.

We then started to go upscale, passing by Ain Aar, Bikfaya, Beit Chabab,towards Zaarour. We came across this stunning building that reminded me of the Renaissance architecture, it turned out to be an old tobacco manufacture. We then stopped by Beit Chabab and walked around its old village before we reached to our final stop Zaarour to watch the sunset.

We walked into the edges of the mountain, and sat between the clouds, as the sun started to set over the mountains, forming different shadows between every curve of each mountain, blending their presence into one another. It truly felt like waves of sound turned into a visual experience, tuning in the shadows together, forming a melody. The colors of the sky started to divide into levels, forming lines on top of one another like rose petals, with the sun fully circle, located in the very heart and center of the sky, looked like it was surrounded with warmth, while it was spreading eternal love.

 

Visiting Zarour

It is time to pause & reflect 

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I see #Jerusalem “Let us give everything the time that it needs” there is nothing wrong about rushing things to happen, as there is nothing wrong in taking our sweet time. One situation is different from another. We can not have it one way, always. But we can learn to listen to life responding to us. Sometimes changes storms into our lives, and sometimes we need to take our time to change things. But I like the #quote by #MarkTwain that says “whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause & reflect.” 
  

24 hours in Lebanon

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“All you have shall some day be given. Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors. You often say, “I will give, but only to the deserving” The trees in your orchid say not so, nor the flocks in your posture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish…”Jibran khalil Jibran

Always start your day with coffee, turkish, espresso, american, arabian, just start it off fresh. Then start walking, down town Beirut, Hamra, Ein Mreisse, Rass Beirut, Zaitunay Bay, Beirut Souks, Saifi Village, Gammayzeh, Monot, Achrafieh, Mar Mikhael, Bourk Hammoud. Just walk where the wind takes you, look at the authentic streets, the old carriages, the people running in the morning along the port, people fishing, experience things you have never imagined you ever will. Speak to the locals, listen to their stories, eat their food, look into their eyes, look for the art, the graffiti, the music, be spontaneous, pray in a temple, which ever one that calls upon you. Get into a house, have more coffee at their balcony, walk some more, keep a smile on even if you see anyone frowning, take a cab to the closest beach town, Batroun, Jiyeh, Jbeil, Jounieh, Faraya, Tyre. Swim if the weather is fantastic, read a book if it is a little cold, drive around a close by mountain town, Zarour, Arz, Laklouk, Faraya, Tannourine, overlook Beirut from above. Head back downtown, join a protest, there must be one around, listen to the people chant, wave their flags. Walk again between the old streets, watch their sunset, and try to find a Lebanese dabkeh or traditional dance near by at night. Enjoy Lebanon.

For more on Beirut Beach Towns 

24hrs in Lebanon
On Forgiveness

A Mediterranean city dipped in Rose Water – Beirut – الى بيروت –

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Where ever you are, in what ever circumstances you find your self, always strive to be a lover, a passionate lover. When love becomes your possession, you will will always be a lover – in the grave, at the resurrection, in paradise, forever. When you plant wheat, it will surely be wheat that grows; wheat will be in the storehouse, and wheat will be in the oven. “Rumi”

Beirut is dipped in Rose water, because their people are passionately in love with it. It is dipped in rose water, because where ever you go, you see people speaking passionately about it. Beirut speaks love in every corner, it is furnished with Rose water. It has witnessed miracles, surviving its continuous agonies; the people of Beirut know exactly how to keep healing it. They are lovers to it. And once you decide to visit Beirut, look into its history, but let its history power you with hope. It is joyous, no matter how upset it is, it maintains its joy, because of the love, the people of Beirut, pour into it. Because they are aware of every little wound, and they are aware that love is the answer, and with love, Beirut can survive all of it.

Visiting Beirut

The Reflection of Architecture. A Creative Writing Piece.

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One morning, while I was in Tripoli, I woke up with an urge to go study the architecture of few monuments in the old town city. It felt more like… it was an internal study, a study of my own soul architecture. As I went gazing and zooming in with my camera, into what looked like an Ottoman design, I was able to see a reflection of myself. Refined architecture. That is hidden between several other elements, creating some sort of haziness. They are there, right there, but no one can see them. They are too busy with their every day routine, that they never get to once sit, and enjoy the beauty that lies between their own reflection. They have taken everything for granted. They don’t really question the meaning of their existence, seeing them standing out, not noticing that they do not look like the rest of the other buildings. So they have been blended along with all the other buildings, and they will only rise again when someone takes initiative to pull the curtains off. They are curtains covering the eyes of the people, and not covering the work of art. The work of art, is there, visible. And that is when, people will question, “how did we grow up to become so blinded?” And that is my soul architecture, it has been created in a way no other can see but myself. I can see it, so clearly, if I give myself the opportunity to. I can sit and watch my own soul stand out. I can sit and watch my own soul put, as it was put in the first place. Watch the design, it was created to appear to be, and let it be what it is here to be.

Authenticity of Tripoli
Streets of Lebanon

The Scent of Jasmine & Cardamom in Tripoli – رآحة الياسمين و الهيل في مدينة طرابلس

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Tripoli is so poetic; it is just like Jasmine and Cardamom mixed together and sprayed between the tree leaves. This city is ancient wonderland located Northern side of Lebanon. I have a weakness for architectural art. I would walk all day for it, I would stand still and look at it for hours, I can leave everything, find a bench and sit as I gaze at it. If I sound like you, then book your next destination to Tripoli, Lebanon.

You will experience understanding the mixology between architectural art, or maybe not truly understand it, but sense it. I am unfamiliar with architecture studies myself, but I am obsessed with it. I have seen art in Tripoli that dates back to the Mamluk times, Art Nouveau, Islamic Art and of course Ottomans. You walk the old city of Tripoli and it is just like a walk through history. There is also a Spanish Breeze as you explore the city, I felt like I was somewhere in Spain several times as I was exploring Tripoli.

I have taken few photos below of the Old city of Tripoli, Grand Mosque Mansouri Mosque, a popular dish by the name Maghrbieh, a popular dessert by the name Ma’jouka, a famous game that the elderly enjoy playing by the name Doma that is very similar to chess, and the Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles or Qal’at Sanjil Castle.

What about Byblos in the Mount side of Lebanon? عن جبيل في لبنان

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If you have been to Lebanon, you sure have been to Byblos, and if you haven’t then here is a little bit about it. A beautiful destination, small very old and authentic Mediterranean city located north of Beirut. Byblos is eye gazing, so much to see all around, the old houses, stairs, the old market, the old trees, the sea, the skies, it is truly one of the places that is hard to find the right words to describe it. And then in the evening, it is sleepless. People from all over Lebanon head towards this authentic city to enjoy their evening outdoors.

Go there, find ancient temples, find the Byblos castle, find the Medieval city wall, find the Mamluk Mosque, find St John the Baptist church, and if you are there during the summer try to attend their annual summer festival.

Visiting Byblos
Visting Byblos
Visiting Byblos

Free yourself 

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“Ignorance is God’s prison. Knowing is God’s palace.” Rumi – it is always right to unlock the prison within ourself & start by asking life for help. Ask life to help you clear out the way for you, to show you what is good for you & what is confusing you, ask life to show you the way out of closed doors & into open doors, ask God to help you find your answers & not stay stuck around question marks, ask God to help you learn, acknowledge, free yourself, free your mind, free your soul. True love is free, so be free. Look for the palace within you, look for knowledge, look for comfort, look for ease, look for imagination, exploration, space, look for joy, for contribution, for unity, look for resemblance, for alike spirits, for positivity. Believe in the spirit within you, it all takes.   

How will you know the good if you have never tried the bad? 

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Even the skies have two faces for what is having one face if you did not get to know the other? How do you choose good from bad if you don’t know the bad? How do you distinguish love from anything else if you haven’t try anything else? How do you know high when you have never been so low? Let life treat you the way it should without holding any grudges just try your very best to be true to yourself & to others… How will the skies turn into colors if they don’t experience sunset nor sunrise? How will you tell the difference if you never watch them? How do you get to know yourself if you never try to free yourself from your own thoughts? Even the skies sing under the rain, the moon sings under the shadows, the sun sings under the clouds & the rainbow rises above the skies, so free yourself to dance, dance to life, be faithful to your true self be honest to your soul, be genuine to those who give you a hand to climb your own stairs up and rise upon the miracles of life. 
  

A little prayer for Eid Al Adha 

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Dream… For it is a given gift to our life… Without dreams how will we ever experience everything… Dream… For dreams are what brings our vision into reality… For how would we visualize them otherwise?… Dream… And be happy closing your eyes & reopening them… For what are dreams if they were not to expand and ask for more… Dream… This life is too dull without our dreams… And without them we wouldn’t have accomplished as far as we already have…. So Dream… And teach your kids to dream with hope… Teach them to dream and send their requests to God… Teach them that the impossible is never impossible with a mind that can create the impossible… So teach your kids to dream… And to believe that good dreams can come to reality if they seek them… That dreams are happy thoughts and happy thoughts are happy feelings & happy feeling lead to manifesting happy things from happening… ❤️ to a Happy Eid, Eid Mubarak, Eid Al Adha, may it bring our good dreams into reality, may it bring peace to earth, may it bring true love into our hearts & may it unite us as a one humanity.