Beirutista

If 2020 has taught us anything with its perpetual stay-at-home orders and loathsome lockdowns, it’s this: (1) your home is your office, and (2) if you want to remain employable in this tough job market, you have to be versatile. In other words, sharpen your skill set and expand the repertoire of your competences. “Sure, Beirutista,” you’re probably thinking to yourself, as you stroke your chin pensively. “I’m a seasoned web developer [ or insert other specialty here ]. I’ve got a decent internet connection. And I keep on piling new and catchy certifications. But how can I locate paid projects right up my alley? Better yet, where do employers track me down?” Compelling questions. Allow me to introduce you to Ureed.com , an online marketplace where freelancers and employers can connect through facilitated channels. The idea is rather cunning: if you’re a freelancer, establish a profile on Ureed.com’s platform, populate it with a portfolio of your sample work, pitch for available proj...

“Why are you in Lebanon? What are you doing here?” Almost exactly one decade ago – on January 2, 2011 – I boarded a flight from Los Angeles to Amman via Paris. Amman was not my final destination. It was the first stop in a circuit of three Levantine countries – Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon – where I would be leading an ambassadorial mission on behalf of my alma mater, MIT in Boston. At the end of the month, after my tour ended, I decided to linger in Beirut and look for a job. I’d forever dreamt of planting roots in the land of my heritage. Growing up, my brothers and I had spent paradise-like summers in Lebanon that exposed us to the warmth and unique hospitality of our culture. We spoke the language fluently, so I certainly never felt like a foreigner. And most importantly, I’d recently bagged my second graduate degree and was ready to launch a career. Somehow, the consulting gigs I’d held in Paris and Abu Dhabi felt lacking. Sure, I was challenged intellectually. But I was in search o...

The past 15 hours have completely upended life in Lebanon as we know it. I've been struggling to deal with the sheer magnitude of the brutality and the horrible aftermath it leaves in its wake. For those who haven't yet heard, nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the port of Beirut , at the heart of the capital, leveling the city with a radial arm of destruction of 10 km out. There are thousands of human casualties, and the death toll continues to rise as victims are unearthed from beneath the rubble. If you see footage of the blast, you'd think it were a nuclear bomb. Its effects are nothing short of apocalyptic, taking away innocent lives and rendering immeasurable damage to the denizens and businesses of Beirut. Why such large quantities of ammonium nitrate, typically used as an agricultural fertilizer, were stored at a port warehouse for six years and neglected without adequate safety measures is criminal. Port of Beirut rocked by an explosion o...

I had the great pleasure and honor of interacting with Lebanese-British music artist Maya Marie, who recently launched her debut album Antelias in an ode to war-fraught Lebanon. Maya was born and raised in Beirut during the height of the Civil War, and she and her family straddled living between Cyprus and Lebanon before seeking asylum in the UK in 1989. However, the memories and scars of war are indelible, and she invokes them masterfully in Antelias and single “Shelter.” Read on for my exchange with the decorated musical talent, whose work via band New Pharaohs can be accessed freely on Spotify . Maya Marie of the band New Pharaohs (1) You mentioned being half-Lebanese, and that your father continues to reside in Antelias. With what other ethnic background do you identify? What year did you leave Lebanon? Where do you presently live?  My mother is Irish-British, and she came to Lebanon when she was 21 to study Arabic and nursing. She met my father on the ...

Perhaps now more than ever, the notion of a staycation has become relevant and essential. With Lebanon mired in deep economic and financial strife, exacerbated only by the real threat of the coronavirus pandemic plaguing the world, travel and tourism must be completely reimagined. Since my move to Lebanon in 2011, I spent every single summer within its borders. Sure, our perch on the Mediterranean is a stone’s throw from Cyprus and no more than four hours by plane to the European mainland. But who in their right mind would ditch the abundant sunshine, soothing blue sea, majestic mountains, and beautifully balanced cuisine that Lebanon boasts? I certainly never felt that inclination. But it’s not quite a vacation unless you leave your house to seek shelter elsewhere and transform scenery. And that’s what we would do on occasion, checking in to hotels big and small, in the capital or far from it, by the sea or tucked away in the mountains. Each lodging with its own charm, charac...

If you’re a regular Netflix viewer – who isn’t during these times of quarantine? – you’ll likely have stumbled upon the June 2020 release, “ 365 Days . ” In fact, the erotic Polish drama, which has been compared to the trilogy of “50 Shades of Gray,” occupies the number one spot on Netflix’s Top Ten list. Why, you might ask, when Rotten Tomatoes scores it at zero and critics worldwide are discounting it as “ridiculously campy” ( Forbes )? Two words: Michele Morrone. I’ll wait as you Google images of this godly creature, but make sure you don’t stray for too long poring over his photos. Yes, he’s Italian. Yes, he checks off all parameters in the “tall, dark, and handsome” descriptor. And yes, his physique conjures up a real-life Adonis with perfectly chiseled abs, toned legs, rock-hard biceps, olive-complexion skin, piercing gaze, perfectly chiseled abs…wait, did I mention that twice? Yeah, well, maybe each compartment in that six-pack (or is it 12-pack?) is worthy of individual a...

You haven’t heard from me for some time. Five months, to be exact. Well, the truth is, juggling two children, namely an infant and a toddler, is pretty darn time-consuming. Add to that the highly novel, highly unusual circumstances gripping our world, and the inspiration to write from a positive vantage point quickly vanishes. I’ve never navigated bleaker times. Quite often, I find myself mentally dictating a blog post, gathering all my distraught thoughts into some form of comprehensible prose as I keep a wary eye on the kids. But by the time they’re both sound asleep and the household tasks completed, the magnetic pull from my bed invariably wins out over the appeal of my reticent laptop. And I succumb to slumber. But tonight is different. There are a myriad of sentiments coursing through my veins as the entire world – because this is much greater than merely one nation – wrestles with notions of racism.  The name George Floyd has gained overnight fame. Floyd was a 46-year...