There are a ton of interesting Lebanese blogs I check daily but my favorite has to be Deedee McFly. I can never figure out where to eat when I go down to Lebanon so I always end up at Roadsters while Deedee McFly on the other hand seems to know all the great places. I really think its one of the most under appreciated Lebanese blogs out there, check it out [Here]

Technical Support: Bonsoir, keef fiyye se3dak?

Me: Bonsoir, badde 2es2alak iza fi chi machkal 3al internet?

Technical Support: No everything looks normal. What is your account?

(So I gave him my account)

Technical Support: Everything looks normal on my screen.

Me: Great! But everything looks great here too but I cannot go online for some reason.

Technical Support: Hmm, is this happening with you everyday at this hour (around 11pm).

Me: Almost every day yes.

Technical Support: Sorry we cannot do anything about it. The lines are getting overcrowded so some people are left out without internet.

Me: So this means everyone in Lebanon might be having the same issue I have?

Technical Support: I am afraid yes.

Me: And when do I expect to have my connection back?

Technical Support: I am afraid I do not have an answer for that.

Me: Thank you for your time.

I don’t think we should campaign for a faster connection, we should campaign for a connection to begin with!

This is one of Lebanon’s craziest roads with practically no lanes, no lighting, no speed bumps, rare roundabouts, and no radars (only Radar signs) or cops. I was coming back from Jeita yesterday when I saw a huge accident on the long straight after the Jeita Country Club turn. Nothing surprising though as you see those very frequently.

However, I noticed a very interesting fact about that road, that cars reach their top speed almost at Ziad Baroud’s house which happens to be at the end of Jeita. If you look at the map, it is after you get passed Frulatte and Starbucks that cars step on the gas till the end of the long straight some 1 km away.

Maybe if we hang a “Maintain Top Speed” sign there, Lebanese drivers will feel provoked and decide to violate it as they do with every law and as a result slow down.

(Picture of Estonia)

The story of the seven kidnapped Estonian tourists has been all over the news for the past few days and still no sign of finding them anywhere. [News]

I must say I find this kidnapping very weird and cannot figure out the motive of the kidnappers. I mean those were all Estonian tourists cycling in the Beqaa. The guns and cars that those gangs attacked with are more worthy than whatever those tourists could have had, unless of course they are transporting an old treasure that they found in the Beqaa valley!

I googled a bit about Estonia [Wiki] and there’s also no political or religious or social or whatsoever reason for us to be in conflict with this country or have any tensions or any kind. Their country is a small peaceful one with almost 1 million habitants and part of the European Union.

There was a similar abduction case back in August 2010 where two Polish tourists were also kidnapped but freed quickly by the Lebanese army [Link]. Could be some bad joke few thugs were trying to pull until they realized there’s no coming back from it.

There’s one thing though I’d like to note here, is that I find a lot of European tourists going to places they shouldn’t go to, or at least not alone. I mean most of the car thefts and crimes that occur in Lebanon take place in the Beqaa and in similar regions, maybe it would be a good idea for the Ministry of tourism to point this out to our tourists before they embark on such journeys. There should be a guide to the risky areas in Lebanon.

Anyway, I Hope that they get released quickly and safely.

Who said Kahwit el 2zez is dead? It’s alive and kicking in Antelias.

Same management, same singer, same mood, same food, different location. Gemmayze cafe just moved locations but is still the same. I just had the most amazing night there.

Maybe we can all pitch in $10 each and help the highway department get new signs.

I was leaving ABC Debayeh two days back and I noticed that Fuddruckers was opening up across the highway. Finally we’ll be able to have some decent burgers in Lebanon like the one below which is a Fudds burger I shot at the Kuwait branch. Their cookies are also amazing but hopefully they stick to the proper recipe since the cookies in the Bahrain branch for example are extremely horrible.

How we want it to look …

How it really is …

An oil leakage was reported in the Midterranean sea off the costal down of Dora [Naharnet]. Its cause is a ship that was emptying its cargo.

LBC reported few minutes ago that the leakage is huge . [Kataeb Portal]

As if we needed more pollution to the sea after the 2006 war. I haven’t stepped in the sea since then and I will most definitly refrain from doing so this summer.

After the 5000 drop in gas prices in Lebanon only a month ago or even less, the prices have increased by 1700 LL already. 600 LL the 1st week, 800 LL the 2nd week and today a 300 LL increase.

3 weeks from now, we will be back to the original crisis. Hourray!

Enjoy the things you can buy for 5000LL ( 3400 LL now) before it’s too late.

We’ve been witnessing people revolting in neighboring countries for the same reasons, with the sole difference is that we are democratically voting for the people screwing us up.

Every time I hear the Radio One commercial advertising Earth Hour I keep thinking to myself they can’t be serious. Earth Hour is basically an event where everyone around the world turns out the lights for 1 hour for a better world or something lame like that. Believe in it or not, Earth Hour might make sense in countries where they have 24hours of uninterrupted electricity but in Lebanon? Come on… it’s like Earth Hour every day or more like 12 Earth Hours every day.

I keep reading every 2 or 3 days about a number of people arrested by the ISF or the Lebanese Army due to possession of weapons or driving without papers or having search warrants to their names.

The average number of arrested people is around 40-50 every time but today it peaked at 121 individuals, among whom those involved in the “small family dispute” in Ghobeiri. [Link]

What happened in Ghobeiri is another typical Lebanese dispute which happens every now and then. [Example]

While I am glad that so many were arrested, my question is how many nights do those criminals spend in prison? 2 days? 3 days?

I hope I am wrong but I feel the same people keep getting arrested and then released and then arrested again every now and then.

It seems to be that most municipalities in Lebanon have an innate desire to screw up whatever is left of their cities. Jounieh is no exception to that despite trying to cover up its garbage with nice and shiny monuments and places.

We’ve been hearing about this amazing maritime sidewalk in Jounieh (Near ATCL) since ever and until now all we got were some repairs done on the already existing one. Now they’re planning to replace the very unhealthy and unsafe playground they have done for kids with a small garden or park or whatever is showing on the picture below.

This may seem as a good plan if one disregards everything around the place, but let’s explore what surrounds this “soon 3al lebnene” to be accomplished project:

- Arguile places all over the sidewalk.
- Huge Generators blowing toxic air into children’s lungs in the playground.
- Army Base & ATCL Generators blowing toxic air into people’s lungs while jogging on the sidewalk.
- Cars passing all day long emitting carbon dioxide.
- A “Bar 3al lebnene” (Estedrite) right across the street from the playground.

Kind of reminds me of Maya Zankoul’s post on how buildings are portrayed and how they truly are. [Link]

Let us not talk about the roads there because they are no better than Jal el Dib municipality in terms of incompetence. [Link]

Whose country’s flag is this?

It looks a lot like the Indian flag. Possibly Indian Cricket fans heading to a cricket game?

Going to ask our building concierge tonight if they organize such games in Lebanon. It would be fun to watch (maybe just once though cause I never understood or liked cricket).

(Another Vintage Ad from DarkRoastedBlend)

Check out those ads shown by BeirutDrivebyShooting for Mother’s day.

Are you calling me fat?

Happy Mother’s Day from your little girl.

Teaching her all the tricks of the trade!

Mom isn’t waiting for you to get lucky.