The Top Ten Things I love about Lebanon

This blog entry was inspired by a recent visit to Lebanon as well as an article I read on Cedar Wings, the inflight magazine of MEA.

10- Nothing starts off a Lebanese morning like listening to the soothing melodies of the First Lady of Lebanese Singing, Fairus. This tradition has remained constant for 50 years. Listening to “Shayef Elbaher” and “Atini Ennaya” is a prerequisite to one’s first cup of coffee or trip to work. Listen clearly. Her voice echoes from speakers across the country.

9- An exquisite Meza scattered about a tabletop surrounded by friends whose fingers are dipped in a plate of Hummus and the air is filled with laughter. The Lebanese saying goes that those who eat out of the same plates of Meza with pita will remain the closest friends forever.

8- The sizzling sounds of Falafel frying and the buzz of the twirling giant Shawarma skewers, with the aroma to entice one’s every fancy –these traditional sandwiches are the best things to eat as one strolls along the city.

7- A Lebanese dusk at springtime transmits the most beautiful fragrance of Jasmine and Orange Blossom in the air. One is blessed when someone’s home nearby has these aromatic plants growing in pots in the balcony.

6- As Lebanon is in a constant state of change and motion, only one thing will ever stand the test of time: its traffic jams. Yet there is a special moment of sheer beauty and warmth as one watches the face of a frustrated man swearing at those around him; he gently turns to grin at a young Lebanese woman as she raises her hand to him, smile, and ask him tenderly if she may pass in front of him.

5- In a country swarming with artists, there is always a play, book launch, or art show to attend. If you are unfamiliar with places to go, you will undoubtedly stumble upon one on your way home from the market. Just go with the flow.

4-Lebanon overflows with buses, service cars and private taxis. For a mere couple of dollars (and everyone takes the Ol’ Greenback), an old rickety Mercedes will take you anywhere you need.

3- One word to learn when visiting Lebanon is Itfaddal. Whether someone is in carrying a bag of fruits, eating potato chips, or whether one compliments them on a beautiful silver ring sitting snugly on their finger, a Lebanese will always gesture: “Itfaddal! You are welcome to it and what is mine is surely yours.”

2- It’s 3 A.M. and you are craving freshly squeezed orange juice, a Shawarma, and a “double apple” shisha. Unfortunately, these things are not within reach at that time. “Ma Fi Meshkle!” Just pick up your cell phone and order it and it will all come to you, with free delivery! Whatever you desire at anytime, anywhere, the fabulous delivery service is sure to fulfill them.

1- McDonalds offers valet parking. Enough said!!!!!

Anyone wants to share a Hummus plate at 3 A.M. with me?

END QUOTE:
"The best leader is one whose existence is barely known. Next best is one who is loved and praised. Next is one who is feared. Worst of all is a leader who is despised. If you fail to trust people they won’t turn out to be trustworthy."
The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

Ethiopia: Land of Beautiful People, Stunning Landscape, and Delicious Coffee

A landlocked country of over a million square kilometers (about twice the size of Texas), 85 million people, over 80 ethnicities, and at least as many languages, Ethiopia is a country rich with history, culture, and beautiful landscape. However, what strikes a visitor the most is the beauty and warmth if its people. I traveled to Adama in the south, Wenchie in the west, and as far north as Mekelle, and I was always welcomed warmly by gorgeous, warm, and proud people of all ages.

Ethiopia has a delicious cuisine of indigenous food and a hint of Italian influence on its pastas and coffees. Ah! The coffee! I’ve never had a better macchiato anywhere, and the traditional three round of dark, delicious Ethiopian coffee service is an out-of-this-world experience. (For more on the coffee service, please read my previous blog: Almaz, the Coffee Lady at the Addis Ababa Hilton.)

Below is a random photo essay of the people and landscape of Ethiopia. I hope you enjoy reviewing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

END QUOTE:

“Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.”

Jane Austen.

The Dead Sea

Dear Loved Ones,

In mid November, the CIPE MENA staff and I were at a very important gathering in the Dead Sea in Jordan. The event took months to plan and brought together our partners from across the region to discuss their experiences on advocacy programs. Experts from Morocco to Egypt and from Turkey to Yemen spent a full three days discussing approaches and methodologies for combating corruption, improving access for informal entrepreneurs, and engaging on policy reforms. The event was a total success and I am so proud of our team.



Despite the intensity of the program and the fact that every staff member was in attendance in every session, we still had time to enjoy the beautiful Kempinski Ishtar Resort.

The Dead Sea البَحْر المَيّت‎, al-Baḥr El-Mayyit, is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts. As its name evokes, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to an extremely high content of salts and minerals which gives its waters the renowned curative powers, therapeutic qualities, and its buoyancy. Because the salt content is four times that of most world's oceans, you can float in the Dead Sea without even trying, which makes swimming here a truly unique experience not to be missed: here is the only place in the world where you can recline on the water to read a newspaper. It's a strange feeling to swim in this sea. One feels like a buoy bobbing above the water and it is extremely painful if the water gets in the eyes or into an open cut.

This is me having breakfast and that's Palestine behind me. Surreal!!!!

The Dead Sea has some of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. Breathtaking. And the irony of the "sun setting over Palestine" did not escape me.

This is yours truly enjoying a free moment at sunset in the Infinity Pool, which is named so because from this angle, the pool blends with the Dead Sea, and one seems to be swimming in infinity.

Staff called this one "the Bobbing Head".

END QUOTE: If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. ~Mahatma Gandhi

I'm Finally a Billionaire

Actually a Billionaire and a Trillionaire. I have in my possession two legal bills (real money); one for 50 Trillion Dollars (50,000,000,000,000)and the other for 50 Billion Dollars. I have copies of them below. Wait, wait! These are Zimbabwean dollars, worth next to 50 cents or so. So, I am a Zim Millionaire, like every citizen of Zimbabwe.

The southern African country battled the world's highest inflation rate, officially put at 231 million percent. In lay terms, something you bought on or about January 1st for 1 dollar was worth 231 million by the end of the year. It’s a lot better now after the Zimbabwean government accepted to use the ol’ Greenback (U.S Dollar) as legal currency.

Home Alone: It’s not as Fun as it Sounds!

Three days down, twenty five more to go, and I’m thinking: This is real torture. No one needs water boarding with me; all is needed is to keep my family away from me and I’ll confess to anything they want me to.

As Radhia and the girls left for Yemen on Thursday afternoon they waved goodbye to me and Hamza, and I bit my lips as tears welled up in my eyes. “I miss them already and they haven’t even left yet! How am I going to tolerate four weeks without them?” I looked away from Hamza, uncomfortable with this intense display of emotion, and kept a fake smile plastered to my face. But the pain was excruciating, building up in stages since the early hours of the morning, and getting worse with each passing minute.

I drove back home and although the rain had not started yet, the sky was a troubled gray. The environment was almost as gloomy as I was. It was extremely hard not to give in to the loneliness and feel sorry for myself. Back home, I experienced nothing, thought nothing and felt nothing except how much I miss them. The solace I searched in my hope to accomplish some work vanished rapidly. My thoughts were in fragments I could hardly piece together. I stewed myself into a state of concentrated sadness. Leaning back in my “regular” seat in the family room and vaguely listening to the garbled noises of television in the background, I felt a persistent, icy dread at the thought of Amat’s illness, Ruqi’s looming departure, and at the lack of the beautiful sounds that usually permeate our lovely home. Zainab and Sumi quarrelling over mundane issues, Selma giggling until her nostrils flare and her eyes fill up with tears, and Radhia’s breath warm and moist, with the rattle of sleep in it as we watch our favorite television shows.

I went to bed alone with complete silence engulfing the entire house. I threw Radhia a good night kiss over my shoulder and said a little prayer for all of them, and then I stared scornfully at the ceiling. I can’t take another four weeks of this.

END QUOTE: Do not take life so seriously. You will never get out of it alive. --Ebert Hubbard

Selma in Amharic

This is Selma's name in Amharic, the main language in Ethiopia. Amharic (አማርኛ amarəñña) is a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia by the Amhara. It is the second most spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic.

Step into the World of Istanbul Window Shopping… My Way!

NOTE: Photo Essay at end of this blog entry.

This trip has been one of the most stressful trips I've ever taken. As I made stops in Istanbul, Amman, and Cairo, decisions that affected the futures of people who have worked for me for years had to be made. Needless to say, I was unable to get much sleep the first few nights and I knew that I had to deal with the stress better. My initial thought was to go out and walk around Istanbul. But without looking really crazy, the walk was not intense enough to produce endorphins that would help change my somber mood. So I went back to the hotel and sulked.
Later, I went down to the hotel gym and, with the IPod headphones hugging my ears and the volume level at high, I worked out for an hour and burned about 400 calories. Although this helped a bit, it was not enough.

I subsequently decided to go out and explore Istanbul. It was going to be either the Sultanahmet district with its magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi, a serene walk down the annals of Ottoman history; or down to the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Istanbul into its European and Asian halves; or Istiklal Street in Taksim, where I can window shop, eat, and walk at the same time. Ah! Guess which one I picked. I was not in want for history or geography then; I needed good soul food.

Through Taksim Square, which is frequently used for demonstrations for different political purposes, I walked down Istiklal Caddesi (pronounced Ja-de-ce), a cobblestone street that attracts the locals at most hours of the day and night. Most (as I did several times) walk its length to enjoy the many restaurants, cafes and shops. I don’t think any of us will ever see as many people in one street. It always has the feel of a carnival, a place that those who don’t like crowds should definitely avoid. I love it. It is home to many mosques and churches as well as book shops, boutiques, movie theatres, coffee houses, and bars. A lovely atmosphere and fantastic warm feeling that became a daily ritual for me and the panacea to my melancholy. The street is accentuated by an old crowded tram that passes through its center and adds to the wonderful sounds an extra special ding-ding.


But what attracts me to Istiklal Caddesi is the amazing food. One can spend endless days window shopping for the sights, colors, and smells of the remarkable Turkish cuisine. Food and drink are found almost everywhere on Istiklal, from restaurants and dessert shops along the street and down the many alleys to its left and right to carts sprinkled everywhere selling Turkish delicacies, to ice cream vendors donning the Fez and colorful Disney-like Turkish outfits. Sticking to normal touristic restaurants could be a safe choice the first day, but discovering the world of Turkish food is the way to go.

I planned a feast by ordering a series of dishes at four büfets and lukantas as well as two dessert shops the first evening alone, and I came back frequently. I ate very small portions but many dishes that were delivered to me one by one in close sequence, so that I enjoyed each bite piping hot. Giving into temptation, I picked the best dish at every place. The casual and relaxed atmosphere and the authentic Turkish dishes were a Godsend. I ate a variety of Kebap, köfte, dolma (stuffed eggplants or batlajan, tomatoes, and peppers), börek pastries. My favorites were a mouthwatering stuffed batlajan dish with minced lamb, pine nuts, and spices that had my taste buds going crazy; and a juicy Mante dish, finger-sized dumplings, topped with garlic yogurt and a delicious red Turkish sauce. With patrons who were all locals, I excitedly chewed on my food and savored every bite and every second of the culinary bliss of succulent dishes freshly prepared and enlivened by inspired combination of ingredients and spices.

At Istiklal Caddesi, I was spoiled with choices, lined up in perfect formation behind glass display windows. This was window shopping, my way. I enjoyed it and I feel I deserved to be spoiled by the food. Radhia was not there to spoil and console me.


END QUOTE:

“Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
James M. Barrie