The Lebanese Code

Time to Vote... for JEITA GROTTO !!!

2009-03-16T17:56:00.005+02:00

Dear Lebanon

With parliamentary elections fever heating up in Lebanon, it is only fair to say that we desperately need to get our attention on other less stressing issues.
And I just learned about one... Seems JEITA GROTTO (aka Mgharet Jeita in Lebanese) qualified for the next round of elections for the New7Wonders of Nature. I was quite happy given that I participated in the first round of voting like many of you, but wasn't really expecting that we'll make it to the first round.
Let's admit it, we are like 4 million Lebanese in the motherland, and maybe some other 20 million spread all over the world, and that's nothing compared to other countries.... Still... WE MADE IT.
So, let's do it again, and vote in this next round. As of posting this blog entry, we are ranked 7 in our category... not too bad.

Let's build the momentum here, and send emails to our friends, post info on our blogs, facebook, just about anywhere. And most important, tell our non Lebanese friends to vote for JEITA GROTTO as well. If you have more ideas, feel free to comment on the story :)

I will be putting the voting ad on my blog until the vote is over.
You can also click here to go to the voting page.

Links:
1- Jeita Grotto on Wikipedia
2- Jeita Grotto on New7Wonders

Blogging Again

2009-03-06T18:34:00.002+02:00

Goooooood Morning Lebanoooon

It's been a while since I wrote anything here... I was lazy... but hopefully that's over now.
Maybe I was uninspired, maybe I couldn't find any subject that wouldn't be interpreted politically. Not that I am neutral, I AM NOT. I even get into heated debates that lead nowhere.
By now, it is clear that nobody will change their political beliefs... You already know who you will vote for... Probably the same people your ancestors used to vote for.

Anyway, coming back to blogging... I saw today a billboard for the new Green Party of Lebanon.
Yes, seems there is a bunch of environmentalists who started a new party.
They have some nice slogans as well :
1- Join us, before geography (nature) becomes history
2- Because the earth has no sect (religion), join us

Will it be an effective party with bold initiatives, or simply another reason for some people to meet and issue statements ?
I guess time will tell...

Links:
1- Green Party of Lebanon

Absolut Beirut

2006-12-27T11:49:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

Sleep in the morning, shopping during the day, and drinks in the evening. This has become my ritual during the last 10 days.
Like many, I returned to Lebanon to spend Christmas with family and friends.
I don't really feel like criticizing anyone or anything today, so I'll just keep on exploring until I get an interesting story.

Meanwhile, Enjoy Beirut and its Nightlife.

To Leb and Back

2006-09-07T22:35:00.000+03:00

Dear Lebanon

So I came to spend my summer vacation in the motherland... But what a vacation it turned out to be. Although I was supposed to leave before the start of the war, I preferred to spend a few more days in the sun...

Following a small hesitation between hitting the job market or doing some research, I finally chose the latter. I joined INSEAD, an international business school in France to work on humanitarian logistics. I took the plane through Jordan and arrived to Paris in the early hours of the 4th of September.

Now, I am writing from this post, thinking of my new project: Humanitarian Operations in Lebanon. Back to work now...

Hasta luego Lebanon

Z Lebanese

Lebanon is Finally on the Map

2006-06-14T03:00:00.000+03:00

Dear Lebanon

You finally made it on google earth. Although it is not perfect yet, higher definition satellite and arial imagery is now available for you on google earth.
I have an exam tomorrow at 9:00 am and it is already late (1:30 am), but I just couldn't help myself locating the places where I grew up and spent the first 25 years of my life.

Anyway, I should get my ass to bed now, but first I would like to say that I am coming back for vacation in 10 days, so get ready for some new posts.

Meanwhile, I found this weird image of the Zouk area, where some water (I hope not chemicals) is being dropped in the sea and causing a strange pattern in the water all the way to Samaya and Solemar in Kaslik. Have a look below !!!

(click on the photo for a higher resolution version)

Foreign review of Lebanese Movie: Bosta

2006-02-17T16:48:00.002+02:00

Dear Lebanon

In my continuous search for articles about Lebanese people and Lebanon over the internet, I found this article about the Lebanese box office hit: BOSTA

Rory McCarthy wrote "Dancers' tale proves big hit in Lebanon" in the Guardian Unlimited British newspaper.

Links:

Chirine Njeim: Olympic Headlines

2006-02-16T13:19:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

It is nice to see some press reviews about our Lebanese skier Chirine Njeim in the TORINO 2006 winter Olympics.

Here are some links:

Chirine still has other games to participate in.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Anjar, one year later...

2006-02-11T22:53:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon,

I am extremely busy these days studying, reading and working on projects for my studies. I hope I can start blogging again starting next month.
Although I am away, news updates about Lebanon are the first thing I check every morning.

Anyway, here is an article published by the BBC about Anjar.
It is an article by Sebastian Usher who visited the ex-syrian stronghold 1 year after their departure.

Click here to read his article: "Lebanon village struggles after Syrians"

New Year Mood in Lebanon

2005-12-30T11:33:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

I will be posting links to interesting stories concerning the current mood of Lebanese people.

1- Hold the Champagne: Lebanon Is in No Mood to Party By MICHAEL SLACKMAN (NY Times)

2- Lebanese Awaiting Psychics' Predictions By DONNA ABU-NASR (Guardian Unlimited)

-

3-2-1-1 Happy New Year

2005-12-28T09:51:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

I am back since the 20th of December to the motherland, and I have to admit that nothing has changed... Or almost nothing.
Indeed, Monot is no longer the "IN" place to go out, since nightlife has moved to Gemayzeh, a perpendicular street to Monot less then 1 Km away. Still, some Monot pubs are there to stay, notably Pacifico and Lila Braun.

I read one interesting story on the net, which states that this year, before switching to 2006, we will be adding one extra second to 2005. A leap second to adjust and synchronize atomic clocks to the earth rotation. While this might seem absurd, it is apparently a necessity because it affects indirectly our daily lives, from GPS tracking to telecom operations...

So, this year, instead of doing a regular countdown before kissing your lover, count 3, 2, 1, Another 1, and then HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

For more info on the 2005 leap second, click here.

Back for vacation

2005-12-14T22:33:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

Few days and I will be back... back to reality...

I cannot express how I felt when I learned the news about the death of Parliament Member and Annahar General Manager Gebran Tueini.
Although I didn't agree with his latest political views and alliances, I still believe that at the time when nobody dared to mention Syria from inside Lebanon, he was never afraid to discuss openly the corruption and dominance of the syrio-lebanese politicians.
A great man is gone...And we are left in shock and awe.

Still, life goes on, and I sincerely hope that we will prevail.

Being Lebanese, I will be going home for Christmas to spend the holidays with my family and friends. Still, the airplane tickets with the cheapest airline will cost me more than a ticket to Brazil with 3* hotel accommodation for 10 days... Go figure...

Well, I guess my next post will be from Lebanon, where I hope my theory of "Lebanon on hold" and "Waiting for Mehlis" will no more be valid. I HOPE!

Until then...

1975: A Catchy Date

2005-11-25T22:00:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

A lot of people associate dates with specific events that had an impact on them personally or on society.
While 1975 might be associated with the 3rd Cod War , the release of Jaws or even Armageddon (which obviously turned out to be a false prediction), if you are Lebanese, this date means one thing: the start of the civil war.

A couple of years ago ( I don't remember exactly when), a new pub opened on the corner of the hottest spot in Mono (The heart of the Lebanese nightlife). Among all the pubs that pop-up every now and then in this area, only one managed to achieve worldwide fame based on its concept: 1975

When I first saw it, it reminded me of the dark days of war I lived hiding in the shelters protected by sandbags. I managed to avoid it every time I went out to the nearby pubs in Mono until I decided with some friends to check it out.
With the music of Feiruz in the background, I started to look around in this small two-stories pub which was transformed to a typical war shelter.
Young people were sitting on mattresses layed on the floor... as we used to do... with the exception that they were all smiling and having fun. The place was full so we decided to leave immediately... I didn't like it anyway.

Although the most famous Lebanese club on the planet has always been B018, when I came to France, people were always asking me about that shelter styled pub. I was surprised to see how many people had heard of it. As I remember, it never was an A-LIST pub... Still, it managed to achieve a worldwide fame thanks to its controversial design.

What really amazed me is that now, the worldwide press is now talking about this small pub...1975

- For a listing of events occurring in 1975, click here.
- For more information about the Lebanese Civil War, click here.

Beirut - One of the hottest spots for bars and clubs (part 1)

2005-11-21T18:06:00.000+02:00

Dear Lebanon

Since I had nothing interesting to write about, I preferred just not to post.
While we are still waiting for Godot... I mean Mehlis, looks like everything in this country is just put on hold. As some people say, Same Shit Different Day!

Anyway, while browsing FashionWeek, a seasonal supplement to BusinessWeek, I came across the word "Beirut". It got my attention so I decided to read this article called "New Arrivals".
Here is how the author Philip Watson started:
"St Tropez? Passé. Ibiza? So over. The hottest spots for bars and clubs in Europe right now are not where you'd expect"
He then describes the nightlife in four cities: Beirut, Lisbon, Berlin and Moscow.

Although I tend to have a rather pessimistic view of Lebanon's future (I have my reasons), I am glad to see that some people are still interested in it.

In my next post, I will be talking about 1975.

Click here to read the full BusinessWeek FashionWeek article.

Away From You

2005-09-25T13:27:00.000+03:00

Good morning Lebanon

So this is the longest time I have been away from Lebanon (10 days now), but not from Lebanese people. I met quite a few already, on the plane, the train, and even in the city of Bordeaux.
What is even more interesting is that I knew some of these Lebanese people from back home. It is a small world!

Now as you all probably heard, there was unfortunately a big explosion in Ashrafieh, a smaller one in Hamra and a bomb scare in the Sofil center in Ashrafieh also.
Guess nothing will change anytime soon...

Now as I mentioned in my previous post, I will list the (non political) things I am missing the most:

1-The slow Internet connections:
It is at least 20 times faster here for a quarter of the price.

2-Traffic jams:
While a lot of people here complain about the Tramway and Bus system (it breaks down for 10 minutes sometimes), I think having a similar one in Lebanon would be an achievement. It only costs 16 $/month for unlimited rides.

3-Making Missed Calls:
In France as in most countries, you are billed by the second and not by the minute as is the case in Lebanon. Maybe our smart government will notice soon that CHEAPER calls mean MORE calls.

4-The kitchen, the living room and my bed:
I now live in a 20m2 studio near university. Rent is definitely more expensive here, but living in a hip area of Beirut is too.

I'll be off next week to the beach where the school is organizing an integration seminary (that seems fun), and then I will start blogging again about a Lebanese in Bordeaux (that would be me).

Things I will be talking about are how I met some Lebanese here, the perception of Lebanon by international students, and the difference between cultures...

Later...

Goodbye my dear Lebanon

2005-09-09T18:14:00.000+03:00

Dear Lebanon

For more then 6 months, I have been posting to this blog, and most of the comments I received were very encouraging. I thank you for that.
Now, it is time for me to move on. It is time for me to become another statistic, another 24 years old youngster leaving his homeland to ensure a better future.
Yes, even I am leaving. After seeing all my friends leave one after the other to work abroad, it is now my turn to say goodbye.

This is probably the last post I write before leaving to France.
Although I got accepted to the MBA program of the most reputable university in the region with a full assistantship (American University of Beirut aka AUB), I decided to head to Bordeaux in France for a Masters in Supply Chain Management.

I will definitely keep on posting on The Lebanese Code and hopefully more frequently.
Now I am sure there are lots of things I will be missing. But before I reveal it in my first post from France, I would like to know what you think there is to miss about our dear LEBANON.

Please post your entries in the comment section.

GOD BLESS LEBANON ( or what is left of it ) !!!

Explosion in ZALKA

2005-08-22T22:46:00.000+03:00

Explosion in Zalka around 10:30pm in the PROMENADE hotel.

Two injuries reported so far.

The Lebanese Drill

2005-08-18T17:22:00.000+03:00

It is about 10:40 am and I am heading towards downtown Beirut via the famous Dora highway.

Traffic jams are frequent there but something was wrong today.
On the return side of the highway there were almost no cars while on my side, it was really jammed.
I looked around and I noticed heavy smoke coming from the bridge near Forum De Beyrouth.
Then I started seeing army soldiers and hearing sirens...
A man walking in the middle of the highway told me there was an explosion.
In the beginning, I believed the man since it looked like a war zone.
I then headed towards my office in Forum de Beyrouth and started to ask the people there, and they told me it was actually a drill.

Apparently 90% of people I asked didn't know about it. I guess we should be blamed for not listening to the SAME BORING TV news.

As if the worrying for real explosions wasn't enough in this country, we now have to verify whether it is a drill or not.

I think there are better ways for the army, security services, firefighters and the Red Cross to test their effectiveness and speed in order to prepare for such scenarios.

No need to cause panic among the already scared population...

Changing Phone Numbers

2005-07-29T12:28:00.000+03:00

While reading THE DAILY STAR newspaper today, I found out that all current mobile numbers will no longer need the 03 prefix (area code) , but will require the 71 prefix starting September 18, 2005.

Earlier this summer, mobile operators launched campaigns promoting mobile numbers with the 70 prefix.
Apparently, the new 70 & 71 prefixes are necessary to meet the increasing demand in mobile lines, previously restricted to some 800 000.

Although no official announcement has yet been made, I called my mobile operator alfa ( the Cellis substitute) and they confirmed the switch to the new code.

So if you used to dial 03-XXX XXX within Lebanon, you will have to dial 71-XXX XXX.
From outside Lebanon, you will have to dial 961-71-XXX XXX.

What intrigued me the most was the following:
In January of 2006, the ministry will release new nine-digit toll-free numbers for services such as gaming or calling television shows to vote for reality TV contestants. Later in 2006, "01" numbers will begin instead with "2," opening up more fixed lines. (Daily Star)

When I called the OGERO (the fixed lines operator) hotline number 1515 to ask about it, they had no idea what I was talking about.

I will update this story as soon as I get more info.

You can read The Daily Star article by clicking here.

Useful Links:
1- The Daily Star
2- alfa
3- MTC Touch
4- OGERO
5- Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications

Bang Bang

2005-07-23T11:40:00.000+03:00

Friday night, I am waiting for my friends to pick me up and head towards Monot , the heart of the Lebanese nightlife.
Next thing I know, I get a phone call telling me about an explosion in the Monot area.
In order to make sure this was the case, I did the bomb check test we usually do in Lebanon.
I tried to make a call on my mobile, and I got the "Network Problem" error.
The test proved positive.
This time however, I felt like nothing serious had happened. After so many car bombs, we kinda got used to it, and life goes on. Instead of staying home, we just decided to go towards Jounieh where we could hang out at Crepaway or Schtroumpf.
It is funny, but looks like we got to a point where hiding or staying home isn't an option anymore.
Whether you are at home or on the road, you don't know where the next bomb is gonna blow.
Either we convince ourselves that staying home is safer and wait for the disaster to knock on our doors, or we just continue our lives and believe that our hour will come when God decides it is time.

The Lebanese Mentality

2005-07-11T17:33:00.000+03:00

I still remember the Mastercard adverstisement where they start showing you stuff like a soccer team T-shirt for X dollars, tickets to a game for Y dollars... And finally a soccer ball signed by the famous Brazilian player Pelé as priceless. And the message at the end: "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else there's Mastercard".

On the other hand, a Lebanese bank has been showing lately a TV advertisement about its plastic cards with the exact opposite mentality.
Usually, advertisers take into consideration the social and cultural beliefs of the targeted consumers... This case wasn't an exception.
As the ad plays, you can read messages such as "The power to give", "The power to lead", "The power to say NO", "the power to decide" and finally you see the numerous plastic cards with the message "The power in your hand".

While some might disagree with the way the message is being delivered, since it clearly states that with money you can do anything you want, I believe it is a reflection of how the Lebanese society is thinking.

Makes you really wonder how materialistic life has become in Lebanon, the land of values.

Hot Dark Lebanese Summer

2005-07-04T15:00:00.000+03:00

So the elections are over, a new government is about to be formed, and life goes on in Lebanon.
It is getting hotter every day of this summer, being the weather or the parties on weekend nights and sunny Sunday beaches.

Wanting to increase the excitement in our lives, EDL (the local electric power authority in Lebanon) is managing to increase its power shortages just when we need it the most.
Suddenly, coming back late from a weekend party is an adventure in Lebanon.
Since backup generators are forbidden after 1:00 am , my only source of light was my cell phone's screen. I had to make it to my apartment located luckily on the 2nd floor by using the stairs without tripping. Good thing I was sober that night.
If you think that was easy, (guys) try using the bathroom in total darkness.

HEAT - The Lebanese Elections

2005-06-16T17:00:00.000+03:00

Dear Lebanon

For about 2 months now, the only topic discussed in Lebanon is the parliamentary elections.
It is the first time elections take place after the end of the Syrian occupation.
After the first two rounds of elections (Beirut & the South), in which the result was known way before elections' day, last Sunday witnessed round 3.
The Mount Lebanon and Bekaa parliamentary elections witnessed a fierce electoral battle.
The Lebanese people had the chance to choose between 2 major forces.
And what a choice they made... They chose to change, they chose to express their disgust from the traditional lawmakers.
The losers expressed their worries that the country was heading back to war following the Free Patriotic Movement's win, as if they expected the Lebanese people were in the mood or even ready for another civil war.
With the rise of a new and strong leader, the political scene witnessed a severe reshuffling of cards.
We might be witnessing for the first time in modern Lebanon the switch from sectarian divide to political agenda partisanship.
Next Sunday, the final round of the elections will take place in the North and will be decisive as to who will control the next parliament: The Master of Mukhtara or The Against-All-Odds General.

PS: For those wondering, I voted ORANGE.

Explosion in Ashrafieh

2005-06-02T12:39:00.000+03:00

(Updated)

2nd of June 2005

A bomb targeting An-Nahar columnist Samir Kassir killed him instantly.
The explosion took place around 11:00 am Beirut Time.
He was in his car in Ashrafieh, a christian town of Beirut.

Later in the evening, Mr. Marcel Ghanem dedicated the episode of his talk show "Kalam El Nass" (Peoples's discussions) to commemorate the martyr of the press.
The show's guests were politicians, journalists and most importantly some of Mr. Kassir's students.
As the show progressed, the students started to give their testimonies of their beloved teacher, which was more like a mentor and a friend for them.
All four students expressed their admiration for their martyr, and their shock and disgust over the use of his martyrdom for electoral and political reasons by politicians.
Rather then mourning the martyr, the so-called opposition decided to benefit from the sad event to promote its political agenda through their speeches and the clearly biased media.

Below is a photo of his wrecked car and his portrait taken from the tayyar.org website:

Links:
1- MSNBC
2- CNN
3- Reuters

Ready for the battle!

2005-05-24T18:17:00.000+03:00

Following several days of consultations and tentative artificial agreements, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) finally declared the collapse of negotiations.

Victory!!! I shouted...

Although it might seem sad and absurd to celebrate the division of the so-called “opposition”, I was one of those who never believed that unity can be achieved with other factions of Lebanese as long as the same corrupt leaders were still representing them.
I always looked up to General Aoun as a true Lebanese who represents the last chance to rebuild this country. Had the alliance taken place, I would have lost hope for any future in Lebanon.

I might be described as the extremist who refuses to bargain, which makes me inadequate for politics. But it is my extremism which keeps the balance in this country where our rights are being violated and our intelligence being insulted.
I’ll leave bargaining for those who are able to do it. Me, I want all my rights.

They tried to buy us with some seats at parliament. They even insulted us with the number of seats claiming we are not as many as we pretend to be.
Actually, there is a saying in French which translates into: When the cat is away, the mice are dancing.
Well, now we are back to claim what is ours.

Everybody knows that corruption is the main reason for our huge debts.
Some people however tend to forget who is behind this corruption.
Elections day will be judgment day in few regions including mine.
The maturity of the Lebanese people will decide the fate of our dear country, Lebanon.

Ice Ice Baby!

2005-05-10T23:10:00.000+03:00

Dear Lebanon,

It was a tough week for me. After a weekend in the hospital, I came back home with the same high fever which caused me to go there in the first place.
There, I did dozens of blood tests and medical mumbo jumbo in order to diagnose my illness. All tests for dangerous diseases my doctor feared I might have proved to be negative, so he let me go on Monday.
During this period, I was forbidden to take any drug to reduce fever. All I had was that old Ice bag on my head which will remain my best companion until further notice.

What I regret the most was the fact that I wasn’t able to greet the General. I as lots of true and authentic Lebanese was waiting for this day for about 15 years. I had to stick to the TV and cheer his return with the cute nurses who were taking good care of me.
At last, someone we can look up to has come to take over the corrupted situation we have been living in since the end of the civil war. I couldn’t agree more with Aoun’s necessity to investigate all the spending which took place under the name of rebuilding the country.
Now why is the idea encountering so much opposition?
Simply put, all those who participated in ruling oppressively Lebanon since 1990 are involved in stealing except for very few politicians, none of which comes to my mind…
They claim they want to forget the past and have a fresh start… Not happening!

The thing that disgusts me the most is the following:
How come the speaker of the house and him only has the right to call for the general assembly of parliament? And how dare he refuse the will of the Free Lebanese People’s will? Did we switch to a shared dictatorship during the TAEF accord?