RAGMAG Hang Ten Issue | July 2011 | Issue#14

MAGAZINE JULY 2011

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Publisher

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Editor in Chief

Fida Z Chaaban Creative Lead

Odette Kahwagi Managing Director

Georges Yarack Photograhers Christian Harb Odette Kahwagi Jason Zamora Teddy Habib Samy Harb

Selected images Shutterstock

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

RAGMAG is a division of Raycon s.a.l.

Copyright RAGMAG 2010 All Rights Reserved.

Contributors Liliane Assaf Maher El-Alam Stephanie Aoun Elodie Barakat Jonathan Cainer Amal Chaaban Youmna Chagoury Rabih Feghali Alice Hlidkova Sarah Hourany Matthew Hussey Maria-Elena Kassab Imogen Kimber Chris Lambert Sabina LLewellyn-Davies Maha Majzoub J.E.N. Nour Obaji Aline Rahbany Rami SalamĂŠ Jacques Tchabarian Adam Volk Media Representative RAGMAG Alex Gabriel Building Rue Colomn de Sahel Sahel Alma, Keserwan Tel: 09 916 222 / 09 913 777 magda.nassar@ragmaglive.com lea.elalam@ragmaglive.com Distributor Lebanese Distributor Company Hamra, Axa Middle East bldg.

Tel: 01 368 007 Webmaster Youmna Chagoury

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TWITTER @ragmaglebanon FACEBOOK ragmag

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

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES GET YOUR SEA SPARKLE DAMAS I’M IN MIAMI BITCH BEACH TRENDS 2011 COPYCAT REAL LIFE RUNWAY BEACH BREAK OUR FASHION SHOOT SURFING WAVES OF THE PAST PERFECT F.C. GUNDLACH OFFSHORE OUR FASHION SHOOT WATERING HOLE THE OASIS OF CHRISTINA DEBS

OUT + ABOUT JAMES BLUNT WE WERE THERE FOR THE WHOLE THING 78 WATER WATER EVERYWHERE GARDEN SHOW + SPRING FESTIVAL 2011 154 GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT ZAITUNAY BAY 170 THE FOUR ELEMENTS WATER AT THE FOUR SEASONS 28

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PAST PERFECT

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CULTURE CLASH MAKING WAVES THE PROPHET GOES BIG SCREEN LUNAR ECLIPSE PIER 7’S TIDAL WAVE DELTA WAVE LELAND SKLAR ROCKS YOUR WORLD WET DREAM JAY ALDERS’S OCEANIC FANTASIES CRASHING WAVES INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE LEAVITT CHANNEL SURFING HAYDA LEBNEN YOU + YOUR COUNTRY SOUNDWAVE AYADINA MAKES IT HAPPEN

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THE FINAL FRONTIER ADDICTED TO SURFING THE NET SCIENCE WAVES OF ENERGY TECH UNDER THE SEA TECH

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SEE, SPEAK + HEAR NO EVIL WORLD VISION BLOGS SOUND CHECK MUSIC READ’EM + WEEP BOOKS WATCH OUT FILM PLAY NICE GAMES

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HANG LOOSE HAWAII STYLE IN LEBANON BEST BEACH RESORTS

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EDITOR’S OPINION GO WITH THE FLOW OUR EDITOR HAS AN E.T. MOMENT MON AMOUR, MON AMI WATERBOARDING CLICHES DON’T HAVE TO TORTURE YOU EBBS + FLOWS ARE YOU GOING TO SINK OR SWIM? FOR HIM HANG IN THERE TAKE IT LIKE A MAN MIND, BODY + SOUL BEAT YOUR HANG-UPS MATTHEW HUSSEY HELP ME NOUR + RABIH ADVICE BRAINWAVES THE BRAIN IS THE NEW HEART WAVES OF RELIEF REIKI HANG LOOSE HAWAII STYLE LEBANESE BEACHES FML I CAN TRANSFORMYA RAIN DOWN ON ME MIRROR MIRROR DON’T LEAVE ME HANGING HEALTHY BEACHING BIENVENIDO A MIAMI MAKE UP FOR EVER LOOK GREAT FOR LESS BEESLINE BEACH BABY

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 158 ON THE SHORELINE MYBAR’S CHEF MITSU 160 MAKING WAVES WITH SEAFOOD BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM 162 RESTAURANT REVIEW GAMBERO PERFECTS SHELLFISH 164 POINT BREAK LUNCH RECIPES TAKE ME WITH YOU 146 ISTANBUL BY TENS TRAVEL

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BRAINFOOD 166 QUIZZ. DINGBAT. CROSSWORD. SUDOKU.

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publisher’s letter

Summer is making RAGMAG feel HOT, SEXY and STRONG. We are heading to the beach with our surfboards, and showing you another side of having a good time.

We’re used to giving our readers nothing but the best.

Why should this month be any different!

With the help of Damas Lebanon and Damas United Arab Emirates, RAGMAG is fortunate enough to award its winners amazing prizes. I must admit I’m feeling so jealous. Might go and grab one myself.

Thank you to Mazen El Zein and the Crystal Group for their wonderful and carefree sense of humor.

Finally someone understands where we’re coming from and what our wacky Editor is on about. We wish Pier 7 the best of luck. Thumbs Up. I’d also like to thank Tamanna Lebanon and wish them luck in their endeavour to provide wishes to sick kids across Lebanon.

In between splashing around, surfing and summer barbecues, I would very much appreciate it, if you could drop me an email and tell me what you feel about the mag at publisher@ragmaglive.com and keep checking our updated website www.ragmaglive.com

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

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SUBSCRIBE TO SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER PER ISSUE 10,000 LBP 6 ISSUES 50,000 LBP 12 ISSUES 100,000 LBP Contact us by phone or email to arrange your subscription subscriptions@ragmaglive.com Lea El-Alam 09 916 222 / 09 913 777 RAGMAG Alex Gabriel Building, Rue Colomn de Sahel Sahel Alma, Keserwan

w w w . r a g m a g l i v e . c o m ON OUR COVER PHOTOGRAPHY ODETTE KAHWAGI MODEL GANNA NEKHLEBAIEVA | LIPS AGENCY STYLIST JONY MATTA MAKEUP ARTIST NABIL MAKHOUL

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TWITTER @ragmaglebanon FACEBOOK ragmag

editor’s letter

HANG TEN Because RAGMAG isn’t hanging up our gloves Alright everyone, so the Hang Ten issue is our tribute to all things water. Last July we did the Water issue and we wanted to anniversary it, but with a bit more kick. For those of you out there who have no clue what I am talking about, Hang Ten is a surfing move widely considered one of the hardest to execute.

This issue was pretty hard to execute as well, because we played with the themes of surfing, water and used both Hanging and Ten in every way we could think of and tied them all together.

We were lucky enough to track down one of the biggest names in rock, Leland Sklar, for an exclusive interview. Ever wanted to know more about that guitar riff? Leland was probably the first one to do it. Our RAGged Hang Ten Facts is probably one of my favorite things in this issue because it brings back a lot of great memories. We’ve got your favorites

(Help Me Nour + Rabih as well as the usual Mon Amour stuff), but we also looked at things a little differently, because we wouldn’t be the mag you’ve grown to love otherwise.

My favorite article this issue?

Undoubtedly Pier 7. A big shout out to the Crystal Group (especially Celina Aoun, pictured below).

I literally have the whole surfing dictionary on my laptop now, and I think the only thing that’s left for me to learn is to actually surf! (Don’t hold your breath; it is a notoriously difficult sport that requires a lot of strength and balance.) That might make a great FML edition especially since we got pretty heavily into learning about surf culture and phrases like “blue room” and “point break” took on a whole new meaning. Apparently there are a couple of days yearly that you can actually surf

in Lebanon, so we found that pretty cool as well.

So without further ado, “Surf’s up, Lebanon”, welcome to the July Hang Ten issue. Let me know what hung on to your attention this issue and what didn’t by emailing me at letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com Follow me on Twitter @fidachaaban

Fida Z Chaaban

Editor in Chief

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letters to the editor

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

We Love Damas and hearts aflutter so RAGMAG readers

we know you do too! Their Spring collection set our we ran a Facebook and Twitter competition for 3 lucky called #WeLoveDamas.

Merwad Abdullah, our first Twitter winner @Merwada, will be wearing RAGMAG’s first Damas choice all summer. Merwad, for creatively tweeting the #WeLoveDamas contest line, calling the Damas diamonds a girl’s best friend, and giving us virtual love, you’re sporting this bracelet from their Nature collection. Keep reading RAGMAG and send us a pic of you wearing your new bracelet!

Lori Kharpoutlian, our second Twitter winner @LoriKharp, told us that she saw an issue of RAGMAG floating around the AUB offices, exactly what we like to hear! She also gave us “props on RAGMAG. Said it once ill say it again: Maybe the only Lebanese mag with international standards and correct English. Even my grandma reads it! :D” If that wasn’t enough, she also participated in the #WeLoveDamas Twitter campaign.

Keep reading RAGMAG Lori, and send us a pic of you wearing your new butterfly bracelet from the Damas Nature collection!

Our Facebook winner was a tough one, but we think Sineen Saleh did a good job.

She crooned at the Damas bracelet, “Oh bracelet … u should be miiinnneeeee!” on our Fan page, but alas, our Twitter winners beat her to them. Instead, we think a beautiful Damas rose from their Spring collection should do her just fine. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend and “we’re not saying you a gold digga” a la Kanye, but come on- we know you love it! Congrats Sineen!

DAMAS SPRING COLLECTION The recently launched Damas limited edition Spring collection was designed as a tribute to the young and playful spirit of the contemporary woman. With all pieces in the collection blending white, yellow and rose gold, the expertly designed pendants, necklaces and bracelets are presented in three themes: Nature, Loops and Spring – all of which are further highlighted by the sparkle of selected brilliant diamonds. This new range by the Middle East’s leading jewellery and watch retailer is versatile and is designed to match the demands of any and every occasion. The Nature range, which is highlighted by butterflies, flowers 12 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

and heart motifs, features jewellery in a classical, nature-inspired theme. The Loop collection is reminiscent of an earlier decade, with an array of jewels blending geometric designs featuring tear-drop shapes and encrusted with diamond dazzle. The Fusion range blends traditional elements and motifs within a modern setting, designed to reflect today’s contemporary woman who embraces her heritage while looking towards the future. The Nature, Loop and Fusion ranges all incorporate a blend of three gold types, and feature round brilliant diamonds set in micro-setting.

WE’RE ALL ABOUT THE 3 PIECE DAMAS KIKU PEARL COLLECTION. IF THE MYSTERY AND MAJESTY OF PEARLS AND DIVING ISN’T IMMEDIATELY CLEAR TO YOU, CHECK OUT THE NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS, WITH GOLD BEADS NESTLED IN BETWEEN EACH PRISTINE, WHITE FRESHWATER PEARL. PEARLS AREN’T JUST AN UPPER EAST SIDE NYC TYPE OF THING A LA SEX IN THE CITY’S CHARLOTTE, THEY CAN BE THAT GREAT JAZZ-UP TO EVERY OUTFIT, FROM JEANS (FOR THE BEACH – GO FROM DAY TO NIGHT), TO THE EVENING EVENT. THE BEST THING ABOUT THE KIKU SET? IT ADDS A SUMMERY ELEGANCE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE AND SINCE PEARLS ARE ALWAYS A STYLE-DO, YOU CAN WEAR THEM WITH EVEN THE MOST COMPLICATED OUTFIT IN YOUR CLOSET. WE’RE ALSO A BIT HOT TO TROT FOR THE DAMAS HALF-ETERNITY DIAMOND RING COLLECTION. IT’S ALSO HIGH ON OUR SUMMER LIST, SO FOR THOSE BRIDES-TO-BE, CHECK OUT THE 7 DIAMOND STONES ON THE 18KT RING. YOUR LUCKY NUMBER 7 JUST GOT BETTER SINCE THE CENTRE DIAMOND IS SLIGHTLY BIGGER AND ELEVATED, WITH TINY YOUTHFUL HEARTS ALONG THE SIDES. AVAILABLE IN YELLOW AND WHITE GOLD, GOING FOR THE GOLD HAS NEVER BEEN SO RAGMAG! From Sea to Shining Sea Damas www.damasjewellery.com +961 71 998 679 Verdun 732, ABC Achrafieh, Spinneys Jnah, BeirutTHE HANG TEN ISSUE Mall, CityMall + Bourj Hammoud

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GOING

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FLOW THE COMMUNICATION CRISIS IN LEBANON

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editor’s opinion

I FELT LIKE POOR LITTLE E.T. WHEN HE PLAINTIVELY SAID, “E.T. PHONE HOME.” “

I

’ll do you a Missed Call.” That was one of the first sentences I heard when moving to Lebanon. I didn’t know why anyone would want to “do a Missed Call”, nor did I understand the term. I would look down at my cell (errr, mobile, in Leb-speak), and see 1 Missed Call. Ahh okay, gotcha.

But why? Like many Westerners who move to Lebanon, I took these sorts of things for granted. “Why the hell can’t people just call each other here?

Why the hell are they ‘Missed-Calling’ me!” are routine questions that float between the newly arrived. For the Lebanese reading this article, it’s a no-brainer. (Lebanese bear with me for a minute while I explain to those outside Lebanon.) For those outside Lebanon, believe me when I say these tools of communication that we so take for granted abroad, are absolutely an exorbitant luxury here.

BELOW: STILL IMAGE FROM THE MOVIE E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Those who know me well know that in Canada, prior to moving to Beirut, I easily cleared 5000 minutes a month on my mobile, meaning I would spend an average of 83 hours per month talking on my mobile alone (and I’ve got the records to prove it).

Now add in my texting, my data and all the rest. Lebanese, you must want to faint thinking of 83 hours of talk time showing up on your bill, but do you know how much that actually cost me? 83 hours per month or 1 hour per month cost me the same: exactly $100. It’s a flat-rate plan. And the likelihood that we will ever have that in Lebanon seems to be nil. In the West, you look at your monthly cell bill and see maybe $100 or you max out at $200 tops if you’ve got a really, really, bad plan. You can get unlimited daytime, unlimited evening, unlimited data, hell it’s unlimited everything, so if you do have a bad plan you have

only yourself to blame. I still have my Canada mobile that gives me unlimited roaming, unlimited calling locally and the whole deal, texts, data, double-line included. Yes, Canadians and Americans, I see you nodding. (Lebanese, try not to cry reading this.) For those abroad, to us residing in Lebanon, it is like a pipe dream hearing the words “unlimited” and “phone” in the same sentence. I recently felt a strong need to re-watch a childhood favorite of mine: Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” circa 1982. Why? Because I feel like poor little E.T. when he plaintively said, “E.T. phone home.” I BlackBerry message my sister and have her and my family call me, since calling overseas is just astronomical from here. I miss my family and I miss being able to call them, and maybe that’s why I had to see E.T. again.

That’s not the only thing I miss about home- the internet here is positively prehistoric.

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editor’s opinion BACK TO THE FUTURE

Back in the ‘90s, when my little cousin Leila first forced me to get email and ICQ and all that other stuff, the internet was crawling at a snail’s pace. At our house, it was a dial-up system and we had one specific line just for internet access.

The more people dialing-in at the same time, the slower it got. She painstakingly helped me through the process of learning the World Wide Web, and taught me not to click on ads that were cleverly masked as fun

quiz games. She told me what search words to stay away from so I wouldn’t accidently land on porn sites, and she taught me how to optimize my internet experience safely by showing me tricks like mixing letters and numbers into my passwords. It didn’t matter that it was slow because we didn’t know how fast it would eventually get. But now we do. When I moved to Lebanon a year ago, RAGMAG was just a glint in Gina’s eye then, I had no idea that internet in Lebanon was like the internet I had at

my parent’s house back in 1997. Leila is all grown up now, she’s getting married in October for God’s sake!

It’s like I hopped in my DeLorean and went back to her pre-teens and I’m the only one onboard! I know what people are saying: Any internet is better than no internet. I beg to differ, and in response to that, I say ignorance is bliss. If I didn’t know there is something light years ahead of this molasses-in-January debacle, I guess I wouldn’t be complaining.

BACK IN THE ‘90S, WHEN MY LITTLE COUSIN LEILA FIRST FORCED ME TO GET EMAIL AND ICQ AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, THE INTERNET WAS CRAWLING AT A SNAIL’S PACE [...]

LEILA IS ALL GROWN UP NOW, SHE’S GETTING MARRIED IN OCTOBER, FOR GOD’S SAKE! BELOW: THE EDITOR’S COUSIN ALL GROWN UP

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ACTION PLAN

I’m not the only one that is complaining mind you, but there are people who are complaining and actually doing something about it.

People who are not as apathetic as myself. Recently, that not so shocking survey of internet speed placed Lebanon at the bottom, literally one of the slowest internet connections in the world. We’re ranked below countries whose citizenry don’t all have access to running water! We’re ranked below countries that Lebanese like to turn their noses up at. Well, who’s laughing now? Not so superior and advanced, after all, are we? The people at Ontornet- a funny play on the Arabic word Ontor (wait) and Internet- have been campaigning tirelessly to get this resolved. They’ve beat down the doors of everyone from the media to the Ministry of Telecom. They’re tweeting and blogging, with their painfully slow

ontornet connections, and they’re giving interviews. I feel their pain, daily in fact, when I try to send files pertaining to work. Forget the fun I used to have on YouTube, I don’t even bother with it now since waiting ten minutes for one song is anti-climactic.

You know what else is anti-climactic?

The shit-show surrounding 3G coming to Lebanon. For the life of me, I cannot figure out who is responsible (or irresponsible, for that matter). I have been researching all the media mentions, even reading telecom news journals that make little or no sense to me. I’ve asked people who are very in touch politically to decipher the weird relationship between the providers and the government and no one seems to be able to explain it. I guess that doesn’t matter to the government since the distribution of information in Lebanon is weak at best.

I don’t want to be Michael J. Fox anymore. I’m also sick of remembering Leila as a pre-teen, since I really love the adult she’s become. And I’m really tired of the promise of a 3G network that seems to be farther and farther away. I am sick of going with the flow, since sans basic tools of human communication, like my cell and decent internet, the natural flow of life stops altogether. Remember the little Dutch boy with his finger stuck, staving off the flow of water until people came to help? The moral of that story is this: If you act now and do what you can, you prevent the pending disaster.

When people can’t communicate with one another, they become panicky.

When you don’t have means to connect to the world and the ones you love, you become isolated. And all this does is encourage popular discontent and facilitate societal fragmentation.

Maybe that’s the reason Lebanon is so chaotic and even sectarian. Get the communication down to where everyone can afford it and at a rate that’s on par with other developing countries, and then maybe we can all integrate a little better. Let’s help the little Dutch boy out, he needs to get to school LEFT: STILL IMAGE FROM THE MOVIE E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL ABOVE: STILL IMAGE FROM THE MOVIE BACK TO THE FUTURE

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MAKING

WAVES THE COMING OF THE SHIP’

Khalil Gibran’s Literary Classic The Prophet Goes Silver Screen

BY FIDA CHAABAN

For those of you who’ve lamented the lack of Lebanese involvement in feature film, your prayers have been answered. The truly Lebanese literary classic, Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet”, is about to come home again. It’s coming home in a way that’s so real, you may even start to take ownership. You can call it MyMovie if you like, since 2 of 3 people responsible for putting Lebanon center stage are the managing partners of MyGroup. Naël Nasr and Haytham Nasr are the crowdsourcing duo behind successful projects like Beirut’s nightlife fixture MyBar and the new MyWaterfront, Zaitunay Bay’s champagne bar, anticipated to launch in the fall. The third of the movie triumvirate is Mohamed Fathallah of Media International Pictures (MIP), distributors of movies throughout the Middle East and African countries to movie theatres, DVD, TV channels, airlines and mobile operators.

T

he Prophet” by Khalil Gibran, long a source of Lebanese pride and used by Lebanese expats worldwide to attest to our literary prowess and philosophical origins, will now be made into a 3D animated feature film produced by none other than Salma Hayek, Clark Peterson and Ron Senkowski. Celebrity endorsement for the film is expected to be huge as both Hayek and Peterson have firm footing in Hollywood with cinematic careers that date back decades, both having worked in 18 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

collaboration with some of the biggest names in film today. The former a star in her own right and the latter having produced a number of award-winning epics like the 2003 blockbuster shocker, “Monster”, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, which garnered an Oscar in addition to a slew of other accolades, a Golden Globe included.

Senkowski’s lengthy production list is a marked deviation from the other two producers but brings much to the table. Ventanarosa Productions, Hayek’s production company, is over a decade old and has executed film adaptations of literary classics before, notably, “El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba”

by Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez.

Rumours of the best animation talent and a veritable who’s who list of male voicing abound, but as the project is still in its preliminary stages, no cast and development list has been released as yet. The option for private equity financing was what finally brought the film home. “We believe this is an extremely exciting and important project for Lebanon and MyGroup.

The success of the book is of course unparalleled,” said Haytham. “We felt it was very important to have a Lebanese team involved in this project, as did the producers and directors of the film.” Haytham’s professional background includes a lengthy stint with one of world’s leading advertising agencies in addition to marketing and

cultureclash brand management. Why did they choose to take part in this project?

“Having lived in Europe and the U.S. for several years, I know a lot of the population there know relatively little about Lebanon other than it has been a war torn country for decades. It will be wonderful to promote Lebanon to the world in a positive and inspirational light through Khalil Gibran,” said Naël, who was most recently a partner at a leading management consulting firm in their corporate venture capital arm.

Naël moved back to Lebanon in April 2011 to run the MyGroup operations on a full time basis.

Tyre, as well as the cedars, will serve as the creative inspiration for many of the movie visuals, further showcasing the wonders of Lebanon.” An unconfirmed list of potential filmmakers that will participate in the making of “The Prophet” includes “Sylvain Chomet, John Stevenson, Marjane Satrapi, Chris Landreth, Tomm Moore, Nina Paley, Bill Plympton and Kunio Kato” spanning an international community and bringing together what will surely be very different interpretations of the chapters. “12 to 14 of the book’s 26 chapters will be used for the film,” explained Mohammed.

From a business and tourism perspective, sky is the limit as Naël points out that “this is an immensely important project for Lebanon. Not only is it the first major Hollywood production that is being partly funded by a Lebanese corporation, but it also gives us the chance as Lebanese to convey to the world the genius of Khalil Gibran. For someone of his global stature to have Lebanese roots is something to take pride in. Lebanese towns and ports such as Byblos and

The Prophet has been translated into over 40 languages to date and is considered one of the bestselling books of all time, with over 100 million copies sold. How will the film do the masterpiece justice? According to Mohammed, “They’ll be using the actual book as the script,” ensuring that the daunting task of cultural sensitivity is taken into account. MIP will be the Middle East North African distributors of the film, and expect “huge success with the launch”. Currently on its

163rd print run in the United States under Random House’s Knopf imprint, the Lebanese-American author’s most widely recognized chapters of the work are thought to be “On Love,” “On Children” and “On Marriage”. “In less than 100 pages, Kahlil Gibran captures the minds and spirits of mankind irrespective of race, colour or religion in a very simple and stimulating manner,” said Naël on where his personal attachment to the work both from a literary and cultural perspective stems.

The Gibran National Committee, situated in the village of Bishareh, North Lebanon, represent the Gibran estate since his death in 1931.

Reportedly the third most read poet in the history of literature, the negotiation process to obtain the rights to produce the film are rumoured to have exceeded six years. As Gibran said, “The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark”.

The film’s expected Christmas 2012 release echoes one of Gibran’s most poignant lines: “I cannot tarry longer.”

“THE PROPHET” BY KHALIL GIBRAN WILL NOW BE MADE INTO A 3D ANIMATED FEATURE FILM PRODUCED BY NONE OTHER THAN SALMA HAYEK, CLARK PETERSON AND RON SENKOWSKI. LEFT TO RIGHT: PRODUCERS RON SENKOWSKI, CLARK PETERSON, SALMA HAYEK

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cultureclash

PIER

LUNAR

ECLIPSE A TIDAL WAVE

POISED ON THE HORIZON

BY FIDA CHAABAN

W

hat do you need the number of those assholes for?” That was the first response I got to a mass BBM and SMS campaign I sent out to my contacts. The question I had asked: “Can someone please give me the cell number of Mazen El Zein, Crystal Group C.E.O?” The reason I needed the number for those assholes was because I wanted to talk to them directly about the biggest thing to hit Lebanese nightlife and hospitality in, well, forever! And no one seemed to know much about it.

The Crystal Group has gotten a lot of flak these days, mostly because they’re looking to recreate the concept of nightlife in Lebanon. From competitors to haters, they’ve got their share of critics. They don’t have the friendliest reputation and a quick call to Mazen El

Zein showed me why. It went like this: “Hi Mazen, this is Fida Chaaban from RAGMAG magazine calling…”

“I’M NOT RELEASING THE DATE OF THE LAUNCH!” Silence. Collect yourself, Fida. Deep Breath. Try again. “That’s not why I’m calling.”

Silence. “Then why are you calling?”

Good question. I wasn’t sure why.

I’d heard rumours of people in high places being imported into MENA for the mysterious Pier 7. I’d also heard that The Crystal Group was notoriously hard to deal with and that they had next to no relationship with the media.

I’d heard so much that I wasn’t sure what was true and what wasn’t. That was why.

I decided to give him the executive summary since one-liners work best in my experience.

I didn’t flinch as I stated my intentions either, and if you’ve met or spoken to Mazen, you’ll know this is no mean feat: “I want to know about the Crystal Group.”

That was the beginning. That was how I ended up at their offices. And that was shortly before the lunar eclipse.

This was suddenly becoming very Sci-Fi and very Revelations and I was getting all crazy stringing together the concepts. One of the concepts that inspired the layout and architecture of Pier 7 was crop circles, along with architect Karim Nader of Blank Page taking Mazen’s idea of reviving the Greek theatre and later Roman amphitheatre setup. “There really is no bad vantage point in Pier 7,” said Celina Aoun, Head of Public Relations for Crystal Group. “You’ll see when we get there.” And see I did.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

cultureclash

WE’RE 5 SECRETIVE DAYS AWAY FROM THE LAUNCH OF THE $3.5 MILLION CLUB The images you see are the making of Pier 7 and they are what I saw.

Celina took me to the venue to see the progress, the current layout, and as I type this, we’re 5 secretive days away from the launch of the $3.5 million club. I am also 21 hours away from losing a bet with Mazen. “The first bet was just $500, that we wouldn’t open before July, the second bet was with a partner and I’m sure he’s not going to pay since it’s for $15,000. He thinks we won’t open before July 15th, and the third bet is with you, which I’m about to win,” he says smiling coolly.

This is in response to my incredulous face that the structure you see before you (images taken less than 3 hours ago), will be furnished by this time tomorrow. Papa’s a gambling man I see and Celina laughs as Mazen reassures me that I’m going to lose our wager, “Against all odds, I will have this done.”

As I eye the mercurial Mazen, I ask him if he’s a nice person and he begins to really pay attention as he replies in an amused tone, “I’m a very nice person… with people I want to be nice to. Nice guys do tend to finish last, but there’s always the exception to the rule.”

Another exception to the rule is their location. Situated in no man’s land, across from CityMall Dora, the Crystal Group’s latest venture is ballsy, to say the least. “It can’t be easy access, you have to choose to go to Pier 7,” he says in response to the rumblings that their location may detrimental. The 2000 person capacity venue seats 400 and has received its fair share of press for layout alone. What the press is missing is that the devil is in the details and the Crystal Group has seen to it that every arena is absolutely the best.

“Gemma Blower and a team from the UK are the in-house performing artists.

OPPOSITE PAGE + ABOVE: PIER 7 IN THE MAKING.

We have 10 acrobats, aerialists and dancers,” explains Celina. “This is where they’ll enter from”, she says gesturing to the dodecagon hydraulic stage. The inset middle of the center of the club is a platform that begins below ground and it is from here that Gemma’s dance company will make their entrances. The underground labyrinth is an impressive as what’s upstairs, albeit in a different way. The Crystal Group has ensured that Pier 7 will be the first nightlife venue in Lebanon with valet boat reception and as impressive as that may seem, there are a lot of firsts at work here that one is hard pressed to choose what to talk about. With so much at stake, it’s no wonder that everyone in the company talks about Pier 7 with a great deal of emotion. In fact, the word emotion itself floats around in conversation at the Crystal Group offices hourly.

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‘ IT CAN’T BE EASY ACCESS, YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE TO GO TO PIER 7’ 24 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

cultureclash OPPOSITE PAGE: MAZEN EL ZEIN, CEO

“The business began as a family endeavour and our C.E.O Mazen wanted to take a more corporate direction. I have started the culture of Emotional Connectedness here at the Crystal Group for that reason,” explains Abdul Baaghil, Managing Director of the Crystal Group. Abdul’s background in hospitality, specifically the RitzCarlton, has brought much to the multinational company, namely translating their “pillars of values, mission and culture into reality. A theatrical experience that goes out to our vision, from the bottom of our organization to the very top.” Why did he decide to join the Crystal group? “I was a Hotel Manager at the Ritz-Carlton. I felt like there was an opportunity in the Crystal group culture to leave a legacy,” he explains citing Horst Schulze, former President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ritz-Carleton, as one of the most dynamic entrepreneurs in his scope.

It’s no wonder that the Crystal Group has reined in the best to implement their “experience”. Schulze is known for revitalizing corporations to value their service agreement to the public.

“The genuine service in Beirut is always built on pillars of pretence. It feels like its delivered, served, gone. There’s a great deal of know-how here, a huge amount of potential, a lot of aspirations but what turns it on a negative aspect is that it’s not a lasting memory. It’s like a display window, you change it every 30 days. If you compare this to Hong Kong, you go back 5 years later and the service is still anticipated, it’s on the clock,” he says drawing comparisons between hospitality here and abroad. “The concept of Pier 7 is an experience, it’s a character. It’s an intelligent, emotional movement. It is Crystal Group with a culture and we’re not in this for the 2 year cycle. There’s vision and diversity, and Pier 7 seeks

to become a regional and a global presence,” says Abdul noting that he has visited over 80 countries and lived in 15. Despite all this, Abdul maintains that he is not “politically correct. I think it’s positive though. You become stinted spiritually if you tie yourself to a grid. We’re a team with a driving force and each individual is tapping their growth opportunities,” and gaining international experience in the process since the bevy of talent contracted to create Pier 7 is lengthy and globally ranked.

‘YOU BECOME STINTED SPIRITUALLY IF YOU TIE YOURSELF TO A GRID.’ CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ABDUL BAAGHIL, MANAGING DIRECTOR CELINA AOUN (MIDDLE), HEAD OF PR PIER 7 IN THE MAKING

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LEFT: PIER 7 RAW PLAN ABOVE: JAD MATTA, GENERAL MANAGER

The buck doesn’t stop here, when they decided to create a full service menu, they decided on Chef Anthony Sousa Tam of Nobu fame and a 350m2 kitchen. Acting as the group’s “modern Japanese food consultant”, he was also behind the menu at Crystal Group’s successful Alcazar in Gemmayzeh.

Chef Sousa will be on hand for a full month in Beirut to oversee Pier 7’s take off and closely monitor the consistency of the food quality and service. Their underground Liquid Kitchen at 200m2 and Cold Room ensure that their “cutting edge cocktail bar” and “signature cocktails with no competition” developed by Mixologist Italian Dario Nanni, won’t go wrong.

Addressing yet another detail is Glass Studio. The famous artisanal duo have a lengthy list of Michelinstarred restaurants under their belt and have developed an exclusive design specifically for Pier 7’s service ware.

The devil rears his head again as Celina explains that each private Pier 7 suite (7 in all, themed after the 7 sins), will have all the amenities, but most importantly, a private butler (with pager in hand) on site for the set of spoiled clientele.

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These spoiled clientele are often the very same ones found on A Small World, dubbed “Facebook for millionaires”, and Crystal Group will be the first organization in Lebanon to employ it as a social media tool. Ibrahim Hamieh, Marketing Coordinator, explains their new marketing strategy with a strong social media focus, “We’re using Twitter, Facebook of course and LinkedIn as well. In terms of Facebook, we’re redirecting the image. It’s about personalized messages, ad campaigns on Facebook, trailers of Pier 7. Our long term strategy is to maximize fans.

Social media is the most important marketing tool and with our new brand strategy on Twitter, our followers are increasing daily,” he explains.

And it’s no wonder, the most widely anticipated launch of the summer, delays notwithstanding, is justified since their mixed media performances, by description alone are enough to warrant a trip to Pier 7. “A DJ alone for 5, 6 hours… been there done that. This is a performance, its art. What’s being done [in Lebanon], with all due respect, is not art. I think the client would really appreciate seeing something of a

different calibre. Bringing a star takes nothing, it takes deep pockets. But bringing together an international team with a Lebanese heart? That doesn’t exist,” says Mazen. Until now, the combination of live acts, sound and light will be, according to descriptions, both vaudevillian and burlesque. It will be a sort of Cirque du Soleil meets Michael Jackson’s This Is It. And it will have to be seen to be believed.

UNTIL NOW, THE COMBINATION OF LIVE ACTS, SOUND AND LIGHT WILL BE, ACCORDING TO DESCRIPTIONS, BOTH VAUDEVILLIAN

AND BURLESQUE.

‘HIGH RISK IS HIGH PROFIT’ “We wanted to do something out of the box. This project has been ongoing for years but due to difficulties with the government and the port, it was delayed,” says Jad Matta, General Manager. “We wanted to tackle the best of everything,” emphatically stressing that “it’s easy to be successful, but maintaining that success is the hard part.” And the risk factor involved in such a huge project? “High risk is high profit. The suffering tourism numbers, you know the population triples each summer, that will make a difference, knowing the regional situation,” admits

Jad, but is adamant that they are on track both for crowd and style. “The face of Pier 7 is George Clooney.

He’s mature, intelligent, sexy. The bit and pieces of everything make a perfect world, you need to look at the experience connecting all these dots,” elaborating on the ideal clientele meshed with an unparalleled venue.

“After the great success of C Bar for 3 years, we had our entry ticket to Dubai. We’ve matured and evolved, C Bar’s 200 people is now People’s 1200 people,” detailing the popular U.A.E. club.

What is immediately clear is that the positioning of Pier 7 is such that you can see the sunset.

While this is significant, what is even more so is that they stand to change the way Lebanese understand nightlife. Dancing under the moon in an ancient amphitheatre may even eclipse the sun altogether.

There are 5 days left and as Jad said, to fully know the strength of the pending wave, “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

IT WILL BE A SORT OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL MEETS MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT. AND IT WILL HAVE TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PIER 7 ENTRANCE LOBBY IBRAHIM HAMIEH, MARKETING ADVISOR PIER 7 3D RENDERING

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out +about

JAMES BLUNT

NEED WE SAY MORE? PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

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To the sound of powerful drums and a deep bass, James Blunt took to the stage at Biel on June 27 for his second concert in Lebanon. Leading with his hit song “So Far Gone”, he quickly fired up the packed arena. Second runner up? “Oh Billy” rounded off by “Wise Man” before greeting his audience with a “We’re in Beirut, BABY! Kifkon!?”

James seemed to be having as much fun as his audience! “You guys seem happy, but I must warn you: I have so many miserable songs,” he said with a grin. The crowd sang along to the “I’ll Carry You Home” chorus, and tried to do the same on one from his latest album (Some Kind of Trouble), “These Are the Words”.

Strangely, that song was not the highlight of the show. “Turn Me On”, a rock burlesque-y song from his latest album, got the whole crowd up on their feet. “You’re Beautiful” and “I’ll Be Your Man” followed the act, at the end of which he dropped his guitar and threw himself into the crowd. Who knew James Blunt was a rocker at heart? What did the Brit Blunt choose to end his performance with? The truly Lebanese, “Merci kteer!”

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out +about

THE REAL DEAL

WE GOT SOMETHING BETTER THAN AN AUTOGRAPH OUR EDITOR HAD EXACTLY 3 MINUTES WITH JAMES BLUNT AT LE GRAY AFTER HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. THE EASIEST WAY TO GET HER QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH NO DOWNTIME? WE WENT STRAIGHT OLD SCHOOL: PEN AND PAPER. THE BROWN ILLEGIBLE SCRAWL YOU SEE IS FIDA’S QUICKIE QUIZ AND THE ORANGE PEN IS THE MAN HIMSELF. WE THINK THIS BEATS THE TYPICAL Q + A. WE LIKE THE WAY HE SCRATCHED OUT SOME PARTS OF THE FILL IN THE BLANK QUESTIONS AND PLAYED WITH THE CONCEPTS! HE’S DEFINITELY A RAG-MAN KIND OF GUY.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

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out +about

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TO BENEFIT TAMANNA LEBANON, OUR VERSION OF THE MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION, JAMES BLUNT HELD A CONCERT IN BEIRUT. PROCEEDED BY THE PRESS CONFERENCE THE DAY BEFORE AT LE GRAY HOTEL, SITUATED IN DOWNTOWN BEIRUT. HERE HE IS IN ACTION WITH THE GOOD ANGELS FROM TAMANNA! www.tamannalebanon.org | TWITTER @tamannaleb | Find them on Facebook PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

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emperor’s new clothes

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DELTA R A L K S D N D A L R L O E W L R U O Y ROCKS

AGMAG

ELY FOR R

LUSIV KLAR EXC S D N A L E MEYER LEGEND L PEAKS TOERIC JOSEPH REIT S A V O K ID ALICE HL AL REPORTING BY N IO IT D D A

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW DAYS REMAINING BEFORE AMERICAN LEGENDARY MUSICIAN LELAND “BRUCE” SKLAR TURNS 64, AND THE SONGWRITER AND NOTABLE BASS GUITARIST IS PACING CIRCLES INSIDE HIS LOS ANGELES HOME. THE PASSING OF ANOTHER YEAR IS NOT A SPECIAL CONCERN TO “LEE”, INSTEAD HE IS ROUSED BY HIS TWELVE-HOUR STUDIO SESSION OF CUTTING MORE THAN A DOZEN TRACKS FOR A LOCAL MUSICIAN. ONE MIGHT EXPECT THIS WORKLOAD TO WARRANT A DAY OF REST AND RELAXATION. “OH NO” HE SAYS, “I’M NOT GOOD WITH ONE OF THOSE.” GIFTED WITH A TYPE-A PERSONALITY AND A PENCHANT FOR CONTROL, LEE HAS SPENT FOUR DECADES HARD AT WORK IN THE STUDIO AND TOURING WITH POP, ROCK, FOLK, AND ARTISTS FROM RAY CHARLES, PHIL COLLINS AND THE DOORS, TO DIANA ROSS, ROD STEWART AND JAMES TAYLOR. NOT LIMITED TO PLUCKING HIS BASS, OVER THE YEARS HE HAS CONTRIBUTED LYRICS TO NEARLY 25,000 SONGS, AND COPRODUCED OVER 2,000 ALBUMS. ADDING TO HIS IMPRESSIVE CATALOGUE ARE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SEVERAL FILM AND TELEVISION SOUNDTRACKS, SUCH AS LEGALLY BLONDE AND COYOTE UGLY.

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‘ I USED TO PLAY ALONG WITH HMY PARENTS’ HI-FI, S ING FROM THE BEATLE [...] EVERYT S TO ER H T O R B S U EO T H IG R E H T TO ON. JAMES BROWN AND ON AND ‘ He credits his popularity to immense luck and a simple methodology: “Don’t deliberate over jobs, show up, and get it done.” It works. He’s always booked.

But Lee has never gotten around to writing his own songs. He admits that laziness is partly to blame, and that much of his studio time is dedicated to someone else’s material.

Lee’s journey began at the age of five, when his musically inclined parents traded their Wisconsin hometown of Milwaukee for the Californian party city of Los Angeles. There he developed his skills, and became a self-described “classical snob”, winning several achievement awards for his piano recitals by the time he entered junior high school. “I used to play along with my parents’ Hi-Fi” he says, “Everything from the Beatles to the Righteous Brothers to James Brown and on and on.” This diverse interest in music was the impetus for becoming a studio musician, which allowed him to participate in several genres.

36 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Music served as a backdrop for a momentous occasion in 1957. Lee was in attendance at Hollywood Bowl’s Gershwin Nights when the orchestra suddenly gave pause, and everyone watched as Sputnik sailed overhead.

“A shiny dot in the sky” he remembers, “An amazing thing since no-one had ever seen a manmade object in space.”

His introduction to the bass came during his high school years, when his music teacher handed him the guitar during class. He soon fell in love with the instrument, and began performing at weekend garage band sessions and school dances. Lee’s career path was never decidedly toward music. He once entertained the idea of becoming an oceanographer, until the day he met James Vernon Taylor. The two musicians established a deep friendship, moulding a musical relationship based on lyrical attachment; singing songs about birth, death, marriage and divorce. “Taylor was a hot commodity at the time”

BELOW: LELAND SKLAR WITH PHIL COLLINS

recalls Lee. The fifth-year college dropout was asked to collaborate on Taylor’s world tour, which ultimately turned into a two-decade long musical episode.

It was on tour with Phil Collins in late 2005 that Lee landed in the Middle East for the first time, playing shows in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and finally, Beirut. Luckily they had arrived two months ahead of the violence that swallowed the city in 2006. “It so sucks to see the shells on the news,” Lee recalls. The show was a success, but they nearly missed their performance, as the crew were forced to endure some logistical setbacks. The equipment was held up in Tel Aviv awaiting clearance, so they circumvented the checkpoint by renting a Russian airliner to fly their instruments to Cyprus before landing at Hariri International Airport. Lee comments on the discord with a fluster, “When you play music for anyone in the world, everyone is the same person

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‘ DON’T DELIBERATE OVER JOBS,

SHOW UP, AND GET IT DONE. ‘

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ES THAT ‘MJUAKICES THE M

USIC GREAT IS SHARED WHEN MUSICIANS ARE WORKING TOGETHER ‘

‘

WHEN YOU PLAY MUSIC FOR ANYONE IN THE WORLD, D THEY ENJOY IT. EVERYONE IS THE SAME PERSON AN GOES TO CRAP… BUT WHEN POLITICIANS GET INVOLVED IT ALL THIS RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL BULLSHIT. ‘

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and they enjoy it. But when politicians get involved it all goes to crap…this religious-political bullshit.”

The word “bullshit” might enter the conversation when discussing the current music scene, since technology has redefined the way music is made.

Commenting on the digital era of Pro Tools - a software computer program that adjusts pitch via auto tuning - Lee says, “With digital tech having been introduced, musicians don’t need $1 million worth of high-tech studio equipment. Instead they spend $300 to make it sound credible.” Nostalgic for the garageband, Lee laments his generation’s home-grown jam groups.

“Juices that makes the music great is shared when musicians are working together,” he says enthusiastically.

Unfortunately the trend has band-mates remotely recording pieces of music and emailing them to each other. Lee prefers to travel and record in person, though he rarely packs the amp anymore, instead plugging into the computer.

Yet Lee credits the industry as “ninety six percent incredible, 4 percent sucks,” most likely placing Lady Gaga in the four percent. “Gaga is a talented girl—a rehashed Madonna who is great in theatre but not in music,” Lee comments, emphasizing that most

popular music produced today is dependent on the studio engineers playing with their toolboxes.

Lee’s life these days is somewhat of a balancing act. Though he still fields calls from musicians and producers, there are rewards outside the sphere of music that keep him fulfilled. “My life is only sixty percent music,” he notes. When not playing he can be found gardening, tuning his 1923 Ford Model T “Hot Rod,” and caring for his two Basset hounds. This equilibrium, along with his established work ethic, has shielded Lee from the stereotype of a star soaked in sex, drugs and Rock & Roll. He is happily married for forty-one years to a “very independent woman”, and has always steered clear of drugs and alcohol. “Drinking never appealed to my pallet,” he admits, “witnessing friends on bad acid trips, shooting meth and dying of overdose is nothing sexy…it sucks.” It is intuition that guides him through an irksome environment of high profile, atrophied artists often lacking in direction. The ability to focus without choking “when the red lights come on,” he remarks, is paramount. Many bands have failed due to tripping on psychedelic drugs rather than finishing their albums in the studio.

Today, Lee’s frequent visits to the round-table discussions at the Downtown Los Angeles Grammy Museum gives young musicians an opportunity to hear about the original days of rock. He complies, and offers a few tales to his listeners. To him, the era was “amazing”: being in Berlin before The Wall fell, in Russia before Glasnost, or in Japan at twenty degrees below zero during the snow festival.

For me, he recounted an experience from a layover in a Glasgow airport, where due to his trademark beard, a young boy took Lee for Santa, and superstar icon Phil Collins was mistaken for his little elf.

For a musician with such an eclectic history and list of friends, one might think an autobiography would be an appropriate enterprise. Yet Lee has no interest, admitting he has never kept a journal. Instead he refers to his memory, where he has stored a virtual logbook of experiences. “It’s up to the people to check my history” he says, “and not for me to sit here like an old fart talking about the good old days.”

Though waxing poetic may not be a favorite pastime for Lee, upon reflection the sharp-minded old hippie is immensely thankful for the long ride

FRIENDS ‘ONWITNESSING BAD ACID TRIPS, SHOOTING METH AND DYING OF OVERDOSE IS NOTHING SEXY… IT SUCKS.

‘

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cultureclash

WET DREAMS JAY ALDERS’ OCEANIC FANTASIES

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

H

yperrealist sketches of beaches and boards with overbearing shades of blue – this is what much of today’s surf art looks like. A quick surf of the Internet attests to the aforementioned. That is not to say all of that art is not good – a lot of it is in fact nothing short of amazing. But only a few artists have strained to capture what lies beneath the beautiful tidal wave or the Jaws in their actual monstrous form.

There are some, like Jay Alders, who ride a different wave.

40 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Music/surfing legends like Donavon Frankenreiter call on him to design their posters and T-shirts; troupes like the Peter Dixon Band feature him on the cover of their albums. Others like G Love and Matt Costa ask him to do art shows with them, while Brazil’s Alma Surf magazine calls him the “Best Surf Artist of the Decade”. Clearly, Jay Alders’ ocean inspired artwork is worth its salt.

A fine artist, photographer, and designer with a distinct style and crisp imagination, Alders is recognized across

poles for his signature elongated figures and stylized forms by virtue of his elaborate brushwork, powerful colors, and outstanding compositions.

Enamored by the Jersey Shore in his hometown Belmar, a beach town halfway in between New York City and Philadelphia, he is mostly distinguished for creating his own perception of beachscapes. “(…) Surfing and the ocean is certainly a subject which fascinates me and I obsess over,” Alders stresses.

THIS PAGE: SECOND GLANCE OPPOSITE PAGE: CUT LIP

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“There are many unique properties to capturing water and motion as opposed to a stationary still life,” he says as he compares his surf art to other genres he tackles, including portraits, figurative, and still life. “Translucency and opacity, warmth and coolness of color temperatures, shadows balanced with reflections all present difficult obstacles at times. I make it my intention to create a believable scene with a surreal twist.” Light, he continues, can be “much more subtle as well as pronounced when it bounces off or pierces a wave.”

Surfs him right

A surfer since a tender age, young Jay was raised in Howell, New Jersey, where he and his friends would often sneak onto Manasquan’s Military Beach after school to surf and hang out. Feeling at home by the ocean and becoming smitten by the sundress wearing hippie girls who would kill time with the boys, his love of surfing blossomed. By the time he was in high school, Alders was drawing waves, bikini babes, and surf scenes – all of which he continues to capture in his adult career. His oil on canvas works “Out of the Blue”, “Second Glance”, and “Cut Lip” demonstrate his unending fascination with all three sights. Before he became “The artist who is everywhere” as described by ESPN given his constant globetrotting, Alders – who has dreamt of becoming a professional artist since childhood – majored in art at Montclair State University.

Surrealistic, stylized art with classical techniques and modern influences with a lot of emphasis on geometry and flowing lines, Alders’ body of work is dreamy in nature. From the stretched limbs to the exaggeratedly blown up figures, his compositions are almost cartoonish, and in their intricate detail and imposing color even akin to comic books. Using a lot of oils, pencil, and pastels, and most recently acrylics, he leaves his imagination to roam free.

Completed this year, “Fairy Tails” is a color infused representation of Alders’ imaginative prowess, where he depicts two mermaids underwater. Another one of Alders most jaw dropping pieces is “Shifting Perception”, a 16”x20” acrylic on wood work that followed Japan’s Earth shattering tsunami in March.

“I grabbed a wood panel that I had leaning against the wall and just started free sketching with no particular motive or plan,” he remarks. “This painting just came to me with a glimpse of inspiration,

LEFT: RIGHT PAST THE LIGHT BELOW: SHIFTING PERCEPTION

‘I MAKE IT MY INTENTION TO CREATE A BELIEVABLE SCENE WITH A SURREAL TWIST’

42 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

a feeling of empathy and a sense that it needed to be expressed.” Showing the cracking waves and fault lines with a bright sun in the middle, the piece, according to Alders’ blog, “focuses on the beauty, hope, and power as opposed to the destruction and sadness – a shift in our perceptions of each other and our world.”

“What gives your art this instantly identifiable quality?” I ask him. “Well, thank you,” he says with a stroke of humbleness. “I put as much emphasis into every stage of the piece. I can easily spend days on preparing the sketch, working on subtle nuances that perhaps few people consciously see. I focus every bit of my soul into details and make sure all the colors work with each other.”

He goes on to say, “I try to do something different with each new piece to learn and experiment as much as build upon what I know works for me, but it’s always a learning process of trial and error.” He can easily spend two

ABOVE: OUT OF THE BLUE, BELOW: HOME SLICE

to three months working on his more complex and larger pieces. He admits that during this process, he changes directions dozens of times whether on canvas or mentally, adding more detail and exploring ways “to tap deeper into that zone that surfers and artists share an addiction for”.

The process, he says, is a spiritual and educational journey. “I start with a rough sketch, which I spent a lot of time with. It is the foundation which I build upon, so it’s very important to me that the composition is balanced, loose yet very thought out.” From there, he generally builds up glazing layers on top of a monochromatic under-painting combined with opaque lights and highlights. “I focus on creating my own unique surrealistic paradigm, painting that which could not be photographed, and striving to give my art a coherent structure that makes it ‘believably unbelievable’ while symbolically paralleling my life experiences,” he elaborates.

As his art is a visible articulation of the cutting edge, I question Alders’ decision to continue painting as opposed to attempting conceptual or video art. “I do see many artists being lazy and not pursuing …how to be an artist. There’s a trend in childlike art that lacks skill and craftsmanship,” according to the young artist. “A lot of people in the art world think that a piece of dog poop on a pedestal could be art, but I am not one who believes that anything is art. Art is a noble pursuit with thousands of years of progression, which takes a lifetime to attempt to master.”

All aboard

A skateboarder since the age of three, Alders used to draw halfpipes and skate company logos in his sketchpads.

Alders is yet to grow out of his childish fixations, as he continues to skateboard as well as snowboard and produces some of the most extraordinary skate and surfboard art on the market.

Other extreme sports that figure heavily in Alders’ world include scuba diving, which he will be doing plenty of once he moves with his girlfriend to Florida.

“I don’t have any surf trips scheduled for the summer, but I plan to get to Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and back to Hawaii sometime soon,” he says.

Wherever he chooses to dive, sweat and the sea will always be the salty water that flows through Alders’ artwork, which always turns out sweet for the eye www.jayalders.com

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New York Times

BESTSELLING AUTHOR

CRASHING

Caroline Leavitt is the author of nine novels: Girls In Trouble, Coming Back To Me, Living Other Lives, Into Thin Air, Family, Jealousies, Lifelines and Meeting Rozzy Halfway. Various titles were optioned for film, translated into different languages, and condensed in magazines.

Her new novel, Pictures of You went into three printings months before publication and is now in its fourth printing. A New York Times bestseller, it is also a Costco “Pennie’s Pick,” A San Francisco Chronicle Editor’s Choice “Lit Pick,” and it is one of the top 20 books published so far in 2011, as named by BookPage. Her essays, stories and articles have appeared in Salon, Psychology Today, New York Magazine, Parenting, The Chicago Tribune, Parents, Redbook, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and numerous anthologies. Caroline lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, New York City’s unofficial sixth borough, with her husband, the writer Jeff Tamarkin, and their teenage son Max.

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WAVES

BY AMAL CHAABAN

amal chaaban talks to bestselling author caroline leavitt exclusively for ragmag Do you think Molly’s fear during her pregnancy was a fear for herself? The baby? Or both?

I think it was a little bit of both. I think when you come from a family situation where you didn’t really have a terrific childhood and you didn’t really feel mothered properly, there is a tremendous amount of worry about what kind of mother you are going to be. I think also, she worries how is she going to mother this baby especially when she is sick. I think motherhood brings out all of these subconscious fears as well as these real ones. I think it was a bit of both for her.

How did you achieve the realism in the scene where Gary sees Molly hooked up to all the tubes in the hospital?

The whole thing about Molly getting sick was something that happened to me after the birth of my child. The problem for me, like Molly, was that I was given so many memory blockers that I couldn’t remember much of what happened to me. I just remembered bits and pieces. I started having nightmares and I wasn’t sure why. A friend of mine who is a psychologist said that the way to work through trauma was to imagine it. Live through

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it and work through it that way so I asked people about it. I asked my friends, I asked my family, most people didn’t want to talk about it and they particularly didn’t want to talk about it with me because they felt it would be upsetting. I was able to get enough information to put that down and recreate it. As I was recreating it some memories would come back and I would remember certain bits of things.

That kind of stuff I would put in the narrative.

The frustration felt by Gary and later Molly when the doctors can’t tell them what is wrong is palpable. How many people do you really think feel that frustrated when doctors who are supposed to be gods just can’t tell them what is going on?

I think a lot. I was actually one of those people who thought that doctors are gods and you do what they say.

They know what’s going on, it was my experience to discover that they don’t. There was always lots of doctors around me and they wanted to try new things. Sometimes the procedures worked and sometimes they didn’t. I remember there was one point in the hospital where I was just so frustrated that I refused to let any doctor come near me for a day, just for a day because I just didn’t trust them. When the experience was all over, I started hearing from more people who had had these sort of catastrophic and

mysterious illnesses and you start to realize that doctors are human beings.

Some of them are smarter than others and sometimes, one illness doesn’t behave the same way in one person the way it does in others. Sometimes, they just don’t know. Sometimes they are incompetent. I think as a patient, you have to put yourself out there and refuse various treatments. Of course, I still believe in doctors and go to doctors.

“Girls in Trouble” deals with teen pregnancy at a time when it was still not all that acceptable. Did you find it hard to write?

Yes, “Girls in Trouble” came out of a personal experience. After I had my son Max and I was so sick, we couldn’t have any more children and we wanted more children. We knew someone who had had an open adoption that was really successful so we thought we would take a year to try that. That whole year, I must have spoken to 60 birthmothers over

the phone. We were never chosen for a variety of reasons. A lot of the birthmothers felt that because we had a biological child, we wouldn’t love an adopted child as much which wasn’t true and a lot of the birthmothers just didn’t like it that we were both writers, that it wasn’t a stable profession. Finally in the end, we were almost chosen by this one mother and then she just sort of disappeared. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the different birthmothers I spoke to and their situations. It was heartbreaking. A lot of them were young, a lot of them just wanted to be young. When they talked to me, they didn’t want to talk about the baby, they wanted to talk about make up etc. These poor girls felt really isolated.

When I started writing it, I wanted to be sympathetic to the birthmothers who I loved and the adoptive couples which I understood. When the book came out, the birthmothers were so happy, the adoption agencies were furious with me. I think I just showed the problems that could occur.

I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT DOCTORS ARE GODS AND YOU DO WHAT THEY SAY. THEY KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON, IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE TO DISCOVER THAT THEY DON’T.

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

45

cultureclash

“NEVER BE WITH ANYONE YOU COULDN’T IMAGINE YOURSELF BEING ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT”.

Do you believe that time doesn’t heal the way you wrote in “Girls in Trouble?

Teddy is a lost child due to parenting but in some ways, so is Sam. Can you talk about that?

I do believe that. I think it’s a myth.

I think things become different but I don’t think you ever really get over certain losses in your life. I think the pain lessens and becomes different.

Teddy is the more obvious child of bad parenting in that his mother is more verbally abusive to him, there is a hint that she may be physically abusive, it’s turned him into sort of a bully. Sam’s bad parenting is a little harder to pin. His mother seems to dote on him and he loves his mother, she doesn’t yell at him, she doesn’t hit him. He’s an asthmatic but she’ll give him peanut butter which he is not supposed to have, she will bring him his teddy bear which causes problems for him because it’s an allergen. She takes him out of school and also she leaves him. Even Charlie isn’t the best parent for Sam, he is so desperate to protect his son, it is almost like he is not really seeing what is going on there. At first he doesn’t see how much Sam needs Isabelle so he tries to keep his son from her. I was really interested in parenting issues, like what do we think makes a good parent.

“Never be with anyone you couldn’t imagine yourself being able to live without”. That is a very interesting thought, can you expand on that?

That was actually something that my mother said. I called her up when I was torn between two boyfriends, and my mother told me, ‘All that passion, that desire, that’s gonna fade out. Then you have to think of that person you are going to be with, when you’re 60 or 70 years old, can you live without this person then?’ It’s a very different kind of love than this mad, passionate love.

It’s richer. That’s the kind of love that weathers all the bad things in life. The true test of love is when you are really sick, is the person you are with going to be with you?

46 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

The women in your books tend to be unhappy. Why? I always think it is interesting to start with a character who is unhappy so that you can move them if not towards happiness then towards some sort of understanding, healing what has gone on before. I think that as a writer, most of us tend to be sort of melancholy anyway… I guess I sort of feel that it is really sort of hard to be happy. It is a hard won thing. You reveal your character, who you are the most when you are faced with these unimaginable hard things

“I [...] FEEL THAT IT IS REALLY SORT OF HARD TO BE HAPPY. IT IS A HARD WON THING.”

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

47

WATERBOARDING

IN MON AMOUR MON AMI, EVERY ISSUE WE ADDRESS RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AND WITH THE SELF. WHAT ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP I HAVE WITH THINGS THAT AREN’T SENTIENT BEINGS? THINGS THAT ARE VERY MUCH ALIVE, BUT NOT CONSCIOUS, LIKE BOOKS OR WATER. I THINK ON MY RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER OFTEN, AND WHAT BETTER TIME TO EXPLORE IT IN PRINT THAN FOR THE HANG TEN ISSUE? LET THE IDEA WASH OVER YOU.

BY FIDA CHAABAN

I

think I first began mulling over the significance of water when I began visiting cities that weren’t landlocked and I was old enough to appreciate the difference. Soon after, I began planning trips to see places that had a heavy water culture. I couldn’t swim, and not for lack of lessons either, but I would wade in and try my very best. I’ve always hated wearing swimwear and until the present day I have to transport myself mentally, and then resolutely tie my bikini into place (paired with a lengthy cover-up I might add).

48 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

On one of those water-based vacays, I met a psychic who read my palm and told me, “You must must must live by the water! You cannot survive without the water… In fact, your personality thrives in watery climates. Perhaps a beach house for you, hmmm?” she wheedled. For starters, everyone wants to live by the water, especially people who don’t have a hope in hell of doing so. This is perhaps the first thing a psychic says when cold reading (the art of giving practised and hugely general statements that ninety percent of the public can identify with), especially when you encounter the oracle in a city like Vancouver, known for its beautiful waterscapes. Perhaps a beach house for me? Why not! Just let me get my cheque book. Why not right here in

Beirut? Ureka, I can live on the new Beirut Waterfront Development (BWD).

Wait a minute, is there not a new venue opening there called MyWaterfront?

Champagne bar luxury at its finest?

I should just call up the owners and ask if they mind handing some of that prime real estate over, after all, it is called My Waterfront. Sharing is caring, (are you paying attention gentlemen of MyGroup?) and I think that after the success of MyBar (ugh fine, Your Bar), you can be generous with Your Waterfront and give me a teensy-tiny space, like a closet, or maybe the main foyer. In exchange for the modest lodgings, I will wax eloquent on Twitter about the architecture and how lovely it is waking up each day to champagne and strawberries.

mon amour, mon ami THIS PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: THE NIAGARA FALLS, 2012 MOVIE POSTER

Why all the poking fun at moonlit walks on the beach? Everyone in the history of first dates cracks jokes about liking moonlit walks on the beach.

Personal ads are ridiculed for this very statement. But why? It’s true, isn’t it?

Who doesn’t like strolling the sandy waterfront watching the water roll like navy velvet under silvery moonrays?

I’m not talking the Corniche either, I mean like Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. I’m not afraid to be the first to admit that I’ve done it a thousand times, yes even gone barefoot with my sarong draped on my post-sunbathing silhouette in the clear evenings. It is so picturesque and I’m such a cliché that it is enough to make you toss your cookies. I could be the girl in those cheesy calendars with that horrible “Footsteps in the Sand” prose. You would see my back with my hair tossed up loosely, the sarong ever-socarefully placed and a trail of footprints in the flawless powdery-white sand behind me. The moon shining in the foreground, and dark smooth water, water and more water. Yes, it is sentimental and maybe even maudlin, but don’t tell me it’s not enticing. On that note, the marketing geniuses at TIGI knew to capitalize on the beach hair trend by being the very first to label their waving products with beach and surf analogies. They were also the first to use the phrase “Bed head” to sell products, but I digress.

There are other types of water scenes that I enjoy to the point of farce. “On a dark and stormy night” was voted one of the worst lines ever written in the history of fiction, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a crowd pleaser. Written for the masses and often photographed for the masses, my snobbery doesn’t extend to excluding imagery of rocky beaches, crashing waves, and dark clouds ominously warning of the coming storm. The literary commoner in me secretly relishes those dark and stormy nights, no matter how poor the plot. Confession: I’m even guilty of watching the Hollywood doomsday movie 2012 and thoroughly enjoying it.

The tsunamis and waves and a watery new-earth, how can anyone resist?

Don’t tell me how bad the movie was and how predictable it was, if you saw the trailer for 2012, you knew what kind of nonsense you were in for, and you certainly have that clichéd taste that enjoys water art, no matter how unlikely the scenario and how bad the “art”.

Even if you haven’t been to Niagara Falls, you know about Niagara Falls simply because the awesome power and sheer beauty of it leaves people awestruck. If you have been, then you’ve donned the hideous plastic blue poncho they give you to ride the Maid of the Mist (their tour boat) and you know that committing that fashion faux pas is second to coming out soaked to

the skin. I’ve tried it both ways and the former is definitely better than the latter, and I’ve got the pics to prove it: Snapshots of my Mom and I looking like leftovers in blue plastic wrap and smeared mascara. It is worth dressing up like a tuna casserole to see this natural treasure up close and personal.

That’s another cliché, visiting Niagara and doing the family tourist thing, but because it involves water, it’s on the Do side, rather than the Don’t-EverDo. Finally, I think everyone out there has wished to be a dolphin, a fish, a whale or a shark. I think everyone besides me probably stopped wishing for that when they were ten or at least they pretend that they stopped wishing for it when they were ten.

I’m still there, arrested development.

I went scuba diving but it just wasn’t the same. At some point, you still have to come up for air

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

49

ebbs ARE YOU GOING TO SINK OR SWIM?

BY NOUR OBAJI

50 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

EVERYONE’S GOT ISSUES, ESPECIALLY YOUR RAGMAG STAFFERS. HELP ME NOUR + RABIH HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR COLUMNS ON OUR ROSTER, AND WE THINK IT’S BECAUSE THE QUESTIONS ARE ALWAYS RELATIONSHIP ORIENTED. FOR THE HANG-TEN ISSUE, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW YOUR PERSONALITY HINDERS AND HELPS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. ARE YOU IN A SINK HOLE OR PERFECTING YOUR BREASTSTROKE? LOOK AT THE VIBE YOU’RE PUTTING OUT THERE, AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT IT HAS ON YOUR LIFE.

mon amour, mon ami

IF YOU ARE GIVEN TO RANDOM EXHIBITIONS OF STRONG EMOTION THEN YOU ARE A GEYSER.

H20 SCALE GEYSER Geysers are kind of a spring on steroids, complete with the erratic outburst bit. Like a geyser, you seem harmless but your whoosh!-type of personality unsettles some people, be they good or bad. You’re calm one minute and the next, quicker than a flash, you become excited and start to spew. You got tickets to the concert so you start screaming spontaneously but your significant other finds your display of emotion tasteless. You have a setback at work so you slam the door of your office and your colleagues are unsettled. If you are given to these kinds of random exhibitions of strong emotion then you are a geyser.

RIPPLE EFFECT SINK

To keep the equilibrium and some semblance of normalcy in your relationships, you cannot give way to your gusts unless your partner or partners are the type that like impulsiveness and find it refreshing.

There’s no way around this one since some people just score higher in exhibited emotionality. Surround yourself with people who can take the surges and are somewhat on the devil-may-care side or else it’s a no-go. This kind of energy isn’t for everyone; some people find it pure drama.

H20 SCALE WATERFALL Down, down, down, and way down.

A waterfall is where water flows over a cliff or rock formation and while they’re beautiful, they’re also usually a treadwith-care zone. You’re consistently in a funk and drained. You’re emotionally exhausted from your constant bout with self-pity. You try to stop the waterworks but just when it seems the well has dried up, there’s more to come. You wish for a drought, that is to say a waterfall-free day but can’t muster the strength to force yourself up and at ‘em. You’ve become some kind of harbinger of anxiety in the people around you, because they can’t take seeing your drawn face anymore!

RIPPLE EFFECT SINK

They say misery loves company but last time we checked, being around someone as down as you are is, to put it mildly, a kick in the ass.

Your love life is nil and your friends are dwindling. The friends that are sticking around are either the ones who think they’re worse off than you or the ones too weak to put a limit on your interactions.

MAKE THE EFFORT TO TURN THE TAPS OFF OR THIS WATERFALL WILL DROWN YOU. THE HANG TEN ISSUE

51

mon amour, mon ami

THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD STRIVE FOR: THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE WELL SOCIALLY AND H20 SCALE BROOK MAKE EVERYONE FEEL AT EASE.

A brook is that gem in the wild that people so love to gather around. You’re that babbling brook that manages to engage those around you and capture attention, in a good way. The subtle life of the party, you’re able to talk to anyone. It works in your favor because people generally find you fun to be around with lots of interesting tidbits to share. You’re invited out all the time because you are Mr./Ms. Popularity.

Your friends love you and those that don’t know you want to meet you.

Your significant other doesn’t have to babysit you at every venue you hit up, making you the perfect date.

RIPPLE EFFECT SWIM

This is what everyone should strive for: The ability to navigate well socially and make everyone feel at ease.

Nice conversation, positivity, and an attitude that reflects your willingness to include others makes you sought after. The only downside to this? You’re drowning in invitations and people seem affronted when you decline their invites. Being the connector in awkward groups of guests that barely know one another is a valuable trait, so naturally people miss your presence but you can’t be everywhere.

H20 SCALE RAPIDS You’ve all heard of whitewater rafting that people do on rapids. It’s crazy, fun, a little out of control and skill is needed to handle this sport. You’re like the rapids; no average person can handle you because you live in the fast lane. You’re always travelling, you hang out with people who frequent all the new hotspots and let’s face it, you’re pretty damn high maintenance. You look great, have a huge and worldly extended group of friends, and get to go everywhere and do everything.

You’re always on the up and up, and you’re just a natural fit with the incrowd. You can’t be called shallow since you’ve got a hefted interest in many different things.

RIPPLE EFFECT SWIM

This sounds perfect, in a way. You can leverage this natural winner aspect to create a great life for yourself. You should be cultivating relationships with likeminded people to keep the water flowing and the ball rolling. The downside to this is that your lessglamorous friends end up feeling left behind in the rush that is your life

IT IS HARD JUGGLING THIS AND THAT, BUT LIVING LIFE IN THE FAST LANE MEANS YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES, THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

YOUR LIFESTYLE AND PERSONALITY SHOULD COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER SO WHEN THEY DON’T, YOU KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING NOT QUITE RIGHT. IF YOU’RE IN THE SINK HOLE AND FEEL LIKE YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF AIR, IT’S TIME TO GET FLOATING. SWIMMERS, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND NEXT TIME YOU’RE OUT, THINK ABOUT WHAT IS MISSING, AFTER ALL, LIFE FOR YOU IS JUST ONE BIG PARTY.

52 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

53

HANG IN THERE TAKE IT LIKE A MAN (WITH NO OPTIONS)

BY RAMI SALAMÉ

E

nough with the crap about the world being run by men. “This is a man’s world” is a just propaganda. Patriarchic societies are a myth. All of that, of course, thanks to the retail industry. Because of them, the world has been primed for female domination.

Guys, this planet is no longer ours. It is an unfair place for the males.

Although I feel that my stereotypical role as a man is declining on a daily basis, I get the biggest sense of unfairness and bias whenever I’m in the cosmetics and hygiene products section of the supermarket. Product names and descriptors are just too revealing.

GUYS, THIS PLANET IS NO LONGER OURS. IT IS AN UNFAIR PLACE FOR THE MALES. 54 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

For example, the way deodorants talk to women is much nicer than the way they talk to men.

If you walk into a supermarket to buy deodorant, the first thing you’ll notice is that the women’s section has tons of scents, while the men’s section is limited. And you don’t just get regular scents, like “strawberry”; you get ”wild berries in the mist”. You get Caribbean Lime, Green Tea Kiwi, Lemongrass Hibiscus. The names are so tempting.

You don’t want to spray them under your arms. You want to spray them on some ice cream, a tart, or directly into your mouth.

But if you’re looking for men’s deodorant, at some point it used to be only one: Fa For Men. And it was a single black can. No colors, no scents.

Just one; because all men are the same, right? Maybe that’s because women think all men are pigs (and should all smell the same?). Granted, they have made more options for men, yet not enough to rival the choices of the fairer sex.

To make matters even more unfair, women’s deodorants make it sound like the female deo is a luxury.

The product names (like “River Aurora” and “Sensual Citrus”) make it sound as if a woman smells like a group of pixies fluttering in the flowery meadows. As if a woman’s deodorant is merely an addition to her already-fragrant body.

But men’s deodorants have descriptors like “extra strong” or “antiperspirant” or “with silver particles – antibacterial”. It’s like they’re telling us, “You stink, buddy!

This one’s gonna help you not stink!” They talk to us like we’re beasts of burden. Like we’re cavemen, whose only chances of ever mating is to hide our corporeal odors.

for him

WOMEN ARE HAUNTED

BY OPTIONS! THEY HAVE A MILLION CREAMS TO USE ON THEIR FACES TOO. HAND CREAMS, EYE CREAMS, SERUMS, COLLAGEN LIP GLOSS. CHOICES!

With women, the deodorants are “dermatologically tested”; they are “gentle on the skin”; they are “0% alcohol”. For guys, it’s this close to saying “tested on animals, like you!”

Choices slow us down. They confuse us. They waste our precious mental resources and time. Maybe all these choices are designed to keep the women occupied and confused?

But despite these biases from the cosmetic world, men have it easier than women because we don’t have so many choices. I think choices are the main reason why women spend so much time shopping. When I go to buy deodorant, I just go down there and buy one deodorant: Fa For Men. But when a woman goes shopping, she needs to think: “What do I wanna smell like for the next month? Hmmm… Blue Angel Clouds, Mango Striptease, or Open Buffet Barbecue Chili?”

I was in Vienna last summer, and I volunteered to go to the supermarket and buy bread and cheese for our breakfast. As I walked in and looked around, oh my!, there were a hundred kinds of bread and a thousand types of cheese. Damn! That’s not how I used to do it back home. I felt like looking for an attendant and asking, “Could you please guide me to the men’s section?

You know, the one with just one kind of bread and one kind of cheese?”

Women are haunted by options! They have a million creams to use on their faces too. Hand creams, eye creams, serums, collagen lip gloss. Choices! Do they really need so many options? For men, it had always been one choice: The infamous multi-purpose Vaseline.

My final choice was a loaf of bread and a packet of cheese that resembled what I’d been used to buying all my life. I didn’t succumb to options. I saved some time for the vacation.

On a related note, I would like to congratulate Google for taking men into consideration.

Google’s “I’m feeling lucky” button is ideal for men. You type in your search query, hit that button, and you get one result only.

That right there, ladies and gentlemen, is Google for men. Sans options

Rami Salamé is a part-time pedestrian, OCD ruminator, and eternal child. He is a Lebanese expat in Jeddah, KSA, where he is also a stand-up comedian and comedy writer by night. He is not possessed by the devil or anything.

Follow him on Twitter @ramisalame Find him on Facebook @rami.comedian THE HANG TEN ISSUE

55

RISKY BUSINESS

OVERCOMING YOUR HANG-UPS

BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

THERE ARE MANY AREAS OF OUR LIVES WHERE WE WOULD BE STUPID NOT TO TAKE MORE RISKS. The word ‘risk’ gets a lot of negative press. It often gets associated with something that gamblers do when they make bad decisions. What’s more, as soon as we hear the word risk we tend to immediately associate it with loss.

Of course there is a time and place for being averse to risk: insurance can be a life-saver, cutting out cigarettes dramatically reduces your risk of cancer, and deciding not to bet your house on a poker game is probably a wise decision in the long term.

But these examples of risk involve massive potential losses. Yet, most of us mistakenly use these examples to convince ourselves that risk is always a bad thing. But you couldn’t be more wrong! There are many areas of our lives where would be stupid not to take more risks. Let me give you three reasons why we all need to let go of our hang ups about risk:

1. YOUR NEW MANTRA: LIMITED LOSS, UNLIMITED GAIN!

The risks you should be taking are those when you risk a little and have infinite gain from their success. For example, many of us fear trying to start a new business project in case it’s no good, or we fear asking someone on a date because we risk embarrassment if they say no, or we fear writing a book we risk it being no good. These risks

56 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

mind, body + soul

THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN IS YOU’LL END UP WHERE YOU WERE BEFORE. are all tiny! The only think we risk with these ventures is time, and perhaps a little bit of ego. That’s it. No major catastrophe, no one’s going to take our house away if we fail. And now think of the gains. We might succeed in that business venture and find it infinitely more rewarding than our current job, or go on that date and meet our future partner (infinite joy), or finish a book and find that we can make a career out of our passion (infinite fulfilment).

The lesson here is to get perspective on what you’re actually risking. How much is really at stake here? Most of the time it’s a risk worth taking. The worst that can happen is you’ll end up where you were before. So really you’re only risking wasting some time (and most of the time you’ll learn something valuable, so it’s not really wasted at all!).

2. TAKING RISKS IS WHERE ALL THE GROWTH IS If you never risk anything, you’ll never grow at all. It’s that simple. This is summed up in one saying I love to teach in my seminars: “First you do the thing you’re afraid of, then you get the confidence”. It’s the same with risk taking; you have to take some risk, or you’ll never get the gain. It’s no good sitting and waiting for a sure-bet.

There’s no such thing. Any success worth having risks the possibility of failure.

3. RECALL PAST

SUCCESSES – WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN RISKS BEFORE AND SUCCEEDED?

Take a look back on areas of your life where you have succeeded in the past because you took a risk. A lot of the

happiest couples I know share stories about how they wouldn’t be together today if one of them hadn’t taken that initial risk. Equally, a lot of successful entrepreneurs I know who are now living their dreams tell me that they would be still working a dead end job today, that is, if they had listened to those family members who warned them to play it safe.

This is why, by the way, it’s so important to surround yourself with people who encourage you to risk failure. Your social circle can be a huge influence on whether you decide to play it safe, and their expectations of you will greatly influence how many risks you take. We all need people around us who encourage us with the same enthusiasm even when you fail, the kind of friends who will shrug off failure and encourage you to try again and again.

Once you cultivate that habit of looking for the gains and shrugging off failure, you’ll start find more and more successes coming into your life, until a point where you’ll wonder why you ever worried about risking failure in the first place.

Finally, think about the long-term. If you don’t start pushing yourself now, you may just end up wasting your whole life paralyzed by fear. And that’s one risk no one can afford to take

WE ALL NEED PEOPLE AROUND US WHO ENCOURAGE US WITH THE SAME ENTHUSIASM EVEN WHEN YOU FAIL, THE KIND OF FRIENDS WHO WILL SHRUG OFF FAILURE AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRY AGAIN AND AGAIN.

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

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

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

57

mind, body + soul

help me

Nour + Rabih

RAGMAG BRINGS YOUR REALITY CHECK TO YOU. SEND NOUR + RABIH YOUR QUESTIONS, AND EACH ISSUE THEY DO THEIR BEST TO GIVE YOU SOUND ADVICE. THE ONLY INTERACTIVE ADVICE COLUMN IN LEBANON, EACH QUESTION IS ADDRESSED

BY READERS BEFORE NOUR WEIGHS IN ON THE MATTER.

BY NOUR OBAJI + RABIH FEGHALI

WHAT YOUR MOTHER IS REALLY SAYING IS THAT THE GUY IS NOT RICH ENOUGH FOR YOU TO DATE HIM

My mother keeps pointing out that the guy I am dating is not good-looking at all and that I deserve someone better physically, this is really affecting the way I see my boyfriend and it is bothering me. What should I do?

Marie, 33

“You may be even worse than your mother.

The ‘you deserve better physically’ is just horrifying to hear/say. To be honest, of course you might think you’re betterlooking than him, does that make you better than him? Since you’re even caving to your mom’s great opinions, I don’t think so.”

Maha, 29

“Your mother is shallow and if you let her affect you... so are you. Let me tell you a little secret: No matter how hot, young, thin, beautiful you are now, you’ll age. No matter how hot a guy is now, he will change too.

Now, ask yourself, do you want to be with someone you can’t live without forever or do you just want a pretty face. How would you like to be judged on how hot....or not you are by his mother?”

Yasmine, 28

“It amazes me that your mother is so consumed with the looks of your boyfriend especially since parents are older (hence wiser) to know better than to judge people by their looks. If your BF is treating you well then this is what your mother should be focusing on. The question is less about your BF and more about your mother’s desire to implant such negative ideas. It may not be about his looks and perhaps more about something else. At the end of the day, the attraction between two people is not only based on looks. If the attraction is there, then ignore your mother.”

Nour’s Vote Your Mother sounds like a real piece of work. No kidding. My opinion on this is that she is a ridiculous woman and her daughter is about to closely fall in her footsteps.

58 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

You’re better looking? Says who? I think he’s better looking, especially on the inside. My advice to him: Get out now and don’t think about marrying into these people or else it will be, “My Mother says… (fill in hideous blank)” every day for the rest of his cursed life.

Since tu madre is so focused on the shallow aspects of your relationship, Rabih could be right, expect about the ditching, I suggest he ditches you.

Rabih’s Vote What your mother is really saying is that the guy is not rich enough for you to date him given his low level of physical attractiveness.

I suggest you either ditch the dude or find a way for him to get rich quick.

There’s this guy that I got introduced to through a friend. We’ve never met in person because we live in different continents... we talk all the time, there’s an exceptionally appealing mutual interest and we’re both looking forward to meeting each other. I’m trapped in the city I live in for another two years until I finish my degree and this city is not the best destination for a guy in his field.

Anyhow, I’m gonna meet him in about a month and I am excited about it, but at the same time, I am extremely worried.

I’ve never had this level of compatibility (on so many levels) with anyone and I feel that if we meet we’ll get attached to each other but there’s nothing that we can do about it right now, and this is gonna be disappointing. Should I just cut it off right now and save myself and the guy heartbreak?

Natalie, 26

“It’s rare to find someone who is that compatible with us, and once we do, we should give it a try no matter what. Just go and see him, you may not like him at all face to face, or you may fall in love with the guy and find many ways to make it work (seems you get along well online). This would be much better than regretting this missed opportunity for your whole life.”

I’M GONNA MEET HIM IN ABOUT A MONTH AND I AM EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I AM EXTREMELY WORRIED. I am also a personal fan of long distance relationships since it allows you to maintain your own life, but that’s a whole other ball of wax. Rabih is starting to scare me since he seems pretty reasonable this issue. Who are you and what have you done with him!

Rola, 33

“Of course meet him, don’t turn away before you have even given it a chance! It is well known that the course of true love has never run smooth, but at this stage you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If it’s meant to be you guys will work out a way to make it happen especially if you connect on various different levels. Just remember though, a person’s real personality cannot be ascertained truly until you have experienced him in a real-life everyday mode, so do not take his virtual character for granted as you may be unpleasantly surprised.”

Rabih’s Vote

Nour’s Vote

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. You are not the only couple facing this issue today.

In fact, many more couples than you think are in the same boat – but they commit, they persevere, they work hard at it. After all, two years isn’t THAT long. And you could always visit each other on holidays, weekends – or even meet half way at an interesting destination. Before you know it, if you both put your mind to it, you’ll be together. If you always stay in the shallow water, you will never really get to enjoy the beauty of the sea.

Amal, 37

My friend’s ex is asking me out. I don’t know whether I should tell her or not, knowing that I wouldn’t date him anyway.

This question is kind of tricky. Offering this kind of information usually ends up hurting someone but sometimes it is warranted. I am of the opinion that a little honesty goes a long way. If it was a long term relationship scenario, I would say yes tell her immediately since he is wading into muddy waters. If it was a few dates here and there, I think it is irrelevant to her and not such a big deal this way or that way. Rabih thinks the less said, the better, but that is a double edged sword and may not reflect nicely on you should it come to light. Be very careful.

Yasmine, 21

“NO! Step one is to meet him. Step two is deciding if you are compatible in person as well. Then begin planning your future! Relax.

No need for drama just yet. Step by step. ”

“Do you see the big flashing neon warning sign there? It is screaming no.

Your friends should always come first and if the break up was messy, do you really want to add salt to the wound?”

Nouha, 30

“If it is worth having, it might be worth working towards. Two years is very little time in the scheme of life. People amaze me. This guy sounds like he has everything you want and you sound like you are really into him but you are ready to cut it off at the knees for a little inconvenience.

Give your head a shake.”

Nour’s Vote In my experience, when I am attracted on a mental level, I am usually attracted on a physical level. This doesn’t happen every day, so when it does, I cross oceans and move mountains to follow through. That being said, you should do your own soul searching. I don’t think 2 years is much at all, in fact I think it is a great opportunity to test the mettle of your commitment to one another. Only after an extended period of time together will you know whether or not you’ll want to take this to another level.

Elena, 28

“If she is over him you should tell her what a scumbag he was to approach you knowing full well the ‘friends code’, it also depends on how close you are to her.”

Dana, 23

“If you’re not planning on seeing him then don’t! No reason for her to know! It would just make her feel awkward since you are not gonna see him anyway. Unless you are planning to see him, which I hope you are not – Sisters Before Misters!”

Samia, 36

“If your ex was asking her out, would you want to know? Once you’ve answered that, you got it.”

Rabih’s Vote I’m a guy, and I know never to ask an ex-girlfriend’s friend out – mainly because I’ve triaged her out of my dating pool. Plus, it’s just not worth it – too many headaches involved with such an exercise. There is only one exception though: If our chemistry (and you know exactly what I’m talking about) is out of this world, then it would be worth it. It seems like you’re not that interested in this dude – so just brush him off – don’t tell her. Keep the peace

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 THE HANG TEN ISSUE 59 participate.

mind, body + soul

BRAINWAVES WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENTS IN NEUROSCIENCE THE BRAIN

IS THE NEW HEART

BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

60 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

FRAMED NEUROCENTRIC FUTURES, THE MAJOR SHIFT IN HUMAN ATTENTION TO THE BRAIN AND MIND IS CHANGING OUR INSTITUTIONS AND BEHAVIORS. AS HUMAN BEINGS ARE FORCED TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE TO UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT, INTERESTED IN ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN, THE CONCEPT IS RAPIDLY GAINING MOMENTUM IN HEALTH, EDUCATION, LAW AND ORDER, AND MARKETING AND DESIGN.

WHY THE BRAIN? In Palo Alto, California, anthropologist and senior researcher Jake Dunagan of the Institute for the Future specializes in neurocentric futures research. In his two and half years at the non-profit research organization which identifies trends and discontinuities that will transform global society and marketplace, Dunagan has worked with clients such as Intel, Skype, Nokia, and Disney. Forecasting human activity and studying its long-term development, Dunagan’s futurist team places consumers, workers and householders in the forefront, forcing companies across industries to look beyond technical feasibility.

‘THE BRAIN IS A CENTRAL FIGURE IN THE HUMAN DRAMA OF THE 21ST CENTURY’

Dunagan didn’t coin the term “neurocentric”. Adopting it from Carl Zimmer’s book “Soul Made Flesh,” about 17th century medical neurologists, Dunagan uses it to describe the next era in human civilization. “The brain,” he says, “is a central figure in the human drama of the 21st Century.”

and communication assisted with urban sprawl. With such conditions accelerating the pace of change in modern life, Dunagan argues that “the skills and assumptions about the world from generation to generation, and even within one’s own life, are less and less useful to understand and predict what tomorrow will bring.”

As people envision the future within the same cognitive frameworks, and brain region, as their past experiences, they find it difficult to imagine its implications. “This makes sense evolutionary,” he says. “The same hunting techniques from your greatgreat grandfather still worked just as well for your great-great grandchildren.”

Throughout human history the past has indicated the present and future.

But this assumption changed during the industrial age as the world witnessed advances in technology

In understanding our complex future, his team uses methods such as—as experiential scenarios, artifacts from the future, and affective forecasting—to make the future tangible. Participants “feel” the future first through objects and imagery, and later create intellectual frameworks with which to analyze the scenarios. In short, these experiments are like psychological games which help expand people’s view of the future. In doing so, the social outcomes and our cognitive biases are changing.

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‘WE ARE SOCIETY’S EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AS WELL AS A KIND OF PROPHETIC STORYTELLER’

Although rapid changes from business and culture to biology and geology has altered human development globally, Dunagan notes that humans are not biologically or culturally predisposed to such change of pace. Citing Alvin Toffler’s famous concept of ‘future shock’, as much as people adapt to change they still follow biological development patterns of building relationships and forming families.

From climate change public service announcements to disaster preparedness campaigns, people are becoming conscious of decisions which impact our future. In San Francisco, The Red Cross posted billboards on trucks of disaster scenes and parked them in front of destroyed areas. Not

62 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

only was the campaign highly effective but it helped bridge the future to the present. On his blog The Skeptical Futuryst, experimental designer Stuart Candy calls this the “experiential gap”, the leap of imagination needed to hold today and tomorrow in our minds.

Dunagan is in the business of tackling big ideas. Not a therapist or fortuneteller, but a man who weaves stories making people act in the interest of future generations. “We are society’s early warning system as well as a kind of prophetic story-teller,” says Dunagan. Because his team tries to understand vast fields of knowledge all at once, they are criticized for their “generalistic” approach. In their defense, the team synthesizes trends to

avoid blind spots that can occur when narrowing focusing on one area.

The big idea is an ethical one begging the question: What is the future going to be like once we control our minds? “Control and freedom are always doing a little dance,” says Dunagan who admits that the real danger lies in the abuse of mental surveillance and control technologies.

In his opinion, once the mind is controlled there is no “outside” from which to build or maintain any kind of resistance. “But, although we must be vigilant against these negative possibilities, our increased understanding of the brain and the mind, will yield great human benefit,” notes Dunagan.

mind, body + soul CALIFORNIA ANTHROPOLOGIST AND SENIOR RESEARCHER JAKE DUNAGAN OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE FUTURE

SO, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE GOING FOR? A big part of his research is tracking neurocentric health. “The brain is becoming the focal point of a wide range of medical research and a whole host of new diagnostic and treatment tools,” says Dunagan who has focused on big shifts in medical paradigms in the last ten years. Such metrics reevaluates what is considered normal.

Dunagan does not have all the answers. Given the challenges to our sustainable future, finding the solutions for the “hell hole” humans have gotten themselves into will take decades, harps Dunagan. But there is hope. Evidently, past futurists were artists, activists and futures non-profits, but more and more private firms and governments are jumping on the bandwagon. “They are seeing the value in targeted experiential futures work, both for internal foresight

and planning, as well as for external marketing and public relations,” Dunagan says.

Already in the past decade the fight against climate change became “a big picture synthesis in scale and time,” argues Dunagan. More recently, the Arab uprising that spread across the Middle east have raised “deep questions about the current reception as well as long-term viability of this particular genre of political and economic vision as an answer to people woes,” writes Stuart on his blog. The point is: Toggling through content knowledge to identify the big picture for future generations is detrimental for human’s sake. Whether we like it or not, our brain is extending through electronic and computational devices.

The neurocentric age expected to reach full maturity in the next two decades.

As neuroscience helps us understand our brains better, it also creates persuasive technologies and practices.

As Dunagan states, “It will be used to try and sell us more soup, and it will be used to try and get us to understand the global risks of our actions on the environment and climate.”

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the final frontier

MANY PSYCHIATRISTS HAVE QUESTIONED THE EXISTENCE OF THIS FORM OF ADDICTION, BUT THE EVIDENCE FOR IT APPEARS TO BE GROWING.

SURFING THE NET CAN GET YOU CAUGHT IN A WEB

BY J.E.N.

T

he Royal Society of Medicine Health Encyclopedia describes internet surfing addiction as the “compulsive overuse of the personal computer to play Internet games, use chat forums, or to surf the World Wide Web on the Internet.

The disorder features loss of control, increased tolerance and typical addictive withdrawal symptoms on deprivation....

Many psychiatrists have questioned the existence of this form of addiction, but the evidence for it appears to be growing.” But what is the reality behind this modern phenomenon? Especially with the rise of tablet computers, smart phones and other technological delights?

Internet addiction creeps up on you and happens without your realizing it. If you spend 40 hours or more per week surfing the internet, then you might have an addiction. And it can impact work and real social interaction.

Internet surfing addiction takes many forms. Chatting, online shopping, blogging, emailing, online business, online banking, downloading, online movies/videos and social networking

64 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

(Facebook, Twitter and the like) are all wonders of the internet that can ensnare the surfer. And the young and old are equally susceptible. In June 2005 a 12-year-old boy was treated for his Internet addiction at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital. His addiction was so strong that he spent four entire days at an Internet cafe, barely eating or sleeping.

Symptoms can include feelings of loneliness when there’s no internet available, aggressiveness if someone interrupts the surfer, odd arguments with friends and co-workers and isolation. ReSTART centre for internet addiction in Seattle’s Hilarie Cash identifies 11 signs of Internet addiction. If surfing your favourite sites gives you a sense of happiness and even euphoria, then you’d better start worrying. If you find yourself increasing your time online then that’s also a tell tale sign. Trouble controlling your behaviour is another warning signal. Ignoring family and friends so you can be online spells trouble. If you’ve lost interest in other activities, then an alarm bell is ringing. If you lie

about the amount of time you spend on the internet or have watched the Lahme or Tabouli song on YouTube, then you might want to contemplate seeking help. This course of action should also be taken if the internet is having an impact on work or school duties. If you need an internet fix regularly and itch when you’re not online, then the chances you’re addicted are extremely high. Not getting enough shut eye so you can surf the information highway?

Changes in sleep patterns and even weight changes, backaches, headaches and carpal tunnel are cause for concern.

Whether the internet is truly addictive or not might still be up for debate to a certain degree but real people are caught in its web. ABC News detailed

CHANGES IN SLEEP PATTERNS AND EVEN WEIGHT CHANGES, BACKACHES, HEADACHES AND CARPAL TUNNEL ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

the plight of “Ben” who used to spend 16 hours on the web each day. Ben admitted that “Days would pass before I would shower, shave or eat.” This addiction ultimately led him to flunk out of college and lose interest in life and eventually pushed him to attempt suicide. At this point Ben sought assistance at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery.

An increasing concern that has gained media attention, internet addicts now have a name: “netaholics”. The American Medical Association’s research has revealed that 8 million men and women are addicted to the internet across the globe. Ahn Dong-hyun, a child psychiatrist at Hanyang University in Seoul, came to the conclusion that up to 30% of South Koreans under 18 (about 2.4 million people) are at risk of internet addiction. A study in China suggests that 10.6 percent of Chinese college students are addicted to the internet. The prevalence is on an international scale. Factors that make the internet so addictive could be the anonymity (which can be a doorway to become a different person, express

beliefs without repercussions and enact your fantasies), convenience, escape and community (since it’s easy to make “friends”). And these factors are attractive regardless of nationality.

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was first suggested as a joke by Ivan Goldberg in 1995, but this disorder might not be a joke after all. While not included in the 2009 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), it might be recognized as a proper psychological disorder in the near future. The academic and research community is split on this issue though and some have labeled this phenomenon as a “fad illness”.

When surfing the web, you’ll come across many websites about internet addiction (which is rather ironic) and even advice on how to overcome it.

One website recommends that you “set aside in advance one or two afternoons a week to do something away from home. Force yourself to meet with friends at least once a week. If you have a friend you talk to a lot on Messenger… take a chance and arrange a face-to-face meeting. Find a good book, decide in advance how many pages you will read a day and stick to it.” While well-intended, are such ‘tips’ really a solution or cure to this fad illness or addiction?

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the final frontier

WAVEGEN AND RESEARCHERS FROM QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY DESIGNED AND BUILT THE ISLAY WAVE POWER GENERATOR WITH THE FINANCIAL BACKING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.

WAVES OF ENERGY

BY J.E.N.

P

ower up with waves and ride the tide. Alternative energy can ebb and flow. Science is taking steps towards harnessing the energy from waves to generate electricity. This process involves placing electricity generators on the surface of the ocean.

The amount of energy generated depends on the wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density.

While there are only a few experimental wave generator plants in action around the world so far, this type of energy seems to be worth diving into.

Wave-power systems tap into the fact that wind always transfers energy to the ocean from the atmosphere. And wavepower systems can even offer coastal protection. Engineering assessments reveal that 1 tonne of seawater (falling through 3 km) is needed to generate the same amount of energy as 1 kilogram of coal can. This makes wave power on the pricey side at the moment.

The world’s first commercial wave power station was built on the island of Islay in Scotland and became operational in November 2000.

The result of 10 years of research, this station marks the flow of new possibilities. Dubbed the Limpet 500 (Land Installed Marine Powered Energy Transformer), the generator basically collects wave energy in a shell that is partly underwater. PHILIP’s “Guide to the Oceans” describes the process as

66 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

“a column of air, contained above the water level, is alternately compressed and decompressed by the waves to generate an alternating stream of air which can be used to produce electricity.”

Wavegen and researchers from Queen’s University designed and built the Islay wave power generator with the financial backing of the European Union. Limpet 500 provides the island’s grid with 500 kilowatts of electricity.

Limpet 500 has two key features: a wave energy collector and a generator which transforms this energy into electricity.

The energy collector features “a sloping reinforced shell built into the rock face on the shoreline with an inlet big enough to allow seawater to freely enter and leave a central chamber. As waves enter the shell chamber, the level of water rises, compressing the air in the top of the chamber. This air is then forced through a ‘blowhole’ and into the ‘Wells Turbine’, designed by Professor Alan Wells of Queen’s University” (Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology). The turbine always turns the same way regardless of the airflow’s direction. When the water in the chamber retreats with the waves, the air is drawn back inside the chamber under pressure, which maintains the turbine’s motion. The

continuous air flow creates sufficient motion to power the generator that in turn transforms the energy into electricity.

Wavegen believes that wave power in the UK could surpass regular household demands. And renewable energy supporters are rather keen on wave power too. Research implies that under 0.1 percent of energy hidden within our oceans could supply more than five times the global demand for energy (but for this to be feasible, more cost-effective ways of tapping into this energy have to be developed). One of the drawbacks to wave power is similar to the one for wind farms. The stations simply don’t look good and are rather noisy.

A possible solution to this drawback could be to opt for a mix of on-shore generation and near-shore generation rather than having enormous plants.

In addition to wave power, tidal power can also be harnessed. In fact the first system harnessing tidal power has been fully operational in Northern France’s Rance estuary, for decades. The method used at Rance produces electricity using turbines placed in a dam that stretches across the estuary. The turbines are naturally powered by the ebb and flow of water with the tides. Both wave power and tidal power are relatively new but could prove to be a viable wide scale solution to the world’s energy problems

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Sail away under the warm Mediteranean sun and waltz with the waves cheering with your friends and family to the tunes of upbeat music hits. Discover the trendy coastal beaches or test your fishing abilities, either way, fun and excitment are garanteed. $125/person, everyday including fuel and boat rental for 6 hours.

ATV Trips Rafting Experience white water fun and enjoy rafting rides in the untainted

Assi river with qualified instuctors. No previous experience needed, just a passion for extreme sports, nature and good laughs. $55/ person, everyday including equipment, rafting ride and lunch.

Baalbeck +Old Houses Wander around the old Lebanese houses, each with its untold secrets, known only to our private guide. Meet the locals, hear their stories and walk around the famous Taanayel lake in the Bekaa.$90/person for a group of 4, everyday including transfers, guide and lunch at ecolodge.

Byblos +Wine Tasting Culture meets gastronomy at the oldest city in the world with the most refined Lebanese wine. Discover the wine making secrets of Chateau Musart and explore the beautiful city of Byblos, its souk, citadel and port. $84/person for a group of 4 or more, everyday including transfers, guide and lunch.

Helmets ready, engines on and let the journey begins. You will wander in the beautiful off road mountain chains of Lebanon riding highly sofisticated quad models with qualified guides to ensure the ultimate safety of your trip. Tip: don’t forget your cameras. $96/person, everyday including mountain guide.

Walk Beirut Believe it or not, but there’s much more to Beirut than

the extravagant fashion outlets and fancy restaurants.

One way to find out: grab your walking shoes, a bottle of water and discover the history of entire civilizations hidden in the streets, walls and corners of Beirut city. $45/person, everyday from 6pm-8pm.

Reach the highest summit hiking Have you ever felt like you were the king/ queen of the world? Then prepare these hiking boots because this journey promises to be one you will never forget. Discover nature’s best preserved fauna and flora, never seen before plants, flowers and butterfly species in the mountains of the Cedars. Once on top of the Qornet Al Sawda gaze at the world beneath you and admire the most beautiful sunset you’ll ever witness in your lifetime.

RAGMAG | JUNE 2010 THE HANG TEN ISSUE

3 67

FML [f*ck my life]

TRANSFORMYA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

RAIN DOWN ON ME

BY MARIA ELENA KASSAB

I

think Fida wants me dead but the Fates are on my side. She wanted to throw me to the lions and sell me to the circus for my first FML, but there were no big kitties and the circus didn’t want to buy someone as clumsy as me. For my second FML, Fida decided to send me to my doom and see how good a writer I could be from beyond the grave. As I was stressing about my upcoming exams, I received this message: “Elena this is what you are doing for FML. See description below.

The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen.

Computers and motors in the base of the device keep the Segway PT upright when powered on with balancing enabled.”

Fida also sent a picture of said Segway which looked like some sort of scooter on crack or a small Transformer. Fida sent me a picture of the machine that would most certainly kill me, thus serving her evil plans to have an undead writer.

I moaned about being clumsy, and Fida just laughed at me. I mentioned

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my upcoming exams, and she said to get it done before June 8th. I pleaded for mercy and begged for my life, but it all fell upon deaf ears. And, as the fickle Fates would have it, the only date that could work for me was Friday the 13th. Cue goose bumps and shivers.

On said Friday the 13th, I F-ed my L early in the morning when I looked out the window and saw it was raining cats, dogs and the whole menagerie out there. However, I spoke to Adriana (Lebbos, our contact with Byblos Segway Tours) and Jason and decided, after Fida oh-so-sweetly sms-ed me to, “Get it done”, it was clear that the show must go on. She also sent me a motherly SMS to ask me to wear a sweater, since it was rainy and windy out there, not out of concern for my health but so I would not “look like an ice cube in the shots”. My health and upcoming finals meant nothing, we needed good pictures!

Editor’s Note I actually did text that to her, after all, Elena has zero sense of balance and a healthy glow. If she was to fall off the Segway, she might as well look good doing it :P

Moving on… I played GPS for Jason who almost got lost in the muddy alleys of Jounieh and off to Byblos we were!

When we got there, we could have used a GPS instead of wandering for half an hour to find Adriana and the rest of the crew. When we finally did, I blanched. Resting behind the team, against a wall, were four machines straight out of Satan’s playbook. My heart starting pounding and I could feel the blood rushing in my ears –I did NOT want to do this! FML, FTR (F The Rain), FMJ (F My Job)… a whole lot of profanity was coursing through my mind as I put on a brave face and shook hands with the team members – their names did not register in my mind as I was cursing the Fates. F the Fates!

Readers, I kid you not, I had to be coaxed to place a foot on that machine.

Zeina warned me that it would wobble slightly when I stood up on that Hellish scooter for the first time just so I could find my center of gravity or something like that. F Physics! “Wobble slightly” was an understatement! The thing bucked like an angry mare and I squeezed the handles so hard, I think my hands left an indentation.

The young woman calmed me down, told me not to look at the ground

because that would cause me to lose my balance and asked me to tip my weight slightly forward –not like I was about to bend at the waist, but rather like I wanted to lean on the handlebar.

I looked around to see if Jason could save me from the hardships awaiting me, but all I saw was a lanky guy with a camera and a helmet zooming around the sidewalk as if he had invented the Segway. FTP (The Photographer)!

Zeina let go of the demonic Segway and let me get a handle on things.

I yelped when the machine started going forward and cursed my fear as I gripped the handles so hard, the thing swerved left and right. When I managed to move a few meters without feeling like the Apocalypse was starting, I got bumped up from Ultimate Beginner-slash-N00b level, much to my displeasure (I swear, I whined to be kept at the beginner level like I was begging for my life).

Editor’s Note Better you than me, Elena.

I felt slightly better when I put a helmet on, but my heart was racing like nobody’s business when we hit the road. I looked warily at the dark clouds roiling about above us and wished for a tornado, a hurricane or a swarm of stormy locust to spare me the dangers of the journey up ahead as I leaned forward slightly, spurring my mechanical beast into a slow-butsmooth start. I followed the leader and smiled through my sheer terror as the guys on our team, perfect gentlemen that they were, let me choose my place in the weird convoy we formed. I looked ahead at Jason, whose Segway looked like an extension of his legs and decided that if he could do it, so could I. F My Fear, here I go!

And then, the fear was replaced with pure exhilaration. I had never felt so awesome, so free, so smooth and graceful in my life! Un-FML! I zoomed and veered and swerved and zipped between people and cars, on roads and sidewalks, laughing and joking and feeling like the world belonged to me and me alone!

‘Elena this is what you are doing for FML. See description below

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FML [f*ck my life]

Also, having everybody look at you in awe and admiration, having people move out of your way with something akin to reverence (yes, I felt like Darth freakin’ Vader on that machine) contributed to inflating my ego and boosting my mood even more. I’ll be honest with you and with the team: I did not look at the sites, buildings and pretty landmarks pointed out to me (Byblos Segway Tours offers guided touristic tours of this beautiful city) because I was too busy showing off.

When it started raining (a few fat droplets at first and then a deluge of water), Jason and I refused to stop zooming around and wait the storm out, no. We HAD to keep going. Us brave RAGMAG-ers were punished for defying their storm: Jason and I both slipped while going uphill and fell off our Segways! Luckily, we didn’t get hurt and we laughed our asses off.

Editor’s Note I had seen the storm coming and fully expected them to get soaked. C’est la vie. I actually thought the article would work out better that way, so I guess I do deserve the tweets @ElenaKassab sends my way every so often, calling me the Editor of her nightmares and such.

When we were told that we had to stop because it was raining too hard, I felt like a kid being told that there would be no Christmas this year. Parking the machines, stepping off them and taking our helmets off, I chuckled incredulously at how scared I was before discovering the joy of Segwayriding.

Back in the car, Jason and I have half a mind to call Fida and lie, tell her we didn’t get to ride the things properly because it was raining too hard and we need to reschedule another

appointment. However, being honest kids and all, we called Fida and said one thing, over and over again: IT WAS AAAAAAWESOOOOOOOOME!!

Because it was.

Thanks, Adriana for fixing this up.

Thanks, Zeina (Feghaly) for being so patient with me and not making fun of my unfounded fears. Thanks, Sarah (Abi Ghosn) for being an amazing tour guide and putting up with Jason and I as we zoomed around Byblos. And thanks, Fida, for assigning the best FML ever!

Editor’s Note Sending Jason off with Elena is always entertaining since these 2 always manage to get themselves in trouble somehow. Elena, looks like your sense of balance isn’t so bad after all. I’ll have to keep that in mind for future assignments. (Cue evil laughter)

GET ROLLING! Byblos Segway Tours Byblos Main Highway Entrance (near HSBC) 01/7614205 www.byblossegway.com | JULY 2011 70 RAGMAG Find BST on Facebook Byblos Segway Tours

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cultureclash

HAYDA LEBNEN’s Channel Surfing

BY SARAH HOURANY

I

t’s Sunday. You have two choices: You can either spend it on the beach or you can chill in bed, try to relax after a hectic week at work, turn on your TV and surf from one local TV channel to another searching for some entertainment… Lazy me picked TV, yes Lebanese TV, and this is what I came up with.

RISE AND UHH… RUNAWAY! Now I won’t say a word on the exact similar chitchat of Lebanese TV morning shows (tabekh and la2la2a mostly), the standardized introductions and comments as well as the anchor’s automated smiles, but when it comes to the Tobsir segment… I just can’t keep my mouth shut! What is the point of letting us netsabba7 fiyon? Is there like a sort of a disease among producers that makes them actually believe what the mbassrin say? Do they really have an audience and are the calls they get REAL calls? Or are they just so funny

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and weird that they increase the ratings? No matter what the reasons are behind this common phenomenon across channels, the result is the same • The anchor looks infatuated, astonished and impressed by every word the mbassir says. It’s as though he is sitting next to God. • The camera zooms in and the frame freezes giving the impression that you are about to hear a revelation that will just blow you away.

• The “mbasir” has superpowers.

He can recommend to you what sort of people to avoid just by hearing you say, “Marhaba”. “B3ede 3an kel chakhes esmo Elie” is his first piece of sage advice, so basically avoid half of the population! He can diagnose what illnesses you have, “Mbayan men sawtik 3andik sekkare” (Screw the FDA). He can even confirm to you whether your husband has cheated on you in the past or whether he is planning to (and yes, you must

believe what a psychic tells you on TV, forget all about the trust-eachother myths). And just when you think you’ve seen it all, he pulls out his cards and your whole destiny is laid out before you!

YOU’RE KID-ding ME, RIGHT? Producers of children’s shows seem to be disconnected from real life.

Guys, you should either indicate that your show is for toddlers (like 2 to 3 year-olds) or make drastic changes so it can include those from 4 to 10 year-olds. Hello! They have FACEBOOK accounts, they know how to communicate, they recognize pop stars by heart, they are into science and the arts… Therefore shouting, creating silly characters, talking in an incomprehensible manner, and making idiotic faces is not likely to attract them, unless bedkon teheblouwon lal wled w mech 3erfin kif!

“IBN 3AMME”, “OKHTE EL KBIRE”, “IBN OKHTA LA JARETNA”.

ENNO I DON’T KNOW IF YOU AGREE BUT I JUST USE MY SISTER’S, DAD’S, AND FRIEND’S NAMES!

PRODUCERS OF CHILDREN’S SHOWS SEEM TO BE DISCONNECTED FROM REAL LIFE.

MAWATOUNA (LITERALLY) MEN L DEHEK What are the secrets of a funny joke?

Being unexpected, that’s one: When you hear something funny, suddenly or for the first time, that makes you laugh.

What else? The identity of the joketeller: if he is a reputable comedian, or just someone who is naturally funny, that would make you really laugh, too.

But it seems that the copy-paste joketelling TV shows are not aware of these two facts. The same “jokes” are repeated again and again, with the same guests making their national tour from one program to another. If you want your audience to play “Ruin the Punchline” or “Guess Who Our Guests Are” then you are doing a really great job. If, however, you want people to laugh, then that is the real JOKE, because if you don’t take a 3 year break, it’s not likely to happen.

STARS, BIL DAZZINE! If the “star”-making shows rate continue at the same rate, then sooner than you think, the audience will be standing on the stage while the artists will be the ones clapping and cheering!

3anjad, you can be a successful TV channel without electing a “star” based on the number of SMSes he manages to get from his bineye, 7ay, day3a or balad… 3anajd, you can be watched if you are not exposing bunch of wannabes crying, nagging, shouting or making scenes on how much they miss daddy and mommy. And, 3anajd, my Teta was right, “l 3a2el ziné, wel STARS bil dazzine!”

MOUSALSALET INTERRUPTED Though these mousalsalet have shown major improvements when it comes to the issues discussed or introducing kisses that aren’t interrupted by a phone call or a doorbell, serious work should be done so they go beyond reciting poetry… The main character, for instance, seems to incorporate her stardom in the characters she plays, and she doesn’t even realize that a beaten, crying wife can’t appear in the episode with smokey eyes! She seems to forget that an average working girl cannot afford to have an authentic Louis Vuitton purse. And that’s not all. Our mousalsalet have troubles with names: Characters refer to each other by titles: “Ibn 3amme”, “Okhte el Kbire”, “Ibn Okhta la Jaretna”.

Enno I don’t know if you agree but I just use my sister’s, dad’s, and friend’s names!

Plus, I really don’t have the time or the energy to construct the family tree trying to figure out who the hell they’re referring to, so for God’s sake name them! And worst of all, they always use names from the “religion-free” category: Samer, Ziad, Tarek, Lama… Enno we are still going to watch you, believe me, if you use names like Tony or Mohammed!

After reading all of this, I bet you are thinking, “She made a huge mistake, she should’ve hit the beach!” But then again, the first choice isn’t realistic either. You cannot possibly go the beach without seeing women 3am bibasro bi fnejin el 2ahwe, annoying kids, a bunch of guys over ordering on the bar and girls wearing heavy make-up… So whether you see all of this virtually or for real, remember that hek el i3lem because hayda Lebnen, ya 3ayneh!

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

73

hang-tenfacts Misnomer

The name of Billabong, the hugely successful sportswear company that also sponsors Hawaii’s World Final Surfing Contest, comes from the Australian term referring to “a pond or still body of water created when a river changes course and some water becomes trapped”. We featured Billabong’s Hang Ten wear in our April Static issue. The name is ironic since most people wearing Billabong are participating in sports with bodies of water that are anything but still!

Shaka, Shaka, Eh Eh! The phrase “Hang Loose Hawaii style” is often associated with a gesture of thumb and forefinger called the Shaka. It is a greeting in surf culture and has passed into common parlance among the less water inclined, popularized by beach bums everywhere. It is also one of 2 signs in sign language used to refer to surfing. Check out our Hang Loose Beach guide this issue!

Airwaves The Beach Boys, an iconic American band, came together in 1961. Many of their hits song are still heard today on radio stations worldwide and at beach parties. Lines like “Aruba, Jamaica, Oooohhh I wanna take ya...” and “I wish they all could be California girls,” can instantly set off impromptu karaoke sessions. The Beach Boys, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, were also ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004.

74 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Sound Bite “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley circa 1984 and “Summer of ’69” circa 1985

by Canadian crooner Bryan Adams are both beach cult favorites. The “Boys of Summer” video was awarded Video of the Year in the MTV Video Music Awards in 1985, and Henley reportedly said he won the prestigious accolade for “riding around in the back of a pickup” truck. “Summer of ’69” has been ranked high on many lists of best songs of all time.

Rerun Don Henley made the already cool Ray-Ban Wayfarers even cooler by using them in the Boys of Summer. The line, “You’ve got your hair slicked back/ and those Wayfarers on, Baby” used in our Editor’s essay “Shady Business” printed in RAGMAG’s July 2010 Water issue. She still wears Ray-Bans religiously, but not the Wayfarer range because they make her look even more eccentric than she is. Check out her new essay this issue entitled “Waterboarding” in Mon Amour Mon Ami.

Clear Out Surfer magazine, based out of California, is the foremost publication in the world of… You guessed it, surfing. Called the “Bible of the sport”, Surfer mag was founded by John Severson in 1959 to match his surf initiatives and is still going strong today. One amusing anecdote oft repeated about Surfer mag was that when the surfing conditions would improve, a shout out of “Surf’s up!” in their offices would famously leave it empty. RAGMAG’s offices are never left empty due to surfing conditions, but we do jump ship for an event once in a while.

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

75

you + your country

SOUND WAVE ‘MOZART IS BEING MURDERED’

Perhaps due to a romantic notion that connects such a time in our lives with purity, it is common to associate the elderly and the young. Besides this more idealistic concept there is also the link that both often need the support of others. As I watch a cabaret performance by the youth of Sin el Fil packed with an audience curiously high in number of senior citizens it became clear that someone has recognized the value in the former and the truth in the latter.

BY IMOGEN KIMBER

‘TALENT CULTIVATION IS A LEGITIMATE RIGHT AND IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ONLY RICH CHILDREN ARE ENTITLED TO’ The Seed

In a tone that belied the sting of her message, Maya Georr Najjar, the President of the Ayadina Association told me “You are from the West so you take it for granted, but in Lebanon these things are not given,” she was referring to the lack of arts education available in the state schools. She continued on, arguing that this was a moral injustice and it was essential that it was corrected. “Talent cultivation is a legitimate right and is not something that only rich children are entitled to,” said Najjar.

Her philosophy sounds beautiful.

She believes that “Every child has something.” Essentially everyone is born with a potential seed inside them that we must feed so it can grow. This isn’t just fantasy, it is actually almost established as fact. Psychological studies say that a large proportion of your intellect is set in childhood due to the environment you are in and your education. If not developed, your brain- like a muscle, will not grow. This means that we have to nurture talent in the young to create a body of intelligent highly functioning adults.

76 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Najjar referred to a book called ‘C’est Mozart qu’on assassine’ or ‘Mozart is being murdered’ by Gilbert Cesbron.

The setting of the book is a young boy whose stability is ripped away from him as his parents split up. The philosophy and message within it is how this instability leaves the boy emotional and mentally neglected, and as this happens his potential slowly dies (not a commentary on divorce but on underdevelopment).

“Every child is an artist. We must bring it out and discover it. When a child with talent isn’t able to what is inside them dies,” Najjar succinctly describes.

A Right Performance

On the night of the Ayadina Association’s annual gala performance the biggest cheer went to the hip hop performance; a heartwarming and actually rather impressive rendition of some of the latest moves, no doubt being harnessed by Justin Timberlake right now. The teenagers slid in and out of each other and threw themselves to the floor only to bounce up again,

receiving large cheers from the audience and also some slightly stunned looks from the nuns who were present. Another firm favourite was, without sounding condescending, the very sweet samba performance by eight costumed young girls. Najjar looked on along with a number of very proud parents and curious elderly folk.

The gala was a roundup of the year’s work by the young people who had been attending the Ayadina Association’s community centre. They offer weekly lessons on the piano and guitar, dancing and drama and visual arts such as painting or sculpture. Najjar was bursting with pride at the fact that her teachers were professional artists.

As she was explaining to me the artists were flamboyantly prancing across the stage to congratulate their young protégés. Najjar was adamant that this wasn’t an after school babysitting arrangement but a serious school offering an element of education that these particular young people from Sin el Fil otherwise wouldn’t have.

Many people ask Najjar what her motivation is or what is the story behind the children. “Are they sick?

Are they handicapped? Are they orphaned? They ask. No! They are just underprivileged,” she exclaims. It is so simple and yet so decapitating. Najjar pointed out that there are many NGOs providing medicine and food but not so many trying to offer a sense of community or, “food for the soul” as she put it.

Come Together

So how to the elderly fit in? The other dimension to the Ayadina, as mentioned, is the elderly. Najjar explained that many of the elderly who come to the community centre in Sin el Fil were people who previously lived in villages across Lebanon but at the end of the war ended up in Beirut. Isolated from family Ayadina offers them a companionship that they otherwise wouldn’t have. It isn’t the free medical care that keeps the elderly coming back but the chance to sit down and play chess or maybe take a day trip.

A wonderful point to emerge was that Najjar felt that their work with the elderly was an exchange. Of course there was something in it for the old people but the volunteers also gained a lot from these people with so much life experience.

Really Najjar has been doing this work since 1999, but Ayadina was only official recognized as an NGO in 2004.

No doubt she, and the rest of Ayadina, will continue for a long time though.

Wistfully she said, “We are realistic; if poverty can’t be eradicated at least misery can be alleviated.”

Sponsor the Mozart of tomorrow “I almost cried when I saw the guitar duo,” said Najjar. It wasn’t just because one of the guitarists was so tiny that she needed a small box under her chair for her feet either, it was because she knew that there isn’t a budget for Ayadina’s guitar teacher in the forthcoming academic year.

During our interview, which took place right after the gala performance, Najjar spontaneously came up with the idea of how to solve this problem: we could ask people to sponsor a musician.

Essentially if someone can donate $40 a month they can pay for them to have guitar lessons, and yes we mean you.

If anyone is interested in taking part please contact Sara Chebli Tel +961 1 26 66 11 info@ayadinaassociation.com www.ayadinaassociation.com

‘EVERY CHILD IS AN ARTIST. WE MUST BRING IT OUT AND DISCOVER IT.’

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

77

BLOOMING LEBANON’S GARDEN SHOW AND SPRING FESTIVAL ADDS A SPLASH OF COLOR TO THE CAPITAL

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

I

hope to encourage the Lebanese to make Beirut a greener place by putting plants and flowers outside their buildings and on their balconies,” enthused Sami Rifai, landscape architect and president of Golden Rose International, who has been in the field for 60 years. Rifai, keen to offer advice on plants and garden care, was just one of the garden experts on hand at the annual Garden Show and Spring Festival.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

78 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Now in it’s 8th year, this edition featured a wide choice of sections such as the art of gardening, the art of living in the garden, eco tourism, Souk el Tayeb farmer’s market, handicrafts, leisure, and a kid’s village.

“There are 225 exhibits in all,” said Myriam Shuman who launched the show, in collaboration with Hospitality Services, with the hope bringing the love of flora into the lives of the Lebanese. Shuman believes that gardening, even in the small space of a city balcony, can improve the quality

of our lives. Rifai agree on this but also expressed his irritation at how our city has become a concrete jungle. “I think that the government should offer people incentives to add flowering plants to their balconies.”

While there is little prospect of Beirut being transformed into a green paradise there is no doubt that we could do more to brighten it up and the show certainly did it’s best to add some brilliant color into the dull palette of our city, with displays of blooming potted plants and show gardens.

out +about

Water flows and water goes

Of course, our gardens and plants cannot survive without water and the main challenge facing our land is ever tighter water resources. The show’s sponsor, Bank Med, published a guide on this relevant theme which was offered to all visitors, entitled, Water Source of Life in the Med, calling on all of us to preserve water as a durable resource in the Middle East. Four Lebanese universities, AUB, UL, USEK and ALBA, were present to introduce their landscaping programs, also highlighting water preservation and the environmental challenges

facing gardeners. Still on the theme of water, but contradicting preservation of resources, a company exhibited a novel outdoor cooling system fan which sprayed a light water mist, cooling off passersby. Great idea, but hardly green.

Artists galore

Nayla Bassili is a regular at the show; every year gathering the best of Lebanese talent to showcase their art within the theme of garden and outdoor life. The artists exhibited paintings and crafts in a creative and colorful atmosphere. “It is always a lovely experience to be at this show,”

GARDENING, EVEN IN THE SMALL SPACE OF A CITY BALCONY, CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES

said Bassili. “It gives local artists the chance to be exposed to a wider public and gain recognition.”

Traditional Lebanese handicraft was also on display. In his bid to go green Zahar Redwan, president and executive manager, Green Hand, a Lebanese NGO, arranged for the crafts to show on stands made from recycled materials, including window shutters, which were collected from derelict sites and revamped with a green paintjob for the show. “We launched a program to support the syndicate of Lebanese artists, to help create awareness for our artists and to support them,” said Redwan. Several artists were at the show giving live demonstrations of their craft, like the pottery craftsman from Rashaya, working his wheel to conjure a clay pot. And the women’s cooperative of Kwachra who strive to continue the ancient tradition of basket weaving to generate much needed income to their families.

“I am always really happy about the positive response from the visitors, “ says Shuman, beaming despite having been on her feet since early morning.

In her mind this dynamic lady is probably already planning next year’s edition. The Garden Show & Spring Festival 2011 took place on the grounds of the Beirut Hippodrome, from May 24 - 28, 2011

Natural and cultural offerings connected to Lebanese heritage were also on hand to help us prepare for summer weekends focused on ecotourism in Lebanon. “This is our first time at the show and we hope that our presence will create awareness for Lebanon’s natural resources, especially among young people,” said Samira Menassa, financial manager, APJM (Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa), an NGO created in 20007 to preserve the biodiversity of Jabal Moussa, a protected area rich in biodiversity, in the path of migrating birds. “We hope that the youngsters will come to discover the beauty of the reserve.”

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

79

FEEL WAVES OF RELIEF

WASH OVER YOU

BY FIDA CHAABAN

REIKI’S ENERGY

IS A RIPPLE EFFECT “I cannot impose the healing on you if it’s not welcomed by your higher self,” says Silva Machoulian. She is removing a crystal from a gauze lavender bag as she says this. Silva, a Reiki healer, says everything simply but the concepts she addresses are anything but. Reiki, a Japanese practice that encourages healing, relaxation and the reduction of stress, is made up of two Japanese words: Rei, “God’s wisdom” or “Higher Power” and Ki, translated as “life force energy”. The two concepts come together to mean “spiritually guided life force energy” according to most authorities on the technique. Silva has been practising Reiki for years and it was passed to her here in Lebanon.

“When we were in meditation with my Reiki Master, she chose a few of us to pass Reiki to.”

Why the crystals? “Crystals have healing energy. This is ancient knowledge, even before ancient Mayan and Egyptian civilizations. Orange is used mostly for the second chakra,” she says indicating a second crystal in bright mandarin tones. “To clear the crystals of energy, I put them in salt, especially during a full moon. It purifies them, because when you touch them, your energy is absorbed. You can also clear them of energy by intention. If you intend to clear something of energy, say it and you can make it so.” As Silva says this, our photographer Jason interrupts to pose the question of mindset. He asks if it works on me because I am already an “open person”, a practising yogi. Silva deftly moves over to him and begins to place her hands over his solar plexus, slowly making her way upward. Jason

‘CRYSTALS HAVE HEALING ENERGY. THIS IS ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE’ 80 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

mind, body + soul

is visibly dumbstruck as Silva moves away from him, “Fida I felt something, when she left! I felt something like…” a whoosh, is basically what he meant.

His eyes begin to tear and he struggles to collect himself. “This happens often in Reiki, it is an emotional time for people,” Silva says not evincing the least bit of shock. I am shocked. It’s true that I feel the energy from Silva, the heat emanates from her hands, but it is also true that I am a strong believer in energy work. Jason is not. I point this out to her and she responds with a simple answer: “Scepticism doesn’t affect the healing. If it is meant to heal the person it will, regardless whether they want it to or not.” She herself has faced a number of sceptics, the most recent of which told her, “I don’t know what you did, but I need to do it again.

It helped me.” Jason is clearly one of the newly converted believers, eyeing Silva incredulously.

“If it’s time for you to be sick, for your higher growth, then you will be,” she continues to explain. Pausing before

she begins the treatment, she positions her hands in a prayer formation, similar to a samasthiti in yoga. “I am requesting permission to invoke the energy. I am just a vessel, this energy does not come from me… the universe is made up of energy,” she says.

What Silva means by this is that she is basically the conduit, transferring the already present energy to where it is needed. The law of the conservation of energy states that, the “total amount of energy in a system remains constant over time” and therefore cannot be created or destroyed. This seems in line with Silva’s explanation on being the conductor for the existing energy and why she isn’t creating it herself. Before we began, she asked me to remove all of my jewellery, belt included because “metals affect the transfer of energy.

The Reiki giver is a conduit, and so is metal,” she says explaining the flow will be disrupted. This too is scientific and makes perfect sense, even to Jason who is still looking at Silva with a sort of fierce adoration.

‘ ENERGY’ THE UNIVERSE IS MADE UP OF

How does one learn Reiki? As she continues toward my legs, Silva explains that is not taught, but “passed on” or “transferred” to the student by a Master.

A second level Master is able to pass on the healing technique, but the third level is considered the highest peak. Attaining a higher level, “doesn’t make your energy stronger, it just allows you to give to others”. This is just one aspect of the giver-receiver basis of Reiki theory. “The client is the receiver and I am just the giver, the passer. Many people who have ego will not be able to pass energy. It will interfere with their work. They must acknowledge, ‘I am not doing this’. The ego says, ‘I am doing this’.” she explains as she holds her hands less than an inch above my torso, transferring what can only be described as heat. I tell her that heat is emanating from her hands and she nods saying that, “Sometimes when I’m in a public place, a crowd, I’ll feel my hands begin to burn. They’ll feel like fire. I’ll know that someone needs healing there, obviously I don’t say anything, but I put forward my intention to heal.” This sounds exhausting to me and I tell her so, since the pulsating energy in Beirut is enough to drive me out of my mind. “It’s a strange kind of life, but I love it,” Silva affirms.

After he leaves, Jason sends me a text message: “Thank her again for me plz for the experience that she gave me. Now I finally know that one touch means a lot.”

I am moved and Silva is simply grateful.

“I don’t take anything. Many of them cry.

Emotions emerge, not necessarily to me, but outward,” she says gesturing lightly around her. Outward and inward, Reiki’s ripple effect is abstract, yet tangible. Silva’s intention was clear, and she made it so

Feel Your Own Wave of Relief Silva Machoulian 03/186277 silvaislight@hotmail.com Soul Spa Verdun|Houna Holistic Center THE HANG TEN ISSUE Hamra|Antelias Dr. Shememian’s Clinic

81

LIKE

CALI-FOR-NI-A WAVE RUNNERS RAGMAG GETS “ROUND ROUND, GET AROUND… I GET AROUND, SURFFINN’ USA”. ALTHOUGH THE BEST SURFING ISN’T NECESSARILY STATESIDE, SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST SURFERS ARE. CHECK OUT THE BEACH BOY WORTHY WAVE RUNNER LIST. THIS IS THE WHO’S WHO OF SURFING- “YOU’LL SEE ‘EM WEARING THEIR BAGGIES” HERE AND IN THE SOME OF THE BIGGEST WATERSPORT AD CAMPAIGNS IN HISTORY. HANG LOOSE, RAGMAG READERS!

70’s MARK RICHARDS

The champion surfer of the 1970’s is Mark Richards without fail. Born in Australia, he got his start from his parents who were both water lovers. They eventually opened a surf shop and young Mark grew up around surfboards. Winning his first junior title in 1973, he then went on to win 6 world championship titles with the most recent in 2001 when he took the ASP Grandmasters World Championship. All of these championships were won despite a chronic back problem and today, he still runs the same surf shop that his parents started way back when.

80’s MARTIN POTTER

Martin Potter was born in England in 1965 but raised in Durban, South Africa where he learned to surf. His surfing career began at age 10 and by age 15 he was surfing 20 ft. waves.

Potter’s surfing career includes not only several championships and titles; it includes credit for the invention of surfing manoeuvres such as the “Rock ‘n Roll”. Mr. Potter redefined competitive surfing by performing high-risk moves such as aerial stunts and 360s. Using his success as a world champion surfer, he called for a new form of competitive surfing; a judging format based on “risky surfing” – this eventually became an accepted standard on the World Championship Tour (WCT).

90’s KELLY SLATER

The 90’s was definitely the decade for this Florida born surfer. Born in 1972, Slater won the ASP world championship from 1994-1998. He chose not to compete for the next couple of years but came back on the scene in 2002 placing 9th. Mr. Slater has won 10 ASP world titles and 46 Elite titles in his surfing career earning him the title of Surfing Icon. With all of his many accomplishments, is it any wonder that his sponsors include: Quiksilver wetsuits, clothing and eyewear, FCS fins and Komunity Project accessories, Channel Islands Surfboards. In 2011, Slater was presented with the Key to the City by the Mayor of Huntington Beach, Florida.

82 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

THE WHO Then

MARY ANN HAWKINS (1919-1993)

Called the best female surfer of the first half of the 20th century, Mary Ann entered the male dominated sport in the 1920’s setting a record in 1933. SPAAU Record for 880-yard Freestyle Swim (new national junior record) and winning awards beginning 1936. Noted Surfboard shaper Joe Quigg said “she was one of the best bodysurfers, man or woman”. By the 1970’s, Hawkins had taught thousands to swim and been a stunt double in several Hollywood movies.

Now 2009

MICK FANNING

30 year old Fanning took several titles in 2009 with the best being ASP World Champion after beating out his close friend. This surfer had to beat back great personal tragedy at the beginning of his career in order to rise to the top but rise he did. Manning’s 2009 awards include Rip Curl Pro Search, Quiksilver Pro France and the Hurley Pro. While he didn’t take the world championship in 2010, he placed a respectable 3rd. His impressive list of sport sponsors include Red Bull, Ford Ranger and Zen Nutrition. Mr. Fanning was also named as one of the Hot 100 Men by Surfer Magazine.

Now 2010

DANE REYNOLDS

This 26 year old Ventura California native has placed in the top ten for both 2009 and 2010 in the ASP world tour despite only having been on tour for a couple of years. He has recently joined the Vans’ surf team. The announcement in Transworld Surf merited its own page as Dane is known for not just his competition surfing but his unique surfing style in general. He is also sponsored by Quiksilver wetsuits and clothing, Channel Islands surfboards and accessories and Ventura Surf Shop.

Dane Reynolds seems to be the current wave-runner to watch when it comes to pro surfing.

SURF DICTIONARY

NOT UP ON YOUR SURF TERMS? HERE ARE A FEW POPULAR ONES.

POINT BREAK This term comes from Surf Break. A point break is the point where the waves hit rock or land jutting out from a coast line. A place such as Bells Beach in Australia is considered a point break.

GREEN ROOM This is considered a slightly dated term for Barrel which is one of surfing’s ultimate goals. It happens when the hollow part of the wave formed by the top is travelling faster than the bottom. The idea is the surfer gets into the barrel.

DROP IN This is the most heinous crime in surfing. A drop in is where another surfer catches the same wave disregarding the other surfers priority.

CARVING 360 To carve is to do a smooth more powerful turn than normal. Carving 360 takes considerable skill as there are balance movements throughout the wave.

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

83

the final frontier

UNDER

THE SEA

WAVE-FRIENDLY TECH “In fourteen hundred ninety-two/ Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” And wow have things changed since then. The Final Frontier isn’t only outer space, it’s about the world’s water bodies which are still largely unexplored. Get suited up and head out with the Liquid Image Wide Angle Scuba Series! It’s an underwater camera built into a dive mask, making underwater photography handsfree. The goggle lens is made of tempered glass, and the lever style buttons are easy to use, even when wearing diving gloves. We like that you don’t have to be tech-savvy to export your shots and videos: plug in the mask to your PC or Mac USB port and press the power button. TV playback is as easy as plugging it in with an RCA/USB cable

FOR ALL YOU TECH JUNKIES OUT THERE HERE ARE SOME SPECS • It’s an integrated dive mask/camera that records HD 720P video (1280x720) at 30fps along with 5.0MP still images.

• The depth rating on this new model is 40m/130ft, which covers depths reached by certified recreational divers.

• The mask has a micro SD/SDHC card slot and comes with a 4GB micro SD card. The memory can expand up to 32GB, to record thousands of still images or approximately 16 hrs of video.

•The camera operates on 4 x AAA Batteries.

Shoot by Night and Shoot by Day www.liquidimageco.com RAGMAG | JULY 2011 84 03/727249

Estimated Lithium battery performance is 2000 still images or 2hrs of video.

•136 degree Wide Angle lens captures all the action underwater.

•Micro SD/SDHC Card Slot for external memory up to 32 GB (SD/SDHC card not included).

•Photo & video editing software for PCs included.

• Light attachment included - Lights and Filters sold separately.

Carrying Case Included.

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

85

HANG LOOSE HAWAII STYLE IN LEBANON! BEST BEACH RESORTS

+ WHAT’S NEW FOR 2011

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER AND SPEND SOME TIME FALLING IN LOVE WITH LEBANON’S BEST COASTLINES. CHILL-OUT SUN WORSHIPPING, POOLSIDE DANCING, SWIMMING, WE’LL SEE YOU BY THE WATER!

TOP 3 BEACHTASTIC VENUES MOST POSH

Eddé Sands Hotel and Wellness Resort, set on a white sandy beach surrounded by tropical landscaped gardens, is open all year round. This 100 000 m2 resort sets itself apart for other resorts with the wide array of facilities, superb dining options, private cabanas with Jacuzzis, pools, loungers. It’s the number 1 choice for tourists and Lebanon’s most gorgeous who come here to lounge on the signature pink sunbeds, Champagne and rosé being the sip a rigueur. Party here in true Nikki Beach style at the champagne bar, head for a game of beach volleyball, Jet Ski through

the speedboats and yachts moored at sea, or take a yoga session on the beach.

Here you have it all. New for 2011 are an upgraded VIP pool, a brand new indoor spa and pool, an indoor gym, upgraded cabanas and more kid’s activities. There’s also the splendid Tropical Spa which offers excellent treatments, as well as last minute bikini or back wax, in impeccable surroundings and a service hard to beat.

Entrance Weekdays 25,000 LBP Weekends 33,000 LBP Byblos +961 9 546666 eddesandsresort.com

EDDÉ SANDS

MOST CHILLAXED

Lazy B is home to the laidback beach crowd. Labeled an eco-friendly beach, no loud techno music here, only a serene secluded coast, rocky coves, green grass, terraces overlooking the sea, hammocks and loungers where a select group of sun worshippers come to chill out and cultivate their tan. Billed as a resort for nature lovers seeking relaxation, serenity and peace, Lazy B features two freshwater swimming pools and new for 2011 is the massage and relaxation parlor. A relaxed restaurant and a snack bar are the answer to all hunger pangs and a small playground caters to boisterous kids.

Entrance Weekdays 30,000 LBP Weekends 35,000 LBP Jiyeh +961 70 950010 lazyb.me LAZY B

MOST INDIE

Pierre and Friends is a beach true to its name. Pierre, fondly called Pierrot by his clients, who all become his friends by the way, has been on this pebbled beach for decades. What was once a sailing club of sorts somehow evolved into a trendy beach bar for the young and young at heart; no people watching here, only good times and dancing. Reggae and soft rock, laidback

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staff, fresh fish, beach bonfires, chilled Almaza and Mojitos are on the menu. Plus you can rent Pierre’s sailing boat with skipper for the day to discover the northern coast. Windsurf and body boards are also for hire.

Free entry.

Batroun, near Madfoun Bridge +961 6 744930

BEACH VENUES TO CHECK OUT $$$

Orchid, under the motto of “Luxury redefined”, goes out of their way to offer adult beachgoers (over 21’s only admitted) some outstanding services. Apart from the gorgeous pool surrounded by striking loungers, new for 2011 are the Jacuzzi huts and the improved spa which has undergone a total makeover, offering relaxing massages and rejuvenating treatments. Unique and deluxe services

include like fresh cold towels, sunglass cleaning (yes!) and cold-water facial spray.

And the restaurant is introducing a first in Lebanon: a full separate organic menu catering to the health oriented.

Entrance Weekdays 35,000 LBP Weekends 40,000 LBP Jiyeh +961 7 996303 orchid-resort.com

ORCHID

La Suite - Oceana, set in a banana orchard, is just huge. This 28,000 m2 resort has four pools, bars and a 350m long boardwalk, you can stroll past the sea and sun-kissed bodies lounging on sun beds. The dining options here are vast with five restaurants and cafés to choose from, like Dunkin’Donuts and Crepaway, as well as several bars in and out of the pool. There are shops galore offering all you need for a day at the beach and more, and a nursery to keep the kiddies busy.

Come sunset, Oceana pulls in the young crowd who swap the clubs of Beirut for the decks of Oceana to party the night away.

Entrance Weekdays 30,000 LBP Weekends 33,000 LBP Damour +961 3 998080 oceana-resort.com

Bamboo Bay was the first hip beach resort of its kind in the country, born in 2002.

Since then it has come a long way catering mostly to couples and families, this 30 000 m2 is well designed and was recently refurbished in white, lilac-purple and spring green shades. It features a sandy beach with sun loungers and swimming pool, Jacuzzis, and terraces overlooking the sea. The restaurant menu offers a good choice for lunch and it’s a place where the sunkissed tend to stay on for dinner. New for 2011: Blends, known for their Café Blanc and Waterlemon, have taken over the culinary side of the resort and there is an expanded shopping area.

Entrance Weekdays 35,000 LBP Weekends 40,000 LBP Jiyeh +961 3 513 888 bamboo-bay.com

LAGUAVA

Laguava is just perfect for sybarites. A short walk along a stony path and lush gardens with a ClubMed feel brings you to the long sandy beach .There are 2 pools and a restaurant. When the sun goes down, the music from the beach bar goes into chillout mode so relax back on the four-poster sunbeds and watch the sunset. There are bungalows to spend the night if you can’t face the drive back to Beirut, decorated with wood and soft earthy shades, each with its own deck and Jacuzzis, perfect for nighttime stargazing.

Entrance Weekdays 25,000 LBP Weekends 33,000 LBP Rmileh +961 7 99 01 BAMBOO BAY

BAMBOO BAY

$$

BONITA BAY

Bonita Bay is located about 12 km north of Byblos along pristine coast. Billed as a family resort, don’t expect a fancy pool here, but do expect a breathtaking deep turquoise blue sea lined by a long stretch of pebble beach dotted with straw parasols

and cream loungers. The sea here is wild and challenging but clear deep water awaits the avid swimmers. And after a day at the beach, enjoy a sunset drink on the wooden decks above followed by a scrumptious seafood dinner. New for 2011 is a beach bar with lounge area which will play host to salsa nights and live bands.

Entrance Weekdays LL10,000 LBP Weekends 15,000 LBP Batroun +961 6 744 844 Bonitabay.me

Palapas is tucked away in the bay of Tabarja. A large curved swimming pool is the focus of this resort surrounded by a bar, sunbeds and a landscaped lawn. On weekends the place is crowded with fun loving party animals and on Sundays visiting DJs bring out what is billed as the hottest beach party in Lebanon.

Entrance Weekdays 17,000 LBP Weekends 25,000 LBP Tabarja +961 9 856 655

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BEACH VENUES TO CHECK OUT $

PUNCHO

Puncho is a little gem of a beach to be found along the coastline of Aamchit. The beach is rocky with natural water pools for cooling off in. The sea here is crystal clear and great for snorkeling and there are plenty of exotic straw parasols to escape the hot sun. A little restaurant overlooks the sea and serves fresh fish and salads at reasonable prices.

Entrance Weekdays 7,000 LBP Weekends 10,000 LBP Aamchit +961 9 790 955 punchobeach.com

Jammal is a cool spot for hot days, more of a fish restaurant right on the beach rather than a resort. It is easy to miss, tucked away in a creek, where you can enjoy an ice-cold beer with the catch of the day while dipping your toes in the water. Popular with boat owners, the surrounding rocky enclaves of Jammal are perfect for snorkeling and the underground fresh water springs offer a chilled swim even on the hottest summer days.

Free entry. Kfarabida, south of Batroun +961 6 740095

BEIRUT-SUR-MER WANT TO FEEL LIKE YOU’VE ESCAPED THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE CITY BUT CAN’T QUITE GET OUT OF TOWN? THEN HEAD TO ONE OF THESE URBAN BEACHES… SUMMER IN THE CITY DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN MISSING OUT ON THE BEACH.

La Plage No sandy beach here, despite the name, but there is a nice pool to cool off in. This is a good place to come for some lunchtime tanning or swimming if you only have a few hours to spare. Draws in the chic fashionistas, so best to kit out in the latest D&G bikini or Vilebrequin trunks.

After sunset, it’s all candles and cocktails and cushioned alcoves provide cover for the amorous inclined.

Entrance Weekdays 37,000 LBP Weekends 45,000 LBP Ain El Mreisseh +961 1 366222

Riviera Beach Lounge Located opposite the newly renovated Riviera Hotel this beach lounge features long piers with brilliantly white loungers for catching the sea breezes and with the best view of the Med. A pool bar for cocktail hour, Jacuzzis and excellent service where you are literally waited on hand and foot. The scuba diving school here is reputable and the restaurant has a great menu for all tastes, popular with the hotel tourists in the evenings.

Entrance Weekdays 30,000 LBP Weekends 40,000 LBP Corniche El Manara +961 1 373210 www.rivierahotel.com.lb RIVIERA BEACH LOUNGE

Sporting Club Not the chicest beach in town, but diehard local sun worshippers and fisherman alike are loyal to this spot.

Admittedly in dire need of renovation, its location with a wide view of the Med makes it hard to beat. There are three pools and access to the sea via the rocks if you are brave enough.. Dinner at the seafood restaurant is a firm favorite during sunset when the arak flows galore; also serves a mean curry.

Entrance Weekdays 23,000 LBP Weekends 27,000 LBP Corniche El Manara +961 1 742481 St George Yacht Club is still a symbol of the golden days of Lebanon when it played host to the stars in the swinging 70’s. Despite having been destroyed by war and terrorism, and now it’s refurbishment on hold in a realestate battle, the beach club still draws in city dwellers with a large pool, long loungers and marina.

Entrance Weekdays 25,000 LBP Weekends 30,000 LBP Ain El Mreisseh +961 3 958379

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RIVIERA BEACH LOUNGE

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARC JACOBS SS 2011, VERSACE SS 2011 EYEWEAR, YSL SS 2011 EYEWEAR, THE TANNING SALON.

HEALTHY BEACHING

THE SUN IS SHINING, THE WATER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND YOU’VE GOT YOUR DAY OFF... LET’S HIT THE BEACH! WE DON’T WANT TO BE A KILLJOY HERE, BUT THE BEACH IS ONLY FUN IF YOU RESPECT SOME BASIC RULES.

BY ELODIE BARAKAT

Rule 1 SKIN SENSE

You get one skin for life. There’s only a certain amount of exposure to sunlight your skin can take in a lifetime, once you’ve exceeded it, you can have skin depigmentation, burn marks, or worse, skin cancer. So expose yourself progressively and always use sunscreen!

Avoid the sun at its peak, from 12 to 4pm. Once you’re tanned, you can use a less powerful sunscreen (but still use one!) although we don’t advise dropping below SPF 30. The melanin that colours your skin has a light UV filter effect.

Life’s unfair: All skins are not created equal. You’d love to be tanned but the more you try the redder you get. Stop trying, you’re going to put yourself in danger. Enjoy the sun, protect your skin, don a t-shirt when it gets burn-ish and try sunless tanning.

We like The Tanning Salon, Gemmayzeh 01/560593 www.thetanningsalon.me

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Rule 2 GET ALL SECRET SERVICE WID’ IT!

UV rays can damage your retina, cornea and your crystalline lens. You need to wear sunglasses. First, make sure they filter UV rays. It’s hard to be sure of the quality of the glasses if you don’t choose a brand. Rayban, Police, Gucci, Guess... branded glasses have a price but give you some written guarantees about their quality and UV protection.

If you wear non-filtering sunglasses, you make your eyes more sensitive to light (since they decrease the intensity of it) but with zero protection from harmful UV rays! That’s even worse that no glasses at all.

mirrormirror Rule 3 BREASTSTROKE NOT HEATSTROKE

We take precautions from cold but often underestimate the heat. Heat IS dangerous. It can cause hyperthermia (AKA heatstroke), which means your body temperature goes above the normal level. It can be very dangerous causing definitive damage to your brain or even death. So always wear a headcover, avoid the sun between 12 and 4pm, refresh yourself in the water regularly and drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration. Try staying in the shade if sun is really shining.

Rule 5 THINK GREEN

Of course collecting cigarette butts isn’t going to radically change the level of contamination of the sea, but that isn’t a reason to make it worse. Take responsibility. Environmental protection starts with individual actions. You just have to clean up the mess you made before leaving! Collect your trash and cigarette butts; it’s your beach and the pride of our country.

ABOVE: MARC JACOBS HAT PRADA SUNGLASSES

We like looking great for less with Eucerin. For under 50000 LBP, you can great a great beach day that doesn’t equal a beach burn! Their sun protection range includes a great facial block in SPF 30. Don’t like that greasy feeling?

Try our fave - The Eucerin Sun Fluid Mattifying SPF 30 with Tinosorb® S, Licochalcone and a UVA/UVB filter complex. It has a super light texture for use on normal and combination facial skin. It keeps your oil-levels in check and still protects you from UVA and UVB damage.

Remember, UVA rays contribute to premature akin aging, and UVB rays give you that unsightly and painful burn!

Get your sunblock at pharmacies nationwide.

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mirrormirror

WAVE AND WATER PROOF YOUR BEACH FACE STEP 1

Begin by using the Matte Black Aqua Liner #13 to get one of the following looks • Edgy-Look Lash Line Liner • Vintage-Look Cat Eye

STEP 2

Using the Diamond Gold Aqua Liner #1, start in the middle of the eyelid and go toward the outer corner of the eye. Stop at the end of the eye.

STEP 3

Using the mousse tip applicator, continue drawing the Diamond Gold Aqua Liner #1 from the middle to the inner corner of the eye.

RAGGED TIP

Replace the Gold by any other light and vibrant Aqua Liner shade.

RAGGED INSIDER TIP

Remember to shake Aqua Liner well before each use to get a more even colour. Hold the cap like a brush and trace the line, starting from the middle of the eyelid and moving towards the outer corner of the eye. Finish by starting at the middle of the eyelid and working towards the inner corner, making the line thinner as you go along.

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We like Make Up For Ever’s new Aqua Liner range.

We’ve seen quite a few Lebanese beachgoers done up and ready to party at the ritziest beaches around, so now we have the solution! Ladies, you totally can immerse yourself in water without ruining your makeup, as we’ve noticed you only go in neck-deep.

This new Make Up For Ever range is totally World Music Conference material! No fear of smudging that liner with the 15 highly pigmented colours in 3 great finishes: Matte, Iridescent or Diamond. Get all Miami Fashion week with it in 3 easy steps.

BEESLINE LOOK GREAT FOR LESS

AND MAYBE EVEN FOR FREE! Our Editor doesn’t hit the ever-cool Riviera beachfront without her 24K TAN kit by the busy bees at BEESLINE. The first person to send an email with the subject line: BEESLINE IS BEACHIN’ to letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive. com will take home their own 24K TAN kit courtesy of the peeps at BEESLINE! Social media beach go-ers, you can tweet it @RAGMAGLebanon Beaching has never been better, especially since you get the whole kit for 50000 LBP! The 3 piece kit includes Suntan Oil 150mL, Ultra Screen Cream Invisible Sun filter SPF 50+ 60mL and the ooh la la Suntan Oil Gold 200ml! The Suntan Oil 150 activates the bronzing process, while protecting skin from UV damage. Made from 100 percent pure carrot oil and of course beeswax, all our Vegan readers are definitely going to want to snap this one up! Get your SPF fix with Ultra Screen Cream Invisible Sun filter SPF 50. The texture is light and it absorbs quickly creating an invisible barrier, no chalkywhite residue! The added bonus? It’s rich in natural anti-oxidants.

RAGMAG STAR PRODUCT BEESLINE Suntan Oil Gold

This product encourages a golden bronze tan and a soft glow. Betacarotene activates melanin synthesis and gives protection from sun damage, wheat germ oils, vitamin E and selenium. The gold flakes with anti-inflammatory effect sooth sunburn, but you really shouldn’t let your skin enter that range!

RAGged Inside Tip Use this product mixed with a slight amount of body lotion before a big night out! Don’t forget to check out our beach guide, Hang Loose Hawaii Style, you’ve got your products, now pick your venue!

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emperor’s new clothes

SUMMER IS HERE AGAIN AND ALL OF YOU BEACH ENTHUSIASTS ARE ALREADY HITTING THE BOUTIQUES TO FIND THAT DREAM SWIMSUIT AND ALL THE BEACH ACCESSORIES THAT GO WITH IT. BOTH OUR MALE AND FEMALE READERS ARE PROBABLY TORN BETWEEN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT CHOICES SO RAGMAG BRINGS YOU THE HOTTEST SWIMWEAR TRENDS FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2011 TO HELP YOU SORT THROUGH THE FRAY.

BY STEPHANIE AOUN

HEIDI KLEIN Corsica halterneck swimsuit

MICHAEL KORS Hammered halter swimsuit

DVF Julishacutout swimsuit

SANDALS

VILEBREQUIN Floral shorts

EMILIO PUCCI Zebra-print halterneck

CALVIN KLEIN SS 2011

No beach trip happens without the footwear, even if you plan on frolicking in your barefeet. Think water-friendly materials and while we know you want to look good, your feet staying dry dictates taking a closer look at the materials and quality of the sandal. The widely reported trend in casual beach sandals for 2011 is color and style.

Pick up Helly Hansen’s electric blue sandals and no matter who else out there that’s making flip flops, this season’s big hit is Melissa’s plastic neon sandals for women.

VOGUE 1950s Swimwear ad

SWIMSUITS

This is probably the key item around which you should build your whole outfit. This summer almost everything goes, but the star remains the monokini. Weather cut out or 50’s inspired, the one-piece swimsuit is still going very strong this year, giving all sizes the perfect dose of self-confidence needed to embrace our curves and feel sexy all at once. 2011 promises you a colorful year as you have lots of color shades to flaunt on your sexy figure, and just like with clothing color trends, neon colors are also a big hit with swimwear, especially when you’ve achieved that dream tan. Men also have their share of fun fashion this summer, with floral shorts or even different geometric patterns. Briefs are always an option for you daring gents out there!

JIMMY CHOO

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EMILIO PUCCI

LOUIS VUITTON Ailleurs SS 2011

LANVIN Beach woven hessian tote

BEACH BAGS

When it comes to beach bags it’s not really the design that matters, it’s mainly the color, the fabric and practicality that makes all the difference. The extra large sized beach bags are more commonly known as whale bags, and these are definitely the most sought after style.

You can even buy bags made of vinyl, if you fear that there are chances of the bag getting wet, and they will also house your wet stuff after your day of kickin’ it in the surf. Go for the most colorful bold beach bag you can get your hands on, pack your gear and hit the beach.

JIMMY CHOO Dylan PVC beach bag

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Enamel disc PVC beach bag

LOUIS VUITTON Ailleurs SS 2011

COVER-UPS

MARC BY MARC JACOBS SS 2011

We like to upgrade our swimsuit with cute skirts, beach dresses, tunics or maybe even shorts.

When it comes to cover-ups there isn’t really a rule or a specific trend to follow. The trick here is to simply to coordinate the colors of your swimwear taking into account its style and choose your cover-up accordingly. You can also mix and match colors but avoid going over the top with too many patterns.

MAX MARA SS 2011

GIVENCHY SS 2011

SUNGLASSES The spring/summer 2011 eyewear trends suit the preferences of all those style adventurers who are eager to travel back and forth in the most impressive fashion decades of history. If you long for a cool tool that’ll bring out the best of your features opt for the fab monochrome or printed cat-eye pair, which happens to be the “it” accessory for women this summer. Other trends for both men and women include oversized, the round “John Lennon” and the retro-chic formats for your jeepers peepers!

TOM FORD Vicky

BVLGARI Parentesi

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MIX N’ MATCH REAL RUNWAY LOUIS VUITTON SS 2011

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SALVATORE FERRAGAMO SS 2011

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

Massimo Dutti 35.000 LBP each

The Perfect Crease Zara 79.000 LBP

GUCCI SS 2011

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO SS 2011

Strapped In

We like the lapels on this Zara jacket 129.000 LBP The lines, colours and design make this a safari must have.

Massimo Dutti 295.000 LBP

All Cinched In

It’s all about the cut when it comes to these pants, available at Zara 59.000 LBP

Brown Noser

Zara 119.000 LBP

Hats Off

Zara 35.000 LBP

Buckle Up This wedge sandal with meshed design and ankle strap are “parfaits”. Zara 129.000 LBP

LOUIS VUITTON SS 2011

Fold on the Dotted Line Zara 69.000 LBP

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FANCY,

emperor’s new clothes

All Dress-ed dress Up Strapless available at Zara 99.000 LBP

MultiFaceted Christine Debs ring

VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE VERA WANG SS 2011

With this Ring...

Christine Debs ring

ELIE SAAB HAUTE COUTURE

Drape Down

Massimo Dutti dress

LinkedIn Bvlgari evening clutches

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Jimmy Choo’s crystalembellished silver leather sandals will add instant glamour to after-dark ensembles 1.343.000 LBP

VALENTINO HAUTE COUTURE SS 2011

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ROSA CHÁ SS 2011

Chap-Oh!

Bvlgari black acetate sunglasses

Sun-drenched vacation days call for bold color and statement prints, so go for this Emilio Pucci sarong 675.000 LBP

Adding some sass to your look this Stradivarius hat is perfect for some fun in the sun 35.000 LBP

Floral prints have been everywhere and are still going strong. Here’s proof. Massimo Dutti 79.000 LBP

NANETTE LEPORE SS 2011 DSQUARED2 SS 2011

French Fronds Louis Vuitton Cabas tote

Strip Down with Stripes Zara 49.000 LBP

Zara 49.000 LBP

With a white bowembellished waistband, Miu Miu’s powder-pink halterneck swimsuit is a pretty, vintage-inspired style 323.000 LBP

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“That thong- tha thong, thong thong!”

Michael Kors “Palm Beach” thong sandal Tory Burch Flip flops

EMILIO PUCCI SS 2011

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Photography by ODETTE KAHWAGI + CHRISTIAN HARB Styled by JONY MATTA Makeup by NABIL MAKHOUL | Hair by ROGER GABRIEL Models GANNA NEKHLEBAIEVA, GEORGES MENDELEK, ZIAD KASSEM Location Cancoon Beach

BEACH

Ladies swimwear ABC Achrafieh Department Store | Men swimwear VILEBREQUIN Accessories by DALYA ABC | Eyewear by MAGRABI Boards and Overalls by TEAM NINE

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SWIMSUIT MODEL’S OWN

BEACH

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emperor’s new clothes

OPPOSITE PAGE: FC GUNDLACH JANNI, EGYPT, 1959 VINTAGE SILVER PRINT 30.4 X 23.9CM

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

T

he Middle East “fascinates” the West today. No one can argue against that. Many are taking that fascination with one giant grain of salt. As the West tries to democratize this part of the world by hook or by crook, it likes to read sensational stories such as that of the self-immolating Tarek Bouazizi from Sidi Bouzid, or the one about the nasty Arab journalist who hurled his shoe at the good U.S. President.

When Reuters covers the Middle East, it reports the death tallies in Iraq and the sectarian skirmishes in Egypt – because good news is not news of course.

What mostly piques the interest of Christie’s and Sotheby’s in the region

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is art about war and violence. So a good number of our artists have been regurgitating art about war and violence for self-explanatory reasons. But there was a time when the Middle East captivated the West for other reasons – a bygone era etched in the hearts and heads of many.

I came across beautiful shards of that era in the Quarantine district, the industrial no man’s land north of Beirut, where Sfeir-Semler Gallery set up shop in 2005. Aptly titled “The Middle East in the 50’s and 60’s”, the show exhibited 77 of the famous photo icons of German photography god F.C. Gundlach. The vintage photographs from the 50’s and 60’s when Gundlach compulsively traveled to the Middle

East capture the “golden age” of cosmopolitanism, embalming that time and rescuing it from the clutches of corruption and oblivion.

“At the time, it was sort of a dream for us to be there and to photograph elegant fashion and use the backgrounds of Lebanon such as Baalbek,” Gundlach says telephonically from Hamburg. “It was sort of an imaginary dream world, as if we were telling our audiences fairytales,” he continues reminisce. “Nowadays, I think you are much closer to us.” He meant that pejoratively, suggesting that we have been chained by the shackles of conformity, thus becoming less dreamy, less exotic, and less unique

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ABOVE: FC GUNDLACH OPART DRESS GIZA, EGYPT, 1966 VINTAGE GELATINE SILVER PRINT 55.7 X 42.8 CM

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emperor’s new clothes BELOW, LEFT: FC GUNDLACH OPART FASHION, BATHING CAPS EGYPT,1966 VINTAGE GELATINE SILVER PRINT 127 X 146 CM

BELOW, RIGHT: FC GUNDLACH RAMSES STUTUES, LUXOR EGYPT, 1961 VINTAGE GELATINE SILVER PRINT 129 X 100 CM

A dynamic globe-trotter who would go on to write fashion history with his oeuvre, Gundlach epitomized the yearning for far-away places by visiting Morocco and Kenya and frequenting Lebanon and Egypt – the two nations that took center stage at Sfeir-Semler. In Lebanon, he immortalized glamor with photographs taken throughout Beirut including the pre-war Phoenicia Hotel as well as on the wings of a PanAm airplane at the Beirut Airport. “And in Egypt, he paired the geometric look of ‘mod’ fashion with a backdrop of the pyramids, Pharaonic ruins, and the desert dunes,” according to his Website. Modern yet traditional,

rough but refined, his black and white images showed “the Middle East as a junction of contrasts”.

For the onlooker, the fairness and blondeness of the models instantly bounces against the warm tones of the Middle Eastern backdrops – when a svelte beauty goddess stands against the Ramses Statues in Luxor or when another one of Gundlach’s stunning subjects poses facing an architecturally breathtaking hammam in Tangier. This exemplified Gundlach’s sharp eye for architecture, as before becoming the architect of memorable scenes and images, the man had contemplated a career in architecture.

My attention forcibly reverts to the

ladies who are strutting their stuff in mink coats or skirts, poufy dresses, or bathing caps. They are seen walking by Egyptian peasants or opposite village women headed to the river. It is Gundlach’s flair and expertise that rescues the images from falling into the trap of mere staging. Following international fashion for over four decades, Gundlach did not take photographs – he made them. He is credited with setting the stage for “the everchanging vogues, defining postures and gestures of models, and reflecting ideals of beauty” at a time of intense social transformation in post-war Germany and Europe.

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emperor’s new clothes OPPOSITE PAGE: FC GUNDLACH DEBORAH DIXON, RITA JAEGER AND GLORIA, FRIEDRICH FOR SWA AIRPORT BEIRUT, LEBANON, 1962

Switching in 1953 indefinitely from reportage to fashion photography, Gundlach’s work reflected current trends in visual arts and social cultural revolutions – from the miniskirt to pop art. It was evident in the carefully constructed poses that were liberated from the dictates of staged photography.

He tactfully mastered symbolizing mobility in both fashion and society by planes, trains, and automobiles. It was pleasantly surprising to see hanging at Sfeir-Semler one of his most celebrated Berlin photographs – an image of two sportily attired women standing next to two convertible sports cars at a Berlin racetrack with a monumental Mercedes Benz sign in the background.

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ABOVE: FC GUNDLACH LIZZY SCHAPER FOR TRIUMPH TANGER MOROCCO, 1964 VINTAGE GELATIN SILVER PRINT RAGMAG 2011 129 |X JULY 100 CM

Fashion for Gundlach is many things. It is not only clothing, “but also poses and gestures, props and locations, ideals of beauty, and the professionalization of the role of the photo model,” his Website says.

“I think fashion is a very substantial part of our life, everybody’s life, even if you deny that you are taking care of yourself,” adds the now retired photographer whose work has been featured on the covers and in the spreads of countless magazines including Film und Frau, Twen, and later Vogue and Elle. For Brigitte alone, he created over 5500 pages as well as some 180 magazine covers.

ABOVE: FC GUNDLACH SUMMER IN FURS AIRPORT LEBANON, 1962 VINTAGE SILVER PRINT 41.1 X 39.5 CM

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emperor’s new clothes OPPOSITE PAGE: FC GUNDLACH JANNI, EGYPT, 1959 VINTAGE SILVER PRINT 39.8 X 30.2 CM

BELOW: FC GUNDLACH SUMMER IN FURS, GLORIAMINK SKIRT BY SWA TEMPLE OF JUPITER, BAALBEK, LEBANON IN MADAME JUNE 1962

Fashion photography was for him “a mirror of collective dreams”, and dream big, bold, and beautiful he did. If you flash forward to the 21st century, Gundlach would perhaps be less at ease to work in this particular period, because fashion has stopped dreaming. “I find that there are increasingly fewer possibilities to be extravagant,” he told Der Spiegel in a Nov. 16, 2009 date-lined article.

“People have conformed; they do not want to stand out. Sometimes I think that they only go with the fashion in order to hide behind it.”

Fashion was Gundlach’s undisputed forte but he was also known for his remarkable portraits of German and international movie stars and filmmakers and for his haunting children photography mostly through his preferred means of expression – the 28 mm-wide-angle lens. That is not to say Gundlach’s vision was limited to one camera, as he was one to embrace technical innovations from the 35 mm camera to flash photography.

It was fitting to ask Gundlach, who is also a gallery owner, collector,

www.fcgundlach.de www.sfeir-semler.com

curator, and avid promoter of photography, if the mesmerizing photographs on show were part of the highlight of career. “They are a very important part,” was the response.

“I think for me it was very important to pick up on the influence of the fine arts, as photography was not part of the fine arts but this has changed in the past decades.” A lot has indeed changed in the past decades including a region whose glory days have been brilliantly caught on film and is now, and seemingly open-endedly, caught in battle and conflict

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Photography by CHRISTIAN HARB Styled by JONY MATTA

OFFSHORE Makeup by NABIL MAKHOUL | Hair by ROGER GABRIEL Model ANASTASIA SMERECHEVSKA

Swimwear ABC Achrafieh Department Store Cover-ups stylist’s own

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OFFSHORE 136 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

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emperor’s new clothes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

THE OASIS OF CHRISTINA DEBS

BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

SHE KEEPS THEM SMOOTH, WITH THIN FRAMES, AND LIGHT TO CARRY Christina Debs’ universe leaves you breathless. Her shop in the heart of Achrafieh is an oasis of luxury and peace, as if the semi-precious stones she works with and her spiritual collections emit good vibes in waves, like the Udjat Eye series of pendants, bracelets and earrings. Representing a human eye with the cheek markings of a falcon, the Udjat Eye is a powerful symbol of protection in the Egyptian mythology. Representing victory of good over evil, it became a symbol of light and knowledge, physical integrity and fecundity. Us Lebanese have a thing for the eye symbol, however, Christina Debs explains that the originality of this eye is what made it the highlight of her collections.

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Christina Debs is the designer and face of the jewelry brand she created.

Both she and her husband, designer for the Christina Debs male collection, come from backgrounds opposed to artistic creation. After taking courses at the Ecole du Louvres and the AFEDAP (Association de Formation et d’Enseignement des Arts Plastiques), they end up creating the Christina Debs brand in Paris, before coming back home to Lebanon a year and a half ago with their Western-refined jewelry style.

Christina Debs’ characteristic is the use of stones rarely seen. Working with precious and semi-precious little known and not yet rooted in the world of Lebanese jewelry, like the amazing green chrysoprase or the black

tourmaline quartz crystal, the designer offers simple creations that do not detract from their luxurious elements.

Even when creating pretty impressive jewelry, she keeps them smooth, with thin frames, and light to carry, like her perfect blue chalcedony ring, set with black diamonds. Actually, Christina Debs combines the practical to the elegant - nobody wants to wear jewelry and not feel comfortable with it.

EACH STONE USED FOR HER DESIGNS IS CUT DIFFERENTLY Each stone used for her designs is cut differently. Christina Debs is set on offering her clients personalized and unique jewelry, and is so much of a perfectionist that she even does custom-creations. “Some clients bring me a piece of antique jewelry and expect me to give it a facelift, she explains “That’s what I do, along with designing special creations with a particular gem they want me to use.” And she does that in less than 3 weeks.

To the delight of her clientele,

Christina makes the effort to have at least one new creation every other week. “Not necessarily part of a given collection or a specific theme, these jewels are sold after just a few days,” says Christina.

According to the designer, her brand meets the modern woman’s expectations, of all ages. In fact, Christina Debs creates so many different kinds of jewelry that one can’t enter her store and come out empty-handed.

The silver collection, more fanciful with a dented design, meets the younger

clientele’s expectations, while the Snake collection, made of diamonds with different color shades set on a wrapped setting, attracts women who prefer showpiece jewelry. As for the male collection, it is highlighted by a series of cufflinks set with precious stones. Although the brand offers quite a variety, the best one is still the Onyx carved minerve cufflinks.

Debs’ leather bracelets and skull rings attract the metrosexual generation of men who like jewelry just as much as women do

Soak Up the Waves Christina Debs 116 Trabaud Street Achrafieh, Beirut 01/217116

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WORLDVISION

BY LILIANE ASSAF

RAGMAG IS PLEASED TO GIVE THE ONLINE COMMUNITY SOME MUCH DESERVED PRINT SPACE. THIS IS THE SECOND INSTALLMENT IN A PERMANENT COLUMN DEVOTED TO BLOG REVIEWS. IN ADDITION, EACH ISSUE LILIANE WILL CHOOSE HER FAVORITE POST FROM THE CUBE, A LEBANESE BLOG DEVOTED TO BOOK REVIEWS. WE HAVE (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE) KEPT THE POST VERBATIM ONLY MAKING THE NECESSARY EDITS.

FOR THE JULY HANG TEN ISSUE, WE ASKED LEBANON’S BLOG AGGREGATOR, LILIANE ASSAF, TO CHOOSE 3 BLOGGERS THAT REALLY WERE HUNG UP ON BEAUTIFUL LEBANON. GET CLICKING, PEOPLE!

BLOG TITLE Sietske In Beiroet BLOGGER Sietske Galama LANGUAGE English URL http://sietske-in-beiroet.blogspot.com

Siestke is Dutch and her blog basically covers the social aspect of Lebanon, coming from the perspective of the Dutch community. She writes mostly about her exploration of this country, of new places many of us native Lebanese have never heard of or seen. In addition to her smooth storytelling talent, the posts are accompanied by very nice photos of the locales, featuring her family and friends enjoying the places she’s blogging about. It could be anything from a picnic or beach day (when it’s still too cold outside for native Lebanese), to a day at the Ministry of Education. The thing about her blog is that when she posts about Lebanon, if it’s positive she makes you nostalgic and you fall in love with it all over again (especially if you are living here). If it’s negative, you can’t help but admire her perspective since there are some things we’ve become immune to, indifferent and apathetic about, and we’ve even given up fighting. Visit this blog for a Dutch woman’s life in Lebanon, and read her stories full of sarcasm, humor, positive vibes, angry moments and happy ones.

BLOG TITLE +961 | DESTINATION LEBANON BLOGGER Rami Fayoumi LANGUAGE English URL http://www.plus961.com TWITTER @Plus961

Plus961 is one of the top visited and best known blogs in Lebanon. As the name implies, it really is destination Lebanon.

It covers mostly social issues in a very light manner addressing national rumors, both good and bad. Everything from fresh news about openings in the offing of restos, reviews, an un-law abiding citizen, funny comments about pictures he’s taken, and lucky catches are just some of the things Rami has blogged about.

Several times over, news would be spreading like wildfire about a happening in Lebanon, and the first blog I (and many others) go to for verification is Rami’s. His blog is also well known in the Lebanese Twittersphere.

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This blog was the first to let RAGMAG know about the closure of the iconic Ahwet Al Azaz, which we mentioned in our January Old Vs. New issue. Thank you for the info, Rami.

see, speak, + hear no evil BLOG TITLE THIS IS BEIRUT BLOGGER Danielle Baiz LANGUAGE English URL http://thisisbeirut.wordpress.com TWITTER @meinlebanon

Danielle Baiz is originally from Miami and has been living in Beirut for over a year. She has earned our trust over the course of this year by sharing her Aws and Wows while discovering Lebanon on a daily basis. The things she notices and blogs about are things we have long forgotten or take for granted.

She’s also angered us on a few occasions because we’ve stopped questioning the WHY and HOW things happen in Lebanon reminding us to not accept things as the inevitable.

Most importantly, Danielle is the top blogger when it comes to drilling down her experience into top 10 posts. Check out her post entitled “Dating Rules in Lebanon”, or the top 5 lessons Lebanon has taught her. Her blog is home for controversy in many cases where some people agree with her about her point of view concerning Lebanon, while others completely disagree.

Either way, it creates interesting debates in the blogosphere.

Editor’s Note We printed a blog post of Danielle’s in our November 3D issue entitled, “40 Things I’ve Learned Since Moving to Lebanon” which was extremely well received.

LILIANE’S CHOICE

BEST CUBE REVIEW www.thecubelb.com Reviewer Marie Nakhle Book “The Gift” by Cecelia Ahern

“This is a story of a man, Lou Suffern, who sacrifices his family for his career. He misses family reunions for business dinners, he is always hooked on his BlackBerry and when he spends time with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. On a cold winter morning before Christmas, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building.

Lou is intrigued by him, and decides to get him a job in the post room. Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou, particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time.

What I loved: • The accurate description of marriage degradation and couples fight when the wife is about to collapse under housework and taking care of the kids and the husband is totally distracted by his work. How they are no longer able to have a full conversation, her stressed out and controlled by her maternal instincts, and him distracted, barely noticing what’s happening around him.

• The great description of office rivalry where two friends are competing for the same position and where there is no longer room for friendship.

• The shoe watcher chapter. I never thought that you can get so much information by just watching the shoes of people walking in and out of buildings and how much a shoe can hold details that are directly linked to the personality of the person wearing them.

‘Brown loafers. You know him – a pretentious walk. The little suede tassels kick with every step, like a mini can-can, it’s like he throws them up there purposely.’

I can’t promise that this is a book that works for everyone. The story might be predictable but it contains some surprising twists. This is a book that I really enjoyed reading. The descriptions of places, people, thoughts and feelings are so perfect that the book almost becomes real and there is a very nice message at the end which could be a very good reminder to each of us.”

www.lebanonaggregator.com Find the Lebanon Aggregator fan page on Facebook THE HANG TEN ISSUE 141 Follow her on Twitter @LebAgg

see, speak, +hear no evil

CHECK

BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN

Under your Skin SALIVA 15 years at the service of the Alternative/Metal cause is something of an achievement, especially when you see the hordes of new bands that appear every day and disappear into oblivion with no return. Having said that, Memphis’s proud sons, Saliva, have had their ups and downs on the way, experimenting with different sounds and styles throughout their albums, something that made them find a right balance here, on their seventh studio album “Under Your Skin”.

Heavy rockers like “Badass” coexist smoothly with ballads such as “Never Should’ve let You Go” and make the flow from one song to the other, harmonious and easy to enjoy, something that is usually hard to achieve when heavy and mellow tracks clash on Metal albums. All and all, a respectable album made by a band that knows how to please their loyal fans, who I’m sure will eat it up happily until the next opus arrives.

Goodbye Lullaby AVRIL LAVIGNE Putting the album’s first single right at the top of the song set on an album (even after a one minute overture), is usually a sign that the artist, or in this case the producer (Max Martin of Ace Of Base and Backstreet Boys fame), is trying to hook you in at the good stuff early on, cause what follows up usually is not up to the standards.

Whether this is what was intended here or simply a pure coincidence will never be established, but what is certain is that the rest of the list is indeed not up to the par. Some moments of ingenuity

can still be found here and there, “What The Hell” and “Smile” (both co-written by Martin) and the lovely “Everybody Hurts” (not to be confused with the R.E.M. song) give the album a feel of consistency. The problem, however, remains in the many pseudo melancholy songs where Lavigne tries too hard to convey feelings of suppressed sorrow and anguish, which honestly, don’t pass for more than a melee of confused emotions. It’s time to mature, if I may say so.

Suck It And See ARCTIC MONKEYS Does the world need a new Arctic Monkeys album? Anybody who has answered no to this question may gracefully move on to the next review and save face. As for the rest, yes, Alex Turner’s gang of merry music merchants are back, and this time, they have returned with a new found sense of fun and excitement that was somewhat lacking in the previous album.

The trademark clanking guitars, angular riffs and their general take it or leave it attitude can be

spotted all over the album, making you feel like a thunderstorm just passed through your house, but only leaving you with a cool breeze in your head and no material damage Turner’s vocals are also back in the forefront of the mix, his lyrical storytelling of everyday chaotic and glittering life issues challenging you to self exploration and criticism (check out “Don’t Sit Down cause I’ve Moved My Chair” or “Brick By Brick”). Right. ‘Nuff said. Brilliant stuff.

Helplessness Blues FLEET FOXES Looking at the cover art of the second Fleet Foxes album, you would think that we’re back to the heyday of 70’s Progressive Rock. That wouldn’t be that far from it, but the band mostly concentrates on creating Indie British Folk music (even though they hail from Seattle), and what music it is. All members of the band are craftsmen at the top of their craft, chiseling and sculpting esoteric and mysterious songs about the Bible passages and the poetry of Yeats, using

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unknown instruments to produce weird enigmatic sounds. There isn’t a single minute of dullness on “Helplessness Blues”. From the slow build up of opener “Montezuma” to the enchanting orchestral harmonies of closer “Grown Ocean”, the band takes you on a journey where senses and feelings blur into one obscure magma, making it hard to differentiate between fantasy and reality. Which makes me want to ask you this: Is that something really so bad?

and Burn Down the Sky

James Jaros

weep read’em

BY AMAL CHAABAN

Why you should read this book

Scorched Earth is not just a wartime reality

The last five years in literature can easily be called the time of the supernatural. The next 5? It looks like they will be the time of the apocalypses. Bookstores are flooded with dystopic and apocalyptic novels just lately but Burn Down the Sky is a standout. The book takes us sometime into what seems to be the near future after several disasters have hit the planet and its human populace. Sex is now forbidden for the most part due to a disease called Wicca, water is incredibly difficult

to come by and it is everyone for themselves. We are never really told what sets off the final catastrophe that causes all of this but at the beginning of each chapter, there is a sort of teaser headline to lead you down the road of “could it have been...” The book is well written, well paced and does not lack for action. The doomsday scenarios and their fallout are written so that it all seems not just plausible but probable.

Realistic scenarios of flooding, coastline loss, and looting make this book a good end of days read.

Before I Go to Sleep

S.J. Watson

Why you should read this book Reality is fluid and changeable

Imagine waking up one day and not knowing where you are, what year it is and who the strange man laying beside you is. Now imagine that every single day. This is the premise behind Before I Go to Sleep. This book is a labyrinth of twists and turns all locked into the memories of a woman who has suffered a catastrophic brain injury. Each day she wakes with no previous memories at all to a husband who must recite their past in order for her to be able to function throughout the day... or so we are led to believe.

Scientifically speaking, the book does a fantastic exploration of memory and how it is stored in the brain. Fictionally speaking, the book does an equally great job of keeping the reader hanging on, for as each day progresses, our heroine is piecing together a life that doesn’t quite add up. This book gets such a grip on you that when the ending comes and the truth is finally revealed, it leaves you reeling.

Known and Unknown

Donald Rumsfeld

Why you should read this book

Rumsfeld is one third of the worst modern triumvirate equation

At the end of the Bush Administration era, politicos round the world waited with bated breath for the inevitable books from the triumvirate of power that was Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. Also known as the principal architects of the catastrophe that is present day Iraq. Of the three, only two have written biographies.

The title of this book comes directly from something Rumsfeld said to the media and remains true today. His book shows hindsight is not always a 20/20 attitude.

On the contrary, Rumsfeld still thinks that decisions

made by the Bush administration in its 8 long years were right. While he spends little time on his childhood, he does make a key point that the attack on Pearl Harbour shaped the way he saw the world. On Abu Ghraib? He remains adamant that it was a few bad apples and not representative of the whole U.S. military. The book is written in the dry manner that Rumsfeld is well known for and quite informative, providing a perspective into the inner workings of the NSC and the DOD that we may otherwise not have.

At the end of it however, there are still known unknowns.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit

Mark Seal

Why you should read this book

(AKA) Also Known As is not just an acronym

Meet Clark Rockefeller, or should I say Christopher Crowe? In reality, it is neither. The Man in the Rockefeller suit is about Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, singularly the best liar in recent times. When the parental abduction case of Clark Rockefeller burst on to the news scene in 2008, no one could have foreseen the circle of lies that was about to unravel. Notably, Gerhartsreiter very successfully passed himself off as a Rockefeller and was even engaged to a Harvard Business school graduate in that guise. Author Mark Seal attempts to trace

Gerhartsreiter’s life in America not just under the Rockefeller alias, but several others as well.

As each coat of this story is revealed; another coat shows itself. This book is not an easy read since the subject’s success at duplicity and the naiveté of those who were duped is without fail a jaw dropper. As the reader peel back the layers of the onion, you may find yourself feeling more than slightly uneasy and definitely questioning the identity of your more mysterious friends.

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see, speak, +hear no evil

playNICE

BY ADAM VOLK

InFamous 2

Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment | Developer Sucker Punch Productions Platforms PlayStation 3 Forget leaping tall buildings in a single bound. With inFamous 2, you take on the role of a super powered bad ass who isn’t encumbered by tacky capes and spandex outfits. As a sequel to the 2009 blockbuster, the game once again puts players in control of Cole MacGrath, a former bike courier who, after a freak accident, has gained the ability to control electricity.

This time out Cole finds himself in the fictional New Orleans-style metropolis of New Marais. Players must then battle a horde of deadly abominations that have been set loose in the streets, as well as a shadowy

organization known as the Militia. Fans of Grand Theft Auto and its countless knock-offs will be right at home with the game’s blend of open world exploration and action. inFamous 2, however, manages to stand out from the crowd with its slick graphics, polished gameplay and insanely fun electrical powers. As an added bonus, players can choose to become either a law abiding do-gooder or a zap-first-and-ask-questionslater villain. The end result is a super charged superhero game that delivers a 5000 volt blast of electricity to lame costumed avengers everywhere.

Red Faction: Armageddon

Publisher THQ, Syfy Games | Developer Volition, Inc. Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Elton John once sang that “Mars ain’t that kind of place to raise your kids” – something game developers Volition clearly took to heart when creating their action-packed Red Faction series. Set in the distant future, the games follow the escalating violence among disparate groups of human colonists. Now, the series offers its fourth instalment with Red Faction: Armageddon, with players taking on the role of Darius Mason, a futuristic Vin Diesel clone equipped with an arsenal of unique heavy weaponry. But while past Red Faction titles offered an open world

sandbox experience, Armageddon opts for a more linear approach to its levels, in addition to introducing hordes of bloodthirsty aliens into the equation. Unfortunately, Armageddon gets a little bogged down by its repetitive waves of alien baddies and its recycled terrain.

Fortunately, Armageddon is also a shooter which revels in destruction, allowing players to turn the Red Planet even redder by destroy virtually anything and everything that crosses their path. Life on Mars might be a little rough, but with giant flame-spewing robot spiders under your control, it’s also anything but boring.

Duke Nukem Forever

Publisher 2K Games | Developer 3D Realms/Gearbox Software | Platforms PS 3, Xbox 360 Duke Nukem Forever has become something of a running joke among gamers.

Initially slated for a release in 1997, the game’s creators have spent the past fifteen years toiling away, promising each year that the game would be coming out “any day now.” Now, lo and behold, Duke Nukem Forever has actually become a reality. As a sequel to the popular first-person shooter, players once again take on the role of Duke, a crass, crew-cut psycho whose love of Michael Bay-style one-liners is surpassed only by his unhealthy obsession with giant machine

guns. When our game begins, Duke is an international celebrity, living the good life in a world of beers and babes. Of course, he’s soon drawn out of early retirement when an army of evil aliens decide to - what else? - invade the Earth. With its demented storyline, sharp visuals and entertaining single and multiplayer game modes, Duke Nukem Forever is almost - but not quite - worth the wait. Punctuality might not be one of Duke’s finer points, but in the words of the legendary hero, he still knows how to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and he’s all out of bubble gum.

Alice: Madness Returns

Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer Spicy Horse | Platforms Xbox 360, PS 3 Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has become a veritable pop culture phenomenon since its original publication in 1865, with the novel wandering down the rabbit hole and finding its way onto film, television and yes, even video games. Few versions of the beloved literary masterpiece, however, have been as unique as American McGee’s Alice. Originally released in 2000 for the PC, the action-adventure game was a grim and stylish affair, mixing Caroll’s traditional storyline and characters with a creepy, blood soaked horror vibe. Now ten years later, the sequel has arrived for both PC and consoles. Players once

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again take on the role of Alice, a grown woman who has been recently released from an insane asylum in Victorian London. But things soon become curiouser and curiouser when a series of traumatic memories send her spiralling back into the violent and surreal world of Wonderland. As a combination of exploration and action, Madness Returns offers polished gameplay, unique visuals and a gripping neo-Gothic storyline. Game designer American McGee is essentially the Tim Burton of video games, and in Madness Returns, McGee once again offers a dark and disturbingly satisfying journey through the looking glass.

see, speak, +hear no evil

watchout

BY ADAM VOLK

Release dates based on amazon.co.uk

Rango | DVD & Blu-ray

| 107 mins Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant Release Date: July 25 With its talking lizards, mystical cacti and psychedelic animation, at first glance Rango seems like the kind of movie director Gore Verbinski came up with after ingesting a large quantity of peyote and wandering naked into the middle of the desert.

Fortunately, despite its trippy premise, Rango also happens to be a fun, quirky and beautifully animated family film. The story follows a plucky chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who inadvertently stumbles upon a Wild West town filled with a bevy of desertdwelling critters. After a series of misunderstandings

lands him in the role of the town’s sheriff, our scaly hero soon must battle a host of animal desperados while also getting to the bottom of a mysterious water shortage. As a pastiche of classic Hollywood westerns, Rango is chocked full of pop culture references and witty one-liners, but the script also shines with its Pixar-calibre storyline and charm.

The end result is a strange and highly entertaining family film, offering up some the most loveable animated reptiles this side of any prepubescent ninja tortoises.

Battle: Los Angeles | DVD & Blu-ray | 116 mins Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Peña Release Date: July 11 Los Angeles. Home to Paris Hilton’s mood swings, self-important Hollywood scumbags and some of the worst traffic on the face of the Earth. Put it all together, and it’s a wonder aliens haven’t come down and blasted it into a smoking crater by now. Fortunately, that’s a situation that’s thoroughly remedied in the big budget sci-fi action flick Battle: Los Angeles.

The film follows a squad of U.S. Marines as they trade one-liners and ammunition with an army of alien invaders who are planning on turning the City of Angels into a wasteland as unappealing as Harvey

Weinstein’s personality. Unfortunately, the shaky-cam action is as nauseating as the script and the cookie cutter characters don’t offer much to the story other than occasionally shouting “look out!” and “over there!” in between sporadic gunfire and explosions.

As an alien invasion flick, Battle: Los Angeles doesn’t really offer anything new. Sadly, we’ll just have to keep looking to the heavens with the knowledge that, if there is life out there somewhere in the cosmos, it will probably stay well the hell away from us after seeing this film.

The Adjustment Bureau | DVD & Blu-ray | 106 mins Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp Release Date: July 4 These days it seems you can’t fire a 9mm handgun in a video store without hitting a Jason Statham movie.

The perpetually douchey and unshaven Brit first earned action cred in his Transporter series and he’s essentially been reprising the same role ever since.

The Mechanic is no exception, with Statham taking on the role of stereotypical ass-kicker Arthur Bishop, an assassin renowned for his ability to make his victim’s deaths appear accidental. But after Bishop is forced to execute his former mentor, he soon encounters his troubled son Steve (played by the incredibly talented

Ben Foster). Feeling guilty, the hardnosed killer takes Steve under his wing and teaches him the ins and outs of professional assassination. It’s an intriguing premise (and, incidentally, a remake of a little known 1972 Charles Bronson film) but unfortunately, The Mechanic falters as an action flick, with two unlikable main characters and a few ho-hum shoot ‘em up sequences. Foster, it should be said, is really too good of an actor for a film like this, and as for Jason Statham – well, let’s just say if he keeps cranking out duds like The Mechanic, it’s only a matter of time before someone puts a bullet in his career.

The Lincoln Lawyer | DVD & Blu-ray

| 120 mins Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe Release Date: July 25 Shakespeare once famously wrote “kill all the lawyers” – a blunt, if not somewhat tempting proposition. Of course, if we took that advice to heart we wouldn’t have lawyer jokes, alimony payments or films like The Lincoln Lawyer. Based on the novel by acclaimed mystery author Michael Connelly, the film follows a down on his luck attorney (Matthew McConaughey) who bounces from case to case and operates largely out of his Lincoln Town Car. But when he lands a case to represent a pampered playboy charged with beating a prostitute, he finds that – surprise, surprise – things

aren’t quite what they appear. Of course, at the heart of any good court thriller is a larger ethical dilemma and here The Lincoln Lawyer offers up a friggin’ doozie when it taps into the complex and often perilous concept of attorney-client confidentiality. As a legal drama, The Lincoln Lawyer treads upon some familiar Grishamesque territory, but the film is also an intricate and exquisitely paced thriller.

Lawyers might be a bunch of parasitical douchenozzles, but as The Lincoln Lawyer proves, they’re also very entertaining to watch.

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ISTANBUL

BY TENS THE CITY OF THE BOSPHORUS

BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

WITH ITS MOSAIC EUROPEAN CHURCHES AND TILED OTTOMAN MOSQUES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ISTANBUL DESERVES THE TITLE OF “EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE”, AS IT BRIDGES ITS RICH IMPERIAL PAST WITH ITS MODERN DEMOCRATIC PRESENT.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: BOSPHORUS BRIDGE,CONNECTING ASIA TO EUROPE. LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM: GALATA TOWER, PRINCES ISLANDS.

Previously known as Byzantium and later Constantinople, the metropolis occupies a unique geographical position in the Middle East. Squeezed between Europe to the west and Asia to the east, and along the shores of the Bosphorus strait and Marmara Sea, Turkey’s former capital endures as a shining example of the peaceful coexistence between Islam and democracy.

The “two worlds” between which the city has always been required to choose are characterized by the Turkish word “Istiklal,” or independence, also the name of the city’s thriving commercial boulevard.

Stretching three kilometers from the city’s main square of Taksim, Istiklal is lined with kebab shops and Venetian cafes, many containing unique displays of antique toys and leather furniture. As if in a Bohemian enclave, its adjacent alleyways are home to pubs and bookstores named after legendary figures, James Joyce and Robinson Crusoe.

Midway down Istikial is Denizler Kitabevi, a 70-year-old bookstore. An emporium dedicated to nautical themes, Kitabevi is a treasure trove of old maps, photographs and navigational charts of Istanbul. To this day, photographs from previous generations are found within the bookstore’s shelves.

Nearing the end of Istiklal, hovering over musical equipment shops is Galata Kulesi tower. Originally built to guard the Bosphorous against Byzantine attacks, the stone structure was transformed into a fire station until ironically, it was destroyed by fire, and later rebuilt. Today it offers sweeping views of the “Golden Horn,” the city’s harbor and historical peninsula once visited by 19th century European travelers seeking Turkish recreation.

In the Kabatas district, ferry terminals shuttle passengers to the Princes Islands.

Composed of five small and four larger resort islands, they are a relaxing haven where horse-drawn carriages are used as means of transportation. Passengers can also travel on ships as far as the Ukrainian city of Odessa, across the Black Sea in eight hours, and as close as the Asian paradise of Anatolia in less than ten minutes from the terminal.

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LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM: MAIDEN’S TOWER, HAGIA SOPHIA.

SPRINGING FROM THE STRAIT, NEAR THE ASIAN SHORELINE MARKED WITH SPACIOUS VILLAS, MAIDEN’S TOWER IS RIFE WITH LEGENDS.

The Kabata tramway to Sultan Ahmed Square exposes surviving memorials of the Ottoman Empire. Thousands of tourists leave their cruise ships and visit Sultan Ahmed, the “Blue Mosque.” Light passing through its 260 windows illuminates the interior’s rich tilting and tracery. Close to 25,000 white and blue tiles decorate its interior walls protected by 30 cupolas and six minarets.

After the conquest of Istanbul, Ottoman Conqueror Sultan Ahmed chose the square to construct the Topkapi Palace, his administrative post and abode for concubines of his harem. Tour guides call the complex of pavilions and chambers the “Turkish Disneyland,” in which imperial costumes—large jewel-encrusted coats with small neck lines and belts accented with ivory—are stored. The palace’s most notable treasures include an 86-karat diamond and a ceremonial throne of solid gold.

Nearby, within the walls of Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), the Byzantine Cathedral of St. Sophia, a fresco of Madonna and Child and mosaic of Christ are well preserved.

The method of spreading gold leaf over a layer of glass tesserae maintained the mosaics over centuries. A few meters away from the complex, the Leather Pekcan Collection stores ornamental leather-works by a local craftsman.

The Basilica Cistern is Istanbul’s largest and most atmospheric subterranean palace.

The ancient cavern contains hundreds of marble columns, each illuminated with beams of soft crimson light. Two famous Medusa heads serve as the base of two columns - one being tilted and the other upside down. Their origin, as well as the reason for their unorthodox positioning remains a mystery, though legend has it they protect the sacred area from bad omens. The haunting scene is often interrupted by swimming carp, which occasionally break the surface of the reflecting water below.

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take me with you

ABOVE: UNDERGROUND BASILICA CISTERN

Along the European shore of the Bosphorus, stands Dolmabahçe Palace, once the royal grounds for six previous sultans. Dolmabahçe houses Europe’s heaviest English crystal chandelier, weighing in at four-and-half tons, and worth five million solid gold bars. Not to be overlooked is an impressive collection of French and Ottoman clocks, each built with intricate Western and Islamic dials signifying not only wind, weather and tide, but indicating time for prayer.

THE BASILICA CISTERN IS ISTANBUL’S LARGEST AND MOST ATMOSPHERIC SUBTERRANEAN PALACE.

The Bosphorus shoreline from Dolmabahçe to the Ortaköy restaurant

district with its French Imperial styled mosques brims with fine monuments and artifacts of the two eras. Springing from the strait, near the Asian shoreline marked with spacious villas, Maiden’s Tower is rife with legends. According to one, a fortuneteller told Constantine that his daughter would die from a snakebite so to protect her, he built a tower for her to live in. One day, she was bitten by a snake hidden in a

basket of grapes. Her prophesy came true, giving the tower its name.

Istanbul is a modern city wrapped within rich layers of history. It has seen the rise and fall of empires, and now shares the many cultures that have touched its shores. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “If the earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” For even though the metropolis is mapped on two continents, its identity is secure within the vaults of time

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS Gaucho Beirut is pleased to announce the opening of its new outdoor terrace where guests can now enjoy fine Argentinean dining while taking in the beautiful scenery Beirut has to offer. The indoor Gaucho dining experience is terrific but for summer we’re all about the great outdoor feeling! Situated in the heart of Beirut, the terrace is surrounded by trees and offers an amazing view of the ocean. What better way to enjoy a perfectly grilled piece of Lomo beef and a lovely wine selection?

Gaucho Pheonix Tower, Minet El Hosn, Beirut Tel 01/364807

I’M COMING HOME AGAIN T. Gargour & Fils announces the arrival of the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLS to its showrooms. The new CLS builds on the pioneering role of its predecessor yet at the same time is an entirely new edition, blending in perfectly well with the Lebanese market and its most discerning expectations of a luxury car.

Bringing refined sportiness to life with its athletic proportions and perceptible design idiom, the CLS’s expressive front design features a central star in the grille

underlining the car’s relationship to the other coupés of the brand. A distinctive and muscular sports car-like shoulder line above the rear axle highlights the athletic character of the new CLS. The flared wheel arches resemble the powerful thighs of a feline predator waiting to pounce. The interior of the CLS is also distinguished by a timeless design which combines elegance with innovative details and handcrafted perfection.

LEARNING CURVE La Roche-Posay supports children with scholarships in North Bekaa in addition to dedicating a day to educating the students of the Bekaa Notre Dame school. Held in partnership with ASEL association, the aim was to increase awareness among children, informing them of the dangers posed by the sun in a particularly exposed region. The La Roche Posay team offered the children various recreational activities as well as conferences with professionals and dermatologists, thus renewing its commitment to a healthy community of awareness.

UP TO SPEED Infiniti, the luxury car manufacturer from Japan, announced it has signed Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel as their first ever Global Brand Ambassador. The collaboration with Sebastian Vettel comes two months after Infiniti announced a major partnership with the Red Bull Racing team. The 23 year-old F1 star will be taking an active role in raising the profile of the Infiniti brand and its products during race weekends and at selected events linked to Infiniti’s business and product programs. From the start of the 2011 Formula One season, Infiniti has joined as a major partner of the Red Bull Racing team and features prominently on

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the race-winning RB7 driven by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Like many in the Red Bull Racing team, Sebastian has been driving products from the Infiniti range at the different races globally. “Since our first contact with Infiniti I liked their cars. A car can impress you in two ways: its looks and its handling. After I had the chance to test some cars in the range I became a big fan.

They are comfortable as well as sporty when you ask for it. I am sure we as a team and myself can benefit a lot from the experience of Infiniti and I am very much looking forward to our partnership in the future,” said Vettel.

YOU’RE SUCH A SOCIAL CLIMBER!

Suzanne Al Houby, a Palestinian-born and UAE-based mother of two, has become the first Arab woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.

Al Houby reached the 8,848-metre peak at 8:45AM on May 21, 2011, marking this triumph of the human spirit for the Palestinian people and, indeed, for the people of the Arab world as a whole.

Originally from Jaffa, Palestine, 40-yearold Al Houby spent 51 days scaling Mount Everest as part of a four-person team, three of whom successfully reached the summit.

Since the world’s highest peak was first

scaled by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, roughly 100 women from across the world have achieved this astonishing feat. A lifelong mountaineer, Al Houby is no stranger to the record books. In 2003, she became the first Arab woman to reach Everest Base Camp. She is also the first Arab woman to scale Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe, and the first Palestinian woman to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. To date, she has successfully reached the summit of the highest mountains on five of the world’s seven continents.

TICKER TAPE CNN and Nokia have announced a multilevel international collaboration where Nokia becomes a key part of CNN’s roster of mapping providers, delivering its mapping services to the international news network.

The collaboration harnesses the companies’ strengths in global newsgathering, usergenerated content, mapping technologies, and location-based services. The collaboration debuted with the use of Nokia’s 3D Maps across CNN’s platforms in its recent coverage of the British royal wedding.

“This collaboration is a great fit for us as both companies share a similar philosophy

on connecting people beyond borders through the combination of compelling news content and highly sophisticated technology,” said Tony Maddox, Managing Director, CNN International.

“Nokia and CNN share the belief that news is now mobile, powerfully democratic, and can immediately be shared by people around the world,” said Jerri DeVard, Chief Marketing Officer, Nokia. “We are pleased that CNN wants to use Nokia’s innovative mapping services for its international news platforms, and we are excited to work with CNN to deliver a compelling news service to users of Nokia phones.”

HEAVENLY WHITES

Aïzone opens a new store at the ABC mall in Dbayeh, Lebanon. The new Dbayeh boutique stakes its claim on the newly renovated ground floor of ABC encompassing 1,000 square meters of space, making it one of the largest boutiques in the Dbayeh mall. The white space is accentuated by bright, white lights, white shelving, glass display cases, and flat screen television monitors on the walls. The large space is divided into a women’s shoe section, women’s clothing section, and a men’s section.

Get your shopping fix at Aïzone ABC Dbayeh Tel 04/416000

PACK IT UP, PACK IT IN! Featuring a new sophisticated design with cues coming directly from the premium, iconic Jeep® Grand Cherokee, the new 2011 Jeep® Compass has now arrived in the Lebanon.

“Coupled with a host of interior refinements, and improved ride and handling characteristics in all conditions, courtesy of upgraded steering and suspension systems, the new Jeep® Compass offers a unique blend of premium styling, capability, efficiency and value that is unmatched in the compact SUV segment,” said Joachim Zeitler, Chrysler Group General Manager at T. Gargour & Fils Lebanon (TGF), the only authorized distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram in Lebanon, who launched the

new Jeep® Compass this month. Delivering the packaging and interior flexibility of an SUV with the performance, handling, fuel economy and price of a compact car, the new 2011 Jeep® Compass also boasts more than 30 safety and security features, including standard side-curtain air bags, electronic stability program (ESC), electronic roll mitigation, curtain air bags for all rows and available front-seat-mounted side air bags. The powertrain of the 2011 Jeep® Compass is designed to deliver world-class performance in all weather conditions, fuel economy and refinement, all at an affordable, value-packed price.

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out +about

MAGAZINE

GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT with PART 1 IN A 3 PART SERIES

WE’VE DECIDED TO EXPLORE THE NEW ZAITUNAY BAY IN A 3 PART SERIES TO GIVE YOU THE REAL STORY AND HELP YOU FEEL A LOT MORE INVOLVED IN WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY. THE BEIRUT WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT (BWD), A CREATIVE ENDEAVOUR TO MAXIMIZE THE COASTLINE, ONE OF LEBANON’S GREATEST ASSETS AND TOURISM DRAWS, IS ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS IN LEBANON’S HISTORY. RAGMAG WILL BE COVERING ZAITUNAY BAY IN A 3 PART SERIES TO GIVE YOU THE REAL DEAL ON WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR SHORELINE, SO YOU CAN REALLY FEEL IN THE LOOP. THE FIRST OF 3 FEATURE ARTICLES, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER ISSUES TO GET THE FULL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT THAT AIMS TO BRING BEIRUT’S WATERFRONT ON PAR WITH OTHER GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED WATER-FRIENDLY LOCALES. FOR OUR FIRST INSTALMENT, WE HAVE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON 4 FULLY ORIGINAL CONCEPTS DEVELOPED

BY LEBANESE ENTREPRENEURS THAT HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR ZAITUNAY BAY.

F

ER T WA Y M

St. ELMO’S

Seaside Brasserie

AMARRES

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CRO MAGNON

Steakhouse & Bar

T

N RO

GET TO KNOW with

YOUR WATERFRONT IT REALLY IS YOUR WATERFRONT! What MyWaterfront Who Naël Nasr + Haytham Nasr Know More www.mywaterfront.me Find it on Facebook + Twitter

Forget the feeling of alienation you have from your cityscape. Forget feeling like you aren’t involved in Beirut’s growth. And finally forget the pretensions you have about champagne. Thanks to the MyGroup dynamos Naël Nasr and Haytham Nasr, you not only can get to know Zaitunay Bay intimately, you can even own part of it. “Approximately 65 investors have taken part in MyWaterfront’s crowdsourced business model,” explained Haytham.

Champagne in Lebanon is traditionally seen as a celebratory occasion indulgence with a heavy dose of prestige, MyWaterfront is “looking to bring the concept of even aprèswork champagne and cocktails to Beirut. Having travelled widely and lived in London, Miami, and Rome, it’s something that I’ve seen over the course of the past few years. It’s hugely popular overseas and has been sidestepped in Lebanon,” continued Naël regarding the trend’s absence here and throughout the Middle East. “One of the things I enjoyed most abroad was the champagne brunch. Or having a Mimosa or Bloody Mary with your brunch. The few places in Lebanon that do cater to that here aren’t truly champagne bars.”

mywaterfront www.mywaterfront.me

So what truly sets MyWaterfront apart? “It’s not only the selection of champagne or cocktails. It’s everything from the design to the music that really makes a champagne bar,” said Naël. “You can have the best champagne range in the world, but if the venue doesn’t come together it wouldn’t work,” he said, adding that “MyWaterfront will have the full range from Brut to Rosé to Vintage labels, all offered in a very sleek and sophisticated, yet welcoming venue.” What this means is that your champagne brunch at your waterfront doesn’t have to set you back big bucks, it’s on par with “the kind of thing happening in major cities such as New York or London. It’s a great and easy drink,” added Haytham.

This great and easy drink is not the only thing available at MyWaterfront, their full service menu includes a wide range of cocktails, salads like Waldorf and Azure, and will be incorporating ingredients widely underused in Lebanon. “Our Eggs Benedict range in the brunch menu has been perfected.

MyBenedict served with tender filet is just one of the choices available,” said Naël explaining that they’ve “taken from different European and American city cuisine specialties,” and brought them to Beirut.

MYWATERFRONT IS LOOKING TO BRING THE CONCEPT OF APRES-WORK CHAMPAGNE AND COCKTAILS TO BEIRUT

The lunch menu highlights a number of brioche and club sandwich options, and their sunset tapas range is part of bringing “the love for après-work appetizer and cocktail to Lebanon.”

Watch the sunset with a flora-filled atrium backdrop and a beautiful waterfront view in the foreground.

The Beiruti love for getting skyward has been taken into account too since the 250-person seated capacity MyWaterfront has a terrace. Zaitunay Bay’s only 2-tiered venue “is elevated, so you have an incredible view of the marina and the whole waterfront development,” said Haytham indicating the separation on the map. The terrace is structured to have 3 entry points with a main entrance directly from the main road of Zaitunay Bay. When is the optimal time to drop in on your waterfront and choose your own glass of bubbly? “We’ll be welcoming clients all day and late into the evening with a DJ spinning Jazz, Urban Chill, Easy Listening and World Music,” explained Haytham.

MyWaterfront sounds as though it will be both a draw to the Upper East Side ladies who lunch a la NYC in addition to the business brunching corporate types. The air conditioning and heating arrangement through the floors will keep you both cool and warm throughout the year, as MyWaterfront has “two-thirds outdoor space”. Claim your own outdoor space, on your own time, on your new waterfront this fall.

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GET TO KNOW YOUR WATERFRONT with CLAIR DE LUNE What Amarres Who Ziad Kamel, Patrick Cochrane, Alexis Couquelet, Ali Daoud Know More www.amarres.co (going live with resto launch) Find it on Facebook + Twitter Amarres, the new French café bistro at Zaitunay Bay, is brought to you by the team you know and love: the creators of Couqley in the Alleyway Gemmayzeh. Having perfected the urban bistro-cuisine vibe, they’ve decided to bring the tradition of Southern France to Beirut. “The provincial feel of a hearty meal is definitely what you can expect from Amarres,” explained Ziad. “You’ll find côte de boeuf, entrecôte, a mixture of potatoes done from forestières, pommes de terre rissolées,” in addition to “Alaskan king crab, lobster and escargot”. For those of you who are familiar with the French delicacy of frog legs and have noticed their marked absence on Beirut’s culinary scene, Amarres will be the first venue in Lebanon to offer the famous French fare along with foie gras to be enjoyed with “a nice glass of wine, ideally at a price point where our clients can afford to experiment”. Hoping to anchor a new bevy of clientele, Executive Chef and Owner Alexis Couquelet has devised 2 separate menus: BreakfastAprès-Midi and Lunch-Dinner. His Sous-Chef, a newly-arrived French citizen, is still a secret but the vibe they are going for is not: “During après-midi, we want people to come and enjoy a bite with a glass of good rosé. We want that ambience, that charm.”

COUQLEY, ALLEYWAY GEMMAYZEH

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Dima Abulhusn, the architect behind Amarres, has explored the concept of “rustic-chic” for the venue. There is “a lot of wood, red copper and aluminum incorporated into the design.” The must see detail for their interior? “A wood handcrafted cast mosaic floor,” anchoring you further into place. What will mooring at Amarres be like? “It will be many things, not the least of which will be a fine selection of coffees on offer, we’re going to have a developed coffee and drinks menu, but it will also be about elevated quality desserts with ingredients that are at once simple and delight the palate,” said Ziad. “This is not gastro-français, where you see it and don’t recognize what’s on your plate. The evolution of restaurants in Lebanon has jumped right to that and missed the true elegance of good, simple French food,” he said.

Seating capacity on the terrace will be for 100 and up to 90 people may be accommodated indoors. One of Couqley’s strongest features is their wine list and the group has brought that added value to Amarres as well, “It’s the same model of reasonablypriced, good quality French, Lebanese and international wines.”

The authenticity is a chief focus of

Amarres and Chef Couquelet, who’s been resident in Lebanon for the past 8 years.

“You know, at Couqley we always say that a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine,” and every evening not spent docked at the new Amaress, under the light of the moon, will be…

Comment dit-on? Impardonnable.

EXECUTIVE CHEF AND OWNER ALEXIS COUQUELET

‘THE EVOLUTION OF RESTAURANTS IN LEBANON HAS JUMPED RIGHT TO THAT AND MISSED THE TRUE ELEGANCE OF GOOD, SIMPLE FRENCH FOOD’

GET TO KNOW with

YOUR WATERFRONT

WHERE THE REAL MEN ARE What CRO MAGNON Steakhouse & Bar Who L.E.T (Les Enfants Terribles) Entertainment, Joey Ghazal + Ramzi Traboulsi Know More www.lecrogmagnon.com (going live with resto launch) Find it on Facebook + Twitter All you real men out there, pay attention. And all you ladies out there looking for real men, you pay attention too. Hell, everyone listen up because Zaitunay Bay is the new home to Beirut’s first New York style glamour steakhouse. Aptly named after the “Caveman” era, CRO MAGNON is certain to be the destination hotspot for the Old Boys Network, offering the full range of Grain Fed USDA Prime Beef Cuts, such as the Porterhouse, the Rib-eye Steak, the New York Sirloin and even their own signature BoneIn Filet Mignon. If your inner hunter isn’t frothing at the mouth already, they’ll also be serving a roast prime rib, double-cut lamb chops and milk-fed veal. Architect Nabil Dada and Montreal concept developer, Joey Ghazal, have developed a dramatic space that features high-vaulted ceilings, a 500 bottle wine cellar, an exhibition grill and a retail butcher. The cigar bar at

CRO MAGNON will feature live jazz, single malts, cognacs, aged ports and a range of premium Cuban and Dominican favorites such as Romeo and Juliet, Monte Cristo, Cohiba and Partagas. A select few true cigar aficionados will even be able to reserve their own personal humidor on premises!

“Our wine list at CRO has been carefully crafted and includes an impressive selection of European and New World wines, such as the Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate.

These limited edition wines are extremely rare, even stateside, so being the first to bring them to Beirut is a real coup,” said Ghazal.

For the sea-faring of heart, CRO MAGNON also serves a significant range of steak-cut fish such as Ahi Tuna, cedar planked salmon, as well as an array of shellfish, such as lobster and shrimp. This will be for

those “looking for a real Surf ‘n Turf experience,” said Joey using the term that has yet to be put into practise here in Lebanon, until now that is. Lunch at CRO MAGNON will offer great value with a “Prix-Fix” which includes an appetizer, a main course and dessert for those looking for a power lunch. We know waiting for the launch this fall has you chomping at the bit already, but at ease boys. All good things come to those who wait!

APTLY NAMED AFTER THE “CAVEMAN” ERA, CRO MAGNON IS CERTAIN TO BE THE DESTINATION HOTSPOT FOR THE OLD BOYS NETWORK

MAN OVERBOARD What St. ELMO’S Seaside Brasserie Who L.E.T (Les Enfants Terribles) Entertainment, Joey Ghazal + Ramzi Traboulsi Know More www.stelmosbrasserie.com (going live with resto launch) Find it on Facebook + Twitter

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THAT LIFESAVER IN TUMULTUOUS SEAS, YOU’VE JUST PRAYED YOUR WAY UP TO THE RIGHT PORT!

Jumping ship takes on a whole new meaning this fall with the opening of St. ELMO’S, Zaitunay Bay’s very own English Seaside Brasserie. Named after the patron saint of sailors, St. ELMO’S serves affordable, round-theclock comfort food accompanied by an unpretentious wine list at very reasonable prices. Featuring a host of down home favorites, like the classic fish & chips, Bloody Mary mussels and their very own St. ELMO’S Burger, ELMO’S is sure to be a bustling lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and weekend brunch venue, and the perfect venue to enjoy a post-work (or post-beach) pitcher of Sangria or Draft Beer. For those of you missing the islands mon, you’re going to want to try their Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich with a mango, avocado and cilantro salsa.

Designed by Interior Architect Aal Chamaa Batal (Aaal & Associates) and enfant terrible, Joey Ghazal, the décor is “distressed nautical vintage” that gives this concept its “struggling artist meets shoreline” vibe. “St. Elmo’s will be accessible to everyone. You’ll see people strolling in wearing their swimsuits and flip-flops. Everyone’s welcome” said Joey, one of the concept creators behind BRGR Co., which kicked off Beirut’s burger craze just over a year ago. Montreal Import, Chef Anthony Nassif, veteran some of the best ranked restaurants in Montreal- 2 of which were voted Best Restaurants in Canada by EnRoute magazine, will be heading up the kitchen.

So if you’re looking for that lifesaver in tumultuous seas, set your compasses seaward, you’ve just prayed your way up to the right port!

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eat, drink + be merry PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

ON THE SHORELINE CHEF MITSU BRINGS THE REAL DEAL ON JAPANESE CUISINE AND TELLS WHY HE CHOSE SLICING SASHIMI OVER BEING A PUNK ROCK STAR

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

A

t mybar the best seller is Wagyu aburi , Japanese premium beef, and mizuna with foie gras,” says Mitsu holding a burning blow torch over the foie gras until it oozes.

“It’s always best to put the wasabi on the top of the maki,” he comments watching me stir it into a bowl of soya.

“And, eat a piece of ginger in between each mouthful of maki.”

Chef Mitsu is a rare man. Always smiling, soft tempered, he is also Lebanon’s only Japanese chef. “Did you know that there are just about 70 Japanese nationals living here,” he says.

He arrived on our shores a year ago to take up the Executive Chef position at mybar, and since then has served diners a fusion of modern and authentic Japanese cuisine.

‘AT MYBAR THE BEST SELLER IS WAGYU ABURI , JAPANESE PREMIUM BEEF, AND MIZUNA WITH FOIE GRAS’

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Wasabi is a favorite in his and every Japanese kitchen. Rikky, his assistant, takes out a long knife and shows how this root vegetable is scraped and then squashed to a puree, to bring out the spicy taste and flavor. Chef Mitsu’s other favorite is yuzu, a type of Japanese lemon, milder than the ones in Lebanon.

He brings out a well-worn Japanese vegetable reference book to show a picture of the fruit, then asks me to try his salmon roe marinated in saki and soya. All reputable chefs have their own collection of knives, their tools of the trade; Mitsu shows me his set and proudly demonstrates their sharpness, swiftly slicing a gleaming piece of salmon.

“I can’t say that it was always my dream to become a sushi chef,” says the youthful-looking 38 year-old. “But, my father’s hobby was eating and my mother was an excellent cook. She always made us good food and sparked my interest in cooking.” He decided to become a chef at the age of 16 learning step by step on the job. “I did not have much time for hobbies, but I did play guitar in a punk rock band.” Hard to imagine this gentle, baby-faced man sporting eyeliner and spiky hair.

He had his own restaurant by the age of 30 then he decided to travel the world and worked as a chef in Cyprus, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, and Nepal, before arriving in Lebanon.

‘I’D RATHER STAY IN THE KITCHEN THAN BE ANYWHERE ELSE. BEING A CHEF HAS GIVEN ME THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURES AS I HAVE WORKED ALL OVER THE WORLD.’ Out of his own kitchen he loves to eat Italian and Lebanese food. “I love shawarma and the kefta at Abou Josepf.

I also like Almaza beer, but, when eating in Lebanese restaurants I like to drink arak with my kibinaya and tabbouleh,” he says. “Drinking arak with raw meat kills bacteria. In Japan we drink saki or shochyu, [a Japanese spirit made of potato and grain] when eating raw fish.”

According to this chef, celebrity chef TV shows don’t really have a following in Japan, “It is not in our culture to show off in public.” But he does have a personal idol, Nobu who put sushi on the map. Nobuyuki Nobu Matsuhisa became famous worldwide for fusing Western cooking with traditional Japanese techniques. He partnered with Robert DeNiro to open the chain of Nobu restaurants.

On a table behind us a diner puffs away on a cigar and the smoke wafts over our way. I ask him what he thinks of the pending no smoking law to be imposed on bars and restaurants in Lebanon. “In Japan they don’t encourage smoking in restaurants, the smell affects your taste buds. Even perfume does.”

If you take you must give, if you give you must take, is Mitsu’s philosophy.

Rikky admits that his boss gives a lot to his team in the kitchen. “He is the best. He motivates everyone and is top in his trade.” Sayonara, chef

So has he ever been tempted to throw in the knives and do something completely different… like going back to playing in a punk rock band?

“I’d rather stay in the kitchen than be anywhere else. Being a chef has given me the chance to experience different cultures as I have worked all over the world. I keep learning all the time from the countries I visit,” he says.” And I work with passion. Cooking, music, you can’t do anything without passion.”

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MAKING WAVES

RAGMAG and BeirutRestaurants.com have teamed up to bring you the absolute best in seafood this issue. To really help you eat drink + be merry we’ve compiled a list of places for you to try a range of the best seafood available in Lebanon right now. We love a great meal of sushi or a tasty grilled sea bass and having the inside info from BeirutRestaurants.com makes it easier!

They’re RAGMAG’s goto site for everything from tapas to entrees that you can really sink your teeth into. If you’re a shellfish fan, our top resto list is a must try.

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

MANDALOUN SUR MER

MHANNA SUR MER

CHEZ SAMI

OCEANUS

SOHO

LE SUSHI BAR

GAMBERO

OSAKA

WHITE COAST

MYBAR

AL-SULTAN BRAHIM

Biel Downtown, Beirut 01/999330 01/999220

Rmeil Youssef, Sursock Street Achrafieh, Beirut 01/584638 01/584790 www.oceanus-lb.com

Rue De Liban no.7 Achrafieh, Beirut 01/333306 76/700368 www.gambero.me

Amchit,Byblos 09/621777 09/621888

Avenue Du Parc, Block 24, Minet el-Hosn Downtown, Beirut 01/999938

Sushi Lounge, Kantari, near Murr Tower Downtown, Beirut 01/360630 03/080868 www.osakasushilounge.com

Berytus Parks, 1344 Park Avenue Beirut Central District, Beirut 01/999608 70/608999 www.mybar.me

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Maameltein Jounieh 09/910520 09/646064

Abdel Wahab El Englizi Street Achrafieh, Beirut 01/338555 www.lesushibar.com

Sea Side Road, Jal El Dib, Next to Aishti Jal El Dib, Beirut 04/721981 03/066577

Minet el-Hosn Downtown, Beirut 01/989989 09/090809 www.al-sultanbrahim.com

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GAMBERO COMES OUT OF ITS SHELL SEAFARING CUISINE YOUMNA CHAGOURY BY

G

ambero is white. White walls, white chairs, white ceiling, white light. Long and narrow, the seashell restaurant recently opened in the heart of Achrafieh plays a game of contrasts with the old stone walls surrounding it. Inside, the setting is sober, made of long tables lined up with the walls. You don’t really have too much to pick from: you either sit on the benches (those are comfortable by the way) or on the rotating square chairs facing the wall. On the other side of the room, small intimate tables for two are also lined up – in a very tidy way.

The only ornaments are round lamps made of tangled iron threads overhanging the dining room. The long and high walls are intersected with wrought iron panels (white, of course!) of which the design is not very original nor very aesthetic. To make you forget these details, Gambero relies on the chic atmosphere of the restaurant. The silverware and spotless wine glasses lay on a gray cloth table mat; the service is excellent; as for the small bar at the very end of the room, with its purple and white lights, it offers all kind of cocktails in elegantly curved glassware.

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Upon entering, you are immediately escorted to your table. Before you get the menus, you are served a shot, just to get you in the mood.

After you get to look at the food and wine menus, sole fish and creamy curry sauce amuse-bouches open up your appetite. The menu, already tantalizing with its niçoise salad with fresh grilled tuna, the shrimp croquettes, the fresh crab or the seafood tagliatelle, gets even more interesting.

For the perfect dinner, start with their warm goat cheese salad. You probably think it’s more of a “home dish” than a restaurant specialty. Gambero will quickly change your mind. Served on a bed of crunchy green lettuce leaves, the runny goat cheese crottin comes with pine nuts and walnuts, with a pomegranate sauce. The acidity of the sauce and the lemony taste of the cheese are a perfect combination. A thick-cut salmon steak, served with mashed potato and a lemon and olive oil sauce, or their Kan Kan Kan Congolese specialty, a peanut butter shrimp dish, served with a mango/ avocado/coriander salad will definitely highlight your evening.

If you can still eat something after that, order their baked cheese cake, it’s simply a marvel. My tip: share the starter and the dessert since their dishes are worth the price you pay, both in quantity and quality.

The background music of Gambero is somewhat surprising. Between lounge music and techno-trance, it is offset from the restaurant, but it’s just as well.

In fact, Gambero is the ideal place to spend a little time having one more drink after dinner. It’s more relaxing than a bar and nicer than a restaurant where all you do is eat

The + + Their sundried tomato and herb bread tastes amazing. + Their service is excellent: You don’t even need to raise your hand asking for someone. One look, and a waiter appears at the table. + At the end of the dinner, the waiter brings you a finger bowl, consisting of a lemon wedge, water, and flower essence. Before you dip your finger, the waiter puts a small capsule in it. It absorbs the water, and here is your wet wipe. + I can’t emphasize it enough: the place is REALLY clean.

The – - The wrought iron panels overlook… a wall. A big, certainly clean, but very grey wall. For the nude effect, it’s perfect, but this lack of taste as for the interior setting was the downside of the dining experience.

Gambero Rue du Liban, no.7, Achrafieh, Beirut 01/333306 76/700368 info@gambero.me, www.gambero.me

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

163

eat, drink + be merry

LUNCH WITH CHEF MAHER EL-ALAM

Asian

TUNA SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•4 French bread •2 white tuna cans •1 can sweet corn •3 chopped pickles •1 tablespoon of chopped parsley •4 tablespoons soya sauce •1 tablespoon vinegar •1 teaspoon whole grain mustard •1 teaspoon Dijon mustard •1 finely chopped head lettuce •2 sliced tomatoes •Pepper

PREPARATION Hollow out the loaf after slicing with a knife. In a bowl, mix the tuna, the corn and the pickles with the soya sauce and the vinegar. Add the parsley, the two mustards and a pinch of pepper. Mix well. Finely chop the lettuce and fill the bread with it. Add the tuna mixture and a few tomato slices.

164 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

Seafood

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•500gr noodles •500gr mixed seafood •2 sliced carrots •2 chopped onions •1 teaspoon chopped garlic •Half a cabbage •1 green pepper •1 red pepper •Seafood seasoning mix •2 tablespoons soya sauce •1 tablespoon oyster sauce •Sesame oil •Ginger powder •Coriander leaves PREPARATION Cook the mixed seafood in boiling water, with a pinch of salt and the seasoning mix. Make sure you keep the cooking water for later. In a wok, pour a few tablespoons of sesame oil and stir-fry the garlic and the onions.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the

reserved water. Gradually add the carrots, the green and red pepper, and the cabbage to the wok. When cooked, add the soya, the oyster sauce and the ginger powder.

Add the noodles, mix and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Summer INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 4 SERVINGS

•450gr red and black currants •the juice of 1/2 orange •225gr raspberries •225gr castor sugar PREPARATION Cook the currants with the orange juice and the sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Stir gently and cook till tender.

Remove, add the raspberries and allow to cool. Cut the white bread in circles.

Place one circle and its breadcrumbs

at the bottom of each ramekin. Add a spoon of the currants and raspberries mixture. Add a layer of whipped cream, and cover with a second bread circle.

Put the ramekin in the fridge for a few minutes, and repeat first layer process.

SERVING Remove the pudding from the ramekins and decorate with a spoon of the currants mixture and whipped cream.

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

165

quizz ROUND #1

ROUND #2

Trivia

ROUND #3

The Arts

1. What is the oldest airline that still operates under its original name?

1. Which epic poem, written by Homer, was set during the Trojan war?

2. Which famous female appeared on the cover of Playboy in 1953?

2. Frans Hals is famous for his painting of what character?

3. What colour is the zero on a roulette wheel?

4. On a clothing label, what does a circle with a cross in it mean?

5. What does the Turkish tradition known as Falaka involve?

6. Envelope, basket and burner are three of the main parts of what?

7.

What is the official language of the U.S.A.?

8.

Which record label did Michael Jackson first sign with?

9.

What devices can be known as flip, bar, slide, swivel or brick?

10.

What common species of animals has the largest varieties of sizes and shapes?

ROUND #4

History + Geography

3. Donatello is famous for his sculpture of which figure? It was also done by Michelangelo.

4. What is the last word to appear in the New Testament?

5. Who composed the operetta Die Fleidermaus?

6. What was the name of the ship in which Jason sailed in his search for the Golden Fleece?

7.

Which British painter painted the picture known as the Hay Wain?

8.

What was the title of Beethoven’s only opera set in Spain?

9.

The Thinker was sculpted by who?

10.

Figaro appears in two major operas, The Marriage of Figaro and which other one?

Trivia

1. Which famous Reggae singer died in 1981, at the age of 36, at the Cedars of Lebanon hospital in Miami?

1. What was the name of Anthony Perkin’s character in the film “Psycho”?

2. Las Vegas is situated in which desert?

2. The Canadian postal service has issued the postal code HOH OHO to what location?

3. Lord Louis Mountbatten was assassinated off the coast of which country in 1979?

3. Which company manufactures “Jumbo” ice creams?

4. In Japan, on which side of the road do they drive?

4. Shatt al Arab forms the often disputed border between which two countries?

5. What did the Barbie doll get in 2000 that it didn’t have before?

5. The Manhattan Project of the 1940s resulted in the development of what?

6. In which U.S. state would you find the Everglades?

7. What was the name of the brothers who are credited with building the first successful airplane?

6. According to the Bible, on what day did God create “the beasts of the Earth”?

7. You have a large bedroom and the only light switch is 4 meters from your bed. How can you switch off the light and be in bed before it is dark?

8. Dubrovnick is in which country?

8. Apparently a cockroach will not eat what sort of food?

9. Which mountain overlooks Cape Town?

9. Which designer produces his garments with the label JK?

10. Which avenue in Paris runs from Place de la Concorde to Place Charles de Gaul?

10. In English we use what French phrase which describes a private conversation between two people?

dingbats Does it hurt?

Law enforcement assistant!

Don’t follow the law precisely

AIM An old punishment?

Go for the best!

Pop star groupies?

(3+6=9) Some form of combat!

A drinking place!

Stolen or not?

ROUND#1 1. KLM 2. Marilyn Monroe 3. Green 4. Do Not Dry Clean 5. Beating the Soles of the feet of prisoners 6. Hot Air Balloon 7. It does’t have one 8. Motown 9.Mobile Phones 10. The dog ROUND#2 1. Iliyad 2. The laughing cavalier 3. David 4. Amen 5. Straus 6. The Argo 7. Constable 8. Fedelio 9. Auguste Rodin 10. Barbar of Seville ROUND#3 1. Bob Marley 2. Mojave 3. Ireland 4. Iran and Iraq 5. The Atomic Bomb 6. Florida 7. Wright 8. Croatia 9. Table Top 10. Champs Elysées ROUND#4 1. Norman Bates 2. North Pole 3. Liban Jus 4. Left 5. Belly Button 6. Fifth Day 7. Go to bed during daylight 8. Pickles 9. Jamil Khansa 10. Tête-à-tête

FACE OFF - POLICE DOG - BEND THE RULES CAT OF NINE TAILS - AIM HIGH - FAN CLUB DOG FIGHT - TREESUM - IT FELL OFF THE BACK OF A LORRY

166 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

brainfood

crosswords 1

3

2

5 9

8

10

11

6

DOWN

4

2. The type of rock formed from

7 13

12

lava.

14

3. Stuck tight.

4. Small nail.

5. Destroyed.

6. An ugly old woman.

9. A duck or something to keep

15 16

17 18

20

21

22

26

24 28

27 30

31

32

19

23

33

25

blue one.

12. A funny noise when slightly

34

worried.

35 36

13. Cut badly.

14. Time to free political prisoners?

19. It’s not real.

20. Has four speakers.

23. Naughty sex?

24. Woven fiber.

25. Someone’s location?

26. A telescope’s house?

27. A paid holiday for university

37

38 39

41

40

42

43

45

44

47

teachers.

48 49

28. A magician’s stick?

30. Discrimination.

32. Artificial body part.

33. A guitar with four strings.

35. Sometimes served on the side.

40. Difficult to deal with.

42. A hard worker.

43. A place to hang from?

45. A secret reason or motive!

46. Lewis Carroll’s scary monster?

47. Believes in good things

50 51

52

53

54

55

56

58

59

57

60

62

61

63 64

65

67

66

happening.

49. Small piece of paper giving

68

69 72

71

73

70

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81 82

84

83

85 86

87

88

90

1. Aired.

7. A long historical story.

8. Stupid.

11. Not definitely true!

15. Press into small folds.

16. Very tired.

17. Upset?

18. Smelling very bad.

21. A Jewish priest?

22. Slightly!

29. Can do it.

31. A small musical instrument.

34. He fights against change.

36. Speaking French as the main

language.

37. Make a decision.

38. The sound of fun.

39. He will not stop bleeding.

41. Make it different?

44. Just a few friends playing with a

football.

48. Straight away.

sudoku

50. A small room for coats?

51. Was he a duck?

52. Electric string or a telegram!

53. It falls from the sky!

55. Not telling the truth.

58. A film or array of numbers.

59. Very expensive!

61. A system for naming things.

63. He makes things for horses.

64. A race course around posts?

66. Has very low moral standards.

5 9 2 4

4 5 7 4

5 6 8 9

1 4 6 8

4 6 9

6 1 9

5

8 2 6 4

7

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

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

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

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

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

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

1

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

5 8 4 5 6 7 3

8

9 4

5 4 3 8 9 7 1 6 2

1 6 9 2 5 3 8 4 7

8 2 7 6 4 1 3 5 9

9 5 2 7 3 4 6 8 1

7 1 8 5 6 9 2 3 4

6 3 4 1 8 2 9 7 5

4 8 5 9 1 6 7 2 3

6 5

6 5 1

7 2 9 6 5 8

4 1 9

7

7

1 7

3 6 2 4 7

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

2 9

6

2 6

studied.

EASY

3

7

67. The study of fungi.

72. Silenced.

74. Switched off!

75. A clever remark.

76. Breaks easily.

77. Very energetic and happy.

78. Most important part.

80. Pay attention?

81. Coming from.

82. Group of subjects to be

2 9 6 3 7 5 4 1 8

6 7 1 4 2 8 5 9 6

2 4 8 6 5 9 7 3 1

9 7 3 2 1 4 8 5 6

5 6 1 7 8 3 9 4 2

4 3 5 1 7 2 6 8 9

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

1 2 6 3 9 8 5 7 4

8 1 4 9 2 5 3 6 7

3 5 7 4 6 1 2 9 8

6 9 2 8 3 7 4 1 5

83. A small handy thing.

84. A Scottish cave or an overture.

86. She is really scary.

87. Has rough edges.

88. It gives the desired result.

89. Thin thread made by spiders.

90. Has a very strong opinion.

ACCROSS 1. VENTILLATED - 7. SAGA - 8. NONSENSICAL 11. DEBATABLE - 15. CRIMP - 16. ZONKED - 17. ANGRY 18. FETID - 21. RABBI - 22. TAD! - 29. ABLE - 31. KAZOO 34. REACTIONARY - 36. FRANCOPHONE - 37. FINALISE. 38. LAUGHTER - 39. HAEMOPHILIAC - 41. VARY 44. KICKABOUT - 48. IMMEDIATELY - 50. VESTIBULE 51. DAFFY - 52. CABLE - 53. HAIL - 55. DECEITFUL 58. MATRIX - 59. EXTORTIONATE - 61. NOMENCLATURE 63. SADDLER - 64. SLALOM - 66. DECADENT. 67. MYCOLOGY - 72. MUFFLED - 74. DEACTIVATED 75. QUIP - 76. FRAGILE - 77. EBULLIENT 78. QUINTESSENTIAL - 80. FOCUS - 81. ORIGINATING 82. CURRICULUM - 83. GADGET - 84. FINGAL 86. GORGON - 87. JAGGED - 88. EFFECTIVE 89. GOSSAMER - 90. ZEALOUS

ACROSS

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

information.

54. Can be lived in.

56. Walk like a duck.

57. Plant tissue that carries water.

60. Not yet a frog.

62. Sail all the way round.

65. A small, orange like fruit.

68. An old man?

69. Control something.

70. Thick Japanese noodles.

71. Have a lot of sexual partners.

73. It needs a lot of time and effort.

79. They look nice on babies.

85. A small injection?

DOWN 2. IGNEOUS - 3. JAMMED - 4. TACK - 5. ZAPPED 6. HAG - 9. EIDERDOWN - 10. LAGOON - 12. EEK 13. LACERATED - 14. AMNESTY - 19. IMAGINARY 20. QUADRAPHONIC - 23. NOOKY - 24. WEBBING 25. WHEREABOUTS - 26. OBSERVATORY 27. SABBATICAL - 28. WAND - 30. RACISM. 32. PROSTHESIS - 33. UKELELE - 35. SALAD 40. OBSTREPOROUS - 42. ANT - 43. GIBBET 45. ULTERIOR - 46. JABBERWOCKY - 47. IDEALIST 49. TAB - 54. HABITABLE - 56. WADDLE - 57. XYLEM 60. TADPOLE - 62. CIRCUMNAVIGATE - 65. KUMQUAT 68. GEEZER - 69. MANIPULATE - 70. UDON 71. PROMISCUOUS - 73. LABORIOUS - 79. RIBBONS 85. JAB

89

1

you warm?

10. Brooke Shields swam in a

29

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

167

RAGMAG

astro

Zodiac forecasts FROM JONATHAN CAINER

July.2011

JULY BEGINS WITH A RATHER WEAK, WEEDY ‘PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE’. IT WILL ONLY BE VISIBLE IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE ON A BOAT IN THE ANTARCTIC AND, EVEN THEN... YOU’LL HAVE TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR IT. BUT FROM THAT, WE SHOULD NOT CONCLUDE THAT THE ASTROLOGICAL OUTLOOK IS WITHOUT POWER OR STRENGTH. EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT US ALL, NOT LEAST BECAUSE URANUS IS ENDING A RETROGRADE PHASE, AND MARS IS FORMING A SHARP ALIGNMENT TO JUPITER. IF THERE’S SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IN, CAMPAIGN FOR IT. IF THERE’S SOMETHING YOU DESERVE, EXPECT IT. YOU’LL BE AMAZED BY WHAT PROVES POSSIBLE.

CARLOS SANTANA

ISABELLE ADJANI

LEO

July 24 - August 23

Why not steel yourself for the worst? It’s not going to happen but if you prepare for big bad news, a minor difficulty will seem easy by comparison. The secret of success in July, involves appreciating what you’ve got. Don’t waste time feeling upset if this doesn’t match your idea about what you ought to have.

Develop love and appreciation, even for things you are not so sure of, and for the people you are in conflict with.

Then you will find that, somehow, others direct love and appreciation towards you - and with this, comes the best, not the worst!

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

CANCER June 23 - July 23

People like repetition and uniformity.

That’s why cities and shopping centres are so similar. It’s why, almost no matter where we travel in the world, we can get the same food and buy the same drinks.

It is as if we value consistency more than excellence. Who cares whether it’s great as long as it’s average? Is there are part of you now operating on similar principles?

Are you settling for mediocrity when you could be achieving brilliance? July brings your chance to dare to be different.

Everything can improve if you’re brave enough to seek change.

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

VIRGO

August 24 - September 23 It’s easy to be strong. You just have to lose your fear of seeming weak.

When we dwell too long on our social standing, we become disempowered.

By caring too much about how we may be judged, we grow dependent on approval and applause. The integrity of our individuality is compromised. We must, of course, be aware of people’s feelings - and sensitive to them. Weakness that stems from a desire to avoid doing harm is strength. Strength shown out of a desire to look good - is weakness!

Remember that, in July, and all will be well.

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

168 RAGMAG | JULY 2011

September 24 - October 23

October 24 - November 22

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

If you are a passenger on a nonstop train, you will arrive at your destination regardless of how enthusiastic you feel about making the journey. Once you have taken your seat and the doors are closed, you are on your way. You can spend hours telling yourself that perhaps it is not such a good idea to be travelling, or trying somehow to ‘will’ the entire expedition to a standstill.

It will make no odds. Remember all that in July. You are on your way to somewhere good now. You have developed many doubts but thankfully, they are all irrelevant.

When you come to look back over the story of your life, how important will this month seem? Will it be part of the padding or will it contain an integral piece of the plot? Life can easily provide you now, with a straight continuation of a recent scenario.

Simply make no changes and no changes will come about. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t make July truly special. You can - without even achieving or accomplishing any great material goal. Just set out to think about things differently and you’ll experience magic of a most moving kind.

What comes after an uphill struggle?

A downhill cruise. You may feel as if you have recently reached a plateau.

You have climbed hard and high.

There has, though, so far been no real sense of reward for all this effort.

It’s as if you haven’t really gone anywhere or done anything. You feel slightly cheated. Yet, your perception of the situation is not a clear one.

Either you are about to go racing ‘down the other side’ or hurtling back the way you came. That’s your choice. But whichever it is, July will bring a great sense of fulfilment and excitement.

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

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

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

LIBRA

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

November 23 - December

PISCES

December 22 - January 20

January 21 - February 19

February 20 - March 20

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

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

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

ARIES

TAURUS April 21 - May 21

May 22 - June 22

‘Halt. Who goes there, friend or foe?’ How crazy is this old wartime phrase? Even if the intruder is an enemy, is he going to reply, ‘I’m a foe. Go ahead and shoot me’? Now. Let’s turn to your big question for July. How do you tell an enemy from an ally? Our friends often say things that make us defensive. If they care, they have a duty to be honest. And those who want to exploit or even harm us know the value of flattery.

This month, you’ll find out who really is (or isn’t) on your side. That will help in more ways than you yet imagine.

Patience can sometimes be a sign of weakness, sometimes a sign of strength. A person may wait because they dare not do anything else or they may hold on because they want to see what else will happen if they don’t assert themselves. Alternatively, they may feel they want to help someone else reach an important conclusion at their own pace. I mention this because we need to identify the reason why, in July, you are refraining from pursuing an option that is open to you. It is not cowardice; it is actually a combination of courage and cleverness.

A situation is ‘less than ideal’. What’s so bad about that? This is Planet Earth, where things have been messy ever since that unfortunate incident with the apple and the serpent. It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do, there will always be a piece missing from the jigsaw. A perfect paradise may exist elsewhere in this infinite cosmos but here on this big blue ball of rock, if you want to feel perfect, you’ve only got one option.

You must learn to love reality, warts and all. In July, if you look at what’s good and truly appreciate it, what’s bad will get better.

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

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

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

Most of us are good at talking. Few of us, though, are quite so skilled in the art of listening.

There are times when we simply cannot hear what we are being told. We are too wrapped-up in our emotions and opinions - our passions and our prejudices. When, though, we can find some way to go beyond these, and to pay close attention to the people near us, we can make the most amazing and potentially profitable discoveries. In July, someone wants to let you know something. Ask the universe for what you want and you could actually get it.

March 21 - April 20

If you want to keep a piece of information private but your conscience is nagging you to share it, just make a long and boring announcement. Then everyone will ignore it. If you want to get a message round the world as fast as possible, whisper it into a couple of carefully chosen ears and insist that it is a great secret that must not go any further. There is now something you need to find out more about. The information is available, but it is not necessarily to be found in the most obvious place. Be clever in July and you’ll get all you need.

What would you do if you were somebody else? Where would you go?

How would you behave? You cannot possibly answer this question. You have no idea. You can only be yourself.

Why, then, do you sometimes feel inclined to emulate the examples of others? Or even to assume that their ideas and actions are worth more than your own? Without becoming arrogant, and whilst remembering that it is important to listen and be sensitive, it is imperative to trust your own judgement in July. You’re about to make a once in a lifetime choice. So be wise.

GEMINI

THE HANG TEN ISSUE

169

out +about

THE FOUR ELEMENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON ZAMORA

WATER WORKS AT THE FOUR SEASONS

Get Your Own Airspace + Waterworks The Roof at the Four Seasons 1418 Professor Wafic Sinno Avenue Minet El Hosn, Beirut RAGMAG | JULY 2011 170 01/761 555 70/010 555

RAGMAG GOT OUT + ABOUT AND A LITTLE BIT ENVIOUS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE ROOF AT THE FOUR SEASONS BEIRUT! IF YOU THINK BEIRUT’S ALREADY GOT ITS ROOFTOP HOTSPOTS, YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECONSIDER SINCE THIS ONE INCLUDES EARTH, WIND, FIRE AND WATER. LOCATED ON THE HOTEL’S 26TH FLOOR BY THE ROOFTOP POOL, THE STELLAR VIEW GIVES YOU A BIRD’S EYE VANTAGE POINT WITH WRAPAROUND VIEWS OF BEIRUT’S DOWNTOWN SKYLINE, MOUNTAINS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE GLITTERATI WAS OUT + ABOUT TO HELP TOAST THE LONG AWAITED OPENING OF THE 119 METRES (390 FEET) ABOVE SEA LEVEL VENUE. THE TAPAS LOUNGE WILL HAVE A LIVE DJ SPINNING TOP 40 FROM 7:30 PM TO 1AM NIGHTLY, TUESDAY TO SUNDAY. THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR NIGHT? GOWNS FROM SOPHIE’S CHOICE IN SULTRY SUMMER GORGEOUS!

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172 RAGMAG | JULY 2011