Finished reading 📚: Written With Colors Drawn With Words by Al Nashashibi.


A few months ago I was in San Diego on vacation with my brother - not my favorite trip as I got sick during it. One of our last nights there, I was tasked with finding a place to eat and came across Fairouz Cafe - an off the path mediterranean cafe that looked tasty that particular evening.

Upon arriving we were greeted by a quaint, family owned cafe. The food was delicious, but the owner was captivating. A humble man from Jerusalem who was a former lawyer. He was friendly and the conversation was fun and engaging. Adorning the walls of the cafe are paintings created by the owner, and across the counter are books he has written - novels and poetry books. The book I grabbed was his first poetry book he wrote after his wife passed away.

This captivating man and his stories are what I love most about traveling. A chance encounter at a hole in the wall restaurant turned into a fascinating evening of conversation with a complete stranger. This book of poems is captivating and moving - I’ll be the first to admit though that I am not an avid poetry reader. Some of the poems are heart wrenching, about the loss of his wife. Others are funny and charming. If you are ever in San Diego, it is worth the trip to engage with a fascinating human being.