I love old movies – especially love stories from the 40s and 50s that give you a glimpse into a world that no longer exists. It’s the details… the formality and elegance, the hats, gloves and letters and the lack of modern props – like cell phones and computers.

I watched Joseph Pevney’s classic Istanbul again this weekend. You seen it? Errol Flynn, Cornell Borchers and Nat King Cole. It’s a delicious flick. A remake of a 1937 film called Singapore, set around the Turkish capital, diamond smuggling and a stormy love affair.

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You know, they say that if you’re a writer, provoking a reaction from your critics, be it good or bad, is an achievement. I hope Diane Johnson, former Pulitzer and Booker Prize nominee and the author of Lulu in Marrakech feels the same way.

I’d heard so much about Johnson’s latest book, Lulu in Marrakech – a CIA-spy-love story set in Morocco -  thatI had to read it. It got some good reviews but it also caused some fierce reactions from some noteworthy critics (including the New York Times, and the New York Times Book Review).

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“Sweetness in the Belly” by Camilla Gibb is a wonderful, literary Ethiopian love story set principally in Harar. It charts three generations of modern Ethiopian history and the meeting point between the country’s two major religions: Islam and Christianity.

The book’s protagonist Lilly is a white Muslim Brit who loses her parents to a cruel, mysterious accident at a Sufi shrine in North Africa. She is adopted by a Muslim family friend who is incredibly well-versed on Islam and Sufism. Lilly finds new meaning to her life through a love of Islam and sets out to deepen this connection.

Life and Love: Two Twisted, Flower-Laden Paths Entwine

Lilly’s arrival and abandonment  in to Harar, Ethiopia as the 60’s draw to a close, tells her own and Ethiopia’s story. She has gone on a pilgrimage in search of The Great Abdal, but, finding herself a “Falasha” (landless one) and largely ostracized, she encounters Dr. Haziz an idealistic young Harari physician. Through his love for her, she gets involved in the noble, political cause of Ethiopia’s oppressed people and  finds herself questioning her beliefs.

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As you may have noticed, I’m a die-hard romantic and one who’s rather partial to love letters, country escapes, and candle-lit dinners and above all… love poetry.

To my mind, a love poem is  one of the coolest and warmest things to receive (I’ve gotten a couple in my time, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say there were enough to give the mail-man backache.)

I’ve been putting together a collection of love poetry from lesser-known poets around the world. Let’s face it, just about every ancient culture has poured its heart into verse, the Egyptians, Arabs, Greeks, Tartars, to name but a few. This passionate art form reveals a lot about a culture – we say so much by the way we love.

For the Love of An Ancient Language

Today I stopped in Eritrea (virtually speaking) where I read up on the life and works of Reesom Haile, Eritrean Poet Laureate who’s written over 2000 poems in Tigrinya, one of Eritrea’s principal languages, Like Tigre and Amharic, Tigrinya is derived from the Ge’ez, a 5000 year old written language that is Africa’s most ancient and continuous tongue.

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I’ve read several stories of women who converted to Islam for love – some of whom are firmly in the public eye… Remember Jemima Goldsmith, the famous Jewish daughter of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, who became Haiqa Khan at the age of 21 when she married famous Pakistani cricket player Imran Khan and became a Muslim?

Of course, this happens the other way around, and I’ve been following one such story in the British press with great interest this past month.

Psychiatrist Adam Osborne (brother of British Shadow Chancellor George Osborne), converted to Islam to marry Bangladeshi-born plastic surgeon Rahala Noor, the woman he’d been dating for 14 years.

The couple had two weddings, a civil ceremony in Scotland in October and a traditional Asian ceremony conducted by an imam in November ’09.

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Don’t you just love global solidarity for a good cause? On December 7th, 2009, Qatar joined 200 countries around the world, making history in a simultaneous live performance of the famous Beatles hit  ‘All You Need is Love’.

Lyrical in the Name of Universal Love

The historic global sing-along was a charitable initiative of Help Starbucks and Project (RED) known as The Love Project. The project was orchestrated in order to raise over $3 million for The Global Fund, which helps to eliminate AIDS in Africa. The event was also held in commemoration of World Aids Day.

At precisely 1.30pm GMT, participants from 200 countries simultaneously performed ‘All You Need is Love’ with family members, friends or just by themselves.

All entries were uploaded at The Love Project Website and the unique event was witnessed for certification by officials of the Guinness World Records. Read the full story »

Jafar Ardabili is not what you might expect from a Mullah or a matchmaker. Yet this Tehran-based Muslim cleric is both, and his romantic enterprise is doing a roaring trade in the midst of a society where dating is notoriously difficult.

Ardabili and his wife offer young Iranian singles in Tehran a unique opportunity to find love without breaking the law. Together, they operate the Amin International Family and Cultural Institute, a matchmaking service that draws Iranian singles together in a supervised setting.

Could this be the first step to Iran’s underground dating culture emerging into the light of day? Well… in a roundabout sort of a way, yes.

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Sultry Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe’s cover of “Beirut Love” is one of those tunes you just put on and find yourself singing for the whole day.

I was fascinated to discover that only time she performed it was at a free concert in May 2008 to celebrate a political settlement that resolved conflict and brought normalcy back to Beirut. Apparently Wehbe never sang the song again, and has never profited from it.

The original version of Beirut Love was recorded by Lebanese diva Fairuz, and while some say Haifa’s voice may not be as impacting, I find the beauty of the lyrics and the timing of her performance at the free concert deeply admirable. Read the full story »

I often talk to my Desi friends about their intriguing, vibrant culture. They tell me that on the upside, it’s amazing to be part of such a rich, heritage, with such warm, loving family and community based traditions and let’s face it, fabulous food.

On the flip side, they say it can be challenging to grow up slotted between two cultures, with what my London based Desi buddies call “an English head and a Desi heart.” This is never more evident than when it comes to love and relationships.

A New Tradition

I read a fabulous phrase on one Desi blog that said “traditions are rarely traditions when they start.” From what I can see, all Desi parents want the best for their kids when it comes to love and marriage but this can sometimes be suffocating.

According to my Desi chums, who are the same age as me (the age where parents of any culture start tapping their toe and squinting at your ring finger)  there’s a new Desi tradition beginning, one that fuses respect for heritage with open-mindedness and intrigue towards some of the opportunities provided by “Western” culture. Read the full story »

Sepet is the first in a controversial trilogy of Malaysian films dedicated to love that transcends racial and cultural barriers has been called one of the best Malaysian films ever to have been made.

Naturally, with a reputation like that, and given that my knowledge of Malaysian culture could be written on a postage stamp, I had to watch it.

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