This is definitely one of the things that is making PM Hariri feel more down to earth and closer to the people, but the guy Bilal could have made his proposal speech simpler.
Tag Archives | ramadan
Here’s What Helps Keeping Me Hydrated in Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, it’s important to stay hydrated in order to keep yourself energized during the day. But with the long fasting hours nowadays and with the sun setting around 8PM, it becomes challenging to consume the right amount of water before you go to sleep especially if you’re like me and hate the taste of water. I have no problem drinking a big bottle of juice in a single sitting but I just hate the raw taste of water.
To overcome that, I sometimes add mint leaves and lemon slices to a bottle of water to boost my water intake after Iftar, but on other lazy days I just resort to these Bolero sachets for a sugar free and low calorie drink. They come in more than 20 flavors but my personal favorite are the mango, lemon, and ice tea. You just dissolve them in 1.5L of water and you’re good to go.
I personally rarely wake up for Suhour so from the time I finish my Iftar until I sleep at around 12AM I have little time to drink a relatively big amount of water, but Bolero seriously makes it so easy and I highly recommend it if you too have the same problem as I do.
Some other brands like Darine have similar sugar free sachets by the way, but I’m just used to Bolero simply because they were in the market first.
Ramadan Special – Things to Do This Week in Lebanon
Here are my picks from Lebtivity for this week. I know many of you search during Ramadan for a nice restaurant to gather with your friends and family over Iftar, so here’s a list of my favorite Iftar/Souhour places.
- Ramadan Iftar at The Smallville Hotel
- Daily Iftar Buffet at Le Bristol Hotel Beirut
- Tripoli Tour & Iftar by Vamos Todos
- Ramadan Iftar Gatherings at Bou Melhem
- Traditional Iftar at Indigo on the Roof
- Ramadan Iftar at Massabki Chtaura
- Daily Shour & Iftar at Boulevard Beirut
- Les Tziganes Special Ramadan
- Ramadan Iftar at Ladurée Villa Zein
- Ramadan Iftar at Raouche Arjaan by Rotana
Make sure to check Lebtivity.com for much more options.
Tyeb El Eid – Everybody Deserves to Dress Well for Eid
Tyeb El Eid is an initiative by Cherine Kabbani aiming to provide those in need with free decent clothes this coming Eid.
The whole thing started earlier this month when Cherine wanted to donate some of her old items to those who cannot afford new clothing on Eid El Fitr and asked her friends on Facebook to do the same. However, soon afterward she was overwhelmed with the stuff that people were willing to donate, so she thought of renting a place where people can drop off their unneeded items and make them available to those in need.
The project of course needed some funding, and with the help of a non-profit organization called “Wafa” Cherine was able to rent a small shop in Bourj Abou Haidar (Beirut) where she receives a lot of items everyday and even got a batch from PM Saad Hariri.
Cherine’s store is already operating now and the stories she is sharing on Facebook about the people picking their new clothes from the place are so heartwarming.
Those who would like to contribute to Tyeb El Eid initiative can either check the Facebook Page for directions or get in touch directly with Cherine on 70 964 595 to arrange for a driver to pick up their donations.
Ramadan Kareem
Do you remember this old Kassatly Chtaura Jellab ad from the 80s and 90s? It has been 30 years since it was first aired on TV and I guess nothing signals the time for Ramadan nowadays like this ad tune does every year on Lebanese TV stations (though it has now evolved a bit of course).
Anyway I wish all a blessed Ramadan!
Generator Provider in Chiyah Offers Free Electricity During Ramadan
While the owners of private generators are generally hated in Lebanon for forming cartels and making illogical profits sometimes from the government’s failure, you can’t but respect Ishtirak Al Nour’s gesture to provide free 5 Amperes electricity during the month of Ramadan for the people in Chiyah. He also has no problem if someone wants to subscribe for free during this month only.
Many poor families cannot afford paying for a generator subscription and will definitely appreciate being able to keep a fan turned on during the day to make Ramadan a bit easier for them.
Hat tip to you sir, whoever you are!
The Sweet Treat You Should Try This Ramadan
If there’s an under-rated Arabic sweet shop around Beirut then it must be Al-Daouk in the Cola area.
The owner of the shop created back in the 80’s this really awesome dessert and named it after his family, hence the name “Daoukieh”. It’s made of Ashta (think cream) mixed with cashew nuts and fixed between two layers of ground pistachio puree. What makes all the difference with this dessert is the use of quality ingredients, be it the fresh Ashta or the premium pistachio. The result are the above little green appealing pieces of heaven that explode with rich flavor in your mouth.
The reason I’m writing about the Daoukieh is that I still encounter a lot of people who have never heard of it. So if you want to treat yourself to some really good Arabic dessert this Ramadan make sure it is the Daoukieh. Al-Daouk Sweets is located very close to the Beirut Arab University in Cola, anybody in the region will be able to provide you with directions to it, and the non-stop traffic jam near the shop is totally worth it. It sells for 24,000L.L/Kg.
I’m aware by the way of the other alternatives to Daoukieh such as Bohsalino and Safsoufieh, but trust me on this, Daoukieh is the real deal.
Al Rifai Angel Drones is More Like a Stunt Than a Campaign
The Angel Drones is an initiative by Al Rifai that aims to donate packages of clothes, food, and other essential items to needy families in Lebanon using drones that are labeled as “Angel Drones”. The whole campaign sounds pretty nice as it goes with the spirit of Ramadan in term of helping poor people and feeling with them. Moreover, technically speaking the video is well executed and kudos to whoever made the filming.
Even though the video started good and felt very touching, at the end of watching it I was only left thinking about drones and how much weight they can carry around… I bet I was not the only one who thought about that and I really doubt this was Al Rifai’s goal from “The Angel Drones”.
In addition, I really didn’t like the way they displayed the stories of the families they are helping on their website. I mean this is the kind of things that Tony Khalife and Joe Maalouf would do to score with the public… If you want to help poor people then either do it discretely or simply don’t reveal their identities, publicizing it actually goes against the values of Ramadan.
Giving the video a second thought will probably qualify the campaign more as a stunt than a socially responsible campaign. Social responsibility in our case lies in actually donating to the people instead of over-thinking a sophisticated and expensive way to deliver these donations.
In my humble opinion, what Al Rifai could have done instead is producing a video that motivates people to help each other. Take for example the videos that Pepsi Masr produces every year, they touch you really deep and inspire to do good to others or at least be good to them.
Happy Eid and 3 day holiday!
How awesome it is when Sunni and Shia observe Eid E-Fitr on two different days? While Dar El Fatwa announced a while ago that tomorrow is the first day of Eid, The Higher Shiite Islamic Council observed it on Tuesday instead, and now we get to enjoy a three day holiday around the country instead of two!
Anyway, happy Fitr to your and your families, and take it easy on the ma’amoul!
photo via The Washington Post
Ramadan Kareem
Wishing you all a blessed month! Do you remember this Ramadan series from the ’90s by Abbas Chahine?