With my little cat-friend

Today I spoke with my little-cat friend close to me...

And this is a picture with my great grandmother who had the cats I spoke of in the video, when I was a kid. The picture is taken in 1999, in her old, historical house. I am the little boy with the white shirt (I was around 8 years old), and I hold my sister who was around 1 year old on my knees. I will remove this picture in 24 hours for privacy reasons. The old woman is my great grandmother, who sadly left us many years ago. She was already more than 90 years old in this picture. She was active, went out to walk in the village, and cooked for the entire family till her very last days. May she pray for us from above, and guide me along this path. Her name was Hind. She is remembered as a strong-willed, good-hearted and fair person. She also liked to plant. I used to play cards with her. I have tears in my eyes while writing these words...

How I learnt to plant

 In this video I briefly explain how I learnt to plant in my childhood...

Showing you the garden by the sea

This is a short tour of the orchard I take care of in the garden by the sea that belongs to my grandparents.

The following pictures are taken in the lower part of the garden by the sea, with the family house and the family swimming pool, this morning, while swimming. I will remove those with the house for privacy reasons in 24 hours. This house was built in between 1997 and 1998 by my grandparents for the purpose to gather the family. The swimming pool was built around 2011 or 2012. The sea is at less than 2 minutes walk from there, and there is a long beach of pebbles of free access. It is there we most of the time swim and swam.

There is another beach (close to the port) that is at 5 minutes walk from where we live. Where we live is distant 10 minutes walk from the garden by the sea.

It took my grandparents a lot of sacrifices to build and keep that house. But they always insisted on making the happiness of their grandchildren their top priority. All the videos where I mention the garden by the sea are taken there, in the higher portion of the garden that is an orchard. And I sent in the past some private videos taken close to the house to you, dear Red-Oak, Green-Rose, Little-Flute, but it was before getting the swimming pool ready for the summer.

The cicadas

Can you hear the cicadas in my video? Are there cicadas in the Netherlands too? They appear here from mid-summer till fall...

This is a picture of the Embassy of San Marino, in Amchit. 

This is a picture of the bay of Jounieh taken a few years ago. It did not change much since. It is located at 20 km south from Amchit.

And this is a picture of a beach we often visit in Byblos, taken a few years ago.

Low-tech dams

Three years ago I built low-tech dams in the garden, that I show in my video. This is how we still have water in our canal at the end of July, after two months without rain!

These are two pictures I took in 2007 (I was sixteen years old) of my grandfather and siblings. I used to like to take pictures. They are taken in our garden, the same garden I now show in the videos. Except the trees were much smaller. I will remove those pictures in 24 hours for privacy reasons.

The view in front of the barnhouse where I built all my raised beds now was quite empty at the time! We used to make our grandfather play soccer with us!

Do we look as bad people, Red-Oak, Green-Rose, Little-Flute? Aren't you a bit ashamed of your harsh judgements?

Associating plants

In order to have a more resilient garden, biodiversity is extremely important. In the gardens I take care of, I always associate many different types of cultures, of plants, of shrubs and of trees.

And this is a picture of my siblings and me on the port of Amchit around 2007 - 2008. I will remove it for privacy reasons in 24 hours.

The port hasn't changed much since.

Do we look like scaring persons, Red-Oak, Green-Rose and Little-Flute? Do we look as persons to distrust?

Please, answer!

The water in the canal

This is how the canal looks like after 2 months without rain, thanks to the clever system of dams I built! The watercress is still alive in shaded places.

And this is a picture of me, my siblings and my parents, a long time ago, around 2003-2004, in the garden of my great grandmother. I will remove this picture in 24 hours for privacy reasons.

Those are the persons you are scared of and you refuse to speak to, Red-Oak, Green-Rose, Little-Flute !

A white rose

White roses are the favorite flower of the Faerie Princess. The last time we met, she gifted me a white rose, on the 11th of September 2017, as if to ask me to be faithful toward her, no matter how long our quest would take.

Today a white rose bloomed in the garden.

The adventures of the day

 The water pump broke yesterday, and it needed to be replaced today... 

From Golden-Feather to Little-Flute

This morning, Golden-Feather (as the Faerie Princess decided to call her) decided to write a short letter to Little-Flute. She wrote her letter however, not with words, but with music!

Golden-Feather is a piano player, in parallel of being a designer. This is not her main piano, which is in our house in the capital town (Beirut). The small piano you see is in our countryside house, in Amchit, where I live. I heard Golden-Feather play a short impro this morning, and asked her if she was okay to share it with Little-Flute, who also likes music. And Golden-Feather said it would be her pleasure to do so.

So, I recorded her short impro, and passed in front of the mirror for a few seconds, in order to authentificate the video, that was taken this morning (Sunday 21st of June 2024). I post the video here with the permission of Golden-Feather. I will remove it in 72 hours for privacy reasons, giving you aplenty of time to watch it many times. 

You know the real life name of Golden-Feather, and also her designer's name. You can look for her over the internet. There are a lot of artworks, street art and even interviews, as Golden-Feather is considered as a pioneer of feminine street art in the Middle-East. 

Dear Little-Flute, dear Red-Oak, dear Green-Rose. Aren't you starting to feel a bit ashamed of your behavior? Don't you see we are nice, kind, cultivated persons, capable of appreciating music, art and nature?

I hope you enjoyed the music! Golden-Feather knows to play more classical music, but she enjoys the most to improvise and compose her own.

I believe that today you have received the first important letter, and, hopefully, you will receive in the coming days and weeks several other letters of the kind. I have always been appreciated as a person, wherever I went. You are the only persons who did not give me a chance, did not even try to know me to appreciate me or not, and treated me in such a bad and negative way.

The second video is more classical, from the garden, while cutting a banana flower. Did you ever wonder from where the bananas you buy from the supermarket come from? Here is your answer!

While picking a squash

 While picking a squash from the plant...

Speaking of moral corruption

Today, after showing the garden on our rooftop, that is a cozy place where to sit, listen to music, contemplate the moon and the stars (this evening the moon was really large and I think it was full moon), I spoke of moral corruption.

I personnally am an incorruptible person. No amount of money can convince me to ever change my ideals. 

But, what people often forget, is that corruption is not only present in large things, but also in smaller ones. Each person sometimes commits small acts of corruption in his or her daily basis.

An excess of pragmatism, that tolerates the status quo of the world, is an act of corruption. A person who says: "oh, you have a trauma because your parents divorced? But a lot of people divorce and it is allowed by the law..." is also committing an act of corruption.

Something allowed by the law is not necessarily something good. The worse things of human history were allowed by the law. And something forbidden by the law is not necessarily something bad. This is what a lot of people are unfortunately too down-to-earth to understand. 

So the real compass should not be the law, but our conscience. People who blindly follow the law are committing small acts of corruption on a daily basis. Human beings were not born and created to follow blindly things. Reflection is needed at each instant of our life.

On a side note: Dear Red-Oak, Green-Rose, Little-Flute and Yna. I've posted another letter for you at the same place I had spoken to you about in my direct communication to you of the 14th of July 2024. The password is the same I had indicated to you. In future, I will not notify you when I write there. You must take the habit to check that "secret diary" on a daily basis. 

My country

Today I decided to show the flag of my country. And yet, before being Lebanese / Italian / French / Colombian, I am a citizen of the world. Which means that I believe each citizen in the world to have the right to have a decent, peaceful life, that respects other human beings, but also nature and the environment. Right now, the mindset that dominates the world is that of egoism, of balance of power, of cold rationalism, and this is true in between countries, but also in my personal story. Red-Oak, Green-Rose and Little-Flute lacked humility, as much as certain nations lack humility, believing themselves better than other, smaller nations. Being Dutch made them think they were way better than I, who came from Lebanon, and that they had more rights, and that my life did not matter at all. The least, is to give the chance to a person to express and explain himself, especially if that person made the effort to come visit a foreign country only for the girl he loves. However, Red-Oak, Green-Rose and Little-Flute perhaps think that the people who come from what they think to be "poorer" countries, are little more than animals, or slaves, with little or no feelings. Well, they are entirely wrong.

Therefore, the day I will obtain justice, it will not only be justice for me, but also justice for my nation, in a symbolic way, and this story will become a peaceful, constructive example to follow for all those who are wronged or discriminated based on their citizenship, or their life dream, as I was discrimated on both the fact of coming from Lebanon, and of dreaming to become a writer.

And, on a side note, Lebanon is not a "poorer" country. Lebanon has nothing to envy to any other nation of this world. Statistics, and the reality on the ground, are two entirely different things. And, Lebanon has something many countries in the world lack of: culture, and history.

The Pope Giovanni Paolo II said, a little more than a decade ago, when he visited Lebanon that "Lebanon is a message of peace to the world."

Look at our beautiful flag, harboring a proud cedar at its center, and you will understand the nobility of my country, that is one of the only countries in the world to have a tree on its flag. Cedars are way older than human beings. And I ask to Red-Oak, Green-Rose and Little-Flute: before expressing harsh and totally unfair judgements, did you ever visit a cedar forest, and listen to the quiet wisdom of those ancient trees? Do you have such ancient forests in the lowlands?

And: do you think that it is shameful to recognize your mistake?

On the contrary, brave and courageous are the people who recognize their wrongs. The day you will recognize your mistake, you will earn my respect and that of many other persons, and you will be able to look again at yourselves in a mirror. Because, it's been months you are greatly embarrassed by this story. It's been months you avoid taking responsibility. And yet, you are not living in the meanwhile, terrified that someone of your entourage discovers what is truly going on with the Faerie Princess.

That is why, you've isolated yourselves from your friends. You do not want to have to answer their questions.

Irrigation

I speak of the irrigation needs of the garden in the middle of a normally dry summer.

And this is part of the daily harvest. Okras, passion fruits, a few peaches and strawberries, and the daily salad...

Avoiding to take responsibility

Dear Red-Oak, Dear Green-Rose,

By claiming that the Faerie Princess is mentally unbalanced, you are avoiding to take responsibility for your acts and your mistakes, and the wound you imposed on her, during her childhood.

This is a very ugly and negative trait of your culture: each time you are confronted with a problem or a challenge, each time you meet someone who has a unusual gift, you start waving the flag of mental problems. You are incapable of appreciating creativity, you are incapable of appreciating a person who thinks with his or her own head, and feels with his or her own heart. In fact, accusing someone else of having mental problems is like a tool of oppression, because, in that way, you force people to conform, to all imitate one another. 

I ask you to grow up from this childish state in which you both plunged yourselves. I ask you to take responsibility for all what happened. The Faerie Princess is your daughter! You should love her beyond any other consideration! Your first and main concern should be to help her heal from her childhood trauma and feel better.

You cannot allow any external person to stand between you and your daughter, especially not persons who lack of compassion and comprehension toward your daughter. 

Sorry about my bluntness, but I was very much shocked by what the Faerie Princess communicated to me.

The Faerie Princess is an entirely healthy person. She has a trauma, a deep fear related to that trauma. And yet, having a childhood trauma has nothing to do with having a mental unbalance. Really nothing to do. I have noticed, and it is not the first time, that the people of your culture are in too much hurry to use words related to mental sanity. And it is very shocking to me that rather than self-questioning, you prefer to doubt of the mental sanity of your own daughter, or to listen to the negative voices that dare to do so. 

Before this entire story, the Faerie Princess was well-integrated in the community, well-appreciated by her friends, and a brilliant student. Those qualities she had did not evaporate. Simply, she was confronted with a situation reminding her of another situation, of the day Red-Oak left home, shattering the very concept of home forever. The Faerie Princess panicked, did mistakes, is still stuck somehow in those mistakes. But that does not allow you do doubt of the mental sanity of your daughter.

When you do, you are lying to yourselves, sorry. 

You should be by her side, protecting her, helping her, offering her all your love.

And you aren't.

And you should be ashamed of having so abandoned the Princess when she most needed you.

The piece of garden I created from nothing

I am a good, fair, clever, creative, trustworthy person. Red-Oak, Green-Rose and Little-Flute should be really ashamed of what happened six years ago while watching my videos. Throwing the fault on one another, or on the Faerie Princess is not helpful. I advise Red-Oak and Green-Rose to analyze the situation with honesty, and to determine why such a horrible unfairness that ruined my life was allowed to happen. I advise Red-Oak and Green-Rose to take responsibility for what happened, and to correct the situation, and to allow the Faerie Princess to feel safe and loved enough in order to heal from her childhood trauma.

The passion fruits of the garden are of a beautiful red - purple hue. I planted the passion fruit vines we have four years ago. They started to yield their fruits last year.

Doing the interest of the Faerie Princess

Silence is not helping !

Only communication can make the interest of the Faerie Princess, for all those who love her, or appreciate her.

Silence is definately not helping. 

The progress of the garden by the sea

 I briefly show the progress of the orchard I plant and take care of myself in the garden by the sea.

Those are pictures of the flowers there I took today.

The sea today. I swam, but in the swimming pool.

Do you know to play Stratego, dear Red-Oak? I believe we are playing a real life game of Stratego right now. You are the red, and I am the blue. Do you recognize the symbols on the pawns on the pictures below, taken from the garden by the sea?

What I learnt

 What I learnt...

And this is a sad poem I wrote thinking of you, Faerie Princess, a long time ago. However I did not give it to you, and that night became one of the most beautiful nights of our life, as we started writing our first novel together.

Pumpkin garden

I show one of the areas of the garden that is densely planted with pumpkins and sweet potatoes...

In the last two days, the seasons of passion fruits and okras started. Below you can see the first okras of the garden this year.

I also like to cook

Cooking is another of my interests and hobbies. I do not cook a lot now, because I am very busy with the garden. However when I lived on my own in Switzerland I greatly developed my cooking skills, and I like to invent my own recipes, adding a few special ingredients to existing recipes.

I lived for the first time on my own a summer, in Grenoble, in 2012. At the time, I knew nothing of cooking. But with practice, I learnt, and immediately had fun innovating. For instance, I had only a limited number of pans.

So instead of doing the pasta in the usual way: boiling a large quantity of water, cooking the pasta inside, and throwing the water afterwards (what a waste of water and salt!), I had another idea. I decided to cut vegetables inside the water where the pasta would boil, such as tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplants, etc. to get pasta with its integrated sauce, and instead of throwing the water in the sink, it became a tasty soup as the vegetables had boiled in it.

Later when I made discover my family my new recipe, they were astounded, because instead of spending 45 minutes cooking and using three pans, with just one pan, and in 25 minutes, I obtained the same results. When we traveled in Italy, we slept in "agriturismi", farms with guest houses, and often, instead of eating at the restaurant, we liked to prepare our own meal for dinner, as the food in restaurants is always heavier than what you eat at home. But we were tired after a long day of tourism, so my simplified, yet healthy recipe was ideal, to prepare a dinner for five persons.

This was the beginning of my interest toward cooking. I later learnt to do all sorts of things, always trying to be innovative, in order to simplify recipes, while at the same time enriching the taste of dishes. I learnt to prepare yoghurt, and cheese. I learnt to prepare bread. I learnt to prepare chocolate, and jams, and sauces and pickles. I learnt to prepare vinegar even, and liquors.

There are a lot of men who do not know how to cook, or who know to prepare only very elementary things, buying frozen meals and canned food when they are on their own. 

I personally always believed in the equality of men and women. When I read novels, and when I write novels, I loved strong heroines. Because, in my opinion, it is women who will change this world and improve it. For too long, decision-making has been in between the hands of men, or in between the hands of a few women who sound like men with their pragmatism and their harshness.

This world will become a better place only when more "feminine" values start to rule countries. 

And this starts with letting go of the traditional feminine and masculine clichés. 

I personally never bought frozen food, or canned food, when I lived on my own, making it my pleasure to prepare more elaborate things, to share with others when I had the occasion to. To me, cooking is an important dimension of sustainability. It is not enough to have a garden, as knowing what to do with the fruits, vegetables and grains you harvest from your garden is an art. I am also interested in conservation techniques, that allows to prepare homemade jars and to keep them for long. I think there is a lot of beauty to be found in a slower life, that resembles the life of our grandparents, while applying some new elements of wisdom and spirituality, and this concept of equality in between men and women, and this thought that the world needs more "feminine" virtues such as nurturing, care, and compassion, and less "masculine" traits, such as pride, conflictual attitudes, and rationalism. 

The Faerie Princess discovered about my life ideals since our first encounter, in 2014. I made it clear to her, back then, that my worldview wasn't traditional, and it is something she greatly appreciated in me. For me, men, and the mindset they imposed to the world, have done a lot of mistakes and damages. It is time to let women rule. But they should rule with the values they themselves cultivated during centuries, and not with the masculine traits women leaders nowadays have. So, in fact, I believe that movements that ask for a perfect equality between men and women have not well understood their own cause. What we want is not women who start resembling men, but rather men who start embracing more their feminine values. Only this will lead to global peace and harmony in the world. Put five typical men who disagree in a closed room, and they will start figthing with their fists. Put five typical women who disagree in a closed room, and they will reach a compromise, or even perhaps find harmony. This is what we want, and what we need.

The Faerie Princess complained to me that back then in her homeland, people called her naive, and did not listen to her worldview, as they were atypical. To me, it was the greatest delight of my life to listen to her talk, and I fell in love with her ideas. Because the Faerie Princess is a strong, clever person, yet she is also extremely sensitive and compassionate, having found a balance between feminine values and masculine traits, a balance I too have found, I believe. This notion of balance is very important, and it is what lacks today. People ask themselves a lot of questions about their "identity", yet forget about what is essential. What is essential is not in the physical appearance, or in the body, but rather in our mind and in our soul.

In the video below I show a 2.5 kg pumpkin (butternut squash, moschata type) I cultivated in the garden, and that I myself prepared today, as you will see in the images below. I prepared it with an onion, green ginger and green curcuma from the garden, basil, half a hot pepper, and salt.

I had to peel the squash, while keeping the peel to prepare "french fries" with it, as it is entirely natural, contrarily to what is usually found on the market. I also separated the seeds, that will be soaked in water, before being grilled. 

And then I added the fresh leaves of ginger, curcuma and basil. When I cook, I pay attention to flavors, but also to colors. Mixing orange and green felt right today.

This is part of the fruit harvest from the garden today. Pomarrosas, peaches, the first passion fruit of the year!, some strawberries I did not include in the picture, and a papaya.

Those are hot peppers on a bush I started cultivating four years ago.

And this is the hot pepper harvest of the day. We either consume them fresh, or I dry them, or dip one in olive oil, in order to get a slightly spicy oil.

And this is part of the harvest of the day, after washing them.

There is also a large salad, as every day, I did not take in picture.

I trust the Faerie Princess

My message today is that I trust the Faerie Princess. I deeply trust her. This story would have not been possible without my trust for her, and her trust for me. I trust that she will one day show to the world a much more beautiful image of her. I trust that she will repair all the wrong she caused, and sow happiness all around her. 

I trust you, Annelies.

Speaking from the rooftop of the barnhouse

 I spoke from the rooftop of the barnhouse...

And this is the start of a pumpkin of the moschata squash type...

Building trust

I cannot take pictures or videos of each thing I do. So I will ask from the entourage of the Faerie Princess to trust my word. You will find more explanations in my videos, that I recorded while watering.

Those are pictures of the garden by the sea I took today.
Below, a lemon tree of a new variety I planted.

Basil, squashes, and banana trees

Sweet potato

Bananas! For now three banana trees have started yielding bananas. I planted those trees myself four years ago.

The picture is really not nice, but it's a selfie and I had the sunlight in my eyes I think.

And below are pictures taken by Dreamy-painted yesterday evening, from the garden by the sea. Enjoy the sunset. And if you wonder where all the clouds are gone, during summer, it can very quickly shift from sunny to cloudy, as we are close from the sea, and there is almost always a brisk wind.

The meaning of silence

I discuss of the meaning of Red-Oak and Green-Rose's silence, trying to interpret it. According to my guesses, they feel shame about what happened in the past, yet, they still don't have the certainty that all what I am saying is true. Once they will, they will speak, and who what is right, I believe.

Those are typical sweets prepared in Mount Lebanon, with almond paste, and sold in pastry shops.

Blazon

 

This picture represents the blazon of my family (the Italian side of my family). You can read the last name of Dreamy-painter on the blazon. I will use both my last names, from both sides, to sign the novels I will write and publish with the Faerie Princess.

This, to tell you, that from both sides, my family has a history.

I personally do not care about origins. For me an aristocrat or a poor person deserve to have the same chances in life. Someone should be judged on his deeds, and not on his origins. 

However, those who so unfairly and cruelly accused me probably care about origins. They dared to judge me on my origins, lying, and lying by omission, about me. Before accusing someone, make sure of your facts! That is the basis of the basis. Yet those people forgot that, even. 

They entirely lacked good-manners, compassion, and wisdom.

This picture should answer their prejudices, all their false ideas. 

Vincenti means Winners. Winnaars.

I can now entirely understand the embarrass of Red-Oak, as he understands he was misled in this story. 

Yet, it is his fault if this all happened. Had he been more careful, wiser, and more loving, he would have understood the Faerie Princess, his own daughter, was not doing well, and was lying, because of her childhood trauma, terror and phobia. 

I ask Justice from Red-Oak. Justice for me, and Justice for the Faerie Princess. 

Perhaps in the Dutch culture a person who is accused unfairly is supposed to stay silent and say nothing at all, and wait for those who wronged him and harmed him to send written authorization allowing to contact them directly. However, let me remind you dear friends, that before being Dutch, Italian, French, or Lebanese, we are citizens of the world. An injustice was committed. Lies were said. Serious harm was done. And five years and nine months and twenty-four days afterwards justice has not been given still. 

Therefore, despite being a very respectful person, I have chosen to entirely disregard your conventions, and to write freely. I am a fair person, a believer in Christian values, and will never harm those who have harmed me. Yet, I will ask, day and night, and in every possible mean (while keeping my fairness, my kindness, my nobility of heart and of soul) to those people to hear me, encouraging one by one, all my friends, to intervene, and show Red-Oak the extent of his mistake. 

I do not seek revenge. I only seek justice, understanding, and friendship.

But I am angry. A lot of time has passed. The Faerie Princess is still trapped in her childhood trauma, in part. Therefore, I ask you, Red-Oak, Green-Rose, to find the courage to do what is right for your daughter, and you, Little-Flute, for your sister. 

Feeling shame for what happened, for the three of you, is the first step to recognize your mistake. And I personally am an elegant winner. Once you recognize your judgement was false, I will give you my hand, and make you participate in this victory, and find a renewed happiness in life you did not suspect possible. 

However, right now, you need to find some courage, please. 

My life was shattered

My life was shattered six years ago, because of the false accusations and unfair words I was victim of. I ask those who harmed me to do a mea culpa, and reconsider their opinion on me. I ask them to do what will reassure the Faerie Princess in order for her to say the entire truth, aloud. The Faerie Princess will only react positively to words coming from the heart of Red-Oak, a promise that he understood all the pain she felt in the past. A promise that he will do everything in his power to allow her to heal, including making peace with Green-Rose.

I ask for that too, as it seems to be the only solution in order to obtain justice for me.

This is another kind of hibiscus flower that bloomed in the garden, that I planted myself some years ago. 

I photographed the sunset from the rooftop of the barnhouse.

And this is a video Golden-feather took this evening at 5 minutes from our house, close to the sea, during the sunset. As you know already, Golden-feather returned yesterday. I post this video with her permission.

The first major pumpkin

I speak of the small advancements in our story.

I am a good, fair, honest, loyal, creative, innovative, clever, trustworthy person coming from a solid background. I ask all those who can guarantee I am a fair person and that those qualities describe me well to use the invitation the Faerie Princess posted, to write directly Red-Oak, Green-Rose, Little-Flute, Yna and the Lady. Their silence can only be explained by the prejudices and the mistrust they have for me, and for my family.

And I was very pleased to discover the first major pumpkin (more than 2 kilograms) that seemingly appeared "overnight". Pumpkins often give that impression as they develop very fast, and are hidden by leaves during the first phase of their growth. This pumpkin sprouted in front of the barnhouse, in my new, innovative raised beds, in a place where nothing grew in the past, as there is old asphalt underneath the raised beds that I had the idea to build. 

Formula 1 driver

In my early youth, one of my dreams was to become a Formula 1 driver.

It is very ironic, because I generally dislike cars, because they are polluting, noisy, and because I easily get dizzy inside of their habitacle. I'd much rather walk, or run, or bike.

But, around age 7, I watched my first Formula 1 race and became passionate by that sport. I still remember for instance the race that took place in Australia (once per year), and how I had to wake up at 5 am to watch it, because of the difference in time zones.

And I organized races with my siblings, my cousins, with every vehicle I could find, such as scooters and bikes. I had received a chronometer, and I used it to calculate exactly how fast we could do one lap. I also built circuits myself, designing their routes (small ones, of course, for scooters race). 

And a few times, some years later, my parents brought me to a karting circuit in Zouk, a town in between Beirut and Amchit, and I drove a kart. I was really fast I think. The karting circuit is at the beginning of the long, winding road to reach the ski slopes of Faraya and Mzaar. 

When I watched Formula 1, I always supported the underdogs. Except for Jacques Villeneuve in 1997, the pilots I supported never won. I supported Jacques Villeneuve because he had lost his father in a race, I had read. 

I was born in the 1991, but after I got passionate by Formula 1, I studied its history since the 1950s. Another unfortunate pilot who fascinated me was Ayrton Senna. 

One day, I abruptly stopped watching Formula 1 races, as I realized it wasn't really my true dream to do that of my life. Race cars were getting too technological, removing any possibility to pilots to make the difference with their skills.

I also had a phase in which I dreamt to be a soccer player. I, for the French Baccalaureate sports exam, chose soccer. And that day, I scored two goals, and made two decisive passes. One of these goals was really beautiful. I liked to play as a striker.

But on normal days I was less lucky scoring, and was only an average player.

In fact the sport where I was the most gifted was athletism, short and long races, whether on speed or endurance. I used to run every year the international marathon of Beirut (10 kilometers) for instance.

Despite being an intellectual person, I was good at sports.

I swam all summer long, skiied all winter long, even though these are not my favorite sports. Growing up, I started jogging all year long.

I am a really gifted ping pong player. I played a bit of tennis too. And, what I loved the most, was playing soccer.

-

It is at around 8 or 10 years old I for the first time told myself, one day I will write a book. One day I will become a writer. But what kind of book exactly, I didn't know.

I became excellent at creative writing at school. The teachers asked for 2, 3, 4 pages, and I wrote in the same laps of time 8, 9, 10 pages, always getting the highest grades.

At 15 years old I started writing my first spontaneous poems. At 17 years old I won the 2nd prize of a writing contest organized in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Mission Laïque Francaise in between all the French schools of Lebanon.

At the American University of Beirut I took two creative writing classes, and started writing the 30 first pages of my first novel.

Then, during my last year at AUB things got more serious, as I started doing research to write a historical novel. 

And it is at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne that I came the closest to completing the writing of a book, a historical-fantasy novel co-written with Annelies Broeders, the Faerie Princess.

When did I exactly know I would one day become a writer?

I knew that at 17 - 18 years old. But perhaps I got a stronger certainty at 21 - 22 years old, during my last year at the American University of Beirut.

And after meeting the Faerie Princess, I discovered another person in the world shared my exact dream, and my exact vision.

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Therefore, my dream of becoming a writer was much stronger and much truer respect to my child's dreams of becoming a Formula 1 driver, or a soccer player.

And for the anecdote, I have my driving license. I do not drive in my daily life. But in the past, when I drove, I did in a slow and prudent way. For me it is meaningless to do speed while driving, as it can endanger the life of passersby. It is mostly my grandfather who taught me to drive, when I was eighteen years old. Later I got experience driving by taking my siblings and other family members to the mountains to do hikings I organized. Some of the most beautiful hikings I did were in Mechmech, a small town at 1200 meters height, in the Cedar Forest of Jaj (around 1800 meters height) and in the Cedar Forest of Tannourine.

But, in the last years, I had no time for that. Writing and taking care of the garden and the little creatures who live there takes all my time. And my heart is heavy because of what happened, of the unfairness I lived. Since 2018, I stopped having fun in my life. All recreational activities were eliminated. Something broke, and was never repaired since. I am still waiting for Red-Oak and Green-Rose, and for Little-Flute, to give me Justice.