Dusty Wyndow Blog

How usual is it to see Lebanon flooded in rain and sewage water? The "Bride" had stepped foot in Lebanon over the weekend and apparently will not leave before another two or three days, as predicted by local weather reports. Having gotten stuck at Dbayyeh, I decided to go all the way back to Jounieh to spend the day at my friend's and finish my work from there, ever since the other lane had no traffic at all. Dbayeh this morning, Spinneys Bridge Local traffic and casualty report by LebanonFiles.com Those who had left their houses as early as 6:00 to 6:30AM managed to escape the traffic that built up so quickly, traffic began getting blocked gradually starting around 7:00AM and eventually most major roads were blocked. Tweets and Facebook posts indicated that, for instance, a trip from Tripoli to the Museum area took about 3 to 4 hours. "Yasa" has warned citizens to stay at home on its Facebook page , unless there's an urgent situation, while mini...

Here's what went through my mind during my morning nap in the minibus: Photo by Rayyan Jamous "I just realized that I have no passion, I don't remember the last time I risked my life for something; I am passive generally and don't have any sort of personal extremism. I cannot define things easily. I have trouble with maintaining relationships. I suck at time management and prioritizing. I am selfish though I have lots to give, which gives me constant headache. I realized I have a great amount of grudge, being the only answer to most of the emotional problems I faced, thus making it a trend to see my frown in the mirror. I came to know I am literally empty, and I know it. I wait no compassion from anyone because I've had enough with compliments: compliments to me are lies with make-up. What if I've been living a lie all these years? First at class for several years in a row? I never asked to be classified as the front row geek at school, regardless ...

Left Tripoli at 7:10AM , reached my office at 12:00PM... (Photo by The Daily Star/Hasan Shaaban) Today was supposed to be another normal day in Beirut, getting to your office shouldn't take more than what you are used to, usually 20 minutes is more than enough to move around the capital in one direction. And for those who commute daily from outside of the capital, just like me, and have to drive several tens of kilometers on the road each morning, are constantly anxious about any mishap that would delay their timetable, even if it were by one minute, because they know the aftermath of it, and the price they will pay having to drive the same distance when going back home.  My day kicked off by leaving my house at 7:10AM as usual, wasn't surprised by the daily traffic at the casino area, but was rather shocked by the news I read on my phone saying the army is performing rehearsals for the independence day military show, that usually no one watches, but would ra...

I think you'd love to hear what happened before the free hugs, much more than the flashmob itself. Taken by Talha It was Saturday, the day that the factory works only half a day, and thus we finished work at 2:00 PM, went back to the hotel and headed directly to a nearby mall for a quick meal. Meanwhile, I had had sent a msg to my Turkish friend Talha to see whether he has some free time for the afternoon or no. It was a confirmation indeed. Fast forward to 5:30PM, I met him outside the hotel and he automatically notices my camera, asking me about my photography chances in Eskisehir, I replied with "none so far". He was kind enough to withstand my blabbing, my on-going sudden stops in the middle of the crowd only to get a photo I needed to take. Honestly, if it weren't to Talha's tour yesterday, I might've left Eskisehir without visiting anything but the hotel and its surrounding. The town's history is one more marvelous thing added to my experienc...

This morning was one of the (recently) so many mornings filled with emotional insights and an uprising reaction for the world I just began to realize (apparently), with all its controversies, with its negativeness, its prejudices, its ongoing tyranny and the escalating amount of tears I have to hide inside right after reading any article that surfaces the defective infrastructure our society's been growing onto, and the infamous face being slowly uncovered, to my eyes at least. Photo by  Houssam Mchaiemch  / Legal Agenda What's been happening around me by the minute has given me by far the most insurmountable degree of suffocation to the point that I literally feel asphyxiated, by noon maximum, not being able to enjoy anything, and simply leaving me in shock, in what seems a personal corner, that I used to seek whenever I needed a sanctuary. The only difference was that, by the time I needed that refuge in the past, the whole mess already was infutile,...

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget. (Read more about the 30-Day Challenge )  Photo Courtesy of  Backpack Foodie Well, to tell you the truth, it's not the fear of heights exactly. It's simply an unfortunate mishap that happened once in the past and occasionally keeps chasing me till this day, and when it does come back, forget all about good night sleeping, starting from one to three consecutive nights. It happened during the year 2000, not sure about the exact date, but the main point's that my youngest brother was a toddler at the time. My mother was absent and I could not really tell how it all began.. [Heart skips a beat once again each time I remember..] All I recall was the same exact scene you're seeing up above, but imagine my hands stretched out holding a 18 months old toddler out the balcony from the 5th floor. I'd give the most precious thing I have if only I could forget that single memory that's still haunting me ...