Another week in Libyan blogs, this week Khadijateri attended the Nalut Spring Festival, all I can say that it is incredible, the photos. the people, the adventures. I made a promise to go next year, how can anyone miss such beauty ?

“Nalut is in the Nafusa Mountains and is approximately 2,000 feet (610 M) above sea level.Halfway up the mountain that leads to the city of Nalut a welcome station was prepared for travellers entering the city. A tent was set up next to a small mosque with a group of people serving dates, fresh buttermilk and ibsisa (a mixture of spices and nuts that are roasted and ground into a fine powder. Oil and water is added and it's mixed into a paste). Clean bathrooms, fresh water and a sitting area were provided for women and men. The welcoming committee had answers to any questions that visitors might have and it was a lovely beginning to the generous hospitality offered by the people of Nalut.”

Apparently there is even mountain biking in Nalut, I am pleasantly surprised to see this .

Braveheart has raised important issues with his honest post ‘are Libyan mature enough’ . Reading through it I felt he was showing every negative aspect of the Libyan personality and our failures. We needed someone to put a mirror to our face and call these by their names. I think that piece should be printed out and framed. The commenters of course remind us that there is good and bad in every society, but seriously this post is a masterstroke !

“Before I came here I have a picture about Libyan abroad, they are intelligent, smart, hard worker and the most important thing I thought they are civilized people, to be honest I was chocked, the first thing the Libyan mind doesn’t change any more still close on itself , I’m rarely I met Libyans has friends from other nationality, they try to find their friends from the same city or even the street in Libya and that is it , no more relation no need to interact with other cultures , I think being in England is big chance to know people from every where and know how they think, eat, sing every thing about them. But we Libyan still close mind and when u ask some one why u don’t make friends from other nationalities the answer will be what I’ll benefit from them?[sic]”

The very talented Ghazi Gheblawi is entertaining us again with one of his short stories, this time it is called Headless ! The plot plays on the fear of loosing our head figuratively speaking with so much to do in this busy life.

“I couldn’t see myself. There was only dark emptiness…!!!
I walked to the flat's front door, facing a stillborn, depressing morning. I tried to touch my eyes, but there was nothing. Only a smooth studded neck. When did I lose my head?!! And what made me more astonished is that I found myself walking in the streets without bumping into things. But when and where did I lose my head..??!! I have the desire to eat without a mouth, to hear dirty jokes without ears. But when and where did I lose my damn head??!!”

Unconventional is exploring the abuse of domestic help by some Arabs and is hoping that this does not spread to Libya.

“[..]the more I hear how servants are treated in Arabic countries, the more I cringe inside. I am sure there are exceptions to every rule, but how did we go from Islam stripping us of our color and race in front of God to considering ourselves in some way racially superior. It absolutely boggles my mind.”

I will now live you with Libyan Violet, who is dubbed Libyan Venus by one of her readers because she seems to be searching all the time for the one true love . She is back from her hiatus with a post from the writing of an Iranian poet Sheema Kalbasi .

“I want to have a heart that has one city's name on it, the city where you ARE at any given time. I have been handed this love generation after generation to find you somewhere close or even from far to let you know of the truth. ” By Sheema Kalbasi