RAGMAG Royal Issue | March 2011 | Issue #10 by RAGMAG Magazine

MARCH 2011

+ THE ROYAL ISSUE

info@ffactory.cc www.ffactory.cc 00961 71 991400

F CL UB

F CL

F CL U B UB F CL UB

F CL

U B UB

F CL

We don’t do Fashion, we ARE Fashion!! & OTHER GLAMOROUS CLUBS IN LEBANON & THE REGION BECOME F CLUB ONCE A MONTH!!!

MAISON BLANCHE 2

RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

IN COLLABORATION WITH

THE ROYAL ISSUE

editor’s opinion 14

A ROYAL MESS

18 20 24 28 34 38

ALMIGHTY WE ARE POETRY DOUBLE ENTENDRE OUSSAMA DIAB’S KINGS DAMSEL IN DISTRESS HOSSEIN ALI-ASGARI THE ROYAL INQUISITION INTERVIEW WITH KEN MCCLURE A MAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE BEIRUT APARTMENT CRISIS HAYDA LEBNEN SPOILING THE LITTLE PRINCE

LEBANON IS A BIG ONE

cultureclash mon amour, mon ami 40 42

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS MOTHER’S DAY BLOW TO KINGDOM COME FAMILY + YOUR LOVE LIFE

for him

THE KINGMAKER

BADEEH ABLA

FML

THE LONELIEST KING OF THE JUNGLE

SEE THE ANIMALS

COURT+CROWN, P. 102 | GOWN BY KRISTY SAMAHA | STILETTOS BY GEMY

you + your country 54

THE MOST MAJESTIC WAY OF LIFE LIVE2SHARE

mind, body + soul 50 52 56 58 60

THE ROYAL CREST YOU ARE BRAINWASHED THE KING’S SPEECH STUTTERING HELP ME NOUR ADVICE CABAL MATTHEW HUSSEY SHOWS FRIEND FROM FOE CROWN ROYAL SHE LIKES TO PARTY AFTER THE PARTY

mirrormirror 62 66 68 70 72

THE ROYAL TREATMENT LE HUITIEME THÉ & EDEN SPA REVIEW CROWNING GLORY DESIGNER ANTI-AGING THE EMPEROR’S GARDEN OF EDEN DERMEDEN IN LEBANON A REGAL BEARING TREAT YOUR CELLULITE LOOK GREAT FOR LESS EUCERIN

RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

emperor’s new clothes 74 76 80 84 94 100 102

A ROYAL GESTURE SHOP + GIVE BACK THE IMPERIAL WARDROBE RAP RULERS + FASHION QUEEN + COUNTRY ROYAL STYLEMAKERS A ROYAL INCLINATION JOE CHALLITA HAUTE COUTURE COPYCAT REAL LIFE RUNWAY FIT FOR A QUEEN PURRL BOUTIQUE CROWN + COURT OUR FASHION SHOOT

see, speak + hear no evil 122 SOUND CHECK 124 125 126

MUSIC READ’EM AND WEEP BOOKS WATCH OUT FILM PLAY NICE GAMES

eat, drink +be merry

138 140 142 144 146

LE ROI DE LA CUISINE CHEF JEROME TAKE TEA WITH THE QUEEN ROLA HACHEM THE CROWN JEWELS BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM RESTAURANT REVIEW INDIA, YOUR HIGHNESS FÊTE ROYALE RECIPES

the final frontier 128 130

COMPETE FOR THE THRONE TECH STORMING THE CASTLE SCIENCE

brainfood

152

QUIZZ. DINGBATS. CROSSWORD. SUDOKU.

take me with you

118 MONTMARTRE TRAVEL 132 SHANGHAI TRAVEL

out +about 154 DANCING QUEEN

ABBA AT THE HARDROCK THE ROYAL ISSUE

RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

publisher’s letter

Hello RAGMAGGERS Welcome to RM’s Royal issue. This month is all about a little bit of history and paying legion to the kings, queens and their little ones. We all love a bit of drama and who gives it better than the royals? As you can see by the pictures, I had a very different sort of FML this issue. I hope that you have enjoyed being a part of our crazy adventures, just as much as we enjoyed putting ourselves through the pain. Please look out for our April’s issue, we have new surprises waiting for you. Once again to all our readers a big thank you for writing in and making us feel your presence. Knowing that you appreciate us and love us gives us the energy to get off our bums, and bring to you the best that we can offer. As usual on a monthly basis I look forward to your mail at publisher@ragmaglive.com Keep them coming. This month our winners will be graced with nothing but the best -Agatha Paris goes out to 3 lucky readers! The 21st of March brings the first day of spring and in Lebanon it is a traditional celebration of Mother’s Day. So Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there and especially RAGMAG’s RAGing Mums for putting up with our tantrums and our everlasting nagging.

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Publisher

THE ROYAL ISSUE

Publisher

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Editor in Chief

Fida Z Chaaban Managing Director

Georges Yarack Creative Lead

Odette Kahwagi Photograhers Christian Harb Odette Kahwagi Dave Kai Piper Jason Zamora Samy Harb Selected images Shutterstock

Stylist Jony Matta Fashion Set Direction Alexandra Kahwagi Sales Representative Magda Nassar Public Relations Coordinator Lea El-Alam Marketing Advisor Daniella Tayar Admnisitrative Coordinator Teddy Younes Printed by Raidy Printing Group

Contributors Maher El-Alam Stephanie Aoun Elodie Barakat Bryan Borzykowski Jonathan Cainer Amal Chaaban Youmna Chagoury Alice Hlidkova Sarah Hourany Matthew Hussey Leslie Iddison Maria-Elena Kassab Imogen Kimber Chris Lambert Sabina LLewellyn-Davies Maha Majzoub J.E.N. Nour Obaji Aline Rahbany Adam Volk

Media Representative RAGMAG Alex Gabriel Building Rue Colomn de Sahel Sahel Alma, Keserwan Tel: 09 916 222 / 09 913 777 magda.nassar@ragmaglive.com lea.elalam@ragmaglive.com Distributor Lebanese Distributor Company Hamra, Axa Middle East bldg. Tel: 01 368 007

ON OUR COVER PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTIAN HARB MODEL LIPS AGENCY HAIR GEORGES MOUNDALAK MAKEUP CHRISTIAN ABOU HAIDAR STYLIST JONY MATTA Our model is wearing a Missak HajiAvedikian gown.

Opinions expressed are based solely on personal opinion and expericence, not reflective in any way of RAGMAG, a division of Raycon s.a.l.

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RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

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ROBIN WRIGHT PAR PETER LINDBERGH

GERARDDAREL.COM

THE ROYAL ISSUE

10 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

editor’s letter

Because RAGMAG won’t be abdicating our throne I’ll start by thanking our loyal readers who enjoyed our February Up in Flames issue, and welcoming our new readers who are just getting acquainted with RAGMAG. The more the merrier. I received a lot of queries regarding my fire stunt last issue: I promise you it wasn’t Photoshop. I won’t ever do it again, so you’ll have to take my word for it. If you haven’t seen the making-of videos for our photo shoots, check out our Facebook pages, you can jump right in with the team and see it burn baby, burn. This issue we wanted to acknowledge Mother’s Day (but again not in the traditional sense), so for the Queen Mum, we went with a Royal theme. Another reason we chose to create a Royal issue was because in the past 9 issues of RAGMAG, we’ve touched on quite a few majestic characters. RAGMAG has previously mentioned The King of Rock ‘N Roll (Elvis), the King of Pop (Michael Jackson), and even a spiritual monarch, the late Martin Luther King Jr. We’ve covered Prince Charming in mon amour mon ami (or rather why he isn’t), and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile and her consorts. We’ve featured Kate Middleton (Princess as of next month) and even Freddie Mercury of the rock band to end all rock bands, Queen. Sometimes our royal mentions have been a bit notorious, like Cocaine King Pablo Escobar or historically infamous like Napoleon Bonaparte and Catherine de Medici (AKA the Queen of Poisons). Shakespeare wrote King Lear and other royal intrigues, and he’s been explored a couple of times in RAGMAG along with the Kennedys, the closest to American royalty one can get. The list is long but you get the picture. With all this regal company, we thought it was about time we gave you the real deal, hence the March Royal issue.

Couture and courtiers have been linked throughout history so we found it appropriate to devote our emperor’s new clothes section to one who really fits the mold: Joe Challita debuting his newest couture collection in a series of photographs by Dave Kai Piper. For the first time ever, we’ve extended our take me with you travel section, since we wanted to show 2 very different places with royal affiliations. You might notice that we’ve crowned my new Hamra clutch. Get your own at Sarah’s Bag! If you’re not a Hamra fan like RAGMAG, they’ve got a slew of other streets you can tote around town. Send me a royal missive telling me what you liked this issue and what you didn’t at letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com Follow me on Twitter @fidachaaban Fida Z Chaaban

Editor in Chief THE ROYAL ISSUE

letters to the editor RAGMAG IS HAPPIEST WHEN OUR READERS TALK BACK. WE LOVE YOUR EMAILS, YOUR FACEBOOK COMMENTS AND YOUR TWEETS ON TWITTER! SCRIBBLE ON OUR FACEBOOK WALL, EMAIL LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR@ RAGMAGLIVE.COM OR TAG YOUR PICTURES ON FACEBOOK HOLDING MARCH THE ROYAL ISSUE TO WIN WITH RAGMAG. OUR APRIL WINNERS WILL BE IN FOR A REAL SURPRISE, SO GET YOUR LETTERS IN QUICK! RAGMAG RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT FOR CLARITY AND CONTENT.

RAGing Letter we “I LOVE the diverse richness in the article selections chosen in the February edition, with a tasteful integration of the fire theme. I was particularly intrigued by the article Simmering Inside and Out which merged the mystical connections between yoga, mind, body and sexuality. I like! Every time I think I’m done reading the magazine I find something new that captivates my attention :) Thank you for offering a refreshing magazine that never disappoints!” Rola Ghadban Rola, we’re so glad that you find what you’re looking for in RAGMAG. For noticing our February Up in Flames theme and being the letter we love, AGATHA PARIS is gifting you with a royal reward!

RAGing image we “I loved all your issues but this is my favorite so far!!!! Can’t wait for the next one to come out!!! I RAGMAG!!! XOXO” Mikella Younes Mikella we love the pic and comment you posted on our Facebook page! As a thank you for participating, AGATHA PARIS is rewarding you with a royal gift.

Alexandra Malek is this issue’s Facebook winner. We asked our Facebook friends to guess our March Royal theme based on Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and some shots we uploaded. Alexandra, for getting the closest with your guess, you win a gift from AGATHA PARIS. Great work!

12 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

FASHION SHOOT MAKING OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMY HARB CHECK OUT THE VIDEO MAKING OF ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

RAGMAG DID DOUBLE TIME WHEN WE SAW AGATHA’S MOTHER’S DAY COLLECTION. THEIR CHARMED BANGLES COME IN DUOS - ONE FOR THE LITTLE PRINCESS AND ONE FOR HER QUEEN MUM. WE LIKED THIS COLLECTION SINCE IT WAS ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT BOTH THE REGAL HOUSEHOLD DAMES COULD PULL OFF! WHERE ELSE CAN YOU FIND A MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAM SO IN SYNC? CHOOSE FROM TWIN LADYBUGS, BUTTERFLIES, FLOWERS OR OUR EDITOR’S PICK, FISH THAT SWIM THE OCEAN BLUE.

Cross your heart twice ABC Dbayeh 04/416000 THE ROYAL ISSUE BHV City Mall

14 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

editor’s opinion

LEFT: QUEEN ELIZABETH I

mess WHY ROYAL BLOOD HAS RUN COLD

here are several types of monarchies at work in the world. Whether or not they are openly declared monarchies is a whole other ball of crest-sealing wax. You think you know your stuff when it comes to the Middle Eastern merry go-round? This might make you think a little bit differently. MONARCHIES ARE VARIED IN FORM. The acknowledged types come in two basic formats: There are the official monarchies, which have the powers of a ruling body, and there are the figurehead monarchies, who do not. The first means that they actually rule the country and have absolute power, Jordan being one such modern example in the Middle East, under jurisdiction of the Hashemite family, the current rulers. The second, and far more common in today’s society, is the figurehead type in which the monarchy is part and parcel of the country, yet has no ruling authority. Instead it is almost a historic nod of respect: The monarchy will appear on the currency, participate in public ceremony and are treated as the official (but latent) royal family of the country. Modern

examples of figurehead monarchies are Commonwealth countries, bound together under the current Queen of England, and countries like Japan and Spain, who still hold their royal families dear but do not involve them in the democratic process. WITH FIGUREHEAD COUNTRIES, IT IS OFTEN A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ROYALTY AND THEIR SUBJECTS. Some figurehead countries have small dissident factions who would prefer to dissociate themselves from the stamp of royalty altogether, (like Canada’s growing minority who feels no allegiance to their Queen). But the general consensus is that it’s ultimately no harm done since the crown interference in the country’s actual workings is nil. In Canada, the Queen’s representative is called the Governor General, and technically can unseat the government but never has. This aptly named privilege is called “The Royal Prerogative”. The actual acting monarchies by contrast, make the rules and enforce them and this is where things can become difficult.

The people of a declared monarchy, say the United Arab Emirates, profess to love their ruling families. A tribal system, different Emirates have different ruling families all united under one superior ruling family, Al Nahyan. Throughout the Gulf region, this is the case. Large and ornate depictions of various rulers are everywhere, from restaurants to highways. You are hard pressed not to notice and learn the royal family’s lineage by osmosis. This is usually the case throughout the world where monarchies exist, be they figurehead or active. So what are some other indications of monarchies?

Modern examples of figurehead monarchies are Commonwealth countries, bound together under the current Queen of England, and countries like Japan and Spain, who still hold their royal families dear but do not involve them in the democratic process. THE ROYAL ISSUE

editor’s opinion SUCCESSION SYSTEM

A succession system basically means that the position of power, say king, goes from parent to child, and the like. It can go from brother to brother, depending on the situation the heirapparent can become a nephew, a once removed cousin or an uncle. A number of possibilities present themselves, but the key is that the ruling position always stays in the same family. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to unseat the heir to the throne without some sort of coup or the rare scenario of abdication, which almost never happens. Long deposed King Farouk of Egypt was overthrown and only then did he abdicate, signing away his rights to the crown.

UNIONS OF POWER

Royal is as royal does. Often marriages between royalty are forged as treaties and unions of strength. The 2004 marriage of Jordan’s Princess Haya to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, current ruler of Dubai, is widely said to have improved the status of the Jordanian people in the UAE. The 25 year age difference (making it a May-December marriage) and the fact that she is a junior wife of his despite being a royal in her own right still had the common citizen saying it was a positive move for the Hashemite Kingdom since rumors of lucrative gifts and fiscal benefits for the less affluent Kingdom abounded.

IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO UNSEAT THE HEIR TO THE THRONE WITHOUT SOME SORT OF COUP OR THE RARE SCENARIO OF ABDICATION, WHICH ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS.

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THIS PAGE, LEFT TO RIGH: KING FAROUK OF EGYPT, PRINCE WILLIAM. OPPOSITE PAGE,CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: “LAS MENINAS” BY VELASQUEZ, THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF SPAIN, THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

When royalty does marry out, and by out we mean out of royal bloodlines, it is often scandalous rather than a Cinderella story. Check out the Royal Brouhaha this issue for some examples of just that.

RARITY AND SCARCITY

Public appearances are few and far between and when the regal personages do show up, it is a remote experience. There are adoring fans clamouring for a glimpse of their liege, be they figurehead or acting monarch. Royal weddings in particular draw frenzied onlookers and the approaching nuptials of England’s current Prince William has filled the pages of tabloids and respected publications alike as the countdown has ensued. The general public, whether borne of curiosity or adulation, follows the lives of their royals very closely, and nothing generates press and crowds like a royal wedding. The peek into the private lives of royals are rare and their intermingling with the commoner scarce, and this is perhaps what keeps them as objects of veneration, for some anyway. Pictures of the royals adorn homes and cars of private citizens and mementos of royal interaction are treasured family possessions, handed from generation to generation.

MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR SOME FRESH ROYAL (OR COMMON) BLOOD HERE TOO. The 3 points of note – succession, royal elitism and the sheer near God-like veneration of royalty – have been explored, but to what end? Because when you look closely, these things and the others that have gone unmentioned, are apparent throughout the Middle East, but not just in professed monarchies. They’re even apparent in Lebanon, which is ostensibly a democracy. I don’t need to point out the popular family names that perpetually dot the political pages of every major daily newspaper (and have for the past 3 decades and sometimes longer). I needn’t remind you whose nephew or cousin or uncle is currently leading any or all of the major factions here. And finally I don’t need to remind you that patronage (wasta), elitism by marriage (a thing of the past except in royal circles), and the elevation above the “common” man, are all prevalent in Lebanon. This country, that prides itself on being the democracy in a sea of dictatorships, isn’t really. Not when you’re under the wing of families that have been elevated to the status of the untouchable, something also associated with royalty.

From Gaddafi’s 42-year tenure in the Libyan “socialist” Jamahiriyah, to Mubarak’s run since 1981 (and his years in the Egyptian government before that) to Hafez Al-Assad’s 3 decade tenure followed by the succession of his son Bashar in Syria, none of these countries were declared monarchies. Yet this is what they were (and in some cases, still are) if you’re to look at some of the indicators we’ve covered. The so-called domino effect of unrest throughout the region has unseated some of the Middle East’s biggest dictators and ignoble flagrant human rights violators - referred to until recently as veteran leaders. Others are still hanging on and will continue to hang on.

an aristocracy? Because that isn’t what they signed up for. It was the bad deal handed to them, with no room for dissent. Because in this day and age, subjugation of the people is an archaic concept that went out with the feudal system. The Arabian Peninsula, from Yemen onwards, and North Africa, are not the only places that need to be rid of their monarchies for better or for worse. Maybe it’s time for some fresh royal (or common) blood here too. Just something for us to think about

Al Jazeera’s English website went so far as to say that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s speech was akin to a lord asking his serfs why they weren’t happy tilling the land anymore. A sardonic commentary as to why anyone wouldn’t enjoy being a subject in what is supposedly a socialist society? Why wouldn’t the people of Libya want to be the de facto peasants in

THE ROYAL ISSUE

Almighty we are. WORDS BY ALINE RAHBANY

We never learn something new.

And at times, an idea flushes in

But in reality â&#x20AC;Ś

We recall things we already know.

And we think we are unique

We are as unique as everyone else is

Things we chose to forget.

And we think we are the only ones

We overestimate ourselves as

Things we store in that dark room of

struck by this omnificent thought

everyone does

our busy mind.

This extraordinary vision

And we always will.

18 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

THE ROYAL ISSUE

cultureclash

entendre

Two-faced figures articulate Oussama Diab’s one too many concerns in “Masks, Kings and Other Things Revisited” BY MAHA MAJZOUB

“

ello. This is your conscience speaking,” a voice barks at you as you gaze at Oussama Diab’s 13 mixed media canvasses that lined the walls of Ayyam Gallery in Downtown Beirut in January. The artist’s latest body of work is an exploration of the duality of mankind in the modern world as we know it. A throng of double-headed, twisted figures besiege you against a dark, bleak backdrop. In “Exit” and “Dream”, Diab demonstrates the duplicity of tormented souls. In others, such as “War and Peace” and “The King Leads the People”, he underscores the push and pull of the individual in society. The paintings, which were completed in roughly six weeks, all aim to provoke the onlooker.

‘They show us death and killing every day and every minute in order to make us used to such images. People are just numbers.’ 20 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

TWO MUCH “I’m showing the duality between the dignity and the principles one has as one enters the materialistic real world and has to compromise that for the sake of obtaining material gains,” says Diab in a confident Palestinian accent. “After that, the individual returns to his/ her room and questions what he/she has done. It creates a contradiction, a struggle, as they start wondering who they are after that.” So your rebellious side screams at the dormant you, asking it to speak up, Diab adds. His characters are not just making useless screams, he assures me. “They aim to awaken the silent one inside that man or woman so as to dig themselves out of the hole they have thrust themselves in.” In Diab’s mind, the world is in deep slumber. “We have reached a point where we’ve become so asleep and can’t see anything in front of us because of life’s mundane burdens. So we’ve been searching for that bit of happiness. But that happiness is a lie we’re consciously living,” Diab notes regrettably. “We are fooling ourselves by clubbing until dawn, believing this makes us happy. This is not genuine happiness. Happiness is not a moment and it is not material gain.” Diab recalls the many instances where he was backstabbed by once dear friends for the sake of material

wealth. He criticizes the lack of love and solidarity among people in their everyday struggle to make ends meet. “I keep hearing people say ‘personal interest is above all’. They have no shame in saying that. But how can that be? We are friends but our friendship stops where our personal interest begins?” he asks. He says friendship is now rare and humanity is on a degenerate decline. “We are being told that life has to become materialistic. But that is not human nature. This is what society has imposed on us.” WAR OF DEVOLUTION At that, Diab adopts the conspiracy theory rhetoric to drive a point. “Humanity has been numbed,” the Damascus-born artist stresses. “We hear of people dying, but we’re not as affected anymore. That is because international media led by the U.S. and Israel has been presenting a lot of that to promote this reality and to get us used to it. They show us death and killing every day and every minute in order to make us used to such images. People are just numbers. When we used to see death before, we used to sympathize a great deal, which is not the case now, be it in Palestine, Iraq, or Afghanistan.”

THE ROYAL ISSUE

22 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

He pauses for a moment before he takes another jab at the U.S. to pull off his argument on duality. “Look at the way the U.S. speaks of Iranian uranium enrichment when Israel owns the most destructive nuclear power in the Middle East. Why does it speak out against Iran and stays silent on Israel?” He quickly affirms his abject rejection of nuclear arms in general before he points to the double-standards of the West. The cold atomic wars are part of Diab’s artistic trajectory. His 2009 “New Mona Lisa” revealed a graffitiesque version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa in a gas mask, shrouded by atomic bomb symbols. Here, he was not reflecting on how the U.S. and Israel were obtaining nuclear arms while barring the rest of the world from getting them, but that everybody will end up in a gas mask in the event of a nuke – Arabs and nonArabs. A strong message is prevalent across the artworks of Diab, who has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the region. In his earlier “Dresses” series, we see some dresses

suspended lifelessly in front of blasted backgrounds, in a loose reference to the bombing of Palestinian homes and land. But it would be unfair to reduce Diab to an artist burdened by his Palestinian nationality to only touch on the Palestinian issue and make frequent allusions to his occupier. While he did pay tribute to his compatriots on the onset of his career, he has matured to deal with larger political issues that affect humanity by and large. “Aren’t Palestinians part of humanity?” he was quoted as saying in a January 2010 datelined interview. GET REAL “I paint reality,” Diab remarks. “I’m not lying to people. I’m not painting a rose and showing them something pretty and telling them I know how to paint you a flower. If you want to see a flower, visit a public park. That’s not what I’m here for.” And if reality requires that he be political, he does not mind, although the human being and human emotions remain his primary focus, he says.

‘If you want to see a flower, visit a public park. That’s not what I’m here for.’

His “Untitled” series of portraits in 2009 highlighted the complicated way human emotions work by frantically mixing up human and animal silhouettes. This collection aimed to show people for what they are through their features, mostly their poignant eyes, according to the 33-year-old. And he likes his works to scream. His 2009 hollowing portraits, among earlier paintings, make a clear reference to Edvard Munch’s “Scream”, leaving the observer frozen in both cases. The 1893 masterpiece and Francis Bacon’s “The Screaming Pope” have both left an obvious mark on Diab’s oeuvre. He also likes it when the spectator sees a bit of Jean Michel Basquiat in the street art and cartoonish distortions he makes of his characters as well as the symbol packed background. Many of his paintings use acrylic and are finished off with pastel, bringing to mind children’s drawings. This is amplified by his vivid feel for color. A touch of hope underlines most of Diab’s works, although his latest series is conspicuously more morbid. “Where is the hope in this series?” I ask. “It is in the man and woman screaming,” Diab says. THE U.S. KING AND I He admits that the series reflects a profound investigation into global political concerns and hence is darker than his previous efforts. “This series aims to show and scream things the way they are. There is a Western, particularly American, policy that has turned us to machines, making our lives about going to work, returning home, grabbing a bite, and turning on the TV and watching reality TV shows and wondering who will love who. But one’s imagination goes far beyond that.” Diab says the U.S. wants both the American and Arab community to remain narrow. “The few people controlling global politics and financial power consider the masses beneath them and so present them with certain things that they think befit their minds and then they leave them to sleep, with no horizons, objections, questioning. They have frozen us completely.” Diab wonders for how long people are willing to stay asleep. “It’s high time to wake up.” Perhaps the mobile revolutions across the region are a good answer to Diab’s desperate calls

www.oussamadiabart.com

THE ROYAL ISSUE

cultureclash

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HOSSEIN ALI-ASGARI / MAH ART GALLERY, TEHRAN

24 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Damsel

in distress in pearl white satin Hossein Ali-Asgari follows a princess in rough seas BY MAHA MAJZOUB

omen and their position in society is a recurring theme in Hossein Ali-Asgari’s canvasses. Being an Iranian artist who is based in Tehran, it takes no stretch of the imagination to understand why. What will probably pique your curiosity, however, is all the ladies in white and puffy wedding gowns. Indeed, each of his female subjects has or is about to celebrate her nuptials.

THEIR SADNESS BRINGS TO MIND THE MELANCHOLIC LOOKS OF KONSTANTIN MAKOVSKY’S BRIDES IN “THE RUSSIAN BRIDE’S ATTIRE” AND “THE BOYARS’ WEDDING”.

But the expression “here comes the bride” takes on a whole new meaning in Ali-Asgari’s artwork. There is no blushing bride in sight. His 2010 untitled series of 19 oil paintings depict young wives-to-be with sad eyes and terrified looks – some of them frozen with fear as if scared they are about to be roughed up or deeply concerned about an unsettling future. Their sadness brings to mind the melancholic looks of Konstantin Makovsky’s brides in “The Russian Bride’s Attire” and “The Boyars’ Wedding”.

No fairytale wedding

But in Ali-Asgari’s world, the brides are all the more terrified, some of them lying flat on the floor motionless, as if on the verge of death, while in others cases, their death is confirmed. We know the causes of death in some cases; Ali-Asgari gives us the impression in a few pieces that the bride has taken her own life and is left to her own bidding. She, and perhaps with a fellow bride friend of hers, is suspended on a thin brown chord looking lifeless. At other instances, we find a man at her side, either mocking her death or lamenting it. In a more a graphic scene, Ali-Asgari shows us the bride being laid to rest –

in that case we don’t know the exact cause of death – but we see a man shoveling sand after the funeral service. Two girls in traditional post Islamic Revolution Iranian attire walk by – one is covering the other’s eyes to stop her from seeing the horrific sight. There are cases when the bride is neither dead nor alive – she looks more like an inflated doll in a beautiful, lacy dress, clutching a yellow bouquet of flowers. The man carrying her is presumably her husband who is looking rather smug, literally holding her as though she is his possession, akin to an expensive piece of furniture. “[…] A bride is associated with newness and virginity,” writes AliAsgari about his fascination with the bride theme in his artist statement, “and this signifies the situation of women in modern times, which is a new and contentious issue.” A bride, he adds, signifies a happening, that is, a gstage of life, which happens just for one time and leads her into a new phase of social life. His latest series and the series preceding that in 2009 both concentrated on women put against society. “Society means all social challenges and phenomena,” he explains.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HOSSEIN ALI-ASGARI / MAH ART GALLERY, TEHRAN

26 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

The princess strikes back

His ladies do not always give in to social pressures and the marriage institution. There are traces of rebellion in his runaway bride who foresees the outcomes of the doomed marriage and decides to flee on the spot, ahead of her burial, which is taking place in the background. Submissive and pessimistic at times and defiant and optimistic at others, the works, which hung last fall at the Mah Art Gallery in the Iranian capital, are “an invitation or request for rebellion, to force the viewer to think about the existing situation,” Ali-Asgari says. The women are shown horizontally, he adds, “as if they are in a cocoon. They are waiting for a change and express their dissatisfaction with the existing situation.” The 34-year-old artist is touching on a thorny issue that is both specific to the Persian state and universal – clearly, from the clothing of his male and female characters, Ali-Asgari is highlighting the Iranian experience. The presence of men in his pictures is one of the contrasting elements in his works. The male presence “signifies the dominant thoughts in society, which in turn defines the presence of women,” according to Ali-Asgari.

“Men have a vertical structure in the composition of the pictures, so that they have a transitory nature; and this is in contrast with the horizontal movement of women, which seems fixed to some extent,” he says. The male character is by no means the bad guy in AliAsgari’s context. “These men are neither good nor bad,” he stresses, repeating that “they signify the dominant way of thinking in society. They form the status of women, and their unstable position is a definition of the situation women are in.” He says the figures and objects in his works are based on a kind of visual semiotics, the functions of the body, and social psychoanalysis and they produce a tragic atmosphere. “And to understand this meaning, besides the external forms of a picture, we should look for it in visual relations such as composition, proportions, light and shade, and colors.” The art of Ali-Asgari, who is also a sculptor, attempts to put the observer in a situation to perceive other aspects of social relations through this medium. He admits that as an artist he has a socially bitter sense of humor. “I feel responsible for my art and society and look at my art as my duty.”

A skin-deep problem

But his commitment to his art is offset by the tough constraints set by his environment. “The biggest challenge before Iranian visual artists is the limitation on showing human organs, which is forbidden in Islamic law, and this leads to a kind of self-censorship,” Ali-Asgari says. “Apart from that, any topic or image is forbidden if it is in opposition to the regime or religious dogmas.” And like many contemporary artists in this region, he cannot solely depend on painting as a sure source of income. “However, while I am working, I just think about the creation of my work,” he asserts. “What really matters for me in the future is to continue my artistic works under any circumstances,” he goes on to say, “and, if possible, I would like to travel to a country with a quiet and more appropriate atmosphere to carry on with my art.” This comes at a time when the world, particularly the Arab region, appears like a nurturing ground for Iranian art, viewing it as a springboard for cultural exchange. “I believe the Arab region’s interest in Iranian art has surged because of our common cultural and religious elements, which provide a space for mutual understanding. Another reason is Iranian artists’ creativity in visual arts, which has a universal quality,” he argues. “And there are other factors such as the political situation of Iran among Muslim countries.”

“THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEFORE IRANIAN VISUAL ARTISTS IS THE LIMITATION ON SHOWING HUMAN ORGANS, WHICH IS FORBIDDEN IN ISLAMIC LAW, AND THIS LEADS TO A KIND OF SELFCENSORSHIP,” PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HOSSEIN ALI-ASGARI / MAH ART GALLERY, TEHRAN

www.mahartgallery.com

THE ROYAL ISSUE

cultureclash

ROYAL Inquisition BY AMAL CHAABAN

Bestselling Medical Thrillers “McClure writes the sort of medical thrillers which are just too close to plausibility for comfort.” - Birminham Post

KEN MCCLURE WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, AND STARTED HIS SCIENTIFIC CAREER BY TRAINING AS A MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIAN AT THE EDINBURGH CITY HOSPITAL. HE EMBARKED ON A COURSE OF STUDY THAT WAS TO CULMINATE IN DOING A PHD AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY AS AN EXTERNAL POSTGRADUATE STUDENT OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY. A PAPER BASED ON HIS THESIS WAS TO WIN HIM THE DIFCO TRIENNIAL PRIZE FOR RESEARCH IN MICROBIOLOGY IN 1980. HIS SPECIALIST FIELD WAS THE GENETICS OF CELL DIVISION IN BACTERIA, PARTICULARLY E. COLI. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WORK HE WAS TO DISCOVER A NEW CELL DIVISION GENE WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY NAMED AFTER HIM. THE FIRST MCCLURE BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED, PESTILENCE, REACHED OVER A MILLION READERS AND TODAY HIS BOOKS - OVER TWENTY IN NUMBER - ARE AVAILABLE IN OVER TWENTY LANGUAGES ACROSS THE WORLD.

28 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

“McClure’s intelligence and familiarity with microbiology enables him to make accurate predictions. Using his knowledge, he is deciding what could happen, then showing how it might happen... It is McClure’s creative interpretation of the material that makes his books so interesting.” - The Guardian

Ken McClure speaks to Amal Chaaban exclusively for RAGMAG. In “The Gulf Conspiracy”, you talk a lot about Gulf War Syndrome and chemical weapons. Is there any embellishment to add to the story or were there really that many chemical weapons used?

I don’t think there was much embellishment. This was the story that gave me so much difficulty and hardship investigating that at the end of it, I never wanted to do that kind of book again. That’s the reason I wrote “Past Lives” or brought it back into existence. I had such a hard time trying to get through the Ministry of Defense trying to get to the facts of the matter. I didn’t want to become a campaigner on behalf of the victims of Gulf War Syndrome, it sort of happened that

way. I still believed that the vaccines were responsible for the problem and in fact that is how it turned out; that the vaccines were the cause of the problem. Of course, this attracted some attention at the time because although it was a thriller, the messages were getting through in the thriller. I hoped that people would take that from it. Do you believe that government operates with impunity the way you sometimes portray them?

Yes I do. I just think that you have to be as hard and as ruthless as the opposition. You know we like to believe stories when we are very young about the little chap that takes on the

bully in the playground and triumphs; unfortunately, this never happens. It is impossible to play the good guy and win. You have to be as hard and equally as ruthless as the opposition. In 2 of the novels you have written, there are quasi-governments operating within governments. How much of that do you think happens?

I feel it maybe more common than we think or certainly would like. I think there are factions within factions all the time that will have more power as the political winds shift. I think it can be quite worrying. Even right now, we have a right wing government in the UK Her Majesty’s Government is portrayed as duplicitous and inept by turns. Why?

I suppose because I think they are inept and duplicitous. That is the answer I am afraid. I believe that they are just that and worse than that. We have hypocrisy as another layer. They always pretend they are doing something for another reason and the hypocrisy annoys me as much as the ineptness and duplicity I think.

‘

“Deception” talks about Genetically Modified Food and Crops but was published before it became the topic du jour. At the time you wrote it, did you think that GMF would become such a hot topic?

Yes, I did. I think that people were losing their faith in what scientists were saying. There was a mounting sort of general distrust of anything government and what scientists were saying so I thought anything genetically modified was going to have a really hard time. This proved to be the case. I think the fear of the science is completely unfounded but I mean that is the fact of the matter.

to offend someone and it’s not the apparent target you are offending. It is this mass of people who take offense on someone else’s behalf. “Wild Card” has a corporation trying to cover up a mistake so serious, it is deadly. Do you think bio-firms and pharmaceutical companies do that? Do you think they use humans as guinea pigs and then try to cover if something goes wrong?

In “Wild Card”, you say “somewhere along the line commonsense had been replaced by political correctness ….” And “…the stupid and ill-informed were now inheriting the earth”. Do you think that is true of today?

I think that that would be the human nature thing to do particularly where vast amounts of money are concerned. I think it must be so difficult to do the right thing and say “we have made a terrible mistake, we are dreadfully sorry and we are going to try and put things right”. I mean, how often have we heard that from either government or big business? We don’t. They will try every other possible avenue before doing the right thing.

That is what I absolutely believe. I am just so fed up, we are absolutely strangled with political correctness in this country and it’s gotten so that we have to think before we say anything because you know you are going

Do you think Her Majesty’s Government or any other government sometimes act for what that is for the “greater good” only to have disastrous consequences?

I didn’t want to become a campaigner on behalf of the victims of Gulf War Syndrome, it sort of happened that way. I still believed that the vaccines were responsible for the problem and in fact that is how it turned out

‘ THE ROYAL ISSUE

‘

there is a terrible temptation in science to do things for purely scientific reasons without actually considering other things. I think that probably was the case with the resurrection of the 1918 flu virus.

‘

I suspect that all governments are like that. I think that to act any other way would be construed as a weakness. They may not start off that way but once they get into positions in power in government that is forced upon them. In “The Lazarus Strain”, Dunbar talks about how science and ethos and morality have not quite caught up to each other. What do you think about that?

Yes, I suppose that is a reasonable thing to think. I think being in government must mean you have to consider all the options and all the consequences of their actions. I suppose even with the best will, you would go for the one that causes the least damage and act accordingly. The cover of “The Lazarus Strain” has a line on it that says “Do you believe everything you’re told”. Is that a bit of a hint to the general public that perhaps they need to be using their critical thinking skills more?

Yes, that is what that is meant. The public should be questioning what they hear and see.

30 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

A lot of your characters are faced with moral dilemmas in that they know something but can’t reveal it because it may be an official secret. How do you feel about whistleblowers?

Oh dear, I suppose I am a bit ambivalent. In a few cases I admire them and their courage but in most cases I like to think that I wouldn’t do that. It is very difficult, depends on the case in hand. Whether you are doing the right thing; it is very difficult and I can’t give you a definitive answer. Most of the government scenes have characters who think that the end justifies the means. Do you that Her Majesty’s Government is like that?

Yeah, I think there is a terrible temptation in science to do things for purely scientific reasons without actually considering other things. I think that probably was the case with the resurrection of the 1918 flu virus. I think scientists, although they profess to be doing it to get more information, I think they wanted to try and do it to see if they could do it. It is almost akin to creating life in a test-tube because they are bringing it back to life. I think that the scientific reason for doing things is the number one reason, but then they come up with a more socially acceptable reason. Science has absolutely no conscience at all; science is psychopathic. You just go on and find out more and more and more without really thinking about the repercussions of what you are doing

A plausible scientific thriller... McClure is a rival for Michael Crichton. Gripping. (The Gulf Conspiracy) Peterborough Evening Telegraph

It is intensely factual and that is why the fiction he writes is so horrifying. Manchester Evening News

Ken McClure explains contagious illness in everyday language that makes you hold your breath in case you catch them. His forte is to take an outside-chance medical possibility, decide on the worst possible outcome… and write a book. - The Scotsman

Ken McClure . . .looks set to join the Alist at the top of the medical thriller field - The Glasgow Herald

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THE ROYAL ISSUE

man’s home a

is his

CASTLE 5 APARTMENTS, 11 DAYS BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

he bed is short and squat, and rests against a red coloured wall. In the next room, an air conditioner and dehumidifier work quietly and efficiently, offering a comfortable respite from the dust and heat on the street. A chalkboard reading “Bienvenue vers Beyrouth” hangs in the kitchen, just behind a rustic table. Our first apartment is small, tidy, and centrally located in an upper middle class Christian neighborhood, only a ten minute walk from downtown. On June 22nd, Eric and I left New York City for Beirut, Lebanon. We had agreed to travel to the Middle East for two months, and take a chance at writing. I was to write for a local newspaper while he would have time to explore. Contacts of mine living in Beirut assured me that any accommodations, even during the summer tourist season, would not exceed $1000. For that amount we imagined ourselves in a private apartment located in a decent neighbourhood. We had expected to sleep in a comfortable bed, drink coffee on a terrace with a view, use highspeed internet, all within the comfort of an air-conditioned home. Instead, we became practiced at packing our bags; living in five different apartments in two weeks.

34 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

For two months I engaged in a frantic search, scouring Craigslist Beirut and Arabic/English rental sites online. The search came down to the wire, and during our layover in London, we finally procured a place to stay. A friend at the newspaper had recommended a woman who rented flats to foreigners. Luckily there was availability, and waves of relief washed over us both. We were allowed three nights, and enjoyed the luxury of free coffee, maid service, and a romantic bedroom with red walls and accented throw pillows. But for $80 a night it was a luxury we couldn’t afford, and the lack of internet made it difficult to find a replacement. Thankfully the landlady had a friend with a room available.

We stood before a four-story apartment building on a quiet street. The owner took us inside and showed us what was once his grandmother’s apartment; complete with bullet holes in the dresser, and a glass frame containing 100’s of shells found throughout the building during the 15-year Lebanese Civil War. We were shown to our room, which had two single beds pushed together and plenty of closet space. We made

the decision not to unpack, for our rent of $75 a night would keep us searching for something cheaper. We had at least retained the air-conditioning, and at last, walked out on our first terrace. All was peaceful, save for the intermittent honks from trucks selling fruits and vegetables, as well as the Arabic chants from a nearby mosque. Though we had to share the space with others, it proved to be an amicable situation. We enjoyed the company of our two roommates, one of them our landlord, who gave us the luxury of freshly brewed Arabic coffee in the morning, washed laundry, and rides around town. But the high rents and unavailability bred frustration, and we were forced to undergo a vigorous search. By day we would journey to each neighborhood and peruse the streets for apartment rental signs. Unfortunately, most were posted in Arabic. When we weren’t turned way, we took a look at many over-priced units, most in poor condition. One morning, during Eric’s routine Craigslist search, and our final day in Achrafieh, he came across a listing in Gemmayzeh-Mar Mikhael. The apartment was available for two weeks at $500.

cultureclash

We now had a two week renewal to find our dream apartment. But our current arrangement was less than desirable. Along with a sluggish and unreliable internet connection we went without AC, and since the apartment was not equipped with a generator, we became painfully aware of the daily power cuts for three hours. Our bedroom did not include a closet, and a piece of foam sitting on a pallet served as our bed. We suffered through some cold showers, and kept a lookout for cockroaches floating in our toilet. From our fifth floor balcony, we looked to the junkyard below. It sat next to a busy highway and was littered with rusted buses and decaying mechanical equipment. Nearby drilling, loud mufflers, and screeching car breaks filled our ears while the cranes of Beirut’s port blocked our view of the Mediterranean Sea. Two days into our stay, and surviving a week in the unsettling city, I received a startling offer from a friend in New York. “My uncle just renovated his new apartment,” she said, “how does $600/ month sound?” We packed up, and once again headed to the streets. Stepping into a clean, newly renovated

apartment with marble floors was a bit surreal. We marvelled at the new kitchen appliances and king size bed, as well as the giant wardrobe units for our clothes, not to mention an ironing board! This was it we thought, as we gleefully unpacked. It never occurred to us our water would be brown. As we used our sink, tub and toilet the smell of metal began to permeate the air. We learned from our roommate that the filter in the water tank was damaged, and that it would soon be repaired. “Water running through pipes underneath the gas station mixed with diesel,” our landlord told us, “It will be fixed in two or three days.”

We were once again slave to the daily power cuts, so making morning coffee needed more planning than usual. Jackhammers across the street were active nonstop, interrupting what peace of mind we managed to preserve. We took walks around the neighborhood, but diesel exhaust fumes stunk up our shirts. After several days of waiting, we decided to move on.

We learned a room was available at Zico House, a hostel for international students and artists, and soon we were walking up its front steps lined with tropical trees. Beyond the side gate, the pleasant sound of birds welcomed us into a courtyard filled with plastic tables and chairs. The yellow, 4-story villa had large open windows and small terraces on each floor. Our new address seemed agreeable enough, but we became acquainted with the unpleasantness of communal living: dirty dishes in the sink, a filthy bathroom overwhelmed with grime and strands of hair, and floors so dirty you dared not walk barefoot. Other concerns were the power outlets, which sent sparks into the air upon usage, and the showers, which carried an electric current along with the water. Our bedroom resembled a dollhouse, with pink, chipping walls. Cute as it may have been, it offered little comfort; for the shutters could not keep out the cacophony of blaring car horns, revving engines, and deafening mufflers from the street below. However, they were efficient at keeping in the stifling heat. Our next move came unexpectedly. We were escorted to a storage space on the first floor, with no windows, doors, or furniture. Our new room came with a stack of boxes and two foam mattresses sitting on the floor. Eric and I sadly smiled as our luggage fell from our hands. Our apartment woes had sapped our strength, and we resigned ourselves to the conditions. We slid the two single mattresses together, and laid down upon them to test their comfort. We looked at each other once again and smiled. “Bienvenue vers Beyrouth” said Eric. Welcome to Beirut indeed

OUR NEW ROOM CAME WITH A STACK OF BOXES AND TWO FOAM MATTRESSES SITTING ON THE FLOOR. THE ROYAL ISSUE

the loneliest

KING of the JUNGLE BY GINA GABRIEL EL-FADY

The place had a horrible stench to it and it felt very lonely. This really was my FML, but not in the way the RAGMAG team had planned.

like animals, just as much as the next person. I love dogs, I can tolerate cats. I refuse to eat baby birds and I am totally against fox hunting. But wouldn’t you say spending a morning with a lion is taking it to the extreme? Wouldn’t you? Editor’s Note Well, maybe hanging out with a lion seems a little over the top, but *ahem* Gina I did swallow a toxic chemical and blow fire last issue?

I thought my FML days were over with paragliding. I thought that I could sit back, watch and squirm at another person freaking out at the thought of facing their fear and screaming FML. That makes Bad Gina so happy! How could you Fida? How could you put me through sleepless nights just tossing and turning with never ending nightmares? Did you seriously expect me to meet a lion and live to tell the tale?

36 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

No matter how fascinating you all tried to make it sound (that includes Sarah Hourany, Maria Elena Kassab, and Stephanie Aoun) to me it only sounded like a death sentence. Editor’s Note If it sounds like Bad Gina is lashing out at our contributors (Sarah, Maria Elena and Stephanie) it’s because they all sent out encouraging and funny emails the week before the big meet and greet. Sarah actually sent a 10 MB video of the Lion King movie, how’s that for excitement?

The initial plan was to go to the zoo, interact with the lion and get photographed by Odette who thought, “Yey, how wonderful!” until she realized that it would be just as much her FML as mine. What seemed like a great photo shoot opportunity to Odette quickly turned into anxiety as she and I schemed for ways to talk Fida out of the whole thing.

Editor’s Note She’s not exaggerating. Odette called me in a panic the day before with a prepared list of at least ten reasons why she and Gina could not and would not get near the lion. I was having the time of my life listening to Odette’s speech in which she alternated between screaming and pleading.

FML [f*ck my life]

They were in cages that gave them hardly any space to move in. The king of the jungle was so depressed; he couldn’t be bothered to raise his head from his paws.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTIAN HARB

Happy to say, it didn’t really turn out the way it had been scripted. We were not allowed to mingle with the royals. Upon arriving we’re told that Prince, the zoo’s lion, is not the most social fellow, and I won’t be able to get upclose and personal with the king of the jungle. The caretaker saved the day! Is it a major cliché that the lion’s name is Prince? And he’s in our Royal issue? The alternative was for me to interact with some of the animals, get a feel of them and feed them. I am going to let you on a little secret of mine, my nerves were not calm and I was nowhere near my comfort zone. As easy as it is to most 3 year olds out there, like little Anais in the images, what I was being asked to do just freaked me out completely. It makes paragliding off that mountain (my last FML stunt) feel like a walk in the park. I was given leaves and carrots to feed the animals and I couldn’t help but

feel sorry for them and think that there should be more to this. The place had a horrible stench to it and it felt very lonely. This really was my FML, but not in the way the RAGMAG team had planned. I heard Charlie the chimpanzee shrieking at the top of his voice. It turns out that this is his way of demanding juice. Out of curiosity, knowing full well that I probably shouldn’t have, I tossed it to him as instructed, thinking that he was going to rip it to pieces. Imagine our surprise when he took the straw, expertly inserted it and began drinking the juice! Little Anais, my partner in this Animal Kingdom adventure, had so much fun. I tried to live her happy experience by watching her feed the animals with no fright or care. I couldn’t help but wonder if she would take an image of sadness back with her or maybe she’s too young to know the difference?

A zoo is a place to spend time appreciating God’s nature on earth, whereby a lot of the animals are brought away from their natural habitat into a foreign environment. Wouldn’t you say that the least the animals can be offered is respect and a healthy home? I am sad to say that my FML depressed me. Though I am still not fund of interacting with bears and baboons, I feel sorry to see that these living species are not being treated with kindness. The animals were all very thin and had a sad look in their eyes. They munched on what I gave them with no hesitation and definitely no excitement. They were in cages that had hardly any space to move in. The king of the jungle was so depressed; he couldn’t be bothered to raise his head from his paws. I don’t think this kingdom ends in happily ever after, no matter what the fairy tales say

Editor’s Note Gina is right. The zoo turned out to be more than an FML stunt to amuse our readers. I decided against editing this out because I think it is important to consider the results of holding animals in captivity.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

cultureclash

HAYDA LEBNEN’s To2borné Ya Mama BY SARAH HOURANY

he wakes up very early each morning, prepares his breakfast then wakes him up by gently kissing his delicate cheek. If he is sick, she won’t sleep until the fever is gone. She never tires of her 24/7 underpaid job, and she never complains about her endless laundry, cooking and cleaning… And with an infectious smile, showers him with great attention, love and tenderness. The prince is the beloved center of the entire kingdom. You guessed it, she’s a mom, but he is not even close to being a baby! The poor woman is suffering from Lebanese Mama Syndrome (LMS), a disorder affecting 70% of Lebanese mothers who give birth to boys. LMS is often associated with dissociation from reality when evaluating the age of their sons, treating them as babies even when they are in their late 30s.

Many of you, mom readers, feel reassured now, knowing you are not alone in this peculiar condition, but actually joining the thousands of Lebanese women who also feel that their son (1.90cm, 100Kg) is still a very cute and angelic baby boy! Read on for RAGMAG’s list of LMS symptoms and some treatment alternatives. So pay attention, and you too can be cured! Diagnostic Symptoms of Lebanese Mama Syndrome (LMS) 1. Replacing the son’s first name with the word “Yo2borné”. 2. Obsessive tendency to call Yo2borné every hour to check if he’s eaten and rested.

3. Correlation between her bedtime and Yo2borné’s even if this means going to sleep at 6am (when he gets back home after a wild party), or not sleeping at all.

4. Underestimation of every girl Yo2borné dates, beginning with her looks (even if she looks like Megan Fox) to her level of intelligence (even if she is a PhD candidate or a CEO of a reputable company).

5. Unfounded suspicions that Yo2borné’s wife is not feeding him. (Even if he has developed a big Kerech since he got married) 6. Irrational feeling of anxiety if Yo2borné is 10 minutes late, accompanied by dramatic imaginings of potential accident scenarios. 7. Intense and spontaneous outbursts of weeping in the following situations: • When Yo2borné catches the flu (even if his 5 sisters are sick as well).

38 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

• If Yo2borné travels for a few short days (even if this is the case every month, and has been the case for the past 5 years).

8. Unexplained competitive behavior

with his girlfriend or wife in the following fields: cooking, washing, ironing and cleaning.

9. Deep belief that human beings can

reproduce themselves without a partner. (This symptom usually manifests after Yo2borné begins having cute children of his own who only have HIS geneschu nsito enno l 2ered bi 3eyn 2emmo ghazel?)

10. Permanent attempts to please Yo2borné and create a perfect world for him, ignoring the rest of the family, and normally associating “Yes” as a chronic answer to all of his demands. Potential Treatment for sufferers of LMS We all know 2enno 2ebnik ma fi menno, and he’s special and unique… just like everyone else! If you don’t take action immediately, he’ll grow up to be spoiled brat, and see himself as the center of the world. (Yes, your future daughter in law will have you to thank for all the damaging consequences this implies.) What to do? Cut the umbilical cord! Yes, he’ll survive, just like he would’ve survived if you had cut it 30 years ago! Why the sad face? You think if you change he’ll love you less? You are the queen of the castle, and the little prince won’t forget. Don’t worry Mama, even if you won’t be holding your baby’s hand anymore, you’ll be in his little heart forever… after all, lawléké ma kén howe, ma kénit hiye, ma kenna nahna w ma ken Hayda Lebnen, ya 2albé inté, w ya 3ayné!

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mon amour, mon ami

Make Your Mother’s Day BY MARIA ELENA KASSAB

BECAUSE SHE’S THE ONE. THE ONE THAT CARRIED YOU IN THE BELLY FOR NINE MONTHS (AND HAD TO PUSH YOU OUT, EVENTUALLY) AND THEN JOKINGLY BLAMED YOU FOR ALL THE EXTRA WEIGHT SHE COULDN’T SHED; THAT BEAMED WITH PRIDE, LOVE AND SHEER EXHAUSTION WHEN SHE HELD YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME; THAT STILL FEELS THE SAME OVERWHELMING LOVE WHEN SHE LOOKS AT YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY.

t’s finally here! Spring! The season of rebirth, nature, annoying little birds and flowers everywhere! But before you celebrate the arrival of this long-awaited fragrant season, take a minute to remember that you’re alive and celebrating because of one woman (well, a woman and a man, but this ain’t your day, Dad). Whether you call her Mom, Mommy, Mama or Squishy, whether you have a smooth relationship with her or spend your days yelling at her on the phone, your mother is an amazing woman –she put up with you for all those years, didn’t she? So instead of forgetting about Mother’s Day (again) and buying her a sad wilting flower in the evening with barely a smooch and an “I love you”, make this Mother’s Day special for her. Why, you ask? Because she’s the one. The one that carried you in the belly for nine months (and had to push you out, eventually) and then jokingly blamed

40 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

you for all the extra weight she couldn’t shed; that beamed with pride, love and sheer exhaustion when she held you for the first time; that still feels the same overwhelming love when she looks at you every single day; that positively glowed when your first word was “mama” but had to watch you become a daddy’s girl; that explained the birds and the bees to you –yes, cringe all you want at that particular memory, but imagine having that talk with daddy dearest… The one that sacrificed the money she was saving to buy a new pair of shoes to buy you that pair of roller blades that you just HAD to have, but never used; that stayed up late to mend your clothes instead of sleeping her exhaustion off; that stopped living her own life so that you could live yours. That yelled at you for listening to “that crap you call music” way too loud, then watched TV with the volume so high, the neighbor’s ears bled; that has the

nerve to tell you to tidy up your room even though hers looks like a hurricane hit. That dried your tears when the mean kids at school gave you a hard time and explained that they were just jealous; that tickled you till you weren’t sad anymore; that taught you that tough love is sometimes necessary –I still fear the wooden spoon! That borrows money from you and then gives it back with an interest rate of 200%; that cowers in the back seat, white as a sheet, every time you drive her somewhere because you’re a little kid with a toy car, in her mind. That you can’t help but fight with every single day because your personalities are so much alike –oh, shush, you know you love it; that people compare the two of you, and though you may grumble, you think that’s the best compliment in the world. That memorized Disney songs instead of watching her soap operas; that still waits up for you when you’re out

with your friends, even though you’re an adult and have your own car; that chauffeur-ed you around every single Saturday, from dance class to birthday parties, from shopping sprees to sleepovers. That still checks up on you in the middle of the night because she knows you’re afraid of thunder; that tells you to take a jacket even though it’s 26 degrees outside; that packs surprise snacks in your purse when she knows you’ve got a rough day lined up; that stopped cooking her favorite food because you didn’t like it. That spends all her shopping money on her well-earned vacation to Paris buying you stuff; that tells everyone about your stellar grades and amazing skills; that cried when you graduated from preschool, high school and college; who will defend you against anyone, even if it means getting into fights with her friends. That you cannot stand, but cannot live without; that you miss most when

you’re travelling; that moans and groans and nags when you ask for a hug, but gives it to you anyway. She manages to simultaneously be an angel, a devil and everything in between. She’s as good as it can get and as bad as it can go. She’s your favorite person in the world one morning, and can become the most hated person on your people-I-can’tstand list in the afternoon. She’s the most special, beautiful, amazing woman in the world –and the most annoying, terrible and terrifying person at the same time. She can be super-stringent when it comes to your dating life, but as soon as she sees you like someone, she’ll help you convince your dad and choose presents and outfits. She’ll be the one to welcome you with a hug and some chocolate when you get your heart broken, and she’ll tell you that she never really liked the guy anyway –even if she thought he was perfect for you. She’s sometimes all extremes, and sometimes as mellow as people can be. Sure, she’ll take it out on you when she’s stressed out (or menopausal) and you’ll hate her for it, but remember that you gave her HELL during your teenage years. Sure, she might call you rude and ungrateful sometimes, but hey, she might be right. Sure, she’ll tell you that she wants nothing on Mother’s Day, that you’re the best present anyone could ask for; but this year, make it special. Flowers are beautiful, chocolate is welcome, a generic present is still a present, but put some thought into it! Handmade presents, a letter, something she needs and wants but doesn’t buy because you might need the money. Your mother is the most special human being on this planet. End every phone conversation between you two by “I love you” and greet her with a kiss every day. An occasional Thank You would be great, too. That’s all a mother wants, according to my mom –whom I love more than life itself

SHE’LL BE THE ONE TO WELCOME YOU WITH A HUG AND SOME CHOCOLATE WHEN YOU GET YOUR HEART BROKEN, AND SHE’LL TELL YOU THAT SHE NEVER REALLY LIKED THE GUY ANYWAY –EVEN IF SHE THOUGHT HE WAS PERFECT FOR YOU.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

mon amour, mon ami

BLOWN TO

KINGDOM

COME FAMILY DYNAMICS +

YOUR RELATIONSHIP THIS ISSUE FOR OUR MON AMOUR MON AMI SECTION, WE’VE DEVOTED THE RELATIONSHIP FOCUS TO FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS. RAGMAG TAKES A LOOK AT THE POSSIBLE SCENARIOS OF DISCORDIA BETWEEN YOU, YOUR PARTNER, AND YOUR FAMILIES AND HOW IT CAN TAKE A TOLL ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP. WHEN CAMELOT IS A MESS, KING ARTHUR AND THE ROUND TABLE AREN’T THE STUFF FAIRYTALES ARE MADE OF ANYMORE. KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE GUINEVERE, WE’RE HERE TO TRY AND HELP YOU RESTORE ORDER IN THE KINGDOM.

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THE QUEEN MUM Yes, it is Mother’s Day, and no we don’t think this is the wrong time to bring this up. This is the perfect time to bring this up, especially since either your mother or his is the source of trouble. The queen mum can make or break a relationship, if you let her. You passed all the initial tests and her parents begrudgingly accepted you into the fold? Or his parents loved you and welcomed you with open arms? Regardless of how it happened, the fact of the matter is that your mother in law is now making your life miserable. You can’t please her, have nothing in common, and have to suffer through family events with her. She has a nasty tongue and manages to lash out at you at exactly the wrong time, or so you think. In this case, there are two possible scenarios 1. You are hypersensitive and this is all being blown out of proportion. Why? Because you haven’t gotten along in the past, so now no matter what she says or does, you assume it is negative. Try to take a step back and get a fresh perspective, especially since your partner is telling you she

OPPOSITE PAGE: QUEEN ELIZABETH I

doesn’t mean things the way you are taking them. The joke she makes in front of the whole family may just be really that- a joke. You don’t need to be on the defensive all the time. You’re making everyone tense, your partner included, and they’ve even begun wishing you wouldn’t join them for gatherings. Breathe. As long as you and your partner are sharing lives, you will be sharing family as well. Try to shake off the bad memories of things that happened before and really revamp your attitude, for your sake and your partner’s. You never know, you might find that you’re actually enjoying their company, and so of those barbs are actually funny. 2. The woman really, really doesn’t like you, and she isn’t exactly your favorite person either. There was a point when the two of you were civil, but those days are long gone. It is a struggle to maintain your end of the conversation, and she manages to irritate you at every turn. Your partner is sick of the bickering and he is even sicker of you attacking him privately when you get home for not jumping into the fray or taking your side. Your options here are few and clear, either suck it up and

THE QUEEN MUM CAN MAKE OR BREAK A RELATIONSHIP, IF YOU LET HER. ignore the negative energy, making an appearance when required and steering clear of her in group events or (and we think this is the better option) call a truce. Sit your mother in law down and calmly enumerate the things that are really getting to you. Facing the problem may diffuse some of the tension, and she may begin to understand your side of the argument. If all else fails, and there really is no resolution in sight, then the talk you have to have is with your partner. “I love you but your mother and I don’t see eye to eye,” is a good opener. Make sure your partner understands this is not an ultimatum, but rather a clarification. We hope the first option is the one that works, but we don’t expect you to be a doormat either.

YOU CAN’T PLEASE HER, HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON, AND HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH FAMILY EVENTS WITH HER.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

mon amour, mon ami

WE KNOW YOU FIND HER BROTHER OBNOXIOUS AND SHE KNOWS HE IS OBNOXIOUS.

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THE ROYAL FAMILY

The princes and princesses, her brothers and sisters, are not going anywhere. They are with you for better or worse. You don’t have to really love them, but tolerating them is the bare minimum. You can do better than that. We know you find her brother obnoxious and she knows he is obnoxious. You don’t need to tell her at every available opportunity, just as she doesn`t need to tell you that you cousin is a misogynist. You’re aware of that, and for the sake of household harmony, why don’t you just put a lid on it? When you were a child you mom was fond of telling you that if you had nothing nice to say, it was better to say nothing at all. That was true then and it’s still true now. Keep your comments to yourself. We know that when you are constantly beset with things that annoy you it can become tiring, but did you ever put the shoe on the other foot and imagine how annoying it is to have to hear the same old complaints over and over again? Your partner cannot rectify this situation, or she would have already. No one out there wants a rude sibling, but that’s why they say you can choose your friends since your family is chosen for you.

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE

Your partner has friends. You dislike most of them and find the others boring. Whatever the reasons are, as long as you nag and huff and puff ‘til you blow the house down, you are not being fair. Your partner has a right to a social circle of her own choosing, and this doesn’t mean it has to be people you approve of or even people you like. Your partner has a personality and a mind of her own. She doesn’t particularly enjoy the company of your friends, but you don’t hear her asking you to hang out with so and so instead. When she does “her own thing”, hang out with the friends you don’t like, you throw a royal tantrum. Well, and let’s be honest here, that behaviour qualifies you as a royal brat. How would you like to drop your college buddies just because she found them crude? This is basically what you’re asking her to do, and our advice for you is to simply grow up. Your partner is not your child, and since you are equal, you are both allowed to make your own lifestyle choices, even if the other doesn’t necessarily agree. You choose your friends and she can choose hers and nary a time the two shall meet. RAGMAG KNOWS THERE IS NEVER AN EASY SOLUTION BUT WHAT WE’VE SUGGESTED IS MERELY A GUIDE TO KEEPING YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT. BLOWING YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO KINGDOM COME IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING YOU’RE GOING TO BLAST IT TO BITS. YOU DON’T WANT THAT AND NEITHER DO WE, SO TAKE THE ROYAL PAIN ROUTINE SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN YOUR RELATIONSHIP. TRY YOUR UTMOST BEST, SO YOU CAN LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

THE ROYAL ISSUE

ROO LA LA

THE ROYAL BROUHAHA AH ROYALTY. THE VERY WORD EVOKES IMAGES OF GLITTERING GOWNS, BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY, DASHING PRINCES AND LOVELY PRINCESSES. WHAT TO DO WHEN WE FIND OUT OUR IDOLS HAVE CLAY FEET? RAGMAG TAKES A LOOK AT A FEW MEMBERS OF ROYAL COURTS WHO HAVE TARNISHED THEIR CROWN.

PRINCESS MARGARET THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR It must be a very difficult thing to be the spare and not the heir to the throne. You don’t get any of the attention, you don’t get any special privileges aside from the usual royal stuff, is it any wonder then that Princess Margaret is a walking, talking scandal? This Princess rocked the House of Windsor with her scandalous behaviour in the 60’s and 70’s culminating in the Queen’s court moving to block stories about her that might adversely affect the image of the Crown. Princess Margaret’s first love was deemed unworthy, her second was a cross dresser and her 3rd (and most scandalous) was over a decade younger than she was. As the royals say, “We are not amused”.

PRINCESS MARIAM AL KHALIFA THE ROYAL FAMILY OF BAHRAIN It is like something out of a spectacularly bad romance novel. Pampered Princess meets Loyal Soldier and falls in love. When U.S. Marine Jason Johnson was stationed in Bahrain in 1999, he could never have imagined the odd twists and turns his life was about to take. While stationed overseas, the Marine met Princess Mariam AlKhalifa at a mall and immediately fell in love. After sneaking around for a time and getting caught, the Marine forged papers for Princess Mariam to escape to the US with him. They were married in Vegas and made the rounds of bottom barrel talk shows such as Geraldo. It later came to light that she has since divorced him and is now on the hunt for a rich LA businessman.

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PRINCE BERNHARD OF LIPPE-BIESTERFELD PRINCE CONSORT OF QUEEN JULIANA OF THE NETHERLANDS Though a decorated war hero, Prince Bernhard was one of the most scandalous members of the royal family of the Netherlands. Not content with his reputation as a war hero, he often ventured into other territory as well, sometimes with very poor consequences. The most noted of the scandals is that of Lockheed Aircraft: It was alleged that he accepted a US $1.1 million bribe from U.S. aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Corporation to influence the Dutch government’s purchase of fighter aircraft. An investigation later provided evidence of the same. This scandal coupled with his ties to the SS and two illegitimate children are thought to have caused the abdication of Queen Juliana.

PRINCE HARRY THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR Harry, Harry, Harry. We at RAGMAG are sure that is a refrain heard frequently at Buckingham Palace. This Prince is forever in one mess or another. From being caught on film in a South African Nazi costume (at a colonialism theme party, no less) to photos in inappropriate places, Prince Harry is quickly living up to the reputation of the man he was named after (King Henry the VIIIth - nicknamed Harry). His hard partying coupled with reported drug experimentation led Prince Charles to stage an intervention: Prince Harry was taken to addiction centers so he could see firsthand the results of drug and alcohol abuse. The young Prince’s roving eye has gotten him into trouble more than once with his on-again off-again girlfriend, not to mention made him tabloid fodder. It has also gotten him photographed behaving in a manner that is more boorish than princely. But give the kid a break, even princes get to behave badly once in a while.

METTE-MARIT HOIBY CROWN PRINCESS OF NORWAY When Crown Prince Haakon went to a rock festival in the town of Kristiansand, he couldn’t have predicted meeting his future wife in the melee. When he announced in 2000 that he wanted to marry Mette-Marit Høiby, an unmarried mother whose previous boyfriend had been convicted of drug possession, the reaction was profoundly negative from his subjects. Even liberal Norwegians have their limits, although unwed motherhood is mostly considered normal. It was not until 2005 after a public statement in which she declared deep regret for her past was she really forgiven. Her tearful confession to the nation’s media and the obvious support of the royal family immediately won her the support that had been lacking.

PRINCESS STEPHANIE OF MONACO COUNTESS OF POLIGNAC Born to Prince Ranier and Princess Grace, Princess Stephanie was always indulgently referred to as the “wild child” of the family – that is until she started embarrassing the royal family of Monaco with her antics. After surviving the accident which killed her mother, Stephanie seemed to react poorly by acting out in many a scandalous manner. Her affairs of the heart were well documented by the paparazzi as were her many involvements with “undesirable” people. It is said that there was a point where she would do anything she could to cause embarrassment to her father, the King. Now over 40 years old, Princess Stephanie seems to have calmed down and is content to be a mother to her 3 children and patron of an AIDS charity in Monaco.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

facts The Royal Seal Prince officially changed his name to in 1993. For 7 years he complicated the lives of people worldwide as the hieroglyph was not associated with a known sound. “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” was used instead, even at awards shows with projected in the background. He reverted back to being Prince in the year 2000, and the androgynous has since faded into obscurity. TAFKAP was the acronym often used as the media found “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” difficult to work into speeches and articles. Like this one.

Name that Tune The King of Rock ‘N Roll, Elvis Presley, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, share many similarities. When Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley married Michael, people all over the world restated the belief that women choose men like their fathers. From the love of ornate to furnishings on their ranches (Graceland and Neverland), to prescription drug addiction, these 2 kings had more parallels than we can list.

{1972

The first appearance of Count von Count on Sesame Street. The Count is based on Bella Lugosi’s Count Dracula. A count (AKA comte in France, earl in Britain) is a European title for male nobility. Count von Count became one of the best loved characters on Sesame Street and has arithmomania, an OCD need to count everything in the vicinity. A consort of his, Countess von Backwards, counts everything backwards. There are many complicated underlying themes to Count von Count’s character, who was developed by Norman Stiles.

48 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Check the Label Queen is a way to refer to a homosexual male who flaunts or is excessive about his diva-like behaviour. A drag queen (cross dresser) is a man who dresses in women’s clothing and is not necessarily gay. Many different terms with queen in them exist (a salsa or taco queen is a gay male attracted to Hispanic men) and the usage of queen in gay slang is varied and debated for its level of appropriateness.

2012 {

The year that the Diamond Jubilee of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II will take place. It will celebrate her 60th year as Queen of England and the 7 Commonwealth countries which include Australia, New Zealand and Canada. She is only the second monarch to achieve 60 years on the throne.

Sounds Familiar The longest reigning emperor of China was Kangxi Emperor who ascended the throne at 7 years of age from 1661. For the next 61 years (1722) he ruled during the Qing dynasty. A dynasty is usually used to refer to ruling systems that are members of the same family. (Sort of like the Middle East.)

The number of current Infanta in the Spanish royal family. Infanta is the official way to refer to a Spanish or Portuguese princess. Infanta can also be used to refer to princesses who may not have a claim to the crown. This title can also be gained by marrying an infante, or being grandchildren of the reigning monarch. Infanta Cristina is the most popular of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain’s children, despite being 7th in line for the throne. THE ROYAL ISSUE

RoyalCrest WHY SYMBOLS RULE BY SARAH HOURANY THEY ARE ABLE TO CATALYZE TREMENDOUS CHANGE. THEY ARE JUST OBJECTS, YET THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MOBILIZING THOUSANDS OF HUMAN BEINGS. HAVEN’T YOU EVER WONDERED WHY SYMBOLS CAN SUCCESSFULLY TRIGGER REVOLUTIONS OR STOP THEM? HAVEN’T YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY SYMBOLS INFLUENCE, HYPNOTIZE AND UNIFY A WHOLE COUNTRY? ROYALTY IS CHARACTERIZED BY CRESTS, SEALS, SYMBOLS AND RITUALS. IN THIS ISSUE, RAGMAG UNCOVERS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS OF SYMBOLS AND HELPS YOU TO LOOK FURTHER INTO WHY YOU PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE CROWN, THE FLAG AND EVEN YOUR LOCAL SPORTS TEAM.

ABOVE: DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE OF LAGASH, THE OLDEST ROYAL CREST IN THE WORLD.

NATIONAL SYMBOLS SERVE AS A MAJOR TOOL TO BOOST NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION Us vs. Them Symbols constitute a representation of individuals across time that aim to illustrate a brighter future or crystallize their past into a historical entity that can be “glorified, romanticized, and mythologized”. By representing something as a transcendent psychological entity, it provides people with a larger perspective of importance and also reduces anxiety. Simply put: It replaces one’s existence and mortality with a wider meaning and purpose, allegiance to a greater and more noble ideology than one’s self. Theories confirm that symbols accentuate people’s identification as members of the represented group. The symbols drive members to form a significant part of their identity from the awareness that they belong to these groups. Increasingly people view their

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Wave Your Flag group, “the in-group”, as different from any external group, the “outgroup”, and adopt biased attitudes and behavior. National symbols serve as a major tool to boost national identification. Firstly, by representing a group, the symbol creates an identity for its members. Secondly, the concrete symbol gives each individual a tangible representation of the group rather than just an ideology. Thirdly, symbols improve in-group identification and extend social identity goals upping member’s self-esteem and their potential to identify between in-groups and out-groups. Symbols also represent the group as a whole, communicating “groupness” and increase feelings of security and the feeling of belonging.

Why do people die to defend their flags? Why all the rage during flag burning demonstrations? Flags are one of the crucial symbols that work to unite people by creating a psychological feeling of solidarity between them mainly by activating key emotional dispositions related to social bonding, dominance as well as cooperative defense. Durkheim considers the flag to be a modernized version of the sacred emblems known as totems, arousing magical wonderment and surpassing their quality as an object. Treated as a living and breathing entity that should be cared for and adored, the flag as a totem is a powerful control tool. Lifting a flag is a meaningful gesture that is universally understood: Placing it above conveys power and the

mind, body + soul

way it is displayed suggests respect and submission. This is not just part of protocol in modern society, it has always triggered feelings of subordination. Raising flags can mean victory while a falling flag can mean defeat. Chinese flags were planted upon the walls of captured cities. The country’s royal flag was identical to the emperor himself and treated as though it had all the attributes of royalty: No one was permitted to touch the flag bearer! In Ancient India, flags were displayed on chariots and elephants and were the first thing to be attacked during wars, since its fall triggered immediate confusion if not defeat. Other sociologists insist on the importance of the shedding of blood in increasing the flag’s supremacy. When martyrs sacrifice their lives for their

country, flags begin to represent not only the community but the power of death, unification and devotion that should be shown towards it. The flag begins to represent bravery, heroic return, and magical protection. The swastika flag of Hitler’s Nazi Germany is the extreme successful case of using symbols to mobilize masses. By manipulating several cultural elements, the Nazi intelligentsia successfully made this symbol easily diffused. One of the dramatic celebrations of the swastika flag is the infamous “Bloodflag”, the flag that literally held bloodstains from Nazi martyrs. During this celebration, Hitler placed each unit’s flag in direct contact with the Bloodflag to intensify both the importance of the swastika flag and martyrdom at the same time.

Game Playing The use and effects of symbols are not only restricted to politics. Sports fanatics whose entire wardrobes consist of team logo caps, jerseys and T-shirts, confirm again the human need to belong to a community. Influenced by the team logo, the avid fan identifies with a team and other followers of their team. Psychologists confirm that the fan experiences the same hormonal surges the player feels when playing! This loyalty to a team can become dangerous when feelings of “us vs. them” are intensified or when the symbols of a team outweigh the unification of the country itself. Think of the legendary rivalry between Millwall and West Ham in England, whose violence was depicted in the film “Green Street Hooligans”, or the historical competition between the Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina. Worse, think of how Barcelona Captain Carles Puyol proudly waved the Catalunyan flag rather than his country’s after Spain’s World Cup victory! Symbols, whether religious, national or hobby oriented, endorse the “one for all, all for one” slogan, but beware, a symbol is an easy way to pitch all against all!

LEFT: TIBETANS BURNING THE CHINESE FLAG.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

The

KING’s SPEECH

WHEN WORDS ESCAPE YOU BY IMOGEN KIMBER

In the spotlight On screen, stuttering has at best been a comic foil, at worse an attribute of a psychopathic murderer. Much to the relief of many people who stutter there is finally a light in the tunnel of misrepresentation and prejudice, thanks to the sensitive and accurate portrayal of stuttering in blockbuster film The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter. Colin Firth plays King George VI, known as Bertie, the King of England in World War II. A lifelong stutterer, we watch as King George VI works to overcome his stutter and deliver a speech to the whole of England. The King’s Speech has 12 Oscar nominations. The methods vary from today, but essentially the film shows the anguish faced when someone simply can’t express themselves.

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t the age of twenty Norbert Lieckfeldt recognized that he had a condition that was so severe it was affecting almost all areas of his life. Living in London at the time he couldn’t get a job and was becoming depressed. The condition that he had was stuttering. Stuttering is the butt of many a joke. Even when it isn’t, it certainly isn’t something that we take the time to consider as a serious, even debilitating, problem.

MAKING A CHANGE

Norbert needed to change his life so he found a speech therapist. Until this point his condition hadn’t even been recognized by his family, “which is quite common, I think,” he mused. Norbert’s speech has a soft stutter that comes out occasionally as he speaks, but largely he can speak quite fluently. He certainly manages to paint a clear picture of the life of a stutterer - as Head of the British Stammering Association he should be able to. (The words stammering and stuttering are interchangeable.)

IN THE BEGINNING

“When a child starts to stammer at the age of two or three something happens in their brain. Something has gone wrong in the development of pathways which allow their speech. When a child starts to stammer it is a symptom of a neurological mis-evolvement,” Norbert explained. This vital point wipes away the misconception that stuttering is a psychological disorder, something that is ‘in your head’, as it all begins with a physical problem. No one knows why this development does, or doesn’t, happen to certain children, or why it doesn’t happen to their siblings, or even a twin. It does run in the family though. After the physical problem begins - this ‘mis-evolvement’ - the speech impediment begins to affect all of your other communication methods: “You build up what Joseph Sheehan called the iceberg of stammering,” said Norbert. Stutterers start with a physical speech impediment but over a lifetime of stuttering they build up a whole world of emotions and

mind, body + soul People who stammer are rated lower on personality scales, likeability scales, intelligence, although there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case at all. feelings surrounding speaking and communication. You create avoidance tactics. It affects all parts of who you are. “People who stammer do not stammer because they are nervous about speaking, they are nervous about speaking because they stammer,” Norbert explained.

FROM ‘MIS-EVOLVEMENT’ TO MISCONCEPTIONS “If you have difficulty talking, you have difficulty expressing who you are, in expressing your wishes, in expressing your feelings, in forming relationships because we do all that by talking,” explained Norbert. “You have difficulties in school. You are probably

going to get bullied - about 80% of children who stammer experience bullying. You will have difficulties with adult relationships, meeting partners.” This is the beginning of the list of ways in which stuttering manifests itself. He goes on, “If you are at a bar and you see that girl that you really like, going up to her and stammering in her face is not something that is all that easy… Because of the avoidance behaviours many of the people who stammer just don’t socialize a lot.” The most shocking of all is that a stammerer “will have difficulties getting a job. Because if you go to a job interview and stammer you are not going to stand out in a positive way,” Norbert said, speaking from experience.

“People think that people who stammer are less intelligent, more nervous, weird or shy,” says Norbert. People who stammer are rated lower on personality scales, likeability scales, intelligence, although there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case at all.

TALKING IT THROUGH

If stammering is caught below the age of five, therapy can pretty much remove it. After this it becomes embedded in the workings of a person’s brain, making it difficult to realign it to work in a different way. After that point, for many the best tactic will include some level of acceptance. To accept that it is something that you do, but not necessarily to view it as what you are. Norbert’s treatment was a course of ‘personal construct psychology’: patients ask themselves what they want to achieve and what bothers them most. Norbert was convinced that, mid-stutter, frozen with his eyes shut and his mouth open, everyone was laughing at him. The psychologist asked him a simple question – how do you know that they are laughing if your eyes are shut?

A FINAL WORD

Of course, I had to ask the million dollar question – what should you do when you are talking to someone with a stutter? Norbert’s advice is to be patient, maintain eye contact and don’t feel embarrassed. “Listen to what is being said, not how it is being said,” he said. Most of all, do not finish the person’s sentence!

ABOVE: NORBERT LIECKFELDT LEFT: KING GEORGE VI OF ENGLAND

THE ROYAL ISSUE

THE MOST MAJESTIC WAY OF LIFE Living to Share BY IMOGEN KIMBER

hen you have more than enough of something and other people have an insufficient supply, it would seem that the simplest way to resolve the problem would be to share. When it comes to poverty and food shortages we are inclined to think that this approach is far too simplistic to work. Two sisters decided that it would, and they have been putting it in to action.

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FROM A MOTHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GRACE

Shirley Chalhoub and Tracy Abou Mrad grew up being taught to be grateful; their Mother showed them that not everyone was from a well-off family in Jounieh. She did this by encouraging them to give food to families within their community who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough. At first they just gave their own food then they began to collect food from their friends.

Seven years later the two sisters run an NGO that distributes food not only in their locality, but all across Lebanon. While the demographics have changed and the operation is far bigger than its modest beginnings, it remains true to its methodology. Shirley and Tracy knew it was time to create Live2share when they could no longer operate from their homes. The amount of food that they were collecting needed a warehouse for storage.

you + your country

‘FOOD-RAISING’

Live2share now holds an annual event – a ‘food-raising’ month. One just passed in December, a month they like to choose because of the Christmas holidays. As an NGO they have been able to open up the food-giving to companies as well as their friends. In this last fundraiser 18 companies took part and several schools and universities. Essentially though, it still comes down to individuals giving away their food, just that they work as a group and have extra motivation. Each company collects the receipts from the food and clips them together into the shape of a smile. The group with the biggest smile at the end wins. This is why they named the event ‘Miles of Smiles’. Once the food had been divided into packages they were able to supply 125 families. The number of families they help grows each year and, if the need remains, they continue to provide support but also take on more families whenever possible. In some cases the support is enough and families no longer need the packages.

FOOD INSECURITY

From Downtown Beirut it can seem unreal that Lebanon has many suffering from ‘food insecurity,’ but there are. Shirley spoke of one family they provide food to: The family used to live off the income of the father of the family who was a taxi driver. After an accident, he became paralysed and eventually died. The mother was to be the sole breadwinner and working hard as a concierge she barely made enough to provide for everyone. They had to move from their family home to a one bedroom flat with mould lining the walls. “The touching thing is,” said Shirley, “whenever I go there and ask how she is doing, she is so grateful!” As they have grown they have expanded a little, as some people like to donate money instead of food. With this they can provide some of the other basic needs in life, like education and healthcare. One grandmother of an orphaned eight year old girl was hardly able to afford to continue to pay her granddaughter’s tuition for school. Knowing that she

had suffered enough, the grandmother was desperate to keep the girl in the same school. Live2share learnt of the case and have been providing the fees for the girl’s education ever since, and have promised to continue doing so until she graduates. “All of them cry... it is so touching,” Shirley says when asked how people react.

SHARING IS CARING

Shirley and Tracy’s approach is very refreshing. Firstly, because they are taking action on a problem that many people see as beyond their sphere of personal responsibility. Secondly, they encourage you to join in by telling you how it benefits you, not because of someone else. So how does it benefit you? “We strongly believe happiness is only real when shared.”... And they are talking about your happiness. Shirley illustrates this passionately, clearly expressing her true feelings, “When you share something it gives you a feeling that you don’t get from doing other things. It gives you inner peace and inner satisfaction that you cannot explain.” These sentiments - that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have – appears to reflect the wishes of their Mother from all those years ago. In short, it is about having gratitude

From Downtown Beirut it can seem unreal that Lebanon has many suffering from ‘food insecurity,’ but there are. If you want to contact Live2share, to donate or join in their work, they would be more than happy to hear from you. 01/ 3020600 tracyaboumrad3@hotmail.com THE ROYAL ISSUE Find them on Facebook www.live2share.org

help me

Nour

RAGMAG BRINGS YOUR REALITY CHECK TO YOU. SEND NOUR YOUR QUESTIONS, AND EACH ISSUE SHE DOES HER BEST TO GIVE YOU SOUND ADVICE. THE ONLY INTERACTIVE ADVICE COLUMN IN LEBANON, EACH QUESTION IS ADDRESSED BY READERS BEFORE NOUR WEIGHS IN ON THE MATTER.

BY NOUR OBAJI

I met a foreign guy who is staying for one month in Lebanon. We really like each other but I made it clear that nothing physical will happen between us and he still wants to go out and spend this month together. Do you think it would be worth it knowing it will end very soon? Lea, 28

“Live your life to the fullest. If you really like him and think you could have some fun, make memories not ‘what ifs’.” Abby, 26

“So in other words, from your question, if nothing physical happening, it is not worth your time? Never mind that you will have experiences and memories, never mind that you could actually (insert gasp here) learn something from him. Clearly the guy thinks you are worth his time even if nothing ‘physical’ happens. Why not just take a chance and do something crazy like actually spending time with someone and getting to know them just for the sake of doing it?” Renata, 34

“It’s a month... Enjoy!”

Guy’s Vote “If you’re the weak type, don’t bother – but I do know quite a few women that are very much able to separate themselves emotionally and enjoy the temporary company at face value. Anyway, thanks to Facebook, you can stay in touch, and if you really end up liking each other, he’ll be back.” Rabih, 33 Nour’s Vote This is thoroughly ridiculous on many fronts. Firstly, even if something physical does happen, what’s the big deal? You sound really puritanical and almost like you are assuring the Interactive Panel and Nour that you aren’t going to jump into bed with him. (We don’t care

56 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

if you do, it’s your prerogative.) Secondly, why all the confusion? If you like him, spend time with him. It is a very straightforward concept. Thirdly, this is the year 2011. You can Skype and chat to your heart’s content every day if you so choose, so even if the guy is from overseas if you click, you can stay in contact. Easy does it.

I still think about my ex that I broke up with almost 5 years ago for no serious reasons (we were just too young) to the point that I think I can’t be in a long-term relationship with anyone else, hoping we will end up together. Do you think I should let it go or try to go out with him again to see if it is an illusion or if I really have feelings for him? Ana, 23

“Go see him for coffee just to catch up, see how’s he doing and in what shape his life is in. If he seems balanced and unattached, talk to him about it and see where it goes.” Badiha, 35

“We always think about the one that got away... It’s in our nature. Leave the past in the past and move on.” Hiba, 29

“It’s completely normal to still think about him especially since according to you there was no serious reason for the breakup... So probably whenever you look back at the relationship you had, all you have are good memories and this makes you long to get that back. What I advise you to do is to try to get close to him again, not necessarily date or anything you could just hang out a couple of time with him and see what’s he like after all these years, you might want to keep in mind that many years have went by and people change greatly with time. This should help you better understand how he’s like now, and if you really miss him or just the relationship you had... Keep us posted on what happens.”

mind, body + soul

Guy’s Vote “If he’s not already in touch with you, trying to get with you often, it means he’s not interested in version +5.0 of the girl you have become now. But you never know, maybe he IS the man you’re meant to be with and it’s worth a shot. In this case, you should start liking his status updates or commenting on his pictures on Facebook. If he’s interested, he’ll take it further, and initiate solid contact. If not, he’ll just keep to himself.” Rabih, 33 Nour’s Vote Your first real love is always the hardest to move past or forget. Unfortunately, you have to move onwards and upwards. 5 years is a long time and people change. You have changed and you continue to wallow in the past for something that was young and fresh and new. I think you’re wanting to experience that feeling again more than you’re wanting him. Move forward, meet other people and expand your horizons. You might be surprised at what you learn about yourself. The Interactive Panel is divided on whether you should give this another shot, and our Guy’s Vote suggests some passiveaggressive behaviours that Nour disagrees with. You don’t need to flirt online and wait for him to make the move - send him a text or an email asking him out for coffee, if you really want to revisit this relationship.

I always like many guys at the same time. Do you think I won’t end up getting married? Or is it just that I haven’t found the one who will make me forget all about the other guys in the world? Rita, 37

“You just haven’t found the right guy who’s captured you. Enjoy playing the field while it lasts, and it’ll happen.” Roula, 26

“Some people are not made for monogamous relationships and others are just not ready to settle down with one person. Find out what you want - if you happen to like many guys, maybe you’re just not ready to commit, let alone get married!”

Nour’s Vote Nour herself often likes many guys at the same time. Who cares? It isn’t as though this is detrimental to your health, mental or physical. Like whoever you want, whenever you want. If someone really special comes along, they’ll blow all of your other flings out of the water. Nour doesn’t think this is the reason you aren’t married. When you meet someone that brings out a feeling of devotion you will commit. (And what’s with the anxiety over marriage, you’re even giving me anxiety! Take it down a notch.) The Interactive Panel and our Guy’s Vote echo Nour’s Vote, so this is a unanimous decision

Zeina, 28

“When you finally meet the ONE, you will know. You will know because while you can still look at a good looking man appreciatively, it will be just that: looking. It has nothing to do with being married or otherwise, it has everything to do with meeting that one person that just clicks.”

Guy’s Vote “I don’t know how to advise you on this. But let’s turn the tables: A guy that is always ‘liking’ many women at the same time will eventually fall head over heels for one woman that’ll make him forget all the rest.” Rabih, 33

To ask a question,

send your problems to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com

To join the reader response panel and give feedback to women

across Lebanon, send your name, age, and email address to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com subject line: Interactive Panel. We will contact you if you are chosen to participate.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

CABAL DETERMINING FRIEND FROM FOE

ELIMINATE TOXIC ELEMENTS FROM YOUR LIFE BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

Have you ever noticed how sometimes your friends can also be your worst enemies? How about your family? How those closest to you can be like a kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabal: Close conspirators against your success and mental well being, even if it is unintentional. Science and psychology are becoming increasingly aware of how dramatically our lives are affected by the company we keep. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have played their part as well, ensuring that we are always virtually surrounded; you can barely navigate anywhere online nowadays without bombarded by opinions, gossip, and, thanks to constant status updates, we are constantly reminded of the daily mood swings of our closest friends. So does all of this affect your daily life? According to modern psychology, yes. But whether this effect is positive or negative will entirely depend on the people we choose to surround ourselves with. Recent scientific studies have shown how just about every aspect of our lives fluctuates for better or worse according to the habits of our closest friends, from our drinking and smoking habits, to the amount of hours we exercise per week, our diet, and even our luck in relationships. And more alarmingly, our mood is just as susceptible to this toxic effect; a few negative people in our lives can completely damage our self-esteem. Just picture it; if you spend every day with friends who complain about their jobs, feel negatively about their future, or bemoan the tragedy that is their love life, sooner or later their pessimism is going to become contagious. And whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, the moment you try and better yourself, or try to rise above your station, those same friends are going to do everything they can to pull you back down to their miserable level.

58 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

mind, body + soul

IF YOU SPEND EVERY DAY WITH FRIENDS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR JOBS, FEEL NEGATIVELY ABOUT THEIR FUTURE, OR BEMOAN THE TRAGEDY THAT IS THEIR LOVE LIFE, SOONER OR LATER THEIR PESSIMISM IS GOING TO BECOME CONTAGIOUS. Why? Because they are afraid of losing you. Always remember, this behaviour comes from a place of fear. Friends like this will always worry that if you climb too high, they are going to feel worse about themselves, and what’s more, you might get tired of their attitude and decide to move on with your life. So, how do we eliminate this kind of toxic negativity from our lives? Though I’m not going to tell you to instantly break off all of your negative friendships, we do have to think seriously about the kind of people we want to affect our mood on a daily basis. With that in mind, here are three ways to start purging the more damaging relationships from your life:

1. DECIDE WHO IS WORTH LISTENING TO

Whether in our careers or relationships, most of us take life advice from just about the worst people imaginable. Remember, just because someone is a friend, does not mean they are the most qualified to advise you on anything. Make a decision about the people you are going to allow to have input on the way you think and feel on a daily basis.

2. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE WHAT YOU WANT

It sounds simple, but if our network can be a toxic force in our life, that means it also has the potential to be an enormous asset. Seek out the people you want to emulate. Who seems to exude that positive energy you want to possess? Who makes you feel good

about yourself? When we pick the right peer group, our daily mood can skyrocket. We find ourselves more productive just because they encourage us, and what’s more, when we surround ourselves with who live on a higher level, we instinctively climb to greater heights. This is because a good peer group expects a lot of you. Find people who keep you hungry to achieve more.

3. LEARNING TO SAY NO – KEEPING THE TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS AT BAY

So what’s the best way to deal with those other friends? The ones who pull you down and want you to stay miserable so they can feel better about themselves. Quite simply, one of the greatest paths to happiness is to learn to say NO. Learning to say NO puts you back in the driving seat of your life. A friend wants you to stay out all night when you have work tomorrow? Say no. You’re work colleague tells you to ditch the gym tonight and eat pizza instead? Say no. It’s hard to say no the temptations of our friends. It makes us feel like we are rejecting them, that we are being unfair. But it is in these moments that it’s so important to stay on the path, or else be a slave to being an eternal people pleaser, always trying to adjust your behaviour to ‘fit in’ with the people around you. So unless you really have to, there’s no need to ditch your friends. But it is time to start drawing boundaries if you want to eliminate those toxic relationships from your life

RAGMAG brings you the best in selfimprovement. Matthew Hussey is one of the leading talents in behavioral change and success. As a Life Strategist he has founded two coaching companies working with thousands of individuals across the globe to show them ways of making dramatic shifts in their lives. Matthew’s success has been built on finding out what people want, and showing them how to make it happen in the shortest time possible. He is currently a weekly columnist for Now magazine, providing expert advice on dating and relationship issues for female readers. In addition, his coaching has been featured in the London Metro, Evening Standard, The Sun, The Independent, Men’s Health, Glamour magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Elle magazine. His seminars have recently taken him to New York where he ran a live event and an interview with Sirius radio, and will be taking him to Las Vegas later this year to speak about his methods. A highly sought after public speaker and executive coach, Matthew has consulted companies including Accenture, Virgin, Morgan Stanley, Weil & Gotshal, and CB Richard Ellis, as well as over 5000 individuals and organizations ranging from directors of FTSE 100 Companies, Universities, international investment funds, artists, and royalty.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

mind, body + soul

CROWN

ROYAL MANAGE YOUR ALCOHOL LIKE A PRO BY ELODIE BARAKAT

WE KNOW WELL ENOUGH THE DRAWBACKS OF ALCOHOL AND YET WE HAVEN’T TURNED OUR BACKS ON OUR FAVORITE COCKTAILS. IF WE AREN’T PLANNING TO STAY SOBER, WE CAN STILL TRY ENJOY WISELY. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO PREVENT ALCOHOL FROM MESSING THE PARTY UP.

PREVENTING THE HANGOVER

Hangover feels like the price to pay for a night washed down with cocktails. But there are ways to keep it at bay. Drink water. It’s simple: Alcohol consumption causes dehydration. Why? Because it has diuretic effects, making us eliminate water, and since we quench our thirst with more alcohol... vicious circle. Dehydration causes the hangover headache, cramps, soreness and increases feelings of fatigue. All the more reason to have some water between each drink and be sure to have a tall glass of water before you go to sleep. Pamper your stomach. If you want to end the party having fun: The more you eat before and during the time you’re consuming alcohol, the less it passes into your bloodstream. Beware though, food doesn’t cancel alcohol’s effect. It makes it less effective but also slows its elimination. As for what you drink, avoid mixing, and choose clear alcohols, if you can, they often tend to be less “hangover-ish” than darker hued ones. Remember, drinking and driving is reckless. A glass of red wine takes one hour to be eliminated by your body and stronger alcohols even more. And it only takes two glasses for your vision and reflexes to be affected. Keep the party on but don’t play with your life.

60 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

THE MORNING AFTER

You weren’t reasonable enough. And here you are, the day after the party: It feels as though a royal marching band has invaded your head. You’re avoiding light like Dracula and feeling like your stomach is doing flip-flops.

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Alcohol consumption can have effects on your body that last after hangover is gone. Your liver becomes over-trained

Try •Drinking the juice of one lemon. As you

might have read in our January issue, lemon is a good hangover cure: it purifies your digestive system, turns nausea off and is chock full of Vitamin C, giving you energy. •A rosemary herbal infusion. It will help your liver eliminate the alcohol remaining in your body. •Drinking a lot of water. •Eat some nutritious food like bananas, yogurts, and cereals... Your body needs to restore itself and eating turns nausea off, although it might not feel that way. Avoid fatty food, it’s harder to digest. Avoid •Smoking. Nicotine has vasoconstrictor

effects and can possibly worsen your headache. •Drinking coffee. It does have a stimulating effect and decreases headache by dilating neuronal vessels but it’s also a diuretic, meaning it can worsen the dehydration.

Regular consumption trains your liver to create more enzymes to eliminate alcohol. But those enzymes also eliminate drugs, decreasing the effect of any medical treatment you may undertake! This effect can be observed during anesthesia: if a patient has regular alcohol consumption, anesthesiologists will have to use a higher dose of drugs. It messes with your system

Regular alcohol consumption slackens neural activity, and weakens the muscular nervous system during several days after a bender, even after there isn’t any alcohol remaining in your blood! It increases the risk of cardiovascular issues

Alcohol’s effect on your system causes palpitations and makes your heart work harder than it should increasing the risk of cardiac arrests.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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the

treament A day at Le Huitieme The & Eden BY LESLIE IDDISON

PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

62 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

f you didn’t know what you were looking for, you might very well walk right by Le Huitième, Beirut’s first day spa and social tea room. I’ve only been told by my editor that I would be going to the “tea spa”. Will I be soaking in tea today? I step through the discreet glass door and I have visions of myself being steeped with tea leaves in a giant pot of hot water. As an avid tea drinker it would be terribly fitting for me to be brewed and served up like a cup of my favourite hot beverage. My fantasy is interrupted by the Le Huitième reception staff. I’m invited to look around the tearoom while my treatment room is prepared. At this point I’m still not sure if by “treatment room” they don’t mean “teapot”. As it turns out, the Le Huitième concept is actually two destinations in one location. On the main floor, where I find myself now, is Thé a 19th century inspired tearoom. Upstairs is Eden (yes, like the garden), a day spa that uses some of the most cutting edge techniques and products to offer the latest in esthetic treatments.

I’m introduced to my esthetician Nour, who informs me that today I’ll be trying the Sodashi Thermal Infusion Facial. So much for my tea party I think to myself, somewhat relieved that I won’t be hearing “one lump or two?” at any point during my treatment. I follow Nour up a curving glass staircase to Eden, the day spa. Several treatment rooms equipped with space-age looking machines offer clients an array of modern treatments such as multi-spectrum light therapy and rejuvenating oxygen therapy, and more traditional treatments such as clay and chocolate body wraps. I’m welcomed into a small and soothing room and instructed to undress and remove my jewelry. Once on the facial bed Nour envelops me in warm towels. Today Nour will be using Sodashi products, an exclusive skincare range out of Western Australia. After asking a few questions about my skin, Nour recommends the calming range of treatment products, to soothe a sensitive and reactive skin. Being oily and prone

to break outs, I’m surprised to hear her refer to my skin as sensitive. Most would probably jump right to a purifying range of products but she assures me the calming approach is the right one. The treatment begins with a ritual foot-cleansing. My feet, exposed at the end of the bed, are wrapped in towels that have been soaked with warm water and essential oils. I smell eucalyptus and Nour tells me that this is a purifying step that contributes to relaxation. You can say that again, I’m already feeling the tensions in my neck slip away. The 90 minute facial treatment begins with a cleansing and very gentle exfoliation process. The Sodashi brand is a fully organic skincare range. Utilizing various plant extracts and essential oils the 100% chemical-free line is

known for its anti-aging and balancing qualities. “After your facial, you’ll see how even your skin is… all one tone,” Nour says. I can hardly wait. She gently applies layers of various products from Sodashi’s calming range, using particular techniques. Nour has trained in England and enjoys massage therapy, which is evident in her firm but energizing touch. I’m told its time to apply the mask as Nour asks if I’m claustrophobic. “No?” I answer, curious as to what that could have to do with anything. I then learn that once the mask has been applied, my face will be wrapped with gauze, like a mummy, and covered with thick, hardening clay. Like a doctors cast almost. “Don’t worry… I won’t cover your nose,” she says, reassuring me. The layers of gauze are applied, cocooning my

face in the delicious Sodashi calming and purifying mask and my face grows heavy as she begins to apply the clay. Once the mask is fully applied I understand why a sufferer of claustrophobia may have some serious doubts about this portion of the treatment. I have a twitch of panic before I tell myself to relax. Nour puts me at ease as she skillfully massages my arms and hands. After a few minutes I feel my face getting warmer. The clay heats as it dries. I guess this is what they mean by “Thermal Infusion Facial”. I feel a rush of cool air as Nour expertly removes my heavy clay costume. She holds it up to show me a clay version of my face. “Look in the mirror,” Nour urges. I rush to see the new me and I’m genuinely impressed. She was right; the calming range did

The Sodashi brand is a fully organic skincare range. Utilizing various plant extracts and essential oils the 100% chemicalfree line is known for its antiaging and balancing qualities.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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wonders for the redness in my skin. My skin looks like porcelain! I’m even, bright and smooth. “No make-up and no touching,” I’m told firmly. I dress and meet Nour outside the treatment room where she escorts me downstairs. I’m leaving the garden of Eden but now it’s time for Thé. Back downstairs I’m offered a seat in Thé, the tearoom. The opulent fabrics and design make me feel like I’m in a French mansion. The luxury setting is not at all stuffy, but relaxing. The décor gives a light airy feeling that is more than welcome after a spa treatment. One wall of the boutique tearoom is completely lined with different varieties of tea. Black tea, green tea, white tea, fruit tea, even two specialty teas laced with pure gold and silver. This place is a tea enthusiast’s dream. This also isn’t just any tea, this is Mariage Frères Thé, one of the most exclusive brands of tea in the world. The Mariage family’s travels date back to the 1600’s on behalf of Louis XIV. Mariage Frères Maison de Thé was established in France in 1854 and since then the Mariage family have been the purveyors of fine teas to

luxury hotels, tearooms and boutiques around the world. Le Huitième is the exclusive carrier of Mariage Frères tea in Lebanon. With exotic names such as eau de lune, brume de rose and the des impressionists it’s easy to see why the Mariage Frères teas are known as the haute couture of tea. I’m served a perfectly steeped cup of a white tea fruit blend. I detect notes of peach as I inhale before each sip. I chat with the owner of Le Huitième, Jamal Sinno. He tells me that the whole concept of Le Huitième revolved around bringing the Mariage Frères tea to Lebanon. From there he set out to create a space where people could come alone or with friends, to take a break from everyday life. He recommends every client of the spa have a cup of tea after having a treatment to further enhance your sense of wellbeing. Many teas contain antioxidants and are naturally detoxifying. If you’re not sure which tea to try, ask the friendly staff who are more than happy to make a recommendation for you. We suggest you grab a good friend and treat each other to a day at Le Huitième, where you’ll be treated like royalty every step of the way

Royal Returns

Many teas contain anti-oxidants and are naturally detoxifying.

If you’re not sure which tea to try, ask the friendly staff who are more than happy to make a recommendation for you.

RAGMAG will go back for Sodashi Contouring Marine Body Wrap Sodashi Soothing Mint Foot Therapy Sodashi Express Eye Treatment

Join the Mariage Frères for Thé Le Huitieme Rome Street, Clemenceau Square Maktabi Building, Beirut | MARCH 2011 64 RAGMAG 01/378019

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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BY LESLIE IDDISON

FEELING LIKE YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE COULD USE A TOUCH OF ELEGANCE TO GET YOU GLOWING AND GORGEOUS IN TIME FOR SPRING? RAGMAG SUGGESTS YOU TREAT YOURSELF TO ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE LUXURY BRAND MOISTURIZERS. THESE PRECIOUS TREASURES BROUGHT TO YOU BY FAMOUS FASHION HOUSES WILL NOT ONLY ADDRESS ALL YOUR SKIN’S NEEDS BUT WILL KEEP YOU IN HIGH STYLE WHILE YOU’RE DOING IT.

RAGMAG’s ROYAL RUNNERS UP Capture Totale by Christian Dior

Temps Majeur by YSL

This line of global anti aging care brought to you by Christian Dior is like couture for your skin. The Capture Totale family targets and corrects all signs of visible aging. The exclusive Alpha-Longoza complex not only targets wrinkles and firmness but helps to tighten the pores and restores the skin’s youthful luster. This extensive range features many products so you can have a tailormade regime that addresses all your anti aging concerns and meets all your lifestyle needs. We recommend pairing Capture Totale Crème Multi Perfection with Capture Totale Multi Perfection Concentrate for a skin that is adorned with luxury.

Touted as a revolution in skin regeneration this fashion savvy family of products draws its anti aging power from the miraculous “mushroom of eternal youth” (Ganoderma Lucidum), an exceptional ingredient from Chinese medicine. This extract is known for its exceptional cellular regeneration properties. Decadently luxurious and deeply replenishing this velvetysmooth cream works on loss of firmness, wrinkles and radiance, rejuvenating the skin from the inside out. Pair Temps Majeur Crème with Temps Majeur Concentrate for an intense anti aging experience.

Royal Regime Apply morning and/or night to a perfectly cleansed skin. Pump one or two drops of the serum into the palm of your hands and apply to the face with outward strokes. The gel texture will be immediately absorbed. Follow with the cream in the texture of your choice, Multi Perfection gel-cream or Nurturing Rich Cream.

66 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Royal Regime Apply one to two pumps of Temps Majeur Concentrate to a perfectly cleansed face and throat, morning and evening. Follow with a luxurious application of Temps Majeur Crème, applied with quick sweeping strokes.

RAGMAG STAR PRODUCT Sublimage La Crème by Chanel

The House of Chanel brings you a new generation of simply sublime skincare with the latest offering Sublimage La Crème. This decadent formula uses both the green fruit of vanilla and the vanilla flower, endowing Sublimage La Crème with the full power of Vanilla Planifolia. This combination of using both the vanilla flower and the green fruit results in a potent active ingredient called Enriched Planifolia PFA. It takes 60000 green fruits and 14000 fresh vanilla flowers to create just 1kg of Enriched Planifolia PFA. Pure and effective, this botanical treasure targets and increases the skins natural regeneration capacity. Day after day the signs of aging are restored as Sublimage La Crème improves the skin’s density, moisture level and gives uniformity to the skin tone by harmonizing melanin production. Most importantly, the skins microcirculation is boosted, enhancing

radiance and giving your skin a natural glow of youth. For best results, pair with Sublimage Concentrate which heightens the power of Sublimage La Crème. Containing a powerful elixir, the Sublimage Concentrate eliminates toxins that build up in the skin, while boosting cellular activity. This means your skin is fully receptive to Sublimage La Crème’s anti aging powers. Royal Regime Apply the duo morning and/or night to a perfectly cleansed face and throat for sublimely perfect skin. Since Sublimage La Crème comes in two textures choose what best suits your needs. Texture Supreme - For drier skin Texture Universelle - For a normal or combination skin type.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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THE EMPEROR’s

OF BY LESLIE IDDISON

RAGMAG ALWAYS GET EXCITED WHEN WE GET WIND OF A NEW BEAUTY BRAND ON THE MARKET, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE OUR DELIGHT WHEN WE WERE INVITED TO THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF DERMEDEN LABORATOIRES, THE LATEST SKINCARE BRAND TO HIT LEBANON. WE FOUND OUT WHY THIS BRAND WAS MADE WITH EXACTLY YOUR SKIN IN MIND.

68 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Dr. Nicholas Bachot, co-founder and Scientific Director of DermEden, had the Mediterranean women’s skin in mind when he formulated the product range. Living in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions presents specific concerns for the skin. 1. The biggest of those concerns is the nearly year-round exposure to intense sunlight. This constant exposure leads to higher levels of sun damage, pigmentation and premature aging.

2. Skin from these regions also tends to be thicker and oilier. 3. Currently, many products available on the market don’t have sufficient sun protection to be effective in this climate and if they do, the texture is often too thick and greasy, certainly not comfortable to wear if your skin already has the tendency to be combination or oily. With this in mind, Dr. Bachot created DermEden, combining effective sun-protection and a potent cocktail of anti-aging ingredients that are actually pleasurable to use.

Feel Imperial with RAGMAG’s DermEden Picks! DermEden Laboratoires Night Protocole Intense Anti-Aging Eye Contour

DermEden Day & Night Protocole Complete Facial Cleanser

Most women skip eye cream when this is the area that should be cared for the most. The first signs of aging and fine lines often appear around the eye contour. Make this intense eye treatment part of your bedtime ritual and say goodbye to puffiness, dark-circles and fine lines. The power of Vitamin C, a potent anti-oxidant and anti-aging ingredient, is what makes this eye cream effective. Wake up to beautifully smooth and radiant eyes!

We wondered what could be special about this product so we went straight to the source. Dr. Bachot explains that this cleanser is specially formulated for the proper removal of UV filters. This makes perfect sense, as failing to remove the barrier that protects your skin during the day can certainly lead to clogged pores at night and prevent the active ingredients in your night cream from doing their job properly. Do yourself a favour and use this cleanser morning and especially night to prepare your skin to receive all the benefits of the DermEden range.

DermEden Laboratoires Day Protocole Anti-Age Day Cream SPF 50 This product is a spring and summer must-have! Combining a high and effective SPF with anti-aging and anti-pigmentation ingredients, this daytime moisturizer is a star product. Biological filters protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays with a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 50! Dioic Acid (an Omega-hydroxy acid) works to eliminate pigmentation damage while hyaluronic acid fights off fine lines and acts as a potent moisturizer. The best part about this product is that it comes in two textures, one for dry sensitive skins and one for combination-oily skins. Both are free of the thick, filmy texture that is often associated with sun protection. Visit your nearest pharmacy for your own DermEden products to prep and protect your skin from the sun… after all, this brand was made for you!

THE ROYAL ISSUE

BY LESLIE IDDISON

Cellulite Info Session To better understand how cellulite is formed, it helps to have a basic knowledge of skin anatomy. The outermost layer of your skin is referred to as the epidermis. Immediately beneath your epidermis is the dermis, which is where hair follicles, sweat glands, nerve receptors and connective tissue reside. Underneath the dermis there is a layer of subcutaneous fat, which in women looks like a row of standing fat chambers separated by connective tissue. The regular pattern of these “fat chambers” sometimes protrudes through the dermis and epidermis giving the skin a rough or lumpy appearance. Cellulite is rarely seen in men because their skin is different than a woman’s. Men have a thicker epidermis and dermis layer and a thinner layer of subcutaneous fat. Even more dissimilar is the arrangement of their “fat chambers”. Instead of a row of rounded fat chambers individually separated by connective tissue, men’s fat chambers are polygonal shaped, separated by crisscrossing connective tissue. This almost creates a mesh, which does not protrude through the dermis and epidermis layers. Because women have different amounts of subcutaneous fat and variable thickness and density of their dermis and epidermis layers, cellulite will be more apparent on some women than others. Women who have lower percentages of body fat and more muscle tone tend to have less visible cellulite.

BEACH SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, SO WE’RE GIVING YOU A HEAD START. READ ON TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT CELLULITE: WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. WE EVEN ASKED SOME OF OUR MALE READERS TO PITCH IN AND GIVE RAGMAG A GUY’S OPINION ABOUT CELLULITE.

It is believed that 80-90% of women are affected by cellulite at one time or another. Commonly referred to as “cottage cheese” or “orange-peel skin”, many factors can lead to the occurrence of cellulite. While cellulite is typically associated with being overweight, a person need not have a weight problem to have cellulite. Hormonal factors, genetics, diet and other lifestyle factors (including smoking and lack of exercise) all contribute to the appearance of cellulite which usually manifests itself in the form of lumpy or rippled skin on the thighs, abdomen and buttocks.

What Are Your Options? Cellulite treatment is a huge market including topical products, massage techniques and devices, herbal teas and various non-invasive medical treatments including deep dermal heating and other phototherapy (light therapy). Trying to find a solution that’s best suited to treat your cellulite can be costly and confusing, not to mention frustrating if you don’t see the results you hoped for.

FACT: THERE IS NO CURE FOR CELLULITE. THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE TO DO IS MAKE IT LESS APPARENT AND THAT WILL COME FROM ADOPTING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND HAVING A DILIGENT BODY CARE REGIME. We’ve listed some tried and tested products, when combined with some simple lifestyle changes, will improve your cellulite. Because cellulite is more of a “skin condition” than it is a “fat condition”, think of treating your cellulite in the same way as you would any other skin concern. You need to develop a regular routine and be consistent in following it. Check out our simple three-step thigh smoothing system.

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mirrormirror RAGMAG How-To Routine Step 1 EXFOLIATE Using a good, slightly coarse scrub on the area to be treated will slough off dead skin and stimulate circulation, allowing for more efficient penetration of the other treatment products. Even if you don’t use other cellulite products, exfoliating will make your thighs and buttocks softer and smoother. Try Biotherm Celluli Laser Scrub This thick, gel based scrub is specially designed to intensely massage stubborn cellulite zones. Massage the scrub on a dry skin then rinse for best results. This is a thermal scrub, meaning as you massage it heats up, which further stimulates your microcirculation (and feels fantastic). Step 2 TREAT This is where things usually get overwhelming. With such a vast array of products on the market it can be confusing knowing what’s right for you. No matter what you choose, just make sure you apply it every day. Some products are accompanied by application methods which usually are meant to stimulate your circulatory and drainage systems. Try Roc Anti-Cellulite Intensive Moisturizing Contouring Care with Retinol Elancyl Cellulite Offensive – Triple Impact Stubborn Cellulite Biotherm Celluli Laser D.Code Advanced Anti-Cellulite Care Start by applying the product from the knees and work your way up using quick, gentle sweeping motions. If you’re treating the abdomen, apply the product in a clockwise motion, following your digestive tract. These products are best applied in the morning.

Step 3 NOURISH AND FIRM Firm, supple skin is more resistant to the protrusions of the underlying fat chambers, making the ripple effect less apparent. Before bed, use a good moisturizing product with firming benefits.

“Men don’t think about cellulite. Some may not even know what it is.” Rehan, 32

Try Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream Apply this luscious cream all over for silky smooth skin that glows with health. To treat cellulite, start at the ankles and massage upwards using small circular motions. This cream is great on the hips and buttocks and also recommended for the breasts and décolleté.

“When I see cellulite it makes me think that a woman doesn’t take care of herself.” Jihad, 32

Guy’s Sound Off About Cellulite

“I like girls with curvy bodies. Girls with curves usually have cellulite. It’s normal I guess. I’d rather have a girl with curves and a little cellulite than a girl with no curves and no cellulite.” Emmanuel, 28

“Men don’t have a problem with cellulite because 98% of women have it! Men are going to take what they can get. No man is going to think to himself, ‘Wow, that cellulite is hot’. He’s going to think, ‘She has cellulite… whatever’.” Kevin, 24

“In no way will a guy find it attractive. It’s odd looking and the fact that some women are obviously self-conscious about it makes men look at it as a bad thing. Having said that, it may not skew how they feel in a negative way. I know some guys who are indifferent. Cellulite isn’t necessarily a turn off for me; it’s never something that breaks a deal... A little cellulite never hurt anybody.” Jeff, 23 “Cellulite is a natural occurrence. I’d consider a girl who goes to the gym and lives a healthy lifestyle as sexy to me.” Salem, 29 “I don’t think it’s a big deal. Most men are pretty realistic and realize not all of us are Orlando Bloom and dating a Victoria’s Secret model. A little cellulite is okay.” Adam, 31 THE ROYAL ISSUE

mirrormirror

for less Eucerin DermoPURIFYER BY LESLIE IDDISON

MEN AND WOMEN WITH OILY AND BLEMISH-PRONE SKIN, PAY ATTENTION: ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH TREATING PROBLEM SKIN IS OFTEN THE PRICE TAG. EXPENSIVE SKINCARE SYSTEMS FORMULATED TO TREAT PROBLEM SKIN MAY WORK, BUT MAINTAINING THOSE SYSTEMS GETS COSTLY. LESS EXPENSIVE SYSTEMS HOWEVER USUALLY FAIL TO TREAT YOUR BREAKOUTS AND OILINESS PROPERLY, RESULTING IN DRYNESS AND IRRITATION. DISCOVER A NEW SKINCARE RANGE FROM EUCERIN THAT FOR LESS THAN 50000 LBP WILL HELP YOUR SKIN WITHOUT HURTING YOUR WALLET.

The Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Range contains Lactic Acid, a natural antibacterial, pH regulating and moisturizing agent that helps to hydrate blemished skin while effectively treating and preventing acne breakouts. Achieve clear, supple skin with just 4 products and 3 weeks! STEP 1 Cleanse The DermoPurifyer cleanser contains 2% lactic acid. Gently cleanses and removes excess sebum without drying out your skin. Use daily, morning and night. Apply to a damp skin, gently massage for 30 seconds and rinse well with lukewarm (not hot) water. STEP 2 Clear The DermoPURIFYER toner helps restore your skins natural pH while purifying and conditioning. The 2% lactic acid follicle targeting system helps to prevent blemishes. Apply with a cotton pad after cleansing. STEP 3 Care The DermoPurifyer cream-gel unclogs pores and fights bacteria while lightly moisturizing, leaving your skin glowing with health and radiance. Clinically proven to help reduce blemishes, apply a dime sized amount of the cream-gel morning and night, avoiding the eye area.

Supplementary Care The DermoPURIFYER scrub with exfoliating beads and 1% lactic acid and micro-particles helps to unclog pores and refine skin texture. Helps in the reduction of blackheads and prevents future breakouts. Apply 3-4 times per week, in the evening, to a damp skin. Gently massage for 30 seconds, in a circular motion and rinse.

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THE OUTER LAYER interior design practice & innovative inn architectural material

THE ROYAL ISSUE 73 6th ďŹ&#x201A;oor Antelias Commercial Centre Beirut Lebanon t: +9614 521442 m: +96170 339555 www.theouterlayer.net info@theouterlayer.net

emperor’s new clothes

ROYAL

GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

THIS MOTHER’S DAY RAGMAG WANTS YOU TO THINK ABOUT 2 THINGS: GIVING A UNIQUE GIFT, AND GIVING ONE THAT HAS A TRICKLEDOWN EFFECT OF CHARITY IN THE COMMUNITY. WHETHER YOU PLAN ON SPENDING A LITTLE OR A LOT THIS YEAR, YOU’VE GOT TONS OF CHOICES FOR GIFTS THAT WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY STAND OUT AND HELP OUT. THIS IS OUR THIRD SEGMENT OF GOODWILL GIFTS, CHECK OUT OUR FEBRUARY AND DECEMBER ISSUES FOR IDEAS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED.

Nawf

is a range of textiles produced by a group of Bedouin women belonging to the Abu E’id tribe, now settled in the village of Hawsh al A’rab in the Bekaa region of Lebanon. These women design, cut, and hand-stitch wonderful colorful cushions and quilts from layered Egyptian cotton which will look good in any home. And by purchasing a Nawf item, you help to keep alive an ancestral skill and contribute to local development. And you don’t even have to go all the way to the Bekaa to buy them; the items are sold at Art Circle, an art gallery in Hamra. They can be bought already framed making them the perfect wall accessory for a home loving mum. www.art-circle.net

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Aita al Chaab laurel soaps are

Aghsan is an association in

www.soukeltayeb.com

+961 76 660513 www.aghsan.org.lb

pure and bound to soften the skin of mothers of all ages. They are made by a group of women in Aita al Chaab, a small village in the south of Lebanon. These soaps are made with oil taken from the fruits of the wild laurel that grows uniquely the region. Extracting the oil and making the soaps is a labor-intensive process; it is a vanishing craft and few people in the world still make them. Your purchase will contribute to enhance the lives of these village women and keep this unique soap making tradition alive in Lebanon. Available in various shapes and sizes and are sold for $3.30 each at the Souk el Tayeb farmers market held in the Beirut Souks every Wednesday from 2 to 7 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.

Deirmimas, South Lebanon, that was established by a group of friends from quite different professional backgrounds and places, but who all share common values and goals. Their aim is to preserve their country’s natural and cultural heritage and support rural life including the work of rural women. So this group of friends decided to form Bayt el Mooneh. The association is led by Asma Al Hourani who ensures that the women produce quality home-made products which are sold through catering and food fairs as well as directly to the public. So get in touch with them to order your mum some yummy jams and other moune to save her the trouble of sweating away in the kitchen.

Inaash, an NGO for the

Ain Yaacoub Women Cooperative

www.inaash.org

+961 6 360 498.

development of Palestinian camps in Lebanon, was founded in 1969 by a group of Lebanese and Palestinian women to preserve the traditional heritage of embroidery and to provide financial support to destitute families. The Palestinian embroidery is more than a mere art form, it is considered to be a living heritage and each piece has a different pattern representing different towns and villages and depicting objects of everyday life. The association sells a full range of exceptional items ranging from bookmarks for $7, spectacle and telephone cases from $20, as well as adorable silk and beaded handbags priced at $90.

in the Akkar region of Lebanon produces amazing rose water, considered to be one of the best in the country. In fact, the women received training on best techniques to enhance the quality of their product a couple of years ago. Sakina El Rajab, founder of Women Processing Cooperative Association of Ain Yaacoub, even participated through a UNDP project and its Finish partners in a food show event in Helsinki. We should support such projects as they give women like Sakina a window of hope to expand their horizons and reach markets beyond the borders of their tiny village. So, be original and instead of giving roses give rosewater to your mama; it is an effective digestive and also a great skin tonic.

Cyclamen, a division of the tourism

company TLB Destinations, organizes weekly hiking trips â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a perfect gift for the active mum who wants to get out and discover Lebanon. Cyclamen takes travelers to discover the unique culture and natural beauty of Lebanonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rural regions, from the far north to the deep south. They have developed some incredible trips to support rural communities by organizing home stays or sharing a simple meal with a village family. All the trips are nonprofit making with proceeds from the trips going towards training initiatives and other programs. Day trip participants are always encouraged to purchase food locally to make sure that their visit has really benefited the rural communities. And participants are made aware of local concerns regarding conservation of natural areas, as well as endangered and threatened heritage. Cyclamen also organizes trips on international days such as World Wetland Day, International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and International Mountain Day. Surprise her with a voucher for a guided outing starting from $24, which includes transportation and insurance.

www.tlb-destinations.com

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

RAP RULERS DICTATE FASHION

THE HIP HOP AND R + B SCENE HAS A FEW CROWNED NAMES OF THE TRADE. WHEN YOU’RE ON TOP, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO GETS TO DICTATE WHAT YOUR LOYAL SUBJECTS ARE WEARING. EVEN IF YOU AREN’T A FAN, CHANCES ARE YOU’VE SEEN THESE LABELS SOMEWHERE, BOTH IN RECORDS AND IN CLOTHING. RAGMAG LOOKS AT SOME OF THE BIGGEST URBAN MUSIC NAMES AND THEIR BRAND NAME DESIGNS THAT HAVE TAKEN THE WORLD BY STORM.

JAY-Z + ROCAWEAR Back in 1999, when Roc-A-Fella Records co-founders Damon Dash and Jay-Z decided to launch the Rocawear brand, little did they know that a few short years later, it would be making a reported $700 million in annual sales. A diverse line that has expanded from solely menswear to encompass women’s, junior’s, children’s, infant’s and even accessories, Rocawear has left no market stone unturned. Rocawear defines and advances urban cultural trends while remaining a true reflection of urban lifestyle. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million but retained his stake in the company and continues to oversee the marketing, licensing, and product development.

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NELLY + APPLE BOTTOM Platinum superstar Nelly, along with Yomi Martin and Ian Kelly, created the Apple Bottom brand back in 2003 for women of all shapes and sizes. Nelly’s company was obviously named after women with apple bottoms, creating the first skinny jeans that worked on women who the traditional shape wasn’t fitting or flattering. The brand, which was initially only a denim line, has since expanded to include other women’s and girl’s clothing, fragrance and accessories, believes that the clothes should fit the women and not vice versa. Celebrities like Oprah are increasingly caught on film wearing Apple Bottoms on their apple bottoms, and it is now one of the hottest urban clothing lines around.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

P. DIDDY + SEAN JOHN Sean John clothing and fragrance Company, owned by hiphop mogul Sean Combs and supermarket mogul Ron Burkle, has grown from a domestic style to international recognition. Diddy brings his acute sense of style to his signature collection of sportswear, underwear, outerwear, tailored suits, boys clothing, fragrances, accessories, women’s wear, and eyewear. Diddy states that Sean John clothing is not looking for a quick hit, but is rather committed to the quality and design of its products.

SNOOP DOGG + RICH AND INFAMOUS Snoop Dogg just had to have this share of this industry as well, so he launched his own clothing line during the Magic Fashion Tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 25th, 2008. One thing is certain: the rich and famous sure know who to make deals with. Snoop Dogg teamed up with the man behind Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s mega-millions, Robert Thorne, to launch the fashion line which is described as “a fraternity of sorts, from presidents to gangsters who’ve been able to endure the burden of gaining wealth at any cost. Garnering equal parts admiration and disdain, these men savor the fruits and relish the spotlight.”

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PHARRELL WILLIAMS + BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB Launched in 2004, Billionaire’s Boys Club (BBC) brand is characterized by a variety of shirts, sweaters, jackets, jeans, and shorts. Inspired by the style on the Hip Hop scene, the clothes are best described as being baggy or loosely fitting. BBC is also known for representing Japanese street styles by including bright and lively colors with bold and intriguing patterns. The items are produced in very limited quantities and are usually sold for higher prices and manufactured in Japan, with flagship stores in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and London.

50 CENT + G-UNIT In 2004, 50 Cent formed a joint partnership with designer Marc Ecko, founder of Ecko Unlimited, for his G-Unit Clothing line. What was unique about this collaboration was that Ecko wouldn’t handle the designing of the clothing, but rather the marketing and merchandising. Although the partnership generated $100 million in retail sales, 50 Cent split the partnership with Marc Ecko, and went on to continue the clothing line independently. Listen closely to 50 Cent songs, you’ll often notice “Ggggg Unit” piped into the background.

EARNING A ROYAL MENTION Phat Farm 1992

Who Russell Simmons Why Some Phat Farm articles are political; the broken flag logo visible on every clothing article except footwear is touted as a symbol of the state of separation the world is in right now.

Makaveli 2002

Who Afeni Shakur (2Pac’s Mother) Why The brand’s purpose is keeping the legacy of the late Tupac Shakur alive through fashion. A portion of each sale from the Makaveli Branded is donated to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Atlanta, Georgia. THE ROYAL ISSUE

PAYING HOMAGE TO WARDROBES WHETHER HEADS OF STATE THEMSELVES OR MARRIED TO THE CROWN, WE’VE SPOTTED SOME WOMEN WHO DESERVE SOME LAVISH ATTENTION AND COMPLIMENTS. FORGET ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOSH PIT OF CELEBS, RAGMAG KNOWS THEY’VE GOT GOOD PERSONAL STYLISTS. THIS ISSUE WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE WORLD STAGE IN OUR EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES SECTION. THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SCENE IS THE NEW FASHION STAGE AS PROVEN BY MICHELLE OBAMA AND CARLA BRUNI DURING THEIR FIRST YEARS AS FIRST LADIES. WE’RE GOING ROYAL AND A BIT POLITICAL THIS ISSUE BY HIGHLIGHTING THE STYLE OF OUR FIVE PICKS FOR THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL + EXTREMELY FASHIONABLE WOMEN: THE EMPRESSES OF NEW CLOTHES!

ASMA AL ASSAD, 36 FIRST LADY OF SYRIA KEY ITEM ARTFUL ACCESSORIES Asma al-Assad, wife of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, affects a simple and elegant look paired with accessories that act as statement jewelry. Tailored suits, simple sweaters, chic-casual vests and feminine skirts really earn the First Lady of Syria a Jackie O grade for fashion. Elle’s French edition chose her as the most stylish woman in international politics in 2008. Watch for her Christian Louboutin shoes: now that’s worth noticing.

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PRINCESS LETIZIA ROCASOLANO, 39 WIFE OF SPANISH PRINCE FELIPE KEY ITEM MIX ‘N MATCH

As the wife of Spanish Prince Felipe, Letizia boasts a wondrous wardrobe full of shiny dresses, stacked heels, gorgeous floor-length gowns and an assemblage of matching accessories. She dresses in a way that is fun and, despite her royal status, she looks modern. She shops local, opting for the Spanish high street brands Zara, Mango and Massimo Dutti to wear with her designer pieces. Her white Armani suit that she wore to the announcement of her engagement was the perfect choice, gracing society pages everywhere. A former journalist, Letizia’s pre-royal career was with noted names like Bloomberg and CNN.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP LEFT: MICHELLE OBAMA. OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP RIGHT: CARLA BRUNI

RANIA AL ABDALLAH, 41 QUEEN OF JORDAN KEY ITEM EVENING GOWNS In 2005, Harpers & Queens Magazine named her the world’s third most beautiful woman and we can definitely see why! She dresses like true royalty. Although Jordan is a fairly conservative country, she manages to maintain a modern accent in her look. You can see her in magazines the world over, in almost anything she wears. You’d expect any monarch to wear really intricate gowns, but a combination of height, grace and personality make Rania’s evening wear a tad more special than the rest. At less formal events, you’ll see her showcasing a variety of lovely light colored dresses and skirts, highlighting her lean waist with a variety of belts.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

PRINCESS KATE MIDDLETON, 29 ENGAGED TO PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES KEY ITEM HATS, HATS AND MORE HATS!

When Giorgio Armani describes someone’s sense of style as “discreet and straightforward, but highly aware of fashion trends”, it is just rated a top compliment. We’re pretty sure future Princess Middleton took it that way! To date, she’s sported a refreshing mix of classy fare including tailored dresses, formal and eclectic hats paired with flattering trench coats. All this is counterbalanced by youthful, exuberant attempts at trendiness. Let’s not forget the mayhem she caused with her Blue Reiss Issa dress she wore in the photo call after her engagement to Prince William was announced.

SHEIKHA MOZAH BINT NASSER AL MISSNED, 52 SECOND OF THE THREE WIVES OF THE EMIR OF QATAR KEY ITEM SIGNATURE TURBANS Sheikha Mozah is one seriously fashion forward royal woman. Her style, stripped from the runways of Paris, is and so perfectly put together that she is hard to miss. She is a living, walking proof that showing less skin can indeed be chic, sexy and glamorous. While out touring the world as a political figure, she represents Qatar’s interests with grace and panache, and all while wearing - in what might be described as a vibrant colour palette - a series of increasingly wonderful turbans. We can’t wait to see what she wears next!

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RIAD TAHAN ET FILS Joailliers

Kaslik, Rue Principale - Tel: 09 639034 | Tripoli, Rue El Mina - Tel: 06 440379 | Tripoli, Rue El Tell - Tel: 06 629040

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

BY FIDA CHAABAN

JOE CHALLITA, 31 year old Australian-Lebanese designer, adores women. RAGMAG knows this because only a self professed “dreamer and a helpless romantic” could create gowns that virtually sing. We decided on JOE for our ROYAL ISSUE because the man brings out our love affair with fashion on a grand scale. Graduating with a double degree in Arts and Law and becoming a qualified solicitor, he then transitioned into fashion. We spoke to JOE about celebrity, geographical influences of the Commonwealth and Lebanon, Khalil Gibran, and WHAT MAKES HIM FIT TO DRESS THE QUEEN.

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MODEL + MAKEUP LIV FREE | STYLING KRISHEN PARMER | DRESS JOE CHALLITA

THE ROYAL ISSUE

HAIR + MAKEUP OSCARALEXANDER | MODEL JESSICA FORTH

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emperor’s new clothes

Who would you like to dress from the new glitterati in Lebanon?

Do you feel that couture is as highly valued in North America as it is in Europe and the Middle East?

Haute couture has always been valued in all three, but in different ways. Europe is the birth-place of haute couture and the godmother of haute couturiers. It is the place where its appeal stems from, and it is the place most sought after by designers wanting to take part in the most prestigious fashion shows, like Paris Fashion Week. Whilst North America gives the opportunity for these creations to take life and shine in the spotlight on the red carpet, like the Oscars, the Emmy Awards etc.. Most importantly through Hollywood and art we are able to see fashion and couture take life and form. It becomes the platform of inspiration and aspiration. The Middle East is giving birth to new big names in the Haute Couture world who are making a statement in Europe with their distinctive style and feminine appeal. Hence, they are most sought after on the red carpet. According to recent reports the Middle East is saving the dying couture in Europe, as the Middle-Eastern taste and quest for luxury is sustaining haute couture, through Arab royals, princesses and wealthy women. Who would you like to dress from the new glitterati in Lebanon, North America and Europe?

Yasmine Hamdan - she is avant-garde, alternative, modern and edgy. A new fresh face in the Lebanese scene. In

North America Natalie Portman for her classic beauty and Dita Von Teese in Europe. She oozes femininity, I love her style and her vintage beauty. Designer that you feel most influences your style?

Christian Dior, we share the same sentiment. Making women be in touch with their femininity through design principles. I appreciate Galliano’s modern interpretation of the Dior label. One collection of yours was opera inspired. Name a few operas and arias that really embody your work?

“Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “Think of Me” from the Phantom of the Opera. Maria Callas was also an inspiration. As for classical masters in music, please name a few composers and pieces that SOUND like a gown of yours?

The Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition of classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. He described the concerto itself as capturing “the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains” in the gardens of Aranjuez, and that description gave me a vision of a butterfly hovering over Rodrigo’s magnolias and gushing fountains; hence my pink butterfly dress in my Opera collection is a dedication to that, and the delicate, ephemeral white wedding dress of the Opera collection a dedication to his magnolias.

How do you feel about being from the Commonwealth?

My inspiration is deep-rooted in Australia’s English heritage beginnings. I am inspired by the Victorian heritage of Australia...the romance of Victorian costumes, appreciation of natural fibres - old English looms and laces and usage of organic cottons in couture. I have been an avid collector of Victorian remnants, clothing and accessories since I was 18 years old. The availability of these in Australia have inspired me deeply in appreciating old fashioned handiwork and couture sensibilities, and kept me in touch with English heritage. When I make wedding gowns I think of them as heirlooms to be passed on from one generation to another, and this approach is a Victorian-English sensibility. Often a client would use part of a wedding gown in the making of a Christening gown of a future baby, so I take this into account, and it adds romanticism to the making of the wedding gown.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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HAIR + MAKEUP OSCARALEXANDER | MODEL BETHANY WEBB

THE ROYAL ISSUE

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Do you think today’s monarchy brings the same élan to couture? Which royal would you like to dress?

Today’s monarchy is definitely not the same as the past unfortunately. Today monarchs are more physically active, and in turn they need to be more practical. Princess Mary of Denmark and Queen Rania of Jordan are worth noting for their style. Queen Rania is the most beautiful royal alive on our planet. She oozes style, grace, chic and at the same time she is real with a modern approach. She is the best example of a modern royal.

What should a couture gown say about the woman wearing it?

HAIR + MAKEUP OSCARALEXANDER | MODEL BETHANY WEBB

A gown should be an extension of a woman… the gown must be able to highlight a woman’s persona and style and not overkill her.

Do you feel that the Middle East has given rise to real fashion talent? What did you learn during your training under Elie Saab?

Yes, most definitely. We have a fresh young generation that is far more diverse, experienced and cultured, and are making a statement globally. The most valued lessons [I learned from Elie] were more on a personal level. Determination and a humble approach are two key elements he instilled in me. His support and encouragement has helped me fulfill my dream.

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

Talk about the values and traditions of couture and how your line follows that mantra. What sensibilities do you incorporate? Discuss some of your methods.

Exclusivity and making only oneoff garments. A couture garment is a piece of art, hand-made and one of a kind with many, many hours spent on making the garment by hand. The point of difference offered to clients through couture is uniqueness. Moulding and draping fabrics on the actual body of the client. Hand embroidery, crochet and beading are all done in-house. Can you compare yourself to a man in history?

Gibran Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese poet and mystic. He wrote his feelings in poems, I transcend my feelings through fabric. I feel as though we are kindred spirits. Do you feel that women today are less invested in their appearance?

On the contrary, there is a return or a revival to elegance and style and appreciation of couture. The point of couture is to be unique, and that uniqueness and exclusivity is most sought after. Couture is not about trends.

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Where in the world is for you an ideal place to draw inspiration from?

Beirut has always been the source of my inspiration, it is the only place where I feel most alive and inspired. Maybe because it is where my roots lie, especially coming from a culturally rich background, it has so much to offer from history and art to music and geographic location. Contrary to my Australian inspiration, Beirut gives me excess, glamour, and drama. I am fortunate to have deep awareness of both cultures as my work embodies the melange of the two. Do you believe that some of history’s most notorious couturiers were also some of the biggest fashion icons of the day?

Most definitely like Chanel in the 30’s and Dior in the 50’s. Chanel freed women from the restrictions of previous fashions, and Dior created the luxurious New Look after the restrictions of the war-stricken 40’s. What was your opinion of Sophia Coppola’s interpretation of Marie Antoinette and more importantly, what did you think of the fashion involved in the movie? There was such a heavy wardrobe and wig and shoe focus.

The movie was a gorgeous looking soufflé with pastel-coloured hues. It is a visual feast of extravagant costumes, opulent surroundings and fluffy cakes and macaroons! The movie lacked political subtext, but it is most definitely more of a celebration of feelings and visual voyeurism into Marie Antoinette’s private life. Do you see your designs evolving? What are some transition points in your life that have been reflected in your gowns?

Yes, I am ever evolving- it is a natural course of personal growth, however my signature style and touch will always remain. My upcoming collection is ethereal and light. What I do is a passion to bring back the appreciation of couture and the beauty that lies within it. In a world of commercialism and lack of authenticity, I feel compelled to share my art that is made with love

HAIR - MAKE UP LEAH MABE | MODEL RUBY SLATE BALTHAZAR

THE ROYAL ISSUE

JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER HAUTE COUTURE 2011

COPY

CAT Mix N’ Match Real Runway

RAGMAG SHOWS YOU HOW TO REPLICATE THAT RUNWAY TREND! SEE OUR TAKES ON HOW TO MAKE THE READY TO WEAR, ACTUALLY WEARABLE. STYLED BY STEPHANIE AOUN

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ROCK THAT

Shady Business BALMAIN SS 2011

Go for edgy sunglasses by Jeepers Peepers to top it all off, available at Label Queen, at 72.000 LBP

Eye of the Tiger We’re loving this tiger ring by Henry’s available at Cream for 125.000 LBP

Steve Yoni jacket, available at Label Queen, 600.000 LBP

It Suits You

JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER HAUTE COUTURE 2011

Boxing

Small black python clutch available at Label Queen, by SMR London 1.095.000 LBP

Thick Skull Skulls are still going very strong and we’ve got this Buttler & Wilson necklace to prove it! Available at Label Queen 98.000 LBP

Hammer Time Harem pants by a local designer, available at Moon for 292.000 LBP

Metal Head

Over sized bags are still hip this season. By Smartiz, available at Cream for 323.000 LBP

Nothing says hardcore like spikes do… so check out these cool bracelets by SMR London at Label Queen 172.000 LBP each

Get Spikey Giuseppe Zanotti platform sandals, boutiques.com THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

STRIPE

Pirate’s Life

Sunflowers long striped scraf, available at Sunflowers for 112.000 LBP

Get in Shape Dress Up

Black and white striped overall by Motel, available at Birdcage, 207.000 LBP

LOUIS VUITTON SS 2011

Diane Von Furstenberg stripe wrap dress, 578.000 LBP, boutiques.com

Calvin Klein “Kamrie” pump, 194.000 LBP, boutiques.com

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JIL SANDER SS 2011

Tote Off

Givenchy Antigona tote, 3.630.000 LBP, available nationally

Faliero Sarti striped carf, 361.000 LBP, boutiques.com

MARC BY MARC JACOBS SS 2011

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new clothes

SEEING

Grey Days

Loewe Maia handbag, 2.962.000 LBP, available nationally

Patchwork

This top by La K design is the perfect combination of satin and lace, Label Queen, 373.000 LBP

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti grey sheer top 1.133.000 LBP boutiques.com

Wrap Off

Alexander McQueen skull and poppy print scarf, 636.000 LBP boutiques.com

Goldilocks

Jimmy Choo Ontario metallic suede multi-straps sandals 1.162.000 LBP boutiques.com

Stove Pipe Jil Sander wide leg pants, 525.000 LBP boutiques.com

Renaissance

Day Birger et Mikkelsen, 278.000 LBP, available at boutiques.com

Sergio Rossi strappy wishbone sandal, boutiques.com 98 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Courtesy of Givenchy

GIVENCHY SS 2011

THE ROYAL ISSUE

emperor’s new clothes

BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens. To Roula Kassem, owner of Purrl boutique in Saïfi Village, women don’t need thrones and scepters: pearls are the lifetime piece that will make any woman regal. Refined and elegant, they’re usually the mistress in the women and diamonds love story. If the white round Akoya pearl necklace became the worldwide classic fashion symbol, nowadays, pearls seem to have made it into the lanes of contemporary jewelry. According to Roula, more designers are starting to include them in their work… as younger women join the pearl-devotee circle. One can’t help but notice the diversity of products in the boutique: the imported pearls, imported and assembled in Lebanon by Roula and her design team, come in all kinds of shapes and colors. Ranging from the large black Tahitian pearl to the peach or lavender large size Chinese freshwater pearl, there is probably a pearl arrangement for everyone. Forget about the traditional pearl necklaces: Purrl designers mix these gems with silver, gold or other stones and metals, sometimes creating a piece with one and only one beautiful

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pearl, giving it the limelight. Thanks to Roula, who studied the pearl industry in Japan, you know exactly where your jewel comes from, and why you’ve paid that much for it. Located in the Beirut fashion district, the store is also a great platform for young vibrant Lebanese jewelry artists. In fact, if the store originally sold pearl jewelry, it has now widened its wares… and clientele. Purrl serves as a gallery for many Lebanese and international designers, and there’s always a new artist, collection, or piece to check out. RAGMAG admired the “industrial chic” watches by Eduardo Milieres, a South American watchmaker and designer, that uses metal, copper and brass to create imprinted and engraved timepieces, to the refreshingly new Rania Kasssem Dot Line collection that offers customized 18 carat gold charm bracelets, or the shamballa necklaces and bracelets braided with precious stones, a subtle mix between jewelry and spirituality. With prices ranging from $50 to more than $100000, Purrl has made sure to make the pearls and other stones fit for a queen accessible to all Get Your Pearly Whites Purrl Boutique Saïfi Village, Saïd Akl Street, Lot 1062 Downtown, Beirut 01/974475 03/352852 purrl1@hotmail.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

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GOWN BY KRISTY SAMAHA | STILETTOS BY GEMY

Photography by ODETTE KAHWAGI + CHRISTIAN HARB Styled by JONY MATTA Set + Lighting director ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI Hair by GEORGES MOUNDALAK Makeup by CHRISTIAN ABU HAIDAR Models LIPS AGENCY Special thanks to Georges Matta

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GOWN BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN

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GOWNS BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN AND EMILIE CREMONA

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GOWN BY GEMY | VEST BY KRIKOR JABOTIAN | NECKLACE ÉCLAT DE MODE

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WHITE GOWN BY LARA KHOURY | JACKET BY ÉMILIE CREMONA | RED GOWN BY GEMY | ANKLE BOOTS BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN

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GOWNS BY GEMY | NECKLACE ÉCLAT DE MODE

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GOWN AND PUMPS BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN

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GOWN AND STILETTOS BY GEMY

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WHITE GOWN BY KRIKOR JABOTIAN | BLACK SUIT BY ÉMILIE CREMONA

GOWN BY GEMY

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GOWN BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN

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GOWN BY GEMY

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GOWN BY MISSAK HAJIAVEDIKIAN | HAT BY KRIKOR JABOTIAN

take me with you

ROYAL LEARN THE SECRET HEART OF MONTMARTRE

BY ELODIE BARAKAT 118 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: DIRECTOR JEAN RENOIR, PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR, PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR OLD HOUSE IN MONTMARTRE, THE MOULIN ROUGE.

La Butte, a place for romantics, artists, and dreamers... and one of the most visited place in Paris. Montmartre might be universally known, but it only really reveals itself to certain people. The secrets of Montmartre are like a royal intrigueyou have to be in the thick of it to know what to look for.

“The stairways up to la butte Can make the wretched sigh While windmill wings Of the Moulin Shelter you and I” THE CHORUS OF THE SONG, LA COMPLAINTE DE LA BUTTE, MADE FAMOUS BY THE MOVIE MOULIN ROUGE, WRITTEN IN THE 50S BY THE DIRECTOR JEAN RENOIR, SON OF THE PAINTER PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR WHO HAD HIS ATELIER IN MONTMARTRE. It’s at night that Montmartre, Paris’ little village, is ready to give you some quality time. Forget about trails: The beauty of Montmartre lies in getting lost in it. Walk down the Avenue Junot, to understand how much of it you lose when you stick to the Pigalle/Sacré Coeur/Place du Tertre route. You’ll pass the Moulin de la Galette, the only remaining windmill of 30 from centuries ago. Le Moulin Rouge has never been a real windmill. Created in 1889 by two smart businessmen from Alsace, this moulin gave birth to the French cancan. This was during la belle époque of Montmartre, when the hill was a shelter for artists, theaters and cabarets. There Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and more, found a place to create, meet and share.

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THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: CHÂTEAU DES BROUILLARDS, LAPIN AGILE CABARET, GEORGES BRASSENS. OPPOSITE PAGE: SACRÉ-COEUR BASILICA.

DESTROYED SEVERAL TIMES, LITTLE REMAINS OF THE VERY OLD MONTMARTRE, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.

Hidden down the avenue Junot is the charming Villa Léandre, created right in the middle of Paris in 1926. The alley is edged with trees and English-Norman houses hiding private gardens. Further is the Allée des Brouillards, alongside the Château des Brouillards, built in the 1770s. It can be visited during the day, but you won’t get the chills like you do when there is nobody around. After the Place Dalida, at the end of one of the oldest streets of Montmarte, Rue de l’Abreuvoir, is the cabaret Le Lapin Agile. Named after the painter André Gill who painted a rabbit on its sign in 1875 (le lapin à Gill became the Lapin Agils). The still operational cabaret has welcomed some of the world’s biggest names: Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway and Georges Brassens to name a few. Sit at the top of the hill on Sacré Coeur’s stairs to enjoy a panorama of Paris, La Ville Lumière and then enter the Sacré Coeur. Have your portrait done in place du Tertre, buy some souvenirs in rue Le Pic, sit at a terrace in Les Abbesses, visit Montmartre Museum and learn about the Maison Rose and the Bateau Lavoir. Take a guided tour and learn that Montmartre only became a part of Paris in 1860, and that before that, it was known for the quarrying of its soil, “There is more of Montmartre in Paris than Paris in Montmartre”. Destroyed several times, little remains of the very old Montmartre, but you can find it if you know where to look

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take me with you

THE ROYAL CONNECTION 630s Some historians say King Dagobert the first named the hill Le Mont Martyrum, after the bishop Saint Denis was tortured there. Before that, the hill was named Mont Mars or Mont Mercure, after the names of the two Roman temples that were found there hundreds of years earlier. Eventually, the name became Momartre, Motmartre, Mont Marthe, Mont-marte and finally Montmartre. 978 Otton II, called the Bloothirsty, settled in Montmartre with an army of 60 000 men willing to besiege Paris. He was quickly ousted by Duke Huges Capet (who later became the king of France in 987).

1113 King Louis VI and Queen Adelaide de Savoie built the Abbey des Dames de Montmartre. This is when the Saint Pierre church (which still exists) was built. The history around the church convent says that after some time, the nuns became very “welcoming”. The convent was destroyed by a fire. 1590s When Henri IV became king of France, he had a house built in Montmartre for his favorite mistress Gabrielle d’Estrée. Legend says he became the first Montmartre songwriter writing love songs to his mistress.

1598 Louis XIV gave funds to the abbess Françoise Renée to rebuild the Saint Pierre church. 1662 In the Abbye a treaty was signed between a French duke and Louis XIV, giving the king the inheritance of his land: this is how the annexation of Lorraine to French territory began. 1971 When Napoleon lost the war against Prussia and during a year of turmoil for Paris, the construction of the Sacré Coeur was decided, as a redemption for all the sins committed by the French THE ROYAL ISSUE

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CHECK BY BRYAN BORZYKOWSKI

BRIGHT EYES The People’s Key

Who would have though that Conor Oberst, the brains behind Bright Eyes, would still be around 13 years after releasing the lo-fi emo pop masterpiece Letting Off the Happiness. Not only is he still around, but he continues to reinvent himself with each record. His latest comes three years after 2007’s Motion Sickness, but he’s been playing in between, releasing two solo records of folky pop. It’s sometimes hard to know the difference between Oberst the singer-songwriter and Bright Eyes the band, but it’s becoming clearer — both write introspective tunes about the human condition, but Bright Eyes just does it louder. The People’s Key, Bright Eyes’ ninth record, and according Oberst, its last, may be the trio’s best. It quickly covers a lot of ground — opener Firewall is a trippy seven-minute tune that starts with some strange spoken words and then slowly builds into a Pink Floyd-like jam. Second song Shell Games is a bright power pop ditty; Jejune Stars is a bouncy, but aggressive rock track; Approximate Sunlight is a slow, electro lullaby and the differences between each track continue.

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For other artists, this inconstancy would kill an album. But for Bright Eyes, perhaps because of Oberst’s long and diverse career, it works. I’m going to admit something — I’ve never liked Oberst. I’ve always thought his music was too overwrought and too earnest to enjoy.

see, speak, + hear no evil

But he’s clearly grown over the years. His solo work was captivating, but it also helped him move beyond the confines of his pop group. He’s brought a newfound maturity to this disc and it shows. Each song is infectious, engaging and complex in its own way.

In the end, Oberst has laid all of his cards on the table. He shows us all his sides — angry, upbeat, solemn, passionate and more — and does it with music that is contagious the entire way through. Let’s hope this really is Bright Eyes’ end, because I can’t think of a more fitting way to go out.

FIREWALL IS A TRIPPY SEVEN-MINUTE TUNE THAT STARTS WITH SOME STRANGE SPOKEN AND THEN SLOWLY BUILDS INTO A PINK FLOYD-LIKE JAM

PJ HARVEY

BOB GELDOF

People have been writing about war for decades, but PJ Harvey’s prose about the terrors of country-on-country violence is especially moving. It’s lyrically demanding, but its brilliantly catchy folk-meets-indie pop sound requires a lot of listening too. This is more like a thrilling novel than a record.

It’s hard to know what venerable do-gooder Bob Geldof means with the title of his album. Is he composing for one sale? For many? Probably both. This quirky disc won’t sell many copies, but with 60s style rock and heartfelt folk pop it should be heard by the masses.

Let England Shake

How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell

CUT COPY

PEARL JAM

Following up such a tremendous disc such as Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours should have been impossible, but the Aussie electro group somehow succeeds again. Their 80s synth sound, coupled with haunting atmospherics and smooth vocals is another stunning club disc.

Seattle grunge act Pearl Jam got their start releasing brilliant records, but they’re now one of the best live bands out there. Their latest live disc isn’t the definitive concert collection, but it’s got enough hits and obscure titles to keep everyone happy. The powerful crowd singalongs are worth hearing too.

Live on Ten Legs

Zonoscope

RISE AGAINST Endgame

Aggressive power pop punks Rise Against return with yet another record of middling guitar driven rock with a barely-there edge. It’s hard to imagine why their followers have stuck with them for so long — the music hasn’t progressed much over the years — but they’ve never had trouble tapping into a certain, and vocal, group of music fans.

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and Love Me to Death

Allison Brennan

weep read’em BY AMAL CHAABAN

Why you should read this book Some love you are better off without

RAGMAG would like to welcome Allison Brennan back to the world of suspense. After a foray into the paranormal genre, she has come roaring back to the world she writes best. This author’s greatest strength lies in characters that are so real and multi-faceted that they dominate their pages. In “Love Me to Death”, the much loved character of Lucy Kincaid is resurrected. Six years ago, Lucy was kidnapped, raped and rescued. She has rebuilt her life and now works to put repeat

sex offenders behind bars. When those offenders start turning up dead, Lucy needs to start thinking like the killer in order to avoid being his ultimate prize. Her descriptions of the horrors of sex offences are delicate and nuanced so as not to diminish their severity and sensationalize the crimes. Readers may find themselves becoming rapidly addicted to Allison Brennan’s work since she excels at writing serial suspense and this book certainly cements that.

Pictures of You

Caroline Leavitt

Why you should read this book

Sometimes a picture doesn’t tell the truth

Here at RAGMAG, we love to discover authors previously unknown to us and Caroline Leavitt is one of our latest. “Pictures of You” opens with a road trip, a distracted driver and an accident that changes the course of four lives. Leavitt’s words are lyrical, emotive, well placed, and best of all- sparse. She manages to convey emotion, describe a scene, and to take you into the story without resorting to paragraphs of description. The storyline is not only plausible, it is completely probable. Leavitt takes us

seamlessly into the world of photographer Isabelle Stein leaving her old life and April Nash; a mother whose reasons for being on that road are unclear. As one woman tries to move on, the family of the other woman is coming apart at the seams. Their worlds collide again in a most unexpected way. The path to healing from tragedy is a long one but the author’s economy with words makes the journey in Pictures of You a beautiful one.

The Royals

Kitty Kelley

Why you should read this book

The myth of the Monarchy’s greatness is as false as the great and powerful Oz

Kitty Kelley is famous for her biographies. The people she chooses to write about have been known to go to extraordinary lengths to try and stop her with try being the operative word because she simply steamrolls over obstacles for information. In “The Royals”, Kelley takes us inside the rarefied atmosphere of The House of Windsor and by the end; you may find yourself wishing for a Robespierre moment. She starts off in the early 20th century chronicling how a monarchy descended from a Germanic Line decided to fashion themselves

to be more English than the English. No sordid detail is spared from this early time and the knowledge of the connections to the Third Reich is imparted with the air of someone cleaning the mothballs out of the old attic. The reader is then taken through time with Kelley as she revisits the childhoods (abnormal) of Princess Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, then the coronation of the current reigning monarch and the scandalous lives of everyone in the family. The reader ends up knowing more than they ever needed to about the sordid lives of the Windsors.

Diana, Her True Story

Andrew Morton

Why you should read this book Being royal is no fairytale

When the world was first introduced to Lady Diana Spencer, we fell in love with the shy, unassuming girl who would be Princess to the heir apparent to the throne of England. We followed her fashions and eagerly awaited new photos of her. We were envious of the fact that every little girl’s fantasy was going to come true for her. Fast forward 15 years and two children later to the train wreck that became her life and suddenly, the mundane life of a commoner never looked so good. Andrew Morton’s book about Diana, Princess of Wales was written 124 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

in her lifetime and with her knowledge if not her direct help. The book opens in Diana’s troubled childhood but goes quickly to her even more troubled marriage. Bulimia, depression, insecurity, paranoia are all words that can be used to describe the years of her life with Prince Charles. Morton’s book is unabashedly pro-Diana and it was the catalyst to finally spurn on her divorce. Her death on August 31, 1997 only made the life she had more tragic. To pull the veil off of the fairytale, read this book about the life of a Princess.

see, speak, +hear no evil

watchout BY ADAM VOLK

Release dates based on amazon.co.uk

Black Swan

| DVD & Blu-ray | 108 mins Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis Release Date: March 29 Ah the ballet. Home to tutus, uncomfortable women’s footwear and in the case of Black Swan, anorexic dancers with a penchant for gruesome self-mutilation. Okay, so maybe Black Swan is more David Lynch than Billy Elliot in terms of ballet, but it also just happens to be one of the most original and brilliantly surreal films of the past year. Billed as a “psychosexual thriller,” director Darren Aronofsky’s Academy Award nominated film tells the story of a naive young dance prodigy (played by

Natalie Portman), who is offered the starring role in Swan Lake at a prestigious New York ballet academy. But when a rival dancer (played by Mila Kunis) threatens to steal the spotlight, it sends the young heroine into a spiral of madness, lust, and betrayal that rivals even the most tragic of ballets. With impressive performances, a brilliant script and impeccable direction, Black Swan is a dark, mind-bending film that is graceful and as captivating as a perfectly executed pirouette.

Tangled | DVD & Blu-ray | 100 mins Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Donna Murphy Release Date: March 29 When it comes to Disney’s animated films, there’s no shortage of princesses to choose from, with the House of Mouse seeming to have milked dry and systematically merchandised the hell out of every fairy tale in existence. Tangled, however, proves that the Magic Kingdom still has a few tricks up its sleeves, offering up a surprisingly fresh take on the classic story of Rapunzel, substituting the prototypical Prince Charming for a bumbling, yet charming thief and presenting Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) as more than just a helpless damsel in distress. Tangled also wisely adopts the

Shrek films’ formula, dropping plenty of sight gags for the kiddies while also including some snappy adultfriendly one-liners. Best of all, the film is a return to form for Disney, offering up several solid musical numbers that harkens back to the studio’s glory days. The heart-warming song “I See the Light,” set to a breathtaking sequence involving thousands of floating lanterns, is so well done, I actually had to pretend I had something in my eye rather than shamefully admitting I was getting misty-eyed over both a Mandy Moore song and a Disney animated princess.

Buried

| DVD & Blu-ray | 94 mins Ryan Reynolds Release Date: February 14 Ryan Reynolds has gone from smart mouthed comedic B-lister to a big name star, with the Canadian-born actor appearing in a slew of upcoming Hollywood blockbusters. Reynolds, however, proves that he’s more than just a pretty face and the former fling for ScarJo, thanks to Buried, a taught, singlelocation thriller that is quite literally an exercise in claustrophobic storytelling. Reynolds stars as Paul Conroy, an American civilian contractor working in Iraq. As the film opens he awakes to find himself buried alive in a coffin and equipped only with a cell

phone and a lighter. Conroy must then figure out what happened to get him while also trying to find a way out of the seemingly inescapable death trap. Reynolds is essentially the only actor to appear on screen and in the wrong hands, the film could have been a complete disaster, but with a smart script and impeccable direction from Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Cortés, Buried is a Hitchcockian cinematic experience that proves you don’t need a multibillion dollar budget and insane special effects to make a smart and nail-bitingly intense thriller.

127 Hours | DVD & Blu-ray | 94 mins James Franco, Clémence Poésy, Amber Tamblyn Release Date: March 1st Based on a true story, 127 Hours stars James Franco as Aron Ralston, a real-life mountain climber who, after suffering a near fatal accident while scaling a cliff in the Utah wilderness, found himself alone and trapped underneath a boulder for five days before amputating his own arm to escape. It’s a classic tale of survival in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity, yet under the careful watch of director Danny Boyle, 127 Hours is both fresh and smart. Franco delivers an impressive performance here, as he finds himself

caught, quite literally, between a rock and a hard place and save for a few brief sequences earlier in the film, a good portion of 127 Hours is Franco alone in front of a hand held video camera, expressing his fears, anger and at times, even humour in what he believes will be the last moments of his life. The queasy arm-severing denouement is not for the faint of heart, but 127 Hours is filmmaking at its finest, with Franco’s performance and Boyle’s visual storytelling something that has to be seen to be believed.

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see, speak, +hear no evil

playNICE BY ADAM VOLK

Bulletstorm

Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer People Can Fly, Epic Games Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 You can tell a lot about a video game from its title. Take Bulletstorm for instance, a name that conjures up images of blood splattered button mashers. Bullestorm, as it happens, is also the perfect title for a game that doesn’t take itself even remotely seriously and works as both an homage and a parody of firstperson shooters. Developed in part by the brains behind the Gears of War series, Bullestorm is set on yet another futuristic, war-ravaged planet. The storyline, however, is pure tongue-in-cheek satire (assuming of course the tongue in question is later ripped out and used

to beat someone to death). In terms of gameplay though, Bullestorm is really meant as an exercise in multiplayer mayhem, rewarding players for using the most creatively violent ways to eliminate their opponents. A player for example, might lob a grenade at an enemy, kick them in the crotch in mid-air and then blast them onto a nearby wall of spikes. The end result is a fun, if not somewhat repetitive, shooter that features enough brutal decapitations, eviscerations and groin shots to give a concerned parents association member a coronary.

Fight Night Champion

Publisher EA Sports | Developer EA Canada | Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Let’s get ready to ruuuuuuumble! The latest entry in the legendary boxing franchise saunters into the ring ready to deliver yet another knock out combo. Fans of the past Fight Night games, however, will notice that there have been a few changes. Chief among them is a new “Full Spectrum Punch Control” system which lends more of an arcade feel to the game while smoothing out the somewhat steep learning curve of previous instalments. Developer EA Canada has also thrown in a new “Champion Mode” which offers up a surprisingly engaging single-player storyline

that follows the rise of a young up-and-coming boxer (although players can always customize their own character and take them up the ranks in the “Legacy Mode”). An improved physics engine also adds to every bone crunching blow, while a new damage detection system allows players to pound their opponents into a realistically bruised and bloody pulp. Throw in a roster of over 50 playable boxing legends and the option to trade punches with other players in online bouts, and the sweet science has never been sweeter.

Killzone 3

Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment | Developer Guerrilla Games | Platforms PS 3 When the first Killzone appeared in 2004 it was dubbed as the PlayStation 2’s answer to the Xbox’s best-selling Halo series. It’s debatable if Killzone has ever succeeded in that mission, but there’s no disputing that the games are entertaining and gritty first-person shooters. Now the third instalment in the popular franchise has been locked and loaded, with players once again taking on the role of Sev, a futuristic commando battling against a group of genetically altered humans known as the Helghast. Killzone 3 picks up immediately after the earth

Dragon Age II

Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer BioWare Role-playing nerds of the world prepare to dust off your wizard robes: Dragon Age II is upon us. Yes, the sequel to BioWare’s bestselling action-RPG has finally been released and it’s even bigger, better and more bad ass than the original. Players are once again dropped into the world of Ferelden, a realm inhabited by monsters, magic and Machiavellian intrigue. The first Dragon Age allowed players to customize their race, gender, class and even back stories, this time out, however, players take on the role of Hawke, a static yet customizable character destined to become a mythical hero. It may

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shattering events of the previous game, with players forced to fight their way through a dark and war torn world that feels like a cross between Saving Private Ryan and Blade Runner. Killzone 3 is also the first game in the series to include both 3D capabilities (for those equipped with fancy newfangled 3D TVs) as well as the option to use the PlayStation Move motion control system. With solid visuals, a gripping storyline, and frenetic gameplay, Killzone 3 comes dangerously close to delivering a long distance head shot to Halo’s Master Chief.

| Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 sound like a forced dramatic arc, but it allows for a tighter narrative as players lead Hawke through an epic ten-year time period. The sweeping Tolkienesque narrative is also far more than just clichéd swords and sorcery, instead offering up a living, breathing world complete with racial tensions, political uncertainties and a complex history. At 60+ hours of gameplay, it’s a lot to take in, but Dragon Age II ups the ante with some noticeably improved graphics, a refined dialogue system and more streamlined combat. The end result is a game that will satisfy even the most hardcore fantasy geek’s inner-Gandalf.

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the final frontier

smart PHONES COMPETE FOR THE

THRONE BY J.E.N.

THE BATTLE IS ON. WHO WILL BECOME KING OF THE SMART PHONE REALM? EACH CONTENDER FOR THE THRONE HAS THRONGS OF SUPPORTERS. BUT WHO REALLY DESERVES IT? RIM’S BLACKBERRY, APPLE’S IPHONE AND GOOGLE + SAMSUNG’S JOINT NEXUS S (AN ANDROID PHONE) GO HEAD TO HEAD IN THIS ARTICLE. LET’S START BY LETTING THE NUMBERS DO THE TALKING. IF WE LOOK AT THE Q4 2010 WORLDWIDE SMART PHONE MARKET FIGURES: ANDROID TOOK 32.9% OF THE MARKET, APPLE 16% AND RIM 14.4%. WHILE ALL ARE DOING WELL AND BOAST POSITIVE NUMBERS, IS THIS THE AGE OF ANDROID? HAVE A LOOK AT EACH PHONE AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS.

The Nexus S has a wealth of features from internet calling (VoIP/SIP support) to Google maps with navigation, front and rear facing cameras, Voice Actions, direct access to Google services and gyroscope support.

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Google’s Android platform is one of the fastest growing mobile phone operating systems in the world with close to 300000 android powered devices being activated daily (RAGMAG had a feature on Android OS, Dec 2010). Since the Nexus S is a Google phone at heart (designed by Samsung with Google’s input and brand name), it’s worth seeing what Google has to say about the operating system, “Nexus S is the first phone to run Gingerbread, the fastest version of Android yet. Gingerbread builds on some of the most popular Android features like multitasking and Wi-Fi hotspot and adds a refreshed user interface, an improved keyboard, near field communication (NFC) support, and more.” The Nexus S

has a wealth of features from internet calling (VoIP/SIP support) to Google maps with navigation, front and rear facing cameras, Voice Actions, direct access to Google services and gyroscope support. It has a super fast 1 GHz Hummingbird processor with 16GB of internal memory meaning it is one of the fastest phones on the market. It even has a dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) that ensures it’s fast and fluid to play mobile games, browse the internet, and watch videos. Since it’s an Android phone, you can potentially get your hands on over 100000 apps, widgets and games. For more juicy details check out www.google.com/nexus/#/features

In Lebanon, BlackBerry services plus regular mobile phone subscriptions are one of the highest priced in the world, which doesn’t help make BlackBerry services the cost effective solution it should be.

Some tech freaks claim that the iPhone is only really spectacular when you jailbreak it .

A BlackBerry can be spotted a mile away because of its distinctive calculator style appearance. While they might not be the best eye candy designwise, they are a great business solution when coupled with BlackBerry Internet Services. RIM rather intelligently made sure you can only use their internet services if you have a phone manufactured by them, which obviously is an ideal sales technique. Each phone (Bold, Curve, Torch, Storm…) has slightly different features, but they’re all renowned for being superb devices for sending/receiving emails and messages while doubling as a reliable personal organizer and phone. They also boast the attractive BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service that enables a user to send instant messages and images to other BlackBerry users provided the BlackBerry PIN is known. BlackBerry has been around since 1999 and in

Apple is renowned for great design and hence it comes as no surprise that the iPhone is a sleek touch screen beauty. First launched in January 2007, the iPhone has evolved over the years and the latest version is the iPhone 4G. Apple tout, “While everyone else was busy trying to keep up with iPhone, we were busy creating amazing new features that make iPhone more powerful, easier to use, and more indispensable than ever. The result is iPhone 4. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.” The phone is a nifty jack of all trades, simply crammed with features. Whether you need all these features is another thing. The iPhone 4 is armed with 16GB or 32GB flash drive, video calling FaceTime, sharp image definition, HD video recording and editing, games, iPod, wireless streaming, two cameras, superb multitasking capabilities and much (much) more. There are also over 300000 apps available for download. While very impressive, some tech freaks claim that the iPhone is only really spectacular when you jailbreak it (i.e. hack it so you’re not tied down to Apple’s OS). The main drawback is the iPhone’s highly elevated local price tag in comparison to abroad. For more jawdropping details visit www.apple.com/iphone/features/

2006 the brand’s nickname CrackBerry from crack cocaine (thanks to its highly addictive nature since you’re online 24/7) was added to Webster’s Dictionary. In Lebanon, BlackBerry services plus regular mobile phone subscriptions are one of the highest priced in the world, which doesn’t help make BlackBerry services the cost effective solution it should be. Especially with the wide availability of “WhatsApp!” that works on iPhones and Android phones and is free for the first year and then only costs $1.99 per year (WAP and GPRS are also more affordable mobile internet options per month). But since BlackBerry services were launched in Lebanon, sporting a BlackBerry is very in, even if you don’t need a business solution. For specific details about each BlackBerry phone go to www.blackberry.com

THE ROYAL ISSUE

129

the final frontier

SYNTHETIC

PROTEIN TAKES THE SCEPTER BY J.E.N.

rinceton University scientists have made a major breakthrough that’s well worth a royal mention. This breakthrough could be the key to constructing new biological systems since the scientists managed to build artificial proteins for the first time ever. And these proteins actually allowed the growth of living cells. What makes this research even more exceptional is that the team succeeded in creating genetic sequences that never existed before and these new proteins managed to do the same job of natural proteins. Michael Hechet, the Princeton chemistry professor who led the team says that “what we have here are molecular machines that function quite well within a living organism even though they were designed from scratch and expressed from artificial genes… This tells us that the molecular parts kit for life need not be limited to parts -- genes and proteins -- that already exist in nature.” Hechet goes on to reveal the crown jewel, “Our work suggests that the construction of artificial genomes capable of sustaining cell life may be within reach.” Most prior research in synthetic biology concentrated on reorganizing parts drawn from natural organisms. But this team went about things differently and proved living cells can function with macromolecules not taken from nature but created entirely in the lab. This is

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life-altering given the important role proteins play. Proteins are essential for organisms and are produced from instructions encoded into the DNA in cells. A protein is recognizable by its unique sequence of 20 chemicals known as amino acids. Since proteins tend to be long (100 amino acids and more) possible protein sequences are boundless. And yet, the human body just produces 100000 amino acids even though more are technically possible. This is one of the key mysteries Hecht’s team wanted to solve and this was the starting point of the research. They began by questioning whether these proteins were unique in some way or whether other proteins worked just as well but evolution simply never got around to testing them out. To get answers the team started creating artificial proteins encoded by genetic sequences not seen in nature. They made about 1 million amino acid sequences that could form stable three-dimensional structures. Michael Fisher, a team member, clarifies through analogy: “It is perhaps analogous to taking a sentence, coming up with brand new words, testing if any of our new words can take the place of any of the original words in the sentence, and finding that in some cases, the sentence retains virtually the same meaning while incorporating brand new words.”

When the team had their synthetic proteins ready, they inserted them into numerous mutant strains of bacteria (the bacteria had part of their natural genes removed). Since the bacteria needed the erased natural genes to survive and the conditions were harsh, the mutant strains of bacteria looked set to die. But with the help of the team’s new proteins, they escaped this fate. This is of major importance since it shows that one (or some) of the protein synthetically created could sustain the growth of living cells. Hecht highlights how impressive this is, “These artificial proteins bear no relation to any known biological sequences, yet they sustained life.” This groundbreaking research funded by the National Science Foundation could be the secret to enabling scientists to build new biological systems. While it’s still too early to gauge the full implications, it is still very exciting stuff! If this article has wetted your appetite, you might want to plunge into the full research report published on the 4th of January 2011 in the Journal of Public Library of Science ONE

THIS BREAKTHROUGH COULD BE THE KEY TO CONSTRUCTING NEW BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.

unwindinstyle

Experience leisure & relaxation in the tranquility of Lebanon, at the newly opened One to One Hotel – Dhour Choueir. Situated between the mountain valleys, designed stylishly offering breathtaking panoramic views. Treat yourself at the 4star boutique hotel this season, rates starting from $100 including bed & breakfast! * Rates are subject to 10% VAT. * Monthly & Weekly rates are available.

6 • • • • • •

easy ways to book: t: +961 4 391270 f: +961 4 391269 res.dhourchoueir@onetoonehotels.com onetoonehotels.com via your preferred travel agent gds codes: Galileo: WV97619 - Sabre: WV100304 - Worldspan: WV74447 - Amadeus: WVBEYONE

dhour choueir

hotel

Dhour Choueir Square, p.o.box 28690 Lebanon t. +961 4 391270 f. +961 4 391269 res.dhourchoueir@onetoonehotels.com onetoonehotels.com

THE ROYAL ISSUE

131

take me with you

STORIED THE CITY THAT HAS SPANNED 8 ROYAL DYNASTIES BY ALICE HLIDKOVA + ERIC JOSEPH REITMEYER

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LEFT: SHANGAHI LUJIAZUI FINANCIAL CENTER ASIDE THE HUANGPU RIVER.

THE QUINTESSENTIAL CITY HAS BEEN RESUSCITATED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS AIDED BY THE ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS YEAR’S WORLD EXPO. With a history as evocative as it is notorious, Shanghai has entered a new golden age. Once swarming with swindlers, socialites, and drug runners, its past is so impregnated with social taboos that it is hard to tell whether it was a paradise or an encompassing evil wreathed in opium. Shanghai has long been on a fast track to riches. The quintessential city known for better as “The Paris of the East,” and for worse, “The Whore of the Orient,” has been resuscitated in the past five years aided by the enthusiasm for this year’s World Expo. Drawing nearly 70 million visitors for the international event, Shanghai today is as intense as it has been in the 1920’s when the city tolerated hooligans and elites alike. Westerners detect something alchemical about Shanghai’s rise. They hurry to the eastern side of Huangpu River, where the financial district of Pudong - most famous for its futuristic skyline - stretches to the East China Sea. The Pearl Tower draws crowds for its “ufo” design, and Shanghai World Financial Center building is famed for contributing the “bottle opener” to the cityscape. Apart from granting foreigners and expats high salaries, the trophied Pudong is a residential draw for those in search of cheap rent and all inclusive cooking, cleaning, and massage services. Rental prices hardly increase with the 360 degree nocturnal view; its fluorescent-lit facade never fails to attract bystanders of the night. On the western side of the river lies Pushing district, which has also housed the city’s young affluent. Residents are appalled by the traditional European architecture of the Bund, a hotbed for trading floors and banks. British, French and Russian upstarts built their early 20th century residencies, a reminder of a decadent heyday, now crowded with highend fashion labels. These structures also welcomed the infamous rooftop club Bar Rough; its décor prison themed, dedicated to providing a clear view of Pudong’s garish lighting, as well as Peace Hotel, a haven for Shanghai intellectuals before the Chinese army officers levelled the place.

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take me with you

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BOTTOM LEFT: YUYUAN GARDENS AND BAZAARS.

BOTH DREAM CHASERS AND TOURISTS TAKE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAD EAST ON NANJING ROAD TO VISIT THE CITY’S OLD TOWN. The boastful cosmopolitan embankment is not the only spot to place Shanghai’s prestige into context. Both dream chasers and tourists take opportunity to head east on Nanjing Road to visit the city’s old town. On either side of the street sits a ragged maze of narrow lanes pinched between historic dwellings and tiny temples. Nanjing connects the traditional Chinese area to People’s Square. Brothels and addicts once enjoyed their fun at the public space, and today visitors take full advantage of its palm tree lined walkways leading to a tiny lily pond. The buildings anchoring the west of the square is the French designed Shanghai Grand theatre, the city’s premier venue for performing arts. To the northeast is the equally impressive Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, where the government supports high tech propaganda. Overlooking all is the Tomorrow Square, its construction resembling a character from the film, “Transformers.” One of Pushing’s tallest buildings, it houses the electrifying edifice of the JW Marriott Hotel and 360 degree view of the city from the 38th floor.

Visitors are charmed by the backstreets of Pushing’s French concession. Tudor mansions built with French bricks are encroached by new residential high rises. The streets have an abundance of massage parlors, night food, and bars with outdoor seating spilling into the streets. Pathways are marked by bike lanes with Chinese army soldiers directing traffic. The area, formerly European, is now overcrowded with visitors and mainland Chinese tourists. The underground metro will not save the traveler from such crowds. In fact, metro stops near the Xiang Yang Market will cause anyone to get lost. The market is filled with fake branded bags from Prada, Miu Miu, to Michael Kors. Some knockoffs are made with soft leather and are imported from Korea instead of being made in China.

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take me with you

LEFT: GARDEN OF IMPERIAL PALACE, FORBIDDEN CITY. BELOW: PEOPLE’S SQUARE.

Shanghai’s infamous fabric market, South Bund, spans four floors in resemblance of a textile factory where tailored suits and dresses are made in abundance. Each tailor shows customers a magazine to inspire your preference and a fabric sample book to choose textile material and colour. Once customers are measured

and down payment is paid, Chinese bicycle runners rush to nearby textile manufacturers to submit the order. Show off the new attire at the restaurant and bar district of Taikang Lu, the hotspot for Westerner dining. Indulge in the best late night street skewers found near the shopping mall, Jing An Temple. Men on scooters with

boldly dressed dates carry their food after a night of Karaoke. Shanghai’s late night Karaoke scene is a serious enterprise in which men with guanxi (connections) are catered to. Later they go for oil massages to further cultivate their guanxi, a classic activity representative of old Shanghai

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eat, drink + be merry

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

hef Jerome Serres, who lives by the mantra that “all of us should know where our food comes from”, is the proud holder of three Michelin stars. The French national was even voted Chef of the Year in Greece, not just once, but twice. Now he is in charge of the kitchen at Jounieh’s most ambitious Mediterranean restaurant, Tablefine, nestled in a tiny alley in the old part of town. This French chef is on a mission to celebrate and simplify food, in his words “count on the high quality products and the freshness of all the goods …because my kitchen is based on respecting flavors and tastes.” And, he hopes to pass on his passion to a Lebanese audience. “Since I was 13 years old, all I wanted to do was to become a chef.” His first initiation to the culinary world was at the École hôtelière de Mazamet, France, which he entered after high school. Then Paris called and he went on to work in top restaurants there, until he moved to Athens. It takes hard work, determination

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MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF JEROME SERRES REVEALS HIS PASSION FOR HARD WORK, LOCAL INGREDIENTS… AND BREAD AND CHEESE! and dedication to acquire three Michelin stars… but then again, the French are always dedicated when it comes to food. Serres is certainly passionate about food. Another thing he is passionate about is the best quality of local ingredients. “The development of organic food is now measured as high quality food, but unfortunately this has a price… Following the high demand in the food market that is more based nowadays on quantity rather than quality, we find ourselves buying strawberries in December and pineapples in the summer. And sadly this shows that there are no more seasons for the raw materials.” So, what does the average workday of a Michelin chef look like? “ I start in the morning by controlling all the positions in my kitchen and try to finish the day with everything properly done [so that] the customers will be overwhelmed at the end with the food served,” says Serres. “For me, a restaurant is like a theater scene; I am present for 13 hours a day

in my kitchen to ensure everything done perfectly.” And, when the work is done, and no one else is around, he likes to snack on cheese and bread. And if he hadn’t become a chef, what would he be doing right now? He admits he would have loved to be a painter. Well, he certainly does not lack subjects in his adopted country and it hasn’t taken him long to put down culinary roots. “The closeness of the mountains to the sea, the environment, and the moderate weather, are what fascinate me the most [about Lebanon]. I also like the idea of skiing in the morning and swimming in the evening in the sea.” In other words, he is living the Lebanese dream, à la Française

‘The development of organic food is now measured as high quality food, but unfortunately this has a price’

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eat, drink + be merry PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

WITH THE BEADS & PIECES SERVES IT UP RIGHT

Beads & Pieces, a 2 year old line of distinct and colourful housewares by Rola Hachem, caught our eye when we were shopping. Featured on TV 6 times already, the line ranges from cutlery such as dessert spoons, forks, knives to tablespoons, forks and knives. We were instantly charmed by the handmade serving spoons and cutlery that are perfect for both brunches and formal dinner events. The coffee and tea sets accessorize well with the decorative trays and even the ashtrays. Serving dessert? Pick up the Beads & Pieces Cake Tray with matching Spatula and Knife. Every Lebanese household offers up an array of snacks, so opt for the Beads & Pieces Nut and Chip Bowls. Want to be the

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sister in law of the year? Grab Beads & Pieces blue and pink spoons and “moghleh” bowls. All of the items are available in sets or singles and run from $15 to $80 in price. Add some colour to a plain service set and support the Lebanese crafts industry: All Beads & Pieces are locally made! Rola’s favorite item? Her “beloved beaded spoons”. The idea came from “a spoon from South Africa with a similar wire around it but with no beads. After 3 years I decided to try to do something similar. I began with a teaspoon and a week later I started selling complete sets,” Rola explains. We’re looking forward to Beads & Pieces expanding into a complete home design range!

GET ALL MARY POPPINS ORGANIZED WITH BEADS & PIECES “A place for everything and everything in its place” TOWEL HOLDER

It has secret pocket for toilet paper.

SITTING ROOM ORGANIZER

Hide your remote controls and things that don’t have a space.

BOTTLE HOLDERS

Give that bottle of wine a personal touch.

Get Your Beads & Pieces L’artisan Du Liban Clemenceau L’artisan Du Liban Accaoui Facebook Group Beads & Pieces By Rola Hachem beadsandpieces.rh@gmail.com THE ROYAL ISSUE 141 03/794622 01/622794

eat, drink + be merry

RAGMAG AND BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM HAVE TEAMED UP TO BRING YOU THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN DESSERTS THIS ISSUE. TO REALLY HELP YOU EAT DRINK + BE MERRY WE’VE COMPILED A LIST OF PLACES FOR YOU TO TRY A RANGE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY DESSERTS AVAILABLE IN LEBANON RIGHT NOW. WE LOVE SATISFYING OUR SWEET TOOTH AND WE LOVE HAVING THE INSIDE INFO FROM BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM THEY’RE RAGMAG’S GOTO SITE FOR EVERYTHING FROM DINNER TO DESSERT. THE CROWN JEWELS TOP TEN LIST IS DEFINITELY UP TO MARIE ANTOINETTE STANDARDS, ALTHOUGH HISTORY DEBATES IF SHE EVER ACTUALLY MADE THE FAMOUS CAKE DECREE. FROM CUPCAKES TO LEBANESE SWEETS, THE BIG NAMES TO THE HIDDEN SECRETS, OUR TOP TEN LIST IS A MUST TRY. FOLLOW BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM ON TWITTER FOR MORE GREAT SUGGESTIONS @B_RESTAURANTS

LA GOULEE

L’ECLAIR

PATE A CHOUX

CANNELLE PATISSERIE

GOU: CAFE RESTO

NOURA

Mar Roukoz Roundabout Hazmieh 05/951840 | 03/345998

Beirut, Lebanon 01/202169 | 01/336798 01/201315

GUSTAV INNOVATION SUCREE Hamra Street, Beirut 01/747199 www.legustav.com Follow them on Twitter @LeGustav Find them on Facebook

Tarik Jadideh , Mazraa Beirut 01/856206

Antelias, Mount Lebanon 04/414611 | 04/417601 03/306611

Achrafieh, Saint Nicolas Area 01/200765 03/828409 www.gouworld.com

Salim Lahoud Street, Dekko bldg. Achrafieh, Beirut 01/398362/92 | 01/425533 01/215806 | 01/200883

OSLO

LA BRIOCHE

Rue de Madrid Beirut 01/ 576464 03/369313 www.osloicecream.com

Hamra, Beirut 01/347614

COCOA & CO

Rue Du Liban, Achrafieh Beirut 01/323668 www.cocoa-and-co.com Follow them on Facebook

Special Crown Jewel Mention RAGMAG and Gustav have a love affair! Chef Noor’s creations like the Pavé, a positively sinful dark Belgian chocolate cake with no sugar and no flour, and the Charlotte aux Fraises, a black forest cake made with Morello cherry, make us blush. Have your cake and eat it, too!

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Special Crown Jewel Mention RAGMAG adores Oslo’s tantalizing selection of ice cream and sorbets. Better still, grab a dozen of their signature cookies- tasty and adorable. We first fell in love with Oslo’s star confection Macaron Rose Thé Vert, and now we just can’t get enough.

Special Crown Jewel Mention Cocoa & Co certainly does make sure life is sweet! With their sunny philosophy and quirky, brightly coloured pastry collection, we don’t think you’ll walk away with just one selection. Check out their bestseller tab online for fun sweets that look as great as they taste!

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eat, drink + be merry PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

AP KĀ KHĀNĀ SVĀDIṢṬA HO, YOUR HIGHNESS* BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

ocated at the Markazia Monroe Suites Hotel in the heart of Beirut, the India Punjabi Cuisine is no ordinary Indian restaurant. The setting is both kitsch and classy, and that’s what makes India a one of a kind place in Beirut. In fact, all the other Indian restaurants in town seem to have taken the typical Asian interior to a whole new level of cliché, whereas India keeps it sober and authentic, all the while creating a royal atmosphere. With a glass façade representing the entrance to a golden palace, the restaurant is surrounded with majestic red and gold colors, long voile curtains draped or hanging from the high ceiling and tapestries in different shades of red. The service is just as regal: here, the customer is king. As soon as you enter the restaurant, a waiter wearing traditional clothing warmly welcomes you, escorts you to your table and leaves, only to come less than a minute later with the leather menus and the welcome papadums, wafer-thin breads flavored with spices and served with an assortment of mango and mint chutney, with a side of mango pickles and diced onions.

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India restaurant specializes in Punjabi cuisine from North India, but don’t worry: it’s still all about curries, Biryanis and Tikka Massalas. Spices lovers, you are served. With a large menu going from kebabs to vegetarian curries, to lamb dishes (and oh surprise!) an international food section, there’s something for everyone. Novices, do not hesitate to ask for your waiter’s opinion. He is competent and will tell you what dish is the most suitable for your taste by explaining each and every one of them on the menu. The good thing about the menu is that you can have strong tasting dishes on one hand that provide little explosions of flavor in your mouth, like their Dal Makhni, a vegetarian black lentil dish cooked overnight with tomato and butter. Every ingredient, every quantity is carefully chosen for the dish to be a balanced mix of aromas, something rarely found in ethnic restaurants in Lebanon. On the other hand, the menu offers a variety of non-spicy dishes for sensitive palates. They have, among other dishes, the delicious Chicken Do Piazza –it may sound Italian but is nothing but Indian- a red thick curry

dish made with onions and chicken, the famous vegetable samosas generously filled and the Murgh Malai Tikka, perfectly cooked chunks of chicken breast marinated in cheese. All you have to do is take your time, take your pick, and enjoy your regal feast… Indian style! * “Enjoy your meal,” in an Indian dialect.

The + +The background Indian soft music of the place makes the outing an even nicer one. +The cheese and lamb naans are great: their taste is strong enough to be enjoyed alone, not too strong to be eaten with the saucy dishes. +The service is excellent: quick, respectful and efficient. Royal.

The – -The “international food” section of the India menu is quite intriguing. The variety must be practical for a hotel restaurant, but a separate menu would be more appropriate for Steak Sandwiches, Hommous and Spaghetti Bolognese! -The food is slightly overpriced for such small portions. Either lower the prices or make bigger dishes

India – Punjabi Cuisine Markazia Monroe Suites Hotel Syria Street, Solidere, Beirut 01/991 200 India@markaziamonroesuites.com www.markaziamonroesuites.com

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eat, drink + be merry

A MOTHER’S DAY DINING EXPERIENCE

WITH CHEF MAHER EL-ALAM

THIS MOTHER’S DAY, RAGMAG AND CHEF MAHER EL-ALAM PRESENT FARE FIT FOR THE REAL MONARCH OF YOUR FAMILY. A TRADITIONAL MEAL IN 3 COURSES INCLUDING LEG OF LAMB AND A LOVELY STARTER SALAD FOR 4 WILL ENSURE THE MATRIARCH IS LEFT WITH A SATED APPETITE AND REGAL FEELING.

Table Setting and Decoration To compliment the formal feast, we suggest a set of adorned cutlery and cake service set such as the Beads & Pieces collection we’ve showcased this issue. Set with matching napkin rings and placemats in a vibrant shade. For spring, choose a pink or lavender motif and contrast a linen tablecloth to match. Fresh flowers are ideal and can be combined with candles in a neutral shade to add ambience. We suggest an orchid arrangement or even a single bloom set circled with votives. Finally, present chilled still water in a silver toned ice bucket, offside of the main dining table with red wine on the main table.

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Salade ROYALE

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•1 large head of iceberg lettuce •16 cherry tomatoes •12 fresh mushrooms •1 large bag of mixed sea food •1 head of chopped parsley •1 cup balsamic vinegar •2 cups olive oil •1 tablespoon Dijon mustard •2 pinches salt •1 pinch white pepper SALAD PREPARATION

DRESSING PREPARATION

Begin by boiling the mixed seafood. Drain well and allow to chill. Clean the vegetables well and chop the iceberg lettuce, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the mushrooms. Combine with the chopped parsley leaves. Present the salad on side plates and and finish with the mixed sea food.

Combine balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard with salt and pepper to taste. Gently add the olive oil and present in a server so that guests might dress salad to their liking.

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eat, drink + be merry

LEG OF LAMB BOURGEOIS

and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•One leg of lamb •3 cloves garlic •2 pinches salt •2 pinches white pepper •1 rosemary sprig •1 cup balsamic vinegar •2 large onions •5 carrots •16 pieces broccoli •12 pieces fresh asparagus •4 large potatoes •Olive oil as needed

PREPARATION Set the lamb to marinate. Place the garlic cloves, add the salt and pepper and rosemary. Chop the potatoes, carrots and onion, placing them together on a sheet metal tray. Add olive oil as needed and bake with the lamb for 2 hours at 180 degrees. Continue to baste with the broth throughout the baking period. Boil the broccoli and asparagus shortly before the lamb is ready. Serve the plate by arranging cuts of the lamb leg and

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add a serving of the potatoes, onions, asparagus, carrots and broccoli on the side.

God Save the Queen

CAKE

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•110gr currants •230gr self raising flour •110gr butter •110gr caster sugar •2 eggs •Finely grated rind 2 lemons •6 teaspoons double cream •Raisins

PREPARATION Place the flour in a bowl. In a second bowl beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Combine the eggs and lemon rind and beat into a creamy mixture. Add half of the flour, follow by allowing to stand for a short time. Continue adding the remaining flour and cream and mix until you get a nice consistency. Place the completed mixture into a brioche mold or spoon into small tins. Dress liberally with butter and raisins. Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15

to 20 minutes. Allow the desserts to achieve a golden colour. Allow to cool and serve upside down.

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RAGMAG

astro

Zodiac forecasts FROM JONATHAN CAINER

March.2011

BY THE TIME WE REACH THE EQUINOX, ON MARCH 21, THE SUN, MERCURY, JUPITER AND URANUS WILL ALL BE IN ARIES. BY EARLY MAY, THE SUN WILL HAVE MOVED INTO TAURUS BUT WE’LL HAVE MERCURY, VENUS, MARS, JUPITER AND URANUS IN ARIES PLUS THE MOON FOR A BRIEF WHILE TOO. AND SATURN WILL BE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE, IN LIBRA. WE’RE TALKING HERE ABOUT ZODIAC SIGNS, NOT CONSTELLATIONS. WE’RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A TIME OF INNOVATION. IN MARCH, YOU CAN EXPECT TO KEEP FINDING NEW REASONS TO FORGET LIMITS AND LAWS THAT ONCE SEEMED UNBREAKABLE. AND THERE’S MORE CHANGE TO COME.

BRUCE WILLIS

DREW BARRYMORE

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

March is due to be a very good month. Not, perhaps, for everyone. But for everyone born under the sign of Aries, at least. That’s not to say, though, that you’re going to enjoy every moment of it. There’s sometimes a big difference between something that feels good and something that does you good. Indeed, things that feel good at first can sometimes end up making us feel rather bad. You may, soon, go through an experience that’s difficult. Tense. Challenging. But it may be the only way to arrive at an outcome that’s much desired and that generates a long-lasting glow of delight, relief and inspiration. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

PISCES February 20 - March 20

You have won a lottery just by arriving on Earth. Surely, even if you now never see another miracle, you will have reason to count yourself lucky. Yet miracles can and do happen every day. Incredible coincidences keep taking place. We just fail to notice them because we have become obsessed with narrow, petty definitions of success. We want what we want and we don’t care about anything else. But in March, it’s going to become more clear than ever before that you are more fortunate than you know. Soon, you will become more fortunate still. Be grateful, not fearful, and life will bring many rich rewards. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21 Is that a little fairy, sitting on your shoulder? Or is it a guardian angel, hovering over your head? Maybe it’s a wish-granting leprechaun, an ancient Tibetan or a spirit guide from the medicine wheel. I can’t be sure which form your cosmic protection is due to take but it’s clear that, in March, something is going to be looking after you. You are being offered support, succour and sustenance, some of which may take a decidedly unambiguous physical form. I’m not promising miracles. There may be ups as well as downs. But the ups will be real. They will last much longer and prove far more important than the downs! FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

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May 22 - June 22

June 23 - July 23

CANCER

LEO

Strangely, we are brought up to feel that indecision is a vice. If we experience it, it must be because we do not know our own mind. That, they say, makes us weak and easily manipulated. So is it better to be assertively wrong than apprehensively right? Of course not! As you enter March, you have many options and choices. Most though, will disappear the moment you make your mind up and charge ahead once more. Some doubts deserve to be heeded. Some mysteries are far better left unsolved than swept aside by some glib explanation. You’ll profit if you permit yourself some uncertainty this month.

The old song goes, ‘When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.’ If that were literally true, as long as just one human, somewhere on Earth, was happy we would all be smiling all the time. But in essence, it’s fair comment. Contentment is contagious. Enthusiasm is infectious. When we allow ourselves to relax and feel good, we somehow draw the right people and opportunities into our lives. That’s what you will do in March. If you think this unlikely because life, right now, seems to contain so little to smile about, please be aware that rapid change for the better is possible. Indeed, it’s inevitable!

You’ll get a little extra help, whenever you need it most this month. It may not arrive, though, until just in the nick of time. You will have to march into battle unarmed and just trust that whenever it’s really required you will be magically, instantly issued with the appropriate weapon. Does that sound too close for comfort? Well then, do nothing. Err on the side of caution. Avoid rising to any challenge that you don’t feel fully prepared for. That’s your prerogative. Really, though, if you show a little courage and allow for some spontaneous serendipity to enter your life, you’ll find you will make the most amazing progress.

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

GEMINI

VIRGO

LIBRA

July 24 - August 23

SCORPIO

August 24 - September 23

September 24 - October 23

October 24 - November 22

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

Would you like something to think about, talk about and tie yourself up in knots with? Or have you already got quite enough of that? You are not exactly short of intricate details and fiddly little factors, all of which seemingly require constant concentration. It has been some while since you last felt safe enough to relax, take your eye off the ball and just enjoy life. It may, I fear, be some while more before you can have that pleasurable experience in any quantity. In March you should at least stop feeling as if you need to be vigilant 24/7, lest you miss a crucial development. First, things will stabilise. Then, they will improve.

If you are in prison, why is there a key in your hand? If you are trapped, why can’t you move freely in any direction you care to? Because what’s holding you back is something far more constraining than any physical imposition. You’ve got a mental block. A sense of fear or duty - or helplessness that tells you a certain option is not open to you. But why is that the case? Can’t there be a renegotiation? Of course there can. You just have to decide what you truly want to be free of... and what it is you want to free yourself for! March brings you to that moment of realisation, of choice... and of opportunity!

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

Carl Jung, the great psychologist, once coined a new word. He wanted to talk about the way in which sometimes, we need something yet we do not truly understand what it is we need. Sometimes too, that thing ‘turns up’ in our lives at just the right moment. Its appearance acts as a wake-up call. It provides a ‘meaningful coincidence’ that makes us say, ‘Oh yes... NOW I see.’ He called all this ‘synchronicity’. Many people, though, confuse it with serendipity - or ‘lucky chance’. With serendipity, though, there’s no lesson to learn. Your outlook for March promises plenty of synchronicity. Be willing to learn and you’ll get amazing help.

November 23 - December 21

How hard it is for us to admit ignorance. How much we like to feel as if we are fully in control. How our opinions give us a sense of strength. How our fixed ideas buoy up our egos. Yet how our arrogant attitudes can separate us from other people. In March, if you replace strong expressions of certainty with displays of vulnerability, if you say less and listen more, if you concede uncertainty and seek advice, you won’t be demonstrating weakness, you’ll be emanating a real inner strength based on confidence in your own candour. That will definitely make you more attractive, to people... and to opportunities too!

December 22 - January 20

Do you deserve the sweet gift that life is due to offer you in March? Have you earned yourself a rewarding opportunity and a positive experience? It’s important that you answer ‘yes’ to these questions. If you’re inclined to think, for some reason, that you aren’t entitled to something positive, you may fail to see the true value of your current chance. Worse, you may view it with unnecessary suspicion and thus undermine your own ability to take full advantage of a most encouraging new development. Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t be negative either. Just trust that what’s starting to unfold is good.

AQUARIUS

January 21 - February 19 Uranus returns this month to the sector of the sky that governs ideas, inventions and innovations. It popped briefly in and out of that part of your chart last year. Now your ruler begins a visit that will last for several years. You’re about to start feeling as if you’re really getting somewhere. You’re beginning a phase which offers you a real chance to make progress, to overcome old obstacles, to reach out to new people and alter habits of a lifetime. If you’ve been thinking, for a long while, about a plan or a possibility... or even if suddenly, this month, you come up with one... run with it! It could change everything for the better. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT

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quizz ROUND #1

ROUND #2

Natural World

ROUND #3

General Knowledge

1. What animals name translates to “Waterhorse”? 2. What bird turns its head upside down when it eats? 3. What is the oldest, most used drug in the world? 4. What is the only fish that can hold things with its tale? 5. An elephant’s trunk has 400,000 what in it? 6. What is the world’s tallest grass? 7. What part of the human body can expand to 20 times its normal size? 8. If you were dining on calamare, what would you be eating? 9. What type of animal can either be Siberian or Indian? 10. 80% of household dust is made up of what?

ROUND #4

Trivia

Geography

1. What is the square root of 121? 1. What number is represented by the letter “L” in Roman numbers? 2. How many stars are there on the American flag? 2. What percentage of normal air is oxygen? 3. What is the name of the restaurant, in Zahle, that has a 3. What is the common name for the rotating floor? “Aurora Australis”?

1. What was the former name of Ho Chi Min city? 2. Which American city is the headquarters for the Mormon Church? 3. In which country would you find the port of Jeddah?

4. According to the song, what was given on the 4th day of Christmas?

4. In Greek Mythology, what sprang up on the spot where Narcissus died?

5. What type of acid is used in a standard car battery?

5. What is the baby Kangaroo called?

5. Which is the largest of the two main islands of New Zealand?

6. What non-alcoholic cordial drink is made from pomegranate?

6. In the Old Testament, who built the Golden Calf that was later destroyed when Moses returned from Mount Sinai?

6. Which Ukrainian town was the scene of a nuclear reactor explosion in 1986?

7. What number does not exist in the Roman system of numbering? 8. What colour is the centre on an archery target?

7. What type of nuts are used to make Marzipan? 8. This year is 2011 A.D.; What do the letters A.D. stand for?

4. Dakar is the capital of which African Country?

7. What is the nearest communist country to the U.S.A.? 8. What is the only country that has its outline on its flag?

9. What 4 letters are usually shown 9. From which country did the at the top of the cross on which 9. What is the name of the people, explosive Semtex originate? Jesus was crucified? living in America, who do not use such things as cars, TVs, phones 10. In which country would you find 10. Blue, Red, Green, Black are 4 of etc.? the Var river? the colours of the Olympic ring. What colour is the 5th ring? 10. Which optical intrument consists of two telescopes mounted side by side?

dingbats over

VERY HAPPY

n e v e s

CLEARS YOUR THIRST

the world ARMAGEDDON ? ROUND#1 ROUND#2 ROUND#3 ROUND#4

i t

working 9 8 7 6 5 AN OLD SONG ?

MAKE A NOTE

wear thermal

wired bra

TO KEEP YOU WARM

trans LOST lation I DON’T UNDERSTAND!

it it you

DOES IT GIVE A LIFT?

it it it it

YOU WILL GET TO LIKE IT

1. Hippopotamus 2. Flamingo 3. Alcohol 4. Seahorse 5. Muscles 6. Bamboo 7. Stomach 8. Squid 9.Tiger 10. Dead human skin 1. 11 2. 50 3. Monte Alberto 4. Calling birds 5. Sulphuric 6. Grenadine 7. Zero 8. Gold 9. INRI 10. Yellow 1. 50 2. 21% 3. Southern Lights 4. A Flower 5. A Joey 6. Aaron 7. Almonds 8. Anno Domini 9. Armish 10 Binoculars 1. Saigon 2. Salt Lake City 3. Saudi Arabia 4. Senegal 5. South Island 6. Chernobyl 7. Cuba 8. Cyprus 9. Czech Republic 10. France

OVER THE MOON - WRITE IT DOWN - WORKING NINE TO FIVE SEVEN UP - THERMAL UNDERWEAR - UNDERWIRED BRA THE END OF THE WORLD - LOST IN TRANSLATION - IT GROWS ON YOU

152 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

brainfood

crosswords 1

13 14

DOWN

21 22

23 24

31 32

36 37

44 45

48 49

50 52

used in cars.

41. Plenty of these in Australia. 42. Talking quietly. 44. Your chosen profession. 45. Sleep for the winter. 47. Your aunt’s husband? 52. Not the final stage. 53. Times past. 55. A French pencil? 58. A shortage of! 60. A puzzle? 61. A stupid person? 62. It was not a hit? 63. Didn’t hit it. 68. An animal’s coat? 70. A sphere.

65 66 67

ACROSS

1. Is he monk or a chef? 5. An expert in his work? 6. Something paid regularly? 12. These are sometimes quadratic. 13. Very tight. 15. Great for a diver’s suit. 18. A strong drink! 21. A place for the sick? 22. Not tight.

23. Metal container. 26. Hard work or what we

4 6 9 6 2 7 8 3 1 8 3 1 9 9 6 2 2 5 8 6 4 4 7 7 5

5 6 9 7 4 2 6 4 8 5 7 1 3 1 9 2 8

2 5 7 8 6 4 4 9 1 7 3 9 2 8 1 5 6

1 5 3 8 2

2 1 9 5 4 8 1 4 3 2 5 1 7 8 9 6 6 5 4 7 2 3 8 9

6 1

4 8 2 4 5

9 8 4 1 2 5 3 2 7 3 1 7 8 9 5 6 6 4

8 3

4 9 1

7 2 5 6 8 7 2 5 6 4 4 9 1 1 9 8 3

9 1 9 2

6 1 8

2 4 7 8 6 3 9 1 5

1 9 3 2 4 5 6 8 7

9 7 9 6

5 8 6 1 9 7 2 3 4

7 8 1 3 6 8

6 9 8

5 8 3 6 9 9 8 5 7 4 1 2 4 7 6 3 5 2 1

8 4 7 2 5 7 6 1 3 3 9 8 2 5 8 6 4 1 9

normally seen at night.

65. Some can be very slippery.

EASY

6 9 1 4 3 8 1 5 8 9 6 2 5 7 2 4 7

54. Make beer or tea. 56. Confirm. 57. Specter. 59. Stop. 60. Sometimes found on bacon. 62. Can’t sit still. 64. This type of animal is

inside the boat. 46. A hazardous area warning device for sailors? 48. Suggest. 49. Used to make your collar stiff. 50. Shed a tear. 51. Was found at the old King’s court.

sometimes do to coffee? 29. Happy at having succeeded. 31. A striped horse? 34. Can we see a total one? 35. Electrical measuring device. 36. Rage. 37. A court of justice.

sudoku 2

43. Motor that’s not fitted

8 3 2 9 5 6 4 7 1

6 7 9 4 3 1 8 5 2

4 5 1 7 8 2 3 9 6

8 6 2

3 2 5 6 1 9 7 4 8

7 1 8 3 2 4 5 6 9

9 6 4 5 7 8 1 2 3

7 3 6 8 9 4 3 9 9 2 3 5 4 8 1 6 7

5 4 6 1 7 9 3 8 2

7 1 8 6 3 2 5 4 9

8 5 7 2 1 6 4 9 3

4 9 3 6 2

9 6 7 2 1 4 2 3 1 4 9 7 8 5 6

4 6 9 8 5 3 2 7 1

3 8 5 7 6 1 9 2 4

1 7 4 9 2 5 6 3 8

6 9 2 3 8 4 7 1 5

66. A lack of this can cause

medical problems.

67. Small waves on the water. 69. Show the way. 70. No longer available. 71. An old type of lamp? 72. A faint light. 73. Motion with your hands.

ACROSS 1. FRIAR - 5. CONSULTANT - 6. ALLOWANCE 12. EQUATIONS - 13. TAUT - 15. NEOPRENE 18. ABSYNTH - 21. HOSPITAL - 22. SLACK 23. CANNISTER - 26. GRIND - 29. JUBILANT 31. ZEBRA - 34. ECLIPSE - 35. MULTIMETER 36. ANGER - 37. TRIBUNAL - 43. OUTBOARD. 46. LIGHTHOUSE - 48. INFER - 49. STARCH 50. CRY - 51. JESTER - 54. BREW - 56. VERIFY 57. GHOST - 59. ABORT - 60. RIND - 62. FIDGET 64. NOCTURNAL - 65. EELS - 66. INSULIN 67. RIPPLES - 69. GUIDE - 70. OBSOLETE 71. LANTERN - 72. GLIMMER - 73. GESTICULATE

1. Mix with the enemy. 2. This gland gives milk. 3. She will serve your dinner. 4. Not square. 7. Midday. 8. Perfectly balanced! 9. A small yellow flower. 10. Always seems to be ill. 11. American four wheel drive vehicle. 14. A practical joke? 16. Not a thousand but a small fairy! 17. Thrown in an Olympic sport. 19. To make someone feel small. 20. The arm of an octopus. 24. Ride a horse quickly. 25. Japanese divine wind. 27. An old anesthetic. 28. Take in food. 30. A young person’s appearance. 31. The highest point. 32. One of these can save nine! 33. Talk over things. 38. Not revealed. 39. A Dance craze or style of music. 40. An old form of electric generator

DOWN 1. FRATERNISE - 2. MAMMARY - 3. WAITRESS 4. ROUND - 7. NOON - 8. EQUILIBRIUM - 9. BUTTERCUP 10. HYPOCHONDRIAC - 11. JEEP - 14. PRANK - 16. ELF 17. DISCUS - 19. BELITTLE - 20. TENTACLE 24. CANTER - 25. KAMIKAZE - 27. ETHER - 28. DIGEST 30. YOUTHFUL - 31. ZENITH - 32. STITCH - 33. DISCUSS 38. UNDISCLOSED. - 39. HIPHOP. - 40. MAGNETO 41. KANGAROOS - 42. WHISPERING - 44. CAREER 45. HIBERNATE - 47. UNCLE - 52. PENULTIMATE 53. BYGONE - 55. CRAYON - 58. LACK - 60. RIDDLE 61. DUNCE - 62. FLOP - 63. MISSED. - 68. PELT - 70. ORB

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out +about PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

dancing

Queen T

he disco fiend in us was shaken awake during the charity event hosted by the Hard Rock Café Ain el Mreisseh on February the 22nd. Organized by the Mediterranean Poets Society, the ABBAsolutely Fabulous evening was one of those nightlife events rarely found in Lebanon, where fun, humanity and spontaneity all mix to offer a night of entertainment. The Lebanese and the expatriate community all got out + about and enjoyed a night of poetry, dancing, singing and more at the Hard Rock Café. The event, a fundraiser in aid of the Hadath branch of the Restaurant du Coeur.

THE WHOLE POINT WAS TO LEND A HELPING HAND WHILE HAVING FUN

154 RAGMAG | MARCH 2011

Restaurant du Coeur is a charity that provides, from its many locations in Beirut and throughout Lebanon, sandwich programs for school children and daily meals for hundreds of needy people. RAGMAG thought that was a great reason to hit the town, so we brought the team along! To kick off the night, the packed resto got warmed up with Beirut Vocal Point, a 9-member Acapella group harmonizing to “Fernando”. Disguised wannabe singers tuned up their voices with some ear-pleasing melodies singing crowd faves like “Money, Money, Money”, “SOS” and “Waterloo”. There was even an offering of a very realistic interpretation of “King Kong Song”, with the cries and noises that go with it, generating crazy laughter on every table.

RAGMAG got out + about and ABBAsolutely Fabulous in Beirut to benefit charity! Another big hit was the wild poetic recitation of “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” People began dancing and DJ Chaker took a break for the most ABBA-like or ABBA-rageous costume competition. Many of those who attended the event were good sports and played the game and dressed up with XXL glasses, white silky trousers and ABBA-esque wigs. The event was not a talent show, and that’s what made it special: the whole point was to lend a helping hand while having fun, away from the usual fundraising upscale galas. And best of all, there were more than a few dancing queens, ABBA style. RAGMAG was glad we were out + about with Restaurant du Coeur and Hard Rock Café to be part of the fanfare

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