My First Step to Being a Journalist

From my past, i mean severals years earlier, i knew that i have the writing talent, especially things related to politicals commentairies; I have a style which i lately realized that it may get the attention of the editor or gatekeeper from among thousands of articles stacked infromt of him on his desk.

I took the chance to write an article; i made it touching and impressing and enriched it with stunning vocabularies that reflect my knowledge on what i am really writing about.

Last Monday, i mean April 3rd, 2006, i received several phone calls congratulating me for my corner in Annahar News Paper; I was really confused and shocked for this wonderful news that i was hearing but i acted upon my callers as if i knew that this was going to happen and replied to then in gratitude.

This is an important step in my life which i will work upon it to make it lead to other successful moments and maybe someday reach what i am planning to be.

The article will be scanned and posted later; just give me time.

END

The "Boosta" Movie or "the Bus" in English

Last Monday, in our way back from registration at NDU, me, Samer, and the wonderful Rayya went out to discover the journey of the "Boosta"; Lebanese film by "Philipe Araktonjy" a young Lebanese Director with a French Movie-Making backround.

I am very shy to tell that this out-going or trip if i can call it, if not a "journey", took us a three month period in order to implement. Three months went after the movie was introduced to the theaters and we still didnt agree on a final date to watch it. I will emphasize any more on the lateness issue of plan implementation since i am accused of it due to my Mountain vacations, but i will move on and not say additional words that may damage some ties. To tell you more, the whole theater was full of two guys and a girl ALONE, with their eyes pinned to the giant screen which came to swallow us. YES, we were alone in the 3 pm show time enjoying our VIP seets and vaccumed floor carpet.

The most important thing is that we reached the screen at last. It was a rainy day, messy if i can say, but nice after filling our stomaches with Hardees junkies, although very tasty.

If i want to telltale the story of the film, it talks about a group of diversified Lebanese youngs, by diversified I mean that from various religious sects, trying to form a dancing team but on their own modernized style; they wanted to modernice the traditional, cultural dance "the DABKEH" and manipulate its moves to meet trance rythyms with some pop and rock lines.

The move is great, I was well directed, well shooted, and well art-directed; It was shoot in the traditional Lebanese places starting from Aley, to Rachaya, to Baalbek, to Jounieh, and ends in Anjar. These towns resemble the religious belonging of each member of the group. They used to staudy in their childhood at the ALey School which was destroyed by the civil war; Rachaya reflects the Druz, Baalbek the Shites, and Jounieh the Christians.

After 15 years of exile in France, Kamal returns to Beirut with his mind set on one goal: recreate the dance group he had formed with his school friends and whom he hasn’t seen since – but today, not only does he want to bring back this disparate group together, but also take the bold move of introducing a Western flavor to the traditional Dabkeh music.

When the dancers audition before the jury of the national Dabkeh festival, they are curtly rejected on the basis that they are causing prejudice to the “only cultural icon left”. This prompts them to refurbish their old school bus and embark on a road trip across Lebanese towns to perform and introduce their pioneering dance to the public.

As they struggle to win people over to their alternative spirit, each of the dancers also realizes that they have also embarked on a personal journey to bond with their childhood, their friendships lost and found, the pains of the war and of separation… a journey that will lead a group of friends to turn the page on a painful past.

Bosta is a road musical that takes the audience on a wonderful journey across various Lebanese regions… a journey accompanied by a groundbreaking track and, of course, this truly pioneering dance, the electro-dabkeh.

The bus was the main cause of the civil war in 1975; It was the Ain Remmeneh incident that caused the broke of the civil war; But in this movie its role was resiprocated to become the tool that gathered all those Lebanese on a sole-main cause.

I was stunned by the movie, and i am willing to watch it again. I am very glad and proud to have such young and empowered directors like Philip Araktonji that are promising to revive the Lebanese cinema productions.

Lebanon never dies, coz its people are the Phoenix; They recreate and emerge from the ashes what so ever our enemies try to do.

Semester In, Semester Out

Time is running so fast; Sometimes I feel afraid of failing to catch and cope with its momentum.

It is running so fast just as a subway train. I am getting into something until I find it turning to become a nice or bad memory.

The Fall 2005 semester is over. Although it was one of the most buzy and work-worthy semesters, but i was satisfied with its result that came out after considerable efforts that i invested throughout that period. I am not talking about the A's and B +'s, but about the amount of new information Ive got from some courses and eliminating others (especially that course with mister AAA).

The new spring semester started. I took a full load program, i.e. 12 credits or four courses that will entitle me to graduate this semester and start my job hunting journey based on a real Masters degree rather than being a "current" stage still taking place as mentioned on my CV.

I am promising myself a fine job in Dubai, since all my hopes are evaporating here in Lebanon, with the continuing political and security unrest. I am trying to catch the middle if not the top of the ladder, since I will try to move forward aggressively and hunt the best position in STARCOM DUBAI not based on the people i know there (my cosin being hired as its CEO lately) but based on my knowledge in the field acquired throughout the passing semester. I will not hesitate anymore because it will not be acceptable after now to be a jobless-highly educated Lebanese especially that I am going to levae NDU after three months.

Till that date, I will try to incorporate all my efforts on a multi dimentional scale in order to maintain high colledge grades, more knowledge, and the best job post.

Wish me the appropriate amount of luck.

Be blessed.

ON SCHEDULE, THE CHRISTMASS SNOW ARRIVES

It came as perfect as it can be this year. The cold christmass weather arrived just on time; Although the pattern of the Lebanese Christmass life wasn't as it should be due to the unrest we are experiencing, but the white veil covered almost everything.

Last night, it started dumping heavy snow over my village and over the Lebanese elevations accompanied with the cold fronts and stormy winds. I spent this night at home with the family members. That afternoon, I went and did all the necessary shopping incase of road blockage which occured today. Although my family was doubting the snow storm arrival, i insisted on going to do that shopping. I finished my shopping in the noon time prior to snow fall.
In the aftyer noon hours, my long waiting period stopped with the first arrival of the snow flackes. I cant describe my feelings when it started snowing. Its a thing inside me that i cant resist. I dont know how i can describe my love to this natural phenomenea.

In the early evening hours, the heavier downfall started with bigger and bigger flakes flying and covering the entire place. it continued all night and 2day snowing until it reached to 20 cm level.

It was perfect in the correct time. It added a special effect to this beautiful season. Its the first heavy snowfall this year and it will not be the end.

Lets hope that this white blancket will take with it all the ugliness of 2005 and bring a white year to Lebanon. I think we had enough.

MAY IT BE A WHITE CHRISTMASS

This year, the christmass comes after a long "helly" year that was a dark and bloody as anyone can imagine. I dont know how i would or will feel this comming year. I dont know what to expect, if anything is left to expectations. would it be more horrible that what happened?? i am afraid to say "YES" and afraid to say "NO". I dont know if i can promise Micheal Hayek again or refrain from hearing his seeings.

What i depend on, is the tender snow which is falling tongiht on the Lebanese mountains and outside my window; I hope its whiteness and purity clears the black and crowded clouds that covered the Lebanese year of 2005 and bring with it the real rebirth of this wonderful country. I hope it be as i wish.

You politicians... we are reaaaally tired of you...... we are really tired.

Kidnaping...in my brother's approach

I dont know from where to start.... It was a story that started in the past and stopped. Suddenly it resumed its action in a cinematic way which i hope to describe it as is.

As some knows, my second brother was engaged in 2003 to the girl who he loved from his early teens. they remained engaged for about a year and some months until the municipality elections took place in 2004 summer. the political unrest that took place in my tiny little village had allowed to a family level break; some political activists in the village started to construct the scene of mistrust and betrayal. Each side was de-patronizing the results and that the action of un-unity between the two families was not accepted under the circumstance of my father's candidacy to the elections. Bashings here and there escalated the situation until the conspiratical intentions succeeded to utilize the bond break and futher destruction between the two families taking away with it the engagement bond on my brother and his fiance'e.

Inorder not to teltale the whole details, my brother accepted, on effort and anger, the break down and his fiance'e as well. The story didnt end here. Her (Fiancee'e) close relatives who where clear opponents to my dad, wanted to revenge on my dad's success in the election by eliminating the engagement first, and building on a new engagement situation with a new commer Canadian traveler and a pre-rejected proposee to my brother's X-fiance'e that time. Heir relatives plan succeed under tremendous pressures on a despirate moment she accepted to engage in that short period of relation breakdown and agreed oppressively to continue with her family on the relatives-driven plan. To summarize, things didnt go well in the new relation, as we predicted, and the relation ended after a one year of un balanced decision.

Last week, as we were enjoying the weekend vacation in the mountain and after few days of my brother's arrival from Kuwait, we went down to Beirut, to my sister's home to find my brother officially and religiously married to his X-fiance'e and waiting my family's arrival to my sister's home there. It was a runaway marriage without the notice of the girl's familyas well as my family. i wasnt that shocked for the action because i always knew that they love eachother that much that would not make them live without each other. Some problems went with my dad especially to accept the issue, noting that its the first to occur in our family history, and later after negotiations calls were held with some wise people to interfere and explain the matter to her family. to summarize again, things went well and her family were understanding and things are taking a path to resolution.

It was a well planned kidnaping whose heros are my brother and his beloved.

My wishes of a happy life for you guys.

Mellice: Turning the Table upside down

Until the 20th of October, everybody was still hanging on some percentage that may deviate the Mellice report from the stunning facts that they were fearing especially the pro-syrian parties in Lebanon and the Syrian regime as a whole. But, if they were waiting for some accusations to the "Nosra Wal Jihad Fi Syria Al Kobra" i.e. the Abo 3adas supposedly terrorist group who is also supposedly the group behind the Hariri assassination, then i would like to tell them, as Mellice did: " You are wrong Mr.s' Gentlemen";

That night, the 21st of October, i stayed all night long awake especially after the news flash on LBC that contained information about the prior distribution of the report before it was intended in the afternoon of the next day. It was really a shock-and-Awe strategy by the UN to absorb any situation deterioration in Lebanon. After a while, analysis of the data started rushing from all the awakened media in that late time.

I wasnt able to go and sleep leaving Mr. Fares Khashan, Future Newspaper Journalist, stripping every bit of information and relating every statement to the period prior to february 14th. It was a kind of a Police Novel sketch, which attracted my attention and left me pinned to the tiny TV screen, with my blood rushing in my veins, maybe of fear or becasue of the horrifying informstion that they were talking about in the news.

The situation is still un clear, but with our certainty and convinced thoughts about the direction that the events will take, we will take extra measures of retribution and retaliation that may occure as a result of the Syria condemnsion in the Hariri assasination.

Till then, hoping that everything will be OK, i am sure that the Domino carpet will collapse and set everything clear about all the explosive actions that took place after February 14, especially after the capture of three members related to the pro-Syrian regime who confessed their planned terrorist activities againsed Lebanese Christian targets in Beirut and suberbs, saying that they were commanded by Syrian Generals to commit such actions in purpose to create unstability and religious clashes.

Anyways, i am satisfied and relaxed... our dear country should be given its chance to develope and prosper; We will prove that in the near future.

October 17, 2005… the first Autumnic rains

Yesterday night, ya3ni Sunday 16th, I was preparing to leave to Beirut from my mountain residency about an hour and 30 minutes away from Beirut. I was packing, as usual, everything I need for my one week travel to our city; it was breezy and cold, with yellow leaves wafting, stacking in the corners, and spinning in the play ground;

There was a full moon, and the eclipse also took place last night; it was a complete Hollywoodish scene, with dark clouds crossing the moon rays and naked trees shivering of both: the gusting wind flow and the cold.

I was on my way to turn my car-motor on, until fine rain droplets started sprinkling on my front window. After few seconds, the rain-fall increased and flooded the entire place. Lightening and thundering, and heavy rain were filling the whole area. I took a while to re-plan my journey; AS you know, the first rain fall is dangerous to drive through. The roads will be very slithery and usually many car accident s take place during such circumstances.

In my nature, I don’t like to ride risks, so I grabbed all my things back and decided to stay at home till next morning hoping the weather will improve instead of forecasts expecting more rain to come.

Last night was wintry in all means. I put my pajamas on and sit beside the window watching both the TV screen inside and the falling rain outside, coz I like these cozy atmospheres as u can imagine. Its my favorite; Its my extreme enjoyment.

The Screening…

It was last Monday afternoon, at 6 pm when the AWOL screening took place at the NDU auditorium. Frankly, I was expecting something exactly different of what I have seen. I was expecting to see the traditional AWOL shot list just translated into edited in-order work as we did during shooting. But, maybe to my lack of experience in the field of documentaries’ and short film making, I fell into the thinking of doing things just in-order without breaking the boundaries and opening a hole that allows the viewer’s vision extend to touch his feelings.

I admit Brigid’s tendency and not only that but her success to break the frame and allow the vision and expectations of the audience rise and rise and in away shock them or touch their feelings as it happened to me, especially at the level of the bathroom scene. It was well done, I admit, and I am very proud of being part of it.

Not only that, but there is also a fine piece of art in the work. If any one realized a small cockroach creeping away outside the frame and a professionally-held NOURA following it. The scene then leaves the poor cockroach goes away and ends with a wide shot of the desert-like horizon. I am really complemented and uplifted with it.

The Q & A took place, it was smooth, but his Excellency Mr. Dr. acted fake, showing off infront of everybody, trying to communicate his message:

He said: “Do you mind if I find a media sponsor for the work;” (directing his words to Brigid)
Brigid replied: “no problem with me”;

I personally didn’t understand what he really wanted, and I found later that neither me nor others including Brigid got a word of what he was saying. So, he was complicating things in order nobody in the room to understand and included the word “media” in order to show himself as a network of links to media outlets, without whom, as if, AWOL wouldn’t find its way to the audience.

That’s all I can say, I am bored of speaking; but yalla, better than keeping them inside.

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VICTEM OF FREEDOM

Dear " My Hair " ... I miss you, I love you

After weeks of what i thought was a hair therapy, i found that my old-new hair problem is still moving to the negative side. I witnessed that my hair volume has decreased, and the hair-falling pattern is monotonous without any slight positive change.

I met one of our friends last week, she was suffering from an extreme hair loss to the extent that she was nearly bald; i asked her about her problem, she told me that she was suffering extreme hair-loss; About the therapy she was taking, she mentioned Zein Atet another time the name came to be praised by another person. She praised him and told me that a big difference was taking place with her situation, to the positive side.

I went to Zein Atet's shop, i bought the Tonic, and the spray, in addition to the shampoo. i used this therapy earlier this year but a three month period was not enough to feel the benefits so, this time i will use it for a year.

Last week, i went to my barber, i decorated my hair and i felt fluffy for the first time. My mom even felt the extreme look i had. I didnt care even thought my big brother also commented, "negatively of course"; Later, the females, my relatives liked it a lot, they called my the fashionable guy, i felt releifed.
The story here is not with my hair style, but with the comments that the barber gave me; a large amount of hair fell during the hair-cut process. He asked me some questions about hair-loss cases in my family; i didnt want to feel depressed, i told him i am using Zein Atet. He replied positively, "I knew guys who used it, it is really good"; I felt safe then.

I dont want to escalate my hair situation; It needs good morale and not a depressed one. I beleive in the natural therapy i am undergoing, and i will definitely regain my previuos hair conditions; coz u know, without my complete hair "template", i will not be the Samer that all of you know.

Matte’ Café!! A New Business

If anyone doesn’t know anything about what Matte’ is, I hope the description below will help you formulate a minimal idea about it.

Matte’ is a plant that is grown in Latin America and primarily consumed there. Its use is to make beverages such as Lemonade or can be drunk after it is boiled with water and sweetened with some sugar or honey or left without sweetening if sugar is a problem. Originally, it has a bitter taste; it was brought to Lebanon and the Middle East long ago in a period I can’t depict but I will research later.

In Lebanon, the main consumer of the imported Matte’ brands is the Druze community in addition to other sects such as Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians especially in the Bekaa and some areas in Mount Lebanon.

The preparation of Matte’ is simple and easy; on a tray, there are three bowls; one filled with Matte’, the other with sugar, and a third empty bowl used to clean the bombilla with hot water, a lemon peal, and a clean tissue; Moreover, there is the gourd (wooden jug), the bombilla, and the water pot.

Matte’ or Yerba Matte’ is considered popular because it gathers the members to socialize while enjoying its taste. And because its preparation is time consuming, I never imagined that a café for Yerba Matte could even exist. But, as usual, I was wrong. Last week, while I was walking down the streets of Alley, a well-designed and decorated café attracted my attention. Its name shocked me from the first sight as it said “The Matte’ café”; It was really shocking coz if any one of you have seen how Matte’ is prepared, he/she would realize that it is near impossible to sell it in cafés. The most critical thing is the bombilla coz it may transmit diseases it not well-cleaned, but in the Matte’ café the bombillas are disposable; that is thrown after one-time consumption.

Although Matte’ is considered a traditional and historical, in the Matte’ café tradition and history are brought together with technology so that you can enjoy your Matte’ “meal” and surf the high speed internet with HP laptops given to the customers for free. Don’t be afraid, if you are not a Matte’ consumer, you can have your coffee mix and the Hubble bubble if you are a smoker.

In this country, every thing is possible; and I will never wonder if anything could be possible because in this country and in this life everything is possible, even Matte’ in a café.

For more information, check this link.