We were out for a walk with the kids the other day, and we sat down at a little cafe . Next to the cafe there was a pharmacy which sort of stands out in the street for a number of reasons. That particular street is one of the old streets in Amman and has recently undergone a complete make over. The street was replaced by cobble stone, the houses on both sides were replaced with cafes, restaurants and a cinema . The street lights were replaced with beautiful lanterns. Everything in the street is now new, shiny and modern except for that pharmacy… the decorations in it were old,it is clean but the colors, the shelves the mirror hanging on the wall..everything testefies to the passing of time.

What caught my attention was the old man standing behind the windshield, he was standing there watching people going by then he got a towel and started meticulously cleaning the windshield from the inside. He was doing it with such care and love. Then he moved to the outside and did the same thing to the other side. Suddenly, he stopped and traced his hands along the writing that said “Kamel pharmacy” in a faded colour that was red a long time ago.

I watched as the man was lost in the moment, tracing his hand along the writing and I could almost see a young man, overly excited at seeing his name on the windshield of his own pharmacy. I could almost feel his joy, excitement and pride at seeing his dream come true. and now some thirty or more years later he is still standing before the windshield only this time he is looking back instead of looking forward.

I am sure he received endless offers to sell the place because it is right in the center of the street. Obviously he refused. He made me think..

What does a dream look like from the other side?..

When you have spent your life in the pursue of something and then you stop and look back to face the question: was it worth it?

What will the answer be?

Do you take the time to check if what your are spending your time on now is worth the investment?

So many thoughts provoked by a man, a windshield and some faded letters

This is the third recipe of my banana 911 series 🙂 I try to keep them apart for fear that I may bore you if you are not a banana fan. The recipe comes from the kitchn.com with a few minor changes. I used dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips because that is what I had on hand. I also added some sugar to make up for the bitterness.

The verdict: I have made this 3 times ever since and it is on the favorite list 🙂

2 frozen bananas (Your life would be easier if you peel them before you freeze them)

2 tablespoons  peanut butter (you can use chunky or creamy)

1 cup milk (skim works fine)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate (40 grams) I used 85% cacao because that is what I had on hand

1 tablespoon sugar (I added this because I used dark chocolate)

Blend bananas, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla in a blender until smooth.

Add the chocolate  at the end and pulse or blend briefly until they are chopped and incorporated.