ChAos 'round

No matter how hard I describe the chaos around me, I will not be able to....

A chaos thats so difficult to describe becoz it carries so many meanings and feelings!

My brother and his 9-month pregnant wife 'Nadyn' have arrived ... theyre here in Lebanon.

My boyfriend has also arrived, here in Lebanon.

My younger brother has also arrived, here in Lebanon.

My friends are still a constant.

Family has magnified.

We spent Christmas Eve dinner with Nadyn's parents and family.. After dinner, a huuuge session of opening gifts took place at their place.

And for Christmas day, My 2 brothers and I went out for lunch.

It was one moment that I cherished and appreciated.

Myself and the 2 boys walking around the streets of Hamra, looking around the shops and the BEIRUT CITY Life . After lunch, there was another walk that led us to a Coffee place for some tea and coffees.

My boyfriend and I meeting up , and exchanging Christmas Presents in the house with his Mom and Dad kamain.

Driving around in Souk Jounieh until we head to Kaslik amidst the 'Classy' Lebanese drinking their Red Wine glasses in the cold winter Lebanese night..

Spending so much time, I repeat, so much time with my friends, my girl friends, doing random outings that were supposed to be "Lets go out for dinner" and ended up with one too many drinks... Or witnessing ,and meeting the violin player, of a Lebanese Band called "Mashrou3 Leila", who I instantly fell in love with.. They reminded me of the Mexican Band I met in Guanajuato... except, here, they are LEBANESE... speaking Lebanese, using Arabic instruments and rhythms, and talking about issues here in Lebanon!

Having a bonding session with my aunt... over the tastes and joys of food... Her and me standing by the Stove and cooking a Vegetarian dish for my Lunch! Taking her advice about how we can make my Vegetarian food actually "TASTE"...

Yes, PURE CHAOS... is what Im experiencing here in Lebanon...

The definition of Chaos, the Meaning of Chaos, ,,, But a Joyful Chaos..... A very joyful Chaos.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Always Libano

Its true....... the meaning of a "city" is a heavy sensation you instantly feel when you walk its streets, and look around the buildings and its locals.

A 60-year old man speaking to his old friend....sitting next to a mother reading a book to her child;

and a friend meets her friend for a cup of coffee,

and the young crowd choose to pass by a nightclub ,

and the walker and the jogger and the shopper....

The tree that speaks its age; the mountains that gather snow, the Coast that shines and glows , are just a part of my Journey in Libano.

A Rich City .

I parked my car... and started walking in 'Saifi Village' area... Just me and my music...

I was sooooo impressed with the little streets, that take you to alleys with shops and mini-parks, and seats, and flowers.

I went up to my mountain village, and spent a day up there in the FREEZING cold. Literally freezing with semi-snow. I cooked my vegetarian food and shared it with my friends.

I went to the Arabic-est of the Arabic restaurant, who had a "moutrib"/ singer, and a belly dancer, .... Of course, we cant' forget the 'Tabla' the Arabic Drums instrument and the dancing and singing. And the Lebanese Mezza..... the one that takes up the whoooooolleeee table!

I got stuck in Libano Traffic... The rage on the streets, wowwwwww, is something that might be seen as 'scary'. My Lebanese people still share the same driving instinct. Although I have to admit, the traffic signs have been put up people!!!!!

I shared the sensation of having to run down the stairs to put up the 'dijincteure'; or having the Electricity CUT in the middle of the fine winder heavy raining/storming day.

Having said that, the rain is hence 'connected' to the Internet. If the rain starts, the Internet stops.

I celebrated the day of one of the local Lebanese dishes, our Labneh.

all of that.................,

...................would be considered the feeling of a CITY. This is MY CITY in MY COUNTRY.

xoxoxoxoxox

How the mixture happens..

I left My friends in July... a very very important stage of my life... I had taken the decision that I AM GOING. and I AM DOING THIS... I am leaving to Mexico and I am so passionate about it.

I return....5 months later,.,.... .. here, now, ahora........

To me, I have returned, with full force.

Its so weird because we can see the tangible difference between the girl who left, and the 'mujer' who returned.

I am appreciating Mexico's affect on me, with everything that I go through. I feel it. Daily.

I have been spending every waking minute with MY FRIENDS,.... These are the people who are part of me!

My best friend who has been my best friends since we were kids. He had lived all his life in Venezuela but at the age of 12 , his family moved back to Lebanon. And we met.... in our Mountain Village.. why??? Because we are from the same village!

His house is practically 5 meters away from my house. I used to call his name out loud, from my kitchen to his room.... we used to communicate like that!!

Now??? I return and we are actually speaking in Spanish??!!!! whattt????

To me, Charbel is the Arabic speaker, the English speaker.... so as soon as we started talking in Spanish , I felt really lost.... I couldnt believe that THIS IS HIM!!! Its the same person!

Its beautiful.. we are now constantly, I MEAN CONSTANTLY, talking in Spanish.. But he is doing the Venezuelano accent and I am sticking to my Mexican accent...

And I tell you... they ARE different.. its like you are saying Lebanese and Jordanian!!!!

and I looove the fact that , now, I know!!!!

My 2 girl friends... who Im so appreciative of the fact that My 2 girl friends are girls who are also boys.. You see? In their bodies, They have this vein ...This vein is called the 'Crazy Vein'... .and we have so so so much in common, its crazy!!!

Put us all together in one room..... My Charbel. My Rana. My Pia. Myself... And you get this very very weird combination of Laughter and Joking and Weird Behavior and Random Talks and Arabic and English and Spanish and Spirituality and Yoga and Women Hormones and Achrafieh and Awkar and lots and lots of Love.

I had missed this feeling. I am now reunited with this feeling.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Labneh oh Labneh

"Eid il Labneh"... the birthday of Labneh it was!!!!

My friends and I went to " Zico's House " in Hamra... in a little road thats actually hidden, and truthfully is a HOUSE that is turned into a gathering of little events and artists and exhibitions and stuff like that...

This house has the traditional Lebanese look; the very very high ceiling; with the beautifully shaped archs on the balconies, and a gorgeous terrace with old and ancient trees...

This house was celebrating "Eid el Labneh"....

People are supposed to be very stylish/ creative/ original/ with their Labneh creation.... and with the existing Judge Panel, the WINNER IF THE LABNEH IS CHOSEN based on

1) Look of the Labneh

2) Concept of the Labneh

3) Taste of the Labneh

Lina, Charbel, Rana, Pia, Raoul, Mike and Elie walk into "Zico's House" and we were all starving and CRAVING "shee sa7in Labneh".. It turns out... NO HUNGRY PEOPLE NO.... This is NOT a restaurant... This is a Tournament.. so we're all like "wwwwhhhaaaattt?? wain il Labneh???:(((((("

NOW to the real part.... Due to my hunger...and my passion for Labneh... I was nominated to go to the "JURY" and be a "JUDGE" for the Labneh teams...

Here I am... discussing and debating the taste versus the look versus the concept to my fellow judges.... in a closed room... we're all smoking cigarettes while discussing whose Labneh was the Best Labneh....

and .....

and......

I get out.... I hold the microphone.... I CLIMB the chair..... and I introduce myself to the whoooooooooole audience.... and I present the verdict... whilst explaining the logic behind our decision....

It was the FUNNEST NIGHT I have had in ages!!! I felt like I was 15 years old.. pretending to be an older character!!

My friends were cheering with high and loud voices, clapping...

the audience was going craaaazyyyyy, because IT WAS FUN!

We decided that team number 3 was a potential winner but ONLY LOCAL and in the Middle East,.. because we had 2 members in the JURY that were from Bulgaria and Tokyo, and they did not confirm! So Team number 4 would do a better job for exporting but Team bumber 3 would do great LOCAL... hahahaha

ANd listen to the best part...

As you know... We follow (actually I follow) the philosophy of "You are what you eat"... and as team PHARMA LABNEH had the theme of "Labne-dol" and "Labne-C" like Panadol and Vitamin C.... We hope that we are ALWAYS Healthy with what we eat... With this Labneh, we hope that we will be happy, healthy, and always ENJOYING LIFE'S OFFERINGS

and THE WINNER IS ........... TEAM number 1

(croud chearing) wooohoooowwwwwwwwwwww AHHHHHHA yyeaaaaaaa wwoohoowwwwwwwwww

fifteen.... FIFTEEN... I felt like I was FIFTEEENNNNNN

I had a smile on my face, a smile in my heart, a smile in my body, I was surrounded by MY PEOPLE... TALKING my language and my accent..... FIFTEEEN

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO