Absolut leelou

welcome to lazy land

2010-02-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was a day out in the snow. I went with my two little ones to the mountains of Zaarour (1600 meters),40 minutes drive from Beirut. The snow was superb. The sky was of an amazing crispy blue. The people on the slopes were colourful, happy and laughing at their clumsiness. Some chose not to venture on the frightening ski adventure and sat happily sipping their hot cocoa and lingering on the white plastic chairs. Zaarour is not a fancy place. It is a place where you don't necessarily find the snobbish atmosphere of other great ski resorts in Lebanon. No pretentions.

So here we are running after the little ones, who had no idea that snow could be so cold, and decided to walk up the baby slope to see the view from afar. As i watched people around me more closely, i realised that many families had brought their housekeeper/nanny with them, which was a great sight for my idealistic me. How nice! Most of them had probably never encountered snow in their home country and that was a wonderful experience for them.

My happy face turned rapidly into a big question mark when i suddenly realised that their presence was not necessarily for their own happiness but an extension of their services. They were building snowmen with the kids. They were holding the babies. But most chocking of all they were walking up the slope carrying the ski sticks for dads and their sons who used the chair lift to get to the top. The girl was carrying the sticks and had to walk up the slope. I was chocked and sad to see how little we knew about human rights in this country.

Two days ago, a housekeeper killed the sister of her employee. As horrible as this act of violence is, I cannot but have a small doubt on the way this person has been treated during her employment.

When are we going to see these people (housekeepers) as Humans, who are here to make a living, and to make our life much easier, and not as slaves jumping to our smallest desires.

Did twitter& facebook change my life?

2010-01-02T05:33:00.001-08:00

I am addicted to twitter, facebook, igoogle & blog-world.
I am very busy with my laptop, and I don’t know how all of this can ever stop.
I need to check Twitter on a very regular basis (5 times a day?), if I post something then I need to see if it is retweeted, commented or just ignored. I need to read other peoples post, links, and blogs, and see their funny & sometimes bizarre pictures. I have 250 followers (depending on the days). A new follower can generate happiness (yeah an Australian person is reading my posts!) or disappointed (oh, another porn sites that automatically generates followers). The amazing part of twitter must be it’s real-time aspect. One of my first wow experiences was a tweet about an earthquake in Lebanon that happened few minutes before the tweet was created. I thought that was crazy and so vivid. Like the time people were tweeting live from Bombay during the attacks. This could not have existed without twitter.

But did this actually change my life?

My virtual world has also expanded tremendously the last 2 months after I acquired a farm (Farmville), an aquarium (fish world) and a café (café world) through facebook. They require hard work on a daily basis,& I must visit often to harvest, ploy, send gifts, receive gifts, buy fish eggs, sell fish eggs, steal fish, clean aquarium, cook meals, serve meals, decorate café, expand café. If I don’t to all of that every day, my fish will die, my crops will wilt, and my food will rot. Also I will not earn enough coins to buy more seeds, more fish, and cook more meals. And on top of that I will never ever reach the same levels as my neighbours, who by the way are my true friends, but happen to be neighbours in our virtual world. I am therefore more stressed than before and soon will need a virtual massage and a virtual drink to calm down.

Is this adding anything positive to my life?

On a social level, Facebook is making me connect with friends and family, near and far, and it might have changed my life a bit by adding a closer connection to people that I would normally only see and talk to once a year or less. It makes them closer to me in a sense. They react in a warm and funny way to my links, to my pictures; to my recipe (yes I even founded a café on facebook where members (again 200- something) can find my favourite recipes.

The positive aspects of Twitter and facebook exist, no doubt about that.
BUT, it makes me addicted and can sometimes enhance loneliness because interaction with virtual world is safer that the REAL world who is only few cm away from the screen. You can shut down the whole thing when you are tired or bored and it will be there when you come back and turn it on again.

Time flies when I am sitting surfing, twittering, facebooking, reading, blogging.. all of it only with a click.. But time is also stolen from me, as I tend to forget my dreams, my goals, and what I want from my real life. My focus is shifted to the virtual world and I need to refocus on stuff outside this laptop. My time-span is also disrupted because everything changes with a click, and following all the news, in real-time is almost as difficult as zapping between 3 news channels, 5 movie channels and 2 music channels at once. Impossible!

I need to find a middle ground with more reality and less “virtuality”, with more selective focus and less zapping..
If someone has found this balance, please share! I will definitely retweet it!!!

Happy New Year everyone, where ever you are…

La vie en Rose

2009-12-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some lovely pictures of pink flowers that I have found here and there in Lebanon. I thought of sharing them on my blog to show that we, in Lebanon have hidden treasures, that we must look for them, see them, enjoy them, smell them..and be grateful for their presence.

I tend to be an optimist and have a bizarre urge to more or less point out the positive in any situation, because i do believe that we have a choice in how we perceive life and its complexity. So here is La vie en rose for you at the end of 2009...

2009-12-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

MY LAST GREETINGS IN 2009...

MAY YOU HAVE LIGHT TO SEE THE RIGHT FROM WRONG
MAY YOU HAVE LOVE TO FEEL HAPPY & TO DO GOOD
MAY YOU HAVE LAUGHTER TO ENJOY THE MOMENT
MAY YOU HAVE LIFE TO LEARN & GROW

LEELOU SIGNING OFF FOR NOW....

Fish for frying!

2009-11-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

I was thinking this morning (it happens!) about my blog. About writing something positive, something challenging, something that could inspire other people the way it inspires me.
And frankly the more I thought, the more I could find nothing remotely interesting and worthwhile writing about.. I had negative thoughts about the H1N1 virus, about difficult relationships towards mothers and friends. I thought that we live so shortly on earth, and yet seem to find it so hard just to be nice and good about living it.
I was nearly not paying attentions to the fact that I was walking in the streets of Beirut, while people were driving through from all directions, heading to schools, work and so on. Suddenly a loud voice coming from a very large man standing just few meters away awakened me from my day-dreaming/thinking walk. He was saying “Lokkos, Nammour, lal ale’k!”, which means “fish for frying!”. He was selling fish from the trunk of his 35 years old green Mercedes, and shouting out loud to the neighbors about his fish! I looked at him and he smiled and winked at me with his left eye!! I just laughed out loud!.. He was in such a good mood that all my dark thinking vanished and I headed home with a smile on my face, forgetting all about the fears and the worries! Simple as that.

The moral of this? Dark thoughts can vanish, if we let laughter and smiles in. Brooding over things that we cannot control is a waste of time and energy. Thinking and worrying about disease and troubled relationships is energy consuming and makes you vulnerable.

Where as a good laugh and a big hug can sometimes really be as effective as eating a huge box of chocolate and winning the million. You just feel Good afterwards!

That is all…
Have a Good day!

Less destructive & more protective

2009-11-09T03:02:00.000-08:00

My own experience with saving the planet is a mixture of being aware of our destructive footprint, of wanting more green areas for my kids to breathe in, of turning off lights when leaving a room, of trying desperately to find a way to recycle batteries in Lebanon, and so on.

I truly want to be more “green”, more aware, less destructive, and more protective. But the paradox is everywhere, I drive a suv (my 6 year old asked me why we didn’t buy the same car as before, which was a wonderful orange Fiat Punto, to which I just blabbered that we needed a stronger car, with more space because in this country you really need it! )Duh… I throw a lot of packaging (i wish we could leave them behind at the supermarket). I use chlorine and fabric softner (a big NO NO in Europe). and so on...

So what is the moral of this little entry?

Taking care of the planet is a very difficult, tedious, long term project. We need to find micro solutions that normal people can understand, and put in action. We need to educate the new generation (in schools, home and via TV) slowly but on a regular basis. And we in Lebanon need to wake up and start working even if the mentality does not always support the idea and find it the least of their concern.

new direction for Absolut Leelou...

2009-11-01T08:30:00.002-08:00

I started blogging in 2005, during the dramatic years of Lebanese instability. I was trying to make some sense out of the crazy times, by sharing my thought with friends and family living abroad, who did not have a first-hand experience with war and car bombs. My blog was an outlet for my fear and it helped me to write.
When the situation got a bit calmer, I realized that I wasn’t eager to write anymore.. my fuel was my anger and anxiety. I have since tried to make some entries about people and situations in Lebanon that either makes me laugh or wonder but have not been able to have a regular blog entry.
But the urge to write is still present. I love reading what other bloggers write especially in Lebanon. Their perspective is at times charming, hilarious and interesting. Writing is a learned skill. It needs practice. It is a voice to be heard, commented, and remembered. I enjoy writing. Looking at a white page makes me just want to take a pen and scribble.
So here I am again, with a mission. This time I am inspired by something positive, something challenging. I am no longer a “ a critique” watching the Lebanese from sarcastic angle, but someone who would like to inspire others to think in a positive and challenging way, to find opportunities where we could be proud of our actions.
Being a positive soul (some might say), I will be writing about Lebanese projects or persons that are special & inspiring, in any form or way...Also, since we are in the fashion of writing about environment and climate change (!), I will be including topics like Green products, green living and green design, hoping that they could somehow reach someone and inspire him or her to learn and to be proactive in the preservation of our precious nature.

So keep following “Absolut Leelou”, you might find something different and exciting to read…

nostalgia, the remains of old Beirut

2009-10-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

abou ali

2009-09-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Every morning i see Abou Ali. In his sixties, tanned, slim, wrinkled. He sells all green vegetables from a wooden cart parked under a huge trea, in a side street to the busy Marelias Street in Beirut. Fresh Spinach, huge leaves of parsley, coriandre, lettuce, enormous broccoli. Half of the vegetables are in huge plastic bags, neatly lined up against the wall. He uses at least an hour a day to set them up in such a nice way that you cannot but stop and buy from him. He adores to talk if you have a minute. He asks about the children, speaks about his own grandchildren whom he wished lived in the mountains, because they are constantly sick in Beirut.

He reassures me when i am nervous about the political situation, he tells me that it will all calm down eventually. He talks about his father who ate meat once a week and lived a very long life.

One day he wasn't there. Nor his cart. Nor the vegetables. I wondered why. Was he ill? had something happened to him? Days would go by and there were no trace of him. Until one day as i was driving through the area, trying to avoid the horribly congested main road, i saw him and his cart. It was a totally different road and he was not selling green leaves, but a famous summer fruit called Subbeir (horned melon). I stopped the car and smiled. He was happy to see me. He then explained that in summer, he relocates and sells only Subbeir. Better sales. Refreshing fruit!

For the last 35 years, throughout the colder sseasons, he has sold green leaves in Marelias. But in summer he relocates and sells Subbeir.

I just find Abou Ali a wonderful man, warm and refreshing. He reminds me of the good old days, of people who take it easy, who enjoy the moment, who appreciate life as is.

Twit..Twit...

2009-05-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

My fascination for Twitter started a month ago when i heard that Oprah was going on Twitter..Being a fan of new technology I immediatly logged on twitter page and tried to get some grasp out of this new upbeat social networking device. Alas, i only got far enough in my search as to register a username and tried to follow a twitter page, but i frankly didn't get the point, which lead me to close the page and move on. Until few days ago, where i met someone who uses Twitter and is ecstatic about it.. again, i poked him with info and asked how he was using twitter and why it was such a cool thing..

Basically, Twitter is a social networking tool where you can post anything that you are interested in. You can Follow other twitters, and they can follow you. Anyone can be on Twitter.. i just discovered that Obama and Madonna are on Twitter. It is a bit similar to SMS'ing, the difference is that anyone can read your "sms" as it is available for all. you can twitter a topic, and get real-time info on the matter. If the information is of importance to you and you would like to share it, you "re-twit" it (as in forward it). The info is exponentially spread through the web.

The interesting part is when someone uses Twitter from his mobile for example during a disaster. He can send a Twit from his phone thus reaching people must sooner than any news channel. Amazing and fascinating.

Today i read that people can be ranked as most influencial Twitter - as to how many followers they have (1,6 million for actor Ashton Kutcher /married to Demi Moor), and how their tweets are interesting to others.

Another interesting fact is most new users of Twitter quit after few weeks... time will show if Twitter will be the next best thing...

Twit.. twit...

Why parenting is a great thing..

2009-04-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

First of all it makes you realize how difficult parenting is,and thus appreciate your parents much more, they too must have had their moments of frustration. Why difficult? Because you don't always have the right answers. Because there is a lot of 'trial and error" management.. Because you tend to avoid what your parents did to you and try the opposite, until you realise that maybe they were not completely wrong in their decisions..or maybe your inner voice tells you to do something, but the surroundings tell/urge/make you do differently..and the books you read.. oh dear.. each country has its own philosophy.

Second, parenting is a self learning voyage. We learn about limits, needs, dreams (is it cool to have 4 kids as in my dream?),reality. We need to chose the right answer to their 1000 fantastic questions; "Can you see angels in the sky when you are in the aeroplane mummy'..

Third, you discover unconditional love through your kids.. and it goes both ways.. such a blessing. "you are the the prettiest mummy in the world.."..I love you even when you are angry with me mummy..."

Also, there is a major part of me who dreams of a better world, and what better way than to slowly work the minds of the little ones with positive attitude, confidence, love, and spiritual growth...for a better world...

The dream of having a big family...I wanted 4 kids since I was 14, when i met a friend who had 3 brothers and sisters, and her house was such a great house to visit.. always laughter and noise, big dinning table, always food for an extra friend, parents who seemed to be on top of everything. A happy home. Full of life.

How did they manage? recently i visited the same friend (who now have 4 kids of her own), same style, cool and happy and not at all overwelmed by any of it.. What a blessing.. and an aspiration for others..

anyway.. parenting is great...and tough.. and alive..

facebook and people

2009-04-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Today more than 200 million people are linked through Facebook. Imagine all these people holding hands. What a sight! Imagine all these people following a certain path of idealogy. what a strength!

850 million photos are posted every day. Amazing how much we(including myself)need to preserve the Moment and a space in this virtual and easy accessible world. The downside is that all pictures are as public to the world as they would be if you published them in a worldwide free newspaper.

Suddenly earth has no boundaries. We all are sitting behind the screen writing, smiling, adding friends, downloading pictures for other friends to see and comment, reading comments, replying to them, searching for old flames, for new ones, stalking friends and their whereabouts, adding friends (yes again, you need to have more than your best friend).. it is an ongoing job.

what strikes me the most these days, is the need for women in particular to voice their feelings, needs, moods, ideas, thoughts on Facebook status bar. You can actually follow a person's wave of emotions throughout the day and night by reading her status bar. It is amazing. And friends comments those status in a continuous flow, connecting with that person, giving her attention, support, whatever..

Facebook might just add some fun and happiness to the lonely heart. Or frustration. Or emptiness. Because when is it enough? when are we satisfied? when are we shutting the PC off to go and have some "real" fun? some "real" interaction with people..Or are those days over?

I am just wondering... and wandering throught he amazing paths of virtual life..

Things can change...

2008-05-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

I did not believe that the current situation in Lebanon could suddenly change for the better..

But it did.

And we are now on a new path, leading to what may be the nicest summer in Lebanon since February 2005 where Hariri got killed in a huge car explosion. I will not remind you of the horrors and killings and fear and suffocation that we have been through since 2005, but will only say that we are finally breathing. We were living our lives with low oxygen, low expectation, low planning, low hope, low everything. and now we are given a new bottle of oxygen mixed with hope, strategies, planning, future, smiles and laughter. But we still need a shot of vitamines to energize us and make us truly believe that the bad part is over and we are in the good part now.

We also need to forgive the bad part. This is very difficult. But very crucial. It might take a while, and it might be the most difficult thing to do for those of us who have suffered the most. but it is needed. Peace cannot prevail without forviness.

I will start forgiving as of today, but will not forget what has happened to us, and will try to remember all of this and try to teach my kids to be better than us so that they are able to prevent history to repeat itself and maybe create a history that their kids could be proud of.

What is normal?

2008-05-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

One week of horrors. One week of shooting, bombing, fleeing people, scared souls. One week of life and death for everybody.
This morning, we all went to school and work normally. That means we took the normal road as opposed to yesterday where half of the roads leading to the other side of Beirut where still blocked. We saw pseudo normal street life again. A bit of sand and debris still scattered here and there, but relative normal street picture. I walked on the corniche as I usually do and so did my fellow men.

I looked at the sea and stopped. This picture is wrong, fake, weird. We are returning to our daily routines as if nothing has happened, the airport is open and flights resumed last night. But somewhere behind this “normal” picture, something is broken, destroyed, ugly, sad, empty. More than 50 people have died in last week‘s fighting. Killed and burnt. More than 200 hundred are injured and will never forget what they went through. Homes and offices are destroyed, burnt down, leaving only black sod and desperation.

No, this picture is definitely not normal.
Lebanon is deeply scarred . This should never have happened. But it did.

The horrors of the last days are reminding us of the disastrous state of our country. It is a ticking bomb, filled with angry people with a lot of weapons. This is in itself a dangerous cocktail. And we are at the mercy of those who chose to wake the dormant monsters from their beauty sleep.

Beirut, may 8th

2008-05-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

The morning after.. the streets are still very quiet in my neighbourhood. i woke up at 5:30 am to watch the news and listen to the radio. apart from squatteret fights in the streets of the capital, the situation is less dramatic than expected.. howeve the road to the airport is closed by huge sand piles and most probably will remain closed for some time. this is adding a more dramatic dimension to the crisis. one thing is to be under siege in our homes, but it is a totally other ballgame to denie us the access to the airport. the country will indeed be shut down.

still May 7th, 12:45 pm

2008-05-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

The strike is postponed until further notice. Lack of protection of the demonstrators seems to be the main reason (?).
Snipers are being caught on top of buildings.
Stone fights are injuring journalists and civilians.
Gunfire heard several places in the city.
Road to the airport is blocked with piles of sand, burning tires and demonstrators.

The day is moving towards chaos.

Meanwhile, i am hearing birds singing on my street for the first time ever! This is the positive side of being under siege. No cars, no people. Just birds.

Beirut, may 7th

2008-05-06T23:52:00.001-07:00

What we thought was a period of calm and rest culminated this morning in a massive anti-government strike and protest, paralyzing the city of Beirut and several hot places in Lebanon. The morning started with a mortal silence instead of the normal morning buz of people going to work and to school. Followed a huge roar of tanks roaming the streets and halting in every intersection of my area (Mar Elias), thus blocking every entry or exit to the neighbourhood. Next thing is the itching smell of burnt tires and the black smoke invading our skies. Few people are venturing outside the safe heaven of their homes, mostly young lads, tense, ready and eager to start a street fight. We are all home, waiting for this day to unravel itself and hopefuly nobody will die today as a result of the nightmarish state of Beirut.

Only a hero dares

2008-04-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

My daughter's kindergarten/school has a gazette and they asked me to contribute with a text regarding their yearly theme: only a hero dares.

Here is what i wrote:

Heroes come in various forms and colours. My 4 year-old boy believes that heroes usually wear red and blue suits, their name starting with an S (S for Super man and S for Spiderman). They can fly, jump from rooftop to rooftop, kill bad monsters with a single blow, melt ice with their super sight, and create the largest nets to catch the evilest beast. They do not eat, drink or sleep while on mission. Firemen and knights are equally perceived as heroes. They fight huge green dragons, save people, forest and homes from destructive fires and most importantly ride on shining red trucks or shiny black horses.

Although these super heroes live in the imagination of children and do not necessarily make them connect with the real world, they introduce values such as good and bad, courage, strength, hope, and way of life to the extraordinary and enchanted world of the child. They make them believe that monsters can be defeated, the weak can be protected, and peace can be the ultimate goal.

However, real human heroes are the ones that make you feel happy inside, like this little 3-year old boy in Australia who saved his mother’s life because he knew to call the emergencies while she was having an epileptic attack. He acted when it was needed and did the right thing. His mother had taught him how to call the Emergencies should she have an attack. She is the women behind the hero.

Heroes dare to act. They dare to make choices. They dare to help others in need. They dare to be different and do the right thing. It is very difficult to be a hero nowadays, but there is a hero in each one of us, if we dare to believe it.

what is next?

2008-04-13T04:03:00.001-07:00

Popularity in Beirut is ephemeral, one day it is extremely popular to eat, drink, shop, party in one area and the next thing you know, a war brakes out, or the government suddenly decides to ban alcohol and loud music in this particular area, or a political party decides to invade the space with tents and squat indefinitely. Your favourite hang out in town is now banned. You need to find an alternative place to have fun. The city lives in cycles. And the people move with its rotation.

“Downtown Beirut” used to be the place to be and get seen. Shopping, strolling, watching people, and playing safely with the little ones (no cars) were possible in DT Beirut. But one sad day, settlers invaded the space, placed hundreds of tents and declared war to the government. Some of us thought that come winter, they would be fleeing to their comfortable homes. But alas, that was underestimating their stamina and who they actually are. People whom have fought the enemy with every once of blood and tears would not be frightened by a bit of cold rain and stormy weathers.

So, people have moved on to other parts of Beirut for their daily fix of entertainment. Gemayzeh became the next best thing. The street of Gemayzeh used to be a ghost street, filled with mines, shattered buildings, and scary neighbours. Today this street is hip. I would like to live next to it (should have thought about that 5 years ago, when the meter price was semi affordable, now up to 3500 usd per sqm). Each night, its fancy and funky bars are filled with a happy crowd. Unfortunately few days ago, its residents being fed up with the late night commotions created by the loud party animals went down to the streets demonstrating in their pajamas! Subsequently, the government chose to shut down the lovely, newly established and full of life bars of Gemayzeh.

Shutting down another part of the city to those who are seeking an island of fun is depressing. Lebanon is entering yet another delirious stage and is slowly becoming a ghost country. I am sure the Lebanese will create a new hob for entertainment, but what bugs me is how easy it is to shut down bars and make people unemployed compared to achieve a political settlement and move on from this muddy periods.

a little nod

2008-03-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

Living in Beirut has many charms.. Everyday, I ride through the city by car. Dropping the kids off, doing the grocery shopping and other practical stuff. On my way I see the same people and they see me, every single day. In the beginning I got a gentle nod from the young man with a hat selling newspaper. He has been standing on the exact same spot for the last 4 years, at least. In the middle of the street with his newspapers and magazines hanging on a little metal stand. A year later I get a little wave when he sees my orange car approaching. I like it when someone notices me. It makes me feel as if I belong there. Like in small villages where everyone knows everyone. But here we nod, we don’t talk, we don’t know each others name. just the nod. And it is nice.
Then there is Mr Jacoub ( his real name is Georges but we call him Jacoub - pronounced Ya-Koub, after his father). He is our local grocer. We call him and he delivers. Even a can of 7up. It is great when you forgot something at the supermarket. His delivery-boy is called Mahmoud and he grew up delivering (after school) for mr Jacoub. Mahmoud is strong and we often call him if we need a pair of strong hands, to shake the dust of the huge carpets, to carry a bed from one room to the other… we all nod to each other when we cross each other on the street.
Then there is the door man at the kindergarten of my daughter. His name is Ammo Maurice (uncle Maurice). He is old and wears a black bonnet all year long. Sometimes when it is too hot, he removes it and shows off his bold head. He looks very different without his hat!. He opens the gates to the school every morning and says hello to the kids, they wave back at him laughing. Some days ammo Maurice is absent and we miss his smile. It is reassuring to see him there at the gate every morning.

All these people and many more are part of the daily picture. They fill the picture with friendly smiles and nods. They belong and make us belong. They make Beirut a nicer place to be. Even if it is a huge city with over a million souls.

Shootings of joy

2008-02-13T22:35:00.001-08:00

I am desperately trying to write something positive about the present Lebanon. So far the good topics are over ranked by million sad and desperate stories. Like the one of a young Lebanese who came to Beirut to spend some long awaited holidays with his parents, and thought of walking a Sunday afternoon in his neighborhood, not really aware of the tense atmosphere that is slowly infiltrating the streets of Beirut. That peaceful day became Black Sunday for his family and for many others. He got killed during the riots subsequent to the demonstrations against electricity cuts. Why was he there at that specific moment? Only God can answer this and many other meaningless questions.

Shootings in the streets are becoming normal in Beirut. Shootings precede political speeches on TV, and go crescendo as the politician delves into his ideas and finally climax following the program. Depending on who is talking, the areas in Beirut are on fire. Generally the shootings are heard all over the city, but are concentrated according to political parties and their geographic home.

The problem with these demonstration of joy is that we do not know when they turn into bloodshed and when a lost bullet will hit you in the head.. even if you are home watching TV..

The other problem is that they are a symbol of strength.

Today we are shooting and listen to us, we are strong. Tomorrow the opposition shoots and wow, they have more rifles and klashinkofs and they seem louder.. The third day, everybody shoots, and we don’t really know whom or why..

It is a circus where adults are playing cowboys.
Pathetic. Sad. Dangerous.

COLLECTIVE AMNESIA

2008-01-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday while having a nice cup of Kusmi tea with my friend and her children, the phone rings and in one second our afternoon tea transforms into this:

Hello, yes?

NO!!!!
WHEN?
WHERE?
ARE THERE ANY DEAD PEOPLE?

And so on..

The scenario unfolds in the same way each time there is an explosion in Beirut.

We then rush to the TV searching for a channel that would broadcast the news live, while in the same time each one of us tries frantically to call our loved ones on the mobile, well knowing that the lines would be shut down because of the huge amount of people calling at the same time.

We then scan the whereabouts of our loved ones in the head, trying to remember where they would be at this time of the day. Ouf, they are all safe and sound and we can relax for one moment before zapping through the 10 news channels, in Arabic and English. Usually AL Arabia hits the jackpot and is the first to show live picture.. The zapping goes on to Euronews, CNN and other foreign speaking news channels so that we can begin to comprehend what has happened.

Lately, politicians or popular figures are the target. Yesterday the target was a car belonging to the US embassy in Lebanon. This news puts a gloom over my tea party. Now foreigners are at risk. Like during the civil war.

And so, the vision of car bombs exploding around us start to hunt me again. And of course the thought of leaving this nightmare hunts me again. And of course, the next day, we wake up, bring the kids to school, do our errands and nearly forget yesterday’s horrors.

It is called Collective Amnesia. And it is our only survival kit. For now.

BYE BYE

2007-12-30T02:51:00.000-08:00

24 hours left for year 07 (depending where you are on this globe).
Did we lose a year? Or did we gain one (in maturity or stupidity?).

Who cares if 365 or 3,650 days passed by?

Earth is still turning.
The sun still rises and brightens us with its million watts.
Humans are still sad, happy, stupid, smart, selfish, adorable, caring, in love, in hate, giving, taking, hurting, soothing, singing, dancing, hoping, destroying, killing, burying, mourning, believing, forgetting, building, creating, protecting, born, growing, sick, cured, learning, teaching, leading, gathering, talking, explaining, listening…

Humans are here to stay for a while.

And so are we…

My message is: See the big picture.

Imagine you are flying in a beautiful silver and gold space shuttle with sparkles, and looking at earth. What do you see?

Humans just like you. Everywhere.
Look at the sparkles around you. Give some to others. A handful is enough to create a smile. Forget the small things that nag you. They are not worth it.
Take one day at a time. This is just a journey, an adventure. Learn and teach.

Happy 2008 from Absolut Beirut.

Giving is a funny thing

2007-12-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

When do you really give, from your heart without expecting something in return? When do you give with a genuine desire to help and not only to feel good, or feel better?

Recently I was confronted with pure poverty in the midst of Beirut. A piece of land where approximately 10.000 squatters of Lebanese and Palestinian origins are living illegally in huts made of leftovers of bricks, remains of colorful billboards and used tires.

Dr Agnes, a French citizen living in Beirut is volunteering, on a daily basis, by medicating theses illegal squatters, treating their diseases and illnesses, fixing their psychological and physical problems, giving them some sort of dignity and easy-to-understand wisdom that might better their living.

My encounter with Dr Agnes happened a week ago. I am still reliving every detail in my head, and this is slowly altering my view on life, people and the “why we are here” matter.

I realize more and more that what I have is so much and that my daily complaints are oh so futile.

Giving something to these people is now my concern. While sorting out clothes and toys to give away, I suddenly remembered someone saying that you only truly give when you give away something that you really need.

no president?

2007-11-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

Let’s imagine for a moment that we do find a president for Lebanon.
Let’s assume that he is democratic, decent, intelligent, strong-minded, just, and independent, with no criminal records and with a vision of the New Lebanon.

Then what?

Then we might need to wake up. And realize that such a person do not exist and remain alive on these borders. That Lebanon, despite its 64-year-old independency is not a unified, or stable country.
That maturity requires wisdom, patience, vision and trust. All values that are lacking in the current Lebanese political arena.

So?

We wait. We hope. We dream. We educate.
And we wait again for a new generation that might carry some of the values that are needed to create a democratic Lebanon.

Beirut gets a lifting

2007-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Urbanization and presidential elections (presumably this November) go hand in hand in Beirut. During the weeks prior, we noticed added value to the eclectic scenery of our city. The municipality is very busy; building sidewalks and thus replacing the thrill we once had when walking on the streets. They are creating beautiful and large sidewalks along the 3 km Corniche by the sea. Aluminum fences replace the shabby blue-painted rusty metal ones. Apparently they are sturdier should we encounter the long awaited tsunami, promised by National Geographic few months ago!

I also noticed this morning frantic workers setting up traffic lights on the very popular street of Mar Elias. Trying to make our roads more civilized and orderly makes me smile. The street of Mar Elias is ruled by chaos. Traffic lights will only add to chaos. Some of us (those who once lived in northern European countries where crossing the road at a red light practically got you a fine) will try to abide by the traffic lights. Others, Lebanese drivers who probably got their driving permit during the war by merely showing up at the police station, will deliberately ignore the lights, thus creating more chaos.

New president or not, parts of Beirut are getting a well deserved lifting. This is a bit refreshing and entertaining while we are waiting for revolutionary transformations.

2007-11-20T02:59:00.000-08:00

Walking in the streets of Beirut is a wonderful thing.. You discover hidden places, magical alleys, forlorn doors and flowery windows.. all part of the scenery that I cross everyday by car but do not actually see. So I decided to stop the car and just walk and contemplate. Part of the architecture of Ashrafieh (east Beirut) is influenced by the French, which makes you forget where you are. Even the people in their little shop salute you with a Bonjour when you walk in.

A world apart.

Here is a picture taken few days ago.. these buildings tend to disappear and are replaced by gigantic and sometimes monstrous concrete buildings.