This blog is going to be divided into three parts. The first part is going to amaze you; well, it has bewildered me to find out that Lebanon had “nearly 200 Lebanese-owned silk factories”! (as it is published in Annahar.com) We had gone to the Silk Museum in Bsous - Lebanon. Who among yourselves have heard of it? It was by far the richest trip we have done inside Lebanon.

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For this road trip, I prepared the girls… told them that we were going to get super rich. The places we were about to visit would enrich us culturally in all its terms. I thought I was equipped; with all the reading, and researching, but seeing and experiencing, added a different taste to all that I have read.

The entrance to the Silk Museum

The entrance to the Silk Museum

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The Asseily Family - owners of the Silk Museum - have bought and restored the place, and now they share this richness with us by allowing visits.

The Asseily Family - owners of the Silk Museum - have bought and restored the place, and now they share this richness with us by allowing visits.

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We were welcomed by a wise ex-journalist, Mrs. Souad. She explained everything there was to know about the once-factory; from the silk-worm ‘caterpillars’ to the end-product.

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Being an artisan myself, my appreciation for this art has grown further. When one learns about the process of manufacturing threads, in this case silk threads, one gives the worth that every process deserves.

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The girls were marvelled at everything that Mrs. Souad was saying; they were finally feeling the richness that I was talking about. Because now, they know that knowledge makes one wealthy, and feeling it would eventually attract it to one’s self!

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What about taking a bath as fancy as the Sultanas or Sultanate used to take? (Click on the words in bold to find out what it means.)

What about taking a bath as fancy as the Sultanas or Sultanate used to take? (Click on the words in bold to find out what it means.)

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Come to think, at their time, very few were privileged to such an extravagant way of living. Nowadays, we can CHOOSE to live extravagantly. How? Making use of what is given to you. Beginning with the right use of technology; reading, and learning from the elderly and all the free material that is provided at Libraries worldwide and the internet.

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My admiration for silk grew fonder; such a delicate process with a refined beautiful outcome has increased my willingness to learn and apply the best techniques to my crochet entrepreneurial business.

After this visit, and this course on silk and its history, nothing more appealing than a rich lunch at… (to be continued)

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