Beirutista

“On The Basis of Sex” tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her challenging debut in the United States legal arena. For those who don’t know, Ginsburg is the second of four females to ever be appointed as Justice to the Supreme Court. She was sworn in under former president Bill Clinton in 1993, at 60 years of age. Back to the movie, which delves into her early beginnings, starting with her first year at Harvard Law School. One of only nine women admitted to her class, Ruth confesses at a dean’s dinner party that she got into law to learn to be more patient and understanding of her husband Martin, ahead of her by one year at Harvard. Her response actually startled me. One would expect to hear an inspired story of how she’d dreamt of obliterating racial and gender discrimination ever since she was a precocious little child, or how passionate she was about the debating art form. No, no. Ruth was piqued about her husband’s endeavors, and fortunately her smarts proved she w...

Do you realize we’re already knee-deep in January? Just yesterday, we were ushering out 2018, welcoming in 2019, and dreaming up impossibly lofty resolutions. How’s that gym membership going? I ended last year with a reflection on what I’d learned , so I’m jump-starting this one in similar fashion. Because believe it or not, these two weeks have already left an indelible mark on me. Bake joyfully and frequently . I’ve earned a reputation as a food writer, which means I’m an avid admirer of the culinary arts. But do I know my way around the kitchen? If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll find I’ve been dabbling in baking quite a little bit of late. The idea is simple: I love experimenting with recipes using healthy ingredients on hand. A few days ago, I eyed a tub of Greek yogurt in my fridge, along with a couple of fragrantly ripe navel oranges. Surely there was a low-guilt cake out there that fused the two in happy harmony, and Google led me to it. I whipped it ...

My Instagram followers know me all too well. The other week, I posted images from a dinner I enjoyed at B018 , one of Lebanon’s most popular discotheques. Within minutes, direct messages poured in, conveying utter disbelief at my visit there. It’s true: I’m not a big fan of nightclubs. My idea of reveling involves an elaborate gourmet affair, a stimulating discussion with the chef, and strutting through the city afterward to undo the pesky calories. Try beckoning me with booze against a backdrop of acid jazz, thick fumes of cigarette smoke, and patrons pressed uncomfortably up on me? Not my scene. So what was I doing at B018 on a Wednesday evening just days before the close of 2018? Getting a jump on my New Year’s resolution to party like it’s 1969? I mean, seriously, I’ve resided in Lebanon for eight years now, and B018 was never on my bucket list. Up until I learned that as of last month, food figures into the club’s offering. And by food, I don’t mean bland and gre...