“dikkenet LEILA”…..An Exquisite food experience

It is shocking how people are able to realize the dream Lebanese restaurants amidst all the food mess available around. I call it “The Legendary Leila”, a genuine food experience that reveals the beauty, the healthiness and the unique taste of the Lebanese cuisine. All this invites me to write this post in the Lebanese dialectic……

ليلى، هيدا مطعم من لبنان، بذكرنا بغنيّة فيروز، “بيتك يا ستّي الختيارة بذكّرني ببيت ستّي”، فعلن جوّ بيت ستّي، من الكراسي للشبابيك للكنبيات، لريحة الخبز الصّخن، ولحسن ضيافة صار نادر الوجود.

أوّل ما بتوصل بتلفتك مراطبين المونة المصفوفة عالشبابيك، والزهورالمرسومة عالحيطان بذكرونا بجمال طبيعة ضيعنا بلبنان.

الفكرة، كلا عبعضا، بتذكرنا بطفولة كتار منّا، وقتا كنّا نطلع عند ستّي نساعدها بالمونة ايام الصيفيّة، وتقلنا :”يا ستّي ما في أطيب من أكل البيت“.

دكّانة ليلى: مازة وأرغيلة، أكل طيّب ولقمة هنيّة، فيروز والرحابنة وجوليا و ماجدة الرومي، مطعم جمعنا بالتراث، رجّعنا سنبن لورا، وزرع فينا حنين لزكريات يمكن عجقة الحياة نسّتنا ياها……. صحتين

for more info about the restaurant check this link : http://www.leilarestaurant.com/

Sarah R. Hajj
Marc 28, 2008

Life......

Once when I was a little girl
I thought life was beautiful
I thought life was fair

But now I’m a young lady
I know life is sarcastfull
I know how unfair

Once I had a dream
A dream of a perfect life
One with no Jealousy
One with no conspiracy

Now I know it’s like a mountain high
It’s a journey to the top
With unmerciful storms and deep scorns

Sometimes it’s nice sunny and shiny
Several it’s gloomy, stormy, and sad

Sometimes friends help us up
Most of the time people push as down

The joke is that we never reach the top
I wish the top was higher
To meet a new friend

I wish the top was lower
Cause I can no longer defend

I feel I am weak
They’re pushing me too hard
But in this weakness I am strong
Not to lose the place I stand

I worked hard to arrive
I deserve to survive
I’ll fight till the last breath
No one could stop my quest

My quest for a perfect life
Even if I fail
At least i would have tried
And may the best prevail

Sarah R. Hajj

March 26, 2008

What Lebanon do we want?

Yesterday while we were in a group, someone asked us, what do you want from Lebanon? Everybody started thinking of a correct answer. The girl continued to say, well is it possible that you have been working and struggling all these years, and you don’t have an idea of what you want from your country?

Well I know, and that’s how I see my country. I want to realize the Lebanon that would meet all my concerns. I want to dare to give birth to a child in this country. I want to leave for future Lebanese a better Lebanon than the one my parents left me. I refuse the culture of war. I want a country that classifies its people according to education and competences, not according to religion, sex, or color. I long for a country that respects elderly and gives them their mere rights

I want a generation that claps for inventions, for science and for arts instead of

clapping for politicians who do nothing but talk. I want a generation that knows how to decide and dares to say no. Is this too much to ask for?

They taught me once that independence is not only a declaration, to be independent is to be able to refuse, is to be able to express your thoughts freely! After all what happened are we independent today?….

When I say this they tell me it’s better to immigrate. How could I? My country, the one which raised me for all these years, made of me what I am now doesn’t deserve that I let it down. Is this the way I’ll pay it back? By immigrating? I don’t think so….

Sarah R. Hajj

March 26, 2008