For the past few weeks, I’ve been locked in on a very specific type of cars
Not in a “I know every spec sheet and engine code” kinda way. I’m not that guy. My comfort flicks are still the early The Fast and the Furious runs and Gone in 60 Seconds, but that’s where it stops
I just like nice things, and I’ve always felt like what you drive says more than people admit
I don’t want to turn this into a list, but my all-time will probably always be the Lincoln Continental 1975. That car does something to me. The lines, the presence, the way it just sits there like it owns the street. insane aesthetic and aura.
Completely out of reach for me right now though. wrong continent, wrong timing, wrong everything
But recently, another beaut’ hit my radar and I simply can’t stop thinking about it
I’ve been obsessing over the Honda Prelude, 1g and 2g (1st and 2nd gen). late 80s, early 90s.
Is it the popup headlights? Nah, I mean yes but it’s also the straight lines and velvet seats! My God it’s beautiful!
I’ve always hated new cars. they all look inflated, rounded, like they’ve been softened too much. Plastic everywhere, style nowhere. No edges, no character. just… safe shapes
Squares will always win for me, and the Prelude is just that. Clean, boxy, straight to the point
I catch myself thinking about it more than I like to admit, like actually planning around it.
If my finances line up in the next few months, I might just go for it.
Those types of rides are perfect to cruise around, or just stand next to and be.
Old Japanese cars are special. They carry so much presence it’s crazy. It’s almost if they can speak. Looking at them makes me feel nostalgic. It’s not tied to a specific memory, more like a feeling. calm, quiet, almost grounding. I can’t really explain it properly, but I want to feel that as much as possible
I like it when objects are cool without trying, if I can say it like that.
I’ve been thinking about shifting my style a bit for a while, and it feels like the most natural place to start is nice ride. Something old, something solid, something that just works
For the first time in a while, I genuinely can’t sleep
My whole body hurts, in a good way 🙂
Legs super heavy, ankle kinda messed up, toes on my left foot hurt (got stepped on twice in football practice today), ribcage from that knock Friday, plus some hamstring and inner thigh pain.
What I wouldn’t give for a massage right now
Anyway, I stopped making blog entries like this for a while. No one really wants to read this kinda thing anymore, amirite?
People would rather hear someone yap on video, I get it
Still, I miss this
And I miss old school blogs in general
Plus, reading just hits different, you build everything in your head and it feels way more personal and real
I’ve actually read way more this year than I have in the last five combined
I mean books
I’m a big reader overall, I just don’t read books like that, I go on Medium and read random blogs instead
I don’t really do personal stories though, which is probably why I don’t write these either, but I still think there’s a world for it
Even if there aren’t that many people left reading this kind of stuff
I miss Tumblr, I used to spend hours on there
So many interesting people, so many stories
And most of them just wrote like this, no structure, no formatting, just thoughts
There’s comfort in being natural, it makes everything feel more intimate
I’m rambling
Pain’s keeping me up, so maybe I’ll just watch Better Call Saul, eat some peanut butter with a couple bananas and wait for the sun
Nights like this I usually don’t sleep until the next evening anyway
Toddlers throw things away before we teach them to keep them. Psychologists say it’s how they test limits and watch how adults respond.
But maybe there’s something simpler underneath. What if it’s just our nature? What if we aren’t made to hold on so tightly? Maybe accumulation isn’t what we’re wired for?
I remember the moment clearly. I looked around my old place at everything I owned, and it hit me all at once. Too much. Not just cluttered, overwhelming. It made me anxious just standing there. Every object felt like it was pressing in on me.
That’s when it clicked. Not later, not gradually. Right there.
I didn’t ease into minimalism. I snapped into it. That same day, I gave away around forty bags of clothes, shoes and random things I’d been holding onto for years! No slow process, no back and forth. Just done.
The van came later, and while it didn’t start the shift, it definitely amplified it. When everything you own has to fit into a small space, there’s no room for hesitation. You see things clearly, fast.
After that, I started to understand what had been bothering me. Every object I owned was asking something from me. Care, attention, energy. Shoes, clothes, gadgets, books, even the way I ate and what I wore, all of it took a piece. I hadn’t seen it before, then suddenly I couldn’t unsee it anymore. Everything I kept added pressure, stress.
We grow up hearing that more is better. Keep, buy, own. Security becomes something you can hold. Status becomes something you can show. Identity gets tied to what you wear and what you display. It works, that’s the problem. You follow it without thinking, and slowly you drift. The weight isn’t just objects. It’s habits, routines, expectations, distractions. The more you carry, the harder it is to notice yourself.
Minimalism didn’t feel like loss. It felt like breathing again. The less I had, the more I could see what mattered. I started noticing how much energy I’d been giving to things that gave nothing back. How little space I’d left for thinking, for feeling, for just being. The clutter in my space started to mirror the clutter in my head, and I began clearing both.
And it’s not just physical. Life fills up with noise just as easily. Social media, notifications, obligations, habits that don’t fit. It all accumulates. The weight isn’t just what you own, it’s what you let in. What you absorb, what you feel responsible for. Minimalism became less about things and more about attention. Choosing what deserves a place in my life.
Sometimes I watch a toddler drop a toy and move on without a second thought, and it feels familiar. That ease. That lack of hesitation. They don’t think about cost or judgment. They just let go. There’s something honest in that.
I’ve felt it in my own life. Each time I let something go, space opens. My thoughts get quieter. Focus comes back. Energy returns. Underneath all the noise and habits, there’s something steady that was always there. I just couldn’t hear it before.
Peace isn’t in having more. It’s in needing less. In not being weighed down by things, habits, or the constant pull for more. We’re meant to move lighter, to drop what we don’t need and keep what matters. Toddlers know it, and we forgot.
Minimalism isn’t about aesthetics or rules. It’s a return to attention to self.
Less, so you can carry yourself fully. Less, so you can notice life as it is. Less, so you can remember who you are without all the extra weight.
Living near the ocean and surrounded by forest comes with a quiet gift: the constant presence of small, living worlds brushing past my own.
In 2024, my wife and I moved to Lacanau Océan almost by accident and immediately fell in love with the area, especially during the off season, when silence settles in. Beyond the calm and the sense of space, what stays with me most is the wildlife I encounter on my daily walks near the ocean and through the forest.
Below is a little gallery of animals I come across regularly, depending on the season. I’m probably forgetting some.
A list of land animals
Wild boars
Roe deer
Rabbits
Hedgehogs
Red foxes
Bats
Red squirrels
Frogs
Moles
Butterflies
Dragonflies
Snails
Lizards
Ducks
Cats of course
and dogs
And then a bunch of birds too
Kentish plover (the funniest birds itw)
Ravens (my faves)
Blackbirds
White storks (lucky if you see them, but they’re around)
But today I’m making an exception. Partly because I like my job, mostly because people don’t really get what I do, so I basically wrote this to send them back to when they ask. Ha!
My journey towards digital marketing
Back in 2011, I landed my very first internship at The Lad Bible, the UK media giant that built its brand on viral and shareable content before TikTok was a thing. It was my first experience with digital content at scale.
By 2014 I was working in PR at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. A year later, I moved to Buenos Aires and joined Mundo Lingo, helping with event marketing for their international language exchange meetups. Mundo Lingo was (is?) an event program that held gatherings for hundreds of strangers, usually in pubs or “boliches” and gave them sticker flags to stick to their shirts. The flags showed where the person is from, which languages they spoke and which languages they wanted to improve. My job was to help those events grow and thrive.
In 2016, I chose to focus on the digital side of marketing and complemented my MBA with a second Master’s in Digital Marketing and E-Business in Bordeaux. In 2017, that path took me to Barcelona, where I interned in event marketing and social media management.
By 2018, I was back in France, working as a digital marketer in a startup in Bordeaux, and later as a traffic manager in France’s biggest online retailer, Cdiscount. Each role taught me something new about how audiences behave, how campaigns succeed or fail, and how strategy ties everything together.
Finally, in 2019, I took the leap and created my own business. I started as a digital marketing consultant and social media manager, and eventually carved out a niche as a Meta Ads specialist. This endeavor allowed me the freedom to shape my work around both my skills and my life.
Realizing what marketing really is
Here is something I discovered along the way. Most people know marketing exists, but very few understand its power.
They don’t see how it influences their decisions every single day. Sometimes in an obvious manner, but most times in subtle ways.
That is what pulled me in. Marketing is not just about selling. Done right, it’s about understanding people and connecting with them in ways that feel real.
What I actually do
If I had to strip it down, my job has two main parts:
Marketing strategy, the why
Marketing plan, the how
It’s like building a house. The strategy is the blueprint. The plan is the hammer, nails and step by step work of putting it all together.
Most of my clients usually have their “why”, so they bring me in to put the “how” in place.
The hats I’ve worn so far
Digital marketing covers a lot of ground, so over the years I’ve worked in:
Social media marketing
SEO and copywriting
PPC advertising
Event marketing
Content marketing
PR
Direct marketing
Here is what that actually looks like.
Social Media Marketing: I create content calendars, mix promotional posts with user generated content (UGC) like reviews or photos, and keep things engaging across platforms.
Copywriting and SEO: I write blog posts, optimize websites and landing pages, run keyword research and help content get found by the right people.
PPC and Meta Ads: This is my specialty. I have managed campaigns in difficult industries like health, crypto and finance. The results have been high conversions, low costs and strong traffic. The trick is constant adaptation. Algorithms change all the time. What worked last month might be useless today.
Why I stick around
Do I love every single part of it? Not always. But here is why I stay.
I can work remotely. I have flexibility and rarely more than one meeting a week. I get to choose ethical clients and projects I believe in. I learn about new industries all the time. I have independence, creativity and variety.
I don’t know if I will do this forever. Change will come eventually. But right now it works, and sometimes that’s enough.
Lessons learned along the way
If you’re thinking about a career in marketing or copywriting, here are three lessons I’ve learned so far:
Experiment early and often. I would never have landed in copywriting if I had not first tried PR, events, social media, and ads. Each experience gave me skills I use today.
Adaptation beats perfection. Marketing changes constantly. Strategies that worked yesterday might be outdated tomorrow. Staying curious and flexible is far more valuable than chasing a perfect plan.
Choose work that aligns with your values. Learn how to say no, only the right clients and projects make this job fulfilling. Fulfillment gives you the energy to keep going long term.
People are oddly mesmerizing. Sometimes I catch glimpses of conversations, some are deep, others shallow. Both fascinate me. How humans think and function, how they make their own choices, and sometimes, how they lie to themselves.
I like watching people walk together. I can’t help but think of our ancestors, how they moved in groups, hunter-gatherers, until wheat domesticated us (not the other way around). I wish we could go back. It’s funny how a child’s walking style often matches a parent’s gait, or how the way someone sits says so much about them.
I get stuck watching clothes spin in the dryer. I don’t wear a lot of black (or any, really), so it’s like a rainbow in there. It always reminds me of this Senegalese myth from Ashura Day, where a rainbow means the Prophet’s (PBUH) daughter is doing her laundry. It’s funny, in a sweet way.
Oral traditions must be protected at all costs.
I love the bees and butterflies that hang around when we’re outside. It’s so peaceful.
Fire is mesmerizing. I’ve always been fascinated by it, so much so that, when I was little, one of my experiments went wrong and set my bedroom on fire. Oops! I love bonfires, fireplaces, candles. I used to burn incense just to watch the smoke. I’m also strangely drawn to steam, idk why.
Most people hate spiders. I love them. They really are special, nature’s elite.
Growing things makes no sense. How can a seed feed me with the most beautiful fruit or vegetable in no time? Just soil, water and sun? Endless abundance. Nature is incredible.
The world is full of magic. The stars, clouds, moving patterns, waves, the wind.
Pain is strange. It’s an immediate physical response, but if you think about it, step outside of it, it becomes something else. Just neuroreceptors sending signals. The whole process is wild. I dread pain. It reminds me of death, like it’s the final step before we go.
Skin is interesting. It’s the largest organ we have, yet we treat it like it’s nothing. I’m always amazed when it heals itself, like how? When I was a baby, I had second-degree burns on my face and third-degree burns on my chest. I went blind for a few days. I think about miracles a lot. We abuse our skin constantly, yet it keeps repairing itself.
Languages are mesmerizing. I think about them often. I compare languages in my head and try to understand those who invented them. Again, I think about our ancestors. How did they communicate? What was their humor like? What did they find funny? Did they understand death quickly? How did they distinguish little death (sleep) from big death?
I love the expression “life as we know it”. It plays in my head quite often. My personalities are different in different languages, I think most polyglots can relate.
It’s funny how easily we take things for granted once we’ve lived them.
I hadn’t set foot in continental Europe until I was 17. I was never particularly fascinated by it, but I was curious, mainly because I’ve always been a football head (aka soccer). My understanding of Europe came almost entirely through football. It’s surprising how much you can learn about a place through the way it presents itself to the world.
For me, football was Europe’s Hollywood.
Sure, I’d read books by European thinkers like Rousseau, Voltaire, Dostoevsky, Adam Smith (dad’s an economist), Marx (capitalism’s greatest critic), Montesquieu and plenty of Greek philosophers, but most of them weren’t contemporary thinkers. They wrote about their own times, their realities. Football, on the other hand, made Europe feel present, dynamic, real. It gave me a window into the continent’s character.
For instance, I knew about the English and their pub culture way before I had set foot in England. I already knew they loved to drink before games, loved to sing in the stands and viewed the sport almost like a religion.
The Dutch, with their total football philosophy, played the game differently. Organized, intelligent, team-oriented, their football reflects a society that values structure and versatility.
The Germans famously love their beer. Bayern Munich holds a photoshoot every year to promote Oktoberfest, which I only knew about thanks to their events.
The Turks are loud and proud. Fireworks in the stands, packed stadiums on a weekday, and fans who treat football like life or death, it perfectly depicts their character.
The Spanish, on the other hand, are just as proud, but more divided. The Basques, Catalans and Andalusians all bring their own flair to the game. They also have their own holidays, like San Jordi (Catalan Valentine’s day), and you learn about those through football too.
The Italians are perhaps the only ones who proudly exposed the ugly face of their society through the beautiful game: their racism toward Black players, their theatrics and machismo are ever present on the pitch and off of it. Their passion is unmatched and unapologetic, but so is their cheating. Not great, thank God people outside of football are different.
Anyway, last but not least, the French. It was already striking to me how different people within the country were. France is so diverse, which I already knew then, but which became even clearer the second I set foot here.
I’ve been to more than 20 European countries since moving here, and visited over 100 cities in Europe. I’ve made lifelong friends who became family. I studied, partied and worked with them. Better yet, I ended falling in love with a European, who then became my wife and lifelong partner. Who would’ve thought?
And yet, I take it all for granted now.
I love living in Europe, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be, but traveling around Europe doesn’t excite me as much as it used to. It feels like I’ve seen it all, which, of course, isn’t true.
It’s strange how easy it is to feel indifferent to things you once dreamed of.
Gratitude, I’ve learned, isn’t just a feeling. It’s an action. A choice.
Our next trip in Europe will be to the Balkans, and Greece. Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia are on our list. I hear the culture there is very different to Western Europe, which is super exciting!
In September 2024, after touring Europe for 9 months, I realized I needed a new challenge. I had no routine back then, but I was itching for something that would push me out of my comfort zone. I hesitated between picking up rollerblading again, something familiar and nostalgic, or diving into something completely new.
As someone captivated by the ocean and its many mysteries, I started thinking why not do something with that? That’s how I got into scuba diving.
Now, I knew absolutely nothing about scuba diving. I’d snorkeled a million times before, sure, but as I quickly learned, scuba is a different beast altogether.
There was one small problem, though: I was only going to be around for a couple of weeks before heading off on a another road trip through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg, before eventually visiting friends in Strasbourg and Romans. Not exactly the ideal time to start something new.
Still, I called the local dive club and got through to P. I think he’s the president, though I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is that he’s an experienced instructor and sounded like a genuinely nice guy. I told him I’d have to disappear for a couple of months after my first session, and he just said, “No problem. We’ll pick it up from there when you’re back in December.” That put me at ease.
Before leaving, I squeezed in my first-ever scuba dive in the pool, and let’s just say it didn’t go smoothly.
At barely two meters deep, the pressure was too much for my ears. We had to resurface twice before I could finally stay down. I was tense, bloated, and extremely uncomfortable, definitely not my finest hour. I left with more doubts than confidence. But I had two months to reflect, refocus, and maybe strengthen my Eustachian tube.
When I came back in December, I jumped right back in. The group had changed, most of the other “newbies” weren’t so new anymore, and they all seemed to know each other pretty well. I didn’t mind. P was there and made sure I was comfortable. Besides, I’ve always been a bit of an outsider anyway.
So, the second session? A total game changer. Thanks to the dryland workouts P had recommended, I was way more relaxed, and my ears cooperated this time. I actually enjoyed myself. It was the confidence boost I needed.
But not so fast.
Session three was a swim session. And here’s something I may have mentioned on this blog before: I’ve always wanted to learn how to swim properly, but never got around to it. Growing up by the sea, I swam “freestyle” almost every summer. My dad first threw me in the water at age 5. He’s always been a strong swimmer but me? Not so much. Or not at all!
So during that swim session, the lack of technique finally caught up with me. Everyone else swam like they knew what they were doing. I felt like I was flailing.
When I remember the most from that session was that the instructor on duty that day wasn’t exactly kind about it. However, another one quietly pulled me aside, explained what I was doing wrong, and gave me tips on how to improve. That five-minute exchange was all I needed.
Then came the sting.
At the end of the session, I overheard some instructors talking to P, my “supervisor.” Let’s just say that they were extremely harsh. I knew that I wasn’t ready, that I could barely float, that I couldn’t swim, but the stuff and the way they said it was just mean. But in hindsight, that moment made me push through to prove them wrong. I had no doubt that I would improve. Talk is cheap.
Right after that incident, I started taking proper swimming lessons outside of scuba. I practiced every chance I got. Little by little, things started clicking.
Weeks went by. My scuba technique improved. I got more confident in the water. I stopped feeling like I was just surviving and started actually enjoying it.
And just this past weekend, I went on my first dive in nature.
It was amazing.
Sure, I lost my weight belt (50 bucks gone in a splash) but I didn’t care. The dive itself was beautiful. I was paired with G, a quiet guy who knows his stuff. Not a chatterbox, but full of good advice. I also really like E, another club member. Super chill and probably the nicest guy there, even though I don’t see him often.
Now summer is right around the corner. In a few weeks, we have a diving weekend coming up, and I can’t wait. I’m close to getting my first-level certification. It’s been tough, my technique was abysmal when I started, but I’ve grown a lot. I’m feeling more comfortable, more daring.
My instructors helped me a lot. But I’m also proud of the work I put in. I earned this progress.
Will I continue next year? I think so. I want to see where this journey goes.
I wasn’t born vegan, nor was I a chef in another life.
Quite the opposite, actually.
For several reasons, I only learned how to cook 3 years ago..
Yeah..
Going vegan is one of the main reasons for the switch.
Living in one of the least vegan-friendly cities in France (and Europe), I had no other choice but to learn how to “veganize” my favorite dishes, drinks and snacks.
Mom used to be a chef. She gave me the best tips to get the ball rollin’, but it wasn’t enough.
So I did what anyone trying to learn anything would do: I opened YouTube, and then Instagram.
But first, let me tell you something about me (that I haven’t shared on this blog yet).
Blah-blah about me (that you can skip)
You see, my family and I are extremely different.
I love them to death, but we were brought up in different cultures, environments and have different characters and standards. That said, we share the same values.
My parents and siblings are somewhat conformists. They love being “normal”, fitting in, which was never my thing.
(Btw, conformism is NOT a bad thing, I’m just stating our differences ^^)
After leaving the family nest at the age of 18, I deconstructed what I was taught and took on the heavy – but necessary – task to relearn everything on my own.
It’s one of the things I’m most proud of, tbh.
I’ve always dreamed and hoped for a life that fits me and my standards, not that of my family, certainly not that of society.
It was a long, tiring process. Conforming and acting in accordance to what you were told would’ve been much easier, but costly.
Authenticity is priceless
Deconstructing your beliefs and rebuilding your character are the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.
Doing so is one of the main reasons I hardly ever feel “lost” in life, the other reason being my faith.
That said, my parents and I share the same Polaris, that being our love of God, his prophets (PBUT) and religion.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand
Topic at hand
Having traveled so much wasn’t just a treat on the cultural, educational and spiritual level, it’s a privilege because we got to taste and cook foods from all over the world.
Travel is a powerful thing, fam. It introduces you to people from distinct backgrounds, cultures and habits.
The cool (and maybe my favorite) thing about people is that they all have this one thing in common: they cook, and they eat.
Inevitably, travel introduced me to foreign cuisine.
The list below serves as a reminder that veganized, international cuisine is where it’s at. These are some of my favorite mouth-watering dishes, desserts and drinks, most of which can easily be made at home.
Enjoy !
Africa:
🇩🇿 Algerian boureks and bricks (north african samoussa), rechta (local noodles with a veggie sauce), couscous, dolma (stuffed veggies with vegan mince or plant-based meat), karantika (aka garantita, calentica and karantita, chickpea thick pancake) khobz el bey (cake made from almond meal and breadcrumbs, soaked in a syrup flavored with orange blossom water)
🇪🇹 Ethiopian teff and spinach lasagna, teff injera (Ethiopian crepe), zucchini wot, spinach lasagna with local teff (cereal)
🇲🇱 Malian and Western Saharan tea (the best I’ve ever had!)
🇲🇿 Mozambique pao (fresh, local bread), mucapata (mung beans, coconut milk and rice)
🇹🇬 Togolese Nougbagba with rice
🇸🇨 Seychelles plantain chips (aka chips bannann, a creole delicacy)
West African maafé with rice and veggies
West and east african Karkadi (aka Bissap, hibiscus drink)
North and South America:
🇺🇸 American burgers, hotdogs, buffalo wings, tater tots, rainbow cake, donuts, cupcakes, layer cakes, mac n’ cheese (esp. when I was young), potato chips (yes, it’s an american invention just like ketchup), PB&J, popcorns, fried chicken similis, WHITE vegan chocolate-chip cookies, blueberry cobbler, nachos..
🇦🇷 Argentinian empanadas, bombas de papa, vegan choripan (hotdogs), chimichurri (some sort of local pesto), alfajores (heavenly stuff), medialunas (argentine croissants), argentine style pizza (triple-layered with so much vegan mozzarella and a thick crust), humita (corn and plant milk with spices and onions) and of course yerba mate
🇧🇷 Brazilian bolas de papas, pao de queijo and vegan feijoada
🇨🇴 Colombian arepas, lulada (local, fruity drink), obleas, cocadas (coconut sugar cookies), empanadas (you’ll find those in many south american countries tbh) and cholao (a sort of frappe, fruit salad, and dessert all in one)
Hawaiian toasts and bowls, as well as hawaiian pizza (yes, with pineapples on top)
🇲🇽 Mexican burritos, tacos, tostadas, tamale breakfast bowls and jackfruit tamales, 4-layer enchilada cakes and guacamole, of course
🇻🇪 Venezuelan empanadas and arepas
Asia:
Asian noodles (of all sorts!)
🇮🇳 Indian naan and curries (veggies, curry, coconut cream and rice)
🇰🇷 Korean bibimbap, Jjajangmyeon (korean thick noodles) and kimchi (I LUHV kimchi !!)
🇲🇾 Malaysian apam balik, teh tarik (pulled tea, with oat milk), barley juice, water chestnut juice, longan juice, and lychee juice (street vendors make the best litchi juice btw) – needless to say, malaysians make some of the best juices out there !
🇻🇳Vietnamese spring rolls, cauliflower and rice, soy balls
Europe:
🇧🇪 Belgian waffles and fries
🇫🇷 French tacos, baguette, crêpes, macarons, croissants (too good !), joie gras (vegan and cruelty-free foie gras), vegan rillettes, raclette, pain perdu
🇬🇷 Greek tzatziki (soy yogurt, cucumber, garlic powder, chive and lemon) and mushrooms (stifado)
🇵🇹 Portuguese bolas de berlim (not a big fan of portuguese cuisine)
🇮🇹 Sicilian pizza and arancini
🇪🇸 Spanish vegan croquetas, tortillas, gazpacho, patatas bravas and tapas
🇸🇪 Swedish vegan cinnamon rolls
Middle-east:
Hummus, falafel and dolma (stuffed vine leaves) can be found in many middle-eastern countries
🇵🇸 Jordanian and palestinian Maqluba (akaMakloubeh: spiced rice dish that is mix with fried cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, and veggie meat)
🇱🇧 Lebanese baba ganoush (aka moutabal: roasted eggplant dip, heavenly stuff) and tabbouleh
🇹🇷 Turkish lahmacun (turkish-style pizza), kebabs, vegan döner (turkish sub or sandwich), corba (red soup), pide (patty), Yaprak Sarma (steamed vine leaves wrapped around a filling of rice and onion flavored with mint, currant, pepper and cinnamon), Imam Bayildi (aubergine entree, filled with rice, bulgur and other veggies and stuffed with a tomato, onion and garlic mixture, baked in an oven), borek (spinach puffs), Kumpir (made of jacket potato with a crisp outer skin and soft inside, available with a variety of toppings – veggie cheese, sausage, pickles..), Mercimek Köftesi (vegetarian meatballs) Simit (turkish pretzels), baklavas (pastries), lokum (jellies), halva (tahini and sugar)..turkish cuisine is CLEARLY one my my all-time favorites bruh ^^
__
It’s quite obvious that I couldn’t fit everything I’ve ever eaten into this list, but you get the idea.
The more you travel, the more you’ll want to know about the world and all it has to offer.
“The best of mankind is a farmer, the best of food is fruit” – Ethiopian saying
Below are photos of our favorite vegan foods, snacks and desserts. All pictures were taken by me.
The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert and the third largest desert behind Antarctica and the Arctic.
Located in North Africa, it covers 9,200,000 square kilometers (3.6 million square miles), nearly a third of Africa.
My journey through a fraction of this majestic place was nothing short of sensational.
Trip route
The sand dunes, beautiful wild camels, excruciating heat, vastness, hospitable nomads and their stories..the magical spirits..a once in a lifetime experience.
Speaking of, here’s a fun fact about camels: a camelcan drink 200 liters (53 gallons) of water in three minutes !
That’s insane !
A bunch of camels chillin’ in a Canyon (Oasis), Chad
Anyway, I don’t know about y’all, but I love stories about supernatural creatures, angels and jinns.
What are jinns, exactly?
Jinns are usually known as genies (yeah, like the one in Aladdin) in western literature.
Jinns aremagical spirits who may appear in the form of a human or an animal and can take control of a person.
They’re said to inhabit caves, graveyards, deserted places and darkness. The Sahara Desert, like the ocean, is where many Jinns actually live. And believe me, it’s feelable (spooky!).
Jinns lead similar lives to us humans. While they’re believed to be invisible (mostly), jinns have the ability to eat, drink, sleep, breed and produce offspring that resemble their parents.
They also have free will to choose between good and evil. Therefor, jinns can be Muslim, Jewish, Christian, etc.
But unlike us, jinns have numerous powers that are exclusively theirs.
For instance, jinns are capable of moving extremely heavy objects with relative ease.
There’s always been some sort of air of mystery and mystique around the topic of jinns, and rightfully so.
Fun fact: Jinn means “hidden” or “concealed” in Arabic.
As per a hadith narrated by Ibn e Masood, there are 3 main types of jinn: those who fly, those who appear in the form of dogs and snakes, and those that stay in travel.
Jinns live much longer than us. It is said that they can live up to thousands of years.
Preferences
Jinns delight in punishing humans, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents
It’s been said that jinns eat like humans, but instead of fresh food, they prefer rotten flesh and bones. Yuk!
Fun fact: King Solomon PBUH, one of God’s beloved prophets, was bestowed with many God-given gifts, including the ability to speak to animals and jinn.
While many people are aware of the existence of Jinns, Hinns, on the other hand, are barely ever talked about.
Here are a few interesting theories about the Hinn.
Theories
In early Islam, a common belief held that mankind is actually the successor of other intelligent creatures such as Jinn and Hinn. Medieval Muslim traditions referred to the Jinn as pre-Adamites, depicted as human-like in various ways.
According to Ibn Kathir, the hinn belongs (together with the jinn) to those creatures who shed blood on earth before humankind, causing the angels to question God’s command to place AdamPBUH as a vicegerent.
In his work Al-Bidāya wa-n-Nihāya (The Beginning and the End), Ibn Kathir relates that the Hinn (and binn) were exterminated by the jinn so that they could dwell on the earth.
Teekay Rezeau-Merah 