It seems like 2010 is year for the southern Lebanese girls to dominate beauty contests!
After Rima Fakih who’s originally from Srifa was selected for Miss USA 2010, Rahaf Abdallah from Khiyam became Miss Lebanon 2010 on LBC last night.
And here’s our new beauty queen!
You thought a loss to Spain in the semi final game would stop the Mannschaft fans from celebrating? Hell no, we’re in Lebanon!!
This video below was shot in Hamra street facing Roadster Diner. Right after the game ended, the German fans blocked the street and started celebrating for nothing, just to prove they are there..! On the other hand, the Spanish team fans stood on the opposite side of the street doing nothing. Crazy eh?
All hell broke loose after Octavia Nasr expressed sadness through a tweet over the death of a person she had great respect for, Sayed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot..#Lebanon”
With all the criticism she got, Octavia had to explain what she really meant in a blog post on CNN blogs.
Mustapha from Beirut Spring, and Liliane from Independence ’05 wrote about the issue and explained that there’s a big difference between showing support and showing respect. I won’t go with repeating their words since I believe the Israelis know very well what the difference is, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah himself once said in one of his speeches that he respects the Israelis because they’re known for not leaving their injured and dead soldiers behind. Now do you think Nasrallah supports Israel?!
The thing is that the Israelis were just waiting for a small mistake from Octavia Nasr to start firing at her, which forced her to eventually explain herself in a blog post. If that shows anything, it’s how great is the Israeli influence over the world media in general and the US media in specific…
Update (2010/7/8):
More on the Lebanese overdoing the World Cup and over cheering for their favorite teams! It happened that I was watching Germany vs. Argentina at some cafe in Aley, and right after the game ended, everybody in the village hopped into their cars and started touring the streets in endless convoys!
The video below says it all, inside of it you’ll get to see a guy waving a slipper with an Argentinian tied on it! (diplomatic crisis on the rise?), infinite number of German flags, and a police car stuck in traffic unable to do a thing!
On the other hand, I spot these photos on Facebook. Few guys made a funeral for Brazil following their loss to Holland on Friday!
When you get bored of the nightclub scene in Beirut, Music Hall is definitely the place to go to. Numerous artists and band appear each night and play an entertaining mix of western & eastern music.
The video and photos below are from a fantastic evening I had last Saturday.
Martha Fadel, a fashion designer, is offering these funny tank tops through her Facebook group. I liked the one for Germany the most since it speaks the mind of the typical Lebanese! Birkenstock & Mercedes Benz? That’s SO us!
That’s one more evidence to prove that the Lebanese indeed hijack the greatness of others!
I was surprised to see this image of a German flag with a Nazi swastika in the middle on Chroniques Beyrouthines blog a while ago. According to the author, the image was taken in Bteghrine. I would have understood if it was put there to make a political statement… but for the World Cup? Come on!
Apparently Germany got irritated, and its foreign ministry protested to the Lebanese foreign ministry because of similar flags.
الخارجيّة الألمانيّة تعترض
بعثت وزارة الخارجية الألمانية، عبر السفارة في بيروت، رسالة إلى وزارة الخارجية اللبنانية، تلفت فيها الأنظار إلى الأعلام الألمانية الموجودة في الأسواق اللبنانية بمناسبة كأس العالم، وبعضها يحمل الصليب النازي. ورأت أنّ الأمر يعدّ إساءة إلى الديموقراطيّة وحقوق الإنسان ودولة ألمانيا الاتحادية.
وأشارت الرسالة إلى رفع لبنانيين مهاجرين إلى ألمانيا هذه الأعلام والشعارات، ما دفع الخارجية الألمانية إلى الطلب من الدولة اللبنانية العمل على إزالة كل هذه الإساءات.
Source: Al Akhbar newspaper
Via Social Media Exchange Beirut:
We need you to ACT NOW to stop the E-Transactions law.
Tomorrow, Parliament is scheduled to vote on a new E-Transactions law that could have terrible implications for the Lebanese economy and for professional and personal privacy. To date, private sector and civil society have not been allowed to comment on the the law.
Among the articles of concern are:
- Article 92, saying anyone providing online services must apply for a license. Result: More paperwork, more bureaucracy, more delays, less revenue.
- Article 82, allowing for the warrantless search and seizure of financial, managerial, and electronic files, including hard drives, computers, etc. Result: The government has pre-approval to seize your company and personal assets and information, without cause.
- Article 70, establishing the Electronic Signature & Services Authority, a new regulatory and licensing body with practically unchecked powers. Result: Another agency, who can make or break your organization at their whim.
More on why you should stop the vote.
We may need some regulations on doing online business in Lebanon. But, unless the key stakeholders can comment on the law, it will be one-sided, flawed, and dangerous to the economic prospects of Lebanon and the privacy of your daily life.
ACT NOW! Many deputies are rallying against this law but want to hear your voice. Ask your MP to postpone the vote on the E-Transactions Law, pending a public review.
Here are quick and easy ways you can help:
- Call your Member of Parliament and urge them to postpone the vote, pending a public review period.
- Forward this message to your colleagues, family, and friends—anyone who uses the Internet will be affected!
- Post on the Facebook Pages of your MP, calling on them to postpone the vote, pending a public review period.
- Join the Stop This Law Facebook Page.
- If you’re a journalist or blogger, consider writing a short post highlighting the potential pitfalls of the law.
You may check other bloggers’ take on the matter on the following links:
Independence ’05
Beirutspring
SMEX Beirut
Beirutiyat
The Identity Chef
Maya’s Amalgam
Sara Hilal
Trella’s Blog
خربشات بيروتية
On May 16th, Solidere announced opening of the new Beirut Waterfront to the public as the first bicycle lane in the city. According to The Daily Star, the lane would start at the Beirut Souks on Tripoli Street and pass through Patriarch Howayek Street in the direction of Beirut’s new maritime front, through Allenby Street, and back to the starting point.
Before getting too excited about it, access to the waterfront will be granted on Sundays only from 10 AM to 8PM! And that’s why I’m having mixed feelings about it, I’m glad we finally have a public space away from the pollution that we got used to, but opening it on Sundays only is sort of disappointing, why can’t they keep it open everyday?
Soliders is acting like someone who invites you over to his house, but then tell you beforehand that he will be kicking you out at 8PM.
Anyway, hoping we get a permanent access to the waterfront, I leave you with this cool video of the place made by Rawad El Hoyek.
New Beirut Waterfront from Rawad EL HOYEK on Vimeo.
Remember the World Cup manakish? One of my friends sent me the following pictures he found on Facebook of the bakery that is making those manakish. It is located in Haret Hreik.
Now I know where to get a dozen of Germany manakish from as soon as Brazil loses and gets out of the race! 😛
