My Beloved Lebanon

Zawarib: A Mapping Revolution

2012-01-26T12:23:00.005+02:00

STRESSED about driving into Hamra in this rain, traffic anger & parking drama? WHY NOT take the bus? For just LL1,000, ease into your seat, catch up on your reading, make those important phone calls, observe your fellow passengers' outfits, gadgets or body shape, interact with them on state of traffic / bus driver / day ahead, or simply observe those fine details of building facades and shops that you never had time to see because you were too busy dodging other drivers on the road! And then get dropped off, take a brisk walk to your destination, take in the smell of the morning Man'ousheh, arriving to your destination in true style... What finer way to start your Beiruti day.

ZAWARIB, details:

Founded	2008
Location	Petro Trad St, Sodeco, Nasra, Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
About	A Mapping Revolution

Company Overview	A Mapping concept that is not only about mapping towns, cities & other places, but also on a mission to promote navigation and make maps the sexy alternative to getting lost! Their aim is to improve transportation & navigation, inspire internal tourism and encourage urban adventurers to explore beyond the usual spots.
Description	From satellite images, through cartographers, street data collectors & graphics designers, they provide user-friendly, easy-to-read & colorfully designed map products. They are the leading detailed map providers in Lebanon. Their maps can be purchased from bookshops, magazine stands, news kiosks and gas stations across Lebanon, as well as selected bookstores in London, Paris, Dubai, Cairo and on amazon.com and other such websites globally. Their projects include a variety of customized map products for touristic and promotional solutions for top brand Lebanese corporations and government institutions.
Mission	Their mission is to spread map use everywhere and to encourage efficient navigation & transportation in the Middle East.

Products	"Zawarib Beirut & Beyond Atlas" goes beyond Greater Beirut and covers most of the metropolis (150 Km2 of Beirut & suburbs). With plenty of GIS information within the designed maps and an expanded index, as well as a list of useful sites and their phone numbers. "Zawarib On The Go (3al Mashi)", your small but valuable companion inside the city of Beirut, whether walking, cycling or for short trips by car. Its miniature size hides plenty of information in the maps, a packed index, and a list of useful numbers. This edition comes in 8 attractive covers, designed by some of Lebanon's leading artists and designers, who are putting Beirut on the cultural map.The integrated bus map, available in all printed atlases, is a first for Lebanon and supports greater use of the bus network. Other projects include "Amioun" heritage trail map for the municipality, "Winery maps" for all 35 wineries in Lebanon, "Beirut Marathon" runners route map and "Beirut Shopping & Dining" booklet created with Pages Jaunes (Yellow Pages) in summer 2011.

Email	info@zawarib.net
Phone	+9611614706 / +9613079906
Website	http://www.zawarib.net http://www.facebook.com/zawarib http://www.twitter.com/zawaribworld http://www.youtube.com/zawaribworld

Nadine Labaki: Celebrity Of The Year on Yahoo.com!

2012-01-10T11:10:00.005+02:00

نادين لبكي تتفوق على أوبرا وينفري وتحصد لقب شخصية العام 2011 الفنية

أعلن موقع “ياهو” الشهير نتائج الاستفتاء السنوي لعدة فئات ابرزها أفضل الشخصية الفنية للعام 2011 والتي حصدت المركز الأول في هذه الفئة المخرجة والممثلة اللبنانية نادين لبكي بنسبة 19% متفوقة على الاعلامية الشهيرة أوبرا وينفري التي حلت في المركز الثاني بنسبة 14% من الاصوات.

أما لقب أفضل شخصية رياضية للعام 2011 فذهب لللاعب المصري الصقر أحمد حسن بعد حصوله على نسبة 41% من الأصوات،وتفوق أحمد حسن على شخصيات رياضية عربية وعالمية وجاء في المركز الثاني لاعب برشلونة ومنتخب الأرجنتين ليونيل ميسي الذي حصل على 31% من الاصوات

أما الحدث الأبرز للعام 2011 فهو تنحي الرئيس المصري المخلوع حسني مبارك ليكون الحدث الأبرز لهذا العام بعد حصوله على نسبة 31% من أصوات من شاركوا في الاستفتاء.وتجاوز تنحي مبارك عن السلطة حدث آخر شديد الأهمية، وهو مقتل العقيد الليبي معمر القذافي بحوالي 200 صوت ليصبح الحدث الأبرز بين كل الأحداث العالمية.

Sunday, January 8th, 2012 , 1:52 am

http://www.bikhsoushalshi.com/30589

Season's Greetings from My Beloved Lebanon!

2011-12-30T18:08:00.000+02:00

https://www.facebook.com/mybelovedlebanon

Beirut, the 2nd top destination in 2012

2011-12-06T15:06:00.001+02:00

You just cant keep a good city down. Or, in Beiruts case, a turbulent past of decades of civil war hasnt taken the sheen off its glossy, cosmopolitan swagger. Lebanons capital is far from your "regular" Middle Eastern city: Nestled on the Mediterranean coast, Beirut is an enticing combination of French designer boutiques in rebuilt Downtown, chi-chi private beach clubs where bling is king, cutting-edge galleries in converted warehouses and magnificent third-century mosaics in the National Museum.

You'll adore Beiruts juxtaposition of old and new, traditional and downright funkiness. Restored Roman baths stand in the midst of the business district, surrounded by gleaming skyscrapers and an Ottoman palace. At Music Hall, in an old cinema hall, fez-wearing traditional musicians play Arabic ballads for their 15-minute spot, after an '80s cover band, while cocktail-dress Beiruti women belly dance with their designer-jeans-clad partners supping cocktails. Soldiers with machine guns keep one eye on families drinking coffee at midnight, with squealing kids playing, on pedestrianized Place de L'Etoile square. Le Gray luxury boutique hotel sits a moments walk from the bombed-out Holiday Inn, still bullet-ridden from 1976 Lebanon Civil War.

Small is definitely beautiful in bijoux Lebanon. In Beirut, you're never far away from a ski slope (Faraya, 45 minutes away), cedar plantation (an hour) and ancient Roman Temple (Byblos is an hour by bus). And on your way to Byblos, you can whisk up by cable car to Harissa, the immense hilltop statue, Lebanon's patron saint. Oh, and of course there are beaches, right here in the city.

And the icing on the cake? Well it has to be the food. From street food of hot m'neesh al zataar (flat bread with herbs) to a tableful of Middle Eastern mezze washed down with chilled Almaza beer or home-cooked Armenian cuisine, locals love to dine out. And then party, hard.

http://www.beiruting.com/news/beirut-the-2nd-top-destination-in-2012

Happy Independence Day Lebanon - 22 November, 2011

2011-11-23T12:16:00.001+02:00

An Nasheed Al Watani Al Lubnani" (النشيد الوطني اللبنان) also known as "Kulluna lil watan" (كلنـا للوطـن) is the Lebanese national anthem.
Lyrics by: Rashid Nakhle.
Music by: Wadih Sabra.
Adopted: July 12, 1927.

Lyrics:
Kulluna lil-watan, lil'ula lil-'alam
Mil'u ayn az-zaman, saifuna wal-qalam
Sahluna wal-jabal, manbitun lir-rijal
Qawluna wal-'amal fi sabil-el-kamal

Kulluna lil-watan, lil'ula lil-'alam,
Kulluna lil-watan

Shaykhuna wal-fata, 'Inda sawt-il-watan
Usdu ghaben mata, sawaratn-al-fitan
Sharquna qalbuhu, abadan Lubnan
Sanahu rabbuhu, li mada-l-azman

Kulluna lil-watan, lil'ula lil-'alam,
Kulluna lil-watan

Bahruhu barruhu, durratush-sharqayn
Rifduhu birruhu, mali' ul-qutbayn
Ismuhu 'izzuhu, munzu kana-l-judud
Majduhu arzuhu, ramzuhu lil-khulud

Kulluna lil-watan, lil'ula lil-'alam,
Kulluna lil-watan

Translation:
All of us! For our Country, for our Flag and Glory!
Our valor and our writings are the envy of the ages.
Our mountains and our valleys, they bring forth stalwart men.
And to Perfection we devote our words and labor.

All of us! For our Country, for our Flag and Glory!
All of us! For our Country.

Our Elders and our children, they await our Country's call,
And on the Day of Crisis they are as Lions of the Jungle.
The heart of our East is ever Lebanon,
May God preserve him until the end of time.

All of us! For our Country, for our Flag and Glory!
All of us! For our Country.

The Gems of the East are his land and sea.
Throughout the world his good deeds flow from pole to pole.
And his name is his glory since time began.
The cedars are his pride, his immortality's symbol.

All of us! For our Country, for our Flag and Glory!
All of us! For our Country!

Y.A.N.A.'s Annual Christmas Braderie

2011-11-04T16:58:00.000+02:00

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) is pleased to announce that its annual Christmas Garage Sale "Braderie" will be held at the Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) | Congrégation des Coeurs Unis - CCU headquarters in Dekwaneh on 14-15 December 2011.

For your donations to the Annual Christmas Braderie... please deliver items of interest to CCU bldg in Dekwaneh every Wednesdays and Thursdays:
• Home and kitchen appliances
• Furniture
• CDs, books, toys, ...
• Christmas or other types of decoration, ...
• Fashion accessories: Colifichets, bags, scarfs, glasses, wallets, etc…
• Unused items of clothing
• etc...

You can also HELP by inviting your friends to www.facebook.com/yanaccu or www.twitter.com/yanaccu

Address: CCU bldg, Dekwaneh, St. Joseph str., Beirut, Lebanon. P.o.box: 55205 Sin el Fil Tel / Fax: +961 1 691 115- info@ccujm.org, yana@ccujm.org

For every New FB page LIKE, a vote for Jeita Grotto!

2011-10-31T12:54:00.002+02:00

For every new LIKE on My Beloved Lebanon's facebook page (www.facebook.com/mybelovedlebanon) we will send a vote to Jeita Grotto to become one of the 7 wonders of the world!

Please like and share to increase the votes!

Let us count together, as of now we have 149 likes... We will see by 11.11.11 how many Jeita Grotto votes we would have raised!

Thank you for supporting Jeita Grotto! :)

PS: you can also vote yourselves by sending an sms in Lebanon to 1070 or by logging to www.n7w.com

Vote for Jeita grotto to Become One of the 7 Wonders of the World!

2011-10-24T12:16:00.000+03:00

Lebanon: Send JEITA or جعيتا to 1070 (0.10 $)
Canada: Send JEITA to 77077 (0.25 Can$)
UAE: Send JEITA to 3888 (2 AED)
Poland: Send JEITA to 7155 (1 PLN)
Australia: Send JEITA to 19788555 (0.55 Aus$)
Philippines: Send N7WCONTEST JEITAGROTTO to 2861 (2.5 PHP)
South Korea: Send JEITA to 001-1588-7715 (150 KW)
Taiwan: Send N7W JEITA to 55123 (10 NTD)
South Africa: Send JEITA to 34874 (2 R)
Bangladesh: Send JEITA to 16333 (2 BDT)
Jordan: Send JEITA to 94089 (0.06 JD)
Ireland: Send JEITA to 53131 (0.3 €)
Brazil: Send JEITA to 22046 (0.42 €)
Argentina: Send JEITA to 5656

If your country is not in the list, you can still vote by international telephone:
1- Dial one of these numbers: +1 649 339 8080 or +44 758 900 1290
2- At the end of the message, after the tone, insert Jeita Grotto's code: 7714
3- When you hear the thank you message, you are all done

or log onto http://www.new7wonders.com

Deadline to vote: 11.11.11

More information here:

http://www.new7wonders.com/archives/wonder/jeita-grotto

https://www.facebook.com/New7WondersofNature

http://www.jeitagrotto.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeita-Grotto/21462737525

Live Performances by Singer / Actress Josiane El Zir

2011-10-15T16:10:00.000+03:00

Sunset Over Beirut!

2011-10-14T14:19:00.000+03:00

"Where Do We Go Now?": Film from Lebanon win Toronto International Film Festival

2011-10-11T14:31:00.001+03:00

TORONTO (AP) — "Where Do We Go Now?" a bittersweet comedy set in war-torn Lebanon, bested two well-received entries starring George Clooney to win the people's choice award Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Cadillac People's Choice award, which also includes a C$15,000 cash prize, is voted on by festival audiences and has typically been regarded as a bellwether for Oscar success.

Lebanese-Canadian director-actress Nadine Labaki's feminist filmabout village women bent on keeping their hotheaded men out of a religious warwas chosen earlier this month as Lebanon's 2011 entry in the best foreignlanguage film category for the Academy Awards.Labaki, who also stars in the film, was traveling in Europe whenshe heard the news, which was announced Sunday at a closing brunch for the11-day festival. Festival programmer Rasha Salti accepted the award on thefilmmaker's behalf, reading a statement sent by Labaki from an airport inGermany. "I'm thrilled, I'm happy, I'm ecstatic, I'm excited — my daythat had just started on the wrong foot because of a flight cancellation hasjust been turned upside down," the 37-year-old Labaki said in herstatement."I'm running around jumping up and down at the Frankfurtairport. Tomorrow we'll be screening 'Where Do We Go Now?' for the first timein Lebanon and I will be proud and happy to announce the news in front of mycrew, my family and the Lebanese audience."

Festival director Piers Handling noted it was a surprise triumphfor a film that was overshadowed by heavily promoted, star-studded Hollywoodfilms. These included Clooney's two films, "The Descendants" and"The Ides of March." "We have some very, very high-profile films here at thefestival and ones that a lot of people are talking about and I'm sure will goon to awards," said Handling. "But Nadine's film obviously connectedwith the public in a significant way because it was a clear, clear winner." Last year's fans' pick, "The King's Speech," went on totake four Oscars, including best picture, and the 2008 people's choice winner,"Slumdog Millionaire," took best pictureand seven other Oscars. Quebec director Philippe Falardeau's "Monsieur Lazhar,"about an Algerian schoolteacher in Quebec and his relationship with twostudents, won the award for best Canadian feature and a C$30,000 prize. The best first Canadian feature award, which includes a C$15,000prize, went to director Nathan Morlando's period piece "Edwin Boyd,"starring Scott Speedman as the notorious Canadian bank robber.

"Where Do We Go Now?" garnered rave reviews at thisyear's Cannes Film Festival, where it screened on the margins of the officialcompetition. It follows Labaki's feature "Caramel," a sweet lovestory set in a Beirut beauty salon, which was Lebanon's entry for the 2007 bestforeign language film Oscar. Set in a remote village where the church and the mosque stand sideby side, "Where Do We Go Now?" follows the antics of the town's womento keep their blowhard men from starting a religious war. Women heartsick oversons, husbands and fathers lost to previous flare-ups unite to distract theirmen with clever ruses, from faking a miracle to hiring a troop of Ukrainianstrippers.Labaki wrote the screenplay for the film which was shot onlocation in three remote Lebanese villages with a cast made up almost entirelyof nonprofessional actors. Labaki, who is married to the film's composer, KhaledMouzannar, also included a handful of old-school song-and-dance numbers thatbuoy the mood.

وهلّأ لوين؟

2011-10-04T17:19:00.000+03:00

Where do we go now? Et Maintenant On Va Où?

Musique de Khaled Mouzanar
Musique originale du film: Et maintenant on va où?
Film réalisé par Nadine Labaki

(hashish of my heart)

Wine in Lebanon: the grapes of wrath

2011-10-03T14:10:00.002+03:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/02/wine-in-lebanon-bekaa-valley?fb=optOut

James Hipwell
The Observer, Sunday 2 October 2011

In search of a glass in a country where the wine industry dates back 5,000 years and has survived wars and intolerant religions

"When we started planting the vineyard, we found a cluster bomb on the ground that had been dropped on the village in 1983. The army said it would take two weeks to get here, but I had 1,000 vines that had to be in the ground immediately or else they'd die. So with a couple of brave young men, we decided to plant the vines. Thank God nobody got hurt." This isn't the kind of commentary you get on most wine tours. But this is a vineyard in Lebanon, not the Loire. On a visit to Chateau Belle-Vue, high above the heat and hustle of Beirut on the top of Mount Lebanon, its irrepressible owner Naji Boutros gives us not only a lesson in viticulture but a first-hand account of his country's troubled history, too. Boutros grew up in the village of Bhamdoun but left when it became engulfed in heavy fighting during the early 1980s. After a career as an investment banker, he returned in 2000 with his family to set up the winery in what was left of his village, naming it Chateau Belle-Vue after the hotel his grandfather ran there. My wife and I scramble to keep up with him as he shows us around the vertiginous terraces now planted with merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines. "The more hurdles you overcome, the better the result," he says, laughing off his close shave with a cluster bomb and opening a bottle whose label could not be more apt for his endeavours with Belle-Vue and the Lebanese wine industry as a whole – La Renaissance. Two decades of relative peace since Lebanon's civil war ended have allowed a wine industry that dates back more than 5,000 years to flourish. There are now 35 wineries in business, and most are more than willing to open their doors to visitors wanting to discover another side of Lebanese culture. The journey to Lebanon's extraordinary vineyards, however, requires strong nerves. The main wine region is reached by the Beirut to Damascus highway, a thunderous road that is five terrifying lanes across – two going up the mountain, two coming down, and one in the middle fought over by a simple game of chicken. Our taxi driver holds his own while we cower in the back. Just after Bhamdoun, the Bekaa Valley opens up before us. It was the Phoenicians who first discovered that the long summers, wet winters and warm temperature made this huge green plateau bordered by mountains perfect for viticulture. Our next stop is the exquisitely tasteful Massaya winery. After a tour, the enigmatic co-owner Ramzi Ghosn ushers us down through the vines to a beautiful hidden garden. Eating cherries picked from the orchard, we sip on a delightful 2010 rosé and watch the setting sun turn the eastern slopes of the valley the exact shade of pink as the wine. "In Lebanon the wine is produced to complement our food," says Ghosn. "Ask yourself where the Romans built the Temple of Bacchus, the god of wine. It's not in Tuscany, it's not in Rioja, it's not in Bordeaux. It's in Baalbek, in the Bekaa Valley, just half an hour from here." It is to this world-famous temple that we head the following morning. As we drive along the valley floor, calls to prayer from numerous mosques drift across the vineyards, and as we approach Baalbek, billboards of Shia clerics and martyrs begin to line the road.

Baalbek is the headquarters of Hezbollah, the Islamic political party whose military wing is regarded as a terrorist organisation by many countries, including Britain. You might think Islam and vineyards make uneasy bedfellows, but they seem to coexist peacefully in the Bekaa, with winemaking accepted as part of the culture of the land. The ruins at Baalbek are breathtaking, and carved vine leaves adorning the entrance to the Temple of Bacchus provide us with a direct connection to Lebanon's past glories in winemaking. Our highlight is the Palmyra Hotel, another example of Baalbek's faded grandeur. Not much has changed since the 1920s, and walking into the lobby, with ornate Ottoman furniture and arabesque tiles, is like stepping into an Agatha Christie novel. We half expect to hear murderous shrieks in the night and Hercule Poirot to appear at breakfast. The next winery on our list is another name now impressing international wine circles. Domaine des Tourelles was founded by a French engineer in 1868 and is being revived by descendants of the founding family. Here we tasted some of the best wines of our visit. "Every bottle we produce is touched by the hands of every employee. It's a personal, human business," says Faouzi Issa, one of the co-owners. "We want to keep it that way, so we keep the passion in our winemaking." She believes that Lebanon's troubled past can have a positive impact on business. "When people hear about wars in Lebanon, that there's a very bad political situation here, and then they taste a wonderful Lebanese wine, they appreciate it all the more." This has worked for Chateau Musar, the last winery we visit and perhaps the most famous outside Lebanon. It kept producing world-class wines throughout the civil war, earning it legendary status in the wine industry and making its owner, Serge Hochar, Bacchus's corporeal equivalent in today's Lebanon. Chateau Musar's vineyards in the Bekaa are stunning, the soil is terracotta red, and the vines – a luscious, almost lime green – are framed by snow-capped mountains. The winery, however, is the other side of the mountain near Beirut. So getting the grapes to the winery every year, across what was often the frontline of warring factions, was a dangerous undertaking. We meet the twinkly-eyed septugenarian Hochar, who walks us through the Musar cellar, thick with cobwebs and rows of dusty bottles. He plumps for a bottle of 1977 red. On first taste it is vinegary and sharp. He watches our grimacing faces with amusement. "If you were given that in a restaurant, you would send it back, am I right?" he says with a knowing smile. "But leave it for a few minutes and then taste it again." After 10 minutes its smell and taste had changed completely into something light and fresh that lingers deliciously on the tongue. Hochar says this lasting taste is the wine "talking" to you. "A wine that has the ability to age is like a man who ages," Hochar explains. "As you get older, you have more experience and you have more to say. A young wine can talk to you for maybe only a second or a minute, but a wine that has aged, a wine with experience, can talk to you for hours." After five days immersed in this extraordinary industry and landscape, wine has come to represent the magic of Lebanon itself. With its connection to the soil, the climate, the past – surviving conflict and religious divides – a conversation with Lebanese wine is one worth having again and again.

Fady Noun on MTV's Kitab: Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

2011-09-26T15:16:00.003+03:00

Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

by Fady Noun on MTV's Kitab

To view the video, click on the link below:

http://www.mtv.com.lb/Kitab/Fady_Noun?type=1&filter=0

Kitab:
Kitab is a book review segment in which books and authors are discussed.Whether with a special guest or without, the main point is always the book.Famous writers in the three languages (Arabic, French and English) are receivedto discuss their biography, their writing style and their latest works. Also,new book releases are discussed and reviewed by our two hosts, who are bothalso published writers.

Under my Skin By Jezz & Bob Howard

2011-09-22T12:28:00.004+03:00

... and who said Lebanese are not talented people! Check out this new music house release (2011-2012) by our very own Jezz and DJ Bob Howard.

This song will be launched at WHITE (Beirut) tonight Thursday 22 September 2011.
Join us at WHITE and watch Jezz sing it LIVE!

My Beloved Lebanon Now on Facebook!

2011-09-12T14:23:00.000+03:00

You can now follow this blog "My Beloved Lebanon" on facebook by liking our facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/mybelovedlebanon

Do not forget to suggest the page to your friends! :)
Best,
J.

First Arab-International Forum of Young Entrepreneurs and Business Persons

2011-08-31T17:44:00.005+03:00

L.I.B.A.N. has the pleasure to invite you to attend the First Arab-International Forum of Young Entrepreneurs and Business Persons organized by L.I.B.A.N. (Lebanese International Businessmen Associations' Network).

It will be held under the Patronage of H.E. General Michel SLEIMAN, President of the Republic of Lebanon and in the presence of HRH Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, in Beirut Lebanon, on September 30th-October 1st 2011, at Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel.

The Forum will witness the 4th MAME YE (Young Entrepreneurs Associations from Europe, Africa & the Middle East) Meeting.

The two-days forum will present a platform for young Entrepreneurs and Businesspersons from all over Africa, Europe and Middle East to meet in Lebanon upon the invitation of their Lebanese counterpart, L.I.B.A.N, which is the sole national and international association that represents Leading Lebanese Young Entrepreneurs & Businesspersons in Lebanon and abroad.

This unique gathering is co-organized by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization ),the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture in Lebanon, and General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in the Arab countries, with the active partnership of ESA ( Ecole Supérieure des Affaires ), IDAL (Investment & Development Authority of Lebanon), and support of ILE ( Institute of Leadership Excellence – MEPI Alumni ).

The forum aims to :
- open a channel of communication and networking between all participants from different sectors/countries,
- create B2B meetings,
- brainstorm among participants on contribution in socio-economic development and Corporate Social Responsibility
- provide an exciting opportunity for all young entrepreneurs to be mentored
- benefit from starting constructive debate with success stories
- to establish strong collaboration with the associations of young entrepreneurs in the target countries.
We look forward for your participation in this unprecedented gathering.

For more Details and Registration, please click here:
http://www.libanorg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55%3Aregitsration-yeb-2011&catid=34%3Ayeb2011&Itemid=43

Also note that there is a registration fee (non refundable) for the event (150 USD).

Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

2011-08-26T16:22:00.004+03:00

Posted on August 26, 2011 by youmny

Écrivain à L’Orient Le Jour, Fady Noun publie son livre “Dévastation et Rédemption” par l'USJ (Université St Joseph). Le Livre est tellement marquant que je ne saurai l’expliquer ou le critiquer. Pour garder mon objectivité je vous laisse en juger en rapportant quelques extraits. Que vous soyez croyant ou pas, je suis sûre que le texte ne vous laissera pas indifférents.
Le Pape Jean Paul II et le Liban

Le Pape a œuvré pour sauver le Liban, et le Liban a prié pour sauver le Pape.

“Priez, et faites prier pour le Liban” – le pape Jean Paul II

Dés son élection en 1978, Jean Paul II propulse le Liban au premier plan, et œuvre pour son unité. Derrière cette motivation, une histoire touchante :

Sous l’incitation de Gilberte Doummar, le pape explique à Stéphane Vilkanovitch: Quand en 1978, après son élection, Jean Paul II sort au balcon pour saluer la foule sur la place Saint Pierre, malgré l’interdiction des bannières, il en voit une qui se lève, «Saint-Père, sauvez le Liban». A la fin de la célébration, il rentra et s’agenouilla devant l’Eucharistie, et demanda à Jésus, de lui donner «assez de vie pour sauver le Liban”.
Un évêque “vêtu de blanc” (le pape disaient les voyants) […], tombe à terre “comme mort sous les coups d’une arme à feu” – Troisième Secret de Fatima

Des mois avant l’attentat, Sœur Mathilde Riachi, envoi un message d’avertissement au pape à travers le patriarche, qui prend l’avertissement à la légère mais avertit, quand même, le nonce apostolique, qui sourit, mais transmet, de même, l’avertissement au Vatican. Au Liban, Sœur Mathilde incite les gens à prier pour le pape, “le pape est en danger, priez pour lui” leur disait-elle.

En 1981, l’attentat a eu lieu, le Pape s’en sort vivant, par une providence divine, “la main de la Vierge a dévié la balle” dit-il.

Mathilde Riachi: Ministère Prophétique

La Mission

“Tu tiens entre les mains un message “rissala” au monde” lui dit la Sainte Vierge dans sa première apparition, alors que Mathilde Riachi n’avait que 7ans.

A l’église Saint-Georges des Grecs Orthodoxes sur la place de l’étoile et à l’église voisine de Saint-Georges des maronites, Mathilde Riachi reçoit la même vision : “au moment de l’offertoire, elle voit dans un ravissement inexprimable, l’enfant Jésus à la place du pain, des gouttes de sang, ou des fils lumineux, relient l’offrande au calice et aux personnes qui communient.” La Sainte Vierge lui explique ces visions: “mes enfants morcelles mon fils, bien que sa grâce est la même dans toutes les églises. Je souhaite que tu œuvres à l’unité de l’église.”

“Comment le ferais-je alors que je ne sais ni lire ni écrire?”

Fille Presque illettrée, ne sachant ni lire ni écrire, Mathilde Riachi recevra des messages en différentes langues qu’elle prononce syllabe par syllabe. Elle se jettera à la rencontre des plus grands représentants religieux et politiques du pays, “aux présidents de la république, au commandant en chef de l’armée, le général Iskandar Ghanem, à la gendarmerie, à la sûreté générale […] à Camille Chamoun, à Sleiman Frangie, à Raymond Edde, à Pierre Gemayel” pour les avertir des dangers que le Liban cours avant qu’ils s’accomplissent, sous la demande de la Sainte Vierge. Elle parcours le territoire Libanais, en priant le rosaire du matin au soir, visitant ces églises et en enfonçant des croix blanches bénites par un prêtre aux creux des mures des églises. Pour protéger le Liban, elle fait jeter de l’eau bénite sur les maisons par l’intermédiaire d’un hélicoptère, même au dessus de la mer, à en arriver jusqu’à chypre.

“Comment! Le Liban est en danger et tu dors?” la réveille un soir la Sainte Vierge. Elle ira jusqu’à prier vingt trois heures par jour, ne dormant qu’une heure. A l’exemple de Jésus Christ, Sœur Mathilde accomplis même un jeune de 40 jours sans rien manger ni boire, pour le salut du Liban. Des dons innombrables qu’elle reçoit, Fady Noun cite celle de la guérison, de la prophétie, des langues, entre autres.

Entre Faits et Foi

“La Vierge saigne pour le Liban”
- Mgr Maximos Salloun

Dans Dévastation et Rédemption, Fady Noun, prend bien soin de relater les apparitions de la Vierge Marie qui ont eu lieu au Liban entre 1960 et 2005. Il cite entre autres: la Vierge qui tourne à Harissa en 1967, et 1989, les apparitions mariales au dessus de l’église Saint Pierre et Paul des Syriaques Orthodoxes à Mousseitbe en 1970, le miracle de Rmeich en 1983, le miracle de Bechouate en 1975-76 et 2004. Son récit retrace une à une ces apparitions en les relatant à la situation politique de leur époque. Il explique «une relation entre le pêchée de l’homme et ses conséquences dans l’histoire ».
Notre Dame du Liban

Mathilde Riachi note l’importance que tiens le Liban aux yeux de la Sainte Vierge “Il existe des liens privilégiés entre Notre-Dame et le Liban, assure-t-elle. Elle attribue ces paroles à Notre-Dame “le Liban m’appartiens, et à personne d’autre” (loubnan melki, mish laghayri) ou encore “ma patrie, le Liban” (watani loubnan).”

Des Prophéties en Cours

“L’histoire du monde est inséparable de l’histoire du salut”
- André Frossard

Mathilde Riachi expose dans la Bible, au sujet du Liban: Zacharie Chapitre 11 “Ouvre tes portes, Liban, et que le feu dévore tes cèdres!” mais encore: Isaïe Chapitre 12 “Tu diras, ce jour-la; Je te rends grâce, Yahvé, tu étais en colère contre moi, mais ta colère s’est calmée et tu m’as consolé!”

De la guerre au Liban, Mathilde Riachi a affirmée: “elle (Notre Dame) m’a dit que la guerre au Liban commencera par être confessionnelle, qu’elle revêtira ensuite une dimension régionale et finira comme un conflit mondiale. Comment? Je l’ignore. C’est le monde entier qui sera impliqué. Ses apparitions se multiplieront aux quatre coins du monde, comme autant d’avertissements, pour que le plus grand nombre d’êtres humains soient sauvés, avant le grand coup.”

Mathilde Riachi a toujours eu le sentiment que le Liban se relèvera mais que ce triomphe dépend en grande partie de l’unité et de la repentance des chrétiens. “Le chanteur populaire Wadih el Safi se rappelle avoir entendu Mathilde lui dire: “N’aie pas peur pour le Liban. Toute main qui aura coupé ne fut-ce qu’une tige verte au Liban sera coupée”.

http://thecubelb.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/devastation-et-redemption-%E2%80%93-recits-d%E2%80%99apparitions-de-la-vierge-marie-au-liban-1960-2005

To view the video, click on the link below:

http://www.mtv.com.lb/Kitab/Fady_Noun?type=1&filter=0

Lebanon, Make Way for a Faster Internet Connection!

2011-08-25T13:08:00.002+03:00

It seems that the days of the snail like internet connection that has plagued Lebanon are soon to be over. We’ve had our share of nail nibbling, nervous lip biting, and that weird habit of self-induced hair pulling whenever the internet slowed down, and now, the odd habits that we’ve developed will come to an end! Lebanese students, entrepreneurs, business persons, companies, investors, poets, artists, housewives and ‘housebands’ are soon to reap the benefits of fast research, communication, and time management.

That’s great news for almost everyone out there.

Lebanon’s fastest internet connection which used to be 1 Mb/s will now be the slowest, for a much cheaper price. Here’s the preliminary price list of Ogero and other internet connection providers. Ogero is selling at a slightly higher price though. We do not know if they’re providing extra services yet.

Posted by Pascale M. under News & Trends http://mizal.la/qVel33

Lebanon bans smoking in public places

2011-08-17T17:09:00.001+03:00

August 17, 2011 01:45 PM
The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Lebanon's Parliament Wednesday endorsed a law banning smoking in all enclosed public places, including restaurants, bars, cafes and offices.

The law was presented for vote with an amendment that would see owners of businesses fined if they fail to prevent their costumers smoking, and will also fine individuals who violate the ban.

Under the new law tobacco advertising and promotion will be illegal, including billboards, magazine advertisements and tobacco company sponsorship of events and concerts. The bill also calls for a pictorial warning of the dangers of smoking covering 40 percent of each pack.

The law also makes smoking onboard planes illegal.

Hotels are allowed to set aside 10 to 20 percent of their room for smokers.

Companies now have a set period in which to implement the new policies.

Lebanon has been obligated to pass tobacco control legislation since the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which the country signed, entered into force in 2005

Also set to be considered Wednesday is a draft law which would equalize marriage discounts for working men and women who pay income tax. Currently, married women receive less of a discount on their income tax than married men.

A draft law which would give compensation to ex-detainees of Syrian prisons is also on the table, as is legislation that would bump up the employment status and pay grade of employees and retirees of the Ministry of Telecommunications.

(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

"Peinture Dans la Nature" in St. Stephano Resort - Batroun

2011-08-09T17:20:00.001+03:00

Latifa-Art, the leader in Lebanon in Bringing Traditions Into Life, is organizing its first Artistic Excursion to the North of Lebanon on August 18th, 2011.

Join us to discover new passions; Where Art meets History and Leisure

Program
8:30 AM meeting in the public parking coming from DT Next to Campomatic Company, Under the Pedestrian Passengers
9:30 AM: Arrival to the St. Stephano Resort and Settlement in the nature under the palm trees facing the sea
10 - 11:30 AM Starting the Painting Session (optional subject: A view of the nature with acrylic colors)
11:30 - 11:45 AM Coffee Break
11:45 - 1:15 PM Continuing the Session
1:15 - 2:15 PM Lunch (Lebanese Cuisine)
2:15 - 6:15 PM Swimming and a tour with a professional guide in the Souks of Batroun to discover the Old Sites of the village.

Price: 75$ / Person. Including Transportation, Painting Session, Coffee Break, Lunch, Access to the Resort, Canvas painting and a Touristic Tour. (Special Price for 5 people & more)

Bring with you: A Hat, Swimming Suit, Towel, Sun Protection and Jogging Shoes.

For Reservation call: +961 3 863158 (places are limited)

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201751176546768

Orange House Project

2011-08-08T17:30:00.009+03:00

Eco Lodge - Bed & Breakfast / Sea Turtle Conservation

For millennia, sea turtles have swum ashore every summer to lay their eggs on beaches in what is now southern Lebanon. After incubation, the hatchlings race across the sand from their nests to the sea at night. A chance encounter with a sea turtle one night in 1999 inspired Mona Khalil to create the conservation project at Mansouri and Kolaila that is unique in Lebanon. Mona, then living in the Netherlands, had returned to Lebanon to visit her family’s beachfront farm. One moonless night, she was amazed to spy a green turtle laying eggs on the beach – and when she discovered that turtles were in danger of vanishing from Lebanon, she immediately knew what she would do when she came back to live there. In 2000, just after Israel withdrew its troops from south Lebanon, Mona and her assistant Habiba began restoring the farmhouse, researching turtles and consulting experts on how they could protect them. This turned out to be labour-intensive – keeping the beach clean, daily monitoring to gather data during the nesting season from May to September, relocating nests higher up the beach if they were threatened by agriculture runoff or sea flooding and installing metal grids to protect them from predators. “We were spending a lot of money on the sea turtle project and no one was helping us, so we decided to rent out a room,” Mona recalls. That was the beginning of the Orange House bed-and-breakfast, an eco-tourism venture that helps fund the project.In 2006, Israel’s war in Lebanon briefly forced Mona & Habiba to leave the farmhouse, which was damaged two days later by an Israeli bomb. But the 34-day conflict did not deter the turtles, which laid 79 nests that summer, the highest number since the project began. The war had kept people off the beach, leaving the turtles undisturbed. But it also brought a new predator in the shape of foxes, apparently driven from the hills by intense shelling. More than two years later, they are still around, having become more adept at raiding nests than the dogs that were previously the main threat. Illegal dynamite fishing near the shore and rubbish on the beach also endanger the turtles. Human activity and lights during the night on the beach can prompt females to drop their eggs instead in the water, where they are doomed. Mona and her assistant try hard to spread ecological awareness among local people and visitors in a conflict-torn country where environmental issues have had a low priority.

Early every morning is when we go on rubbish patrol along the beach, putting litter and washed-up trash into bags that will later be removed by the municipality. Turtles and other marine life on the Lebanese coast are threatened by pollution that includes plastic bags, hospital waste, factory chemicals and fertiliser run-off from farms. Plastic bags in the water can suffocate turtles, which mistake them for jelly fish and try to eat them.During the nesting season, we also look for tracks of turtles and their efforts to camouflage their nests. Once we find the eggs, which need 45 to 60 days to incubate, we remove some sand and lay a one square metre metal grid over them, anchored with iron hooks. This keeps out dogs and foxes, but leaves holes big enough for hatchlings to get out. Sometimes we relocate the nests further up the beach if they are in danger of flooding from the sea or if they are too shallow.To get a clear picture of how sea turtles behave during the nesting season and what their needs and preferences are, we collect scientific data, which can also be fed, into bigger surveys on Mediterranean Sea turtles. We count the nests and measure how far each one is from the sea and from the nearest vegetation. We measure the size and weight of sample eggs, which are about as big as ping-pong balls. We record how many nests are raided before the eggs hatch – and try to rescue any survivors.
Email: orangehouseproject@gmail.com
Phone: +961 7 320063
Website: http://orangehouseproject.com/

Join Orange House Project on Facebook and help spread the word: https://www.facebook.com/OrangeHouseProject

World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part II

2011-07-23T17:03:00.003+03:00

World Kitchen

Patrick Drake

World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part II

Wed Jul 20, 2011

Trends always seem to follow a similar life cycle. Born out of innovation they take hold with the early adopters and enjoy a brief moment in the sun before the mass market gets hold of them and they inexorably lose their appeal. "What's he going on about this time?" you think to yourself. Answer: Fusion food.

The phrase used to have a real buzz back in the 90s with the likes of Asia de Cuba blurring national boundaries to expand our culinary horizons, but pretty soon the hoi polloi got in on the act. Chinese restaurants wanting to keep their current clientèle but also cash in on the popularity of Thai food suddenly became 'Pan-Asian,' whilst the local tandoori started to put the likes of spaghetti with curry sauce on the menu. McDonalds even has a McAloo Tiki (TM).

It was with this slight prejudice in mind that I was at first skeptical about the idea of Lebanese fusion food. Having indulged myself on the classics for a couple of days, I was fairly convinced that Beirut had a solid formula not to be tampered with, but then I went to Eau de Vie. Sitting atop the Phoenicia Hotel, Eau de Vie is presided over by internationally acclaimed head chef Rabih Fouany, who has been combining local ingredients with European influences to produce unique results. Foods like kishik and frikeh would normally be the staples of a Lebanese village diet, so their inclusion in the likes of risotto and velouté was a real eye-opener. For those who thought Lebanese food was all about the 3 am post-club shawarma, it's time to experience the Nouvelle Vague ...

From the city, my next stop was to investigate a quiet oenological revolution in the Bekaa Valley. To the uninitiated, it may come as a surprise to know that Lebanon is producing some seriously respectable wines. So, in the name of thorough research, I set up a tasting. The vineyards themselves are a venerable 150 years old but the wine making tradition of Lebanon goes back as much as 5000 years. I spent an afternoon at Chateau Ksara with Rania Chammas, whose knowledge was as profound as her generous hospitality. Needless to say my sore head the next day bore testament to this and I would recommend you spend an afternoon there.

Next time on World Kitchen I'll be checking out a side of Lebanese food which holds a particularly fond place in our hearts ... the post party munchies!

For Patrick's other entries, go to his blog homepage.

Photo by Emma Smart

Now on Facebook!

2011-06-29T14:01:00.004+03:00

You can now follow this blog "My Beloved Lebanon" on facebook by liking our facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Beloved-Lebanon/141045125970679

Do not forget to suggest the page to your friends! :)
Best,
J.

THINK PINK proudly presents CAFE DEL MAR

2011-06-28T17:42:00.002+03:00

THINK PINK proudly presents CAFE DEL MAR... July 4, 8pm @ SKYBAR, Beirut...

Join the fight against Breast Cancer and be with us when we reach $500 000 total proceeds generated for awareness, prevention and treatment!

Lots of giveaways + raffle prizes collectively worth over $75 000...

Tables sold out but $100 Open Bar Tickets available at all Virgin branches!

EARLY DETECTION CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!

www.thinkpinkcharity.com

Please email karim@jabadogroup.com if you're interested in making donations. Money this year is going to: 70% May Jallad Foundation (treatment), 15% Faireface Foundation (awareness), 10% Bras for a Cause (awareness), 10% Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation (awareness), 2.5% Marsa Health Clinic (awareness)....

THANK YOU!

World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part 1

2011-06-27T14:22:00.002+03:00

World Kitchen
Patrick Drake
World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part 1

Published: Tue May 24, 2011

It's always slightly disconcerting when you get off a plane and find airport security waiting and asking your name. I was briefly concerned that my first trip to Beirut was going to be spent in a jail cell, but I soon realised that my hotel had arranged for a personal escort to arrivals.

Wondering which Hollywood celebrity I'd been mistaken for, I decided to enjoy the moment as the immigration queue parted like the Red Sea and an incredible trip began ...

To the uninitiated (or those initiated by CNN), you'd be forgiven for thinking that Beirut was a rather troubled city, though anyone who reads the likes of Tatler and GQ know it as an emerging force in the world of all things epicurean. Inspired by a love for Lebanese food, I decided a four-day trip was in order, a gustatory reconnaissance mission with its beginning in traditional cuisine.

For authentic insight into a country's cuisine, a great place to start is the local farmer's market. In Beirut, Souk el Tayeb doesn't disappoint. I was fortunate enough to meet the organiser of the market, Kamal Mouzawak, and quickly realised that this market goes way beyond a simple amalgam of local produce. For Kamal, the market is practically a socio-political statement that people from myriad backgrounds—religious, political, and idealistic—can be united through a common love of all things edible. Each week all sorts of lively characters travel from the four small corners of Lebanon to sell their wares, and the sense of community was almost tangible. But let's talk food.

Lebanon has been a cultural melting pot for a long time, owing in no small part to occupation by the Ottoman Turks and later the French. Enlisting the help of Chef Malek from the prestigious Phoenicia Hotel (it's amazing the doors ASW can open), my Lebanese food vocabulary grew quickly as we ploughed our way through the incredible mezze in the market. Battata Harra, Fatayer, Saj ... you name it I ate it. When the time came to cook lunch, I wasn't sure I could take much more (but, of course, I did).

The thing I love about Lebanese people is the matter-of-fact way they describe their cuisine as the best in the Middle East, like a fact not up for discussion. Chef Malek is more accustomed to catering to the hundreds of guests from various backgrounds that walk through the doors of his restaurant, Mosaic, but he took time out to show me some of the basics.

This week we'll cover a couple of simple, familiar dishes that you might not know how to create yourself: Kibbeh and Fattoush. In my next installment of World Kitchen, we'll check out one of Beirut's top chefs and take an entirely modern look at local cusine. Yalla!

For Patrick's other entries, go to his blog homepage.
Photo by Emma Smart

Chocol'art for Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL)

2011-06-03T13:04:00.001+03:00

At the intersection of the sweet addiction inspired by cocoa, the warm fulfillment of charity work, and the radiant promise held in innocent children comes a new concept in a socially-responsible excuse to party, Chocol’art!

Chocol’art’s kick-off will take place in Beirut early summer 2011, where everyone will join forces with SPLONGE to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL).

Chocolate caterers, fashion designers, musicians and artists will be invited to create spontaneous and unique works during the event, all inspired by and related to the theme of chocolate. In addition, all guests attending will be encouraged to contribute funds or art related supplies that can then be re-distributed to the children at CCCL.

Event Date: Thursday, June 16, 2011
Event time: Starting 7:00 pm
Venue: Mouawad Palace Gardens (Downtown Beirut)
Ticket Price: $75 (Drinks, bites, lots of chocolate & art!)
Ticket Info: +961 70 850500

CATERING

Crepaway
Lindt
Le Talleyrand
The Cupcakery
Cocoa & Co.
Vermicelle
C Black Chocolate
Sugarush
Metis
Club Grappe

PERFORMANCE

Bands: PLUGGED (Soft rock) & FAREEQ EL ATRASH (Hip Hop)
DJs: GUNTHER & STAMINA , PHIL and MASS

Hosted by the voice of Chocol'art maDJam

Live Graffiti show by ASHEKMAN

Live Painting by DIANE AYOUB

Visuals by KAA

ART

Anthony Rahayel (b-lebanon.com)
Roula Ayoub
Adriana El Hajj
Ceramics 'N' More
Wissam Koleilat
Blessing
Dimpill
Christian Ghammachi
Lush
Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir

FASHION

Walk in Closet
Nadine Zeni
Moe K
Poupee Couture
Carla Line
Purrl
Zeta
Mojo

MEDIA

BeirutNightLife.com
TimeOut Beirut
Beirut.com
PingDubai.com
Sayidaty Magazine
Elegante Magazine
DoubleU
achtART.com
ScoopCity.com
VTR Beirut

PARTNERS

Aerial7
BankMed
Integrity Media & Film
SPLONGE
Karaky Printing Press
Good Karma
Effects
CKA

Lebanon Festivals 2011, updated

2011-05-30T18:25:00.002+03:00

Baalbeck International Festivals, announced their program for summer 2011 as follows:

Thursday 7, Friday 8 & Saturday July 9 2011
FROM THE DAYS OF SALADIN
LEBANESE NIGHTS
Text, lyrics, music and direction by Farid and Maher Sabbagh
The Courtyard of the two Temples

Thursday July 14 2011
BORIS EIFMAN BALLET THEATRE OF SAINT-PETERSBURG
DON QUICHOTTE OR FANTASIES OF A MAD MAN
The Courtyard of the Two Temples

Friday July 15 2011
THE GERSHWIN PIANO QUARTET
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ON FOUR GRAND PIANOS
The Courtyard of the two Temples

Saturday July 23 2011
ABDEL RAHMAN EL BACHA
PIANO RECITAL
Bacchus Temple

Saturday July 30 2011
LOUIS HAYES & THE CANNONBALL LEGACY BAND
FEATURING VINCENT HERRING & JEREMY PELT
JAZZ CONCERT
The Courtyard of the Two Temples

Lebanon Festivals 2011

2011-05-14T15:57:00.000+03:00

So, the summer is nearly here and the Lebanon Festivals are publishing their programs for 2011:

The Byblos International Festival from 18 June to 23 July:
28 June - 30 July: Don Quixote (Play by Marwan, Ghadi and Oussama Rahbani)
5 July: MOBY (Electronic Music)
6-7 July: SCORPIONS (Rock band)
9 July: Florent Pagny (best selling French artist)
12 July: Jamie Cullum (Pianist, crooner, showman)
16 July: Thirty Seconds to Mars (Alternative Rock band)
20 July: Amadou et Mariam (best selling act from Africa)
23 July: Les Mysteres Lyriques (playful and interactive introduction to Opera)

Beiteddine festival from June 24 to August 5th, 2011:
24-25 June « Sabah », a musical comedy
8 July Roberto Alagna, ténor Franco-Italian
15 -16 July Kazem al-Saher, Arabic singer
19 July George Benson, R&B and Guitarist
22 July « Babel » of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, contemporary dance show
27 July Ibrahim Maalouf Quintet, électro beats, rock, jazz and oriental melody
30 July « Stabat Mater », "chant choral de la liturgie byzantine, les maqâms, incantations soufies et transes des derviches tourneurs dans un hommage chrétien et musulman à la Vierge Marie"
4 August Farida, « La voix de la Mésopotamie », traditional Iraqi mâqam

The Tyre Festival from 1-18 July:
Flying Tzars, July 1-3
Lebanese Spoken Language Poetry, July 9
Abdallah Al Ruwaished, July 10
Pan Arab Poetry night, July 16
Amir Yazbeck, July 17
Assi El Hellani, July 18

The 19th Al Bustan Festival will take place from 21 February to 25 March, 2012. The theme of the Festival will be: The Music of Latin America.

The Baalbeck international festival program 2011 will be announced soon.

For more info, links to festivals:
Byblos Festival: http://www.byblosfestival.org
Beiteddine Festival: http://www.beiteddine.org
Baalbeck Festival: http://www.baalbeck.org.lb
Al Bustan Festival: http://www.albustanfestival.com
Tyre Festival: http://tyrefestival.com

achtART.com for Lebanese Arts & Crafts

2011-05-03T14:57:00.010+03:00

achtART.com is an E-Commerce concept for Arts and Crafts aimed at helping regional and Lebanese artists and crafts-people showcase their unique artistic creations through an online plate-form and offer those creations for sale.

All their artists are selected and approved.

Interested artists should email webmaster@achtart.com for more details or to set up a meeting.

achtART.com are pleased to announce their new blog, http://blog.achtart.com/, where you will find news and articles about Arts & Crafts in Lebanon and the world! achtART.com will happily publish any articles their fans want to submit as long as they fit the concept of achtART.com!

You can join achtART.com fan base here:
www.facebook.com/achtART
www.twitter.com/achtART

Beirut Duty Free Rocks Airport with Dabke - Official Version

2011-03-14T12:21:00.002+02:00

Dancing in Beirut International Airport

2011-03-10T12:49:00.002+02:00

On March 5th, 2011, Beirut's Rafic Hariri Intl. Airport came to life when someone captured this video of a dance group along with employees, security staff and passengers of all ages dancing to a mix of Lebanese folk & modern dance music!

Check out the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_IQy0MZ9s&tracker=False

Phoenicia from the ashes

2011-02-02T16:41:00.002+02:00

Pots of bones and diving for treasure – the quest for the Phoenicians
Alice Fordham , NOW Staff , December 5, 2008

“I made a voyage to Tyre in Phoenicia, hearing there was a temple of Hercules at that place, very highly venerated. I visited the temple, and found it richly adorned with a number of offerings, among which were two pillars, one of pure gold, the other of emerald, shining with great brilliancy at night…They said that the temple was built at the same time that the city was founded, and that the foundation of the city took place two thousand three hundred years ago.” Herodotus, ca. 440 BC

“Its merchants were kings, honored all over the world.” Isaiah, 23:8

“We are still looking for the royal tombs,” says Ali Badawi, the archaeologist who oversees every bone fragment and temple pediment unearthed in South Lebanon.

The glory of the Phoenicians is in the Bible, they are claimed as ancestors by snooty Lebanese, and they were ancient millionaires who shipped purple dye and cedar wood to the world’s wealthy. Their main cities were Sur and Saida, and, the thinking goes, somewhere in South Lebanon these kingly traders must be buried in tombs gleaming in purple and gold. The South has had many distractions from its archaeological heritage, but as violence has ebbed, the hunt for Lebanon’s past is afoot again.

Grave news
One site south of the Litani has lately seized the imagination. Just east of Sur this autumn, a Spanish team discovered a graveyard with dozens of earthenware urns and cremated Phoenicians. One of them, Laura Trelliso, sits outside in the sunshine in the Al-Bass ruins in Sur and peers into a pot of what used, more than 2,000 years ago, to be a person.

“We can learn a great deal from looking at their remains,” she tells NOW Extra. “We will take them back to Spain and reconstruct their position in the urn. We can see whether they were well nourished, whether they had any diseases.”

They were buried, Trelliso says, with wine jars and plates, possessions or gifts taken to the grave. Badawi says, too, that he worked on the excavation of a cemetery discovered in 1997, where many of the graves had cremated remains in one jar, buried alongside an empty jar – perhaps kept for the soul. Among the dead they found carved Egyptian-style scarab beetles and comic art. The Phoenicians, it seems, were as adept at adopting international trends and making jokes as the modern Lebanese. “They didn’t take life seriously,” says Badawi. However, he says, “We would like to find more artistic material from the Phoenicians and more inscriptions.” It’s a romantic, and indeed a Romantic, idea, and Badawi points to lumps on the hilly horizon where settlements were and where he would eventually like to dig. The Phoenicians are credited with inventing the alphabet, but there is precious little in the way of written material to analyze.

Wrecks appeal
But there is plenty for wistful souls to romanticize, as marine archaeologists have been diving the sea around Sur. The seafaring Phoenicians were a trading people, and the floor of the Mediterranean around South Lebanon is thick with ancient wrecks. “There are columns over there…and there…” says Badawi, standing on the magnificent ruins at the harbor and gesturing out at the water. Another Spanish archaeologist, Constanza Rodriguez Seguovia, has been diving the area and is now working to preserve the artifacts. She picks up a terracotta statue, pulled this year from the sea after more than two millennia. “This is Astarte, a fertility goddess, from the fifth century BC” she says.

Of course, it is conflict that has stilted progress in unearthing the Phoenicians and their descendants in Lebanon. Badawi tells how the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) was originally run by Maurice Chehab, who devoted himself to the archaeology of South Lebanon from 1928 to 1982, during which epic span his work was often interrupted by war.

Archaeology stopped in 1978, and didn’t really start again until the mid 1990s. Badawi points out a site that was bombed in 2006, and says that his primary goal for the sites near the border, and under the Rashdiyeh Palestinian camp, is not to dig them for the moment, but just to protect them from harm until the area is more stable.

Politics and Phoenicia
Asked about the politics of the Phoenicians excavations, the way that since the 1800s, the Lebanese have idealized the Phoenician civilization and claimed it as their ancestry, Badawi is dismissive. “Effective people,” he says, “do not do that anymore.” It is understandable for south Lebanese to claim a magnificent ancestry when years of war have left Saida and Sur battered and impoverished. But, ancestors or not, the ongoing discovery of Phoenician material remains has offered the people of the area some civic pride.

“The government and the municipality are pouring money into our projects,” says Badawi as he strolls along a newly-restored sea front, “because they see how much potential there is for tourism. We didn’t have too many people visit in 2006 or 2007, but the numbers were up this year.” Next year, or the year after, he hopes to have glass-bottomed boats and diving trips in the harbor so people can see the sunken columns. Of course, it is not just Phoenicians who built in the area – there are magnificent Roman ruins also. There is an 18th century library and seafront houses revamped by the DGA, and plans for a proper museum.

“We started renovating buildings,” says Badawi, “but now people are applying to renovate places themselves and building apartment blocks. People are coming back to the area.”

Rich imagination
In his reconsideration of the history of Lebanon, historian Kamal Salibi said that the way some Lebanese lean on Phoenicia as part of the country’s identity, “developed more as a cult than a reasoned political theory,” and featured in tourist pamphlets. A recent report by the Genographic Project reported that Phoenician ancestry is by no means unique to Lebanon. As many as one in 17 men living today on the coasts of North Africa and southern Europe may have a Phoenician direct male-line ancestor.

But while one could argue that it is unhealthy for an unstable country to invent a glorious past for itself, few could deny the excitement of unearthing evidence of an ancient and puzzling people. Looking out at on the sea at Sur, it would take a hard heart not to picture boats full of purple and Phoenicians pulling out of the harbor. Turning back to the war-worn houses of Sur being renovated by people who want a sea view of the newly touristy promenade, it seems like good news that the dream of the Phoenicians is still drawing people to come, like Herodotus, to stand in their ruins and imagine their glory.

Josiane El Zir, A Shinning Lebanese Star

2011-01-24T16:48:00.014+02:00

Josiane El Zir was recently described by one publication as "the business woman with the purple hair... or pink". Having studied cinema at USEK, she started her artistic career as a presenter for Dubai TV, MBC, etc.... and honed her audience-interactive talents as a karaoke animator. She performs "shows" -as opposed to being a simple singer- acts and is active in the business community through her company "PINKISH".

A philanthropist at heart, Josiane donates her time and talents to benefit many and has been nominated as the Goodwill Ambassador of a charity called Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) which focuses its efforts on helping Lebanese families, mothers and children deal with the hardship of life. ww w.facebook.com/yanaccu ; www.twitter.com/yanaccu ; http://www.yanaccujm.org/

You can usually see Josiane on a local tv station (MTV) every Monday night in "Ktir Salbe", a comedy show. Additionally, Josiane participated and sang on MTV's new talents show "Hek Minghanneh" so visit this link to watch the show online and judge for yourselves!!

You can watch Josiane interpreting her favorite songs on http://www.youtube.com/ or click here for her version of "Hot Stuff".

Join Josiane's FB fan page here: www.facebook.com/josianeelzir

or follow her tweets on http://www.twitter.com/josianeelzir

Elie Saab Dresses Celebrities Worldwide

2011-01-13T14:23:00.004+02:00

From Beyonce, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow,.., to HRH Princess Victoria of Sweden... Check out the photo album here.

for more information click here.

Small Bear Big Heart: ABC Mall helps Children with Autism

2010-12-28T14:15:00.002+02:00

Here is an article written on Beiruting.com: http://lifestyle.beiruting.com/2010/abc-small-bear-big-heart

"Let there be magic!

ABC has so many ways to give back this Christmas. This Christmas spread the season’s magical spirit with ABC! Open your heart, share the love and draw a smile to lighten up the world and give every child in need a falling star to keep in his heart.

And you can do this with us!

Buy a “Small Bear with a Big Heart” in any of the ABC branches, to help our tree grow bigger
and bigger for Christmas time and raise funds for a human cause.

You can support us online by playing the Teddy Bear game: http://www.smallbearbigheart.com/ Or you can join our official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/abc.officialpage

Give one minute of your time to children with autism with the light of hope! Write a wish, donate 1$ while playing the Teddy Bear game and get the best scores to win a special gift and help us build the Teddy Bears Christmas Tree.

“Humanity is all what we’re left with once we’re left with nothing”

ABC Team, with love "

hm hm hm! Gifts for Him!!

2010-12-03T11:13:00.002+02:00

Captain & Captain: Now in CITYMALL

2010-11-22T16:07:00.005+02:00

Innovative Gift shop Gifts for Men by Personality

Take our fun personality quiz or Shop online on http://www.captainandcaptain.com/

Captain & Captain is open in Dbayeh (see map below) & will be open in CITYMALL as of this Friday 26.11.2010!

Happy Independance Day Lebanon!

2010-11-22T15:38:00.003+02:00

Even Google is celebrating Lebanon's "independance" day!

اليوبيل الذهبي لجامعة إتحاد القلوب بقلبي يسوع ومريم

2010-11-08T15:06:00.001+02:00

OPEN INVITATION TO ALL - the 50th anniversary for the establishement of CCUJM! everyone is welcome to join us on Nov. 12th at the Patriarchat Roum Melkiyin Catholic, El Sham road at 6pm! http://www.ccujm.org/.

REMINDER: CCUJM is the founding congregration for the Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) project! www.yanaccujm.org ...; www.faceboo...k.com/yanaccu

Lebanese craft workers 'struggle' to survive

2010-08-09T18:05:00.002+03:00

8 August 2010 Last updated at 06:00 GMT

Help Lebanon has a reputation for cultivating local crafts, from metalwork to woodwork and many are still making a living from their traditional skills.

But faced with cheaper imports from China and India it is getting tougher to survive.

This has prompted some to try to raise the profile of local craftsmen.

Katy Watson reports... check the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10905425

إحياء" للذكرى الرابعة والثلاثين لإستشهاد القائد وليم حاوي

2010-07-19T17:02:00.008+03:00

إحياء" للذكرى الرابعة والثلاثين لإستشهاد القائد وليم حاوي

نظم إقليم كسروان- الفتوح الكتائبي إحتفالا" تكريميا" بالمناسبة مساء الأربعاء 14 تموز في باحة الإقليم في جونيه

شارك في الإحتفال
النائب الاول لرئيس الحزب الاستاذ شاكر عون ممثلا الرئيس امين الجميل
نائب الأمين العام الاستاذ وليد فارس
عضو المكتب السياسي الدكتورة ماريا جود البايع
الأستاذ شوقي الدكاش ممثلا" رئيس الهيئة التنفيذية في القوات اللبنانية الدكتور سمير جعجع
رئيس إقليم كسروان-الفتوح الكتائبي الرفيق سامي خويري, واللجنة التنفيذية في الإقليم
رئيس بلدية جونيه الأستاذ انطوان أفرام وعدد من أعضاء المجلس البلدي
رئيس بلدية غزير الأستاذ ابراهيم حداد
رئيس جمعية تجار جونيه السيد طوني مارون
مستشار وزير الشؤون الإجتماعية الأستاذ فارس مدور
عدد من رؤوساء الإقليم السابقين: الرفيق شاكر سلامه والرفيق جورج كساب
عدد من الرموز والقيادات الحزبية السابقة: جوسلين خويري– ناصيف نخول – بوب حداد
عدد كبير من رؤوساء الأقسام الكتائبية في كسروان- الفتوح
زوجة الرفيق بطرس خوند وإبنته
إضافة" الى حشد كتائبي كبير من مختلف المناطق اللبنانية

بعد النشيد الوطني اللبناني, كانت كلمة لنائب رئيس إقليم كسروان- الفتوح الأستاذ غسان مقوم, جاء فيها

في مثل البارحة, وفي 13 تموز 1976 إستشهد الرفيق القائد وليم حاوي, وفي مثل اليوم كان تشييعه
في تل الزعتر سقط وليم شهيدا"
هناك سقط, شامخا", متمردا", حرا", أبيا"
هناك, حيث كان الدم الأرجواني القاني, هو وحدهالذي يتكلم, متجاوزا" كل كلام, محطما" كل المؤامرات
هناك كان الإستشهاد أبلغ كلام, أبلغ رسالة

من جسر الباشا, الى تل الزعتر, الى الكرنتينا
ومن عين الرمانة, والشياح الى الهوليداي إن
ومن عيون السيمان الى صنين, الى الزعرورمن كل تلك المواقع الى كل لبنان مقاومة كتائبية وليمية بشيرية أصيلة, شريفة قاتلت بنبلوشهامة وأعطت بسخاء وشجاعة في أحلك الظروف فحمت هذه الأرض وصانت هذه الجبال ومن خلفها لبنان
مع وليم حاوي شكلت القوى النظامية في الكتائب المقاومة الأولى في لبنان, فكان هو وكوكبة من الرفاق الأبطال طلائع قوة رائعة أحبها الكتائبيون والحلفاء واحترمها الغرباء واستهابها الأعداء.مقاومة وليم حاوي لم تمس يوما" كيان الدولة, بل كانت في سبيل قيام الدولة وبقائها قوية أبية
وليم حاوي فهم المقاومة وسيلة سامية للحفاظ على الوطن في زمن المحن والفتن, وليم أسس مقاومة شكلت حزام أمان لبقاء الوطن لا حزام تفجير للوطن
وليم حاوي عرفته كل مخيمات التدريب وكل جبهات القتال
عرفته وحفظته عن ظهر قلب, فنحتت على جبهته بل على كل جسده ذكرياتها الصاخبة المدوية فكان لا بد لجسد وليم ان يختار قبرا"واسعا"هو ساحة الميدان, ساحة الشرف فإستشهد واقفا" كما الأشجار الباسقة العملاقة, لا تموت إلا واقفة
وبعد وليم... وليم...
أربعة وثلاثون عاما" ولم ينقطع حبل السرة بينك وبيننا, حاضر أنت كالنبض, كالوجدان, كالضمير في قلوب رفاق عرفوك فأحبوك أو سمعوا عنك فقدروك
وليم... ذكراك, كما ذكرى الكثيرين من المناضلين الشرفاء لا تنقضي بمرور الزمن بل تكون منهلا" ومنارة

" لبيك لبنان " أطلقتها شعارا" وستبقى
" لبيك لبنان " قد قلت على صخب فأنت حر, وفي فتواك تصطخب
" لبيك لبنان " نهج لن نغيره مهما الشدائد تشتد وتضطرب
كتائب المجد الى الصخرين شاخصة ودأبها العز, لا بل دأبها الغضب
إن تسأل الشمس فهي خير شاهدة من صانها الساح؟ نحن الصون والعصب
كتائب العز ها قد عاد ملعبنا فدربنا الحق, لا بل دربنا الشهب
إن غاب نسر, لهيب الجرح يجمعنا لا يشرب الخمر إن لم يعصر العنب

وكانت كلمة لإبنة الشهيد وليم حاوي السيدة ليلى حاوي ذود

إننا منذ فجر التاريخ شعب لا يهاب الموت متى كان الموت طريقا" للحياة
أبناؤه هم أبناء الحرية لا يموتون كهولا" بل شبابا" ثائرا", يسقط منتصبا" ووافقا"
أبناؤه يولدون ولا يموتون, ليسوا كسواهم ولن يكونوا أبدا" كذلك لأنهم منذرون للبقاء والخلود
هؤلاء هم شهداء لبنان الذين لم يحملوا السلاح إلا في سبيل الدفاع عن الوطن, هؤلاء هم شهداء الكتائب اللبنانية

لبنان الشرف, قدسوا
لبنان الحق, نادوا
لبنان الطهارة, رتلوا
أحبوا حتى النهاية

إستماتوا بجسارة لإنقاذ لبنان وشعبه, والذود عنهما, قناعتهم دائما" وأبدا" أن الأشخاص زائلون أما الوطن فباق
قدم حزب الكتائب اللبنانية الكثير للبنان وعلى مذبحه نتذكرهم قدوة في الشجاعة والبطولة, أمناء لمبادئهم, مخلصين لإلتزاماتهم, متصلبين في واجباتهم, وننحني اليوم أمام تضحياتهم

لكل شهيد قصة ولكل قصة معاناة وغصة, بفضل جهادهم عاش لبنان, وتقدس بدمائهم
واليوم هو محطة من سسلسلة محطات تشهد على البطولة والتضحية, فهو محطة نقف عندها للتذكر والتذكير فهو ذكرى إستشهاد وليم حاوي

أنضم وليم الى حزب الكتائب اللبنانية عام 1936 عندما أمن بأن السياسة لم تكن تملقا" ومحاباة أو حكم رياء, ونظر إليه كما يجب أن يكون مؤسسة ديمقراطية إكتسبت ثقة الناس ومحبتهم
إنتظم فيه ونظم
ركز على الإنضباطية وكان همه أن لا بفقد في إنتصاراته القيم والأخلاق
قائدا" مقداما" كان, لا يعرف الخوف الى قلبه سبيلا"
أية معركة لم يخضها وليم حاوي قائدا" وعلما" وقدوة" ورائدا"؟
منذ كانت معركة الإستقلال, الى أحداث 1958, فإلى حرب السنتين التي عشتها أمالا" وألاما", أرى صورته في مقدمة صفوف المناضلين
خاض المعارك ذد الفساد وخاض معارك التحرير وتوج نضاله الحزبي والسياسي بالإستشهاد في أرض المعركة, معركة تل الزعتر, لأنه كان في مقدمة الجبهة وما كان يوما" إلا في المقدمة

مات كما أراد أن يموت, مرفوعا" على الأكتاف وملفوفا" بالعلم الكتائبي

اليوم في الذكرى ال34 لإستشهاده, أشعر بالعزاء الكبير بعد أن رأيت وليم حاوي حيا" في قلب كل واحد منكم, إذ سهى عن بالهم أن دماء الأبطال تنبت ألاف الأحرار
اليوم في الذكرى ال34 لإستشهاده, أشعر بالعزاء بعد أن أدركت الذكرى الطيبة التي تركها وليم حاوي في قلب من أحب الفضيلة والرجولة, قتل الجسد إنما الروح فحية في ألاف روح وروح

34 سنة مضت وواجب الذاكرة تملي خطاكم
34 سنة مضت وأنتم على الوعد باقون
لم ولن تتخلوا عن تراب مشت عليه اقدام القدسين وصانته صلواتهم
لم ولن تخونوا وطنا" غذته دموع الأمهات
لم ولن تبيعوا أرضا" سقتها دماء الشهداء
لم ولن تيأسوا
لم ولن تهاجروا
لم ولن تستسلموا
إنكم هنا, أبناء بيار الجميل المؤسس
إنكم هنا, أبناء هذه المدرسة التي ستبقى ما دمتم شبابا" واثقا" بقدراته وما دمتم صوتا" يدوي ويهتف "في خدمة لبنان"
إنكم هنا, مصممون على متابعة المسيرة حتى يتحقق لبنان المبادىء والقيم, لبنان الفكر والرسالة

نم قرير العين يا وليم فقافلة الشهداء لم ولن تتوقف. لقد إرتضت دربا" رسمته, فشهدت للحق وأصبحت النشيد الظافر للحقيقة ودخلت عالما" لم يبق للموت فيه وجود, ورنمت أنشودة الحياة
كلنا للوطن, للعلى للعلم

يبقى أن أوجه شكري شكري لرئيس الكتائب اللبنانية الشيخ أمين الجميل الذي أراد أن لا تمر هذه المناسبة دون التأمل العميق لإستخلاص العبر والتقدير. شكرنا للرئيس, أخ للرئيس الشهيد وأب للوزير الشهيد وهما شهيدان نتذكرهما اليوم وكل يوم, مع الرفيق الشهيد أنطوان غانم وإخوان لهم كثيرون ينتظرون في السماء إستكمال ورشة البناء, ورشة بناء لبنان العدالة والمحبة والحرية.

أشكر النائب الشيخ سامي الجميل حامل شعلة الإستمرارية التي بإذن الله لن تنطفىء
أشكر قيادة حزب الكتائب اللبنانية
أشكر رئيس إقليم كسروان- الفتوح الكتائبي الرفيق سامي خويري, الإبن الروحي لوليم حاوي, القدوة في المسلكية الحزبية والمناقبية والإنضباط, أحبه وليم وإتكل عليه في أدق المهمات وأخطرها
أشكر مجلس إقليم كسروان- الفتوح الكتائبي الذي تحمل عناء تحضير هذا المهرجان
أشكر وسائل الإعلام, أشكر حضوركم الكريم, شكرا" وألف شكر

وبعد الترحيب بالحضور ألقى رئيس إقليم كسروان- الفتوح الكتائبي الرفيق سامي خويري كلمة, جاء فيها

لئن كانت عظمة الأمم من عظمة رجالها

ولئن كانت إستمرارية الأمم تقاس بمدى تضحيات أبنائها
فإن خيرة من شبابنا ورجالنا أقدمت على الموت بفرح وقوة إيمان, من أجل أن نبقى, من أجل أن يبقى لبنان

وليم حاوي, واجب تكريمه, وعبره نكرم جميع الشهداء ومنهم يلوح وجه أمة تأبى الخضوع وتصر في الزمن الرديء القائم على مقاييس المصالح الكبرى التي تتلاعب بمصائر الشعوب الصغيرة على الشهادة للحق, للحرية

13 تموز أردناها: محطة, ذكرى وتأمل

فهي محطة في سلسلة محطات نضالنا المستمر عبر الأجيال للحفاظ على الوجود الحر, على الحرية وعلى الدور الرائد في هذا الشرق
وهي فرصة للتأمل, بحيث إجتمعت شهادات المسؤولين الكتائبيين في وليم حاوي على صفات محببة, على صفات سامية تصلح عبرة" لمنهجية عملنا النضالي في كل زمان

وليم حاوي, السياسي وعضو المكتب السياسي, رجل العناد في الأراء والمواقف, وهو في الوقت ذاته رجل الإنضباط المتمثل بالخضوع للقرار بعد إتخاذه, والمؤمن بالديمقراطية, والمنتصر على ذاته لدى توليه التنفيذ شخصيا", وهو الكبير المدافع عن القرار بنفس الإندفاع والحماس

ووليم حاوي العسكري, رئيس مجلس الأمن الكتائبي/ المجلس الحربي فيما بعد, وهو المخطط الذكي لمعارك جسر الباشا وتل الزعتر, وهو القائد الشجاع الذي يسير الى المعركة في مقدمة المقاتلين, وهو الأب الحنون الذي كان يهتم بأدنى مشاكل الشباب

وختم خويري مطالبا" الدولة بالكشف عن مصير المفقودين وعلى رأسهم الرفيق بطرس خوند, معتبرا" أن ما ينقصنا اليوم هو وليم حاوي جديد بروحيته ومدرسيته, وقد باتت الحاجة ملحة الى رص الصفوف والتوحد بوجه ما يشهده لبنان والمنطقة من تجاذبات سياسية وغيرها

قدمت الحفل الزميلة ليال الراعي, وخلال الإحتفال قامت فصيلة من انضباط كسروان بمسيرة أعلام مؤدية" التحية أمام نصب الشهداء حيث قام الشهيد الحي الرفيق جورج رشدان بإضاءة الشعلة وتم وضع أكاليل من الغار على النصب وعزف نشيد الموت والنشيد الوطني, كما تم عرض فيلم وثائقي عن حياة الشهيد وليم حاوي, وختم اللقاء بالنشيد الكتائبي

Executive Magazine back in 2005!

2010-07-15T13:37:00.002+03:00

http://www.executive-magazine.com/getarticle.php?article=7108

Better to be safe than sorry
by Marianne Stigset

Companies are investing in security in the wake of Beirut's bombings Security guards have been vigilantly inspecting vehicules and people approaching mainly commercial areas, banks and hotels.

The February 14th attack, followed by the bombings in New Jdeideh, Kaslik, Sad al-Boushrieh and Broumana have seen increased demand for private security services from banks, shops, hotels, malls and large institutions, as well as real estate developers with substantial works in progress. Unfortunately, pro-active security remains a novel concept in Lebanon. The current “boom” is still largely ad hoc, temporary and price-sensitive. In fact, security providers say, it’s a regional thing. Lebanon conforms to the Middle East pattern of taking a reactive, rather than preventive approach to private security. “This is the trend,” says Jinane Zod, assistant managing director of Zod Security. “People only react once the damage is done.” Although not exactly a revolution, industry insiders believe there might be a gradual shift towards a more preventive-oriented approach to security.

“The measures we are taking now are permanent,” says Shoughari. “It’s a trend happening throughout the Middle East – just look at the last bomb attack which hit Cairo. We are now faced with a new environment, locally, as well as internationally. The enhanced security measures are here to stay.” Yazigi believes it is too early to tell whether the panic attack which hit the Lebanese will result in any long-term changes, but does detect a trend in the region towards greater security awareness. One security firm that spoke to Executive, admitted that his company witnessed a 5% increase in demand after February 14th but that figure soon rocketed to 100% after the Jeddah bomb attack. Demand has mainly focused on electronic surveillance, monitoring systems more than security guards and Youssef Mohamed Beydoun, vice-president of the Syndicate of Security and Safety Professionals in Lebanon and general manager of Beydoun Fire and Security, estimates that overall sector business has spurted by 30-35%. “Most of this new demand is coming from the banks,” he said. “It has now become a priority for everyone to increase their security coverage, but banks in general are especially afraid of robbery and hold-ups due to the current political and economic climate.”

Demand for security guards has also surged. They are an easily deployable form of security service, especially when it comes to carrying out vehicle and personal checks, yet they still trail behind electronic surveillance systems in terms of what is wanted in today’s market. Security firm, Protectron, has estimated the hike in demand for security staff to be at around on normal business 25%, although it admitted that tight budgets force many companies to employ their own staff in a security role. And maybe this is why the industry sees the employment of extra security guards as a stopgap measure. “We can already see a drop in demand,” says Lotfallah Yazigi, president of Securitas in the Middle East. “It was a reaction to panic. People [in office and apartments] would get together and chip-in for a guard to watch the premises for two weeks to a month, but contracts wouldn’t go much longer than that. It was a quick-fix for peace of mind but most people can’t afford this type of service in the long-run.” Many major banks, hotels large companies and institutions, such as the Phoenicia InterContinental, which has incurred minimal costs in upgrading an already comprehensive security infrastructure, already have adequate systems in place as part of their commitment to comply with international standards and regulations issued by their head offices and who systems and procedures are regularly assessed by external consultants. “We haven’t hired more people,” says Jana Sleen of the Safir Heliopolitan hotel. “What we have done is increase the number of security guard shifts and tightened security measures, especially with regards to all cars coming into the hotel. Half of our staff is from Protectron and the other half is our own staff. But otherwise, we already had cameras in place everywhere.” The Beryte Hotel reported to have increased security staff by four, at an additional cost of $3,000 per month, to which will be added the installation of surveillance cameras, at $2,000-3,000. “It’s an additional cost, but one that everybody has to incur right now,” says Jihad Shoughari, operations manager for the hotel. “After the attack, the army and the police went around to all the hotels in the surrounding area and asked for the films of the surveillance cameras. We have now in the process of ordering 3 or 4 more.” But it is the banks and shops – for obvious reasons – that have had to burden the cost of maintaining confidence among their client base. Byblos Bank has retained the services of the international Group 4 Total Security, while ABC’s popular Mall in Achrafieh has hired 20 new security guards, at an estimated $7,000 a month, and is reportedly in the process of installing a new surveillance camera system. Supermarkets Monoprix and Spinneys have also committed themselves to assuring their customers with cursory vehicle checks. Universities, embassies and international organizations have for their part made few requests for additional security services. Virtually all embassies have their security equipment sent to them from their respective countries and are prohibited from purchasing any local products.

The UN, whose offices in central Beirut were reinforced with cement blocks and sandbags following the attacks, claims this was a measure that had long been in the pipeline. “We asked the government two years ago to make this arrangement around the building, because the UN building in Beirut was non-compliant with international regulations that have been established for the institution – it had nothing to do with the attacks,” says Elias Daoud, head of security for the UN building. “Otherwise, nothing has changed.” Despite the recent hike in demand for security services, some industry insiders are not convinced that it will necessarily entail an overall increase in the quality and profitability of the sector. According to Haled Jaber, general manager for Security Engineering, there are no rules in Lebanon governing security services. “We tried to push for this through the creation of a syndicate, but it turned into a forum for social events. Every company now has its own standards. We now have a lot of security providers in Lebanon, probably some 100-150, but out of these, I would say there are only 10 which are really professional, offering high quality services and products.” “Right now the market is booming, but it’s not really profitable,” said one manager of a security company offering, “human guarding”. “Salaries remain low, contracts are offered on a short-term basis. A lot of people working as guards view it as temporary employment, it’s not one they invest in to make a career out of.” Partly in response to this lack of regulation and partly – or mostly – in response to the recent events in Lebanon and the region, Securitas will be opening the Swiss Academy for Security in Lebanon in May – a first for the region – to train professional security guards at every level.

And who said there was lack of job creation in Lebanon?

The Power ... of Paul

2010-07-09T22:03:00.008+03:00

We are hereby witnessing the power of the internet and social medias as they make an mere octopus named Paul famous...

Check out this blog entry here for more information about Paul: Paul the psychic octopus...

FREE DELIVERY

Dbayeh Inside Road
Lebanon P. +961 4 542365
info@captainandcaptain.com
http://www.captainandcaptain.com/

Elie Saab Fall 2010 Couture

2010-07-08T14:20:00.001+03:00

Today, July 08, 2010, 47

Fashion Critic

Elie Saab’s Fall 2010 Couture presentation was red hot. Garnet, scarlet, ruby and crimson dominated the runway of this breath-taking presentation.

Aside from the reds the colour scheme was perfect for Fall with gold, pewter, mint, gold, champagne and fiery prints which looked even more dramatic in motion – like a volcano erupting. The first thing that sprang to mind when seeing this collection – which was based on a phoenix arising from the ashes – was grown up glamour. Many young stars like Dakota Fanning have enjoyed wearing Elie Saab recently, but for me this collection is for women like Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Winslet, Monica Bellucci and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Dramatic gowns dominated the presentation, but I found myself favouring the beaded jumpsuit which draped at the front. It was very different for Elie who’s known for his red carpet gowns, plus I can so picture this being worn by Cate Blanchett. The designer is not looking to test fashion boundaries, but if you’re looking for pure unadulterated high octane glamour this is the collection for you.

For the finale, the bride appears from the ashes wearing a sensational ash grey gown with a flowing vein and intricate embroidered details.

Who will be the lucky starlet to wear a look from this collection?

Lebanese red-carpet pleasers in Paris couture week

2010-07-08T14:11:00.000+03:00

PARIS, By Sarah Shard

AFP - July 07, 2010

Lebanese red-carpet pleasers are increasingly filling the gaps in the haute couture calendar left by French houses pulling out of fashion's most extravagant manifestation.

While Givenchy decided this week to stage a scaled down presentation to a privileged few, Lebanon's Elie Saab, Georges Chakra, Basil Soda, Georges Hobeika, and the house of Rabih Kayrouz all opted for catwalk shows. Only Elie Saab (see this picture of his designs presented on Wednesday) is a member of the elite club and Rabih Kayrouz a guest, the others showing outside the official programme, but their collections are all the more welcome as only three big French names -- Chanel, Dior and Jean-Paul Gaultier -- and Italians Giorgio Armani and Valentino were presenting runway shows for autumn-winter 2011.

Lebanese designers are naturally drawn to Paris like moths to a flame, Basil Soda told AFP. "In Lebanon we call France our mother. The cultural influence is very strong." But Soda, Chakra and Saab draw their clientele from all over the world, notably across the Atlantic, and among royalty. The Crown Princess of Sweden wore Saab twice last month on her wedding day. Emily Blunt, Sandra Bullock, Kate Perry, Scarlett Johannsson and Helen Mirren are among the A-list actresses and celebrities to have chosen a Lebanese design for their red carpet moments.

Chakra dedicated his collection on Monday to silver screen goddesses: "I was thinking of Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo, 1950s Hollywood glamour -- at times like this we need to dream for 15 minutes." He showed sumptuous ballgowns with lots of whorls and bows, designed "so the dress dances as the wearer moves." He used lots of gold "flattering to a skin that is slightly tanned" but avoided bling, for example by adding a sheer top layer of iridescent violent and yellow tulle, or combining gold and silver in a cloqued lame. A crimson lacquered satin looked like deep pile velvet, while marron glace shot satin had hues of blue and green. One cocktail frock twinkled with fringes of pearly sequins, another had a top embroidered with crimson flowers and flounced sunray-pleated skirts.

Ahead of his show on Tuesday Soda told AFP his collection was designed for "strong, confident women, who have travelled a lot, but are also inaccessible, idolised." He favoured mostly neutral colours -- black, grey, white and flesh tones, with flashes of zircon -- and a structured but feminine silhouette, with lots of big shoulders and emphasised waists. There was very little stand-alone embroidery, the decoration being part of the overall concept, as with his grand entrance black organza ballgown with its myriad of zippers snaking round, dictating its shape. Corsets, jackets and frocks were all complicated constructions of grey python, lace, gros grain ribbons, strass and zippers, all intermingled. Instead of draping, he used very precise layering to achieve a trompe l'oeil effect, "which is much more challenging and labour intensive." One of his favourite pieces this season is a sleeveless cocktail frock consisting in layer upon layer of micro-pleated flesh-coloured organza, with a few jewels nestling among them. A veritable tour-de-force, it took 600 hours' labour to make and has an extraordinary tactile sensuality akin to animal fur.

Elie Saab and Rabih Kayrouz presented their collections on Wednesday.

http://www.iloubnan.info/fashion/actualite/id/48243/lebanon/Lebanese-red-carpet-pleasers-in-Paris-couture-week

A cake by... Zuhair Murad

2010-07-08T14:04:00.000+03:00

PARIS

iloubnan.info - July 07, 2010

Noeud d’amour « Love Knot », Zuhair Murad’s first ever pastry creation, is both feminine and romantic. The Lebanese designer presents this cake today Wednesday July 7 after his Couture fashion show.

“In Feng shui, the Love Knot represents eternal love, a love that never dies. It is the perfect symbol to pinpoint the passion I experience at each new collection”, explains the Lebanese designer. “This Noeud d’amour is, as it were, a final gesture, the ultimate, elegant detail that enwraps both the excellence and the perfection of a creation”. Shaped like a jewellery box, adorned with a sleek, silken ribbon, Noeud d’amour, exclusive to the Café de la Paix from September 16th, 2010 until January 15th, 2011, flaunts the Lebanese designer’s glamorous and sensuous mark “The sinuous, curving ribbon evokes the female form in all its splendour and seduction. It sheathes the surprise box beneath, wherein is found a delicate mousse, reminiscent of the fabrics used to veil feminine curves”, goes on to explain the designer, whose creations are worn by international stars, ranging from Beyoncé to Jennifer Lopez, not forgetting Kylie Minogue.

Concealed beneath layers of Guarana dark chocolate, lies a milk-chocolate cream accompanying a bitter orange marmalade and an almond and cranberry paste bedecked with a crisp, dark chocolate ribbon. Concentrated yet surprisingly smooth, these opposites blend in a most subtle harmony; “The cranberries, the bitter oranges and the almonds all hail from my native country and I found it really interesting to combine their contrasting textures and flavours” goes on to say the designer. “Thus, the red of the cranberries accentuates the dark chocolate while adding a touch of zest Likewise, the bitter oranges and the almonds enliven the mousse.

Zuhair Murad definitely enjoyed his foray into the world of gastronomy! “What a wonderful thing it is to be able to draw together the world of fashion and its inherent interest in form, with that-hitherto unknown to me-of the world of pastry, where the palate reigns supreme. The blend of flavours is not unlike the blend of textures and colours: one wrong note and all is lost. “ Prepared by Christophe Raoux, new Chef in the Café de la Paix and the InterContinental Paris Le Grand, together with his head pastry cook, Dominique Costa, Noeud d’amour will be available, in a limited edition, from September 16th, 2010 to January 15th, 2011 exclusively in the Café de la Paix. This is the third pastry in the fifth season of the Fashion Pastry Collection in the legendary restaurant on the Place de l’Opéra.

Noeud d’amour by Zuhair Murad for the Café de la Paix

Available in a limited edition from September 16th, 2010 until January 15th, 2011

(16 euros per pastry) in the Café de la Paix (place de l’Opéra, Paris IXème

Réservations : 01 40 07 36 36 – reservation@cafedelapaix.fr)

http://www.cafedelapaix.fr/

Swatch watchmaker Nicolas Hayek dies at 82

2010-06-29T16:45:00.003+03:00

iloubnan.info - June 29, 2010

BEIRUT – The Lebanese-born founder of the Swiss watchmaker 'Swatch' has died at the age of 82, the company has announced. Nicolas Hayek, who was still chairman of the company, died unexpectedly at work on Monday. Mr. Hayek has been widely credited with saving the Swiss watch industry when he founded Swatch in 1985. It is now the world's biggest watchmaker and is expected to record sales of more than 6bn Swiss francs (£3.7bn; $5.5bn) this year.

hmmm sooo true... don't you think? ;)

2010-06-29T16:32:00.000+03:00

A fundraising event to fight Breast Cancer : Think Pink event supports May Jallad Foundation

2010-06-22T15:17:00.002+03:00

BEIRUT iloubnan.info - June 22, 2010

For the third year in a row, the “Think Pink” breast cancer charity dinner was held yesterday night at the Sky Bar to raise funds in support of breast cancer patients in Lebanon. With a guest list of more than 1000 contributors, the event managed to raise over $100,000 USD in 2009 - all of which was donated to the May Jallad Foundation for Cancer- a non-profit organization focused on providing those in need with the essential resources to survive cancer.

The “Think Pink” breast cancer annual event is organized by a group of young Lebanese humanitarians who were inspired by witnessing firsthand the struggle many women are forced to endure when fighting breast cancer. “We do this because 1 out of every 8 women will have to fight breast cancer… and if caught early and treated properly… 9 out of 10 women will beat it!” said Karim Jabado, creator of Think Pink, “Think Pink is a life-long commitment for me… the foremost goal is to create awareness and promote early detection”

The event is made possible by many sponsors including Hoffmann-La Roche, Mazda and De La Cour who aim to emphasize the needed support of a friend or a family member to women who discover they have breast cancer throughout their treatment and hopefully recovery process. “Women need to be encouraged to face the disease bravely, knowing that many of them have a chance for survival if they detect it early, and asking key questions about the type of breast cancer they have so they can get tailored treatment that best suits their case” said Leila Koleilat, Roche communication manager.

"We can really make a difference in the lives of patients who need our help to obtain vital treatment. The donations collected today will immensely contribute to improving the quality of life of cancer patients who would otherwise continue to suffer in the absence of treatment - all together, one small step at a time, we can do our part to make cancer a thing of the past," commented Rima Dandashi, president of the May Jallad Foundation for Cancer.

As the treatment is expensive and difficult to obtain, the Foundation raises money through donations and accordingly the funds are granted with equal selection opportunity for all the patients in need via a fair arrangement with Makassed General Hospital.

___________________________________________________________________

Think Pink (part III), raised +163,000$ last night in SkyBar Beirut for the May Jallad Foundation to support Breast Cancer patients! Well done cousin!! :)

www.thinkpinkcharity.com

Confused what to get for Father's Day?

2010-06-16T13:10:00.005+03:00

Captain & Captain, Gifts for Men

The uniquely new concept for shopping by personality

now delivers* !

Visit http://www.captainandcaptain.com/ and order online!
Special offer for Father's day, get your gifts delivered free of charge**!

* valid only in Lebanon
**valid for min. order 50$

La Fete De La Musique 2010

2010-06-16T12:03:00.003+03:00

The Fete de la Musique in Lebanon which usually presents great artists and bands, will happen again as usual this 21st of June, 2010. It will take place in Beirut, Downtown area, Hamra and Gemmayze.

On the schedule:

DOME Dj's:
21h00 - VANCLODE JANDAM (Deep-House)
21h45 - DIRTY DIANA (Dubstep)
22h30 - INDEX/LEFT (LIVE set - Dubstep)
23h15 - NAMITO (Berlin, Tech-House)
00h00 - JADE (Tech-House)
00h45 - DEBRUIT (LIVE, Paris, Breaks)
01h30 - DIAMOND SETTER (Tech-house)
02h15 - DJ DANSZ (Techno)
03h00 - ALIAS & PURPLE (Tech-House)
04h00 - PSYCHOGENESIS (Psychedelic

DOME Vj’s:
21h00 - OFFWHITE visuals
22h30 - LABO STRONGSKY
00h45 - VJ MOSIG
02h15 - M.VISUALS

THERMES ROMAINS
20h00 à 20h30 Champlain (chanson française)
20h40 à 21h10 Youmna Saba (folk libanaise)
21h20 à 21h50 Gus Farah (pop)
22h00 à 22h40 The Incompetents (pop alternative)
22h50 à 23h30 Ghazi Abdel Baki (arabo funksamba)
23h40 à 00h20 Fareeq El Atrash (hip hop)
00h30 à 01h00 Call Us Blue (soul / funk)

PLACE DES MARTYRS
20h00 à 20h30 Bob Arja & t.b.b.t (rap)
20h35 à 21h00 I-Voice (rap)
21h10 à 21h40 Homemade (rock)
21h50 à 22h20 Belime (pop / rock)
22h30 à 23h00 The Puppeteers (funk / soul)
23h10 à 23h40 Meen (rock libanais)
23h50 à 00h10 The Musicians (blues / rock)
00h20 à 01h00 Scarface & Mc Box (raggae / Rn’B)

JARDIN SAMIR KASSIR
20h00 à 20h20 Vahan & the revolution of ants (musique du monde)
20h30 à 20h55 Shaba (folk)
21h05 à 21h30 Kristen Hope (folk / rock)
21h40 à 22h10 Sandmoon (lounge / rock)
22h20 à 22h50 Guaraná (musique brésilienne)
23h00 à 23h40 Vladimir Kurumilian & Allan Chaaraoui (improvisation piano)
23h50 à 00h20 Eardrum (rock alternatif)
00h30 à 01h00 Peter Jam (rock)

SOUKS
20h00 à 20h25 ZeineDin (Hip Hop)
20h30 à 20h55 Ashekman (Rap)
21h05 à 21h35 Zeid and the Wings (pop libanaise)
21h45 à 22h15 Lazzy Lung (rock arlternatif)
22h25 à 22h50 Limelight (Rock indé)
23h00 à 23h25 Circle of Fire (rock accoustique progressif)
23h35 à 00h05 Episode (symphonie progressive)
00h15 à 01h00 Dj Lethal Skillz (hip hop)

EGLISE ST LOUIS DES CAPUCINS
18h00 à 18h20 Orchestre de Chambre - Hamazkaine
18h30 à 18h55 Ensemble “Musique pour tous”
19h05 à 19h35 Ensemble de Guitares – Hamazkaine

CATHEDRALE ST GEORGES
18h00 à 20h00
Chorale du Lycée franco-libanais de Verdun
Chorale du Lycée Abdel Kader
Tony Bayeh (musique religieuse)
Chorale de l’International College
Chorale du Collège Protestant

EGLISE EVANGELIQUE
19h00 à 20h30
Programme de l'Ecole de musique Ghassan Yammine
Chant moderne (pop, broadway, jazz)
Piano (Chopin, Schubert, debussy)
Chant classique (airs d'opéra)

HAMRA / Dany’s
20h00 à 20h30 Extravaganza
20h30 à 21h00 Banana Cognac
21h00 à 21h30 W.K. Bruce Lee
21h30 à 22h00 Raed Khazen trio
22h00 à 22h30 Double Act
22h30 à 23h00 5 sekonds Late

COTTON CANDY
Parade (musique électronique)

RUES DU CENTRE-VILLE
20h00 à 22h30
Firas Safa (rap)
Mustafa (rap)
Bicro-phone (rap)
Jabha (rap)
Mohamed Fouad (tarab)
Karimbo Mixity (rap)
Beirut Bandits (rap)
Byroots B-Boyz (danseurs hip-hop)

Organizateurs et partenaires:

- Le Ministère de la Culture
- La Mission culturelle française au Liban
- Solidere
- The Basement
- Ecole de Musique Ghassan Yammine
- Céphée
- Zico House
- Dany’s
- Cotton Candy

Recruiting in Lebanon

2010-06-15T17:18:00.003+03:00

Zod Security, a Lebanese based security company is recruiting for the following positions:

Design / Commissioning Engineers
Sales Executives
Product Managers

Kindly send CVs to zod@zod.com.lb

Old Lebanese TV Ads - 80's - ZOD Security Group

2010-06-12T12:02:00.000+03:00

PoetryOutLoud --season1

2010-06-03T19:32:00.004+03:00

PoetryOutLoud -- season 1

From: Friday, June 4, 2010
To: Sunday, June 6, 2010
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm

@ Unesco Palace (Beirut)

PoetryOutLoud, seasonally, throws a poetry event, where a number of its members share and perform their work of poetry freely. The audience gets to experience different ideas and emotions that the poet would like to convey. Collectively, we explore new areas of expression and reaching out. The works are not restricted to any language.

Tickets are sold at Librarie Antoine for 20,000 L.L Or call 71 11 23 71

or visit http://www.poetry-out-loud.com/

To participate in the group and future events, or if you have any questions please check the "Join Us" and "Contact Us" pages on the website.

SPONSORED BY: THE SKINCLINIC, RECRUITERS, & OPERATORS

Alors On Danse - Rikky's Faqra

2010-05-31T21:47:00.004+03:00

RIKKY'Z

Check out the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10790180247

http://www.rikkyz.com/

ALORS ON DANSE AT RIKKYZ from Sabrina Chammas on Vimeo.

Un Coeur pour Philippe! (R.I.P.)

2010-05-31T15:31:00.008+03:00

Philippe a cree un mouvement de solidarite parmi les Libanais sans precedent, notament sur facebook qui a reussit a reunir en 10 jours 23,865 fans...

(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127928617219284).

Introducing Philippe on his dedicated FB group, Un Coeur pour Philippe, he was described by his friends as follows:

"Philippe was born with a cardiomyopathy. He is 25 years old. His condition has changed since last Christmas. He has fluids in the lungs, oedemas in the legs and had a thrombosis on may 9th. His cardiologist as well as other specialists all agree that only a HEART TRANSPLANT can save him. The operation will take place at the Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris. Philippe doesn't have any healthcare coverage in France since he is Lebanese and the operation costs 220 000 euros approximately, and his family can't pay this sum on their own. We call all friends, families, friends of friends and random strangers to help philippe get his operation. A bank account has been created in Lebanon, Paris, and a Paypal account is available for overseas donations. Money has no value by itself, it all depends on what you do with it. Thank you for your help"

L'Orient Le Jour -31.05.2010

by Najib Aoun

Coeur a Coeur

Aujourd'hui, je ne parlerai pas des élections municipales, du cirque ambulant qui a mis les Libanais en émoi quatre semaines durant ; je ne dirai rien des inimitiés que des campagnes grotesques ont provoquées, des rancœurs que des règlements de comptes familiaux ou bassement politiciens ont attisées. Aujourd'hui, je n'évoquerai nullement les armes du Hezbollah, la stratégie de défense qui se perd dans les méandres de l'amnésie délibérée ; je ne m'attarderai pas sur les menaces israéliennes, sur les vociférations prometteuses de destructions généralisées, d'une apocalypse rédemptrice ; je ne tiendrai nullement compte des tirades incendiaires, des bêtises servies sur des plateaux en trompe-l'œil ; je fuirai comme la peste les esprits pervers qui distillent haine et suspicion, qui s'évertuent à greffer la détestation là où tout est convivialité, amour et solidarité.

Solidarité : voilà le mot magique qui redynamise les consciences, qui révèle la vraie nature du Libanais, celle que les guerres fratricides, les séquestrations de la volonté nationale ont tenté d'enfouir sous un amoncellement de doutes, de défiance et d'oublis. Solidarité : celle qui voit le Libanais aller à la rencontre de l'autre, le soutenir dans ses difficultés, dans sa détresse, lui apporter le réconfort dont il a besoin. Solidarité, c'est toute une chaîne qui se met en place, qui torpille les clivages, les différences, c'est un « cœur pour Philippe », cet élan exceptionnel de générosité qui a mobilisé des dizaines de milliers de jeunes et de moins jeunes, qui a transposé sur Facebook l'angoisse des uns, l'espoir des autres, une véritable course contre la montre, un jamais-vu d'amour et de sollicitude pour permettre à Philippe de retrouver son souffle, d'arriver au plus vite à l'hôpital parisien pour une transplantation cardiaque, synonyme de vie renouvelée.
Merci à tous ceux qui ont répondu à l'appel du cœur ou qui l'ont même précédé, des plus connus aux plus anonymes, des plus nantis aux moins favorisés, ceux qui ont répercuté l'appel aux quatre coins du pays, aux quatre coins du monde via Internet.

Un « cœur pour Philippe » c'est le reflet d'une humanité entière, gratuite, sans arrière-pensée, hors de toute tentative de récupération, le reflet d'une bonté infinie, celle d'hommes et de femmes qui ont forgé dans les épreuves une faculté à nulle autre pareille, celle de l'écoute de l'autre, de l'entraide, de la solidarité. Le jour venu, le moment venu, c'est la mère de Philippe, Anne-Marie, qui contera dans les colonnes de ce journal, dans ce journal qui est le sien, le long parcours fait de larmes et d'attentes angoissées, de panique et d'espoir. L'espoir que le cœur de Philippe puisse battre rapidement au rythme, au diapason de tous les cœurs qui se sont portés à son secours...

(http://www.lorientlejour.com/editoriaux/editorial.php?id=2)

http://www.beiruting.com/album/863

Seulement 2 heures plus tot aujourd'hui meme (le dernier jour du mois de notre Sainte Mere Marie, 31 May 2010), le coeur de Philippe a lache.

Messages from Nagy Khoury (family friend):

"Mes amis, Il y a dix jours, un ange nous a mobilisés … Il nous a appris le sens de l’Amour et de la solidarité. Il nous a donné l’espoir d’un Liban plus humain et plus noble. Comme un messager, il est venu … ...Comme un ange, il vient de s’envoler. Prions pour lui.""Mes amis, permettez-moi de partager ces quelques pensées avec vous. Supposons que Philippe soit parti il y a dix jours ... Sa mort nous aurait fait mal, bien sûr, mais est-ce qu'elle aurait été aussi percutante, aussi forte dans notre entourage et dans notre société ? Bien sûr que non ... Le Seigneur nous l'a envoyé, juste 10 jours, comme messager, pour nous donner un sacré coup de fouet et sa mort n'aura pas été vaine ... Merci Philippe pour ton irruption dans nos vies ces dix derniers jours. Tu nous as rappelé l'importance du COEUR dans notre existence ..."

Jounoune's personal note (as posted today on the FB group @ 04:00pm): "Philippe, i am positive that you are now resting in peace within the arms of our Holy Mother on this last day of the month dedicated to Her! You have achieved a great feat in uniting strangers as well as friends to your cause. Your flame is a flame of hope and solidarity that will never go out. Thank you for the valuab...le lessons you taught us: to never loose faith in God or in the people around us, and to never give up... Thank you."

Think Pink 2010 -Charity Dinner

2010-05-25T19:47:00.003+03:00

Monday, June 21, 2010 at 8:00pm
Sky Bar - Beirut, Lebanon

JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER

In 2008, we held a dinner at Beirut's Sky Bar and raised over $50 000 USD. The proceeds were put towards prevention and early detection and were used to offer women across Lebanon free mammograms.

In 2009, we held another dinner at Sky Bar and raised over $100 000 USD. This time, the proceeds were put towards treatment and support and offered women battling the cancer free chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation, etc...

2010's dinner will once again be in Sky Bar on Monday June 21. The proceeds will again go towards treating and supporting women with breast cancer (May Jallad Foundation).

A few of the prizes at this year's dinner...
- New 2010 Mazda M2
- De La Cour Ladies Watch
- MEA tickets to Europe
- Tufenkjian jewelry

DINNER + DRINKS (seated 3 course meal + open premium bar + raffle ticket) - $150
DRINKS (open premium bar; non-seated) - $100

FOR RESERVATIONS: +961-3-140-433

http://www.thinkpinkcharity.com

Summer Festivals in Lebanon

2010-05-25T18:28:00.002+03:00

Award-winning jazz artist Diana Krall, pop sensation Mika and operatic quartet Il Divo will head the bill in a line-up of stars performing in Lebanon's summer festivals, scheduled to begin next month.

Lebanon, which registered a record year for tourism in 2009, hosts three prestigious festivals -- Baalbeck, Beiteddine and Byblos -- which are major attractions for tourists visiting the tiny Mediterranean country.

The Baalbeck International Festival, which was officially launched in 1956 and is the oldest in the Middle East, runs from June 24 to August 7 and is staged among spectacular Roman ruins in eastern Lebanon. The festival opens with a concert by Lebanese-born pop sensation Mika and features performances by jazz saxophonist Odean Pope, the Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre and Iraqi musician Naseer Shamaa.

The Beiteddine Festival runs from June 25 to August 6 and stars award-winning pianist and singer Diana Krall, multi-national pop opera quartet Il Divo and Lebanese jazz icon Ziad Rahbani.
The Beiteddine concerts are held in a palatial 19th century residence in the Shouf mountains, an area of green hills and traditional villages southeast of Beirut popular with tourists.

The Byblos International Festival, staged against a backdrop of Phoenician ruins in the ancient port of Byblos north of Beirut, will announce its programme on June 1.

The festivals were cancelled in past years because of political crises, assassinations and all-out war, but made a comeback in 2008. They were largely sold out last year with the arrival of a record two million tourists in Lebanon. The three international festivals are widely expected to attract thousands of visitors this year despite rising tension in the region.

http://senatus.net/article/summer-festivals-lebanon/

Links to festivals:

Byblos Festival: http://www.byblosfestival.org/
Beiteddine Festival: http://www.beiteddine.org/
Baalbeck Festival: http://www.baalbeck.org.lb/
Al Bustan Festival: http://www.albustanfestival.com/
Tyre Festival: http://tyrefestival.com/

Project Lebanon 2010 @ BIEL

2010-05-25T18:05:00.004+03:00

and

at Project Lebanon 2010

Date: June 1-4, 2010
Time: from 04:00 to 10:00 pm
Venue: BIEL

Come visit stand no. B42

Syndicate of Security & Safety Professionals in Lebanon (SSSPL),

for which Captain Sami G. Zod has been President for two consecutive terms,

will also have a stand at no. C41

Habib Alberto: Fiddle to Live and Live to Fiddle!

2010-05-21T16:29:00.004+03:00

On 21.05.2010, Habib Alberto performed his extraordinaire fiddling on top of the Azimut Yatch at Beirut Boat 2010 (La Marina, Dbayeh) wearing a Captain and Captain "Dolvor" shorty wetsuit and booties!

A fantastic and extravagant violin performance that was not to be missed for the world!

Check out these videos:

International agency, Eden Yachting, puts Beirut on charter map

2010-05-20T14:34:00.001+03:00

Eden Yachting based in the UAE, and one of the few yacht charter agencies based in the Middle East, has demonstrated its support for the Lebanese yacht charter industry this month by adding Beirut as a charter destination on its cutting edge website.

The company, launched last year, charters both sailing and motor yachts for their clients through well established operators in some 25 exotic destinations worldwide and this now includes the Lebanese capital.

According to Philippe Saad, Owner and Managing Director of Eden Yachting, "The yacht charter industry is particularly underdeveloped in Lebanon, however as the country enjoys a 220 km coastline, 300 days of sunshine and borders the Mediterranean, I believe there is great potential in this market for chartering. Of course there are limitations in the sense that there are not many public marinas outside the Beirut area, however this just means that it is currently a day charter market. The Lebanese like to socialise and they love the sea, so what better way to enjoy themselves than to charter a crewed yacht for a day and take a group of friends cruising up the coast."

According to the New York Times, a record number of travellers showed up to discover Beirut in 2009 and if the political situation remains stable, that could mean even more visitors this year. This has had a positive impact on the local yachting industry, demonstrated by a significant 14.5% growth in yacht sales in 2009, with the prediction for 2010 estimated at +20%. Indeed the investment in both tourism and marine facilities along the Lebanese coast, heralds a new era for boating enthusiasts, with $1bn already spent on marinas/ seafront developments and more in the pipeline.

Eden Yachting offers both motor and sailing yachts for cruising, racing, training, team building, corporate hospitality, diving and fishing in a number of Middle Eastern destinations as well as the more usual international charter locations. These include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, the Musandam Fjords, Muscat and the Red Sea.

http://www.ameinfo.com/232966.html

Miss U.S.A 2010 Is The Lebanese Rima Fakih!!

2010-05-17T18:21:00.000+03:00

Miss Michigan 2010 Rima Fakih, a Muslim Lebanese born in South Lebanon, has been crowned Miss USA 2010. Fakih won the pageant Sunday night at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas after a swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. Fakih is the second Arab-American to win the title, the first ever Muslim-American Miss USA and the first Miss Michigan to become Miss USA since Kenya Moore in 1993. Julie Hayek was the first Lebanese American to win the title in 1983. When asked how she felt about winning the Miss USA crown, Fakih said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza." Arab all over America danced and cheered the moment Rima beat 50 other beauty queens to the crown.

http://www.wikeez.com/en/people/pictures-miss-usa-2010-arab-rima-fakih-7472

Captain & Captain @ Beirut Boat Show 2010

2010-05-16T19:09:00.001+03:00

Captain & Captain - Gifts for Men

in cooperation with

Dive The Med Club

coordially invite you to visit our stand at

Beirut Boat Show 2010 ...

Date: 19-23 May 2010

Time: from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Venue: La Marina Joseph Khoury, Dbayeh - Lebanon

... and request your FREE gift with every purchase during the show!

Captain & Captain, Shop by Personality (www.captainandcaptain.com)

Dive The Med Club (http://www.divethemedclub.com/)

FLY LEBANON 2010

2010-05-13T18:44:00.001+03:00

FLY LEBANON 2010

When: Summer 2010 (initial dates postponed)

Where: Tripoli, Byblos, and Jounieh stadiums

"This is dedicated to sky junkies who get high on living to the extreme. Nothing beats the rush of having just the wind on your back, and this summer the sky is definitely the place to be as Fly Lebanon brings the first extreme sports event to the country."

What's Flying: over 100 pilots from 14 countries, 60 Paramotors, 4 acrobatic Cessna, 10 skydivers, 3 hot air balloons, 50 RC planes, 15 Paragliders, 2 Water hang gliders, Helicopters, ...

Crowd's Opening Games: Paragliders, 20 tandem planes, RC planes, hot air ballons, delta planes, ...

*all day packages to be shared soon.

Ground Packages: 2 bunjee jumping, half pipes, climbing walls, flying fox, space ball, running bunji, Xtreme pneumatics, big air bag, along professional shows...

Participating Countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Iran, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, UK, Spain and Hungary.

For more information:

http://www.flylebanonevent.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FLY-LEBANON/110557108978522

Tel: +961 3 920084

Niha, Zahle (Bekaa Valley, Lebanon)

2010-05-10T18:58:00.002+03:00

The word neeha is Syriac and denotes to the place the character of calm, peaceful. The village is located about 65 km East of the Lebanese capital Beirut off the main road that leads to Baalbeck. It is 8 km North of Zahle. The village sits in a small canyon at an average altitude of 1,100 m.

Niha is home to four Roman temples that were constructed between the first and third century A.D. The Lower two temples are located on the edge of the village, and the upper two temples are about 2 km above the village in what is known as "Hosn" Niha. The first and smallest temple was built in the first century A.D. As one enters the gate at the edge of the village into the archeological park that is maintained by the Department of Antiquities, the Lower Small Temple appears first and directly ahead to the right of the creek. The temple was dedicated to the Syro-Phoenician mermaid goddess Atargatis and her consort, the god Hadaranes. Hadaranes is the local name of Hadad, the god of thunder, lightning and rain. Atargatis is the goddess of fertility. In the remains of this temple, archaeologists discovered a stone with an inscription mentioning a female virgin prophet named Hochmea. Hochmea was the priestess of Hadaranes and Atargatis; she dedicated herself to those two gods and cut herself off from the world. The stone inscription says: According to an order from the god, she stopped eating bread for 20 years and lived for 100 years. This small temple was apparently used for the public cult, which allowed everyone to participate in purification rituals. Opposite the creek lies the Great Temple which was extensively restored by the government of Lebanon in the 1950s. Towering nearly 20 m, the temple was built during the second and third centuries A.D. and was apparently used for a mysterious cult that spread during that era, similar to the temple of Bacchus in Baalbeck. The temple was also dedicated to the god Hadaranes and goddes Atargatis, as well as to a young god who played the role of their son.

The Small Temple of Niha is oriented north-south, while the Great Temple is oriented east-west. During the excavations of the site, an oratory was discovered in front of the Small Temple. The oratory had an altar representing the goddess of Niha, surrounded by a number of steles sculpted in the local style (not Roman style). The reason for the perpendicular orientation of the two temples is the presence of this monumental altar, which was situated in front of the Small Temple, and which was used as a base for the orientation of the Great Temple.

Two other Upper Roman temples were constructed at the Hosn, approximately 2 km away from the two temples mentioned earlier. Located at an elevation of 1,400 m with difficult road access, these two temples are not restored. Architectural evidence at the site indicates that it was transformed into a small fort during the medieval period (hence the name of Hosn). The altar in front of the temple was destroyed by a Byzantine Basilica that was built over it. The Basilica has three naves and a semi-circular apse to its east end. The second Small Temple opens to the south and was accessed through a stairway that is almost completely destroyed today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niha_Bekaa

Lebanese Talent: Amine Hachem

2010-04-15T19:56:00.000+03:00

Amine Hachem sings Opera! He currently performs at "The Library" in Beirut.

Lebanese Talent: Rabih Baroud

2010-04-15T19:14:00.002+03:00

Check out interview on Sawt l noujoum 108 FM and 95.9 FM or http://www.sawtelnoujoum.com/ worldwide

http://www.rabihbaroud.net/

Lebanese Talent: Habib Alberto

2010-04-15T18:42:00.002+03:00

Prince Alexander of Serbia Princess IRA VON FURSTENBERG

http://www.habibalberto.com/

Star Scene, Daily Star: Lebanese MPs play for Unity!

2010-04-15T13:41:00.001+03:00

April 13th is remembrance day for the Lebanese Civil War, a tragic memory that will always stay carved in our hearts and minds. In commemoration of the start of the war 1975-90 and celebrating our unity today, Lebanese members of parliament decided to play a friendly soccer match inspiring Lebanese fair play and unity.

http://starscene.dailystar.com.lb/featured/2010/04/no-politics-in-sports-lebanese-mps-play-for-unity/

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=173852&id=62945690879

Check out photos at these links!

Only in Lebanon!! :)

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) Fundraising Dinner via Beiruting.com

2010-04-15T13:36:00.001+03:00

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) Fundraising Dinner via Beiruting.com

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) for Social Care and Follow-up's Second Anniversary Fundraising Dinner was held on Wednesday, April 7th , 2010 at El Dirwandi - Café D’Orient, Ain Mraisseh.

Over 150 guests attended this event which was sponsored by many well-reputed organizations such as: 999 Vodka, Baltika Beer, Adyar (Lebanese bio wine), Ets. Rami El Khazen, NTT [Need To Talk] Communications, Acaf Flora & Rachelle Acaf, Merhej Travel & Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines and Footprint.

During the event Y.A.N.A. celebrated its 2nd anniversary and Mrs. Leila Hawi Zod, Vice-President of C.C.U.J.M., presented Ms. Josiane El Zir, who was the evening's MC, with the honorary title of Y.A.N.A.'s "Goodwill Ambassador". The entertainment was graciously donated by the following artists: Habib Alberto (Violinist), Rabih Baroud (Lebanese singer), Georges Chahoud (entertainer) and Amine Hachem (Opera singer) with a cameo appearance by Carole Hobeika and the scheduled performance of El Dirwandi Tarab & Oud group.

Guests had the opportunity to win 180 gifts through a generously donated Tombola.

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) provides follow-up with families facing social difficulties and offers them different social services (dispensary/ clinic, foster home, children's group, women’s group) to best serve their needs, especially mothers and children.

For more information, please visit Y.A.N.A.'s website http://www.yanaccujm.org/

http://www.beiruting.com/news/yana-you-are-not-alone-fundraising-dinner

http://www.beiruting.com/event/yana-fundraising-dinner

http://www.beiruting.com/album/734

Star Scene, Daily Star: Y.A.N.A organizes fundraising dinner at El Dirwandi

2010-04-09T16:39:00.002+03:00

Click here to see more photos.

The nonprofit organization Y.A.N.A, You Are Not Alone, hosted a fundraising dinner at El Dirwandi to raise money for their cause of helping families and women with their social problems and difficulty on April 7th.

The dinner included live entertainment from the renowned Violinist Habib Alberto, Georges Chahoud, singer Rabih Baroud, Opera singer Amine Hachem and other entertainers. The show was MC-ed by the organization’s Goodwill Ambassador Josiane El Zir who also received her official letter.

Y.A.N.A helps women through a specialized team of psychologists and social assistants, assists children withe educational and medical needs and also fostering homes.

Photos by Mahmoud Kheir

(Be Seen, Be on Star Scene :: Your Favorite Entertainment Online Magazine)

http://starscene.dailystar.com.lb/featured/2010/04/y-a-n-a-organizes-fundraising-dinner-at-el-dirwandi/

Tyre: Queen of the Seas!

2010-03-29T21:49:00.006+03:00

http://www.middleeast.com/tyre.htm

Phoenician Tyre was queen of the seas,

an island city of unprecedented splendor

She grew wealthy from her far-reaching colonies and her industries of purple-dyed textiles. But she also attracted the attention of jealous conquerors among them the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.

Five Millennia of History

Founded at the start of the third millennium B.C., Tyre originally consisted of a mainland settlement and a modest island city that lay a short distance off shore. But it was not until the first millennium B.C. that the city experienced its golden age.

In the 10th century B.C. Hiram, King of Tyre, joined two islets by landfill. Later he extended the city further by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea. Phoenician expansion began about 815 B.C. when traders from Tyre founded Carthage in North Africa. Eventually its colonies spread around the Mediterranean and Atlantic, bringing to the city a flourishing maritime trade. But prosperity and power make their own enemies. Early in the sixth century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, laid siege to the walled city for thirteen years. Tyre stood firm, but it was probable that at this time the residents of the mainland city abandoned it for the safety of the island.

In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great set out to conquer this strategic coastal base in the war between the Greeks and the Persians.Unable to storm the city, he blockaded Tyre for seven months. Again Tyre held on. But the conqueror used the debris of the abandoned mainland city to build a causeway and once within reach of the city walls, Alexander used his siege engines to batter and finally breach the fortifications. It is said that Alexander was so enraged at the Tyrians' defense and the loss of his men that he destroyed half the city. The town's 30,000 residents were massacred or sold into slavery. Tyre and the whole of ancient Syria fell under Roman rule in 64 B.C.. Nonetheless, for some time Tyre continued to mint its own silver coins. The Romans built great important monuments in the city, including an aqueduct, a triumphal arch and the largest hippodrome in antiquity.

Christianity figures in the history of Tyre, whose name is mentioned in the new testament. During the Byzantine era, the Archbishop of Tyre was the primate of all the bishops of Phoenicia. At this time the town witnessed a second golden age as can be seen from the remains of its buildings and the inscriptions in the necropolis. Taken by the Islamic armies in 634, the city offered no resistance and continued to prosper under its new rulers, exporting sugar as well as objects made of pearl and glass.

With the decline of the Abbasid caliphate, Tyre acquired some independence under the dynasty of Banu 'Aqil, vassals of the Egyptian Fatimides. This was a time when Tyre was adorned with fountains and its bazaars were full of all kinds of merchandise, including carpets and jewerly of gold and silver.

Thanks to Tyre's strong fortifications it was able to resist to onslaught of the Crusaders until 1124. After about 180 years of Crusader rule, the Mamlukes retook the city in 1291, then it passed on to the Ottomans at the start of the 16th century.

With the end of the World War I Tyre was integrated into the new nation of Lebanon.

For a period of nearly 50 years the General Directorate of Antiquities excavated in and around Tyre, concentrating on the three major Roman archaeological sites in the town, which can be seen today.

The most important recent archaeological find in a Phoenician cemetery from the first millennium B.C. Discovered in 1991 during clandestine excavations, this is the first cemetery of its kind found in Lebanon. Funerary jars, inscribed steles and jewelry were among the objects retrieved from the site. The importance of this historical city and its monuments was highlighted in 1979 when UNESCO declared Tyre a world Heritage Site. In the meantime, government efforts have stopped much of the wartime pillaging that Tyre's archaeological treasures have suffered because of economic stress in the area and international demand for antiquities. Grassroots campaigns have also drawn attention to the importance of the city's antiquities.

Visiting Tyre's ancient sites

Area One, located on what was the Phoenician island, is a vast district of civic buildings, colonnades, public baths, mosaic streets and a rectangular arena.

Walk to the beach at the far end of the site. The columns to the left belong to a Palaestra, an area where athletes trained. Other excavated remains on this site date to the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. A short distance from the shore you will see "islands" which are, in fact, the great stone breakwaters and jetties of the ancient Phoenician port, called the "Egyptian port" because it faced south towards Egypt.

Area Two, is a five minute walk to the west. Its major point of interest is a Crusader cathedral. Only the lowest foundations and a few re-erected granite columns remain intact but these are nevertheless impressive. The area below has revealed a network of Romano-Byzantine roads and other installations. Visitors are not allowed inside the site, but the ruins can be viewed from the road.

Area Three, is a thirty minute walk from Areas One and Two and consists of an extensive necropolis, a three-bay monumental arch and one of the largest Roman hippodrome ever found.

All date from the 2nd century A.D. to the 6th. century A.D. The necropolis, excavated in 1962, yielded-hundreds of ornate stone and marble sarcophagi of the Roman and Byzantine periods. Foundations of a Byzantine church can also be seen. The archway stands astride a Roman road that led into the ancient city. Alongside the road are the remains of the aqueduct that assured the city its water supply. Marble sarcophagus 2nd century A.D. South of the necropolis is the partially reconstructed Roman hippodrome excavated in 1967.

The 480-meter structure seated twenty thousand spectators who gathered to watch the death-defying sport of chariot racing. Each end of the course was marked by still existing stone turning posts (metae). Charioteers had to make this circuit seven times. Rounding the metae at top speed was the most dangerous part of the race and often produced spectacular spills.

The walk to Area Three takes you through a residential part of Tyre called Hay Er-Raml or the Quarter of Sand. You are in fact walking on what once was Alexander the great causeway. Accumulating sands and extensive landfill have expanded this old land link to the extent that modern visitors have the impression that Tyre is built on a peninsula.

Tyre Today

Tyre has a colorful souk (covered market) well worth exploring. Look for the Ottoman khan, or inn, just inside the market entrance. On a side street is the "Mamluke House", an Ottoman period residence that is being restored as a cultural heritage and information center by the General Directorate of Antiquities. Also in the souk area is a white, double-domed Shia mosque of great interest. Near the market you will see a busy fisherman's port, in Phoenician times referred to as the "Sidonian" port because it faced north towards Sidon. Walk along the port with the sea on your right and you enter the city's Christian Quarter, a picturesque area of narrow streets, traditional architecture, and the Seat of the Maronite bishop of Tyre and the Holy land. One medieval tower still stands in a small garden. A second one is visible under the little lighthouse. During Crusader times towers similar to these ringed the city.

More information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon

Our Lady of Mantara - Maghdouche

2010-03-29T21:49:00.002+03:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Mantara

Our Lady of Mantara, also known in English as Our Lady of Awaiting, is a holy Christian site and a Marian shrine in the village of Maghdouché in Lebanon. The shrine consists of a tower crowned with the statue of the Virgin and Child, a cathedral, a cemetery and a sacred cave believed to be the one where the Virgin Mary rested while she waited for Jesus.

Phoenician Era

Many historians agree that the devotion to the Virgin Mary in Lebanon replaced the Phoenician worship of Astarte. Temples and shrines to Astarte were converted to Christian places of worship, honoring the Virgin. This is also true in Magdhdouché where within the vicinity of Our Lady of Mantara are the remains of a shrine to Astarte.

Byzantine Era

During the reign of Emperor Constantine, his mother, Saint Helena of Constantinople, requested in 324 D.C. the destruction of all pagan temples and idols dedicated to Astarte. The Astarte shrine in Magdhdouché was probably destroyed at that time and converted to a place of devotion to the Holy Mother. Since the early Christian era, the inhabitants of Magdhdouché have venerated the cave where the Virgin Mary rested while she waited for her son, Jesus to finish preaching in Sidon. Saint Helena asked the Bishop of Tyre to consecrate a little chapel at the cave in Magdhdouché. She sent the people of Magdhdouché an icon of the Mother and Child and some altar furnishings. Historians believe that Saint Helena asked the people to name the chapel, and they named it “Our Lady of Mantara” or “Our Lady of the Awaiting” because it was there that the Holy Mother waited for her son. Mantara is derivative of the Semitic root ntr, which means “to wait."

The Arab Conquest

Saint Helena provided funds from the imperial treasury for the maintenance of the chapel. The funding continued for three centuries of Byzantine rule in Phoenicia until Khalid ibn al-Walid defeated Emperor Heraclius at the Battle of the Yarmuk.[3] While the caliphate, Omar, who became ruler of Jerusalem, was a pious and humble man, sparing Christendom's holiest shrines and being tolerant of his Christian subjects, the Arab rulers of the rest of Byzantium were less tolerant of the Christians, especially in the maritime cities of Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, Byblos, and Tripoli.[3] After the majority of the Sidonians converted to Islam to receive promised privileges and immunities, the people of Magdhdouché withdrew to higher elevation on Mount Lebanon. The caliphate had recognized the Christians of Mount Lebanon as autonomous communities, paying a fixed tax. Before abandoning their village, they concealed the entrance to the cave of Our Lady of Mantara with stones, earth and vines. The people left the village through obscure mountain paths to the strongholds of Christian Lebanon. The legend of Our Lady of Mantara was passed down to the exiled generations of Magdhdouché for one thousand years.

The Crusades

The people of Magdhdouché did not return to their ancestral home despite the arrival of the Crusaders in Sidon. The Crusaders spent most of the12th and 13th centuries in the shadow of Magdhdouché without ever suspecting the sacred cave’s existence even though they built a small fort, called La Franche Garde, within meters of the hidden entrance to the cave.

Fakhreddin's Lebanon

The people of Magdhdouché only returned to their ancestral village during the reign of Lebanon's greatest ruler, the Druze Prince Fakhreddin II (1572-1635). The prince was the most tolerant and enlightened ruler of his day and age. He believed in equality amongst the diverse religious followers of his Lebanon. To demonstrate this equality, he appointed a Maronite Catholic as Prime Minister, a Muslim as Minister of the Interior, a Druze as Army Commander and a Jew as Finance Minister. His princedom was a rare example of non-sectarianism, and it soon became the most prosperous principality in the Ottoman Empire. Prince Fakhreddin II created an atmosphere of freedom and security that encouraged economical progress. He made treaties with Tuscany, and other Italian states, as well as Spain and France. He opened his ports to foreign trade and welcomed Jesuit missionaries to open educational missions throughout Mount Lebanon. For the first time in a thousand years, the people of Magdhdouché felt that they were safe, and so in 1683, they returned to their ancestral village.

The Rediscovery of the Cave

It was not easy to relocate the sacred cave even though the men of Magdhdouché worked for hundreds of years near the grotto, pulling down the stones of the Crusader fort for building material for their new homes. The cave was finally rediscovered on September 8, 1721 by a young shepherd when one of his goats fell in a well-like opening in the porous limestone. Wanting to save his goat, the shepherd made a rope from vine twigs, tied it to a tree, and descended into the hole, but the rope broke and he fell. When his eyes became accustomed to the darkness of the grotto, the boy saw a soft glimmer of a golden object, which turned out to be Saint Helena’s, icon of the Mother and Child. The boy climbed up the stone walls and ran to the village to tell his discovery.

A Pilgrimage Site

Ever since the rediscovery, the cave of Our Lady of Mantara has been open to the public. It has become a major pilgrimage site in the Lebanon. The adjacent hilltop where Jesus and Mary had once stood is now Sidon's Greek Catholic cemetery. Grand festivities are held each year on September 8 to commemorate the rediscovery of the sacred cave. Near the sacred cave, the people of Magdhdouché built a cathedral and a modern tower crowned with a bronze statue of the Virgin and Child. The tower offers pilgrims panoramic views of Sidon, the Mediterranean, and the lush hills, valleys and citrus groves of Lebanon.

YANA Fundraiser in 10 Days:

2010-03-29T15:46:00.000+03:00

We are pleased to present to you the same entertainment program as THE LIBRARY contributed by the artists themselves and mc'ed by Josiane El Zir (OTV, MTV, O Bar):

Habib Alberto - Violonist (The Library)
Rabih Baroud - Lebanese Singer (The Library)
Georges Chahoud - Entertainer (Phenicia, O Bar)
Amine Hachem - Opera Singer (The Library)

In addition to El Dirwandi Tarab and Oud grou.

By the way, you can see Josiane El Zir and Rabih Baroud tonight on New TV, "2as7ab El Noujoum" program @ 8:45 pm Lebanese time!

Event details:
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

8:30pm – 11:55pm

El Dirwandi – Cafe D’Orient
Ain Mraisseh, facing Palm Beach Hotel
Beirut, Lebanon

The event will also include a Tombola.

Price = 105,000 LL / person only! (70$)
Seated Mezzah Dinner

Beiruting.com: Le Francais au Liban

2010-03-19T17:07:00.000+02:00

Le francais au Liban

Par Médéa Azouri HABIB - Toutes les langues s'approprient des mots appartenant aux autres. Chaque peuple modifie, adapte, récupère un mot, une expression. Les Américains donnent des " Rendez-vous ", les Français aiment la " Dolce vita " et les Libanais... Les Libanais parlent l'anglais, l'italien - en matière d'habillement -, le turc et, bien sûr, le français. Si vous n'avez pas vu les spots publicitaires pour l'événement " La France au Liban ", allez les voir sur la page Facebook de beiruting.com "http://www.facebook.com/beiruting", ils valent le détour. Parce que l'usage de la langue française par les Libanais est une énigme, une exception culturelle, une espèce de mystère dont même les Libanais ne comprennent pas l'origine. Ces libanismes, ces confusions de sens, ces inversions existent quasiment depuis la nuit des temps... Les plus surpris sont généralement les Français qui entendent pour la première fois la langue de Baudelaire revue et corrigée par une copine, un chauffeur de taxi ou une " tante " assise à la table d'à côté. " Bonjourak ". " Bonjourein ". " Bonsoir, tous les soirs ".

Dès l'entrée, on est prévenu que le menu sera corsé. Les Libanais aiment l'excès, la surenchère. Deux fois bonjour ma chérie parce que tu le vaux bien. Nul besoin de relever tous ces mots français qui sont devenus des mots libanais à part entière, déclinés en verbes, en substantifs ou en adjectifs : " mhastra ", " daprass ", " pannak ", " tmaqyajit ", " cousinté " entre autres, mais surtout le plus répandu, le plus extraordinaire de tous, le fameux " awmar ". Il n'y a que les Libanais pour transformer en action le point mort d'une voiture... Dans ce lexique personnel et propre aux Libanais, on trouve de tout donc. Des traductions littérales de l'arabe, des expressions travesties et des fautes de français que les Français eux-mêmes font parfois. Ce ne sont pas ces dernières les plus sympathiques, ce sont toutes les autres. Les réponses à un " merci "... à vous ! Les " tante " pour les femmes d'une autre génération et le " voyageur ". " Je ne peux pas venir ce soir, j'ai un voyageur. " Formule qui implique un collègue, un ami, un proche ou un patron automatiquement venu de l'étranger. Parce que le monsieur ou la dame a pris l'avion, le train, le bateau ou la voiture pour venir jusqu'à nous. C'est un " voyageur "... hahahahaha. Heureusement qu'on ne dit pas quand on l'invite au restaurant, c'est un mangeur ou quand on " veille " ensemble, c'est un " veilleur ". Parce que le Libanais veille. Il ne sort pas, il veille. D'ailleurs, " où tu pars veiller ? " - comprendre " où sors-tu ce soir ? ". Et il ne " quittera " pas tard parce qu'il a un " voyageur " demain, un " voyageur " qui le " parente " et qu'il " fréquente " depuis " 1980 et 11 ".

D'ailleurs, ils ont rendez-vous à " 10 heures et demi cinq ". Ok, ce sont des fautes ou des traductions du libanais, mais on a le droit d'acheter une " crosse " de cigarettes, de boire son Coca avec un " chalumeau " ou de mâcher son " mastic ". Chacun son truc. Les Libanaises vont chez la " manicuriste ", la même que la femme de celui qui " est descendu aux élections ". On monte et on descend beaucoup au Liban. On " monte de classe ", on " monte à Faraya ", on " descend à Beyrouth ". On " ferme " le téléphone car, " en tout cas ", on se voit tout à l'heure. On est " fâché de lui " parce qu'il " a ri de moi ". On fait du sport " un jour oui, un jour non " avec ses nouvelles " espadrines "... On " demande " une question à une connaissance et on lui dit en fin de conversation lorsqu'on l'a croisée par hasard, " fais-toi voir ". " Ne me dis pas " que tu connais Flén !!! Je te jure, " moi et lui " on était ensemble à l'école et c'est aussi un " ami à " Far7a et Mar7a. Et des comme ça, il y en a des tonnes.

Des fautes d'orthographe sur certaines enseignes, des fautes de sens, de grammaire, de compréhension, on en rencontre tous les jours. C'est ce qui fait le charme de cette langue, si riche et si drôle à la fois. Ces erreurs, ces petites fautes sont touchantes, attendrissantes. Elles sont libanaises, elles font partie de nous et c'est ce qui les rend belles. Nulle part ailleurs qu'ici, au pays de Khalil Gibran, des Cèdres et de Mika, vous entendrez quelqu'un appeler un garçon dans un restaurant : " maître ". Yalla, c'est fini.

http://www.beiruting.com/news/france-liban9

La France Au Liban

2010-03-12T22:56:00.001+02:00

Watch these YouTube clips.... very funny but so true! :)

LA FRANCE AU LIBAN "TAXI"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzoDp6JciM4

LA FRANCE AU LIBAN "TANTE"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPT6H1jVk6s

LA FRANCE AU LIBAN "LE CHEF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7BUIYJggY4

YANA on Beiruting.com

2010-03-09T17:23:00.000+02:00

Check out the link:
http://www.beiruting.com/event/yana-fundraising-dinner

UPDATE: Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) 2nd annual fundraiser

2010-03-06T21:12:00.000+02:00

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) will celebrate its 2nd anniversary and present Ms. Josiane El Zir with the honorary title of Y.A.N.A.’s Goodwill Ambassador during its annual fundraising dinner taking place on April 7th at El Dirwandi, Ain el Mraisseh, Beirut starting 08:30pm.

To buy your Fundraiser tickets or deliver your tombola gifts please note the following addresses:

• Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone): CCUJM bldg, Dekwaneh, St. Joseph str., tel: 01 691 115, ask for Ms. Samar Sleilaty weekdays from 11h to 4h, http://www.yanaccujm.org/, http://www.facebook.com/pages/YANA-You-Are-Not-Alone/37679904933

• Captain & Captain: Dbayeh, inner road, tel: 04 542 365, weekdays and Saturdays from 10h to 8h, http://www.captainandcaptain.com/, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97361948672

• JO-BA: Al Midan street, Dekwaneh, tel: 03 974 103, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=ts&gid=46796992083

• Zod Security sarl: Dbayeh highway, tel: 04 543 666, ask for Mrs. Adele Sayegh on weeekdays from 9h to 5h and Saturdays from 9h to 12h, http://www.zodsecurity.com/, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2434251643

Alternatively contact Ms. Jinane Zod on 03 260 885 or j.zod@ccujm.org

Deadline for tickets purchase: March 31st, 2010.

We are pleased to report that many medias are on board to cover the fundraiser. So far we have confirmations from the following:

- Future TV (3alam el sabah)

- MBC

- Daily Star

- KazaMaza Youth Magazine

- Beiruting.com

plus all the regular social mags like Special, Layalina, etc...

and tentatively, Nataloo on NTV (again), Sinye Mag and Time Out...

Y.A.N.A. 2nd Annual Fundraiser

2010-03-03T14:21:00.003+02:00

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) is pleased to announce that it is organizing its Second Annual Fundraiser Dinner event as follows:

Wednesday, 7 April 10

8:30pm – 11:55pm

El Dirwandi

Cafe D’Orient

Ain Mraisseh, facing Palm Beach Hotel

Beirut, Lebanon

Y.A.N.A. is pleased to present its Goodwill Ambassador, Josiane “JJ” El Zir, as the evening’s MC, with the following entertainment lined-up:
• Georges Chahoud, entertainer
• Habib Alberto, renowned Violinist
• Rabih Baroud, Lebanese singing star
• Amine Hachem, Opera singer
• El Dirwandi Tarab group
• Dance parade

The event will also include a Tombola.
Price = 105,000 LL / person only (70$)!
For your tickets or sponsorship please email j.zod@ccujm.org
Sponsorship can be in terms of gifts for the Tombola or services / goods to make this event a success.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=364555400427

Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) for Social Care & Follow-up
C.C.U. Bldg, 2nd floor, St. Joseph str.,
Dekwaneh – Beirut, Lebanon
P.o.box: 55205 Sin el Fil
Tel / Fax: +961 1 691 115
yana@ccujm.org
http://www.yanaccujm.org/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/YANA-You-Are-Not-Alone/37679904933

Le Figaro: Quatre jours à Beyrouth, ville nouvelle

2010-03-02T14:35:00.000+02:00

Quatre jours à Beyrouth, ville nouvelle

by Le Figaro

Un nouveau musée d'art contemporain, le Beyrouth Art Center, vient de voir le jour dans la capitale libanaise, qui renoue avec le tourisme. Loin des clichés voici en quelques incontournables les musts de cette destination en plein devenir.

Jeudi

16h. L'avion de la Middle East Airlines qui opère la liaison Paris Beyrouth en quatre heures avec Air France descend doucement à la verticale de la célèbre corniche de la capitale libanaise. Hérissée de buildings plantés en bord de mer Beyrouth semble au garde à vous !

17h. De gagner la capitale prend une dizaine de minutes au taxi. L'autoroute traverse Beyrouth sud (20E) et le chauffeur signale d'un regard le camp de Sabra et Chatila. Puis c'est l'entrée dans ce centre ville grouillant, agité ou les églises jouxtent les mosquées. A quoi ressemble la rue libanaise du centre ville ? Une Porsche décapotable que conduit un ado tendance, une limousine aux vitres opaques d'où s'extraient un émir cerné de gardes du corps, un vieux car brinquebalant sans fenêtres couverts de drapeau palestiniens… des jeunes filles moulées dans des tee-shirts customisés croisent des femmes voilées… Tout cela se mue dans une ville sous haute surveillance militaire.

17h15. L'hôtel Le Gray a ouvert ses portes il y a un mois sur la place des Martyrs, à côté de la Mosquée Al Amine et du Virgin mégastore. Oeuvre commune de l'architecte australien Kevin Dash et de la styliste anglaise Merry Fax Linton, ce " Small Leading Hôtel of the Word ", très zen et épuré est une référence en matière de bon goût au Moyen Orient. Sur son toit une vraie curiosité : la piscine à débordement donne l'impression de se baigner dans le vide au dessus d'une des plus belles vues sur Beyrouth, ses montagnes et la mer. Au sous-sol un SPA luxueux. L'hôtel possède encore deux restaurants et un cigare lounge. Atout précieux : Le personnel entièrement francophone s'occupe de tout pour vous organiser dans une ville qui ne dispose pas de bureau de tourisme. http://www.legray.com/

19h. La nuit tombe. Dîner au restaurant de l'hôtel sur la terrasse du dernier étage. La cuisine est internationale mais le vin libanais, de la plaine de la Bekaa. Cerise sur le gâteau, un sorbet à l'eau de rose servi sur un tapis de loukoums. Il faut compter environ 30E par pers.

Vendredi

10h. Départ de l'hôtel pour Byblos. La citée mythique des phéniciens, une des plus anciennes villes au monde, est l'excursion à faire. Après une heure de route le long de la mer en taxi (20E. Byblos taxi : 09.94.94.94.94.) On arrive dans ce petit Saint-Tropez libanais avec son port de poupée et sa vieille cité lovée autour d'une forteresse à demi ruinée. Le site est une splendeur détachant sur le bleu azuréen ses énormes pierres blondes rangées comme un Légo. Bonne adresse : Eddé Sands, une plage mythique, véritable complexe de détente à l'oriental avec restaurants, piscine et pagode de plage. (A partir de 30E). L'excursion à Byblos occupe une bonne journée entre shopping, visite de la forteresse, promenade le long de la mer et farniente.

18h. Retour à l'hôtel le Gray et petit moment de détente au SPA.

20h. Dîner au nouveau restaurant italien de l'Hôtel Albergo, un Relais et Châteaux situé dans le quartier Chrétien à une dizaine de minutes de la place des Martyrs. Décor tendance et clientèle jeune et branchée pour cette table située au rez-de-chaussée. Un restaurant plus gastronomique se trouve au dernier étage, jouissant d'une vue superbe. On dîne assis sur des sofas dans un décor très oriental. www.albergobeirut.com Dans la brasserie il faut compter environ 30E mais dans le gastronomique l'addition peut monter jusqu'à 50E.

Samedi

10h. Petit marché bio sur la place de Saifi Village. Chaque communauté vient avec ses produits, son savoir-faire et ses traditions. C'est une fête des couleurs qui met les sens en dessus dessous et qu'adorent les touristes autant que les libanais. L'occasion aussi de découvrir " Saifi Village ", un nouveau quartier de Beyrouth construit à proximité de l'ancienne ligne de démarcation entre l'Est et l'Ouest dans un style de village-médina… très luxueux. C'est là qu'on trouve les boutiques de créateurs dominés par la figure emblématique de Nada Debs. La styliste libanaise réfugiée à Londres durant la guerre a investi deux des plus belles boutiques design et présente ses créations. Sur la place des Boules, au cœur de Safi Village on trouve Balima, un café branché à la terrasse duquel il est tendance de prendre un verre.

12h. Les puces de Basta. Au cœur du quartier musulman sunnite que l'on peut parcourir en toute sécurité sous réserve d'être correcte et de ne pas photographier les gens. Les rues entières sont bordées de boutiques où foisonnent des objets d'art, du mobilier, des tissus et des antiquités… le quartier est pauvre et très authentique. Les prix doivent faire l'objet d'une négociation serrée d'autant plus facile que les libanais sont parfaitement francophones.

13h. Déjeuner A Tawlet, un nouveau restaurant ouvert il y a quelques jours dans un ancien garage situé au beau milieu d'un des quartiers les plus bobos de la ville dont il porte le nom, côté chrétien. La nourriture est bio et chaque jour des recettes libanaises différentes. La clientèle est dominée par les trentenaires qui ont réussi, ou en donne l'impression, à majorité féminine et ultra chic malgré un prix modéré autour de 25E.

15h. Musée National. Il est situé près de l'ambassade de France et tout ce qu'on y voit provient de fouilles archéologiques. Des merveilles protégées durant toute la guerre par des fortifications en béton. Aujourd'hui à nouveau normalement exposé les chefs d'œuvres sont légions à l'exemple du sarcophage d'Ahiram, un roi de Byblos, qui comporte une phrase en alphabet phénicien, considéré comme l'une des plus vieilles inscriptions au monde. (10e siècle avant J-C). Au premier étage des bijoux et des objets d'arts des rois de Byblos. La petite boutique de souvenirs est à visiter car il n'en existe pas d'autres à Beyrouth.

17h. Beyrouth Art Center. Non loin du musée National, le BAC a ouvert ses portes en juin dernier dans une ancienne usine (Très beau volume à la Le Corbusier) et fait office de musée d'art contemporain. Mais l'initiative est privée car au Liban l'Etat s'est désengagé de la culture. Il y a au rez-de chaussée des expositions temporaires et à l'étage deux bornes informatisées qui référencent tous les artistes engagés dans l'Art Contemporain au Moyen-Orient avec fiches biographiques et monographies. C'est très intéressant. http://www.beirutartcenter.org/

22h. Gemmayzé. C'est le nom d'une rue qui prend sur la place des Martyrs côté Beyrouth Chrétien, véritable épine dorsale du quartier branché ou se fait la vie nocturne. Les beyrouthins, toutes communautés confondues, s'y mélangent dans une ambiance festive très arrosée. Il y a des restaurants et des bars au touche-touche. Le Georges est au début de la rue une très bonne table et le bar El Gardel à la fin de la rue réputée pour ses soirées tango. Dans la rue Monod, voisine, on trouve les boites de nuits estudiantines.

Dimanche

10h. Avant de quitter l'hôtel Le Gray, vous disposez de 3 bonnes heures pour visiter le centre alentour. Beyrouth regroupe au moins 17 communautés différentes dont chacune dispose plus ou moins de son quartier. Le centre ville a pour vocation de les mélanger ce qui lui donne une couleur particulière. Davantage qu'un quartier c'est un manifeste politique dont la reconstruction est très symbolique. Dans un petit périmètre on trouve 10 églises, 6 mosquées dont celle monumentale d'Al Amine, édifiée par l'ancien premier ministre assassiné Rafic Hariri, et 1 synagogue. Dans le quartier dit du " mandat français " on a reconstruit la rue Foch avec ses nombreux restaurants équipés noyés dans les brumes de narguilé. A voir encore le Grand Sérail où siège le gouvernement. Enfin ne pas manquer les souks modernes qui n'ont rien à voir avec ce que l'on imagine. Ici seule l'architecture est orientale car les marchands s'appellent Zara, H et M, Marlboro Classics etc….

16h. Décollage de Beyrouth pour un vol retour de 4h30. Attention aux contrôles de sécurité ! S'y ajoutent ici un supplémentaire, juste pour pénétrer dans l'aérogare !

Notre avis

Il faut aller dans ce pays francophone accueillant et multi culturels. On s'habitue vite aux mesures de sécurités volontairement très visibles et on se laisse gagner par ce mélange d'Orient et d'Occident sur l'un des rivages les plus attachants de la méditerranée.

CNN: Arab Olympic skier: Lebanon's not just sand and desert

2010-03-02T14:25:00.000+02:00

CNN: Arab Olympic skier: Lebanon's not just sand and desert

(CNN) -- When Olympic skier Chirine Njeim tells people she's from Lebanon, they often laugh in disbelief.

Now at the Vancouver Winter Games, and competing alongside two other athletes from her home country, Njeim still has to convince people she's telling the truth. "A coach from another country asked me in the elevator the other day where I was from. I said, 'Lebanon' and he just started laughing," Njeim, who is competing in the Ladies Giant Slalom Wednesday, told CNN. "I think people think of Lebanon as a desert with sand and camels, but nobody thinks of it as a place that has snow ... He was shocked. He just laughed at me ... " she said. Little did that coach know, there has long been downhill skiing in Lebanon -- and world-class ski resorts to boot. "Skiing in Lebanon is very popular," explained Ezzad Kraytem, Secretary General of Lebanon's Olympic Committee. "The slopes are only 20 minutes away from the coast, so you can go to the beach and ski in the same day." That means there's a clear view of the Mediterranean Sea from the slopes of Mount Lebanon on most days, according to Kraytem. Lebanon currently boasts six resorts: The Cedars at Mount Makmel is the largest, while Farya Mzaar is the favored destination of the jet-set (it's also where Njeim got her start aged three). Two of the resorts are members-only private mountains. And an expensive seventh resort is in the works, according to Ronald Sayegh, of Ski Lebanon. "The quality of the snow is one of the main reasons professional skiers love our slopes. Powdery on the surface and hard underneath," explained Joanne Zarife, a manager at the five-star Intercontinental hotel at Mzaar. Even though the slopes face north, preserving the snow, the region's sunshine makes the air mild, even warm, she told CNN. "The terraces at the bottom are constantly filled with apres-skiers enjoying a cold drink under the tanning sun," said Zarife. "Skiing is getting more and more popular, [there is] more international tourism," said Sayegh. "More political stability draws more people here." A lot of expats living in the region come back to ski, Lebanese locally come, Europeans, Australians and South Africans ... " he said. "A lot more people now know there's beautiful skiing in Lebanon," said Njeim. Last year a record 50,000 people visited the country's ski resorts, according to Tony Khoury, President of the Lebanese Ski Federation and Head of the Lebanese Olympic Delegation at Vancouver. At more than 3,000 meters, the peaks of Lebanon's tallest skiing mountains at The Cedars resort top the highest point of the Whistler Blackcomb resort (2,284 meters approximately), one of the main venues of the Vancouver Games. Skiing only came to Lebanon in the 1930s though, brought by a student returning from Switzerland where he had developed a passion for the sport at school. In the 1950s, the sport's appeal really opened up, after chairlifts arrived. And today it's not just downhill skiing that draws the crowds. From just ten snowboarders in 1991, today anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of visitors are riders, according to Ski Lebanon. Lebanon's high, sunny plateaus also make it ideal for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, they say. Exposed to the best of country's ski scene an early age, Njeim was quickly hooked. As a child she would watch the sport on television and tell her friends that she wanted to race in the Olympics. "People thought it was kind of hilarious," Njeim recalled with fondness.

BBC: Why is Beirut still a byword for chaos?

2010-02-22T14:46:00.000+02:00

BBC: Why is Beirut still a byword for chaos?

The expression "it's like Beirut" is a much-used comparison for everything from violent riots to a teenager's bedroom. Why do we still insist on associating Beirut with chaos? When North East Lincolnshire Council announced this week it would be demolishing a notorious crime-ridden street in Grimsby, one resident said it would no longer be "worse than Beirut". It's not the first time the comparison has been used and probably not the last. From Joe Public to world leaders, the phrase "like Beirut" is shorthand for chaos and decay. Since 1991, the year after the Lebanese civil war ended, there have been more than 50 recorded usages of the phrase, according to Robert Groves, editor of Collins Dictionaries. It began with a reference to a Chicago slum on American National Public Radio. Lebanese blogger Jad Aoun records usage of the phrase and mails the culprit a "looks like Beirut" certificate. ast year he sent out about 30 certificates, mostly to the UK and US. But he says the phrase is also used in other countries, from Australia to India. here is little doubt the association between Beirut and chaos springs from Lebanon's civil war. But it has been over for nearly 20 years and since then the world has seen countless other wars. So why don't people say "like Baghdad" or "like Sarajevo"? Te answer is partly down to timing. In the UK, the civil war was the first international conflict taking place in the age of 24-hour news. People were updated almost daily.

Ignorance

Since television news is a highly visual medium, the images coming out of Beirut had a lasting impact, says David Seddon, associate editor of the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. Add to that the length of the war - it lasted from 1975 to 1990 - and the cultural impact becomes clear. The news was saturated with stories about Beirut for a long time," says Dr Youssef Choueiri, reader of Islamic studies at Manchester University. Those stories also became personal due to westerners being taken hostage during the crisis, notably John McCarthy and Terry Waite. "This idea of having British hostages in Beirut and no one could rescue them... turned Beirut into a lawless city," says Dr Choueiri. "It became the symbol for urban chaos." That sense of chaos was exacerbated by ignorance of the overarching situation in Lebanon, argue some. It seemed like everyone was fighting everyone else. "For people who didn't know about the Middle East, it was fairly baffling," says Mr Seddon. More recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen "episodic bombings" - not civil war, says Dr Choueiri. In addition, the association many westerners had with Beirut as a glamorous holiday destination made its transformation into a warzone all the more striking, Mr Seddon says. Pre-civil war, Beirut was a sophisticated waterfront locale, similar to current-day Dubai or Monaco. So the descent of glittering, cosmopolitan Beirut into "appalling mayhem" significantly impacted the people who previously may have visited the city. So although Baghdad and Kabul have suffered similar physical devastation, they had never really been considered glamorous urban vistas in the first place.

'Irritating'

"The level of physical destruction was pretty high," says Mr Seddon. "It did look to people in Britain rather like London after the world war." But that physical destruction is no longer an issue in Beirut. Since the end of the war, the city has undergone a revitalisation of sorts and is a holiday destination once again. The New York Times named it one of its "44 Places to Visit" in 2009. Nearly two million people followed the advice. The attempt to return Beirut to its pre-civil war image has been hampered by violent outbreaks in the capital in 2006 and 2008, says Dr Choueiri. But in his experience, the Beirut of today is cleaner and better controlled than people might expect. "The image itself is shifting," he says. "This Lebanon is different. It's entering a new phase." Such an outdated expression need to be laid to rest, says Mr Aoun. He uses his certificates to raise awareness of the accuracy of people's perceptions. He also believes there might be a simpler explanation for why we insist on using the phrase - laziness. It is basically a cliche and doesn't provide an accurate description of what they're trying to say," he says. "I can understand its use in the 1980s and 1990s, but in this time we can move beyond it." Of the 30 letters he sent out in the past year, he has received four responses which he calls "generally positive." One British journalist responded: "I realised [it] was offensive towards Beirut, and could indeed be seen to perpetuate a negative image of the city." Indeed, all Beirut's champions ask is that people stop and think before resorting to the outdated metaphor. "We know that there are cities that are worse than Beirut," says Dr Choueiri. "[The saying] doesn't do justice to the long peace Lebanon has enjoyed since after 1990."

Plus, he says, it's just downright irritating.

Happy Valentine's Day from Captain & Captain!

2010-02-13T14:22:00.005+02:00

Click here to find HIS personality type!

Check out our UNIQUE Valentine packages

in the Facebook group or website: www.captainandcaptain.com

Josiane El Zir, Goodwill Ambassador for Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone)

2010-02-09T13:53:00.006+02:00

Josiane El Zir, Lebanese Actrice and Singer will use her fame to spotlight the needs of Children and Mothers as she takes on her new role as Goodwill Ambassador for Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone).

Visit Josiane El Zir Facebook fan page or Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone)'s website for more!

Help us by Spreading the Word!

Invite your friends to our Facebook group: Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38829995619

or our Page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/YANA-You-Are-Not-Alone/37679904933

InKind / Goods donations:

Contact Mr. Michel Baaklini (President)

Tel / Fax: +961 1 691 115 or Email: yana@ccujm.org

Or deliver to Y.A.N.A., address as follows:

2nd floor, CCU Headquarters, St. Joseph str., Dekwaneh – Beirut, Lebanon

P.o.box: 55205 Sin el Fil

You Can Donate:

- Medecines: Do not throw away meds at the end of your treatments. They will help heal another sick person for free!

- Foods: any type of food and beverage will help feed a hungry family and child

- Clothes: in good condition to help keep a family and child warm

- Braderie / Garage Sale is scheduled for each Christmas season whereby we accept the following donations in good conditions for fundraising sale:

Home and kitchen appliances
CDs, books, toys, Christmas decoration, Colifichets, bags, scarfs, glasses, wallets, etc…
Clothes in very good shape

- for the upcoming Fundraiser:

Talents: interested in contributing to our upcoming fundraiser? Contact us asap!
Alcohol: looking for sponsors...
Venue and menus... for about 400 persons
Decoration, give-aways, sponsorships, etc....

Bank Transfer Details:
Congregation des Cœurs Unis dans les Cœurs de Jesus et de Marie
Fransabank – Hazmieh, Lebanon
Account # 40 22 11 487283.79
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Tel / Fax: +961 1 691 115 or mobile: +961 3 326 107
Email: yana@ccujm.org
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Dekwaneh – Beirut, Lebanon
P.o.box: 55205 Sin el Fil

Lina's and Captain & Captain...

2010-02-01T23:48:00.002+02:00

Dear C&C friends,

Captain & Captain is pleased to offer you a 10% discount upon presentation of your Lina's bill during the month of February!

Happy Shopping!

C&C team

كشف المتفجرات – وقائع وحقائق

2010-01-30T14:58:00.000+02:00

Lhasa de Sela - Donne-moi la Flûte et Chante

2010-01-23T15:37:00.001+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSfG75iWECo

En guise de support aux libanais, Lhasa interprète "Give me the Nay and Sing" 4:22 , extrait d'un texte de Khalil Gibran (Le Prophète), popularisé par la chanteuse Libanaise Fairouz.

Accompagné à la guitare par Rick Haworth, et de Mélanie Auclair à la percussion et aux voix.

Diffusé le 26 Juillet 2006.

Captain & Captain's online Personality Test

2010-01-23T14:44:00.002+02:00

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Renovating for Rent, a Lebanese Retreat

2010-01-23T14:33:00.000+02:00

Renovating for Rent, a Lebanese Retreat

By ANDREW FERREN for The New York Times

Published: January 19, 2010

It seemed they fell in love with the wrong house. In early 2004, Kamal Mouzawak, the founder of Beirut’s twice-weekly farmers’ market Souk el Tayeb, and Rabih Kayrouz, a Lebanese fashion designer, were looking for a second home in the Lebanese countryside or perhaps the mountains, a place where they could escape their busy work lives and the bustle of Beirut. But it was a house in Batroun, a the seaside town about 25 miles northeast of Beirut, that swept them off their feet. The house in question is an 8,500-square-foot two-story home nestled into a private half-acre walled garden that belonged to the grandparents of an assistant in Mr. Kayrouz’s atelier. “From the street I knew we wanted it,” said Mr. Mouzawak, 40, pointing out that it is easily the grandest property in town. In ancient Batroun, most buildings rub shoulders along narrow streets, but this house, with its large private garden, was a princely paradise. The only problem was that it was neither for sale nor for rent. It wasn’t really inhabitable either, having been more or less shuttered since Lebanon’s civil war in the 1980s. Derelict or not, the owners had no interest in parting with it. So in an arrangement that does justice to the ancient Lebanese art of deal-making, the owners ultimately agreed to accept renovation for rent. The assistant’s mother served as intermediary in negotiations that lasted six months and involved lawyers and architects for both sides. In the end, Mr. Mouzawak and Mr. Kayrouz, 36, spent $100,000 to restore and renovate the property, entitling them to a 10-year lease. The owners’ architect signed off on all the work done. A day later, they celebrated with 300 guests for breakfast in the garden. The home is a traditional 19th-century Lebanese house built over the remains of several 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century constructions. Working one floor at a time, the eight-month renovation respected the original layout, but took the house down to its bones when needed to install new plumbing and sanitary systems, as well as a heating system. About 70 percent of the original beige and grey stone floors were taken up stone by stone, restored, and replaced. The upstairs has a large central salon with the traditional three-arched window that is surrounded by smaller rooms as if it were an enclosed courtyard of an ancient Roman villa. Downstairs is a series of vaulted stonework spaces that now includes two guestrooms and two baths as well as a large kitchen and pantry. “In our careers and individual enterprises, we’re very different, but when it comes to designing our homes, we’re usually on the same page,” Mr. Mouzawak said. “For us the greatest luxury was the feeling of space and light so we added just the minimum of furniture needed to make it functional.” To avoid cluttering the white walls, most of the art is propped on the floor, though five original over-door paintings, done in the early 20th century by Youssef Howayek (1883-1962), a Lebanese artist, remain in situ. Both men dislike the stagnant aura of guestrooms that sit idle until someone comes to stay, so one of the upstairs bedrooms has a divan that can be made up into a bed, but otherwise serves as a sitting room. In the so-called cinema room, where movies are screened onto the bare wall, the original painted ceiling was preserved in one of the few ornate moments in the house. The scale and functionality of the long custom-made sofas keeps more pedigreed pieces like the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs from feeling like design pieces. Perhaps because food and entertaining are such an inherent part of their lifestyle, the house’s front door leads into the upstairs kitchen, one of four on the property. The big vaulted one downstairs is used for Mr. Mouzawak’s cooking workshops, as well as large dinners. There are two more rustic kitchens outside, including one in the garden with a sink, workbench, and a cupboard stocked with cutlery and plates. Lebanese meals are meant for lingering, so the dining room has comfy sofas and armchairs around the table. A wall of cabinets, bought from an old fabric store in Beirut is where they keep collections of table linens, plates and utensils, obviating the need for standard kitchen cabinets. Likewise, the upstairs bathroom’s standout piece is a large 19th-century cabinet that was one of the few pieces that they kept in the house. Whereas Byblos, a nearby town, is rapidly rebounding as a high-end resort, Batroun is all about casual easy living. “Instead of going to the beach with towels and the whole kit we just walk through town half naked and jump in the water,” Mr. Mouzawak said. “When we’re done swimming we come back to the garden. The sea is two minutes away.” In 2014, they will either negotiate a new lease or move on, something neither is particularly afraid of doing. “I wish more people were open to doing this,” Mr. Mouzawak said. “We love the adventure of finding homes and fixing them up. Even if we had to hand over the house today, it would still have been money well spent. And we’d look forward to the next project.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/greathomesanddestinations/20gh-location.html

My Beloved Lebanon

Zawarib: A Mapping Revolution

Nadine Labaki: Celebrity Of The Year on Yahoo.com!

Season's Greetings from My Beloved Lebanon!

Beirut, the 2nd top destination in 2012

http://www.beiruting.com/news/beirut-the-2nd-top-destination-in-2012

Happy Independence Day Lebanon - 22 November, 2011

Y.A.N.A.'s Annual Christmas Braderie

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Address: CCU bldg, Dekwaneh, St. Joseph str., Beirut, Lebanon. P.o.box: 55205 Sin el Fil Tel / Fax: +961 1 691 115- info@ccujm.org, yana@ccujm.org

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Live Performances by Singer / Actress Josiane El Zir

Sunset Over Beirut!

"Where Do We Go Now?": Film from Lebanon win Toronto International Film Festival

وهلّأ لوين؟

Wine in Lebanon: the grapes of wrath

Fady Noun on MTV's Kitab: Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

by Fady Noun on MTV's Kitab

To view the video, click on the link below:

Under my Skin By Jezz & Bob Howard

My Beloved Lebanon Now on Facebook!

First Arab-International Forum of Young Entrepreneurs and Business Persons

Dévastation et Rédemption – Récits d’Apparitions de la Vierge Marie au Liban (1960-2005)

Lebanon, Make Way for a Faster Internet Connection!

Lebanon bans smoking in public places

"Peinture Dans la Nature" in St. Stephano Resort - Batroun

Orange House Project

World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part II

Now on Facebook!

THINK PINK proudly presents CAFE DEL MAR

World Kitchen Goes to Beirut, Part 1

Chocol'art for Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL)

Lebanon Festivals 2011, updated

Lebanon Festivals 2011

achtART.com for Lebanese Arts & Crafts

Beirut Duty Free Rocks Airport with Dabke - Official Version

Dancing in Beirut International Airport

Phoenicia from the ashes

Josiane El Zir, A Shinning Lebanese Star

Elie Saab Dresses Celebrities Worldwide

Small Bear Big Heart: ABC Mall helps Children with Autism

hm hm hm! Gifts for Him!!

Captain & Captain: Now in CITYMALL

Happy Independance Day Lebanon!

اليوبيل الذهبي لجامعة إتحاد القلوب بقلبي يسوع ومريم

Lebanese craft workers 'struggle' to survive

إحياء" للذكرى الرابعة والثلاثين لإستشهاد القائد وليم حاوي

Executive Magazine back in 2005!

The Power ... of Paul

Elie Saab Fall 2010 Couture

Lebanese red-carpet pleasers in Paris couture week

A cake by... Zuhair Murad

Swatch watchmaker Nicolas Hayek dies at 82

hmmm sooo true... don't you think? ;)

A fundraising event to fight Breast Cancer : Think Pink event supports May Jallad Foundation

Confused what to get for Father's Day?

La Fete De La Musique 2010

Recruiting in Lebanon

Old Lebanese TV Ads - 80's - ZOD Security Group

PoetryOutLoud --season1

Alors On Danse - Rikky's Faqra

Un Coeur pour Philippe! (R.I.P.)

Think Pink 2010 -Charity Dinner

Summer Festivals in Lebanon

Project Lebanon 2010 @ BIEL

More videos of Habib Alberto's violin performance at the Beirut Boat 2010

Habib Alberto: Fiddle to Live and Live to Fiddle!

International agency, Eden Yachting, puts Beirut on charter map

Miss U.S.A 2010 Is The Lebanese Rima Fakih!!

Captain & Captain @ Beirut Boat Show 2010

FLY LEBANON 2010