There, I always ran… ran to something. Believe it or not, I used to chase after snakes, as mother always told me, I 'run after trouble'! The farm was huge, maybe to our sizes then, but at 13, tall, lean and stained by the sun, it was the heaven I resided in, reclining in the nude mostly, running between the trees, eating oranges all day and dipping my foot in the water channels my grandfather had built to water acres of orange, lemon and clementine trees.
"You used to go into the woods and disappear for quite a time. We'd always have to go inside and get you back. Always yelling after you. Chasing after snakes and lizards! You were always onto something" My dad told me, replying to my question on how I used to be as a kid there, throwing a smile full of reminisce.
I would wake up at sunrise and run up to the roof, it had a small open room with chapped walls and linen curtains. The whole roof is like a huge upper balcony that viewed the sea. I would go up there with my cousins late at night and we'd stare at the stars, the breeze hardly ever leaves my memory, and recalls it when the memory drops by at certain occasions.
"You used to go into the woods and disappear for quite a time. We'd always have to go inside and get you back. Always yelling after you. Chasing after snakes and lizards! You were always onto something" My dad told me, replying to my question on how I used to be as a kid there, throwing a smile full of reminisce.
I would wake up at sunrise and run up to the roof, it had a small open room with chapped walls and linen curtains. The whole roof is like a huge upper balcony that viewed the sea. I would go up there with my cousins late at night and we'd stare at the stars, the breeze hardly ever leaves my memory, and recalls it when the memory drops by at certain occasions.
"Sometimes I would wander around the farm, hide behind trees, pretend to be a victim of the woods' monster, and dream of being saved by a hero..."
The hills to the east of the city create an alternative environment and climate. The climate is Mediterranean in Tartus, with short winter months and a moderate temperature around the year, summer is pretty much it, as it's known for its mild weather and high precipitation. Humidity is something you just live with! It could easily be the exclusive playground of artists and trippers, and more of the destination go-to for jet-set understated glamour. A Middle Eastern way to a tropical lifestyle!
The place has always had a magnetic pull on our family. My grandfather fell in love with it while he was working there in the early 1970s. Everybody in the family has his/her own fair share of memories in this farm. I remember clinching tightly to my father's arm when riding on the boat that took us to the island Arawd; the only inhabited island in Syria, located 3 kilometers from Tartus. I would feel the power of the wind on a moving boat pushing me back while siding with my cousin. We would always fight on who should feed the big old pelican bird that stood by the port by his clueless owner.
I remember when my mother told me that her first time she ever learned to drive a car was in Tartus. "My uncle had taught me to drive here, inside the farm. I remember how my brother would stand in the way, yelling 'get out of the car now' and I would tell him that I won't. We'd have this whole argument around it, fighting; he just doesn't want me to drive the car. I would reply back that my uncle is teaching me, so move!" she said. My mother and my aunts would drive to the beach right before sunset time for quick dives and they would head to some near bay-side café to dance and have fun.
The place has always had a magnetic pull on our family. My grandfather fell in love with it while he was working there in the early 1970s. Everybody in the family has his/her own fair share of memories in this farm. I remember clinching tightly to my father's arm when riding on the boat that took us to the island Arawd; the only inhabited island in Syria, located 3 kilometers from Tartus. I would feel the power of the wind on a moving boat pushing me back while siding with my cousin. We would always fight on who should feed the big old pelican bird that stood by the port by his clueless owner.
I remember when my mother told me that her first time she ever learned to drive a car was in Tartus. "My uncle had taught me to drive here, inside the farm. I remember how my brother would stand in the way, yelling 'get out of the car now' and I would tell him that I won't. We'd have this whole argument around it, fighting; he just doesn't want me to drive the car. I would reply back that my uncle is teaching me, so move!" she said. My mother and my aunts would drive to the beach right before sunset time for quick dives and they would head to some near bay-side café to dance and have fun.
<Previous Next>
The Neighbor Downstairs: Get your milk wearing Neon miss-matches. color is an instant mood-enhancer. Go for vibrant colors this summer, adding bold accessories to embark the ensemble. Colors of red and purple complements one another for a 1970's Ammani mid-drifter. Just give the neighbor upstairs a piece of your mind... rumor has it, she's the one who's been dropping water on your porch!