Doppel-Who?!

Now this is a treat!!! the doppelgangers are in town, and in force!!


This is a stunning phenomenon, makes you wonder where your doppelgangers are or have been around the world!


I always get the "you look familiar" comment when i first meet som1, so i wonder if there is som1 other there that looks like me, and if he gets the same comment as well!!


I recall a saying that goes "god created 40 resemblances" or smthn like that... hmmmm


Here's the crew!!

Just Friends!?

And here another great ad by the creative brains in Lebanon!! 


Typical reflection of the fun loving, sweet tongued Lebanese hahha 

@Alexi13

Free men, Free-meen?!

UPDATE: Zeid Hamdan was just released, you can follow all the news on Twitter #FreeZeid


A very disappointing and sad event was witnessed today in Beirut, LEBANON


One of the most talented Lebanese artists Zeid Hamdan (former SoapKills frontman) was arrested today over his release of a short song 1 year ago!!


the song below, showcases what most youth and the Lebanese society is feeling





Distraught over the current Lebanese political and social situation with the never ending status of corruption and militia control and brainwash.


The song's final words addressing the current president General Suleiman state : General Suleiman, GO Home!!


the song itself is a work of talent with vibrant beats and straight to the point lyrics, and a visually attractive video clip.


It is interesting to know why the authorities have waited one long year to get their act up and decide the unimaginable arrest of the artist.

In a country considered as the forerunner of free speech and free expression advocate, seeing this makes you think twice about the song itself and its valid arguments.


Yet another event that makes me ashamed of holding the Lebanese nationality, but still i am fortunate and proud to see the hope rise in me again of this country to one day rise back from its ashes, restore its "Switzerland of the Middle East" status and prove what a wonderful country it can fly out to be,, this hope which artists like Zeid and his work keep thriving to never let this flame die in us.


@Alexi13

AlmazaNa ?!

Im always on the lookout for creative ad copies and ad executions and such, being in the industry and all; and having a penchant for creativity and ideation.


The latest campaign to strike my eye, was that of Almaza Beer (Lebanese Beer)... which brough back some memories of their ads in the recent years.


They have been relying heavily on popular saying in the lebanese dialect and twisting them to fit the brand and product... it is gona be quite tricky to explain and translate the messages, but for lebos, you'll get it immediately and salute the creativity

The latest one, with the line, "Blonde or Brunette" which is spot on, for the different bottles they sell.

With the plethora of political parties in Lebanon, they chose to ride the wagon and be the party of 24!

The copy reads:
1971 (right) : Lebanese Georgina Rizk crowned Miss Universe...we celebrated
1990 (left): it settled (end of the civil war in lebanon ... we back to celebrating

A lebanese dialect specificity where we turn names into actions like We McDonalded? (as in let's go, we grab a mcdees)

After 2 disturbing summers in Lebanon, the copy reads "2008, what ever happens, we gona celebrate) 

It was a period of elections, and the copy reads "This summer, everyone's eye is on the chair"

The copy reads "it must open again" in the sense that, good fortune must come around

The brewery of Almaza is situated in Dawra, and witnesses heavy traffic, as it is one of the capital's main entry/exit points.
The copy reads "you think the Dawra traffic is because of me?"

Please share any new Almaza ads when you spot them!

@Alexi13

The Narcicyst Beats

Today im sharing one of the great discoveries i stumbled upon this year.


It was during the TedxDubai event that i first got introduced to The Narcicsyt, he had a great presentation as you can read in my previous post here.


He's on Twitter and you better follow his musical genius! twitter.com/@TheNarcicyst
and his website www.Iraqisthebomb.com


And here is the video of him at TedxDubai, one hell of a show/presentation, an eye opener!







Here is his latest artwork!


The video is insaaaaane!!
The start is superb with "The maker can see you, puts you on the edge of your seat with the dude dreaming, feelin guilt, makin you wonder what he did?! is he waiting for punishment?
AND THEN, voilaaaa the beats start making your ears go drunk! the lyrics are siiiiiick!!!
The effects in the video are kick ass!!  loved the coins vomit with the final spit at the end,, the flock of crows with the train,,


(the views i express are solely mine and do not reflect the artists behind the video)


WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!





And here is another great track by this way talented artist!!





A final nice skit he did on Busta's Arab Money!





I'll leave you all with his freakin great words about Hip-Hop:


"Highly Intellectual People Hovering Over Politicians, that hyphen between the Hip and the Hop is the land that we walk on"


@Alexi13


That's my musical buttermint of the day.

Mukhi Sisters - Jewelry With Attitude

Introduciiiiiiiiiiiiing the Mukhi Sisters!!!!

with a mixed Indian-Lebanese heritage, the Mukhis have been coming up with sensational jewelry pieces!! the line is one to look out for in the coming years, for it has been proving a hit amongst the clientele in Lebanon and overseas.

from clutches, to rings, to necklaces, to headgear worn by A-List celebs like blondie Paris Hilton below

Headpiece by the Mukhi Sisters for Paris Hilton, Dubai BFF Press Conference- July 09

The brand has been making fruitful appearances across the local jewelry shows, heavy promotion online through Facebook and Twitter, and most importantly, the frenzy goin around the social networks of both Mukhi sisters

Just today, they have released a video promoting their Jewelry !!! i must say, it was shot with plenty of attitude!!!

The gorgeous girls Karine Yassine (Brunette) and Karen Zaatari (Blondie) are perfect in the video, they are so natural throughout the attitudes they show, their fun with one another is so funny and just puts a huge smile on your face.. still with all the sexy stop motion in the video, you tend to keep an eye on the headwear, necklace and head band they are showcasing !!! The music is so funky u keep on tryin to sing it!!!



hmmm did u spot granny at the end?!

what you waiting for !!! visit the Mukhi Sisters on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54635101946

and

Twitter.com/MukhiSisters

and

@: info@mukhisister.com

and

Tel: +961 1 247 274



@Alexi13

Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

قهوة القزاز

Another iconic landmark of the Lebanese socio-cultural scene is to wither down...

The most famous café in Lebanon, located in on of Gemmayzeh's beautitful old buildings, is set to shut down.. Apparently after finding a technical loophole in the tenancy contract, the building owners have moved along with the decision to evict the cafe owners..


This place has been standing strong for 85 years,


85 years of clients
85 years of entertainment
85 years of politicians, writers, thinkers, etc...


85 years of Lebanese socio-econo-politoco-cultural histroy,,, that's EPIC !!

The cafe will shut down on New Year's Eve and start evacuating the premises that week. im glad ill be in Beirut prior to that and will visit the shop for one last goodbye of this Phoenix!


The cafe will hold a charity concert night, which will raise money to Save Beirut Heritage association, which works on preserving our heritage.


P.S: it is set to reopen in Antellias area... i doubt it will be the same, fingers crossed to rise from the ashes!!


if you had any experiences of the café, do share!!


@Alexi13


Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

A Slice of Heaven

This year i spent the Eid break in the UAE, in Dubai more specifically. I had the company of close family visiting and was responsible for activities :D 


For the first time i was able to enjoy all the various good restaurants in Dubai, the good fun to be had with family and all.


The biggest surprise for us all was our visit to Jumeirah's Bab el Shams Resort and Spa !!! 


We planned to arrive there before sunset to watch it from their very very cosy Al-Sarab cafe! it is built like an old fort top with a gorgeous outdoor chimney! the couches and arabic majlis seating are very comfy, the service impeccable and the weather a blissful collection of breezes! 


Unfortunately we left a tad late for the 45 mins drive from the hotel, but we were still treated to majestic sand dunes sun kissed by the sunset through the drive.. The magic kept on goin till we reached and sat in the cafe, with the gorgeous sky colored by a palette of orange, yellow, purple and dark blues !! The sight is truly to die for!! 

Trusty Nikon D5000

The Resort is exquisite with its architecture, reminiscent of the Bedouin times, with a simplistic modern twist, the pictures speak for themselves !! The resort's serene feel is just accentuated by its isolated position in the middle of sand dunes, away from all the busy feel and state of bustling Dubai !! 

Next stop, is a short 3 mins buggy ride outside the main resort building deep into the sand dunes into the Hadheera (The Barn)
The place is basically a reconstruction of a an old times barn. It is used as a great place for a good night time!!!  the menu for entertainment consists of an arabic singer at first (not bad), a Tannoura dancer with his face painted in green (guess its a morrocan thingy), well he was a star with his performance and interaction with the crowd, moving around the place and dancing for almost every table! The dabkeh band was a hit as well, and there is an oriental dancer, but we missed it since the kids were too tired to stay up, but according to the pics we saw of her, she haawwttt!!! 


The place is well designed, with very nice seating, allowing you to see the stage wherever you are, i advise sittin on the sides with the nice couches and majlis areas instead of the classic chairs before the main stage.


The place has a buffet system, but a veryyyy well organised one, with food station scattered around instead of a single line of food... there are almost no cues to get your food, and the waiters can even serve you a collection of the available num num !!!  the meat and chicken kababs are yummmyyy and so are the freshly boiled crabs and steaks!! 


There is also a heritage village within the location, where you have a rebuilt village type of setting, with wax figurines depicting the lifestyle of bedouins from their homes to their habits and professions of carpentry, fishing and barbers... moreover you have the typical camel rides, pony rides, horse rides and falcon posing!!! 


The place is a must see and a great weekend getaway if you are living in Dubai !!! 


@Alexi13


Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13

Tainted Ink?!

  

Tatu, or most commonly know as Tattoo or Ink, a marking made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons, is considered one of the most controversial forms of body modification/decoration or as i like to see it, ART!

you guessed it, im inked, 4 pieces of art to be exact,, 

My Hand of Fatima or Maryam

I've always been interrogated about my ink:

- where, when did you get?

- does it hurt?

- what does it mean?

- but ur name is Ali, isnt it haram (legally forbidden by Islamic Law, and other religions apply here)?

- do you regret them?

- why did you get one? two? three? four?

- is it addictive?

- can you remove it?

Well, to be honest i do not mind answering most of the questions, they are part of who i am, they each relate to a single or many pit stops in my life which i have chosen to keep forever to remind me of them and for other various personal reasons. 

The question which bothers me the most though is #4!! simply because religious beliefs are some of the most personal to a person, one's relationship with the deity he worships is to be only probed by himself, and himself alone. Don't you think i would've thought of whether it was or not, of whether i might be seen as a Kafer (Those who deliberately hide the truth; unbelievers, truth-concealers; one who is ungrateful), don't you think that this is my personal decision and none of your business? well i did my part and looked it up and came up with some interesting findings!! here goes....

To start off, tattooing is forbidden in Judaism, Christianity and Islam,, guess im screwed wherever i go ! now the juicy why(s):

- Fundamentalist Christians consider it to be an activity that was done by Pagans, so non-believers, thus haram.

- Catholics, well i guess this sums it up,  Leviticus 19:28, which reads "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves..." 

- Jews take it a bit further by stating that "tattooing is simply something NOT done", et voila!! and the Germans worked on this quite well, if you ever wondered why Jews in concentration camps used to be tattooed with an identification number, yes, it was an act to separate observant Jews from their God.

- Islam, now here is where it gets tricky, since there is no apparent instruction in the Holy Qoran (as per my research), but rather a series of Hadeeths (narrations concerning the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence as important tools for understanding the Qur'an and in matters of jurisprudence) well,  the most specific one goes like this "cursed the one who does tattoos and the one for whom tattooing is done", moreover, other scholars/ important ppl in Islam have said that 

      - “Islam denounces excesses in beautifying oneself when it alters the physical features that Allah created him with. The Glorious Qur'an considers such alterations as inspired by Satan, who "...will command them (his devotees) to change what Allah has created...” (An-Nisa': 119)

      - “May Allaah curse the women who do tattoos and those for whom tattoos are done, those who pluck their eyebrows and those who file their teeth for the purpose of beautification and alter the creation of Allaah.”

Soooo, apparently its forbidden to pierce, tattoo, enhance, alter and bring any modification to your body, since it is a an act of Satan, to modify the appearance which God gave you, which in turn is apparently "perfect"

My Rocks

Well, the Islamic point of view, since i am most concerned by it, since the question i get start by "but your name is Ali,,,", so basically, i am a Kafer, an unbeliever (face palm!!) but hey, isn't my grandma also who is a devout believer since she dyes her hair , isn't my sister who has pierced ears, aren't most women who have "enhanced" body parts? isn't my dad who has teeth bridge? hmmm arent the poor animals we eat which are tattooed in order to keep count and identification? 

too many questions which surely i am not the right person to answer, 

a quickie though, funnily enough, if a person converts to Islam, all his previous sins are exempted hmmmm,, but this is for another time to explore :)

Finally, personally i see them as part of who i am, as snapshots of my personal history, as art on my body... i do not truly care what any1 thinks of them, they are on me, for me :) my relationship with the Divine is between me and him, and im sure ill sweet talk him into giving me a "free jail pass card"...


P.S: all ink done at the best studio in the middle east Skin Deep by the famed master Hady Beydoun 
check out his FB page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2251836098

And there's my buttermint for the day :) 

@Alexi13

Follow me on twitter.com/Alexi13

One Half of SuddenlyTwo (@Alexi13)

wasssap peeps! (yea, not the wisest start for my first blog post i guess :$) 

well a snapshot of who is @Alexi13 is in order so here goes!

Born into a multicultural family with an Arab and European mix, in the land of cheese and wine... i am what you might call the mischievous rebel when growing up, always being questioned about my heritage; a fairly challenging experience considering i grew up in one of the most diverse countries sociologically wise, the land of the Cedars, the land of the Phoenix, the ex-Switzerland of the middle east and soon to regain its title! I've always valued my parental background and so glad my parents have been able to show and teach me the best and worst about their background, their experiences and life. I was still subject to failures and successes like any other teenager growing up, but ever so glad of becoming the person i am today, the pride of my parents, the pride of my lover, the crazy friend of my social circle, the achieved professional i am to become.

residing now in the UAE, Dubai more specifically, i ventured into the world of digital media and marketing and have become a, hmmm, let's say "consensual victim" of the web and the social media cloud that has spawned around the world. Working in one of the biggest local and regional media company, with an amazing team, i am bound to share much of the knowledge and experiences i go through with you all.

You might wonder what makes me so special to blog, to be worth reading, get to know; in all humility, i am one of those persons who likes to keep a positive mark with everyone i meet. The buzzing bee i am allowed me to grow an amazing circle of friends, within my home country and the desert, friends who became more of a second family to me in the recent years. I believe one of the essential things in a person's life is the circle of friends, the circle of life (yea huge Disney fan :$ ) one builds; and my circle has proved to be the best support i can have in any endeavor, but that is another topic to blog about.

ddnt think my first post would be so long, or so personal, i hope it is not some random blabber to some, but just ddnt know where to start or to end, and found myself writing and writing...

well you'll get to know the crazy me in my future posts, my zest for life, my passions, my friends, my interests, the love of my life, family, views on this unpredictable life we are living!!

big shout out to everyone out there!!  hellloooo?!

@Alexi13,

follow me on twitter: twitter.com/Alexi13

there's my buttermint for the day!