It looks like an interesting movie but I don’t know if it will be shown in Lebanese theaters.

Zaytoun is the story of the unlikely alliance between a 12-year-old Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot shot down over Beirut in 1982. Their initial distrust develops into friendship as they make their way across war-torn Lebanon on a journey to a place they both call home. Zaytoun won the Runners Up Prize in the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, as well as playing in Official Selection at the London Film Festival and AFI Fest 2012.

[YouTube]

I have a feeling whomever made this ad contributed to the “SantaExpress” game I posted about yesterday.

Whatever happened to joyful and happy Christmas ads?

That’s just weird.

A Ukrainian national took her clothes off on Saturday at Rafik Hariri International Airport to protest the smoking ban, media reports said. The woman was swiftly detained by airport security for questioning. [Link]

Today is your last chance to enter the draw for the LG TV giveaway. For more details on how to enter the competition, click [Here].

I usually enjoy Touch ads but something about their last Christmas Offer radio spot is not right. In the first few seconds of the ad, some guy is bragging that he stopped at all the red lights this year and therefore deserves a gift. I had no clue respecting traffic lights is considered an achievement in Lebanon. Listen to it [Here].

[Source]

Funnily enough, ignoring traffic lights was the first cause of injuries in car accidents in 2012 according to Yasa. I honestly think Touch should remove that part of the ad specially that they’ve been working with YASA on raising awareness among drivers in Lebanon.

A report on LBCI to raise further awareness on racism against domestic workers

Here’s an excerpt from a report by Afrik.com on women fleeing poverty in their country Madagascar to work in Lebanon, and the horrible experiences that they’ve been through here. It’s truly disturbing to read some of these stories and I wonder why can’t we do anything to change this stupid law and give all workers more freedom? In fact, if no one’s ready to make changes in Lebanon, countries like Madagascar and Ethiopia should follow the Philippine’s path by blacklisting Lebanon and forbidding their workers to go there.

Rentrée en septembre 2012 à Madagascar, Marie-Emmanuelle porte encore les cicatrices de ses blessures. Elle n’oubliera jamais le calvaire qu’elle a vécu au Liban. Comme elle, des milliers de jeunes filles y ont migré pour travailler comme domestiques, rêvant d’une vie meilleure. Agée aujourd’hui de 23 ans, la jeune femme n’en avait que 19 ans quand elle s’est envolée pour le Liban. Lorsqu’elle raconte ses rudes conditions de travail, sa voix fluette en tremble encore d’effroi : « Je suis partie pour aider ma famille qui est très pauvre. Mais une fois sur place, j’ai vécu un véritable enfer ! Je travaillais comme domestique pour huit familles différentes. Je commençais à 6h du matin et finissais à minuit. Je ne mangeais qu’un repas par jour. J’ai subi des violences. Mes employeurs m’insultaient et me battaient tous les jours ! Ils ne m’ont même pas payé la totalité de l’argent qu’ils me devaient », déplore-t-elle.

Des brimades. Des humiliations. Sandra aussi en a vécues au Liban. Partie à l’âge de 19 ans, elle a subi, durant trois ans, des violences sexuelles. « J’étais violée tous les jours par mon patron. Et ses enfants me battaient », raconte-t-elle. Elle réussit finalement à contacter des membres de sa famille qui l’ont aidée à rentrer. Seulement, le retour à Madagascar est loin d’être de tout repos. Les jeunes femmes sont rejetées par leurs proches, qui espéraient qu’elles rapporteraient beaucoup d’argent. C’est le cas d’Olivia qui a été abandonnée par sa famille. « Mes frères et sœurs ne veulent plus m’adresser la parole ». Elle aussi garde un souvenir amer du Liban, où elle a été incarcérée dans des conditions effroyables après avoir été accusée par sa patronne d’avoir volé les clés de sa voiture.

Il n’est aussi pas rare que des mineures âgées d’à peine 14 ans tentent également l’aventure. C’est le cas de Marie, contrainte par sa tante à aller au Liban. Une fois sur place, son patron l’a violée régulièrement. Elle tombe enceinte. Lorsqu’il s’en rend compte, il la chasse. Livrée à elle-même, la jeune fille accouche seule et jette son bébé du huitième étage d’un immeuble. Une affaire médiatisée qui a d’ailleurs ému l’opinion publique malgache. [Link]

LebanonGames are inspired by the Lebanese daily life and created by Mercury.

SantaExpress is the latest game by Mercury [LebanonGames] where you get to help Santa save Christmas by firing his gift cannon over Beirut construction and roadblocks to deliver presents.

The game looks cool but I don’t think having Santa fire his cannon at buildings and over roadblocks in Lebanon sends the right message for Christmas. There’s also another game called “BadYear” where you have to shoot at protestors with fire extinguishers to keep the road clear. Not that I care, but it would have been a bit more appropriate if we had to extinguish burned tires without the need to kill the protestor lol!

3aja2it and Takkit are fun on the other hand!

If you want to give these games a try, click [Here].

Source

Update: I updated Phoenicia’s list after checking with them.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the NYE events taking place in Beirut taken from Annahar and a list sent by one of the blog’s readers (Thank you Salem).

Four Seasons Hotel Beirut
6 course dinner including Laurent Perrier Rosé champagne at the Grill Room
Live band and DJ – 425 USD per person

InterContinental Phoenicia
Wael Kfoury, Fares Karam and Sara Hani
Gala Dinner – 3 course menu with open regular bar
400 USD, 500 USD, 600 USD, 700 USD and 800 USD

- Eau de vie
Gala Dinner
Cynthia baroud, brazilian dance show + DJ – 909 000 LBP + VAT open premium bar

- Café mondo
Set menu – Brazilian dance show + DJ
136000 LBP open regular bar or 164000 LBP open premium bar

- Mosaic
Entertainment: DJ, Brazilian Dance Show ,Belly dancer
Special New Year’s Eve Buffet
Price per person LBP 254,546 + Vat

- Wok Wok
Entertainment: DJ, Brazilian Dance show, International Band
Asian Specialities
Price per person LBP 245,455 +Vat

Movenpick
Melhem Zein and Ayman Zbib
3 course menu salmon salad, beef/chicken + dessert + open premium bar
200 USD, 300 USD, 400 USD and 500 USD

- Hemingways
4 course salmon + risotto + chicken/beef + dessert.
Live + DJ – 198 USD open regular bar, or 219 USD open premium bar

- Burj Al Hamam
Lebanese menu
One man show + belly dancer – 170 USD open regular bar, 195 USD open premium bar

- Mediterrannee
International Buffet – DJ
95 USD open regular bar, 115 USD open premium bar

Habtoor Hotel
- Emirates Hall
Saber El Rouba3i – 3 course Set menu – Starting 250 USD

- Dubai Hall
Dory Kassab and Brazilian Dance – 150 USD, 200 USD, and 250 USD

- Venezia
4 course Set menu, open premium bar
Duo band and DJ – 197 USD

- Le Ciel
5 course menu (foie gras, saumon, shrimps, sea bass, main course veel, dessert Mont Blanc)
Live music – 215 USD premium bar, 272 USD premium bar (table with a view)

- Jazz Bar
5 course set menu with Open premium bar
Life entertainment and DJ – 215 USD and 278 USD

Le Royal
Fares Karam and Roula Saad
3 course menu (salmon salad, main dish, dessert), regular bar
250 USD, 350 USD, 450 USD and 550 USD

Regency Palace
- Cesar palace
Blue comedy show (Fadi Raidy) – Paracho Band
International DJ – 250 USD and 200 USD

- Jad Ballroom
Saber El Rouba3i, Dina Hayek and Saad Ramdan – 200 USD, 300 USD and 400 USD

Pavillon Royal/ Biel
Ragheb Alama and Maya Diab
Dinner, premium bar and Cotillon – 300USD, 500 USD and 700 USD

Music Hall
4 course dinner menu, open deluxe bar and cotillion
Special entertainment with a special guest
300 USD at the bar
400 USD and 500 USD near the bar
700 USD near the stage

Mandaloun
Usual entertainment + Melhem Zein
Gala menu (caviar, main course, Belveder, blue label)
350 USD at the bar
500 USD and 750 USD

B0 18
Premium open bar, Open finger food buffet catered by Cat & Mouth, Cotillions
Party Favors bags : Hats, glasses, 2013 goodies, New York party items,
New Year’s Eve in Time Square theme
125 USD Standing,
175 USD Bar,
250 USD Seated

Cocteau
Set menu with regular bar (wine, Whisky, champagne) – 300 USD

Al Dente
DJ with Singer
Gala Dinner with open bar and champagne – 285 USD

Momo
Band – Set menu: 250 USD

Le Stay
Set menu (6 course) with one glass of champagne – 350 USD

Al Mayass
20 courses including cold / hot mezze and the main course (Samke Harra) + Desert
Guitarist, Arabic DJ after 23:30 hours + Cotillon
Open regular bar + 88 USD

Babel
Violinist and pianist before midnight
Set menu with an Open premium bar
DJ after midnight – 140 USD

L’Avenue Du Parc
Singer with DJ and cotillion
4 course menu
Open premium bar with champagne – 225 USD per person

Burgundy
Set menu of 13 courses
No entertainment – 500 USD

You can check this great directory for NYE events in Lebanon sorted by location and budget. [NewYearInLebanon]

Miss Lebanon 2012 Rina Chibani didn’t even make it to the top 16 of Miss Universe 2012. Miss USA Olivia Culpo won the crown.

[High-Res]

In case some of you are wondering who took the four pictures I posted in the LG TV giveaway, it’s definitely not me. The guy behind these great pictures and many others is George Daya, a Lebanese talented photographer and a friend of mine.

What inspired me to use his photos as part of the competition was one specific picture he took of a street in Zouk Mikhael on the maritime road. I pass by this street everyday and I never imagined it might actually look decent in a picture. I don’t know how he does it, but I thought it would be nice to share his photos and let people see beautiful scenes from all around Lebanon.

If you want to check out Gio’s albums, click [Here] or visit his FB page [Here].

If the Ministry of Tourism really wants this 50-day period to work, they should also force politicians to cut down their speeches and appearances by at least 50% during the 50-day period.

In 2013 Lebanon can expect 50 days of discounts on airline tickets, at hotels and shopping centers as part of a bid to revive the country’s tourism sector after months of stagnation, the country’s tourism minister announced Tuesday.

“We had our first meeting of the Lebanese Council for Promotions and decided to launch 50 days of discounts in Lebanon starting Jan. 8 until Feb. 18, including discounts on airlines tickets, hotels, car rentals as well as at restaurants and shopping centers,” Fadi Abboud told reports at the Grand Serail. [DailyStar]

Picture taken from Yasa Facebook page

YASA tweeted yesterday that it expects 20% more car accidents next year in Lebanon if the road conditions stay the same and the law remains unchanged. I was looking at KunHadi’s graphs and figures and I was quite surprised to find out the highest number of accidents are during July & August and not during winter.

Here are yearly statistics as reported by the Red Cross and you can check the monthly statistics from 2006 till 2012 [Here].

*2012 is not up to date and only includes the first two months.

I think YASA are being too pessimistic as the authorities are working day and night to prevent further car accidents. In fact they decided to stop building further pedestrian bridges, fixing roads, using speed radars and instead started fining drivers for kissing in the car.

I wanted to write a detailed review on the LG 42″ Cinema 3D TV but after posting my first impression, I thought it would be better to summarize my whole experience based on a list of pros and cons, and provide links to more detailed explanations for those interested.

Pros:
- Design is simple and attractive. LG 42″ Cinema 3D is a beautiful TV and an ultra-slim one. All buttons and ports are hidden from the front and it’s light-weighted.

- Picture and sound quality are great. You have the option to change the settings that suit you best but I think the default ones are more than good enough. Pictures are clearer and brighter with full HD 3D quality.

- Watching in 3D mode was much better than I thought it would be. I wasn’t a big fan of 3D technology specially in theaters but I saw 3 movies (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Resident Evil, and Avatar) and it was great and flicker-free but tiring to the eyes. After all, 3D technology is not perfect, neither for Active nor Passive 3D. LG uses Passive 3D.

- Aside from the 3D picture quality and experience, It’s easier for everyone to enjoy 3D TV since LG comes with 6 pairs of passive 3D glasses, which don’t have any batteries and are inexpensive to replace.

- Dual Play is awesome! You can check why [Here].

- LG Smart TV features are easy to use and the remote control buttons are very helpful. LG apps and settings are very easy to navigate through. Wireless is also very easy to set up with the USB Dongle that comes along with the TV.

- Price-wise, it costs around 1000$ which is a great price for a SMART 3D TV with all these features.

Cons:
- Browsing the internet is not very convenient using the remote. You can always plug in a keyboard but I don’t see why I would do that. I read the LG Magic Remote makes it easier to visit websites and use other SMART features but it wasn’t available for me to try. You have to buy it as it’s not part of the package.

- You have to sit at the same level as the screen to get the optimal 3D experience but that’s the case for all Passive 3D TVs not just LG.

Moving on to the part that interests you most, I will be giving away the TV as promised but the competition this time will be different and somehow challenging. For that purpose, I decided to use various social media tools, mainly Facebook and Twitter, to allow the biggest number of people to participate and win.

To take part in the competition:
1- You have to be a BlogBaladi fan by liking our page on Facebook. [BlogBaladi]

2- You have to guess the location of the 4 pictures I will be posting on [Facebook] and sharing on Twitter [@LeNajib] today. Pictures will be posted every 2 hours starting 9 am (Beirut time) and are all taken in Lebanon.

3- Once you have ALL answers, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post with your answers and a proper email address. You need to have at least 3 correct answers to enter the draw. Competition ends on December 23 at 10 am. I will pick a name randomly (Using random.org) and post the name of the winner at the end of the day.

NB: You need to put your proper email in the email field while commenting since winner will be contacted by email. You can only comment once, anyone caught commenting more than once will get disqualified.

NB2: I will be posting hints to help you with the pictures and updates on the competition, so make sure to follow me on twitter [@LeNajib]

Many Instagram users were upset by the policy change and blamed Facebook for ruining Instagram

It took less than 24 hours for Instagram to post a new update on its privacy policy and deny having rights to sell our photos without our permission. The new Instagram rules aren’t set to go into effect before January 16 but a lot of people have already deleted their Instagram accounts after yesterday’s announcement.

Personally, I didn’t like the idea that Instagram would be able to use my pictures and sell them without my permission, not because I am a photographer or anything, but out of principle. However, I thought I should hold a bit before opting out of Instagram and see if they clarify this new privacy policy, which they did.

PS: My Instagram account is [LeNajib]

Taken by Najy Massoud (Abou Fouad)

Akid ma fi 7al.