Home Sweet Beirut!

Sunset over Beirut taken from my parents' balcony

I got back to Beirut last week after spending one month in Dubai. I did not feel like leaving Dubai, especially after spending most of the time with Meedo. We had a great time together and with friends, and I was enjoying the sunny weather. The night when I was flying back to Beirut was not very pleasant as it took the pilot around an extra hour to be able to land the aircraft due to a storm...

I love traveling but I hate airplanes. I have to admit that I have a phobia the day before the trip and during the flight, but I do not freak out in public. Instead, I order a glass of wine and try to enjoy the ride as if I were on a roller coster.

Back to the night of the flight, the pilot announced that we were landing in Beirut R.H. International Airport. Suddenly he took off so fast that my ears popped. Then silence. We kept ascending for more than 30 minutes and it was getting annoying because the pilot did not update us on what was going on.

There was a guy sitting next to me on the airplane, and he looked exactly like Johnny Depp - but in a younger version. He was nice to me especially when he set a blanket over me while I was taking a nap. We did not talk at all (I don't like to talk to strangers even if I am a big girl now). But apparently he was more paranoid than I was when the aircraft could not land. He was shaking his legs, and biting his nails, then he asked me: "Can you see lights or something??" (because I was sitting on the aisle), so I calmly replied: "Yes, don't worry I am sure the pilot is making another turn so that we could land... but isn't it weird that he hasn't announced anything??!"...
I was a bit surprised of how calm I was, so the wine's effect was really good at that time!

We finally landed, and we laughed at each other. At that time I thought it was quite funny to be scared on an airplane, and that it is not worth being paranoid on board anymore.

My sister was driving me home and we passed through Beirut and I knew that I missed this messed up city that will always remain beautiful to my heart. Home sweet Beirut!

Hello Doobye!

Burj Khalifa (iPhone Photo)

Dubai metro station (iPhone Photo)


my friend Loryne on the metro (iPhone Photo)

Loryne and I being silly (iPhone Photo)


I have been in Dubai for the past week to do some interviews and to look for a job. This is my third time in the city, and the second during this year. I never imagined that I would choose Dubai as a place to work and live, especially after living in Doha, but during this visit I started to really really like it!!!

This time I have stopped doing the regular touristy stuff, so I am spending my time as a person who has been living here for quite a while. I like taking the metro but not the bus because it takes a lot of time to arrive. Waiting for the bus makes me miss my car back home... I think that within a few years, public transportation in Dubai will get easier and faster.

People here are nice and laid back, they don't complain about things like traffic, politics or religion like in Beirut! I should not compare Dubai to Beirut because they are totally different cities, but at the same time it is quite hard avoiding that! I have many friends here from school, university, Doha and Beirut, and it makes me happy to see them doing well and working hard!

The only thing I need to do, is to take pictures with my lonely camera and share them with you here!

I just realized that my last post was in July (SHAME ON YOU SAMSAM)!!!!

The internet connection is faster here so this time, really this time, I promise to post more over here!!!

EcoBra!

I have recently designed a Bra for "Bras For A Cause" competition on the Training Bra category. This competition is brought by One Wig Stand and Fustany.com who are raising awareness about Breast Cancer in Lebanon and the Middle East.

I called it the "EcoBra" because it is made of pieces from old bras. I came up with this idea to remind people about the importance of recycling, and to promote a cause within a cause. :)

If you like it - and even if you don't :p - please click here and vote for my EcoBra! ;)

More about "The Land of Fairies"!

a summer house on our way to Pori

I've been trying to select some of my photos from Finland to post them on this blog (yes after almost one year from the trip!) and it's quite hard to do that.

Outi's parents came over to Lebanon two weeks ago for the first time and they really loved it! They said that I should go back to Finland and visit Lapland which is located in the North Pole, and it's home to Father Christmas (Joulupukki) or Santa Claus. During summer in July, there is one day when the sun rises for 24 hours, so no night! (I so want to go there!)

My list of "places to be" is getting bigger, so I hope to be able to visit them all!

Here are some more photos from last year's trip to Finland, I will soon be posting some pictures from Sweden, Estonia and Ecuador. I hope to post them soon this time! ;)

view of Helsinki from Torni Tower

Helsinki

at a park in Helsinki

Helsinki port by bicycle

Helsinki port

green... green... and birds...

Cathedral in Helsinki

my favorite blue house cafe

beautiful sunset at 12:00 a.m. :)

I like the architecture in Helsinki

on the way back home from Muse concert

Samira in "The Land of Fairies" Part 3.

I will tell you my trip stories from now on with more pictures and less writing! Yay! :)

I'm recollecting my memories from Helsinki while going through the pictures and it gives me goosebumps...

The next few days we biked all around Helsinki... I wish we had roads like that in Beirut! Every single place kept me amazed... Check out the pictures, I hope you like them! ;)

The spectacular view of Helsinki from the toilet of Torni Tower which is the highest in Helsinki.

We went by bike to the yacht port in Helsinki where people were having ice cream while sea guls watched...

I like the buildings and their colors...

We had a couple of yummi blueberry ciders at this bar!

They were good, of course they deserved a little tip! :)

We went for shopping in this area, but I'm not a good shopper (which is why there are no photos for evidence!). Good sales were on!

Biking... The fresh summer breeze in Helsinki feels also gentle in the middle of the city!

We went to the "Blue House" coffee shop which is located next to the river... Amazing view, good coffee, yummi Korvapuusti and nice people!

Another picture of the "Blue House" coffee shop. If you visit Helsinki you have to visit this place!

Long Time No Samsam!

Procrastination: the only reason why I haven't blogged for a very long time.

After being in Finland, Sweden and Estonia I have visited my first home: Ecuador. I stayed there for 40 amazing days that I spent with family traveling around and even visiting Galapagos Islands! A few weeks ago I went with my friends for a short trip to Dubai which was really fun!

I will make sure to continue to post from where I stopped starting from Finland to Dubai with many pictures! This time I will write less to help you read faster! :)

Oh and by the way I got a new DSLR from Dubai! Now I no longer have excuses to stop blogging!

I hope you'll enjoy my upcoming posts! ;)

Samirai in "The Land of Fairies" Part 2.

The next two days Outi and I went for a walk in a forest where I got bitten by mosquitos all over my face. I soon forgot about the rash after being surrounded by trees, lakes, birds and butterflies. I tried to take pictures of them but it was impossible for me to take good ones!

Back to Helsinki's city center by bicycle where Outi showed me the building where her office is located (check the picture above, it's amazing!), then we went to meet Maria at a very cosy coffee house where I had my first (and yummiest!) Korvapustii, a Finnish cinnamon roll. The coffee house was located on top of a small hill with a nice view on a lake. Outi and Maria told me to watch out for my food from the seagulls cause those villains can attack my food anytime! Seagulls, beware of the Ghoul! :)

Another day comes when Outi introduced me to one of her childhood friends Ellina, a very sweet mother to be (the yummi mumi!). We took a ferry to Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland) an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands by Sweden in 1748, when Finland was still a part of the Swedish kingdom. It was obviously a nice tourist destination in Helsinki as it was crowded. I couldn't resist my hunger, so I had a pear ice cream which I found very creamy and tasty. Finland this summer had one of the hottest seasons ever recorded, and it was very common to see the high demand on ice cream!

The sun is still beautifully shining as always during summertime in Helsinki. Outi had planned to take me on a boat trip on the Baltic sea that passes through Helsinki with her friends Miki and Eetu. Outi and Eetu amazingly practiced waterskiing, and I felt like I really wanted to try it but unfortunately I couldn't because of my herniated disk. Miki, the boat owner, couldn't do that also cause he had injured his arm a few days back.

After waterskiing we kept passing some little green islands where we wanted to choose a good barbecue spot. I realized that every single tiny island has a BBQ spot with all the equipment! Eetu cut the wood to light up the fire while Miki was preparing the food. Outi and I just sat down contemplating the hot air balloons, the fire and the sea... The food was great, then Eetu played his guitar while singing a Finnish song for us. On our way back, Miki gave me a fishing cane then slowed down his boat a little so I could find some fish but of course I couldn't find any!

The next day Outi and I went to buy some souvenirs, and that's where I met Muumi (a Finnish cartoon character) my favorite cartoon character ever! I got two can openers for my family which are made out of rain deer horns (no, they don't kill the animal, it's very safe: they just cut them off and they grow back!). After that we went for coffee at the Blue House on a lake, and of course once again I had Korvapustii! Later we went shopping, biking, eating, drinking then of course ice cream on a nice marina where the seagulls cry and the children play.