Summer View

Summer. Here we are in the midst of it, and I'm just trying to keep it all in my heart, my mind and enjoy each moment. I have the privilege of having a lovely view from my window and when I go to sleep, I can taste the sweet air on my face, see the luscious green leaves from our dominant tree, and the shining coin of the moon's beams displayed in my bedroom. The night owl in me only wants to experience summer outside. I've enjoyed for a long time long walks and runs during the twilight time of day, especially during these summer solstice days. Almost nothing is more calming, relaxing or inspiring than going for a stroll or a jog during my favorite time of the day. The sun's excitement and energy has quickly faded and died down, only one last production of bowing down below the hill's horizon.

I'm also blessed to wake up to the child like sun doing everything it can in order for me to open my eyes, stretch and ready to start a new day. Some days I'm more inclined than others to jump out of bed. Some days, I just like to process things more and take in the freshness from my window, the freshness and sacredness of this special season. As July closes, and all the memories are folded neatly and delicately like laundry into drawers, as they do inside my mind, I am thankful for another summer month come and in hindsight quickly gone. Lets keep enjoying, embracing and loving this brisk yet beautiful time of year!

The Fish in My Hands

Now that I've gotten back into the mode of writing, I've thought about what I would like to share on here. Honestly, there's a lot I haven't written about, that I would like to and it wasn't because I felt I couldn't, it was more based on courage, clarity of words and perspective as well as experience.

As you can tell from my blog title,and url, I've changed it. Plum Tree was something that I felt fit me last year when I created this blog but what was once a plum tree has now shaped and transformed into an Arabic word. I really enjoy learning the Arabic language. It's probably the hardest languages I've decided to study but that doesn't demotivate me from stop creating goals for myself with this exotic language. Samak means fish, and samakti means my fish in Arabic. Seafood, and specifically fish has never been something that I've really liked growing up. I always found it to be gross, smelly, and strange. If I think about fish in a metaphorical sense, it would have described last year and being 24. It was strange, scary, slippery, confusing...it reminds me of how I used to perceive this species. Samakti has, I feel, become a close and personal meaning to me because I had to gain things as my own. Overtime, I had to learn how to embrace this sense of not knowing how to handle things and yet learning how to all at the same time. In a way, it felt like learning how to handle a slippery, flamboyant and stubborn fish in my hands- again going back to the smelly, scary and not very enjoyable experience in the moment.

When I was 24, was also the time when I not just became more interested and confident in cooking but delved into ethnic recipes. I wasn't just cooking American recipes, as I normally would or the classics we have in my family. I wanted to create something for myself, and experience another world of creating food in the kitchen! I was starting to drift away from Betty Crocker and grow closer to inspiring, and ecleltic chefs like Marcus Sameulsson and Yotam Ottolenghi, and explore the various array of cookbooks at the library. Looking at all the options, and recipes from all across the globe.I was hooked! My world became in a sense smaller because I truly felt interested in things mostly related to food and cooking but also bigger because I could be in the kitchen and have international experiences at my finger tips!

Throughout this time, I also ventured out and tried more seafood and explored a few kinds of fish, and cooked shrimp for the first time! I started to watch the TV show, Check Please, Bay Area and Jacques Pepin's cooking show. My heart became more interested in Arabic and Middle Eastern cuisine throughout the end of last year and the beginning of this one.

 I started a blog mainly to keep inspiring myself and feel that I could have a place to share, like I would with a good friend. Looking back on my blog now, and the 50 plus posts I have, there is more that I want to share than just cooking details and recipes, though they are still important to me. My fish or samakti will be more about reflections on life, experiences, more on my Catholic faith and perspectives on living with a free spirited nature.In all, I hope to keep up my writing and sharing inspiration and beauty. Samakti combines all of my hardships, struggles, sufferings, and joys into one and has become more of an intimate space than ever before. I feel that I now have a clearer head and vision for what my purpose will be here.

The Space in Between

Hello. It's been a while. It sounds like I'm writing to an old friend and at first it's awkward and then it becomes normal and like no time has passed. I must admit, it feels nice to be back on the keyboard again and logged into my blogger account. I know it has been a long time since I last wrote on Plum Tree, and I forgot about it for some time. Not knowing where I stand with blogging, wondering if I was even a good blogger and figuring out the whole inspiration thing! As an introverted, creative melancholy I needed and still need an outlet, someplace to go and record, share and have an adventure with my thoughts, ideas, goals, struggles and faith. Where to put all of this when my mind is jabbering away and the best thing is to simply write. These days I've been taking it to pen and paper, tucked away inside my safe and comfortable notebook where no one can peak or look, but sometimes that can become too comfortable and a little bit boring. I love to jot down in a notebook but it's all about keeping it closed up somewhere, only for my eyes. Reflection, and prayer is good but what about the other things that are meant to be shared- where do they all go?

My dear sister and I were sharing many words, ideas and expressions with one another yesterday, in one of our most favorite places! Somehow this cafe lovin' of ours always puts the right beat in our step and the perfect tune in our fill of inspiration- at least for the week until we need to refill that coffee cup once again;). She had many wise words regarding blogging, sharing, the inspiration we seek and give to others whatever that may look like. It got me thinking and questioning about this blog of mine, which is coming up on its 1 yr anniversary! What can I give in terms of my strengths, interests, ect..? I do love to write, share knowledge, inspiration, hope, joy, and other things that I look to for my own needs. What has stopped or prevented me from blogging? Life, ideals, fear, disinterest,laziness, insecurities, disappointment...But I know I still have things to offer, to share and give in various forms and ways and one of them that I feel am best at is through writing!

Like an old friend, I want to update on my life and the space in between in which has passed, all of Spring and half of Summer already! As one of my first posts said, plum tree is a symbol of waiting for something, and as I found on google, "sweet anticipation of promises and rewards of something one has waited for." So here is to more writing, sharing and delving back into the space that I want to keep and not leave behind. As Amy Adams says on the film, Julie and Julia, "I can write a blog, I have thoughts!" Till next time...