3.03 pm – 3.09 pm, Monday, 26th March 2018(Room 809, 8th floor, Ibis Al Rigga, Dubai) Double or triple glazed windows don’t open but still hearing constant motorised sound of tens of air conditioning units in operation. Construction bangs, metal on metal, occasional vehicle horns. Plane taking off, Emirates. Dusty and hazy air merging into […]
Dubai – 6 minutes from the window of room 809 Read More »
Roseleaf Cafe, at the back of Dubai Garden Centre, just off Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Quoz, 10-minute walk from FGB Metro Station March, 2018. Tuesday, 11.45 am. (*score out of 10) The flat white: 8. Looked too dark to not be bitter and it was a bit bitter, but still a nice coffee though. Although
Dubai – Roseleaf Cafe – Plants, teal and marshmallows Read More »
Beirut: Pharmacies. Many shops closed for Armenian remembrance. Quieter. Potholes. Pavement café sandwiches. Blue sky. Soldiers. Machine guns. Mezza feast. Cranes. Funky new apartment blocks. Fresh squeezed, delicious, cold orange juice. Overhead phone lines. Communist Party HQ. Some flowers in pots aren’t real. Beirut to Zahle: 15 miles to Syria. Tanks. Military check points. Mountains.
Beirut and Zahle Day 5 – postcard Read More »
Blue sky. Pharmacies. Traffic. Cars pipping. Graffiti. Genuine farmers’ market. Mosques. Churches. Directions from machine gun-toting soldier. Barbed wire. Designer shops. Artisan shops. Tens of jewellery shops. Centre-of-roundabout café. Armenian genocide posters. Macadamia nut trees. Cats. Steps. Quirky modern buildings. Deserted areas of new downtown. Mountains. Peeling posters. Damaged pavements. Cigarette smoking taxi driver. Beirut’s
Beirut Day 6 – postcard Read More »
Beirut: Fruit and veg stalls. Tens of antique shops. Potholes. Traffic. Market food tasting. Cats. Flowers. Falafel. Fresh mint lemonade. Exterior curtains. Syrian refugees. Derelict buildings. Druze HQ. Interesting people. Good coffee. Football on TVs in bars. Flash flood. Cars pipping. Huge modern buildings. Birds. Frenetic. Trees. Drive from Beirut to Nabatieh: Challenging. Road-kill cats.
Beirut and Nabatieh Day 3 – postcard Read More »
Halloumi. For breakfast. Cars pipping. Lots of birds singing. Bullet and shrapnel holes. Fancy cars. Crazy trees. Flowers. Smell of jasmine. Mediterranean blue. Palm trees. Barbed wire. Police and military. Traffic. Disregard for health and safety. Strong coffee. Avocado juice. Excessive food. Carrot and peanut beer snacks. Feral cats. Graffiti. More bullet holes. Street art.
Beirut Day 1 – postcard Read More »
