Surely you have some place in this world that is absolutely special to your heart. You know, that place where you are able to do things that you simply can't do in other places. That special place might be anywhere: the Eiffel tower, your room, your grandparents' house, or Antarctica. For my father, it is our old home in Zalka, for my sisters, it is Zalka itself (hey, we grew up there), and for me, it is the Ain el Mraysse - Ramlet el Bayda walkway (I'm gonna call it Raouche for simplicity).

I had known the area very well, but in terms of parking the car and enjoying the place, I really got to "know" it in 2010 when I became a jogging enthusiast. A wide pavement, lots of joggers, and so much entertainment: the perfect atmosphere to... you know, just run for fun. I don't even listen to music when I'm jogging there. The things going on around me are enough entertainment and motivation to complete my minimum of a 10km jog.

When I started it, I had nothing in mind but to go jogging, improve my stamina, and stay fit. Soon, it became a habit, and one didn't really need to ask me what I was doing on Sunday mornings. I was in Raouche, wearing shorts and an I-shirt... jogging. Everything else I had to do on Sundays couldn't be more important than the morning jog and therefore, came after it. Of course, I would jog on other days as well, whenever it was possible.

2010-ish was also the time when I started reading all these enlightening books and started to have my own thoughts as well. I started to notice that the Raouche walkway wasn't only for showing off my biceps or shaping up my beautiful six packs I had then. Every observation I had, every important decision I made, and every creative idea I came up with, was born there. The human brain and soul need to be in serenity to do anything worthwhile. Raouche was the right place to bring those two to the required level of calmness. Afterall, what's not to like about a mini-Lebanon in Lebanon? I'm sure you've come across "you can swim and ski on the same day in Lebanon" in geography class. Oh that boring geography teacher probably repeated that part a million times, and it's true! Raouche explains the whole thing better than that teacher. The picture of the see and the mountain for example, is not taken by a professional photographer, but taken by me while sunbathing at Saint Georges. The beautiful Mediterranean is next to you and the snowy mountains are right in front of you. And if it happens to be a sunny winter day following a rainy one, then the clarity of the mountains and the vibrant colors of the sea make the place even more breathtaking.

All of that is fine though, and Roauche is actually a perfect illustration of Lebanon in terms of geography, but the reason why I truly love Raouche is because it perfectly illustrates the Lebanese society as well. To your right, you will find a lady wearing shorts, jogging. To your left, you will see another woman wearing a hijab having a man2ooshe! Both are minding their own business. Straight ahead, you will see the latest Ferrari sandwiched between a 40 year-old Datsun and a 7-year-old Infiniti. You will find the one who prefers jogging, the one who prefers biking, the one who prefers skateboarding, and the one who likes to sit and do nothing all gathered and enjoying the different aspects of the very same place. There is no difference between the rich and the poor: both are having a cup of coffee from the guy who has a unique voice and yells "2ahweeeee" all the time. There is no difference between the Christian fellow the Muslim gent: they are both fishing! Or enjoying the view! Or playing with their kids! The man who plays the Oud and sings Wadih el Safi songs while wearing the traditional tarboosh has a combination of voice, lyrics, and music that is pleasant to everyone and anyone passing by. No matter what sects or social classes they come from, two dog owners will immediately become best of friends while their dogs play with each other. A bunch of teenagers will find it a very interesting place to hang out, while a bunch of old men will find it the perfect place to talk about their teenage adventures. "Those were the days" one will say, while the other will reply "Zeina was the one who broke my heart."

What more can I say? How much more beautiful can a place get? I mentioned in my piece last time that I live abroad. Let me say that luckily, the first piece of my country I see from the window of the airplane is the Raouche rock itself. It indicates something. Oh yes, it indicates life, it indicates love, and it tells me: "WELCOME TO LEBANON".

By : Vanig Bostanian