La crise? Quelle crise?

No one better that French director Patrick Barberis to capture the irony of the moment. Apart from his brilliant wit and trained eye, Patrick is a wonderful director - his series on the history of Communism, on Roman Karmen, on Journalists in Vietnam or on the year '68 in the world all over, make you understand how brilliant he is, and how much he understands the concept of memory. As a matter of fact, it was Patrick who pointed something very obvious in my artworks which I had not previously understood, of how much, through my visual work, I was simply trying to recapture my own "A la recherche du temps perdu" to quote Proust. Calling such an incredible human being a friend is a privilege - if only he smoked less, for his own health and our convenience :) ....

When tragedy has a human face

I am, by nature, a very sympathetic person.... Politically, I stand to the left because I always want to "share" with other people, because I see people as equal, because social stratification does not mean much to me. I tend to feel with other people's pain, particularly people whom I have been fortunate to have them cross my path and enrich me. OK, I admit, my stay in Kalmar probably did not make me the most popular one from the bunch - I was reclusive, too work-obsessed, introverted and did not participate as much as I ought to have in the group activities (Although I still think that the pasta I cooked was truly good!), this is not some mea culpa, this is how I am and make no appologies about it, but I write this blog entry because only this morning I was explaining to a German friend in Beirut that during the war there was always a haven of safety in the middle of all the madness and for some reason I added "I know someone in Gazza right now, I hope she and her family are safe, but I also know that there must be a haven there too...." I am by no means diminishing the internsity or magnitude of what is going on in Gaza, but I have to admit that whereas previously I was sympathetic with the people in Gazza "theoretically" and just out of sheer human altruism, today, tragedy has a human face for me - Ola, her husband and her three children. I particularly think of Rasha, her 15 months-old daughter, who is either blissfully unaware of what is going on, or - on the contrary - has her mind registering the sights and sounds in front of her. Because I am a child of war myself, I think of Malek too - Ola's second child but first son (Hence her nickname "Oum Malek") and I think of myself at the age of 10 in an war-torn Beirut and wonder if Malek will grow up to have the same war reflexes as me and my generation had. I cannot recall the context, but at some point during our course in Sweden, I said something and Saam asked me: "Are you being an optimist or a cynic Tarek?" to which I replied "I am being a realist." But, the realist in me cannot but be an optimist - maybe that's how my people and myself survived the war - and now I think of Ola and her smiling face with her luggage waiting to cross to Egypt and join us in the course - I know that, even in the deepest shelter in Gazza, this smile still resonates (Probably soothing Rasha into a tight sleep) and is the best weapon against any agression, a proof of will to live, to defy, to beat oblivion and death.

Post by: TJC

Am I the only one to see racism in this forwarded joke?

Maybe... but I do!

Spoof ads during times of crisis

It all began with a businesspundit.com feature which has soon turned into a ubiquitous viral mail and must have for any self-respecting brand-aware email forwarder. The highjacking of some of the most high profile logos in the industry and toying around with them to fit the current crisis (Anyone for a downjones instead of Dow Jones or a Fail instead of Ford?) has once again proved the power of spoof ads which build on immediate visual recognition of the logo, the typography and the grid, to turn into another message.
It is however, argued that most of the times the spoofing strengthens the original brand as it makes more exposed. As a matter of fact, sometimes brands do it willingly, as in the case of Formula1 where tobacco advertising is banned in certain countries and so the tobacco companies have resorted to transforming their logo from Lucky Strike for example to Look Alike which - seen from far and on television transmission looks identical to the original all while escaping the stringent anti-advertising laws.
Enjoy these spoofs ads, and remember - what does not kill a brand, only strengthens it.

This is a farwell kiss YA KALB!

(By Jennifer Loven, AP white house correspondent)
BAGHDAD – On an Iraq trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent,
President George W. Bush on Sunday hailed progress in the war that
defines his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference;"This is a farewell kiss, you dog!"; shouted the protester in Arabic, later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt. Bush ducked both shoes as they whizzed past his head and landed with a thud against the wall behind him.

"It was a size 10," Bush joked later.

The Union: United they stood!

I first saw the adverts on the streets, a funky new store opened in the Pub infested Gemmayze street…. I felt compelled to go see what it was all about. Little was I prepared for The Union, the hip clothing outlet that was there. Somewhere in the cul de sac between Mystique and Cloud 9, there it was. In this exclusive interview, owners Claire Liddell and Rowan Kamel bare it all – or rather dress it up even heavier! TJC: People usually shop for clothes to go out at night, rather than go out at night to shop, how did you manage to break that cycle with union? CL/RK: We saw our location as an opportunity to open from 12:00pm to 11:00pm, Gemeyzeh is a great place to have lunch and shop during the day, and the street comes alive at night, so we wanted to be part of that. It actually makes more sense for The Union to be open later at night because the majority of our customers work during the day and are unable to shop.For us it was really about providing a more convenient shopping experience for our customers. TJC: With Paul Frank and other alternative hip brands, you are not the usual "uber chic" clothing outlet, do you think Lebanese people are now prepared for couture urban-wear? CL/RK: We definitely think that Lebanese people are ready for urbanwear, and it’s long over due! So many people in Lebanon travel all over the world where urbanwear is part of a lifestyle; from music, art, graffiti and design. Cities like London, Barcelona and Berlin ooze with creativity and people buy into the fashion brands that represent that lifestyle. Also, the international fashion magazines available in Lebanon are a great indicator of global fashion trends. Our brands like Paul Frank, Supremebeing, Vans, Dickies, Merc, Gentle Fawn, Upperplayground, Rocksmith, Alternative Apparel and others are all featured in magazines like ID, Dazed and Confused, Lowdown and Nylon. TJC: Being situated in Gemmayze between Gauche Caviar and Cloud 9 to be specific, in a back alley cul de sac, did this add tot he charm of the operation, or on the contrary made it more difficult for people to spot you? CL/RK: As soon as we saw the location we knew it would be perfect for The Union. Being situated down The Alley Way has its challenges but the charm of the location outweighed them. The best shopping experiences we have had is when you find a little boutique tucked away in city streets. The challenge for us is to spread the word. We’ve focused on street marketing, including bar coasters and valet tags to piggyback on the nightlife on Gemeyzeh. The plans for The Alley Way include a restaurant tanning salon and nail bar so we’re looking forward to the atmosphere that will bring. Finally, the Union is not your typical “high street” commercial clothes store. We believe that our customers appreciate The Union’s “hard to find” location as it represents their individualism and desire to dress uniquely TJC: It is true that you positioned yourself as urban wear boutique, but what differentiates you from other such shops, who basically sell high end knock offs for a cheap price in other areas of Beirut? CL/RK: You can never compare a knock off to the real thing! But other than that, the brands we carry are mostly exclusive to The Union. It’s important for us to offer brands that are new to Lebanon, and only offer 4 or 5 pieces of each item. A lot of people shop at the same high street stores because that is what is available to us in Beirut and so the scope for individuality is limited. In such a vibrant and creative city people are looking for something a little different. The shop itself is different to most in Beirut, we took time to develop the interior design concept and execution. We wanted the shopper to feel comfortable and enjoy hanging out at The Union. We incorporated street elements, like highway street lamps, bricks, steel, wood and scaffolding and mixed it with bright inviting colors. We want to support and encourage homegrown creativity so we are inviting artists to exhibit their work on our “artwall”, and we’re always on the look out for Lebanese designers. TJC: Having a men's, women's and even kids section in addition to an accessories corner makes your target audience less defined, how come you took that risk to diversify so much? CL/RK: For us it wasn’t a risk at all. We wanted to offer a complete look for guys and girls. We really wanted to own a store that we would love to shop at which included a day or night outfit for me, a gift for a new baby and something cool for my boyfriend or husband. TJC: How do you see the future of Gemmayze with the advent of The Union, will it be a "lifestyle" street with design and handmade and alternative stores, or will this be just a small byproduct of the clubbing and pubbing business? CL/RK: We hope Gemeyzeh continues to evolve and for new businesses to diversify more into the retail and fashion business. The pubs certainly put Gemeyzeh on the map, however now is the time for Gemeyzeh really to establish itself as a world class destination. The Gemeyzeh area has the potential to be Beirut’s equivalent of Soho in New York or Notting Hill in London, however for this to happen there has to be a healthy balance of shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs etc. Too many of one and it wont reach its full potential. We feel Gemeyzeh is perfect for small European style boutiques and already it has lots to offer. It has established a large and successful business community, everything is within walking distance, it is a really beautiful street and the architecture is probably one of the best in Beirut. Last but not least, Gemeyzeh is also one of the most affluent residential areas of the city.

The links to J&D/MENA website and blog

Here are the links for the website and blog resulting from the "Jounalism and Democracy - Middle East and North Africa" course: http://www2.fo.hik.se/mena08/frontpage www.menaelaman.blogspot.com May you enjoy them!

CAN sWEden?

It was my second visit to Sweden to attend a course under the auspices of the Swedish International Development Coordination Agency (SIDA), only this time it was with Fojo – the Institute for Further Education of Journalists which is located in Kalmar, a city of some 70,000 inhabitants who surprised the whole country by having its local football team win the Swedish league and its architectural museum win the highest award in Swedish architecture – with both events happening while I there. The course, “Journalism and Democracy, Middle East and North Africa” was a pilot course offered for the first time for journalists from the region, whereas normally it is offered in an international edition and one for South American journalists. Some 22 journalists were accepted following 80 applications from all the region, of these 18 attended the course, with others canceling their acceptance for different reasons – that ranged from not being able to get entry visas to Sweden, to not being able to get exit visas from their countries, and one even reportedly not having had the authorization from her brother to be able to attend a course that, ironically, also tackled gender equality and women’s emancipation. To qualify the experience as unique is the understatement of the century, as immediately the participants dived head first in controversial issues lead by veteran Swedish journalist Saam Kapadia – and logistically supported by fojo, specifically administrative coordinator Katarina Marelius – with healthy discussions resulting from day one regarding issues about honor killings, freedom of speech, Danish caricature crisis and so on… But despite the heated arguments, the difference of opinions, the divergent views, the different personal, social, political affiliations, somehow the participants, transplanted from their original “hormonal” surroundings managed to be able to have reasonable discussions, where middle grounds were met, where thoughts were shared, where agreeing to disagree emerged, or even – God forbids in our Arab world – opinions were, if not changed, at least subtly influenced. Three weeks later, a full website was produced as part of the experience under the title “Can sWEden?” which is the amalgamation of two questions: Can we? And Can Sweden? Which ask respectively: Can we be agents of change in our societies through bringing democracy via journalism, and alternatively, what has our Swedish experience given us in terms of tools to cover this. The answers were certainly tentative viewing the scope of the questions, but naturally, the optimism and the confidence of doing something was there, to quote Chinese philosopher Lao Tse: Every step is a victory. Not only a website was launched, but this course also saw the inauguration of a full blog by and for the journalists from the MENA region who attended fojo under the title of “Mena el aman” which plays on the double entendre of MENA being Middle East and North Africa all while meaning “harbour” in the Arab language. So Mena el aman is a harbour of safety for the thoughts and ideas of the journalists in the region. Since I have never been known do do things in half-measures, it is interesting that the presence of yours truly was remarked by the local press in Kalmar – due chiefly to a heated debate with Gunilla Carlsson the Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation – which prompted Barometern, the local paper of Kalmar to interview me through its political editor and sub-editor respectively Per Dahl and Lotte Lundgren. The resulting article was published on Thursday November 20th on the most read page of Swedish papers, the 2nd which normally holds the editorials, all while falling on the same day when as editor-in-chief of the website and as nominated by my colleagues I was unveiling the final product of our laborious effort in a conference that same afternoon. During our three weeks in Sweden, much changed in all of the participants, naturally, we are all practical and live with our feet firmly implanted on the ground, we know that limitations exist, but we also know that we can bypass things one way or the other. That being said, when I was at the lunch to which I turned out to be a guest of honor without my knowledge, I had to give an impromptu speech for the dignitaries of Kalmar and so I said: “One of the major advantages of the Swedish system is that you admit to your problems, you face them and try to deal with them in the best way possible. Whereas we, in the Arab world, tend to sweep everything underneath the carpet for it to fester and rot.” To this, the very witty doctor sitting next to me said “well, at least you have nice carpets!”

Citoyen du monde

"Citoyen du monde, partout chez moi, (pour tous) etranger." Words of Erasmus, done as installation by Marie-Jo Lafontaine at Stockholm Airport, in multilinguistic treatment. Brilliant and fitting for an airport. A place where people are sedentarily transient....