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2018 Box Office Results in Lebanon

By Rami on March 19, 2019 in Cinema, Lebanon, Movies, Social

I know we’re so over 2018 but I always find it interesting to see statistics of people’s behavior and preferences in Lebanon. Few weeks ago, Rania Ghanem from Business News published a piece on the top ten movies at the box office in Lebanon during last as well as the market share for each movie theater chain.

Teh result for the top ten movies came as follows:

It is interesting to know that five of the top performing movies were Lebanese. However, aside from Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum, almost all the Lebanese movies got mocked and criticized on social platforms for their mediocre storyline and level of acting. This comes to prove that opinions on social networks in general are very far from representing the masses, just as in the case with politics for example. We hate on all politicians online, yet they easily win the elections. We all support civil marriage online, but the populations in general is in fact against it.

The results also explain the increasing number of Lebanese movie every year. People in general seem to be enjoying them despite how mediocre they are, and Maguy Ghosn still has a lot to give!

On the other hand, market share was distributed among the movie theater chains as follows:

Grand Cinemas 38% (1.4 million visitors)
Empire Cinemas 31% (1.2 million visitors)
VOX Cinemas 15% (559,000 visitors)
Cinemall 10% (379,000 visitors)
Stargate 3% (112,000 visitors)
Planete 2% (89,000 visitors)

You can check the original article here.

Pick a Flower, Snap a Photo, and Win $500 This Valentine’s Day

By Rami on February 14, 2019 in Social

If you pass by Mar Mikhael today then you will definitely notice red flowers bouquets hanging around the place and up for grab to anyone roaming the street. I first thought it was some sort of a practical joke when I was passing by last night since red flowers tend to get expensive around Valentine’s and you would not expect someone to just give them away for free during this period.

As I got closer, I figured it was Banque Libano-Française who staged that stunt around their e-branch in the area, and aside from giving people flowers to offer to their loved one they are also giving them an opportunity to win $500.

To qualify for winning the prize, all you have to do is taking a cool picture of the hanging bouquets or the flower that you pick (they’re staying there until tomorrow evening), share it it on Instagram via post or story tagging @blflebanon or @luckytobeyoung, and wait for their jury’s decision ext Wednesday February 20th.

You know everybody hates overpaying a red flower on Valentine’s, so there’s nothing wrong with getting one for free this year and even having a $500 on top of it! So Happy Valentine’s and good luck winning.

Ya Lateef! Beirut’s NYE 2019 Celebration Ranked 7th in The World!

By Rami on January 2, 2019 in Beirut, Journalism, Lebanon, Social

National Geographic compiled a list of the top 10 new year’s eve celebrations around the world and Beirut was fortunately mentioned in the article. Next thing we know, local media picked up the article to brag about how the party in Nejmeh square was the 7th best in the world, and people of course were euphoric about it on social networks. Even our prime minister spoke about it on TV!

I hate to spoil things. The national geographic article is nice, and having Beirut mentioned is absolutely cool, but can we stop blowing things out of proportions when it comes to such news?

First of all, the article was published a while ago and last updated on December 31st, so contrary to what people think, the editors didn’t watch every celebration out there in the world and in the end decided to include Beirut for its epic party. The article was simply prepared ahead of time with appealing cities from around the world.

Moreover, whether you like it or not, there were definitely some cooler parties around the globe. Nejmeh square is basically small compared to other public spaces elsewhere in the world, and anyone in his proper mind would know there’s no way it can make it to the top 10 celebrations in the world. On the other hand, The UAE celebrations were massive this year and included attempts to break several world records, why weren’t they mentioned? And what about other major cities like Moscow, Berlin, Bangkok, Singapore, Cape Town and others?

It’s not like I love to hate on Beirut’s party, my problem is with people who love to lie to themselves like the websites who incorrectly reported the news and are now infesting the social platforms with their article. Hell even the company who was in charge of organizing the NYE event sponsored a post on Facebook to brag about it…

https://www.facebook.com/420271691486788/posts/1144775369036413/

But then again, in a country where we lie day in day out about an economy boost after the government formation, a super fast internet, and better wages, you find it logical to have NYE celebration ranked 7th in the world. So let’s wait to see what other good news does 2019 holds for us!

HINAD – Homosexuality Is Not A Disease

By Rami on November 18, 2018 in Sexuality, Social

It is 2018 and NGOs in Lebanon not only have to make campaigns to get people to accept homosexuals the way they are, but to also raise awareness about homosexuality not being a disease an to not attempt to “cure it”!

For that reason, LebMASH (The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health) collaborated with Agnes Varis Trust and launched a campaign this month titled HINAD (Homosexuality Is Not A Disease) to affirm once again that homosexuality is simply a state and not a disease, and to warn about the consequences about all the “conversion” attempts whether through coaxing, hormonal treatments or even “electroshock” therapy, that people think are effective to change the sexual orientation of a homosexual individuals.

A recent study that 72% of people in Lebanon believe that homosexuality is a mental disorder and 79% agree that homosexuals should be taken in for psychological or hormonal treatment, and that’s why they also made a hotline 76-085714 available for people who wish to report violations or seek information about the best ways to deal with LGBT individuals.

I truly believe there’s so much time ahead before we convince our society to accept homosexuals the way they are instead of bullying them and attempt to “straighten” them, and that’s why I hope this campaign makes an impact by driving more people to reach out to the available advisers.

Will Lycée Abdel Kader Simply Disappear?

By Rami on November 7, 2018 in Architecture, Beirut, Culture, Social

Lycée Abdel Kader, one of the most reputable schools in Beirut that was established over 100 years ago and a prominent landmark in Beirut, is now at risk of simply disappearing without leaving a trace.

How it all started

To those who are out of the loop of what is happening with the school, here’s a brief summary:

In 1985, Hariri Foundation bought the school and managed along with the Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Étranger (AEFE) and the Mission Laïque Française (MLF). And until 2005, the school AND the land it is built on were effectively under the control of the late PM Rafic Hariri so there was no need to worry about rent.

After his assassination, his wealth was eventually split among his children, and Lycée Abdel Kader’s land ended up going to his girl Hind while his wife Nazik was controlling the Hariri Foundation. So basically Hind got a piece of land that in unable to generate any profit in its current situation, and it turned out she had big plans in mind. That’s why a couple of years ago it was confirmed that she wants to start a project in it and asked the school to seek another location.

No one exactly knows what’s coming next for the school, some claim she aims to build a new mall there even though the area is so crowded already, and others say it will turn into residential towers. Keep in mind that the school has a very old castle within its premises, and no one also knows if it will be preserved or not.

The alternatives

Lycée Abdel Kader is one of several institution that shaped the identity of Beirut, that’s why the suggestions to move it outside the city were rejected by all stakeholders. On the other hand, Beirut has no big spaces left to accommodate a school as large as LAK with all the facilities they need.

Due to that, people in charge thought of renting one of the Makassed schools buildings in Beirut since some of them are currently vacant and big enough for their needs, but they were faced by the Makassed Alumni who refused to have the identity of their old school changed.

This is where things started getting problematic for the Hariri Foundation, and with very little options left they apparently discussed renting the Antonine school campus in Baabda which caused a big fuss yesterday.

One possible alternative now is to completely shut down the school in case they fail to find a place to relocate the school to. And I can’t imagine how it will be like for the students and their parents.

What can be done

It is good that people are starting to express their outrage at the thought of having the school shut down or relocated, and some politicians on twitter are doing the same, but it is not enough. The Eden Bay resort was built in Ramlet El Bayda despite all the legal actions that were taken against it and the movements that people organized in the street. That project was much more controversial since it was built on a seaside that is supposed to be a public space, but it still managed to see the light! So keyboard warriors on twitter will definitely not be able to change the fate of Lycée Abdel Kader.

On the other hand, what should be done is to channel all the energy and effort into establishing pressure groups to force the Municipality of Beirut to buy the land instead in order to keep the school in its place. It might sound like a long-shot but still worth a try.

Otherwise, I personally think that the only practical and affordable solution is for people in Makassed to accept hosting Lycée Abdel Kader because it would be a win-win situation. Makassed have many vacant buildings and are currently going through a financial crisis, so I don’t see a reason for not accepting to rent some of their properties.

What I am afraid will happen

We got used to the government failing us every single day. In order to brighten their image, the ministry of culture issued a statement today denying granting any permit to demolish the school buildings, but we all know that real estate developers can do whatever they please as long as they’re backed by our ~~khara kleib~~ awesome politicians.

I also really wouldn’t be surprised if the Hariri Foundation turned out to be just buying time in order to later tell their students they are out of options and they must search for another school. I know this comparison is unfair, but can you imagine the same happening to institutions like the AUB or USJ for example?

We all acknowledge Hind Hariri has all the right to do whatever she likes with her private property, but the school burned itself into the collective memory of Beirut, and what’s happening will not only affect the current students but also the whole city. If she is insisting on proceeding with her deal, then I hope someone comes up with a solution to preserve the land and the rights of all parties.

First Lebanese Pilot Saadeddine Dabbous Passes Away at 92

By Rami on August 16, 2018 in Social, Travel

Two days ago, Captain Saadeddine Dabbous who was the first Lebanese pilot and eventually the first Lebanese ever to fly a Middle East Airlines plane in 1952 passed away at 92 years old leaving behind two proud generations of airline pilots.

Captain Dabbous served Lebanon’s national carrier for around 40 years and his story of becoming a captain is rather interesting since he originally started as an accountant with MEA in 1947. However, two years after that the company aimed to hire Lebanese pilots which motivated Dabbous to sign up for one of the training programs.

Four years later, following the training he attended abroad and after logging 5,000 flight hours as a co-pilot, he made his first flight as a captain from Cairo to Beirut in 1952 and the event got a lot of media attention back then, and he eventually kept serving in his position until his retirement in 1985 and was also honored by the Lebanese presidency for his career. Later on his two sons grew up to become pilots at the Middle East Airlines, and then two of his grandchildren also followed the same path and currently serve as co-pilots with the same airlines.

May his soul rest in peace.

Lebanese Nizam Shalak Stranded in Ecuador Airport for Over 40 Days Now

By Rami on June 13, 2018 in Social

Lebanese Nizam Hussein Shalak has been living inside Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport in Ecuador for over 40 days now an we unfortunately wouldn’t have heard about his case if it wasn’t for the foreign media outlets.

The man visited Ecuador two months ago, but on his way back to Lebanon he stopped in Barcelona where he was detained after losing his papers and credit cards and was sent back to the Ecuador. He is now living off food coupons that airlines offer to him and gets to shower every few days when he is allowed to do so.

What’s puzzling though is that the Lebanese consulate in Ecuador didn’t know about Shalak until the media there reported about him, so I think the ministry of foreign affairs here in Lebanon doesn’t have an idea about the matter as well, and chances are he will have to wait several more weeks until they figure out how to issue new papers for him.

His situation is not unique by the way and many other people ended up somehow living inside airports around the world after they lost or got rid of their personal papers (check here), with the most notable case being that of an Iranian man who lived in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for around 18 years!

Meet Rana Hayek – Lebanon’s First Female Car Mechanic

By Rami on March 7, 2018 in Social

Check out this piece by Sputnik News about Rana Hayek, a 22 years old electrical engineering student currently working at a Porsche car repair shop in Broummana.

Rana Hayek from Lebanon is currently a last-year student in the electric engineering university course. “I chose this specialization because I have loved cars since childhood. I like to dig around motors and look for the cause of faults,” she told Sputnik Arabic.

“No one took me seriously at first, as they thought I had come to the car repair shop together with my father.”

“But then they got used to it, saw a professional in me and now entrust their cars to me,” Rana pointed out. “Nevertheless, there are still those who think car repair services are a job to be done by men and I am not suitable for it,” she added.

I really don’t mind having anyone working to repair my car as long as they get the job done well, but I’m not sure how far can women like Rana go in their jobs with all the sexism they have to face in our society! You can read the full article here.

The Scary Case of Ziad Itani

By Rami on March 4, 2018 in Social, Telecom, Theater

I’ve been reading the recent articles about Ziad Itani and Colonel Suzan El Hajj and I couldn’t believe how fucked up the story is (given it is really true). The whole thing of course can’t but make you wonder how low can some officials get with their corruption and how easily can they actually get away with it!

All Colonel Hajj had to do to get Itani in prison was to fabricate a case accusing him or collaborating with Israel by claiming that the IP address of one of the people he was messaging on Facebook was traced back to Israel. However, this shows a big flaw in the way the ISF and other related governmental institutions work to pursue suspects.

How does tracing work?

When needed, Facebook and other social network websites disclose accounts records to governments to help them identify their owners in the cases where accounts are used with bad intent (check their terms here). The most important info they can provide is basically the IP address related to the suspect account. Governments can then check with their local ISPs in order to identify the identity of the person behind that IP.

In the case of Itani, articles are claiming he was not communicating with anyone in Israel, on the other hand what Hajj did was simply fabricating a false feedback from Facebook reporting that one of the account he was talking to was traced back to Israel. And this is where basically someone fucked up big time by not checking the authenticity of such information! Account records at Facebook CANNOT be forged, so whoever wan handling the investigation was Itani could have easily confirmed the claim by inquiring Facebook again.

It could happen to anyone

The reason Itani was framed for was purely personal. Colonel Hajj thought he was the reason she was ousted from the cyber crime bureau and it was almost the end for him. This means anyone can end up with a similar fate for criticizing some official or a well connected person. And worst of all, the authorities can convince the masses of any case just like they did with Itani.

The media and Radwan Mortada are to blame

The minute Ziad Itani was arrested the whole investigation with him was being leaked to Al Akhbar newspaper through one of their journalists named Radwan Mortada (here and here). Throughout the whole thing that guy was acting like an official spokesperson to the State Security department, and his articles made him sound like he was actually present during the interrogations.

All other media outlets were eventually picking his stories and this played a big role in actually convincing us Ziad Itani was really collaborating with Israel.

What’s next for Ziad Itani?

I don’t know what’s next for him, those who did a bad job authenticating the evidences should know better. Officials promised he will be released on Monday, but who will compensate him for the months he spent in prison? Who will make it up for his wife and little daughter? Who will restore all the damage done to his reputation? And who will erase all the bad articles about him everywhere on the web which will eventually haunt him forever?

What I’m certain of though is that officials elsewhere would be resigning over such scandal instead of capitalizing on it for political gain in the upcoming elections!

Beirut is Choking on its Traffic And It Wont Get Better!

By Rami on February 28, 2018 in Government, Social

Traffic around Beirut is seriously unbearable these days. I know the increasing number of cars keep making it worse every year but it is just frustrating now with the road works at major highways.

With the construction of the L bridges in Jal El Dib now, 2 lanes from each side of the highway have been closed and I can imagine how awful it is for people using that route everyday. On the other hand, the southern entrance is also no better, road works are being conducted on the airport highway and 2 lanes have also been closed on its eastern side.

What’s puzzling though is that when such works are performed on vital roads, the government does not bother to oblige the contractor to work day and night shifts to finish whatever they’re doing in the least number of days. I’ve never someone working after 5 or 6 PM on the airport road for example and no one seems to care…

Much needed maintenance is currently also being done for Salim Salam tunnel by the way, but fortunately only during the night. However, I lately heard that at some point it will be totally closed day and night for 7 whole months in order to complete the whole work! I already get stuck for 25 minutes sometimes to cross the distance from Beirut Sports City to Salim Salam, and I imagine it will be hell if the news turned to be true!

And of course it doesn’t just stop at Beirut main entrances, some inside roads are closed in fear of terrorist attacks, but I don’t believe this is justified anymore especially that the authorities claim the situation is very well “controlled” nowadays. The blocks around ESCWA in downtown, General Security in Mathaf, as well as Adlieh all don’t make sense anymore. The one at ESCWA isn’t even logical since it gets lifted by 5 or 6PM everyday because you know, terrorists don’t work overtime.

What’s funny though is that blocks around Nejmeh Square have all been lifted as if the parliament is suddenly no longer a target, so we should probably wait until other places get also suddenly lifted from target lists!

Now some may suggest there must be a solution by at minimum improving the public transport system, but in a country that scores so low on corruption perception index thanks to highly inefficient officials, you better instead look for fun things to do when stuck in you car during the days to come!

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