UPDATE: A report by NOW Lebanon claims that the state is stopping the works near the forest in Bcharre. It also states that the works were not uprooting trees, but moving soil & rocks to construct an amphitheater for the wedding of William Tawk – movement that could affect the rest of the forest.
As reported by LBC, Gebran Tawk’s son is having a big fat wedding – so fat that he needs a forest removed just so he can have it. Not just any forest, a forest of cedar trees in Bcharre, home of another Gibran.
“It is worth noting that the ancient forest is listed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO; a list that requires the protection of classified sites and their surroundings within an area exceeding 500 square meters; however, the preparation activities carried out in the vicinity may obliterate the existence of the forest.”
The Lebanese Cedar tree, or Cedrus libani, grows in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, northwest Jordan, western Syria, and south central Turkey. It is on our flag. It is our symbol. It is endangered. I have visited the Cedar Reserves in the Shouf & Tannourine. Cedars are sensitive organisms that require high elevation to grow (4,000-6,000 ft above sea level). Because their seeds need to be buried in snow for a minimum of two months, they are also in danger due to climate change. In a BBC article, Nizar Hani, Shouf Cedar Reserve scientific coordinator, said “isolated populations of trees will be more affected by climate change, so increasing the area of the cedar forests could help.” Instead, we’re clearing the area for round tables and a 3-day wedding for three thousand. Two years ago, Al Arabiya’s Rima Maktabi (she was reporting for CNN for a short period) reported that eco-tourism had been booming thanks to these forests and, as a result, many villagers could sell their homemade products such as jams, honey, and oils, to visiting tourists.
The cedars were used in King Solomon’s temple and they were exported by the Phoenicians. They are mentioned in the earliest written records of the Sumerians dating from the third millennium BC, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Bible.
Mr. Tawk, you are a former Lebanese deputy, a citizen of this nation’s soil, and you should be ashamed of yourself. By destroying a forest of cedars, you are ripping out the veins of our country’s heart and you are defecating all over our heritage. Mabrouk lal 3arees.
*and the albums were downloaded as one track so they will be counted as a “song” since they were listened to as such. Except Lupe, but he’s awesome and will not be limited to one song.
1. Last Night – P. Diddy ft Keyshia Cole It was the first time I ever went to a pub at age 19. I parked my first car (still a month old…to me) in the small parking lot on Monot St – the first one on your right hand side that you barely notice. “The place is called 37, in the small alley facing the huge parking lot.” I ordered a nonalcoholic Angelina Jolie and had way too many stale tortilla chips.
2. Blue – Eiffel 65 In mom’s car, coming back from LaserTag on my 10th birthday after getting soaked because my friends and I rode the Supreme Scream ride in the pouring rain…twice. That was the first time I realized that I wasn’t a wimp and enjoyed rollercoasters. And that I’m trigger happy when in the virtual world; I shot 150 rounds in 20 minutes. BUT I WON.
3. Workout – J. Cole Angry Monkey, Gemmayzeh, last few days of 2011. One of those nights you wish you could bottle up and save for later because they seem temporary and fleeting. Part of you thinks there’s no way things could be like this, as good as they are in this moment. Suddenly it’s an out-of-body experience: you want to freeze time, just break the pause button, grab everyone and never let go so they don’t leave again. The exact people with whom I always want to spend my nights, the perfect whispers, the perfect music, the perfect I-kicked-your-ass-at-bowling buzz. The perfect everything buzz.
4. Closer – Kings of Leon Sitting on the floor of the balcony in the middle of the night, watching the paper of my first-ever cigarillo burn while trying to make the smoke last longer as it twirls through the balustrade. The whole time I was thinking, “this is so repulsive and I’m going to smell like this all night.” That and “I wonder what would happen if my neighbor’s underwear lit on fire if a spark fell on the clothesline.” Now, I can taste cigarillos whenever I hear this song.
5. Butterfly – Crazy Town Getting on the bus to go on the 8th grade field trip to the Tanmia Chicken Farms. I had two mixed CDs specially made at the sketchy music place around the corner. The dude looked like a younger version of the roach in Thumbelina but I needed tunes for my Discman and Napster had died. This song had been added because he couldn’t find 1 of the 20 I had requested even though I put backups.
6. Florence & the Machine Concert at Royal Albert Hall Two consecutive late nights alone at the office. No headphones, just me, Florence, and Adobe CS6.
7. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Live on KEXP Last week of my last semester doing 3 all-nighters for a senior project with this beauty on repeat. No one appreciated this song THEN. I got so pumped on caffeine while running on empty that I managed to slam dunk my phone in my coffee at 8 am, the morning of my final jury. A Ziploc bag of rice, $120, and left in the freezer for 15 minutes: she’s alive! Who needs a functioning flash anyway. It ruins pictures and I navigate through the dark with a lighter. Old school.
8. Lasers Album – Lupe Fiasco 6-month period of working two jobs and being a full-time student but ey, I had to get out of my head and ’till I got there, the show went on. There were a couple of I’m-Jennifer-Beal-from-Flashdance-and-I’m-going-to-get-into-Julliard dance routines while going up the AUB Chem stairs. I mean in spirit, not choreography because only Sembello’s Maniac works for that and I don’t weld.
9. Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion Breaking down in tears in our minivan because I said the song reminded me of my grandma so mom had to pull over on PCH to cry with me.
10. To Forever (Moonbeam Remix) – Rachel Starr Starting at 59s in the vid above, this was a special ringtone on my old Nokia 6500. I still have the giddy residual reaction of looking for it just to pick up. Then I remember it’s 2013 and I have an iPhone with no flash.
11. Aquarium Full Album- Aqua In the car-ride to Las Vegas at the age of 9 with only this cassette tape to listen to for 4 hours straight. I know every song, side A & B. I’m pretty sure we were all singing it once we crossed the state line of Nevada. Dad was in another car otherwise this probably never would’ve happened. And even back then, I’m going to say that this was my younger sister’s fault.
12. In Between 2007 Set – Paul Van Dyk MCAT. MCAT. MCAT. Practice Test after Practice Test. September 3, 2008. 1:30 pm. Safe.
13. Take Care Album – Drake I was stuck on this album for 9 months a year after it came out. Late bloomer. But only the first 40 min and then minute 44-62, 88-95, 103-113. You know, not the whole album. I never bothered with the rest.
14. California Love – Tupac Leaving Mulligan’s in Hamra after it getting way too crowded. I kept leaning up against a barrel that wasn’t bolted to the ground. I was dancing with myself mostly but we decided to leave when there were too many people salsa dancing around us. Then this jam came on and we danced the whole way down the stairs. No one believed we were sober.
15. Get Right – Jennifer Lopez Full day rehearsal at Spring Hills for the annual high school beauty pageant/banquet/dinner/event/whyamicakedinmakeup. I wasn’t a contestant, I was the drill sergeant with a megaphone. “AGAIN. FROM THE TOP…WHAT THE HELL? WHY DIDN’T YOU USE SUNSCREEN?”
16. Climax – Usher Upon plans of going to the hotel bar falling through, I found myself singing along to this in the middle of a London McDonalds at 1 in the morning with a half eaten Big Mac in one hand and a a single French fry in the other that rhythmically goes up and down when I’d hit the high notes. My friend sat and watched…and eventually joined in. The beauty of being in a foreign land and not caring if you seem like an insane drunkard when, in reality, you’ve just had a lot of BBQ sauce.
17. Sunny Tales (Chill Version) – Sunlounger I was walking through AUB campus one afternoon after a long meeting with my boss. I decided to just sit on a bench behind Jaffet and listen to this song that randomly came up on shuffle. I don’t know why but ever since I first listened to this song, it takes me somewhere and it always makes me very sad. But I can’t not listen to it.
18. Always on Time – Ja Rule ft Ashanti 9th grade, riding home from school cramped in an ancient Mercedes with way too many cousins. The roof leaked and the driver had an unexplainable love for Najwa Karam, yellow Chiclets, and complimentary glass cups from the gas stations.
19. I’m On – Nas ft DJ Khaled The treadmill. All I remember is the treadmill.
20. Show Me What You Got – Jay-Z Zooming across the bay in the speedboat, hair going crazy, tan so golden brown with champagne flooding the deck because we can’t control the way were bouncing off the waves, all that’s crossing my mind is “Damn, he’s fine.” Yeah, that never happened. BUT IT COULD.
Kfarmatta, located near Souk El Ghareb on the way to Aley, is home to an old abandoned silk mill. Quite appropriate being 15 minutes away from the Silk Museum, this structure is left standing in the wilderness.
The mill is still in pretty good shape considering it’s completely forgotten. All of the shattered red shingles are still there in piles surrounding the sandstone walls, trees have overtaken the interior, most of the upper floor has crumbled, and the entire roof has collapsed. Silk mills are where machines are used to make silk into thread. Based on what I’ve read, most mills used water wheels to create a power source for the spinning machines that were set up in a large space. The main room of this particular silk mill seems to be where the working stations were. The well is not that far off and there is some form of piping/irrigation system that leads back to the large room. I will find out more about this upon my visit to the Silk Museum in Bsous.
Floor plans and other architectural renderings of the mill (dated 1975) can be accessed on the AUB website here.
Oddly enough, when googled, the land comes up on a property website for $7.2 million ($200/sqm). I don’t see that sale happening anytime soon, but honestly that makes me very happy because it’s quite the site to see. Just look at the view from the artesian well:
“Goodvertising”, a term coming from Thomas Kolster’s book of the same title, is about how advertising can be used towards the good of mankind. Agencies and charities have come up with fantastic ideas that can make a difference, even in the most subtle and simple way. You can find out more about him and the book by watching this interview here.
One brand I want to focus on in this post is Coca Cola. Although they have not solved world hunger or started the One Laptop Per Child NGO, they are using their product and their brand to spread something that all people want and need: happiness. This year alone, Coke came up with innovative ways to push the envelope through unconventional media and technology, hashtagging it all as #workthatmatters.
1. Small World Machines
Through the use of their vending machines, Coke used basic video-calling technology and wide-angle cameras to be able to connect neighboring countries that are barred off from each other due to political conflict. Using simple gestures and tasks, they created connections between people who never get the chance to interact.
2. Sharing Can
Another spin on their product’s design, Coke created the ideal way to share a can: literally splitting it in two. The Sharing Can, brainchild of Ogilvy Singapore & France, was launched in Singapore in March but I have yet to find any info on the cans being distributed anywhere else since then. Leonardo O’Grady, director of integrated marketing communications, Coca-Cola ASEAN, related the mechanism to breaking a loaf of bread and that’s pretty accurate because it can be seen as the modern day loaf-sharing. *Aladdin and Abu* Plus, it’s a keepsake for those who admire product design (someone please send me one). 3. Smile Back
Most of the time, if a stranger smiles at you, you freak out and think the weirdo wants to kidnap you and wear your skin. No? Anyway, this shows how spreading smiles may not be as harmful as you think and when you take the chance to smile back, the universe rewards you. That was so Paulo Coelho, I’m sorry. Watch the vid though, it’s good stuff.
1. You suffer from Low Battery Anxiety at least once a week. Usually it’s your cellphone at 12% at 9am with no electricity at home. You’ve always got the USB cable, or spare battery case, or car charger on you like it’s your First Aid Kit. God forbid it die and then you have to communicate like you did in the 90s which was through…carrier pigeon? Beyond that, you have a completely natural phobia of getting locked in in public bathrooms so you always take your cellphone with you. Plus, sometimes they have really cool soaps/signage/decor and you have to take a picture. And if you’re a guy, you probably take pics of other lovely-smelling things.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio has a net worth of a bazillion dollars, test-drives supermodels, hangs out with Scorsese, and is the embodiment of the fountain of youth. But he doesn’t know how to wear a watch. You slave away all day and then realize there’s a 14 year old somewhere learning how to DJ who’s going to be richer than you by next year because he named himself after some kind of pasta sauce and only wears solid colored V necks. Welcome to the working world.
3. Labneh sandwiches always taste better when your parents make them. You may be able to make risotto, herbed chicken, or koussa mehshe and outcook your parents in every other dish. Not with labneh. If you can make a better sandwich then you may have an illegitimate child running around (and about to be signed by the Disney channel) because only those who have been reproductively active have the white cream gift. Bazinga!
4. Putting your status as “busy” on any form of digital communication doesn’t work anymore. You used to use it to discourage bored people from reaching out to you for entertainment. They left you thinking, “why did I ever ADD this human being?! Shu labsa. I KNOW! I’ll appear busy…FOREVER.” We can all see through that and it’s ineffective. Now, you just have to be an adult about it. Translation: block, delete, or be a flat-out asshole and ignore them.
5. Your Facebook Newsfeed is going to be flooded with engagements and nuptials for the next 7-10 years. Supposedly, it’s not that weird for this to be happening more frequently even though your brain is not being able to fathom it all. I mean, one second your riding a skateboard like a toboggan down the incline by your friend’s house, tearing your neon shorts in the process of your smooth brake at the driveway. You blink and everyone’s having babies. Don’t panic, keep uploading pictures of your cat, it’s fine.
6. Youhavenoideawhatyouredoingbutyouregoingtowingitlikeaboss because you’ve got it all totally figured out, dude can you pass the mustard? I love chilled afternoons when I’ve got nothing to do. #hotdogs #thegoodlife #holyshitimwastingsomuchtimerightnow
7. You need to let go and move on. That letter from Hogwarts is never coming.
Three new albums for hip-hop. Thanks to the awesomeness that is Youtube and people who upload everything online so we can illegally download them, I have provided links to the full albums too. Download them while you can. If you like them, that is.
1. “Yeezus”, Kanye West
Oh Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. 808’s & Heartbreak, College Dropout, Kim Kardashian. He does crazy things. “Yeezus” is freaking weird but it should be listened to. More than once because the first time around is just going to leave you flabbergasted. Although he is certifiably insane, there is an incredible draw to someone who will take creative risks – the only snag is that he doesn’t believe they’re risks. Kanye has what is known as a God Complex. (Seriously, even CNN wrote a feature on it.) When someone thinks they are a god, they don’t see what they’re doing as a risk. They see it as a gift that is bestowed on the serfs of the mortal world. His woman may dress up like garage-sale-furniture, he may have weird erotic dreams involving mythical birds, and he’s probably going to have children in all directions in the next 10 years. But he is a god and you will take his golden nuggets of truth. You hate him but you love him because he keeps things interesting.
“Ye, you wanna do something for the release of your new single? But what?”
“3D MAP MY FACE.”
Why? Because Kanye, that’s why.
2. “Magna Carta Holy Grail”, Jay-Z
On a business level, that Samsung deal was smooth. Props, Jay. MCHG’s alright but honestly, with the hype and excitement that arose from the promo video, I am a tad disappointed. Rick Ross was born to rap those words but what the hell was that Nirvana thing you pulled with JT? I still can’t decide if I like it because I hated your version of “Jolene” at first but it grew on me. I’m still undecided and very attached to the Black Album. There’s just too much emotion here. I’m so confused, excuse me, I need a moment of clarity.
A friend’s status on Facebook said “What’s keeping me here, I don’t even know” Given recent events, a lot of us are asking ourselves the same understandable question. I know how difficult it can be to live in Lebanon but I know that many people abroad would prefer to be here if circumstances were better. Regardless of where you are right now, I thought I’d write down a few reasons why the collective “you” stay or wish you could.
Why do you stay?
You stay because of your family,
you can’t abandon them selfishly.
You stay because of your job,
you can’t just expect a good opportunity to pop up wherever you go.
You stay because you don’t have a visa,
you don’t have the freedom to just book a ticket for any destination.
You stay because you just bought a car,
you’ve invested in something that is rooted here and it’s yours.
You stay because your Teta is getting older,
you can’t leave when you don’t know how much longer she’ll be around.
You stay because you’re relatively broke,
you can’t afford the living expenses abroad.
No.
Maybe you stay because you want to.
Because your clothes and hair smell like coal after mashewe in June.
Because of the taste of leftover manoushe heated on the soubiyya in January.
Because there’s a lost week of summer that makes an appearance in October.
Because of multicolored plaid patchwork in the plains of the Bekaa in April.
Because of Bliss House Chocolat Mou during the power-cuts of August.
Because of the color of the Jounieh Bay’s waters during September.
Because of chilled janerek rolled in salt in May.
Because of nostalgic reunions thanks to international vacation schedules overlapping during December.
Because the acoustics of the Byblos Port create musical synchronicity with the sea waves in July.
Because of Uncle Deek Nescafe in the car during kazdouras in February.
Because of the sun-rays bouncing on the Mediterranean in the middle of November.
Because of the crunching sound of the melting snow on asphalt in the middle of March.
Because you want to see Lebanon rise not like a phoenix, but like a dragon that will breathe fire not become it.
Because you want to raise your children in the country where they are a part of her soil and stone because you helped save her.
Because you want to call this place home.
Why do you stay?
You stay because you want to.
[mashewe: BBQ/grilled meats, soubiyya: old-fashioned heater, janerek: green plums, kazdoura: cruise in the car]
If I #selfie then it doesn’t count as narcissistic, right?
No, you’re still randomly taking a photo of yourself in the bathroom. Hashtagging doesn’t erase the toilet in the background or the reflection in your glasses, it’s just you virtually owning up to it. Which is good: it’s the first step to recovery. Now, put down the camera.
Can I eat that Burger King anniversary offer all by myself and tell no one?
No, because you’re going to need someone to take you to get your stomach pumped and you can’t do that while parked alone on the side of the road patting down onion rings with napkins because “there’s too much oil.” Those oil inkblots will not save your arteries. You can limit the knowledge to the designated driver and hospital staff (who all went to college with you).
Is the DJ out yet?
No, but it doesn’t really matter because his/her music sounds the same as the crap you’re grooving to when you ask the question. At any trance event where you’re not wasted or high, you will actually notice that the music doesn’t change or get better, people just get more messed up as the night progresses and think everything got better. It’s not a natural sense of ecstasy, it’s MDMA.
Can I have another cookie?
No, because you’re 25 and that cookie is going to implant itself on your ass as a reminder that all cookies want to shack up with your ageing metabolism. There’s a joke here about Kardashians and moving too fast but it hasn’t formulated in my head yet so I’m going to just say “North West” as a placeholder.
Can I yell like a tennis player during this gym class because my muscles want to cry?
No. The music might be loud enough so no one can hear you but the electricity will cut, everyone will think you’re a sweaty freak, and you’ll have to find a new gym since they don’t support dry Herbal Essences’ moments. You just paid for 3-months so be quiet and FEEL THE BURN IN THOSE SHINS.
Will I ever get used to the term “babe” as a form of endearment?
No. Babe is a pig. Babe is a baseball player. Babe is a half-naked chick that surfer dudes think is like a totally bodacious specimen to ride. Babe is what girls call other girls right after they ask for a favor. Babe is one step away from Baby. Don’t call me baby. Don’t call me babe. Ever.
Am I supposed to start up a start-up?
No. You’re not supposed to do anything except be employed. In this economy and country-with-no-stability-or-proper-water-filtration, any form of employment is a blessing but not everyone is an entrepreneur. However, if the start-up is your brainchild and it’s going to be your ticket to the top, good for you. If you don’t have a useful innovative idea that can work as a business and have no job prospects then go back to school or become an actOR. *extends arm like reciting thespian*
Does my cat love me? No, he’s an arrogant abusive Angora who happens to be photogenic so no one sees the evil within. That’s right, you’ve adopted Cat Man Do from the Powerpuff Girls. You’re going to end up feeding it and cleaning it and loving it and even with all the Chemical X in the world, he’s never going to love you.
I’m not going to expect you to read between the lines anymore. I know you’ve been reading my emails, screening my posts, and following my tweets. I know you have folders of my pictures dating back to when I was an awkward sophomore who mistakenly cut her own bangs and thought wearing her dad’s Champion socks was okay. I know you’ve saved some of my juicy gchats to keep you company on late nights. I know you read my blog and I’m sorry about my hating on GOT right before the massacre at the Red Wedding. I’m assuming you’re a fan because it’s all about the security of the realm and the defending of the throne; you know, your kinda thing. The season finale was still “meh” but I’m not going to poke at fresh wounds. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is the joke’s on you. All this time, I was trying to reach you indirectly; I was trying to get you to fall for me because I knew you were watching my every move. To put it simply, I was playing you and I was playing hard to get.
But enough playing.
I’m addressing this one straight to you and I’m putting it in plain English so you don’t have to decipher my codewords or dissect my convoluted prose. You don’t have to download entire threads and reread them to know what I’m actually saying to you without saying it. You don’t have to be confused or say, “chicks don’t know what they want, man.” I will spare you the hormones, the mood swings, and the spazzed cat GIFs. I don’t simmer in a hot tub full of any of the aforementioned things – except the cat GIFs, I can’t get enough of those – so I think what I want is going to be very clear to you if you haven’t already figured it out. I want you to want me.
I love that you care so much about me. Others would call it a “pathetic obsession” or a “violation of privacy.” I think you’re protective and you’re just watching over me. My security is as important as yours. It’s almost one and the same. I hope that I’m not the only special one out there; I do wish that every person gets to feel this sense of being watched over by someone else.
And I’m not afraid to say any of this flat out because the mere fact that you are still hanging on every word I say, that you are going to great lengths to see what I will do next, that I intrigue you to such an extent – all this tells me that you are hooked. You can’t stop thinking about me. You want to know every detail because it fascinates you. How could it not? I feel like I am your pot of gold, found on the other side of the rainbow of light that bursts out of a prism. So there is only one conclusion dear NSA: you’re in love with me.
Another public park is at risk. That statement alone is not entirely accurate seeing that we don’t have that many parks at risk because we don’t actually have that many parks. The Jesuit Garden, which is located in the Rmeil district of Ashrafieh, Beirut is now on the Endangered Species list when it comes to our city’s urban development. The garden, along with various other parts of Ashrafieh (Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhael, Sursock), is being leveled and converted into a parking lot.
The problem with the Geitawi area is the existing parking lots were dug up and carved out to serve as foundations for the new buildings that have popped up. As a result, the severe lack of parking spots in the already-tight-squeeze-streets has a lot of the neighborhood’s residents and visitors left with nowhere to safely park – or nowhere they can park without losing a side mirror every 2 weeks. I’ve lost 3 in the last 10 months and I don’t even live there. Those responsible for this decision claim that a new park will replace the old one, while parking will be underground. First of all, no one believes that because we’ve never seen any construction project do anything remotely GREEN or beneficial for public space. Second of all, how does that even work? The construction of the parking lot alone would be a major hassle in a place that barely has room for the passage of a Picanto i10 – by the time it’s finished, they’ll ditch the green plans and assume everyone who complained has moved on anyway.
The Jesuit Garden is a place where most senior citizens have their morning sobhiyyehs (friendly rendezvous usually involving gossip) and take their grandkids to play; it is a small quaint park in the middle of Geitawi, the area that is home to Oceanus, St. Georges Hospital, and those old guys that sit on wicker chairs on the sidewalk and argue about…anything. Not too long ago, the Beirut Green Project, the movement responsible for a Green Your Lunch Break initiative where people would go have lunch on an installed piece of grass, joined forces with Paint Up, the colorful crew that’s painting Beirut. They painted the benches of the Jesuit Garden giving it a facelift and revitalizing the spirit of a forgotten little Eden. Check out the photos here taken by Nadim Kamel. Unknown to most, the garden also has a small yet rich French & English public library affiliated with Assabil – The Friends of Public Libraries.
Beirut Green Project is organizing a protest this Saturday. Although the issue of parking in Geitawi is important and cannot be ignored, a solution that creates another problem is not a solution. This is like placing a band-aid on a deep cut that requires stitches; it will only leave a nasty scar on the character of our city. I don’t think that the protest is about the Jesuit Garden alone or in particular, it is about the principle of this demolition. We cannot keep letting these projects destroy what little spaces are left to the public even if they are claimed to be done in the service of the public. We need better solutions for our urban planning disasters but until these sprout from the ground, we need to save what’s still left on this one.
Bambi's Soapbox 
