My New Years Resolution

My New Years Resolution is to be an asshole. Now I know what you’re thinking but let me explain.  Over this past year I realized some people are starting to take advantage of me being nice and it is my ultimate goal to stop people treading on me or guilting me into things I don’t want to do. My ultimate goal is to have control of my own destiny   and not have someone ruin that.  I also typically get mad, actually strike that, I get infuriated when people talk down to me like I’m child when they’re in no position to do so.  So it’s time to be a bit more blunt and straight forward with people. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being nice to people or helping anyone out, but I am going to voice my opinion more.

My other resolutions are:

-Finally learn snowboarding (hopefully I have time for this)

-Get toned

-Get my shit together

2011 has definitely been a roller coaster, but I think I am entering 2012 on a stronger footing then when I entered 2011. So cheers to the new year! Hoping it will be even more awesome then the last.

Everyone, don’t drink and drive, stay safe! I will most likely be out in Hamra if you want to ring in the New Year with me!

Merry Christmas from Boulos Blog!

May you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas!!!  Here are some Christmas decorations from around Beirut!

Christmas tree in Sassine

 

Achrafieh

 

Christmas Tree in Hamra

 

Christmas decorations in Bourj Hammoud

 

 

Christmas Village in Zaituny Bay

 

Armenian folk dancing at the Christmas Village in Hamra

 

Christmas tree at the Sagesse School in Clemenceau

 

Beirut Chants

Every year in December the churches in downtown Beirut  hold a series of free choir concerts that take place each night ( starting at 8 PM) in the various churches in downtown. All the concerts are for free and open to the public (which is a bit rare here), so in all honesty there is no excuse in not going. I was kicking myself for not going to see the Syriac choir at St. Maron’s last week so I made it a point to go this week.  Finally I made the decision to see the Ecclesiatic Greek Orthodox Choir perform at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Place D’etoile.  First of all I am obsessed with all things rooted in Byzantium and Greek history, from ancient times until the present.  St. George’s church is several hundred years old, and built upon an even older church (which you can now see in their underground museum which only costs $3).  Most of the church was destroyed during the civil war with only a handful of its original frescoes surviving but  thankfully the church is fully restored with brand new frescoes. Upon getting there my buddy and I couldn’t find a seat, so the main doorkeeper (?) of the church actually gave me the keys to the upstairs of the church so I had a place to sit, how awesome is that?! The concert was nothing short of amazing.  Hymns were chanted in Arabic and Greek to a packed house.  Orthodox chanting is out of this world with its deep solemn tones and you really feel that they are envoking their faith through their chanting.  I might try catching one more this week.  I am also dispointed that there is no Armenian chanting which is extremely beautiful and there are two large Armenian churches in downtown to make great venues.

Saint George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral

View from the 2nd floor of the church

Iconstansis of the Church, typically found in Orthodox churches

Portrait of the Virgin Mary, one of the few that survived the war

New frescoes on the ceiling of the church

Christmas in Beirut

Lebanon’s super humid summers typically make you appreciate winter on a whole new level. Back in the States I DESPISE winter and even count the days down until April (and it even snows in April sometimes, or it just rains endlessly). Lebanon to me has the perfect mix of sunny days and rainy days during winter, mainly there’s so much sun you appreciate a good rainstorm every now and then (although for some reason there’s a correlation between more rain and more traffic).

To me nothing beats a cold winter morning in Beirut. Not sure what it is, but I feel like there’s just a different electricity in the air.  I typically start them off with piping hot tea and a chocolate croissant from Croissant El Cheikh (or an almond chocolate croissant from Gustav, omnomnom). During the humid summer you can’t walk more then 5 minutes without being drenched in sweat, but during the cool winters you can actually take a nice walk. These nice walks actually make you realize how small  Beirut is. I once walked from Hamra to Bourj Hammoud (which technically outside of Beirut) in about an hour. I walk everywhere in the winter when it’s not raining. I suggest everyone take one long walk on a cold winter day.  The best is the day after a big snowstorm. You can stroll along the corniche and see the mountains capped with snow since the sky is so clear after any storm.

I get to see this on my jog all winter long

Anyways with winter comes Christmas. And Beirut really gets into Christmas. If anyone truly knows me, I love Christmas decorations. Usually back in NY friends and I cruise around looking at all the suburban homes going all out for Christmas. Although not on par with NY, Lebanon does a good job with Christmas decorations.  My favorite decorations are the ones in Le Mall in Sin El Fil, classy, clean, and they stick to true classic Christmas Decorations. My 2^nd favorite are probably ABC’s, but the tree itself is abysmal. It’s made of planks of wood!  And in last place is Beirut Souks. I’m sorry but circles of lights and a big tree made of plastic ribbons don’t evoke much Christmas spirit.

Santa flying through Le Mall

Le Mall's Christmas tree. What a Christmas tree should look like!

ABC's Santa's Workshop

Letter Factory

Letters to Santa

Bears playing hockey in the food court

Christmas decorations stuck to planks of wood apparently makes a Christmas tree. What were they honestly thinking?

ABC's interior

Not exactly sure how these circles of light in Beirut Souks evoke Christmas

Although from afar it seems impressive, its just some plastic ribbons with lights. At least try making it look like a real tree

For my next post I’ll try putting up some pics of Christmas decorations from different neighborhoods.

Stay Awesome

-Boulos

Why did you come back?

Yes after a year of being away I came back to Lebanon. “Bess inta 3aks el 3alam, fi 3ja, ma fi kharabi etc…”. Geez you don’t say, because apparently I’m totally oblivious.  I hear this phrase on a weekly basis. And yes I know to many people I am crazy for giving up better infrastructure  and stability, but let me try to explain my reasoning a little. Leaving Lebanon last year was 1. A bad decision career wise and 2. A regret of mine. I actually could have stayed a much longer but left thinking I was doing the responsible thing of going back home. What did I find back home? No jobs, soaring crime rate (6 robberies by my house in a month).  I was working an entry level job with no hope of advancing, and living in a suburb dominated by Walmart where my boredom pushed my patience to the limit. So I finally took a risk and decided to come back this past September and hope to stick around for a good while

Yes I know Lebanon is no walk in the park, I’ve even been to Akkar where people basically receive 6 hours of electricity and live in small shelters.  So no I’m not naïve thinking I’m off to the Switzerland of the Middle East. But I’ve seen much worse in the region, much much worse.  And hate to break it to you but trying to make it in America, especially now, is no walk in the park.   I always wanted to spend part of my life in the Mid East and to me know there is no better place to spend it then in Lebanon. Yes there are problems, plenty of problems. But there is plenty of potential, amazing nightlife, food, art scene, and that even in my opionion is better then Boston where I had lived previously and blows my hometown in NY  of the water. Everytime I come back there’s always something new happening be it a book signing, hike, protest or new art gallery. So yea there’s plenty of problems, but there’s plenty of potential. I’ve yet to regret coming back and hopefully I don’t.

I will try to make my blog posts shorter and to the point, and not full of too many rants or complaints

Stay Awesome.

-Boulos