Thank you for not smoking!

Wednesday night was an almost smoke-free night on Gemmayzeh Street in Beirut. Around 35 pubs and restaurants took part in the “Ain’t No Smoking 2nite” campaign, an initiative by Rotaract Club. Rotaract Club is currently trying to push the authorities “to provide a non smoking section in every pub, bar, restaurant, café or public place” in Lebanon. There’s an online petition that can be signed to support this cause. I didn’t get to go to Gemmayzeh on Wednesday to see the atmosphere first hand, but I came across the following article which I thought I’d share with everyone. 

Beirut’s smoke-free night draws widespread public support

From the Behavioral Health Central

Courtesy of © Maya Zankoul http://www.mayazankoul.wordpress.com

It’s Wednesday night in Gemmayzeh, and busy too: blue clouds loiter above large groups of revelers, bunched up outside clubs and bars on what is usually a quiet night for Beirut’s party hub. Despite the crowds, inside the majority of the many venues the air tonight is unusually clear – because on October 28 there “Ain’t no smoking” in Gemmayzeh.

Some 35 clubs, bars and restaurants  throughout the street took part in “Ain’t No Smoking night;” a Rotaract Club initiative to encourage venues to consider regular smoke-free nights, and raise public awareness about the risks of second-hand smoke. 

One of the Rotaract Club’s organizers, Patrick, said the objective of the campaign was to give nonsmokers comfortable places to go out and enjoy themselves without having to breathe in second hand smoke. 

“It is about rights for nonsmokers” he said, “We hope some of these bars will adopt a weekly nonsmoking night to attract more nonsmokers to the area.” 

Abbas, another Rotaract organizer, said that many more pubs and restaurants have participated in the event compared to the last one they threw and noted that lots of people had turned up especially for the smoke-free event. Abbas also said that they have “even found many smokers to be encouraging of this idea and giving us their support!” 

Carmen and Mira, two regular smokers standing outside “Mue” agreed with Abbas. 

“We think it’s a good idea. We don’t have to suffer the second hand smoke of others,” said the pair. “Even though we smoke ourselves it’s good to get away from such a smoky environment. We hope a permanent ban happens, like many European countries.” 

Another smoker added: “It means fewer people will smoke, especially the youngsters.” 

However, not everyone on Gemmayzeh agreed. 

“I should have the freedom to smoke where I want. If they want to improve people’s health they should install better ventilation systems,” said Rashad, a regular smoker.

It is not just the patrons that hold strong opinions on the issue.

“Personally I hate smoking but our bar cannot afford to force its customers not to smoke on the premises. Wednesday is our busiest night and people do not like change,” said Tony, from the Melting Pot – one of the few bars not participating in the smoke-free night.

“A lot of our customers are heavy smokers and it would be very harmful for business to overlook that fact,” he added.

Not all business owners agreed with Tony’s sentiments. Abir from Olio said that she thought the night was a good initiative. 

“Most places in Gemmayzeh don’t have good ventilation and after a long night it can get very annoying breathing in lots of smoke,” she said. “A lot more people would go out if smoking was banned as they would feel more comfortable not having to breathe in passive smoke.”

However, she also noted that considering Lebanon’s strong views on the matter, a ban would be highly unlikely to occur any time within the next five years, at least.

While there were definitely mixed opinions on the subject, most people seemed to enjoy themselves.

In a country known for its heavy consumption of tobacco, most people seemed to adapt to the smoke-free night well and no one tried to break the rules.

The smoke-free bars packed to weekend capacity suggest there may be hope yet for a smoke-free Lebanon. However, for the time being at least, initiatives like this are the closest nonsmokers are going to get.

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Lebanese Event: Meet, greet, paint and have a cookie, please.

Yesterday, Ceramics Lounge in Saifi Village, Beirut hosted the Comics on Cermiacs event which included the book signing of Maya Zankoul‘s Amalgam. The event was a great way for people of all ages to meet the woman behind the idea, potentially get her book signed, paint on ceramics with friends and taste the new cookies by Cooki3man! I went there to check out myself and I thought I’d share some photos as  well. I hope more socially interactive events of this sort will take place in the future.  

Maya Zankoul signing her book Amalgam

 

 

An attendee painting on ceramics

 

One of the kids who were at the Comics on Ceramics event

 

More youth participants at the event

 

 

One kid's masterpiece.

 

Cookies or what's left of them by Cooki3man.

What’s the funniest Lebanese ad?

I came across this Lebanese ad for the first time today and it made me laugh. This got me thinking about what could potentially be the funniest Lebanese ad out there. If you’ve got one, please don’t hesistate to send it over! We all need a good laugh.

First Swine Flu Death in Lebanon

Here is what has most recently been reported in the news on Swine Flu in Lebanon.

From Middle East Online

Lebanon confirmed its first swine flu death on Monday, with the health ministry saying the A(H1N1) virus claimed the life of a pregnant 30-year-old woman.

“The deceased was thirty years old and eight months pregnant,” a ministry statement said, adding that the woman died on Saturday.

The woman had been suffering from respiratory problems and high fever but tests done “before and after the death show she was carrying the new flu virus,” the statement said.

 

From The Daily Star

[…] International College (IC) announced it would be shutting its middle school in Beirut for six days starting Tuesday because of the high number of students suffering from the virus. 

In a letter posted on the school’s website Saturday, IC President John Johnson said 50 students were absent from classes on Friday alone. “To date we have had 31 cases of this influenza in the Ras Beirut Middle School, 12 of whom have already recovered and returned to school,” he said. 

Johnson said IC was following regulations issued by the Center for Disease Control, which required siblings of swine flu patients to also stay at home for a five-day incubation period. All students are requested to stay at home and avoid contact with classmates until the school reopens on November 2.

Lebanon takes part in the International Day of Climate Action

Activists demand climate action

From Al Jazeera English

Thousands of people have gathered for protests in more than 180 countries, calling for international action to curb the emissions causing global warming.

The International Day of Climate Action focused on the number 350, referring to 350 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere which some scientists say must not be exceeded to avoid runaway global warming.

[…] In the Lebanese capital Beirut hundreds of activists, many wearing snorkels, held demonstrations in key archaeological sites.
 
They gathered around the Roman ruins in central Beirut, in the ancient eastern city of Baalbek and along the coast, carrying  placards bearing the logo 350.
  
“It’s not the first time Beirut will have gone under water,” Wael Hmaidan of the IndyACT group organising Beirut’s protests said, explaining the goggle-wearing. “But this time it’s going  down because of climate change, and not earthquakes.”

Photo Credits: AFP

AFP: Lebanese youths carry a banner bearing the logo “350”, to call for carbon emissions cuts to 350 parts per million

Kibbeh? Check. Hummus? Check. Tabbouleh?

At first, I heard about the largest kibbeh plate and I thought those Lebanese women were so cute. Then came the fight for the largest hummus plate and I thought this is starting to become ridiculous. But despite my personal opinion, apparently the Lebanese feel very passionate about their hummus and so we’re officially in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hummus serving. I hope everyone’s happy about it. Can we move on now? No. There’s only one more fight left (let’s hope it’s the last) and that’s for the largest tabbouleh plate, scheduled to take place tomorrow on the 25th of October. Okay, now I’m thinking are these people out of their minds? What’s the point? So we make it into the book and then what? Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE Lebanese hummus, but I really think there’s way more important issues that are WORTH fighting for besides food and world records. 

 

There are two questions I would like to find the answer for. One, how much money was spent to make this event today and two, what happened to all the hummus?

 

 

Photo Credits: AFP

Lebanese chefs gathered around the largest hummus plate in Beirut, Lebanon.

 

 

She said ‘conservative’ and she was right.

I don’t understand what the big deal is. In the recent Oprah episode which featured Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, Oprah described Lebanon as a “deeply conservative” country. Today, I came across a Facebook group entitled “Dear Oprah… Lebanon is NOT like that,” and the photo for the group is a shot from the video used on the show. It’s a photo of veiled women. And so now I’m thinking, are these Facebook people serious? Are they really insulted by that image or by that word? You guys, Lebanon IS a conservative country. Sure, it’s the most liberal in the Arab World, and sure not all women are Muslim or veiled, but hey it falls under conservative. Ajram was featured as a star from the Middle East and not just from Lebanon. So why retaliate against the use of the word ‘conservative’? 

Please, consider the following. People from different religious backgrounds in Lebanon have to travel 150 miles to Cyprus in order to get married. A couple can’t under Lebanese law live together unless they’re married. And some still argue about the use of the word ‘conservative’? Trust me, there’s a lot worse that can be said besides conservative.