Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Italian Belly Dancer

*All articles part of the Memoirs of an Incognito Friend series are intended for a mature audience. Viewer discretion is advised.



After graduating from university, a good buddy of mine travelled to Sharm El Sheikh by the Red Sea for a few days with a common friend, B. On the third day at the beach they spotted a seductive blonde woman lying on a chaise longue next to them. She was well tanned, small figured, had a toned body with D cups, and a pleasant face. She appeared to be around 50 or so. She was also topless, Viva Egitto! After some brief thinking, my buddy just instinctively got up, looked at B and told him “wish me luck”, then headed towards the woman. 


His pick up line was: “Hey, I really like the colour of your toenails — they were light blue. Where did you get them from because I want to buy some as a gift for someone?”

Of course at the time, down deep inside, he knew it was all a game. And if a 23-year-old understood the dynamic of this daring game, then being a mature adult she would, and likely also should know it.

They spoke for a bit when he found out where she was staying and that she would be leaving back to Italy the very next morning. He also found out that she’s a belly dancer who comes to Egypt every year to attend the Oriental Dance Festival that takes place in Cairo. Hmm, intriguing. Exchanging phone numbers, they agreed to meet later at night. Mission accomplished.

Back to the room, my buddy eventually got into the shower to get ready. Knowing how much this next endeavour-to-be is significant to his young mind, he thought he would discharge so he could last longer with the lady. And he did.

As agreed, they met in front of her hotel and walked around the city for a little bit before heading to Planet Hollywood, which was one of the few decent early outings in 2000 Sharm el Sheikh. They had a few drinks and started sexy dancing. He believes he had told her that he was 27 instead of 23. And looking older, she easily bought it. Later on that same night she showed him a photo of her son, saying he’s the same age of 27.

In Planet Hollywood there was a group of people my buddy knew from university. They were common friends with B, who came to join them a little later. And as a fresh graduate, the boy felt pretty cool to be amorously dancing with this foreign blondie...who was about his mother’s age, if not slightly older.

A few hours later into the night, they walked to her hotel and remained chatting for a while by the swimming pool. Then, she straightforwardly asked him:

“Do you want to sleep with me?”

“Of course.”


Once in her room, they began passionately making out. A few minutes later, there was a knocking on the door. She was reluctant to answer at first, then she hid him in the bathroom and opened.

He could hear a manly voice saying “visitors are not allowed” and her replying that there is no one here. “We know there is a man here,” the voice insisted. Being Egyptians and knowing how these things work in hotels, my buddy decided to come out and try to talk it out. First, they spoke to him in English, then for some reason, he chose to reply in Arabic.

Can you imagine that in some parts of the world in this day and age it is illegal to be with the opposite sex in a hotel room, or any room actually, yet you can be topless on the beach? How about gay people? These are highly confused societies stuck in the past, one must say.
 
Anyway, back to situation. Here they were, my buddy and the lady on one side of the door and the receptionist and a security guard from the other, insisting that he has to leave the room. There was nothing much to do, so he told her he’ll call her and went out. The funny thing is that right then he saw the security guy bring a chair, place it outside by the lady’s room door and sat on it. This is how serious they were about not wanting him to have a good time.

Knowing that the lady was leaving the next day, and him the one after, he knew this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even though this wasn’t going to be his first one-night stand or with an older woman, but it was his first much-older woman. So he was determined to make it happen. This was around 1:00 am.
 
The logical solution was to call B in the hotel. The fact they are best buddies will sure make him gladly leave the room for a bit as the young man and the lady go finish their hanky panky. Again, these things don’t casually happen everyday, and especially not in Egypt, so he was pretty confident that B would be happy to help out. Or so he thought. 

“Hey B, this happened and I need to come to the room with her.”

“No, I’m sleeping in bed,” was the reply.

He repeated his request, yet the reply was again, “I’m already sleeping.”

“Uhh...why don’t you roll one and smoke it outside by the time we finish?” He kept trying.

“No, come in the room on your bed and say that I’m sleeping.

“Dude, she’s a grown woman,” he shouted in despair.  
 
When he didn’t accept that last suggestion, B hung up the phone.


Now, between disbelief that his buddy would do this to him and his hormonal urges that are driving him forward, he knew he had to find a solution.

And then, the light bulb came unto him....

When he was chitchatting earlier with the lady by the pool, the same group from university was coming back to the hotel from the outing. When the staff came to the room asking him to leave, he could see them by the pool. So he thought that since they happen to be sharing the same hotel as the Bella, he could use their help.

He headed to one of their rooms, which was about four or five rooms away from the lady’s room, and told them his dilemma. He then called her in the room and asked her to stealthily open the door’s lock as the security guard was still sitting on the chair. Then, by divine inspiration, he told the boys to go to the guard and report that one of the girls from their group has lost some golden ring or earrings by the pool area.

As my buddy stayed in their room hiding behind the door, they went on with the brilliant plan. The security indeed got up from his chair and headed with them to the pool to inspect the area. And this when the horny boy got his chance: He ran while tiptoeing, slowly opened the door, went in and locked it behind him. He could feel his heart was beating all the way in his throat. O’ The Thrill! 

The room was almost all dark with only the bathroom light on. The Bella was in a white satin night gown showing her cleavage and smelling of a sweet perfume. She welcomed him with a big fat juicy kiss. Little did he know that he’ll only leave the room many hours later. There was so much pure lust in the air. The ingenious skit he had just conjured to get there also added much anticipation and excitement. 

“Que bueno, Que bueno,” she would keep screaming as he filled her every hole. Her experience and eagerness to please him was indescribable, with a playful sex drive that is equally insatiable. Every time they would cum together, then rest a little before she would begin again. Oral teasing, lots and lots of kissing and face licking [mmm], fellatio, different positions, so of course he would get aroused. She had implants which was another first. So he let himself go with them. Like myself, he does prefer the natural ones, but those D cups were right there to enjoy, and he did.

He ended up with three or four sweaty phantasmagorical orgasms while apparently countless others for her. Ram Bam thank you Ma’am until the boy was literally drained — that’s in addition to his earlier release. Being
 their first and possibly last night together was probably a main reason why these wild animals went at it like there was no tomorrow. 

Eventually they exchanged more contacts and he gave her a last kiss before coming out of the darkened dungeon... to find that it was already light out. The choice was to either exit the hotel using the quiet beach entrance or from the main gate through the lobby area. He didn’t think much and headed straight to the reception with a huge grin on his face. What’s done has been done. Knowing the guy well, he may have clapped a few times too.

Since this was around 6 am and it was still the morning shift, as he was passing by the lobby he found the same receptionist AND security guard standing right there, speechlessly staring at him in utter confusion with disgruntled faces that spelled a big dumb “Huhhh!?”

“Salamo 3aleikom,” he jocosely told them while boldly going through the main gate — smiling like a victorious gladiator. He walked to his hotel enjoying the early morning breeze and got into the room to find B “sleeping... in bed”, as he had mentioned multiple times on the phone. However, the fuckers’ mood was so elevated that all resentment towards his buddy evaporated. In fact, he came in singing to him before going to take a shower. By then he reportedly smelled like raw unadulterated sex with his hairy body covered in magickal fluids, so the shower was pretty much needed.  


Still, he couldn’t believe how the suspenseful night actually came to unfold, but was naturally ecstatic beyond compare. He later said that he felt proud of such touch of genius illustrated in the intuitive plan — especially that it worked. Following all that expended energy he was not sleepy but certainly hungry. So it was time to have a well-deserved breakfast at the hotel before going to bed... still smiling you bet.

The determined virtuoso ended up outwitting those standing between him and a once-in-a-life experience. And for what? Some silly, outdated, atavistic religious law. For doing that, I tip my hat to the inventiveness and resourcefulness. Where there is a will there is way, huh. Echoing with what a wise full lunatic once said: Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like a mofo. 

Him and Bella actually met a few times in the following years when she would come to Cairo for the Oriental Dance Festival. Et Voilà. 

As you will see in a coming article in the series, Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The 17-Year-Old Lebanese Belly Dancer, the above encounter was not the only one involving a belly dancer. To his defence, they are widely known to be sensual women.


Until the next adventure of my incognito friend.

ALSO VIEW:

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Woman Who Came Again — 24 Years Later 

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Caught Hiding Under The Sink... Naked

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Affair With an Older Married Woman

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: 22 Years Later — Once Teenagers Now Adults

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Neighbour’s Lustful Guest

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Ten Days with a Charming Older Woman

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Another Sex Party 

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Mother of Six Who Drove for 50 Hours

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: A Woman, Her Girlfriend, and the Girlfriend’s Friend

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Threesome With Two Virgins

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Sex Party 

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Three Girls, One Perfume 

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The 17-Year-Old Lebanese Belly Dancer

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: Reliving a One-Night Stand...13 Years Later

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Nine-Months-Pregnant Woman

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Girl Who Came

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Stain on the Levi’s Shirt

Memoirs of an Incognito Friend: The Italian Belly Dancer

OLS Reflections Quince

• Talk to your animals, they listen. And if you’re attentive and listen closely, they’ll talk right back.

• Smile often. It will either confuse people or make them think you’re up to something.

• I salute single mothers as much as I salute boys who grew up without fathers and girls who grew up without mothers.

• In this past decade, things switched from “Most of my friends are parents” to “Some of my friends are grandparents”.

• You can tell that a couple is in sync while their energies match when you spot them separately smiling at the same thing without looking at each other. It often happens whenever they are both facing me and look at my dog or lens before smiling in a similar way.

• The more we travel and meet “different” people the more we realise that we’re not so different after all. One we all are.

• I stopped fighting my inner daemon; I’ve unleashed it.

• Nature may keep your heart beating. But the arts… are why you want it to keep beating. 

• Give yourself permission to walk away from those who belittle your ambitions and dreams, predict your doom and criticise you. Their projective reaction is nothing but a mere reflection of their own emotions, perceptions, and experiences. It’s their story they are mirroring, not yours.

• I have come to realise that nothing is more liberating than packing what you really need and moving to a new place every once in a while. Leaving your comfort zone of familiarity may appear scary at start. But then when you do it a few times, this daring adventure becomes a truly rejuvenating, well-worthy experience.

"Symbiosis"

ALSO VIEW:

OLS Reflections

OLS Reflections Deux

OLS Reflections Vier

OLS Reflections Khamsa

OLS Reeflections Yedi

OLS Reflections 八

OLS Reflections Ten

OLS Reflections Onze

OLS Reflections 13

OLS Reflections Quince

OLS Reflections Sixteen

OLS Reflections Dix-Huit

OLS Reflections تسعة عشر

OLS Reflections Veinte Uno

OLS Reflections 22

OLS Reflections Dreiundzwanzig

OLS Reflections Twenty-Four

OLS Reflections Vingt-Six

OLS Reflections Ventisette

OLS Reflections Veintinueve
 
OLS Reflections 30

OLS Reflections Einunddreißig

OLS Reflections  إثنان وثلاثون

OLS Reflections Thirty-Three

OLS Reflections Trentaquattro

OLS Reflections 37

OLS Reflections Trente-Neuf

OLS Reflections Forty  

OLS Reflections Einundvierzig

OLS Reflections — The Spiritual Edition 

OLS Reflections Cuarenta y Cuatro

OLS Reflections 45

OLS Reflections Quarantasette

OLS Reflections — The Unpublished Edition

OLS Reflections Forty-Nine

OLS Reflections 50 

OLS Reflections Cincuenta y Dos

OLS Reflections Cinquantaquattro

OLS Reflections पचपन 

OLS Reflections 57

OLS Reflections Cinquante-Neuf
 
OLS Reflections Sesenta y Uno
 
OLS Reflections ثلاثة وستون 

OLS Reflections Soixante-Cinq

OLS Reflections 67

OLS Reflections Sixty-Eight 

OLS Reflections 69 

 

OLS Reflections Soixante-Douze
 

OLS Reflections Settanta­quattro

 

OLS Reflections Seventy Six

OLS Reflections 77

 

OLS Reflections Setenta y Ocho

 

OLS Reflections Soixante-Dix-Neuf

OLS Reflections Ottanta­tré 

 

 

Attempting to Bridge the Gap Between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: The Coke Prank

Today morning, I stumbled upon this 6-million-views video and instantly recognised both cops from Venice Beach. Knowing that cops usually hate pranks and rarely have any sense of humour, I found their reaction pretty cool. Others could have made it much harder on the boys.

Then later in the day, I went to the Drum Circle and when the time was up and the police cars surrounded us, I recognised the young lady copper. So I headed towards her and asked if she had seen that ‘Coke’ YouTube video. As she nodded ‘yes’, I told her that I wanted to say that what they did was really cool. 

“We’re not all assholes,” she replied with a confident smile. [*and a fun comeback too]

“Thank God,” I said while smiling back.

I felt comfortable so I went on, “Honestly, when I arrived here last year, I didn’t particularly like how cops are all over the beach. I even wrote an Article about that ― I’m a writer. But now a year later, I’m actually happy that you guys are around. Lots of outsiders come here and ruin it for us, so again, thank you for what you do.”

We chatted for another 30 seconds, smiled again, then parted ways.

I thought that since most of the times I’m against what cops do and how they behave, when I see well-composed ones who are understanding, act responsible, and can take a joke, I have to let them, and you, know.

I salute you, officer. We sure need more of you. The top YouTube comment on the video:
It’s a shame you had to prank the only cool cops ever, but it was still funny 😀.

— ☙ ❊ ❧ —— ☙ ❊ ❧ —— ☙ ❊ ❧ —

On a parallel note, the encounter was also a sobering reminder that one is in L.A ― the land of mighty Hollywood. Indeed, in those several years residing in Venice Beach, I came across the singer Pink solo biking casually next to me on Abbot Kinney. Another time right there, Tim Robbins was coming out of the same Abbott Pizza I was heading into. A third time it was bumping into Bill Maher one night by the Venice Canals; he seemed to be mid argument with some woman [surprise?!]. Heck, one weekend a cousin sent me a video from the Venice Beach Drum Circle... posted by Sharon Stone who was actually right there watching us Go Bananas. Yeah, Man.

Even for someone who is not fasciated by stars or celebrities, who had lived his early years in Egypt, this Hollywoodesque air still finds its way to get to you ― along with a degree of vanity and pettiness and all. It’s an intoxicating environment be living in.


You can check the lengthier next article in the series when another copper and I became actual friends: Attempting to Bridge the Gap Between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: Officer Roberts. Also, Sergeant Pepper as well as the last one, Evolution.
                                                                                                                                                           

— ☙ ❊ ❧ —— ☙ ❊ ❧ —— ☙ ❊ ❧ —

                                       

*EDIT (7 November 2018):

Before resharing the article I was making sure the YouTube link is still available, to find that the 6 million views became 23.5 million, in about three and a half years. Talk about a viral video. She must have been relocated as she hadn’t been around for the last couple of years or so.  


**EDIT (25 June 2025):

The video Coke Prank on Cops reached 50 Million views. 

ALSO VIEW:

Attempting to Bridge the Gap Between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: Officer Roberts

Attempting to Bridge the Gap Between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: Sergeant Pepper

Attempting to Bridge the Gap Between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: Evolution 

A Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos (2014-’15) 

Another Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2016-’17)

One More Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2017-’18)

Stop-n-Search That Hippy

Banged Up Abroad — My Few Days @ The Don Jail

Banged Up Abroad — A Night @ The London Police Station

Retrieving Phone — Through Tracking App — From Some Thug Who Found It

When Bullying my Sister Led to Shutting Her School Down With a Rambo Knife

The Night We Turned ‘Beast Mode’ On

 

The Bloke Who Thought I’m Too Much of an Alpha Male

How Drumming Changed The Way My Brain Processes Music: Underworld Live at the Hollywood Bowl

Drum Circle Etiquette — The Do’s and Don’ts  

The Intertwining of Music and Sexuality ― A Djembefola’s Tale

 

Things I Wish All Dog Owners Would Understand

Talk to your animals, they listen. And if you’re attentive and listen closely, they’ll talk right back.


After many years of being surrounded by dogs, I can now confidently say that there are two types of dog owners. The first type treat their dogs as family members, possibly as soul companions. The second are dog owners in its most literal sense; they are people who own animals, as proprietors.

Each of these two groups has relatively different relationships with their dogs. The following points, though, are stuff I believe only the first type would do, know, or notice. That is because they are much closer to their canine than the proprietors type.


1- To eat out and choose a dish with bone leftovers so you can take it back to your dog. Or take the leftovers of your friends.


2- The sneaky look on their faces when they quickly swallow a treat, pretending that it disappeared or that it was never there, so you give them another one.


3- Getting excited to leave a place or a party knowing that you’ll go home to be with your dog.


4- How their degree of alertness and inquisitiveness heightens when they know you are watching them and they are trying to please you.


5- How setting no rules does not work; neither for the dogs nor for the relationship between them and their masters. Dogs need rules as much as they need to know that you, the pack leader, is the one in charge. That’s how it works and not the other way round.


6- Dogs sense our energies — and tension. So when you come across other dogs or people and pull the leash, even if subtly, your dog will sense the vibration and automatically be on alert, probably also get tensed. Read Training a Gentle Giant — Shay The Saint Bernard to know my own experience with the leash and a 150-pound Saint Bernard.

You can also check my photo-article Some Animals I Shot as well the photography album, Animalism.


7- When you reward your dog with a simple “good girl/boy” they really do act as a good girl/boy. In fact, researchers have found that social interactions make pet dogs release Oxytocin — the same “love hormone” that humans feel when they are in love or bonding with friends.

A photographer once took a series of photos showing dogs before and after being told “You’re a good girl/boy” and the difference seen on their faces is astounding.


8- You cannot leave your dog months at a time every year and expect to have a healthy relationship with them. Whether it’s at a kennel or with others, dogs feel sad, lonely and get heartbroken when abandoned for periods of time.


9- For certain breeds, training with your dog becomes a necessity. Not only because they need the exercise, but also because this is how they look up to you as a pack leader. Seeing your physical capabilities will earn their respect. Having a trainer or an obedience school is, in my opinion, half the job. Unless of course the owner is incapable of training or is advanced in age. 

Besides, it’s pure joy to be outdoors with our canine; regularly connecting with nature is a sure way to sharpen their senses.


10- Finally, if your dog keeps pulling you during your walk, or it barks at strangers and/or other dogs, or is displaying any other neurotic behaviour, know that there is always a solution. Some online research is usually more than enough to learn how to fix any problem. No need to call Cesar Milan, though you can learn a lot from watching an episode or two.


Now check why dogs appear nicer, and less wild, than cats in this more recent article, Why Cats Are Not Dogs — hint: It’s mainly genetic. 

You are your best companion; your dog comes next

EDIT [2023]:

Looking back at this article today, I am compelled to write a sequel about cats. Having a couple and living around another two, I have metamorphosed into a cat person throughout the past several years. Meaowww. 



ALSO VIEW:


Why Cats Are Not Dogs

From Insects to Crows: Dogless and Searching for Companionship

Training a Gentle Giant — Shay The Saint Bernard

A Dieu Caramella

Why Do Cats Give Massages?

Big Cat Hybrids

When Lady Ran Away

When The Puppies Ate The “Chocolate”

The Most Loyal Dogs in History

Izzy The Egyptian American Doggo [Video]

Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange

Extinction

The Most Unusual and Unknown Creatures

The Most Unusual and Unknown Creatures II

Some Animals I Shot
 

Countering Gentrification — Eating Cheap and Healthy in Venice Beach [With a List of Places & Their Menus]

When first arriving from Denver to L.A on March of 2014 I didn’t have any fixed plans. I had already been roaming around the U.S for a few months, but once I reached Venice Beach I fell in love with it. I thought that it’s probably the best place for me to live. However, I had no idea that the rents are that high. It actually took me several months of everyday searching to find a place in that Bohemian hood.

During this time I stayed in many different places. The Valley was hot and lifeless — especially without a car; Santa Monica too clean — for me, these days; and Marina Del Ray, oh well, didn’t feel like a real neighbourhood. Venice, on the other hand, was just the right vibe which has instantly resonated with me. The right amount of artists, the right amount of crazies, and the right amount of people in general. And of course, the sublime weather of the Westside. I truly hold that one can happily thrive here.


After finally moving, I attended an event called The gentrification of Venice organized by some caring community members from activists and artists. It was where the lexophile in me first learned the new word Gentrification, meaning the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas, which often displaces lower-income residents. Apparently, that’s what has been happening to Venice for quite some time.

As a matter of fact, by the end of 2011 the median housing prices in the area had jumped 16 percent. Commercial rents on Abbot Kinney went up as much as 33 percent from the year before to a wacky $10 to $12 a square foot per month. Whether it’s food or clothes, the prices of the sold merchandise naturally increased to be able to keep up.

To get to where it is today, the gentrification of Venice occurred over a period of time. The chief cause was how a number of rich white people, wanting to be close to the cool multicultural artists by the beach, started moving into the area. This happens in many places around the world as well as within the U.S; Brooklyn, N.Y is one example. Inglewood, it is speculated, may be the next city in Los Angeles to be gentrified.

Areas where artists live always tend to be vibrant, lively, and colourful. Many of those “urban pioneers,” as they are sometimes called, lack this healthy mix in the environment in which they live. They are usually somewhat young, adventurous and have a knack for art. So they follow the artists; whether by moving in or by setting up businesses.


Then, over a period of years, the gentrification begins, which usually ruins it for the artists who end up by not being able to afford living in the area. So they move to another place. Then they are once again followed by the rich who are looking for a cool, liberated, alternative life. And so on and so forth.

In our case here, many artists had already left Venice to cheaper Inglewood. And that’s why it is believed that the neighbourhood will soon join the unavoidable dance. The same process likewise happens with gay communities. Whenever they move into a neighbourhood they usually beautify it and take care of it, so the prices go up.

Another reason why Venice was alluring is the fact that it was one of the last and cheapest areas where you could still buy a residence by the beach without having to spend millions. In addition, its proximity to fancy Santa Monica and LAX airport are a major plus.


It is widely believed that one of the factors which had stirred up the topic of gentrification followed GQ magazine naming Abbott Kinney the coolest block in America in 2013. Venice residents were not particularly happy by this media attention. They later responded by protesting and even mocking the magazine, calling it Gentrification Quarterly.

From one the Save Venice Facebook Pages

One more factor joining the domino effect was the new Google headquarter opening in Venice in 2011. Of course the high-income peeps who work there moved to the area, which, again, naturally forces rents to go up. It’s actually one loop where everything is related.


Even though gentrification is most often used negatively, it may have a few advantages.

First, the fact that gangs have died out and the violence and crimes have diminished. As I was told by many, not so long ago things were pretty dangerous that the area was dubbed “Ghetto By The Sea”.I know for a fact that people used to come score drugs from Venice. Actually, from around Abbot Kinney itself.

Bret, my bungalow mate who has been living here for 10 years, told me that a few years back gunshots were frequently heard. Several times police closed up our street and came into the house looking for armed runaways, and drug baggies were found thrown all over the streets. 

This is found in my street and I had no idea why would this relatively ‘nice’
area have such a sign. Now that I know the brief history it makes sense.

Today, you find none of that; we rarely hear about a local crime. Not that I watch T.V or read the news, but we would know. Venice has now become a mixed income neighbourhood; rich folks, poor folks, and some in between, somehow all peacefully coexisting.

Gentrification is a sign of economic growth. So the second advantage would be that it eventually leads to better quality of services, more jobs (construction and retail), as well as better parks, streets and places to eat. This supply and demand dynamic is all based on the same money being pumped into the area. As the property tax base increases, so does funding to local public schools. And that’s always a great thing, right?

A third advantage solely involves home owners. For them, the gentrification of the area has been a gift presented on a silver platter.


Even though it could get a little crazy by the beach especially during the holidays, but living here is different; it is peaceful and inspiring. Whether you want to walk, bike or jog, you have enough space to do so. Most neighbours are smiley and friendly and there is a sense of community in the area.

Bret, however, is saying that this sense is not as it was, and he’s nostalgically blaming gentrification. When the rents went up, many of the people he knew had to move out and others moved in; a few friends left and some of his favourite eateries have closed down. So understandably he lost this sense of community which once was. I heard other old residents complaining about the traffic since it was not as bad in the past.

Unlike Bret, I haven’t been here for a full decade so it’s relatively all new to me. I’m constantly making new friends in the neighbourhood and I’m sincerely enjoying the experience. I believe that when you choose to live in Venice you do so based on a conscious decision. This brings like-minded people together. So you end up being surrounded by those who are not so much different than you, and that’s a great place to be. For we should live where we’re celebrated not where we’re tolerated. At least that’s how I feel.

You can read about what happened to me in the Valley in this earlier article, Stop-n-Search That Hippy.



With all that said, paying the rent eats up most of my income. Saving on food becomes the only natural thing to do if I were to survive. When I was still looking for a place I was staying with my aunt in the Valley. This saved me money so I could afford to come spend Sunday at the Drum Circle then go have a fancy dinner at the Tasting Kitchen or at Wabi Sabi, both on Abbot Kinney. Knowing that it was the only real break I get in the whole week, $60 at the time to wine and dine was fine by me. 

Now that I stay in Venice and pay the rent that I pay, my priorities have certainly changed. For example, I find it preposterous to have a glass of rosé at Zinque for $14. A bottle of La Vieille Ferme is sold for $6.5 in Ralph’s, which is four minutes away by bike. In fact, they have an offer that if you buy six bottles, you get each for $4.70 (with the Ralphs card). Even better, at Trader Joe’s French and Chilean rosé is sold for 3.90 and 4.40. So, to drink one glass of wine in some of those places you pay almost the price of three bottles. And who goes out to have a single glass anyways? This is utter madness.


As for food, you know I love to cook. But since I don’t eat meat anymore I don’t cook as often as I used to, which was every single day. I still eat most of my meals at home. However, since I’m surrounded by healthy, affordable places I sometimes like to eat out for a change. If, however, it happens that I have a date and we end up going out I forget about all and just have fun.

The following is a list of 10 places I have tried and compiled here to help you live cheaply — and comfortably — in that not-so-cheap-anymore neighbourhood.

1- Lemonade on 1661 Abbot Kinney

This has been my favourite so far. Three portions from the salad bar are quite filling and they cost about $9.50. If you’re into meat (BBQ Brisket, Chicken Basque, or Chicken Pot Pie) you can have a hearty portion for $7.50, along with the delicious mashed potato for $3.50. For lunches, dinners, or picks ups anytime of the day, it is where I frequent the most since the food is healthy, affordable, and they have lots of varieties.

The friendly staff there have an amazing attitude. Mani the Indonesian busboy who owns a blind dog back home, Kia behind the counter who once spotted me with 65 cents when I was short, and the smiley Tiana from Armenia, to name a few. The menu also changes every few months so you don't have the time to get bored. 

Menu.


2- Abbot’s Pizza Company on 1407 Abbot Kinney:

For $8.60, you get two big slices that should be enough for anyone. The “Five Onions,” “Goat Cheese”, “Bianca”, and “Greek” make one drool. I eat there at least once a week.

Interestingly, when I went there a couple of days ago to take a few shots to use in this article, I sure couldn't resist and went in to grab a slice. This was when I met a talented Israeli photographer, Milan Sigal Ashley, whom I caught mid-shooting some mouthwatering pizzas. As I found out, she is behind the cool black and white shots that decorate the walls of the place as well as the ones on their website. You can check her own website, Milan Photohraphy and her Facebook page.

Menu.

Abbott’s Pizza and CasaLinda on the corner, Hal's is further ahead on its right

3- CasaLinda Mexican Grill on 1357 Abbot Kinney: (Closing down due to gentrification)

Right next to Abbott’s Pizza by California Ave, this Mexican place serves grilled shrimp burrito for $11.50 and the tacos are for $2.50, which are tasty and light. Though not being loco about Mexican food, I only eat there maybe once every couple of weeks.

In an ironic twist of fate, as I was writing these lines I was notified by a neighbour that CasaLinda is closing down soon. It belongs to the same owner of Hal’s Bar & Grill, one of Bret’s favourite places that he was telling me about, which will also be closing down after 30 long years in the area. Even though they will be opening somewhere else as one of the staff just told me, Bret and our neighbour are definitely not happy. And I’m sure they are not alone.

EDIT: CasaLinda relocated to 1025 Abbot Kinney.  

The new location along Hal’s Bar & Grill

Menu.

The new location of Hal’s next to the newish Casa Linda
— Both closer now to the beach on Abbot Kinney

4- Bellisimo Gourmet Foods Cafe on 68 N Venice Blvd:

Simple yet to the point, and is one-minute away from the beach. Big sandwiches in fresh, crispy bread cut in two halves for less than 10 bucks. The California Panini and the Turkey avocado BLT (with Dijon mustard) are quite something. Ideally for brunches, they also serve eggs, bagels, and croissants for breakfast, though I haven’t tried it since I usually have mine at home.

Their business card is printed on recycled paper with soy ink. Nice Touch.

Menu.


5- French Market Cafe on 2321 Abbot Kinney:

Great for breakfasts and brunches. Your own 3-egg omelette or scrambled for $10.75 including 3 toppings. The smoked salmon omelette is served with a French-style mix of baby green salad, toasted baguette, butter and jam for about $13.5. They also have a variety of coffees and they sell and serve wine. I visit every now and then to enjoy editing on their sunny patio and to practice my French with the female staff.

Menu.



6- Whole Foods buffet on 225 Lincoln Blvd:

Their prepared food buffet is healthy and affordable. A full meal (with meat if you wish) would cost about $10. Their convenient salad bar also makes great ingredients to use when cooking at home. Other than that, I don’t really use Whole Foods since it’s quite expensive.

Those articles are about recipes I have made using the salad bar from there: New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff and New Kreation: Veggie Pasta.


7- Gaby’s Express Middle Eastern on 3216 Washington Blvd:

Naturally, every now and then I crave Middle Eastern food. This really affordable place serves hummus, baba gannouj, tabouleh, grape leaf, and falafel. Chicken/Beef Shawerma and Chicken/Beef kebob pita sandwiches are all for $5.50 each. They also deliver.

Menu.


8- Gjelina Take Away (GTA) on 1427 Abbot Kinney:

A cool place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sandwiches, pizzas and salads are authentic and they range from $13 to $17. It has a cozy outdoor seating area on the side where you can sit on wooden benches or soda bottle crates and devour your catch. The fish stew soup was healing. Though I still have a lot to try. 

Menu.



9- Cairo Cowboy on 46 Windward Ave:

Another Mediterranean that is owned by an Egyptian couple. The chicken shawerma was tasty but was hard to eat as the bread was loose and the food was spilling left and right. The following time I explained my dilemma to the cool waitress, who happened to be half-Egyptian. She suggested I try the shawerma burrito, which was much easier to eat, even on the light side compared to the greasy ones served elsewhere. The vine leaves are succulent and their “special” sauce served with the sandwiches is mouth-watering. 

They have internet, an outdoor garden at the back, AND allow you to bring your own alcoholic drinks. Emad was pleasant and courteous.

Menu.


10- Kreation Organic Kafe & Juicery on 1202 Abbot Kinney:

Great for healthy wraps and salads with hefty portions. Prices range from $12 to $16, while plates (with meat) can be slightly more expensive. They have a wide selection of juices, though I find them a tad overpriced. Then again, it is a “juicery” after all.

Menu.


* Prices may be approximated due to taxes

ALSO VIEW:

Give That Man Some Groceries

Tripping Through Venice Beach Art

More Tripping Through Venice Beach Art

A Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2014-’15)

Another Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2016-’17)

One More Year at the Venice Beach Drum Circle in Photos & Videos (2017-’18)

How I Dropped Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months
 

Kicking That Sweet Habit: Why and How to Drop Sugar

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and (Different) Herbs

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

New Kreation: Quinoa with Brown Rice and Garlic

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

OLS Reflections Quatorze — The Mitigatingly Unfun Ones

• Should the fact that we cut down trees using axe handles made of wood be called irony or woody?
  
  
  
• He just had his first buy experience; it was Rich! 

• Misplaced commas are utterly, egregious.

• Once in 1997 I let my mind wander. It never came back.

• On D-Day there were plenty of booby traps. On Double D-Day there were just boobies. 

• Sometimes I use big, fancy words I don’t fully understand to appear like a cathartic sesquipedalian snollygoster.

• I once took LSD in the clinic of a yellow submarine. There was no periscope or stethoscope, but hey, it was all in kaleidoscope.

• Life is too short not to have an orgasm everyday. An orgasm a day or two keep the doctor way from you.
  

• The skeleton goes to parties alone because he has no body to go with. But he’s bad to the bone, so of corpse he makes no bones about it as it doesn’t get under his skin.  
  
   

• I went to a massage parlour and asked for a “happy ending”. They gave me an Annie DVD.
  
  
  

ALSO VIEW:

OLS Reflections Setenta e Cinco — The Dazzlingly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Settantatre — The Flagrantly Unfun Ones

 

OLS Reflections 71 — The Frightfully Unfun Ones

 

OLS Reflections Sixty-Six — The Outrageously Unfun

Ones OLS Reflections 64 — The Dangerously Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Sessantadue — The Scandalously Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections 五十八 — The Shamelessly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Fifty-Six — The Notoriously Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Dreiundfünfzig — The Playfully Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Cinquante-et-Un — The Corruptly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections 36 — الطبعة العربية المرحة

OLS Reflections Treinta y Seis — The Wickedly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections — Facebook Edition

OLS Reflections — Facebook Edition Deux

OLS Reflections ثمانية وعشرون — The Tranquilisingly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections पच्चीस — The Soothingly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Venti — The Quiescently Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Siebzehn — The Peacefully Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Девять — The Pacifyingly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Seis — The Mollifyingly Unfun Ones

OLS Reflections Tre — The Mildly Unfun Ones

Why I Share Stuff

“I think the joy of art is trying to convey what you perceive so that other people will perceive it more or less the same way. Art is a form of seduction. I mean, there are rapists in the intellectual world: they become politicians; the seducers become artists: we try to seduce people into our reality tunnel instead of leading them there with a gun.”

— Robert Anton Wilson

Only recently have I started to ask myself this question. Whether it’s stories, quotes, reflections, random information or photos, some of us do love social sharing. Now with the Internet and social media, it literally takes us seconds to do so. But what motivates us to share? What are the driving forces behind such habit?


Since some of what I share is created by myself while the rest is content I enjoy, I reckoned that to understand why I personally share, I first have to reach the source to understand why I initially create.

It is said that only when one is in love with life do they get inspired to create something which has never existed before. To add a bit of colours to the world. I tend to agree.

For photos, sometimes I would be sitting somewhere, perhaps in nature, when I spot a beautiful sight. Something internal then happens, compelling me to make the effort to get the camera out and capture that beauty. I see the shot in my head first then proceed to capture it, or attempt to capture it.

Likewise with writing, thoughts simply invade my mind. So noting them down becomes the natural, and possibly also the therapeutic thing to do. I also write to explore my thoughts and comprehend my psyche.

While writing, I get into an intoxicating state when time seems to stop. Yet, I’m ecstatic, inspired and motivated beyond measure. I find myself in some sort of a trance, during which I forget to eat and to take my daily shower. This was something I have never experienced before, especially not naturally. It was when I realised that I had just found my true calling and vocation and that I should keep writing for life.

As I came to find out, in psychology this transcendental state of complete immersion in an activity is called Flow State. Also known as The Zone, it is defined as “optimal state of consciousness, during which we feel and perform our best.” During Flow, action and awareness merge, allowing the person to fully concentrate on the present moment — their Here and Now. Nothing else matters at the time. The reason why it was called ‘flow’ is that people described their experiences using the metaphor of a water current carrying them along.

Apart from writing, I recently learned how to tap into The Zone while drumming as well. And since music activates, stimulates, and uses the entire brain, I am always left with an ethereal experience. You can read more about it in this earlier piece: How Drumming Changed The Way My Brain Processes Music.


Sometimes, however, the creation initiative could be cumbersome. I actually spoke to myself about it on certain occasions: Can’t you just forget the camera or notepad and just enjoy? You know, to relax and lie on the grass without interruption, without worrying about getting sand into your somewhat expensive camera or having to reach your notepad to scribble a reflection.

I would be sitting, alone or with someone, and I just quirkily jump up to capture this shot or to write that thought. It feels a little weird, yet, again, I cannot help it. When I encounter those moments, it is usually when the best inspiration come unto me.

Other times, depending on the nature of the topic, I lock myself in for 10 days or two weeks until I finish what I’m working on. I can never fully enjoy something else till I am done with the ‘project’. Solitude then becomes key; without it, I would have never been able to finish writing a book. Somehow, the compulsion that drives me further ahead is always present. 


Then, when the content has been created, the next step is to share it. Because, as an artist, what’s the point of keeping your creation to yourself? There is absolutely no good reason to do so. And today's technology is making the sharing part ridiculously easy and convenient.

Through my sharing, I always like to add something of value to my readers and followers; whether it is a new perspective, knowledge, inspiration, or a smile. Though I never share my thoughts to convince anyone with anything. I particularly share them so that others may enjoy my point of view — and my confusion. I share to keep my insanity. I share so that those who think alike know that they are not alone. I share for others to think for themselves; for them to question everything; for them to find their own Truth. For I am them and what I see is me.

Remembering Maya Angelou’s words: A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. I found that this is how my artistic creativity sets me free. Fortunately, what I currently do in life from writing, photography, and blogging is all about passionately sharing that creativity.

You can find much more about The Writing Process and the Creative Block in this other exposé of mine. Even more on For The Love Of Storytelling, Different Shades of Passion, and the latest Creativity Shall Set You Free.

Raising the question herein of why I share stuff made me remember how back in the days before the digital era or the Internet, I was the guy with the camera among my small group of friends. When we travelled, I would take the 36 photos x two or three Kodak rolls. Then once back from the trip, I would develop them at the nearby photo shop, sometimes making copies for my buddies.

No wonder that years later I’m left with over 80 photo albums kept in my flat in Cairo. During my last visit, I actually digitalised 55 of them and now they are on here, again, to share. It truly seems like a waste to keep all these beautiful memories in dusty drawers and forgotten boxes. 

The same inquiry also made me think of how some of my 900 + Facebook friends never share. Others, rarely posted anything in those last eight years. Those two groups are on a “read-only” mode. Then there are those who don’t really use Facebook that much and the account is just there. Only a few of my virtual friends are in constant sharing mode like myself. And something I have noticed is that most of those folks are happy, positive people who have had their fair share of hardship in life. 

“A creative person has little power over his own life. He is not free.
He is captive and driven by his daimon.”― Carl G. Jung

Wanting to know more about the psychology behind this social sharing habit, I checked a few articles about the topic. As the above infograph shows, people share for different reasons. This wide variety is why I deliberately chose to title the article “Why I Share,” rather than “Why We Share”. Simply because it is too broad and I can only speak for myself if I were to get into details.

According to Jonah Berger, the author of the New York Times bestseller, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”, as well as a study published in Psychological Science, the sharing of stories or information may partly be driven by arousal. When people are physiologically aroused, whether due to emotional stimuli or otherwise, the autonomic nervous is activated, which then boosts social transmission. In other words, evoking certain emotions can help increase the chance of a message being shared.

So, whenever I occasionally wonder why I care about sharing stuff instead of selfishly enjoying them alone, I simply remind myself that I am certainly enjoying, but making that extra effort and sharing that enjoyment allows me two things:

First, to enjoy it even more when others enjoy it with me. In psychological terms, I’m already aroused and I’ll get even more aroused when others join in with their own arousal. Sounds quite sexual, doesn’t it.

Well, in actual fact, researchers have found that learning new words activates the same parts of the brain as sex and drugs. So in case language gets you horny, high or both, worry not, it’s completely natural. You can learn more about the science behind it on Here.

Second, sharing offers me, and others, a chance to enjoy the experience again at a later time, especially when it’s my own creation. Resonating with what Anaïs Nin said: “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”



In conclusion, I like to create art because I fell in love with the creator mindset. As Jung words it, in a way I am a captive of my inner daimon. That’s why, as noted earlier, I often feel that I cannot really help it. I actually now feel unsettled and “not right”, for lack of a better word, if I stopped creating and sharing. Not that I’m complaining, I can actually confidently say that these have been the best days of my life so far.

I also sincerely believe that we are here on Earth to learn, grow, and create stuff that hasn’t existed before. That is how we evolve. Whether it’s love or knowledge, sharing has always been a major catalyst to the evolution of mankind throughout history. It naturally stems from wanting to increase and better that love or knowledge. For sharing is truly caring.

“The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.”
― Leo Buscaglia

ALSO VIEW:

Creativity Shall Set You Free

 

Artists Between Mindset and Motivation

The Writing Process and the Creative Block

 

Connecting the Dots — a Storyteller Way of Seeing the Big Picture

 
For The Love Of Storytelling

Different Shades of Passion 

How Drumming Changed The Way My Brain Processes Music

On Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing

The Story of Eric Clapton and Majnun Layla

What Being Conscious Means

Personal Questions I’m Often Asked and Their Answers

Some Soulful Artists Quotes

Some Soulful Writing Quotes 

Some Soulful Travel Quotes

Dealing with High Awareness and Empathic Accuracy