Comments on abufares said...the world according to a tartoussi: A Tartoussi in Aleppo

still remember the chant of the vegetable seller w...

2007-12-29T22:11:27.576+02:00

still remember the chant of the vegetable seller walking beside his donkey,,, BASAL AKHDAR,,TUM AKHDAR,AlBAALE,, BAADUNES, KABUS AL SALATA,,FEJLAT AL SHAHWE,,,,who dose not remember the SAHLEB on the cold mornings of december, the SOOS, and the BZURAT on hot days, the list gose on, do we really need mcdonald,pizza hut,or cocacola, what about the fresh lemonade with ment and MAA AL ZAHER,,,,,,,,,

ManarYour name is Zai el 3asal.

2007-08-28T18:38:54.674+03:00

Manar
Your name is Zai el 3asal.

;-)thanks for uttering my name abufares,, i miss i...

2007-08-28T05:43:42.955+03:00

;-)
thanks for uttering my name abufares,, i miss it in Arabic,,,
salameh

ManarI am by no mean a poet, however, reading your...

2007-08-27T09:24:22.145+03:00

Manar
I am by no mean a poet, however, reading your words fills me with inspiration to continue writing in the hope that someday, something of substance might emerge.
Thank you for the kind words, on and off the air.

Abufares,, you are a poet ,,!! are not you..The Ta...

2007-08-27T04:31:13.254+03:00

Abufares,, you are a poet ,,!! are not you..
The Tartoussian shells can never leave my closets and secret drawers,,,Be shining as ever..
Lighthouse:P

FatimaI must've known that this sweet girl comment...

2007-08-24T10:04:29.276+03:00

Fatima
I must've known that this sweet girl commenting on my blog is from Aleppo. Only in such a beautiful background could a "Jasmine" emerge and fill my blog with perfume and beauty.
Thank you for being here.

Abu fares,,You just made my day,,,the scent of th...

2007-08-23T23:07:10.406+03:00

Abu fares,,
You just made my day,,,
the scent of the warmth in Aleppo allies..the paved streets , the shadowed old balconies there, and all what is old about it is what makes it the real place to me. Maybe, because i am from Aleppo, feeling that she belongs to me as well.. Alas, i am no more there, but still i can feel Al-Jedidah surrounding me,, you know, whenver i feel down or feel i wanna contemplate,, I just head walking from the old Sirian area, near to what i live to that area esp at late or early morning, where you can smell the jasmine and touch the depth of the unforgettable people who roam there whenver it is empty and silent....
thank you,,
sweet you,
M

Lujayn, Katia, Ammoontie, Comun & KayaSorry it too...

2007-08-09T20:08:12.327+03:00

Lujayn, Katia, Ammoontie, Comun & Kaya

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you but I was away on

VACATION :-))))))

I just got back this afternoon (Thu 9th)
I promise to let you read all about it. Hopefully by tomorrow. Well, I need to start writing,
Ciao

What lovely pictures. The place looks so quaint.An...

2007-08-08T10:33:30.159+03:00

What lovely pictures. The place looks so quaint.
And as usual. Abu Fares, You prose leaves one mesmerised and lulls one into a dreamy, as if almost there physically state.
Very very noice.

Hola!!!!!!!!!La foto tuya con la moto, me imagino ...

2007-08-07T23:08:37.463+03:00

Hola!!!!!!!!!

La foto tuya con la moto, me imagino viajar, es lo que me encanta.
La foto del post en la que hay personas en el bar y detrás la escalera me sugiere que están tomando el te.

Un besote y abrazo de oso, desde ARGENTINA.

Dear Abu Fares,Thank you for sharing Aleppo with u...

2007-08-03T19:46:21.077+03:00

Dear Abu Fares,
Thank you for sharing Aleppo with us. Although I have no idea of its whereabouts..from your descriptions and lovely pictures I think it is a beautiful place. And that fava beans dish is my favourite. Would you share the recipes of that lovely looking fava beans ? It looks so tempting.

Ah, wonderful, Abu Fares! Although Damascus is my ...

2007-08-03T16:55:44.819+03:00

Ah, wonderful, Abu Fares!
Although Damascus is my love, you made me doubt, just for a split second;-) I actually don't know Aleppo and I was planning on discovering it, but now, now I just can't wait! Thank you:-)

Btw, he got it, my lovely Kimo: 284/290! Although I never doubted him, it feels great to see it materialized now and I feel like screaming it off every roof top!

Katia

yala abu fares, new post, new post, new post!

2007-08-02T16:07:50.379+03:00

yala abu fares, new post, new post, new post!

Daniel, Abu Fares, yes, there are definitely diffe...

2007-07-29T09:02:29.271+03:00

Daniel, Abu Fares, yes, there are definitely different rates for Syrians and non-Syrians. Thats why they quoted the higher price to Daniel. Although in this case, it wasnt too considerable a difference. They even charge different entry rates for museums and other heritage sites.

DanielThe Dar Zamaria rate for a single room is US...

2007-07-28T19:36:48.581+03:00

Daniel
The Dar Zamaria rate for a single room is US$30.00 per night, breakfast included. There is a possibility that there are different rates for non-Syrians but I seriously doubt it.
If anyone has a definite answer, please feel free to give your expert opinion.

RnDYalla I gave you one reason to miss home.As to ...

2007-07-28T19:32:02.647+03:00

RnD
Yalla I gave you one reason to miss home.
As to fleeing to Aleppo, just remember this old saying by a very wise man:

"There's more than a dozen way to kill a boss."

Hmm, I was in Aleppo recently, and I have a suspic...

2007-07-28T19:27:31.780+03:00

Hmm, I was in Aleppo recently, and I have a suspicion we passed that hotel... My Iranian-Canadian friend asked inside a four star, and they said 75US a night.

Sadly, we found a 300 lira room in a much more basic hotel in the centre..

Hey Abu Fares,I've been here in Dubai since April ...

2007-07-28T12:50:08.141+03:00

Hey Abu Fares,

I've been here in Dubai since April 2006 and I was never homesick as I am now after reading your post. Dar Zamaria was my favorite. Just sitting there and smell the Jasmines would make me shed a tear or two. I so miss Aleppo and now thanks to your post, I am gonna try to find a way to escape my boss's captivity and flee to Aleppo.

RnD

Allah Ma'ak Ya David ya Ibn Santos.Viva la liberda...

2007-07-28T09:11:15.569+03:00

Allah Ma'ak Ya David ya Ibn Santos.
Viva la liberdade

Freedom for the Palestiniano people. Below the Nor...

2007-07-28T04:11:34.648+03:00

Freedom for the Palestiniano people. Below the North American terrorism and sionista nazism.

yes dear Lujayn, since we are here, I am doing rea...

2007-07-27T22:00:01.863+03:00

yes dear Lujayn, since we are here, I am doing really fine, how about you? btw, I thought about you the other day when I applied for membership at the fitness first gym at Burjuman, and it seems they have another one in Ibn Batuta, is it the one you refer to when you say 'going to the gym' at your face book board? :)))

Akh ya Abu Fares, I thought a small apology would spare me the embarrassment and the mockery, but now that what happened has happened, I am laughing my ass out at the two fa7el basel observation, I don't know what to say, al 3atab 3la al nazer, butI sure am not cock-eyed!!, so I must have mistaken the Fa7el Basel with the number of your colleagues ..(your companions were two right?:))))

KarinI really thought about you more than once dur...

2007-07-27T11:46:06.039+03:00

Karin
I really thought about you more than once during my visit to Aleppo. I have even written you an email on my mobile (if you remember).
Aleppo is indeed a fascinating city. We will visit it together!

SaintBut you already know me my friend. I am the k...

2007-07-27T11:43:09.859+03:00

Saint
But you already know me my friend. I am the kind of guy who really enjoys a Sahen Fool and love to talk about it ;-)
Fool in Aleppo is different than Damascus. They spice it up differently (including cumin)and very finely chopped tomatoes. It might be even possible that the tomatoes is heated up with the sauce (I need an Aleppine to correct me on this one if I'm wrong).
In Damascus, more garlic and less spices are used. Tomatoes is added as an afterthought in larger chunks.
Now, on the coast of Syria and Lebanon, the smaller variety of Fool is used. Normally, people don't like the larger Fool eaten in the interior. As a personal preference I prefer the larger Fool myself.
The most important thing of all is to try everything the locals eat once you are visiting a place. I would never shy away from this hobby. I don't know what I will do when and if I go to China, where I was once told that "They would eat anything that moves, except a bicycle".

msummakieGlad you enjoyed my post. But, you can't ...

2007-07-27T11:34:35.473+03:00

msummakie
Glad you enjoyed my post. But, you can't tell your husband to get you some fool from Abu Abdo! You have to go, with your husband, there. Find a table (out of the 3). Sit down and enjoy the Fool in its right setting and proper rituals :-)

Dubai Jazz & LujaynHere we go, real Awlad Balad ta...

2007-07-27T11:31:13.489+03:00

Dubai Jazz & Lujayn
Here we go, real Awlad Balad talking about their city like nobody else can.
Dubai Jazz, I knew that you were a little on the tired side when you saw one Fahel Bassal as two :-)