I used to tutor Saudi international students in English. Their apartments always smelled of oud smoke. I loved it. It smelled clean, rich, and almost poetic. When one friend returned to his home and family for the summer, he brought me back a little gold box of oud chips. I still have it.

I associate oud with friendship, especially vital friendships across cultures and nations.

I genuinely hope they’re successful in saving the wild trees.

This is incredible!

Um. If the goal is to fix the environmental issues, wouldn’t it be better to ask the local indigenous folk what the forest should look like? A monoculture of fruit trees isn’t going to help the local flora and fauna recover. I’m fact, it will probably make the environmental issues worse.

Good. Fuck Walmart.