RAGMAG Sterile Issue | May 2012 | Issue #24

MAGAZINE

STERILE

DIRTY

MONEY MONEY LAUNDERING IN LEBANON

GOING

AU NATURALE WE TRIED IT! POP’S QUEEN REGENT COMES TO ABU DHABI

MADONNA THE STERILE ISSUE

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RAGMAG | MAY 2012

MAGAZINE

Publisher Gina Gabriel El-Fady Editor in Chief Fida Z Chaaban Creative Lead Odette Kahwagi Managing Director Georges Yarack

Photograhers Odette Kahwagi Christian Harb Dave Kai Piper Jason Zamora Teddy Habib Brianna Hughes Selected images Shutterstock

Webmaster Youmna Chagoury

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

w w w . r a g m a g l i v e . c o m

@RAGMAGLebanon RAGMAGMagazine 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.

Media Representative

Stylist Jony Matta Public Relations Coordinator Lea El-Alam Marketing Advisor Daniella Tayar Administrative Coordinator Teddy Younes

Printed by Raidy Printing Group

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

Copyright RAGMAG 2012 All Rights Reserved.

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JOHNNIE WALKER KEEP WALKING PROJECT ANNOUNCES LEBANON’S NEW PIONEERING PROJECT On January 19, 2012 Johnnie Walker launched THE KEEP WALKING PROJECT, an initiative which reached out to an entire community and called on them to walk together and vote for one of three pioneering projects that they believed would keep their country walking.

The projects were introduced and supported by Johnnie Walker’s newest spokesperson, Nadine Labaki, whose message of collective progress is very much the inspiration behind the KWP projects. While each project showed sincere purpose in wanting to help the country, participants were asked to vote for the one they believed would help the country progress the most.

By downloading THE KEEP WALKING PROJECT application on Facebook and sharing, liking, and posting on the various elements of the Keep Walking Project, participants essentially became walkers and earned steps that would be donated to the project that they felt would best help Lebanon.

In parallel, Walkers could also download the iPhone app and donate actual steps towards their favorite project. The more people walked, the more they voted, and the greater the chances that the preferred project would come to life.

This year the Keep Walking Project initiative, which continues to serve as a solid testament to Johnnie Walker’s mantra of “Keep Walking” for over a decade, was represented by three promising new projects in the sectors of Business, the Environment, and Tourism: The Business Project by Hub Culture, which aims to provide expert advice for aspiring entrepreneurs; the Tourism Project by Marhaba, that would create an online platform that offers unique guided tours to the country’s most authentic places; and the Environmental Project by micro-WTE, which uses a revolutionary system that can be installed in buildings, they claim they can turn 90% of the waste into free heating and cooling energy.

JOHNNIE WALKER, the KEEP WALKING words, the Striding Man device and associated logos are trademarks. © Johnnie Walker & Sons 2011

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RAGMAG | MAY 2012

Born in Qobayyat, Akkar, North Lebanon, project leader Pierre Daher grew up in Lebanon and his passion for tourism and travel is what motivated him and three others to create Marhaba. The Marhaba team, which also includes Pascale Baaklini, Jessica Abou Haydar, and Ghady Felfleh, travel every weekend to a new area in Lebanon to experience the local culture, habits and natural environment of the many unknown local gems in order to better build their offerings on the site.

And the people walked, in thousands. And as they did so, they voted for their favorite project which eventually was identified: The Tourism Project by Marhaba. They managed to generate over 27.2 million steps out of a total of 47.428 million KWP steps.

Through an online social platform, Marhaba will offer unique guided tours to the country’s most authentic places that are off the typical touristic map, providing customized programs for tourists, creating new job opportunities for locals, and improving the overall socioeconomic conditions and development of Lebanon’s rural areas. With over 86% of touristic spending done within Beirut, it comes as no surprise that Lebanon’s many hidden treasures have yet to be explored. The Tourism Project by Marhaba is very adamant about changing that.

The top three Walkers participating in the Johnnie Walker Keep Walking Project were rewarded for their outstanding achievement with valuable gifts at the end of every stage.

The top Walker received a brand new 16GB iPad 2 while the two runners-up were rewarded with a bottle of the refined Johnnie Walker Blue Label, “a blend of our rarest whiskies”.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MARHABA PROJECT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROJECT COME TO LIFE TOWARDS THE END OF MAY. NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE WALKERS WHO VOTED AND GOT INVOLVED IN KWP, PUSHING LEBANON TO ALWAYS KEEP WALKING TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY

5 DRINKiQ.COM THE STERILE ISSUE

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EDITOR’S OPINION A CLEAN SLATE

78 82

EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES COPYCAT REAL LIFE RUNWAY STYLE FILE THE QUEEN REGENT OF POP:

OUR EDITOR ADMITS THE TRUTH

MADONNA’S FASHION FIXATIONS

88 FUNCTION + FASHION IN NYC CARTIER 100 STERILE LIVING OUR FASHION SHOOT 34

OUT + ABOUT ON THE STRAIGHT + NARROW EU CONFERENCE IN LEBANON

144 COCKTAILS GETTING COOLER HAAGEN-DAZS ZAITUNAY BAY

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CULTURE CLASH COMING CLEAN VIA CINEMA

20 24 56

CLEAR AS DAY CHANGING TYPES NEATLY DONE GABYGABY IS SPOT ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS

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DOLLARS+SENSE MONEY LAUNDERING + LEBANON

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YOU + YOUR COUNTRY MUDDY WATERS

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THE FINAL FRONTIER GENETICS BLURRING CLEAN LINES

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SCOOPCITY MAKES ONLINE DEALS EASY

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FML THE BARE TRUTH

SECTOR ZERO

HAYDA LEBNEN

DIRTY MONEY

WHO GETS WHICH CITIZENSHIP

SCIENCE TECH

OUR EDITOR GOES AU NATURALE

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THE STERILE ISSUE

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THE STERILE ISSUE

MON AMOUR, MON AMI 46 KEEPING IT CLEAN

KC BAKER TALKS RELATIONSHIPS

54 MESSY SITUATION

BREAKUPS MORE COMMON THAN MAKEUPS

MIND, BODY + SOUL 42 GET TO KNOW YOUR BREASTS EARLY DETECTION!

44 CLEAR COMMUNICATION MOMMA SING TO YOUR BABY

48 A CLEANER CONSCIENCE MATTHEW HUSSEY

50 HELP ME NOUR + RABIH ADVICE

MIRROR MIRROR 62 DO IT YOURSELF SPA REVIEW

68 VIVA GLAM IS BACK M.A.C. 72 UPGRADE TO LIFE + LIGHT 74 SEASONAL BESTS

LANCÔME

MUFE GETS YOU DONE UP

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 40 LIVING OFF THE LAND MILES IRVING

132 RESTAURANT REVIEW

FEBRUARY 30’s DIRTY MARTINIS

134 FRESH FARE

RECIPES

TAKE ME WITH YOU 126 FINERY + FILTH RIO DE JANEIRO

RAGMAG’S DO IT YOURSELF HOME SPA 8 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

TRAVEL

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A SUMMER TO REMEMBER This season it is all about the flavorful food and vivid entertainment at Amethyste Lounge with amazing fresh cocktails, live music and world famous DJs. Reserve on 01 357 357 amethystelounge.com

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

When RM was launched two years ago, our aim was to reach out to Lebanon and to prove that the impossible is very much possible. We wanted to mesh with Lebanese society and make a difference.

Until the present day we have been true to our word and we believe that we have made a difference. However, yesterday the 27th of April, I bore witness to what making a difference really felt like. I was part of an audience at Baabda Prison, to watch a performance of ‘Sheherazade in Baabda’ by Zeina Daccache and for the first time in a long time I feel that I have no words. Lebanon had to be there to see what I saw and to feel the disgust that I felt for a society that has turned away from its responsibilities. I commend Ms. Daccache on her great work and wish her the best of luck.

I would like to thank GS Stores, L’Atelier Blanc and Make Up For Ever for the great reader rewards and their continuous support.

As usual please follow me @GinaGabriel1 on twitter and feel free to drop me an email to publisher@ragmaglive.com and tell us what you would like us to bring to you.

Next month, June, we will be celebrating our 2nd birthday with a first time interview in the Middle East with the great SLASH! Don’t miss out!

Gina Gabriel El-Fady | Publisher

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12 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

EDITOR’S LETTER

STERILE BECAUSE EVEN RAGMAG CAN USE A GOOD SCRUB DOWN First things first: tweeps, thank you so much for sharing your comments and pictures of our April Tying the Knot issue! We are so thrilled to hear from you all so regularly. I want to call your attention to the images on my page. I absolutely loved the parody of my BlackBerry detox article created for me by reader Sara Nassar. It really is one of the best things I can get especially as a writer and editor. Thank you, Sara!

On a more serious note, I want to thank all the people who Direct Messaged me on Twitter to tell me what the LGBT wedding feature meant to them. (You know who you are.) I hope that one day you will be able to celebrate your loved ones on an equal playing field.

Remember Lebanon, everyone should be free to express their love… be they heterosexual or homosexual.

Onto this issue, it’s super clean and spic n’ span. We get a little dirty sometimes, so we wanted to visit living back to basics. Not all RAGMAG issues are created equal, and let me tell you, some are challenging as hell. This issue was one of the latter because we had to decide how natural to get. It’s no secret that living organically and more in tune with the planet is in… green is the new black. This isn’t practical nor is it easy. I gave it a try in this issue for FML and I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tough. My creature comforts -my products- were

The next reader I want to shout out: May Rostom all the way from Egypt.

The picture of the 3 lovely ladies on the beach with their RAGMAG copies was definitely print worthy. May, a writer for MSN Arabia, pens tongue in cheek articles that I encourage you all to check out in MSN Arabia’s Lifestyle section.

May, thank you for sending the image to us! RAGMAG readers, send us your shots with the mag via email or Twitter, they make us happy.

sorely missed! Read that in this issue.

Finally, lifestyle coaches Matthew Hussey and KC Baker advise you on how to get a cleaner conscience and manage that challenging relationship.

See those features in their respective sections- Mind, Body + Soul and Mon Amour Mon Ami. Forager Miles Irving teaches you to live off the land, (yes, it can be done!) and Lara Ariss whips up a healthy, fresh menu. Food is at the root of a healthy and clean lifestyle and both Miles and Lara had you in mind.

Get squeaky clean this issue… we tried it and so can you!

Talk to me on Twitter @fidachaaban and follow @RAGMAGLebanon for updates and reader rewards that are meant to thank you for being part of RAGMAG. If you think of something that deserves print space, my cyber door is always open. Email me at letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com We are the only magazine in Lebanon that talks back. We’re here because of the support and constant encouragement of our loyal readers. It’s Your Magazine.

Fida Z Chaaban

Editor in Chief

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

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

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

CONGRATULATIONS TO THREE RAGMAG READERS! RAGMAG loves reader interaction so we paired up with the fashion savvy peep at GS Stores and ran an online reader reward via social media. We posted the teasers for the cool rewards on our Facebook page and Twitter a few days beforehand then we ran the competition. GS awarded 3 RAGMAG readers their must-haves for this season!

How did they win? They linked us to GS Stores Pinterest choices for SS2012 and a favorite summer beaching song. Get pinteresting with us and GS! Congratulations to Nour Yammouni, Tracy Ghazal and Aline Chirinian!

GET YOUR OWN GS MUST HAVES!

Hamra | ABC Achrafieh | Dbayeh | Galaxy Center | Verdun Dunes Center | Tripoli | Saida www.gs.com.lb GrandStores GSstores GSstores

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We love Rihanna’s wardrobe and GS are the only retailers in Lebanon carrying her ANONAME Paris Skinny jeans! AnonameTHE ART OF DENIM

We liked Miss USA Alyssa Campanella rocking the Chinese Laundry HAYLIE booties on the red carpet!

The only place they’re available? GS of course!

Our fave of the 3 reader rewards by GS was this pair of NOAH brand open-toed crochet stiletto booties. NOAH is new in Lebanon, and now you know where to pick up a pair for yourself. Get your GS fashion fix now!

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EDITOR’S OPINION

A CLEAN

SLATE

T

his is going to be a funny oped –not like funny jokes, more like funny strange. Looking at my previous opinion editorials, I realized that I am constantly on a soap box. Change this, do that, read this, don’t believe that. Enough! Since we’re getting sterilized this issue, I thought about my cleaning up my own dirty laundry, if you know the figure of speech I’m referring to, and how often it is aired in the pages of this magazine and in other places that I am published. I think, in the interest of our readership, the loyal and very interactive people that write to us and tweet at us, I should start this issue off with a clean slate. And that means telling you all the truth about me and about the content you read in RAGMAG.

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CONFESSION TIME

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS

The truth is that the material that I put forward and that I assign to our staff is largely based on personal experiences.

I am a bit ashamed to tell you that more often than not, while someone is telling me a very personal story, in my head I am thinking how best to get them to write about it. Tons of times I’ve heard a heart-wrenching story from a contributor and even from Gina (our Publisher), and after a few sympathetic comments I usually end up saying, “You should write an article about that!” This has generated a mixed bag of responses.

I’ve gotten, “This is too personal to put in print,” and “You’re right, people need to hear this,” from my writers and yes, even from Gina. I should warn you all that I am quite capable of convincing anyone of almost anything. Really. And

I use that shamelessly to bring our readers the best essays and true talk that I can. I don’t think it means I am taking advantage of the person per se, but I guess you will have to make that judgement call yourself. The staff’s secrets, the secrets of our friends and families and the stories of our lives are woven throughout the fabric of the magazine.

For those of you out there that know us on a personal level, take it from the horse’s mouth: if at any time you have told me a story pertaining to relationships and woe, it has appeared in one of my articles, either in RAGMAG or in the other publications I write for. Some of you might even recognize yourselves and then shrug it off thinking, “No, she can’t be writing about me.” Yes, she can and yes she did. At least I’m telling you the truth, albeit belated.

A CLEAN SLATE | AIRING MY DIRTY LAUNDRY

MESSY MISSY

Machiavelli’s magnum opus, The Prince, gave rise to the oft-employed phrase, “the end justifies the means”.

It is used to validate a whole slew of bad behavior. Essentially a debate of ethics, it means that whatever moral ground you may be breaching (via your actions) to get your end result or goal state are excused as necessary things you do to get your desired outcome. I do whatever I have to do to make the magazine as relevant and attractive to our readership as possible, and I admit that sometimes my tactics aren’t pretty.

I’ve written relationship articles that use a hefty amount of truth drawing on my own catastrophes and the catastrophes of the people I know. Recently, an acquaintance heavily criticized an article of mine to a mutual friend, calling it rude and even cruel. The article he hated so much was called “Meeting a Rock Star Ruined My Relationship” and it was written for MSN Arabia. It was a silly relationship article that girls in their

early twenties love to read, and indeed it was heavily praised. It wasn’t entirely realistic but it was basically rooted in fact. Why did it receive such negative backlash from him? Because the use of my personal life affronted him and he declared it “offensive” to the people who were mentioned. The end result of this article was a creative addition to my portfolio and tons of web hits. That was the goal state I had in mind when I sat down to write it. The means I used to get those thousands of web views?

I made light of my own love life and got a bit heavy handed with the artistic licence stuff. And how did I respond to the acquaintance’s critique? I told him it was Machiavellian of me and that on the grounds that I was able to achieve my preferred results, I was off the hook.

Was it ethical to use my relationship in this way? If you, like me, have considered consequentialism and Max Weber’s “ultimate end”, then yes I believe it was ethical. I was faithful to the basic facts and left the results to the universe.

CLEANING UP MY ACT

I guess now you’re expecting me to change my ways. You’re expecting me to tell you that I will cease and desist immediately. You think I’m about to tell you that I was stop using the personal lives of my loved ones as fodder for articles that reach far and wide. I won’t. I think the best written works that I have ever put forward are based on my personal experiences.

I have often said, in RAGMAG and elsewhere, that the best lifestyle articles come from writing about what you know. This is the reason that I prefer the staff actually tries the things they are writing about, be they sports or food or even fashion and beauty. If you haven’t done it yourself or had a first-hand account of something, then you can’t accurately relay the information. There are of course, exceptions to this maxim, but as long as you read my articles, you are free to wonder if my best friend is the one getting over a breakup or if my brother is the one with anger management issues.

You are also free to echo the opinion of my acquaintance: the content may offend you and the use of my personal life may affront your sensibilities, but at the end of the day, you read this whole article. Therefore, in my opinion, the end justified the means

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CULTURE CLASH

CLEAN

SECTOR ZERO

SAYS THE THINGS MANY DON’T WANT TO SAY OR HEAR

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

AESTHETICALLY IS WHERE IT REALLY PUSHED THE ENVELOPE, EMPLOYING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE HARDLY COMMON IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

S

ector Zero is not for everyone, it is for the thinking viewer, Nadim Mishlawi tells me in a café swarming with tweenies and college students on Sassine Square. Having watched the young director’s debut film less than 36 hours earlier, I could tell he was not attempting to sound elitist, not in the slightest. “We let the viewer make the links, we put the headlines only. At no point in the film are we spoon-feeding information,” he continues.

The 68-minute picture is off the beaten track in more ways than one. I have to admit that had it not scooped the Muhr Arab Documentary First Prize Award at the 8th Dubai International Film Festival in December, I probably wouldn’t have learned about it. News about indie cinema doesn’t exactly travel fast in Lebanon, and if it travels at all, most people can’t be bothered. And the fact that “Sector Zero” was advertised under the war documentary genre (at least where I first read about it) was likely more of a turnoff to local viewers. But when you watch the film, you’ll realize it is not exactly about the war, nor is it essentially a documentary in the clinical sense of the term.

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Karantina, the derelict, foul-smelling area on the outskirts of Beirut, is the site of “Sector Zero”. It is a notorious ghetto that fascinated the filmmaker first and foremost for its name, which is the Turkish translation of the word “quarantine”, as a quarantine facility was set up next to the Port of Beirut and the name Karantina somehow stuck on it. What piqued Mishlawi’s curiosity further was that the area has been overlooked ever since he could remember. As he dug deeper into the history of the area which was initially the main intention of the film - he discovered several other uncanny facts, that a slaughterhouse was built adjacent to the quarantine, the neighbor of which is non-other than the mammoth facility of waste management company Sukleen.

COMING CLEAN | SECTOR ZERO

As his research got ever more elaborate, Karantina to Mishlawi appeared like the mental garbage dump of our society, “a place where we throw everything we fear and don’t wish to face,” he remarks. “We found out that are over 100 years of macabre stories there,” including a 1976 massacre, which people don’t want to confront, says Mishlawi, who wrote, directed, and composed the music of “Sector Zero”. As work took off, the director came to understand the metaphorical significance of Karantina in relation to Lebanon, particularly the concept of the quarantine, which he felt offered a profound “perspective to understanding Lebanon’s past and present”. And that is how the whole structure of the film began to unravel.

“We started with Karantina and by the end of the film we were talking about the Arab world in general. It is a kind of filmmaking, which isn’t very popular anymore. It is what you’d call a film essay much more than it is a documentary,” Mishlawi says, adding, “We weren’t really documenting anything, we were discussing issues.”

The film’s three interviewees -psychiatrist and clinical psychologist Dr. Chaouki Azouri, seasoned journalist and analyst Hazem Saghiyeh, and star architect Bernard Khoury- throw at the viewer a string of issues and ideas. They scrutinize “the neglected traumas of Lebanon’s past, its unstable present, and the difficulties it faces in building the future”. Instead of tracing specific historical events, “Sector Zero” peruses the notions of cultural identity, collective memory, social psychosis, and the nation’s regression to primitive society.

And instead of showing us talking heads, Mishlawi makes the interviewees look as though they are undergoing interrogation through a simple décor, which reflects the idea of the quarantine. Apart from the interviews, no sound was recorded on set, so the sound designer Rana Eid, who doubles as the executive producer, created a soundtrack from her imagination. She brilliantly mixes abrasive noises with symphonically slow music, which complements the chilling feeling of unexpectedness that is elegantly translated through the lens of Cinematographer Talal Khoury.

While “Sector Zero” is to be lauded for succeeding in breaking away from dry documentation, aesthetically is where it really pushed the envelope, employing techniques that are hardly common in documentary filmmaking. “I wanted to bring the idea of genre filmmaking into the documentary,” says Mishlawi, who combines silent, flashing images with footage of onsite battles as well as a slideshow. His ingenious efforts pay off with a very stylized, indie art-house film that veers between fiction and nonfiction and tastefully hints at violence and torture instead of showing it with a constant close-ups and black screens that push viewers to enter the darkest room of their imagination

Sector Zero is being screened at Metropolis Cinema Sofil, in May. Find them on Facebook or check out: sectorzerodoc.com/www.abboutproductions.com

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CULTURE CLASH

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: CARVED STONE TYPEFACE OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: HANDCUT PUNCH FOR JEAN JANNON’S 120-POINT G (OFTEN ERRONEOUSLY CALLED “GARAMOND”), ROMAIN DE L’UNIVERSITÉ (SEDAN, 1615 AND FOLLOWING).

FOR NEARLY THREE CENTURIES, JANNON’S TYPES WERE ERRONEOUSLY ATTRIBUTED TO GARAMOND, WHOSE ORIGINAL FONTS INSPIRED THEIR DESIGN. © IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE DE FRANCE, ATELIER DU LIVRE D’ART ET DE L’ESTAMPE; DANIEL PYPE PHOTO

WRITING UPPER RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: ENGRAVED PUNCH, VARIOUS PUCHES WITH THE ENGRAVERS’ SIGNATURES

CLEAR AS DAY CHANGING TYPES

BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

S

tanley Nelson leans over a small folding table inside New York City’s Grolier Club, America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles. Wrapped in an apron, the retired graphic arts specialist from the National Museum of American History lays out candles, file tools, and punches.

He folds his fingers around a three-dimensional letter form and strikes it into small copper slabs which create molds from which he will cast type letters individually; the type caster picks up a ladle to scoop lead amalgam, pours it into the hollowed-out block, and once solid, breaks the small frame open to extract the letter—a perfect fourteen point font “t”.

After filing the sharp edges of his new typeface, he passes it around. Lifting his round reading spectacles, he begins scanning the faces of two dozen retired collectors of fine books, students of printing arts and professionals of library, information and academic services. “Five or six types a minute, that’s how fast they could cast type in those days,” remarks Nelson jovially, explaining that standard reading types were cast from lead or brass, larger ones from sand or wood, “for posters of legislative bills.”

His demonstration sheds light on the typography method of cutting letter punches in steel, from which matrices were made in copper for types founding in the letterpress era. The matrices begun as blank pieces of copper that received the impress of the punch, he explains, and corrected to make the plumb, with smooth surfaces. The type caster inserted the finished matrices into a mold, for casting its specific type sort in a lead amalgam. Cutting punches and casting type was the 20 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

first step of traditional typesetting that was regarded as a highly skilled craft. It required patience to work with movable and hot components, he adds, noting that “most taught themselves,” with the exception of Claude Garamond, French punch-cutter whom learned from someone else, most likely a master in his profession.

A large well-dressed group assembled earlier at the French Institute across the street to attend lectures on the Imprimerie Nationale de France and its Atelier du Livre d’Art et de l’Estampe, one of the most prestigious printing houses in Europe. It possesses over half a million historical artifacts that include punches with seven hundred different alphabet types. It retains a printing historical library that stores thousands of specialty books on its techniques and hundreds of Greek and Latin dictionaries, printed on order by late Napoleon Bonaparte.

It also runs a workshop, and preserves ancient etching, engraving, lithographic, and collotype press machines, once used by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and most notably, French artist and printmaker Henri Matisse.

BELOW: A FEW OF THE BUIS DU RÉGENT, THE “REGENT’S BOXWOODS,” FROM THE IMMENSE SUITE OF CHINESE IDEOGRAMS CARVED FROM 1715 TO 1740. © IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE DE FRANCE, ATELIER DU LIVRE D’ART ET DE L’ESTAMPE; DANIEL PYPE PHOTO

IT’S NOT SO CLEAN CUT ANYMORE

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CULTURE CLASH

Selected book historians, typographers and other specialists presented the institution’s exhaustive history by analyzing its significance on book and printing arts dating to fifteenth century France. Some experts, including Nelson, claim that the French kingdom gave birth to the world’s prestigious book institutions, noting that the manual printing press, pressurized application of an inked surface resting upon a print medium, first arrived to France in 1417. But historical records reference German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg, who was crowned the device’s rightful inventor two decades later in the Holy Roman Empire.

Regardless of the historical reference, printing houses and artisan workshops in France trained and hired typographers and punch cutters, relying on their skill sets. National municipal libraries lectured book keepers and curators, and supported research in printing, cataloguing and bibliography.

The French institutional strength was soon replicated in other European countries and abroad, holding its prestige to this day.

The hand press became a state affair by the sixteenth century with noble families managing the enterprise. Noblemen set up services in offices under the roof of the Musée du Louvre, in Paris. Renaissance monarch King Francis I ordered a meticulous translation of Greek and Latin texts, the core of his prized collection. The fanatic lover of the arts commissioned Garamond—“Garamont,” in French—to create a Greek typeface for his bureaucratic documents, and soon the punch cutter became a national celebrity and valuable brand. The king also assigned his librarian at the royal Palace of Fontainebleau, outside of Paris, to catalogue the manuscripts after they were copied and printed.

ABOVE, LEFT: HANDCUT PUNCH FOR JEAN JANNON’S 120-POINT G (SEE PREVIOUS SPREAD FOR DETAILS) ABOVE, RIGHT: CLAUDE GARAMOND (GARAMONT) IN A POSTHUMOUS WOOD-ENGRAVED PORTRAIT FROM 1582. © IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE DE FRANCE, ATELIER DU LIVRE D’ART ET DE L’ESTAMPE

BELOW: OLD HOT TYPE METAL LETTERPRESS SLUGS, GARAMOND R, ROCKWELL G LEFT: LETTERS, GROLIER CLUB OPPOSITE PAGE, UPPER LEFT: THE ORIGINAL PUNCHES FOR THE GRECS DU ROI, ENGRAVED BY GARAMOND, 1540-1541

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THE WRITING ON THE WALL | CHANGING TYPES

By the early nineteenth century the hand press reached Constantinople. Napoleon’s geographical expansion introduced to Europeans engravings and compositions that supported hundreds of new languages and dialects. The Emperor built a department dedicated to collecting rare artifacts, Chinese characters and other non-Latin typefaces. It also included his scholarly enterprise from Egypt, housing the state’s historical monuments, from the earliest forms of woodblock printing to a copy of the Rosetta Stone.

The end of the century marked the beginning of mechanical methods of punch cutting and typesetting. Book workers squelched the new innovation, by damaging their machines and protesting in the streets. The introduction of flexography, an updated version of the letter press, utilized flexible relief plates applied to plastics, metallic films, cellophane and paper. Flexographic prints today are used on food labels. Inkjet printing was also introduced, but because of limited technology, the process lost its popularity.

Modern history of the printing press and its archive is one of triumphal survival. In light of the Imprimerie Nationale turning a little over five hundred years old, director Didion Trutt offers a proposition. “It is our duty to maintain historical re-

cords… these treasures are alive,” contends the engineer by profession. The institution’s full staff of native and foreign graphic designers, housed in a Parisian suburb, work on Apple computers to modify font and character. They design state identification cards and other important documents that computer programmers later archive digitally. Nelson’s friend, an independent programmer, practices on the Fontographer, the font software that digitally drives monotypes, forming a marriage of old and new methods to drive the full-scale production house.

BELOW, TOP TO BOTTOM: GUTENBERG HANDCUT PUNCH FOR JEAN JANNON’S 120-POINT G (SEE PREVIOUS SPREAD FOR DETAILS) THE RULES OF TYPOGRAPHY POSTER, BY ALAN KITCHING AND STUDENTS FROM THE RCA, LETTERPRESS TYPE

Director of the Grolier Club Eric Holzenberg looks forwards to the union.

After curating an exhibition on selected historical punches and matrices of various typefaces and dozens of fine books from the Imprimerie Nationale Archives, he draws unlikely conclusions. His observations prove that new technologies (like Kindle and iPhone), don’t always dwindle a young generation’s intrinsic curiosity for bookmaking. “It is our mission to raise support and interest for young people,” he says, impressed with the growing audience of passionate fine bookmakers and keepers who are using their smartphones to print books.

Admitting that attendees at the French Institute were mostly retirees he shares a final note: “we are trying to find ways to change that.” But Nelson warns if we don’t act fast, negligence of weighted type will only result in a resource lost. “Type lies at the heart of fine letter press, it needs to be used,” he says, like a computer keyboard, making ‘real’ type the living standard

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CULTURE CLASH

NEATLY DONE

GABYGABY’S WORK IS NOT SPOTLESS BUT OFTEN SPOT ON

BY MAHA MAJZOUB

PHOTOS COURTESY THE ARTIST

I

f I ever were to revisit the Earth, and if I had the option of returning as a man, I would like to come back as GabyGaby. And here is why: a) He is Dutch, so there is a 91 percent chance I will step out of my new mother’s womb as an artist, designer, or footballer.

(GabyGaby is both artist and designer and in recent years he has been scoring big!) b) He is in hot demand and pretty much all over the place (I, too, am all over the place, but not like that!)

GabyGaby is constantly snapped up by global brands and retail stores for collaborations, big names include eyewear brand Sinner and most recently sportswear giant Puma. He has exhibited in New York, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna, Rotterdam, and Lausanne, that is apart from his high profile involvements, such as a Las Vegas project where he left 777 artworks on the streets. I would like to leave 777 artworks on the streets of Las Vegas. Hell, I would like to walk the streets of Las Vegas.

24 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

LEFT: VICTORY FACE TULIP, 2011 BELOW, LEFT: NEW YORK TIME SQUARE SHAKE OPPOSITE PAGE: REDHEAD, JULY 2011

d) GabyGaby is so happy-go-lucky and charged with energy, which makes him an audience favorite at whatever show he attends or presentation he gives, classically garbed in sweats and hopping around in blotched sneakers. “It’s fun being me,” GabyGaby tells me. “I am a free spirit doing what I love doing.

I jump out of the box, and do whatever I want to do… My life is happy – so come and join me.” If I were to say these words out loud, I will likely be shipped off in a carton to the farthest mental institution. But when GabyGaby says it, he doesn’t sound like a fruitcake because life is totally smiling at him. c) GabyGaby is a social media freak! No he is not an enthusiast. He is a bona fide fanatic! The man does not stop. He is doing it on his mobile, laptop, iPad, in the train, on the move, when the paintings are drying, in between painting, when he is washing his hands, after painting… I can go on! He feels all that he creates “must go into the world”. So he shares everything about his art on all social media the internet has to offer. Meanwhile, technology and social media and me, we’re not so chummy.

GabyGaby has over 74,000 followers on Twitter, whereas examples of people who follow me include the guy who smokes hookah next to Salamto Pharmacy and my mum’s matchmaker friend who has for eight years been pretty much stalking me.

It is hard to believe GabyGaby, the moniker for 43-year-old artist Gaby Zwaan, only held his first paint brush five years ago. In hindsight, he says he had never set foot in a museum, found art completely uninteresting, and could only draw stick figures. A latearriver to the party who was bogged down by skeptics who suggested “it was not going to happen at this point in his life”, GabyGaby took on the challenge. “I had to convince the world as well as myself that I could paint, but I persevered … and learned every day,” he confides. Once the former fashion industry creative director started painting, he found himself zealously drawn to street art. And it was the art that he would go on to display on the streets that shot him to fame.

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26 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

OPPOSITE PAGE: GOLDEN GABY BELOW: A SALUTE TO JORDAN, AUGUST 2011

BOTTOM OF PAGE: RUBIK’S CUBE VISITORS AT THE OPENING OF FLOWERPOWER2.0 AT MOJO GALLERY EXPLORING THE AUGMENTED REALITY TECHNOLOGY ON THE ARTWORK

NEATLY DONE | GABYGABY’S WORK

itivity and passion bring the true meaning to my art,” he remarks. GabyGaby’s dynamism is infectious. “I met a mother at my exhibition opening in New York who told me that her daughter was so inspired by my work and vibe that she decided to go back to art school after having dropped out,” he says.

In 2009, GabyGaby painted a tribute to cycling champion Lance Armstrong on the last climb of Stage 16 of the Tour de France. The initiative was so well received by the press, sporting empire Nike, and the athlete himself that Tour de France organizers commissioned GabyGaby a year later to paint 11 8x8 meter artworks on the mountains of the course. Called “GabyGaby on Tour”, the project stirred media frenzy, giving The Netherlands based artist print space in 144 publications, including the New York Times.

The Dutch connection Galleries the world over, even the prim and proper ones, quickly took notice that GabyGaby was a non-traditionalist – and they liked it. Kurt Blanckenberg, the founder and director of Mojo Gallery, Dubai, thinks the multimedia artist brilliantly balances between “fine art and commercial art”, straddling the traditional and the cutting edge. From February to March, GabyGaby displayed at Mojo one of his most popular characters, MegaTulipMan, whom he describes as a superhero “who circles the globe on a mission to save the world from mediocrity and the status quo.”

From surfing New York taxi cabs to battling an army of evil penguins in Tokyo, MegaTulipMan entertains, inspires, and enlightens us, GabyGaby adds. The show explored “the digital dimension of adding augmented reality to his canvas based paintings”, and was one of the most fulfilling projects that the artist has undertaken to date. But the most laborintensive and visually-stunning pieces he has ever immersed himself in are “Holy Eyes” and “Redhead”, which respectively feature a pair of piercing blue eyes and a woman with flaming locks.

With the latter artwork, a vibrant, mixed media attention grabber, GabyGaby resorted to “a technique that created the essence of speed”, dizzying speed.

GabyGaby’s art doesn’t merely juxtapose images with objects; it combines “personal experiences, cultures, ideas, and aesthetics”. He enjoys referencing iconic symbols from popular culture, such as legendary basketball player Michael Jordan or fast food chain McDonalds, which he superimposes using his animated techniques to weave a story into the artworks. He steps past the walls of conventional art making by vigorously fusing color with Photoshop, gluing with stitching, painting with drawing, at times all in the same piece. His work exhibits a clear curiosity in emerging technologies, making it at once multifaceted, dynamic, and interactive.

“I love to delight people with my creations and make them want to display my artworks in their homes… I just create pieces that I really like, and this pos-

Positivity and passion are mainstays in GabyGaby’s art while qualities that define the man behind the art. His words of wisdom include “never give up on a dream” and “there is always a way around an obstacle”, adages which he applies to the letter. Diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, GabyGaby continuously searched for outlets for his creativity instead of letting his condition get in the way of his dreams. He nurtured an ability to entertain other people and appeared in a video clip for pop kitten Kylie Minogue wearing a Disney outfit, walked hand-in-hand with the king of pop Michael Jackson, and even played with tennis ace Andre Agassi. Meanwhile, he was involved in several projects in which his insight and artistic vision flourished in the fashion and creative world. GabyGaby comments, “I created every single idea you can think of as long as I did not have to put it in writing.”

GabyGaby might not like to read or write about work, but at this point who cares really? There are assistants for these things. Maybe after reading this, he will invite me to read press clippings for him as we walk the streets of Las Vegas. “Never give up on a dream”, right Gaby?

@Gaby407 www.gabygabyart.com www.themojogallery.com

THE STERILE ISSUE

27

YOU + YOUR COUNTRY

MUDDY WATERS WATERS LEGALITY OF YOUR BIRTH

AFFECTS YOU IN LEBANON

BY IMOGEN KIMBER

Sitting in his attic bedroom in a house he shares with five other people Gaby Melky said that he prefers not to think about the future. Softly spoken with beautiful features, Gaby’s calm and gentle exterior belies the predicaments that govern his life.

I

n Lebanon, despite some reverence to the mother figure, in legal terms a mother lacks many of the most basic of rights – including the right to pass her child Lebanese citizenship. For Gaby, with a Lebanese Mother and a Liberian father, this leaves him in a state of limbo.

Outcasts

“For several years I didn’t work at all,” said Gaby, “I was totally depressed with the situation and I took it personally that Lebanon didn’t want me.” With only a Liberian identification Gaby is not officially allowed to work. After dropping out of college when it was realized his Lebanese surname was his Mother’s while his official name is that of his Father, Gaby spent years drifting between jobs in bars and construction sites.

Gaby’s passport, and main official identification, is a faded blue book made in 1979. Looking like a relic and containing a picture of Gaby as a very young child, the I.D. is clearly out of date. One of Gaby’s biggest problems is that with28 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

out a Liberian embassy in Beirut he cannot renew his documents here and yet at the same time he does not have a document to travel on. “I really have to fly to Liberia, they would probably let me leave, but I just can’t save the money to do so,” said Gaby. It would cost him well over a thousand dollars for the flight alone and this is not something Gaby has to spare. “I just take it day to day,” said Gaby, in response to how he sees the future, anything more than this it is impossible to tell.

Robert works in a kitchen earning a living for his family of six. Robert is married to Basima, both born and raised in Beirut. Yet, none of their four children have Lebanese citizenship because it is Basima who is Lebanese not Robert; Robert is Syrian. “Everything is a problem,” says Robert, with a look that implies this should be obvious. For jobs and travel, many options are off the table and all legal documents have to be traced back to Syria. The four children are now between 15 and 21 years old.

The eldest has had children himself creating another stateless generation.

Stewart has owned a bar in Gemmayzeh for five years. Yet every two months Stewart has to leave the country because Stewart is not legally a Lebanese citizen, nor is he even a resident. This is because Stewart is Lebanese from his mother’s side and not his father’s. Born in Scotland, raised in Lebanon and Kuwait - by his Mother - Stewart finally returned to live in Lebanon stemming from what he called an “identity crisis.” On his return Stewart faced the problem that the others have been facing since birth— he cannot become a Lebanese citizen despite being half Lebanese.

For Stewart it is largely a ridiculous game of charades. “It is all bureaucracy,” Stewart tells me. “You can take a flight to Cyprus that leaves at say 19:00 and be on the 21:00 flight back.

They [the airline] know what you are doing, so they take your passport from you and you can walk straight through transit without having to check in again.” Stewart is a lucky example, with a second passport and the funds to fly in and out.

MUDDY WATERS | LEGALITY OF YOUR BIRTH AFFECTS YOU IN LEBANON

By the Book

Dating back to 1925 the law was written by the French and Ottomans and was “completely normal at the time,” said Ali Mawla from Mena City Lawyers. Perhaps so, but why has the law remained in practise all this time?

Mawla explains to me that there is no secret here, parliament openly claim it is to “preserve the demographic balance.” For Lina Abou Habib who has been working on a right to nationality campaign for the past ten years through the Collective for Research and Training on Development, the argument may be demographics but the root is patriarchy; “It is totally consistent with the laws which are all weighted towards men,” said Abou Habib.

According to Abou Habib, “the idea that a law which treated males and females equally would benefit one sectarian group over another is science fiction,” because, she said there is not one group who partake in more mixed marriages than another. Even should there be, “there are no considerations, demographic, political, whatever that take primacy over rights,” she said, “[this is] incredibly archaic and tribal.”

Essentially she argues that there is no excuse for undermining a person’s basic rights. “It it about controlling women, should they go out and have relationships outside of the tribal system? I can’t overemphasize how archaic and Middle Ages this is,” said Abou Habib.

The Waiting Game

Lebanon should be concerned with basic rights as “having ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) they are bound to the notion that every person is born equal, and you can claim this in a supreme court,” Mawla told me. Yet this is never brought to fruition. As a side note, an exception to the law that is rarely utilized is that if a child is born out of wedlock and the father is not known, the child can take the Mother’s Lebanese nationality. Having never met his father, Gaby tried to use this loophole but after granting his citizenship temporarily the decision was revoked and Gaby was left, again, with no citizenship.

For Mawla there is unlikely to be any change soon: “To be honest I don’t think there will be any development on this issue because no parliament could

afford to be blamed for the nationalization of the Palestinians,” Mawla said, matter-of-factly.

Abou Habib sees progress though, there is great significance in “women moving from being the victim to demanding their rights.” The topic has become a talking point, people march and protest whereas before this was not the case. In the last two years two significant political changes have also been made. Firstly, in December 2010 Interior Minister Ziad Baroud created special residency permit for the offspring of Lebanese women, and secondly Charbel Nahas, convened a conference aimed at discussing the installation of full rights.

One development that Abou Habib considers as unfortunate is the new law that allows Lebanese expatriates to reclaim Lebanese citizenship, except it only applies to the offspring of Lebanese males.

For Abou Habib this only goes to cement the patriarchal rule.

Despite setbacks the advances prove to Abou Habib that it is possible, but it seems unlikely that Gaby, Stewart or Basima and Robert will see this change during their lifetimes

“There are no considerations, demographic, political, whatever that take primacy over rights, [this is] incredibly archaic and tribal.”

“It it about controlling women, should they go out and have relationships outside of the tribal system? I can’t overemphasize how archaic and Middle Ages this is,”

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DOLLARS + SENSE

FILTHY

LUCRE

Dirty Money, Lebanon + Money Laundering

BY MARIA FRANGIEH

T

he concept of money laundering is the subject of blockbuster films and bestselling works of fiction.

It’s also on the lips of scores of Lebanese: who is and isn’t money laundering and what exactly does it entail? In this edition of Dollars + Sense, we explain how money laundering works and what measures authorities do in such cases.

The Ins + Outs

Simply put, money laundering is when money coming from source X looks like coming from source Y. This is done to hide the origin of money obtained through illegal activity. Laundering money is the process of disconnecting it from the original source (often criminal activity) so as not to face regulatory repercussions –which may or may not include jail time). Money laundering creates a false impression that the money is of legal origin and can be used in regular economic activities. Famous money launderers are the Russian mafia, Al Capone (AKA Scarface). Next spread is a small diagram of how it works.

Goal State

Reasons for money laundering can be classified in two large categories: classic money laundering and modern money laundering.

Classic money laundering happens when traditional criminals (white collar criminals included) don’t want the authorities to find out about their illegal activities so they follow the scheme de30 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

picted in the diagram. In this case, a new “business” activity has to be created to “earn” the dirty money. The new “business” can be situated locally or offshore and the type of operation is very critical: it must be extremely lucrative and open the eyes of the tax authorities. The business will run normally during the day, but when accounting for the daily transactions, illicit receipts are fed into the journal as though these transactions really took place. Tax authorities will only see an extremely successful and profitable business. In such cases, tax authorities will be interested in mining the details and further investigating how this business is generating such remarkable profits. In comes the importance of choosing a business activity to make it harder for the tax authorities to find out if money’s source is legal or not. A club wouldn’t be a very wise decision as the booze invoices will show discrepancies. Service-based companies (casinos, antique dealers, jewelers, finance houses, professional advisors, etc…) are the most common business activity for money laundering in the classic sense.

Modern money laundering on the other hand is when you have a large sum of cash that you don’t want anyone to know about. This is when you want to evade taxes, or hide it from someone who might claim it, like an ex-spouse, a creditor or others. In modern money laundering the point is to make the money disappear, hiding it in foreign banks is one example. This happens in

two consecutive steps. First you make the money disappear. Second you make it reappear gradually so that you don’t attract the attention of those you are hiding the money from.

Ramifications

Developing countries with growing and developing financial centers are the most attractive for launderers. Differences between national anti-money laundering systems will be exploited by launderers, who tend to move their networks to countries and financial systems with weak or ineffective countermeasures. Developing economies find such capital inflows beneficial since they cannot afford to be too selective about the sources of capital. However, the consequences of money laundering on the economy are far more serious.

Money laundering affects the reputation integrity of financial institutions, which will lead to a change in attitudes; boycotting (as an extreme measure), of other financial intermediaries, regulatory authorities and ordinary customers.

Furthermore, institutions that allow easy

FILTHY LUCRE | DIRTY MONEY, LEBANON + MONEY LAUNDERING

BELOW: AL CAPONE MUGSHOTS

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DOLLARS + SENSE

process of funds from criminal activity will draw the institution into active complicity with criminals and become a part of the criminal network itself.

From a macroeconomic perspective, consequences of inexplicable changes in money demand, prudential risks to bank soundness, contamination effects on legal financial transactions, and increased volatility of international capital flows and exchange rates due to unanticipated cross-border asset transfers are some possible repercussions. On a societal level, integrity will be damaged as it rewards corruption and crime and democracy and the rule of the law will be undermined. Lebanon was and remains a vulnerable center for launderers, however nowadays the authorities have taken action to limit money laundering in the country. Fighting money laundering and terrorist financing is therefore a part of creating a business-friendly environment which is a precondition for lasting economic development.

Checks + Balances in Lebanon?

In June 2000 Lebanon was blacklisted by the international community as a Non-Cooperative Country or Territory (NCTT) since it did not have a fullfledged law against money laundering.

The West perceived Lebanon as an active hub for money laundering due to

its place as a major financial center for the entire region and the strict banking secrecy policy being applied. The Lebanese authorities took serious antilaundering measures that resulted in removing the country’s name from the blacklist and the birth of the Special Investigation Committee (SIC) under the Law No. 318 of April 20, 2001 .

The Committee’s role is to enforce the application of anti-laundering rules and regulations. Cases of money laundering suspected by the SIC are deferred to the judicial authorities and banking secrecy is lifted on the accounts involved. Many reasons exist for suspicion of money laundering such as consecutive transactions of considerably large amounts of money, frequent deposits followed by frequent withdrawals, or large amounts of small bills exchanged for large bills of the same or of different currency. Mohammad Baasiri, secretary of the Special Investigation Committee and the current president of the MENA Financial Action Task Force at the Banque du Liban (the Lebanese Central Bank) admits that there are a number of money laundering attempts in Lebanon today, and referred to the Al Madina Bank scandal as one of them. Until March 2012, manySIC cases were deferred to the judicial authorities and banking secrecy. Cases are described on the SIC website.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MONEY LAUNDERING ATTEMPTS IN LEBANON TODAY; AL MADINA BANK SCANDAL IS ONE OF THEM

Safe Havens

On June 22, 2000, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF ) published its “Review to identify non-cooperative countries or territories (NCCTs): increasing the worldwide effectiveness of anti-money laundering measures”. This report was picked up by many of the world’s newspapers with many stories referring to the report as providing a “blacklist” of countries that are negligent in their response and attitude to money laundering.

Although numerous countries have made appearances on the list as of February 2012, currently it is as follows: High-risk and non-cooperative jurisdictions to which counter-measures apply are for Iran and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. High-risk and noncooperative jurisdictions that have not committed to an action plan apply for Cuba, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sao Tome and Principe, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey.

Jurisdictions with a high-level political commitment to address the AML/CFT deficiencies apply for Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brunei, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Philippines, Sudan, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

So where are you investing your money?

PLACEMENT COLLECTION OF DIRTY MONEY

A TYPICAL MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME

DIRTY MONEY INTEGRATES INTO THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM

LAYERING PAYMENT BY “Y” OF FALSE INVOICE TO COMPANY “X”

TRANSFER ON THE BANK ACCOUNT OF COMPANY “X”

WIRE TRANSFER LOAN TO COMPANY “Y” PURSHASE OF LUXURY ASSETS FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS

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INTEGRATION

THE STERILE ISSUE

33

OUT+ABOUT

GETTING ON THE STRAIGHT+

NARROW

WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE AND HERITAGE, AND HUMANITARIAN AID Lebanon’s first exhibition devoted to EU donor activities puts ongoing projects and pressing challenges in the spotlight

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

M

ost of us are aware that the European Union (EU) is a large donor in Lebanon. But, just how many projects there are, and how much is actually given is a mystery to many. The EU is actually a major donor and allocates about 220 million Euro annually in assistance to Lebanon, of which 120 million are in loans from the European Investment Bank.

Under the motto “Working Together”, The EU - Lebanon Cooperation Days event was launched by International Fairs & Promotions (IFP) in Beirut to shed some light on the many EU funded projects in the country. The two-day event featured stands showcasing the projects and activities in Lebanon, as well as a packed program of seminars, presentations and documentary screenings, all produced within the framework of the EU and member states funded projects.

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A stand right at the entrance of the exhibition was a harsh reminder to the pressing issue of mine clearance. DanChurchAid (DCA), a Danish non missionary organization, was present to highlight its mission in cluster bomb clearance in South Lebanon and the

Aley region on an EU funded mission. But, it’s a momentous task, admits Amra Sayegh, medical coordinator DCA, and ongoing. The Lebanon Mine Action Center estimates that 56.5 million m2 of our land is mine contaminated.

GETTING ON THE STRAIGHT + NARROW | EU LEBANON DOOPERATION DAY

Preserving the environment is high on the agenda for Europe, and this is a critical issue facing our region, where water pollution is swelling

Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, head of the delegation of the EU, spoke out at the opening conference on the role of the EU as a major donor. She emphasized that it’s not the monetary value that counts, but rather the results; aid should be well targeted and defined on the basis of real needs. H.E. Nicolas Nahhas, minister of economy and trade, was on hand to praise the partnership between his country and the EU member states to raise the capacities of Lebanon’s economic and social environment. He admitted that development has been affected by the regional political instability.

The Economic and Social Fund for Development (ESFD) was one of the many projects presenting their activities at the event. The ESFD intervenes in thirtynine villages in the Akkar, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa, in the areas of job creation and community development.

“We work in all sectors depending on the needs of the community,” said Dima Saade, community development manager. “According to the allocated poverty

pockets we intervene with the municipalities to strengthen their capacities.

We involve the local community and together draw up a development plan.”

Preserving the environment is high on the agenda for Europe, and this is a critical issue facing our region, where water pollution is swelling. Just recently a load of money was spent on promoting the Jeita Grotto as a New World Wonder, while little has been done to solve the pressing environmental challenges it faces. Renata Raad, water management expert, BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources), spoke out on the objectives of an important project, The Protection of Jeita Spring, a German – Lebanese technical cooperation. “We hope to impose protection zones and to create a treatment plant in the Jeita catchment area. Reducing the contamination will protect the water resources. After all, most of Beirut’s population drinks from this source, so we have to protect it.” According to BGR, seventy percent of the capital’s citizens drink from this source.

Working towards a greener Lebanon is also The CleanEnerTec Project providing clean energy technologies and environmental solutions. One of the projects is the renovation of the old Serail building in Baalbek to ensure that all energy needs are provided from renewable energy sources. They also organize awareness campaigns on topics such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and green buildings.

The EU - Lebanon Cooperation Days certainly highlighted the numerous challenges facing our country, seemingly irresolvable without donor support, including road safety. The Global Road Safety Partnership is stepping in for a sustainable reduction of death and injuries on the road. “Our focus is to do capacity building for the ministry of transport, interior and public works,” said Samar Abou Raad, senior advisor of the project for the MENA region, “including the police force in Lebanon.” Well, this lady faces a tough task and we encourage her to find a positive solution to the dangers of our treacherous roads!

The EU – Lebanon Cooperation Days took place on March 23 & 24 2012 at the Lebanese University Central Administration Main Hall, Beirut.

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THE FINAL FRONTIER

GENETICS BLURRING CLEAN LINES CAN WE EDIT OUR DNA CODE?

BY JEN

W

e may have never heard his name, but we have all heard of his work at some level. Professor George Church (Harvard) is an undisputed reference in genetics. A Hoogendijk Prize awardee and Franklin Laureate for Achievement in Science, Church is a key figure in late 20th and early 21st century science. Let’s unravel the double helix of his career to read into the future of genetics and the birth of synthetic biology.

If we turn the clock back 30 years, Church was one of the few of scientists with a big dream: to map the human genome in its entirety. And he did more than just dream. His lab pioneered the first machine that could unravel DNA into a readable code of letters. He successfully sequenced the first genome and decided that that wasn’t enough. More had to be sequenced. Since sequencing the first genome cost a hefty $3 billion, no one was keen to support him and so he created another machine that could sequence genomes without breaking the bank. This new machine lowered the cost to under $5000 per genome, which is not exactly cheap but not exactly horrifically expensive. Church is further developing these machines so that in the near future sequencing a genome will cost as much as a blood test.

36 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

But why should we bother with all this sequencing? To Church, the research has only just taken off and many possibilities are right around the corner. Church doesn’t want to just read DNA’s code. He wants to “write and edit” it. He foresees implants in our bodies which can pinpoint say the first signs of cancer and a stitch in time saves nine. He predicts a future where genetic disorders are detected at conception or birth and miniscule “preprogrammed viruses” can correct things. The same technique can be used on adults at the initial signs of a health problem. He thinks people will be able to live to 150. Church states that “There used to be this attitude: here’s your genetic destiny, get used to it. Now the attitude is: genetics is really about the environmental changes you can make to change your destiny.”

GENETICS BLURRING CLEAN LINES | CAN WE EDIT OUR DNA CODE?

Church is all about sharing so humanity can benefit. His genome is public and available on the internet and he is adding more so researchers can use this info for the greater good. His lab has the ideal set up to jack up evolution.

Here researchers can discover what happens when you isolate single base pairs of DNA or focus on entire regions.

By doing this, better chemicals and medications can be developed. Church calls this “evolution on steroids.” And his lab has machines that have driven and revolutionized genetics.

Today Church’s lab is a leader in synthetic biology, a new field devoted to making things nature can’t like viruses which can deliver drugs that fight cancer or fuels that are efficient and won’t

OPPOSITE PAGE AND RIGHT: PROFESSOR GEORGE CHURCH

CHURCH DOESN’T WANT TO JUST READ DNA’S CODE. HE WANTS TO “WRITE AND EDIT” IT. HE FORESEES IMPLANTS IN OUR BODIES WHICH CAN PINPOINT SAY THE FIRST SIGNS OF CANCER AND A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE. HE PREDICTS A FUTURE WHERE GENETIC DISORDERS ARE DETECTED AT CONCEPTION OR BIRTH AND MINISCULE “PREPROGRAMMED VIRUSES” CAN CORRECT THINGS

pollute the environment. Church is now taking synthetic biology to a new level, just like he did with genetics. At the moment synthetic biology can barely create anything, but the potential is intriguing.

Needless to say many are terrified of this brave new world and what it might entail. And many are voicing their ethical concerns. But since synthetic biology is a long way from creating wacky chimeras bent on destroying humanity, it’s still too early to jump the gun.

George Annas, chairman of the department of health law, bioethics and human rights at Boston University acknowledges Church’s great imagination and the role it has played in pushing his work forward but he thinks “you’ve got to be foolish to think you’re going

‘

to make as much progress as [Church imagines].” Why? Because of cost factors in an era with a faltering economy and reduced spending power. And because it takes more than genetics to make people live to 150. But Church is a fine example of what can be achieved when you dream big and have a positive outlook

CHURCH IS NOW TAKING SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TO A NEW LEVEL, JUST LIKE HE DID WITH GENETICS

PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE TO

150‘

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STERILE FACTS HASTA LA VISTA, BABY! Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT) sometimes goes by the name of suicide seeds or the much cooler Terminator Technology and refers to the suggested methods to restrict the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation seeds to be sterile. Farmers, governments, NGOs and indigenous people have cried out against these practices, which have not been made commercially available.

1 in 10000 The odds at birth of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). SCID is a heritable genetic disorder also known as the “bubble boy” disease because those who suffer from it are highly susceptible to infectious diseases.

They must live in a sterile environment because of their compromised immune systems, subsequently making their immunity practically nonexistent. Babies with SCID die within one year unless they undergo a Hematopoietic stem cell transplant due to severe recurring infections.

BUBBLE BOY One of the most famous victims of SCID is the late David Vetter (September 21st 1971 – February 22nd, 1984). David lived his entire life in a sterile environment at the Texas Children’s Hospital. He was psychologically unstable because of the lack of human contact and the realization of how limited his life was.

NASA made him a special suit that allowed him to walk outside his bubbled environment. David died at the age of 12 after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant from his sister.

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RAGGED STERILE FACTS CLOCKWISE : LIGER, HALF TIGER HALF LION WOLF-DOG HYBRID, A ZEEDONK, A HYBRID CREATED

BY CROSSING A ZEBRA AND A DONKEY

MISMATCH Interspecific hybrids are the offspring of different species of the same genus (think lions and tigers) and reflect characteristics from both parents except for one not-so-minor details: they’re generally sterile. This is often attributed to the different number or structure of chromosomes between the two original species.

That means your mules (female horse, male donkey), hinnies (male horse, female donkey) can’t have babies whilst hybrids of/between coyotes, dingoes, wolves, jackals and dogs can have pups.

1853 The year the modern hypodermic needle was invented. Needles are used in a wide array of domains now, especially by physicians or patients for injections. They are also used by intravenous drug users (IDUs) who often share their needles or use unsterilized ones, amping up the risk of contracting various diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. This is why many countries have needle-exchange programs, encouraging drug users to trade in their used (and possibly contaminated) needles for sterile new ones.

A MAN’S WORLD When customs and religions dictate that people should have as many children as they can once they are married, “barren” isn’t exactly what you want people to call you. Sadly, when couples were unable to go forth and multiply, it was always the woman’s fault. Be it ancient curses, forgotten sin or godly ire, women were held responsible for the couple’s inability to produce offspring. Barren women were often left by their husbands, who went to sow more fertile fields… (even if they themselves were the problem).

GETTING’ JIGGY WITH IT Back in the day, a man was never considered infertile unless he was impotent. Today, however, statistics show that men are plagued by infertility just as much as women (40 to 50 percent of cases). Whether it’s the absence of sperm, a low number of spermatozoa in the semen, reduced sperm motility, reduced seminal volume or the absence of sperm cells in the semen, there are prevention and treatment measures available for men when they “shoot blanks” or their “salmon doesn’t swim upstream”.

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

GOING BACK TO

OUR

FORAGER MILES IRVING PUTS THE PRIDE BACK INTO LIVING OFF THE LAND

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

W

ABOVE: FORAGER MILES IRVING BELOW: RAPESEED LEAVES, YELLOWFLOWERED RAPESEED BELONGS TO THE BRASSICA FAMILY AND ITS LEAVES RESEMBLE OTHER BRASSICAS SUCH AS CAVALO NERO. IT CAN TAKE A LOT OF SALT AND MAKES A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO SPINACH GRATIN

hen I heard that Miles Irving was coming to Lebanon I was really excited. Last year, this Brit wrote a wonderful book about the wild foods of his country, which got everyone talking. Since then he has gained near celebrity status... Well, for those into picking wild plants anyway. All of a sudden the ancient tradition of foraging has become all the rage and now Miles supplies some of the top chefs in the UK with wild edible plants.

After graduating with a degree in psychology this 44 year-old tried his hand at music, carpentry, education and gardening, until he found his calling in roots. “When I was a kid my grandfather used to take me along to pick mushrooms.

As I grew up I discovered more about plants and ate more handpicked plants. I even had dinner parties based around

wild food.” It took Miles around three years to write The Forager Handbook. It explores hundreds of wild edible plants and introduces their uses, recipes and health benefits. This was his first visit to Lebanon, on the invitation of Kamal Mouzaouak, founder of Souk El Tayeb farmers market. He appeared slightly perturbed by his sudden status, something he clearly feels uncomfortable with, preferring to be out in the fields.

“I met Kamal in August in Denmark and he invited me to come to discover the wild plants in Lebanon,” he told me during a lunch at Tawlet Souk el Tayeb.

“THERE ARE

AROUND 400 EDIBLE PLANTS IN LEBANON

BUT MOST PEOPLE ONLY EAT AROUND 40”

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GOING BACK TO OUR ROOTS | FORAGER MILES IRVING

“THERE IS MORE LAND THAN WE THINK THAT CAN BE CULTIVATED OUT THERE - IT JUST TAKES SOME IMAGINATION AND DEDICATION. THERE IS SO MUCH TO FORAGE IN LEBANON, NOT JUST THYME” Miles handpicked many of the ingredients for today’s menu during a weekend of foraging in the Chouf and Zgorta regions with regular Tawlet chefs Therese, Rima, Seham, Maysoun and Walid who are preparing the lunch by Joe Bazra, of Top Chef fame. While most rural villagers are familiar with common leaves and herbs, Miles has given them some new ideas, like using rich in protein seaweed in a beetroot and orange salad. And, cyclamen leaves, instead of vine leaves, to stuff with spicy rice and the blossoms of white mustard and wild leek to decorate a simple egg salad. “I even picked stuff near here,” he said. Foraging in Beirut? Is that realistic in today’s polluted environment?

“As long as people wash them well,” he said convinced that the plants do not really absorb too much lead, especially in limestone, so common to Lebanon.

“Now I am not saying that everyone should collect plants from the side of

the road, especially with annual plants which come only once a year. And, take care not to uproot plants, just cut off the leaves off, as you don’t want the resources to disappear.”

Miles will be the first to admit that foraging for wild plants is nothing new.

He wrote The Forager Handbook in order to remind us of just how much is out there for the picking. His home country is seeing a new revival in foraging, a tradition deeply rooted in Lebanon. Foraging is still widespread in the Lebanese rural regions, so what can Miles teach us? “Lebanon has some amazing edible plants which the older people are used to collecting and eating. But I have noticed that the young kids don’t eat them. We want to tell everyone that this is good stuff and that it is there to be eaten by all. There are around 400 edible plants in Lebanon but most people only eat around 40.”

pes as well as information on foraging hazards such as poisonous plants and toxic roots. It also highlights dangers of environmental contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, which are unfortunately commonly used by our farmers.

After skipping through the book, it’s a whopping 400 pages after all, I feel like delving into our countryside. According to Miles, it’s a truly edible landscape and reconnects us with Lebanon’s best traditions. “I know I keep going on about this, but there is more land than we think that can be cultivated out there – it just takes some imagination and dedication. There is so much to forage in Lebanon, not just thyme.”

Well, I’ll never look at weeds the same way again. And now, if you’ll excuse me I’m off to make a mallow omelet, some crab apple jelly and a cup of wild mint tea

The book is packed with healthy reci-

“At any time, in any place, food is there for the taking – if only we knew how and where to look.” The Forager Handbook, Miles Irving

Recipe excerpt from The Forager Handbook Serves 4 • Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan on a moderate heat.

• Sweat 1 medium onion, chopped, then a minute later 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, until translucent; add a spring each of thyme and rosemary.

• Add rice and a knob of butter. Cook rice until translucent.

• Slowly add stock letting the rice absorb it until cooked( approx.10 minutes).

• Roughly chop up sea lettuce and stir into risotto. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Add Parmesan and a knob of butter to finish it off.

• Garnish with a sprinkling of dried sea lettuce. Put on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C to give a stronger flavor to the dish.

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MIND, BODY + SOUL

GETTING TO KNOW MY EARLY DETECTION IS KEY FOR HEALTHY LIVING

BY KIRAN CHOUDHRY

S

ounds strange, doesn’t it? As women, our breasts are part of us from the age of 11 or 12 and sometimes even earlier. We see them every day, and have adjusted our attire, our posture, not to mention our lifestyle, to them. They help to define us, empower us, and nurture others. They are directly linked to our sexual satisfaction. They offer our children nourishment (in the case of those who choose to breastfeed), transforming our body’s nutrients into honey-like milk. So, all of this, and yet we are still unfamiliar.

In order to increase knowledge and understanding of good breast health, Clemenceau Medical Center, affiliated with Johns Hopkins International, held its 4th Symposium on Women’s Health earlier

42 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

this year. The Symposium drew attention to the comprehensive medical treatments available for women with breast cancer, from early detection, to mammography, to breast reconstruction. Medical experts explained the advancements that have been made in the field, giving more and more women hope for full recovery through a multidisciplinary approach that provides opportunities for good medical, emotional, and psychological quality of life after treatment.

The main aspect of prevention that we want to focus on here however, is early detection. And that starts with getting to know your body. Dr. Nagi Khouri, one of the Directors of Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center and Director of the Breast Imaging Division, notes that “women in the Middle East are not comfortable with touching their own breasts,” a practice that should encouraged from a very young age. In fact, “80 per cent of women diagnosed in the Middle East are not at curable stages,” meaning that early detection is unfortunately not practiced. This compares to only 20 percent of women in the U.S. who are at later, incurable stages.

GETTING TO KNOW MY BREASTS

It is imperative to change this mindset in the Middle East, to inform women of the importance of self-examination, and to instill them with responsibility for knowing their own bodies and recognizing unusual symptoms should they occur. Because breast cancer is “very slow growing”, early detection is an invaluable aspect of good breast health.

With all of the advancements in breast

cancer detection and treatment, women in the Middle East must take advantage of the healthcare services and technologies available to them. They must continue to inform themselves, be diligent in knowing their own bodies, and be able to recognize signs and symptoms of adverse breast health. And it all starts with each of us being intimate with ourselves and getting to know our breasts.

“80 PER CENT OF WOMEN DIAGNOSED IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE NOT AT CURABLE STAGES” TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BODY

Johns Hopkins Medicine advises that all adult women should perform a breast self-exam at least once a month. There are a number of guidelines that should be followed

PICK THE SAME TIME OF THE MONTH

Due to normal hormonal fluctuations in a woman’s body that affect breast tissue, it is important to select the same time every month so you will be able to distinguish between a normal change and something that feels different.

PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Do your exam toward the end of your menstrual period. The end of the menstrual cycle is the time when hormonal changes have the least influence on breast tissue, and the breasts are the least tender.

POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Choose a day of the month (the 1st or 15th of the month, for example) and consistently perform your breast self-exam on that same day every month.

EXAMINE YOUR BREASTS IN THE SHOWER

Use circular motions to identify the geography of your breasts. The first few times you do this may feel strange. But you will get to know the feeling of each breast so well, that if a change does occur you’ll notice it immediately.

PERFORM THE EXAM AGAIN THAT SAME DAY BUT LYING DOWN

This way you will develop a feeling for your breasts in a different position, allowing for greater knowledge of the way your breasts feel. Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important. 1

EARLY DETECTION

If you have noticed any of the following symptoms, visit your doctor • Lump in the breast • Thickening of the breast skin • Rash or redness of the breast • Breast swelling • New onset of breast pain • Dimpling around the nipple or on the breast skin • Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward • Nipple discharge • Lumps in the underarm area • Changes in the appearance of the nipple or breast that are different from the normal monthly changes a woman experiences 2 1 2

Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Breast Self-Exams” (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Medical Centre, 2012) Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Breast Cancers and Other Conditions” (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Medical Centre, 2012)

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MIND, BODY + SOUL

THE MOTHER-CHILD CONNECTION

BY SARAH HOURANY

D

eveloping an ideal mother-child relationship is the goal of every mother and the aim of every article written on the subject. The media tends to focus on the big titles and on the complicated required factors to create and maintain bonds but there are subtle and crucial things that can help.

From the time of birth, infants prefer the sight of their mother’s face over any other face. They are also more responsive to natural maternal voices than any other stimuli. These two facts, proven by a large number of studies, urged us to ask a more interesting question: do infants prefer to hear their mom talk or sing? For proven positive impact on both you and your child, we suggest singing your way through their developing years.

Communication Station

To a large extent, studies show that infants are highly attentive to maternal speech and maternal singing, but are more engaged when the latter is used.

Despite the ability of both to modulate the arousal levels of healthy infants, as reflected in salivary cortisol changes, this positive effect is more sustainable in the singing case. Deeper investigation on the differences between maternal singing and talking were carried out by psychologists and university professors Takayuki Nakataa and Sandra E. Trehub who compared the attentionrelated results of prolonged periods of maternal singing and speaking for infant listeners.

Interestingly, infants exhibited more overall fixation and a higher initial fixation coupled with a minimal body movement when listening to their mother’s singing. This suggests that infants are much more engaged when their mothers sing as opposed to listening to them speak. Singing can trigger an efficient process of gradual learning for children as the visual fixation patterns are thought to reflect patterns of information processing. This was concretely felt by mothers during weekly group sessions over a five year period, as part of the Peers Early Education Partnership 44 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

(PEEP) project, where they recognized that infants less one year-old could, indeed, distinguish between different songs. If you feel like testing it yourself, listen carefully to your baby humming when you are singing a certain song!

Reap What You Sow

Maternal singing benefits don’t end at attention span. Not only does it enhances infant attention, facilitating and developing the interaction communication between the mother and the baby, it also regulates the child’s emotions and decreases feelings of distress. Simple melodies with repetitive word usage, recapped several times over, reassure the baby that someone is there to calm him or her and attend to needs. Mentioning the baby’s name over and over again in the song creates feelings of familiarity that makes the baby feel safe.

The greatest benefit of maternal singing resides in the fact that it fosters bonds between the mother and her child. During singing periods, the baby’s emotions are heightened, while the mother’s emotions are intensified. In an interesting study published in the journal “Infant behavior and development”, a group of scholars examined the relationship between maternal attachment classification and their expressiveness while singing to infants. They concluded that the mothers who participated in

DURING SINGING PERIODS, THE BABY’S EMOTIONS ARE HEIGHTENED, WHILE THE MOTHER’S EMOTIONS ARE INTENSIFIED the study, regardless of their attachment classification, sang more expressively in their children’s presence than in their absence, with voices characterized by higher pitches and greater emotional expressiveness. In parallel, singing was proven to increase the maternal feelings of mothers towards their babies and their feeling of attachment especially during the b aby’s first year. In a survey conducted by professors from the University of Surrey-London, all of the 100 mothers who participated admitted singing to their children. The research was aimed at determining the attitudes of mothers towards their babies less than a year old.

Research indicated that music proves to be a more efficient vehicle to convey emotion especially for infants who can only relate to rhythm rather than to the actual meaning of language. It’s why it is safe to say that music is not only considered “an international language” but also a very sacred mother-child form of communication

5 QUICK SINGSONG TIPS FOR MOMS

1. Start singing to your baby right from the moment he or she is born. This will prime your child from birth to enjoy both your voice and practise of singing.

2. Don’t hesitate to sing if you don’t have a “singing voice”. Babies are not concerned at all with perfect pitches or complicated melodies.

3. Use songs to promote daily routine.

Songs such as, “This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our

teeth,” facilitate the compliance of your child to healthy activities.

4. Use songs that are coupled with hand motions to enhance your baby’s fine motor skills. “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is an ideal song for such a purpose.

5. Don’t hesitate to use personally tailored songs to express your baby’s wishes. It is a great way to build a feeling of trust between mother and child.

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45

MON AMOUR, MON AMI

KEEPING ITCLEAN PUBLIC SPEAKING GURU KC BAKER SHARES HER THOUGHTS ON THE CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

K

C Baker’s journey into the domain of public speaking began several years ago. Miserable in her career as an investment banker, she decided to quit her job and journey around Asia. After several years of soul searching she trained to become a Certified Tantra instructor and then a public speaking coach. She has since then founded the School for the WellSpoken Woman; her seminars in public speaking and communication have become extremely sought after over the past year and her dynamic charisma and stage presence make her a sought-after coach to TV news reporters, entrepreneurs, and executives alike.

KC is passionately dedicated to the advancement of women, personally and professionally, and earlier this year ventured to Lebanon to present “Let Yourself Shine!”, a 3 day communications and public speaking training, combined with wellness retreat, at Eddé Sands, Byblos. The event was attended by women from all over the Middle East and hosted by entrepreneur Hana Alireza, creator of Qi Cleanse, a company founded to help people increase their health, energy and vitality using natural sources.

Over an exquisite lunch at Eddé Sands, prepared by visiting Peruvian wellness chef Brisa Deneumostier, KC Baker spoke out on the challenges facing women and her thoughts on the big IFs in our lives, especially when it comes to personal relationships.

KC, what advice can you give to women in relationships?

My advice is this: do everything you can to make sure you are the best, most authentic, clear and graceful communicator you can possibly be. Communication is key to our happiness - personally, in our relationships, and in our work in the world. If you can take full responsibility for what you think and for what you need, and are able to communicate both of those with clarity and love with your partner, you have what it takes to make a successful long term relationship work.

Relationships get into serious trouble and unhappiness when there is important stuff left unsaid and important needs left un-communicated.

RELATIONSHIPS GET INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE AND UNHAPPINESS WHEN THERE IS IMPORTANT STUFF LEFT UNSAID AND IMPORTANT NEEDS LEFT UNCOMMUNICATED 46 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

MANAGING COUPLEDOM | KC BAKER

It’s not just about what we say, it’s about how we listen to one another.

Assume the best in your partner when you listen to them. You can create a culture in your relationship that is based on this kind of honest communication and “fertile listening”, as I call it.

This is where relationships bloom, and can last a lifetime.

What are couples most afraid of discussing?

What they need. Men and women both can “swallow” their needs, because they fear it will upset or anger or cause the other person to leave. When we can really share what we need with vulnerability and honesty, we can help our relationship to grow and be healthy. When we don’t, that’s when relationships become unhealthy.

What advice do you have for women trying to juggle a full time career and married life?

If you are going to play the game of having a full and thriving career and married life, you have to bring your greatness to both - fully. If you are giving half of your heart to your marriage, you’ll only give half of your greatness to your work. If you only give half of

your heart to your business, you’ll only give half of your best to your marriage.

What this really means is that you must make a little bit of time each day to get silent with yourself and check in about what you really need that day to feel joy in your work and in your marriage.

Whatever comes to you - exercise, sharing what you love about your man with your man, dropping that unfulfilling project or finding someone else who can take it over, asking for help with some things around the house or in your work - do it. Do the things that make you happy. Ask for the help you need. Ditch the stuff that’s draining your energy.

The big IF facing most couples… can we really expect to stay married forever?

Sure! If that’s what you decide and that’s what you want to create, it’s absolutely in your power to create a home and relationship that is happy. The key is in putting your happiness first and doing everything you can to be the best communicator you can be in your relationship. Communication is the key to effective creativity, and relationship is the ultimate art. And this is coming from someone who saw a lot of divorce going on around her growing up. I’ve seen

many relationships fall apart, and I did not believe that staying in a relationship forever was possible. But, the power is within you to create a happy, beautiful home. Speak up about what you need and what you think with love and grace, and do something every single day that makes you deeply happy and fulfilled. And then, encourage your man to do the same. That’s the stuff strong enduring love is made of.

When a women turns out to be more successful in her career than her partner, some men find this hard to swallow.

I was raised in a very traditional home where my father was the primary moneymaker, and I have always felt attraction to successful men. I like being provided for! I love being taken out, and part of me really loves the idea of a man taking care of me financially. Here’s the most important tip I can give on this: It’s very important to not make your partner wrong or feel bad about not making as much money as you.

KC Baker’s LET YOURSELF SHINE! Unleashing the brilliance of women’s voices into the world took place on March 9th-11th, 2012 at Eddé Sands, Byblos, Lebanon

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47

MIND, BODY + SOUL

BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: BRITISH COMEDIAN DANNY WALLACE, LATE AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

SPIT, SHINE + POLISH

BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

A

friend of mine once said to me that having children opened his eyes to how selfish he had been his whole life. He was shocked at how much his world had centred around himself for so long, and how raising his daughter had refreshed his entire perspective on what made for a worthwhile existence.

Too often in life we value individualistic traits: achievement, excellence, talent, effort, making it to the top, having comfort and security. But we tend to think of these things only in terms of the benefits they mean to ourselves. We start believing that the world is simply a treasure chest from which we have to plunder as much of the best things as we can before anyone else gets there first. And we can spend our lives pursuing these things only to be left frustrated and miserable, and convinced that somehow there was something more worthy we could have been spending all that time on. This is because we have been seduced by the false belief that our lives are made worthwhile by having the right things. Now of course, acquiring all of the things above is a meaningful pursuit; these things are all related to our need to be making progress, which provides us with great satisfaction. But what is rarely talked about is the equally pressing need that keeps us up at night, which is the need to make a contribution to the world.

For me, I had a pang of guilt when I heard this question: When was the last time I did something thoughtful for somebody else, just to make them feel good? Or you can get more specific: What do I do to give value to the people I care about? I say this because I really believe that our worth as individuals is defined by the value we give to other people. When we give value, we have a clear conscience, we are offering something to the world. And the best news about this is that we don’t need any resources at our disposal to do it. We don’t need millions of dollars to give to needy causes.

Here are some of the ways we can all start giving more value from the moment we get out of bed in the morning

Write Right

When author Christopher Hitchens was struck with cancer, he said that the experience taught him, “If you’re not sure whether to write to someone who has affected you, always do. It means more than you know.” It’s tragic that some people can change our lives without even knowing it. For the next month, think of 3 people who have had a profound effect on your life. It might be an old school teacher, a parent, or even just someone who said something inspiring to you once. Let people know they have done something valuable, it’s the least you can do to repay them.

RAGMAG brings you the best in self-improvement. 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

48 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

featured in the London Metro, Evening Standard, The Sun, The Independent, Men’s Health, Glamour magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Elle magazine. 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

Karma Army

The British comedian Danny Wallace was famous for starting a cult known as the Karma Army, who still exist to this day (check out his website for details). They have one simple mission: Every Friday, perform a random act of kindness for a stranger without expecting anything return. Random acts of kindness come in all shapes and sizes: it might be buying someone their morning cappuccino, offering to help an elderly neighbour with their weekly shopping, or giving up a seat on a bus to let someone else sit down. Doing these things for a stranger is great, because not only does it make your world a friendlier place, but it makes us see the value of kindness itself, even when we don’t expect to receive any benefit other than making the recipient feel better about life.

Righting Wrongs

Some of us we are plagued by guilt because we have unresolved wrongs that we have yet to rectify. Perhaps there is a friend we have neglected or mistreated or someone who could do with a phone call to cheer them up or even a family member who would love us to visit. These things can slip through our fingers if we don’t resolve them, and require surprisingly small gestures of kindness.

Once we engage in these positive actions the world opens up to us. Let’s decide now that we are going to be the ones who stop talking, and start giving. And if nothing else, let’s be the evidence that proves to doubters that the world can be a pretty good place.

Polish your tarnished wrongs and see a cleaner, shinier world ahead

5 BIG CHALLENGES OF MARRIED LIFE

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MIND, BODY + SOUL

TO ASK A QUESTION send your problems to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com

TO JOIN THE READER RESPONSE PANEL and give feedback to women across Lebanon, send your name, age, and email address to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com subject line: Interactive Panel We will contact you if you are chosen to participate.

help me

NOUR+RABIH

BY NOUR OBAJI + RABIH FEGHALI

Everywhere I go, most people I meet have heard or know my ex, whom I never really got over. They all say the same thing to me: you guys were so cute together, I’m sure you’ll fix things someday. Thing is, we broke up three years ago, yet he seems to be everywhere which doesn’t help my feelings. How to get over him?

Ranya, 24

“He seems to be everywhere, but really this is coming from you, he is everywhere in your head and so absolutely anything can trigger you thinking about him. You need to start being very honest with yourself. It sounds as though you are still hoping that you get back together. To ‘get over him’ you need to realize that this is not going to happen, and then you need to accept that fact. The difficulty in ‘getting over people’ is agonizing over what was and what will be. It is actually like getting over an addiction and needs you to make firm decisions and stick to them.”

Ola, 23

“If the guy hasn’t been hinting at rekindling the flame, then you can either make it clear to everyone that it’s over and hence you’d appreciate their not digging up the past or you can simply find a new circle to hang out with.”

Joanna, 21

“You need time, but you can always date other people to fill that missing place in your heart. However, 3 years ago? Did u guys get some sort of a closure? I really think there’s a missing part here!”

50 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

Nour’s Vote There are studies that suggest social media related behaviors (like trolling his Facebook) will make it harder for you to get over him, so by extension I suppose the same rule applies to the constant mentions whenever you are out and about.

That being said, getting over him is, in my opinion, something separate from what you are talking about. While it might be annoying to constantly hear people lament your breakup, I don’t think it is the major factor hindering the healing process. I suggest that when people start reliving your relationship, you shut them up quickly with a “that’s all ancient history” type comment. Move on with your life and make a consistent effort to keep your head in the “now” space. Rabih’s got the right idea here, follow his lead.

Rabih’s Vote Skip town. Defriend his friends on Facebook and block him. There is no other way.

Three years lady? Come on! I can get over my mother in two.

One of our friends is a beautiful girl with a bubbly personality -when she’s out with us girls. As soon as we spot guys or are met by some of our guy friends, she becomes this flirty person who’ll stop at nothing to get whatever man walks by, even if he clearly is interested in one of our other friends. Shit turns ugly fast and it happens every time. How do we snap her out of it? It’s getting overboard and causing drama.

HELP ME NOUR+RABIH

Maya, 34

“Well, if I was in your group of friends, I wouldn’t even bother staging an intervention. From your question, I gather that this is an on-going issue and has been brought to her attention. As she continues to do it, she is either A) loving the drama B) not caring that it pisses people off or C) all of the above. She sounds like someone who has major issues in more than one aspect of her personality and I frankly would dump her so fast, her bubbly little head would spin. My advice to you: cut her out of your group.”

Souraya, 31

“Your friend probably loves attention, and she’s not getting it elsewhere, so she asks for it from men -who usually don’t say no to a woman. This usually comes from selfesteem issues... The closest one to her -of your group- needs to talk to her, confront her, and ask her why she acts like that and try to work with her and help her get out of it... You need to help her realize that what she’s doing is bothering the rest of you, and is not appropriate… Let her make the decision of what she’s gonna do next.”

Linda, 22

“Did you ask what she is playing at? No need to get aggressive, no need to be rude, and try and make sure she isn’t embarrassed otherwise it is more difficult for her to change.”

Rabih’s Vote I have a feeling that since she is clearly more attractive than the rest of you, men naturally give her more attention - and she ends up feeding off of it. It’s not her fault. To solve your problem, find her a man that’ll keep her occupied. Eliminate the competition. This way, you and your friends can monopolize the testosterone.

I am having this problem. I’m a 20 yearold university student. It’s been around a year with my boyfriend whom I crazily love. I’m frequently at his place during our free time. Whenever his parents show up I wish I could disappear.

I SUCK at dealing with them. Mutual friends, plus my man, told me the effort I put in making conversation is very obvious. I’m very stressed, my body language is a mess, and I just look frightened-knowing that I usually give great first impressions in any other situation.

I don’t know if their high class (status) threatens me or what, but no matter how hard I try it doesn’t work. Plus they ain’t very talkative with me, making it super hard. Yesterday I ended up talking about gas prices (whatever I could recall from the news) and the father’s response was: Ya. Once I snapped and left my bf’s place when I noticed that I was going to end up having lunch with them. It caused a major problem between us. HELP ME NOUR! Tala, 29

Nour’s Vote Nour isn’t fond of these sorts of garish demonstrations of she-wolf behavior. The attention whore is not a beast that can be easily tamed and generally disrupts group energy during outings. Best case scenario, her behavior sounds annoying.

Worst case scenario, her behavior sounds almost dangerous. If I were you, I wouldn’t even bother talking to her about it since she is probably aware of the stir she causes and she might even thrive off of the “drama” that would ensure from a confrontation. People like this, be they male or female, have deep-rooted issues in security of self and self-worth. Step away from the minefield because this baby is about to blow. You don’t want to be there when she does. Warning: misogynistic response coming your way from Rabih.

“This is an interesting situation but I feel like some details are missing. Are his parents unkind? Intimidating? Cold? There has to be a reason for all of your stress.

In the event that they are unkind and look down on you, remember, you aren’t dating them, you are dating their son who obviously cares for you. I note that you say that you are frequently at his place.

It may be that his parents are uncomfortable as their generation would not have been doing the same things that you are (i.e. being alone in the house etc.) and because of their discomfort, they don’t talk much. The only suggestion I have is to deep breathe it, calm down, and stop trying so hard. They are obviously picking up on the fact that conversation is forced.”

Roula, 23

“I have a friend who was going through this. Balahah! You’re still young, go find someone else. If you’re going to have these complications, make it at least worth it with someone that has long-term potential!”

Nour’s Vote It is unfortunate that the class system still exists in Lebanon. (For our readers outside of Lebanon, I need to clarify that this is not a caste system a la India, it is more a case of snobbery and defunct aristocracy.) It sounds to me as though they think you’re beneath their precious prince of a son. Our contributor Sarah Hourany has made light of this in several Hayda Lebnen articles, but the fact is, these humorous articles are based on true elements of Lebanese society. He isn’t a doorknob; he can tell that his parents are giving you the deep freeze. You mentioned arguing about skipping their lunch- at this juncture, you should have told him to step in or step back. He either tells them to be cordial and welcoming or he shouldn’t expect you to be the social butterfly. Regarding the class system, people just need to get over themselves, his parents included.

This is 2012 and you’re young and educated- you don’t need these people.

Rabih’s Vote Why do you care so much? You’re only 20 - do you want to marry your guy, now?

Avoid the parents and just enjoy his company. He’s obviously into you (for now).

Trust me, if you don’t have anything to share with them now, you won’t have anything to share with them later... Always be yourself, this is not something you can change. If they see how happy you make him, and that you aid in making him a better person, they will see the value in having you around and approve of you in the long run.

THE STERILE ISSUE

51

MIND, BODY + SOUL

GUY’S CORNER

I have a Friend With Benefits (FWB) and she is awesome. I just got out of a very serious relationship and I spend at least 3 hours a day with her. When she isn’t around I miss her and even my friends like her. I tell her all about my life and even my work but I don’t want a relationship and she does. We stopped the benefits part for about a month because she said she was getting confused but then we started up again because we have very hot chemistry. I want to keep her as a friend but I can’t seem to stop trying the benefits part because it’s so good!

What do you think of this?

Stefanie, 25

“It seems that you are running away from a potentially beautiful relationship. There are a lot of men who are in the same case as you and this why they hide under the FWB title. This girl seems great- what you share with her is the recipe of a solid match. Why wouldn’t you want that?”

Nour’s Vote I think you are being silly. You want this but you can’t do that. Since time immemorial, people have wanted to have their cake and eat it too. You tell her all this personal stuff, spend every day and night with her but you can’t suck it up and turn

‘I HAVE A FRIEND WITH BENEFITS (FWB) AND SHE IS AWESOME. I JUST GOT OUT OF A VERY SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP AND I SPEND AT LEAST 3 HOURS A DAY WITH HER’ TO ASK A QUESTION send your problems to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com

TO JOIN THE READER RESPONSE PANEL and give feedback to women across Lebanon, send your name, age, and email address to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com subject line: Interactive Panel We will contact you if you are chosen to participate.

52 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

it into a relationship? Newsflash Einstein: that is a relationship. Just because you haven’t labelled it as such doesn’t mean it isn’t. Grow a pair, call a spade a spade and shape up before you lose her, as a FWB and especially as a friend. Nour has zero patience for men like you, and I’m sure she will come to her senses and drop you (or at least I hope so). This also goes for any woman dating or acting as a FWB for Rabih since his answer irritated me.

Rabih’s Vote Listen, as long as you keep reminding her that it’s not going anywhere, the burden is off of your shoulders and you can continue having your way. She can feel whatever she wants to feel, but at the end of the day, if you are straightforward and honest, you’re clean. I must say, however, that if you can spare this poor soul some agony, do let her go once and for all. I’m sure you’ll find a booty call that is all action and no fluff ... you stud you ;)

HELP ME NOUR+RABIH

THE STERILE ISSUE

53

MON AMOUR, MON AMI

IT’S NOT SO CLEAN CUT

ANYMORE

BY FIDA CHAABAN

WHILE THE STACK OF CONGRATULATION CARDS WAS HIGH AND GATHERING DUST, I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF BREAKUP CARDS. IT SEEMED THAT MY FRIENDS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BREAK IT OFF THEN TIE THE KNOT

I

have a stack of cards ready for just about every occasion. I have monogrammed stationary too. Whenever I see a card that I like, I buy it, sometimes in duplicate.

One day, I came across a selection of breakup cards by the Canadian stationary designer Paperqueen. I was walking through a prestige department store in Vancouver and there they were. They said things like, “So you broke up? He wasn’t that great in bed anyway!” or “It’s over? Let’s drink!” I asked myself if these were the kind of cards I should stock up on and I thought well, no harm in being prepared! I bought 3 and added them to my stock of stationary at home, quickly dismissing them as a fun addition to my collection, albeit a useless one. I had also bought a slew of congratulation cards, thinking I would definitely run through those quickly.

54 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

Less than a few short months later, I noticed that while the stack of congratulation cards was high and gathering dust, I was completely out of breakup cards. It seemed that my friends were more likely to break it off then tie the knot. I flipped through the congratulation cards again and admired the artful display of rings, doves and canoodling couples. I thought about how lovely it would be to give these cards to my friends, and then it dawned on me: could my overstock of cards reflect the state of the modern relationship? Did people breakup more often than commit these days? I would run an experiment to determine how valid my conjecture was. I headed to my computer and placed an online order: Paperqueen would ship me a bunch of different breakup cards and they would do so immediately. I desperately wanted the congrats cards and love notes to outnumber the breakup messages, so I would reorder and monitor exactly when I would issue a card to a friend from this category or that one.

I DESPERATELY WANTED THE CONGRATS CARDS AND LOVE NOTES TO OUTNUMBER THE BREAKUP MESSAGES

IT’S NOT SO CLEAN CUT ANYMORE

A few months later, I ruefully contacted Paperqueen again (thepaperqueen. com). Their website was down, so I had to email in my order. Fact: The order was made up mostly of breakup cards. I was fresh out of the funny and true illustrated pieces and I had just been informed of a friend’s particularly ugly breakup. You must know that I had hopes that these two in particular would make it, at least for another year or so, if not a lifetime. They had crossed oceans to be together and they shared obscure interests and came from similar backgrounds. They would have been my bet for happily ever after!

When the cards arrived, I dutifully chose the uplifting message, “You are fantastic!”. This card from Paperqueen went on to say that her ex was surely a fool for giving her up and that droves of men would be at her door soon enough. I judged her pain too fresh for the “He’s a fucker” card and I was right.

She cried herself sick after her boyfriend suggested, nay commanded, that she “move on with her life”. I gave her the card. I hugged her while she cried. And after she left my apartment, I counted what I had left in the way of cards. I’ll be placing another orde r soon, and unfortunately it won’t be the lovey-dovey type.

As for my friend? She already has droves of men hanging off her every word.

She’s still a bit worse for wear after the breakup, but hey, she said he wasn’t that great in bed anyway!

I JUDGED HER PAIN TOO FRESH FOR THE “HE’S A FUCKER” CARD AND I WAS RIGHT. SHE CRIED HERSELF SICK AFTER HER BOYFRIEND SUGGESTED, NAY COMMANDED, THAT SHE “MOVE ON WITH HER LIFE”

THE STERILE ISSUE

55

CULTURE CLASH

HAYDA LEBNEN’s

FAMILY BUSINESS!

STERILITY+THE LEBANESE MARRIAGE

BY SARAH HOURANY

WE ARE HONORED TO PRESENT YOU WITH OUR VERY OWN “NEFRAH MEN WLEDIK”, A STORY ABOUT MARRIAGE, IN-LAWS AND THE “CURSE” OF STERILITY IN THE LEBANESE SOCIETY 56 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

HAYDA LEBNEN’S FAMILY BUSINESS | STERILITY + THE LEBANESE MARRIAGE

MA3ON SENE TO HAVE A BABY, YA3NE 3 MONTHS MAXIMUM TO GET PREGNANT. A BABY ANY SOONER THAN THAT WILL RAISE SPECULATION AND CHATTER ABOUT THE TRUE REASONS BEHIND THEIR MARRIAGE (CHU 7EBLE MENNO?)

T

o all the jealous women who grabbed RAGMAG’s April issue and felt a degree of envy for those who’ve already tied the knot, don’t fall into that temptation!

While you are facing societal pressure ta yefraho mennik (bil2ouwe) and struggling with the “bala chaghle w 3amle” people who classify you in the m3anse category (see last month’s issue for more on that topic), the newlywed bride is dealing with pressures min naw3en 2akhar. Ladies and gentlemen, after the tremendous success of “nefrah mennik” we are honored to present you with our very own “Nefrah Men Wledik”, a story about marriage, in-laws and the “curse” of sterility in the Lebanese society.

and we don’t think alcohol is to blame in this case! If you’re dancing near the bride and the groom, you’ll definitely overhear various versions of the same nonsensical well wishes. Some of the tired old recycled ones that we personally have experienced o “Mabrouk ya helwin! Ne2cha3elkon nchalla!” o “3a2bel ma nra2is wledkon bi sahret 3erskon” o “3a2bel ma ysir 3andik sabiye helwe metlik” o “Nchala byejik 3aris byechbahlak” No, they don’t mean to “yba2touwon” 3erson ABADAN! Bass eno hek, jemal w bten2al, even if it is expressed only minutes after they become united.

o“Mesfarra? Chu halkhabriye el helwe!”

Ah walla!

W ya 7aram 3a hal 3arous! Hiye, the tangible representation of the in-laws dreams (a baby creator), should not expect to have the appropriate dawa for her nausea or headache but pregnancy tests 3al tali3 wel nazil. (3a2ses it is going to heal her!) The concept of “privacy”, also no longer exists. Besides having to deal with the monsters-in-law, recurrent unexpected visits and curious questions, the bride should nod and smile as her mother-in-law constantly tracks her period and fertility days!

THE TRAILER

POST- HONEYMOON

After crossing the one year deadline, the monsters-in-law unleash their hidden terghib and terhib techniques. Some particulary popular ones Anger “Chou, mech newyin?”

Victim Role Playing “Ma bede chefle chi 7afid abel ma mout?”

Bribery “I can give you a monthly allowance to raise your baby iza ma fikon!”

Ma3on sene to have a baby, ya3ne 3 months maximum to get pregnant. A baby any sooner than that will raise speculation and chatter about the true reasons behind their marriage (chu 7eble menno?). But keep in mind that any delay to get preggo (longer than 12 months) will give rise to even more dangerous comments,“Ma ykuno ma bi jibo wled!” (B3id el charr mit alf marra).

Based on this simple mu3edale, the inlaws shall apply the same plan that was exercised on them in years past.

THE MOVIE

DURING THE WEDDING CEREMONY +RECEPTION

Promptly after the happy couple pronounce the famous “I do”, and even before they exit the ceremony, the typical nagging wishes kick off: “Nchalla n3ich w nefrah men wledknon!”

This behavior is exacerbated bil sahra

Even though the honeymoon lasted for a short two weeks, the extended family still needs to make its “check the tummy visit”, la3alo sar chi! And because sharing is caring, every family member is allowed to ask a question, bildor. Some of our personal faves o“Chou nos7ane chwey, fi chi?” Accompanied by a shy smile implying kamachtik ya me7tele! o“Tamnouna, fi chi?” Ma3 ghamze meaning fhemto chu asdna ma hek? o“Fi chi 3al tari2?” Paired with a look that is begging for a yes.

BIL 7AYET IN GENERAL

Many principles that we can all agree on are altered. For example the concept of “bad” vs. “good” for instance is absolutely wacky at this stage. Sickness, masalan, starts being a more desirable state. Some examples of this that we’ve heard: o“3am tel3a nafsik? Khay chi mnih !” Eh, katerkher 2allah o“Te3bene w deykha? Wa 2akhiran!” Excuse me?!

THE FINALE

THE SEQUEL

Planning to have babies is a personal choice but in Lebanon it is a family business! Iza 2edrin yjibo wled w 2 years baby-free is a msibe, kif eza ma fiyon yjibo wled bil marra? Would they applaud the couple’s decision to pursue adoption? Never. What’s the typical solution? Redda lal 3arous 3a bayta forever, even if the “problem” is a guy’s issue.

And for the couples who just don’t feel the need to hear the pitter-patter of little feet around the house? Well, that’s just not natural here!

Ma hayda - unfortunately - Lebnen ya 3ayneh!

THE STERILE ISSUE

57

THE FINAL FRONTIER

CLEAN AS A WHISTLE SCOOPCITY MAKES ONLINE DEALS DOABLE

BY MARIA ELENA KASSAB

R

emember when stores relied on word-of-mouth to spread the word about a deal and restaurants spammed hundreds of people with SMSes about a deal? These dark times are over, people! With social media really taking flight in Lebanon, online group deals are proving to be excellent means to get the best value for your money as well as high-quality entertainment.

Enter ScoopCity, a social buying website founded by Abdallah and Ghaith El-Yafi. The website was founded in May 2011, which means ScoopCity is celebrating its one year anniversary this month. With their emphasis on transparency, quality and interaction with users, the ScoopCity team carved themselves a niche. Instead of focusing on transactions only between the buyers and the website, ScoopCity prides itself on promoting local talent (see their Spotlight page which boasts interviews with Lebanese artists, designers, bands‌) and keeping a symbiotic relationship with their previous Scoop Partners (see their News page which features new menus, events and press releases from their previous partners).

58 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

You might quit before starting, thinking that there must be an overly-complicated process to scoop those deals, but think again! Just apply for a ScoopCity account and fill out some personal info as well as your interests. When you want to purchase a deal, you either pay by credit card, internet card or by dropping off the amount at the ScoopCity offices in Hamra. You are charged upon purchase an d receive your ScoopCity Coupon by email. You can also get ScoopCity credit when you refer someone (as soon as they make their first purchase) or drop some money off at the offices, which appears in your account and allow you to directly buy your deals. They feature many types of scoops: restaurants, spas, gyms, concert events, and beaches, to name a few.

@ScoopCity ScoopCity 01741272/927 info@scoopcity.com www.scoopcity.com Whatsapp 76-990-455 BBM 27964C21

THE STERILE ISSUE

59

THE FINAL FRONTIER | SCOOP CITY How can you buy the scoop? The scoop is available online for a limited amount of time averaging 4-5 days. This means that you have 4-5 days to buy the scoop online (see the running countdown timer on the side to know how much time is left). When the countdown reaches 00:00:00:00, the scoop goes offline and your chance to buy it is gone. So if you want the deal, be quick! Just click “Buy this Scoop”, and you will be redirected to a secure credit card portal webpage (sponsored by Bank Audi) where you can buy the deal online with your credit card. Paid? Done! The scoop is yours!

ScoopCity then sends your personalized ScoopCity serial number voucher to your email once the countdown timer runs out. You can then print it, or save

IF YOU’RE A FILM AFICIONADO, REJOICE! SCOOP CITY DEVELOPED A DEAL WITH CIRCUIT EMPIRE: IN EXCHANGE FOR MOVIE PROMOTION AND EXPOSURE, THE WEBSITE GETS SEVERAL MOVIE PREMIERE TICKETS 60 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

the voucher on your smart phone or iPad and you typically have 3 months to make your way down to the scooped place to redeem your scoop.

If you’re a film aficionado, rejoice!

Scoop City developed a deal with Circuit Empire: in exchange for movie promotion and exposure, the website gets several movie premiere tickets, which are either given away to their most active ScoopCitizens or as a prize in movie trivia competitions.

If you’re not sure about a deal or want to ask the ScoopCity family a question, you can go the traditional route and email them, you can post a question on their Facebook page or tweet them your

problem. Want to discuss a more private matter with them and don’t want to post it all over social media pages? You can call them directly (which most people do) or add them on BBM or Whatsapp (which is the second most-successful means of communicating with them, so far!)

THEY FEATURE MANY TYPES OF SCOOPS: RESTAURANTS, SPAS, GYMS, CONCERT EVENTS, AND BEACHES, TO NAME A FEW.

THE STERILE ISSUE

61

MIRROR MIRROR

PHOTOGRAPHY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

I

’ve always thought that spa products were overrated -some spas use custom-made products, with imported Himalayan salt, sea algae from Japan and mud from the land down under. I can’t argue with the fact that their ingredients have amazing properties. You always read articles about DIY type spa treatments, so for the Sterile issue, we thought we’d give it a spin.

When I search for any kind of recipe, I always try and go for the books; they always seem more reliable to me. I went to the library and found a few but it wasn’t what I was looking for. Each recipe required a dozen ingredients, with things like witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. Not what you usually have in your pantry. So I went for the online versions, searching for recipes with the most common ingredients and the simplest how-tos. I picked out a few DIY treatments from marthastewart.com and kitchencraftsandmore.com, got the ingredients from the supermarket and a herbs and spices store, and started my prep.

RAGMAG’S DO IT YOURSELF HOME SPA

Using large-sized crystal cane sugar, I start with the DIY Body Scrub. Mixing it with canola oil, a few drops of jasmine essential oil and much more food coloring than the recipe required, I’m done in less than 3 minutes. It’s starting to smell really good, and even though my editor didn’t care about the packaging, I spooned it into a nice looking jar to keep it for later use. I move on to the

DIY Foot Scrub, using beach sand – I actually went to the beach with a plastic bag and got a whole cup- which has a coarse texture too but is much smoother than Epsom salt or cane sugar. With the canola oil and rosemary essential oil, it looks really bad. It has a brownish, muddy colour that grosses me out, so I decide to add a bit of blue coloring to it. Bad idea. Don’t do that, stick to the muddy colour.

62 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

Next is the DIY Exfoliating Hand Mask, the product I was most excited to try.

I love the texture of wet oatmeal and I like having a refreshing mask after a scrub. Made of oatmeal, cornmeal, body lotion, coarse salt and aloe vera gel, the mixture looks really appetizing. Moving on to the last product (which I chose for its refreshing finishing touch), I create the DIY Refreshing Peppermint Foot Gel, using only aloe vera gel and peppermint essential oil.

I gather my three sisters and decide to make a RAGMAG DIY Spa Party out of it. We start off with the Body Scrub. The roughness of the sugar crystals feels amazingly good, especially on my sister’s burnt skin. I focus on my knees and elbows to remove dead skin excess, then rinse it off. The scrub does leave a smooth touch on my skin, but a slightly greasy one as well. I guess I can use a little less oil next time I prepare that specific scrub so it will still be wet enough to rub on the body, without leaving that oily feeling on the skin.

We try the Foot Scrub after that and I’m much happier with in. In fact, it looks too oily, but once applied, the oil is quickly absorbed by the sand and the skin. The sand is at just the right roughness to exfoliate dead skin and once rinsed, my feet are clean and smooth.

We move on to the Hand Mask, and that is pure pleasure! The texture is silky and freshens up the hands. I keep the mask on for more than 5 minutes, and quickly

MR. (+MS.) CLEAN | RAGMAG’S DO IT YOURSELF HOME SPA

decide to treat my feet with it as well! This treatment was the Chagoury Sisters favorite: three days later, our hands are as smooth as day one!

We finish up the RAGMAG DIY Spa Party with the Foot Gel. I got different feedback about this one: my sister hated the peppermint scent, thinking it was too strong and my other sisters didn’t really like its texture. I still loved its freshness and thought it was the perfect ending to a great homemade Spa Party.

I love getting pampered at spas, having someone deeply massage me and knowing exactly what they’re doing, but I certainly will host another Spa Party with my sisters and friends again. From the preparations to the experimentation, I loved everything about it

HAVE YOUR OWN RAGMAG DIY SPA PARTY

BODY SCRUB

Home Spa Plusses

• COST Buying all of the ingredients for the recipes cost me less than 50000 LBP (half of which was spent on the aloe vera gel), because I didn’t have fresh aloe vera. If you do, cut an aloe vera stem in half and scoop out the gel with a spoon. The essential oils were a bit pricey, but they last forever since you use only a few drops each time.

• CHEMICAL-FREE There are no chemicals used apart from the food coloring, but you can even skip that, since it only brings an aesthetic benefit to your products.

• ACTIVITY You can host a Spa Party out of this. It’s a really friendly activity: gather your friends, prepare your products together and get to experimenting.

marthastewart.com kitchencraftsandmore.com

BEACH SAND FOOT SCRUB

INGREDIENTS

METHOD Stir together Epsom salts or sugar and carrier oil in a bowl, mixing well. Using a pipette, add essential oil, 1 drop at a time. Add food coloring, and stir until color is even throughout.

Spoon into canning jars.

FOOT GEL

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 2 1/3 cups

•2 cups Epsom salts or cane sugar •1 cup carrier oil •8 drops essential oil(s) •1 drop food coloring

HAND MASK

INGREDIENTS •2 Tablespoons Canola or olive oil •2 Tablespoons beach sand •3-5 drops rosemary oil

METHOD Combine and mix into a paste using a fork. Massage scrub onto feet, concentrating on problem areas. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

1/2 C. oatmeal 1/2 C. cornmeal 1/2 C. coarse salt 1/2 C. unscented body lotion 4 T. aloe vera gel

METHOD In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Slide hand into mixture and rub, beginning at fingertips, working up to palm and wrist.

Do one hand at a time, rinsing in a separate bowl of warm water.

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel 1/2 tablespoon peppermint oil

METHOD

Combine ingredients in a bowl or in a large cup. Mix with a whisk or fork and massage mixture on feet until absorbed.

THE STERILE ISSUE

63

MIRROR MIRROR

NIVEA’S GOT YOUR BEST SUMMER SKIN IN MIND

GET SUBTLE SCENT+MOISTURE NIVEA Sensual Musk Body Lotion envelops the senses with a captivating and long-lasting musk fragrance, keeping you enwrapped in the warm aroma of musk all day long. Developed for normal to dry skin, the formula with NIVEA’s revolutionary Hydra IQ technology provides non-stop moisture for over 24 hours. We suggest using this one after a beach day to maintain your tan and rehydrate sun-exposed skin.

The best part? This product was exclusively developed for the Middle East- get yours while you can!

VOTED CONSUMER’S BEST!

You don’t have to take our word for it, check out which NIVEA products were chosen best in show by consumers in Lebanon.

NIVEA took home three awards at the “Product of the Year Awards 2011” held in Lebanon earlier this year. The independent award program recognizes excellence in quality and innovation and is voted for by consumers through a national survey conducted by TNS (the world’s largest custom research agency). Consumers in Lebanon voted for the most innovative products in the Product of the Year

64 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

Awards and the deep moisturising NIVEA Nourishing Body Lotion was named the winner of the Product of the Year Award in the Body Care category. NIVEA Invisible for Black & White deodorants (whose unique formulation prevents white deodorant streaks on dark clothes and yellow staining on white clothes) was hailed the winner in both the Deodorant for Men and Deodorant for Women categories.

THE STERILE ISSUE

65

FML [F**K MY LIFE]

GOING AU NATURALE FOR RAGMAG

PHOTOGRAPHY FIDA CHAABAN

BY FIDA CHAABAN

FOR THE RECORD, I MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR BEING A COSMETIC JUNKIE- THE TEXTURES, THE SCENTS, EVERYTHING ABOUT MY PRODUCTS REALLY MOVES ME.

A

s the editor of a magazine that features a fair amount of cosmetics, you probably know I am a product whore. I love all things makeup and cosmetic oriented. My daily routine is so complex that people who stay with me leave thinking I’m even more high maintenance than they ever imagined.

My morning routine includes 5 facial skincare products, my showers employ 7 products, and my night routine involves 9 products. This is without makeup, seriously- that is just skincare and hygiene type products that I am listing. Also this doesn’t count the home facials I do and all the other additional things like eye patch treatments and the like.

For RAGMAG’s Sterile issue, I thought about all the women (and men) I’d met over the years who wash their faces with soap and water (and those who use JUST water), and I never thought I’d be one of them. My gel cleanser is by Christian Dior, and when they discontinued it, I went into a panic and bought 6 so that I would never run out. I have 4 left so I’m okay for a while. Friends of mine that step into my shower marvel at all of the different shampoos and conditioners. Then their eyes wander downward to the body product shelf (yes, I have a body product shelf), and they see the various scrubs and shower gels shimmering in coloured splendor.

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Keep in mind, my Lebanon routine is far less complicated than my Canada one because in Canada, I can languish for hours in the bath- here not so much.

For the record, I make no apologies for being a cosmetic junkie- the textures, the scents, everything about my products really moves me. The only nagging feeling of guilt that I will profess to is the amount of packaging that comes with said products. Bad for the environment, but I recycle as much as possible thanks to Sukleen’s cool containers across from my apartment. Now that you know all about my addiction, you’ll understand why this FML assignment -PRODUCTFREE FOR 3 DAYS- was such a daunting task.

the Mission

To abstain from all skincare, makeup and even hygiene products for 3 days except for toothpaste and regular bar soap. I think the last time I used a bar of soap was when I was 10, so I opted for a L’Occitane creation. Come on, give me a break! Yes, deodorant is out too since mine are more cosmetic (Clarins).

Day 1

Thursday, April 26, 2012 I reached for my cleanser this morning and forced myself to put it back down.

I looked like a hot mess. I had 3 events back to back last night and my face feels like a tarmac. Bar of soap, don’t fail me now, I think. Fail! Triple fail! I feel like it has left some kind of residue and I don’t think last night’s festivities are completely gone off of my skin. I did remove all my makeup last night with the proper eye makeup remover and cleanser (before the ban started) but still, waking up with post-party face means that I really need an overhaul.

Second problem: showering. I have long hair that takes mounds of product to make it presentable. How to navigate the product ban and still get my hair looking decent? I reach for the bar of soap and get a good lather going. You can guess what happened next- my hair

DOWN + DIRTY | GOING AU NATURALE FOR RAGMAG

NOW WHAT? NOW NOTHING. NO EYE CREAM, NO SERUM, NO MOISTURIZER. NO DELICIOUS FIRMING BODY CREAM MIXED WITH TONING OIL MADE FROM NATURAL PLANT EXTRACTS . I’M AT A LOSS. I ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF NOW.

my skin rasping against my clothing. I wonder what to do about the deodorant situation and opt to dust baby powder all over, and I’m not even sure this will help. This sucks.

It’s now late evening and I am getting ready for bed. Since we’re so close to deadline I have no meetings booked therefore I can get away with the no makeup part of this for the next 3 days.

I don’t know what to do before bed since I usually spend at least half an hour applying skincare and treatments, and now all I’m using is 3 minutes of soap and water. I look like a train wreck and this is only my first day. Thanks to RAGMAG I’m looking worse than ever (and smelling worse, if my nose is on mark)!

Day 2

is nasty. I look over at the floor cleaner and the Dettol and almost want to try those since they aren’t included in the ban, but decide against using possibly toxic chemicals on my scalp. Soap will have to do. I rinse as best as I can and use the bar of soap in lieu of my beautiful Biotherm Eau Vitaminée shower gel and give a longing glance at my Clarins Gommage Relax Corps (my preferred body scrub). I should mention that I think both of these are discontinued now, but I can’t be sure. I hop out of the shower and reach for my skincare and freeze. Now what? Now nothing.

No eye cream, no serum, no moisturizer. No delicious firming body cream mixed with toning oil made from natural plant extracts (this is Clarins as well).

I’m at a loss. I actually don’t know what to do with myself now. And how am I going to comb out this unholy mess of hair with no conditioning product?

I towel off and just clip my hair back hoping it will be easier to comb when it has dried. I pull my clothes on and feel

Friday, April 27, 2012 Rise and shine! I mean that literally- I have a nasty shine all over my face this morning. My skin is overproducing oil to compensate for stripping from the soap and the lack of moisturizer. If you’re wondering how I know all of this, it’s because I worked for a cosmetics company for years – during high school and university. Soap and water time! Great, the oil is gone but the soap residue is super gross and my skin is feeling patchy. No makeup needed today, I have a quick lunch engagement with a friend (who has seen me looking like this around deadline time before), and a date with my pc tonight so I’m good to go. Confession: I don’t want to shower because it seems pointless. No products, no lovely scents, no terrific benefits for my skin and hair. What’s the point? So no shower for me and just a dusting of baby powder. I pull a brush through the rat’s nest that is my formerly well-coiffed mane and frown at my reflection in the mirror. Natural is no fun so far and I don’t expect it to get better.

Bedtime: Only one more day of this crap. Yes, I said crap. Because it is crap.

I look bad, I smell bad and I miss my nightly routine. Gina, how would you like me to trot out and represent RAGMAG looking RAGGED? Not such a great idea, is it?

Day 3

Saturday, April 28, 2012 I miss my products today so much that I went and took pictures with my BlackBerry. Maybe that will help you all understand how much I NEED my creature comforts! Odette is requesting better pictures so I’m doing a mini photo shoot of the tasty cosmetics with my camera. I forced myself to shower this morning with the soap and water doing little (or nothing) to sanitize me. My hair is a knotty mess because I am 3 days in with no conditioner. Tomorrow I am free! I have blocked off 3 hours to get properly clean (using all my products) and to give myself a facial and proper body and hair treatments. So close to deadline it’s a luxury of time I cannot afford but honestly, after smelling and looking terrible for 3 days I deserve it.

the Verdict

Never do this. Never expect me to do it. Never suggest it to your friends. Certainly never smell your friends if they decide to go au naturale. Au naturale smells bad and looks worse. Call me whatever you want, this is not just a case of vanity. It is a case of maintaining a civilized and kempt appearance. Product whore I am, and product whore I’ll stay. As for the soap and water people?

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MIRROR MIRROR

VIVA GLAM 2012 IS HERE Every year, droves of makeup junkies wait for M.A.C.’s Viva Glam collection. This year, the campaign is fronted by Young Money’s biggest act, none other than Nicki Minaj herself, and sidekick, Ricky Martin. We’re loving M.A.C.’s Viva Glam “Nicki” lipstick and Ricky’s clear Lip Conditioner, both of which go from day to night and are guaranteed to give you your most impactful summer lip.

Look good while doing good: The M∙A∙C AIDS Fund is supported exclusively by a consumer based model that directs 100 percent of the purchase price (minus VAT where applicable) of VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass to the Fund. M·A·C Cosmetics underwrites all of the production costs of the VIVA GLAM line, donating the full sale price to the Fund, including would-be profits for retail partners. For those of you who don’t know, VIVA GLAM Lipstick was introduced in 1994 to raise money for the M·A·C AIDS Fund. Over the past 18 years, M·A·C Cosmetics has launched seven exclusive VIVA GLAM product lines – including Lipsticks and Lipglasses – each featuring a limited advertising campaign with some of our favorite celebrity superstars such as RuPaul, K.D. Lang, Lil’ Kim, Sir Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Shirley Manson, Linda Evangelista, Boy George, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott, Pamela Anderson, Lisa Marie Presley, Debbie Harry, Eve, Dita Von Teese, Fergie, Cyndi Lauper, and Lady Gaga. This year, “NICKI AND RICKY DARE YOU TO BE BOLD. BE BEAUTIFUL. BE SAFE.” BE M.A.C. VIVA GLAM WITH RAGMAG, you know you’ll see us out + about in Nicki’s shade of bright yellow pink.

M∙A∙C AIDS FUND FAST FACTS* • Founded by M·A·C Cosmetics in 1994 • Funds raised total more than $224 million (USD) • 15.4 million VIVA GLAM Lipsticks + Lipglasses sold • Work in 66 countries + territories More information www.macaidsfund.org

*As of September 2011 68 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

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LIMITED EDITION

Get Film Finesse with M.A.C.’s Latest Must Haves!

We’re obsessing over the new M.A.C. REEL SEXY collection. American supermodel Kristen McMenamy was photographed and filmed by Miles Aldridge, taking REEL SEXY to a whole new level in cosmetic campaign innovation. English Aldridge’s work is renowned in the world of fashion and has been featured in bar-setting publications like the New York Times and The New Yorker in addition to being part of several world class permanent museum collections. Married to McMenamy, the duo have teamed up for the REEL SEXY campaign to bring you a collection like no other! McMenamy has been the face of many couture campaigns and has been photographed by the best names in photography today, including the late Richard Avedon.

What are you waiting for? GET REEL SEXY REAL FAST!

RAGMAG’S TOP REEL SEXY PICKS

We think REEL SEXY is real sexy. Here’s our top collection choices that we’ll be stocking up on!

NAIL LACQUER in Screening Room LIPSTICK in Watch Me Simmer CREMESHEEN GLASS in Colour Saturation PRO PALETTE EYE SHADOW Duo in Dynamic Duo 2 (Violet duochrome with frosted Pearl and matte Clean Violet )

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LANCÔME’S RÉNERGIE OVERHAUL GIVE BOTH FOR A MATURE SKIN Looking for a fix in anti-aging and hydration?

Lancôme’s Rénergie Multi-Lift range is meant to put you back in control of your skin! This range for a more mature skin offers unrivalled effectiveness on 5 skin layers, thanks to its action on multiple zones, recreating radiance and luminosity as well as providing deep-down skin tightening action, even in areas that are traditionally difficult to target. Lancôme has also

Rénergie Multi-Lift Key benefits: Lifting | Firming | Anti-wrinkle | SPF 15

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created a new and modern skincare gesture: the “instant lifting illuminator”. A lifting effect combined with light-enhancing action for skin that appears “lifted”, immediately and visibly illuminated, as close to its ideal colour as possible. A skincare treatment designed to tighten the skin, formulated with Multi-Tension technology in order to act on 5 skin layers. Get lift and light with Rénergie by Lancôme!

Rénergie Éclat Multi-Lift Key benefits: Light-enhancing effect | Tinted multiaction skincare | Illuminates the skin | Lift | Immediate unifying effect in skin tone

Rénergie Yeux Multi-Lift Key benefits: Lifting | Firming | Anti-wrinkle SPF 15 | Hydration for the eye contour

MIRROR MIRROR

Lancôme’s Rouge in Love collection comes in 24 shades and an ultra-fine texture. Whatever the desire, whatever the mood, Rouge in Love can be customized to give you the prettiest pout around.

Industry Insider THE LANCÔME METHOD FOR SUMMER LIPS A brush is advisable to help you apply lipstick in a precise and even manner and will also help avoid applying lipstick too heavily.

Blot with a handkerchief to remove any excess colour, leaving only the pigment behind (responsible for hold and colour).

To boost your lipstick’s hold, after applying the first coat, dust on a little loose powder before adding a final colour coat on top.

Thin Lips Technique Define your lip contour 1mm out from its natural shape using a lip pencil in

a shade as close as possible to your lipstick. Then apply your lipstick slightly beyond the natural outline.

Try choosing high-shine or light and iridescent lipsticks, which will make your lips appear larger.

Full Lips Technique Steer away from shine, pearly and/ or iridescent effects and overly bold colours. Opt for a shade less vibrant than your natural lip colour and use a lip pencil in an equivalent colour.

Use the pencil to define your lip line, tracing the inner border of their natural shape.

Meant to match the Rouge in Love lips collection, Vernis in Love also comes in 24 addictive and action packed shades!

Industry Insider THE LANCÔME METHOD FOR SUMMER TIPS A manicure deserves both time and attention to detail. Leaving your nails to the last minute before slipping into an evening dress is not a good idea. If you want to play on a particular effect, there’s no need to repeat your design on every nail. Free your creative spirit: the idea is not to paint absolutely identical patterns. Try opting for the design on a single nail.

French Rose Manicure by Lancôme 1. Apply a drop of the darker polish to the base of the nail. Paint a neat crescent, paying particular attention to the outer borders, as

if “framing” them with a rose petal.

The brush should be held at an almost vertical angle.

We like Lancôme Vernis in Love Bleu de Flore 2.You now need to perfect the inner and outer borders using the branchwood stick wrapped in cotton.

3. Next, apply your second shade to the centre of the nail to create a colour contrast, using the flat of the brush.

We Like Lancôme Vernis in Love Rose Boudoir 4.To finish off, apply a top coat to achieve uniform shine. This will also allow you to even out the surface texture.

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ROUGE ARTIST Play with colour and let your creative side shine with MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Rouge Artist Campaign, the movement of colour that lets you express yourself with an array of 100 lipsticks! From the most classic to the most extravagant colours, this collection adapts to every trend and mood as it gives you choice in shade, tone and texture!

Rouge Artist comes in Rouge Artist Natural formula and the Rouge Artist Intense formula.Rouge Artist Natural is a moisturizing lipstick (8 hour hydration) offering a natural shine in 50 luminous shades and 3 finishes, Satiny, Iridescent, Diamond, while Rouge Artist Intense is a long-lasti ng lipstick in 50 powerful shades that offers maximum coverage and true hold. If you’re worried about the finish and texture of the Intense collection, MUFE has you covered: rich and creamy, the product glides effortlessly on the lips guaranteeing comfort and no dryness. Rouge Artist Intense’s collection comes in 3 finishes so you can tailor your pout to your liking; available Matte, Satiny, Pearly.

WIN THIS!

3 RAGMAG ROUGE ARTISTS WILL WIN A MUFE SELECTION OF LIPSTICKS

3 readers will take home 3 MUFE Rouge Artist lipsticks each.

One for you and some to share with your friends! We want to hear about your favorite MAKE UP FOR EVER product. Are you addicted to their HD range? Are you all aflutter over their eyeshadows?

HOW YOU CAN WIN

Email in the phrase “I’m a Rouge Artist a la MUFE and I love colouring inside the lines!” to letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com Bonus points for attaching a link to your fave MUFE product.

To account for delivery discrepancies, we will be randomly choosing from the emails, not just picking the first 3. Fair and square, Rouge Artists!

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MAKE UP FOR EVER MAKES YOUR EVENING AFFAIR Do you want to get flawless event makeup on your own? MUFE takes their expertise and makes it accessible. They’re launching MAKE UP FOR EVER “For Ever Bridal 2012” campaign which revolves around teaching women about the professional world of beauty and educating them on how to apply makeup on their own and feel like a bride every day. Entailing 20 educational episodes, this useful DVD will help every makeup fan achieve proquality glowing skin, sparkling eyes and luscious lips! As part of the DVD, you will also watch how MAKE UP FOR EVER had made the dream of 4 lovely brides-to-be come true by being their companion throughout their journey and educating them on how to achieve their own breathtaking look.

Available at all MAKE UP FOR EVER points of sale, “For Ever Bridal” tutorial DVD will inspire women to apply their makeup successfully for any occasion and feel their best.

MAX OUT YOUR PHOTO OP + GET MUFE ABC MALL ACHRAFIEH +9611212888 | ABC DBAYEH +9614416000 | BEIRUT MALL Tayouneh +9611380867 | CITY MALL +9611883504 | PAMCO B HAMMOUD +9611260757 | MUFE Verdun +9611791982 | C & F Zalka +9614713796 | C & F Ghazir Kesrwan +9619855323 | C & F Jnah +9611824010 | ACADEMY MUFE Shehab St., Beirut +9611499909 | C & F Downtown Beirut +9611993115 | BEAUTY CONCEPT Chtoura +9618545455 | C & F Saida +9617754589 | PAMCO SHOWROOM SIN EL FIL +9611510113

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MIX N’ MATCH

REAL RUNWAY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SS 2012

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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

VERA WANG SS 2012

EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES Pattern Party

Mango Pocket dress

Pucci clutch

MARY KATRANTZOU SS 2012

Palm Beach

Van Cleef Palmes decor earrings Le Bal Oriental

VERSACE SS 2012

Rami Kadi gown

Tiffany 1837™ interlocking circles pendant in RUBEDO™ metal

Peacock

Isharya Plumage enameled 18k gold plated ring

NADINE ZENI SS 2012

Mango relaxed-fit dress

Le Vian Diamond blue sapphire and blue Topaz 14k White Gold Ring

YSL sandals

Christian Louboutin Torero Blue open toe stilettos

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Tiffany 1837™ interlocking circles necklace in RUBEDO™ metal and silver

Tiffany 1837™ padlock charm in RUBEDO™ metal, inscribed with founder’s signature

Morgan rosette cluth, GS

Declare It

Agatha Zen Collection necklace Phillip Lim racer back tank top

DVF sunglasses

Zara asymmetric dress

CAROLINE HERRERA SS 2012

Pretty Poison

Wildfox Love Poison no. 9 Tee, GS

Short Stuff

Five pockets short

Patchwork

Rami Kadi gown Babnoune scarf, GS

RAMI KADI SS 2012

Miu Miu open toe stiletto

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Zara pointed ballerina flats

CANALI SS 2012

PHILLIP LIM SS 2012

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

COUTER-CLOCKWISE: ‘STICKY & SWEET’ TOUR IN MUNICH, AUGUST 2008, DOLCE & GABBANA AD, MADONNA ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY, MADONNA AT THE PREMIERE OF “CHE” AT THE 61ST ANNUAL INTERANTIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DE CANNES, MAY 2008, MADONNA AT THE 70TH ACADEMY AWARDS IN MARCH 1998

T

he plethora of ‘Madonna over the years’ photo retrospectives that hit the internet after the star’s 50th birthday in 2008, charting her many style metamorphoses in her 30 year reign as Princess (now Queen Regent) of Pop, seemed to suggest that her relentless talent for novelty was a thing of the past. Even the New Y ork Times signaled the decline of Madonna’s ‘fashion potency,’ sniffing that her album “Hard Candy” did not have much of a new signature look, compared to her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” disco

suits and feathered hair, or the yogaesque chic of “Ray of Light”. But don’t write her off just yet, when Madonna takes to the stage at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Arena-Yas Island on June 3 and 4 for her first appearances in the GCC, we’re pretty sure this tour is going to reestablish the Material Girl’s fashion foothold.

Flash Entertainment is bringing the star to us, and we’re about to get a front row seat so we can bring the recap to you in an upcoming issue. For now though, let’s look at Madonna’s influence in the world of finery and fringe.

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PHOTO RON GALELLA | GETTY IMAGES

THIS PAGE: MADONNA AND THE LATE MICHAEL JACKSON AT THE 63RD ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS - AFTER PARTY AT SPAGO’S OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MADONNA BY STEVEN MEISEL FOR LIKE A VIRGIN COVER ALBUM SESSION IN 1984, AT THE 68TH VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - SEPTEMBER 2011, BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLVI HALFTIME SHOW - FEB 2012, AT THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS - JAN 98, AT THE 69TH GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS JAN 2012

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STYLE FILE | MADONNA’S FASHION FIXATION

Throughout her lengthy career, she has worked with some of the biggest names in couture, from designer Jean-Paul Gaultier in her conical bra days to her recent, epic Superbowl ancient-Egypt-gladiator look, developed by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy Haute Couture. If you take a trip down fashion memory lane, Madonna’s first trademark wear was straight from the throes of the mall--the piles of plastic bracelets, big hair bows, and layered tulle paired with leather of the tacky-chic 80’s. The look’s accessibility spawned global trends, much like Michael Jackson’s crystal-encrusted single-hand glove, which was incidentally a far more dramatic and photo-friendly look. This effect was further cemented by the white lace ‘virgin bride’ outfit she sported at the 1984 MTV Awards, which made fingerless white gloves de rigeur that year, rivaling the King of Pop’s fan base. It’s worth mentioning here that perhaps the biggest publicity stunt in music history was the union of these 2 luminaries. Mi-

chael and Madonna appeared together several times and people couldn’t get enough, despite the widespread speculation that these were staged interactions. The two, curiously enough, are the exact same age; born a reported 12 days apart (August 16 and August 29 respectively, 1958).

Apart from continuously generating instant megatrends with each album -think cowboy hats and flannel with “Music” and leather corsets after “Erotica”- she has also donned the look of countless historic style denizens. Her first venture into emulation came with a Marilyn Monroe persona in the “Material Girl” days, a video which still garners heavy play time worldwide. Th is was followed by her Evita Peron stage after her starring role as Evita in the 1996 musical film by the same name.

Madonna channeling Marlene Dietrich many times in her career also sparked her menswear phase. The Marlene Dietrich influences are quite controversial material-wise and inspired a flurry of runway wannabes, not to mention several critics who accused the performer of using the best of the best and discarding the rest.

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THIS PAGE: MADONNA PERFORMING ON STAGE AT THE FEYENOORD STADIUM, BLOND AMBITION TOUR, JULY 24 1990, NETHERLANDS

PHOTO BY MICHEL LINSSEN/REDFERNS | GETTY IMAGES

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: OLYMPIC STADIUM, ‘STICKY & SWEET’ TOUR, AUGUST 2009, MUNICH WITH EX GUY RITCHIE AT THE ‘CHE’ PREMIERE, CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, MAY 2008 THE PREMIERE OF “W.E”.

GIVE ME ALL YOUR LUVIN’, THE FIRST SINGLE FROM HER LATEST ALBUM M.D.N.A.

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STYLE FILE | MADONNA’S FASHION FIXATION

The most recent iteration was her recent directorial effort, biopic “W.E.”, which portrays the life of Wallis Simpson and was actually co-written by Madonna.

Simpson was one of the most prominent stylemakers of the 20th century, chic until the very end of her life, and the film focuses on her personal effects like the cult-item Cartier cross bracelet presented to Simpson by her husband.

Madonna’s readiness to applaud good style sense of others has been noted in the press many times. Lately, she’s been professing her admiration of the newly minted Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s classic-with-a-twist look… similar to Madonna’s British country house doyenne persona she sported

when she first made the cross-Channel move to marry British filmmaker Guy Ritchie. By that time, Madonna had already traveled through numerous cultures, so a sweater set and pearls were a cakewalk. South America’s boleros, Japanese geishas, gay male subculture in New York circa Vogue, and traditional Indian body adornment have all been gobbled up by the fashion omnivore, and thousands of fans (and Gwen Stefani) happily sported bindis on their foreheads in gleeful imitation.

The star has now turned from clotheshorse to designer- she recently launched a clothing line called “Material Girl” with her daughter Lourdes, and shoe giant Aldo recently announced it will carry a line of shoes designed by Madonna called “Truth or Dare”.

As far as what we can expect from the upcoming world tour, it’s still a secret.

But long-time costume designer Arianne Phillips (nominated for an Oscar for her work on “W.E.”), has promised that this time the star has outdone herself. If the past 30 years are any indicator, when Madonna hits Abu Dhabi, we are in for a fashion extravaganza like no other

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CHARLOTTE CASIRAGHI Jason Kempin/WireImage © Cartier MODEL KARLIE KLOSS Theo Wargo/ WireImage © Cartier Andrew H. Walker/WireImage © Cartier CARTIER JUSTE UN CLOU AFTER PARTY AT SKYLIGHT STUDIO Andrew H. Walker/WireImage © Cartier

MODEL CHANEL IMAN Theo Wargo/ WireImage © Cartier DESIGNER OLIVIER THEYSKENS, MODEL CHANEL IMAN, AND MODEL KARLIE KLOSS Andrew H. Walker/WireImage © Cartier ROC NATION’S RITA ORA PERFORMING Andrew H. Walker/ WireImage © Cartier

CARTIER’S JUSTE UN CLOU HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

W

e like Cartier’s newest collection launch of Juste un clou! The collection is unisex, designed for both men and women who appreciate function turned fashion.

Originally conceived by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier New York in the 70’s, the first nail bracelet was a reflection of Studio 54 sensibilities. Cipullo is also the creator of Cartier’s widely admired LOVE bracelet, again making hardware a thing of beauty with screws and screwdrivers an integral part of the LOVE collection’s charm.

The new collection is available in yellow, white or pink gold, natural or paved with diamonds, in large and small sizes.

The launch of Juste un clou, held on Thursday April 12, 2012, opened with the “Cartier & Aldo Cipullo - New York City in the 70s” exhibition. The retrospective allowed viewers to relive the free-spirited, creative adventure that was Cartier in the 70s. The after party channelled t he spirit of the legendary Studio 54, transforming the 30 Renwick Street venue into a nightclub emblazoned for the occasion in retro revival gold and red decor. Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier International, welcomed over 700 guests before handing over the microphone to mezzo soprano of the moment Rita Ora, JayZ’s young protégée. Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles made a surprise appearance at the after party to support Rita Ora, Roc Nation’s newest artist. DJ James Murphy provided the soundtrack for the rest of the night. A star studded guest list included Charlotte Casiraghi, Lily Collins, Lou Reed and Renato Cipullo 88 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

TOP TO BOTTOM: “JUSTE UN CLOU” BRACELET, YELLOW GOLD, LARGE SIZE | LAZIZ HAMANI © CARTIER 2012 “JUSTE UN CLOU” BRACELET, PINK GOLD, SMALL SIZE | “JUSTE UN CLOU” BRACELET, WHITE GOLD, SMALL SIZE | “JUSTE UN CLOU” BRACELET, PINK GOLD, DIAMONDS, SMALL SIZE | “JUSTE UN CLOU” BRACELET, YELLOW GOLD, SMALL SIZE LAZIZ HAMANI © CARTIER 2012 THE STERILE ISSUE

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR MEN

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR WOMEN

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DSQUARED2 MEN SS 2012

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THE AMERICAN TOURIST An American tourist lands in Europe and is ready to take over the Old Continent, Dsquared² style. A full blown summer Euro trip takes the American traveller from Scandinavia to London, passing by the sunny island of Mykonos without forgetting the magnificent Florence. Our tourist has decided to pack wise: pieces easy to mix and layer, ready for all latitudes and temperatures. For his stay in Scandinavia the Dsquared² American boy has chosen to adopt a sporty look, layering multi-coloured must-have garments to protect himself from the wind: parkas, light jackets, knitted sweaters and hats, ankle length

pants and thick socks peaking out of colourful boots. As the clock is ticking, the journey continues and the Dsquared² tourist is ready for his last stop: London. Italian tailored suits are replaced by a contemporary mod style where skinny silhouettes, studs, leather and animal prints give a rock glam touch. The predominant colours are now red white and black, complemented by vintage sunglasses.

As the journey as come to an end, it is time to salute the Old Continent: Goodbye Europe!

The American flag peaks out, flaunting at the horizon…

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From London to Glastonbury, Dsquared²’s American boy decides to follow his English lover to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts before going back home to the United States. Rock chicks and boho-hippies, muses of a new shabby chic couture, move to the beat of music on a runway covered with mud, strongly evocative of this epic music festival. Utility jackets, men’s shirts, tribal chic long dresses with raffia embroidery, denim hot pants, waterproof parkas and

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rain boots take the stage. Wild chicks rock out by mixing style indie inspired pieces together with indie and grunge elements.

It’s worth mentioning that the shoes are versatile, cheerful heel rainboots for the day and night, all made of rubber and treated to have a particular mud-like effect. A similar treatment was created for the jean fabrics custom made for Madonna’s “Drowned World Tour” in 2001.

Check out Madonna’s Style File in this issue!

DSQUARED2 WOMEN SS 2012

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

DSQUARED2 BACKSTAGE PASS Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at the gLam runway events we feature? Take a look at Dean and Dan of DQUARED2’s exclusive insider shots. Fashion is hard work!

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LIVING MODEL MARIA OF LIPS AGENCY

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EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES PHOTOGRAPHY BRIANNA HUGHES

BY REBECCA FISHER-SWARBROOKE FOR RAGMAG

Reem Acra, one of bridal fashion’s foremost designers, launched her career in 1997. Acra has consistently presented bridal collections suitable for the discerning bride. Of Lebanese descent, Acra now resides in New York City where she recently showcased her Spring 2013 Bridal Collection at her Fifth Avenue boutique.

Possessing a sophisticated clientele, Acra’s admirers seek designs that evokes a sense of luxury. With meticulously designed gowns, Acra provides brides with

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flawless selections that create a perfect harmony between contemporary trends and timeless styles. After looking to the garden for inspiration, Acra’s new collection comprises of twenty-four exquisite wedding dresses. Each possess many layers that can be removed to create the look of a completely new gown. With an abundance of silk and lace, tulle and organza, and pearls and crystals, the gowns go from formal to fun; perfect for the modern bride.

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CELEBRATING TOGETHERNESS Hampton by Baume & Mercier is the ultimate collection for couples, like the famous place from which it takes its name, where sea and land are joined forever. Combining a relaxed style with the finest craftsmanship, the collection perfectly embodies seaside living and a timeless lifestyle of sophistication and simplicity. The spirit of Baume & Mercier is embodied in these pieces in a perfect blend of innovation and tradition revealed through a constant quest for authenticity. The Hampton collection of harmonious watches exercises its powers of seduction through refined design and everlas ting charm, for him and for her. With its architectural lines and characteristic rectangular shape, the contemporary and elegant new Hampton collection has taken the best aspects of a historic piece from the 1940s, and transformed and enhanced it with designs and features that are resolutely modern. Like an eternal sunrise, the warm sparkle of the 18K red gold and encrusted diamonds light up the rich palette of dials in maritime tones, from the copper of portholes to the silver of driftwood on the beach... And because Baume & Mercier put your happiness first, Hampton is now available in a “duo” box as the ultimate mark of love, to give or to receive, when hearts fly away together.

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING At Geneva Motor show, Bentley, the legendary automotive marque, surprised the industry and its audience by unveiling the all new EXP 9. This prototype is offering a vision of the future with a revolutionary Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) model. After registering a substantial rise in its 2011 sales figures and with the successive launch of renaissance products during the last few years, such as the Continental GT, Bentley has been able to reinforce its position as an automotive luxury icon. Capitalizing on this trend, and projecting the British maker’s unique design concepts and outstanding engineering capabilities, the new EXP9 SUV represents a real opportunity for Bentley to showcase its genuine savoir faire in the SUV segment.

Commenting on this announcement Mr. Michel Trad, Director of Saad & Trad, the exclusive dealer of Bentley Motors in Lebanon stated: “This initiative is of crucial importance for us as Bentley’s dealers in Lebanon. The all-wheel Continental range’s success story

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definitely encouraged us to see the EXP9 as a great opportunity to be able to offer our customers a Bentley SUV. The SUV line is seen as a natural progression for Bentley’s lines, as an extra model range would also support stabilizing the cyclical sales pattern of both manufacturer and dealership. We congratulate Bentley on this new project and we hope the EXP9 will go into the production line within a short period of time.” The Bentley EXP 9 a design concept for now was showcased at the Geneva Motor show to gauge the public reaction. The exterior looks of the SUV prototype remain loyal to key Bentley styling patterns yet represent innovative details boosting the vehicle’s charm. Further to this, the EXP9 enjoys sculptured flowing surfaces that accentuate the powerful and robust character of the sports utility vehicle. Power comes from a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12, while V8 and hybrid propulsion are also being considered when the EXP9 hit showrooms.

DREAM TEAM 3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals were awarded to the kitchen team members of Le Gray, Beirut at HORECA’s 19th edition.To celebrate the winners, a gathering was recently held at the hotel during which the General Manager Christophe Hazebrouck congratulated the winners and praised their efforts.

Executive Chef Kelly Jackson highlighted the teamwork that distinguishes the members and their hard work. The Gold

NEW + NOW winners were Khalil Ramadan, Amer Reslan and Hamza Haj Hassan respectively for Live Meat Dish and Live Cold Sandwich categories. The Silver medals went to Rodrigue Jabbour and Saleh Al Mawla respectively for Cold Canapés and ThreePlated Dessert Presentation. The Bronze winners were Abdo Chedid, Ali Hijazi, Wael Daher and Omar Ghannam competing in Live Creation, Single Tier Novelty Cake and Show Piece-Free Style Theme.

GREEN SCENE The Garden Show & Spring Festival will take place from May 29th to June 2nd 2012 at the Beirut Hippodrome and will be staged under the theme of “The Green Attitude”. Green is no longer just a colour; it is synonymous with a behavior and a new way of living. We all have to input our green initiatives not only to make a better world but also to live a much healthier daily life.

With many events and featuring over 220 exhibitors varying from landscape design and nurseries to gardening tools and outdoor furniture as well as different sections related to the outdoor living, The Garden Show & Spring Festival offers something for everyone.

The Garden Show & Spring Festival attracts more than 22000 visitors and garden lovers looking forward to this annual event. Get your green on!

SHOP TIL YOU DROP Beirut City Centre, a new shopping mall being developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties will be a lifestyle destination, with its integrated offer of unique retail and leisure pursuits. Embodying the ‘City Centre’ lifestyle brand which has been successfully introduced across the region, Beirut City Centre will be a place for residents to conveniently shop, socialize and be entertained.

Beirut City Centre will feature 200 stores spread across three levels, presenting a retail mix tailored to the surrounding residential areas making up Great Beirut. The retail offer will feature heavily with fashion and lifestyle-oriented brands such as H&M, UKretailer Jack Wills and destination stores Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Centrepoint featuring Splash, Shoe Mart, Life-

style and Babyshop. Overall, there will be approximately 80 stores dedicated solely to fashion featuring high street brands, shoes, accessories and children’s wear in addition to a broad offer of shopping options across beauty and cosmetics, jewellery and service-oriented stores providing residents with convenience of choice. Catering to the city’s popular dining culture, Beirut City Centre will offer an international choice of over 40 restaurants, cafes and specialty stores, including a 16-outlet food court. A distinctive feature in this category will be the mall’s open-air, rooftop restaurant area which will have 12 international and local restaurants and cafes, making it a unique year-round lifestyle destination suited to Beirut’s Mediterranean climate. The mall’s entertainment and leisure precinct will be anchored by a Magic Planet family attraction and a state-of-the-art multi-screen VOX Cinemas. Beirut City Centre is located in Beirut’s Hazmieh district and is conveniently situated on the Damascus-Beirut Road, making it accessible from Great Beirut’s major neighborhoods. The mall is set to open in early 2013.

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DOUBLE DIP Bassoul-Heneine sal, the exclusive importer of BMW Group vehicles in Lebanon has announced the introduction of two new BMW Group models: the sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series and the new MINI Roadster, the first open-top two-seater MINI. Both new models have new interior and exterior designs and come with a wealth of technology highlights that distinguish them from the predecessor models. Offering stylish design, outstanding performance, luxury and driving pleasure, the two models are expected to be good sellers in both the premium car and sports coupe segments. Nagy Heneine, General Manager at Bassoul-Heneine sal commenting on the launch of the new models, said: “We are excited to start the

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year with the launch of two important BMW Group models. The new BMW 3 Series is bigger, sportier and more dynamic, and is now also available in a trio of trim and equipment variants – the Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line Within each line, customers can choose a number of exclusive finishes and equipment variants to suit their taste.” Nagy Heneine added, “The MINI Roadster is out in full strength to reiterate the athletic appeal and sportiness of the MINI brand. The new MINI Roadster will add a new chapter to a tradition of charismatic MINI open-top cars that stretches back years - and we have no doubt that it will add to the success of the MINI brand in Lebanon where sales increased 17% in 2011 over 2010 sales results.”

NEW + NOW

BEST IN SHOW Luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has kicked off with a number of regional award wins to complement their growing collection of global accolades for the 12MY range garnering over 165 awards in 2011. The Range Rover Evoque, the newest addition to the Range Rover family has received widespread applause from customers and automotive industry pundits since hitting showrooms across the MENA region in November last year.

The Evoque, which expands the appeal of the Range Rover brand to a younger urban audience, has earned over 60 awards worldwide including BBC Top Gear’s “Car of the Year”, along with a spate of regional awards including Wheels magazine’s “Premium 4 x 4”, EVO magazine’s “Best Premium SUV”,

Middle East Motor Awards “Best Luxury SUV” and Automobile Middle East’s “Best Medium Elegant SUV”. The Jaguar-Ian Callum design success story continued with a formidable string of awards won by the XKR-S and C-X16, adding to the trophies already won by the XJ, XF and C-X75. First unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow last year, the Jaguar XKR-S is Jaguar’s most potent series production car ever, capable of reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h with an acceleration rate of 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds. Through its combination of GT luxury and incredible performance, the XKR-S has garnered rave reviews from automotive journalists, winning several prestigious awards including Automobile Middle East’s “Best High performance GT” and Wheels

magazine’s “Best GT”. The C-X16 concept vehicle, a small hybrid sports coupe, turned heads worldwide when it was revealed at the Frankfurt Motorshow in September. Like the C-X75, the C-X16’s combination of hybrid technology, incredible performance and stunning design has earned it acclaim from a number of automotive publications including EVO Middle East’s award for 2011 Concept Car of the Year. “We’re incredibly proud to add these regional awards to the Jaguar Land Rover trophy wall. Our 12MY Jaguar and Land Rover fleets have been exceptionally well received by customers in the MENA region and I think we can all look forward to seeing more of these vehicles on the road this year,” commented Robin Colgan, Regional Director of Jaguar Land Rover MENAP.

GRAPE VINE Vintage Wine Cellar is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012. Ms. Gaia Gaja, of Gaja Estates took this opportunity to present her new vintages to wine amateurs, and the specialized trade at the Vintage 10th anniversary event.The Gaja Family has been producing fine Italian wines since 1859 in Barbaresco, Piedmont and in Tuscany for the last decade. Gaja wines are present in all starred restaurants and luxury hotels worldwide, representing the pinnacle of Italian Excellency. “Wine has been in our family’s blood since 1859. My father, Angelo, visited Beirut in 2010. It is my first but not last visit to Lebanon, a wonderful country.

GAJA wines are very appreciated by Lebanese amateurs,” remarked Gaja. “At Gabriel

Bocti S.A.L., we strive to deliver the finest selection to our Lebanese market. As such, we welcomed Ms. Gaia Gaja to our establishment for an exceptional wine experience. We look forward to more celebratory sessions such as these in the year to come,” said Selim Bocti, Gabriel Bocti S.A.L. Gabriel Bocti sal has been distributing fine wines, spirits and champagnes since 1967. GAJA wines complement the fine selection available at Vintage Wine Cellar: Champagnes Laurent-Perrier, Cognacs Camus, Glenfiddich and Balvenie Single Malts, Domaine Joseph Drouhin and domaine d’ Eugénie, Bourgogne, Paul Jaboulet Ainé, Rhône, F.E. Trimbach, Alsace, Domaines Ott, Provence and more.

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SEE, SPEAK, HEAR NO EVIL

CHECK

BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN

Madonna MDNA The Princess of Pop is back ladies and gentlemen. The question is though: does she hold an album powerful enough to cover the gap of four years that elapsed since she released “Hard Candy” back in 2008? A lot has happened in the life of Lady Madonna, her divorce with hubby Guy Ritchie being one of the most relevant, but the most significant event would be the rise to fame of another “Lady”, (Gaga), who took all of Madonna’s breakthrough and provocative music to a whole new level. But Madonna didn’t get the reputation of the hardest working woman in the music industry for nothing. Ignoring the effects of her escalating age (she’ll be 54 in August) she has thrown herself, body

and soul, in the creation of her new album and has come out with music that is at once pitiless and unapologetic.

Combining the Euro Dance vibe of “Confessions on a Dance Floor” with the Electronic pounding of “Hard Candy”, Madonna is sounding as fresh as ever.Songs like “Girl Gone Wild”, single “Give Me All Your Lovin” and the beautiful Stranger-esque “I’m a Sinner” are small gems of modern Pop/Dance anthems. If you have any doubt about the above, you only need to check her first video for the album, where a docile Nicki Minaj and an obedient M.I.A. play the role of maids paying heed to Madonna’s every whim. The new generation knows what they owe Madonna, and she ravishes every royal moment of it.

The Mars Volta NOCTOURNIQUET Being a Grammy winner is a huge achievement these days due to the sheer volume of bands competing for the title, but being a Progressive Rock Grammy winner is simply a miracle of modern times. This tends to show you how good a band The Mars Volta is, creating a new trend of “fossil music” (other critic’s words, not mine), that has been out of favor with the general public since the 70’s heydays. They have gone through changes this time around, John Frusciante, guitarist virtuoso (of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) has left the band along with the keyboard player, and a new drummer has been hired in the form of man-machine Deantoni Parks. But that has not affected the quality of the album since

the main creative masterminds, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, are still holding the reins when it comes to creating complex, multilayered masterpieces. The songs are more straightforward here though, clocking 7 minutes at most where things would easily stretch to 12 minutes in the past. This will no doubt create arguments between longtime fans of the band, some feeling that this stripping down to basics being a sign that the band is mellowing out, but all in all, there is enough creativity here to fill 3 or 4 regular pop albums. So if you’re one of those that still love to search for the esoteric down the Prog rabbit hole, don’t miss out on this album.

Macy Gray COVERED After Norah Jones and her Little Willies’ release of covers a couple of month back, it is now time for Ms. Macy Gray to do the same, releasing an album of her favorite tunes, fittingly entitled “Covered”. Where Jones’ covers were mostly visiting the world of Country and Americana music, Gray is expanding hers to all kinds of styles including Pop, Soul, R&B and even Alternative, confirming even further that she is a fan of music as a whole, and not only R&B as some critics try to pigeonhole her.

Gray apparently had a lot of her friends advising her which songs to cover, but ultimately hand picked

tunes from the heart disregarding the commercial aspect of the project. It’s worth noting that Nicole Scherzinger actually tried to convince her to do more Alanis Morissette songs. “Here Comes the Rain Again” by the Eurythmics, Radiohead’s “Creep” and even Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” receive a very personal rendition by someone who apparently is looking at this album as a labor of love.

There are no sloppy songs here; all of them are given the same amount of attention. Gray and her crew take their time to extract as much as they can from each track to give som ething the listener something unique. Be one of the listeners, it will do you good, trust me.

Ferry Corsten WKND As the title would suggest, this is not music to be played in the background of an official dinner gathering or even alone in the privacy of your own bedroom (something that is fun to do usually, but not in this case). No, this is music for weekend group parties (complete with floor-dancing and pool-diving), pure and simple. The Dutch maestro returns to his usual form after the subtle, not overly challenging “Twice in a Blue Moon”, his previous personal (not mixed) album.

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is layered with girly vocalists (more than usual) with soft R&B voices, and the album can be played from first track to the last without having to forward some parts of it, as all the songs are well gelled with flawless production. “Feel It”, “Live Forever”, “Ain’t No Stoppin’” or the bold title track “WKND”- choose any of these or the rest of the album and you won’t be able to stop pounding your feet to the rhythm. Corsten has given us an early seasonal present with this latest release, so if you usually spend your summers dancing around the pool in the afternoon and partying in clubs at night, this is a preview of what you’ll be hearing on full blast.

read’em + The Leftovers Tom Perrotta Why you should read this book

weep

BY AMAL CHAABAN

What would you do if you were left behind?

Christians familiar with the Book of Revelations are also familiar with rapture theology and this book opens after what may (or may not) have been a rapture type event. The problem? Those who got raptured were not necessarily the people who thought they would get raptured. This book opens in a town of people left behind when an event that swept up millions around the globe occurs.

The people left behind are bewildered, angry, and rebellious and some have lost faith since they can’t understand why they would be left behind. That is

not to say that this is a religious book, it is nothing of the sort. It is a story of rebuilding your life when everything you knew or you thought you knew was snatched away; a story of the endurance of humanity when even the strangest and most terrifying thing happens. Perrotta’s characters are taken from a microcosm of human nature and built upon so that they utterly walk off the page, his town is small town anywhere (though the book is set in the U.S.) and his plot is completely believable. This is a great thinking read, not for the days when you want fluff.

Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom

Catherine Hakim

Why you should read this book

Everyone should make the most of what they have

Catherine Hakim has penned one of the most controversial books of the last 5 years. Her theory simplified: attractive people (or people who use their “erotic capital”) get ahead faster in the world. This doesn’t mean she advocates being uneducated or not working to get ahead. What she does advocate is amping up your natural attractiveness in order to get further in life. Hakim sees no reason why you cannot be attractive and let it aid in your success.

Naturally her words come as an affront to most feminists who feel the world should be completely

equal and that getting ahead should be strictly on merits. Her theory on rising through the ranks is not the most troubling part of this book however, her views on the world of the sex trade are. She presents many arguments that suggest that those rather than being trafficked into the trade, the unfortunates are there by choice.

This is not only a view that is flawed; it is a view that ignores the basic facts proven by the U.N. commission on trafficking as well as numerous studies done around the world.

Delirium Lauren Oliver

Why you should read this book

Could you live without love?

In an earlier review, I once posited that this would be the year of dystopia and so it has been. The books are coming fast and furious but only a few a worthy of reading, Delirium is such a one. Our story opens at some point in the near future close to the heroine’s 18th birthday; a day she is anxiously awaiting since it is only when one turns 18 that one can be given the cure. The cure for what you ask? The cure for love in this strange yet familiar world, love is not something to be cherished and sought after, it is the stuff that nightmares are made of and science has

finally found a way to eradicate it completely. Once a person is cured, they supposedly no longer feel the highs and lows of emotion. They don’t’ get angry, nor do they get deliriously happy. They simply are. Trouble starts when one of our heroine’s friends introduces her to a world that is strictly forbidden- inhabited by those who’ve refused to take the cure- and subsequently live outside the law. Suddenly, a whole host of possibilities opens up before her and she simply doesn’t know what to do. If you are a reader of any sort of dystopian fiction, this is a great book for you.

Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case

Debbie Nathan

Why you should read this book

This is the case that may have changed the face of diagnosis

Before Sybil, Multiple Personality Disorder was a little known and little diagnosed condition. Within a few years of Sybil? Over 40000 cases cropped up, making Sybil (real name: Shirley Ardell Mason) instrumental behind adding MPD to lexicon of mental illness. Behind all the hype and pop culture items that spun off the story of Sybil is a story of 3 women key in developing the mystique around the case. Mason was a troubled child and a troubled adult though she did see some success as a commercial artist.

When she heard of the therapy being practiced

by Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, she went to her for help for the problems that had long plagued her. Those

therapy sessions are the basis of the book Sybil, written by the third woman in our little group: Flora Schreiber. Between the 3, the story of Sybil and her 16 separate personalities was born. Investigative reporter Debbie Nathan sought the truth behind Sybil and found it after countless hours of research, travel and puzzle solving. Accounts of Mason, Schreiber and Wilbur’s early lives were difficult to come by and harder to verify. It is owing solely to her investigative skills that Nathan brings us the truth behind Sybil. This book will make you rethink the history of MPD, a widely debated and not wholly supported mental health issue.

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playNICE

SEE, SPEAK, HEAR NO EVIL

BY ADAM VOLK

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Publisher Microsoft Windows | Developer CD Projekt RED Platforms Xbox 360 Video games are often seen as a juvenile and misogynistic pastime thanks to the abundant supply of titles featuring blood-soaked barbarians and scantily clad Elven concubines. The Witcher 2, however, proves that a fantasy role-playing game can be both incredibly nerdy and still offer a mature and thoughtful storyline. Based on the novels

by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the sequel to the 2007 PC-game follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a surly, sword-wielding anti-hero wandering a grim world that’s more akin to HBO’s

Game of Thrones than Harry Potter. Along the way, Geralt encounters his fair share of monsters, magic and Machiavellian intrigue, using a combination of magic, wits and hand-to-hand combat to prevail. Visually the game looks fantastic, perfectly complimenting the smartly-told narrative. Unfortunately, The Witcher 2 can also be punishingly difficult, which is fitting given the bleak fantasy dystopia, but more than a little frustrating at times. The end result, however, is still a rocksolid fantasy RPG which proves that video games can be both grown-up and geeky at the same time.

Trials Evolution

Publisher Microsoft Studios | Developer RedLynx Platforms Xbox LIVE Arcade The 2009 motorcycle racing hit Trials HD blazed a new trail for downloadable arcade games, selling over 2 million copies during the course of its critically acclaimed run. Now the sequel has arrived in the form of Trials Evolution, with players once again taking control of a variety of soupedup dirt bikes and racing to the finish over a series of physics-defying obstacle courses. As the name suggests, each course really is a matter of trial and error as you try to shave seconds off each run in order to unlock new bikes and levels. Like

its predecessor, Evolution can also be incredibly hard, with a difficulty curve steeper than some of the ramps you’ll leap off of. Fortunately, the game is positively gorgeous, with obstacle courses taking place in everything from haunted woods and dank sewers to ancient ruins. Best of all, Evolution now includes a level creator, meaning players can build and share their very own Trials courses. Throw in a multiplayer mode both locally and online, and the end result is an addictive white-knuckle motorcycle stunt-racing extravaganza.

Prototype 2

Publisher Activision | Developer Radical Entertainment Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to dropkick an attack helicopter, look no further than Prototype 2, the action-packed, super powered third-person shooter. The sequel to the 2009 hit, the game puts players in the role of Sgt. James Heller, a grizzled combat veteran who returns to New York City only to find his family dead and a mutated virus sweeping through the streets. Heller, however, finds himself possessed by a strange virus that grants him to the ability to transform his body into a series of deadly weapons or take on the appearance of those around him. Like its

predecessor, Prototype 2 follows a similar sandbox style of gameplay, with players able to roam through the visually stunning streets of the Big Apple, demolishing virtually everything in their path. The story is classic video game fromage, but most players will probably be too busy causing mass destruction to care about the paper-thin plot. There are also plenty of side missions to take on and new areas to explore in the dystopian metropolis. The game isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but action junkies looking for a fix will find plenty of blood, guts and gratuitous explosions.

Fez

Publisher/Developers Polytron Platforms Xbox LIVE Arcade An indie game five years in the making, the unassumingly named Fez is both a love letter to old school 16-bit video games and an incredibly ingenious puzzle platformer. Players take on the role of Gomez, a fez-wearing little creature who wanders a world that resembles a combination of an M.C. Escher painting and The Legend of Zelda. The game, however, is really a 2D platformer set in a 3D world, with players able to literally rotate the world around Gomez. The result is a trippy, mind-bending experience as 124 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

perspectives shift with Inception-like style as you manipulate the space around you in order to get Gomez to safety and solve a variety of puzzles. It’s a smart, challenging and innovative form of gameplay that never really seems to get old. Along the way you’ll help Gomez unlock new levels and collect the 32 golden cubes scattered throughout the world. The end result is an indie game that’s both an homage to classic Nintendo titles and one of the most original games of 2012.

watch out

SEE, SPEAK, HEAR NO EVIL

BY ADAM VOLK

Release dates based on amazon.co.uk

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

| DVD & Blu-ray | 135 mins

Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg Release Date: April 30

Before Tom Cruise started jumping on Oprah’s couch and spouting Scientologist mumbo jumbo (all hail Lord Xenu!), he was one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars. In Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Señor Cruise proves that while he’s clearly insane in and around the membrane region, he also still has what it takes to deliver a rock-solid action experience. In the latest outing in the blockbuster franchise, Cruise once again plays Ethan Hunt, a world-weary covert operative and member of the elite IMF agency. But when Ethan and his crew of tech-savvy super spies are

implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, they must go on the run to both clear their names and stop an international terrorist hell bent on (pause for dramatic effect) total... nuclear... annihilation! The result is a fun, action-packed cinematic spectacle, with some impressive set pieces taking place in Moscow, Dubai and Bombay. Ghost Protocol doesn’t quite have the heart and humanity of the original 1996 film, but it still manages to entertain, offering up plenty of highoctane action and proving that in Hollywood nothing is impossible - not even pulling Tom Cruise’s career out of a toilet bowl death spiral.

War Horse | DVD & Blu-ray | 146 mins | Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan Release Date: May 7 To most of us, horses might seem like nothing more than eight-hundred pound eating and pooping machines. However, in director Steven Spielberg’s heart-warming family film War Horse, horses also happen to be incredibly lovable and majestic creatures. The film chronicles the adventures of a young English farm boy named Albert and his trusty steed Joey. But when the First World War breaks out, Albert and Joey find themselves torn apart by fate and circumstances. Each undergoes their own incredible journey and trial by fire as

the war unfolds, but of course, nothing can keep a boy and his horse parted forever. The film includes solid performances and sharp action-sequences that recreate the brutality and horrors of trench warfare.

Most impressively though, it also tells the story of the First World War from virtually all sides of the conflict, following a wide range of characters from the German, French and British military and civilian components.

The result is a film that tugs at the equine-loving heart strings, putting Joey in the running for the greatest four-legged friend since Mr. Ed.

Underworld: Awakening

| DVD & Blu-ray | 88 mins Kate Beckinsale, Sandrine Holt, Theo James Release Date: May 14 Vampires have become a hot commodity these days, thanks to the mopey, glittery annoying tween bloodsuckers from Twilight. Vampires also happen to the main characters in Underworld: Awakening, the latest entry in the popular supernatural action franchise. Kate Beckinsale once again dons her skin-tight leathers and takes on the role of Selene, a pistol-packing vampire hottie.

Awakening, however, takes place in the not-so-distant future in which vampires and werewolves have been nearly hunted to extension by humanity (those jerks!). Selene awakens from suspended animation

only to find that she has a full-grown daughter, with the two joining forces to – what else? - kick some ass. The plot is a convoluted mess with some painfully cheesy dialogue and headache-inducing narrative twists and turns. Fortunately, there are some solid action sequences and it never really gets old watching Kate Beckinsale kick people in the face. The result is a vampire and werewolf film that’s mediocre at best, but if your choices are getting stuck in a room with a ‘Team Edward’ fanatic and watching Underworld: Awakening, I’d go with bloodsucking option number 2.

The Artist

| DVD & Blu-ray | 100 mins | Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo Release Date: May 28 Until now the only people that actually seemed to enjoy black and white silent films were weirdoes, incredibly old people and pretentious Film Studies majors. All that’s changed, however, thanks to The Artist, a brilliant contemporary film that also has no recorded dialogue and is filmed entirely in black and white. The Academy Award-winning film (which snagged five wins – including best picture) takes place in the late 1920s and follows the rise of silent film star George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin, who snagged a best actor Oscar for the performance). When George crosses paths with

a young up-and-coming starlet, it sets in motion a love affair that causes both their worlds to dramatically change, with the film following their careers as the golden age of cinema ends and the so-called “talkies” begin. The end result is a film that literally has to be seen to be believed, with stunning performances and striking visuals.

In an age of IMAX 3D cinematography and earshattering sound systems, The Artist proves that its great characters and great storytelling that propels a film. It’s a timeless lesson that Hollywood could definitely learn well from these days.

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TAKE ME WITH YOU

JUXTAPOSING FINERY + FILTH

BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

ABOVE: COPACABANA BEACH AND PRAIA VERMELHA IN RIO DE JANEIRO, AERIAL VIEW OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: A REVELLER WAITS FOR THE START OF THE ANNUAL CARNIVAL PARADE IN RIO DE JANEIRO’S SAMBADROME MARCH 6, 2011 (REUTERSRICARDO MORAES)

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O

n a narrow coastal plain, between the foothills of Brazilian Highlands and the Atlantic Ocean, peaks the dramatic setting of Rio de Janiero. Often called Cidade Maravilhosa, the marvelous city, for its verdant hills and crescent shaped beaches has long been the darling of early Portuguese settlers. Descriptions of its beauty are by no means an exaggeration and today visitors from around the world adore its natural extremes.

Many of the best vistas loll in monolithic hill clusters made of granite and quartz rising from the water’s edge. The conical peaks call for hang gliders to strap on their rainbow wings and float in the air like gulls for hours at a time. They must take precaution however, as glass-walled bubble cars zip along endless cable lines roping the peaks of Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Urca. For nearly a century they have offered passengers 360-degree breathtaking views of forest canopies, jumbled concrete and curving coastlines. Pão de Açúcar, resembling the shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar, served

as an inspiration for the James Bond film, Moonraker, where Agent 007 and the assassin dangle on a cable car.

Rio’s most famous panoramic views are from Christ the Redeemer on Mount Corcovado. The iconic monument is considered the largest art deco sculpture and fifth largest Jesus statue in the world. It can be reached by taxi or by funicular through a wildlife sanctuary, an Amazonic replica not in scale but in beauty. Disembarking at an old station, near a staircase leading to the foot of the statue, is a mere steeply climb along a course of multilayered habitation plant communities. Foot-long lizards sneak between feet, unnoticed. Black birds fly in geese pacts.

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TAKE ME WITH YOU

Wildlife is busy, unaffected by the landmark that in 2008 was struck by lightning during an electrical storm. Damages made to the head, eyebrows and fingers are nearly invisible. Like in any other metropolitan city, statues of grandiose size and proportion survive natural disasters leaving little room for rumblings of dissatisfaction.

Cityscape vistas are best discovered from Rio’s shantytowns, called “favelas.” The small pockets of dingy slum housing tumbling down from many of the city’s hilltops have become favorable cultural destinations. Previously inaccessible because of geography rigor and a long history of poverty and drug abuse, favelas redefined urban space to make room for a growing city, leveling hills or digging tunnels through them.

They also reclaimed parts of the surrounding of Guanabara Bay; its beaches, including Ipanema and Copacabana, are sometimes off limits to swimmers because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

CITYSCAPE VISTAS ARE BEST DISCOVERED FROM RIO’S SHANTYTOWNS, CALLED “FAVELAS”. FAVELAS REDEFINED URBAN SPACE TO MAKE ROOM FOR A GROWING CITY, LEVELING HILLS OR DIGGING TUNNELS THROUGH THEM

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Many of its native residents, the poorest cariocas are no longer pushed uphill.

They hardly barricade themselves inside red-orange brick and mortar, and creep out with bandit gangs. Instead they sit tourists on motorbikes, strapping them in helmets, before circling around houses tiled with Portuguese porcelain, gardens planted with coconut and banana trees, and roadways paved with fresh asphalt. Foreign entrepreneurs take advantage of new market opportunities, hanging new electrical wires to light their hostels, mantling water containers to supply their bars. Inside the favela that climbs the apron of the Sheraton hotel, in nearby Leblon district, an Austrian charges the nightly rate of a private apartment suite in Ipanema. But guests enjoy free aerial views, cheap food, Cachaça sugar cane rum and Afrocentric soul and funk music.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CHRIST THE REDEEMER MONUMENT ON MOUNT CORCOVADO, FAVELAS, SWIMMING IN CRYSTALLINE CLEAR WATERS IN ARRAIAL DO CABO, AERIAL VIEW OF COPACABANA BEACH AND PART OF IPANEMA

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130 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

TAKE ME WITH YOU

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: A REVELLER FROM THE AGUIA DE OURO SAMBA SCHOOL DANCES DURING THE SECOND NIGHT OF CARNIVAL PARADES AT THE SAMBADROME IN SAO PAULO EARLY ON MARCH 6, 2011 (MAURICIO LIMAAFP-GETTY IMAGES), RIO DE JANEIRO AT NIGHT THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: RIO CARNIVAL IN SAMBADOME, COPACABANA BEACH, BRAZILIAN MODEL GISELE BUNDCHEN DANCES ON A VILA ISABEL SAMBA SCHOOL FLOAT DURING THE SAMBADROME IN RIO DE JANEIRO ON MARCH 7, 2011 (AP PHOTO-RODRIGO ABD)

THE AVENIDA PRESIDENTE VARGAS, THREE TIMES THE WIDTH OF NEW YORK CITY’S FIFTH AVENUE, IS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. THE AVENUE IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY CENTER, SPEARHEADED BY GERMAN ENGINEERS KNOWN FOR THEIR RIGOR IN MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS However it is the beaches that thrive as the spiritual, emotional and economic outlet for everyone. Scores of tanned denizens flaunt their curves while smaller groups of men work out on parallel bars set in sand along Ipanema and Copacabana. Young children, with their uncharacteristic optimism, hip-twist to sound beats throbbing from juice huts.

The kiosks, fully seated, stacked with green coconuts, umbrellas and beer tap machines, spark the party in time for volleyball and soccer meets, and shift-changing between valet, doormen and garbage collectors. These small establishments become an escape from social inequality that makes no sense, where service costs less than the average price for a juicer or refrigerator.

Cutting across the busy, downtown part of Rio, the Avenida Presidente Vargas, three times the width of New York City’s Fifth Avenue, is an unforgettable experience. The avenue is of paramount importance to the city center, spearheaded

by German engineers known for their rigor in mathematical patterns. Wide lanes cut at right angles for the most part,

giving room for the four-way movement of vehicles, where old Volkswagen and air-conditioned buses zip past cabbies.

The monumental thruway connects central downtown districts. Formerly cluttered red-light district of Lapa becomes easily accessible during Carnival season, where a conglomeration of half-amillion people twirl and bend to Samba music.

Rio impresses in waves. The city’s endless transformation is directly related to the country’s booming economy, reduction of crime and discovery of offshore oil. It also has something to do with the energy brought to the city after it was chosen for the 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympics. Rio’s rebirth hasn’t altered its culture, nor its natural landscape. Rather it opened new, dynamic spaces for citizens and tourists to visit. Though geography and class still define the city, revival will continue THE STERILE ISSUE

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HAVE A DIRTY MARTINI

+A SIDE OF WILD FEBRUARY 30’S UPSIDE DOWN WORLD

BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

I tried writing this restaurant review with as few descriptive details as possible, for one simple reason: I wanted you to be left in the unknown, so you have that specific look on your face when you get there- the puzzled, dazzled, intrigued face of when you witness something out of this world. But then I realized, if I don’t tell you about the setting, you’re never going to go, because that is the main reason people decide to try it out in the first place.

When you get there, take a look above you at the ceiling. Yes, these are upside down chairs, tables and lamps. Around you? A swing, a barber chair, and half of a motorcycle at the bar. They even recycled a few of these big water bottles as stools. At some point, your attention is drawn by what seems to be a couple pairs of female plastic legs fixed as stools too, surrounding a STOP sign table. Just pick any of these oneof-a-kind seats and decide on what you want to eat.

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Unlike other resto-lounges in Beirut, February 30 (open from 10am to 4am), has a lot to offer. Their food menu is as big as their drinks menu, with breakfast items like sandwiches and eggs, lunch and dinner starters, salads and main dishes. Try their Popcorn Chicken, crunchy as can be, their Risotto Funghi Porcini and if you like cheese, don’t leave without trying the Warm Goat Cheese salad served with lettuce, sundried tomato, dried grapes and honey truffle glaze. I couldn’t try desserts, but since their chocolate fondant is made with 70% Valrhona, I can only assume it’s delightful.

I must admit, I have been to many eating and drinking venues in Beirut and so far, this is the most eccentric (and eclectic) one. If you’re looking for the uptight place to go out, February 30 is not for you. But if you’re up for a new place to have a few drinks and munch on good stuff with your friends, this is the place to go.

The + + The music. During the day up until early evening, it’s more chill lounge style music at just the right volume to allow you to have a proper conversation. Later in the evening, it gets more pumped up. + The food. Resto-lounges usually focus on the drinking part, but February 30 does well in both, the food is excellent. + I was on a vegan experiment at the time of the review. My editor didn’t let me eat vegan there, for you readers, but do know that they offer Edamame, Penne Arrabbiata pasta, and a green salad.

The – - Beginning at 9pm, the place gets really crowded and the waiters get overwhelmed.

There’s a noticeable decrease in the quality of service.

- I said the food was good, but wasn’t fond of the mini burgers. I’d rather not even have them as a choice on the menu.

FEBRUARY 30 The Alleyway, Jeanne D’Arc Street, Hamra 76/994405 feb30hamra feb30hamra

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

BY LARA ARISS

Each edition of RAGMAG Lara Ariss will present a meal in several courses that you can try at home. Lara trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London, England.

For this issue of RAGMAG, Lara has gone with fresh and healthy salad alternatives. If you’re tired of the staple green, here are a few new ones for you to try.

For more great ideas, check her out on the web http://www.mylara.me @laraariss bylara

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STREAMLINING | A FRESHER FARE

POPPY SEED SALAD PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 6 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS •500 grams cucumbers, sliced at an angle •2 red peppers, thinly sliced •30 grams coriander, roughly chopped •60 ml white vinegar •125 ml olive oil •15 grams poppy seeds •15 grams sugar •Salt and black pepper, to taste

METHOD

• Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl and season according to the quality of the cucumbers.

GOAT CHEESE,

FIG + HONEY SALAD

PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 6 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS •2 tablespoons honey •3 tablespoons olive oil •600 grams ripe figs •300 grams parmesan •100 grams rocket •10 grams basil leaves •Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

METHOD • In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and olive oil and season to taste and set aside.

• Cut the figs into quarters.

• Cut up the cheese into large chunks.

• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle over the honey dressing.

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CHARGRILLED BROCCOLI +

GARLIC SALAD

PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES SERVES 6 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS •500 grams heads of broccoli •120 ml olive oil •4 garlic cloves •1 red pepper, thinly sliced •Sea salt and black pepper, to taste •Handful of toasted flaked almonds

METHOD • Prepare the broccoli by separating the heads into florets. Fill a large saucepan with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Throw in the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes and remove from saucepan.

• In a mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with 45 ml olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

• Place a large pan on the stove over high heat for about 5 minutes, grill the broccoli over several batches.

• While grilling the broccoli, place the rest of the oil in a small saucepan with garlic and peppers. Cook them over medium heat until the garlic just turns golden brown.

• Place the grilled garlic in a large bowl, pour in the oil, garlic and pepper slices and toss well together. Season with salt and pepper.

GREEN BEANS, MANGETOUT

WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS + ORANGE

SALAD

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.THINKVEGETABLES.CO.UK

PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES SERVES 6 LEVEL EASY

INGREDIENTS •400 grams French beans •400 grams mangetout •70 grams unskinned hazelnuts •1 orange •20 grams chives, roughly chopped •1 garlic clove, crushed •2 tablespoons olive oil •sea salt and black pepper, to taste

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180C. • Using a small, sharp knife trim the stalk ends of the French beans and the mangetout.

• In a large saucepan, bring water to the boil and blanch the French beans first for 4 minutes and the mangetout for 1 minute.

• Roast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes.

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange and slice the zest into very small strips.

• Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and season to taste.

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Spring is Back!

Spring is Back!

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JAL EL DIB - SPINNEYS|HAZMIEH| - JBEIL - ZAITUNAY BAY DOWNTOWN - ABC|DBAYEH| - ABC|ASHRAFIEH| - HAMRA - KASLIK MZAAR|KFARDEBIAN| - VERDUN - CITY MALL - LE MALL|SIN EL FIL|

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JAL EL DIB - SPINNEYS|HAZMIEH| - JBEIL - ZAITUNAY BAY

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RAGMAG

ASTRO

Zodiac forecasts FROM JONATHAN CAINER

May.2012

MAY 20 BRINGS A GLORIOUS SOLAR ECLIPSE, ALTHOUGH, UNLESS YOU’RE IN JAPAN, YOU DON’T STAND MUCH CHANCE OF SEEING IT. IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL, IT’S WORTH THE TRIP. THE ECLIPSE WILL BE ‘ANNULAR’. THE MOON WON’T JUST PERFECTLY BLOT OUT THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, IT WILL APPEAR SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE SOLAR DISC, CREATING A GLORIOUS SHINING RING AROUND A DARK CIRCLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE WILL ALL BENEFIT FROM THE INFLUENCE NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE OR WHAT SIGN WE BELONG TO. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, MAY HAS MAGIC IN STORE.

CATE BLANCHETT

GEMINI AL PACINO

May 22 - June 22 ‘Five little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, quack quack quack, but only four little ducks came back...’ So goes the old nursery rhyme. Such things happen, even in the best of broods. But the next day, four ducklings went out and only three returned. As you may recall, by the weekend... well, I don’t want to upset you with a tale of woe, but the moral is vital. We can’t keep repeating mistakes. May’s rare annular eclipse in Gemini invites you to ask, ‘What do I keep doing wrong?’ Once you find out, you can finally fix it.

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

TAURUS April 21 - May 21

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CANCER

‘If in doubt, say nowt.’ Where I grew up in Yorkshire, that was the local motto.

Today, all around the world, a different rule appears to apply. ‘If in doubt, bluff.’

Skim-read an article, then quote it with an air of authority. Half-remember something someone once said and then treat it as definitive. Three little words will get you all you need this month. They are, ‘I... don’t... know!’ The passage of Mercury through Taurus in May will challenge you to say them bravely each time you encounter a tricky question. Only then will you find out what you truly need to know.

June 23 - July 23 When one door closes, another opens.

That’s not just wishful thinking; it is the truth. But, if we are standing in front of a door that has just shut in our face, it is hard to get past the sense of rejection. It takes a while before you can bring yourself to look for the door that must have opened elsewhere. Plus, we always want what we think we can’t have. May brings a powerful moment where the Moon blocks the light of the Sun. That’s your clear, cosmic, symbolic promise that what you are losing now is nothing compared to what you are about to gain.

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

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT

July 24 - August 23 Don’t keep opening the oven door; the cake will never bake if you do that. In your attempt to validate the process that you are going through, you are inadvertently creating more reasons to question it. Nothing in this world is robust enough to withstand continual cross-examination.

When a police car pulls up outside our door, we can’t help but feel guilty and wonder what we have done wrong - even when we know we are innocent. May’s rare solar eclipse, suggests an experience of uncharacteristic vulnerability. Don’t accuse yourself; encourage yourself.

August 24 - September 23 We all like a routine. It reassures us. We also like to know who our friends are - and our enemies. Much as we may dislike encountering someone who annoys us, we get a strange sense of satisfaction from conflict. We define our identities by the people we don’t like, the situations we disapprove of or the causes we refuse to support. As individuals and as nations, we get used to being at odds with one another. But we can break that habit and find a better way. Be willing to embrace a real change in May, and that change will reach out to embrace you.

VIRGO

LIBRA

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

LEO

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

September 24 - October 23 They say, ‘What you don’t know can’t harm you.’ How dare they say that? How can they know? Have scientists taken two groups of people, randomly selected from a cross-section of society? Have they kept one group fully informed whilst depriving the other of all access to information?

What criteria have they used to assess harm? Honestly! The things they say! Venus turns retrograde in May. You get to make a series of long-overdue discoveries. Ignorance may not have harmed you but enlightenment is soon going to help you, enormously.

CAPRICORN

October 24 - November 22 Once upon a time, all great movies were in monochrome. Some of the earliest colour productions would begin in black and white and then suddenly change to produce a moment of high drama. Everything would seem the same, yet different. There would be vivid vibrancy, sparkle and shine where before there was just a uniformity of tone. May brings a repeat of the recent trine between Mars and Pluto. It is now as if the celestial director is employing such an effect on your behalf. The whole of your life is about to spring into new life and a new depth.

November 23 - December 21 Two wrongs don’t make a right. But two rights can never make a wrong. You are wrestling with a difficult dilemma. It involves ethical issues, emotive topics, controversial scenarios, secrets that may be best kept secret and truths that nobody seems to want to hear. You can’t simply decide to do what seems easiest. May’s rare solar eclipse in your opposite sign enables you to choose a direction you can stick with. It is important to approach the month with an attitude you can be proud of and sure of. Put plainly, it’s wrong for you to do what’s not right.

December 22 - January 20 All that many young children ever want to eat is ice cream. If their parents refuse to supply them this for breakfast, dinner and supper, are they being mean? People who give us exactly what we want or tell us what we are most keen to hear, are not necessarily the folk who have our best interests at heart. It may well be that they want something from us. Likewise, we must think carefully before we say what will make us popular. Be diplomatic by all means in May, but stay well within the bounds of integrity then the month will be truly good for you.

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

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 21 - February 19 When our vehicles get dirty, there’s the car wash. When our clothes grow grubby, there’s the laundry. So where then, can we take our memories when they get mucky?

Or must we just allow them to carry on becoming ever more corrupted and confused. We tell ourselves stories about the past and we repeat them so often that we begin to believe they are the gospel truth - the only accurate version of events.

You now need to revisit a part of your past.

Once you see it differently, you will see vast positive potential in the month that lies ahead of you.

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

ARIES

February 20 - March 20 Do you have something to apologise for? Have you dropped a ball, missed a chance, broken a promise or ruined an opportunity? Of course not! It’s funny though how easily we can be persuaded to feel guilty. If a policeman stops us in the street, our first reaction is to think, ‘What have I done?’ We ask ourselves that question, even if we know for a fact that we have robbed no banks. As you move into May, you are feeling edgy and apprehensive at the moment. But why? You have every reason to feel proud and optimistic - as you will soon see.

March 21 - April 20 Success is not all that it is cracked up to be. We desire it deeply when we feel that we have not got it, yet the moment we achieve it, we begin to find fault with it! Interestingly, failure is less final than we fear. We live in terror of making a mistake or of falling flat on our face but we soon discover that it is perfectly possible to bounce right back. Are you now running from a monster that doesn’t exist towards a reward that is vastly overrated - and which you can never properly claim? Relax a little. If you are enjoying your life, you are being successful.

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

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

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BRAINFOOD ROUND #1

ROUND #2

General

ROUND #3

Trivia

1. In 2003 which female pop star

released a children’s book titled “The English Rose”?

2. In volley ball how many times

can a team touch the ball before it must be put over the net?

3. In which city were the 2002

1. What is the name of the maid in

1. How many continents are

2. What is Sukleen’s “hotline”

2. Same film. Who played the part

2. Where is the largest desert in

3. According to Scottish law

3. In the film “My Best Friend’s girl”

3. As of 2011, which country

4. In the 2002 film “Scooby Doo”

4. What is the largest ocean in

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays

5. By area, what is the largest

6. In the 2007 film “The Hitcher,” in

6. What is the name of the

1994?

the film “Maid in Manattan”?

number?

of the maid?

can a man marry his widow’s sister?

who plays the girl?

5. How many people were there in

book in the Harry Potter series?

7. Which writer created the

the part of Prince Hapi in which classic remade film?

5. What drink’s name, if translated literally from Spanish to English, means “Aunty Mary”?

the village people?

6. What was the title of the fourth

who plays the part of Shaggy?

out by Cosmopolitan Magazine, what is a woman’s least favourite place to make love?

4. What is the length of the pole

used by a Pole Vaulter. Is it 14, 16 or 18 feet?

which state do the students pick up the muderous hitch-hiker?

6. What colour are the geography

7. The film Avatar is set on what

questions in trivial pursuit?

planet?

7. In psychology, what is

character of Dracula?

Evil had a cat. What was it called?

9. What was the name of author Mary Shelly’s monster in her famous book?

film released in 2010 that had the tag line “Still armed, still dangerous, still got it”?

8. How many claws does a domestic cat have?

9. What is tattooed on Popeye’s

9. Back to Avatar, in what year

arm?

was this film supposed to take place?

10. In the painting on the ceiling

FIFA World Cup?

the world?

has the smallest population? the world?

country in the world. Is it Canada, Russia or Australia? waterfall near Tannourin?

7. Australia has how many states?

in which ocean. Pacific, Indian or Atlantic?

9. What is the capital of Pakistan?

10. Des Moines is the capital of which US State?

10. Which of these films is loosely

of the Sistine chapel which hand is God using to give life to Adam?

10. Which team came third in 2010

there?

8. The island of Madagascar is

8. What was the name of the

heliophobia?

8. In the Austin Powers film Dr.

Geography

1. Who founded SUKLEEN in

4. According to a survey carried

winter games held?

ROUND #4

Movies In The 2000’S

based on the life of the dictator Idi Amin?

EASY

1

3

8

4

9 3

1 5

1 7 8 1 8 7 9

ROUND#1

ROUND#2 ROUND#3

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

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

2 5 3

9 8 6 7

2 7 3 6

2

2

8 7 3 4

5

2 5 2 6 1

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9

1 4

5

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5

4

1. Madonna 2. Three 3. Salt Lake City 4. Sixteen Feet 5. Six 6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7. Brahms Stoker 8. Mr. Bigglesworth 9.No name, Frankenstein was the creator 10. Germany 1. Maysarah Sukkar 2. 1551 3. How? He is dead 4. In a car 5. Tia Maria 6. Blue 7. Fear of sunlight 8. Eight 9. Anchor 10. Right 1. Marissa Ventura 2. Jennifer Lopez 3. Kate Hudson 4. Mathew Lillard 5. Around the World in Eighty Days 6. New Mexico 7. Pandora 8. RED 9. 2148 10. The Last King of Scotland 1. Seven 2. The Antarctic Desert 3. The Vatican 4. The Pacific 5. Russia 6. Baatra Gorge 7. Six 8. Indian 9. Islamabad 10. Iowa 3 5 7 8 6 4 1 9 9 7 3 8 5 2 4 1 2 6

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

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

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

140 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

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

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

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

1 6 7 9 2 8 3 5 4

4 5 9 3 7 6 8 2 1

2 8 3 4 5 1 9 7 6

3 7 6 1 9 2 4 8 5

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7 9 2 5 6 4 1 3 8

5 4 8 2 1 3 6 9 7

5 1 4 8 2 3 6 9 7

8 6 7 9 1 4 5 2 3

2 9 3 5 6 7 8 4 1

6 3 8 2 7 5 4 1 9

1 4 5 6 3 9 7 8 2

7 2 9 4 8 1 3 6 5

3 7 6 1 4 2 9 5 8

4 5 1 7 9 8 2 3 6

9 8 2 3 5 6 1 7 4

DOWN 1 4

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94

95

96

97 98 99 100

26. Dream.

27. A tool used in barrel making.

28. Used for treating wounds!

29. Able to carry blood, such as arteries etc.

33. An old form of mercury?

35. Associated with Cadiz?

36. Reducing a signal.

39. A Russian fox.

40. Do this to shoot in the right place.

41. The Hindu God of wealth.

42. Premeditated.

HE’S THE BEST!

46. Used for execution.

47. Shares a boundary.

50. A huge number.

53. Like a sea sponge.

54. Horse rider.

56. 1975 film starring Leena Chandavarkar.

57. A time limit.

59. A sort of brown algae.

61. An expert.

62. Amazing.

66. Approves.

67. A jester.

JUST MY LUCK?

SOMEWHERE DEEP FEELINGS?

SONG

FILM

ROCK 13 YEARS OLD A TIME BEFORE MAN?

SHUT UP!!

68. Not worried about things.

70. A type of acid.

72. Used for weighing small boats on a canal.

73. Never ending.

74. A small piece of armor.

77. Marijuana.

78. Heart shaped.

79. Not correctly positioned.

80. Worked together.

82. A baby’s car?

83. No longer shiny.

86. A type of sword.

88. The tallest and thinnest.

90. Lecherous.

92. A type of shoe.

95. The act of whipping.

96. Loses color.

97. Fringed.

98. Was alongside.

99. Beat severely.

100. Fortified with a wall.

101. Told a story.

OLD SONG

ACROSS 2. XYLOPHAGAN - 4. SAHIBAH - 9. FACILITATION - 10. BANDANA - 13. MIRTHLESS 17. ANECDOTE - 19. UNALIST - 20. XANTHATE - 22. HACKER - 24. NASALIZE 26. FANTASIZE - 27. VYCE - 28. VULNERARY - 29. SANGUIFEROUS - 33. QUICKSILVER 35. GADITANIAN - 36. ATTENUATING - 39. KARAGANE - 40. ZEROING - 41. YAKSHA 42. PREPENSE - 46. GALLOWS - 47. CONTIGUOUS - 50. ZILLIONTH - 53. ZOOPHYTIC 54. JOCKEY - 56. QAIDS - 57. DEADLINE - 59. FUCI - 61. DABSTER - 62. FANTASTIC 66. RATIFIES - 67. RAILLEUR - 68. UNCONCERNED - 70. UNDECYLIC 72. WEIGHLOCK - 73. UNCEASING - 74. FAULD - 77. GANJA - 78. OBCORDATE 79. MISALIGNED - 80. COOPERATED - 82. PERAMBULATOR - 83. TARNISHED 86. SABRE - 88. LANKIEST - 90. LASCIVIOUS - 92. GAITER - 95. VAPULATION 96. FADES - 97. FIMBRICATED - 98. BORDERED - 99. BEMAUL - 100. BULWARKED 101. NARRATED

2. A beetle whose larvae live in wood.

4. A lady?

9. The act of making it easier.

10. Cowboys scarf?

13. No feeling of happiness.

17. A short account?

19. A priest who has only one means of income.

20. A type of salt from an acid.

22. He gets into computers?

24. Make noises from the nose.

DOWN 1. AGAMA - 3. AMID - 5. HAEMAPOPHYSIS - 6. ZAMOUSE - 7. WOK - 8. ULTIMATUM 11. NACRE - 12. BOTANISTS - 14. HANGFIRE - 15. JUBILATED - 16. HALITUOUS 18. EBULLIOSCOPE - 21. ANTAGONIZES - 23. CRYOLITE - 25. EARPHONES 30. KADDISH - 31. CRUP - 32. QUADRILLE - 34. JACULATOR - 37. LANGUISHED 38. FACULTIES - 39. KITCHENWARE - 43. HAIRSPRAY - 44. OMNIPRESENCE 45. MIOTIC - 48. SECONDARY - 49. BYRES - 51. BANQUETED - 52. JANITOR 55. ULMACEOUS - 58. LACTESCENT - 60. IDIOTIC - 63. AWESOMENESS - 64. YOWE 65. WEARIEST - 68. UNASSISTED - 69. JAGGED - 71. DESQUAMATE 75. DECAFFEINATED - 76. HYDROPHONE - 81. EASELS - 84. DECREET 85. HARUSPEX - 87. ALERT - 89. YAKS - 91. SALSE - 93. TABARD - 94. HALER

ACROSS

101

1. Long tailed lizard.

3. In the middle of.

5. Anatomical word, part of a hemal arch.

6. An African buffalo.

7. Chinese cooking pot.

8. The final demand.

11. Technical name for Mother-ofPearl.

12. They like flowers.

14. Wait!

15. Feeling extremely happy.

16. Made by our breath.

18. Scientific instrument for observing the temperature of liquids.

21. Annoys.

23. A fluoride of aluminum and sodium.

25. Private loudspeakers?

30. Jewish prayer.

31. Brittle like some types of cake.

32. An historic dance formation.

34. A person that throws something is called this.

37. Became weak and feeble.

38. Sections in a university?

39. Used for cooking?

43. Keeps your style!

44. God is this.

45. It constricts the pupil of the eye.

48. Not the primary!

49. Homes for cows?

51. Had a grand feast.

52. A doorman?

55. Belonging to tropical, deciduous trees.

58. Milky.

60. Stupid.

63. Greatness?

64. A Scotsman’s ewe.

65. The most tired.

68. Not helped by anyone!

69. Not smooth.

71. To peel of, like human skin.

75. A special type of coffee?

76. Underwater listening device.

81. An artist’s support?

84. The court’s final judgment.

85. An ancient Roman priest.

87. Aware!

89. An Asian Ox? 91. A mud volcano.

93. A type of heavy cape.

94. Old Slovakian currency.

THE STERILE ISSUE

141

JACCUZI - RECORD BREAKER - IT’S RAINING MEN - HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE - SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW A BRIDGE TOO FAR - STONE AGE - PUT A LID ON IT! - BALCK BETTY

OUT+ABOUT

CLEAN

HÄAGEN-DAZS TAKES SUMMER COCKTAILS TO A NEW LEVEL OF CHILL! RAGMAG got out + about and quite addicted to the new Häagen-Dazs ice cream based alcohol infused cocktails!

The leader in ice cream is now open at Zaitunay Bay, ready to give you your ice cream fix with a very special summerlovin’ kick. On April 19, 2012, HäagenDazs launched their glacier-cool alcohol cocktail menu in a flurry of excitementyou haven’t seen ice cream like this before! The new menu, served exclusively at Häagen-Dazs Zaitunay Bay, gave RAGMAG a few faves: we’re loving the HD Sea Breeze for post-beaching, the HD Tequila Sunrise for drinks at sundown, and of course the ever trendy HD Cosmopolitan! The evening was kicked off

142 RAGMAG | MAY 2012

in true nightlife style with a DJ spinning Beirut’s biggest hits with attendees from the boardwalk and invitees of Häagen-Dazs. Guests at the bash enjoyed cocktails made from Häagen-Dazs ice cream flavors like the tangy Mango Margarita and the crowd-pleasing Strawberry Daiquiri, created exclusively for the Zaitunay Bay location! Beginning with a blues and jazz rhythm at 6pm, the event increased in tempo and lasted until midnight. The night was sponsored by Elle Oriental magazine and Zabad by Karim Haidar, whose fine fare was offered to guests with the cocktails.

Cheers Häagen-Dazs, expect to see us on your patio this summer!

THE STERILE ISSUE

143

144 RAGMAG | MAY 2012