We're on the List!
Yes! Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am proud to announce that after a long and draining wait, it looks like we finally made it. I read today that we are officially on the Forbes List for the Most Dangerous Destinations 2007.
We be representin’ yo!
Beirut [sitt al duniah] ranks 12; and I believe you do agree when I say, that it is not too bad for a tiny country, is it?
You could argue that who cares about Forbes Magazine anyway, or who reads those wannabes, and how come you read those stupid capitalists. You can say whatever you like, but the bottom line is that we are there. We are on the list. From once the pearl of the orient, to now one of the most dangerous destination in the world.
Nice!
Give it up for our politicians of all colors. Give it up for our Neighbors of all religions. Without them, and without their support, we couldn’t even dream of being on such list. This was truly a great example of teamwork, and interdisciplinary work.
Congratulations to all of us.
I owe you an answer for how come I read this crap.
The answer is fast and simple: I don’t…
I just came across this site while searching for articles about dangerous cities; as in urbanism. I couldn’t but stop and read, when I pressed the link, and stumbled upon our beautiful cedar.
Not too proud anymore are you my cedar?
Now the world can see how old you really are. You’ve been reduced to a banal coniferous tree. Your own people humiliated you. Look at us as we chop you down, and use you as charcoal for the arguileh!
Look at us...
Labels: Lebanon, patriotism, politics, sarcasm
posted by _z. @ 2:45 AM
19 Comments:
Yay! We're shit listed. shi b arrif. I miss the times when I used to want to move back so bad! When it was healthy and fun. It kills me to be that close to it and yet so uninterested in even visiting. I hate this phase of my Lebanese thinking. I hope it passes, soon. It's torturing, devastating and pathetic. Forces me to change my way of thinking. Hope it didnt change it forever.... bla bla bla.. shi b arrif
Frankly, Beirut was not the pearl of the orient; san3a2 was.
mar_
honeslty this doesn't change much. You and I both know, that really and in reality one could still have a great time and vacation in Lebanon. We have learned all our lives to get arouud things. To me, this only changes the minds of hesitating foreigners. it kills the economy. Foreigners who read this, will decide not to come to Lebanon. But that's it. I still want to come back more than ever this summer, and it will be fun. you should come back too. I am also bringing along many of my canadian friends.
Foreigners should understand that in Lebanon, what you see and read on the news isn't always what is happening in real life.
despite everything, one could in lebanon, still have the perfect time: culture and landscape. Dancing, swimming and drinking till the wee hours of the day.
ibn bint jeil_
is that your own opinion?
Because I never read or heard anything about what you are advancing. In fact my ignorance brings me even to stereotype and think that back then san3a2 was... you know...
you read about asfahan, you read about baghdad, even Adan, but sanaa?
san3a2 wa laken!
Bonjour
Awwalan: yaaaaaaaa far7etna
Teniyan: 7ada bi ellak Forbes? :)
Telitan: Betdalla Beirut sett el deneh w Lebnen baytna w baladna el 7abib law shou ma tfalsafo.
coco_
this is exactely what I was trying to say in my reply for mar... I guess it is a lot easier in arabic :P
i was being maskharji, sort of.
why not san3a2? i think we should start a propaganda campaign to promote san3a2 as the pearl of the orient, past and present.
*by the way, i know nothing about san3a2, but i am serious about the campaign.
don't promote this zouzou.. nshor ghaseelna jouwwa :)
because south central and east LA are so safe.. because the north of manhattan island is heaven.. buffalo a paradise on earth.. nowhere in the usa do you suffer premature death from unnatural causes..
i remember the warnings israel had in 2003 - there were still more lethal car accidents in sydney australia..
why it is that the media are so recklessly happy to crown violence perpetrators as victors is beyond me..
sorry IBJ_
I didn't detect your sarcasm. I don't think I can stand behind you on your campaign buddy... you're alone on this... I hope.
mirvat_
I thought a lot before posting this. I am not promoting this. not a chance. But I think we have to wake up and look at it even though it is painful. We're not learning. we are living in denial.
lirun_
very well said my friend.
stereotyping and classification has to follow the law of the ruling entity. In this case, we would be talking about "terrorism" as recognized by the empire I guess (often associated to religion unfortunately).
so what are you doing today? i'm so bored! already! and i just woke up. ta3a shrab ahwe ma3na.
:)
lah ana ma3 mar miyye bil miyye. we both had high hopes of going back very soon and we both were disappointed. hell we could almost taste the coffee 3al balcon ma heik? i didn't write about my change in plans la2anno ana zahha2et 7ali mnil na22 bass this was really tough. wislit el li2mi laltemm we ba3den nfajaret.
so i think mar is more devastated about the whole idea of lebanon as a home and it doesn't help that you're established and your family here in the US. i'm alone here but i'm crossing the limit. this is why i wanted to move back now, i knew if i stayed now i won't think again about going back for years and years..
so it's not just the vacation feeling which is always there.. it's being able to live a decent life, being able to travel from lebanon...
fa ma ba3ref eh shi bi arref... ana i stopped thinking about it and i found me a city here during my quest for jobs that looks exactly like home.. yes i did!
mar, think how much more difficult it must be for people who live there. my mom is heart broken. she doesn't have another home. we might have what's close to a home here, michigan, dubai.. like your love nest :)
kamen bla bla bla.. shou bi3arrefne..
ouf jaride! shifit shou zah2ane?
_z. with or without forbes, everybody thinks lebanon is a dangerous country and we owe thos reputation to the media propaganda.
Sometimes I don't beleive what I'm reading or hearing in the news salors que dire du non libanais qui ne voit que les images de terreur diffusees a l'antenne!
Je ne fais qu'expliquer a mes amis ici que c'est pas vrai et comme tu l'as si bien dit, quand je rentre chez moi y a rien a craindre et ils n'ont pas besoin de prier pr moi et que on mene une vie normale mais on continue a me regarder de travers C'est trop enervant!!! :S
Guys... it's all bull****
Libnan bi kheir. We dont feel this tension in our daily lives.
In fact, every weekend, we have to kiss few A*** to eat in a decent place :S
I dont know if I have to call this Denial or Resilience!?
off topic here. i just visited the cinema du parc website, i miss it so much! :(
That's depressing news. I know all is not lost, and yet I feel sorry for your loss, if you know what I mean. I worry that the wounds are so deep. Furthermore, and on a selfish not, i worry that we in Britain are (understandably) seen as part of the reason. And that sucks, to know our government helped create this situation.
And whether it's really true or not, the words are out there, and they will spread like wildfire, preventing some of the tourism that could do so much to help...
from most touristic to most dangerous (at least we always have 'an edge' right?)
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