Learn Arabic as it is really spoken. Listen to and read Levantine Colloquial Arabic.

Yumn and her friends decide to bike around the city. What could possibly go wrong?

كنت عم احكي أنا و رفيقي قدي نحنا بحاجه لنرجع نستعمل البسيكلة متل نحنا و صغار. فإلنا نحكي مع رفقاتنا و ننزل من بكير نبرم البلد بالبسيكلة يعني نعمل شي يشجع العالم و بتحمسن. فالحمدلله كانت فكرة البسيكلة حلوه. أول مرا نزلنا ونزل معنا 5 أشخاص وحمينا و مشينا وقدرنا نوصل للأسواق الشعبية يلي كانت فاضية. و بهيدا الوقت قدرنا نفهم الهندسة القديمة لأن من زمان كتير كانو بهندسوا الأسواق بطريقة يمرق فيا الهوا بشكل إستراتيجي لحتى يلي يكون عم يتسوق ما يشوب. بالعكس يكون مرتاح يقدي وقت كتير بالسوق. المهم كملنا ورحنا عالمناطق الجديده و تروقنا فول و حمص ترويقة طرابلسية. بعدين كملنا بالبسيكلة عالبحر وكانت الشمس أول ما عم تطلع والهوا نسمتو ناعمة. كان المشوار كلو حلو… وبنص الطريق نفّس دولاب رفيقتي (و بلشنا نبرم) ع مطارح لننفخو بس كان بكير لدرجه إنو ما حدا إسا فتح محلو. بعدين لقينا محطة بنزين عندن منفخ فركضنا ركض لعندن وكلنا جارين بسكلاتاتنا تضامناً مع البنت. حطينا المنفخ لننفخ الدولاب ونكمل المسيرة. طلع الدولاب كلو مخروب من أصلو فهون ختربت القضية وصار بدنا تكسي ياخد البسكلة مطرح فينا نزبطا. أم واحد من لي معنا ضحى بوقتو وعمل المهمه ونحن كملنا طريقنا بعدين كانت الصدمه إنو لقينا أحصنة. كان شي غريب بالنسبه لمدينة بس شكلن بينزلوا بكير كتير. فصرنا نحنا ويلي راكبين الأحصنة ماشين سوا حتى كل حدا منا وصل لنهاية طريقو.

I was telling my friend that we need to ride bikes just like we did when we were kids. So we told our friends to come down early to cycle in the city. We had to come up with an encouraging or exciting idea. So, thank God, it worked out and the idea of cycling was a success. It was the first time we went out cycling and there were five of us. We warmed up and moved on. We made it to the old souks when they were still empty [not crowded]. But at this time, we were able to observe the old architecture because they built the souks a long time ago. We felt the air that moves in these souks as they were initially designed in a strategic way in order for people to enjoy shopping without feeling too hot. On the contrary, it’s comfortable and encourages them to spend a lot of time in the souk. Anyways, we carried on and went to the newer areas of the city. For breakfast, we had ful [refried fava beans] and hummus–a [typical] Tripoli breakfast. Then we went to the seaside. The morning sun was rising and there was a nice breeze. The whole plan was working out well until something happened. In the middle of the way, the wheel of my friend’s bike deflated. (We started looking) for a place where we can fix it but it was too early for any shop to open. At last, we found a gas station that had a tire pump, so we ran to it. We were all walking our bikes in solidarity with the girl. We attached the tire pump to inflate the tire and then we carried on. But it turned out the tire was ruined, so it was a lost cause. Now we needed a taxi to take the bike to a place that can fix it. One guy in our group sacrificed his time and took on the “mission.” While we carried on, all of a sudden we found horses. It was weird to see this in the city, but it looked like they walk around early in the morning. We and the horse riders moved side by side until each of us reached their destination.

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