RAGMAG Upside Down Issue | August 2011 | Issue#15 by RAGMAG Magazine

MAGAZINE

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

AUGUST 2011

JAMES

ROLLINS

REVERSING TRUTH

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

Publisher

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Editor in Chief

Fida Z Chaaban Creative Lead

Odette Kahwagi Managing Director

Georges Yarack Photograhers Christian Harb Odette Kahwagi Jason Zamora Rebecca Collard Emily Smith Teddy Habib Samy Harb

Contributors Stephanie Aoun Lara Ariss Elodie Barakat Jonathan Cainer Amal Chaaban Youmna Chagoury Rabih Feghali Alice Hlidkova Sarah Hourany Matthew Hussey Maria-Elena Kassab Imogen Kimber Chris Lambert Sabina LLewellyn-Davies Maha Majzoub J.E.N. Nour Obaji Jacques Tchabarian Adam Volk

Selected images Shutterstock

Stylist Jony Matta Sales Representative Magda Nassar Public Relations Coordinator Lea El-Alam Marketing Advisor Daniella Tayar Admnisitrative Coordinator Teddy Younes Printed by Raidy Printing Group RAGMAG is a division of Raycon s.a.l. Copyright RAGMAG 2010 All Rights Reserved.

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 Webmaster Youmna Chagoury

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86 100 102 122 128

EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES REVERT BACK IN TIME THE NAWBAR SISTERS FLOWER POWER SARAH’S BAG IN BETWEEN ANGLES OUR FASHION SHOOT COPYCAT REAL LIFE RUNWAY GLOBAL SHIFT TAREK AL AZBAT’S BIG CITY BAGS

OUT + ABOUT BOTTOMS UP DIAGEO MAKES YOU THROW YOUR HANDS UP 134 OVERTURNING MODERNITY ECOLODGES 136 LIVE IT UPSIDE DOWN + OUT OUTDOOR LEBANON 2011 150 GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT ZAITUNAY BAY 50

20 26 30 36 42 52 88

CULTURE CLASH UPSIDE DOWN LOGIC SCIENTOLOGY CASTS A SPELL THE TRUTH IN REVERSE INTERVIEW WITH JAMES ROLLINS AN INVERSE WORLDVIEW ISAIAH ZAGAR HEADS OR TAILS? NGUYEN DAI GIANG’S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD UPPING THE ANTE MENASART THE BIG IF HAYDA LEBNEN DICHOTOMY LEILA KANAAN HAS BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S YOU + YOUR COUNTRY REVERSE YOUR PERSPECTIVE BETA IN LEBANON

THE FINAL FRONTIER SPACE: TIME GOES BACK + FORTH SCIENCE 170 INVERTED PRINCIPLES IN ANTIGRAVITY TECH 80

INSIDE OUT

138 139 140 141 __

SEE, SPEAK + HEAR NO EVIL SOUND CHECK MUSIC READ’EM + WEEP BOOKS WATCH OUT FILM PLAY NICE GAMES WORLD VISION LILIANE IS NAPPING, NO BLOGGERS THIS ISSUE!

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EDITOR’S OPINION A POX ON MY HOUSE OUR EDITOR’S GOT THE FLU

MON AMOUR, MON AMI THE FLIP SIDE YOUR RELATIONSHIP TURNS YOU UPSIDE DOWN

FOR HIM SORRY GENTS, RAMI’S TAKING A VACAY!

MIND, BODY + SOUL HELP ME NOUR + RABIH ADVICE 21ST CENTURY UPSIDE DOWN VALUES MATTHEW HUSSEY 74 AMNESIA WHEN YOUR MIND GETS TOPSY TURVY 132 AIRBORNE REVERSALS SKATING IN LEBANON 68 72

60 64 66

SHOW

CAPSIZED AT PIER 7 O2 VERSUS H2O

FML THE SHOW MUST GO ON OUR EDITOR GETS UPSIDE DOWN MIRROR MIRROR THE SPA NAMASTES YOU THE SPA AT PHOENICIA INTERCON TOP TO BOTTOM SHISEIDO TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE-DOWN BRIGHT SMILE

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 154 UP-END TRADITIONAL CUISINE LA MANCHE’S CHEF MASRI 156 RAMADAN FEASTS BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM 158 RESTAURANT REVIEW ALBERGO ROOFTOP 160 WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS GET A RAGMAG SANDWICH 162 TOSS + TURN YOUR MENU UPSIDE DOWN RECIPES 144 TAKE ME WITH YOU MADRID RIGHT SIDE UP TRAVEL BRAINFOOD 144 QUIZZ. DINGBAT. CROSSWORD. SUDOKU.

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RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIBE TO SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER PER ISSUE 10,000 LBP 6 ISSUES 50,000 LBP 12 ISSUES 100,000 LBP

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w w w . r a g m a g l i v e . c o m ON OUR COVER LEILA KANAAN PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTIAN HARB STYLIST JONY MATTA MAKEUP MIREILLE ZEIN OF CHANEL HAIR ROGER GABRIEL PEARL NECLACE ÉCLAT DE MODE

TWITTER @ragmaglebanon FACEBOOK ragmag

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At the end of last month, we got a phone call at the RM office asking us, “What can you do for Leila Kanaan?” Without a thought and the slightest doubt, our reply was, “A lot!!”- we deliver upon request. As you all know Leila Kanaan is a Lebanese renowned director and Murex D’or winner. I would like to commend Lebanon for appreciating the talent and down to earth personality that is primarily Leila Kenaan. On behalf of all of us here at RAGMAG we would like to say a big thank you for the beauty of your personality that shined through our offices once you walked in. Good luck and congratulations on your forthcoming wedding. Thanks to the creativity of Ms. Lamia Chehayeb RAGMAG won Signature Sandwich of the month, and we are now at all Lina’s outlets for the month of August. Please encourage and write to us telling us what you think of RM’s sandwich.

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Publisher FASHION SHOOT MAKING OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMY HARB CHECK OUT THE VIDEO MAKING OF ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

publisher’s letter

As usual write in with your ideas and pointers at publisher@ragmaglive.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

editor’s letter

BECAUSE RAGMAG LIKES TO CHANGE IT UP

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UPSIDE DOWN

GEMMA BLOWER, THE CRYSTAL GROUP’S CHOREOGRAPHER, AND HER TEAM WERE BOTH DELIGHTFUL AND DARING, TEACHING ME TO GET INVERTED AND HAVE FUN DOING IT.

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RAGMAG readers, you all had great feedback for the summer lovin’ July Hang Ten issue! We aren’t sure if it was the water and surf theme or the all around beaching vibes, but you showed us love and we’re grateful. On that note, I have to say that Lebanese tweeps (Twitter users) both here and abroad are our most interactive readers! I get the most feedback from them. They tweet everything from the content to the artwork and I am so happy to be part of the community. Our four winners this issue are all Twitter users and they won the #WeWillRockYou contest in less than an hour. Big shout out to Raffi Ohanian of Play For Today (PFT) Entertainment for rewarding RAGMAG readers with tickets to the concerts they want to see! Check it out in Letters to the Editor. Now on to this issue. As you can see by my picture, I took the whole upside

down thing literally. Like most issues, we clown around a bit when we are stringing together our content plan. We went literal with the FML segment this month and Pier 7 was kind enough to put together a training session for me. Gemma Blower, the Crystal Group’s choreographer, and her team were both delightful and daring, teaching me to get inverted and have fun doing it. Gemma herself was a good candidate for this issue, since she turned her life upside down and moved to Lebanon. Big thanks to the Crystal Group for the stunt training and the shoot. We covered a number of cool topics this month that we think you’ll enjoy. Our cover model is none other than Leila Kanaan, director and out of the box thinker. This is the first time RAGMAG devotes our cover to a person, and with good reason: Leila is

BELOW: GEMMA BLOWER AND TEAM IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING OUR EDITOR AT PIER 7

transitioning- she is shifting from the work she’s known for to the work she wants to do. Turning her career upside down made Leila the perfect fit. With that RAGMAG readers, I ask you to let me know what turned your perspective upside down this issue by emailing me at letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com Follow me on Twitter @fidachaaban

Fida Z Chaaban

Editor in Chief

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND SCRIBBLE ON OUR WALL TO WIN, WRITE TO US LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR@RAGMAGLIVE.COM OR TWEET US ON TWITTER @RAGMAGLEBANON! RAGMAG reserves the right to edit for clarity and content.

RAGMAG loves reader interaction so we ran a contest called #WeWillRockYou on Twitter. We posted the listing for the Rock Festival, September 2nd and 3rd, and had likeminded people tell us which concert they wanted to see with the tag #WeWillRockYou! In less than an hour, we had 4 winners! Saleem Njeim

Chantal Akkary

Pascale Usef

letters to the editor

Marie Nakhle

Get Rocking! Facebook Play For Today - Live Entertainment Twitter @RaffiOhanianPFT www.pftlive.com

Congratulations to four RAGMAG readers! Marie Nakhle (@marienakhle) and Saleem Njeim (@seleemnjeim) are going to see Serj Tankian on September 2nd! Chantal Akkary (@Shanty2) and Pacale Usef (@BlakeUcef) are going to see Katatonia and Moonspell September 3rd!

The Rock Festival is being held by Play For Today (PFT) Entertainment. PFT has spent the past 9 years setting the music scene on fire through the production of concerts and festivals and RAGMAG is glad to be part of their newest venture. A “full-service entertainment company created to produce musical and artistic events in Lebanon and the region”, PFT brings the music you want to hear! We covered a great PFT event in our February Up in Flames issue!

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editor’s opinion

A POX

ON MY

HOUSE

LEBANON MAKES ME SICK ... LITERALLY

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ver since I moved here, I catch the flu on average once a month. I chug tea and fresh orange juice, I take vitamins and I swallow Advil (a sort of Panadol) and Aspirin by the bucketful. All you have to do for proof of this is read past issues- at least one article per issue mentions how sick I am when en route to perform a spa review, a stunt and now even my op-ed! I have several theories as to why my immune system has been given the old heave-ho. My health is upside down and since healthcare and the lack thereof is a pervasive topic in Lebanon, I think this is the most relevant opinion I can share this issue.

REASON 1

Born Again

My first attempt at conjecture: Born and raised abroad, my relocation to Beirut from the West leaves me defenceless against the foreign flu strains and colds. I get flu shots every year in Canada and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure they would work for the flu strains here- I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even understand the science behind it. So not only am I aching, sniffling and unfortunately contagious as I write this, I am also unable to concentrate since the bulk of my sickness seems to be concentrated in my sinuses. I have never had the best immune system, but this is becoming ridiculous. Last week I was ill for the whole week running and I refused to take antibiotics since they are all too readily available here. I thought I had succeeded in beating it and found my nasal passages clear for the first time in a week. Two sky blue clear days and I was free! Until

Sunday that is, when I woke to a fever, a headache and all manner of viral infectiousness. I caved in and headed to the pharmacy to self-prescribe a course of antibiotics which is a major no-no in other parts of the world. There are two problems with this scenario: The first is that I have zero medical training and I should not be able to request antibiotics and tell the pharmacist which course and how much I need dosage wise. The second problem is that pharmacists are not doctors and should not be able to replace them, doling out medications that can irrevocably alter your immunity for life. Suggesting cough candy (because it really is candy, FYI) is one thing, but handing out antibiotics to every Tom, Dick and Harry is a whole other.

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

REASON 2

Pollution Solution

The combination of extreme pollution, high temperatures and humidity may have thrown my system to the dogs. You know the feeling when you’re in stifling Beirut traffic? The heat is oppressive and the hazy air is just a killer. I regularly complain of car sickness here, winding and bumpy roads being the number one culprit (in my head), but I am starting to think it’s the high levels of pollution in the air and even the water that sets the nausea off. What’s wrong with Lebanon’s water? No matter what you say, when you cannot drink directly from the tap, you have a major problem. Of course I write this knowing that I have been spoiled my whole life with water that flows clean and healthy due to excellent Western public health

initiatives. The worst part about this is that I would only drink bottled water anyway, even though Toronto (one of Canada’s biggest municipalities), regularly runs campaigns explaining the pristine level of the public waterworks. Another thing that may be contributing to the widespread flus and nameless other afflictions: The stockpiles of garbage. It is a well known and accepted fact that garbage begets disease and pestilence. Our rampant cockroach problem, normal for hot climates with a fair amount of humidity, is only made worse by the garbage everywhere. I’m sure you will all remember the outbreak of Conjunctivitis (commonly known as Pinkeye) last year. It wasn’t even an outbreak, it was an epidemic. Thankfully I managed

to avoid that one, although I was summarily pissed off when the soldier at the airport who checked my passport was noticeably infected. I lost no time informing him that being infected and going to work that way was a risk to the public health and that he should not be in contact with people, and certainly not in a place like an airport, easily spreading the disease to other parts of Lebanon and the world! Shortly after the Pinkeye fiasco was over, eye infections in the form of styes popped up all over Lebanon. People, not realizing the contagious and highly infectious nature of styes, regulated it to dust and allergies. Yes, dust is one cause of a sty, but it doesn’t spread through the population like wildfire when it is caused by dust.

editor’s opinion

Shortly after the Pinkeye fiasco was over, eye infections in the form of styes popped up all over Lebanon

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REASON 3

Choices Choices Choices

editor’s opinion

The Lebanese penchant for smoking, drinking and staying out until all hours has taken its toll on me. That is sort of a choice and sort of not a choice. To begin with, most media events are held with free-flowing alcohol and in smoking environments. It is true that while it is my choice to attend, it is bad form if I don’t attend. And once I’m there, it is my choice to drink and smoke and wreak havoc on my system, but it is also considered unsocial and bad form if you aren’t drinking and smoking and wreaking havoc on your system. This is not exclusive to Lebanon’s working (read: partying) environment, but it is not

something I was accustomed to before moving here. Conversely, in the West I would get sick from working too hard for too long, not sleeping enough and certainly my stress level hit the danger mark at least once a week. It is a medically accepted fact that when you are stressed, your immune system takes a nosedive. It is also a medically accepted fact that smoking and drinking damper your immunity levels and make you more susceptible to infection. In Lebanon, I work too hard for too long and in addition, I party too hard. All in all, it’s just too much- the Excess of Being Lebanese, you might say.

Whatever it is that renders me useless for a week each month, be it flu or cold, is going around due to a lack of public health education and it is in the air, due to the extreme levels of pollution in everything from our water to our streets.

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Story time

All that being said, I think that old wives’ tales and how they have become established scientific fact should be discussed. I feel like Hansel and Gretel in the forest sometimes hearing people discuss illnesses and their supposed cures. I almost expect to see garlic wreaths strung outside doors to ward off vampires. While that may be an exaggeration, I am in fact chewing raw garlic cloves as I write this, in hopes of the natural antibacterial benefits clearing my throat. This is not an old wives’ tale, this is medically proven. Garlic and other treatments like honey and lemon do in fact help various ailments. What doesn’t help is having a glass of wine with dinner when you

are already ill. (I only mention this because I have been advised to do so many times in Lebanon to help with my fever and told that the alcohol “kills the germs”.) Alcohol does kill germs, as an antiseptic, but that is topical and a whole other story. Thus far I cannot say old wives’ tales have contributed to my Shakespearean-like plagues, but that is mainly because I choose to ignore people’s advice here. I don’t have a glass of wine when I’m ill and I don’t think that a blast of cold wind on my stomach can give me the stomach flu. It’s not called a “bug” for nothing. I may have a weak immune system but I eat very well, pay attention to labels and try to limit my chemical intake.

I eat organic whenever possible and have a well balanced diet that includes everything from vegetables to legumes. I try (and sometimes succeed) to sleep enough and I do yoga so that it keeps me fit and fairly high energy. All this and I still manage to get this sick? The old sayings, “It’s going around,” and “It must be something in the air,” are both correct, in my opinion. Whatever it is that renders me useless for a week each month, be it flu or cold, is going around due to a lack of public health education and it is in the air, due to the extreme levels of pollution in everything from our water to our streets. Just something for us all to think about

20 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

EDISPU

DOWN

SCIENTOLOGY’s COMPLEX DRAW

CIGOL BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, NEW YORK CITY

cultureclash

The Church employs a young staff, and they are sharply dressed in black uniforms, sporting gold pocket squares and Scientology cross pins. They move about the environment with polished appeal, though their selfassuredness at times appears fabricated and mechanical. The president of the Church is Rev. John Carmichael, who although was initially reticent, welcomed me into his lair and acted the pleasant and congenial host.

We walked the steps to the mezzanine, which resembles a science fiction entertainment center. Walls are paneled with digital screens and touch pads where interested parties shuffle through a brief history of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, as well as an introduction to the tenets of their philosophy. As stated on the Church’s personal website, the principles of Scientology are: “You are an immortal spiritual being; your experience extends well beyond a single lifetime; and your capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized. Furthermore, man is basically good. He is seeking to survive. And his survival depends upon himself and his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.” A true Renaissance man from Nebraska, Hubbard wrote the selfhelp treatise Dianetics in 1950, from which Scientology was born. The New York Times bestseller explores

a metaphysical relationship between the mind and body. It tries to answer the following testaments: Did one do as one intended? And were people glad one lived? In his first, Hubbard recorded three thousand tapes and over twelve thousand manuscripts on man’s personal quest of understanding himself.

THE CHURCH EMPLOYS A YOUNG STAFF, AND THEY ARE SHARPLY DRESSED IN BLACK UNIFORMS, SPORTING GOLD POCKET SQUARES AND SCIENTOLOGY CROSS PINS.

lipping through the revolving doors into NYC’s Church of Scientology is like walking into a space-aged Barnes & Noble. Colourful theology books and self improvement DVDs line the shelves and countertops within the atrium, while its high walls are used as a message board delivering an inspirational quote from L. Ron Hubbard. My first impression of the slick marketing was interrupted by a receptionist, who beckoned me to the front desk with an enthusiastic smile.

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Scientology claims to increase the spiritual abilities of individuals through the rehabilitation of the mind and body. Through training courses, seminars, and evaluation tests, wayward individuals turn personal grief into happiness by focusing on the human spirit. All for a $400 annual fee. This generally attracts four groups of people: high-profiled opinion leaders, assertive and confident individuals, ill-fated law-breakers, and reconciled drug-users. The Churches of Scientology are separate corporations, with their own Boards of Directors and local executives who make decisions for their churches.

cultureclash

SCIENTOLOGY CLAIMS TO INCREASE THE SPIRITUAL ABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE REHABILITATION OF THE MIND AND BODY. ALL FOR A $400 ANNUAL FEE.

Since Scientology’s inception in 1954, there are now close to ten thousand Churches, missions and affiliated groups in 165 countries. Last year, six new sites opened, including Brussels, New Mexico and Washington D.C., as well as in urban city centers across California. In February, the Church opened its branch in Moscow and filled it with a staff of over 200. Meanwhile John Travolta opened a branch in Florida to commemorate Hubbard’s 100th birthday anniversary. A Church-issued report to Carmichael stated that with assets and property value doubled since 2004, with over seventy newly acquired buildings around the world, and with 125,000 new members (20 times the previous levels), the Church is showing no signs of slowing down.

The key to the Church’s successful expansion are its packaged social outreach programs, which advocate positive principles like staying away from drugs and living a moral and decent life. At Operation DrugFree Earth, one of the largest nongovernmental anti-drug prevention programs, the Church claims that drug-rates drop when students are provided with the facts on damaging effects of drugs. The program also delivers on-site seminars to two thousand prisons worldwide including South Africa, where prisoners arguably show improvements to complying with probation— restitution, fine payment and community service—after completing the program.

EDISPU

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DOWN

SCIENTOLOGY’s COMPLEX DRAW

ON THE 7TH FLOOR IS THE PURIFICATION CENTER WHERE INDIVIDUALS SWEAT FOR UP TO FIVE HOURS IN A SAUNA AND ARE THEN INUNDATED WITH B3 VITAMINS. SCIENTOLOGISTS ENDURE FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF TREATMENT TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.

CIGOL

Partially funded by the government, their The Way to Happiness program, a “common sense guide for better living,” primarily targets prisoners in rehabilitation and individuals critical of a society steeped in moral crisis. Close to seven thousand dollars will fetch six thousand booklets of your own customized edition of The Way to Happiness. Carmichael and I embarked on a tour of the premises. The seven floors are meticulously maintained, with elaborate lighting and signage strategically placed, though somehow the space exudes an artificial exterior despite their penchant for theatricality.

The religious institution can easily be mistaken for a wellness center or spiritual university. On the 7th floor is the Purification Center, a rehabilitation center where individuals sweat for up to five hours in a sauna and are then inundated with B3 Vitamins. The idea is to flush toxins, chemicals, and drugs from the body. Scientologists endure four consecutive weeks of treatment to achieve this goal. Two floors below at The Hubbard Guidance Center, participants are “audited”—a loose term for therapy and evaluation—for sources to their problems. They listen to Hubbard’s audio lectures, stored in rounded plastic

folders arranged neatly in bookshelves, and take courses, “Ups and Downs” and “Success through Communication.” In study rooms nearby they visualize problems among groups, using colourful beads, stones, a toy witch hat and a plastic dog figurine Carmichael calls, “demonstration pieces—to help balance ideas with something solid.” The Church often sparks uproar for its radical agenda on psychiatry. Scientologists are notorious for their staunch position against the use of psychiatric drugs to treat the mentally ill. Their belief is that mental illness is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, but by trauma in one’s past life. But you won’t find them consulting texts by Freud or Jung. In Hubbard’s religion, negative behaviors, ideas and experiences are stored in the “reactive mind”. Slipping into Scientology-lingo, he spoke of treacherous encoded negative experiences, called “engrams”. He aimed to ascend the “bridge” of spiritual awareness, which is accomplished by purging those negative experiences through a process known as “auditing”.

24 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

Hubbard introduced counsellor-type “field auditors,” or ministers, who help individuals draw personal life conclusions using a device called the “E-meter.” The electro-psychometer examines one’s stress levels, and indicates patterns of thought which respond to the resistance to the electricity. The participants discuss the trauma until the engrams are released. It was Hubbard who remarked that “psychiatrist and his front groups operate straight out of the terrorist textbooks,” in his 1969 article “Today’s Terrorism,” published in a Scientology journal. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise was famously quoted on the NBC Today Show saying that “there is no such

cultureclash

“THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE [...] NO MEDICAL PROOF EXISTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC ‘DISEASES’.”

thing as a chemical imbalance.” Citing Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a psychiatry watchdog group, Carmichael says that: “No medical proof exists for the existence of psychiatric ‘diseases’.” And since mental illness is “a moral or spiritual issue,” he says, application lectures and auditing is the solution. Carmichael affirms that “The Church has a strict policy that persons with known medical illnesses for which there are proven treatments -- like a broken bone, or the flu, or pneumonia -- are sent to a qualified medical doctor for treatment.”

Controversy has long surrounded the Church. Kim Masters reported for Esquire Magazine that “Hubbard’s wife was among a group that went to prison for breaking into and bugging federal offices.” Several articles published by Time in 1991 described the church as a “cult of greed and power,” and “hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner.” The article also mentioned the Church lost on summary judgment after suing for libel, though they are still petitioning for Supreme Court review.

EDISPU

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

DOWN

SCIENTOLOGY’s COMPLEX DRAW

CIGOL

In response to the allegations, Carmichael asks individuals to visit, read, and ask questions to draw their own conclusions. “You can take a couple of courses like Patrick Swayze or become a Scientologist like Tom Cruise.”

Recently, the reverend identifies a trend of young Scientologists under 35 joining the Church. “Most of them are confident and assertive,” he affirms, suggesting that Scientologists are not only exclusive to troubled members of society. Another misconception he argues against is the Church’s cult-like, secret society appeal. “We are open longer than most churches and we don’t preach anything to you,” says Carmichael, reflecting on an experience where an individual questioned whether Scientologists believe in sex before marriage. His response: “We don’t tell people what to do.”

The Church has undoubtedly earned its reputation for its “eccentricities”, and will always receive its share of criticism for their practices and beliefs. There is also no denying the positive impact they have made in people’s lives. But it’s hard not to be sceptical when reading the quotes of its founder who said, “You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” With an additional three planned expansion projects in NYC, and many others across the world’s attractive city centers, don’t be surprised to see a mission in Downtown Beirut soon

IT’S HARD NOT TO BE SCEPTICAL WHEN READING THE QUOTES OF ITS FOUNDER WHO SAID, “YOU DON’T GET RICH WRITING SCIENCE FICTION. IF YOU WANT TO GET RICH, YOU START A RELIGION.”

BY AMAL CHAABAN

JAMES ROLLINS

James Rollins is the bestselling author of six Sigma Force thrillers (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, The Judas Strain, The Last Oracle and The Doomsday Key), the novelization of Lucas film’s blockbuster movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and five individual adventure thrillers. His novels have been deemed perfect “summer reads” by reviewers in publications as diverse as People magazine, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly. When James is not writing, touring or teaching seminars, he can be found spelunking, scuba diving, hiking, and traveling. James and his twoand four-legged family members live amid chew toys and paleontological treasures in Northern California. www.jamesrollins.com Find James Rollins on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @James Rollins

ESREVER

THE TRUTH

New York Times

BESTSELLING AUTHOR

BRINGS FACT TO FICTION

26 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

Amal Chaaban talks to bestselling author James Rollins exclusively for RAGMAG In “Amazonia”, you talk about westerners being ethnocentric. Do you think that is true in our dealings with others?

Oh, I have no doubt that and we all live in our own little bubbles. I have dealt with that not only in “Amazonia” but in other novels. My group is travelling around the world and so it’s fun playing culture against culture. There is a certain amount of drama- I have no doubt that there is always a certain amount of ethnocentrism in any culture. I don’t know if that is human nature or why that is. It creates a lot of tension.

There is a theme running through “Amazonia” of a common myth shared by many. Do you find that all cultures share some myths but in different forms?

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STUDIES DONE THAT SHOW THAT A PART OF MEMORY IS IN OUR CODE ITSELF

That’s a good question. I do believe that there are common myths that seem to transcend culture like in “Amazonia” one of the main myth fields is the Tree of Life. You have this mythology surrounding a great tree with godlike omnipresence. For some reason, that seems to be embedded in our human brains, I believe there is a source of commons. I believe that there is probably a root memory in human nature. There have been some studies done that show that a part of memory is in our code itself. I believe there is probably some baseline mythology worked into our genetic code.

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WE HAVE BACKED THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY; NOW THEY ARE PUSHING BACK AND RIGHTFULLY SO. THERE IS A MILITANCY THAT IS GROWING Big Pharma plays a very large part of the atrocities that occur to the indigenous tribes in “Amazonia”. Given the huge demand for the next “superfruit” or miracle cure, how much do you think this happens to the indigenous?

There is a level of duplicity and industrial espionage that plays out in “Amazonia”. Do you think that the pharmaceutical industry is so cutthroat that it happens all the time?

No doubt about it. If there is money to be made, there are going to be people that will do anything to gain that upper hand, to gain that control. Big Pharma is a multi-billion dollar industry that is high stakes and again, when you are looking at lost corners of the world, this farming is going on where they are looking for that new drug or that new chemical. Again, if no one is watching, people are going to do some awful things.

Do you think Western culture dismisses myth too easily?

I do. That is probably a theme that goes across all 22 of my books. I am always looking for that seed of truth behind that myth or that tenet that might be a little wild at face value. I am always thinking there is a seed of truth behind that and that is what I like to explore in my novels. How many undiscovered species and lands do you think flourish outside of what we know? Do you think that climate change will expose more of the hidden world to us?

We’re seeing that in Canada with the melting that is occurring up there. It’s become again a big gold rush up there for rare earth metals. I was reading a little tidbit that I found fascinating. It sounds odd, there is a program called the ‘Belly Button Biodiversity Project’; this is a recent study done by a university where they were swabbing

navels and looking at what bacteria in those navels. What they found was fascinating; they found 1400 different bacteria growing in these navels out of these navel swabs. Of that 1400, 662 of those species had never been seen before. So when it comes to how many undiscovered species there are, you just have to look at your own bellybutton. One gentleman found out he had a type of bacteria that had only been seen before on the ocean bed floor. “The Devil Colony” deals with the issue of Native American tensions with the sitting government over land rights. Do you see more of that today than before? Do you think there is a militant aspect to the attempted reclamation of land by the Native Americans?

Definitely, I think at this point, we have backed the Native American tribes further and further away; now they are pushing back and rightfully so. There is a militancy that is growing.

BIG PHARMA IS A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY THAT IS HIGH STAKES AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT LOST CORNERS OF THE WORLD, THIS FARMING IS GOING ON WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THAT NEW DRUG OR THAT NEW CHEMICAL

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There is a term that they have right now for the competition that is going on in the Amazon, in Costa Rica and in other areas looking for that next great drug, that next great cure. It’s called “Green Gold”. With the intense competition, there is a lot of destruction going on, underhanded activity in that field. So yeah, it is a cutthroat industry out there. When you are buried in the dark jungle where no one can see what happens, worse things are happening than are demonstrated in my novels.

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How much of the science and technology in “The Devil Colony” is real and how much is fiction?

Almost all of it is real. I mean I do extrapolate a little bit of course with the nanotechnology but even that is based on real data. Most people think that nanotechnology which is manufacturing at the atomic level is something out of science fiction, something out of the future but it’s not. This past year, 70 billion dollars of nanotech products were sold in the U.S. last year mainly in the form of nano-particles. You can find it in toothpaste and cosmetics. It is a bit of a wild industry at this point because there is very little regulation, there is no requirement of labeling so you might have that toothpaste that has a brand new nano-particle in it but they are not required to state anywhere on the label that they have it. Just recently, they are discovering health concerns surrounding these particles. There is a particle called titanium oxide that is in sunscreens that has been now shown to cause genetic damage in test animals. As a thriller writer, it is a great deal of fun to deal with when you learn things like that, similar to Amazonia, where we saw Big Pharma operating where no one is watching and there is duplicity, I don’t doubt that in the nanotech industry there might be something similar

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Definitely. I read a lot in many genres and when it comes to these big adventure stories, usually the women have always been sort of either arm candy for the hero or they are the damsel in distress that needs to be saved. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to have real women just [as] involved with the plot and story as any of the other characters.

Viktor Petkov is looking to avenge his father in “Ice Hunt” and he is willing to change the face of the world to do it. Does the need for revenge blind humans to the bigger picture?

I can always just use the one example of George Bush who went to Iraq because he was seeking revenge against Saddam Hussein for putting a hit on his father. Revenge is a very strong basic human instinct; having significant power behind that instinct, whether it is a presidency or whether it is a corporation, I think great destruction can result.

THERE IS A PARTICLE CALLED TITANIUM OXIDE THAT IS IN SUNSCREENS THAT HAS BEEN NOW SHOWN TO CAUSE GENETIC DAMAGE IN TEST ANIMALS

The women in your books are for the most part very smart and very courageous. Are they written that way on purpose?

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

ISAIAH ZAGAR

THE MOSAICS OF

WOLRD VIEW

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welter of anxious faces study the jagged walls protruding with bottles, ceramics and tiles. Held together by cement, more bottles spring from wall edges like barbed wire on a fence. Bent rusty wheels, broken mirrors, sinking ship—a perverse Park Güell? This is not the famous mosaics park in Barcelona or stage set designed by cartoonist and animator Tim Burton; rather, a open-air labyrinthine museum of life-size mosaic sculptures, wrapped around walls, constructed by Isaiah Zagar.

The award-winning muralist sits at a round table with friends at his favorite Vietnamese eatery, in Philadelphia’s South Side neighborhood. Under the guise of a shipwrecked beach comer, he takes a swig of beer, and then unintentionally knocks down a bottle or two. His friend, luminary artist Warren Muller watches with amusement; his smile frozen in a boyish manner. After four decades of friendship, Muller still absorbs the inspiration of his friend’s extensive and grandiose mosaic works— marked by an unstructured medium of street objects, he uses to tame his chaotic sensibilities.

Wiping a soft noodle drooping down his beard, Zagar leans back in his chair and proceeds with his first lesson on vernacular environmental art. “Vernacular artists find objects, knock ‘em down, and create new art they call their own,” he says, explaining that the unskilled and untrained bunch are misunderstood by artists and rural communities, for their ‘crazy’ art polluting urban spaces. The late artist and James Hampton, was honored for his scavenged material referencing religion, only after his landlord found him dead in his Washington D.C. apartment.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY SMITH

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1968, “the year of the nervous breakdown,” and also the year the Peace Corps sent Zagar to Peru. While traveling, he met his wife Julia, and they settled their courtship in downtown Philadelphia during the heat of the Civil Rights protests between the blacks and whites. “The Civil Rights movement went berserk,” he says, recalling the then novel scenario of protest, repression, outrage, and renewed protest—a drama playing out in city’s streets and alleyways. Equally important, he adds, the Vietnam War fueled the turmoil similar to Lebanon’s in 2006. “Then the state wanted to build an expressway in South Street!,” he recalls, stirring an outcry among residents and artists. “It was about forty of us, the ‘South Street Renaissance,’ marching down the street.” It was a kind of ‘us against the world’ mentality that soldered the artist, volunteers and entrepreneurs together, leading the city to abandon the project. It is on the walls of South Street and desolate alleyways sucked dry

after Americans’ relocation to the suburbs that Zagar crafts his mosaics, unmolested. The city doesn’t finance his endeavors or comment much on the beautification of its neighborhoods. Occasionally, he receives grants from public museums and galleries. Back then and now, he purchases low-cost empty lots, abandoned warehouse and apartments buildings using his Peace Corps savings and rent earnings to support his artist lifestyle. For years, he has been renovating and embellishing its interior walls with mosaics, sequestering himself for hours with cement, and paint, brushes and hammers. Unlike his favorite folk art environmentalist and ‘outsider artist’ Clarence Schmidt, the pioneer refuses to act as lone wolf. He has no partners, only helpers. Most of them are middleaged or retired community members who attend his workshops. He teaches them to mix cement, cut glass, and glue broken tiles to the wall. Others come to donate mounds of tiles, or simply pay a visit like American First Lady Michelle Obama.

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HIS MONUMENTAL PIECES CAPTURE FOUR ENDLESS DECADES OF COLLECTING GLASS, TILES, CERAMICS, BICYCLE WHEELS AND RANDOM FIGURINES TO CEMENT AND GLUE ON PUBLIC WALLS.

A vernacular artist himself, Zagar tells me about the staircase he built with random objects, without using proper measurement tools. “The elevator bumped against the staircase,” he remarks. “I had to tear that thing down.” Clearly enjoying himself, the muralist has created more art than he has destroyed. His monumental pieces capture four endless decades of collecting glass, tiles, ceramics, bicycle wheels and random figurines to cement and glue on public walls. Once, at Koehler’s industrial plant in Wisconsin, he fired ten thousand pounds of raw ceramics using gigantic kilns. With one hundred fifty sculptures under his belt, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, he has enough material to produce dozens more. It is no surprise that at 72, with an upbringing in 1960s New York City, the eccentric is a hard-edge product of the hippy era. The Woodstock flower child, swimming in drugs and peace-loving advocacy, has admitted to experiencing several nervous breakdowns and has checked himself into institutions for help.

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

cultureclash

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY SMITH

At Watkins, the name of the city street and his most recent project, an Iranian helper named Majid breaks tiles with a hammer. He then glues them into a wall of the two-storied atelier—a former mechanical shop. Remarkably, the façade and all four walls, are already covered in mosaics. Floral painted tiles from Mexico and broken mirrored pieces from Philly are cemented adjacent to large ceramic tiles, with images of dancing unclad women. As broken porcelain pottery jots out of negative spaces, wooden Indian elephants jolt out of random wall sections.

There is more: old wooden chairs, older rug-covered mattress, and even older table-top lamps, centered beside tall wooden nude sculptures imported from Southeast Asia. With influences that include cave drawings, Greek and Roman mosaics, Henry Matisse and Pablo Picasso, the various aesthetics and materials are astonishing. His visual stimulation shocks, titillates, and arouses bystanders. The young-hearted man follows his inner voice, saying, “I don’t know if it’s a surrealist stream of consciousness or something else.” He is also open to the possibility that his sense of chaos resembles that of Picasso’s.

To demonstrate how his mind works, suddenly, he draws what looks like a bear with green paint through a silhouette of a boy’s face without considering its ramifications. “Art can be in the foreground or background,” he says, continuing to draw bodies of animals and people from the already assembled pieces of mosaics. Later, he fills the negative spaces color dyed cement using dish sponges, before polishing tile surface with glove buffers. Meanwhile, Majid follows orders: “Glue mirrors on the wall!” “Then the sea shells!” “Break those tiles!” Majid, Zagar’s third arm—extends his help

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Fourteen years in the making, the convoluted museum is a child’s dream. His inspiration reaches into European Impressionism, where he replicates the Florentine magic of living galleries— outdoor and indoor plazas, alleyways and intersections. He also mimics mosaic aspirations of architect Antoni Gaudí in Cathedral Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. The Gardens like Güell, is a sanctuary for public art venues, conversation, and playtime. Again we sit at a table—squared, not round—and watch children study their reflections in the Gardens’ mirrors. “Here, I renewed my vows with Julia… and Warren was our priest wearing a beehive hat,” he says, observing a young girl reading a quote by Schmidt. Painted on a row of cluttered tiles, it reads: “I built this sanctuary to be inhibited by my ideas and my fantasies.”

HE DESPISES ISOLATED SPACES OF GRIM BUILDING CODES PROPAGATED BY SOVIET COMMUNISTS, AND IRONICALLY, ABHORS ARCHITECT FRANK O. GEHRY’S DISNEY CONCERT HALL.

as his boss endlessly seeks simulation of new sensations, the excitement of experience that only a doggedly, literal-minded individual couldn’t comprehend. The mosaics heal and beautify the artist’s life—“because the drama that comes from me is sometimes extraterrestrial,” he says, on his intuitive and spontaneous creations. In contrast, he despises isolated spaces of grim building codes propagated by Soviet communists, and ironically, abhors architect Frank O. Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall. Pointing out his loosely integrated exterior and interior designs, with a tint of animosity he calls Gehry, “an egocentric bastard that didn’t understand how artists can help with his dream concept.” Zagar’s fragmented and asymmetrical art, at its pinnacle, is trademarked The Magical Gardens on South Street.

Those who personally share a conversation with the vernacular artist believe that his enjoyment for work proceeds from a liberation of tension in his mind, and while it is difficult to understand his creative spirit and his megalomania, the old artist finally comes to peaceful terms with life, work, and family. His son, Jeremiah, documented his father’s range of emotions from grief to joy in the film, “In A Dream.” He remarks: “My father is older and sweeter now…he is frail, but human and real.”

OR TAILS?

HEAD

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NGUYEN DAI GIANG’S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD BY MAHA MAJZOUB

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rt, in general, should not be taken at face value. In the case of Washington-based artist Nguyen Dai Giang, this statement takes on a whole new meaning. Nguyen turns art on its head, literally. If you have the tendency of tilting your head when you gaze at an artwork, expect to do more of that when you stumble upon one of his pieces, although with time you will do less of that. The art of Nguyen, and any artist for that matter, should not be pigeonholed – that is something most artists dread like the plague. But it is commonly and universally agreed that he paints upside-down art, or upsidedownism. The Vietnamborn artist does not merely follow this approach; in fact it is a school of art he himself has created and developed.

“The substance of man is good and bad, right and wrong. The art of upsidedownism makes them live together in peace, day, and night.” So says Nguyen of the artistic movement that has established an impressive following across poles. Apart from the thousands of Internet users from over 25 countries who regularly visit his Website, tens of artists visit his Seattle studio to practice upsidedownism, which is something he started exploring around 1996 – two years after arriving in the land of opportunity. “Living in a community where I am surrounded by Americans and Vietnamese while seeing how the world is constantly changing, the concept of my art became the views of everyday life,” says the 67-year-old artist.

“So far, artists often paint in one direction. Upsidedown art aspires to express the different aspects of human feelings: Both joy and sadness… life and death in human life.” Nguyen says his paintings have both irrationality and rationality. “That does not mean I protect the irrationality but I want to mention the immensity, the infinite universe,” he points out. “In other words, upsidedownism is from life.” He writes in his upsidedownism manifesto: “In life, there is the germ of death… The dual division is the evident truth of life. Right and wrong, life and death, happiness and suffering... Nothing is eternal. Nothing is changeless. Nothing is stable.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: DAI GIANG NGUYEN, SELF PORTRAIT

“IN LIFE, THERE IS THE GERM OF DEATH… THE DUAL DIVISION IS THE EVIDENT TRUTH OF LIFE. RIGHT AND WRONG, LIFE AND DEATH, HAPPINESS AND SUFFERING... NOTHING IS ETERNAL. NOTHING IS CHANGELESS. NOTHING IS STABLE.”

ABOVE: THE WOMAN RED, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 76 X 102CM, 2011

37 THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

38 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

TWO-FACED TRUTH

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Nothing is what it is for the players of Ô ăn quan, a traditional Vietnamese children’s board game, which Nguyen depicts in warm tones using acrylic – the players could be winners or losers at any given moment. You get the same feeling with his “New Year” revelers, their bodies are dancing vivaciously, yet their faces tell a different story, as if to say “so much happiness, so much sorrow”. Through such abstracted scenes, the artist-philosopher reflects on the rapid change the world is going through and its effect on human life. So on his canvases, the unconscious meets the conscious, and they are both wide awake. His subjects and their positions change depending on the angle, depending on where life throws them. The emphasis on the change lies in the eyes, nose, mouth, arms, legs...

The inside becomes the outside, up becomes down, what’s large becomes small and vice versa. Nguyen tells me that even though the portrait is “changed, distorted, and unnatural looking”, the basic characteristics and personality of the figure never changes. “An artist of upsidedownism creates something that is borderless between right and wrong, the beautiful and the ugly, the body and the bodiless,” he stresses. “It is an intensive marriage between logicality and illogicality, where invisible things live together with the visible.” One of the better examples that illustrate this illogicality is Nguyen’s oil painting “Sleeping”, where we see fantastical figures that appear monstrous, yet human, both man and woman. Here, we are reminded of the cubism of Pablo Picasso, the

abstractionism of Morgan Russell, the symbolism of Gustave Moreau, with generous strokes of impressionism, surrealism, and futurism. Like his work, Nguyen is a yoyo, oscillating from the very colorful to more somber tones, leaving little room for predictability. Nguyen’s body of work is notably loaded with iconography about change in his home country as well as the role of women, which are his favorite subjects. Most of the time, he paints her nude, revealing her lines and cracks with a great deal of symbolism as part of his regular commentaries on life. This explains his affinity with painting the mundane, society, and people.

“IT IS AN INTENSIVE MARRIAGE BETWEEN LOGICALITY AND ILLOGICALITY”

WE ARE REMINDED OF THE CUBISM OF PABLO PICASSO, THE ABSTRACTIONISM OF MORGAN RUSSELL, THE SYMBOLISM OF GUSTAVE MOREAU, WITH GENEROUS STROKES OF IMPRESSIONISM, SURREALISM, AND FUTURISM.

ABOVE: WOMAN ON CHAIR, OIL ON CANVAS, 45 X 63 CM, 2008

OPPOSITE PAGE: SLEEPING, OIL ON CANVAS, 71 X 55 CM, 2008

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HIS SUBJECTS AND THEIR POSITIONS CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE, DEPENDING ON WHERE LIFE THROWS THEM. THE EMPHASIS ON THE CHANGE LIES IN THE EYES, NOSE, MOUTH, ARMS, LEGS...THE INSIDE BECOMES THE OUTSIDE, UP BECOMES DOWN, WHAT’S LARGE BECOMES SMALL AND VICE VERSA

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LEFT: DAN BAU, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 127 X 122CM, 2010 BELOW: NUDE 1, OIL ON CANVAS, 50 X 60CM, 2008

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‘AN ARTIST OF UPSIDEDOWNISM

CREATES SOMETHING THAT IS BORDERLESS BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE UGLY, THE BODY AND THE BODILESS’

BELOW: PLAYING GAME O AN QUAN, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 120 X 127CM, 2009

It doesn’t take him very long to do that – perhaps two or three days, one week if he’s going through a dry spell. Although oils and acrylics are his chosen mediums to date, Nguyen does not feel bound by these two, remarking, “If you are an artist of upsidedownism, you can use all mediums.” He also doesn’t bind himself to series, preferring to do one artwork at a time. Like his portraits, Nguyen’s style changes too. Though he usually works with medium sized canvases, at the moment he is burying himself in a big mural he calls “Born, Old, Ill, Die”. Things have not always been so upside-down, right and left for the Hanoi-born artist. At the age of seven, Nguyen had his first brush with painting. By the time he was a teen, he knew what he was to do with the rest of his life. He earned an associate of arts from the Hanoi College of Arts in 1968. But he decided to take his

artistic education beyond borders, all the way to the former USSR, eventually graduating with a BA in arts from the Moscow College of Arts in 1974. He pursued that even further at the University of Washington after settling in the U.S. some two decades later. It would not be long before Nguyen’s art would leave audiences and art critics with their jaws hanging. In 1994, he walked away with gold at Washington State Convention Center’s international art competition. This was beefed up by a string of other nods that fueled interest in the artist. Shortly after penning his upsidedownism manifesto and putting the philosophy to practice, he was featured in the “Who’s Who in the World” by International Biographical Center (IBC) of Cambridge, which is a world leader in biographical publishing. He was also selected in the “500 Founders of 21st Century” book by J. Gifford and IBC.

The prolific artist continued to exhibit in the U.S. during that time, as well as European capitals. In 2006, his “Mother and Son” received top mentioning at an international art contest in Spain. A year later, “Ca Trù”, where he portrays Vietnamese musicians, scooped the Diploma of Excellence in a London-held competition. Nguyen’s upside-down art can be found in the Museum of Art in Voronezh, Russia as well as the Museum of Seattle. It is also in permanent private collections in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Belgium, Vietnam, France... Through his new art movement and philosophy, Nguyen plays an undeniably important role in today’s contemporary art, as he has completely turned art on its head, playing games with our eyes and judgment www.daigiang-upsidedownism.net

MENASART FAIR ATTEMPTS TO FILL BEIRUT’S INSTITUTIONAL ARTISTIC VOID

THE ANTE

UPPING

42 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

out +about

unctuating this summer’s wild parties, rocking concerts, and beach outings are a string of art shows worthy of some print space. Although historically a hotbed for artists, Beirut has not been hosting any serious regional art fairs for quite some time, leaving its more affluent neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi to do the honors. Laure d’Hauteville, an art expert familiar with the region understood the geographical significance of Beirut, and decided to change that. She introduced to the Lebanese capital last year MENASART Fair, describing it as an international art fair dedicated to the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. This July, she rolled out again at BIEL the first edition of the fair – the debut performance being edition zero in her book.

Though the number of exhibiting galleries has dropped from 30 to 24 this year, this time around the show was undeniably plumper. Each gallery presented more than one artist and one artwork, and the exhibition space was by far bulkier than that of its predecessor. The program was also quite dense and the exhibition more organized. Yet one cannot help but ruminate after waltzing through the stands about the disproportionate representation of galleries and artists from the three regions: Art spaces from the Middle East harshly outnumbered those from Southeast Asia and to a lesser extent North Africa. The stand of the one gallery from Southeast Asia where Chinese wunderkind Sui Jianguo showcased his famed dinosaur structures was also naked of any human presence to my disappointment.

But that soon faded at the sight of “NABATT: A sense of being”, the fair’s guest of honor, which featured art by 15 contemporary Saudi artists the mediums of which included visual arts, music, and literature. Curated by Saudi Princess Reem Al-Faisal and Lulwah Al-Homoud, NABATT was one of the highlights of the show. “There was a sense of surprise to the amount and level of creativity in Saudi Arabia and many asked for a larger exhibition [of NABATT] in Lebanon,” Al Homoud explains. Pop art also took center stage, with Iranian artist Khosrow Hassanzadeh’s mixed-media tributes to Fairuz and Um Kolthum, and France-born, Beirut-raised pop princess Corrine Martin doing the same for Abdul Halim Hafez and the Lebanese diva. It was also a pleasant surprise to see something by Kuwaiti design duo Hamad Al Saab and Ali Sultan.

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artists who worked with junk for the monumental sculpture and installation program. Others included Palestine’s Abdulrahman Katanani whose wall sculpture “After six days and we will be back, Inshallah” comments on the Palestinian exodus. Other emotive structures displayed as part of the Samawi collection included Syrian artist’s Ammar Al Beik chilling, at times comical installation “Oil Leaks”. The six-part piece examines events that have defined American interference in the Arab world over the past decade. The fair also unveiled the collections of twelve Lebanese art collectors, the likes of Agial Art Gallery’s Saleh Barakat

and Galerie Janine Rubeiz’s Nadine Majdalani Begdache who shared the works of such artists as Ayman Baalbaki and Yvette Achkar. Also meriting a mention is the Video Box program that gave voice to 14 “pertinent” artists of the region. Pakistan’s Sonny Sanjay Vadgama, for instance, visited Beirut’s hotel wars. MENASART Fair has the ambitious goal of covering a big region brimming with life, death, and limbo, and as the show is still in its infancy, it remains to be seen if it will meet its aspiring aim www.menasart-fair.com

MENASART FAIR HAS THE AMBITIOUS GOAL OF COVERING A BIG REGION BRIMMING WITH LIFE, DEATH, AND LIMBO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

It was the nudist, esthetically appealing paintings of Paris-based Lebanese artist Mouna Rebeiz that generated some good buzz. “It was overwhelming. I didn’t expect so much attraction and affinities for the nudes most probably because sensuality and the Middle East are two very related things,” she says. Heavyweights like multidisciplinary Lebanese artist Samir Khaddaje also graced MENASART with their presence. Khaddaje’s untitled mammoth installation reveals a series of mutilated bodies, which could be representative of war-battered Beirut, “a vision that everybody wants to avoid”, the artist believes. Khaddaje was one of the four

FML [f*ck my life]

It wasn’t that simple- I got a gasp from Celina, a burst of laughter from Gina and from Youmna, a sweet message that said, “I hope you break your neck.” (The contributors especially have a great laugh when it’s my turn to FML, and usually, after assigning them various torturous tasks, I assign myself the toughest of all- Leading by example.) This prevents them from whining when it’s their turn to hit the pavement (pardon the pun). That’s what I was thinking when I showed up at Pier 7: That I would be hitting the pavement, crash down on my foolish, empty head and it would be lights out for me. On Twitter Maria Elena sent a bevy of tweets my way that said things like, “Flying Editor”, “Flying Fida”, and the like.

BY FIDA CHAABAN

O2 VERSUS H2O

brainstormed with Gina. What could I do for FML this issue? I learned to blow fire for the February Up in Flames issue and for our first issue over a year ago I’d gone scuba diving. This issue we were turning everything upside down, so I had to be upside down too. I went out that night to Pier 7, the Crystal Group’s newest venue, and saw aerialists and dancers twist and turn and contort in the air! They were upside down and I wondered how difficult it would be. A quick convo with Celina Aoun, Crystal Group’s Head of PR, and the date was set. I was to be trained by their choreographer and her dance company which included the very same aerialists I had seen performing that night.

CAPSIZED AT PIER 7

SHOW

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Fast forward to the day- I was sick. Flu, fever and all kinds of body aches. I couldn’t move my neck left or right and I sure as hell didn’t think I’d be able to flip upside down. But what could I do? Gemma Blower, the choreographer from Pier 7, and her team were all scheduled to show up at 4pm to execute the stunt. I set my jaw and was determined not to miss the appointment, after all the show must go on. Anyone can tell you I am a stubborn woman who doesn’t take disappointment lightly. With a steely attitude, I set out for Pier 7 with our photographer Jason. Once we’re there, introductions are made all around and then Gemma begins to stretch and limber up. A quick demonstration of

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

‘I WOULD BE HITTING THE PAVEMENT, CRASH DOWN ON MY FOOLISH, EMPTY HEAD AND IT WOULD BE LIGHTS OUT FOR ME’

46 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011 THIS PAGE: GEMMA BLOWER INVERTED WITH OUR EDITOR MID-AIR RIGHT: GEMMA BLOWER AND OLA RAGAULINA

‘NEXT THING

FML [f*ck my life]

I KNOW, GEMMA’S AERIALISTS ARE ENCOURAGING ME TO TRY HANGING OFF GEMMA’S LITHE LITTLE BODY WHILE SHE IS SUSPENDED IN MIDAIR BY “SILKS”’

Gemma’s talents, a dancer since the age of 3, left me literally speechless. To begin with, the woman seems to have no fixed bones in her body. I watched her writhe, turn, and twist her perfect frame into a variety of positions, including the splits in about 4 different ways. She looks like a sort of air mermaid, not restricted by the normal laws of gravity, with movements that can only be compared to that of water. At one point, Jason actually stops shooting and just gapes at her. Flexible too, she was a sort of Gumby, except not green and a whole lot better looking. Gemma’s assistant Louis Alves, also recruited from Europe for Pier 7, looked on amused as I stared open-mouthed at Gemma. “I

love combining the shows with aerials, using both aerialists and dancers you get different dimensions and it’s always spectacular to see something in the air.” The 29 year-old dancer chose the multidiscipline Louis as her assistant after a stint together for one of the world’s biggest Illusionists. Next thing I know, Gemma’s aerialists are encouraging me to try. Try what? Try hanging off Gemma’s lithe little body while she is suspended in mid-air by two slings of fabric that they refer to as “Silks”. “Come on now,” says Gemma from a lofty height, “Just grab my forearms!” Brought to Beirut for Pier 7, Gemma and Louis “start in the studio then take the rehearsals to the stage because it’s always a different dynamic.

We create new shows all the time, last night we did Michael Jackson’s Thriller.” Thriller indeed, I think watching Gemma flit and flip above me. My fever is raging, the sun and humidity are nearly intolerable and this fairylike nymph is none the worse for wear, her beaming smile all the brighter in the air. She seems to literally come alive when she’s dancing and performing. I don’t know what possesses me to follow her commands, but I do. I try to copy the nimble Ola Ragaulina- the Ukrainian aerialist handpicked by Gemma for Pier 7. (Ola is the elegant creature on the right and I am the far less elegant creature above.) I mentally reflect on how beautifully Gemma occupies space: She is artful and her slightest gesture is, well, full of theatre and performance. “I did a show in Dubai, but I love Lebanon. I see big opportunities here, I’m an adventurer,” says Gemma as she looks down at me from the Silks. All these thoughts disappear as Gemma hoists me up with her while Ola’s husband (another Ukrainian aerialist) works the controls raising the Silks. I invert myself and end up in a sort of v-legged float. All of my body weight is supported by Gemma and I am upside down in midair! It is glorious!

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‘I TRY TO COPY THE NIMBLE OLA RAGAULINATHE UKRAINIAN AERIALIST HANDPICKED BY GEMMA FOR PIER 7’

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LEFT: AERIALISTS PERFORMING AT PIER 7 ABOVE, LEFT: OUR EDITOR UPSIDE DOWN RIGHT: BIRD OF PARADISE, OLA RAGAULINA

‘WHAT I GET IS SORT OF AN ANGULAR APPROXIMATION. OKAY LET’S BE HONEST- I GET NOWHERE NEAR OLA’S STUNNING POSE’ After a few minutes of this, Gemma encourages me to flip right over in an air-summersault (don’t ask me how) and I manage to do it. I have no doubt that it was not at all like the soft and floaty shifting movement of Ola, but I have no time to worry about this because now Gemma feels that there is no time like the present to give it a go all by myself. She instructs me gently but firmly and it is clear this lady not only runs the show, she IS the show. She’s vivacious and a great speaker, but more importantly, a terrific performer who brings out the absolute best in her company. “Come on Fida, you can do this.” Ola and

her husband encourage me as well. Ok well, can’t really say no, now can I? Ola, who I come to think of as a Bird of Paradise, is truly a vision, executing an airborne full body circle. She also makes it seem deceptively easy. I am not sure I can even come close to this but I watch carefully as her delicate foot touches the crown of her head. Is the human body even capable of this? Mine sure isn’t but I give it the old college try- What I get is sort of an angular approximation. Okay let’s be honest- I get nowhere near Ola’s stunning pose. But I do get a cheer from Gemma and her team and this is worth so much more.

Gemma’s 27 or so years in dance and her extreme fluidity of motion don’t exactly rub off on me, but she manages to teach me to handle myself on the Silks and actually have a great time inverted. It’s more than that, it’s liberating and the world is completely different when you’re floating upside down. I discuss this with her, lamenting the near end of my lesson as Gemma needs to commence rehearsals for the newest show she’s developed. “There was a time I didn’t dance, I just had my son and it was a little break for me. When I started dancing again, I came back to myself. I felt alive,” Gemma explains, noting this is the beginning of her larger career, choreographing nightly for the Crystal Group. As I disengage myself from the Silks, I feel let down, both literally and figuratively. In the air, suspended by only 2 slings of fabric and inverted, I know exactly what Gemma means about her return to dance. The only way to describe it? I feel alive

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

DIAGEO’S WORLD CLASS COMPETITION GETS US TOPSY-TURVY

out +about

THE WORLD CLASS COMPLETION HAS ONE OF OUR OWN HEADING TO SHOW HIS SKILLS IN AN INTERNATIONAL FACE OFF AGAINST THE BEST BARTENDERS IN MIXOLOGY TODAY!

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BEATING OUT 7 OTHER FINALISTS, DEROUICHE WILL BE REPRESENTING LEBANON IN THE HIGH PROFILE EVENT, AND WE’RE HOPING THE BOTTOMS UP EXPERT WILL BRING US TOP DOWN SUCCESS! RAGMAG got out + about and well, a little bit topsy-turvy at the World Class competition held in Beirut on June, 14, 2011. The World Class completion has one of our own heading to show his skills in an international face off against the best bartenders in mixology today! Chosen by an international jury made up of Jason M. Bowden, Global Diageo Luxury Portfolio Ambassador, Papadopoulos Aristotelis, Global World Class 2009 Champion, and Sylwia Tata, Marketing Manager MENA, Lebanon’s winning bartender Khaled Derouiche of Momo’s, resto-lounge extraordinaire in Beirut Souks, will be heading to New Delhi, India.

Beating out 7 other finalists, Derouiche will be representing Lebanon in the high profile event, and we’re hoping the bottoms up expert will bring us top down success! 36 countries will be competing in the World Class competition for top spot. Over 10,000 entrants take place in the annual event that focuses on reserve brands. The competitors are trained over a series of five different 6-week long courses, each focused on a specific spirit- Whisky, Rum, Vodka, Tequila, and Gin. Joe Nazzal, Reserve Brand Ambassador for Diageo Lebanon, said, “It has been a tough but enjoyable 11 months of intense trainings

and competitions, and I am glad that we went through this challenging process to ensure that the champion representing Lebanon is the right candidate.” The finalist list was a who’s who of Lebanese nightlife and included 2 competitors from the Crystal Group: Jihad of Metis and Jimmy from Alcazar in 2 different categories, Sebou of Iris, ranking in the Ketel One category and 2 finalists from major Beirut hotels: Haitham from Phoenicia Hotel and 2 competitors from Le Gray Hotel, Chafik ranking in the Don Julio category and in the Ketel One category. Bring home the title, Khaled!

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

HAYDA LEBNEN’s What IF! BY SARAH HOURANY

“

f” may be the smallest word ever but, inserting it into any sentence can give the biggest effects. Haven’t you ever heard that “great things come in small packages”? In this issue, RAGMAG proves this quote right. What would happen IF Lebanon was completely turned upside down?

BEIRUT RESIDENTS would wake up to the sound of birds, not zmamir or sarikh el jiran. They would see trees and flowers on the streets not billboards, yaftat and souwar m3al2a chmel w yamin. They would spend 5 minutes going from Tabaris to Sassine not 50. They would find a spot to park their car under their apartment, instead of leaving it blocks away from home.

EMPLOYEES would arrive relaxed and ON TIME to work as there would be no 3aj2it ser or jouwar 3al tari2. They would be satisfied that they are actually working in their field of study, and not studying biology and working in the HR department, masalan. They would also be grateful for their salary as it would dayin for 30 days “surviving” the benzine and mobile recharge card expenses, without borrowing money from here and there. STAY AT HOME MOMS wouldn’t need maids to hold their purse at the supermarket as they would be able to support the 30g weight on their own. They wouldn’t need them on the beach anymore to watch their children while clad in maid’s uniforms and melting under Beirut 36°C,

instead, they’d sacrifice 2 hours of tanning time for their kid’s safety. In short, they would finally grasp the role of a maid which is obviously not bag-holding, tutoring or babysitting! DRIVERS would make one msabbe bil tanke instead of 40. They would understand that the light means get ready to stop and not, “D3asa w tayyir el 3alam abel ma tsir 7amra”! They’d realize that they would make it to their destination without the need to create 4 or 5 additional lines or going off-roading, climbing 3al rassif, coming back and driving 3aks el ser! MEN would survive without smoking cigars everywhere and anywhere. They would confess that they are mwazzafin not moudara 3ammin. And most importantly, they would apply all the advice and rule related convos to their sisters on their girlfriends, ending a long era of schizophrenic behavior.

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SINGERS would change 3 outfits in their music videos instead of 13 and 2 colored contact lenses instead of 5. They wouldn’t fight anymore over whose picture is larger on the billboards or whose names appear first on TV. Oh yeah, and they would actually be able to sing! WOMEN would date guys with siyarat m7art2a, believing in their ambitions and potential to work hard and achieve their goals. They would sacrifice their “prestige” bil moujtama3 and love them for what they are not for what they have!

THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIGHT MEANS GET READY TO STOP AND NOT, “D3ASA W TAYYIR EL 3ALAM ABEL MA TSIR 7AMRA”!

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MEN WOULD SURVIVE WITHOUT SMOKING CIGARS EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE. THEY WOULD CONFESS THAT THEY ARE MWAZZAFIN NOT MOUDARA 3AMMIN. GRANDMAS would stop wasf weird prescriptions or potential treatments for every illness you complain of. They would finally stop feeding you when you swear that you are full. SALESPEOPLE would stop telling you how nice you look in that short dress you are trying especially when it’s obvious that you’re 2add el ba2ra, stop taking you as a hostage in the shop and pushing you to try anything animal printed. They would also stop the automated question, “ Bi chu fine se3dik?” each time you anja2 TOUCH something in the store!

NEIGHBORS would start living in their homes, sustained without knocking every 5 minutes to take 7abbit banadoura or chweyit kezebra. They would start minding their own business without feeling the urge to detect min ra7 w min eja, w ay se3a w kif w wen! If Lebanon was turned upside down, it would be a decent country where the basic needs from kahraba to roads are provided, where human rights are respected, and where the population works more and talks less, bas hayda Lebnen ya 3ayne!

IF LEBANON WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, IT WOULD BE A DECENT COUNTRY WHERE THE BASIC NEEDS FROM KAHRABA TO ROADS ARE PROVIDED, WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED, AND WHERE THE POPULATION WORKS MORE AND TALKS LESS.

mon amour, mon ami

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

RAGMAG mon amour, mon ami

| AUGUST 2011

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EW RN U G YO IN AT URN WN H T T O S IS E D GNHIP SID I S S P 10 N U P ATIOLIFE O T EL R R OU Y

SUDDENLY YOU FIND YOURSELF SPONTANEOUSLY BREAKING INTO A DUET OF “A WHOLE NEW WORLD” WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OVER THE PHONE

YOUR MUSIC CHOICES HAVE CHANGED DRASTICALLY

DISNEY IS NOW PART OF YOUR REPERTOIRE

Sarah McLachlan does the sultry, “Your love is better than ice cream…” and you suddenly agree, even though you don’t like ice cream and found the song altogether pointless the first time you heard it. You’ve downloaded the Mp3 now and have it on repeat. You catch yourself humming this and other stomach-turning tunes throughout the day and you’re even bustin’ out 80’s ballads. You play “Name That Tune” together over BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) all day, and one of the hit songs is an R.E.O. Speedwagon gem circa 1986. It gets worse, see number 2.

You already know that Disney’s feature length animated “Aladdin” is really Self and Other (if you don’t then you need to read “Orientalism” by Dr. Edward Said) and depicting the Middle East as 1001 nights complete with magic carpets and barbaric practises is wrong, but suddenly you find yourself spontaneously breaking into a duet of “A Whole New World” with your significant over the phone. What’s worse is that you both really enjoy this off-key sing-a-long! You like it so much that you decide to make a CD together, covering 10 mushy love tracks that no educated adult in their right mind should even consider. The CD is such a great idea that the 2 of you spend hours, literally, deciding which songs to include and make amendments often. For the cover, you put the first picture of the 2 of you together with a children’s style heart etched in. Skip to numbers 7 + 8.

mon amour, mon ami

YOU’VE GIVEN WAY TO MASS DELUSION

By mass, we mean you and your significant other. You participate in one another’s fantasy life, coimagining all sorts of scenarios. When your significant other says in all seriousness, “Imagine there’s an earthquake, and you can only save 3 people!” in response you quickly rattle off the 3 people you would save. Your significant other is on the list of course. You can play this game for hours because you seem to love to encourage nonsensical chatter in one another. When your significant other pretends she is part of the wizarding world (she’s a Harry Potter fan-girl), you think that’s normal and agree to have a Harry Potter DVD marathon. You are a straight male in your thirties. ‘Nuff said. Skip to number 4.

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YOU BOTH LIKE THE GOLDEN RATIO AND DEBATE IF THERE IS A MATHEMATICAL ALGORITHM TO DEFINE YOUR RELATIONSHIP.

6 YOU SEARCH FOR “DEEPER” PATTERNS.

“We must be meant to be together,” turns into speculations on how you would have met had you not met through your connecting friend. You comb back through your histories trying to determine what brought you to the same place at the same time, even if it was a McDonald’s Drive-Thru. Then you examine the “energy” between the 2 of you, what it first felt like when you locked eyes, and how this was a long time coming because, “You are the person I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” Barf. You both like the Golden Ratio, understand each other’s weirdo fixations on Pi, and debate if there is a mathematical algorithm to define your relationship. You draw flow charts, Venn diagrams and decide who gets to be on the X axis and the Y axis. After all this, you decide it is just fate and there’s nothing to be done about it. These scientific schmooze sessions soon deteriorate. See number 7.

YOU WISH FOR SUPERPOWERS

YOU’VE GOTTEN ALL A.A. SUDDENLY

YOU HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO DO THINGS THAT YOU MASTERED IN GRADE 1

When your significant other is sick or in pain, you feel a desperate need to whisk over and save the day. It starts off harmlessly enough, “I wish there was something I could do,” then morphs to, “I wish I was there,” which seems plausible enough. You and your significant other live in different cities, so the wishes slowly become less realistic and soon, altogether fantastical. “I wish I could just fly there right now and pick you up and take all the pain away.” “I wish I had a magic wand and I could cast a spell to make you better!” (Good ol’ Harry Potter, again) “I wish you were Superman and this was Kryptonite and I could just throw the Kryptonite into space!” Which then leads to another sing-a-long. Yep, you guessed it, “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. Revert back to number 2.

You know that the Alcoholics Anonymous rule book has a lot to do with admittance and acceptance. You accept that you are powerless in the face of this great connection with one another, so just decide to admit it. You stop playing cat and mouse games and really gush at one another privately, and worse, gush at your friends about how great your other half is. “I miss you,” you say 100 times a day, to which your significant other responds, “Well I miss you more,” and then you say, “ I miss you so much that I can’t sleep,” or eat or print in block letters like a 5 year old. This sounds revolting but when you’re in the thick of it, it just seems meant! You figure, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. God or some kind of grand pattern seems to have brought the 2 of you together, and it is just that celestial! See number 6.

Forget that there was a time in your life that you could puzzle through engineering equations. That’s over and done with. You can’t even add anymore using Cardinal numbers or formulate basic sentences that your 8 year-old niece could easily string together. You now are reduced to speaking in symbols and emoticons. You send each other equations on Blackberry that look like this: Heart + Finger Pointing = Smiley Face. The one he sent you last night? Broken Heart + Hugging + Idea Bubble + Beer Glass = Clock. This string of pictures means, “I’ll soothe your broken heart with wining, dining and affection in 24 short hours, I promise!” How you figured that out in anyone’s guess, but the fact that you did only reaffirms your fate reasoning in number 6. When you share these emoticon equations with your friends, you get only one back: Green Sick Face. Go to number 8.

RAGMAG mon amour, mon ami

| AUGUST 2011

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F IL P

EW RN U G YO IN AT URN WN H T T O S IS E D GNHIP SID I S S P 10 N U P ATIOLIFE O T EL R R OU Y

YOU HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE

YOU CEASE TO BE SEEN AS A LONE ENTITY

Rather than speaking during your 3 hour phone marathons, you begun to make noises. And when you do actually use words, they don’t exceed 2 syllables. This isn’t onomatopoeia like bam, bing, or whoosh, it’s whines, shrieks, and gurgles. You coo at one another like a pair of turtle doves and when your friends are around they’re so sick of the lovebird routine that they encourage you to, “Go ahead, talk in my room. I don’t mind really!” He calls to say hi between meetings and you respond with, “Awwwwwwwwwwww!”. You call to say you aren’t feeling well and his immediate, “Ohhhh” is sometimes followed by, “Baby!” This falls under the 2 syllable rule, you no longer use words that exceed 2 syllables if you use words at all. The exception to this rule is baby talk. This is never okay- and we really mean NEVER, but sometimes when she gets going, you think it’s cute. Yes, hang your head in shame because the babytalk stuff really is bizarre. Revert back to number 7.

You want to spend every waking moment together. And you do whenever possible. You’re pretty much crazy-glued together and cease to be considered separate entities. People begin to issue you invites as one person and your hips don’t lie: That is to say you start to look like weird female-male Siamese twins, joined at the hip in public and in private. When you do tear yourselves away from one another to operate as functioning adults, say for ummm work, you start with the emoticon equations again and the A.A. stuff. You also want to spend every non-waking moment together: Under this falls sleeping, meditating, sedation and yes, even being comatose. This article has made us comatose. Keep the PDA’s to a minimum please and flip back to numbers 5, 7 + 8.

mon amour, mon ami

YOUR COMPREHENSION OF TIME AND SPACE HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY ALTERED

You just spent 4 hours on the phone together and then you wonder where your day has gone. “It felt like 5 minutes”, you both agree after you hang up the call and start texting one another that you while you talked about nothing, “It was still amazing”. You idle away the whole hour you aren’t together, feeling as though it has been a week. When you are in different cities you begin to run countdowns like NASA in your status messages on Facebook, WhatsApp and BBM to the huge irritation of your contact list: T-minus 2 days, then it evolves to hours. When you’re finally together, your visual spatial sense seems to take a nose-dive because you just can’t get close enough! If you are both in the same room but not touching, your move into each other’s orbits quicker than a blink. It’s gravitational pull that can’t be helped. Distance is exaggerated and you feel that your partner sitting on the other couch is way too far away, like light years away! Revert back to numbers 6 +7

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Mirna, my physiotherapist, greets me at once and explains that I’ll be having the ILA Manipura treatment.“Manipura means ‘City of Jewels’ in Sanskrit, it defines your Solar Plexus, your third primary Chakra.” So that was it. My editor had been harassing me to go to one of her yoga classes and I had never caved, so she just found a way to force me. And what does working on my Solar Plexus do to me? “It works on your digestive system, it will give you balance and energy,” Mirna says, very convinced. I wasn’t mad at Fida, nor very worried about Jason being there (after all, I’d have a towel on and I could kick him out whenever I wanted). I was just skeptical. Mirna leads me to the locker room so I can change and put the towel robe on. Thumbs up for the Phoenicia Hotel

BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

who takes into consideration the Big and Beautiful women of the world. The robe fits me; I put the slippers on and I am ready to go. A small room dimmed lighting, background Indian music and the smell of essential oils welcomes me for my body scrub.

MY EDITOR HAD BEEN HARASSING ME TO GO TO ONE OF HER YOGA CLASSES AND I HAD NEVER CAVED, SO SHE JUST FOUND A WAY TO FORCE ME.

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hen Fida first announced my assignment –on one day notice- I thought it was an FML. “You’re gonna have to write the spa review this month, Youm.” Meaning I was going to be pampered in one of Lebanon’s most prestigious spas, wearing only a disposable thong, with our photographer Jason in the room. I went to the Phoenicia Hotel head-hanging and with a beating heart. Upon entering the hotel hall, thanks to the soundproof doors, we’re already in another world. Without even taking a look at everything around me, I walk towards the SPA where I expect a few lined-up rooms filled with candlelight. Instead, I discover THE wellness oasis of Beirut: palm trees, quiet and peaceful, people whispering, shades of white everywhere.

YOU

THE

ELEVATE YOUR BODY + MIND AT THE PHOENICIA SPA

SPA “NAMASTES”

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THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

body. Mirna explains that the body has 107 Marma points and Kundalini massage stimulates those points in order to liberate the blood flow, thus the energy in your body. The addedvalue of the Manipura treatment is that it is a double dose: one aspect is purely physical and the other is spiritual. “Manipura is more than a massage. It’s a connection between the giver- myself, and the receiver- you. If I don’t feel really good, you are going to get the bad energy that comes from me. On the other hand, I can give you my good energy,” says Mirna. If I could get just the physical part I’d be fine, I think to myself, still not very convinced. I can feel my therapist starting the back and neck massage and sometimes pressing a few particular points of my body. I can’t even talk and ask her questions about what she’s doing because I’m starting to “elevate” to a whole other level. Skeptical Me still wants to feel the contact of the towel under me and hear Jason’s camera clicking. Spiritual Me is unaware of what’s going on.

I can hardly open my eyes anymore, and think that maybe it’s the effects of the Damascene Rose Otto oil she’s using. One of the rarest essences in the world, it takes the petals of 30 Himalayan flowers to produce a single drop. It is said to nourish, relax and nurture the emotional and physical heart.

I’M TOLD THAT THE MANIPURA MASSAGE USES KUNDALINI TECHNIQUES AND CHAKRA HEALING. I ASK FOR MORE DETAIL AS I’M NOT AWARE OF WHAT YOGA AND TANTRA HAS TO DO WITH MY PHYSICAL BODY.

Using ILA’s own mixture of Himalayan salt crystals, Argan oil for hydration, sandalwood and patchouli oils for their calming and relaxing properties, Mirna starts by applying one hand at the small of my back, the other hand on my neck. She stays that way for a few seconds and I start to feel something. The consequences are immediate: I’m all hers. When she begins scrubbing my back, I expect the usual unpleasant feeling of having someone kneading me like pizza dough. I’m surprised by the mixed sensations: Mirna’s extremely smooth hands contrast with the rough salt crystals, her gestures are both firm and soft and I am relaxed. After my therapist is done purifying and detoxifying my body, prepping it for what comes next, I take a quick shower to remove the unabsorbed salt crystals and lay down again for the vital energy massage. I’m told that the Manipura massage uses Kundalini techniques and Chakra healing. I ask for more detail as I’m not aware of what yoga and Tantra has to do with my physical

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me up (her words) to tell me we are done, I have the greatest feeling. I want it to continue because I’ve never felt so good. Mirna sprays an ILA Energy Spray made with orange blossom, rose hydrolith and wild poppy essence to awaken me and remove the numbness off my face and body. I’m gently taken to the relaxation room, the interior is a few wood chaises lounges, rose petals and candles. I lay down while my therapist prepares green tea with a drop of the ILA Energy Spray. The spiritual Manipura massage had filled me with good vibes. I can’t wait to start yoga classes, maybe a few lessons will make me feel as conscious of my inner body as the Manipura massage had

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SHE APPLIES TWO HOT HIMALAYAN SALT POULTICES AND PLACES THEM JUST SO. APPARENTLY ONE IS SUPPOSED TO DRAW BAD ENERGY OUT; THE OTHER INPUTS GOOD ENERGY.

I can still feel my therapist massaging me and one particular thing draws my attention: Not once does Mirna leave my body untouched. Whenever she needs to go to the other side of the massage table, she leaves even a finger on my back or leg, turn, and then continues the massage. The connection is working: when she massages my arms, I feel my hands automatically opening to receive hers. Once done with a part of my body, she applies two hot Himalayan salt poultices and places them just so. Apparently one is supposed to draw bad energy out; the other inputs good energy. The last massage sequence focuses on my stomach. Working with a salt poultice, she presses down on my “beautiful flower”, the 10 gastric Marma Points of my Third Chakra. When she wakes

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

RAGMAG’S FAVORITE TREATMENTS SYNCHRONIZED ABHYANGA

A full body massage by two therapists aimed at harmonizing your mind and body while increasing blood circulation and enhancing proper energy flow throughout the day. It also eases fatigue and revives your spirit, especially after travelling and undertaking activities that render you tired and restless.

What’s an ILA treatment?

Ila is the Sankrit word for earth, a sacred name associated with flow, refreshment and the source of well being. Ila’s aim is to bring purity, energy and balance into everyday life by using 100 percent organic luxurious skincare products that work on a number of different levels: to improve natural beauty through the health and vitality of your skin, to increase well-being through the transforming effects of energy healing, and to connect to a greater sense of inner serenity.

HAND AND FEET REJUVENATOR

The hands relate to the heart and emotions. ILA SPA use rose for nourishing the heart and skin. A scrub and soak prepares the hands for a soothing Rose Balm Marma massage which releases stress and tension from hands. A Rose Mud mask restores silky smoothness. The Lemongrass and Vetivert scrub soothes tired feet followed by a Marma foot massage with body oil to stimulate the flow of energy. This is followed by a foot mask which restores energy and is also deeply relaxing. On a subtle level, this works to revitalize the solar plexus.

ILA’s RAGged Facts

• ILA’s products are 100% organic. You can actually ingest what you’re being massaged with, as some oils have more than one property and can heal you from the inside as well as from the outside. • Himalayan Salt crystals are thought to self-regenerate. Every Blue Moon, used salt poultices are put in open air. The following day, their color has changed, and their healing properties are back. • Damascene Rose Otto oil is literally hand-made. Artisans mash the flower petals with their hands in order to get a few millimeters of oil. • The poultices used in The Spa are also handmade. They are hand-sewed and made with organic material.

Take Flight Astrally + Physically The Spa at Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut Minet El Hosn, Beirut Tel 01/369100 Direct 01/357030 www.phoenicia-ic.com

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SHISEIDO’S GOT YOU COVERED HEAD TO TOE THIS SUMMER

BODY BASICS!

Prep your skin and treat simultaneously with Shiseido’s Global Body Care range! The Aromatic Sculpting Body Gel from The Advanced Body Creator lineup is this summer’s must-have. Working on that hourglass figure? The Advanced Body Creator reduces the appearance of cellulite “orange peel skin”, giving your skin a more toned and refined look. Apply the cooling, non-sticky product evenly and allow to set for a feeling of firmness and hydration. To achieve optimal results, use the Advanced Body Creator morning and night all over the body, concentrating on areas that are prone to cellulite.

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FACE-OFF!

The new Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day range is your summer skincare staple. After cleansing and toning the skin, apply a thin, even layer of this new moisturizing range all over the face, avoiding the eye contour. This double action hydrator both treats existing signs of aging and prevents the appearance of lines. Available in two textures, Anti-Wrinkle Emulsion and Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream, normal to combination skins will opt for the fluid-like emulsion while dryer skins will benefit from the richer-textured cream. Benefiance WrinkleResist24 comes with SPF, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing double duty by preventing damage from UVA rays, implicated in premature aging.

SUMMER SCENT SENSE

ZEN WHITE HEAT BY SHISEIDO Shiseidoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cult fragrance Zen just added a new member to the family! The Limited Edition Zen White Heat, a new duo of fragrances for Him and for Her are now out + about. Zen White Heat for Her has top notes of bergamot, blackcurrant and raspberry with middle notes of a floral bouquet while Zen White Heat for Him has a top note of icy mint leaves and a fresh green apple accord. Let the feeling of Zen wrap around you for some real White Heat this summer!

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‘

Trouble with your smile? First of all, follow the basics • Brush your teeth three times a day for at least three minutes, the night brush being the most important. • Change your toothbrush every other month. Choose soft bristles, so as not to harm your gums. • See the dentist once a year, at least for a cleaning and tartar removal. Best case scenario means every 6 months.

BRIGHT SMILES ARE WHERE IT’S AT BY ELODIE BARAKAT

HOME

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Sodium bicarbonate is a good teeth whitener. Modus operandi Wet your toothbrush and dunk it in baking soda powder. Its particles act as scouring agent! You can use it once or twice a week as a replacement for toothpaste. + It also removes stains on your enamel + You can get bicarbonate for less than $5/500g - If you use it too much, it can damage your teeth - It might not be efficient if your teeth need more than a soft whitening

PROFESSIONAL You can purchase whitening kit to do it yourself at home. Those kits are based in the same product that the dentist uses: hydrogen peroxide. Modus operandi The kits generally contain a mouth guard and a gel containing hydrogen peroxide. They also go with a chart so that you can see the difference. Bleaching pens and strips are other at-home whitening means. + Cheaper than a consultation, it’s easy on the wallet - The product is not as concentrated and you’ll need to use it several times to get a professional type result - Personal whitening kits are standardized, you can’t adjust the treatment to your needs - Some side effects: high sensitivity to cold and hot, gum inflammation

If polishing and tartar removal is not enough to whiten your teeth, your dentist can use a chemical solution: hydrogen peroxide, acting as a whitening agent. This technique is also available in some beauty centers. Modus operandi The dentist uses a mouth guard to apply the product. + Done professionally, one consultation is generally enough and the dentist can adjust the treatment to your needs. The dentist can also give you a personalized treatment for you to do at home + Under medical watch, the risks of side effects are little + Professionals have specific lamp or a laser that can accelerate the effect of the product. - The price can reach several hundreds of dollars

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1. The color of your teeth can be genetic: Some of us are born with bright white teeth, others may have a natural tinge or yellow or grey 2. Saliva keeps your smile bright! It cleanses your teeth, prevents dental decay and spots. Raw apples, carrots and cabbage are your buddies: They force you to chew well and to salivate. Chewing gum is good too! If you can’t brush your teeth directly after eating, have a stick of gum – opt for sugar free, otherwise the sugar will stick to your teeth and encourage decay! 3. Using a straw is the best way to prevent acidic sodas from damaging your teeth apart from not drinking them at all. 4. Just like your bones, your teeth need calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. They make your teeth stronger and whiter! You’ll find calcium and phosphorus in dairy products and in some mineral waters. As for vitamin D, most of our natural needs are synthesized by our body when exposed to the sun, so protect your skin with a good SPF and enjoy!

RAGged Smile Facts

1. For men and women, a wide smile is an indicator of attractiveness along with large eyes and prominent cheekbones 2. In order to smile, you use 17 muscles 3. Smiling is the universal language: Several studies have shown that smiling is way of communicating positive emotions all around the world! 4. According to neuroscience research, people tend to better remember someone who smiles than someone with a neutral expression.

5. Fluoride is essential. It strengthens enamel and is needed for your whole lifetime. Excessive use of fluoride can cause white spots to appear on your teeth and are irreversible. Keep it simple: Use fluoride-laden toothpaste and eat things like cabbage, fish, and some mineral waters - check the label to see what minerals a brand contains.

6. Vitamins are good for your gums! Vitamins C and B protect them from infections! Fruit and vegetables are filled with vitamin C and you’ll find a lot of vitamin B in fish oils.

7. Some food are bad for your teeth: Meat, fish, sodas, tomatoes, onions... they increase the acidity of your mouth and can damage your teeth. So always rinse you mouth after consuming them and before brushing your teeth, to avoid worsening the corrosive effect. You can also counter this effect by eating alkaline aliments like almonds, milk, green tea or soy.

LEMON IS THE FRIEND OF BEAUTIFUL TEETH. 8.

It does not contain much sugar and is a good whitener. Even better, it has antiinflammatory and antibacterial effects on your gums. Bite down on a slice of lemon once weekly but don’t use it too often or it may damage your enamel. After your home treatment, avoid having anything coloured -like wine- it can leave marks.

9. Toothpicks hurt your gums and aren’t efficient. Use dental floss instead. It’s perfect to clean your teeth and the spaces between them, preventing gum inflammation.

10. Alcohol and tobacco are a terrible duo. They modify the biological balance of your mouth and make it dryer. As a result, tartar deposits increase your chances of gum inflammation, which in turn is worsened by bacterial activity.

Pucker Up!

Now that you know how to get your bright pearly whites, get the new Burberry Lip Mist! It naturally enhances lips with a transparent sheen. The lightweight formula is rich in emollients giving lips hydration, comfort and shine for a fresh and radiant look! The formula contains wild rose extract with emollient and regenerating properties. Apply directly to lips or tap with finger to bring a touch of natural and wet color. Ooh la la! Talk about perfect summer smackers!

68 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

EDITOR’S NOTE IN LIGHT OF THIS BEING THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE, WE’VE DEVOTED 4 PAGES TO HELP ME NOUR + RABIH SINCE A FEW OF OUR READERS HAVE LIVES THAT ARE REALLY UPSIDE DOWN! FIND OUT WHAT OUR INTERACTIVE PANEL THOUGHT AND HOW NOUR + RABIH WOULD HANDLE IT.

help me

Nour + Rabih BY NOUR OBAJI + RABIH FEGHALI

‘I DON’T KNOW IF I WANT US TO DATE, AND THAT IS WHY I AM RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH HIM.’ My long time friend started having feelings for me as his behavior completely changed (without him admitting directly though). The problem is that I don’t know if I want us to date, and that is why I am reluctant to discuss this with him. What should I do knowing that I enjoy being with him and I am afraid to lose this great friendship? Dana, 23

“I had the same situation before. I would wait until he brings it up and maybe start discussing how you are interested in another guy and get his ‘advice’ on it. If it just becomes unbearable, bring it up and maybe take a break if you are sure you can’t reciprocate. I suggest a little alcohol in this conversation to ease the inevitable awkwardness!” Jasmina, 32

“Before you can make any decision you have to have a serious think about your true feelings. If you merely enjoy being with him (but can’t imagine yourself making love to him or building a life with him), then stick to friendship. If you enjoy being with him and want more than that, then go for it. Life is too short for ‘what ifs’ and love is hard to find.” Youmna, 24

“First, make sure what he feels is what you think he feels. His behavior might have changed, but maybe it’s not him having feelings for you or liking you. Let’s not start making guesses here, just talk to him about it. Start by telling him you’ve noticed some changes and want to discuss them with him. Truth be told, you’ve got to take a chance. It’s a 1/4 chance of someone getting hurt. Look at the different scenarios, just so you’re ready

• He likes you, you start dating, you fall in love = Happy ending. • He likes you, you don’t want to date him, he’s hurt but quickly gets over it = Happy ending. • He doesn’t like you, it’s something else. You talk about it and move on = Happy ending. • Whether he likes you or not, the conversation is just too awkward, and you guys never get over it = Unhappy ending.” Lara, 36

“First off, are you sure you are reading it right? I only ask because if you aren’t, you will do way more damage to the relationship than you know. In the event you are, you will have to find a way to gently ease him into the fact that you are just not into him that way. I am reading some confusion about your own feelings in this question so I think you need to do some serious self reflection before you do anything else.”

Nour’s Vote The best things in life are free, your best friend’s company included. It has been my experience that dating your friends is a bad idea especially when one person isn’t fully into it. According to you, his behavior has changed– I can only take this to mean that he is making gestures that are romantic in nature. If this is the case, the next time he alludes to a possible amorous connection, you take his hint and firmly but kindly tell him that loving him and leaving him is not an option for you. Point out that your friendship doesn’t have an expiry date and your relationship would. I would use the calm and rational approach as opposed to the emotional and potentially harmful one.

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

IS SHE REALLY YOUR BEST FRIEND? IT SEEMS THERE MAY BE SOME SECRET RIVALRY ON HER SIDE OR BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU, IT SURE DOESN’T SEEM LIKE THE NORMAL BEHAVIOUR OF A BEST FRIEND. Rabih’s Vote It is widely known that good friends make great couples. It is also well known that if you are physically incompatible, you will not likely end up enjoying the relationship – regardless of how close you are as friends. You said it yourself “the problem is that I don’t know if I want us to date” – this is a key statement and sets the tone for the predicament that you’re facing. Do whatever it takes not to get involved with this man.

My best friend does not disclose any information about her future plans, and tells me about them when done. I can’t act like I’m bothered so she does not think I’m jealous, but I am really annoyed by the fact that I share everything and she is always acting in a secretive way. Shall I tell her how I feel or just act like she does? Reem, 35

Yasmine, 29

“Is she really your best friend? It seems there may be some secret rivalry on her side or between the two of you, it sure doesn’t seem like the normal behaviour of a best friend. In any case I think you need to be honest and voice your feelings so that you may seek some clarity from her or so that she may see the error of her ways and correct them to save the friendship. You should definitely not sink to her level, remember two wrongs don’t make a right.”

“Friendship should be based on trust and it seems like your friend has an issue with trust and is a little insecure about her future. Are there past experiences that lead her to behave in this manner? In all cases, you SHOULD approach her because if there is a lack of trust and openness then there is a lack of friendship. Take her out one day and ask her if she trusts you and then bring up the subject. It usually helps if you open up about your future plans or personal life as a

way to make her more comfortable to ‘disclose’ plans about her future. Another thing you may want to take into consideration is superstition. Your friend may fear that giving out information would jinx the future... In that case she still should not worry about you because you are her friend and wish only the best for her, right? Act like she does, you’re better off. I believe people that have a tendency to secrecy are first right to do so, and second, they won’t change even if you talk it over with them.”

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

Lisa, 25

Rabih’s Vote

Fatima, 24

“Why do you feel like she needs to tell you everything? If you feel like being Radio Monte Carlo, doesn’t mean other people do. Some people are just naturally reticent and don’t tell the world everything. It sounds to me like you need to grow up a bit. Maybe she has something she just can’t talk about and it is colouring everything. Tit for tat is not the mark of a true friend, knowing when to back off is.”

If you are best friends, tell her how you feel. She will most probably not change, but at least you get it off your chest. Some people are just made to be this way. You have to accept it and move on. I would suggest that you try keeping a few things from her… make her feel the pain. She may come around then.

Nour’s Vote

I’m in a dead-end relationship with a man I worship, and for years I’ve resisted all attempts by friends to hook me up with a “suitable match” arguing that no one will measure up to my man. But lately a friend of mine has been as asking me out relentlessly. He’s very cultured, smart, well-off, and has career goals. And he’s what you’d call “suitable”. Should I give it a try? I’m worried if it doesn’t work out I’d end up losing the love of my life.

“You say you worship this man but it is dead end. I wonder at your terminology. If you truly worship this man and he in turn worships you the same way then you should be willing to risk anything and everything to be together. Be it family, religion, job, friends or anything else, if you love him the way you say you do, nothing should stop you. If this is the person you truly cannot imagine your life without then you should be willing to risk some sacrifice. Nothing worth having is gotten easily. In regards to this other person that has been asking you out, you sound like you are contemplating giving it a chance. That makes me question how much you truly love this first guy. Sure, it might be easier to be with candidate #2 but if you are going to sabotage it from the beginning by comparing him to #1, don’t bother. It is not fair to you and more importantly to him. I am of the opinion that you need to really do some soul searching. It takes great courage to buck everything easy and take the hard road but only you can decide if it is worth it.”

Rabih is advocating the eye for an eye scenario. I am not. The Interactive Panel is riding the fence. I am not. Not everything is your business. She doesn’t need to tell you details of her life and I’m not sure why you think she does. Maybe she feels that her friends are on a need to know basis and this isn’t wrong. It’s called privacy and if you are reading this magazine then I’m pretty sure you aren’t 13 years-old, so you’ve had a lot of time since grade 8 to grow out of this childish mindset.

mind, body + soul

‘SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST MADE TO BE THIS WAY. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU TRY KEEPING A FEW THINGS FROM HER…’

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

‘YOU’RE DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU DON’T.’ Yafa, 30

“Don’t sacrifice the love of your life for what the society labels as appropriate but don’t sacrifice your whole LIFE waiting for your boyfriend to take the relationship to the next level. It is time to have a serious discussion, it’s time to assume some responsibilities!” Sana, 22

“If society matters that much to you, then yes, go see this ‘suitable guy’. I don’t see why you guys are still together if it’s a dead end? What’s the point? Better to end it now than later as hard as it may be.” Hiba, 41

“Never leave someone, for someone else, it never works. What goes around comes around. If you feel he is the love of your life then stay with him, persevere and forget about any other options you may have been alerted to. If you know in your heart that

he is not the man of your life then break it off stay on your own for a bit to reflect on whether you have made the right decision and have no regrets and once you are over him, start to analyse your new found options. Your smart cultured friend should still be around and will understand if he really wants you he will have patience and work for your love and attention once you are available.”

Nour’s Vote Look, what you’ve got here is a zero sum politics type of situation. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Now what you’ve got to figure out is where you really want to take this. By this I mean do you want to try and play the field, regardless if the guy is suitable or not? In my opinion, you’ve got nothing to lose if you date the new guy since you’ve ruled out the love of your life. This sounds to me as though there is some major roadblock that you either cannot or do

not want to work through. So close that subject and move on. I bet you’ve been told that by many people already but you seem to want to stagnate. Enough with the feet dragging and do as Rabih says.

Rabih’s Vote Don’t just give it a try. Go for it! But, leave your boyfriend first. Do not go on a date with your “friend” if you’re still with your guy – that’s just wrong and will bite you in the ass eventually. There is nothing worse (for a girl) than a dead end relationship – Get out now

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.

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

UPSIDE DOWN

WHY 21ST CENTURY VALUES HAVE IT COMPLETELY WRONG BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

THIS CHANGE IS ALL NO GOOD IF WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO ADAPT. SOMETIMES THE 21ST CENTURY JUST HAS IT ALL UPSIDE DOWN. We are living in a revolution. When historians look back on the early 21st Century, they will see it as a time of unprecedented change. The biggest change to our lifestyles comes from technology; the mass dissemination of the Internet means we can always be at the office, and the ubiquitous presence of Smartphones now enable us to handle every part of our lives from the palm of our hand. In our pocket we have our music player, email client, GPS system, 24-hour news source, and even a games console. And hey, when you’re bored of all that you can even shop online with it. But this change is all no good if we don’t know how to adapt. Sometimes the 21st century just has it all upside down. Let’s look at some of the worst beliefs we have adopted in recent years

1. YOU HAVE TO BE CONNECTED 24/7

This is perhaps the most destructive belief that modern society has adopted. It is now possible to be in the office every hour of every day, no matter where you are in the world. But the results aren’t promising; most of us have just become busier, and yet no more productive. Being connected does NOT equal being productive. If we want to have a healthy family or

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL COMMANDS MORE FREEDOM OF CHOICE THAN AT ANY OTHER PERIOD IN HUMAN HISTORY. social life out of work, it’s essential that we learn how to switch off again. Be disciplined about this; tell colleagues that they can’t call you in the evenings, or be sure to schedule in one day a week where you simply don’t check any emails. Learn to let go of control!

2. YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL

This is the most destructive belief that consumerism teaches us: Modern media constantly reinforces the idea that we need either more money or more products in order to be happy. But as the old adage goes, “The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.”

We are living in a time in which the individual commands more freedom of choice than at any other period in human history. What’s more, advertising, TV shows, movies, and magazines all reinforce the same message: you can have it all, and you can do everything. I don’t want to be a killjoy here, but this belief leads to perpetual dissatisfaction. Now that we live in an age of nearly infinite choice, people are actually finding it even more difficult to make decisions about how to spend their time. We expect to be able to do it all.

This lesson teaches us that happiness does not start with changing our circumstances; it starts with changing ourselves.

Unfortunately, life is about making choices. We need to re-learn the art of narrowing down, that is choosing the pursuits we want to focus our attention on and doing them exceptionally, rather than trying to take on more than we can handle and then collapsing under the pressure.

Modern dating works entirely around this ethos. Romance stories teach us from a young age that true love should be completely perfect all the time, which leaves us with completely unrealistic expectations for our love life. But it is a fantasy to expect a relationship without difficulties. The best relationships I know aren’t perfect, they just have two people who are mutually willing to work through the difficult times in order to get to the good. In fact, most of the things worth having in life come hand in hand with difficulty, something the 21st Century often fails to realize.

David Allen best summarizes the lesson here: “You can do anything, but not everything.”

3. HAPPINESS COMES FROM ACQUIRING MORE

More than ever, the 21st century inculcates us with a restless desire to acquire more and more goods. Human beings have always had infinite wants, but now more than ever we are taught that the only path to happiness is to constantly satisfy our material desires.

4. IF IT’S DIFFICULT, IT’S NOT RIGHT

This is a belief instilled by the “quick fix” society. The modern attitude is that if something is difficult, then it’s broken and we should get rid of it. You can see this belief in action all the time in people’s attitude to their career, their businesses, and especially in their relationships with loved ones.

Just to clarify, this isn’t a call to break from the 21st Century. It is a call to for us to realize that we can choose to change these beliefs, instead of letting our circumstances dictate them to us

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. For more information on Matthew Hussey´s worldwide coaching programmes visit www.matthewhussey.com today.

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

eternal sunshine

of the

spotless mind

AMNESIA TURNS YOUR MIND

NWOD EDISPU BY SARAH HOURANY

mind, body + soul

FORGET IT

Amnesia clinically refers to a loss of memory. In its most general form, organic amnesia, is regarded as a permanent stage arising from focal brain damage in bottleneck structures of the brain. Other forms can be transient appearing suddenly after significant physical, psychological or psychogenic events, resulting from traumatic psychological experiences.

ORGANIC AMNESIA BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS Organic amnesia is caused primarily by factors resulting from neurological causes such as stroke, tumor, infection, anoxia or degenerative diseases that affect brain structures relating to memory. It prevents the patients from acquiring new information and retaining new memories. Specifically, it impairs the long-term or secondary memory, the memory that lasts for a long period of time after the reception and registration of the information occurs, and not the short-term or primary memory that is used to hold information for a short span of time. In this instance, the working memory functioning based on the information held in mind as well as other cognitive functions such as perception and intelligence are relatively preserved. Individuals suffering from organic amnesia can remember neither the information nor events that occurred

from the onset of the disorder and into the future (anterograde amnesia) nor those events that happened shortly before (retrograde amnesia). For example, a patient afflicted with organic amnesia cannot recall their address and phone number if they’ve moved to a new place shortly before their loss of memory, and cannot retain anything after the onset of the disorder. It also means that these patients can perform quite well on IQ tests, play chess, puzzles and other games involving logical reasoning but will fail miserably on standard tests of memory.

ORGANIC AMNESIA IS REGARDED AS A PERMANENT STAGE ARISING FROM FOCAL BRAIN DAMAGE IN BOTTLENECK STRUCTURES OF THE BRAIN

f you had the chance to forget all of your past: A friend’s death, a passionate love affair gone sour, a humiliating failure, a crime you’ve witnessed…Would you take it? It would be like having your cake and eating it too, forgetting the bad memories and keeping the great ones. But what happens when you lose both? In this issue, RAGMAG gives you a glimpse at a disturbing disorder that leaves human beings with no past and no future: Amnesia.

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA ON THE CLOCK

Caused by physical and psychic factors such as emotional stress, pain, physical activity or exposure to hot and cold water, transient global amnesia refers to a sudden severe memory loss, without concomitant brain damage, that lasts less than one day. As yet it is not a well understood condition due its recent manifestations few decades ago. Some telltale symptoms that are agreed upon include an amnesia that goes in both anterograde and retrograde directions, its short duration and its occurrence late in the adulthood (usually at 60 years old and above). During TGA the anxious and agitated patient repetitively asks questions about his name, location and other basic information but social, visual and spatial skills remain intact. As the patient recovers, the amnesia recedes then totally disappears and both the abilities to remember past and acquire new information functions again. Nevertheless, patients should be aware that, despite its short duration, they risk experiencing it more than once.

PSYCHOGENIC/ DISSOCIATIVE AMNESIA Psychogenic or dissociative amnesia is characterized as quite a longterm affliction that follows both psychological and somatic shocks. Head trauma, psychiatric disorders, depression, stress and chronic fatigue as well as post-traumatic stress disorders are all considered main causal factors behind the appearance of this most dramatic form of amnesia that interferes with the recall of all autobiographical information. This complex disorder affects, in particular, a large demographic of people who may have suffered from problematic childhoods or experienced emotionally trying, devastating experiences such as sexual abuse. The amnesia in this case is seen as a defense or coping mechanism to forget these traumatic events.

TOTAL RECALL

The success of amnesia treatment mainly depends on the root cause of the memory loss. When it is psychological, then counseling, hypnotherapy or drug therapy is recommended to help the patient overcome the traumatic event causing the memory blockage. When it is organic, then the treatment becomes more difficult: If the brain damage is severe enough, then curing amnesia is impossible. If, however, it is the result of an age-related condition, then the treatment would focus on preventing further deterioration rather than restoring what is lost. In all cases, research and studies are being carried on slowly, but steadily, to develop prevention techniques and effective treatments to preserve the memory, the essential component for an integrated personality and a normal life.

AS THE PATIENT RECOVERS, THE AMNESIA RECEDES THEN TOTALLY DISAPPEARS AND BOTH THE ABILITIES TO REMEMBER PAST AND ACQUIRE NEW INFORMATION FUNCTIONS AGAIN.

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

“REMEMBRALL” A LA HARRY POTTER

• People suffering from high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, previous strokes, migraine, diabetes, vascular diseases as well as smokers risk suffering from TGA more than others. • Women are more likely to experience psychogenic amnesia than men. The frequency of this disorder increases during wartime or after a natural disaster, both stressful and traumatic experiences. • Many experts criticize Hollywood movies for giving misconceptions about amnesic patients that have no relation whatsoever to any neurological

or psychiatric condition: A review published in the British Medical Journal in 2004 highlighted some common inaccurate depictions of amnesia in movies such as showing characters suffering from changes in personality or a loss of identity, confusing amnesia with another condition named dissociative fugue, or worse, portraying the character that went through a head injury and lost his memory (organic amnesia) as though the character is leading a normal life. • A recent study by a Spanish university revealed that women are as likely as men to experience transient global amnesia after sexual intercourse.

The patients in the study, who arrived between 30 minutes or 2 hours following sex, suffered from TGA between 2 to 6 hours during which they were extremely disoriented, asking the same questions again and again. • Recent studies found that that the preservation of long-term memories in organic amnesia is selective and not always preserved as it was thought earlier. • 50 first dates, the Notebook, the Forgotten, the Bourne Ultimatum, the Bourne Supremacy, and the Bourne Identity are among the top 25 highest grossing movies made on amnesia from 1980 until the present day

mind, body + soul

MANY EXPERTS CRITICIZE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES FOR GIVING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AMNESIC PATIENTS THAT HAVE NO RELATION WHATSOEVER TO ANY NEUROLOGICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

REVERSE

IT SEEMS SO SIMPLE: IF YOU DON’T WANT A DOG DON’T BUY A PUPPY, AS PUPPIES TURN INTO DOGS. YET THE MISTAKE IS SO COMMON. INCREDIBLY BETA (BEIRUT FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS) STILL MUST REHOME ABANDONED DOGS, EVEN AFTER AN INTERVIEW THAT SHOULD ENSURE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GETTING INTO.

A DOG’S LIFE

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

BETA IN LEBANON BY IMOGEN KIMBER

you + your country

Pet Hates

The popularity of pets is on the increase in Lebanon, while this can denote a relatively new found love for our furry friends, sadly there is another off shoot. Unaware of what they are getting into, people see a puppy as a beautiful gift for a child or a loved one. When it becomes apparent that a puppy is not a cuddly toy but a living animal with the basic needs in addition to constant attention, they no longer want it. According to Annabelle Caroline Fanj, Communications Officer of BETA, many pets are discarded only 24 hours after being with their new owners.

Once the dogs find themselves on the streets of Lebanon their fate is likely to be grim. It is not uncommon to find animals that have been beaten until they are maimed, poisoned or even shot. “A month ago we saw an American Cocker who was blind. He was blind because he had been beaten so badly. [...] People don’t accept animals. They think they should be beaten or killed,” Fanj said, painting a wretched picture. This phenomenon is not exclusive to Lebanon. ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas,’ is a household catch phrase in Britain after it was introduced back

in the 1970s by Dog’s Trust, a British charity. There was such a chronic problem with dogs being abandoned rapidly after being bestowed as Christmas presents that they launched a national campaign with great reach. BETA has taken on the respectable task of trying to instil this ethos upon Lebanon.

‘A DOG IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS’

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

New Homes

One of the first and most basic tasks is finding injured animals and getting them to the vet. Once they are fit BETA works on finding them new homes. Of course they have to work hard not to repeat the cycle and they must carry out interviews and follow up visits. One of their cases that went from sadness to happy ending was a dog named Kratos. “Kratos was shot by his neighbours in the face,” said Fanj “And he was just so cute.” As often happens, BETA got a call saying there was a case of animal cruelty. It turned out that Kratos had been shot in the head with several pellets by his neighbours as he had stolen a chicken. Kratos was left blind but managed to pull through. BETA has even taken to sending dogs abroad to be re-housed as far as Canada and France. A quick look on their website or Facebook page shows quite how many abandoned dogs are out there.

Neutralize

As with The Dog’s Trust a large part of BETA’s work is getting people (not dogs) to change their behaviour. Homeless dogs on the streets are not a natural phenomenon, they are put there by people. In the first place they have to convince people not to take animals they don’t want but secondly, once people have a pet BETA encourages them to get the animals neutered. Through amusing but tragic adverts which show dogs dressed as humans with some harrowing captions BETA demonstrate that one un-neutered dog will soon lead to many more. BETA also engages in their own neutering program from animals that are already on the streets, known as TNR – Trap, Neuter and Return. They put this in to practice in Roumieh. Rounding up stray dogs they’ve neutered and have them re-released. It may sound a little odd to re-release

them but the reasoning behind this is that not all stray dogs can be turned into pets. Instead they can stem the tide. Neutering also makes the animals calmer.

It’s Just a Dog

“As the only animal shelter in Lebanon, if we aren’t advocating for them no one else is”, said Fanj when asked why she chose to advocate for animals. But why should people care about dogs in a country that has its own human problems? “Mahatma Gandhi said that ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,’ the benefits for society are that we are a more civilized nation.” Don’t do it for the dogs. Do it for yourself. “We are here because we want to see a more civilized society. It’s for the love of our country.”

“AS THE ONLY ANIMAL SHELTER IN LEBANON, IF WE AREN’T ADVOCATING FOR THEM NO ONE ELSE IS” Lend a Helping Hand If you are interested in adopting a pet or if you think you want to help but prefer to donate and let the BETA staff do their work please check out www.betalebanon.org where you can donate and join BETA on Facebook to take a look at some pictures of their latest rescues and adoptions.

80 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

SPACE BY ITSELF, AND TIME BY ITSELF, ARE DOOMED TO FADE AWAY INTO MERE SHADOWS, AND ONLY A KIND OF UNION OF THE TWO WILL PRESERVE AN INDEPENDENT REALITY.

BENDING THE RULES

The Time-Space Continuum is Both

OR SEEING THE LIGHT? drawkcaB + Forward BY J.E.N.

the final frontier

hysicists at the end of the 19th Century had their world turned upside down. Questions surrounding the speed of light were weighing heavy on their heads. There was a lot of disagreement in the ranks despite many seemingly viable theories. None of these eminent physicists were succeeding in painting the full picture. How can we evade Newton’s third law of motion and the impossibility of traveling faster than the speed of light? Looking at the relationship between space and time proved to shed light on this conundrum. And the space-time continuum proved to be the most solid theory. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) contributed significantly to the space-time continuum. He started rethinking space and time at tender young sixteen (18956) when he pondered what it would be like to travel along with a light ray. By 1905 he had moved ahead with a simple but revolutionary assumption that the laws of physics (and the speed of light) must be the same for anyone moving at constant speed, regardless of their state of relative motion. For this

to be true, space and time have to be “converted” into each other. Space and time are relative (after all they depend on the motion of the observer who measures them) and light is more fundamental than either. This is the basis of Einstein’s theory of special relativity. In 1906 Hermann Minkowski, developed a new method for thinking about space and time that focused on its geometric qualities. As his famous words clearly explain, “The views of space and time which I wish to lay before you have sprung from the soil of experimental physics, and therein lies their strength. They are radical. Henceforth, space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality.” According to this novel view, space and time (as physical constructs) must bemerged into a new mathematical/ physical entity called ‘space-time’. Why? Because the equations of relativity reveal that both the space and time coordinates of any event

must get mixed together by the mathematics to accurately portray what we see. Space consists of 3 dimensions and time is 1-dimensional. And so it logically follows that space-time is a 4-dimensional object. Not only that, but space-time is believed to be a ‘continuum’. This means that, to our knowledge, there are no missing points in space or instants in time. It also means that both can be subdivided without any foreseeable limit in size or duration. To make a long and rather complicated story short, today physicists see our world in the context of this 4-dimensional space-time continuum. Space-time exists rather than evolves. So when we inspect an object we look at space-time’s spaghetti-like line which

EQUATIONS OF RELATIVITY REVEAL THAT BOTH THE SPACE AND TIME COORDINATES OF ANY EVENT MUST GET MIXED TOGETHER BY THE MATHEMATICS TO ACCURATELY PORTRAY WHAT WE SEE.

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extends from the past into the future and note the spatial location of the particle at every instant in time. This “world-line”is a complete object that can be sliced to see where the particle is located in space at a specifictime. Once you establish the complete world line of the particle from the forces acting upon it, you have ‘solved’ for its complete history. This world-line is a timeless object whose shape does not change with time. After originally having a good laugh at the thought of the 4th dimension, Einstein quickly changed his tune and embraced this theory and even used it to develop his theory of general relativity. But let’s move onto the fun now. Contrary to what science fiction would have us believe, we can’t exceed the speed of light though physicists have successfully been accelerating electrons to within a millimeter/sec of the speed of light for years. And yet in science fiction warp speed exists. So imagine you’re on the Starship Enterprise, chillaxing with the crew members while cruising at impulse speed (a nice

leisurely pace). Then suddenly you get a message that the Borg are near. Since you realize that resistance is futile, you know you have to get away as quickly as possible. And you have to get about 20 light years (117 trillion kilometers) away. Piece of cake. Let the warp drive kick in and enjoy warp speed (traveling faster than the speed of light). And it’s not just Star Trek that has a fascinating with moving faster than light. It has

captured real scientist’s imagination for ages. H.G. Wells’“The Time Machine”, Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” and many other sci-fi series explore the possibilities of time travel, teleportation and, of course, warp speed. The prospect of manipulating space and/or timenever ceases to prompt scientists (and science fiction writers) to go on a voyage of exploration even if it means getting lost in space

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ROLL CALL!

Igor Galburt is Russian Standard Vodka’s first global brand ambassador. Galburt’s deep knowledge of vodka making and vodka traditions developed through his close association with Russian Standard over the last 2 decades. Born and brought up in Russia where he was a childhood friend of Roustam Tariko, Russian Standard’s founder, Igor is the oldest employee of Russian Standard Vodka. He contributed to the growth of the brand worldwide, with special focus on the U.S. market. In the United States Igor established business from the very beginning of the brand launch, being actively engaged in sales and distribution. With one foot in vodka’s homeland and another in the rest of the world, now Igor travels extensively to educate consumers and trade partners on Russia’s number one premium vodka.

BRAND SPANKING NEW Dodge has jumped back into the sport utility segment with the latest generation seven-seat Durango. T. Gargour & Fils (TGF), the sole distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram in Lebanon, unveiled the allnew Dodge Durango in the showroom on Nahr El Mot Highway. “If you’re wondering where the Durango’s been for the last 2 years, the answer’s simple - it’s been undergoing a total transformation at the hands of the design and engineering teams,” said Joachim Zeitler, Chrysler Group General Manager at T.Gargour & Fils. “They refined its handling and

steering, took it back to school for an advanced technology degree, and put it through a real work out, resulting in a vehicle that’s more muscle and less fat. The Durango’s done more in the last 2 years than most cars do in a lifetime, and the all-new model is a spacious three-row, 7 passenger vehicle that’s performance-tuned to thrill anyone who truly loves to drive.” From its sleek exterior design to its modern, spacious interior and intelligent, powerful and fuel-efficient powertrain options, the 2011 Dodge Durango is completely all-new from the inside out.

new + now

DOUBLE AGENT

British luxury lingerie brand Agent Provocateur opened its first boutique in Beirut. The new boutique features an original 70s Venetian glass chandelier and Agent Provocateur baby pink and black high gloss lacquer furniture, offset with lace print rugs and a black lacquered wooden floor. Agent Provocateur’s bridal collection will sit alongside an exclusive VIP area on the mezzanine level. Founded by Joe Corre and Serena Rees in 1994, AP opened its first boutique in Soho, London. Agent Provocateur has a retail network of 53 outlets throughout Europe

including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Russia and Scandinavia as well as in the United States, Canada, UAE and Asia. Each boutique is a luxurious emporium featuring boudoir inspired furnishings that complement the collections. The sales staff wear the iconic pink house coat designed by Vivienne Westwood. Now encompassing swimwear, beauty, hosiery and accessories in addition to lingerie, Agent Provocateur continues to excite and inspire on a global scale. Tel 01/991 111 ext 569

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STAR SPANGLED BANNER The most recent design to come from Montblanc’s ateliers is the patented Montblanc Cabochon, an original reinterpretation of the classic stone cut. The Cabochon de Montblanc Collection is made up of colourful pieces using an exciting assortment of semi-precious and hard stones, each in the shape of the Montblanc Star. The stones are highly polished and cut convexly without facets and the traditionally round or oval shape of the Cabochon stone has been replaced with the Montblanc star. Montblanc has selected stones that are recognized for their beneficial properties. The energy conveyed by these stones is said to carry a number of benefits, from good health and inner strength to confidence, prosperity and success. For the Ladies’ Fine Jewellery Collection, the Cabochon Cut is featured on red gold settings. Red and pink stones such as Rhodolite Garnet and Carnelian are part of the collection, as are white and blue stones such as Milky Quartz, Aquamarine, Iolite and Amethyst. To enhance the rich colours of the stones, some of the more elaborate pieces are embellished with the small diamond pavé that surrounds them. The assortment includes bold rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

A WHOLE OTHER DIMENSION LG Electronics (LG) introduced the BD670, a Blu-ray 3D™ Player that combines the best in 3D entertainment, all the content options of LG Smart TV and seamless connectivity with other digital devices. Drawing on LG’s state-of-the-art Smart TV functions, the BD670 boasts an easy-to-use onscreen interface that offers direct and simple access to a wide range of premium content. As well as toptier global content providers – including YouTube and global VOD companies

– the BD670 provides access to a range of locally sourced material so that viewers can enjoy shows and movies from their region. The BD670’s Smart TV functions also mean viewers can take advantage of the growing selection of LG Apps. Coming in five categories – Life, Entertainment, Games, Information and Education – the apps are custom designed for use on TVs. Users can also download a special app for their iPod touch, iPhone or Androidbased mobile phone that turns the handset

PEAKABOO - I SEE YOU After the successful launch of the LG Media Club in April, LG Electronics has continued to engage the Lebanese media in the latest trends by organizing a special roundtable event. The discussion was led by an interior designer and highlighted the topic of how electronic products have evolved into elegant artwork that enhance a home’s appearance rather than just being a necessity. Samar Abdul Karim, Brand Marketing Country Manager, LGE Lebanon, spoke about the significance of these exclusive media gatherings: “These initiatives are a further step taken by LG to bring media dignitaries together with industry experts to build efficient communications and strong relationships.”

Marketing Manager Rock Saroufim from Sealco, the exclusive distributor for LG Consumer Electronics in Lebanon said, “LG also partners with giants in the design industry, such as Swarovski, who added their brilliant touch to the LG ‘Sideby-Side Refrigerator’ and the new AC Art Cool feature paintings from Van Gogh,” he added. The Media Club Roundtable was held at the LG Sealco Showroom located at the Tanous building in Dora and was the first of a range of events to be organized this year, which will engage the media and strengthen their relationship with LG Consumer Electronics. If you look closely, you can see RAGMAG’s Youmna Chagoury in the picture!

into a remote control for the BD670. Through the app, viewers will be able to do everything from adjusting the volume to searching for content on a touch screen QWERTY keyboard. The BD670 continues to pile up the entertainment options with Blu-ray 3D™ playback. With the range of 3D Blu-ray™ content now growing fast, the BD670 provides an ideal platform for enjoying 3D movies and shows on some of LG’s sharpest, most realistic 3D images yet.

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RING IN THE HOLIDAYS Four Seasons Hotel Beirut offers guests the chance to extend their stay during August with its ‘Stay Longer – Third Night Free’ Ramadan package. A complimentary third night for every two paid – in Deluxe Rooms (and above) categories, including suites – allows guests the opportunity to experience summer in Beirut during this very special season. A traditional Ramadan experience is made unforgettable with the international culinary team offering a delectable daily sunset Iftar at The Grill Room. The set menu, featuring a rich variety of oriental dishes and seasonal desserts, is 98,000 LBP. Both indoor and outdoor seating available. Celebrate the culmination of the Holy Month with a lavish Eid El Fitr lunch buffet. “Ramadan is a time for friends and family and Four Seasons Hotel Beirut wanted

to give our guests a chance to create more memories with loved ones during this special time,” says Stefan Simkovics, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Beirut. “Lebanon is a dynamic cultural hub and the spirit of Ramadan will lend a unique charm to the city this summer. An extended stay means guests can explore even more of what Beirut has to offer all August,” adds Simkovics. The Stay Longer – Third Night Free is valid for bookings throughout the month of August 2011. Bookings can be done directly through the hotel’s reservation team, on-line or through travel agents. For room and spa reservations +9611761000 or book online. For The Grill Room’s Iftar reservation +9611761600. Follow the Four Seasons Beirut on Twitter @FSBeirut

PURRING IN SOCIAL MEDIA Introduced in 1974, Hello Kitty has become a global icon over the past four decades. Swarovski’s first ever Hello Kitty collection is set to launch in a selection of the company’s 1,900 locations beginning August 2011. The perfect combination between Hello Kitty’s cheerful appeal and Swarovski’s glamour and unique sparkle, the range offers necklaces, bracelets, card holders, purses and even an incredible limited edition figurine featuring 20 crystals. Swarovski has developed an interactive social media campaign for the Hello Kitty collection launch beginning July 6. Consumers have been invited to place a sparkling pink bow on their profile picture to look similar to the famed mascot.

Aimed at gathering 10,000 participants, Swarovski will offer 10 pieces of this unique collection once the goal is reached. On July 25, one week before the launch of the collection, Swarovski will feature a jewelry box on Facebook that reveals daily product previews and the ability to create Hello Kitty mobile phone wallpapers. This will proceed the launch of the Hello Kitty mobile app and an interactive product catalog using 3D glasses and augmented reality on August 1. Swarovski also incorporated QR codes in participating stores that lead to the mobile app (iPhone and Android). Fun, original and playful, Swarovski’s Hello Kitty Collection brings its sparkle in the social media sphere with a Facebook app not to be missed.

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BIRTHDAY PARTY Christian Louboutin celebrated the one-year anniversary of his flagship store in Beirut with over 250 Red Sole fans and celebrities. Launched in 1992, the luxury French shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s creations are instantly recognizable for the flash of his signature red found on the sole of all his designs. The brand has achieved iconic status as the master of artisan craftsmanship and red carpet glamour. Guests had an opportunity to pre-order exclusive Fall/Winter 2011 collections and special pieces. Christian mingled with guests, signed shoes for many VIPs and posed for photographs with his devoted fans.

Christian Louboutin is located on Fakhry Bey Street in Downtown Beirut +9611970625. Follow Christian Louboutin on Twitter @LouboutinWorld and on Facebook Christian Louboutin

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TASTE SENSATION Antoine Massoud and The Malt Gallery organized a horizontal tasting session at The Merchant of Venice on its finest selection of 18 years Single Malts – Macallan, Laphroaig, Highland Park, Auchentoshan and Bowmore; during which guests discovered the unique experience of Scotland’s genuine traditions. We thought it was taste-tastic!

TAKE ME OUT + SHOW ME OFF Azera, Hyundai’s top-selling premium car, returns with a gorgeous new look, technology-rich features for enhanced comfort, and extreme safety at the Middle East Test-Drive event in Lebanon held at Grand Hills, Broumana from July 6 till July 8, 2011. A total of approximately 70 members of the press and VIPs from around the Middle East, distributors from KSA (Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam), Syria, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran as well as executives from Hyundai Motor Company in Korea and Hyundai regional headquarters in Dubai attended this event where they were provided with the latest product and design information about Azera. The test drive of the cars that included 25 brand new Azera’s, 4 Sonata’s, 3 Tucson’s, 1 Santa Fe and 1 Genesis Sedan accompanied by a police escort, took off from the Grand Hills. They made their way through Shouf to Beit El Dine where participants stopped for a lunch in Mir Amin Palace and

then continued their journey down to Beirut Downtown and went all the way back to Grand Hills through the newly built Baabdat highway. In the evening, Hyundai held a banquet dinner at Al-Mandaloun to dine in luxury and enjoy several performances. Mr. Walid Rasamny, Chairman & CEO of Century Motor Company, the exclusive distributor of Hyundai in Lebanon, had a few words to say about the success of Hyundai. When Century Motor Company became the exclusive distributor of Hyundai in Lebanon, the automobile company was ranked 14th in terms of number of units sold; now in 2011, after 18 years, it is ranked 4th. With the on-going enhancements of the models and the continuous hard work to exceed customers’ expectations in terms of models and after-sale service, the sky is the limit for Century Motors and Hyundai. Hyundai aims at satisfying customers by creating new possibilities beyond expectations through new thinking.

THE NAWBAR SISTERS DEVELOP AN UNDERGROUND JEWEL

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BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

pen since December 2010, L’Atelier Nawbar is an underground shop/museum/ gallery/workshop. Yes, all that and much more. L’Atelier takes you a few decades back in time: Begin at the small entrance surrounded by old pictures of the Nawbar family businesses, framed receipts for gold and jewelry, and a history lesson painted right on the wall. Next stop takes place while heading down the stairs lined with old jewelry making tools, rusted and beautiful. Then comes the “gallery”, which is actually all over the place. A series of photographs by Mitch Doueihy hang on the wall facing the workshop and old shutters,

painted and decorated by Lebanese artist Dyala Khodary, that separate the store from the “relaxation area”. The area is a small assemblage of vintage couches and chairs where artists and random people alike can chill, start a creative process- or just read one of the magazines on display. “We believe that being in a place surrounded by art and creation generates art and creation,” says Dima Nawbar, co-founder and jewelry designer. Maybe this is why a bay window is the only thing that separates the workshop from the rest of the Atelier. “Jewelry shouldn’t be an enigma; everyone is entitled to know where their pieces come from, who makes them and how they make them,” she continues.

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Another aspect of L’Atelier Nawbar that is worth seeing is their Falamanki collection. The two sisters run after international auction sales in order to get the best Vintage pieces. They either keep them as they are or work with them in their special way, explaining that they “use the same methods, just like the people who created them decades ago, but we design them differently,” says Dima. Using 9 to 14 carat gold, rose-cut diamonds and other precious stones, the Nawbar sisters are currently working on

a whole animal collection that is inspired by their trip to Sri Lanka. The Nawbar sisters are not only about “oldies.” Dima says she loves the work of young Lebanese designers like Malaïka Najem, a contemporary jewelry designer who is currently working with them but is planning on opening her own store next year. “She uses different tools and materials, like aluminum. It’s a really light metal, so she creates big chunky necklaces with a more rusted color for a more industrial look” Dima explains. That’s what L’Atelier is all about: giving a chance to new artists, whether they’re looking for a platform to showcase their work or just a place to create, and giving the Lebanese jewelry world the legacy it deserves

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Founded by the Nawbar sisters, who come from a jeweler’s family that dates back to 1881, L’Atelier is the sort of place where you can come with a specific budget and ask the Nawbar sisters to create a fine piece within those parameters. If you wanted a big chunky necklace and you can’t afford to pay a hefty price tag, you can have it made with silver, with big stones, without using plastic. “We want everyone to be able to find something for them in here. Our creations are nothing over the top or crazy. What matters most is that you can personalize your pieces. Jewelry is something that stays with you; it’s not a piece of clothing. It can be fashion and trendy, but it can also mean something, depending on who you are and where you come from” says Dima while showing me their “Charm Collection”. The collection is comprised of little pendants in different shapes like a four-leaf clover, a Kinno Unto (golden poo in Japanese), a horseshoe and their “Identity Charms”, this is one of the two collections that reflect L’Atelier Nawbar concept the most, made of tiny jewelry tools-shaped pendants.

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BY FIDA CHAABAN

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

INSIDE OUT BLOUSE BY ZUHAIR MURAD SKIRT STYLIST’S OWN

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OPPOSITE PAGE: GOWN BY ZUHAIR MURAD NECKLACE ÉCLAT DE MODE FUR COAT STYLIST’S OWN

cultureclash

chose Hamra’s Café Prague to meet Leila, thinking that it was both arty enough and private enough to delve into the mind of the woman who can create both a concept for Nancy Ajram and short films that are completely at odds with one another. I am immediately struck by how tiny Leila Kanaan is, clad in an Audrey Hepburn-esque dress in shades of conservative black and grey, but still form fitting enough to show her figure, paired with shocking fluorescent coral pumps. Her long hair is flowing loose and her face has not a stitch of makeup, betraying her youth. At 30 years of age, Leila’s resume lists over 20 star studded video clips, in addition to

a roster of commercials an arm long. What sparked our initial interest in Leila was the marked difference between her short films and her better known work, music videos for Lebanese Turbo-Folk singers (known as pop stars) and the interest she has expressed in moving away from that genre altogether. “To be honest, I didn’t know what being a director was all about,” she says when we discuss film school and the particulars. “Initially I wanted to be a television presenter,” and after a few years in school, “I fell in love with the major.” This was the precursor to Leila being behind the camera, rather than in front. She went through the motions learning everything from sound to

lighting, before she released, “My Father’s House”, a short film that was to be shown at 20 different film festivals spanning the globe from Canada to Switzerland including several in the Middle East. “It was shown a lot, it gave me the push I needed,” she explains sipping her tea, a large piece of chocolate cake untouched before her. The film is retro, vintage and kitsch, concepts that I see throughout Leila’s work that she figures must have come from the hours spent with her grandmother watching Egyptian films as child. “We lived in a ‘sha3beh’ neighborhood in Saida. I wasn’t allowed to go out and play in the street with the other kids.

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I spent so much of my childhood and adolescence imprisoned. I would watch people from the window, and make up stories for them… what their lives were about, where they were going. My sister and I had to create for fun. Our imaginations took off and this definitely contributed to where I am now,” she says reminiscing on the home that was filled with her grandmother’s antique pieces and the hours she spent with her sister with whom she shares her March 14th birthday.

The oldest of 3 children, Leila began directing in 2005, nearly right out of film school. She started off with, “Issa Ghandour, he does pop but it isn’t as conventional. He saw my work at the film fest and we went from there. His song was about the trials of departure and immigration, not just the normal pop stuff. I said pourquoi pas?” This was to be Leila’s stepping stone into the world of Lebanese music, bringing a quirky vibe to even the most repetitive of Lebanese

Turbo-Folk. She’s often been told that the basic meaning of the sugary songs is given depth and character through her video interpretations. But some of Leila’s favorite Lebanese directors, Ziad Doueri, Elie Khalifé, Ghassan Salhab, “and the scripts of Danielle Arbid” aren’t reflected in her resume. Why is that? “Look when you graduate, the only way to establish yourself is ground experience,” she says. “You take what you can and make the best out of it,” citing numerous videos she has worked on. “If you put the video on mute and just watch with no sound, you will still see a cohesive story.” I agree frankly, telling her I did just that to get a better understanding of the director. “I love Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, Buster Keaton, Wong Kar Wai, Abbas Kiarostami … There are so many that I don’t know where to start!” says Leila enthusiastically when asked to name directors from abroad that she likes. It is worth nothing that Café Hamra is probably the only place in Beirut that houses books on artists and directors that are off the beaten path, specifically Kubrick- it seems that I chose well for Leila, having sensed both her dark and light sides through the short films and even the music videos. I am pleased that the Kubrick book is lurking on the shelves, but neglect to mention this fact to her.

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We move into a conversation about Sofia Coppola, another of her favorites, famous child of Francis Ford Coppola and director in her own right. I ask Leila’s opinion on Coppola’s 2006 feature film depiction of Marie Antoinette and explain that I felt that from a cinematography perspective it was good, in addition to having won the Academy Award for best costume amongst others, but by and large found the film disappointing and the characters underdeveloped. This is when Leila is most animated as she quickly says, “This is my problem with feature film. You know when you watch a series like Twin Peaks- I think that

Twin Peaks is the pinnacle of TV, The Sopranos, The Wire and Mad Men - you get to really know the characters! On my next project I want to explore my characters like that! I want people to get to know them, get attached to them,” she says agreeing that in film the characters expire. You get to know them and if you are truly excellent, can give them a sort of evolution, but with a very short time limit. “I feel as though once the film is done, it’s absorbed and that’s it? I think an ambitious project like this is lacking. I want the chance to create a historical fresco! I’m a perfectionist, I want to explore my

characters, let them grow and change in a series,” leading me to ask her if she will continue with music videos. “I don’t know,” she admits. “I think it will depend on the project but this is not my future focus. I want to create more personal stuff, things and worlds that would find their source, inspiration and kick-off in my own intimate self. When I work, I don’t worry about people liking it or not. I profoundly believe that if I like what I am doing, then people may like it. If it speaks to me, it will speak to others as well,” she says contemplating her current fan base and whether or not they will follow her when she moves away from music. “My work is neither very arty or very commercial. It is accessible. I’ve done most of the A stars with the biggest budgets. But that’s it, I have nothing left to give to these projects. I want to talk about other subjects now and I want to present myself to a different audience. How long can you continue treating the same subject differently when the lyrics and the compositions are all the same?” she asks both me and herself. Leila does this often, speaking rhetorically; she seems to ask herself the same questions that she poses to me. “Why do we just have B.A.C.?” she asks me in reference to the Beirut Art Center and the lack of cultural education here in general, as I comment that not many people in Lebanon would list Twin Peaks as their end all and be all of television. “Look, here you have to go out and look for your cultural education, it is not taught to you in school. When I taught my classes, I would ask myself, ‘Where do I start?’” she says echoing the sentiments of many in the art community. PREVIOUS PAGE: GOWN BY ZUHAIR MURAD SOFA INDEX GALLERY LEFT: PEARL NECLACE ÉCLAT DE MODE

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“When Wadih and I visit Paris, you are drowning in culture,” she says naming her husband and lamenting the remoteness here of art. This husband was also a sort of contrast, I learn. The girl from the “sha3beh” neighborhood in Saida met her future husband at his film festival. They live together in a “160 year-old home in Broumana,” married as of this month. Our talk turns to relationships between artists at which I point out that our TurboFolk stars if you will, are simply not as

exciting as those in Europe and other countries. I give her the example of Ceca (pronounced Tsetsa) Ražnatović and explain that she is Serbia’s version of Haifa Wehbe. The difference is that Ceca is heavily covered by Western media and love her or hate her, she has quite the interesting life, from connections to organized crime to her late husband: The notorious Arkan (Željko Ražnatović) was assassinated in January 2000. Ceca has a dangerous energy to her with hit songs like “Votka

sa Utehom” (Vodka with Solace) that have interesting lyrics and a really tangible edge. “If our pop singers had songs like that, songs with real grief and real meaning, I would happily continue directing for them but I can create something no matter what the material,” she says clearly relishing the dark story of Ceca and Arkan. This is just one of the glimpses of the darkness in Leila that I am given throughout the interview, this Audrey Hepburn with her coral stilettos doesn’t try to “please all the people, that’s very wrong. I’m not a very diplomatic person,” says Leila unapologetically. Another thing Leila is unapologetic about is scandal, “I would love to shoot for Carla Bruni,” she says as we discuss the controversial song of Carla’s that caused an international incident, “Tu es ma came”, with the line about being more addictive than “White Columbian… and Afghan heroin”. I suggest this song may be inappropriate for a First Lady representing a powerful country but Leila is adamant as she says, “If there is a contradiction in Carla as an artist and Carla as a First Lady, then we need to move away from this mould, this preconceived idea of what a First Lady must be. She already is not the typical First Lady and why should she be?” Leila asks out loud, again both to me and herself. Her answer is what I expect: Just because someone is known for one thing, does not mean they cannot be a whole other. You can still turn things upside down and inside out, no matter what shell and role people have ascribed to you. Just like Leila Kanaan

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FLOWER POWER AT SARAH’S BAG

emperor’s new clothes

We like the new Orange Blossom collection at Sarah’s Bag. Influenced by the scent and fine structure of the Mediterranean orange blossom flower, the ladies at Sarah’s Bag have transformed the bloom into a keepsake. Made from brass dipped in gold and silver, the entire collection is casted and sculpted by hand. We see Sarah’s hip handbags everywhere, but this new accessory collection is still under the radar! The Orange Blossom Collection is still available in the Sarah’s Bag Atelier. This is one bouquet you’ll be hanging on to!

Get Your Own Forever Flowers Sarah’s Bag Achrafieh, Tabaris, 100 Liban Street Mhanna bldg, 2nd floor Beirut 01/575585 03/640038 www.sarahsbag.com

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emperor’s new clothes

Makeup by NABIL MAKHOUL | Hair by ROGER GABRIEL Set design SANDRA + SASHA DIA

Photography by ODETTE KAHWAGI + CHRISTIAN HARB Styled by JONY MATTA

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ACCESSORIES LK JUELERIE BY VANINA

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emperor’s new clothes

MIX N’ MATCH REAL RUNWAY BURBERRY PRORSUM SS 2011

JUST CAVALLI SS 2011

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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Serpentine Swag Python leather Devi Kroell bag at Taten $2157

Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eyes

Cabochon de Montblanc bangle

GIVENCHY SS 2011

Texturized

Loving the snake print details, discreetly setting off the lovely cuts on this cocktail piece Label Queen $1450

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN RESORT 2012

BLUMARINE SS 2011

Zip Your Lip

If you choose to add a fun flashy element to your evening outfit, go for this Python green clutch by Devi Kroell Taten $1461

Jungle Fever Baldan beige rose heels, available at Taten $733

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Matthew Williamson brown sunglasses available at Taten $347

Faux-bijoux spike necklace by Farah Hourani available at Label Queen $150

ANNA SUI SS 2011

Washed Out

This tie dye style top by Eyedoll is a beautiful find, available at Cream $247

In Tun-ic

Beautiful Antik Batik tunic for a fun day at the beach or simply for a warm day out Taten $480

ACNE RESORT 2012

Totes R Us

Nella Bella shoulder bag

Circle K

Anouk earrings available at Taten $23

The High Life Baldan platforms available at Taten $627

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ANNA SUI SS 2011

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Marc By Marc Jacobs boutonniere brass ring

Penny Pincher this clutch bag by February is definitely worth checking out $450

D&G SS 2011

Shoulder Space

Lengthwise

Go for this lace dress by April May if you feel you have the right curves to pull it off Taten $258

Cabochon de Montblanc necklace

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN RESORT 2012

Heat Wave

Our coup de Coeur this issue is this classy yet sexy Shakuhachi dress with a lace back available at Label Queen $565

White lace skirt by Dress Gallery, available at Cream for $247

Hot Shots Calvin Klein Oliva boutiques.com $118

How cute is this short by Shakuhachi with its lace details Label Queen $230

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VIKTOR & ROLF SS 2011

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TAREK AL AZBAT IS A GLOBE TROTTER IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!

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emperor’s new clothes

‘ALL OF OUR BAGS ARE VEGAN! WE USE COTTON, WOOL, CANVAS...’ Get Socially Conscious Big City Bags www.nella-bella.com | Info@nella-bella.com Twitter @TarekNB @nellabellabrand Facebook nellabellabrand 222-401 Richmond St W , Toronto, Canada Tel +14163409884

anadian-Arab designer Tarek Al Azbat gets you dressed in his fall favorites from the Nella Bella brand that is taking North America by storm. The 41 year-old designer was born in the Gulf and raised in Canada, naming Toronto’s trendy Distillery District as his favorite place in the big city, since “its eclectic vintage and new all at the same time”. Listing Furla, Carlos Falchi, and Kate Spade as some his favorite accessory designers, the designer has travelled the Middle East extensively having visited “Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Dubai” and of course his birthplace, Kuwait. Perhaps this is why his collection of handbags and other goodies are going global. Get your favorite city rendered mobile by Nella Bella! The brand, established in 2006, is “practical, functional and smart,” says Tarek. “Nella Bella is fashion and functionality in one: Classic reinvented.” And where did the name come from? “A very dear person in my life. Her name is Nella and we always called her Nella Bella! She’s been a big supporter and a huge influence,”

‘NELLA BELLA IS FASHION AND FUNCTIONALITY IN ONE: CLASSIC REINVENTED’

exclaims Tarek. Toronto’s Jeanne Beker, widely considered Canada’s fashion scene icon is one of Tarek’s style idols, and “I love Fairouz as she always had an impeccable sense of style and so chic!” The face of Nella Bella is all women and men. But what sets them apart? It’s not just global naming that makes him our global citizen of choice, it’s the brand’s dedication to planetary health! “All of our bags are Vegan! We use cotton, wool, canvas... We also use a protective and decorative agent called polyurethane (which is biodegradable), it coats the material of my choice and gives it that leather like feel and durability at the same time. Why Vegan? I always say why not! Vegan means materials that are easy on our fragile environment. As a designer I feel so blessed that I have so many materials to choose from versus leather being so limited and harsh on the environment. Our handbags offer light-weight materials, modern design, unique eye-catching lining and environmentally friendly fabrics.”

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UPSIDE

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DOWN facts World Atlas

Australia is called the “Land Down Under” due to their positioning in the “Antipodes”, a cartographic term that refers to the part of the world which is located down under the horizon. Oxford dictionary defines antipode as “Australia and New Zealand (used by inhabitants of the northern hemisphere)” making it slightly Self and Other, because the position is taken relative to the British Isles and the Continental U.S. This same idea is played upon by pop culture, like the Simpsons and now RAGMAG.

Cartoon Network In the Simpson’s 6th season, the 16th episode entitled “Bart vs. Australia”, Bart decides to call Australia to determine whether or not toilet water flushes counterclockwise due to their “upside down” positioning on the globe. The episode, applauded by some and detested by others (specifically the Australian Parliament), caused a great deal of controversy due to the way the people and customs of Australia were depicted. In Australia, the water does not in fact drain counter-clockwise.

Barf Bit - The “Vomit Comet” is the nickname for fixedwing aircrafts that create almost weightless environments used to train astronauts. Vomit Comets, officially called Weightless Wonders by NASA, are also used for research and feature films. The stomach turning nickname originated at the NASA Reduced Gravity Research Program. The planes give 25 seconds of weightlessness per 65 second flight curve and is said to produce nausea from airsickness.

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Tongue Tied Getting upside down with arm balances and other yoga inversions has mental benefits. Viparita karani, the yoga text which discusses inversions, is translated as meaning “opposite process”. Basically, the different perspectives in inversion poses can be literal- seeing everything from a different physical vantage point and mental- converting the one-way mindset of how you see the world. “It also ignites your fight or flight response, since you are balancing on your arms rather than your legs. Inversions also encourage you to face unfounded fears that you may have,” according to Hiba Saab, yoga teacher.

Body Builder Inversions, the practice of getting upside down in yoga has lots of benefits according to David Coulter, Ph.D., a former professor of Anatomy for nearly 2 decades at the University of Minnesota. Doing a Sirsasana (Headstand) or a Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) for 3 to 5 minutes makes “the blood… drain quickly to the heart and tissue fluids will flow more efficiently into the veins and lymph channels of the lower extremities and of the abdominal and pelvic organs, facilitating a healthier exchange of nutrients and wastes between cells and capillaries.”

Bed-In A study by the European Space Agency and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales had 12 volunteers lie down on tilted beds for 2 months. As their heads were “situated lower than their feet”, essentially an inverted position, it was used to test the effects of microgravity, similar to situations astronauts face during space time. According to NASA, the bodily changes caused by spending lengthy periods in this position “can help scientists understand the effects of space travel on the human body.”

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mind, body + soul

AIRBORNE REVERSALS

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GETTING IN LINE WITH THE SKATERS BY IMOGEN KIMBER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY REBECCA COLLARD

A 73-year-old man on roller blades is a fantastic sight. “He goes all the way from Achrafieh to Ein L Mraisi-,” Guilbert Abi Rached from Extreme Skate Park tells me. While Guilbert has put in a life time’s work and plenty of financial investment, in fairness sorry Guilbert - it is actually his father who is said to be responsible for kick starting the skating movement in Lebanon. Travelling between a Lebanon in the midst of civil war, the U.S. and France Guilbert’s physiotherapist Father Samir Abi Rachid brought back inline skates as a way to keep himself relaxed. He was a familiar face in Achrafieh as he would skate around while the civil war was raging, “Everyone knew me, and everyone said I was crazy, but I just can’t stop my feet,” he says through a grin.

My dad Was a skater boi It should come as no surprise that the son of this rollerblading sexagenarian should turn out to be someone with stubborn dedication to his chosen sport. Skating since he was four yearsold with balance that couldn’t be knocked off by a passing bus. At the age of 14 Guilbert was teaching the other kids his tricks, not just in the playground though, for money. Successful as he was, with the Middle East not being renowned for its skating prowess by 18, Guilbert felt his skating was beginning to plateau so he packed himself off to the U.S. to train professionally. Returning triumphantly from New York in 2001 Guilbert was the only IISA certified Level 2 inline skater in the whole of the Middle East.

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For those of you who are jogging on the Corniche on a weekly basis or have a monthly pass card at Beirut by Bike you may be shocked to hear Guilbert’s claim that sporting in Lebanon isn’t quite there yet. “We need the push,” he says “I’m clapping alone, it is really hard.” Guilbert has been persevering in this for the past seven years to make this change. The skate park has only been in Mar Mikhael in Beirut for around a month so it is still getting itself off the ground but before this he was well established in the Forum de Beirut after which he moved to Beit Meri and then back to Beirut again.

If you’re wondering what motivation there is for skating, besides the fact that it is really cool, Guilbert reeled off a number of reasons including your balance and posture when you are off the skates and your increased ability to hit the slopes. It is so obvious really. Spend the summer in the skate park and you’ll be a whiz when you return to the mountains in the winter. I wasn’t shocked to discover that the skate park is largely frequented by guys in their late 20s. There are some notable exceptions though, and not only Samir, Guilbert’s father. Guilbert has had a few faces in their 60s

including some of notoriety. At the other end of the spectrum there is a troupe of toddlers on wheels including some of Samir’s grandchildren, as he proudly pointed out. The adorable group weren’t ready for the ramps yet but they certainly looked cute weaving in and out of the cones.

Get your skates on Anyone can go along to the skate park, but you have to follow the rules. “I enforce the rules. You can’t have lessons unless you wear the proper gear; they reduce accidents by 85 percent. But sometimes, it is hard... Welcome to Lebanon!” Guilbert proclaimed. It is a very reasonable $10 from dawn until dusk (from 10am until 8pm). Guilbert offers private lessons at $40 per hour, according to Guilbert after five hours you will be confident on your wheels. There are also group lessons, displays, even birthday parties with some skating action by Guilbert’s team. He is planning on holding a monthly competition. And roller hockey is an option. In the future, “Whether I get permission or not,” he defiantly declares, Guilbert is planning on introducing night skating to Beirut. As I informed him I have observed that Hamra already has a few night skaters of its own, but no doubt an organized action can only further the skaters of Beirut

GUILBERT IS PLANNING ON INTRODUCING NIGHT SKATING TO BEIRUT

They don’t do sport

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Hit the Streets Rolling Guilbert Abi Rached 03/454619 info@guilbertextreme.com www.guilbertextreme.com

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SURROUNDED BY UNSPOILED NATURE, SO FAR REMOVED FROM LEBANON’S BUSY MOUNTAIN SUMMER RESORTS, IS THE UNIQUE ECOVILLAGE, NESTLED DEEP DOWN IN A GREEN VALLEY IN THE LUSH CHOUF REGION.

OVERTURNING MODERNITY THE SIMPLE LIFE IN LEBANON BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

HEAD FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS THIS WEEKEND… YOUR STAY AT AN ECOLODGE WILL PROVIDE THE RURAL FOLK WITH A SOURCE OF INCOME, PLUS YOU’LL GET TO EAT WELL, RELAX AND ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL DIVERSE COUNTRYSIDE. Ecovillage

Surrounded by unspoiled nature, so far removed from Lebanon’s busy mountain summer resorts, is the unique Ecovillage, nestled deep down in a green valley in the lush Chouf region. The lodgings here are tiny mud cottages built from recycled materials and wood and clay, Lebanon’s first ‘green’ lodgings, even the lavatory is dry without water waste. The man behind the concept is Karim Khatib who after studying business decided to make a U-turn and went on to study sustainability and environment in Germany. He now organizes many activities, all in the theme of preservation and sustainability:

out +about

Lazzab

Lazaab (Arabic for “juniper”) is a simple lodging in the Al-Bweib area, 1,900 meters above sea level, in the shadow of Qornet al-Sawda Lebanon’s highest peak. From this isolated lodge you can see right across the northern part of Bekaa Valley so expect total calm, no trace of air or noise pollution. The founder Bou Madiane used only ecological materials, stone and wood, for the lodge and uses alternative energy. The nearby Assi River is famous for its trout, and if you overnight at Lazaab you will be treated to an abundance of grilled fish, together with other local specialties.

Other culinary highlights included a breakfast of eggs and local cheeses and a sampling of kishik, a specialty made of yoghurt and grain. Bou Madiane has a vast knowledge of the terrain and leads hikes through the surrounding areas dotted with forests of twisted juniper trees, maybe the oldest of their kind in the world. Look out for a juniper tree, reputed to be 4,000 years old, according to Bou Madiane. Lazaab, Al-Bweib Overnight plus full board (3 meals) USD 50 Tel + 961 3 797 569 / 71 146 915 www.lazzab.net

organic farming, biodiversity hikes, and even yoga. There are tree-houses to hang out in and relax next to the river, offering a welcome cool off after a hike through the forest. Expect alternative culinary options here; a sumptuous buffet serving vegetarian delights, as well as grilled fish. Organic vegetables are grown next to the river by Karim’s mum and her team, and don’t go home without buying some of the local labneh and cheese. Ecovillage, Dmit, Chouf Bed and breakfast: USD 30 mudhuts and treehouses, USD 15 tent Tel +961 3 381733/ 211 463 ecovillage.com

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Jabalna

A ten-minute drive from the main square of Kobayat located in the midst of a pine forest is the oasis called Jabalna, four little ecolodges built with local materials such as stone and wood, each with their own bathroom and kitchenette and solar energy. Jabalna is the vision of a local man George Karam, nature lover with an insider’s knowledge of the area who can take you on the hike of a lifetime, through the deep forests of the Akkar. The surrounding forests here are the largest in Lebanon and an estimated 40 tree varieties exist here. But, before heading

Taanayel Ecolodge

At the Taanayel Ecolodge, nestled in the sunkissed valley of the Bekaa, you can truly experience the ‘good old days’ of Lebanese rural life. All the materials used for the lodge are local to the area, gathered from the countryside. It has been modeled after the old homes of the surrounding villages, even the pots and pans in the kitchen. Don’t be surprised if you come across chicken running through the yard, they are there for a reason, to lay the eggs for your tasty breakfast. From here you can head out to enjoy the

day exploring the Bekaa valley, hiking or touring. The Taanayel lodge was founded by Arcenciel , a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those with disabilities of any kind, economic or physical. So your stay here benefits a good cause. Taanayel is renowned for healthy dairy products and free-range chicken so stock up before you head back home. Taanayel Ecolodge, Tannayel, Bekaa Bed 20 USD P/P Tel +961 8 544881 arcenciel.org

DON’T BE SURPRISED IF YOU COME ACROSS CHICKEN RUNNING THROUGH THE YARD, THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON, TO LAY THE EGGS FOR YOUR TASTY BREAKFAST.

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out into the wild George’s wife will prepare a delicious breakfast of egg, labneh, kishek … After feasting you may just want to stay next to the lodge and laze around on the tree house. The town of Kobayat is renowned for their butterfly and bird ‘museum’, as well as several ancient churches, all worth the trip. And don’t leave without buying the local specialty of Shankleesh cheese; George can point out the best suppliers. Jabalna, Kobayat, Akkar Bungalow 50 USD or 17 USD P/P per night Tel +961 3 542935/ 70 350178 Email georges-karam@live.com

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LIVE UPSIDEITDOWN

+OUT

RAGMAG GOT OUT + ABOUT WITH INFLATABLE CUSHIONS, POWERFUL ATV’S, TRENDY HIKING APPAREL, PLUS GUNS AND ROSES AT LEBANON’S FIRST EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THE OUTDOOR LEBANON 2011 EXHIBITION TOOK PLACE BETWEEN JUNE 22 AND JUNE 26, 2011 AT THE BIEL EXHIBITION CENTER, BEIRUT.

GUNS + ROSES BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

out +about

ast year it was trail running, the year before Nordic walking, so what’s the latest outdoor trend this year? Under the theme of Live it Out, International Fairs & Promotions (IFP) launched Outdoor Lebanon 2011, the first ever recreational activities, outdoor sports and environmental tourism exhibition in the region, to showcase the latest trends for the outdoorsy inclined. The entrance to the exhibition was a salutary lesson to the Lebanese: impressive GM 4x4’s, powerful ATV’s, superbikes, shiny rifles in many shapes and sizes, all monuments to the wild excesses of the country’s outdoor life

were on proud display, The exhibition shouldn’t be knocked though since it is the first of it’s kind, but, stepping into the hall certainly set a train of thought to mass consumerism rolling, rather than contemplation of nature and environment. Kamal Abou Assi , communication coordinator, Lebanon Protected Areas, was quick to praise the organizers who provided complimentary stands to ecotourism providers. “We are doing our best to raise awareness for the protected areas all over Lebanon, many people here do not even know what a nature reserve is.”

There is more to the ecotourism trend than meets the eye. “We are here to promote ecotourism activities to raise awareness for Lebanon’s fragile environment,” said Chaker Noon, founder of Baldati, an NGO that organizes hiking outings as well as educational programs. When asked what he thought of the excessive exhibition displays Noon replied: “We cannot fight against what others are doing but we hope to offer the Lebanese a different outdoor solution to the usual hunting or ATV rides.” “Lebanon has a long history as a preferred destination in the region for outdoor activities and sports,” said

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Albert Aoun, chairman of the board of directors of IFP. “In recent years, several internationally well-known outdoor sports have been introduced into Lebanon and have drawn the attention of the Lebanese public, such as driving ATVs, bungee jumping, gliding, kayaking, jet skiing, and other thrilling and high-risk sports.” Aoun decided to organize this exhibition to promote such outdoor activities. A huge outdoor Radical Rush Area was onsite to introduce bungee jumping, tug of war, and wall climbing to the general public, all in good fun with background sounds of shrieking free-fallers. A nearby stand of blooming pink bougainvillea and red roses offered a welcome respite for the not so fearless.

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The most popular summer outdoor activity in Lebanon is still alfresco dining or poolside sun tanning where the most strenuous activity is raising a glass of chilled something or other. But, some people do go swimming, diving, or fishing, some head to the mountains for hiking or hunting. “More and more Lebanese are taking up outdoor activities in order to look after their health,” said Ilda Nahas, deputy general manager at Mike Sport. “In fact, we have seen a 20-25 percent increase in sales of outdoor apparel and wear over the past year.”

family in tow. “Yes, there is not so much wildlife left to hunt anymore in Lebanon,” said Roger Khoury, owner of Discovery, sole distributor of Remington rifles. “The problem is that there are no laws to regulate hunting or even gun ownership.” Khoury is a fervent supporter of controlled hunting and has even lobbied ammunition factories in order to come up with a solution to the problem of cartridge littering in the countryside. “I suggest a recycling system where the used cartridges are returned to the factory, but I do not see this happening in the near future.”

Alas, gone are the birds, so why do so many men still insist on hunting? Maybe it’s just an excuse to head outdoors with their mates, without rest of the

A sudden burst of loud thumping beats interrupted his remarks. An energetic display of U-bound, an extremely energetic and apparently zero impact exercise done on a mini trampoline, got pulses racing drawing the attention of bystanders. Originally from Argentina and now introduced to Lebanon by Maya Zeidan and Wael Zaber of Radical Fitness it seems like a great fun workout to specially remixed sounds. Judging by the ecstatic look on their faces while performing, this is the work out to beat all others.

‘IN RECENT YEARS, SEVERAL INTERNATIONALLY WELL-KNOWN OUTDOOR SPORTS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO LEBANON’

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

In need of a relax fix after deafening loud beats and smiley jumping jacks, I took refuge in the area devoted to Watt, a giant inflatable cushion. “Lay on it for fifteen minutes and you will get rid of stress and exhaustion,” said Salim Mattar, CEO of Well-Being Trade. Tried and tested it seems to do the job and almost sent me off to sleep, or maybe it was the relaxing hand massage offered by one of the attendants. And, what does this airy cushion have to do with the great outdoors? Well, no country garden or city terrace should be without one!

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CHECK BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN

Destroyed MOBY When electronic music is mentioned during the course of a conversation, the first names that usually jump to mind are heavy weights such as Van Dyke, Tiesto or Oakenfold, while Moby is mentioned further down the line. The reason for that is that Mr. Richard Melville Hall (his full name) delves more into an electronic that is intermingled with other musical tastes, making it more open to mood exploration. The aforementioned DJs deal more or less in upbeat party moods, and comparatively Moby doesn’t mind exploring the other side of the spectrum, something

which he does again on his latest output. Destroyed’s theme is woven around the notion of “being the only person awake in an empty city” (as he puts it). The shadowy electronic beats and samples shouldered by string layered instrumentals create the sentiment of isolation suggested by the artist. The vocals on Destroyed, courtesy of a different range of smooth female singers, make it easier to cope with these morose environments. Definitely not recommended for sun-bathed pool raves.

All Things Bright and Beautiful OWL CITY Whoever said there is nothing to be gained from insomnia should have a word with Adam Young, the one man machine behind Owl City. It’s insomnia that made Young stay up all night in his basement, creating his unique blend of cheerful electro-pop music on a computer. Something to pass the sleepless time eventually resulted in his 2009 album “Ocean Eyes” (which sold extremely well), making single “Fireflies” one of the most downloaded songs of the year in the process.

The new album follows the same formula as its predecessor, with less catchy hooks and memorable tunes. It’s as though the creative element has been brushed aside a bit in favor of a good production, and what a production it is: Completed personally by Young himself (engineering included), the sound is crisp and clear, notes sparkling in your head as if high off your favorite energy drink. All things bright and beautiful indeed, at least production wise.

Ukulele Songs EDDIE VEDDER The year is 1991: Pearl Jam has just released their first album “Ten” to worldwide critical acclaim, selling millions of copies in addition to the album being hailed as one of the milestones in rock musical history. Fast forward 20 years to 2011. The band’s lead singer, Eddie Vedder, releases his first proper solo album, (the one before being a movie soundtrack) but to the same effect and accolade? Well, it’s really an acquired taste at this point, since as the title suggests, all the songs are constructed around a Ukulele, an instrument not popular among

rock fans but sure enough anchored in Vedder’s flavor, due to his avid surfer days in San Diego. These are simple songs straight from the heart, with no distorted guitars or biffed up bass lines to be found anywhere and Vedder singing as if the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders. The themes are also generally centered around love issues, something he usually avoided with Pearl Jam, and just for that, a special credit must be attributed to this outlandish musical work.

Welcome to My DNA BLACKFIELD It is always sad when one of your heroes, namely Steven Wilson, puts out an album that is really kind of a disappointment. True, this is just a side project album, his main concentration being Porcupine Tree, which with its neo-progressive sounds has revitalized interest in prog-rock music in the new millennia. But being the third album by Blackfield, it pales in comparison to the previous two offerings. The music is what you would expect from musicians of this caliber, but a feeling of

repetitiveness looms around the album, with not much of the ingenuity for which the band is known, the only song standing out being “Blood” with its Middle Eastern passages and rhythms. Don’t get me wrong, this criticism is by Blackfield standards and if the album was measured to the rest of the daily rock output, it would hold its own with the best of them. If you’re a big fan of the band like I am, you’d understand the predicament, as for the rest, it wouldn’t be a bad intro-listen to start with.

and The Devil Colony

James Rollins

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read’em BY AMAL CHAABAN

Why you should read this book

History depends on who’s doing the writing

James Rollins has managed to pen a tale of action, conspiracy and history all without confusing the reader. Most Americans think they know the story of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers of the U.S. but Rollins poses an interesting theory in this new work. What if the stories learned in the history books are wrong? What if there was a 14th colony meant to be included with the original 13? In order to get to the bottom of this, Sigma Force is called in. Made up of the

best and the brightest, this force must battle foes at work and at home. Woven into this intricate tale is the complex problem of Native American land claims and a shadowy secret organization that keeps Sigma busy. The characters are well rounded, the story tight and action packed. The theory is fascinating especially since Congress actually passed a bill recognizing the help of the indigenous peoples in drafting the Constitution. Check out RAGMAG’s interview with James Rollins in Culture Clash.

The Help

Kathryn Stockett

Why you should read this book Colours are a state of mind

Travel back in time to just before the civil rights movement was in full swing; before Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous “I have a dream...” speech and you end up in “The Help”. Words are hardly adequate to describe the emotions this book brings forward. Reading Stockett’s book brings to a life an era that seems both foreign and alien; and you are a silent observer to history. The authenticity of “The Help” characters

may make you wonder if they are based on real people. The key to this great read is remembering that it is pseudo-fiction and that the trials in this novel could have (and likely did) happen to an African-American housemaid somewhere. From the “whites only” grocery stores to indignity of “coloured” bathrooms, this novel demonstrates how far society has come and how far we still have to go. Truly, in this novel, colour is more than just a hue.

Paradise Lust: Searching for the Garden of Eden

Brook Wilensky-Lanford Why you should read this book

We would all love to see the Garden of Eden. Right?

Religion and myth have been intertwined since almost the beginning of sentient man. Since the human race gained organized religion, several questions have been posed about the veracity of the belief system of billions. In this debut novel, we’re taken on a journey with the author to trace the path of those who hunted for the most elusive place of all: the Garden of Eden. Depending on the religious belief you ascribe to, Eden is either a place filled with golden, jewel-

laden walkways or a place where rivers of milk and honey flow freely. With that in mind, several people over the course of history have searched for Eden in places as far flung as the Arctic Circle with even Ohio pinpointed as a possible location. Wilensky-Lanford’s novel follows the search for Eden by theoligists and scientists alike that is humorous, meticulously researched and detailed. Pick up a copy of “Paradise Lust” for an all around good read.

Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail

Caitlin Kelly

Why you should read this book

You get to be behind the counter for once

When Caitlin Kelly lost her job at a daily paper, she wasn’t sure of her direction anymore. An experienced journalist, she was tired of both the uncertainty of journalism in the digital age and the hustle of freelancing. Deciding she needed a part time job, Kelly ventures into the world of retail. Used to being on the other side of the counter as a shopper, the author was unprepared for the poor labour standards, the disrespect and disregard shown to frontline staff by upper

management and worse, the disdainful treatment of the shoppers. The story of her experience resonates with the thousands of people who depend on retail for stable income- with below average pay, unsafe working conditions and no benefits. The next time you shop at a store and decide to be unkind to the staff (because it is a decision), remember “Malled”. The frontline staff who serve you are people too and this book puts it on perspective.

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playNICE BY ADAM VOLK

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Publisher Nintendo | Developer Grezzo/Nintendo Platforms Nintendo 3DS As one of the most popular video games of all time, Zelda: the Ocarina of Time holds a special place in the hearts of Nintendo geeks everywhere. A groundbreaking title when it was first released for the Nintendo 64 back in 1998, the game literally redefined the action role-playing genre. Flash forward thirteen-years later, and The Ocarina of Time has been re-released for the handheld Nintendo 3DS. And while some fans may cry blasphemy, the 3DS version is not only a fitting reinterpretation of the beloved classic, but even manages to make a few

improvements along the way. Players once again take on the role of Link, a young elf who must battle fell monsters and explore the mythical kingdom of Hyrule in his epic quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Zelda. The game not only preserves the story and visuals of the original version, but puts the 3DS to good use, with added gameplay features using the 3DS touchpad and gyroscopic tilt-controls. The end result is a game the literally stands the test of time as a beautifully recreated blast from Nintendo’s 64-bit past.

Bastion

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | Developer Supergiant Games Platforms Xbox LIVE Arcade Have you ever wondered how much more awesome your life would be if you’d had an omniscient narrator describing your every action? Okay, so maybe it’d get a little weird in certain... ahem.... personal situations or those unexpected trips to the bathroom. Fortunately, the quirky action RPG game Bastion shows you what it might be like to have very your own running commentary. Defeat a monster in the game and Bastion’s unseen narrator will describe the harrowing battle- in addition to virtually everything else you do in the game. The dynamic narration can

get a little jarring at times, but the dialogue is so well written and hilarious that it’s easy to enjoy. Players star as “The Kid”, a stalwart hero thrust into a colourful anime-style world which has literally been shattered into countless pieces. Like all good RPGs, Bastion is all about defeating monsters, solving puzzles and collecting as much treasure and experience points as possible. As a mix of hack n’ slash and shooter, Bastion is a rock solid action-RPG experience, but it’s the game’s silken-voiced narrator that will keep you coming back for more.

F.E.A.R. 3

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive | Developer Day 1 Studios | Platforms PS 3, Xbox 360 Whoever said that the only thing to fear is fear itself, would probably really dig F.E.A.R. 3, a game which lets you deliver a high-calibre dose of whoop-ass to a slew of hideously terrifying creatures. As the third instalment in the popular first person shooter series, players take on the role of either Point Man, a genetically modified super human who ain’t afraid of no ghosts, or Paxton, a disembodied spirit who has the ability to possess enemies and generally make things explode in a satisfyingly spooky way. Both Point Man and Paxton also have access to a variety of weapons

and psychic powers – all of which they’ll need to battle both undead baddies and common flesh-andblood cannon fodder. F.E.A.R. 3’s story is dripping with ectoplasmic nonsense, but fortunately both the visuals and gameplay are solid. Where F.E.A.R. 3 really shines, though, is as a multiplayer experience, with a series of intriguing four-player competitive and cooperative game modes. As a horror-themed shooter, F.E.A.R. 3 won’t exactly have you soiling your skivvies in terror, but it is scary how much fun you’ll have kicking some supernatural butt.

UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness Sys-

Publisher THQ | Developer Heavy Iron Studios | Platforms Xbox 360, PS 3, Wii If you’ve never seen an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout before, the idea is simple: two men enter an octagon and pummel the living crap out of each other. It also happens to be one of the most popular sports in the world, which is why it’s no surprise that there have been a slew of games based on the UFC license. The latest release, UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System, is based around the idea of turning couch potato gamers into chiselled warriors using the Microsoft Kinect, PlayStationMove or Wii Motion Plus (depending

on which console you own). The game lets you create specific workout routines, or participate in strength and agility enhancing mini-games. Unfortunately, the game’s visuals and audio are sub-par and the Wii version is a bit of an afterthought. As a result, UFC Personal Trainer is an enjoyable, if not somewhat shallow, fitness experience. If you’re expecting to finish game and step into the octagon for a little sparing, you’ll be sadly disappointed and/or knocked unconscious. On the other hand, play the game enough and you’ll be able to work up a decent sweat without getting your skull kicked in.

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watchout BY ADAM VOLK

Release dates based on amazon.co.uk

Unknown | DVD & Blu-ray

| 113 mins Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones Release Date: July 18 In 2008’s Taken, Liam Neeson proved he could kick some serious ass - and it’s clear he was shooting for a similar vibe with Unknown; a psychological thriller liberally dosed with a few action set pieces. Neeson stars as a brilliant biomedical researcher who travels to Berlin with his wife (played by the incredibly hot, yet incredibly talentless January Jones). But when he suffers a near fatal car accident, our hero awakes from a four-day coma only to discover that his wife no longer remembers who he is and that his very existence has seemingly been erased. With the

help of an illegal immigrant (played by Diane Kruger), Neeson seeks to reclaim his stolen identity and get to the bottom of a shadowy international conspiracy. Unfortunately, the intriguing Hitchcockian premise quickly spirals out of control, with the plot bordering on the ridiculous well before the final cliché-riddled dénouement. As a thriller, Unknown isn’t a bad film per se, but even the ass-kicking skills of Liam Neeson aren’t quite enough to overcome either the ridiculous storyline or the wince-inducing performance from January Jones.

Red Riding Hood | DVD & Blu-ray

| 100 mins Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Virginia Madsen Release Date: August 22 Riding high on the inexplicable success of the Twilight saga, director Catherine Hardwicke sets her sights on appealing yet again to a hormonal tween demographic. The end result is Red Riding Hood, a film which takes the beloved fairy tale, tosses a werewolf into the mix and then dips the entire thing in enough adolescent angst to fuel a season of MTV’s Teen Mom. Set in a remote medieval village where both hair gel and really bad British accents are plentiful, the story follows an obligatory beautiful young maiden (played by Amanda Seyfried) with a penchant

for red apparel. Unfortunately, when a werewolf starts devouring people, the village is forced to call in Gary Oldman; a fanatical monster hunter who chews apart the scenery worse than any pissed off werewolf ever could. The end result is an absolute train wreck of a film. The horror-themed retelling of the Red Riding Hood legend might actually have worked if it wasn’t for the laughably bad script, appalling performances and music video-style direction – all of which will have you howling worse than a constipated werewolf.

Hanna | DVD & Blu-ray | 111 mins Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett Release Date: August 29 If you thought being a teenager sucked, try being Hanna, a fourteen-year old girl who can snap your neck like a twig at even the hint of any Gossip Girl-style high school drama. Raised by her former covert operative father (played by Eric Bana), when our story begins, Hanna has spent her entire life in the remote wilds of Finland, shunning human contact and learning the fine art of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. But when her father sets Hanna on a deadly path to exact revenge on a high-ranking CIA officer (played by Cate

Blanchett), Hanna is forced to leave behind her life in the deep woods and venture out into a dangerous new world. Directed by the incomparable Joe Wright, the film is dripping with style – not to mention a killer soundtrack from The Chemical Brothers. The real draw, however, is Saoirse Ronan, who plays Hanna to perfection as both a naive and star-eyed young girl and a ruthless killer. In this sense, Hanna scores two bull’s-eyes as both a characterdriven coming-of-age story and a blood-soaked Bournestyle action movie.

Big. Brainless. Loud. These are just a few of the many adjectives that have come to describe The Fast and the Furious, the high-octane action series which revels in its own stupidity. If you’re expecting yet another pointless sequel, however, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that Fast Five is a film which embraces its over-the-top nature and – most shockingly of all – is actually a smartly-shot action film. Vin Diesel once again stars as Dominic Toretto, a hardened criminal hiding out in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. It isn’t long, however, before Toretto puts

together an elite crew of criminals to pull off a major heist against a Brazilian drug lord. Yes, the dialogue is ham-fisted, the plot ridiculous, and the characters onedimensional, but the film never takes itself seriously enough to be anything other than fun. Director Justin Lin also sticks to an 80s style of camera-work that lets the action play out rather than hyper-stylized smash cuts or Michael Bay-style gratuitous explosions. Fast Five isn’t exactly Citizen Kane, but if you’re willing to put your brain on cruise control, you’ll likely enjoy the bullet-riddled ride.

see, speak, +hear no evil

Fast Five | DVD & Blu-ray | 130 mins Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster Release Date: September 5

FOR DOWN LOW

CHARACTERS

CURTAIN’S UP

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INVERTING YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO CLASSICALLY TRAINED SHAKESPEAREAN STYLE ACTORS MEANS RECOGNIZING THEIR MAINSTREAM DRAW! YOU SEE THEM IN POPULAR THRILLERS THAT BRING BIG BOX OFFICE BUCKS, BUT THERE’S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE TO THESE ACTORS THAT HAVE DONNED A FEW PAIRS OF TIGHTS IN THEIR TIME. WE’LL BE SO BOLD TO SAY THAT LEARNING THE BARD’S WORDS BY ROTE HAS HELPED THESE AWARD-WINNING ACTORS PERFECT THEIR CRAFT, MAKING THEM VILLAINS PAR EXCELLENCE. FROM BLOODLETTING TO BLOOD SHEDDING, CHECK OUT RAGMAG’S LIST OF 5 THESPIANS YOU MAY NOT KNOW OUTSIDE OF THEIR FEATURE FILM APPEARANCES.

ALAN RICKMAN

Spoiler alert! When watching the exceptional Alan Rickman play Severus Snape, you could be forgiven for shrinking back with fear. Is it any wonder that with lips permanently curled in derision, and a voice dripping with contempt, this actor was J.K. Rowling’s choice to be Snape? Mr. Rickman gained his prominence on stage as the evil Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, then on screen as Hans Gruber in the first Die Hard. Other roles that have highlighted his considerable acting skills have been in movies like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street where he plays the evil Judge Turpin and the subject of the Barber’s ire. He has won a BAFTA, a Prime Time Emmy, and a Golden Globe award yet curiously, never an Oscar.

SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS Sir Anthony Hopkins is considered one of the greatest living actors of our time. Born in 1937, knighted by her Majesty the Queen in 1993 for services to the arts and the winner of Academy, Emmy and BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards, this actor is in a class all his own. After completing his training in 1957, he moved to London to join The National Theatre after being invited by Laurence Olivier. He got his first role in film in 1967. The breadth of his acting ability remains unmatched by anyone else

in film or onstage today. Ranging from the King in the recent comic book flick Thor to the serial killer Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, he is famous for having a chameleon like ability to become whomever he is portraying. Sir Anthony Hopkins is RAGMAG’s pick for the best villain thanks to his delicious portrayal of Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter.

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RALPH FIENNES

With this fine actor playing a central role in one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, it is often overlooked that before he was cast as He Who Shall Not Be Named, he was a very accomplished thespian having won the first Tony award ever given for the role of Hamlet on Broadway. Ralph Nathaniel TwisletonWykeham-Fiennes, 47, has played roles that go from demon-lovers (Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, the disfigured Count in The English Patient) and to just plain demons, notably the Nazi commandant in Schindler’s List to the God Hades in Clash of the Titans. Playing someone as dark and conflicted as Voldemort would have been slipping into a second skin for Mr. Fiennes who also played a serial killer in the movie Red Dragon. Fiennes has been nominated twice for the Academy Awards.

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GARY OLDMAN

This actor burst on the scene in the 80’s as part of the so-called Brit Pack. His early showings led famed film critic Roger Ebert to describe him as “the best young British actor around”. His roles include a portrayal of rocker Sid Vicious that earned him accolades and the Count in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Mr. Oldman has appeared in films such as Batman, the Harry Potter series, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Immortal Beloved as famed composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. He is also the voice behind several characters in well known video games. He has been described as one of the greatest actors who has never been nominated for an Academy Award but he has won several BAFTAs.

KENNETH BRANAGH

Born in 1960 in Belfast Ireland, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company by age 23, where he took on starring roles in both “Henry V” and “Romeo and Juliet”. Mr. Branagh found he preferred a smaller theatre group and so founded his own called “The Renaissance Theatre Company” which counts Prince Charles as one of its royal patrons. While he is best known for his Shakespearean roles, he also has done several other films not the least of which was an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where he plays the lead role of Viktor Frankenstein. His talents have earned him several Academy Award nominations and more than one BAFTA win. He is also the youngest actor to ever win the Golden Quill (also known as the Gielgud Award).

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BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

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TOP TO BOTTOM: PALACIO REAL DE MADRID, PALACIO DE LAS ARTES REINA SOFIA THEATER IN MADRID.

Six burly black beasts paw the earth with slow powerful strokes. Their piercing gaze penetrates the crowd as the chant “Olé!,” resonates throughout the arena. The costumed toreros drape their red cloth to the ground and the ritual begins. “Olé, Olé!,” the crowd shouts again with excitement and anticipation, fuelling the performers within the ring. The pageantry ensues as the animals charge and thrust their horns, barely missing their intended target. The beasts spin their large frames and once again the bullfighters are caught in a smoldering gaze. The Spanish capital takes pride in bullfighting, a national heritage and urban cultural past-time. While most Spaniards condemn the practice for its brutality, many Madrileños embrace the event with fervour and pride. The home of the controversy is Plaza de Torros de las Ventas, an immense arena boasting a capacity of 25,000 seats. The acclaimed stadium takes the appearance of a large Roman Coliseum, and hosts the most popular bullfighting festival in the world, the “San Isidro”, which is held annually each June. Yet the third largest city in the European Union deserves greater credit for preserving its national landmarks. Kings Philip IV and Charles III built the city’s historical palaces, theatres and parks. At Palacio Real de Madrid, Spanish Baroque period portrait artist Diego Velázquez frequented its court under Philip IV, while Spanish Golden Age author Miguel de Cervantes visited its halls at the peak of his literary career as the writer of Don Quixote. However it was at the Teatro Real with its 1850 neo-classical restored Opera House, in which Spain’s most famous painter Salvador Dali presented his surreal metal sculptures.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: PLAZA MAYOR, BUEN RETIRO PARK, CALLE DE ALCALA IN MADRID.

Architectural conservation extends to a conglomerate of museums at Paseo del Prado. Featuring seven centuries of European art dating back to the twelfth century, the Museo del Prado displays close to 22,000 works including the masterpieces, “Saturn Devouring His Son” and “The Third of May 1808” by romantic Spanish artist Francisco José de Goya. Drawing reference from the French occupation of the city triggering the Spanish War of Independence, his dark and violent paintings are depictions of civil strife. Masterpiece “Las Meninas,” by Velázquez and works by Spanish cubist Pablo Picasso, Italian Renaissance painter Tiziano Vecelli and Flemish Baroque artist Sir Peter Paul Rubens are also worth exploring. In contrast, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, a former hospital, houses twentieth century contemporary art. Named after Queen Sofia of Spain, the museum has been restored under the royal family’s orders. Picasso, Dalí and Joan Miró haunt its corridors, while German, Dutch and American painters fill the halls of Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum nearby. The Buen Retiro Park, a much deserved resting spot is a great place to indulge in a ham sandwich after the long hours spent in museums. Since the Madrileños couldn’t get enough of ham, they built the Museo de Jamón located in Plaza Mayor. The museum also serves as a restaurant, where slabs of dried meat are hung from hooks. Quite often, visitors will buy a $400 leg of ham only to have it confiscated at airport security checkpoints. At Mayor however, every café has a leg or two stored behind the bar.

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Another plaza worth visiting is Puerta

del Sol known as the Sun Gate.

Shaped in an oval, the historic heart of the city should be avoided during soccer matches between the city’s official soccer club Real Madrid and its rival FC Barcelona. As fans swarm the streets, they light fireworks and break bottles against one another’s shoulders. But they are careful not to disturb El Oso y El Madroño, the symbol of Madrid. The 20 ton statue depicts a bear standing on its hind

legs as it reaches for berries on a tree; symbolizing the city’s fertile soil, while the tree represents its aristocracy. The equestrian statue of King Carlos III compliments El Oso y El Madroño in its own right. The King looks out on a beautiful eighteenth century red brick building, the Casa de Correos, the city’s main post office. The building is adorned with Madrid’s famous clock tower, where crowds gather annually to welcome the New Year.

As fans empty Sol, flamenco bars begin to sizzle. Stomping feet and clapping hands draw the dancers into a spotlight, and once again spectators are thrust into a passionate ceremony steeped in tradition. Yet outside the Spanish relics cool under a quiet gleaming moon, while somewhere within the walls of Plaza de Torros a workman paces the dirt with a shovel, in search of every last drop of dried blood

take me with you

ABOVE: PLAZA MAYOR WITH STATUE OF KING PHILLIPS III.

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MAGAZINE

GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT with WE’VE DECIDED TO EXPLORE THE NEW ZAITUNAY BAY IN A 3 PART SERIES TO GIVE YOU THE REAL STORY AND HELP YOU FEEL A LOT MORE INVOLVED IN WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY. ZAITUNAY BAY, A CREATIVE ENDEAVOUR TO MAXIMIZE THE COASTLINE, ONE OF LEBANON’S GREATEST ASSETS AND TOURISM DRAWS, IS ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS IN LEBANON’S HISTORY. RAGMAG IS COVERING ZAITUNAY BAY IN A 3 PART SERIES TO GIVE YOU THE REAL DEAL ON WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR SHORELINE, SO YOU CAN REALLY FEEL IN THE LOOP. THE SECOND OF 3 FEATURE ARTICLES, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE TO GET THE FULL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT THAT AIMS TO BRING BEIRUT’S REVITALIZED WATERFRONT ON PAR WITH OTHER GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED WATERFRIENDLY LOCALES. WWW.ZAITUNAYBAY.COM FOR OUR SECOND INSTALLMENT, WE’RE FOCUSING ON WAYS YOU CAN TURN YOUR SAME OLD ROUTINE UPSIDE DOWN BY VISITING ZAITUNAY BAY.

PART 2 IN A 3 PART SERIES

COFFEE BEAN

HÄAGEN-DAZS

Café

& Tea Leaf

CLASSIC BURGER Joint

CAPPUCCINO Grand Café

LINA’S WATER out +about

Nation

COZMO

Café

PAUL PAUL

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GET TO KNOW with

YOUR WATERFRONT

NEW + NOW

Two completely fresh concepts in Lebanon, Cappuccino Grand Café and Cozmo Café, will both be making their debut at Zaitunay Bay.

What Cappuccino Grand Café Who RADA Know More www.grupocappuccino.com Find it on Facebook So you think you know your cappuccinos? Think again since unless you’ve visited Palma de Mallorca, you haven’t had Cappuccino Grand Café! The chain, newly arriving in Lebanon, will be opening its first branch at Zaitunay Bay. “We have 15 outlets just in Mallorca. It’s an up-market Mediterranean concept established there originally,” says Armand Simonian of RADA group. What’s the feeling of Mallorca like? “It’s a beautiful place with yachts… Most of our meetings are held right there on the water.” The new Beirut location will be the Middle Eastern flagship with the only other operational outlet at the Jeddah Marina.

“I think Zaitunay Bay will do extremely well on the waterfront next to the hotels. People like to see yachts and movement on water, it’s a very relaxing atmosphere,” explained Armand of their location choice. “Zaitunay Bay is a continuation of the Corniche, it’s here to stay, it’s not a Monot or a Gemmayzeh and it’s not easy to duplicate,” he continued. Some details to look out for at the new Cappuccino Grand Café will be the hand-painted walls and Spanish Andalusian lamps that give off olive lighting impressions. “It will be greenery and natural tones to give a comforting atmosphere. We’re going with more natural materials,

colours and elements,” in addition to “exposing antique pieces and modern paintings by famous European artists.” If you’re already curious about the visuals, guests of Cappuccino Grand Café will have lots of audio to choose from as well since a pillar of their franchise is music. “We compose our own CDs which are very well known and are sold at all of our locations,” adds Armand. Check out their website for the Cappuccino Grand Café radio station, launching soon! Café by day, bar by night: Cappuccino Grand Café offers both a developed coffee and tea menu and an extensive cocktail list. It sounds like our waterfront just got a whole lot more diverse.

‘ZAITUNAY BAY IS A CONTINUATION OF THE CORNICHE, IT’S HERE TO STAY, IT’S NOT A MONOT OR A GEMMAYZEH AND IT’S NOT EASY TO DUPLICATE’

“WE RULE THE BLUES!” Become a Citizen of Water Nation

What Cozmo Café Brought to you by the Boubess Group, creators of Hamra staples like Kaiten and Café Hamra, Cozmo Café will launch at Zaitunay Bay this fall.

Turning your routine upside down means trying out a whole new way to spend the day! We like Water Nation Sports Center at Zaitunay Bay. RAGMAG has done a few water stunts in our time and Water Nation seems right up our alley- From boat rentals to tours of the waterways by day and by night, Water Nation has something for everyone. Jet Skiing and Waterskiing both with and without instruction as well as scuba diving will also be offered by Water Nation. We expect smooth sailing for the new Sports Center, launching this fall!

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GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT with TRIED, TESTED + TRUE

These restos are the ones you’ve already tried and just can’t get enough of and they’ve just made it even better: Launching new locations at Zaitunay Bay allows you to enjoy your tried + true faves at the newest hot spot in Lebanon. What Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Know More www.coffeebean.com Coffee and tea aficionados will be feeling right at home with the launch of CBTL at Zaitunay Bay! The menu you’ve enjoyed abroad will be available in Lebanon. Getting up early and staying out late has you feeling the urge to get your blended teas and fine coffees? Pop into CBTL for that caffeine fix!

What Häagen-Dazs Know More www.haagen-dazs.com

out +about

Häagen-Dazs, known the world over for its superior level of ice cream, already has a few existing locations in Lebanon, first opened in 2003. Their current Cinema City location will be relocating to Zaitunay Bay, making it the sixth Häagen-Dazs in Lebanon and the exclusive ice cream retailer at the waterfront site. “The Genesis Concept is designed by the International Häagen-Dazs team. We’re an ice cream company, but we also have a superior coffee menu,” explained Annabelle Fanj of their café style Genesis locations. “It received international media coverage so we decided to adapt it for Lebanon to give our clients the best. The

‘THE QUALITY AND TASTE OF OUR MENU IS UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE HERE. THERE IS VERY LITTLE AIR IN OUR ICE CREAM, WHICH IS THE SECRET TO A REALLY GOOD RECIPE. HÄAGEN-DAZS DEVELOPS ITS MENU VERY CAREFULLY, OUR TEAM SEARCHED FOR THE PERFECT STRAWBERRY FOR YEARS!’

quality and taste of our menu is unlike anything else here. There is very little air in our ice cream, which is the secret to a really good recipe. Häagen-Dazs develops its menu very carefully, our team searched for the perfect strawberry for years!” The genesis concept of Häagen-Dazs includes a café setup with a menu that is guaranteed to make it to the top of your list. Two offerings that RAGMAG just couldn’t keep away from? The Häagen-Dazs Fondue and the Häagen-Dazs Fruit Journey with the delightful taste of mango and raspberry. We were loving every bite and their new waterfront location just makes it that much sweeter!

What PAUL Know More www.paul-uk.com If you haven’t brunched at PAUL, you practically aren’t Lebanese. Adding yet another location to their long Lebanese list, PAUL’s Zaitunay Bay will be offering the same great menu and service standards. For over 100 years, PAUL’s success throughout Europe and the Middle East is based on their high quality offerings from our staple choice of Salad Niçoise to the best bread this side of lunch.

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GET TO KNOW with

YOUR WATERFRONT

What Classic Burger Joint Know More www.classicburgerjoint.com Find it on Facebook + Twitter @CLASSICbj You love your Classic Burger Joint in Sodeco and Jal El Dib? Well now you’re in luck because CBJ is opening this fall at Zaitunay Bay! The flame grilled burgers with a bevy of toppings and fresh ingredients are now going waterside. Open since April 2010, CBJ prides itself on being your best bet for the best burger around!

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT! If you’ve been anywhere near the Gulf in the past 5 years, you’ve heard the saying, “Same same but different”. If you haven’t, it means that basically it is what you expect, but with a different take or aspect on the original. What LINA’S Who CATERTAINMENT S.A.L. (Sami Hochar) Know More www.linaslb.com Find it on Facebook + Twitter @linasleb The LINA’S you know and love makes a big entrance this fall! The inviting space, crowned with a vast open air terrace, provides the perfect setting for the new LINA’S outlet in Zaitunay Bay. “Ten years later [we’re] continuing to expand at an unprecedented rate. LINA’S has branched out into 11 locations and now is proudly expanding to add 2 new locations in Jbeil and Zaitunay Bay,” said Peggy

Khoury of Catertainment (LINA’S parent company). “LINA’S is an innovation in terms of combining prompt, a la minute service with high quality, tasty food and will introduce a special breakfast menu for Zaitunay Bay clientele,” continued Peggy. “Our way of making each customer feel like a special guest makes a visit to LINA’S a one-of-a-kind experience. The proof can be seen in the unrivalled loyalty

‘LINA’S IS AN INNOVATION IN TERMS OF COMBINING PROMPT, A LA MINUTE SERVICE WITH HIGH QUALITY, TASTY FOOD AND WILL INTRODUCE A SPECIAL BREAKFAST MENU FOR ZAITUNAY BAY CLIENTELE’ of our clientele, in Lebanon and in LINA’S restaurants worldwide.” LINA’S has an interactive aspect as well, their ongoing Signature Sandwich Competition has engaged the online community, with RAGMAG winning their first round! Check out our winning Signature Sandwich in “We are the Champions!” and visit any LINA’S for the entire month of August to see how tasty RAGMAG can be!

hose in search of delectable cuisine served up in stylish surroundings are in for a treat. Chef Dory Masri arrived in Beirut last year to open his restaurant La Manche and is now making a mark on the local culinary scene with an innovative concept. It’s good to know that some Lebanese chefs are eager to challenge traditional culinary techniques taught at school.

Masri is doing just that. He has delved into the field of molecular gastronomy, where cooking is both a science and a craft, debunking long held kitchen methods to create new dishes. Masri gained valuable experience in the UK, following his 2005 appointment as Executive Chef at The Last, a fine dining restaurant. Overseeing twelve chefs, Chef Masri made a name for himself on the regional culinary scene and

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

TRAVELING FROM THE UK TO LEBANON, CHEF DORY MASRI INTRODUCES BEIRUT DINERS TO MOLECULAR CUISINE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

MOLECULAR CHEF UP-ENDS TRADITIONAL CUISINE

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made several television appearances. But, this chef never had a searing childhood ambition for a career in the kitchen. “I never thought I wanted to become a chef,” says Masri. “It was when I started my degree that I realized how artistic food can be, transferring magnificent ingredients to a picture on a plate.” Looking for a new challenge Masri travelled to Besancon in France last year to take an intensive course in molecular cuisine.

eat, drink + be merry

“La Manche aims to show the Lebanese what good food is all about with a new type of cuisine and appreciation to fine ingredients,” says Masri. “It’s like when sushi arrived to Lebanon, nobody knew what was wasabi was. Now, there is a sushi restaurant in every street in Beirut. I’m hoping a similar [route] for this innovative, modern molecular cuisine.” For years, this culinary trend has been touted as the most exciting development in haute cuisine. In basic terms molecular gastronomy is a culinary discipline practiced by both scientists and food professionals that studies the physical and chemical processes which occur during food preparation. It became fashionable for chefs to offer their customers fake caviar made from sodium alginate and calcium, or instant ice cream, fast frozen using liquid nitrogen. Some of the world’s top chefs, Ferran Adria from El Bulli in Spain, and Heston Blumenthal from The Fat Duck in the UK, have been inspired by the molecular phenomenon.

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MAKING ICE CREAM, USING LIQUID NITROGEN TO FREEZE INGREDIENTS, IS JUST ONE OF MASRI’S TRICKS. Making ice cream, using liquid nitrogen to freeze ingredients, is just one of Masri’s tricks. During La Manche Restaurant’s Gastronomic Week last June he presented a tasting menu consisting of six courses full of gastronomic surprises giving Lebanese diners a taste of things to come. But, will this culinary trend have staying power on the Beirut dining scene, where restaurants come and go with the blink of an eye? “I can see that lots of restaurants do open and then close down a few months later,” admits Masri. “I must say that I opened a restaurant to make a living as everyone does, but what I have that makes me different from others is the passion I have towards food and serving that food.” In the kitchen passion is an essential ingredient as are knowledge and skill. “You do need a lot of experience to

set up a restaurant. There are lots of hidden surprises that erupt from nowhere and one should be ready for them. It takes a lot of energy, yet, it is very rewarding if your restaurant is doing well and you have happy clients raving about your food. That makes my day.” Masri certainly seems to be content with life in Beirut. Despite spending an average of 14 hours a day in the restaurant he manages to put in some swimming on his only day off, Sunday. In winter he heads to Faraya or the Alps for his other passion, skiing. And he also loves watching the odd cooking show on television to get new ideas and techniques. His favorite show is Great British Menu, shown on BBC where different Michelin star chefs compete against each other.

So what is this chef’s guilty food pleasure when no one else is around? Nothing fancy at all. “I’m kind of wary of what I eat especially nowadays. I don’t like junk or fast food. But my favorite dish would be boiled spaghetti with ketchup sauce. I love eating that after I finish work after midnight. I enjoy that the most.”

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eat, drink + be merry

RAMADAN FEASTS

RAGMAG and BeirutRestaurants.com have teamed up to bring you the absolute best in Ramadan dining 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 best Ramadan spreads available in Lebanon for the whole month. We love a great meal and having the inside info from BeirutRestaurants.com makes it easier! They’re RAGMAG’s goto site for everything from tapas to entrees that you can really sink your teeth into. If you’re looking to dine with the family, our top resto list is a must try.

Follow BeirutRestaurants.com on Twitter for more great suggestions @b_restaurants

EM SHERIF

AMETHYSTE

BOURJ EL HAMA

MHANNA

ABD EL WAHAB

AL AJAMI

INDIGO ON THE ROOF

DIWAN SHAHRAYAR

BABEL

THE GRILL ROOM

MOSAIC RESTAURANT

Monot Victor Hugo Street Achrafieh Beirut +96170919119 +9611207207

Mhanna blgd. main road Antelias +961 4 520227 +961 4 403636

Le Gray Hotel Downtown Beirut +961 1 972000 www.legray.com

Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel, Beirut +961 1 357357 www.phoenicia-ic.com

51 Abdel Wahab el Inglizi Street Achrafieh Beirut +961 1 200550 +961 1 200551

North Maten Dbayeh +961 4 555000

Four Seasons Hotel Beirut 1418 Professor Wafic Sinno Avenue Minet El Hosn +961 1 761000 www.fourseasons.com/beirut/

Bourj El Hama Movenpick Hotel Raouche, Beirut +961 1 869666

Ramlet El Bayda Rafic Hariri Avenue Beirut +961 01 802260 +961 01 869509

North Maten, Dbayeh +961 70 425888 +961 04 542842

Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel Beirut +961 1 357357 www.phoenicia-ic.com

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158 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

ALBERGO ROOFTOP TERRACE ON TOP OF THE WORLD BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

eat, drink + be merry

hen I considered featuring the Albergo Rooftop restaurant, I was driven by the curiosity to see what a rooftop terrace had to offer in the middle of an Achrafieh neighborhood. Located at the end of the Abdel Wahab el Inglizi busy street, the Relais & Châteaux Albergo Hotel has no view to offer but one of gray buildings and no background sounds but some honking and skidding. At least that’s what’s commonly thought.

The comfortable wicker furniture and the abundance of greenery sets the mood: you’re not here for the view, you’re in your private garden, ready to have a nice glass of rosé wine and a fine meal. No noise pollution, a pleasant light wind and the subdued lighting make a great evening atmosphere. Creeper plants separate the tables, creating private areas suitable for both business lunch/ dinner and romantic tête-à-têtes.

Upon entering the hotel, one is immediately struck with the beauty of the place. The old building with its long blue shutters, its vintage framed posters and antique elevator door charms both passers-by and those who cross its threshold. On the 9th (top) floor, the elevator opens to a dining room worthy of an Ottoman palace. That’s the Albergo Rooftop, but that’s not where we’re taking you. On your left, a small entrance takes you to one of the most enchanting terraces in Lebanon.

At Albergo, there’s no such thing as a waste of time. Once you’re seated, the waiter quickly asks you if you’d like to start with a drink and if you need the drink menu. Your aperitif is served with premium nuts, a few Grissinis - those long thin dried breadsticks, an assortment of hot bread and the crème de la crème of butter, an Echiré portion. It’s a lot of food for unordered starters, and you might get the impression that they’re trying to “stuff” you before your meal so

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

you’re not disappointed with the portion. Conspiracy theory, hey? But then comes the substantial scallops entrée: 4 big fresh scallops on a bed of lentils with fried leeks. Yes, it’s a revisited “moudardara” and we love it. Try their tagliatelle with lemon confit and buttarga for the surf and the perfectly grilled Australian beef fillet for the turf. End your dinner with the best crème brûlée you can find in Lebanon or the Macadamia nut tart with an apple and ginger ice cream. I must warn you though: the latter is a heavy dish and would only be perfect if you didn’t eat much before

The + + The service quality is as good as can be. The waiters are polite, helpful and they wait for the least sign of dissatisfaction to try and fix it.

The – - They really should weed and water their plants. Yellowish leaves and dead flowers are all but romantic. - The furniture maintenance leaves much to be desired. Albergo Rooftop Albergo Hotel, Relais et Chateaux 137 Abdel Wahab El Inglizi Street, Monot, Beirut 01/339797 albergo@relaischateaux.com |

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160 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

WE ARE THE

CHAMPIONS! PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

eat, drink + be merry

We got out + about and a little bit competitive for the Lina’s Signature Sandwich competition on July 11! Chef Lamia Chehayeb created the RAGMAG Magazine sandwich and beat out stiff competition to have our own signature sandwich on Lina’s menu for a month. Lamia saw the contest on our Facebook page and decided to create a special recipe just for us! Head to Lina’s the whole month to take a bite out of RAGMAG, literally! We’ll see you there eating, drinking + being merry since our whole team will definitely be heading out to Lina’s to get our own RAGMAG Magazine sandwich with all the fixings! Check the details on how to enter your own Signature Sandwich at www.linastalent.com Follow them on Twitter @LinasLeb

HERE’S THE CONTEST LISTING IN CASE MORE RAGMAG READERS WANT TO ENTER August 8 Lina’s Jal el Dib September 5 Lina’s Verdun October 3 Lina’s Hamra November 7 Lina’s Kaslik December 5 Grand Finals Lina’s Downtown

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

LEARN HOW TO MAKE CHEF LAMINA’S WINNING RECIPE!

SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS

•Halloumi slices •1 cup basil leaves •1/4 cup olive oil •1/4 cup balsamic vinegar •1 cucumber cut into rings •1 tomato cut into half moon slices •4 leaves lettuce •Half cup olives seedless •2 brown bread slices •Salt to taste

METHOD Mix basil leaves with oil. Mix well to create a paste then set aside. Cut the bread and paste one table spoon of basil mixture on one half. Add one tea spoon balsamic vinegar on the upper half. Place halloumi slices on top of the basil mixture. Follow with cucumber, tomato, olives and lettuce. Finish with the bread slice with balsamic vinegar.

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162 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

Toss + Turn

YOUR MENU UPSIDE DOWN

WITH LARA ARISS

THIS ISSUE, RAGMAG IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST CHEF, LARA ARISS. LARA IS A LEBANESE EXPAT IN TRAINING AT LE CORDON BLEU IN LONDON, ENGLAND. EACH EDITION OF RAGMAG, LARA WILL PRESENT A MEAL IN SEVERAL COURSES THAT YOU CAN TRY AT HOME. FOR MORE GREAT IDEAS, CHECK HER OUT ON THE WEB

HTTP://WWW.BYLARA.ME FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @LARAARISS FIND HER ON FACEBOOK BYLARA

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

ARTICHOKE AND MOZZARELLA

CHEESE CROSTINI

163

PREPARATION TIME 30 MINUTES SERVES 4 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS

•90 grams jar marinated artichoke hearts •1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley •6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese •½ Baguette •Ground white pepper •Salt •Olive oil

METHOD

a food processor with the parsley and season with white pepper and salt, process to a smooth paste. • Slice the baguette into 6 thin slices and lightly brush each slice with olive oil. Place the slices on a baking tray and bake until golden brown. Turn the slices at least once. • Once the slices have been removed from the oven spread the artichoke paste on each slice. Top with thin slices of mozzarella cheese. Garnish with parsley leaf and a light drizzle of olive oil.

eat, drink + be merry

• Preheat oven to 150°C • Drain the marinated artichoke hearts and place them in

164 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

ROCKET SALAD

TOSSED WITH PEAR + PARMESAN

PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS

•200 grams rocket leaves •2 pears, thinly sliced •150 grams shaved Parmesan cheese •Olive oil •Balsamic vinegar

METHOD • Put the rocket leaves in a bowl with the pears and parmesan cheese. • Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss together.

PREPARATION TIME COOKING TIME SERVES LEVEL

20 MINUTES 30 MINUTES 4 EASY

INGREDIENTS

•700 grams assorted mushrooms, halved or quartered •3 tablespoons olive oil •3 garlic cloves, crushed •1 tablespoon thyme leaves •250 ml white wine, your preference •250 grams angel hair pasta •2 tablespoons butter •2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley •Sea salt •black pepper •finely grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

eat, drink + be merry

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms and toss until the garlic begins to soften. • Add the white wine and season with sea salt. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 - 7 minutes. • Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiled water and cook until dente and then drain. • Then place the pasta in a hot saucepan with butter and parsley and stir. • To serve: pile the pasta onto four plates. Make a well in the center and pile with mushrooms. Drizzle with the liquid from the mushroom saucepan. Season with black pepper and sprinkled parmesan cheese.

ANGEL HAIR

MUSHROOM PASTA

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

UPSIDE-DOWN

CARAMELIZED MANGO CAKE

PREPARATION TIME BAKE TIME SERVES LEVEL

30 MINUTES 50-60 MINUTES 8-10 EASY

INGREDIENTS

• For the topping • 100 grams granulated sugar • 1 large mango, not completely ripe

• For the sponge • 175 grams unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, plus extra for greasing • 175 grams granulated sugar • 3 eggs, beaten • 225 grams all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 75 ml milk, full fat or low fat

• To serve

• vanilla ice cream

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 200°C. • Lightly grease 20cm round cake tin with butter and

line base with parchment paper. • For the topping: Put the sugar in a saucepan and gently heat till the sugar turns a brownish color, swirl the pan from time to time to allow for a consistent caramelize and to avoid burning. • Tip the caramel into the greased cake tin base. Tilt the tin slightly to allow for an even coating. Allow to cool aside. • In the meantime, peel and slice the mango. Arrange the slices on top of the caramel. At this point the caramel should have hardened. • For the sponge: Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy and pale in color. Continue to beat while adding the eggs a little at a time. Fold in the flour and baking powder and spoon in the milk. Continue to beat until you have a smooth consistency. Gently pour the batter over the caramel and mango slices. Leave to rest a few minutes to ensure the batter is levelled inside the tin.

• Bake for 60 minutes but check at 50 minutes, by inserting a cocktail stick or toothpick in the center of the sponge, which should come out clean. Once complete remove from oven and allow to rest in tin for 5 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack. • Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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166 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

quizz ROUND #1

ROUND #2

Trivia

ROUND #3

Geography

ROUND #4

Science + Nature

Sporting Moments

1. What do the letters UPS stand for?

1. What is the largest country in Africa?

1. Where does the name “Blue Ray” come from?

2. Cat Steven’s record “It’s a Wild World” is used in trailers for what TV crime series?

2. In which country can you see Angel Falls?

2. What is the main difference between a fish and a mammal, beside the fact that mammals breathe air?

3. What organ in the human body has the same name as a punctuation mark? 4. What is the most common colour, beside white, used on the flags of countries? 5. What English word is derived from an old French word meaning “Sour Wine”? 6. In the book “20,000 Leagues under the sea” who was the captain of the Nautilus? 7. Staying with the book, what distance is a “League”? 8. What distinguishing feature does a manx cat have?

3. Which of Australia’s six states comes first alphabetically?

6. 7. 8.

9. Which city, in Italy, is home to the 10. Ducati motorcycle company? 10. Cristiano Ronaldo advertised what hair product on television?

2. Which famous boxer’s last fight took place in 1981 against Trevor Berbick?

3. Who did Uruguay defeat when they won the first Soccer World Cup? 4. What is the Latin name for 4. womb? Who was the youngest male winner The Aurora Borealis is better of a Wimbledon championship? known as what? 5. Where in the body would you find 5. the Cochlea and the stirrup bone? What is the name of the British What is the largest country in F1 driver who came second the Caribbean? 6. What is the largest key on a in 16 races but never won a standard keyboard? championship? What is the capital city of 6. Belarus? 7. What is the difference between a Who won the 2007-2008 UEFA dynamo and an alternator? Champions League Final? What letter of the alphabet does 7. not appear in the name of any 8. Xenophobia is the fear of what? How many times has Michael US State? Schumacher won the F1 9. What gas is formed when sea championship? What sea has shores in Europe, water comes in contact with 8. Asia and Africa? electricity and was the cause Who did Al Riyadi beat in 2006of death of many submariners 2007 Arab Clubs championship? What is the only country in the during WWII? 9. world that is crossed by both Name the American cyclist who the Equator and the Tropic of 10. What name is given to the study won the Tour de France 7 times. Capricorn? of poisons and venoms? 10. Who is the youngest driver to win the F1 championship?

4. Erie, Superior and Michigan are 3 of the 5 Great Lakes. Name the other two. 5.

1. Who’s the only one to hold the F1 and Motorbike World championship titles at the same time?

3. A polygraph is more commonly known as what?

dingbats easy

courage AMERICAN COOKING?

GREAT IDEA!

DOES A SOLDIER HAVE THIS?

SONG 1rst CLASS DRINK?

drunk and no money!

PANTOMIME

courage BOOK

IT’S IN THE PAST.

ROUND#1 1. United Parcel Service 2. Without a trace 3. Colon 4. Red 5. Vinegar 6. Captain Nemo 7. 3 miles 8. No tail 9.Bologna 10. Clear Shampoo ROUND#2 1. Sudan 2. Venezuela 3. New South Wales 4. Huron and Ontario 5. Northern Lights 6. Cuba 7. Minsk 8. Q 9. Mediterranean 10. Brazil ROUND#3 1. Laser is Blue 2. A fish’s tail is vertical, a mammal’s tail is horizontal 3. Lie detector 4. Uterus 5. The ear 6. Space Bar 7. A dynamo produces D.C. 8. Foreigner 9. Chlorine 10 Toxicology ROUND#4 1. John Surtees 2. Mohammad Ali 3. Argentina 4. Boris Becker 5. Stirling Moss 6. Manchester United 7. Seven 8. Sagesse 9. Lance Armstrong 10. Lewis Hamilton EGGS OVER EASY - BRAINWAVE - COURAGE UNDER FIRE WHEELS ON FIRE - BUCKS FIZZ - PUSS IN BOOTS PISTON BROKE (pissed and broke) - KAMA SUTRA - WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

crosswords 2

167

7 8

DOWN

18 20

2. Can’t be penetrated. 4. Goes off course. 5. A little fatter. 6. Animal stuffer. 7. Short poems? 8. Ready to listen to any point of view. 10. A cigarette’s drug. 11. Barbie’s friend? 12. The least effort. 13. A water storage. 14. Not the whole thing. 17. The other side. 18. A pilot’s safety device? 21. Clotted. 22. Very pale. 23. Sneaks around. 24. Was he terrible? 30. It goes on. 32. Moves like a wave. 34. Most typical. 36. The white cliffs are here. 37. Empty the toilet. 38. An emblem. 40. Really dry. 41. He looks after the warehouse. 42. Not evens. 43. A big dance hall. 47. A wheel guard? 51. The last part of salt? 52. Without work. 53. Gently. 54. Handy when brewing. 58. The smallest one. 59. He liked to impale people. 60. He runs the accounts. 61. Pierre-Auguste. 63. Brothers and sisters. 64. A battle was fought here. 65. Gives no assistance. 67. He’s running! 69. Out of breath. 70. Mindless destruction? 73. Old human skin? 74. Like a sheep’s coat. 77. Not the stamen.

22 23

36 37

50 51

56 57 60

62 66

68 69

77 78

80 81 83

ACROSS

1. A drug addicts dream? 3. Used anything. 9. A boxer’s inebriation? 15. Drive evil out. 16. Not very likely. 19. A car or a chair? 20. An independent person or a sheriff. 25. Participate.

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

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

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

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

26. Really ugly. 27. Don’t zig. 28. French customs? 29. Wrapped in bandages? 31. Can do many things. 33. To do with good food? 35. Has a special talent. 39. To do with heart muscle.

43. Be in a gang? 44. Funny behaviour. 45. The way out. 46. A doughnut shaped transformer. 48. A smoked fish. 49. One of the regions? 50. Inquires. 55. A black Roman leader?

EASY

9 3

2 9

7 1 8 6

3 6 1 4 3 9 8 7 9 4

9 8 4

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

9 5 1 2 7 3 6 4 8

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

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

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

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

56. Dubious morality. 57. Top of a wave. 62. Envious. 66. Gives a party. 68. Lines measured from GMT. 71. Part of a crane. 72. Stretched. 75. A piece of hair?

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

5 4 8

2 7 5

3 3 2 8 6 1 4 5 7 9

7 6 4 9 8 5 2 3 1

6 4 2 7 9 8 1 5 3

8 7 3 1 5 6 9 2 4

5 1 9 3 4 2 7 8 6

1 8 5 4 6 7 3 9 2

4 3 6 5 2 9 8 1 7

2 9 7 8 3 1 4 6 5

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

7 1 2 9 8 6 5 4 3

4 9 3 1 5 7 6 2 8

4 9 1 5 6 4 8 9 8 4 3 9

3 6 8 2 9 1 7 5 4

1 7 4 8 3 5 2 6 9

9 2 5 7 6 4 8 3 1

2 8 9 5 1 3 4 7 6

5 4 1 6 7 8 3 9 2

6 3 7 4 2 9 1 8 5

76. A type of flag. 78. A speech defect. 79. A small piece of fungus. 80. Put cement between tiles. 81. A wanderer. 82. Vibrate because of fear. 83. Girls like a small one.

ACROSS 1. HALLUCINATION - 3. IMPROVISED - 9. PUNCHDRUNK 15. EXORCISE - 16. IMPROBABLE - 19. SEAT 20. MAVERICK - 25. PARTAKE - 26. HIDEOUS - 27. ZAG 28. DOUANE - 29. SWATHED - 31. MULTIFUNCTIONAL 33. GASTRONOMICAL - 35. GIFTED - 39. MYOCARDIAL 43. BELONG - 44. ZANY - 45. EXIT - 46. TOROIDAL 48. KIPPER - 49. NETHER - 50. ASKS - 55. NERO 56. QUESTIONABLE - 57. CREST - 62. JEALOUS 66. HOSTS - 68. LONGTIDUDE - 71. JIB 72. LENGHTHENED - 75. QUIFF - 76. ENSIGN - 78. LISP 79. SPORE - 80. GROUTED - 81. VAGABOND 82.TREMBLE - 83. WAISTLINE

DOWN 2. IMPERVIOUS - 4. VEERS - 5. PLUMPER 6. TAXIDERMIST - 7. ODES - 8. OPENMINDED 10. NICOTINE - 11. KEN - 12. MINIMAL - 13. RESEVOIR 14. FRACTION - 17. FLIP - 18. PARACHUTE 21. COAGULATED - 22. ASHEN - 23. PROWLS - 24. IVAN 30. CONTINUES - 32. UNDULATES - 34. QUINTESSENTIAL 36. DOVER - 37. FLUSH - 38. INSIGNIA - 40. ARID 41. STOREMAN - 42. ODDS - 43. BALLROOM 47. FENDER - 51. CHLORIDE - 52. JOBLESS - 53. MILDLY 54. YEAST - 58. RUNT - 59. VLAD - 60. BOOKKEEPER 61. RENOIR - 63. SIBLINGS - 64. YPRES - 65. UNHELPFUL 67. FUGITIVE - 69. WINDED - 70. WANTON - 73. DUST 74. WOOLY - 77. PETAL

168 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

Zodiac forecasts FROM JONATHAN CAINER

August.2011

MERCURY WILL BE RETROGRADE FOR MOST OF AUGUST. THAT WILL HAMPER MANY PROCESSES THAT INVOLVE TRAVEL, TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATION AND EXPLANATION. IT DOESN’T, THOUGH, MEAN NOTHING WILL GET DONE, OR SAID, OR UNDERSTOOD OR SORTED OUT. WE HAVE A TENDENCY, SOMETIMES, TO SEE A SMALL STUMBLING BLOCK AS A TOWERING OBSTACLE. MARS OPPOSING PLUTO THIS MONTH MAY EXACERBATE THAT. JUPITER’S SLOW PROGRESS MAY ALSO CAUSE SOME TO FEEL A LOSS OF FAITH. BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A TIME WHEN, DURING A PHASE OF REFLECTION, AMAZING, INSPIRING DISCOVERIES CAN BE MADE.

ROBERT DE NIRO

KATE BECKINSALE

VIRGO

August 24 - September 23

Is a change really as good as a rest? Ha. We’re not comparing like with like here! It’s a bit like asking if a tomato is as good as a sofa. A rest is a rest. You lie down, close your eyes, give your body a little time off and let your mind drift. A change is a change. You find new stimulation and excitement. I suspect the confusion has come about because often, in the act of changing, we take a rest from whatever was there before the change. It’s a rest — not a change — you need now. August gives you a chance to recover from recent stress and rediscover old, lost faith! FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

LEO

July 24 - August 23

The world is full of people who want to sell us something. They’ve got offers we can’t refuse. They can offer us savings we won’t believe... and reasons why, if we don’t act quickly, stocks may run out or prices may rise. The best bargains, though, are the ones that come from stopping to think about what we are doing and whether there’s a cleverer way to achieve the same kind of result. Here, this month, comes a brainwave or a piece of information that can potentially increase your income AND reduce your bills! You’ll just have to sell it to yourself! FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

LIBRA

September 24 - October 23 In the poker game of life, we are all big bluffers. We look one another in the eye and tell little white lies with such regularity that we forget there’s a gap between what we are saying and what we are thinking. We play out social roles. We follow protocols. We say and do what’s expected of us. Not all the time, of course. Not with everyone. Hopefully. But sometimes, it’s just such an easy way to get pressure off our backs. Watch out in August, for overly easy answers. Don’t offer them. Don’t accept them. Take the cards you’ve been dealt. Lay them on the table. And trust. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

October 24 - November 22

November 23 - December 21

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

In August, how many miracles can you work? Hey. Let’s stop right now. You don’t need to work several miracles. One is going to be quite sufficient. The only question is, which one? There is something that you would dearly like to be able to do — although, clearly, you can’t. Don’t, in your recognition of this reality, become so disappointed that you fail to see an alternative solution. On offer, this month, is an option that is just as miraculous in its own way, yet significantly more attainable. Sometimes, truly amazing things can happen. Give fate a chance to surprise you.

Sometimes people are generous for the wrong reasons. They give, not because they feel inspired to help but because they feel guilty. Their gestures of largesse are designed to impress. Sometimes too, people give because they hope that this will inspire others to give back to them in return. Their selfless acts are secretly selfish. What matters in your world now is that you act with sincerity and that you speak with candour. Don’t judge and don’t be concerned. In August, all you need to be is honest, clear and genuine. Everything else will then take care of itself.

As you climb the ladder of success, many people will encourage and support you. Some will cheer from down below as they see you ascend. Some will give you practical assistance. They will make way for you on the step that they happen to be on - and help you find a foothold to the next. Others will not be so kind, but these will be easy to spot. It’s only once you really start openly, obviously winning that people turn against you and begin to secretly yearn for your downfall. So you’d best be ready to be discreet in August — for you are due to do well.

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

SCORPIO

AQUARIUS

PISCES

December 22 - January 20

ARIES

January 21 - February 19

February 20 - March 20

March 21 - April 20

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

May 22 - June 22

June 23 - July 23

Are you spoilt for choice? In one way, you are. A decision that might normally be easy to make is tricky. There are so many fascinating options and alternatives. Though some of these seem like attractions, others are really just big distractions. So how do you tell the difference? Just ask yourself what you would do if you were in a really tight corner? Who would you turn to then? What would you need more than anything? Make sure that your fall-back position is totally secure this month. If it isn’t, your choice is made. If it is, you can choose whatever you like!

How much sillier can it get? How much crazier can it become? Not much! Things really can’t become much more ridiculous but they can get a lot smoother, saner and more satisfying - which is precisely what they are about to do. You will soon start to feel very glad of all that has lately tested your patience and even caused you to question your own sanity. August holds, for you, the delightful discovery that — whether entirely by accident or as part of some hidden grand design — life has led you into a fortunate position. More fortunate than you yet realise.

The scene: a planning meeting, underground. As we join the debate, we hear: ‘It is a waste of time. We will never get up.’ ‘Even if we do, we’ll never attain the projected height.’ ‘Surely, in the current climate, we should downsize our expectations.’ ‘Indeed, and do we have emergence permits? What are the health and safety implications?’ Fortunately the lives of trees, plants and flowers are not run by councils and committees. They follow a simple, primeval passion. Do the same in August. Stop thinking, start letting the tree of hope grow tall and strong within you.

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

Are you starting to see things differently? Are you coming up with answers to questions that you never even realised that you needed to ask? Are you encountering frustration one moment, elation the next - as circumstances swing from the sublime to the ridiculous at indecent and unreasonable speeds? Are you making discoveries that half scare and half uplift you? Does nothing make much sense? Fear not. The process that you are going through is intense but important. August takes your journey another stage further. Soon life will bring a big breakthrough.

April 21 - May 21

Resentment is a dangerous thing. It erodes confidence, fuels addiction, provides an apparent excuse for bad behaviour and destroys integrity. Worst of all, it ruins humour. Resentful people find very little to laugh about. Now, what are you planning to do in August and why are you planning to do it? Make a promise to yourself, this month, to act out of love and inspiration, not out of need or obligation. Then you will neither incur nor experience a negative reaction. You can free yourself from all that makes you feel bad by reaching for the very best within yourself.

Is this whole world in a terrible mess? It depends on how you look at it. This is a glorious wonderful place, if you’re feeling in the right frame of mind to see it. And your world? Your personal territory? Is that a catalogue of errors or a series of triumphant tales? Once again, it depends on how you choose to view it. So now we turn to your outlook for August and I think, you can guess what I am going to say. You, and nobody else but you, has the power to turn a tricky situation right around. It won’t be what you do that makes the difference. It will be what you think!

CANCER

169

SELPICNIRP

INVERTED

THE GRAVITY OF ANTIGRAVITY

170 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011

BY J.E.N.

the final frontier

ometimes we want to turn our world upside and feel free from all of gravity’s shackles. We want to experience antigravity. But what is anti-gravity? Antigravity is the concept of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. Is it science fiction or science fact? Films, comics and video games abound with mention of antigravity but in the real world, antigravity seems to have been confined to the realm of pseudoscience. Or has it? While over-the-top and fantastical at first glance, antigravity is slowly being supported by a growing body of evidence from astrophysics and is seriously being explored by the scientists and companies. How did the idea of antigravity pop up? By using good old fashioned common sense (which is not necessarily infallible). We all know that there are both attractive and repulsive forces that magnets exert on one another. Forces between electric charges work the same way with unlike charges attracting and like charges repelling. So if we can note the effects of gravitational attraction here on Earth and in the cosmos, then there must be some sort of gravitational repulsion (like antigravity). This all sounds very promising until we take a closer look at gravity. Newton’s

RESEARCH INTO ANTIGRAVITY CONTINUES WITH NASA AND LARGE INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURERS JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON. law of universal gravitation presented gravity as an external force transmitted by unknown means. But in the 20th century, general relativity supplanted Newton’s model. In general relativity gravity is the result of the geometry of space rather than a force and so antigravity is impossible except under unnatural circumstances. And yet antigravity still generates interest. The idea of antigravity conjures up futuristic images of the Starship Enterprise with its warp drive. While we’re a long way from boldly going where no man has gone before, a greater understanding of aerodynamics and lifts means we know how to accomplish feats that seemingly defy gravity, giving antigravity like results. Proper scientists and inventors (not just mad scientists) have experimented with magnets to suspend objects in the air, again making them look like they’re defying gravity). An example of this is the Levitron which is a spinning toy that floats over a base which is permanently magnetized (the “trick” here is that the top has a similar magnetic pole).A research team lead by Andrey Geimat the High Field Magnet Laboratory of the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands succeeded in levitating several small objects, including live

grasshoppers and frogs, in a large magnetic field. (We showcased this very same thing in our June Force issue’s RAGged facts!) They used the properties of diamagnetic materials to achieve this. Diamagnets basically create an induced magnetic field which opposes the field it has been exposed to. This results in levitation in certain scenarios. The induced magnetic field in the objects is caused by the spinning of electrons. In 1992, Russian researcher Dr. Eugene Podkletnov found what appeared to be an antigravity machine while doing routine superconductor testing at Tampere University of Technology in Finland. After a huge hullabaloo that peaked in 1996, it remains unclear whether the device worked or not and various explanations have popped up like the objects were affected by a magnetic field or an unseen byproduct of Einstein’s theory of relativity (by which rapidly spinning objects distort gravitational fields). But the impact of Podkletnov’s work can still be felt today. Research into antigravity continues with NASA and large industrial manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon. Maybe we’re one step closer to lift off

THE UPSIDE DOWN ISSUE

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172 RAGMAG | AUGUST 2011