post 134/365
Za’atar is a blend with deep historical and emotional roots. The smell is strong but not hot, rich but sharp, lemony and a little earthy. Za’atar has an amazing and unique flavor that is aromatic, and tangy at the same time. Eaten in the Middle East for centuries, Za’atar has a fascinating history. The word refers both to the alluring spice mixture that you eat at home, and to the wild oregano. It’s been part of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years.
post 133/365
This day is different from the other 365 days because it is made to celebrate the person who brought us into this world. We have a hundred different memories of our mothers, a few more prominent than the rest, but they’re all funny, warm, and loving. My mother is a life giver, a home, a friend, a gift with no ribbons, and a star with no award.
post 132/365
Youmna Medlej is a photojournalist born in 1956. She studied photography in France and started making reportages on geographic and historical landmarks upon her return to Lebanon, as a way for Lebanese to rediscover their country after the war. But it was during her participation in Solidere’s excavations in the early 1990s that she discovered and developed her passion for heritage and archeology. At the time, the market was virtually devoid of heritage-oriented material. She thus resolved to introduce the young and old readers to the most prominent cultural and historic icons of their country.
post 131/365
This post is a general overview of architecture in Lebanon as I’ll be going more in-depth as we go along, but I thought it would be an easy start with this one.
post 130/365
As the stillness and splendor of the sea glints, I casually walk down the open skies facing it. The warm morning sun, wind bearing taste of waves, calming sapphire waters, creases upon the shore, bringing mild currents, crashing onto the rocks, carrying with it the crisp salty Mediterranean sea breeze that hum a tune that is forever Ras Beirut.
post 129/365
It is hard to wait for something you know might never happen, but it’s even harder to sit there and do nothing about it. The fight for justice against corruption is never an easy one. In a country where one feels that their life is similar to a pawn on a chessboard, and action might not lead to much, most Lebanese have resigned to the fate of the majority, which is to live in corruption. Yet as Karl Klaus stated “corruption is worse then prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.”
post 128/365
“Nshallah”, lebanese for ʾin shāʾa llāh, meaning God willing, or if Allah wills, although claimed to be an essentially Islamic expression, is more accurately understood as a Middle Eastern, and especially Levantine, expression. Its enthusiastic utterers include Lebanese of all religious backgrounds. It’s equivalent to saying hopefully.
post 127/365
Great teachers have two things in common, an exceptional level of devotion to their students, and the drive to inspire each one to learn and succeed.
post 124/365
As winter nights get colder, a white coffee-less latte that smells like a fragrant dessert full of aromas and texture gets prepared in Lebanese homes. It’s a gorgeous drink that is sweet, warm, spicy, creamy, crunchy, chewy and fragrant all at once.
post 122/365
The scent of nostalgia, the memory of loved ones, the calling of home, all perpetuated in small trinkets, house objects, and china plates. Basta is a true reflection of Beirut’s old beauty. The antiques, their owners, their history, the shops, the buildings on top of them, everything hints the sense of a city rich in stunning artifacts with an appreciation for beautiful living.
365 Days of Lebanon 