Orthodox Christmas Day
Posted on January 7, 2017
Today, 07 January 2017, is Christmas Day for Orthodox Christians. There are many in the Middle East. Happy Christmas to all.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Names
Posted on January 6, 2017
Alida Margaretha Bosshardt (8 June 1913 – 25 June 2007), better known as Major Bosshardt, was a well-known officer in The Salvation Army who was famous for her work with prostitutes in Amsterdam’s Red Light District over many years. One of the bridges over the canals in the district is dedicated to her memory to this day.
Recent early morning photo by MB, who was there for photo reasons, rather than any other!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Resilient
Posted on January 1, 2017
The Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand – If something is standing for almost 1,000 years then it’s pretty safe to describe it as resilient. See MB’s previous post of today for more on Balamand Monastery.
A Lebanese Wedding
Posted on January 1, 2017
If you want to go to a real wedding dear HX followers, MB suggests that you make friends with some younger Lebanese people and get yourself invited to one of their awesomely spectacular weddings! Read More
Let there be music
Posted on December 20, 2016
Unknown to most in MB’s homeland is the fact that in the majority land area of the Middle East, music is forbidden. In the local lingo, it’s haram. Allegedly, according to those of such beliefs, it’s not God’s will that people should sing or play or listen to music. Read More
Qatar National Day
Posted on December 18, 2016
Today, 18 December, is National Day in Qatar and it’s a public holiday. We can describe it, for the benefit and explanation of HX non-Arab followers, as a sort of Islamic/Arab St Patrick’s Day. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Anticipation
Posted on December 16, 2016
MB has mentioned his recent trip to Amsterdam with daughter MB2 in recent posts. And he now does so again.
On afternoon Nr 1 of the trip, MB & MB2 went on an organised food walking tour of the central canal district. One of the food venues visited was a shop called Van Stepele Koekmakerij – which makes and sells only a single type of (totally delicious) cookie. It is a dark chocolate biscuit cookie, served warm, with melted white chocolate on the inside. According to our lady food guide, the shop is owned by a Dutch lady who previously lived abroad. On her return to Holland/Amsterdam, she spent nine months perfecting the best cookie in the universe, before she opened the cookie shop. Despite pleas from some to expand the range, she has refused to do so. And no matter what time of day one visits the shop, there is a queue of punters out the door to buy the delicious cookie.
As both MB and MB2 are total chocoholics, it became a ritual in the following days to revisit the cookie shop for the daily fix. The ‘anticipation’ each day was palpable, as visits to museums and other sights were indulged in, for the only reason that it’s what’s expected when on a short visit to an historic city. But the real purpose of the day was only fulfilled when the two travelers felt the taste of the melting dark biscuit and warm white chocolate in the mouth, to loud sounds of “mmmmmmmm………….”.
MB just checked online and found a blog post dedicated to said shop – http://www.jadescapades.com/van-stepele-koekmakerij-amsterdam/
(Thanks and acknowledgment to Jadescapes blog for the above link).
An Open Apology To Dolly Parton
Posted on December 12, 2016
A blog post that went viral in the last week or so with over 2.5M views, and still climbing. Worth a read, and informative about a side of Dolly Parton that most would be unaware of, outside of the USA at least. The author thinks its popularity has something to do with the current social divide in the US of A. Maybe.
Dear Dolly,
I’ll be honest. I used to think you were a bimbo. I used to think you flaunted your big boobs, teased hair, tiny waist, and your syrupy-sweet southern accent just to sell yourself and your brand as a country singer. Granted, I was raised in the Midwest and lived as an adult for many years in the Northeast. I didn’t get you, much less the South.
For example, I’d heard about your origins as a poor girl from the hills of East Tennessee, and when I learned you’d created a theme park in your native Sevier County I rolled my eyes. “Really, a theme park?” I thought. “As if rollercoasters will really help the people of rural Appalachia. Why not create something truly useful to give back to your community, like a library.”
Oh.
You have created a library, actually, and possibly in a bigger and more…
View original post 709 more words
Weekly Photo Challenge – New Horizons
Posted on December 10, 2016
Other than the fact that MB traveled there recently, many many years after his first trip to the same city, MB has no idea why he is posting a shot of the Amsterdam skyline for this week’s ‘New Horizons’ photo challenge. Crazy r what!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Relax
Posted on December 2, 2016
MB & daughter MB2 came across this guy on their recent trip to Amsterdam.
A city cycle tour, with MB & MB2 on board, wound its way after some time out to the reclaimed polder farmland, some distance outside the city. Cycle guide Sam stopped the entire entourage in their cycle tracks when he spotted this heron resting, relaxed as you like, on a wooden bridge over a small stream. Faster than anyone could shout ‘grab your SLR’, MB had his 7D ‘click clicking’ and captured a number of shots before Mr Heron flew off to find a more relaxing spot, where annoying camera-guys like MB would not bother him.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Time of Year
Posted on November 26, 2016
In recent years, MB has been lucky on a few occasions to be home for the Christmas Carol service in his home Church at Grange. On the nights MB has attended, the services have opened with a traditional Irish air called Innisheer (or Inis Oírr in Gaelic).
So, without further ado, here are Grange girls Noreen O’Sullivan on concert flute, and Jade Dillon on keyboard, playing Inisheer (& apologies for posting a video as MB’s effort for the weekly photo challenge!):
Weekly Photo Challenge – Magic
Posted on November 18, 2016
MB had a magical 4 days with daughter MB2 a few weeks back in magical Amsterdam. The central canal area of the city is where most of the tourist attractions are located, and was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 2010. MB highly recommends a trip to those who have not visited. It’s magic!
It’s been a week.
Posted on November 15, 2016
Interesting post from an American blogger friend of MB, about the Trump win. Worth a read.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Tiny
Posted on November 11, 2016
Weekly Photo Challenge – Chaos
Posted on November 4, 2016
HX Report 