Sign “☮” the Times

"I deserve new shoes"... I saw this sign on the window shop of Maria Pino. I thought it was incredibly smart! Not "I want" (the act of desiring something relatively rationally) or "I need" (who needs new shoes? Especially for women, it's unheard of since they already have enough)... No, it's "I deserve". With the hidden sense of "entitlement". I am a good mother, I put up with my children - I am a hard working woman, I have to tolerate this silly boss - I am a caring daughter/daughter in law to an ungrateful mother/in law - I multitask and keep the budget in check, and no one is appreciate... For any of this, or all of them, or other reasons I could not think of - "you deserve new shoes". (Interestingly in Dutch, the words "earned" and "deserved" are one and the same!)

 See? There's another sign spotted in Beirut! It comes courtesy of Falafel Moustafa Sahyoun (right on what used to be the demarcation line between the two Beiruts during the war). And yes, a visit to his place was well worth it despite the snipers and the shelling. These are falafels to die for... (figuratively hopefully!). And below? Another place with "no other branch"... It's no other than Beirut/NTSC! (Sadly no falafels here).