Only in Lebanon

Signs you'll only see in Lebanon!

In Lebanon we tend to translate political beliefs, idiocricy and silly propaganda into our billboards, billboards that are supposed to ambush us by telling us that a car with the current year model is only 10'000$, which contains beneath it in a very very small font "Excluding VAT, Excluding Registration, Excluding Gear, Excluding Wheels..."

Anyway, I got three signs for you! I was at the Housing thingie applying to get a loan for a house, and I saw a sign that said: "Please don't turn off your cigarettes on the floor". I thought I was reading it wrong expecting something like "Please don't smoke". I am so retro.

Another funny one coupled with "Sex, Unisex":



No comment really, it is all thanks to Aoun that "partnership" is back to Lebanon.

And finally, something that REALLY reminds me of the time when Emile Lahoud, the most hated guy in Lebanon for the past 9 years. New billboards Thanking General Michel Suleiman, our upcoming president.



It is just amazing how Lebanese forget, get so excited, so happy over anything slightly positive, clinging to an atom of hope, thinking that everything in just 2 days can make the country better. It does give this vibes, it really does, but we're just repeating history if we keep doing the same mistakes, the same reactions and the same way of thinking. Silly us.

The Holidays, the gifts and the food

A lot of people visited malls during the holidays, to either get gifts to their loved ones and colleagues, to have dinner, to shop for the big dinner, watch movies, buy clothes... It was too crowded, I actually bumped into many persons while I was trying to reach the movie theater.

Large audience gathered around Christmas charols in Geant Casino mall.




Another great place for shopping is Arax Area, that is in Bourj Hammoud. You can find anything there, from clothes, shoes & bags, perfumes, home stuff, artisanat, sweets, anything you desire! But the best of it, is the food, armenian sweets and some dried fruits (picture below).



After shopping all day, a person is bound to feel hungry, and if you haven't heard of the Famous Falafel Arax, then you've missed a lot. It is highly recommended. A great finish for a great day.

Previous President Emile Lahoud leaves Baabda

Beirut still lives

While political clashes are flying backwards and forwards in the air and on TV between government members, political party leaders and opposition leaders, Beirut is living!

Lebanese people are devastatingly annoyed and bothered by those destructive discussions that never lead or improve the situation but rather ruin it. Therefore instead of waiting and hoping for life to get better in Lebanon, Lebanese people themselves have taken charge and are making Beirut life better.

There are several ways to start, spend and end your evening in Lebanon which depends on the group of people and their preferences. If you are into the traditional Lebanese dinner than you will need to go to a typical Lebanese restaurant or café, the dinner usually begins with a Mezza – a word that originates form a Lebanese slang verb which means enjoy – rich with its famous Tabbouli, Hommos, Baba Gannouj and many other appetizers, then followed by grilled chicken, meat and Shish-Kabab, certainly accompanied by a drink wash them all down, the traditional Lebanese Arak.

For others, having a drink with buddies and listening to fine music, is a thrill. As a matter of fact it is my kind of thing, going to a pub seems the logical thing to do after a hard working week, this way we get to talk and are capable of hear each other and catching up on what’s what.

However, there are some crazy dance lovers out there who prefer clubbing and dancing till dawn.

Not to forget Karaoke nights, the best nights ever, especially if you choose a song which you don’t know very well and forget its tune, happened to me last Thursday, but never to worry, no one judges you, after all it’s Karaoke and not American Idol with Simon Cowell sitting there!

You can do all that in only but definitely not limited to two locations that are only far of each other by a walking distance, the first is an old inhabited street known as Gemayze, and the second is a district called Monot full of a variety of night-clubs.

From Monday to Sunday, you can barely find a place to park, filled with fancy cars, well dressed women and man and a heart longing for a warm drink and a mood swing, or swinging a mood! This is Lebanon at night, much different than Lebanon in the news.

Note: click on images to view in larger size.

Passionately in Love with the Sea

This is a photo taken by a fellow flickr photographer in Ain El Mreisseh - Lebanon. I simply fell in love with it.

Passionately in Love with the Sea
Originally uploaded by Piax.

I Love Mom

The latest addition to the "I Love ..." collection that started with "I Love Life" sponsored by March 14, continued by the opposition, used by several companies with adjusted sentences to suit their product, such as "I Love Life in Diamonds", "I Love Carpets" and "I Love Samak" (Samak is Fish in Arabic), with finally a new player joining the team, "I Love Mom". (In Lebanon, Mother's day is celebrated on March 21st).

Photos from February 14, 2007

Click here to view album.

I Heart Carpets

The I Love Life campaign has received a lot of attention, criticism, and public awareness to its purposes, it is now famous, the publicity has succeeded 100%. So companies such as Voyageur (Jewellery), picture courtesy of Rampurple's blog. The below billboard says: I Love Life in Diamonds.



Now, Iran Maktabi has also made use of this famous campaign to attract the eyes to his products, picture below, courtesy moi. The billboard says: "I Love Carpets"



In my opinion, they intelligently used the success of the previous campaign for mere publicity purposes, might sound naughty and not nice, but after all, this is what publicity is all about.

Lebanon on 14 February 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007

2004 and before



2005



2006





2007

?

Breaking News: Arab University (Photo)

الجيش اللبناني يحيط بمبنى الجامعة العربية في بيروت والمنطقة المحيطة بها بعد إشكال طلابي بين أنصار "المستقبل" و "أمل" و "حزب الله"

Translation: The Lebanese army is surrounding the Arab University in Beirut and the near area after a clash occuring between students supporters of "Future", "Amal" and "Hezbollah".

Source: LBC

Edited: Also heard from colleagues who made phone calls to near by residents that there are several injured (5 so far), and gun-fire by the Lebanese Army in order to warn watchers on the roofs of the neighboring building to stay far.

Photo below taken from work, sources said that they are burning cars and tires, and the smoke seen is caused by the fire.

The conflicts keep expanding to more areas, they have now reached the Sports Stadium. Now that the weapons have been confiscated, they are throwing stones on each other.

The road to the International Beirut Airport has been closed, and parties leaders call for the people to calm down and get out of the streets.

The Lebanese University declares that all courses will be stopped until next Monday.
16:01 Reuters: 1 dead and many injured.
16:08 According to NewTV, gun shooting at the Lebanese Army.
16:18 One of the public busses has been set on fire.
16:28 Shooting again between the Lebanese Army and anonymous individuals
16:31 Reuters: The person who died is from the opposition forces and has been shot in the head
16:32 Beirut Fire department is working on putting the fire down, and the conflict moves to the neighborhood of the Arab University
16:41 The President of Lebanese Cabinet is urging both the opposition and pro-government supporters to step out of the streets immediately
16:42 Stores closing in Mar Elias area and the near by streets
16:51 Reuters: 4 dead until now
16:56 The Lebanese Army has things under control in the surrounding area of the university
17:00 Fleeing the students from the campus by cars
17:16 Renewal of fires and clashes near the Arab University

Updated:
Between 6 p.m and 7:30 p.m., things calmed down after the Lebanese Army took control and declared a curfew to start at 8:30 p.m. to end the next day at 6 a.m. Sheik Nasrallah spoke and asked everyone to clear the streets, he also called for the Lebanese Army and persecution to arrest all who possessed weapons, and also expressed his concern that "snipers are back". The SSNP (Syrian Social Nationalist Party) was burned in Tarik al Jadidah.

Moreover, Walid Jumblat holds Syria responsible for what happened today in Lebanon. All the public and private schools and universities will close their doors on Friday and Saturday based on a request by the Minister of Education.

Source: Tayyar.

p.s. This post will keep being updated, keep checking for any news.
Note that people are panicking




Burned car due to the clash earlier this afternoon between students in the Arab University


Reinforcements for the Lebanese Army

Update: Smog near Airport and throwing stones

- Around 11am, I received this picture from my cousin in Kfaraaka in North Lebanon.


- 11:25am Near the Airport perimeter, tires burning and smog rising in the sky prohibiting travellers from arriving to the airport.




- 11:30am Near Al Mazraa region, opposition supporters were throwing stones at the army, and the habitants of the region are answering back with throwing stones as well.




P.S. Again with a phone call to LBC, Franjieh repeated that today's protest is civil and peaceful. (No comment, watch the pictures).

Photos & Updates of today`s Escalation and Smog

Dear Reader,

This album of today's photos will keep being updated as soon as I see anything new.

L

p.s. Newest photos taken in the Horizon of Dekwaneh, I am pretty sure near Dallas Gas Station.



This one is in the Industrial City in Sid El Bouchrieh (or in the area)



And the rounded building is The Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II.


Edited: To view pictures from inside the protests and tire burning, click here.

Update:

• - 10:00am People who are travelling today, are going walking to the airport according to Al-Arabiyyah


• - 10:20am Most Schools and Universities have closed their doors today


• - ~10:30am Military Police is now on the ground, as re-enforcements to the Lebanese Army


• - ~10:30The army has opened the road going to Beirut, but not the one going from Beirut, and people are stuck in their cars immobile.


• - 11:03am In Al Koura, Miryata and Zgharta, some gun fire occured against some protestors of Al Marada and FPM (after some provocations) resulting some injured persons who have been moved to a near hospital


• - 11:05am Some arab airlines have reschedule flights going from and to Lebanon, to another day because of the General Strike called upon by the Opposition


• - 11:08am Franjieh described today's protests civilized (isn't he watching the TV?)


• - 11:50am One casualty so far


• - 11:50am Armed Lebanese Forces and Phalange supporters went to the gathering in Nahr el Mot near Jdeideh, resulting with 1 injured from the opposition

Regular day or Pollution day?

Personally, I woke up at probably 6 a.m., staying in bed and listening to the road's noise. Usually, I hear a lot of honking, School bus engines, and normal engines. Unlike today, I heard one engine every once in a while, maybe one school bus, and barely any honking (something very strange for Lebanon). I decided to finally get out of bed at 8 a.m. So I went straight to the balcony, and I saw this:



I put on the TV, LBC of course, as Future TV is always in denial, and New TV too biased, and no need to say what Al Manar is. They were reporting live from Nahr El Kalb, basically everyone coming from Jounieh, Zouk, Jbeil, Keserwan, any place from the north to the Capital Beirut, cannot make it. This is the main entrance!

Drove to work, everything was smooth, there is a college beside us, so there were 5 or 6 groups of 5 to 10 people standing in corners. I arrived to work, and my first joy was finding a place to park my car so near. The bank that is in the center where my job's office is, is empty, only 8 people or so were there, gathering together and laughing, probably about how awkward for a bank to be empty.



I arrived the work and took some pictures where you can see in the horizon the smoke of the fire caused by burning wheels in order to block roads. It's a 360 degree view.

Click here to view more horizons filled with smoke.

Opposition`s first played card

I found this paper on the car front window tonight. Nothing surprising there, but I really wanted to point out the importance of one sentence mentioned in it. As lately I have been really intrigued with the "propaganda maquinista" and how it works. The rough translation of the expression is: "The Lebanese opposition calls the citizens to stay home and avoid transportation unless crucial" and of course this to be done on Tuesday January 23rd, 2007!

Let the games begin.

P.S. Doesn't this type of behaviour remind us of something Israel used to do during the wartime when they threw flyers from the sky to warn towns from being in a certain place?

Talents in Lebanon - Photographer: Karen K

This is the second entry of Talents in Lebanon. The first was about the composer and musician Jalal Haddad.

This entry comes in a bit late nevertheless it is only because I want to make sure that I only bring you the best.



I have been introduced to the work of the Lebanese photographer Karen K on Flickr.com consequently I have immediately been drawn to them. After browsing the work of so many photographers, I only experienced the feeling of closeness when I stumbled upon the photos Karen have taken. I couldn't take my eyes off her photostream, one after another. Each time I thought I had found the best one, I was wrong.

The interesting thing about Karen's work, is her work can feed different tastes. Everyone can find his own favorites while skimming through her library of photos.

To know more about Karen, where she lives, her interests, etc... You can view her profile here.



Furthermore, ladies and gentlement, Karen's photographs. Karen has many albums, if you are lost and don't know where to start, I recommend Karen's dearest photos.

Karen even had her share in reporting about the war in her own way.

Tonight we celebrate our version of Halloween

It is actually on December 4th where it's been said that Saint Barbara was killed by her father (decapitated). The reason behind this act is that her father (pagan) did not approve of her conversion to Christianity. After killing her by a while, he died by a sudden lightning.
I remember being told that Saint Barbara had disguised in order to escape her father and his desire of killing her. (I didn't research a lot, but there is mention of her escaping, but no mention of disguise. Nonetheless, in Lebanon, Saint Barbara is celebrated on the night of December 3 by kids actually disguising and going from door to door to get a treat.
Also, and this is dedicated to AM and COCO and to all Lebanese who are living abroad and used to celebrate this holiday, a lot of sweets are made and distributed for this occasion.
Like Atayef, either with Ashta or walnuts (which I prefer):



Of course, the best sweets (and they are VERY sweet) are the Ouwaymet (no clue what is their name in English)



And Wheat Grains, which are boiled and then mixed with sugar when presented. Very delicious.



Below you can see here, a Patisserie, making the Atayef, it has become a kind of tradition to this outdoors.





And finally, my disguise, socks with an evil witch on them!

Fresh Pictures from today's gathering

I received those pictures by email from a friend. His friend shot these pictures near his work today at noon. I enhanced the colors of some, they were a bit dark.

Pierre Gemayel`s funeral, pictures included

There was definitely a lot of people attending Sheik Pierre Gemayel's funeral, but I have to be objective on this one and say it was not near 14th of March 2005 at all. Proof is I was able to actually drive my car to Ashrafieh in 10 minutes, thus in 14 March 2005, it tooks us almost an hour and a half to get there. But nevertheless, it was huge, a lot of crowd, from all ages and religions and backgrounds. A martyr such as Pierre Gemayel derserves it.

Okay below are only a couple of photos of many more, if you want to see more, please click here to view the whole album.











You can view the whole album here.

From pictures of this week in MSN

Lebanese citizens watch Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah speak on television as smoke rises from Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on July 16.

Taken from Picture of the week 13 - 20 July from MSNBC.