Lebanese Dreams

                 Perhaps she dreams of precious gems….   and maybe he dreams of hotrods and money falling from the sky……. or maybe Lebanese dream of 24/24 electricity with no generators or internet that isn’t the worst in the world or roads without tire-busting potholes or having political leaders who really are public servants instead of self-servants or knowing that only the Lebanese army is armed or not being forced to move away to make a living but until then the Lebanese dream of getting another passport from someplace new.

Hands On Approach

    “Your beauty is not a toy in their hands”….thanks for the visual.

Beirut Survival Guide Part V

                    It’s Friday, time for the beach!           It seems that all of Beirut has the same idea…. Your day at the beach might just be your day sitting in traffic….  It’s nice how you can see a preview of the beach and the water…                Since it could be dark when you actually get there.

Beirut Survival Guide Part IV

              This is a home furnishing store not a beach resort.     Again, this is a home furnishing store not a seafood market. Don’t be fooled, nobody in Lebanon is homeless. Illegal homes, yes. Homeless. No. Parking and “no smoking” rules are strictly enforced. Wink wInk.Do yourself and the rest of us a favor, stay out of this guy’s way and don’t make him play that annoying musical horn.

Beirut Survival Guide Part III

Sometimes being Lebanese takes a lot of effort. Maintaining the perfect manicure and pedicure with the latest colors. Following the latest fashion trends….            Getting through the night in the highest of heels….                            Finding the perfect sunglasses….. But the best part of being Lebanese is that you can dress once a day.In Lebanon, evening wear is acceptable for daytime visits, the office, shopping, touring and even the beach or pool. Leave those sensible shoes in your closet.And sunglasses aren’t only for the sun, there are bright lights in the clubs, pubs, restaurants, and malls, not to mention those annoying bright car lights on the highway. If you must remove them for any reason, keep them on your head. You never know when a bright light might appear.

Beirut Survival Guide Part II

Lebanese food is well known but it’s Lebanese drink that keeps everyone going. The day must begin with Lebanese coffee and perhaps it will be your good fortune to get your fortune told in the bottom of your cup. Power up your day with Abu Abed’s power drink. Somehow the heavyset guy on the bottle looks like he should be serving up a plate of raw liver.Quench your thirst with this authentic Lebanese soft drink and if you smoke, grab a pack of Cedar’s cigarettes. Grab a Coke and a smile, maybe you’ll win a Blackberry Torch or ….something. A cold beer with your lunch sounds nice. Ordering beer in Lebanon is easy. “I’ll have a beer.” “Almaza?”. Say yes. Feeling a little sluggish? Nescafe is a great little pick-me-up. An afternoon delight shared with a neighbor. Yum. What better way to end the day? Lebanese wine filled with the goodness from the land….                         and in true Lebanese fashion…..                     the story changes as you go..

Beirut Survival Guide Part I

There are many new “deals” from the local cell phone companies..                                 Deal or no deal? No deals here, we’re still paying the highest rates in the region. FYI: One misscall= yes, two misscalls= no, three misscalls= hurry up, I’m downstairs. Most Lebanese men usually avoid toupees and proudly display their baldness but then they proudly display their chest hair also. Political unrest or anything else that your embassy warned you about never stopped the party in Lebanon and neither does our slow internet.           Billboards. More Billboards. Even more Billboards.

Welcome To Our World

MEA takes us away and returns with a delightful mix of locals, expats, businessmen and of course, tourists. This week, Beirut Drive-by Shooting presents a “Beirut Survival Guide”
*Update- Lebanese passengers are behaving much better these days. They rarely open the overhead bins before arriving at the gate, they close their cell phones after only  being told for the 3rd time, seatbelts are fastened after being asked kindly by the cabin crew since the lighted signs, safety video and audio announcement didn’t quite deliver the message and they are even staying in their seats after the plane touches down and until it arrives at the gate!

Not So Subtle Reminders

             Take care of your health…sooner not later…               If you insist on smoking…write your will….                   Auto safety isn’t a laughing matter….                                but it’s all too often a sad ending…  Internal Security Forces have been on the job for 150 years. Respect the law.               Torture is inhumane. Respect human life.                        Don’t litter. It’s an ugly habit.

You Paid How Much For That?

Perhaps Aishti’s ad people are hearing the same question that Aishti shoppers usually hear…
Aishti's $10million Ad Campaign[Link]

Got To Be Real

…because the one thing that Lebanese can’t stand is something fake.

Update** Here’s proof… Lebanese love Cuban cigars [Daily Star]

Summer Treats

       Strawberries+cheesecake+ice cream= pleasure inside!

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

        Give her something limp and lifeless….she’ll love it.

Viagra For Women

Extensive research has yet to come up with an effective chemical version of “the little blue pill” however the Lebanese have successfully discovered the mineral version.

Green Space: Beirut

Beirut is often criticized for lacking in green space. This nice little corner of green is brought to us courtesy of Unifert, Unifert is a Lebanese company that provides fertilizer to countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, making the world a little greener, since 1968.
City Daily Photo-July Theme Day- The Colour Green
 Click here to view thumbnails for all participants