Encounters with the first fall of September Rain (Sketches)

Sketch 1: Somewhere in North California (based on Hollywoodian influences)

They are sitting on green grass. It is late in the afternoon, a breeze comes their way and interrupts their conversation. They don’t pay attention to the warning; their passion for ideas is as agitated as ocean winds.

Suddenly, it starts to rain heavily, as if buckets of water are pouring from the sky, and the quiet atmosphere in this small public space turns into a market bazaar: kids shouting & running towards safe structures with ceilings, teenagers singing and dancing with the drops, car engines & wheels scratching the ears of this sunny afternoon...

Her hair slowly became wet, and took the color of her eyes. She is beautiful. He is looking at her as if for the first time. It seems that autumn this time is bringing more than rain and dead leaves; a new sentiment...

Sketch 2: Somewhere in Lebanon (based on true story)

It is ten at night. They are tired after a long day of work & social obligations. They arrive at home, change their clothes, and decide to spend an hour watching a movie. It is an old Egyptian Black & White that is supposed to be one of the best Realistic Art movies ever made. The Couch seems ready to embrace this newly-married couple that is still inducing fresh stenches of love.. The movie is as good as the critics say, the new world has taken them away, their eyes seem to be hypnotized by an invented reality on a small TV box..

Suddenly, a loud noise of an explosion from the street brings them back to their own reality... In one second, many ideas mix (like a moulinex does to soup vegetables): is it political? Fights have started again? Who can do that? Al Qa3ida? 8th/14th of March? Israel?

The complete darkness in the room, along with the interruption of all electrically operated elements in the house gave them the refreshing & comforting answer: The Electric Cable feeding the building has exploded..

They went outside the balcony to check. They were received by small drops of water announcing the end of summer. It seems that the autumn not only takes the heat away, but the Electricity as well.. They lighted candles, and danced honoring the rain and their relation. They will not have Electricity for at least 3 days..

20 clues for a Riddle: Who am I?

Salam to All,
Muzna has invited me to join Hakaya. I will be publishing stories once a week on Saturdays.
I am very happy and nervous to share my stories. I am looking forward to your comments and opinion. Fianlly, Thank you Muzna, 3anjad, for giving me a chance to touch people somehow.

Here is the first one. It is a riddle. So try to guess...

20 clues for a Riddle: Who am I?

Like the Pyramids, I was made by special Men who defied nature’s ability to create beauty & volume.
I am an Engineering Concept that deserves to be considered along the New Wonders of the World. Vote for me on the Internet, not for Jeita Grotto.

Like the Arabian Nights, I am this magical place where everything is there.
I was not born out of Human Imagination, but rather Human hands, feet, mouth, & other elements… I am reality beyond Fiction.

I am the biggest Box of lost & found ever created.
I am the widest holder of secrets of cities & people.
I am a non-virtual Google search engine box.
I am the tallest History book.
I am a reference to Urban Anthropology.

I am a hill that doesn’t stop to grow.
I don’t need Tectonic activity from below.
I jazz up from the Sky.
And I am still going up high, until it snows
I will be the first Ski Slope that drops directly into the sea.

I don’t smell, I am organic.
I am a political mountain.
I am a mirror, a reflection of society.
I am a material manifestation of the Lebanese tribal constitution.
I was born in 1975. I was beefed up in 1982. I grew after the Taef accords. I am still spreading into the sea after the Doha accords.
I am the Trash Mountain of Sidon and I am 100% “Made in Lebanon”.

Abdul

This blog is changing - Whose stories should we be telling?

I am leaving the lovely city of Beirut. 
In a week's time, I will be on a plane to London where I will stay for a while to write too long of a document that might get me a "paper" of some sort (I think people call it a PhD). Meanwhile, I will do my best to continue with stories from there. But, lest the "Hakaya" loose their LebnesoPalestinian accent, my friend Abdul has accepted to allow some of his lovely stories to appear on this blog. I am so excited about reading more of his work (great stuff there that I am sure you will enjoy), but also to the possibilities that sharing this blog could open up. Would the stories change because two of us are publishing in the same space? Will we write less or more often? Will you guys visit this space more frequently? Will my mother stop commenting on this blog as if nobody but me is reading her words? All these remain to be answered.. but one question needs your creative juices now.. 

What should the blog's new name be?

It can no longer remain Muzna's Stories.. should it be "Muzna and Abdul's Stories", "Beirut Stories", "7akaya" (Arabic word meaning narrated stories as in the url)?  Obviously, my own creative juices are running low at the moment (I just came back from watching a football game, what do you guys expect?) so your help is quite urgently needed with name suggestions.. and of course, the sooner we change the name, the easier it is for me to pressure Abdul to publish something. 

Hope this proves to be a good transition.. and waiting for your suggestions...

The pumkin carriage

This lovely old Toyota in Hamra, which in the spring was a flower shop, has now transformed itself, and sells pumpkins. Wonder what it might have this winter, chestnuts maybe?




 

منازل معلقة

في الاعتصام
اعلام فلسطينية وخطب طويلة والكثير من الكوفيات

شبان يبحثون عن فتيات اقل احتشاماً من جاراتهم، ورجالٌ يزعجهم اعتلاء زميلاتهم للمنابر

صحفيون يتوقون لقصة لم يكتبوها بعد، ونساء يُتقنّ الرواية لأن الحكاية لم تكتمل

اطفال يجدون في الساحة التي تبعدهم عنها عزلة مخيماتهم، مداً فقدته ازقتهم

ممثلون عن الفصائل والاحزاب والمنظمات وما يكفي من المصورين، فالتوقيت صائب: نلتزم بدوام عملنا مدفوع الأجر

وربما، بعد الاعتصام؛ صورة لنا على الشاشات، منزل يعاد بنائه، وغد قد يكون لنا فيه مكان. في الاعتصام، جميعنا نستجدي الأمل


في البارد بيتي

آمال الناس في اعادة بناء بيوت لهم دمرتها حرب الجيش مع مسلحي فتح الاسلام عام ٢٠٠٧، يدمرها اليوم صمتنا وقبولنا بأن يبقى عشرات الآلاف من اللاجئين الفلسطينين اللذين لهم علينا واجب حقوقي دون مسكن. شاركوا اليوم في اعتصام تضامني مع نهر البارد.. او زوروا مدونة نهر البارد للمزيد من المعلومات