Everything -stupid- is allowed in Beirut.

I always admired street artists, those who manage to create a perfect art circle from absolutely nothing.
A little budget, a lot of hard work and patience. Those who turn walls, ugly walls, empty grey dirty walls, into colorful spaces.
It's all about giving Beirut some colors, enhancing the Art scene and of course breaking some rules, because rules are made to be broken.

Some of the Graffiti is abstract,  and if you're not one of us , if you don't have the time and the imagination to understand the messages, the subliminal ones behind those abstract Graffities, then you would be one of those old people who consider them stupid.
Knowing that NO Graffiti should be qualified as stupid, the Lebanese government lacks the imagination. Therefore, for the past 5 years it qualified many Graffities as: useless stupid colorful Graffities and ignored them or , worst case scenario? Painted over them.

Quote: Everything stupid is allowed in Beirut.

And I underlined  stupid, because they qualified Graffiti as stupid.
Stupid did not bring them problems, not until stupid had a cause: Awareness.
Then stupid became dangerous.
Dangerous to an Ignorant Government, unaware of its own people's needs.
And they dare qualifying Art, censoring books, movies , music and shutting down our freedom of speech.

Inspired by Semaan Khawam's case;

To read more about it check this link right here:
http://observers.france24.com/content/20120406-lebanese-artist-risks-jail-time-graffiti-soldiers-lebanon-civil-war-christians-muslims-censorship-beirut

To watch "Enta Horr" 's reportage regarding the case check the link right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBWr0zRe9qM

Aren't we all victims of routine?

Something fun to start the week with.
Whenever a long vacation is just around the corner, and I am too bored of that same circle of outings & people, I decide to go all creative and apply some idea I stumbled upon online.

I fell in love with this website a while back: http://dearphotograph.com/
Ever since then,  my trials of accomplishing such an exquisite combination have  FAILED.
Then I settled for the last and best result I got.
Here it goes.

Appreciation

The Priceless smile on this man's face whenever I drop a "Good Morning" to him each day.

I took this picture few weeks ago on a rainy morning, it really gave me a thing or two to think of.

One cannot simply Jog alone in Beirut.

Beirut is a complex city, always was and always will be.
Come to think of it, every single sort of possible violation exists here.
This of course exists all over the world, but it's very special in Beirut, for no one, and I mean no one has the power to control nor limit it, violation that is.

Here goes my Sunday, it's the line I've been repeating for the past two hours whenever anyone drops a hello.
My Sunday was pretty much useless and I hate it.
This country is depressing, that's all.
It's all repetitive, your week goes by between work and university and delayed projects not to mention the Facebook/WhatsApp ritual that's been depressing me more lately.
Then Friday night lights are spent in Hamra as always, having few drinks or walking around watching Drunk Teenagers trying hard enough to make fools out of themselves not knowing that none give a bloody damn about them being really tipsy or just, faking it.
After a "wild" Friday night, Saturday is either spent in bed, or home nagging about things that must be done before another "wild whatsoever night", or for me, catching up with the latest never ending news in the region.
Saturday night however won't end up being so different from Friday unless you were lucky enough to explore some new venues or places around the country.
Welcoming Sunday with jaws wide open, the day passes by, you are lazy, still nagging of course, a wild idea floats through your mind: I should go for a JOG! I live right next to a beautiful shore and I must! Clear sky, lovely sunset! YALLA!


Eh no. It's not quiet simple here. You see, between work and university and the daily routines, one cannot simply find time for gym, so the least to settle for would be a nice jog every now and then. Sadly, without the proper company, it's almost impossible around Beirut and no I am not exaggerating .

I am no super model, I force myself to jog for an obvious reason, getting in shape.
But it's really not that simple because One cannot simply Jog alone in Beirut.

Sincerely Beirut,
I don't hate you but it is becoming impossible to settle for what you offer me!
You don't offer me fresh air, good food, proper laws, well behaved generations, proper education, safety, you can't offer me a Simple jog, a decent safe hang out.
Someone must drop me home, if I don't have my car it's either a Taxi which costs me hell, or waiting for someone to drop me home because Public Transportation sucks here, allow me to tell you why.

Because Police here is just so random, randomly cool.
I don't know why this hate for Lebanese police also known as "Darak".I personally hate you people.
You could eat a woman with your eyes! An Ass can manage to distract you and I bet that a thief would rob a bank by then. [ I have a video to prove this and I will publish it soon]

I remember a couple years back when I was harassed by a "Foreigner" right next to my place, I ended up filing a complaint at the nearest police station and I was told to wait for a phone call. I am still waiting btw.

And to think of jogging here? All by myself? When the sun is setting and the weather is fine? I am sorry but One cannot simply Jog alone in Beirut.

One of three incidents is most probable to happen to you if you are a girl between the age of Zero and 90 jogging in Beirut:

1- The famous Cornish verbal harassment whereas you are introduced to the newly released pick up phrases.

2- The one and only "Bezer" being splashed all over your pretty face.

3- Le famous Mobilette/Mostic following you home.

I used to respond to those three incidents by given them The Finger until I realized that this might trigger one son of a B**** to actually lay a hand on me and then me B**** slapping him won't be so sweet whereas he would state the obvious: "Ente 3arfe 7alik ma3 min 3m te7ke?/ Do you know whom you are talking to? " And that we want to avoid because everyone in Someone in this Beirut.

So to cut this short, One cannot simply Jog alone in Beirut and that's it.

علمانيّة في مهبّ الريح

برزت في لبنان حديثاً حملة جديدة تطالب بحماية المرأة من الإغتصاب ، وتحديداً الإغتصاب الزوجي . وتفرعرت من المظاهرة التي برزت فيها مشاركة كبيرة لنساء و رجال ، تفرعت منها عدة شعارات منها : “حماية المرأة من الإغتصاب الزوجي” و “حماية المرأة من عيون الأمن الساهر على سلامتها نظرياً فقط “ و”حق المرأة في منح الجنسية لأطفالها” ... ويبدو أن العمل على هذه الحملة تطلب جهداً ووقتاً وتكاتفاً فما مصيرها يا ترى؟ وكم تختلف هذه المظاهرة عن مظاهرات المطالبة بالزواج المدني ، أو إسقاط النظام الطائفي ؟ ولماذا تطغى مشاركة فئة واحدة دون الفئات الأخرى على هذه التحركات فتحصرها أحياناً بلونٍ واحد مع العلم بتشديد المنظمين على استقلاليتها؟

وأين بقية النساء اللبنانيات؟ وخاصةً الجامعيات والأمهات! راضخات هنّ أم خائفات؟ أين هو الولاء الوطني وعدم التحيز أو الإنتماء؟ لماذا تبدو هذه المظاهرات إما منتمية ضمنياً أو مسيّسة شكليًا؟ أين هي الإستقلالية الحقيقية؟ " إذا لا 14 ولا 8 ضروري تكون حمرا؟ " سؤال يتبادر إلى ذهني دائماً.

أما المضحك المبكي فهي اللجنة المكلفة دراسة هذا القانون ! ليشرح لي أحدكم علاقتهم بالمرأة ، وكيف تم اختيارهم! وأين بقية البرلمانيات؟ أين ستريدا ونايلة وبهية وصولانج ؟

أما عن مصير هذه المظاهرة ، فهو لن يختلف عن مصير المظاهرات التي سبقتها خلال العام المنصرم؛ ضجة إعلامية ومشاركة كثيفة ومظاهرات متتالية فتراجع وزوال... بانتظار شعار جديد ومظاهرة جديدة من نفس اللون .

وقد فشلت هذه الجمعيات والتجمعات في إطلاق مظاهرة واحدة موحدة تندرج في إطار تغير أكبر وعنوانها "نعم للعلمانية" .

العلمانية هي القاعدة الأساسية والدستور الموجه والحامي.

العلمانية هي :

الزواج المدني

الحقوق المدنية

حضور المرأة في الحياة السياسية البرلمانية والحكومية والإدارات العامة بنسبة لا تقل عن 25% ، فحضور المرأة في المجلس النيابي والحكومة هو المغيّر الوحيد والقوة المطلقة التي يمكنها التحكم بزمام الأمور النسائية والمطالبة الفعّالة بها والأهم حماية المرأة من كلّ أنواع العنف المحتملة بالإضافة إلى متابعة مشاريع القوانين اللازمة.

فصل الدين عن الدولة

حرية المعتقد

التوظيف بناءً على الكفاءة العلمية وإنتهاء الستة ستة مكرر وزوال المحسوبيات

هي ....

هذا يكفي لجعل هذا العنوان الهدف الأساسي لتحركاتنا ، ذلك لأن إسقاط النظام و حماية المرأة وتحسين الوضع المعيشي وإقرار قانون الزواج المدني وإعداد نظام إنتخابي جديد، كل هذه عناوين محاطة بالعنوان الأكبر ، الممثل لها والناطق بإسمها وهو: "نعم للعلمانية" .

فلماذا لم توحّد الجهود بعد ؟

أين نساء لبنان؟ نصف الشعب اللبناني أي ما يعادل أكثر من مليوني فتاة وإمرأة !

وأين أنا من هذه المظاهرات والتحركات؟

متى سيتوحد الهدف لتكون قاعدته مسيرة واحدة فقط وهي العلمانية؟

Beirut is ageing.

There’s a random quote that goes like:  “A man among children will be long a child, a child among men will be soon a man.”

This is very much related to what I have in mind, or not.

Back to my random quote, Beirut was a new born child few years ago. In her early 50’s she was blossoming, people barely had any worries or doubt. None thought of mistakes or down hills or even ups and downs. Beirut was the child among men. And then it all clashed during our civil war (I wrote our because You and I are still indifferent from our fathers and grandparents who started and participated in that war, we are barely making any difference). Long after that, Beirut was no longer a child. Beirut grew older, she became wiser. Beirut became a man, a man among children; I am talking about Beirut because I know her best and we are kind of close.

See, I like her, there’s something about her. She makes me so mad most of the time; with all her traffic and damned lights and bad oxygen and horrible taxi drivers and disgusting Chawarmas.

Yet, I take a walk at night, and I start admiring her clumsiness, her wet sidewalks and her dim lights.

I used to walk around Beirut a lot. Then one day I found something better to do, because she was no longer the same to me, I stopped walking, picked few books about her and started reading instead.

It got me confused. Books, articles and old photos, something wasn’t right. Where are those old majestic buildings now? That pine tree misplaced yet magical? Where’s that cute forty year old taxi driver? And what about that lady in red making her way through the cars, welcomed by smiles and not by a “chu yaaa” expression? Where’s that smell of fresh baked mankouche? Where are our Holidays festivities and spirits? 

Beirut, Beirut, my darling, you aged.

You lost your odours,

You lost your spark,
Christmas is no longer the same,

People barely smile,

Everyone is so stressed and tired,

I see wrinkles I see no skins.

I am not day dreaming about some fairy tale taking place in a lala land.

Back in 1992, Beirut was my lala land.

While scanning old photo, I compare them to the new ones realizing how everything became too fake.

They left no artistic sidewalks, not even enough vintage buildings, I don’t see why.

I never encountered a tourist visiting Beirut to go to Skybar or Bo18, to eat at McDonalds, or to take a long refreshing walk next to a dump (our shore), to take a swim in oily water (our sea)  nor to check into some hotel like the Four Seasons. 

So would you please tell me why? Why did she turn into this man, controlled, ruined, bought and sold  by children, not to mention: owned by money.

L E B A N O N

In Defining Lebanon:



Lame phone lines service.



Easy going internet connection (Literally!)



Beautiful so called nature ruined at any given opportunity.



Abusive use of car horns.




Non stop Partying followed by massive car accidents because Drinking & Driving makes us Cool like That!


Openings of new pubs every hour and they keep on getting worse.



Non stop Nightlife and I really don't wanna start on That one.