Another attempt at blogging starts today

Ok... So almost 6 years of my first attempt to Blog, I'm making a slightly more serious and slightly more dedicated attempt at blogging. This time, I'm driven by two main motives - the first is my desire to recollect my travels, thoughts and experiences in a way and using a medium I could share with friends, colleagues and fellow nomads while preserving my own thoughts for future reference.

The second motive behind my blogging is the recent Facebook experience I've had. For a long time, I shared photos, thoughts, travel reflections and videos on Facebook which proved a great way of making all those dedicated, interested and inquisitive people whom I met and continue to meet in person or in mind from the different times, countries and backgrounds. However, the intrusive nature of Facebook, since its opening-up to a public audience whose intellect and appreciation for thoughts and reflections is below average - I've been put off it. Specially as Facebook gradually transformed itself into a race for who has more friends, who can stalk the other more and who can click "add as friend" quicker.

I am therefore back here, in an attempt to link my FlickR uploads, YouTube activism and my daily readings and personal thoughts together and make them available first and foremost to myself - as well as to those inquisitive, curious and active individuals around the globe.

I proved to myself years ago that I couldn't keep up writing my thoughts and reflections - since my failure to document my travel journals since my travels around Iran in 2002 and 2003.

This time however, I'm hopeful it'll be different. Reflections on the people I meet, events I attend and places I explore throughout my travels will pursue later. But for now, I'll start my new attempt at responsibly and consistently blogging by forwarding my daily readings to this blog with my own commentaries, thoughts and reflections - as I've done for years on Facebook. I will also do some retrospective blogging : reposting some articles, commentaries and forwards I had already posted on Facebook in the post.

My interests and readings take me around the world with special emphasis on the Middle East, Central Asia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and the Balkans. I read, and will blog, on a wide array of issues ranging from faith, festivals, carnivals, folklore, poverty, local communities, indigenous peoples, human rights, social activism, sectarianism, political violence, marginalised societies, international relations, post-modern media, history, architecture, culture, urbanity and urbanism.

I know I sound too vague, too diverse and perhaps crazy... For those of you who know me, you might not be as surprised - but let's see how this goes... Your encouragement and comments will be much appreciated, passing on my blogs to your blogs, Facebook accounts or friends will be much appreciated.