well of course another year has passed really, or is biting the dust. It is late December 2016 and this year is done, more or less, in a few days and a bit. A question would be how it was, really, in review. With 2017 approaching, so is my early retirement as well. That is really nice but also in a way sad that I am looking so much forward to this, to get out of the race, which I feel I don't want to continue. A usual I went to Germany a total of four times or an average of every three months to look after my dad, who this year had two operations. There was also a trip to South-East Asia and twice to Cyprus. I had not been to Cyprus for five years and kind had to rediscover the island. Thankfully we have really good friends that live in Nicosia. I could imagine to spend more time on the island once I jump ship and retire and spend some time there, especially in the North-West in the Akamas peninsula. A winter plus would be nice and write a book about it. As a title I could imagine " A winter in the Akamas".

I think professionally I have reached a stage of hibernation, I am in a waiting cycle, waiting for the time to pass, waiting to live. Waiting to live, is a sentence a colleague came up with to describe the state of life many of us are in. She is a painter and I asked her to paint this and I will try to photograph it and find something that would express this sentiment. I will continue to work on the 'Rue Hamra' project and also started to sort photos for a book about the time in Pakistan and Kashmir as well as Afghanistan. I probably will call it 'Kingdom in the Clouds' or something similar. It is about time to finally start this, it is more than 10 years that I left that region. It is also 10 years that I first came to New York, 33 years I went to Afghanistan for the first time when all the adventures began.

Looking back at 2016 it was not particularly bad or good either. No assignment to a new place this year, although I was requested to go to Haiti and Guinea Bissu but this was not approved by management. Fortunately there were no major health problems  to anyone in the family and myself, only the small things like flues etc.

Photography wise I have been continuing to work on some of my projects, like the Sugar Cane cutters of SE Asia, Rue Hamra here in Beirut and sporadically the Graffiti on walls all around. Not sure how many thousand photos I took[ 6000+ :) and more than last year ] still thinking not enough anyway. My favourite region in Lebanon remains Beirut for this year and the Chouf for its serene beauty and cleanliness, although I did not visit it often during the last twelve months. Of course there are many other places, but no, this remains the place I like the best here. Finally I visited the north of the country this year, especially the Qadisha Valley and surrounding areas like the birthplace of Khalil Gibran, my favorite Poet, it took a long time to materialize. But then, places like Baalbek (to visit again) and Tripoli, especially the fair grounds of design by Oscar Niemeyer, plus the old city remain on my bucket list for 2017.

For the year 2017 I would wish that peace may prevail in this region and anywhere else. Personally I do not have a specific wish except for good health to family, friends and myself. Maybe although that I get some of the passion back for the arts and photography. That really be it, nothing else.

In this sense I would like to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR 2017!!!

Stay alert, believe nothing, question everything. !