I just bumped into this video on YouTube showing five tourists who documented their journey around Lebanon in an unusual way. They compiled several segments of themselves lip syncing and dancing to the tunes of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.
Among the places that show are Raouche, Jbeil, Batroun, Saida Castle, Saida Old Souk, Harissa, and Baalbeck. I believe if this goes viral then it can easily become one of the best promotional videos for Lebanon!
Noah Zaiter, the infamous drug lord living in Bekaa, has for some reason started to make rounds on Lebanese TV stations the same way you see some singers moving from one show to another over a short period of time. A few days ago he was interviewed by one of Tele Liban’s comic shows, and he’s also set to appear on Aljadeed next week with the super dramatic Tammam Bleik.
The guy can seriously be compared to Colombia’s Pablo Escobar as he claims to be helping the poor people out of the drug money he earns. I’m not sure though about the messages he’s trying to deliver through his appearances now…!
What puzzles me the most however is that TV stations can easily reach Noah Zaiter for interviews while the Lebanese authorities will probably never be able to arrest him.
Gotta respect how quick and professional they are!
The below video sums up pretty much the current situation in Lebanon. Slowly but surely, gunmen all over the country seem to gain more control on the ground, while the army is appearing weak and helpless.
I really hope this is a staged video…
The Daily Star has some nice photos from almost all around Lebanon showing how the snow blanketed most of the Lebanese villages yesterday, in addition to photos of how bad the situation is in Hay El Sellom after Al-Ghadir flooded the whole area.
Aley
Baalbeck
Bhamdoun
Dahr El Baidar
Damaged sea road in Dbayeh
Hasroun
Hay El Sellom
Jezzine (Yep, nothing can take away our arguileh, not even a snowstorm)
Saida
For more photos you can check the Daily Star galleries here, here, and here. And for more about the flood in Hay El Sellom you can also check the below news report by Al Jadeed.
Check out this cool find posted by Tarek from Beirut/NTSC a couple of days ago.
I stumbled upon the movie “In Beirut sind die Nächte lang” or “24 hours to kill”… A German movie shot in 1965 in Beirut. Here’s the synopsis:
“When engine trouble forces an airliner into a 24 hour layover in Beirut, the plane’s pilot finds himself in the crosshairs of crime thanks to his duplicitous purser. Lex Barker assays the hero pilot role with ease, while Mickey Rooney thoroughly enjoys his turn as the seemingly hapless criminal. Walter Slezak rounds out the caper as a deadly smuggler.”
Pity embedding the original trailer is forbidden…. But watching it is a must! You can find it HERE (above are some of the snapshots taken from that trailer)… Basically, it’s the usual mishmash of the epitomized image of Beirut: Lust, intrigue, modernist architecture, Phoenicia Hotel (and yes, there is a scene where the pool which gives way to the bar is seen!), Nadia Jamal (the belly dance), the nightclubs and get this – at the time private helicopters could land right next to Baalbeck ruins with no “yellow t-shirts” in sight…
I also heard a while ago about another movie called “Embassy” that was shot in Lebanon back in 1973, but unfortunately failed to find any trailer or footage related to it on the internet.
The programs of Baalbeck, Beiteddine, and Byblos festivals has been announced over the last few day, and it looks like Byblos has the most interesting one so far. Below are the three programs as announced.
Beiteddine:
More information here: Beiteddine.org
Byblos:
More information here: ByblosFestival.org
Baalbeck:
More information here: Baalbeck.org.lb
You’ve got to check this old photos directory of Lebanon by the digital documentation center at AUB, which I discovered through one of Sietske’s latest posts. It has more than 12,000 photos categorized by location (Mohafaza and Qadaa), and you can easily spend hours browsing them!
The Daily Star posted some very nice photos showing the aftermath of the recent snowstorm across many villages in Lebanon. Make sure you check them out here and here.
Baalbeck
Sawfar
Jabal El-Sheikh
All these white scenes make you crave lunch by the chimney at one of the restaurants in the mountains. Montagnou? Erzel? Any recommendations?
