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

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

TEDxDubai - Ideas Worth Spreadin'

TEDxDubai was held on Saturday 4th December in Dubai, with a collection of speakers sharing their ideas,,

Just a bit of history on TED, it stands for Technology Entertainment and Design, in short it is a conference where speakers are given an 18 min window to share their ideas under an umbrella of "ideas worth spreading", to leverage on the power of ideas to change the world.

TEDx is a program that enables schools, universities, businesses or individuals to have a TED-like experience by themselves hosting, organizing and designing the event.

This year's TEDxDubai in its 2nd edition built on further on last year's success, i'll be sharing my experience at the events and highlighting the points that i saw positive and the areas where work is needed...

The event registration was done by filling a form online and being selected for the event, then receiving a digital barcode as a confirmation! A green approach to a paperless registration and entrance, very well done indeed, i do hope to see this being picked up by others soon, makes it so easy, and avoids losing your ticket ;)

The goodie bag was differently thought of as well, it was a specially designed scarf for TEDxDubai, tied to form a loose handbag, with a note pad inside, indeed a nice touch, and was worn differently by the attendees, some held it as a bag, others as scarfs, others as a headband, i tied it to my backpack :p ... 

The wristband also was designed differently, with a clip on mechanism, and made of cloth instead of those annoying rubber or plastic ones which you must rip off after an event,, this was a nice keepsake, as well as your key to get into the after party at ARMANI/privee later in the evening.

This year's event was titled REBOOT, and as per the TEDxDubai blog (http://tedxdubai.com/blog/tedxdubai-2010-reboot/), it revolved around

The list of speakers consisted of the following: (Read More) 

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

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!