Author Archives: Farrah Berrou

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British Week at the ABCs & Lebanese Week at Sofil

The British Embassy in Beirut is celebrating British week at the ABC malls. It’s a nice effort to bring something new to the scene and share some culture. They’ve gone all out with labeled wooden phonebooths scattered around the mall with stories inside them – the ones I saw were of The Beatles, William Turner, and English Cake. There’s also some vintage items like a sewing machine, a TV, a computer and a camera, a Twitter wall, Augmented Reality, and random events scheduled throughout the day. In my opinion, best part was the vintage car exhibit at ABC Ashrafieh located between Vero Moda and GS:

Vintage Jag.

Phantommmm.

Jag.
Aston Martin on the left. Yum.
Classic.
Other little things I snapped some photos of: 

Clay Figures.
More Clay Figures.
Phonebooths.

Inside the booth.
Richard Branson!
Vintage Sewing Machine.


There is a Lebanese Film Festival going on this week at Metropolis theatre in Sofil Center. Films from the 60s and 70s are showing throughout the week. The opening was this Wednesday – the movie featured was “Beirut 0-11” with Sabah and Ihsan Sadek, who was present. In the movie, he looked a lot like Amr Diab, but he didn’t age as well as Mr. Habibi ya Nour el Ain. The film was actually entertaining in that I-watch-an-old-movie-and-laugh-at-the-silly-plot-and-horrible-special-effects way. If you enjoy vegetating on the couch watching TCM, this will be a fun night out. “Sabah saved the day with her Manolos” as my friend put it, as Sabah discretely leaves behind her pump disguised as a bomb on the bad guys’ yacht. 

Entrance to each film is 5,000 LL or you can get a full pass for 40,000 LL but, be warned, only two films have English subtitles and the rest may be in Egyptian Arabic. Check out the program for the rest of the week here.

Beirut 0-11: The Opening Film.

I think the part that a lot of people ignored was the mini poster exhibition. There were about 16 posters hung up at the entrance to Metropolis – vintage posters from old Lebanese films. If you don’t want to stick around for a movie, then at least sneak a peek at the posters. 

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The Damien of Fruits

The Durian Slice.

A durian, or the Damien of fruits as I call them, is a fruit from southeast Asia. Recently, my teenage sister has decided to become a vegan and, besides her regular speeches against red meat and philosophies on spirituality, she experiments in imported goods and edible shrubbery.

Before moving to Singapore, a friend of mine had introduced the mythical fruit to me but only in words. We watched Natalie Tran’s video about Singy, where the YouTube sensation said that they were illegal on the metro because of their trademark odor. Vegan sister has shown me why. Her latest experiment was one durian bought for 16,000 LL (a bit over $10) from TSC. And she decided to store the spiky whoopee cushion in the fridge after cutting it open. Why is this bad? I’ll tell you.

The fruit can only be described as the lovechild of a pineapple and blowfish. The smell, which infested our kitchen and fridge, is like a rotten egg stuffed in a gym sock that was soaking in a septic tank. The fact that it looks like a medieval weapon and smells like a medieval outhouse would make one wonder if it’s supposed to be ingested. Isn’t that natures way of saying “stay away”? I thought to myself, don’t judge. What if it’s delicious? What if this is actually the sneaky durian’s way of testing the human race? Only those who are strong enough may have me, a chastity belt for fresh produce.

So I tried it. It was hard to do since you can’t avoid smelling the fruit before consuming it. So I plugged my nose. At first, it tastes like almonds. And then it starts to taste just like it smells right when you’re about to start digesting it. By then, it’s too late. You’ve been durianed. I ate a teaspoon of Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip frosting to get rid of the aftertaste. Did I mention she put it in the fridge?

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Ernest Hemingway at Midnight

Ernest Hemingway’s character in the Woody Allen film, “Midnight in Paris”, makes a beautiful speech as they ride to Gertrude Stein’s place (based on a quote by Hemingway himself, pasted below).

This movie is light and great if you’re in the mood to chill on the couch on a Friday night and order in.

“All men fear death. It’s a natural fear that consumes us all. We fear death because we feel that we haven’t loved well enough or loved at all, which ultimately are one and the same. However, when you make love with a truly great woman, one that deserves the utmost respect in this world and one that makes you feel truly powerful, that fear of death completely disappears. Because when you are sharing your body and heart with a great woman the world fades away. You two are the only ones in the entire universe. You conquer what most lesser men have never conquered before, you have conquered a great woman’s heart, the most vulnerable thing she can offer to another. Death no longer lingers in the mind. Fear no longer clouds your heart. Only passion for living, and for loving, become your sole reality. This is no easy task for it takes insurmountable courage. But remember this, for that moment when you are making love with a woman of true greatness you will feel immortal.” –Ernest Hemingway

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It’s All About Little Victories


There is an exercise I read about somewhere (forgot where, I’m not taking credit for this) where, every night, you write down one thing that made you smile that day. Just one little thing. It could even be something that reeks of utter awesomesauce but it could also be something as simple as “I found matching socks.” Yes, that is a battle I fight every morning. Don’t judge me. 


“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things,” said Henry Ward Beecher – and he’s right. 


You can find joy in the smallest things and if you go over the stuff you’ve written down over the span of just a week, you’d be surprised at the nice little victories and moments that you take for granted because you’re too busy thinking about how you paid a dollar for a cookie that wasn’t even squishy in the center. That’s just wrong but there’s bound to be something that’s gone right. 


Write it down.

A beautiful day walking on the boardwalk.
A stray flower.
Snagging a good couch at a coffee shop.
A friend’s returned home.
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Be Better Than the GAP.

Scene taken from “Crazy Stupid Love” – which is a good romcom that’s actually not really a romcom because it’s ridiculous and funny. And not in the Will Farrell way, it’s actually funny. PLUS, Emma Stone (my imaginary best friend) is in it. I was never a fan of Ryan Gosling’s The Notebook-ness but after this movie, he’s got my vote.

So for those of you suffering these last few weeks of the pseudo-Spring season, unable to go to the pool, suntan or just be absent minded and carefree because you have these weird things called “responsibilities”, this is for you.

Don’t get slumpy and lazy.
Don’t get boring and safe.
Don’t wear mom jeans.
Don’t become the GAP.
Why? Because you’re better than the GAP.
Be better than the GAP.

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6 Tips for Effective Studying

William Wallace studying biology

1. Read your notes/chapters to yourself aloud in a foreign accent. I prefer Scottish although it tends to morph into an Irish barmaid as I go down the page. This usually works best when you’re studying alone.

2. Creating acronyms for important theories/categories/names/things-you-will-never-use-in-regular-conversation-with-human-beings-who-were-smart-enough-to-study-something-other-than-what-you’re-studying. However, not plain boring acronyms. Make them inappropriate, offensive or inappropriately offensive. It’s the one time you will talk dirty to a textbook without feeling like a sad human being. I hope.

3. Make up a dance to go along with a theory you need to memorize. Turn on your iPod and recite the theory to yourself while breaking it down in your pajamas. You can make up moves to virtually any process. Cell cycle? Pretend your fingers are chromosomes and spirit-finger the heck out of that anaphase. The movement is good for mental stimulation and it helps you burn off some stress too.

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4. Study on a daily basis. No, just kidding. If you try to keep up with the class regularly, it’ll be much easier to hoover the info a few days before…but realistically speaking, this rarely happens. What they forget to tell you is to zone out on a daily basis. Take about 30 minutes to just vegetate, recuperate, doodle, work out. Take a bubble bath. Do anything that has nothing to do with the task at hand.

5. Create rewards for yourself. This is a lot like how they train a dog – if you do the trick, you get the treat. Following the same logic, if you do the chapter, you get the Snickers bar. Or the latest episode of 90210. Whatever floats your boat.

6. Instead of making a schedule just write a list of everything you have to do. The problem with schedules is it’s hard to stick to them – when writing them, we tend to be too optimistic in our ability to finish things. It backfires when you don’t finish all the things you wrote down for that day and it ends up being discouraging. The list however will still give a lovely sense of accomplishment when you scratch a line through something once it’s completed. Do have a general deadline in mind though. It’s not a bucket list. 

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Ferris Bueller, You’re My Hero.

Great scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, one of the best movies of the 80s (there are a lot).

It was back when Matthew Broderick was young and cool as opposed to “that guy from Godzilla who’s married to the horseface from Sex in the City.”

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” – Ferris Bueller

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What’s Your Punch Phrase?

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So in the hectic moments when you have so much on your mind, what is the one sentence that pops up? What are the words that help you figure out what to do? What is your punch phrase? 
It’s probably a cliche, isn’t it…no judgment. 

When I’m feeling just down right confused about which road to take, there is a little something I do to put my “problems” into perspective. Ask this question:
What’s the worst that could happen?
And you know what you find out? You realize that a majority of the stuff you’re fretting about isn’t worth the headache. Granted, I am not saying this phrase applies to serious situations. I am referring to the typical worries and issues we obsess over. When you realize that [insert event here] is NOT the end of the world, that there are more important things to spend brain power on, that there are bigger concerns, you will instantly feel more relaxed. 
It really is all about perspective.
I think we have a tendency to make things more dramatic than they really are. We forget that the biggest problem we are faced with could actually be a blessing in itself. In other words, there is someone out there that is happier with less than what you have. If the biggest problem you have right now is finishing finals or getting that weekly report over and done with – you should think about how lucky you are at this moment. Things can always get worse so when you’re feeling down, don’t forget to remember what you do have rather than what is missing. Count your blessings.
There are things in life that need attention and will take up a lot of space in that noggin’. But there are others that don’t. The sooner you figure out which is what, the sooner you will feel at ease. You will be more productive. You’re energy will go into things that really matter to you and that’s exactly how it should be. Because after all, what’s the worst that could happen?
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7 Dilemmas of 20-Somethings

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1. You want to be independent. You want to be able to pay for everything on your own without your parents’ help. You want to sleep till 1pm and watch cartoons all Saturday afternoon with a bowl of Cheerios on your lap. Wait, what?

2. You want to be in a meaningful relationship with someone of substance. While in this age range of unstable uncertainty, you want to have your person, the one who gives you something concrete to hold on to. But you’re too young for that Grey’s Anatomy crap. You’re not going to officially commit to anyone or anything now, why risk getting hurt? 
3. You want to have a job and a bank account that has more than enough money to buy 6 meals at Burger King. You want to be able to abolish Mondays, vegetate through Tuesdays, see live band performances on Wednesdays, sleep off the hangover on Thursdays and go to the beach on any non-Sunday*. Your boss would love that.

4.  You want to graduate with honors/keep your scholarship/brag about your GPA on your resume. You want to be a beach bum in the middle of your finals because God decided now was a good time for the sun to laugh at your pale ass.

5. You want to get in shape for the rare moment that you might actually make it to the beach…on a Sunday. After all, you’re not a kid with magical metabolism anymore. Puberty isn’t going to make that jiggle disappear because you’re “shedding adolescent baby fat and growing into your body.” Now you have to work at it. You also like cheesecake. And BBQ Pringles. And Oreo Cakesters. Damn them.

6. You want to be taken seriously by parents, professors, and/or other professionals. You want to make “That’s What She Said” jokes until you’re 85.

7. You want to think rationally and have a plan. A 5-year one? A 5-month one? You want to be able to go to the ticketing counter and just go to any destination the bored employee randomly chooses because you’re young and spontaneous and you just CAN. You can’t afford to financially. Maybe in 5 years.

*Sunday is the official day off in Lebanon.