لا للتدخين

Just a quick one, about something I’m very sad to have missed yesterday: a nonsmoking night in Beirut’s Gemmayzeh area. In a city where every café, bar or restaurant bathes in a constant tobacco haze, the idea of a nonsmoking environment is a far fetched dream. But such a pleasant one! Yesterday was the second night the Gemmayzeh pubs cleared their tables of ashtrays, and I hope to see it happen soon again. Then I’ll be there for sure.

يوكا

Ok, so it’s not Bikram Yoga Malmö, my friendly yoga studio back in Sweden, but still. Sivananda Yoga Center in Gemmayze is a nice place to be none the less. They teach classes every night of the week, some very basic and then one or two more challenging, in their tranquil and charming studio in one of the old houses lining Gouraud Street.

From time to time there are yoga workshops during the weekends, and I’ve also heard rumors about tasty vegetarian dinners. I hope they are true, as I’ve discovered during my years eating vegetarian food that yogis and people into various Eastern spiritual traditions cook delicious food. Gotta have something to do with those good vibes, right!

So far, I’ve only been to a couple of classes at the studio, as I’ve been in the city for less than a month, but I look forward to going as often as I can. Ideally, I’d love to practice more or less every day, but they unfortunately don’t have enough classes that fit with my schedule. Of course I can lay out my mat at home, and I do sometimes, but I really like practicing with other people and just don’t find the same energy when I’m alone. Same thing with all sorts of exercise and physical challenges really.

If only all studios had such extensive and generous schedules as Bikram Yoga Malmö, with classes from 6.30 in the morning to late evening! I really miss going there, and would love to see the first Bikram studio in the region (apart from one in Dubai) opening in Beirut. I wish! Good thing, I’ll be paying a quick visit to Sweden this coming week, and I look forward going to as many classes as I can. Namasté!

واجهات المدينة

العربي الغاضب

Alia’s friend told me yesterday about the brilliant Angry Arab News Service, a blog written by Lebanese As’ad AbuKhalil, professor of political science at California State University. Can’t believe I haven’t found him earlier, but I’m very happy to have him in my RSS feed now. The blog is an invaluable source for news from the Middle East: the Iraqi war, Lebanese domestic politics, various Israeli-Arab disputes and much more, all provided with wit and edge by fearless As’ad.

I especially love the translation of al-Akhbar column about this weekend’s hummus and tabbouleh spectacle, Glory of Lebanon Given to Tabbouleh, in his Monday post. Gotta be one of the funniest comments on contemporary Lebanese society ever!

المدينة جبيل

Went for a very nice trip out of Beirut yesterday to the city of Byblos, or Jbeil in Arabic. Byblos is one of the world’s oldest cities still inhabited, and walking the streets of this little picturesque place is a perfect break away from busy Beirut.

Sanna and I took the bus from Beirut in the morning and arrived in Byblos some 45 minutes later. We started of with a beautiful Lebanese brunch: bread with labneh and vegetables, some of those delicious Lebanses olives that come with every occasion, omelette and the very best spinache fatayer (bread or pastry filled with spinache, onions and spices) I’ve had so far.

The old part of Byblos is very small, and after wandering the little streets, stunned by the pretty stone houses but a bit turned off as well by the obligatory souvenirs and touristy stuff sold in every alley corner, we headed down to the port and the adjacent little beach.

After a quick swim, we went back up the hill and wandered the ancient ruins before returning to Beirut. All in all, a very nice little trip and a well deserved break from the big city noise.

حمص و تبولة

Heard from my Alia, who I’m sharing the flat with, that there was this big event in Beirut today setting a new world record in making the biggest plate of hummus. An open gesture to the Israelis, who held the previous record, this gigantic plate is more than a piece of food, it’s a political statement. Hummus is an ancient (well, very old anyway) Middle Eastern dish which exact origin is unknown, but Lebanese (as do Egyptians by the way) often claim the dish to be particularly theirs. Fair enough, it’s like the debate about Greek fetta cheese, which ended as a triumph for the Greek now having the sole right on selling cheese under the name fetta.

The extra spice to the hummus quarrel is that the dish is very popular also across the southern Lebanese border, in Israel. The making today of the massive hummus plate was under the slogan “Come fight for your bite, you know you’re right”, and by making it into the Guinness book, Lebanon thus kicked out the former record holder, the Israelis. Hm. Something tells me this is not the end to the story. Also, the cooking class is gonna continue tomorrow, when the gathered chefs plan to set another record by preparing an equally gigantic plate of tabbouleh. Aliya told me they offer everyone a taste, so I’m definitely heading there tomorrow. Yummie!

دراسة في الظل

Can’t say I miss Lund University at the moment.

الإستعمار و الإستقلال

Besides from the two Arabic courses I’m taking – the classical Arabic or Fusha, and the Lebanese dialect, the Amiyya – I’m also doing a political science seminar on theories of colonialism and post-colonialism. Initially I was looking at a couple of other units and couldn’t really decide on which to choose, but after hearing a lot of good things about the lecturer, Fawwaz Traboulsi, I decided to enroll in his class. Having written a lot on Arab politics and culture, translated works by Edward Said, Antonio Gramsci and Karl Marx, Traboulsi now teaches at AUB. So far, it’s been a very good decision. We’re a group of people from different backgrounds and places; several Lebanse and Americans, a few Lebanese-Americans of course (a lot of them here at AUB), and also a few Europeans, Palestinians, other Middle Easterners, one Canadian, one Russian and so on. Many have bachelor’s degrees in politics or Middle Eastern studies and are now working for their masters at AUB. Basically this makes a great bunch for discussing colonialism and and its effects, and I look forward to some interesting Wednesday afternoons this fall.

Also, so far I’ve really enjoyed listening to Traboulsi. First of all, he knows a lot. Really. He’s one of those people who seem able to speak endlessly in details about his subject, illustrating and exemplifying with anecdotes from every corner of the globe (yesterday we covered Mauritania, Australia, the former USSR, Palestine, Algeria and Vietnam to mention only some). Also, he’s constantly challenging and confronting every argument that’s brought to the table. You know those teachers commemorating their students for merely uttering a statement in class? Like, thanks for opening your mouth, no matter what it is you’re saying? Well, let’s just say Traboulsi’s not one of those people. And that’s great! Sure, you risk exposing the not always solid and well-founded arguments of yours, not to mention everything you don’t know about those fundamental processes we call history. But that’s ok! That’s what make you refine your ideas and arguments.

And next week’s topic is really interesting. We’re reading Frantz Fanon, the probably most influential thinker on anti-colonialism and racist imperial policy, and a major source of influence for liberation movements across the world. Though the heydays of the colonial era are long gone now, issues of self-determination, domination and direct or indirect control over a people by another are still dominating global politics and relations worldwide. In this regional context especially, where every country has got a history of subordination to one of the European colonial powers, and encompass substantial groups of ethnic and/or religious minorities, do these issues always form part of the very foundation of life. So, next week’s discussion will surely be taking some interesting twists when trying to find out how the legacy of Fanon has shaped past and present liberation movements around here.

مقهى كيتش

One of my favorite spots so far for coffee or lunch is the combined store and café Kitsch in Gemmayze, a tranquile and stylish little place just off busy Gourard street. I especially like the – of course – kitsch and pretty lamp made out of spoons and tiny cups. Mirjiam, it got me thinking of you actually! Like it too?

شوت كاست

Went and bought ear phones to my computer today, don’t know why I haven’t earlier. Basically all assignments we get from our teacher in Lebanese are either to be listened to or recorded and then submitted to her for thorough marking (but hey, it’s all good – we get instant feedback on pronunciation and how to construct sentences, which is very helpful) so earphones is a must.

Right now though, I’m enjoying listening to online radio while reading about anti-colonialism and what Marx, Lenin, Kautsky and the guys from the left has got to say about that. Preparing for a seminar that starts in a bit. Shoutcast is an excellent site for online radio, don’t know if you know about it? If not, check it out! They stream really nice tunes, all free and – most important – without commericals. Love it! One warning though, makes you wanna dance rather than immerse into political analyses of colonialism!