BITTERSWEET LOVE

I believe in love. I do. 

The kind of love that bonds you to your fresh cup of coffee early in the morning. The kind of love that tingles from your pores after a good corniche run. The kind of love you feel for practically everything two glasses of wine later. 

I also believe in the other kind of love. The traditional kind. Not in forevers, but in love. And yes, I believe it is beautiful. 

I thought I could try and point out some romantic quirks in this city. I worry though that I'd sound like a complete fake seeing as to I am not in love myself. But I can still spot them. Or recall them. I was there once. 

Problem is, these romantic quirks are quite subjective. I am titillated by the most random moments, events, actions, and locales. At one point, taking a walk all over Hamra on a quiet Sunday morning Starbucks black and bitter in hand, was one of those romantic quirks. I could do it all the time. 

At another, sipping on Almazas that had long ceased to be cold climbing the stairs of Vendome, Achrafieh to reach a certain step high enough to look down at the main road below did it too. 

Buying mussels and coquilles st jacques from the Achrafieh street dude Ali coupled with a bottle of chilled white wine and drinking it on a construction site was high on the list.

But this can't all be about me.

So I asked around. 

However, practically everyone and their mothers' answers seemed to include: "doin it"… in de Prague's toilet…. in BO 18's parking lot… on Centrale's staircase…" I kid not.

After getting over the apparent death of romance and the realization that 'doin it' period is seemingly romantic, here's what I was also told would make the list:

- "Getting hot chocolate while in the car from Beirut Cafe and parking on the 'hill' right in front of Movenpick at 2am and watching the ocean and the lights." 

- "Jumping in the sea after a party on a hot night and swimming in our underwear just before the sun comes out in Ain el mraisseh where we're technically in a sewage but the sea is too dark then to look dirty."

- "A nice walk on the corniche and then a sit down at Sporting then a Ferris wheel ride at sunset"

- "Watching the sunset at Rawda Cafe; a place where its scandalous to kiss or make out."

- "Driving to the deserted house near Harissa in the middle of the night and making out to the city view below."

- "Midnight of a hot summer, taking a bottle of wine and 2 glasses up to the roof and swimming in the inflatable pool in our underwear."

- "Driving to the corniche during a storm and letting the waves splash over the car while we cozy up inside."

- "Shopping at Souk el Tayib then following it up with Hamra's nice small second hand bookshops."

A part of me was hoping to discover something new; some new locale, new activity, new thrill. And yet, I realized the corniche - to swim, to stroll, to have coffee, to run, to watch the sunset-  kept popping up. Constantly. With almost everyone. It got a unanimous vote.

And honestly, I believe I don't need to wonder why.

Petra