A Quick Update!
Hello everyone! Just a quick visit from me today! Hope everyone is doing well. I am sorry I haven’t been posting much lately, I am preparing some awesome content to be shared soon! With, what I will call the “revival of my blog”, I will be bringing back back some of my most popular types of posts: “Sects And The City”, “Video De La Semiane”, “Guest Posts”, and of course my twitter based posts – where you guys help me come up with an awesome post. I will also be introducing some awesome new challenges, give aways, and “Discover Lebanon” posts. So please stay tuned!
However, until then, lets help get the word out abut SeifAndBeirut.com by sharing this blog with everyone! Also, to make things easier by composing all my pages into one simple page, I have created this: http://about.me/aliseif ! Lets share people! 
Cheers!
Dear Lebanon, Grow Up
Vote for Jeita!
Jeita is up for the “New 7 Wonders of the World: Nature”. It is a finalist. Great right? I think so. I know many other on the Lebanese Online Community are happy about it as well, it’s great. But there is one thing that bothers me. When Lebanese are sitting online, in their office chairs bashing and making fun of Jeita for being a finalist. They were actually tweeting and posting reasons NOT to vote for Jeita. Now guess what? These same individuals are the ones that complain about Lebanon on a daily basis. One day Lebanon doesn’t have enough electricity, one day the internet is slow, and one day bla bla bla.
So I have something to say. Who cares if it’s $20 to enter Jeita? Li byesma3 bi 2oul a3din naymin bi Jeita ento. Most of you have been to Jeita, just like me, twice in your life – 4 times MAXIMUM, so complaining about this is just RIDICULOUS. It’s owned by a private company someone tweeted. Big deal. I think there is something that people are forgetting, whoever owns it or not – it is still Lebanese. Bringing recognition to Jeita, brings recognition to Lebanon, which in turn would bring tourists and revenue to the country. I will show you how.
One day, Jeita made it on to the 7 New Wonders of The World: Nature. Daphne and her husband Charles watched it on the news from their home in London. “Daphne dear, doesn’t Jeita look marvelous?”, said Charles. “Indeed it does dear, let us travel to Lebanon”. (Of course they didn’t just pack their clothes the next day and go, but you get what I mean).
Locally owned restaurant in Zahle
So Daphne and Charles come to Lebanon. They rent a room in a hotel. When the jetlag is gone, and they feel relaxed, they leave their room and take a tour of Jeita prepared by a local tourism agency. Of course, they go to Harissa and check out the Telefrique on the same day. So Daphne and Charles (along with their two daughters Veronica and Charlotte) go through the Jeita Caves. After a thousand “Oh my’s” and “splendid’s”, their tour comes to an end. They enjoyed it. But since they came to Lebanon from a far away place, they can’t just leave after they seen the grotto! What they did instead was go to a restaurant in Jounieh and enjoy some food – who once again, for the most part, benefited a local Lebanese. They are in Lebanon, they aren’t going to go eat McDonalds. They want, like most tourists, something new to eat.
“What do we do now pumpkin? Is there anything else to do in Lebanon?”, said Daphne. “Oh well, yes there is dear, I have a brochure here somewhere’, said Charles as he pulled out a brochure displaying the various things to do in Lebanon. On that list were the ancient ruins of Baalbek, Faqra, and Anjar. The ruins in Tyre and the ancient Tyre Hippodrome. There was a list of beach resorts in Damour, Tabarja, Batroun, Jounieh. A photo of the Port of Byblos, the vineyards and various wineries in the Bekaa Valley. Beiteddine and Moussa Castle were on the list accompanied by Qana (where Jesus performed his first miracle). The Beirut National Museum and some privately owned ones. Not to mention Gemmayze and Monot and Hamra. Oh, and the Lebanese Cedars. Moukhtara and Baakline water falls. The falls in Jezzine. ALL SURROUNDED BY LOCAL LEBANESE WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM JEITA! Need I go on?
Lebanese taxi driver
Plus, getting to and from these places do include taxi or services. Food at local restaurants. Buying souvenirs. Looking at things that would interest them and buying them. I think what we forget is that tourists (the ones from the west) do not want to buy things and go to places they have in their countries of origin. So like I mentioned earlier – they are going to buy food made by locally owned restaurants. They are going to buy handicrafts made by the locals. They are going to buy and mingle with those around them.
Their daughters are going to want to explore Lebanon’s nightlife. They are going to go up and down Gemmayze. They are going to dance their behinds off there too, and they’re going to eat and drink at all these establishments that are found on these streets – most of which (MOST) are owned by Lebanese. So it’s not JUST the “owners of Jeita” who are benefiting from Jeita being on this 7 Wonders list.
Stop complaining about Lebanon not being so great when every time it gets a chance you bash it from your office chairs because you want to be funny. Support Lebanon, no matter what, because the more it appears to the world outside the better our situation is going to get. We do not have oil, we do not have natural resources to dwindle – its tourism. That’s all we have. So when you are bashing something that can bring more revenue to Lebanon, I am sure I am not the only one who will take it to offense. When Daphne and Charles are sipping tea with their friends, they are going to mention Lebanon. When their daughters sit in their university cafeterias they are going to do the same. Word of mouth is amazing, and all it takes is someone to recommend a place to visit. Ask any tourist in Lebanon, why did you pick Lebanon, almost 70% of the time they will say “a friend recommended it so I checked it out online and now I’m here”.
Not everything is a mockery and Lebanese all you do is mock things that could potentially make things better in our country. What a shame.
Anyways, if you want to check out Jeita, vote or get voting information it is all found here: http://www.jeitagrotto.com/index.html
Be Well…
It bothers me to see you down,
I do not want to see you frown.
Your a very silly girl,
You never want to make me hurl.
Because you are my best friend,
I want to see your sadness end.
I don’t understand why you hurt,
You’re always on alert.
I miss when you used to laugh,
your sadness cuts 3omrik in half.
I know deep down you are not sick,
you still threaten to hit me with that broomstick.
I know sometimes they say mean things,
they don’t know the joy your smile brings.
I love when you yell at me,
then I make you laugh until you pee.
You never seem like yourself anymore,
the woman we all adore.
Behind that wall of strength you built,
a young child smiles and laughs and starts to wilt.
I miss the friend who always smiled,
I miss those eyes, so strong and wild.
I know this a silly poem,
it’ll make you smile when you’re at home.
And if one day you just give up,
I’ll give you cranberry tea in a tea cup.
Now I ran out of things to say,
please come back… don’t go away.
Inti ya Sara akbar dibbi,
I want to come and eat fried kibbi.
Now I say Je t’embrasse,
ma fhimti shi ya ras ma3mul min khass.
I Work Ya Zaid…
[thanks to BeirutNightlife for the photo
See Beirut is really a peculiar city. I mean, you never really know what to expect. So many cultural differences and boundaries, a religiously dynamic city, conservative… yet very liberal at the same time, I have learned that you can expect the unexpected in Beirut. I told Zaid that. He supposedly can handle whatever Lebanon throws at him. Rock on dude *rolls eyes*.
So Zaid meets a girl. A gorgeous girl so he says, goes to university with him, and being in the same faculty, they see each other quite a lot – in fact, chemistry must have been good, because they had “a thing” all summer long. Whatever that means. Long story short, Zaid and this girl become close. He described her as a girl from a “great family”, very “humble”, “welcoming” and “generous”. Except the girl had a problem. She vanishes for hours at a time, days sometimes, and poor little Zaid gets worried – only to have this girl pop back into existence. Many times she was asked by Zaid “where do you go?”. “I work ya Zaid”, she would reply.
One day, when things were getting serious, Zaid messages this girl, and she wasn’t around…as usual. He kept messaging until she replied, “I’m at work ya Zaid. I’ll see you tomorrow”. Zaid brushes it off. That night, Zaid is walking and he is dumbfounded. There, leaning over into a car is “his girl”. Wtf, I know. Here’s the thing, she works as a prostitute.
My initial reaction was, “you had no idea ya3ne?”. Then he explained the situation. The woman, Allah yostor 3a jami3 el 3alam, who is “very conservative” during the day, has an ailing father. Cancer I believe. Medication, treatment, and the likes is expensive in privatized Lebanon – making his treatment ultimately impossible. The woman, who does what she does at night, makes enough money to at least give her father some of his treatment. With the “loaning” system our hospitals have (which ultimately means the family pays half and slowly they can repay the hospital for the other half), treatment becomes possible. Without her “work”…her father dies from a cancer that usually is very easily curable!
This got me thinking. How many “good girls” in our country, who come from very good families, look to work like this to help make ends meet – or ultimately save a life? The issue in this post isn’t the act of prostitution, nor the girl and her work. In fact, the point of this post is to ask why most nations (including our Syrian neighbors….YES Syria) have very good social institutions and welfare programs that help people facing circumstances like this. If that’s too much to ask for in Lebanon, then at least let us set up a program that gives free treatment to families who REALLY, cannot afford it.
I can imagine how many nights I’ve driven through Maameltein, seen a group of women waiting for some clients and judged them. Now, I can’t help but wonder how many of these women face such issues and circumstances like the poor woman mentioned in the beginning of this post. We usually think these women are “Eastern European women” or “refugees from neighboring countries” – but is that really true? Are there not any women out there who really face such terrible circumstances where prostitution is the only option? Most importantly, how do we help them, when for the past 35-40 years our governments have been robbing us for billions of dollars, isn’t?
BeirutNightlife.Com posted an article a while ago, where it shared a story of a woman who makes $34,000 USD in three months. The average cost for cancer treatment in Lebanon starts at a minimum of $15,000 USD. Do the math. With an income like that, a girl can pay for two treatments in three months.
Desperation is a dangerous thing, no matter where an individual is. Especially if the girl has a family member she can save.
So what about Zaid? He doesn’t see the girl anymore. Its it fair? To him, yes. But I envy his understanding of her situation, most importantly, he never referred to her as “sh******a” or “ma*****h“. Simply, he said, “shaghleh mish la 2ela [a job that not for her]“. From what I understood, none of her friends know about her work, unless of course they came across her on the side of the street as well. Not surprisingly, when he asked about her family through a mutual friend / colleague – he was told “her father is passing away, he has cancer”. Its very sad.
I can’t help but wonder, where does she say the money is coming from? Or how many girls I know in Lebanon have had this type of work cross their minds to make their ends meet. Before this government [and the ones prior to it] argues about who gets what damn seat in Lebanon’s parliament, why don’t they cough of the millions, if not billions, stolen and help people in Lebanon who need it. The time is now.
Still Furious
I guess I lied in my previous post. I will blog something now. I know this video has gone viral in the past week or so, but being a little out of the “Lebanese News Circle” I watched this video yesterday – I am still furious.
What’s more intriguing is the not so large out-cry by the Lebanese community online. That’s a little sad in my eyes. The dirty man, who is attacking a WOMAN and PHARMACIST, is Mustapha Qawas (who I will refer to as SHLEK). Shlek in the video claims to be a Baathist party member while he terrorizes the pharmacy in the southern city of Saida. You know, if we had any doubts about brutality by the Baathist party inside Syria, Shlek proved how low this party is in this video.
I haven’t heard threats being made in Lebanon by Baathists since 2005, to hear them now in this video sends shivers up and down my spine. Memories of the hatred and terror Lebanon had previously faced by the Syrian Baathists runs into my mind and not because I am “scared” no… simply because it makes me loose hope in Lebanon all over again. From what I know, Baathists had been eliminated from Saida long before 2005 – this sudden reappearance is mind-boggling.
I can tolerate different political parties in Lebanon. What I do NOT tolerate are attacks on women and unarmed professionals. Qawas threatens to kill the individuals and so on…threatening is one thing, having a history of doing so in Lebanon is another. I would like to see something being done to this man, who acts like fucking rambo throughout the video. Going in and coming out of the pharmacy, threatening and throwing things doesn’t make you a man. You were facing a woman. Filthy thug.
Sadly, I doubt anything will be done against this prick. He will stay free, attack more people, and guess what, no one will stop him then either. Any updates on this man and any actions that were taken against him would be awesome. Send them my way.
I Miss My Blog
I miss my blog. I miss blogging. I’ll be back up and running soon! <3
Tears Of Pride…
Today, I logged into twitter. Found a tweet that came as automatic post from a good friend. I went from a mood of euphoria to complete sadness and anger. The post is here for anyone interested. The point is, I am proud of a the girl behind the blog post. It takes pure strength to sit and post something like that, and have a sense of humour throughout it.
I am not going to get into details about this girl. Who she is, what she means to me, nor what she has done for people all over. I can simply say, I wish her a speedy recovery. A life of happiness and laughter ahead filled with love and joy. I hope that everything she has in mind goes as she plans – and the cloud of darkness that has been following her for a while is finally lifted from ontop of her head.
Get well Sarsour, a lot of people are praying for you and were moved by that post. I included.
Saudi Women Take To The Streets – Literally
Vroom vroom vroom
Let’s add another remarkable event into the 2011 Arab Spring catalogue of madness – Saudi Women taking to the streets. Literally. Under the strict Wahhabi law inside the oil-rich kingdom women, amongst other things, are prohibited from getting behind the wheel of a car, and driving. Why? Well according to the rulers of the nation, the people are not ready for such drastic changes yet. That’s BS because obviously they are. Read more…
Lebanon Isn’t The Only Place…
Sectarianism. Lebanon. Two words that are somewhat seen to be “synonymous” with each other. I beg to differ. With all the events in the Arab Spring lately, and the chaos it has so kindly created in the region… I think it has become obvious that sectarianism isn’t exclusively Lebanese.
Sadly enough many still think sectarianism is Lebanese. That may be the case to many people, however, I think Lebanese Sectarianism is strictly based on political levels. Nothing more. Sure we still have the many individuals who prefer nothing outside their sect – but I mean… isn’t that normal? Most families in Lebanon, whether they claim to be secular or liberal, still would prefer their daughters and sons to marry someone from “inside their sect”. That, to me, is quite normal. Compared to the sectarianism we have seen in other nations for example, I think we are much better off! Read more…
She Smiles…
She smiles… you light up,
She cries… the world around you collapses.
She laughs… and your heart smiles,
She sighs… and your heart aches.
She is there… you are content,
She is far away… your lost.
Her eyes twinkle, in a way you cant describe it,
but they twinkle with sadness at the same time.
She acts like nothing bothers her,
but yet you know the slightest thing brings tears to her eyes.
She is proud, pure, innocent and full of life…
but when something is wrong with her… your life has no meaning.
She is adorable. Sexy… and intelligent.
But something about her life is hideous, full of heartbreak… she seems naive.
Your worry about her. She doesn’t want you to.
You love her… but she belongs to someone else.
And after years of ignoring what was there in front of you,
You wake up, and it’s too late.
He’s not right for her… how could he be?
Tears… and that sigh… a sigh that can shake the planet,
she sighs… and as much as she tells you things are great, you know they are far from it.
But because you know her…her thoughts… you stop… hold back… and let her be.
As much as it kills you. As much as you want to run up to her and grab her and just say you’ll never hurt her, never make her cry…
You can’t.
She’s laying down somewhere… and you know she wants to give up.
But she doesn’t…
Because girls like that don’t give up.
So she just cries, and promises herself she is overreacting.
She isn’t.
