Lebanon is only getting worse politically

I don't know how I actually still have hope that Lebanon will shape up to get better. We all know the children of today are tomorrow's politicians, so how can it get better while the way children (most) are being raised will only lead to more xenophobia and prejudice.

I am not saying in Lebanon people do really hate each other when it comes to religion, we actually get along pretty well, however the real issue here is whenever politics gets involved, people GET xenophobic and scared and prejudice.

Why do we tell little children of 5 and 6 year old who to love? Follow Nasrallah or Geagea or Aoun or Hariri or Berri or Franjieh or Jumblat or ... or ... or ...?

Why don't we let them get educated and grow up to one day decide who they want to follow? Are we being fair to them by shaping their mind to a 2D closed box?

How can we expect for the future reponsibles and politicians to make our Lebanon a better country while the way of thinking is not evolving at all?

Why aren't we accepting change? I think each and every political party in Lebanon is as stubborn as the next. None of them is willing to compromize, or learn or discuss. They all want their way or the highway.

I personally am getting fed up with the Lebanese people who are not trying enough to change, to look beyond their noses. They are not seeing that most of our leaders are nothing but hypocrits who only care about their own personal interest and making us hate our fellow brothers and sisters over silly and ridiculous unintelligent noisy thoughts.

Lebanon businesses try to bounce back

The following article by Alex Klaushofer from BBC News UK describe how Lebanese business is trying to get back on its feet and the problems that it is facing, in major the lack of tourists due to the most recent war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah in July 2006. I discusses 4 points, tourism (or the lack of it), the government support, new customers and Southern optimism.

In normal times, business on Beirut's busy seafront would be brisk. But, in the aftermath of the recent conflict, the Beirut Cafe on the Corniche is struggling to get back on its feet.

"This place is for tourists," says cafe manager Raydan Diab. "There is nobody. Everybody left."

This would usually be the busiest time of year for him and his staff, he adds: "We don't sit as you see now. We are always working."

To read more, please click here.

Mother and baby die in destroyed Lebanon bridge plunge

BEIRUT (AFP) - A young Lebanese mother and her one-year-old baby son have been killed when their car plunged off a Bekaa Valley bridge that was badly damaged by Israeli bombardment during the summer war, police said.

[...]

Since the war ended on August 14 at least five people have been killed in similar accidents as drivers tried to negotiate part of the bridge that is still intact, sandwiched between the crater and the Berdawni river.

During the month-long conflict, 70 bridges in Lebanon were either destroyed or damaged in Israeli attacks.

Click here to read more

Civil Marriage in Lebanon, Why not?

Why not? Why shouldn't there be Civil Marriage in Lebanon. This issue was brought up at the end of the presidency era of President Elias El Hrawi almost 10 years ago, and had been devastatingly ruled out, rejected, and severly attacked.

There are more than one reason why there should be Civil Marriage in Lebanon. I can name one so many, and I will:
1- Because it is just ridiculous for those who wish to get married in a civil way, to fly to Cyprus and get married there
2- Because yes, civil marriage is a civil right
3- Because in my opinion it will solve so many problems that we have here in Lebanon

Before point three is explained thoroughly, we should not forget the reason why Civil Marriage was ruled out, out of the question. Unfortunately no logical or valid argument was given concerning why we shouldn't have Civil Marriage in Lebanon. And the only thing that would explain its rejection is financial, and power related to the power positions and sources we have in our religious parties.

Now back to point three, couples from different religions face certain problems when getting married, as they both come from different backgrounds, they will need to agree on one religion to follow which will make the other party (and his/her parents) upset or sad or insecure... Not forgetting which religion to raise their children to.
And in addition to the above reason, if more people from different religions blend in together in Lebanon, logically their children will turn out being even more open and secure concerning their own religion (which they choose themselves) and the others'. Therefore the latter will definitely break the ice when it comes to the Lebanese religion related issues, and maybe, for once, religion will be a solution in Lebanon instead of an obstacle and a reason of disagreement.

Saying Goodbye once, twice, three times

At the beginning of this month, my friend has been relocated from Lebanon to Qatar as there are more chances to find potential clients in Qatar than in Lebanon, especially after the last July 2006 war.

Also this month, and precisely last Friday, I said goodbye to another dear friend who is going to work in an IT company in Paris. Yes, we said Good Luck and Take care of yourself, as we always do.

In 10 days or so, I will also be bidding farewell to a close friend who works with me, and has found a better opportunity in Qatar in addition I want to stress on the fact that she is a very talented Graphic Designer.

Having said that, I am noticing a certain pattern here, and it is: Immigration, which is not a new trend, but something that has occured extensively during the Civil war and in the 1990's, however decreased a bit in the recent years, to re-commence even stronger after the Israel-Hezbollah war in July 2006.

In conclusion, these 3 friends, and others who left Lebanon a while ago, all come back to Lebanon on vacations, but career wise, Lebanon was not the place to be for them.

Nafas Beirut

Espace SD and xanadu* are happy to invite you to the opening of Nafas Beirut a platform for artists bearing witness

Nafas Beirut is a platform for artists, poets, writers and filmmakers to share their work produced during or in reaction to the Israeli siege of Lebanon of Summer 2006. Believing it crucial to highlight these works, Nafas Beirut documents the emotions and experiences, and brings artists and viewers together, historicizing the moment. Nafas Beirut is a platform for these immediate responses through a multimedia exhibition and a month long series of events including, video screenings curated by various organizations and collectives, concerts, an open mike poetry jam, and a lecture on the oil spill.

The exhibition will continue until the 17th of November.

For the schedule of the events, please check [link] or [link]

Espace SD is open everyday except sundays between 3pm and 8pm.

Where to go when you visit Lebanon - Site 4: Skiing

Okay, yes there is snow in Lebanon and is NOT a desert and yes Lebanon has 6 Ski resorts. Usually we get snow around Christmas time and it lasts till April or May depends on how strong the winter was.




The 6 Resorts are: Faraya Mzaar Kfardebian | The Cedars | Faqra Club | Zaarour | Laqlouq | Qanat Bakish



What is great about it, is that you can reach a couple of Ski resorts (such as Faraya, Faqra, Laqlouq) in an hour or so from Beirut, you can rent a small apartment (chalet) and spend a weekend there, and when it's night you can either drive back to downtown Beirut, or Jounieh or Jbeil or Batroun to club or dine in less than one hour, or just stay indoors, enjoy the view and sit beside the fireplace. But of course, if you're here for the first time, it's a 2 in 1 if you go to the Cedars.

Everything is so close to each other in Lebanon, that a Ski trip is just the perfect thing to do in Lebanon winter time. You can go skiing, snowboarding, jet skiing... you can surely just do about everything you desire.

To read more about skiing in Lebanon, you can visit: http://www.skileb.com/

I received the first and last picture by email, no source was specified.

Beirut Marathon 06 - For the Love of Lebanon

Run for for the Love of Lebanon. To read more, please visit: http://www.beirutmarathon.org/

Why do we still feel poor?

I found this interesting article that talks about how much more money a random couple make than what their parents did 40 years ago, and how many more luxurious items in the household are now available for any average "American" couple (I believe it also works in Lebanon), such as a flat screen TVs, iPods, top of the line cars, ACs, etc.. And even with all this we still feel poor. Why? Because the rich people have gone even richer. I know I am jealous of them.

We're richer and more comfortable than ever -- but we're still dissatisfied. Polls say average Americans think their parents had it better.

Article's source: The average American at 300 million By Forbes.com

Lost picture in Dahyeh

Picture taken by my friend Hala end of October 2006 in Dahyeh (Southern Suburb) Beirut.

Is your leader a God?

If my leader changes his thoughts and opinions concerning some matters, would I still follow him?

Is this leader perfect? Infallible? Flawless?

Do I ever take a step back and think? Should I ever take a step back and think!

Friday 13: reminds me of Orange

For some reason, when I think of Friday 13, the color Orange comes to my mind. Maybe because usually numbers anticipate a color in my mind, or perhaps as Friday 13 is supposed to be spooky, and the ultimate spookiness element is the pumpkin. However probably because in 2 days on Sunday the 15th, there is the Tayyar festival, moreover represented by the Orange color.
The weird thing is that now whenever someone is wearing an Orange T-shirt or Top, or the color of their car is Orange, or their company logo is Orange, or Orange layout for their website, and whatever issue is related to Orange, they are immediately casted away as Tayyar followers, and Michel Aoun followers.
How can one day, Orange be just a color, and another day to become a belonging to certain principles and beliefs and thoughts. Tayyar has taken over the color.

I believe we should have a petition to have this color back as a none political color!

My 100th Post: Lebanese politics, same ... different day

Well, I will take advantage of this special post, the 100th post, to state several issues.

I will be decreasing the number of political posts on this blog, because lately the news about our politics have become pretty much repetitive. Actually they've always been like that, changed a bit during the war, and now we're back to Kids Play. I have noticed that Politicians go round and round and finally saying things that sum up to 5 sentences:

• (1) Ana ma khasneh (It's not my fault)
• (2) Hayda ileh (That's mine)
• (3) Ana rbe7et (I won)
• (4) 3tineh yeha (Give it to me)
• (5) And my favorite: Kil shi byerja3lak (Hope what you wish for me, happens to you)
• (6) Also my favorite: Houwe ballash (He started it) <-- Inspired by Rampurple

So from now on, on the news, they can just use codes, i.e. X says 1, Y says 4, X and Y say 5. This way, they can decrease the news time, and increase maybe the entertainment time.

Talents in Lebanon – Composer/Musician: Jalal Haddad

This entry is one of many of Talents in Lebanon, where I will be introducing several talented artists from Lebanon in various fields. The first entry will be about a distinguished young composer and musician Jalal Haddad. I met Jalal almost 8 years ago, and through these 8 years, every week or so, Jalal would send me a small voice clip of his music. And every single time among the dozens of times I listened to his music, my reaction would be:

Wow - Wonderful - Amazing - Impressive - Touching - Expressive - Hollywoody - Captivating

When you listen to Jalal’s music, where there are no lyrics, you can write your own lyrics to the music. You can immediately visualize the story that Jalal is trying to tell. He has this remarkable method of translating his thoughts and vision into music, hence we translate back his music to thoughts and vision and definitely enjoy it.

Jalal Haddad is a young promising talented gifted superb musician and composer.

To listen to some of his music, you can visit: http://www.myspace.com/jalalhaddad.
I would recommend starting with "Lebanese and surreal".

Quoted from his webpage:

"Jalal Haddad is not your average school boy with an extensive background in forced-piano-lessons and a rock star revolution at the prime of his adolescence. With passion for music since the age of 5, the sound he serves today, that of a Modernized and Beirutised Classical musician, pimping across Broadway to make a living, is a blend of classical, jazz, blues, choir, folk, military and a lot more, never letting genres come between him and his virtual world that he tries so hard to convey to us mortals."

Don't honk and drive

If you do this more than 5 times a day, then you're a honkaholic. We have an anonymous group for this and it's called "NoReasonToHonk".

There is no reason to honk:

• when you see a car 100 meters away coming out of a turn
• when you see an attractive person
• when you're behind a car that is carefully trying to come out of a turn.
• a millisecond after the lights turn from red to green
• when a car breaks down in front of you
• to someone who is riding a bike (this only makes them lose their balance)
• to the car in front of you who has allowed another car to pass in front of it
• to a car in front of you who turned on their left / right sign 50 meters ago and now they had to slow down
• when you're stuck in traffic
• when the car in front of you makes a sudden stop, so you can instead of honking... hit the breaks!

Honkaholic's side effects:
- Getting angry and making everyone else angry easily
Consequently affecting your daily life, thus decreasing your productivity at work

There are definitely more reasons, so please think before you honk

Where to go when you visit Lebanon - Site 3: Jbeil

Jbeil ya Jbeil. My favorite city in Lebanon. I love going there. It is just mind-blowing. It has the best horizons an eye can see, colorful sunsets, amazing food, old souk (market) to check out and buy souvenirs from, and it is in itself one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is not just a city on the beach, it is a archeological site as well.

If you like swimming, if you just like sitting by the beach, or walking by the beach, going on a trip in a boat, fishing, dining with a view, walking inside the city and visiting shops, shopping in the old Byblos souk (market), visiting museums (wax, fish fossils...), archeological sites and churches, sitting on the marina and chilling... Then this is the place to be!

Byblos (biblical Gebal, modern Jbeil) is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. According to Phoenician tradition it was founded by the god El who surrounded his city with a wall. The massive Early Bronze Age city walls (2800 B.C.) on the site reflect this early religious belief. Thus Byblos was considered, even by the ancient Phoenicans, to be a city of great antiquity.

Click here to read more.

Sources of photos: yours truly.

Cleanup to Start at Old Sites in Lebanon

BYBLOS, Lebanon -- Cleanup is set to begin within days at the first of three ancient World Heritage sites damaged in the summer's Hezbollah-Israel war -- a crumbling old castle rising from the Mediterranean whose foundation stones are now coated with oil sludge.

Tens of thousands of dollars from European and other donors will go toward repairing the damage at the three sites -- first at this ancient Phoenician port city whose history stretches back 7,000 years, then to Roman ruins at Baalbek and Roman-era frescos in Tyre.

Source: LA Times

Click here to read more

Israel expects another war with Hezbollah in months

ونقلت الوكالة ايضاً عن وزير البنى التحتية بنيامين بن اليعازر توقعه نشوب الحرب مجدداً مع “حزب الله” بعد أشهر عدة, مؤكداً بالتالي ضرورة النهوض بقدرات الجيش الاسرائيلي واعادة تأهيل الجبهة الداخلية بسرعة.
ورأى اليعازر انه لا يجوز الاستهانة بتهديدات “حزب الله”, معتبراً ان مجرد انتشار قوات الجيش اللبناني في جنوب لبنان لن يضمن استتباب الأمن.
وأشار الى ان “احتفالات النصر لدى “حزب الله” ستتلاشى حين يعلم ان اسرائيل باتت جاهزة لأي مواجهة جديدة”.

Translation: The [French] news agency also reported that Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer expects outbreak of another war with "Hezbollah" after several months, assuring the need to enhance the capacity of the Israeli army and rehabilitation of the internal front quickly. The minister could not underestimate the threat from "Hezbollah", considering that the mere deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon will not guarantee security. He pointed out that "victory celebrations" of Hezbollah will disappear when they know that Israel is ready for any new confrontation.

Click here to read full article.

Multinational Troops in Lebanon Mandated to Use Force, UN Says

Bloomberg -- United Nations peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon to act as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah fighters are authorized to use force to stop "hostile activity" of any kind, the UN said.

The Lebanese Army will take action if "specific information is available regarding movement of unauthorized weapons or equipment," the world body said in a statement yesterday, as it published the rules of engagement. If the army isn't in a position to act, the UN force will "do everything necessary to fulfill its mandate."

Click here to read more.

Israel's Lebanon bombardment visible from space

STAR CITY, Russia (AFP) - Israel's recent bombardment of Lebanon was clearly visible with "the naked eye" from space, a Russian cosmonaut based at the time on the international space station has said.

"Of course it was visible. You know, all negative human activities, in particular military operations, are immediately visible from space," [...]

"Of course we saw the fires, especially when it was a big city, it was very easily visible even without our instruments. You could see it with the naked eye," Vinogradov continued.

[...]

"Petrol fires, oil slicks, perhaps we are used to spotting things, but it is immediately identifiable in Lebanon among other places," he added.

Click here to read full article.

Higher Relief Commission: Lebanon needs you

Click on image to view larger size. To help, please visit: www.lebanonundersiege.gov.lb

Eternal Hope

Eternal Hope by Benjamin Heine