RAGMAG The Affinity Issue | February 2013 | issue #32 by RAGMAG Magazine

MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2013

THE

AFFINITY ISSUE

AYO

STARRING

TECHNOLOGY

JAY WUD +POLY

BLACKBERRY 10 IS FINALLY HERE

COME INTO MY

FROM RAGMAG

BOUDOIR

THE WAY WE YOU

TOEING THE LINE BETWEEN

SEXY+

CNN’ S ARWA DAMON

SLUTTY

A RETROSPECTIVE

LOVE BITES

ON BEIRUT

KATY PERRY IN DUBAI THE

ARMIN-GEDDON

A STATE OF TRANCE 2013

ARMIN VAN BUUREN

BIGGEST DJ ON EARTH EXCLUSIVE

VAN BUUREN

INTERVIEW WITH

FEBRUARY 2013

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

MAGAZINE

Tel: 961 1 999

Editor in Chief Fida Z Chaaban Creative Lead Odette Kahwagi

Allenby Street - Downtown Beirut

ABC Dbayeh - Level 2

BHV - Citymall

Opening soon in Beirut City Center

Publisher Gina Gabriel El-Fady

Assistant to the Editor Youmna Chagoury Junior Graphic Designer Eliane Elias Photographers Odette Kahwagi Walid Hoyek Jason Zamora Teddy Habib Jennifer Williams

Contributors Lara Ariss Stephanie Aoun Jonathan Cainer Amal Chaaban Rabih Feghali Rebecca Fisher-Swarbrooke Maria Frangieh Alice Hlidkova Sarah Hourany Leslie Iddison J.E.N. Maria-Elena Kassab Imogen Kimber Chris Lambert Sabina Llewellyn-Davies Maha Majzoub Rani Nasr Nour Obaji Jacques Tchabarian Adam Volk

w w w . r a g m a g . c o

@RAGMAGLebanon RAGMAGMagazine RAGMAG

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

Selected images Shutterstock

Stylist Jony Matta

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

46 EDITOR’S OPINION 14 POWER IS OUT, AGAIN

OUR EDITOR BREAKS UP WITH EDL

EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES 110 COPYCAT REAL LIFE RUNWAY

122 DIRTY PRETTY

OUR FASHION SHOOT

114 HERMÈS DOES IT BEST THE ART OF TIME

109 BACKSTAGE PASS

SEXY SNEAK PEEK WITH VERSACE

ARMINGEDDON INTERVIEW WITH DJ ARMIN VAN BUUREN

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OUT + ABOUT 46 KISS ME, KATE!

KATY PERRY + USHER IN DUBAI

44 10 YEARS STRONG DUDE WE LOVE PALAIS

CULTURE CLASH 20 RETROSPECTIVE: LEBANON

INSIDE BEIRUT WITH CNN CORRESPONDENT ARWA DAMON

74 THE LEBANESE LOVE SURVEY HAYDA LEBNEN

28 THE COLOURS OF CORNO IN LOVE WITH CITYLIFE

34 SHOW ME YOUR STUFF

THE BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY DEBATE

52 ARMIN-GEDDON

INTERVIEW WITH DJ ARMIN VAN BUUREN

YOU + YOUR COUNTRY 18 SAVING GRACE

THE ORDER OF NURSES IN LEBANON

DOLLARS+SENSE 170 WE NO LIKEY

YOUR TAXES MAY BE IN FOR A HIKE! THE AFFINITY ISSUE

151, av. Victor Hugo 75116 Paris 469 Broome Street, New York 10013 Palladium, 2 Park Avenue, Mina El Hosn, Beyrouth FEBRUARY 2013

www.isabelmarant.com

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

62 FML 40 ABSTINENCE FOR RAGMAG NO KISSY FACE!

MIND, BODY + SOUL 76 HELP ME NOUR + RABIH ADVICE

78 LOVE YOURSELF ATTAINABLE GOALS

MIRROR MIRROR 101 I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE NIVEA CLEANS YOU UP

98 PORE YOU!

GET REFINED SKIN WITH CLINIQUE

64 #VACAYINLEBANON SPA REVIEW

102 HIT THE SLOPES

SULTRY SKI BUNNY MAKEUP BY M.A.C

96 DANCE WITH LOVE DIOR’S PERFECT 10

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 158 RESTAURANT REVIEW GRAND GOU

160 SWEET+SULTRY FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

122

DIRTY

PRETTY STARRING

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RECIPES

156 FOR THE LOVE OF WINE A LIFETIME ROMANCE

TAKE ME WITH YOU 148 EDINBURGH TRAVEL

MON AMOUR, MON AMI 86 THE POWER OF TOUCH HUG YOU MOTHAHUGGA

142 RAGMAG

MIXTAPE

THE SEXIEST ROCK SONGS

THE FINAL FRONTIER 24 BLACKBERRY 10 IS HERE! TECH 82 HOT ‘N HEAVY PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE 144 145 146 147

SEE, SPEAK + HEAR NO EVIL SOUND CHECK MUSIC READ’EM + WEEP BOOKS PLAY NICE GAMES WATCH OUT FILM THE AFFINITY ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2013

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

BOTTOM OF PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LEA EL-ALAM, ODETTE KAHWAGI, DANIELLA TAYAR, ELIANE ELIAS, YOUMNA CHAGOURY, TEDDY YOUNES, GINA GABRIEL, FIDA CHAABAN

utting together a one of a kind magazine such as RM on a monthly basis involves dedication, guts, humor, cheer talent, lots of love, and most importantly a bunch of strangers that come together with one goal in mind: to create a unique publication called RAGMAG. That was at the beginning! Now the strangers have become friends but the goal is still the same and in a way getting harder. My staff, some of our dedicated contributors and I have come together today and specifically for the month of February to thank you for the love you have shown us in the past couple of years and to show you some love in return.

MEET RAGMAG

BEHIND THE SCENES Fida Chaaban: You have all gotten to know Fida over the years, some personally but mostly through her Editor’s letters. She has made no secret of her type-A workaholic personality, her love for BlackBerry and that her job comes before friendships. Through her writing we have all gotten to know a different side of Lebanon. Her personality has been at times compared to boot camp but one can’t help but admiring it and wanting to have it and to some extent be type-A. Odette Kahwagi: I know very well that behind the scenes is where Odette would like to remain, which is a funny thing really! Because Odette is the other half. In the past couple of years she has come a long way and her wings have been spread wide. To prove it you only have to look at how beautifully she translates the numerous voices of our contributors onto paper, mastering the visual elements of design and photography.

Other integral people of RM’s core team: Youmna Chagoury, Daniella Tayar, Lea ElAlam, Teddy Younes, and Eliane Elias are nothing less than 100 percent dedication. Now you can put faces to the names you know. Youmna is the ‘original’, not afraid to try anything and she never says no. Daniella is happy go lucky, always a smile on her face come rain or sunshine. Teddy is bossyI mean that literally nothing else to add because she’s the King of the Castle, Eliane is the newest quirky member of RM and she is rapidly becoming a strong team player. Lea is timid- that’s just to put you off track, in reality it’s not so. I wanted to say thank you to the contributors who joined us Imogen Kimber, Maria Frangieh, Sarah Hourany, and Maria-Elena Kassab. These ladies have been with us for a long time and they’re part of the magazine you know so well. I hope you have enjoyed our little get together shoot all in honor of Valentine’s. Some extra TLC never hurt anyone. On behalf of us all here, #RAGMAGLOVESYOU

Gina Gabriel El-Fady | Publisher

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

MEET RAGMAG BEHIND THE SCENES | THE CONTRIBUTORS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARIA-ELENA KASSAB, IMOGEN KIMBER, GINA GABRIEL EL-FADY, SARAH HOURANY, MARIA FRANGIEH @ElenaKassab

@GinaGabriel1

@MariaFrangieh

@SarahHourany

CHECK OUT SOME RAGGED

FEBRUARY 2013

FOR Y’ALL ON PAGE 70

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すぐに来る

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

EDITOR’S LETTER

THE

AFFINITY

ISSUE

BECAUSE RAGMAG REALLY DOES YOU

ou all seemed to really enjoy our double edition starring Pierrette Katrib, Betty Taoutel and the three handsome Swedes from SHM! Thank you all for the feedback. We hope you all benefited from our January Health Guide and followed up on your resolutions for a better 2013. I know that I kicked off the year with a renewed commitment to my yoga practise. This year we are starting off one of the more entertaining holidays on the yearly calendar- all thumping hearts and a hunka hunka burning love. Here at RAGMAG, we can honestly say the sole reason we keep on giving you our all every issue is because our readership is the best a publication can hope for. If you flip back to Gina’s letter, you’ll notice some of our cool contributors showing you their love, and if you flip to our relationship section (Mon Amour Mon Ami) you’ll see the core RAGMAG staff letting loose too. We hope you like our Valentine’s Day gift to you. This issue we have a few interesting angles to share: the power of touch, the evolutionary psychology behind your relationship, and finally, what it’s like to shut down the kissy-kissy for a full 3 weeks. One of our contributors had to slam on the amorous brakes where her boyfriend was concerned. Yes folks, she loves RAGMAG that much. Find out more about that in our FML segment. Do you want to know what I am completely fixated on this issue? The launch of the BlackBerry 10! If y’all don’t know- I’M A CRACKBERRY ADDICT! I routinely de-friend people who leave BlackBerry. I don’t have a WhatsApp account so if you leave BBM, you’re pretty much cut out of my life. This is the way it works and you can ask anyone

FEBRUARY 2013

who knows me that this is 100 percent accurate. So join me in celebrating the launch of the device that I’ve been waiting for and check out the specs in our Final Frontier section. I think that it’s worth mentioning also that Youmna Chagoury, Assistant to the Ed., has re-joined the world of brevity and her returning to BlackBerry has made liaising more efficient. If you’re wondering why I am going on about this, it’s because other than our readers, my BlackBerry collection is my biggest affinity! Find me on Twitter @fidachaaban and follow @RAGMAGLebanon for updates and reader rewards that are meant to thank you for being part of RAGMAG. If you haven’t joined us on Facebook and Pinterest yet, we’re looking forward to seeing you on those mediums as well. Email me at letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com to send me your thoughts and opinions about this issue. Finally, I want to encourage you to subscribe to RAGMAG and make it a part of your life every month. We are the only magazine in Lebanon that talks back and you can find us on the web too at www.ragmag.co We’re here because of the support and constant encouragement of our loyal readers. It’s Your Magazine.

Fida Z Chaaban | Editor in Chief

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

FOR OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE WE CONTINUED TO TALK TO YOU VIA OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS- PINTEREST, TWITTER + FACEBOOK. WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND PARTICIPATION AND HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH US ONLINE.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND SCRIBBLE ON OUR WALL TO WIN, WRITE TO US AT LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR@RAGMAGLIVE.COM OR TWEET US ON TWITTER @RAGMAGLEBANON!

IF YOU’RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE A PIC WITH YOUR FAVORITE ISSUE, SEND IT OUR WAY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA OR EMAIL! YOU’RE ALL SO PINTERESTING, SO PIN US. RAGMAG IT’S YOUR MAGAZINE! RAGMAG reserves the right to edit for clarity and content

We’re showing off some of the best images that our readers sent in via email and Twitter. Thank you to all of the readers who sent us tweets and emails of their copies of RAGMAG.

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU SO KEEP IT UP! Our friends from BeirutNightLife.com, Elie Tarabay and Jihad Ghalo, got caught on camera by our staffers with the October 2012 Control issue. Keep it real, guys. We’ll be dropping by your offices soon for lunch!

One of the coolest things we’ve ever seen? Jad Ghadry’s sketch of our October 2011 Motorized issue starring Director Nagy Souraty. We stumbled across the image on Instagram, so we decided to share it and the original cover that inspired it with you all. We’re loving your work, Jad! Thank you for interpreting our cover and sharing it on Instagram.

Check out comprehensive image and video coverage of the biggest events around on BeirutNightLife.com’s platforms! @BeirutNightLife

BeirutNightLife

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

WIN THIS! WE WEAR OUR SUNGLASSES

AT NIGHT!

The newest trend that we’re all about? Nunettes have finally come to the Middle East! The Valentine’s Day collection is fun and sends the right message- grab your favorite pair while you can! The shady peeps at Nunettes will be rewarding 3 lucky RAGMAG readers with a flair for fashion. Check out our favorite celebs wearing their Nunettes on stage, out + about, and pretty much everywhere! Here you go, sneak peeks of Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Akon, 50 Cent, and Pit Bull being shady!

HOW TO WIN

YOUR PAIR OF NUNETTES 1. Send us a link to Corey Hart’s “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night” by email letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com 2. Choose your favorite pair and mention it in the email to make sure that you’re one of our 3 winners!

WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT WITH NUNETTES NunettesMiddleEast

FEBRUARY 2013

@NunettesME

NunettesME

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

EDITOR’S OPINION

I DON’T FEEL A SINGLE THING FOR YOU

HOW ÉLECTRICITÉ DU LIBAN LET HELL FREEZE OVER

oday I’m living the real Lebanese experience: I’ve got no power and I’ve got no internet connection. I’m charging my BlackBerry from my laptop, and the battery life of said laptop is quickly diminishing. Soon I’ll have to pack my things and seek refuge at a friend’s place. Today is Thursday, January 10th and Twitter is viral with people lamenting the reason behind Beirut’s power outage. Many people (like the attendant in my building) attribute the outage to the stormthis is somewhat true. The rest of the story is that laxity and privilege play a major role in the failure to provide electricity to Lebanon.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: EDL BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHY WALID HOYEK

For those of you abroad: my power has been out for a full 13 hours now and it isn’t expected to return today at all. If you live in a country with central heating, then you may not grasp the gravity of this situation so allow me to explain. I don’t have central heating in my apartment, it is instead heated like many flats in Lebanon: by air conditioning units that convert to heaters in the winter. These converted a/c units run on electricity, therefore blackouts mean no heat for the residents of Lebanon who rely on these a/c units for warmth. As I type this, my fingers are numb, my teeth are chattering and I am wearing 3 layers of sweaters. This all sounds very Dickensian, so bear

with me. Numerous friends in the hospitality industry have offered me hotel rooms and countless others have offered to put me up at their homes for a few days since they have generators. Let me make something clear: while I’m extremely grateful for the generosity of my friends and my colleagues, I decided to stay home in the stubborn hope that this disaster would resolve itself. What disaster? Hold on tight, you’re in for a wild ride. Since I’m setting a very Charles Dickens like stage, you might be expecting the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Don’t, unless you want to call them the Ghosts of Nepotism, Negligence, and Mismanagement.

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EDITOR’S OPINION

OPPOSITE PAGE: EDL BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHY WALID HOYEK

The thugs, and yes I fully understand the implications of labelling them as hoodlums and gangsters, at Electricité du Liban (EDL), have this country by the balls. The “workers” -note the use of scare quotes here- have decided to strike during the worst storm Lebanon has seen in a dog’s age. Freezing temperatures coupled with rain and snow have debilitated Lebanon’s power grid and the “workers” have refused to go back to work to make the necessary repairs. In the meantime, people are freezing. In a country with little infrastructure to speak of, the flooding and cool temperatures are a major issue. I cannot convey how bad circumstances really are. Why are they striking? Apparently, and please correct me if I’m wrong, some are seeking full-time employment and some are seeking pay

I AM NOT FOR A GANGLAND STYLE LOCKDOWN IN A COUNTRY WELL KNOWN FOR CORRUPTION AND CRONYISM. WHERE DO CORRUPTION AND CRONYISM COME INTO THIS EQUATION? NEPOTISM OF A SECTARIAN NATURE AND APPOINTMENT OF ILL-SUITED INDIVIDUALS TO THEIR POSTS 16 | R A G M A G | www.ragmag.co

adjustments. Before you give in to that surge of sympathy, a brief recap is in order here: they, these “employees”, have pulled stunts like this before- in the dead of summer while we were shouldering crippling high temperatures and surging humidity. If I recall correctly, these same employees were requested to take exams to determine their suitability for their respective positions. This led to more striking and more mess. How dare they ask them to prove their skills? How dare the people of Lebanon request that the staff of our power provider actually be fit for their cushy positions! As of today, these same people are threatening to “occupy” (their word not mine), EDL headquarters again. To my understanding, this is to be a tent and mattress situation (doubtless the HQ of EDL has heat, un-

like most of Beirut right now). Maybe I can join the festivities and huddle with them for warmth. Why am I writing about this? Because I’m generally the sort of person who allies myself with the rights of workers. I am also the kind of person who champions the underdog. By default this should mean that I am pro the EDL strikes and will throw my support behind the workers who are now trying to prove their point. I am not. I am for the rights of skilled workers who are underappreciated and undercompensated. I am for the rights of honest people who are by sheer dint of circumstance and for no other reason, marginalized. I am not for a gangland style lockdown in a country well known for corruption and cronyism. Where do corruption and cronyism come into this equation? Nep-

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

I DON’T FEEL A SINGLE THING FOR YOU | HOW ELECTRICITÉ DU LIBAN LET HELL FREEZE OVER

EDL: YOUR WEBSITE LOOKS LIKE IT WAS CREATED BY A 14 YEAR-OLD (WWW.EDL.GOV.LB) AND THE HOTLINE (1707) THAT IS LISTED ON THE SITE DIDN’T WORK WHEN I TRIED TO CALL

hugely reflective of what is going on at EDL and I think I echo public sentiment when I say that I am sick of it. EDL is holding the country hostage by denying people their basic rights because of their misguided entitlement issues. Employees of EDL: we’re cold and we’re sitting in the dark. You owe me and you owe everyone else our power back. Shame on you. EDL: your website looks like it was created by a 14 year-old (www.edl.gov.lb) and the hotline (1707) that is listed on the site didn’t work when I tried to call. I’m not sure about the rest because I stopped caring after that. Further, your sign on the outer gates was half-burnt

out the last time I checked, an ironic commentary on the lack of accountability that seems to surround the whole of EDL and its staff. As for me? I have eight percent battery power left and the light is flashing. It’s now 10am and the hum of the generator in the building across the street is a reminder that I need to give up and leave my freezing cold apartment. At least until someone gets this hostage situation under control. There’s more than one way to execute a siege, and my blue fingers and goose bumps can attest to that. I hope that by the time this article goes to print a proper resolution will be found. Keep warm, Lebanon

ABOVE: EDL (ÉLECTRICITÉ DU LIBAN) WEBSITE

ment of ill-suited individuals to their posts. Even in this situation there could be a loophole, and I have considered that. Should these people, the workers who gained their valuable positions, be suited for their jobs in a full-time or even part-time capacity, then by all means- request better wages and security. Since they have summarily denied requests to prove how well suited they are for this type of work by refusing the aptitude testing, then they are indicating the exact reason why they should not be there in the first place. A number of politicos in Lebanon drain public and private industries by employing people woefully unsuited to their work. They don’t deserve their rates of compensation or their careers, and yet, they still get the inevitable placement because they pledge allegiance to a certain political figure or party. This is

FEBRUARY 2013

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YOU + YOUR COUNTRY

GIVE RESPECT

WHERE RESPECT IS DUE SAVING GRACE THE ORDER OF NURSES IN LEBANON BY IMOGEN KIMBER

THE NURSING PROFESSION IS AFFLICTED BY A WEALTH OF STEREOTYPES, ONE OF THE MAIN ONES BEING THAT OF THE ‘NAUGHTY NURSE’ OR AS A SEX SYMBOL

ost hospitals are run by an army of nurses; around 50 percent of all the staff in a hospital are nurses. This means that the majority of medical care people receive across the board is provided by nurses. Their knowledge and skillset must be broad, their study is long and thorough and the work is tough. Despite this vital contribution that nurses make to society they do not receive the accolades they deserve- not only this, they can face prejudice, harassment, and even violence. In Lebanon Helen Samaha, the President of The Order of Nurses, is working to change this.

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CHARGED AS A NURSE The nursing profession is afflicted by a wealth of stereotypes, one of the main ones being that of the ‘naughty nurse’ or as a sex symbol. The Order of Nurses in Lebanon recently finished with a court case against the energy drinks company XXL over their advertisement depicting a nurse primarily as a sex symbol, which they have won and the company has to remove. In Britain ‘matron’ is synonymous with the ‘saucy nurse’ doing the rounds at night time. This year the phrase ‘Ooh err, Matron’ was used as an advertisement on a bus route to the hospital with a picture of an overtly sexual nurse encouraging this archaic demeaning view of the nursing profession.

“The two main stereotypes that people see nurses as are a sex object and as a witchy matron,” said Samaha. “This totally undermines the entire ethos of what a nurse is,” referring to the stereotype of a matron who enjoys inflicting pain. Of course nurses are not alone in being derived as a joke or facing stereotypes, “[But] it is not my worry about whether other professions are being objectified like this, it is my job to fight for nurses,” said Samaha. Also undermining the nursing profession is the suggestion that nursing is simply an inferior version of a doctor. The duties and the training of a nurse are completely different to that of a doctor, and yet so often it is assumed that someone who is a nurse couldn’t become a doc-

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

GIVE RESPECT WHERE RESPECT IS DUE | SAVING GRACE: THE ORDER OF NURSES IN LEBANON

tor so they chose to become a nurse by default. In the film “Meet the Parents” when Ben Stiller’s character says he is in medicine and nursing, they joke, “No, really, which field?” Overarching and feeding into all of these stereotypes is that nursing is a predominately female profession. There is truth in this as nursing began as a role taken by women, with the concept of modern nursing beginning with Florence Nightingale and continuing as solely female until recently. This perhaps goes in some way to explaining the stereotypes afflicting nurses as they are the stereotypes that females face across the board – either as a sex object or as a bossy Mother figure. For males, while they may not be labelled as ‘sexy’ or matronly they suffer from being labelled as ‘feminine’ or even having assumptions made about their sexuality because of their professional choice.

FEBRUARY 2013

INSIDE JOB “Nurses eat their young,” said Samaha, and this phrase is well known amongst nursing circles. She explains that pressure on nurses doesn’t only come from the patients, but also from inside the hospital. The first year is very tough in nursing but instead of being supportive other nurses will often make it harder on nurses. The Order of Nurses is working to change this – being there to support nurses and make this transition easier. They also work to protect them in under the mechanisms of the hospital where they may be overworked and

not as valued as the doctors on staff. Samaha wants to encourage nurses who realize the value in their work. When you value your own work, other people will too. “We want to breed leaders not followers,” said Samaha, “Their expertise is not valued, from the public to the hospital staff, to themselves, they must not disregard what they offer.” The roles of a doctor and a nurse differ in many ways, particular in patient care. “They are a safety net,” said Samaha, she meant in both the hospital but also in society in general, and this is what they must be recognized as

“THE TWO MAIN STEREOTYPES THAT PEOPLE SEE NURSES AS ARE A SEX OBJECT AND A WITCHY MATRON. THIS TOTALLY UNDERMINES THE ENTIRE ETHOS OF WHAT A NURSE IS”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORDER OF NURSES IN LEBANON AND WHAT THEY DO Visit their website www.orderofnurses.org.lb www.ragmag.co | OrderOfNurseslb OrderOfNursesLB

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CULTURE CLASH

INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST BEIRUT A RETROSPECTIVE BY ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST | BEIRUT | A RETROSPECTIVE BY ARWA DAMON

THE STORIES AND ISSUES THAT WE HIGHLIGHT FOR “INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST” COME FROM COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS OVER THE YEARS WITH LEBANESE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, TOPICS THAT WOULD COME UP BUT THAT I HAD NOT JOURNALISTICALLY “DUG INTO”

have been coming to Lebanon regularly since 2003 when I was based in Iraq, before moving to CNN’s Beirut bureau in the fall of 2010. It is, to say the least, a captivating country. Its various complex dynamics and contradictions, its complex past that continues to permeate and in many ways define its present and future, its people’s boundless determination to keep soldiering on, constantly readjusting the boundaries of what they define to be “normal”, are all part of a potent mix that can’t fail to make an impression on a visitor.

FEBRUARY 2013

The stories and issues that we highlight for “Inside the Middle East” come from countless conversations over the years with Lebanese friends and colleagues, topics that would come up but that I had not journalistically “dug into.” That’s not to say that there aren’t many other rich topics to choose from, Lebanon is awash with spectacular diversity. I too, like many other expatriates who call Lebanon home, have had the conversation with people who have never visited that tends to start with the question “What? You live in Beirut? Isn’t it dangerous?”

Ironic perhaps that a journalist would be the one saying this, something that Lebanese are constantly repeating but yes this country is much more than what tends to be in the international headlines – a nation better known globally for its bombs than its boating. So against that perception, we were interested to find the Usshers – Anthony and Julia and hear of their experience in Lebanon and what it was that drew them to this country which they’ve effectively adopted as their own. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT MASHROU’ LEILA, RACISM IN LEBANON, CNN WEBSITE

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CULTURE CLASH

INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST | BEIRUT | A RETROSPECTIVE BY ARWA DAMON

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PUT OUT A REPORT IN 2008 HIGHLIGHTING THE PLIGHT OF THE MIGRANT WORKER COMMUNITY HERE, THE HIGH SUICIDE/ DEATHS AMONG MIGRANT WORKERS COUPLED WITH THEIR VIRTUAL LACK OF ANY RIGHTS

For the expat community, or rather the western expat community Lebanon offers a fantastic lifestyle a mix of great restaurants, happening nightlife, arts and music, one can find just about anything here plus there is the allure of Lebanon itself, its challenged past juxtaposed against the ongoing vibrancy and vitality of its people. But there are other factors. Human Rights Watch put out a report in 2008 highlighting the plight of the migrant worker community here, the high suicide/deaths among migrant workers coupled with their virtual lack of any rights. Over the summer a video emerged that was recorded at one of Beirut’s popular beach ARWA DAMON IS CNN’S SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT BASED IN BEIRUT, COVERING STORIES FROM LEBANON AND THE SURROUNDING REGION. 22 | R A G M A G | www.ragmag.co @ArwaCNN

clubs that showed an employee of the club turning back an Ethiopian woman saying she had to be a member to enter. The video went viral. The video, we found out, was recorded by A.R.M (Anti Racism Movement) as part of an undercover sting operation. IME is an arts and culture show so for us the focus around this is looking at it in terms of the broader cultural issues and aspects it throws up. The same goes for the issue of women’s rights – Lebanon is home, by the way, to some of the most determined, toughest women I have met and we wanted to look at this issue in the context of the societal implications that it raises.

Lebanon constantly reveals itself to be a fascinating, compelling place of complexity and contrast even for someone like myself who has come to know it so well. We hope viewers of ‘Inside the Middle East’ will get a sense of the many different facets to this intriguing land when they tune in to watch this particular edition. WATCH ARWA DAMON’S SPECIAL SERIES ON LEBANON CNN’s Inside the Middle East: Beirut Wednesday, February 6 09:30,1630 GMT Saturday, February 9 04:30,1830 GMT Sunday, February 10 1130 GMT

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: RACISM IN LEBANON, CNN WEBSITE, GENDER ISSUES THE AFFINITY ISSUE

To keep you in good health… 170 Medical Centers, located in all the Lebanese regions.

170 Centers… Centered on your health FEBRUARY 2013

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THE FINAL FRONTIER

BLACKBERRY PUTS THEIR HEART INTO IT BY J.E.N.

henever BlackBerry has appeared in the news over the past few years, the tidings have been far from promising. Things have been very bleak for RIM and their once bestselling brand, BlackBerry. With Android biting an ever larger chunk of the market share and Apple still mesmerizing many, BlackBerry sales have plunged, subscriber rates have gone down and even the PlayBook failed to impress consumers. Desperate times call for desperate measures and so BlackBerry decided to battle against impending doom. The game plan? The BlackBerry 10 OS which was launched on the 30th of January 2013.

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WILL THE BB10 REVIVE THEIR SMARTPHONE MARKETSHARE?

To create buzz and generate interest, BlackBerry went all out prior to the release date. RIM’s vice-presidents even performed a spoof of REO Speedwagon’s cult hit “Keep on Loving You” for the app developers of the world. The lyrics spoke of “challenging times” and how they were responding to this via the BlackBerry 10 OS. The song also hit some high notes with “the updated SDK is the really good” (SDK stands for Software Development Kit), “APIs complete” (an API is an Application Programming Interface) and the promise of great apps. The tune basically places developers at the forefront, “Devs are at the heart of our mobile endeavors.” This dedication to developers was obviously through other ini-

tiatives too. With the SDK completed on the 11th of December 2012, developers had until the 21st of January to get their apps ready and BlackBerry made this race against the clock a lucrative one since the firm was offering $10,000 guaranteed revenue.

TO CREATE BUZZ AND GENERATE INTEREST, BLACKBERRY WENT ALL OUT PRIOR TO THE RELEASE DATE. RIM’S VICE-PRESIDENTS EVEN PERFORMED A SPOOF OF REO SPEEDWAGON’S CULT HIT “KEEP ON LOVING YOU” FOR THE APP DEVELOPERS OF THE WORLD THE AFFINITY ISSUE

BlackBerry’s Middle East Twitter account (@ME_BlackBerry) was in overdrive in attempt to drum up as much hype as possible. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t just BlackBerry that expressed excitement. The press and internet were also caught up in BB10 prerelease fever with leaked photos and articles abounding. An article on TechRadar sees how important BB10 is for the firm: “January 30th, 2013 marks the beginning of a new era for RIM.” CNET Australia had an intriguing headline: “Can a mobile browser be

BLACKBERRY PUTS THEIR HEART INTO IT | WILL THE BB10 REVIVE THEIR SMARTPHONE MARKETSHARE?

better than the one on your desktop PC? The new BlackBerry 10 browser is, according to its designers at Research In Motion (RIM).” Business Insider had an article that showcased three of BB10’s new features: BlackBerry Flow and BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Keyboard and BlackBerry Balance. The firm’s website was tooting the new OS as “The BlackBerry Experience: Re-designed. Re-engineered. Reinvented,” and highlighted the super fast browsing; the ability to create a “perfect shot every time” thanks to the

THE NEW OS WILL FIGHT ITS BATTLE THROUGH A RANGE OF FULL-TOUCH PHONES AND SIGNATURE QWERTY DEVICES. BUT WILL THE BLACKBERRY 10 BE A CASE OF TOO LITTLE TOO LATE OR WILL IT REVIVE THE BRAND’S ONCE PROMINENT POSITION IN THE SMARTPHONE UNIVERSE?

FEBRUARY 2013

camera with time shift; the keyboard that delivers “a smarter way to type”; and the BlackBerry Hub that lets you access all the important stuff while using any app. The new OS will fight its battle through a range of full-touch phones and signature QWERTY devices. But will the BlackBerry 10 be a case of too little too late or will it revive the brand’s once prominent position in the smartphone universe? Expect the answer to this question soon… the stage is now set and the contenders have all entered the field. This new OS will either make or break BlackBerry. The stakes are high and the firm has poured its heart and soul into developing an OS that could potentially stand in the face of fierce competition. So which are you willing to try? The touch version or the QWERTY version? It seems that they’ve got all of their bases covered this time around- we’ll have to wait and see if the consumers agree

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

NEW + NOW

BEST IN SHOW The Bentley Continental GT V8 has received the prestigious Middle East Motor Award in the Premium Luxury Coupe category. The Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA) is the biggest and the most coveted award of the Middle East Automotive Industry. The awards are judged by 17 highly regarded automotive journalists from 10 countries that collaboratively represent the Middle Eastern Automobile Industry. Their opinions are the most sought after

FEBRUARY 2013

in the region thus making it the most unbiased, credible and the most prestigious award of its kind. Accepting the award on behalf of Bentley, Chris Buxton Bentley Middle East Regional Director said, “I am delighted to accept this award for the Bentley Continental GT V8. Bentley has a longstanding reputation for building exquisite cars. Our design and engineering teams have developed this iconic GT V8 with an uncompromising focus on quality and performance. The result is a stylish four seat coupe that offers supreme levels of power, refinement and luxury. With the new 4.0 litre V8 engine we are widening the appeal of the latest generation of Continentals, introducing a completely new driving experience. The new engine has all the exhilarating power, drama and performance you would expect from a V8 engine sporting the famous Bentley wings, effortlessly delivered with our characteristic ‘wave of torque’”. The new 4.0 litre, 500bhp twin turbocharged V8 Continental GT coupé and GTC convertible achieves exceptional standards for power-to-emissions in the high luxury sports car sector.

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CULTURE CLASH

THE COLOURS OF CORNO BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

hen Joanne Corneau was growing in the countryside of Quebec, her father, a religious man used to buy heavy art books from Paris and hide them in a walking closet so that his daughter couldn’t find them. “He didn’t want me to see nudes by Paul Cézanne or Van Gogh,” she says in her soft accent. When he left for town, the seven year-old would study the masterpieces. “By then, I understood I would become an artist.” Changing her surname to “Corno,” the young artist settled in Montreal and 20 years later, moved to New York City, staying for 20 more. “I always knew I would end up in the city,” Corno tells me inside her white spacious studio in Soho, in which paintings rest on the ground against the walls, facing close to a hundred cans of paint horded in the middle. “I like to have everything right in front of me,” she smiles, her curls bouncing lightly on the slender shoulders whenever she moves her hands. Corno is hip and youthful in heeled sneakers and matching Pilates outfit, “I like Pilates, not yoga. My wrists are now finished and I need to wear wristbands.” Humble and apologetic, she reveals that a filming crew has stopped by to document her life and left a mess behind. The French-Canadian journalist in charge of digital archiving has taken the kitchen for an office- paint splats decorate floor tiles, only sparing matching cabinets and leather seating.

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For over 40 years, Corno has explored the visual language of abstract art. Her figurative paintings burst with vibrant and daring colours against lush textures to represent forceful gestural movements. Borrowing fluorescent colours from Pop artists and balancing her own neutral hues, Corno’s nude figures are playful in many ways. “I like contrast,” says the contemporary artist, as seen in the compositional energy of her feminine portraits, both luscious and audacious. “I used to think my art represented new expressionism,” she describes, but over the years it became “urban expressionism,” influenced by the graffiti street culture of big cities in the 1980s, when Neo-expressionists like Julian Schnabel portrayed the human body in a violently emotional way. Her paintings are being showcased in esteemed galleries in major cities globally including Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, Dubai, and Singapore. The gallery show last January sold the entire series of portraits, some 20 feet long. “I was surprised, but then again, people relate to the same set of emotions and desires,” she claims, adding that her receptiveness to culture wouldn’t allow for the display of controversial nudes, recently showcased at the Opera Gallery in New York, a stone’s throw away from her studio. Next is Beirut and Berlin, where she dreams of taking her art, which will most likely include nudity.

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

THE COLOURS OF CORNO

ABOVE: BLONDE ON FLUO YELLOW © CORNO/SODRAC 2012

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FOLLOWING SPREAD: FACE ON ORANGE WITH NYC © CORNO/SODRAC 2012

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CULTURE CLASH

ABOVE: FACE ON WHITE ©CORNO/SODRAC 2012

To prepare for shows, Corno paints alone in series for months. Her day begins at 10am after the garbage trucks have made their morning rounds, and ends after happy hour, when dinner invitations with friends have settled plans for the evenings. In her airy studio, she lays half a dozen canvases flat on the ground. Using acrylic paint thinned out with glaze to create a subtle wash of colour, she applies several layers with wide brushes. Dipping spatulas in water-based acrylics she coats her surfaces simultaneously and adds acrylic gel and varnish, “brand Clear Touch Up, which is ‘impeccable.’” New York forced her to stop using oil; it takes too long and it’s toxic. A massive, noisy fan she calls, “the monster,” sucks out most of the chemical particles from the air while a gigantic plastic sheet covering the wooden floorboard protects the polish from dust and smears. Sometimes the artist vacuums,

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but her habits include meditating, drawing and listening to Hip Hop music from her iPod. Only recently has she been able to use stereo speakers that don’t always drone out street noise. “I get easily distracted,” she says, adopting a rigid work ethic as a result. Corno’s body of work act not only as an emotional confrontation but a plea to resolve conflicts. “Paintings are a big disappointment,” since they have a mind of their own, their own karma, she claims, making the artist lose control of the process. She argues that paintings develop on their own and make deci-

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

THE COLOURS OF CORNO

BELOW: FACE WITH PINK HAIR © CORNO/SODRAC (2012)

sions in the final stages. She draws examples from childbirth to make her point: “It’s like wanting to have the baby out, but the baby is not ready.” Like babies, paintings decide when to face the world. By channelling her energy towards specific ideas and goals, Corno has become confident, comfortable, and accepting once the piece is finished. “When you are younger your energy works in sparks, bouncing in many directions and as you get older the energy punches you,” she jokes, her approach, direct and simple as she works in one shot, preferably on larger surfaces for total freedom of expression. Occasionally “bad ghosts,” or negative vibes disrupt workflow and in that case, “I kill the painting,” splitting the canvas into two with a knife. She has become more cautious about trash disposal after a street vendor sold her drawings for $100 a piece while the building superintendent stored a few in his apartment.

On the fire escape, Corno points in the direction of West Broadway, the artistic and commercial artery of Soho, and the location of her spacious apartment. The walls are white, absent of her artwork. “I can make things cozy out of a cold colour,” she quips, fixing her eyes on the white building façade across the street. “That building caught fire two years ago, when I first moved into the studio.” Renovation has been a nightmare and the digging down the street continues. “There is so much digging, if not here then somewhere else…and that’s when I ask myself, why me?” Shaking her head, she announces: “Deal with the noise; it’s New York, where I was meant to end up”

CORNO’S BODY OF WORK ACT NOT ONLY AS AN EMOTIONAL CONFRONTATION BUT A PLEA TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS. “PAINTINGS ARE A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT,” SINCE THEY HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN KARMA, SHE CLAIMS, MAKING THE ARTIST TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE PROCESS FEBRUARY 2013

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CULTURE CLASH

THE BEDROOM

DEBATE

YOU SHOW ME YOURS +

I’LL SHOW YOU MINE

Is Boudoir Photography Too Close for Comfort? BY REBECCA FISHER-SWARBROOKE

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Photography by JENNIFER WILLIAMS | Boudoir Photography Studio www.jenniferwilliams.com

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CULTURE CLASH

ornography and the debates surrounding the genre have been around for centuries. As such, it’s beneficial to obtain a historical understanding of pornography, prior to attempting to engage with its contemporary: boudoir. The genre of porn itself first developed in the late 18th century which brought about subsequent comparable genres such as boudoir. This statement risks preemptively likening boudoir to pornography, along with all of the negative connotations surrounding it.

CONTEMPORARY BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE ARGUED AS BEING POTENTIALLY FEMINIST, LIBERATING, AND NOT EXPLOITATIVE- UNLIKE PORNOGRAPHY

Within feminist scholarship, the study of representations of pornography is part of a wide debate that considers whether or not nude modeling is potentially liberating for women or if it’s invariably objectifying the subject. Feminist scholars and art historians can often engage with the painted nude academically because it’s generally seen as high art, yet when it comes to the photographed nude, our discourse is often limited particularly because it is viewed as uncouth- as low art. Contemporary boudoir photography can be argued as being potentially feminist, liberating, and not exploitative- unlike pornography. While many similarities exist, boudoir and pornography are dissimilar. The under-examined genre of boudoir photography is deeply rooted in debates concerning pornography and feminist art. Through feminist theories of the

IS BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT?

nude, of nude art, of embracing female sexuality, boudoir photography can be argued as a form of feminist art, while also engaging with feminist responses to pornography. Within her boudoir, a woman can transform into whoever she imagines herself to be; it is in this space that she is most comfortable, but also more vulnerable. Once an intimate, private space, the boudoir has in recent years become the setting of an increasingly popular form of photography. Art historian, Ed Lilley, studies the recent history of the boudoir and the movement in photography, in his work entitled “Education, Class and the Boudoir.” In his lexicological research, he contributes to our understanding of the etymology of boudoir—how the boudoir as a room becomes a distinct form of art. Since the time that boudoir was initially introduced in 1730,

I make this claim with full knowledge of the negative nuances of pornography and seek to argue that boudoir, while it involves the representation of a nude woman, is arguably less naked than it is nude; the difference between naked and nude being that naked seems to hold greater negative connotations because nude appears to be more “natural.” Pornography and its representations of women is viewed as oppressive for women; however, boudoir is presented to the masses as liberating. Pornography and boudoir are representations of female nudity and can either be argued as being forms of art or as visual propaganda that seek to invoke the male gaze; however, is the female nude, specifically when categorized under the genre of boudoir, liberating or is it always oppressive?

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CULTURE CLASH

IS BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT?

UNLIKE MOST UNDERSTANDINGS OF PORN, THROUGH WHICH THERE IS OFTEN A STRONG SENSE OF PERFORMANCE, THE BOUDOIR IS DEEMED MORE “NATURAL” the word has developed and matured into a classification of a style of art. In the 21st century, the boudoir transforms from the connotations of the physical room and moves toward an understanding that it is a representation specifically of women in a feminine art form. From its earliest connotations, the boudoir is viewed particularly as the female realm; a space where Lilley suggests that “she may have used, of course, to receive her lovers, but [his] suggestion was that she might equally have used it for more cerebral pleasures.” In photographing the woman in this female realm, viewers are invited into this sacred space, invited into the private sphere that was once taboo to visit. Although his interest and research focus on 18th and 19th century art, Lilley makes a particularly interesting statement when he notes that there is something intriguing in the “desire to link a room with strong erotic connotations to a period with equally marked implications of sexual activity.” Within his work, he uses this statement to provide a discourse of a specific time and specific place; however, his argument transcends the boundaries of time and can be used in our contemporary discourse about the subject of boudoir. In

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the boudoir, women are able to create a “flattering image of themselves”. In revealing her nude body, the woman is exposing her most feminine self. Prior to the rise of the boudoir genre of photography, this image, this representation, this photograph was meant to be private. Now, with the rising popularity of boudoir photography, women are being photographed in a space that was once understood to be completely private, but is now exhibited publicly via print and online mediums, making the everyday female nude accessible to a greater audience than the limitations of the four walls of her boudoir. Although there are plenty of differences between the genres of pornography and boudoir, a logical inference would be that its precursors presented inspiration for boudoir. How similar are these genres? Unlike most understandings of porn, through which there is often a strong sense of performance, the boudoir is deemed more “natural.” The boudoir is a common space, a comfortable place, and a sphere in which a woman can be her most natural self. While boudoir images were once created solely with the intention of being a gift for a partner, it’s now commonly being ac-

knowledged and sold as a form of art that expresses a woman’s true and natural beauty- so many women are “doing” boudoir completely for themselves. While it is performative, we’re taught to believe that depicting the woman in her truest form and in her most natural setting, is an authentic representation of the “real” woman. Why aren’t we supposed to view women as sexual beings? If boudoir isn’t created to specifically display the female body and to arouse the viewer and it is not meant to be for public circulation (as pornography is), it is meant to acknowledge a self-aware female sexuality

NOW, WITH THE RISING POPULARITY OF BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY, WOMEN ARE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED IN A SPACE THAT WAS ONCE UNDERSTOOD TO BE COMPLETELY PRIVATE, BUT IS NOW EXHIBITED PUBLICLY VIA PRINT AND ONLINE MEDIUMS www.ragmag.co | R A G M A G | 39

FML [F**K MY LIFE]

TURN ME ON, TURN ME OFF

ABSTINENCE NO TOUCHING+ NO LOVIN’ FOR RAGMAG BY MISS X*

was very excited about doing an FML article- it had been a while… My excitement grew even more when I found what my assignment was: complete abstinence for RAGMAG! No physical or sexual contact whatsoever for 21 days. Everything included, every single thing, I wasn’t even permitted to hold hands. You may find it weird that I was happy, but it sounded pretty easy since I had no boyfriend and I wasn’t even dating anyone casually at the time when I received the email. I felt disappointment oozing in the emails from

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Youmna and Fida- they expected me to be crushed! Hahaha I’m gonna kick ass! Or so I thought… Editor’s Note This staffer chooses to remain nameless for obvious reasons. Wherever you see an asterisk (*), note that the name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. And yes, Miss X is right, both myself and Youmna were disappointed that she was dateless at the time of assignment, that’s why we included hugging and affectionate gestures- to make sure no guy friends could provide comfort.

Now in order to take you through this properly, I should mention that I recently rented a chalet up in Faraya with two flatmates: my friend Anthony* and his best friend Mark*. This was exactly what I needed, good times every weekend with a group of friends: no romance, no sexual tension, and no complicated relationships! That pretty much lasted for only a month. Before I knew it, Mark and I were spending all our time together. We became inseparable: sleeping in the same bed, cuddling, and having the greatest time together but

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

TURN ME ON, TURN ME OFF | ABSTINENCE

in a constant state of denial. And then it happened: the first kiss (one week before starting this assignment!). That being said, and after emailing the girls and telling them how much I hated them for making me do this, I just knew that I was about to go through 21 days of hell with this unexpected and sudden twist of fate! Editor’s Note I absolutely love when the universe sorts itself out. How perfect is it that she would start dating someone who was in her face 24/7 just before the assignment kicked off? Youmna and I had hoped for a fling or something, but a full blown relationship right around the holidays? I know this is going to be hilarious.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHEN THE UNIVERSE SORTS ITSELF OUT

FEBRUARY 2013

Day 1 Tuesday, December 11th

Editor’s Note

Wait a minute I can do this! It’s just 21 days right? We’re not animals and we certainly can control our feelings and urges. I will succeed!

We as a staff had a big laugh that night. Every time she paraded by with Mark, he alternated between frowning at us and grinning at us. The boyfriend strikes back? Haha Mark, RAGMAG loves our girls.

Day 2 Wednesday, December 12th 6pm Okay, RAGMAG’s Christmas Bash is tonight! I can’t wait! I know everyone is going to have a good laugh at Mark and I tonight. I don’t really care, we’re going to stick to the rules: no touching, kissing, or even close-up dancing!

10pm Just committed the first slip! We held hands for a split second then suddenly realized that we weren’t allowed to do so. P.S. I’m dying to hug and kiss him!

1am This wasn’t too bad. I mean of course I wish we could have danced the night away, I wish I could have kissed him or held his hand (it is after all our first party together as a couple), but I’m determined to make this happen!

Day 4 Friday, December 14th 9am It’s Friday! I can’t wait to get this day over with and go up to Faraya. On the menu tonight: a warm fire, some wine, a DVD and hopefully go to bed before we rape each other!

9pm Okay I’m pissed. I hate this, it’s unfair! I should have the right to hug and kiss my boyfriend when I want to. We’re in bed talking about all potential “cheats”. So what if he’s the one that actually jumps me and “forces” me into kissing him back. Would it be considered cheating? I wouldn’t be doing it willingly! Would I? Nah, I would still feel guilty and I do hate failing at something. Cybersex? Hahahaha no way! Oh well, goodnight people!

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FML [F**K MY LIFE]

TURN ME ON, TURN ME OFF | ABSTINENCE

Day 19 Saturday, December 29th 11pm I can do this, I can do this, I can do

Day 21 Monday, December 31st 6pm Okay, I’m so close to making this hap-

this… I CAN’T do this! We’re kissing! Huh! No no no we shouldn’t even be touching each other, let alone KISS! But it feels too nice and warm! No one would actually know except the two of us! What am I saying? I’m not gonna lie! Take a cold shower and go to bed!

pen! I’ve come up with a great way to get this night through without any temptation or unbearable urges: no matter what, avoid being alone with Mark tonight! New Year’s Eve, I’m ready for you!

Editor’s Note Miss X, you are cheating! I’m actually enjoying the cheating part because I can picture Mark swearing up a storm as you stop him mid heavy-petting and tell him you can’t because of RAGMAG. No man has ever hated the magazine- and he is our first dissatisfied reader. Or he will be after he reads this piece you submitted!

10pm Ugh I hate couples! I can’t stand watching annoying lovers who just can’t help but grope each other in public! Get a room people! Some of us can’t even hold hands or even touch each other. I’m grumpy as hell and it’s New Year’s Eve! You know what, I will kiss him, just once, okay maybe more but it’s not like we’re going have sex right!

1am Where am I?! Must get to BED!

Day 22 Tuesday January 1st IT’S FINALLY OVER 11am My head is going to burst- wow, I got so wasted last night. But wait a minute, I did it! I actually abstained for 21 full days! THREE LONG WEEKS! 2013 Resolutions? Oh who cares! I’m going to have sex! Indeed I did make it through the 21 days, but I have to admit I did cheat once, no actually twice (well, maybe more)! I guess no one will ever know! One thing is for sure- I definitely made up for all missed oppurtunities! I think I’m still making up for those touch-free days and will be doing so for a while! I also made an awesome discovery: nothing beats abstinence if you want to spice things up sexually. Thank you for that lesson girls, it sure is priceless ;)

ABSTINENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER Editor’s Note Miss X actually put that winking emoticon in there. She ended the damn piece with a wink. I think, at the risk of TMI and decency, it’s probably better that way. Miss X, please send Mark our Valentine’s Day love, and tell him that whenever things get too routine, you’ve learned the secret to bedroom success: ABSTINENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER!

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OUT+ABOUT

THOU SHALT PARTY

EVEN HARDER PALAIS CELEBRATING 10 SEXY YEARS

They’ve lasted longer than most marriages and they’re still playing the field! We loved clubbing there 10 years ago and we’re still the first ones to party on their R n’ B nights every Friday. We’re big fans of the newly renovated space, it’s looking slick and feeling modern. Take a look at their hilarious 10 House Commandments. Our favorites have to be: VI “Thou shalt keep your chest hair covered” and VII “Thou shalt not sit there looking bored”. Check out the new digs for yourself and we’ll see you there. Happy 10th anniversary to Palais by Crystal, “3a 2beil el miyyeh!” XOXOX, RAGMAG

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OUT+ABOUT

KISS ME,

KATE!

DUBAI HOSTS THE MEGASTAR IN CONCERT DONE Events has really done it this time: for the first time in the Middle East, Katy Perry performed live at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on December 8th, 2012! Katy’s concert was a tag team affair with none other than R & B megastar Usher, all as part of the closing ceremony of the FAI World Parachuting Championships Mondial 2012 Dubai. Katy’s steamy set list was from the California Dreams Tour that rounded off January of last year. Katy’s landing in Dubai coincided with her Grammy nomination for hit song “Wide Awake” of her 2012 album “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection”, originally written for the film “Katy Perry: Part of Me”. During the high energy event, Katy wowed the crowd with renditions of her top singles including “Teenage Dream”, “California Gurls”, and “Firework”. And as for Ushaaaaah? Well, you know how that went: screaming ladies and grooving guys. What was our favorite part of the night? Katy ripping right through the crowd with RAGMAG’s favorite track, “E.T.”

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Keep Yourself in the Loop www.doneevents.com www.ragmag.co M A G | 47 DoneEvents | R A G@DoneEvents

RIGHT: KATY PERRY IN JEWELS BY DJIHAN BY JIHAN ALAMEH DRESSED BY ZAC POSEN

LOVE BITES

POP’S MEGASTAR TALKS BACK KATY PERRY GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

“I really don’t think people want me to be anything that I am not. I think that people that are listening to my music and that are actual fans to this whole body of music, they see that I really try to come from an honest place, telling stories, a lot of stories coming from my life and I think that when I stop being honest people will know and will see through it.”

“‘Teenage Dream’ is a perfect snapshot for a young 25 year-old woman in a relationship or being on tour or just an evolvement. It’s definitely got as much sugar as ‘One of the Boys’, but I think it has a lot more perspective and more subject matter– stuff that makes you think a little bit more.” “When I write a song, I put my heart and soul into it. I put everything that I have been feeling. It’s never been like, ‘look at a list of titles and pick something to write about’. There is a purpose. There is a reason, I really want to get this off my chest… or I really want to convey this message to someone or sometimes when I write a love song it is an actual gift to someone because that’s what I want to say to them in that way so it’s a very personal record still.” “I think even more so if you want to know who I am and want answers to questions about what I think about certain things you can find it on the record. It’s like a black box to me, like that is where you go to figure out what happened, or to hear what was going on when… it’s still a diary. It’s still an open book, and it’s definitely still me, the only thing that has changed is my surroundings, everything around me has changed. Hopefully I think I haven’t changed so we’ll see.” “I love the music video I made for ‘California Gurls’, it’s basically like the sweetest, sugaryest, yummiest thing you will ever see and I am really excited about incorporating the look and the idea of some of the songs on tour and making a massive production out of it.”

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LOVE BITES POP’S MEGASTAR TALKS BACK

OPPOSITE PAGE: “KATY PERRY: PART OF ME” PREMIERE, JUNE 2012 BELOW, TOP TO BOTTOM: KATY PERRY AT THE 2012 BILLBOARD AWARDS “CALIFORNIIA DREAMS TOUR 2011”, LOS ANGELES

KATY PERRY GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

“I KIND OF ALREADY KNOW THE STORY I WANNA TELL IN EVERY SONG IF IT HAD A MUSIC VIDEO AND IT’S EXCITING BECAUSE IT’S AN EVOLVEMENT FROM [‘ONE OF THE BOYS’] -IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTY BOOP, SHIRLEY TEMPLE- IT WAS VERY CUTESY AND [“TEENAGE DREAM”] IS A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTIE PAIGE, KIND OF LICHTENSTEIN 90S POP ART SO IT’S A BIT SEXIER… STILL COLOURFUL BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.” “I named the album ‘Teenage Dream’ because it’s a song off the record that makes you feel this euphoric feeling. When you are a kid, when you are a teenager and you’re falling in love for the first time or you have a fantasy about someone that you idealize, maybe it’s a person or a poster on your wall that you grew up having on your wall. Maybe you wanted to meet them, be like them, or fall in love with them. ‘Teenage Dream’ is kind of that feeling I wanted to exude…” “It’s funny on the first record I had this obsession with fruit, and on [‘Teenage Dream’] it’s candy and baked goods, probably on the third record it would be me in bacon bikinis or probably something stupid like that. I don’t know why everything is always so edible with me but it’s fun”

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ARMIN-GEDDON

A STATE OF TRANCE

2013 IN BEIRUT

THE BIGGEST DJ ON EARTH

ARMIN VAN BUUREN IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY FIDA CHAABAN

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CULTURE CLASH

PREVIOUS SPREAD + LEFT: ARMIN VAN BUUREN IN BEIRUT IMAGE COURTESY OF MIX FM

“IT’S THE ONLY STOP IN THE MIDDLE EAST”

“WE NEVER STOPPED IN BEIRUT FOR ASOT AND I’VE ALWAYS HAD SOME OF MY BEST GIGS THERE. THERE’S A BIG TRANCE FOLLOWING SO I THINK IT’S ABOUT TIME WE BROUGHT ‘THE EXPEDITION’ TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE MIDDLE EAST”

resist the urge to tell Armin van Buuren that I always put my all-purpose Nordic/Pan-Euro accent on when I pronounce his name. It sounds like “Ahr-Men Vahn Byur-En”. I kind of sound like Arnold (Ahr-Nauld) Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, hell or even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Governor of California. The point is I have to keep it to myself. I even had to resist doing it when Mix FM’s CEO Roger Saad told me a few months ago that Mix FM had secured Armin’s only Middle East A State of Trance (ASOT) stop in Beirut and that it would happen on March 9th, 2013. “The Expedition” would come to Lebanon, and it would be led by van Buuren. “Seriously Roger?” Yes, he was serious. So no, I couldn’t call him “Ahr-Men” at the Mix FM offices, but boy did I want to. “Come here, Ahr-Men,” I think to myself and begin pressing Roger for more information. And so I begin to plot and plan how I will bring Ahr-Men to our readers pre-ASOT, and get you the exclusive sneak peek of Mix FM’s Trance music coup. Fast forward to January 25th- RAGMAG is granted an exclusive interview with the biggest spin doctor (and yes, I mean that in the dual sense), in the world. The whole staff sits on pins and needles as we wait for the DJ to make time for this

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interview. We’re finally given the okay, and it becomes more of a game of how I can elicit the most information possible. Here you have AVB’s opinion on tons of things, not the least of which being pirated music and his career, and most importantly: what you can expect when you finally see him spin up close and personal in Lebanon next month. Why did Armin choose Beirut for ASOT 2013? “It’s quite simple. We never stopped in Beirut for ASOT and I’ve always had some of my best gigs there. There’s a big Trance following so I think it’s about time we brought ‘The Expedition’ to one of the most important places in the Middle East,” he says. Well, true enough considering his track record here and the huge #TranceFamilyLeb following. (That was a shoutout, guys.) There is another reason the Beirut ASOT event is hugely significant: “Out of the 12 events, we only broadcast 8 and Beirut is one of them,” he explains. By broadcast he means globally. Lebanon isn’t generally the source for global broadcasts, I don’t need to educate you all about this. We’re usually on the receiving end, and van Buuren’s choice is guaranteed to help bring more blockbuster names to Lebanon. It may in fact be the very thing that puts us on the map. Armin agrees saying that, “It’s the only stop in the Middle East and it’s the only stop for ‘The Expedition’ in Beirut, so you only have one chance!”

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CULTURE CLASH

HE’S CURRENTLY “WORKING A LOT WITH DIFFERENT ARTISTS. I THINK IT’S VERY INSPIRING. FOR MY NEW COMPILATION ASOT 2013, I’VE BEEN WORKING WITH W&W FOR A TRACK AND WITH MARKUS SCHULZ AS WELL”

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JOHN O’CALLAGHAN ‘UNFOLD’ ALBUM COVER, DEADMAU5 AT THE 51ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS IN LOS ANGELES, ARMIN VAN BUURREN IN ABU DHABI IMAGE COURTESY OF FLASH ENTERTAINMENT

W&W ‘IMPACT’ ALBUM COVER

One chance indeed, some of the newest underground talents and some big names are joining Armin in Beirut. If you don’t know your Trance and dance music events, you cannot begin to grasp how complex a line up this is: 5 supporting DJs and one to rule them all. In no specific order, the DJs coming to Beirut this March are Andrew Rayel, Dash Berlin, John O’Callaghan, Antillas, Marlo, and finally, AVB himself. Who’s Armin’s top pick for the ASOT DJ line up? “I’m really looking forward to all the sets and especially to Andrew Rayel and Antillas since they are the new heroes on the Trance scene,” says Armin. “I’m playing a special warm up set, live on the main floor so make sure you get there early!” And because this is a global broadcast, you can expect to hear AVB spinning some really exceptional beats, not to mention his supporting line up getting crazy with their chance to work the turntables. He says he chose this specific set of DJs for a number of reasons, logistics included. “It depends on their schedules and availability, but also I wanted to bring some established names like John O’Callaghan and [showcase] some new talent. No other event has this line up!” Irish DJ O’Callaghan currently has 3 studio albums and numerous mixes, his most recent work released under the Armada Music label, and his “Dark Mix” of Armin van Buuren’s “I’ll Listen” featuring Ana Criado is one of his biggest hits.

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It seems that fans of the DJ everywhere are keyed up for ASOT 600: The Expedition, and huge venues like Madison Square Garden are completely sold out. “We sold out New York in less than one hour and Madrid in less than eight minutes and we will sell out all other events as well,” the DJ says confidently. “There’s a big buzz I’m extremely excited about. I never thought a small radio show in 2001 could grow so big, thanks to the fans on the internet,” adds Armin, referring to the cult-like loyalty of Trance and dance music fans. It is the fans who spread Armin’s sound far and wide, forever linking one another and drawing in new acolytes via social media platforms. Armin seeing the value of this has taken the interactivity even further, executing a live collaborative process with the notorious Deadmau5 on Twitter while ASOT 600 is going on. That’s not all he’s doing right now, he’s currently “working a lot with different artists. I think it’s very inspiring. For my new compilation ASOT 2013, I’ve been working with W&W for a track and with Markus Schulz as well.” And the status of his team-up with Deadmau5 at the time of this interview? “I’m waiting to hear back from Deadmau5 since I need the parts for his last version of our song so I can work on it some more.” THIS PAGE: ARMIN VAN BUUREN IN BEIRUT IMAGE COURTESY OF MIX FM

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Deadmau5 photo credit: s_Buckley | Shutterstock

“I WANTED TO BRING SOME ESTABLISHED NAMES LIKE JOHN O’CALLAGHAN AND [SHOWCASE] SOME NEW TALENT. NO OTHER EVENT HAS THIS LINE UP!”

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When I mention his historic Number 1 ranking with “Imagine”, and tell him that it was one of dance music’s most important milestones, he gets reflective: “It feels great to know so many people like what you do and support you by buying your albums. I’m an artist and I want to share my music with people so it’s great to know many people like your music. But charts are not the only thing I live for. I would never make music just to be ‘Number 1’. I want to make music because of the emotions and the feelings of people. If I get to number 1, that’s great but it’s not the main goal when I make music.” Here, we branch off into his personal life prompting me to ask how much time he actually spends with his family. “I never spend enough time with them. But I have to make choices in life. I love my family and I love my fans and this music,” he says mentioning his wife and young daughter. “I try to carefully balance and make enough time for my family. I’ve been home since New Year’s Eve, and [I] haven’t been DJing for more than 6 weeks. It felt great to go to bed at a decent time,” he adds laughing. I ask him to discuss his recent tweet advising his followers not to believe everything they see on TV- he’d said that travelling the world has given him a different viewpoint on the places he’d seen. “Every story has two sides, 58 | R A G M A G | www.ragmag.co

and every country has a history. TV sometimes tends to put everything into stereotypes, like Americans only eat big hamburgers... I love being in New York and Los Angeles because you meet so many different types of people who can inspire me. I have a totally different view of the USA [sic] than was presented to me in movies and on TV. It’s true in a way but I learned that there’s so much more to see and learn.” Here the proof is in the pudding, since van Buuren has come to Beirut before, and reaffirmed his affinity for the city by choosing it as a live broadcast ASOT date. His March 9th performance says, “Come to Beirut, AVB does”, relaying a message to performers worldwide that Lebanon is a major entertainment hub rather than a hostile place unfit for superstars. One little known fact about the DJ is that he is also a lawyer, so I press him for his opinion on the pirated download debate. He’s

ABOVE: ARMIN VAN BUUREN IN BEIRUT IMAGE COURTESY OF MIX FM

TOP OF PAGE: ARMIN VAN BUUREN ‘A STATE OF TRANCE 2013’ ALBUM COVER

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previously suggested that his background in law helped him understand the market implications. How has it affected him personally as an artist and the music industry as a whole? “I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy to make money out of music sales. You invest a lot of money in making tracks- like a chef invests in his restaurant but people eat and walk away without paying. I’m lucky that I DJ so I make my money there but there are many producers who can’t make music now because they don’t make enough money to pay rent. That is sad to see It’s bad for music,” says AVB. FEBRUARY 2013

“EVERY STORY HAS TWO SIDES, AND EVERY COUNTRY HAS A HISTORY. TV SOMETIMES TENDS TO PUT EVERYTHING INTO STEREOTYPES, LIKE AMERICANS ONLY EAT BIG HAMBURGERS...” www.ragmag.co | R A G M A G | 59

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CULTURE CLASH

OPPOSITE PAGE: ARMIN VAN BUUREN IN BEIRUT IMAGE COURTESY OF MIX FM

RIGHT: JEAN MICHEL JARRE ‘ZOOLOOK’ ALBUM COVER

“I WOULD STILL SAY [THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN ASOT ARE] THE ‘OXYGENE’ AND ‘ZOOLOOK’ ALBUMS BY JEAN MICHEL JARRE. THEY WERE TRANCE BEFORE IT WAS EVEN CALLED TRANCE” His music and musical relationships seem to be as exciting as ever, despite the difficulties in today’s industry. I remind the 36 year-old DJ that in previous interviews he has commented that his music style has evolved over the years. What would he say is the biggest influence for him musically in ASOT? “I would still say the ‘Oxygene’ and ‘Zoolook’ albums by Jean Michel Jarre. They were Trance before it was even called Trance.” Jarre, the first to use laser, light and sound extravaganzas, is largely considered the first composer to produce what was much later to be called Trance, referenced as almost the father to Electronic, Ambient, and New Age sounds. The Frenchman’s respective albums alluded to by AVB were released in 1974 and 1984. When I suggest that most of the top DJs in the world are Dutch, and ask why it is that this particular nation seems to excel at producing them, Armin offers only that: “There’s a lot of dance music in Holland -any kind of style- [sic] so a lot of kids grow up listening to it. A few become DJs.” And the relationship between them all with such stiff competition? “I think we all look at each other and respect each other.” It took a long time for DJs to get recognized by the mainstream listener and remind van Buuren that DJ David Guetta commented that DJs hate to become famous, consider the underground scene more reputable, and also that it took him time to get used to the idea of being a Top 40 artist. “I think we have to understand that every artist on stage is unique and has to bring a unique style. The style of David is unique -and yes, commercially more successful maybe- but

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so is the style of Carl Cox and the style of Paul van Dyk but they have less ‘hits’. Every human being is unique and that’s what makes music great. If Paul van Dyk would [sic] play exactly the same tracks like Carl Cox it wouldn’t be interesting for a lot of people. Some people call me cheesy, some call me underground. I know for myself I’ve always stayed true to the sound that I believe in and had an open mind to the new sounds and new talent.” How does it feel to be known as a global superstar? “It feels great being successful in what you do, but success is not all in life. It’s also about what you want to bring to the people and what you stand for. You can be very successful and happy in a small club playing for 200 people every week. Money and fame are not everything,” he says emphatically. But the music is, and he’s out to prove it to the world. A final truth that I can share with you is that AVB has only a slight Dutch-flavored accent, pronouncing Trance like “Trahnse”, and he doesn’t say “Ahr-Men”. That doesn’t make me want to say it any less though. RAGMAG will see you on March 9th Armin, and for all the members of the #TranceFamilyLeb? You deserve this. When AVB broadcasts #ASOT600BEI to the globe, you know you’ve done something monumental. It is, after all, “The Expedition”, and the one DJ to rule them all is your leader

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OUT+ABOUT

ALL OF THE LIGHTS

IN ABU DHABI! KANYE WEST SET TO PERFORM AT DU ARENA FOR THE SECOND TIME “TOLD YOU I WON’T LET YOU DOWN/ TOLD YOU I WON’T LET THIS RAP GAME CHANGE ME, RIGHT?” - Never Let Me Down All hail the king! The self-professed monarch of rap is heading back to Abu Dhabi for the second time. West’s first appearance three years ago in the capital of the United Arab Emirates for the Yasalam After-Race Concerts in 2010 was an unprecedented smash success. Can the Grammy Award winning, Multi-Platinum artist pull it off again? We’ll be tweeting live from du Arena, giving you a social media play by play so you’ll hear Kanye’s royal decrees in real time. RAGMAG’s top Kanye hits that we’re hoping he’ll perform? “Homecoming”, “Love Lockdown” , and we’re really hoping that he does his half of “Niggas in Paris”. Y’all feel us? See you in AD for the official coronation!

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HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER Check out the timeline of his existing discographyKing Kanye has collaborated with almost every major rapper in the biz. KanyeWest

KanyeWest

www.kanyewest.com

2004

THE COLLEGE DROPOUT February 10, 1996 Tracks featuring Jay-Z & J. Ivy, Talib Kweli & Common, Twista & Jamie Foxx, Ludacris, Mos Def, Freeway & the Boys Choir of Harlem

2005

LATE REGISTRATION August 30, 2005 Tracks featuring Adam Levine, Lupe Fiasco, Jamie Foxx, and The Game

2007

GRADUATION September 11, 2007 Tracks featuring T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Mos Def, Dwele, and DJ Premier

2008

808S & HEARTBREAK November 24, 2008 Tracks featuring Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Mr Hudson, Lil Wayne

2010

MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY November 22, 2010 Tracks featuring Raekwon, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver, Pusha T, Prynce CyHi, Swizz Beatz, RZA, Rick Ross, Pusha T, and John Legend

2011

2012

August 8, 2011 Tracks featuring Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Otis Redding, Frank Ocean, Mr Hudson

with GOOD Music September 14, 2012

WATCH THE THRONE with Jay-Z

The studio album Watch the Throne was co-created by Kanye West and Jay-Z, largely considered the biggest rap collaboration in music history. A cooperative effort by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings, originally this was slotted to be a small mashup of 5 songs but then grew to a full length record and a tour that spanned 57 performances

CRUEL SUMMER

In addition to West, artists appearing on the Cruel Summer album include R. Kelly, 2 Chainz, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi and D’banj, DJ Khaled, Mase and Cocaine 80, and John Legend. Cruel Summer is a compilation album by recording artists of record label GOOD Music with Def Jam Recordings

THINK LIKE THE PARTY PEEPS AT THINK FLASH www.thinkflash.ae @ThinkFlash FlashEntertainment

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MIRROR, MIRROR

LET’S RUN AWAY TOGETHER

PHOENICIA BEIRUT IS YOUR #VACAYINLEBANON BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

never was the type of person to plan a romantic getaway, particularly in Lebanon. There aren’t too many options for sightseeing if you’re a city girl, and I just thought that two people stuck in one room for 48 hours would get bored. I was soon to be proven wrong as I decided to review the Phoenicia Hotel Valentine’s packages. I took my best friend Yousra, my significant other being out of the country, and decided to make this a bonding weekend instead of a romantic one. I won’t make you read

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the whole feature before announcing the verdict: what started off as a simple couple’s massage ended up being the best weekend I’ve had in months. Whether you plan a girl’s weekend or a romantic Valentine’s Day Vacay, Phoenicia is the only way to do it. We begin with a tasty lunch at the Italian Caffe Mondo while waiting; the Phoenicia team had prepared the “Because I Love You” package, and we head to the Spa after lunch. Known for its Balneotherapy, Thalassotherapy, Thai Relaxing Therapy and Ayurvedic Medi-

cine treatments, Spa Phoenicia uses the healing power of natural products to cleanse, relax and tone the body (and the mind). After putting on our robes and slippers, we meet with our therapists and head to our treatment rooms. When booking your spa package, don’t forget to mention whether you want to have your treatment in the same room or in separate ones. Opting for the latter, we start off with a full body scrub. The soft music, the dimmed lighting and the gentlest scrub I’ve ever had are cleansing my skin and clearing my mind. My

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LET’S RUN AWAY TOGETHER | PHOENICIA BEIRUT IS YOUR #VACAYINLEBANON

therapist starts with my feet, going up my legs and then my back, and even applies and massages the scrub on my stomach area, surely prepping it for the second part of the treatment and the most important one: the ilā Manipura massage. “Ilā” in Sanskrit means “earth” and the use of the 100 percent chemical-free, organic, made of plants and mineral ilā brand products by the

Spa reflects their belief in the influence of Mother Nature as the source of real wellness. And with several treatments using these products, Spa Phoenicia aims at delivering the best. My therapist massages my legs, using essential oils followed by hot poultices. He leaves the poultices on, covers the massaged area with a towel and repeats the same process with my back, and the other

“ILA” IN SANSKRIT MEANS “EARTH” AND THE USE OF THE 100 PERCENT CHEMICAL-FREE, ORGANIC, MADE OF PLANTS AND MINERAL ILA BRAND PRODUCTS BY THE SPA REFLECTS THEIR BELIEF IN THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHER NATURE AS THE SOURCE OF REAL WELLNESS

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side of my legs. The Manipura treatment focuses on the chakra of the same name, meaning bright gem or inner sun in Sanskrit. Manipura is our fifth chakra (the solar plexus one), believed to represent our relationship with ourselves and located on our stomach. So naturally, my therapist massages my stomach with oil and hot poultices, but adds another technique he didn’t use with the other body parts. Timing my breath, he gradually pressures certain points on my stomach, going deeper on each inhalation. I’m not sure because by this time, I am mentally far, far away, but I think I can feel his hands making small circular movements. Ostensibly, this massage technique will

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MIRROR, MIRROR

liberate the blood flow and energy in my Manipura, leading to two things: physically it will improve digestion and spiritually it leads to feelings of personal empowerment and dissipates those of fear and anxiety. I then head to the last treatment of our Valentine’s package: the mini-facial, a rejuvenating and cleansing treatment. I meet Nicole who examines my skin so she knows which products to use. First she begins with a gentle scrub all

over my face, it has the same effect as a body scrub –goodbye dead cells. It’s worth noting that if you skip the body scrub, a face scrub is a must as dead cells clog your pores and make you appear older and fatigued. After the scrub, Nicole applies a hydrating serum and massages my face for a few minutes before applying a superhydrating mask, using a brush for a more even (and hygienic) application. I leave the Spa cleansed, relaxed and

happy, in both body and mind. Yousra welcomes me back with a genuine, “Youm, I love myself right now!” and I know that the Phoenicia therapist has worked her magic- read back up on the chakra focus, it actually makes sense. If you want the whole shebang (you might not know it yet, but you really do want it), read on for what to book for your perfect Valentine’s Getaway weekend at Phoenicia. #SexyAndYouKnowIt

RAGGED PHOENICIA FACTS 721

This is a number you’re going to remember. It’s the number of the sea view Ambassador Suite that you will want to book, and one of the best hotel rooms I’ve seen. Let me paint you a simple picture of what you’re in for. Gigantic suite. Living area and a dining room. Two bathrooms. One bedroom with a king size bed. Antique décor. Beige and light brown colours that give the room a very relaxing vibe. Marbled floors like a Renaissance painting. There’s more: you’re welcomed with a chocolate mousse heart cake, a fresh fruit basket, Lebanese sweets, and divine chocolate. Cherry on top? A very good Château Ksara, 2010 Réserve du Couvent red to enjoy on your private balcony on sunset or in the evening. The suite is so pleasant that you don’t even need to go out for entertainment. Bring a book or rent a DVD and stay in – the sofas are very cuddle-friendly!

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LET’S RUN AWAY TOGETHER | PHOENICIA BEIRUT IS YOUR #VACAYINLEBANON

OPPOSITE PAGE: ROYAL SUITE AT PHOENICIA BEIRUT LEFT: EAU DE VIE PHOENICIA BEIRUT

BON APPÉTIT!

There is no better way to celebrate your love than with food. Phoenicia’s chefs have created a special Valentine menu. You are served in your room with a private attendant that is very discreet and will not weird you out during dinner. Dishes are timed to your convenience and you get the high-end service Phoenicia knows how to give in the privacy of your own suite. Check out the menu below and book your perfect Valentine’s dinner before it’s too late! Duck Foie Gras & Confit de Figue with Dry Fruits Lime & Mushroom Risotto with Asparagus Beef Medallion with Perigordine Gravy & Grilled Gambas with Oscietra Caviar Sauce Valentine Chocolate Sapin & Surprise Dessert

YOU SO CRAZY, BOY!

Check out the special spa packages the Phoenicia Hotel has created for the occasion. We like the “Crazy For You”: an 80-minute treatment including a Back Chocolate Scrub, Aroma Massage with scented candles and hot towels, and a complimentary hot chocolate drink. Another fave? The prestige “Sweet Sensations for Two”: full body massage, a manicure for her and a pedicure for him, with complementary champagne and strawberries. Cheers!

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BE MY VALENTINE Book your Valentine’s Getaway package THE SPA AT PHOENICIA HOTEL BEIRUT Minet El Hosn, Beirut | Tel 01/369100 Direct 01/357030 www.phoeniciabeirut.com PhoeniciaHotelBeirut @PhoeniciaBeirut www.ragmag.co | R A G M A G | 67 PhoeniciaHotel

RAGGED VALENTINE FACTS TAKING TURNS A study by Indiana University found that men and women were both more likely to be attracted to people wanted by others. This was established by having the participants watch videos of speed dating and the ratings by the speed daters. In the same study, if the women in the video did not seem interested, the women study participants became less interested as well. This reaction was not replicated with the male participants. Ladies, this just goes to prove that you do always think the grass is greener!

GROW YOUR ‘STACHE 3 countries whose women prefer a more “masculine” looking man according to Dr. Lisa DeBruine of the University of Aberdeen’s Face Research Lab are Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. It’s theorized that this is linked to the poorer health conditions when compared to the stats of developed nations.

The percentage of those who believe that fate decides there is a single person out there who can be your soul mate. We’re not so sure about that! If you do find your soul mate, then the University of Carolina says within a few years of being married, individuals are twice as likely to gain weight. Apparently it’s linked to security in relationships and a comfort zone.

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EARN + LEARN A study by the University of Iowa indicates that men are more interested in educated and successful females as opposed to their sexually conservative counterparts. Chastity is no longer a deciding factor when being screened by men, thankfully since this is 2013! The study also indicates women are more interested in men who are family oriented. Dependability, stability, and love ranked as the top 3 most desirable characteristics in a prospective partner.

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RAGGED VALENTINE FACTS

FILTHY LUCRE According to Dr. Thomas Pollet of Newcastle University, the frequency of a woman’s orgasms increase with the balance in their partner’s bank account. Evolutionary psychology dictates that women will choose the best possible opportunity for reproductive purposes, hence the show me the money attitude. On the flip side of that, a study by the University of Guelph indicated that men and women described as “charitable” were rated more attractive than their less caring counterparts.

MIRROR IMAGE A symmetrical body makes a man more appealing to women. According to researchers, in studies where women were given shirts of men worn for 2 days consecutively to smell, the scents rated more attractive were those of men with more a symmetrical body, sight unseen. Psychologically, symmetry is considered to be a marker of “fitness and status”. Another study, executed jointly by the London School of Economics, the University of Edinburgh, and Indiana University found that men still go for beauty. Beauty in women is psychologically considered to determine health and “good genes”.

CHAIN REACTION In a 2008 study, researchers at the University College London’s Laboratory of Neurobiology found romantic love and individual hate both activate the areas of putamen and insula in the brain, making them closely linked.

UNDER MY SPELL Radboud University in the Netherlands found that spending even a short amount of time with an attractive female made men perform poorer than normal on tests made to measure brain function. That’s not all, the University of Rochester found that men rated the same female as “prettier” and “more attractive” when her shirt was coloured red digitally.

SAY I DO In a study involving over 34000 people across 15 countries, the University of Otago found marriage to be good for the mental health of both sexes. There is also 10 percent reduced risk of health problems when comparing married men to unmarried men according to the University of Arizona. Researchers theorized that long term commitments lead to longer lives for men because they take better care of themselves and are also less lonely when in a relationship.

FEBRUARY 2013

The percentage of lies told over the telephone according to Cornell University. Emails, instant messages, and face to face convos ranked better for honesty. 14 percent of lies were told over email, making it the most honest medium. Researchers speculate that because email leaves a paper trail, people are more likely to tell the truth.

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SOME RAGGED

FOR Y’ALL HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY RAGMAG READERS!

We’re showing our biggest Affinity this issue: our readers. We’ve decided to tell you what makes RAGMAG our magazine, and more importantly your magazine. In this spread, you’ll see pics of the staffers behind the issues you receive each month. Our readers are our first priority and our biggest love, so here you go- get to know us even better and tweet our way if you have comments about why RAGMAG is your magazine! Talk to us @RAGMAGLebanon with the hastag #RAGMAGLovers GINA GABRIEL EL-FADY | PUBLISHER

FIDA CHAABAN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

RAGMAG is my magazine and everybody’s magazine because it’s personalized according to everyone. You can find yourself in RAGMAG, whoever you are. RAGMAG is my magazine because I identify with it and with the readers, we reach out to them. Our aim was to have some sort of connection with our readers, and we’ve succeeded. When someone meets a RM staffer, they feel like they’ve known them forever! RAGMAG is my magazine because it has made the distance between us and the readers much smaller.

RAGMAG is my magazine because it channels my inner geek. All the things I’m really interested in like science, history, pop culture, and even economics can be found in the magazine each month. I think RAGMAG is also my magazine because all of our staff interact on social media and in print, and that it’s a collaboration between our staff and our readers every issue. They ask and we answer. It really is the readers’ magazine more than it is mine.

What the staff call Gina Good Gina Bad Gina, G, G.G., Fearless Leader @GinaGabriel1

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What the staff call Fida Hitler, Cruella, Devil Wears Prada, Evil Editor, Fid, Fiflower @FidaChaaban

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FOR Y’ALL ODETTE KAHWAGI | CREATIVE LEAD

What the staff call Odette Crazy, Odes, Odette H (pronounced “Ash”), Odo @Odette_H

It’s the only magazine in Lebanon that is free of stereotypes and cultural rules. There is nothing hidden from our readers in RAGMAG, it reflects the real Lebanon. It’s my magazine because I have the freedom to work with barrier-breaking concepts. The whole magazine is operating at an international standard- from the editorial to the visual presentation.

YOUMNA CHAGOURY | ASSISTANT TO EDITOR IN CHIEF @YoumnaChagoury

RAGMAG is my magazine because I’ve witnessed and taken part in its birth back in 2010. RAGMAG represents who I am; I am history and culture, science and music, literature and tech; I am edgy and so is the magazine. RAGMAG is my magazine because it has made me a better writer, a better team player and a better thinker. It’s my magazine because I am proud of it and proud of our readers. It’s MY magazine, it’s YOUR magazine.

ELIANE ELIAS | JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER @ElianeEliasRM

RAGMAG is my magazine because I’ve been a fan since day one. I’ve never seen such an inspirational magazine in Lebanon. I used to read magazines from abroad until RAGMAG came to life- I can finally support a local media outlet! Most importantly, it’s my magazine because it has helped me overcome a trauma that I might not have moved forward from if it weren’t for the RAGMAG family.

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SOME RAGGED

FOR Y’ALL DANIELLA TAYAR | MARKETING LEAD @DaniellaTayar

RAGMAG is my magazine because it has taught me so much that I was once oblivious to. From its birth till its maturity, I too grew with it. I have an unconditional relationship with RM that even my husband does not interfere with #LOL. RM is my second home thanks to Gina who made every step of the way an unforgettable journey! It’s like a seesaw ride that you just can’t get enough of!

TEDDY YOUNES | ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR @TeddyYounes

RAGMAG is my magazine because the staff is my family. We’re all close to each other and we enjoy being together. We have a direct communication with our publisher Gina- she’s both our boss and our friend. RAGMAG speaks about things unspoken of in Lebanon. It addresses important yet taboo topics that matter to me, and that’s why it’s my magazine.

LEA EL ALAM PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR @LeaElAlam

RAGMAG is my magazine because it’s the only company I’ve worked for that allows me to voice my opinion. It’s my magazine because my workspace is my second home: as a mother, I can bring my newborn to work and care for him during work hours. RAGMAG is my magazine because it understands each and every person and gives everyone significance.

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

SOME RAGGED

FOR Y’ALL MAKE US PART OF YOUR LIFE EVERY MONTH. IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY SUBSCRIBED, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

@ragmaglebanon

ragmagmagazine

ragmag

RAGMAG It’s Your Magazine! www.ragmag.co

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CULTURE CLASH

HAYDA LEBNEN’s

CUPID DOT-KOM? BY SARAH HOURANY

upid.com, a global opinion polling and relationship consulting firm, launched the results of its annual “shou beddak / shou beddik” survey on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. The survey aimed at depicting which traits Lebanese people valued most in a potential partner and was based on face-to-face interviews that were conducted with 1,200 adults between December 2012 and January 2013. The researchers, who were expecting “normal” answers to the survey’s questions such as “loyalty”, “intelligence” and the like, were puzzled by the results. In fact, the level of infisam bil answers was so high that it rendered the analysis of the data almost impossible. Are they right or 3am bizidouwa? Take a look at the answers below, and let us know!

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THE LEVEL OF INFISAM BIL ANSWERS WAS SO HIGH THAT IT RENDERED THE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. ARE THEY RIGHT OR 3AM BIZIDOUWA? THE AFFINITY ISSUE

HAYDA LEBNEN’S | CUPID DOT-KNOM?

MEN’S RESULTS MECH BEYIS TEMMA 2ELLA 2EMMA! 92% of male respondents noted that they would fall for sexually experienced women… as long as “mech beyis temmon 2ella 2emmon”! Hala2 these women could have flirted with noss Lebnen, but iza ba3doun vierge, then it’s just fine! Why is it so? Lebanese men didn’t seem to know, but when it comes to marriage in Lebanon, apparently, hayda el matloub. BIL ROU7, BIL DAM 83% of male participants indicated that they prefer articulate women who can express their political opinions honestly... as long as their views don’t contradict with those of their boyfriend or husband. In fact, answers included: “Enno tkheyal rou7 3a 3acha el ouwet w sa7ebte 3awniye!” and “Ma fine et7amal we7de ma bet7eb el General”. “Bheb wa2ta e7ke 3an el Hariri, thezele bi rassa,” w “2iza btente2id el Sayyed, ka2ano 3am tente2edne personally,” were also some of the profound answers given by these men.

WA HAL YAKHFA EL 2AMAR? 78% of the men surveyed noted that they are attracted to natural looking women… as long as they have not done more than five plastic surgeries. Enno 3ade, chin reduction or lip augmentation men hon w mini-brow lift and rhinoplasty men honik are okay bass el mouhem enno ma ybayno ma3moulin. (P.S. fhamo iza fikon tefhamo!) NOT SO DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE 72% of Lebanese men said that they love working wives… as long as they can manage to be the perfect housewives too. Of course, when the standard of living becomes that high, a man would like to have a helping hand, but he would like to have a delicious dinner even more. That being said, men insisted on having a partner “btotbokh metel 2emmo”. Jale w kawe skills are a plus.

72% OF LEBANESE MEN SAID THAT THEY LOVE WORKING WIVES… AS LONG AS THEY CAN MANAGE TO BE THE PERFECT HOUSEWIVES TOO

92% OF MALE RESPONDENTS NOTED THAT THEY WOULD FALL FOR SEXUALLY EXPERIENCED WOMEN… AS LONG AS “MECH BEYIS TEMMON 2ELLA 2EMMON” WOMEN’S RESULTS AMBITIOUSLY RICH 93% of female respondents said that they are attracted to ambitious men… as long as they already own a luxurious apartment and an amazing car. Min honik w bil rayi7 fiyon ykouno ambitious 2ad ma beddon! SECTARIAN LOVE 75% of women stressed that they admire men who express a strong personal commitment to religious values... of course, as long as these values match theirs! Shou bass the Orthodox electoral law proposed by some political parties in Lebanon calls each sect to vote for its own deputies? Women, too, decide not to fall in love with men “outside” their religion, bedon y7ebo w ma bedon yotla3 “dinon”! Now that you have checked the results, you might understand why Cupid.com decided to change the name of the survey to “Mech ma3rouf shou bedkon – The 2013 Edition”. However, we are sure that you’ll never believe it when it warns you, dear Lebanese, from Cupid becoming Dot-Kom. In fact, we can already hear you saying, “With all the rahje that Cupid gets, he will never be dodna. Ma hayda Lebnen, ya 3ayneh!”

FEBRUARY 2013

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MIND, BODY+SOUL

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.

help me

NOUR+RABIH BY NOUR OBAJI + RABIH FEGHALI

THIS MONTH, WE’VE AGREED TO DO A VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL! WE EACH DEVELOPED A LIST EXPLAINING THE REASONS WHY WE ARE (OR AREN’T) CELEBRATING V-DAY AND WHAT MAKES OR BREAKS OUR VALENTINE DATE CHOICES. OUR REGULAR COLUMN WILL RESUME NEXT ISSUE. XOXOX, NOUR + RABIH

NOUR’S LIST OF BAD ASS VALENTINE’S DAY REJECTION THE TOP TEN REASONS YOU ARE NOT MY VALENTINE THIS YEAR

1. I don’t think you’re romantic in a cool way. What I mean by this is that you took the typical and highly marketed route. Like shopping for dummies. For more on this, see number 2. 2. Roses are not romantic, they are cliché and didn’t take you much thought or effort. Especially red roses. They’re nature’s answer for the unimaginative (and useless) gift-givers of the world. You also gave me chocolates, which I can (and do) get for myself. Another marketing spiel that you’ve fallen for. That being said I do love Patchi- in case you’re reading this and can’t distinguish between fun and un-fun chocolate brands.

YOU TOOK THE TYPICAL AND HIGHLY MARKETED ROUTE, LIKE SHOPPING FOR DUMMIES 3. You think that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. They aren’t- at least not mine anyway. They have low resale value and any semieducated person who has done their research can tell you that the world’s biggest diamond purveyors employ the best public relations professionals in the world. I’d rather have a nice white gold band any day or an antique piece that has been in your family for a while. 4. You half-assed the suggestion that we would spend Valentine’s Day together. Basically you kind of tossed an open ended statement my way. It was along the lines of, “Hey we should have dinner or something…” No, I don’t want to have dinner or something. See number 5 for more on why I flatly negated that. 5. Being a firm believer that Valentine’s Day is a huge “Hallmark Holiday”- used to generate economic boosts in a largely boring month- if you are going to ask me to spend it with you, why don’t you pull up your socks and really try? Say this: “I know you aren’t big on Valentine’s Day, but it would be nice to have dinner at that restaurant you love. Better yet, why don’t we make it a day thing and see that movie that you mentioned?”

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

HELP ME NOUR+RABIH

6. You think you’re too cool to show any excitement. You’re blasé about almost everything, so by default you will be blasé about this. Every girl out there, regardless of whether or not they are big into gifts and holidays, appreciates a level of newness and excitement in their relationship, be it new or stagnating.

stanzas about our undying affection for one another, but you could just write a few lines about some of our funniest moments together. Inside jokes are the best reminder of why we are dating- the lack thereof is the best reminder of why we are not dating. You see why I want a card?

7. You are an uninspired man who doesn’t realize that an expensive gift is not necessarily a nice gift. The DVD collection I have been lusting after would be cool, a set of books by my favorite author would be even cooler. You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money, you just have to think about the things I would really like and go accordingly. #JustSaying

9. You don’t understand when I tell you that, “Every day is Valentine’s Day”. I will decode this for you: every day should be small gestures of affection, be they tangible or not. Just because I want us to have dinner on February 14th, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for the rest of the year.

8. You don’t think a handwritten card is important- not on Valentine’s Day or any other day. You don’t need to compose a sonnet in 11

Last but not least… 10. You’re a bit of a douche. Admittedly, sometimes it’s funny. But not funny enough to make my list for the 14th of February.

RABIH’S LIST OF BAD ASS VALENTINE’S DAY REJECTION THE TOP TEN REASONS YOU ARE NOT MY VALENTINE THIS YEAR

1. Religious beliefs. I simply do not observe this so-called-marketing-scam-of-a-holiday since as of this year, it is against my religious beliefs. 2. I will be taking someone else. Although we are indeed seeing each other, I am also seeing other people. And since Valentine’s is limited to one day, I have decided to dedicate it to another. 3. I don’t have the funds/energy. I can’t buy you an expensive Valentine dinner/gift, nor do I have the energy to come up with a non-expensive thoughtful/creative idea. Let’s do something on the 15th, everything is severely discounted. 4. I enjoy spending time with you “indoors”. Please let’s just keep it at that. How about I just buy you some perfume as a gesture of goodwill… 5. I’m on a diet! No carbs, no wine, no dessert… 6. I’m invited to an Anti-Valentine “singles” party. What better way to spend an evening than by taking advantage of a bunch of chicks with an, “OMG I’m alone on Valentine’s” complex? 7. Holiday Weight. You still haven’t lost your holiday weight and I can’t be seen in public with you, yet. 8. My cats get lonely. I need to stay at home and look after my cats. They get rather lonely this time of year. 9. The wrong impression. I like hanging out with you for now, but I don’t think we’re Valentine material quite yet. I’m afraid you’ll get the wrong impression… Last but not least… 10. You are my Valentine every day. Why limit it to these 24 hours?

I LIKE HANGING OUT WITH YOU FOR NOW, BUT I DON’T THINK WE’RE VALENTINE MATERIAL QUITE YET. FEBRUARY 2013

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LOVE YOUR LIFE

GET CLOSER TO YOUR GOALS BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

elf improvement is a word that has become so clichéd that it often brings with it a heavy dose of cynicism. It’s often associated with fluffy “positive thinking” exercises that don’t actually get you any closer to where you want to be. That’s why in my line of work, I’ve always been obsessed with results. For me, self-improvement is all about taking those actions that close that gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

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We all want to improve certain areas of our life. But often in our busy lives we’re so overwhelmed with information and other priorities that we don’t really know where to start. So how can we make the whole thing simpler? First of all let’s break down the components of our lives. In my experience we always want to improve in three key areas: Our career, our relationships, and our physical and mental health, For those who want to get started, I’ve picked 4 fundamental principles that you can put into practice. Reaching your goals can be daunting, but put yourself first by maintaining some basic principles.

1. TIME’S A WASTIN’ So often in life we create a fuzzy list in our heads of all the things we would like to do: “Read those great novels, start eating properly, get those sixpack muscles, take up the piano…”, the list is endless. On their own these lists are only fantasies. That’s why it’s so important to schedule them in! In other words, when you think about that perfect body you’d like to have, ask yourself: “What’s an action I should take right now that would get me closer to this goal?” When we schedule it in, we turn our dreams into a plan, and this is the beginning of making them a reality.

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

MON AMOUR, MON AMI

2. FORMULA 1 We can never control all of the challenges life throws our way. There will always be the unexpected. Challenges are opportunities to grow! But that means we have two choices; we can either sit back and get caught in the current and become victims of circumstances or we can adopt a more empowering mindset. Remember, we can’t control our circumstances but we can control our response to them and how they affect us. A commitment to self-improvement involves asking ourselves: “What can I learn from this obstacle I’m facing right now?” or “How can I draw meaning from this experience and use it to reach an even greater level than before?” Once you adopt this mindset, you’ll convert obstacles into opportunities.

LOVE YOUR LIFE | GET CLOSER TO YOUR GOALS

3. NO FEAR This phrase is a great way to clarify exactly where your ideal destination would be. So often in our lives we limit ourselves because we believe something can’t be done, or because we fear failure. So just take a second to imagine now: “What would I do if I couldn’t fail?” This will help you break through your mental barriers and move towards those things you’ve been putting off.

4. GET SORTED Some of us just feel we have no time for self-improvement. You need to make it a priority, and start taking steps toward that. We get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life and all of the little demands made on us that we feel like we don’t have time to read

IT’S VITAL THAT WE DON’T SPEND OUR WHOLE DAY RESPONDING TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF EVERYONE ELSE

FEBRUARY 2013

those books or go to the gym or work on our ideal career. Don’t let today’s urgent details crowd out the important! It’s vital that we don’t spend our whole day responding to the urgent needs of everyone else, and instead schedule some time to work on what’s important to us. So now you have the tools to get started, take this opportunity to get going today. Even if it’s the smallest gesture, once you get the ball rolling it’s so much easier to build momentum and see those results happening this month, instead of putting it off for yet another day in the distant future. Finally, self-improvement requires daily action, but that doesn’t mean it should feel like a chore. Have fun with this and get excited about all the new experiences you’re going to have; enjoy the process!

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MIND, BODY+SOUL

TALKING

CURES

IS CHINESE MEDICINE AN ALTERNATIVE? BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

WILD HERBS, ROOT EXTRACTS AND WEEDS MAY SOUND LIKE A WEIRD CONCOCTION TO SOME BUT ACCORDING TO TCM DOCTOR EDMOND IBRAHIM THEY CAN TRULY OFFER A CURE FOR MANY AILMENTS “I STUDIED CHEMICALS AND REALIZED JUST HOW HARMFUL SOME MEDICATIONS ARE. OUR INTAKE SHOULD BE LIMITED”

“

’m talking Chinese tonight,” said Edmond Ibrahim, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor, in fluent English. According to Ibrahim he is Lebanon’s only TCM practitioner and he was keen to spread the word about natural cures during the Wellness Week at Eddé Sands in November last year to a captive audience while sipping green tea spiced with ginger.

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Before he became interested in TCM Ibrahim studied chemistry. “I studied chemicals and realized just how harmful some medications are. Our intake should be limited,” he posits. So he embarked on a trip to China to study TCM’s natural alternatives to conventional medicine. After nine years of study and practice he returned to Lebanon to share his knowledge of one of the world’s oldest medical systems. TCM has a holistic approach to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases by identifying patterns and then applying the therapies of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Tuina, a therapeutic massage. What distinguishes it from conventional medicine is its roots are in the concept of holism. The

fundamental theory of TCM includes those of yin and yang. “In Ayurveda there are three elements, in Chinese medicine there are five. And, it is the most ancient with 5,000 years [sic] origin,” says Ibrahim. It’s been a long time coming but it seems that finally TCM is now gaining solid acceptance in the West. In 2008, a World Health Organization congress even acknowledged its legacy. In Lebanon however acceptance is much slower in coming. “In the 90s many countries did not recognize TCM but now it is widely recognized and there are syndicates all over the world. Except in Lebanon. In the UK, for example, the syndicate has 23,000 doctors and the government legalizes it, but here we still lack awareness.”

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

TALKING CURES | IS CHINESE MEDICINE AN ALTERNATIVE?

Ibrahim has an average of 20 patients a day, half of whom are foreign nationals, who complain of common ailments such as stress or depression, migraines and insomnia. “The Lebanese suffer a lot from anxiety, I would say 90 percent of the people suffer due to every day problems,” says Ibrahim. “But, it is difficult for a doctor to treat such ailments, how can we treat anxiety? We can tell people to do Tai Chi and yoga but we cannot stop them from worrying which is causing their ailments.” BELOW: EDMOND IBRAHIM TCM, (TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE) DOCTOR SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT NATURAL CURES DURING THE WELLNESS WEEK AT EDDE SANDS LAST NOVEMBER

TCM HAS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES BY IDENTIFYING PATTERNS AND THEN APPLYING THE THERAPIES OF ACUPUNCTURE, CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE, AND TUINA, A THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE What conditions can Chinese medicine treat? For accurate diagnosis and treatment of illness a visit to a knowledgeable and experienced TCM practitioner is vital, says Ibrahim. A thorough analysis of the patient’s experiences and symptoms, the causes, nature and location of the illness as well as the patient’s physical and emotional condition must all be taken into account for successful treatment and before making a prescription. Acupuncture is more responsive to pain conditions, such as muscular pain, arthritis, and migraines. Chinese herbal medicine is used for internal conditions, such as chest infections, whereas Tuina is more effective in pain relief, especially in muscular problems says Ibrahim. Acupuncture works by stimulating our “acupoints” by inserting thin needles at various points on the body. Chinese herbal medicine therapy involves the use of natural plants to treat diseases,

and to rectify the over-activity or underactivity of yin and yang, thus restoring balance. Thousands of medicinals are used in Chinese herbal medicine and plant extracts are the most common elements used. Obscure animal parts, such as gallstones, penis or horn are considered therapeutic in China, but Ibrahim prefers to prescribe herbal remedies. And, his patients have to order them from Dubai or China as they are not available in Lebanon. “I hoped to open a Chinese medical center here but this is being delayed due to the situation” FIND OUT MORE The Journal of Chinese Medicine has a wealth of information available on their website. The publication has been in print since 1979 and runs three times yearly. www.jcm.co.uk

“IN THE 90S MANY COUNTRIES DID NOT RECOGNIZE TCM BUT NOW IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AND THERE ARE SYNDICATES ALL OVER THE WORLD. EXCEPT IN LEBANON. IN THE UK [...] THE SYNDICATE HAS 23,000 DOCTORS AND THE GOVERNMENT LEGALIZES IT, BUT HERE WE STILL LACK AWARENESS” FEBRUARY 2013

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THE FINAL FRONTIER

SEXY PSYCHOLOGY YOUR LOVE LIFE MAY BE GENETIC ARE YOU WIRED TO HAVE A HOT + HEAVY RELATIONSHIP? BY J.E.N.

ultiple explanations and a deluge of theories on how men and women approach relationships, dating and mating have abounded for centuries. Since Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution in “The Origins of the Species” back in 1859, the scientific world has been flirting with the impact of evolution on men and women’s mating and dating practices. Many hypotheses advocated by evolutionary psychologists have become widespread and have spurred on further studies. But there has been some dissent in the ranks and some are now questioning the validity of evolutionary psychology’s reductionist view. Some are saying

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that society and cultural norms can’t be overlooked and that there are ultimately no fundamental differences between men and women once societal restrictions are stripped away. Evolutionary psychology has come up with many juicy theories over the years. One is that men are driven to be more promiscuous and drawn towards short-term relationships because it’s how they’re naturally wired. The “proof”? Well they have many sperm at their disposal at any one time whereas women mostly have one egg. And so this suggests that men are born to spread their seed, while women are born to take care of a limited number of offspring. This also sheds light on why men aren’t so

picky while women are far more selective in their choice of partners. It even accounts for men sleeping with more partners. These sorts of explanations are nothing new. In “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex,” Charles Darwin used natural selection to come up with the claim that evolution prompted man’s “more inventive genius” and woman’s “greater tender-

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

SEXY PSYCHOLOGY | YOUR LOVE LIFE MAY BE GENETIC

ness.” Through this he rationalized the gender differences he witnessed in his daily life in Victorian England (like men being the breadwinners while women cared for the kids). In 2010 “Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships” was published. Today it is a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into many languages.

This book is rooted in evolutionary psychology and demonstrates how influential this approach still is. Today evolutionary psychology is not just about imagining how our ancestors lived. It involves research with modern day humans: surveys, interviews, experiments, and more. But the theories of evolution are prominent in the explanation of the findings. While “Sex at Dawn” was a hit, it met with its fair share of criticism. Many claimed it downplays certain things, misunderstood essentials and exagger-

ated others. In fact a lot of evolutionary psychology isn’t seen favorably by many. Today an inundating number of scientists are questioning gender differences all together. And no, this is not a new feminist revolution or an initiative carefully orchestrated by Judith Butler and other gender studies specialists in the humanities. Back in 1997 Stephen Jay Gould was among the first to raise his objections: “[parental investment theory] will not explain the full panoply of supposed sexual differences so dear to pop psychology”

TODAY EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY IS NOT JUST ABOUT IMAGINING HOW OUR ANCESTORS LIVED. IN INVOLVES RESEARCH WITH MODERN DAY HUMANS: SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS, EXPERIMENTS, AND MORE. BUT THE THEORIES OF EVOLUTION ARE PROMINENT IN THE EXPLANATION OF THE FINDINGS OPPOSITE PAGE: THE DESCENT OF MAN, AND SELECTION IN RELATION TO SEX BY CHARLES DARWIN

FEBRUARY 2013

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THE FINAL FRONTIER

Sociocultural explanations are starting to fight back. Instead of turning to inescapable biology and the supposed fate engraved in our genes, the sociocultural approach looks at social norms and culturally prescribed behavior. And this route can come up with interesting results. For instance we may all think that women have sex with fewer people over their lifetime and men are more promiscuous. A 2003 study by behavioral psychologists, Michele G. Alexan-

SEXY PSYCHOLOGY | YOUR LOVE LIFE MAY BE GENETIC

der and Terri D. Fisher, revealed that this was not the case. They used a fake lie detector which encouraged the participants to be totally honest. The result was that the women admitted to having more sexual partners than the men (an average of 4.4. vs. an average of 4.0). When they were asked about the number of their partners without a bogus lie detector, the women stated that they had fewer partners as is socially expected.

INSTEAD OF TURNING TO INESCAPABLE BIOLOGY AND THE SUPPOSED FATE ENGRAVED IN OUR GENES, THE SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH LOOKS AT SOCIAL NORMS AND CULTURALLY PRESCRIBED BEHAVIOR

A 2009 study threw more cogs in the wheel and had surprising results. It revealed that women are not pickier than men and that men are not happy with random partners. The study created a speed dating scenario but had the men remain seated and the men move around from table to table. Normally women have to wait to be approached (even in real social settings). In this setting the men became very picky and the women were more eager to find any partner. This suggests that the “mere act of physically approaching a potential romantic partner… engendered more favorable assessments of that person.” These are just two examples of countless sociocultural studies that challenge the status quo. Darwinists haven’t given up though and are attempting to explain things away by tying the findings back to evolution. But do these explanations really hold up? The interesting findings popping up when social norms are removed suggest that there’s much more than evolution at work. So which theory or approach is right and which is wrong? Tell us what you think by tweeting @RAGMAGLebanon #SexAndPsych LEFT: THE DESCENT OF MAN, AND SELECTION IN RELATION TO SEX BY CHARLES DARWIN (BELOW)

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MON AMOUR, MON AMI

REACH OUT+

TOUCH SOMEONE

Men, Monkeys, Relationships HUG YOU MOTHER HUGGA

ABOVE: OXYTOCIN CHEMICAL STRUCTURE

BY RANI NASR

omeone walks in your office shouting about something trivial and you think to yourself: “This person needs to get laid, man!” Well, this theory is not entirely wrong. Scientifically, what you mean is that this person needs more oxytocin pumping through their neural synapses. Oxytocin, the love hormone, is a mammalian hormone that acts as a neuromodulator in the brain. It creates feelings of contentment, calmness and security, in addition to reducing anxiety. What’s one quick and harmless way to get the oxytocin flowing? Grab your main squeeze, and do just that. OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: A BABY RHESUS MONKEY CLINGS TO THE TERRYCLOTH MOTHER AMMA, HINDU SPIRITUAL LEADER

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MUMBO JUMBO Oxytocin, the bonding hormone that allows you to establish connections with others, is basically the glue of society and it calms the nervous system down. The human body is miraculous, it can produce oxytocin in tons of different scenarios. Show your pet some love, shake your moneymaker, knock boots, sing your favorite song, breastfeed and yes, even give birth. Of all of the aforementioned strategies, hugging is one of the quickest ways to get your oxytocin fix. An average human hug is about three seconds long, as determined by researchers at Dundee University. The three-second quickie hug won’t always cut it- a study by the University of North Carolina suggests 20 seconds as the ideal embrace time. Next time someone gives you a hug, count to yourself: “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi...”

MONKEY BUSINESS Hugs, an integral part of nonverbal communication, are a way to describe your feelings and by definition, efficient. On a personal note, I believe hugs can save the world. If every person got their share of daily hugs, we would not have as many angry people walking around. After a long day of “Screw you-s” and free-flowing animosity, all you need is love. The Beatles’ mantra is still pervasive because it’s true! Heaven is when you go home after a stressful day and cuddle up to your freshly-showered special someone and spend hours in their arms watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! (Or any other entertainment source of preference, but TMNT would be a good choice. #JustSaying) That’s actually how I became a Rhesus Monkey Hug Junky. The nickname needs some explaining- a friend of mine began to call me a rhesus monkey al-

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

REACH OUT + TOUCH SOMEONE | MEN, MONKEYS, RELATIONSHIPS: HUG YOU MOTHERHUGGA

luding to certain studies in the 50s by the famous psychologist Harry Harlow using baby rhesus monkeys. The baby rhesus monkeys were removed from their mothers and were given wire and mesh mothers. The wire (untouchable) set of mothers gave nourishment to the baby monkeys while the other set of mothers were covered in terrycloth and gave no nourishment, but were soft to the touch. In short, the monkeys when frightened would cuddle with the terrycloth mothers not the ones that were feeding them, and further, were better socially adjusted if they were able to

have regular access to the cloth-covered wire mother. The results of these studies were decisive in many theories formulated around the need for affection and warmth in nurture. She calls me Rhesus Monkey due to my habit of spontaneously hugging her and other people in my life. SETTING PRECEDENTS When grief strikes, I hug. When happiness overwhelms me, I hug. A hug for me is like a comic book- a non-medicinal solution for every problem that I face in life. I inherited my healthy hug

THE MONKEYS WHEN FRIGHTENED WOULD CUDDLE WITH THE TERRYCLOTH MOTHERS NOT THE ONES THAT WERE FEEDING THEM, AND FURTHER, WERE BETTER SOCIALLY ADJUSTED IF THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE REGULAR ACCESS TO THE CLOTH-COVERED WIRE MOTHER

THE WIRE (UNTOUCHABLE) SET OF MOTHERS GAVE NOURISHMENT TO THE BABY MONKEYS WHILE THE OTHER SET OF MOTHERS WERE COVERED IN TERRYCLOTH AND GAVE NO NOURISHMENT, BUT WERE SOFT TO THE TOUCH addiction from my late grandmother, the Hug Guru. It was always the grandma hug that made everything alright (that was before I got to know alcohol). Whenever I got my butt kicked for flunking social studies, I could count on grandma and I knew I’d spend a comforting evening in her arms. Except for the old people’s smell, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. (This is where you tear up…) I blame it on oxytocin! Now, I carry on my grandma’s legacy: giving hugs to all of my loved ones. All three of them. The Hug is humanity’s salvation. If you don’t believe me, ask Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī (Amma) AKA the Hugging Saint. Amma is a Hindu spiritual leader with millions of followers who stand in line for hours hoping to receive a healing hug. She is the Grandma of the World. We all need affection at some point. There’s nothing that a good fix of oxytocin can’t solve. I think that’s the reason why we are social animals after all. Give in to the mysterious ways of the hug. So next time you want to tell someone to go fuck themselves, wrap them in your arms instead. It serves the same purpose.

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RAGGED AFFINITY FACTS 2007

The year that the Cambridge University EcoRacing (CUER) team was founded. Currently the top solar car racing team in Britain; its first prototype vehicle, Affinity, was built in 2008 and became the first solar-powered car allowed to drive legally on UK roads after going from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise awareness about sustainable energy. CUER was the first British team to compete in the Biennial World Solar Challenge in 2009.

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU In cultural anthropology and in law, kinship by marriage is known as affinity (usually marked by adding “-in-law” to the degree of kinship; affinity can also mean kinship by adoption. So you might not like your overbearing mother-in-law or you might want to murder your cocky brother-in-law, but the law itself says that they’re actually related to you –by affinity, not consanguinity (blood relation), so at least there’s that.

FRAUDULENT AFFAIRS The US Securities and Exchange Commission is one of the many agencies that investigated and have taken action against affinity frauds, a type of fraud which targets individuals belonging to identifiable groups such as ethnic communities, religious communities, the elderly, professional groups, language minorities… One of the most famous cases of affinity fraud involved Bernard Madoff, who targeted Jews he met in Long Island and Palm Beach.

150

The number of years that Bernard Madoff was sentenced to after his Ponzi Scheme, said to be the largest financial fraud in US history. 150 years is the maximum prison sentence in the US, meted out by Judge Denny Chin, who described Madoff’s actions as “extraordinarily evil”. The sentence is three times as long as the federal probation office suggested and 10 times as long as what the defense lawyers had requested.

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RAGGED AFFINITY FACTS

BOND, CHEMICAL BOND In the world of physical chemistry and chemical physics, the electronic property which enables chemical species to combine to form chemical compounds is known as chemical affinity. The first-ever affinity table, which lists what substances combine best along with the “degree of affinity”, dates back to 1718 and French chemist Etienne François Geoffroy. In his famous Elementary Treatise of Chemistry (1789), Antoine Lavoisier discusses elective affinities or attractions.

1809

Speaking of elective affinities, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe chose to model human relationships after chemical affinity in his third novel, Elective Affinities (also translated to Kindred by Choice), published in 1809. In the book, Eduard and Charlotte, who live a great but slightly dull life, decide to invite a friend and a niece to come live with them; the house and surrounding gardens are the chemical milieu in which marriage, passion, conflict and free will are all subject to the laws of chemistry and humans are a chemical species.

BUSINESS SAVVY Affinity Marketing is a business technique built on selling goods or services by building partnerships with compatible and/or similar companies and brands. This helps increase brand loyalty for both companies and/or products and gets more people familiar with both brands. The two parties of this partnership seek to add value to their existing customers and/or members to generate new income by building upon existing customer relationship and forging new ones.

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TRUE FRIENDSHIP: THE ESSENCE OF LIFE

friend in need is a friend indeed”. Never has this saying been so true. Aware of friendship value, Chivas Regal, gentlemen’s favorite premium whisky brand and symbol of noble gallantry, has recently partnered with Academy Award® winning short filmmaker Joachim Back to release two cinematic films, developed as part of ‘Here’s to Real Friends’ campaign, the latest installment of the “Live with Chivalry” campaign, focusing on genuine friendship.

“Building bridges” is a modern expression people often use between them, expressing their true feelings of friendship, and strengthening their bonds, over a bridge they cross heading towards each other. Through “The Evolution of friendship” theme, Chivas Regal has observed that people of all races, cultures, regardless of their gender, are nowadays discovering that true fulfillment comes from balance in life, reaching a new era, especially in relationships based on deep trust and utter honesty. Nowadays, individuals are showing certain zeal to maintain and nurture these relationships, as a key source of emotional enrichment. In Lebanon, the different hardships shared for years, have not only strengthened the sense of amity among Lebanese, but have also brought new friends to their traditional circle; besides, we are witnessing increasingly that Lebanese Men, are nowadays unashamedly showing their emotions and placing more value on trust and honesty built with a core group of friends. For they have understood that life is “about being more”, not only “having more”; being there for each other and above all, feeling more grateful for having true friends.

The “evolution of friendship” is being highly featured by Chivas Regal in “Here’s to Big Bear” and “Here’s to Twinkle” film campaigns , both of which are featured on the Chivas Regal Lebanon Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ChivasRegalLebanon), and tell the story of a sacrosanct friendship between four men, placed into two challenging situations. They shed the light on the modern sense of brotherhood/sisterhood of contemporary persons and how their relationships shape them and become an important part of their life. People celebrate friendship in different ways; one that goes beyond any border is “making a toast”, an international friendly gesture shared by millions around the world and understood by all. Toasted for more than 200 years, Chivas Regal has devised the “gentlemen’s guide to making a toast”. Indeed, while toasting is an ancestry ritual, it boasts a variety of cultural habits, depending on the country you visit. But above all, toasting remains an enjoyable tradition to express our appreciation to the people we toast simply to celebrate life with our friends. A heart-felt drinking toast will always make each moment and each celebration special! Here’s to Real Friends!

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NEW + NOW

HISTORY LESSON

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has created a unique collection of Bespoke Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles honouring legendary Arab inventor Abbas Ibn Firnas, famous for being the first man in history to make scientific attempts at flying. The British ultra-luxury carmaker unveiled the ‘Rolls-Royce Ghost Firnas Motif’ collection of vehicles, which are available exclusively through Abu Dhabi Motors, the sole dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The unique models were conceptualized by Kadhim Al Helli, Rolls Royce Brand Manager at Abu Dhabi Motors before being handcrafted by specialists at the home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. Abbas Ibn Firnas was a 9th century Arab inventor and poet in Cordoba during the Ummayad Dynasty, who made contributions to a host of different sciences including physics, astronomy and chemistry. The story of his attempted glider flight using man-made wings and feathers is taught in textbooks in many Arab and Muslim countries, and given him legendary status in the Middle East, where he has postage stamps, streets and even airports named after him. The Bespoke “Rolls-Royce Ghost Firnas Motif” collection goes beyond the conventional perception of luxury by introducing subtle yet exotic features that encapsulate the true essence of Arab

FEBRUARY 2013

Andalusian culture, while retaining the core values that make the Rolls-Royce brand unique. The personalized flight emblem is featured throughout the vehicle’s design, on the control display panel set against elm cluster veneer and in the embroidery on the front and rear headrests. The car also features a personalized tread plate with the wings design and personalised message: “Firnas motif – one of five”. “Abbas Ibn Firnas was a great man who made significant contributions to the field of science and dared to dream that man could fly a millennium before the Wright Brothers did. It is hard to ignore the synergies between him and the Rolls-Royce brand, which is rooted in the pioneering heritage of its founders, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. This unique collection honours his achievements and encapsulates his bravery and innovation in the world’s most luxurious vehicle,” said Arno Husselmann, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Motors. “Very few international brands as respected and revered as Rolls-Royce have created special edition models that commemorate a symbol of Arab and Islamic culture in such a unique way, and as a result we have seen strong interest in the collection from customers here in the United Arab Emirates and overseas to own one,” he added.

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SEDUCTION UNDER THE

STARS

YVES SAINT LAURENT SETS THE SCENE FOR ROMANCE

This Valentine’s Day, men in the know will be opting for our top men’s fragrance choice: La Nuit de L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent. At RAGMAG, we’re literature fans and we’re also connoisseurs of fine fragrance, so when we found a truly special launch that brings the two worlds together, we had to share it with you. Inspired by the historic literature of Søren Kierkegaard, specifically “The Seducer’s Diary”, YSL has brought you the most enigmatic and seductive blend of elements to develop this extraordinary men’s scent.

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SEDUCTION UNDER THE STARS | YVES SAINT LAURENT SETS THE SCENE FOR ROMANCE

SOLAR SYSTEM

If the fragrance and the influence of Kierkegaard aren’t impressive enough, be prepared to be completely blown away. For La Nuit de L’Homme, YSL has collaborated with renowned Director Darren Aronofsky, and superstar photography team Mert & Marcus. The face of La Nuit de L’Homme is the one and only Vincent Cassel, embodying the spirit of the YSL man perfectly with his mix of masculinity, power, and edgy charisma. We loved Cassel in Arofonsky’s “Black Swan” and the 2007 Russian mob thriller “Eastern Promises”. Yves Saint Laurent, we think you deserve an Oscar for uniting some of the biggest global talents under one spellbinding project.

ABOVE: DIRECTOR DARREN ARONOFSKI AT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS IN 2011, SANTA MONICA, CALIFONIA LEFT: VINCENT CASSEL + MONICA BELLUCCI AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF THEIR MOVIE IRREVERSIBLE IN 2002

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YOUR SECRET WEAPON DIOR HYPNOTIC POISON EAU SECRÈTE

Who’s ready for a seductive Valentine’s Day? Our top pick for the month of love and life is Dior’s fresh take on their sexy classic: Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrète. Available in 50ml and 100ml presentations, the allure of the Eau Secrète edition is the light touch of playfulness in addition to Hypnotic Poison’s original mystery and charm. The campaign, starring the enigmatic Mélanie Laurent, was executed by renowned fashion photographer

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Steven Meisel. The composition of Master Perfumer François Demachy -the creative genius behind Miss Dior Le Parfumbrought about the use of citrus notes of Sicilian mandarin, orange, and Calabrian bergamot in this newest Dior fragrance. The heart note of jasmine Sambuc meets Tunisian Neroli, finishing off with Hypnotic Poison’s hallmark vanilla signature. Get playful and pretty with this newly launched must-have fragrance.

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TAKE A BOW Dior Chérie Bow Spring Collection

IS A DELICATE DANCE WITH LOVE THE HOUSE OF DIOR HAS LAUNCHED THEIR NEW COLLECTION, DIOR CHÉRIE BOW, A HARMONIOUS TWIST ON PINKS AND GREYS FOR A PRETTY AS PUNCH SPRING LOOK. CHECK OUT OUR MUSTHAVES FROM THE COLLECTION, VOTED THE ABSOLUTE BEST THIS SEASON BY RAGMAG STAFFERS.

RAGMAG Runway Nails

Splurge on the Dior Chérie Bow Nail Lacquer collection in pale pink “Tutu” to give your hands a polished natural look or the bright “Rosy Bow” to complete a spring look. We love getting all grey with the sexy “Gris Trianon” for nights on the town.

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Rat De L’opéra

If you’re like us, we’re into changing our nail polish frequently. Here’s your cheat sheet for proper care and application • Remove your nail polish and nail polish residue with a non-acetone nail polish remover. If overused, acetone may weaken your nail strength. • Apply a base coat and let it dry completely before proceeding to the next step. This will not only give your nail polish a more even and longer lasting appearance, but it also prevents staining, as is the case with some reds and some darker pigments like black and navy. • Apply a first coat of polish and allow it to dry. Try applying one stripe in the middle of your nail, follow by doing the same on the left, then on the right. Wait a minute before applying the second coat. • Once the second coat is dry, apply your top coat. It will give your nail polish an impactful shine and ensure that your colour lasts longer. Good to know: for those of you with brittle nails, incorporating a zinc supplement in your diet can help improve the hard to treat condition.

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PRETTY PIROUETTE

We like the eye and lip Dior Palette Chérie Bow in Rose Perle, inspired by the Fontanges bow, named after Louis XIV’s favorite whose habit of wearing ribbons in her hair left an impression on his Court. The palette features a trio of smooth eyeshadows in poppy pinks frosted with luminous whites. A black eyeliner and a fresh pink gloss complete this limited edition palette. Get yours before they’re gone.

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PORE YOU! GET CLINIQUE’S RANGE FOR SMOOTHER SKIN

Who doesn’t dread visible pores? We know we do and we know what the problem is: as children our skin looks porcelain smooth, but as we mature, several factors like oil production and skin dehydration loosen pores, making them more visible. Studies show that over 300,000 pores on our face typically double in size from age 25 to 50! In comes Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions range, designed to keep pores clear and refined, leaving your skin looking fresh and healthy. Using a new technology with laminaria saccharina extract to fight excess sebum production, our new favorite products guarantee a 58 percent reduction in the visible appearance of pores in a mere 2 weeks!

We Tried It!

Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum works two ways: it minimizes sebum production and balances out the process so skin is never too oily or too dry. The serum instantly diminishes the appearance of pores and over a period of time, helps strengthen and tighten the skin’s surface structure.

Oil Slick

Even oily skins need hydration without unsightly shine. Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator is a moisturizer that instantly mattifies the skin, controls excess sebum in addition to providing oil-free hydration throughout the day.

How To 1. After cleansing your face, begin with Pore Refining

Solutions Correcting Serum. Apply a thin layer either all over the face or just on areas with visible pores, avoiding the sensitive eye area. For optimal results, use at night and in the morning before your moisturizer. 2. Apply Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator every day after the serum. Press one pump of moisturizer on the back of your hand (using it as a pallet) and with the tip of your fingers, spread the product all over the face, also avoiding the eye area.

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PORE YOU | GET CLINIQUE’S RANGE FOR SMOOTHER SKIN

INSTANT FIX To instantly disguise pores during the day, apply the Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector for a flawless finish. The lightweight formula creates an invisible film that fills in and smoothes the pore surface, while diffusing the light to minimize the look of imperfections. The Instant Perfector is available in 3 tints to suit all skin tones.

FLAWLESS FOUNDATION Do you try to cover pores with heavy makeup? STOP RIGHT NOW. Not only does it look artificial, it also leads to clogged pores, causing breakouts and stretches over time, which will lead to one thing: your skin will appear older than it really is. Clinique has created the Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfecting Makeup, a lightweight texture foundation that blends easily. Applied for daytime or night makeup, this foundation leaves your skin with a flawless complexion and a natural-matte finish.

STAR PRODUCT

Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

Dark circles are every woman’s concern. You don’t go out without a ton of concealer to hide them? Neither do we. Instead we tried out Clinique’s Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector. With a cocktail of ingredients that minimize the appearance of darkness and an optic technology that helps capture the light to brighten the eye area, this is your newest go-to product. How Gently squeeze a small amount of product and glide applicator across the under-eye area. Use finger to smooth the excess until it is fully absorbed. When Apply twice daily on cleansed skin.

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MIRROR, MIRROR

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE NIVEA’S EYE MAKEUP REMOVER RANGE NO MUSS, NO FUSS

WHETHER YOU’RE INTO THE DRAMATIC, SMOKEY LOOK OR A NUDE, LIGHTER EYE MAKEUP, NIVEA’S REMOVERS HAVE GOT THE HEALTH OF YOUR SKIN IN MIND!

NIVEA Gentle Eye Make-up Remover Use this formula, enriched with ProVitamin B5 daily to remove your eye makeup. ProVitamin B5 moisturizes, soothes irritations, and helps to regenerate the fragile eye-area skin. This gentle formula is suitable for contact lenses users and those with sensitive skin and eyes prone to irritation.

NIVEA Double Effect Make-Up Remover This product is a duo-phase eye makeup remover with cornflower extract (used for its anti-inflammatory properties). Use it to remove waterproof and heavy eye makeup with no rubbing or residue. As a duo-phase product, the oil and water formula works in two ways: the oil dissolves heavy cosmetics and the water phase cleanses the delicate eye area skin, removing any residue. For optimum results, you must shake this product well before usage to activate the bi-phase formula.

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HIT THE SLOPES

APRÈS CHIC BY M.A.C.

FOR YOUR APRÈS SLOPE SOIRÉE For all of you ski bunnies heading to Faraya this February, get the limited edition Après Chic collection by M.A.C! After a day on the slopes, here’s a warm colour range for your après ski party at the chalet. Heat up your eye zone with Après Chic’s Mineralize Eyeshadows, our fave shades are: Frost at Midnight, Ice, and Silver Birch. You can even go for a combination of two shades as they blend perfectly!

BRUSH UP To achieve this look, these are the brushes we recommend you pick up: 187 Duo Fibre Face and 287 Duo Fibre Eyeshadow. Caring for your brushes will help keep them in top shape longer, so treat them gently.

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Pair your eyeshadow with Pro Longwear Eye Liner in Black Ice for a classic black or in Mountain Air to add a touch of funk. Keep the focus on the eyes by wearing Warm Companion lipstick or go dramatic with Aprés Chic, but this means you’ll go for less enhanced eyes. You can keep your lips matte or add a shine with the Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm in Nice & Simple or the Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm in Rosy Romance for a just-kissed glow.

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KNOCKOUT

GAZE MAKE A SCENE WITH

BOUDOIR EYES

HERE’S OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING THE PERFECT BOUDOIR EYE LOOK SPECIFICALLY WITH MAKE UP FOR EVER PRODUCTS. THIS TWIST ON THE CLASSIC SMOKY EYE COMBINES COOL SILVER WITH WARM BRONZES FOR AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS DATE-NIGHT STANDBY- GUARANTEED TO LIGHT ANYONE’S FIRE!

HOW TO

1. Start by applying your favorite eyelid primer from the lash line to brow bone. This will ensure your look lasts all night. Dab the primer across your lower lid and blend upward using your fingertips. 2. The next step is to create the perfect

brow. You may choose to use a fine tipped brow pencil or a brow powder applied with a fine angled brush. Start by placing the pencil or brush at the highest part of your arch and extend the brow outward. This gives the eye a bit of a lift. Once you’ve created the “tail”, go back to the “body” of the brow and fill in sparse patches where you may be missing hairs. The idea here is to create density rather than change the shape of the brow.

3. You’re now ready to start with your eyeshadow application. To create a highlight on the brow bone, apply a light vanilla-toned shade with a bit of shimmer right into the arch of the brow. Use a fluffy blending brush to spread the shadow across the length of the brow bone, directly underneath your eyebrow. 4. Now, for a subtle pop on the eyelid, apply

a soft silvery taupe shadow across the lower part of the lid. Be sure to apply the shadow right into the inner corner and blend across the lash line and up to the crease. Carry the silvery colour about three-quarters of the way across the lid, leaving the outer corner of the eye. Intensify the look by applying an extra dab of the colour right to the middle of the lid. Try using a mid-sized flat brush.

5. To add some warmth and dimension

your next step will be to apply a deeper chocolate shade to the outer corner. Use a small, rounded soft brush. Dab a little of the chocolate shade to the outer corner of the eye at the lash line. Gently blend the second shadow inward to meet the silvery colour you applied first. Spend a couple seconds blending so that you can’t see where either shade stops or starts.

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KNOCKOUT GAZE | MAKE A SCENE WITH BOUDOIR EYES

6. This next step can be tricky for some but it’s the key to this look. Choose a light to medium toned matte brown eyeshadow. With a narrow, flat edged brush, place the shadow into the crease of the eyelid. Blend the shadow back and forth from inner corner to outer corner. To create more depth and intensity add in a deeper warm brown shade using an even narrower brush. The deepest shade should be placed into the deepest part of the crease. By using multiple shades in the crease you create smokiness and a beautiful natural depth. For a more intense colour, apply Mat Black eyeshadow #4 onto the upper lashline and blend towards the outer corner of the eye. 7. Now choose the deepest black liner you have. The pencil should be soft, bendable and deeply pigmented. Lift your eyelid slightly so that you can apply the pencil as close to the lashes as possible. The line should be narrowest at your inner corner and get thicker as you draw towards the outer corner. Use a fine angle brush to soften the line you’ve just drawn. Blend the liner upwards and outwards at the outer corner. As the black pencil blends with the warm brown shades it creates smoky grey shades.

8. Grab your favorite eyelash curler and

gently curl your lashes. Don’t squeeze too hard or you’ll have a sharp fold in your lashes instead of a graceful curl. Add a couple coats of your favorite volumizing mascara. Try lifting your eyelid again to get the mascara right to the root of the lashes.

9. This next step is an industry insider tip

frequently used by makeup artists. It gives your look a real professional edge; lifting your eyelid, use the same black pencil you used earlier to carefully line the inner rim of your eye. This step is sometimes called “tight-lining” and it gives real depth and definition to the lash line. Do the same to the lower rim.

10. As a final step, use your small angled brush and the deepest brown shadow and gently blend the shadow across the lower lash line from the outer corner across toward the inner corner, stopping about two-thirds of the way across.

EYES BY MAKE UP FOR EVER

GET THE LOOK!

All of the products we’ve used are available across the Middle East. In Lebanon, get MAKE UP FOR EVER at any one of these locations ABC MALL ACHRAFIEH +9611330113 ABC MALL DBAYEH +9614415675 BEIRUT MALL TAYOUNEH +9611380867 CITY MALL DORA +9611883504 MUFE DUNES VERDUN +9611791982 C & F ZALKA +9614713796 C & F GHAZIR KESERWAN +9619855323 C & F DOWNTOWN BEIRUT +9611993115 BEAUTY CONCEPT CHTAURA +9618545455 C & F SAIDA +9617754589 PAMCO SHOWROOM SIN EL FIL +9611510113 EXT 281

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MIRROR, MIRROR

SEXY YOU KNOW IT

BE A VALENTINE’S DAY TEMPTRESS BY LESLIE IDDISON THIS FEBRUARY, WARM THINGS UP WITH THE BEST LIP AND EYE TECHNIQUES AROUND. GLOBAL MAKEUP ARTISTS WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ONE FEATURE TO EMPHASIZE, NOT DO BOTH BECAUSE YOU’LL LOOK HUGELY OVERDONE. WE’VE GOT BOTH OPTIONS AND THEIR HOWTO METHODS, SO PICK YOUR VICE AND GET SMOLDERING VALENTINE’S DAY COLOUR!

FRENCH KISS Get the perfect red lip Nothing gets attention or seduces the senses quite like a perfect pair of red lips. The colour red demands an immediate reaction: it can stand for romance and passion or danger and poison. The best lip products (and maybe even the best kissers) all come from la belle France.

HOW TO PREP YOUR POUT

A gentle exfoliation of your lips and lip contour will ensure silky smooth smooches and prevent peeling and dead skin from ruining your lipstick application. Massage a small amount of a gentle exfoliator all over your lips and around the edge of your mouth. Rinse well.

WALK THE LINE RAGMAG doesn’t follow a lot of “beauty rules”. That being said, we are firm believers in using a lip pencil when you wear red lipstick. Choose a soft pencil that glides on smoothly. Now is the time to make sure the shape of your mouth is perfect before applying your lip colour. This step will further prevent your lipstick from bleeding.

MOISTURIZE MAMA Dab on a hydrating lip balm to keep your lips looking soft and supple. Lip colour adheres better to a moist mouth. Use something emollient with a non-greasy texture.

RAGGED RED FACTS Just seeing the colour red can make ones heart rate increase. 50 percent of men will be intimidated by a woman wearing red lipstick. What about the other 50 percent? Light red shades are often associated with passion, lust and romance. Dark red shades may be associated with strength, willpower or malice.

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PRIME TIME

A good lip primer is an essential step to ensure your colour stays put. It will also dramatically improve the wear of your lipstick, eliminating the need for touch-ups. Apply a thin layer of the primer all over the surface of your lip and above the lip line to prevent the lipstick from bleeding into the tiny cracks around the mouth.

PAINT THE TOWN RED Experiment with different shades and textures to find your perfect red lipstick. There really are no rules here; if you feel great in it, you’ll look great in it. Be confident in your colour... otherwise it will look like your lipstick is wearing you. Applying your lipstick with a lip brush ensures a more precise application. Red lipstick on a gentleman’s collar? Sexy. Red lipstick smeared all over your teeth? Tacky, so double check the mirror. In a hurry and don’t have time for this labour of love? Get Glossy! A sheer red gloss will give you a similar effect without the fuss.

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THE MAGIC OF A MYSTICAL MOUTH GUERLAIN DOES IT BETTER! Guerlain LipLift is a lip must have: this lip primer also slightly increases the volume of your lips. Use this cult product in step 3 as described in the how-to segment. Try their newest reds as part of the Guerlain Rouge Automatique lineup- Guerlain Rouge Automatique lipstick 121 Rouge D’Enfer and Guerlain Shine Automatique Hydrating Lip Shine 221 Rouge De Damas. In the mood to think

FEBRUARY 2013

pink? Try Guerlain Rouge Automatique 164 Chamade, Guerlain Shine Automatique A La Parisienne 263 or Guerlain Shine Automatique Hydrating Lip Shine 264 Rose Pompon. The new Rouge G de Guerlain in 25 stunning shades with a mirrored compact built in is this season’s big favorite. The compact was created for Guerlain by designer-sculptor Lorenz Bäumer.

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

BACKSTAGE PASS

VERSACE’S SPRING SUMMER 2013 COLLECTION TURNS US ON

The super sexy House of Versace just turned up the heat. We got some special backstage access and decided to bring behind the scenes to all of our fashion-obsessed ladies and gents out there. The collection promises to be the best and brightest this year- hottest in show? Stilettos that just won’t quit with wrap-around lacing all the way up the leg. Versace’s inspiration for this collection is a “strong approach to tailoring with a lingerie edge”. We love the tiny metal chains suspended from belts and the mixed metal embellishments on the cocktail gowns. GET IT, WEAR IT, WORK IT!

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JOHN RICHMOND FW 2012/2013

MIX N’ MATCH REAL RUNWAY RAGMAG SHOWS YOU HOW TO REPLICATE THAT RUNWAY TREND! SEE OUR TAKES ON HOW TO MAKE THE READY TO WEAR, ACTUALLY WEARABLE

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DISCO BALL

lanvin bridal collection

CANALI FW 2013/2014

JASON WU FW 2012/2013

rich & royal available at gs

salvatore ferragamo belt panthère de cartier pendant yellow gold, tsavorite garnet eyes, onyx nose vincent wulveryck

DRAPED UP bardot available at gs

A STITCH IN TIME

tod’s bag

POP YA COLLAR bugatti available at gs

PLAY IT BY EAR

lanvin bridal collection earrings

TIED TALISMAN salvatore ferragamo bracelet

versace quilted bag

rockport boot available at gs

MARCHING BAND christian louboutin equestria 160 platform boot FEBRUARY 2013

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PEARLY WHITES

lanvin bridal collection

ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER FW 2012/2013

JASON WU FW 2012/2013

givenchy necklace

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

burberry valentine’s day wallet metallic

MIDNIGHT BELLE aryn k available at gs

ITS A WRAP!

milly feather and silkorganza mini skirt

burberry valentine’s day scarf military red

GAME TIME

hermès arceau le temps suspendu or rose couple

carolina herrera factory collection andy

versace men bracelet

versace shoes

IN BLOOM

lanvin

PIN UP

carolina herrera cufflinks

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christian louboutin maggie 140 leathertrimmed calf hair pumps

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frankie morello f/w 2012/2013

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

MASTERCLASS HERMÈS BEHIND THE SCENES

A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN Arceau Pocket Astrolabe

BRINGING THE ART OF TIME TO NEW HEIGHTS La Montre Hermès redefines the concept of space and time. The Arceau pocket collection by the House has added a new design to their significant range: the Arceau Pocket Astrolabe. Historically an instrument for measuring the height of the sun to determinate the time of day, the astrolabe as presented by Hermès becomes a classic round pocket watch. Designed by enamel artist Pierre Marie, the astrolabe is created using a traditional hand-craftsmanship technique of plique-à-jour enamel, a rarity in the haute horlogerie domain. “Successive firings at 800°C” reveal the blue, turquoise and indigo colours of the piece, enhanced with small moon-shaped gold accents. Equipped with the mechanical, self-winding Calibre H1928 by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, the Arceau Pocket Astrolabe is not only an art object but also a watchmaking magnum opus.

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w w w.georgeshobeika.com

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

RAGMAG

RAGING RUNWAY TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR WOMEN

LANVIN

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

RAGMAG

RAGING RUNWAY TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR WOMEN

DONNA KARAN

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FW 2012/2013

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RAGMAG

RAGING RUNWAY TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR MEN

ETRO

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RAGMAG

RAGING RUNWAY TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR MEN

VERSACE

SS 2013

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

RAGMAG

RAGING RUNWAY TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR WOMEN

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

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POLY DRESSED BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

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DIRTY PRETTY STARRING

JAY WUD +ASPOLY AMY WINEHOUSE AS PETE DOHERTY

Photography by ODETTE KAHWAGI Styled by JONY MATTA

Assistant Photographer ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI Makeup by LAYLA ATALLAH for M.A.C Cosmetics Hair ROGER GABRIEL

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ABOVE: JAY WUD’S BLAZER, SHIRT + SHOES BY PAUL SMITH JAY WUD’S PANTS + SCARF AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE

FEBRUARY 2013

POLY’S DRESS AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE CLUTCH BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN LEGGINGS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW

OPPOSITE PAGE: JAY WUD’S TOTAL LOOK BY PAUL SMITH

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JAY WUD’S TOTAL LOOK BY PAUL SMITH

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JAY WUD’S BLAZER + SHIRT AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE POLY’S TOTAL LOOK AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW

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POLY DRESSED BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN LEGGINGS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW OPPOSITE PAGE: POLY’S BLAZER + DRESS BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN JAY WUD’S TOTAL LOOK BY PAUL SMITH

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POLY’S DRESS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW SCARF WORN IN POLY’S HAIR BY HERMÈS LEFT: JAY WUD’S TOTAL LOOK BY PAUL SMITH

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OPPOSITE PAGE: JAY WUD’S BRACELETS BY PAUL SMITH AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE ABOVE: JAY WUD’S BLAZER + SHIRT AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE

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POLY’S TOP AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW JEANS POLY’S OWN OPPOSITE PAGE: POLY’S COCKTAIL DRESS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW POLY’S BELT AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE POLY’S BRACELETS BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

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BELOW: POLY’S DRESS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW | SCARF WORN IN POLY’S HAIR BY HERMÈS BLACK + WHITE: POLY DRESSED BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

OPPOSITE PAGE: POLY’S DRESS + STILETTO BOOTIES AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE LEGGINGS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW

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POLY’S TOTAL LOOK AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW NECKLACE + RINGS AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE

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ABOVE: POLY’S TOTAL LOOK AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW JAY WUD’S TOTAL LOOK AVAILABLE AT 6:05® AT DEPECHEMODE

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OPPOSITE PAGE: POLY’S DRESS AVAILABLE AT FRONT ROW SCARF WORN IN POLY’S HAIR BY HERMÈS

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MON AMOUR, MON AMI

ROCK SONGS

THAT MAKE YOU WANNA … RAGMAG

MIXTAPE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

BY MARIA-ELENA KASSAB

THIS VALENTINE’S DAY, GET ALL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AGAIN AND MAKE YOUR SWEETHEART A RAGMAG MIXTAPE. WE’RE NOT TALKING TOP 40 POP, WE WANT YOU TO GET YOUR ROCK N’ ROLL ON. HERE ARE OUR TOP ROCK SONGS THAT’LL MAKE YOUR FEBRUARY 14TH COOLER AND SEXIER. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FORGO ONE TO GET THE OTHER, TRUST US. #ROCKONRAGMAG

ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE Album Love at First Sting 1984 Artist Scorpions WHAT’S UP

Hot damn! This song reached number 25 on the USA Billboard Hot 100 and greatly contributed to the success of the German band’s album. It caused controversy when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders used it during a game against the New Orleans Saints right after Hurricane Katrina. MY BODY IS BURNING IT STARTS TO SHOUT DESIRE IS COMING IT BREAKS OUT LOUD LUST IS IN CAGES TILL STORM BREAKS LOOSE JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT WITH SOMEONE I CHOOSE

SWEET CHILD O’ MINE

Album Appetite for Destruction 1984 Artist Guns N’ Roses For a song that started as “just fucking around” and was originally intended as filler on the album, this tune has certainly become anything but! With Slash’s epic guitar segments and Axl’s powerful voice, Sweet Child O’ Mine has become one of the best-recognized rock songs in history. HER HAIR REMINDS ME OF A WARM SAFE PLACE WHERE AS A CHILD I’D HIDE AND PRAY FOR THE THUNDER AND THE RAIN TO QUIETLY PASS ME BY

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ROCK SONGS THAT MAKE YOU WANNA... | RAGMAG

MIXTAPE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG Album Back In Black | Artist AC/DC WHAT’S UP

AC/DC know how to please their fans and therefore never exclude this song from their concert setlists. It competes with “Highway to Hell” and “Back in Black” for the title of “Most Popular Track” and is one of their signature songs. SHE WAS A FAST MACHINE SHE KEPT HER MOTOR CLEAN SHE WAS THE BEST DAMN WOMAN I HAD EVER SEEN SHE HAD THE SIGHTLESS EYES TELLING ME NO LIES KNOCKIN’ ME OUT WITH THOSE AMERICAN THIGHS TAKING MORE THAN HER SHARE HAD ME FIGHTING FOR AIR SHE TOLD ME TO COME BUT I WAS ALREADY THERE

LET’S MAKE IT BABY

Album These Days (European 2 Disc Special Edition Bonus Disc) 1988 Artist Bon Jovi

WALK THIS WAY

WHAT’S UP

Album Toys in the Attic 1975 rerelease 1976 Artist Aerosmith

With lyrics like these, do we really need to explain?

WHAT’S UP

I’VE BEEN READIN YOUR LIPS, THEY DON’T NEED NO TRANSLATION THEY WANT MORE THAN A KISS, I COME TO MAKE MY DONATION SO TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, I’M GOING DOWN SLOWLY. DON’T TELL ME WHAT’S RIGHT. JUST TELL ME YOU WANT ME.

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, who wrote the lyrics to this song, said that the words were extremely filthy but cleverly disguised. This extremely sexual song almost never saw the light of day as Tyler forgot the original lyrics in a cab! SEESAW SWINGIN’ WITH THE BOYS IN THE SCHOOL AND YOUR FEET FLYIN’ UP IN THE AIR SINGIN’ “HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE” WITH YOUR KITTY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SWING LIKE YOU DIDN’T CARE

RAGMAG RUNNERS-UP

These songs didn’t quite make the cut, but they do deserve a Valentine’s Day mention. MÖTLEY CRÜE GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS DEF LEPPARD POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME POISON SEXUAL THING BON JOVI LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME AEROSMITH SWEET EMOTION

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[…]

COME, COME, COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER I WANT TO PLAY DOCTOR. IT KEEPS GETTING HARDER, HARDER, HARDER TO KEEP ME AWAY I WANT TO TASTE THE SWEAT THATS RUNNIN’ OFF OF YOUR BODY. GET THE SHEETS ALL WET, I WANNA MAKE YOU FEEL NAUGHTY www.ragmag.co | R A G M A G | 143

SPEAK, SEE, HEAR NO EVIL

CHECK

BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN

T.I. TROUBLE MAN: HEAVY IS THE HEAD You could easily mistake the cover of T.I.’s new album for a 70s blacksploitation movie poster. Indeed, we’re told the artist was inspired by Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” soundtrack, penned by the R&B king back in 1972. In fact, T.I. has gone as far as to sample some of it right at the beginning of the album in the form of the suitably titled, “The Introduction”. But the inspiration with Gaye’s work stops at the spiritual state, as the music here has nothing to do with good old R&B or smooth Soul, but more with crude southern Gangsta Rap, as T.I. has customarily graced us with over the years. Dubbed

“Jay-Z of the South” by Pharrell Williams, T.I. hasn’t strayed that far with 2010’s “No Mercy”, while he struggled with legal issues, giving him excuses for not presenting a panel of his usual extra flavored Rap. Legal issues behind him, one would’ve expected a return to form but things haven’t improved much. Even collaborating with heavyweights like Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Pink, and Cee Lo Green doesn’t lift off this album from where its predecessor was hanging- giving us enough music to enjoy without being too submerged in T.I.’s world. Akon, who generally brings a plus to anything he touches, doesn’t do justice to the Elton John cover “Wonderful Life”. More like “Mediocre Life”.

Dropkick Murphys SIGNED AND SEALED IN BLOOD Irish pride and celebration of being Irish have been the main themes of combat for the Dropkick Murphys since they started pumping out their jolly Celtic Punk Rock roughly 15 years ago. The proud Boston natives are strongly tied to the Irish roots of their city and to their working class neighborhoods. Tales of hardship, life’s unexpected turns and traditional Celtic celebration have been the focus of their heartfelt songs. These tracks were best enjoyed by drunk sing-alongs in pubs and bars with pals, something that their long-time fans never fail to do. Even though singing about everyday

adversity could be sort of a downer, the Murphys bring it to you in an energetic form: fast rhythm guitars intertwined with bagpipes and upbeat melodic tempos. Even the saddest song gives you the feel of not only celebrating Irish patrimony but a general celebration of life itself. “The Boys Are Back” and “Out on the Town” keep the party theme on the album, while “Prisoner’s Song”, “The Battle Rages On” and “Don’t Tear Us Apart” deal with the more serious aspects of existence, but again, harboring enough energy to lift you up and enjoy a good drink. A pleasure to play.

Phillip Phillips THE WORLD FROM THE SIDE OF THE MOON Credit must be given to Phillip Phillips on so many levels. I’m not a fan of American Idol and the shady generation of singers it’s produced over the years with very few exceptions, but Philips has such a good voice and musical approach that yours truly was overwhelmingly convinced. This kid endured numerous painful surgeries during American Idol without weakening his amazing performances or spirit, all the way up to his coronation as winner at the end of the season. His musical hero of all time being Dave Matthews, you can hear the influence

on the songs the young prodigy wrote (and co-wrote) on his official debut album “The World from the Side of the Moon”. Add to the blend a pinch of Mumford and Sons and a smidge of Avett Brothers (two of the most original Indie/Folk combos around) and you’ll come pretty close to the sound you can expect to find here. Right off the bat, you’re met with a trio of songs that heads toward a Folk Rock universe full of sweet melodies and sincere lyrics, with “A Fool’s Dance” and “Get Up Get Down” bringing you the DMB experience. Great start for a gifted new artist.

Django Unchained ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK There are releases that come out by some artists who directly need to be reviewed, whether good or bad, since said artist is usually so influential in his field that the public must be informed of his most recent work. Quentin Tarantino is not per se a musician, but his combination of styles and wizard-like stretching of music on his soundtracks definitely is worthy of a review in this magazine (check out the movie review of “Django” in Watch Out). Mr. Tarantino, in addition to being a virtuoso movie director, has a natural flare for good music which, in my opinion, helps set the mood and objective of his films in a more comprehensive 144 | R A G M A G | www.ragmag.co

and developed fashion. 60s and 70s Funk and Pop, Spaghetti Western Themes, Ennio Morricone and Jerry Goldsmith passages flow throughout this soundtrack depicting the tale of a black slave out to rescue his wife. What is different this time is the presence of quite a few modern tracks sprinkled here and there, knowing that Tarantino in the past has heavily relied on oldies to bring his offbeat storylines to life. Rick Ross’ “100 Black Coffins” and John Legend’s “Who Did That To You” accentuate the plot of the film and give the subject more consistency. A master soundtrack by a master magician. THE AFFINITY ISSUE

read’em +

weep BY AMAL CHAABAN

In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death & Duran Duran

John Taylor with Tom Sykes Why you should read this book

Fame and stardom are not as much fun as you think

Long before there were today’s boy bands, there was Duran Duran. With their heady mix of New Wave, Pop beats and sometimes pounding rock, their fans were legion. Each member of the band had his groupies and John Taylor is certainly no exception. For those of us who loved Duran Duran (and proudly called ourselves Duranies), this book will certainly bring back fond memories of those days and fill in the blanks about why the band took such a lengthy hiatus. It’s an interesting

look inside the lives of 5 boys (for they were terribly young when they started) who basically rocketed to stardom and all the trappings that came with it. Taylor spares few secrets about his addictions, his loneliness, the neverending reel of groupies available and his love of his bandmates. It is however to his great credit that his ego is firmly held in check when it comes to the contributions the band members made to the success of the band. This is a fantastic stroll down rock n’ roll memory lane.

How the French Invented Love: Nine Hundred Years of Passion and Romance

Marilyn Yalom

Why you should read this book Modern love has its roots in history

Most history books are not the most exciting reads but this one plays its hand a bit differently. The game of love has fascinated people the world over for a very long time but the roots of it were always somewhat obscured. Yalom takes us back to 11th century France and revives the world of courtly love. It’s a popular notion that back then, women did not have to be wooed or seduced with pretty words but Yalom’s book indicates otherwise: there has always been an art to seduction. She traces the start of it

back to the story of Tristan and Isolde, a medieval legend that sets the tone for what was considered true and courtly amour. The book moves at a brisk pace so as not to bore the reader by bogging them down with too many details of that era, however Yalom does make a point of saying that she thinks that many of the courtly circulated poems were written by a woman (or women). A fun Valentine’s Day read, the book moves forward in time to show us how those standards are still present with us today.

Is This Tomorrow

Caroline Leavitt

Why you should read this book Heartbreak happens in more ways than one

Ah, the 50s: bouffants and poodle skirts, long lazy days with friends, and above all, strictly defined gender roles that seem to encompass everything from who mows the lawn to who bakes the pies. In Caroline Leavitt’s newest novel, Ava is a divorcee in an era where divorced women were considered “fallen” and most certainly fair game. To make matters worse, she has her son Lewis with her. When his best friend disappears one hot April day never to be seen again, it’s not just his family that feels

the loss. Lewis and Ava are as profoundly affected and the neighbourhood seems to shrink into itself with fear. Add to all that the rampant misogyny that Ava faces on a daily basis at work, the snarky comments from her neighbours about what kind of woman she is, and the struggle of simply living on after the loss. There is a special kind of loneliness that surrounds the survivors of a major heartbreak and it is woven throughout the fabric of “Is This Tomorrow”.

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D

Nichole Bernier

Why you should read this book Everyone has secrets, and some are better kept hidden

When Kate’s best friend Elizabeth dies, she names her as the trustee of her trunk full of journals. Kate claims them (over the objection of Elizabeth’s husband) and soon becomes almost obsessed with delving into them. As she reads, she comes to realize how little she truly knew her friend and how much secrecy played a role in her life. There are diary entries interspersed with Kate’s thoughts throughout the book and this method adds to the most marked quality about FEBRUARY 2013

Elizabeth – elusiveness. The short entries allow the reader to feel as though they’ve truly read someone’s innermost thoughts, more importantly, you’ll definitely want more. Bernier skillfully fleshes out her large cast of characters, no mean feat as some only appear once or twice. This book about friendships and the secrets you’re willing to hide for those friendships is the one to curl up with when you don’t have to get up for work in the morning.

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playNICE

SPEAK, SEE, HEAR NO EVIL

BY ADAM VOLK

DmC: Devil May Cry

Publisher Capcom | Developer Ninja Theory Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Nobody likes a cry baby, even if they just happen to be a 16-foot tall demon dredged up from the bubbling pits of the Abyss. Unfortunately for the forces of Hell, there’s plenty to be upset about thanks to Dante, the ass-kicking hero of Devil May Cry, a man who has a strict policy of slaying demons first, asking questions later. The latest installment in the popular series (which is essentially a reboot) finds Dante once again using a variety of weapons and powers to take on the forces of the underworld. Like its predecessors, the game

is essentially a hack n’ slash brawler, mixing a combination of firepower and hand-to-hand action. As players progress, they pick up new moves and weapons, leading to a surprisingly deep combat system that can also be tailored around a particular style of play. Fans of the original Japanese-created series might cry foul that Devil May Cry’s gameplay and storyline have been somewhat redesigned to appeal more to a Western audience, but even those cry babies will find plenty to love with DMC’s fiery blend of stunning visuals and demon-killing action.

Far Cry 3

Publisher / Developer Ubisoft | Platform Xbox 360 Sometimes the great outdoors can really suck. There’s the bugs, the unpredictable weather, the countless angry (and possibly poisonous) animals and, let’s face, not a Starbucks in sight. Is it any wonder that most gamers prefer to stay indoors and work on their pasty complexions? Fortunately, Far Cry 3 offers the best of both worlds, as both a survival game that pits players against nature and a visually impressive first person shooter. The third entry in the Far Cry series puts players in the role of Jason Brody, a hapless American tourist who finds himself and his friends trapped on the South Pacific hellscape known as Rook Island.

Jason must then battle both vicious animals and bloodthirsty pirates as he struggles to locate his friends and get off the island in one piece. The story is typical video game schlock, but fortunately it looks great and offers an incredibly immersive open world experience that rewards exploration. Of course, visitors to Rook Island looking to get in firefights rather than taking in the local flora and fauna will find plenty to scratch their itchy trigger fingers. The end result is a shooter that offers up a digital taste of the great outdoors, without the mosquito bites and risk of accidentally wiping your bum with poison ivy.

Dead Space 3

Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer Visceral Games | Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Everyone knows that in space no one can hear you scream. Which is probably a good thing, because if you’re Isaac Clarke, the psychologically scarred hero of the Dead Space series, there’s also a reasonably good chance someone might hear you soil your spacesuit in terror. The latest entry in the popular horror-shooter series once again kinds Isaac battling “Necromorphs”, human corpses which are reanimated and twisted into hideous creatures by an ancient alien relic. This time, however, the action takes place on a

frozen planet, with Isaac having to battle both Necromorphs and a fanatical cult of humans. The game does add a few new moves (including the ability to take cover and roll to avoid attacks), and throws in drop-in and drop-out co-op gameplay. There’s also a variety of new weapons, plus a surprisingly ingenious addition that lets players build their own unique weapons from scratch. Throw in an entertaining multiplayer mode, and some absolutely jaw-dropping visuals, and the result is a game that proves once again space is really scary and really gross. In other words, a lot like New Jersey.

Angry Birds Star Wars

Publisher / Developer Rovio Entertainment Platforms iOS, Windows Android A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a bunch of really, really pissed off birds got together with Darth Vader and Yoda and decided to make a game. At least, I’d like to imagine it was something awesome like that. In reality, Angry Birds Star Wars is a quirky blend of two seemingly disparate pop cultural phenomenons. It might sound like nothing more than a lame marketing ploy, but in fact the game is surprisingly fun and smart. Utilizing many of the gameplay mechanics from past iterations of

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the Angry Birds series, the game also offers a few surprising new tweaks, with special characterbased powers and all-new birds to choose from. Of course, there’s also a ton of Star Wars references, including birdified characters (such as Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca) and locations from the movies, with the levels taking place on planets such as Tatooine, as well as in space. It’s a smart, fun and incredibly addictive game that shows that Jedi’s of a feather really do flock together.

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watch out BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN

All release dates based on US theatre releases

Lincoln | 149 mins Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones | One of Steven Spielberg’s long-time ambitions has finally been realized: the mythic director finally made a movie about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America. This is not a typical Spielberg movie; it seems Pulitzer Prize winning screenwriter Tony Kushner was able to have his way a lot more than the director in the making of this two and a half hour film. The intricate dialogue between characters is almost Shakespearian (sort of a turn-off for most movie goers), but the fantastic cast use this language to their advantage, bringing out each person as three dimensional with their own troubles and desires. Daniel Day-Lewis, who was the

U.S. Release Date: November 16

only choice by Spielberg to play the challenging role of Lincoln, delivers a performance worthy of a third Oscar. Day-Lewis portrays the statesman full of honour and glory in his ongoing fight to pass the 13th amendment of the American constitution that would allow citizens of all races to vote equally, and officially abolish slavery. Sally Field and a vibrant performance by one Mr. Tommy Lee Jones (worthy of a supporting actor nomination) elevate the movie to a majestic stage, while renowned cinematographer Janusz Kaminski delivers a perfect picture of one modern history’s most pivotal moments. Definitely a must-see.

Django Unchained | 166 mins Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Di Caprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson | Date: October 12 A Western directed by Quentin Tarantino; it was bound to happen sooner or later knowing how fond he is of this genre from early childhood. Certain critics blame this director for “borrowing” from his influences to build up his career, but he does so with great panache and technique that is almost unrivaled, making his legion of fans very happy indeed. Django, played by Jamie Foxx, plays a freed slave who helps Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz, Tarantino’s new fetish actor) track down outlaws in the old West. Django’s true motive is to free his wife from a merciless plantation owner

Theater Release

played by the really fun to watch Leonardo Di Caprio, who is involved in the slave trade. The usual twisted conversations between characters and exhilarating gunfight scenes backed by a really well-balanced soundtrack (reviewed in Sound Check) would make anybody enjoy this film. Tarantino again utilizes his skills by shaping the familiar and mundane into something really exciting. One drawback: the movie clocks in at under three hours and some scenes are overextended. Grab your cowboy hats, ponchos and cigarillos, and head out to the range for a great adventure.

The Guilt Trip

| 96 mins Seth Rogen, Barbara Streisand | Theater Release Date: December 19

Kudos to Seth Rogen for leaving his comfort zone (mainly making movies targeting adolescents and young adults), and attempting a comedy clearly targeted at adults. Who better to appeal to said generation than icon Barbara Streisand, agreeing to appear onscreen after a long film hiatus? Streisand’s leading role brings her old flavored comedy to the silver screen, playing a widow who has given up on men. Joyce Brewster seems to be living vicariously through her son’s (Seth Rogen) life, spending most of her time talking to him on the phone. Being a chemist

Rogen develops a revolutionary cleaning product (according to him), and embarks on a trip across the US to promote it to retailers. He asks his mother to join him, secretly planning to reunite her with her old first love. As expected, the two being locked in a car for a long road trip creates a lot of bickering and one of the funniest moments in the movie comes in the form of a fight between Rogen and a redneck trying to get his mother drunk. If you want a cool and simple comedy to take your mother to see (I know you are out there), this film is the perfect opportunity.

Promised Land | 106 mins Matt Damon, Hal Holbrook |

U.S. Release Date: December 28

Gus Van Sant launched the career of Matt Damon 15 years ago by directing him in the critically acclaimed “Good Will Hunting”, bringing out his versatile craft and that of his eternal sidekick Ben Affleck. “Promised Land” is a movie that wouldn’t reach its intended target if left in less capable hands. The economic hardship of rural farming communities in the United States is a touchy subject, many being unable to make ends meet and having to sell off property to cover their many mortgages. This is where we find Damon, in a rural

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neighborhood representing a natural gas company keen on buying land to extract resources using the controversial fracking method. Damon’s character doesn’t see himself as a bad guy and is sure he’s doing good by presenting corporate proposals, but he’s soon confronted by a science teacher who, at a meeting, divulges to the townsfolk the nasty ecological repercussions. Damon’s also got the hots for a local woman and we find our hero lost between his sense of obligation towards his employer and the townspeople. A good drama to follow.

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THE EAVES OF

EDINBURGH BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

WHEN THE SCOTTISH COUNTRYSIDE COMES ONTO RAIN, IT CAN BE AS GREY AND DAMP AS ARMY BEDDING- MERE FIELDS, SHALLOW HILLS, AND SMALL, MEAN WOODS. THE HIGHLANDS FLATTENED BY TOWNSCAPES GIVE WAY TO DESOLATE LANDSCAPE OF MOORLAND AND MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY THAT CUT BACK INTO THE HILLS WHERE NO ROADS PASS. BUT THE NATURAL THEMES OF MARSHY PATCHES, TUSSOCKS OF GRASS, ROUND, SCATTERED BOULDERS MAKE WAY FOR A COSMOPOLITAN ALTERNATIVE: EDINBURGH.

OPPOSITE PAGE: EDINBURGH CAPTURED FROM CALTON HILL WITH THE DUGALD STEWART MONUMENT IN THE FOREGROUND AND THE CASTLE, SCOTT MONUMENT AND BALMORAL CLOCK TOWER IN THE BACKGROUND

fter rainfall, every piece of stone in New Town glistens in what little light is left. Clumps of trees dress up passable sidewalks, sheltering young boys and girls with their ciggie held between the thumb and forefinger. The habit is an anticipated respite from the academic environment of the cold dormitory rooms and heavy books of Fettes College, the infamous boarding school where actor Sean Connery delivered milk as a young boy and where author Ian Fleming (007 James Bond) was educated, as was Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The busy section stands in stark contrast to the

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urban confusion of the Old Town. Here people stagger on like ghosts, passing chipped stoned buildings that block out the sun. Cars creep through the darkened medieval streets; the reflected glare of headlights adds light to flickering streets lamps. The opposites are almost trite: light and darkness, reason and mystery, the two-faced city where detail brings delight. On rare days of sunlight and breeze when a strange, opalescent glow is the norm, crowds unite on mounds. The artificial heaped pile of earth by The Princes Street Gardens at the city centre, marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serves as a focal point for students

of horticulture. The old floral clock is an alternative for thousands of revellers who arrive by the busload from all over the country toting wrapped up carrying rugs to sit on and thermal flasks for liquor or tea, they take their places and light torches in preparation for New Year’s Hogmanay Celebrations. By midnight, with the procession underway, fireworks illuminate the seven hills guarding the city. Hours later, on New Year’s Day, a throng of celebrants in wacky costumes wade into the freezing waters of the River Forth for a pilgrimage called the Loony Dook. It’s worth the chattering teeth as the “dookers” march through town in good cheer, in

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THE EAVES OF EDINBURGH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: FETTES COLLEGE, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE

search of warm cloths and servings of hot soups called “toddies.” After tramping through town, they head towards the Gardens, but miss the natural setting of The Royal Botanic Garden nearby that long ago caught the attention of naturalist John Muir who laid the foundation for America’s National Parks. The city brings in hordes, doubling the population from 450,000 to over one million for the festive season of August. Performers, reviewers and audiences descend to enjoy the seven summer festivals that take place, from Jazz & Blues Festival and Edinburgh Fringe to the International Festival, Art Festival, the Military Tattoo and the Mela. But it is the literary spotlight of the Edinburgh Book

Festival that is most notable. Around a quiet 18th century garden in the New Town, alongside the national and poetry libraries and around fifty or so publishing houses in the Georgian and Victorian styles, there is expectant air, as residents and visitors await the opening of the world’s largest public celebration of books. Poets with blond whiskers and writers in historical era hats signal the festivities by piling into pubs to fill long wooden tables and recite works of literary giants over glass mugs of beer. Edinburgh truly is a city built on books. Its reputation convinced UNESCO to name Edinburgh the world’s very first City of Literature in 2004. Classic authors of the past and present, from Robert Louis Ste-

venson (Treasure Island) to J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter books) enthused over the literary stage setting. Advances in science and medicine and discoveries of chloroform and antiseptic surgery added teeth to the works of literary heroes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, modelled the famous detective on Professor Joseph Bell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, who used the powers of observation in his diagnosis of the medical conditions of his patients. One of the most documented pieces of literature originated from an Edinburgh Medical School 1829 lecture on the dissection of William Burke, the murderer who had supplied the school with corpses for study.

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THE EAVES OF EDINBURGH

LEFT: MEMORIAL IN OLD CALTON BURIAL GROUND, RAISED IN REMEMBRANCE OF SCOTTISH AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

BELOW: EDINBURGH CASTLE OPPOSITE PAGE: ST. ANDREWS VIEWED FROM THE TOP OF ST. RULES TOWER IN THE CATHEDRAL GROUNDS

Literature continues to dramatize the city, filling in theatrical tricks in a way of scenery. Peep under an arch, descend stairs into a cellar, and walk straight for Andrew Castle and Cathedral. Turn the back window of a grimy tenement in a lane and turn the corner for The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of Queen Mary. Look down an alley of grey sandstone to see ships headed for the Baltic but pause at the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Old Calton Burial Ground.

THE STRIKING PORTRAIT OF EDINBURGH IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT MENTION OF THE EDINBURGH CASTLE. DOMINATING THE CITY SKYLINE, THE STONED STRUCTURE FULFILLED MANY FUNCTIONS: ROYAL RESIDENCE, STATE PRISON AND STOREHOUSE FOR NATIONAL TREASURES. IT NOW SERVES AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION WHERE THE MOST ACCESSIBLE FEATURE IS THE ESPLANADE. FEBRUARY 2013

The striking portrait of Edinburgh is incomplete without mention of the Edinburgh Castle. Dominating the city skyline, the stoned structure fulfilled many functions: royal residence, state prison and storehouse for national treasures. It now serves as a tourist attraction where the most accessible feature is the Esplanade. The raw hulk of land, ringed by walls and railings, lies between the Castle Gate guarded by statues of two heroes who gave definition to the Scottish identity and the Royal Mile, from which the city grew outward and the tallest peak of Arthur’s Seat is to be observed. Visitors skip the

historical accounts of ceremonial parades and the execution of witches for the 300-year-old tale of Scotch whiskey, featuring sound effects and aromas from the Castle’s footing. When the rain comes down on Edinburgh, it coats the surface with thin layers of silver gloss like mist creeping over a frozen lake. The rain leaves a favourable impression over the pastoral countryside eroded down to low, weary hills and Scottish bogs. Geographic bleakness is far from the realities of Edinburgh in and out, its history and its present, the character of its different quarters, its literature and its legends.

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KISS + MAKE UP IN THE MALDIVES Hot Spot Vacay In The Know

GET THERE

THE MALDIVES IS THE NEWEST IT SPOT FOR TRAVELLERS WHO KNOW WHAT’S UP. FOR YOUR 5 TO 7 DAY VALENTINE GETAWAY, SKIP THE SAME OLD DESTINATIONS AND ARRANGE A QUICK AND EASY TRIP TO SOMEWHERE NEW. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NOW WE’VE GOT A LOCAL CARRIER TO GET US THERE AFFORDABLY! TO HELP YOU HIT UP MALÉ FOR AN OFFBEAT ROMANTIC GETAWAY WITH YOUR VALENTINE, WE’VE PICKED SOME OF THE BEST ATTRACTIONS IN THE COUNTRY. IBRAHIM NASIR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KNOWN AS MALÉ’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) CODE IS MLE, SO GET BOOKING!

1 WHAT We hopped on flydubai to and from Malé, the capital of the Maldives, but you can also take them to places like Belgrade, Columbo and Kiev. They’ve got super saver options like choosing your own baggage allowance (we usually opt for the 20kg), but if you’re travelling light it gets even cheaper! You’ve got your own space and you’re given great inflight service, but if you want to secure a bit more stretching space, you can book extra leg room. Get your adventure on with one easy click by booking online at www.flydubai.com and choose your own extras.

DETAILS BEY- DXB- MLE flydubai departs twice daily from Beirut International Airport, stops you over at Terminal 2 Dubai airport, then continues on to Malé 5 days weekly. You have a few flight options to choose from: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday depart from Dubai and land in Malé. The return flights leave on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrive back in Dubai. If you want to depart on a Saturday or Sunday, your return options are on the same day the following week!

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KISS + MAKE UP IN THE MALDIVES | HOTSPOT: VACAY IN THE KNOW

SHOPAHOLIC 2 WHAT Malé Market

DETAILS The selection of produce, spices, and local fare here are the big draw. More people come away from here feeling that they experience the real vibe of the populace. An added bonus to adding this to your agenda is that it is easily reachable from the Malé Fish Market, so you can visit both in the span of 2 to 3 hours, giving you about an hour at each place. The best time to visit the markets is in the morning or early afternoon to ensure you get a good eyeful.

3 WHAT Hukuru Miskiiy The Old Friday Mosque

4 WHAT National Museum

HOLIER THAN THOU

DETAILS This historic structure is one of Malé’s big crowd pleasers. The historic structure was built in 1658 and is the site of the resting tomb of Sultan Ibrahim, who commissioned the mosque’s exceptional masonry. The ancient Arabic calligraphy and graves are also part of this site’s draw. While it is a major site for tourism, it is important to remember that modest dress is advisable since it is a place of faith worship.

CULTURE CALL

DETAILS Situated in Malé’s Sultan Park, the reviews for the National Museum are mixed. If you are expecting one of Parisian proportions, stop now. It is similar to that of the Cayman Islands. Expect to see things that the locals find novel- the first pieces of electronics to make it to the Maldives and the like. A good way to spend a few hours indoors and immerse yourself in the local mindset.

H20 HIGHS 3

5 WHAT Water Sports in Kurumba

DETAILS For these types of excursions, you’ll want to go with the experts at Extreme Water Sports- they’ve received good customer reviews and have a wide bevy of qualified instructors available. Kurumba is easily accessible from Malé and one of the closest locales for watersports. Some of their guided activities include: Jet Ski safaris, parasailing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking. For divers, the night dives are especially thrilling.

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EAT, DRINK+BE MERRY

LEFT: CHÂTEAU MARGAUX’S WINEMAKER PAUL PONTALLIER

FOR THE LOVE

OF WINE BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

CHÂTEAU MARGAUX’S WINEMAKER PAUL PONTALLIER SHARES HIS TAKE ON HIS WINERY’S VINTAGE AND ITS CONTINUED APPEAL.

aul Pontallier came on the Margaux scene in 1983 bringing with him some high credentials. He attended the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, before specializing in Wine Growing and Oenology at Montpellier. In 1978, he returned to his hometown of Bordeaux to study at the Talence Institute of Oenology. After getting his doctorate in 1981, he left France for Chile to complete his military service in the Peace Corps. He stayed on to teach oenology for eighteen months at a university in Santiago then returned to France to join Margaux, where he was appointed Managing Director in 1990.

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This sommelier knows his wines, and of course he has a fondness for Château Margaux. This estate of Bordeaux wine is probably the best-known French cru, one of four wines to achieve Premier cru (first growth) status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate has been working since the 12th century, but it was in the 16th century that wine production really started to catch on. Pontallier was invited to Beirut in December 2012 by the Eau de Vie restaurant at the Phoenicia Beirut Hotel to host a winemaker dinner. On the menu, delectable food conjured up by the Chef paired with Château Margaux: white 1995 and 2010, and red 1989, 2000, and 2004. “The 2000 is an extraordinary vintage. As for the 89 it is entering maturity and it is time to start serving it,” said Pontallier. “As for the white, the 2010 is certainly a young vintage... it contradicts nicely with the older one.” Well, food and wine pairing events have been all the rage in the past few years, but such events are relatively novel here

in Lebanon. “Certain food just goes well with certain wine. But some traditional pairings are less obvious now... the old fashioned way of serving fish with white wine and red wine with meat is not the norm anymore, we have discovered so many more possibilities.” As the Managing Director of one of France’s most famous wineries he has travelled across the globe to create awareness for his brand, meeting the who’s who of the world. “I shared our wine with the Queen of England. She served Château Margaux on her 80th birthday; she served the 93.” Pontallier believes that Château Margaux is a phenomenon. Since it was established the wine is a legacy according to AOC (Appellations d’Origine Côntrollée) and typical grapes are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdo. The terroir, blending, percentage varietals, aging, and winemaking technique, is what dictates the final notes on the palate. This contrasts with Lebanon where the terroir is open to more varietal suggestions.

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FOR THE LOVE OF WINE

You need to have passion when you work with wine, and his passion was born on the day of his baptism, he jokes when I ask him when he had his first ever sip of wine. “At home we drank wine every day. When really young we would have a blend of wine and water, the amount of water was reduced as we got older.” He was keen on being a winemaker from his early 20s even though his father, who owned a small vineyard, warned him against it as his own was losing money. So what was the oldest wine Pontallier has ever opened? “It was a late 18th century by Margaux… maybe it was the best I have ever had.” Unfortunately he missed out on tasting a bottle of Château Margaux 1787 which broke before it was uncorked and now holds the record as the most expensive bottle of wine ever broken, insured at $225,000. So what makes a great Margaux? “It is all about the terroir, the soil climate, the

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natural conditions and also the human work of the generations. We have the best-adapted environment. Some people dreamt of reaching excellence... I believe we have reached it.” The Beirut diners are eagerly awaiting Pontallier’s wine expertise and it’s time to let him go. “You have one of the best jobs in the world,” I tell him. “I am not exactly sure of when I work or when I play. My job is my life and my passion, my other passion is my wife and my children.” He seems to be in no hurry to leave so one more question before I let him tend to his guests: cork or screw? Would he ever consider screw for closing and aging first growth Bordeaux? “We are actually experimenting with screw caps right now and we are doing research into this. But maybe it will take another generation to see the results.” So for now Margaux remains a phenomenal cru to be opened traditionally- we can live with that.

“It is all about the terroir, the soil climate, the natural conditions and also the human work of the generations. We have the best-adapted environment. Some people dreamt of reaching excellence... I believe we have reached it”

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GRAND GOU-RMET DO VALENTINE’S DAY DIFFERENTLY BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

hen I first heard of Gou, the restaurant/patisserie/tea garden/boutique (all that!), they had just began offering catering services for private functions. The pastries and snacks on their brochure were too appetizing for me to overlook reviewing the place. I’m not keen on the whole Valentine’s Day hullabaloo, so for our Affinity issue, I wanted to give our readers something different. Forget the candlelit dinners and the chocolate boxes. This year, having an intimate Afternoon Tea is the way to go. Situated right behind Tabaris Avenue in Achrafieh, Gou restaurant is a little place that takes you on a palate world tour. With a brunch, lunch and dinner menus, where every single dish originates from somewhere in the world – like the Paris Croque sandwich, the Fiji salad or the Marrakech chicken tajine, Gou is also a patisserie with two specialties: macarons and scones. We head there on a January afternoon to have a taste of what they do best.

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Ordering the Afternoon Tea formula for two, we are served a variety of snacks with our cup of tea. I go for Le Palais des Thés’ Thé des Moines, a Chinese secret blend of black and green tea, plants and flowers while my sister chooses the Thé du Hammam, a more fruity tea also from the Palais des Thés selection, blending different flavors like rose, green dates, red fruit and orange blossom water. Starting at the top of the munching pièce montée, we taste a few hot and cold salty snacks like a smoked salmon canapé or a mini spinach tart. Making our way down, we delight in chocolate cake, macarons, strawberry, kiwi and berries tartelettes, before getting to the final level: the scones. Served warm with jam, cream and honey, I can understand why this is their specialty. They are so tasty I end up eating them alone without the sides. They are also my sister’s first ever scones, and I highly doubt after tasting these that she’ll enjoy them anywhere else in Lebanon.

For yet another way to celebrate, you can order the High Tea: the same sweet and savory selection that we enjoyed, but the tea is replaced with a glass of champagne! THE +

+ HOT CHOCOLATE It’s hot, chocolaty, and

thick. It’s perfect.

+ TEAS They have one of the best selections

I’ve seen in Lebanon and offer both local and imported blends. The infusion time is noted on the menu so the flavors really shine. + BOUTIQUE GOU is also a fine food store that brings the world to Lebanon. You’ll be impressed by their wide range of imported products like French traditional black olive mustard, Hawaiian black salt or Russian tea blends.

THE - SERVICE

It’s not bad, but they could use a little help. With one person serving both seated and takeaway customers, you might have to wait a little to place your order.

GOU Tabaris Avenue, Achrafieh, Beirut 01 200 765 www.gouworld.com GOUfans

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GET YOUR JUST

DESSERTS Sweet Sultry +

BY LARA ARISS

Each edition of RAGMAG Lara Ariss will present a meal in several courses that you can try at home. Lara trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London, England. For this issue of RAGMAG, Lara has compiled a selection of dessert puddings to sweeten your Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. For her menu selection, check her out on the web http://www.bylara.me @laraariss

bylara

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laraariss

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NUTMEG CUSTARD PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME 45 MINUTES SERVES 4 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS • 4 eggs • 110 grams caster sugar • 300 ml milk • 300 ml whipping cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg, to sprinkle

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 150°C. • Whisk the eggs and sugar together until just combined. • Heat the milk, cream and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the heat and pour over the egg mixture while whisking, until just combined. • Strain mixture into a 1 litre baking dish. Sprinkle the surface of the custard with grated nutmeg. • Place the dish into a deep roasting pan and fill with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. • Bake for 45 minutes until just set.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon boiling water • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules • Olive oil, to brush • 150 grams self-rising flour • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder • 70 grams caster sugar • 185 ml skimmed milk •1 egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence • 60 grams cream cheese, melted, cooled

FOR THE SAUCE • 70 grams caster sugar • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules • 300 ml boiling water

MOCHA PUDDING PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4-6 LEVEL EASY

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°C. • Stir the water and coffee in a cup or small bowl until the coffee dissolves and set aside to cool. • Brush four or six ramekins -depending on their size- with oil to grease. • Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. • Whisk the coffee mixture, milk, egg, vanilla and cream cheese in a bowl. Stir the coffee mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. • Divide the mixture among the prepared cups or ramekins. • To make the sauce, combine the sugar and cocoa powder in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the puddings. Stir the coffee into the water until dissolved. Pour the coffee mixture evenly among the puddings. • Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar.

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ALMOND CROISSANT PUDDING PREPARATION TIME 80 MINUTES COOKING TIME 45 MINUTES SERVES 4-6 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS • 4 almond croissants, torn into large chunks • 4 eggs • 110 grams caster sugar • 300 ml milk • 300 ml whipping cream • 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract • Zest of 1 orange

CRÈME ANGLAISE • 4 egg yolks • 250 ml milk • 250 ml whipping cream • 55 grams caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE SAUCE • 200 ml whipping cream • 50 ml milk • 200 grams dark chocolate, chopped • 25 grams cocoa powder

TO SERVE • Toasted flaked almonds and raspberries or seasonal fruit, to decorate. • Icing sugar, to dust.

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METHOD

• Grease the base and sides of a loaf pan and line with baking paper. Pack the croissants into the pan and set aside. • Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until just combined. • Place the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat and bring to just below boiling point, then gradually pour the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. • Add the orange zest and whisk well to combine. Pour the mixture over the croissants in the pan and stand at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the custard to soak in - this will make for a lighter pudding. • Meanwhile, for the crème anglaise, lightly beat yolks in a bowl. Place milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Pour hot milk mixture over egg, whisking constantly, then return to the pan over very low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 5-6 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour into a jug, cover surface closely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming then chill until needed. • Preheat the oven to 180°C. • Bake the pudding for 45 minutes until just set and golden on top (cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly). Remove the pudding from the oven, allow to cool slightly. Turn out and slice. • Place on a serving platter and drizzle with chocolate sauce and crème anglaise. Scatter with almonds and raspberries and serve dusted with icing sugar. • To make the chocolate sauce: place the cream and milk in a pan over medium heat. Bring to just below boiling point, then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa, then strain into a jug and set aside to cool.

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r t as te buds

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

NEW + NOW

COFFEE TIME After their popular Zaitunay Bay location, the famous Spanish franchise Cappuccino Grand Café has opened its doors in Achrafieh! Now celebrating 20 years of success, the brand lays claim to more than 15 branches globally. Cappuccino Grand Café has landed in a traditional Lebanese house in a treasured, old Achrafieh neighborhood. A restored home filled with charm and loaded with contradictions: the obsolete and the modern, the simple and the glamorous all meet at one place that serves a varied international menu, rich in flavors. Guests were taken by the rhythms of a Spanish band playing music that gave the evening flavor while customers were given the opportunity to admire the décor, enjoy delicious canapés and sip drinks on the terrace. A favorite of the evening seemed to be the cozy seating area by the fire... Attendees shared the joy of the newly inaugurated coffee shop’s owners who cut the cake and announced that the next Cappuccino Grand Café branch would be in Antelias.

I SEE YOU Isuzu Motors International Operations Thailand Co., Ltd., recently hosted a two day event at the Bab Al Shams hotel in Dubai where they launched the latest model of their pickup line, the D-Max. Now available in eight countries around the Middle East, the Isuzu D-Max is an amalgamation of design, excellent performance, durability, safety and resilience. Some of the notable new features the brand possesses include the new 2.5 L diesel engine (4JK1) with common-rail engine designed with superior know-how that has seen over 23 million Isuzu diesel engines sold worldwide. This innovative engine has at once accomplished class leading fuel efficiency, power, torque and environmental friendliness. With a larger and stronger rear cargo body and 4x4 electronic shift on-the-fly, there’s not much it cannot handle. With longer, wider and taller body, All New ISUZU D-MAX realizes a spacious interior to maximize driver and passengers’ comfort. Electroluminescent instruments with Multi Information Display, climate-control air conditioner and keyless entry are all available. Building on more than 40 years of success in the commercial vehicle segment of their business, the origins of the Isuzu D-Max can be traced back to the Isuzu Wasp that was produced in 1963 under the initiative to build a car that appeared to be a passenger vehicle but functioned as a commercial vehicle.

FEBRUARY 2013

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BRAINFOOD ROUND #1

ROUND #2

Entertainment

ROUND #3

Science + Technology

1. In which country was “The King

1. What do the letters M.P. stand for in MP3 player?

1. What was the former

2. Which of the Seven Dwarfs wore glasses?

2. Which temperature is the coldest? -5C or -5F

3. In the Batman films what was

3. What is the square root of 3025? 4. You have all heard of a paper size

& I” set?

Robin’s real name?

4. Who wrote the book “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”?

known as A0. What is the area (Sq. Meters) of A0?

5. How many children were there in

5. What colour is the Black Box found in aircraft?

6. In which town did Superman

6. What metal is liquid at room

the Von Trapp family?

4. 5.

temperature?

grow up?

7. What is the name of the tiger in “Jungle Book”?

7. The radio active isotope called

“Americium” can be found in what common household safety device?

8. What was the name of the boy in the Terminator films?

8. What temperature is the

9. Who played the leading role in

same for both Fahrenheit and Centigrade?

the film “The Fly”?

10. In which Shakespeare play does

9. The thickness of nylon is measured in what?

the character Portia appear?

ROUND #4

History + Geography

10. The name “Yet Another

10.

Hierarchical Officius Oracle” is better known as what?

General Knowledge 1. What is the first sign of the Zodiac? 2. Which grows faster, the finger nails or the toenails?

name of Iran? Who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic? Which famous ship sank on 15th April 1912? In which country was the designer Yves St. Laurent born? Which European country designed and developed the bayonet? In which country would you finds the largest pyramid? In what city was Terry Waite taken hostage? What was the name of Napoleon’s first wife? What was the name of the volcano that destroyed Pompeii? New York city stands at the mouth of which river?

In French it is called cheval3. vapeur. What is it known as in English? 4. What is the 6th Lettter of the Greek alphabet?

5. What English song is the most 6.

7. 8. 9. 10.

frequently sung? Which English fashion designer was found dead in his home in 2010? What is the only bird that can swim but can’t fly? What paper does Peter Parker (Spider-Man) work for? What spice gives curry its colour? If you were born on November 5th, what star sign would you be?

EASY

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

ROUND#1 ROUND#2 ROUND#3 ROUND#4

1 3 9 6 2 8 4 7 5

6 7 2 4 5 1 3 9 8

2 3

8 4 1

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

6 6 9

5 6 7 2 3 8 7 2 1 9 8 3 1 7 1 8 87 4

6 7 4

5 1

1 8 9 3 8 9 7 3

6 7 1 4 9 6 8 7 5 2 4

5 3

1. Siam 2. Doc 3. Dick Grayson 4. Ian Fleming 5. Seven 6. Smallville 7. Shere Khan 8. John Connor 9. Geff Goldblum 10. Merchant of Venice 1. Moving Picture 2. Minus 5 Fahrenheit 3. Fifty-five 4. One square metre 5. Orange 6. Mercury 7. Fire Detector 8. Minus 40 9. Denier 10. Yahoo 1. Persia 2. Amelia Earhart 3. The Titanic 4. Algeria 5. France 6. Mexico 7. Beirut 8. Josephine 9. Vesuvius 10. The Hudson 1. Aries 2. Finger nails 3. Horsepower 4. Zeta 5. Happy Birthday 6. Alexander McQueen 7. Penguin 8. Daily Bugle 9. Tumeric 10. Scorpio

5 8 4 9 7 3 2 1 6

9 4 3 1 8 6 5 2 7

2 6 7 5 4 9 1 8 3

8 1 5 2 3 7 9 6 4

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4 2 1 8 6 5 7 3 9

7 5 6 3 9 2 8 4 1

3 9 8 7 1 4 6 5 2

6 2 3 1 7 5 4 9 8

4 9 1 8 3 2 6 5 7

7 8 5 6 9 4 3 1 2

8 5 2 7 6 3 1 4 9

9 3 4 2 8 1 5 7 6

1 7 6 5 4 9 2 8 3

5 6 9 4 2 8 7 3 1

2 1 8 3 5 7 9 6 4

3 4 7 9 1 6 8 2 5

6 7 5 3 4 8 9 2 1

2 3 1 5 9 7 6 4 8

9 4 8 6 2 1 3 7 5

8 5 7 2 6 4 1 3 9

3 6 4 1 7 9 8 5 2

1 9 2 8 3 5 7 6 4

5 2 6 9 8 3 4 1 7

4 1 9 7 5 6 2 8 3

7 8 3 4 1 2 5 9 6

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

DOWN 2

13 14 15 18

someone is talking. 16. More than you want.. 17. Go this way 19. Very flat. 21. Poison taken by many daily. 23. Place one with the waiter 28. Looking for answers. 29. A designer or a car? 30. Adam’s ale! 32. I’ve not been drinking! 35. Very keen to try! 37. It’s finally finished 38. The turn of a wheel 39. Not wearing any 42. Get to your destination 44. God is known as this. 47. A golf shot. 48. Do Christmas bells do this? 51. Not up

19 20

25 26 27 31

32 34

36 38

39 40 42

41 43

45 47

TIME 2 COVER AGENT WISH

be this.

TAKE A BREAK DURING THE GAME?

PUT KG

GIRLS DO NOT LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN.

IS THIS JAMES BOND?

JOHN WAS HE A FAMOUS PIRATE?

nafish nafish

ECNALG NOT A NICE LOOK!!

PLANS PLASN PLSNA PALSN

USUALLY FOUND IN CANS.

FEET FEET FEET FEET FEET

oooDOMooo

just

YOU CAN PLAY A DOUBLE SIX WITH THESE.

WE WILL ALL GET HERE SOMEDAY.

ALMOST CORRECT!!

LET’S TRY A DIFFERENT WAY!!

THE CHINESE ARE GOOD AT THIS GAME.

HALF TIME - PUT ON WEIGHT - TUNA FISH - UNDERCOVER AGENT - LONG JOHN SILVER - SIX FEET UNDERGROUND WISH UPON A STAR - DOMINOES - JUST RIGHT - BACKWARD GLANCE - A CHANGE OF PLANS - PING PONG FEBRUARY 2013

20. Is this MC? 22. Look for similarities 24. Baby cat 25. Be thankful for 26. Which way up is it? 27. Ask for a song! 31. Two days before tomorrow! 33. Not American Express 34. Is he on trial? 36. Not acute 38. Fight against authority 40. Between black and white 41. A heavy element or gas? 43. Used for word processing? 45. An assassin 46. Is this the colour of Royal Blood? 49. A French song bird? 50. Is it using your money wisely? 52. Not far away 53. Not going forwards

GROUND FEET

DOES YOUR DREAM COME TRUE?

ACROSS 3. Was unsuccessful 9. A small part at the start of a river 11. French mother? 12. Try 13. Earth is part of this 15. On behalf of a company 18. Betty, on television, is said to

1. An agreement to stop fighting 2. Do this before an exam? 3. Careful, it can easily break. 4. Taken after a main course? 5. It’s not yours! 6. Not a foreigner! 7. In the past 8. Not much colour! 10. Your knee or a piece of meat? 14. It’s rude to do this when

1.TREATY - 2.STUDY - 3.FAILED - 4.DESSERT - 5.MINE - 6.LOCAL 7.HISTORY - 8.PALE - 9.TRIBUTARY - 10.JOINT - 11.MAMAN - 12.ATTEMPT - 13.UNIVERSE - 14.INTERRUPT 15.REPRESENTATIVE - 16.EXTRA - 17.VIA - 18.UGLY - 19.LEVEL - 20.HAMMER - 21.NICOTINE 22.COMPARE - 23.ORDER - 24.KITTEN - 25.GRATEFUL - 26.UPSIDE 27.REQUEST - 28.QUESTIONING - 29.SAAB - 30.WATER 31.YESTERDAY - 32.SOBER - 33.VISA - 34.DEFENDANT - 35.EAGER - 36.OBTUSE - 37.ENDED - 38.REBEL - 39.CLOTHES - 40.GREY - 41.XENON - 42.ARRIVE - 43.COMPUTER 44.CREATOR - 45.KILLER - 46.BLUE - 47.PUTT - 48.JINGLE - 49.ALLUETTE - 50.INVESTING - 51.DOWN - 52.NEAR - 53.BACKWARDS

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RAGMAG

ASTRO

Zodiac FROM JONATHAN CAINER

February.2013

IT IS HARD TO THINK ABOUT FEBRUARY WITHOUT REMEMBERING THAT HALF WAY THROUGH THE MONTH, A POPULAR FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED. THERE’S NOTHING COSMIC ABOUT VALENTINE’S DAY, BUT SUCH IS THE POWER OF THE WORLD’S RETAILERS AND RESTAURATEURS THAT WE CAN EASILY GET SWEPT AWAY BY ANTICIPATION. ACTUALLY, THIS MONTH, VENUS (PLANET OF LOVE) REACHES THE POINT IN ITS ORBIT WHERE IT IS FURTHEST FROM THE SUN. FOR SOME OF US, THINGS SIMPLY MAY NOT BE AS ROMANTIC AS WE MIGHT WISH. BUT THEN THEY DO SAY THE BEST WAY TO MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN IS TO LET GO OF EXPECTATION!

ALICIA KEYS

ADAM LAMBERT

PISCES

February 20 - March 20 You can’t lay on the paint until you have sanded the surface. Before you can do that, you have to fill in the cracks. You can’t take care of those, though, unless you have a wall in the first place. You can’t build one of those unless you first dig foundations. How can you do that when you don’t even have a plot of land? A seemingly endless series of obstacles now seem to loom up large before you. February’s opportunities will sweep most of them away as long as you remain openminded enough to recognise them. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

AQUARIUS January 21 - February 19

ARIES

There is nothing so satisfying as a success that you have worked long and hard to bring about. Instant victories are not to be knocked - but, just as it’s far more enjoyable to slake a deep thirst than to casually sip on a drink, it’s good, sometimes, to build up a real sense of need for something. Provided, of course, that you stand a reasonable chance of having that need met. Even if all you can see is the problem, this will only make the eventual solution more pleasing. As you enter February, you won’t have too long to wait.

March 21 - April 20 We did not come to Planet Earth to eat ice cream, surf the web or keep our carpets vacuumed. Or perhaps we did? Although, if so, it raises a question. What about all those souls who came and went from here in the many millennia before such inventions? Were their lives in vain? Then again, there are more people alive today than there have ever been before. Perhaps this is what they have all come back for? In February, you will make an exciting discovery about the real purpose of your life. It will make a big difference.

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

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THE AFFINITY ISSUE

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

June 23 - July 23 Things never happen just because they need to happen. They happen because someone has acknowledged that need, and then set about searching for a positive way to meet it. No matter how unhappy you may be about a situation, the fact remains that you are half way towards sorting it out, just by admitting that it makes you feel fed up! Now you simply have to stop complaining and start actually doing something. It hardly matters what you do this month as long as you do it with goodwill and positive energy.

April 21 - May 21 Harrier jump jets can do it. Helicopters too, Oh, and we mustn’t forget space rockets. These, though, are about the only examples. Generally, if you want to head for high places, you can’t do it from a standing start. You have to build up some momentum. In any process that involves acquiring a head of steam there comes a point when you begin to think, because you are getting no results, that you are wasting your time. But suddenly, you get a breakthrough like the one that you are due to have this month...

May 22 - June 22 Theory. Practice. Not the same. Obvious really, when you stop to think about it. It’s just that too often, we don’t stop and we don’t think. We make a plan. We confidently assume that somehow, things will turn out just as we expect. Even though they never do; even though it never happens quite that way; even though we ought to know better. Well, right now, you are in a realm where theory cannot go. What can you do? You can do what’s practical! And actually, that’s ALL you need to do in February. Be realistic; then relax.

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

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

July 24 - August 23 They say, ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ What they mean, we assume, is that everything has a string attached to it somewhere. Rarely, if ever, do people do things for one another without expecting something in return. Yet no matter how materialistic our world may be, we are all capable of altruism. We can be generous. We can be compassionate. We can give for the joy of giving. When we do, miracles occur. That possibility exists in your world right now. It’s yet going to be a wonderful February. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

SCORPIO

Agust 24 - Sepetember 23 You are not where you used to be. You’ve moved on, in your heart and mind, if not with your physical form. What once scared you now hardly bothers you. What once excited you now leaves you cold. The latter may not seem like an especially desirable development. But you were getting very hot under the collar about matters that were ultimately unworthy of your attention. Now you’re free to turn your attention to truly inspiring, deeply worthwhile priorities. And in the process, this February, you begin to change your life! FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

SAGITTARIUS

October 24 - November 22 What do the rules say? They say that there are some situations that simply cannot be governed by pre-existing rules! There are some occasions when common sense must prevail. There are some problems that can neither be solved by the application of theories and fomulae nor by following procedures and policies. Search as much as you like now for precedent to compare to or guidance to adhere to. You may as well just listen to what’s in your heart. Your own wisdom is what must be trusted in February.

November 23 - December 21 ‘Whatever you believe, you can bring into being.’ Or so they tell us. It is not, of course, quite so simple. You can’t get what you want the moment you want it. Nor, for that matter, can you bring about instant disaster, just by entertaining a negative expectation. Time has to pass and, generally, circumstances have to alter. We are often more likely to hear an echo of our beliefs in the way that our world changes, rather than a complete confirmation. Still, though, in February, if you summon your faith you can do some amazing things.

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

FEBRUARY 2013

September 24 - October 23 Chalk and cheese don’t compete. Camembert and brie, on the other hand, run a close contest. Chalk is more of a monopoly. It doesn’t compete with itself - or with much else - apart from, maybe, marker pens and white boards. All chalk is much of a muchness whereas cheese... Well, from a distance, your situation may seem similar to someone else’s but the more closely we look at it, the more we see how unique you are. You don’t need to outdo anyone this coming month. You just need to be yourself. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

CAPRICON

December 22 - January 20 You already have a lot to be thankful for. Soon, you will have even more. You will, of course, continue to have many reasons to feel disgruntled or uncomfortable. Problems are not about to disappear. Problems, though, always seem worse when there is little hope on the horizon. Rain always looks nicer when the sun shines through it. February brings a source of light and inspiration, a bright idea, a hopeful piece of news. It is even possible that you may soon encounter a warm gesture of sincere support. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

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DOLLARS + SENSE

WE NO LIKEY

DRIVING ME

CRAZY INCREASING LEBANON’S VAT SUGGESTS TROUBLE FOR THE AUTO SECTOR BY MARIA FRANGIEH

ou’re certainly very well versed with Lebanon’s Value Added Tax (VAT) or TVA (à la française), implemented in 2002 by the Lebanese government on domestic consumption. Introduced as a major structural measure undertaken by the Ministry of Finance, there has recently been talk of increasing the VAT from 10 percent to 15 percent on both used and new vehicles in addition to other commodities. Since the government is desperately looking for funds to readjust the salary scale, it’s getting very creative when it comes to implementing new laws. Some think these new laws, taxation and similar actions, will only increase the burden of Lebanese citizens who are already working hard to make ends meet. Here is a little hint for policymakers: stop increasing taxes when the country is already in a recession; it has proven to be very bad in the way of fiscal policy! Let’s do some math and roughly assess how this five percent increase will affect the Lebanese marketplace. When the government announces or implements a policy, especially an increase in taxation, it is because they expect positive

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repercussions. In this case, Lebanon’s government is forecasting an increase in revenue as a result of this policy should it come to pass. Based on a recent study done by the Association of Car Importers (A.I.A.) in Lebanon, the revenues of the government will definitely be affected, but is it what they think? You’ll find the number crunching in the boxed section as well as the results, and it’s worth the look since we all need to know what may happen. What is actually puzzling is that all Lebanese governments after the civil war have found it very easy to put in place higher taxes as a solution to the Lebanese people asking for their rights: increasing the salary scale, funding the NSSF, and the like. Why doesn’t our government think harder, communicate better, learn from past mistakes, and actually implement positive initiatives for a change? Do the math and tweet at @RAGMAGLebanon Let us know if you agree with Maria Frangieh’s take on the proposed VAT increase with the hashtag #VATMyLife

VAT INCREASE BY NUMBERS • 2011 74,000 cars were imported for 1.9 billion dollars. In the same year, the government’s revenues from the automotive sector were 609 million dollars (customs, VAT = 478 million and car registrations = 131 million). • 2010 62,000 cars were sold, in 2011 74,000 cars and in 2012 (estimated) 70,000 cars. In the event that the 15 percent VAT rate is implemented, A.I.A expects a decrease of 30 percent in car sales and therefore in government revenues. The numbers would be as follows: • PROJECTED LOSS Customs and VAT Revenues = Customs and VAT Revenues x (-30 percent) = 478 million x (-30 percent) = -143 million dollars • PROJECTED LOSS Car Registration Revenues = Car Registration Revenues x (-30 percent) = 131 million x (-30 percent) = -39 million dollars • TOTAL PROJECTED LOSS The overall expected loss of the government revenues will equal approximately (143 + 39) 182 million dollars. Based on the government’s expectations, increasing the VAT rate to 15 percent will increase tax revenue between 50 to 60 million dollars. As a result, and assuming the above numbers are correct, the overall loss of the government revenues will equal (182 – 60) around 122 million dollars in the year 2013.

THE AFFINITY ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2013