Friday, July 31, 2015

le petit prince

I have been distant from my blog recently, because I have been taking breaks away from the Internet and technology in general. I have been trying to read more and watch television less. Trying to be in the present moment surrounded by family that I rarely see, instead of hiding my face behind my smart phone.

Internet does not come so easily here, it is a task to connect to wifi. I am trying to see the struggle as a sign for me to disconnect. With less than a week left in my country. I am going to soak in what I have.


One of the books I read recently is a book that every child reads here in school. A French book you might have heard of that tells us of the travels of a little boy.

One of the powerful messages that struck me:

 And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” 

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince


Take in that message. Disconnect from the chaos of the internet. & find the beautiful things in life that you feel with your heart.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

& on my 25th birthday I became a mermaid and was given a beautiful piece of jewelry from my mother.



The Hamsa hand is protective sign that brings the owner
happiness
luck
health 
& good fortune.


warriors & builders


Lebanon is a country that has been in war for as long as they can remember. A country that can rebuild itself and have considerate amounts of affection after so much destruction is astonishing. In my eyes I consider the Lebanese to be warriors of love.


Rebuilding is a way of life.
And when the Lebanese rebuild. They rebuild with the finest architecture and the most beautiful ambiances. 

Complete extremes are common here. A mosque adjacent to a church is far from rare. A very historical country that prides itself on the past civilizations that have come before them, and allows the past to remain in their present country. The ruins of many castles and old buildings remain after centuries. A beautiful mosque, and church neighbor the ruins of the old Beirut from centuries ago.


view from the top


Wandered around a castle that was built in the 12 century by Crusaders and later used for military value. The beautiful fortress is located in Southern Lebanon and in Arabic is called “Qala’at al-Shaqif” meaning Castle of the High Rock. The castle was constantly captured from when it was built until 2000. 


The amount of civilizations that have walked the passageways was unbelievable.
So much history, so much life, so much death in one castle. You can see many villages from the top, which made it an ideal location to watch over Lebanon.


We did just that. Admire Lebanon from the top.