Galway, Ireland On the 4th of August, in Beirut, something horribly horrific happened.My heart didn’t break on this fatidic day.It crushed and pulverized in a million pieces. My heart was already breaking for over a decade; the fist tear happened when I was born, in the mid 80s, from the ashes of the civil war. GrowingContinue reading “A country I could call home”
Category Archives: MENA
The morning after
Beirut, Lebanon It is the morning after. What we hoped to be a nightmare, turned out not to be. I mean it is, but it happened for real.People are still missing. The search continues. The capital is in rubbles.It’s OK to feel vulnerable and weak, but we must not panic. We did that yesterday. TodayContinue reading “The morning after”
See-sawing between gratitude and hopelessness
Philadelphia – Boston – Dubai – Islamabad I was in tears while on hold with Emirates. During a span of 48 hours, I had gone from reassuring fellow international students at UPenn and saying we should stay put in Philadelphia to changing my flight ticket twice. First, I bought a ticket home for the endContinue reading “See-sawing between gratitude and hopelessness”
Frontline to Backline
From the UK to the Persian Gulf I’ve spent 14 years working for the NHS. Spent a variety of years tasting many specialities spending days and nights walking along various hospital corridors. After this I decided to become a general practitioner and for the last nine years this is what I did until 14th FebruaryContinue reading “Frontline to Backline”
Art in a time of Corona
Beirut, Lebanon I’m an artist from Britain, and have lived in Beirut, Lebanon for the past ten years. My home is in Gemmayzeh, a neighbourhood near ‘The Ring’ bridge at Tabaris and Martyrs Square, the central square of Beirut. Just three months ago, these locations were the epicenter of the Lebanese protest movement which beganContinue reading “Art in a time of Corona”
Springtime in Iraq
Duhok, Iraq Despite the grim news of coronavirus gripping all of the world’s media, spring has arrived in northern Iraq! This is usually the prime season for family picnics and hikes on the beautiful mountains and trails surrounding the small city of Duhok, but even one of the biggest Persian New Year (Nowruz) celebration weekendsContinue reading “Springtime in Iraq”
Top ten tips to work from home and survive children
Beirut, Lebanon As I wake up to my alarm clock ringing on my phone on a sunny morning in Beirut, I remember that it’s week five of school closure and week two of lockdown in Lebanon, which includes a 7pm to 5am curfew. I hit the snooze button. With no travel time to work IContinue reading “Top ten tips to work from home and survive children”
The Lockdown Lens 