She gave him 3 silver coins
“No Garlic No Onions” behind the scenes in Australia
“Look, look!” The loudness from the dozens of people on the boat was suddenly interrupted. They look up to see a man waving the Lebanese flag across a bridge on the river in Melbourne. As they cruise closer, he shouts, “We love you, Anthony. Say hello to Lebanon. I miss Myeh w Myeh. سلّملْي عَالبَلَد الحِلو (My regards to the beautiful country).
No one knew who he was. The universe worked, and he actually missed the boat. The stars aligned so he could bring goosebumps and tears of joy to an already excited Australian-Lebanese crowd. That was his role.
Anthony has his.
Crossing the oceans for a blind date
Anthony knew only his name, Claude, as he was the one who had invited him to Australia. The NoGarlicNoOnions man would wonder about his host, who can’t be found anywhere on social media: “How old is he? Married? Kids?”
It was an actual blind date. Even Tinder would have given more information!
At the airport, an older man raised his hand and yelled, "Hi Anthony. We’re waiting for you.” After about 24 hours from leaving Beirut, our rather tired traveler presumed it was Claude.
They stepped into the car to find two other men. Anthony, the kid among them, fired up his camera and started recording. It broke the ice. They joked a lot. You know, four boys in a car who are genuinely happy for something memorable that is about to unravel?
They drove straight to a dinner where 10 people were waiting for him. Lebanese food. Hold the garlic and the onions.
Who would do that?
They talked about Lebanon. What else. Wrapping up his first night in Melbourne after a prolonged dinner, Anthony looked at the white-haired, huge-smile, comfortable-with-himself, warm-hearted, sweet, 61-year-old, and
“Claude; you’re going to run with me these ten days. Be prepared.”
Anthony and Claude
The routine
He would get on the road by 7 am and return to his room by 10 pm. From 10 pm to 2 am, he would edit and post the video of the day. They did 130 stops in 20 days with 36 videos, including the best-of and more.
One of Anthony’s videos from his trip to Australia
At home, his usual schedule is 5 am to 11 pm. Australia was different. Adrenaline kept him going with occasional power naps. On a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, Walid, who upgraded his seat to talk with him, ended up by a snoozing traveler. Walid made sure everyone knew what happened!
He couldn’t skip a beat as many were waiting to watch his stories. Skipping one day would have also disrupted his rhythm and the rest of the trip. Most importantly, his videos made them smile. How can he let them down?
“I did not want to skip anyone. I wanted to give them all exposure and credit for what they are doing.”
Being the cameraman, producer, director, editor, and publisher put together, he couldn’t record everything. He missed intense emotional moments, talks he gave in gatherings, and conversations with radio hosts.
The beautiful Australian-Lebanese people
Anthony felt the love in the people he met. They were happy to see him. Some brought friends and family; others drove hours to be there.
“I felt so much love and respect; it was incredible. I felt it in them, and they felt it in me.”
He would go on and on about the people he met. Clearly, he was moved.
Some of what they said:
“As soon as you left my store, it started filling up.”
“I’ve been here for 20 years, and I did not know so many Lebanese.”
“I did not want to connect with Lebanese. Thank you, today I made 15 new friends.”
Referring to his videos: “See that home? This is my grandfather’s house. That falafel place? It used to be a chicken sandwich place.”
The Sydney gathering. 100’s showed up.
What happened in those 20 days in Australia was “way way way more,” as Anthony describes it. He met genuine Lebanese-Australians.
They kept their traditions, their accent, and their habits. They do everything possible to remain attached to their roots. They want to stay connected. They seek any reason to keep loving Lebanon.
You can make a Lebanese leave Lebanon, but you can’t take Lebanon out of a Lebanese.
They live in a dilemma. They are still seen as immigrants to Australia. Yet, when they visit Lebanon, they’re also seen as the Australians. They have it hard on both sides. The dual identity is challenging to live with. Still, they want and have to belong to both worlds.
“Maybe we don’t love Lebanon as much as they do,” Anthony ponders.
It gives him personal satisfaction that his hard yet fun work is paying off somehow. Some returned to Lebanon after seeing his videos. Others are planning to do so. They love that he’s showing positive Lebanon.
“I’ve been doing what I do for several years. This time, I felt that everyone I met understands who I am, what I do, and most importantly, how much I love Lebanon and its people.”
They get it, and he likes that.
Proudly sharing Lebanon at Preston market in Melbourne
Anthony’s home front
On International Women’s Day, he spoke on Australian radio with one message: You cannot succeed if you don’t have the proper support. Nell, his partner, wife, and mother of his three beautiful children, goes beyond cheerleading into hard conversations, moving him forward towards becoming a better person.
You want someone whom you trust to raise your children properly. A person who can take care of the homefront when you’re away. Most importantly, a spouse who would raise your kids to love you. The opposite or lack of support would simply hinder and kill creativity.
“So, if you ask me again, how come I could run and deliver over 20 days non-stop? It’s because I was at peace about what was happening at home. My mind was focused and positive. I was 300% creative.”
He avoids arguments and leaves it to God to deal with the rest. He believes that this is key to a lot of his success. They cherish respect. Simple things play a significant role: A good morning when they wake up and a good night before sleep. They share what’s happening and get thoughtful mutual feedback with little drama. During his trip, he Facetimed every day. They laughed, played, virtually kissed, and said kind words to each other.
The Rahayel family.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, he’s shooting videos, enjoying plenty of interactions online, and, of course, spending time with family.
I have a mission
Anthony’s role is
“to reconnect Lebanese around the world and make them love Lebanon even more.”
He lives it, works it, breathes it, and invests everything he has for his cause. A tsunami for Lebanon’s cause.
For him, Lebanon is not a touristic country. Other countries are better at tourism. Lebanon is an experience for the five senses. Lebanon hugs your whole being. The core of Lebanon is when you touch its soil, smell the air, and roam its villages, something moves in you. It’s not perfect; it just is.
His work shows how much he loves to support the good and hard-working ordinary person.
As he wraps up his trip
After twenty days, during his last gathering, before heading back, a veiled woman approaches him, puts three silver coins in his hand, and says: “Thank you.” Her eyes, face, and warmth had so much to say. A whole lifetime of yearning and contentment. Yet, she was good with two words: Thank you. He was surprised, speechless, and did not know what to do. He thanked her and accepted.
Receiving with compassion, appreciation, and love is one step towards giving.
Anthony returned to Lebanon with many more gifts from Melbourne and Sydney. The most important one, however, was the feeling that he was home. He felt like a brother, a father, a son, a cousin, and a long-lost Lebanese friend to them. They walked with him, ate with him, talked with him, laughed with him, and cried with him.
And when he was about to leave, the flag-bearer surfaced again among the crowds in Victoria market. This time, he’s crying. Anthony took him aside and said: “Tell me.”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I feel that you represent Lebanon. Please sign the flag for me. I’ve been following you for the past 5 years. You have evolved. Now, you soothe the hearts of people.”
“When was the last time you visited Lebanon?”
“I was born in Australia and never been to Lebanon.”
Anthony challenged him to do his first visit this summer and promised to show him Lebanon in the best possible way. The flag-bearer teared up again and said he could leave next week.
Anthony: “Hold your horses now!” It ended with loud laughs.
This story is about a dental surgeon with an artist’s eccentricity and a Boy Scout leader’s diligence. It’s about a good man who knows what he’s doing, doing the right thing at the right time for the right people and is supported by a solid woman. What else can he ask for?
About Anthony
If you’re still reading, here’s a bonus video of Nell’s special “Chicken and Potatoes” dish.