Where would you go if you were about to die? Syria is the final vacation for man I met a few minutes ago.

Shortly after I sat down to file articles at my regular eatery and Wifi spot, an elderly Frenchman walked up to me, asked me if I spoke French and then asked if I could help him order food.

I translated a few items on the menu for him, and he ordered a variety of mezze platters.

He said, "This is my second time to Syria. I love the food here."

I responded, "It's like France. You can come here just to eat."

He then said that he had terminal cancer, and he wanted to take one last vacation, so he came here.

I managed not to cry upon hearing his news. Instead, we chatted over hummus, baba ghanoush and muttubal about places he'd enjoyed seeing in Syria.

After he left, I tried to savor the moment, the restaurant (Al Kaseda Al Demashkieh) in an old Damascene house where I come almost every night, where I eat some of my favorite food, that plays old French and Arab songs, that has wifi and lets me keep in touch with friends all over the world.

I guess that was part of my idea of coming back to Syria. Life is short, and it's important to be in the place you love, doing what you love. For me, that means writing articles from the Middle East.