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George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin’s Wedding Will Take Place in Lebanon

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

george-clooney-amal-alamuddin

A friend jokingly recently said that never since the days of the biggest plate of Tabbouleh have we had a surge in our national pride as when Amal Alamuddin, the international Lebanese British lawyer, got engaged to George Clooney. Well, ladies and gentlemen brace yourselves for another wave of Lebanese pride.

Amal Alamuddin, inspiring many other Lebanese women to set out plans to hitch Hollywood’s next eligible bachelor, is reportedly returning home for the “it” wedding of the year. At least on Lebanese levels.

Sources close to Alamuddin’s family have indicated that Alamuddin and Clooney will tie the knot in Lebanon this coming September. The location for the nuptials is reportedly Alamuddin’s own hometown, Baaklin. Apparently one can’t say Alamuddin isn’t proud of where she originally comes from.

In the very likely setting that this information turns out true, I wouldn’t be going out on a limb to say that Lebanon would get an…

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Sun Kissed #atozchallenge #poetry #photography

penned in moon dust

K

old, weathered sun has kissed my face

 youthful  color there is no trace

wind scorched have I been left to dry

you never stopped to say “goodbye”

*

the life we shared was fair and good

the test of time is where we stood

what came between love you and I?

you never stopped to say “goodbye”

*

some things do come and others go

life springs forth death’s a solemn blow

things fade away, I don’t know why

you never stopped to say “goodbye”

*

the hinges barely hold me now

I soon shall take my final bow

I say these things with fateful sigh

you never stopped to say “goodbye”

Unhinged Unhinged

 Kyrielle:  a french form poem is structured so that all lines have eight syllables and each stanza of four lines ends in a refrain. The Kyrielle takes on a rhythmical form much like a rhyming couplet.

The structure of…

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Dear Lebanon – A Teenage Perspective of Bombings, Religion and Politics.

Hummus For Thought

“Whilst politicians engage in an exuberant battle of words on television and political party flags are flown in the streets, youths demand answers that go beyond symbolism and rhetoric. This 30 minute documentary features youths’ ambivalent love for their home country. Which role do teenagers see for themselves in Lebanon? How can they succeed in making their voices heard?”

This is what the charming short movie “Dear Lebanon: A Teenage Perspective of Bombings, Religion and Politics” (Trailer) is about. Directed by Raphael Schanz in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Stiftung – Middle East Office, ‘Dear Lebanon’ stands out by solely featuring the voices of teenagers, voices that are more often than not ignored in modern socio-political discourse.

The text goes on to say:

“A new generation grows up wishing for nothing more than to live in peace — a generation that more often than not has one thing on its…

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MERS in America: Importation ≠ Secondary Transmission

Mens et Manus

Since MERS landed in the United States, there have been a lot of questions about what the disease exactly is and whether or not it’s dangerous. In short, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is an infectious disease that exhibits high case fatality rates; seems to prefer individuals with pre-existing conditions; and most likely finds its origins in camels. But today, I want to talk about how likely it is that we’ll be facing an outbreak here in the US anytime soon.

The answer? Most likely no.

This is not the first time MERS has hitched a ride on a plane and found itself far from home. We’ve seen imported cases pop up in the UK, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and several others. If you’re curious about the exact numbers, click through the map below to an interactive visualization of MERS around the world:
MERS Around the World82% of cases that have occurred since…

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Special Edition: Bassem Sabry (1982 – 2014)

Nervana

Bassem Photo

Egypt has lost one of its best bloggers, and democracy activists, Bassem Sabry. He was mourned by many across the globe.

Few thoughts about my friend Bassem

 I still feel numb. I have struggled to write since the tragic passing of Bassem Sabry. I kept reading one tribute after another; all were poignant, accurately describing the wonderful human being Bassem was ___ all made me more tearful and more numb.

 Tragic, sudden death is no stranger to me. As a child, my father passed away suddenly, and I had to endure my mother wearing mourning garments for seven successive years…

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Photos: Domestic Workers Celebrate Labor Day

Hummus For Thought

As previously written , today was the final day of the 3-day Workers’ Day Parade and Festival celebrating Labor day organized by the  Anti-Racism MovementFi Chi Ghalat , and various other NGOs. For the Facebook Album, click here .

All Photos are under a Creative Commons license (use if you want but please credit me.)

First, we marched

from Dora to Mar Mikhael (random order).

Then, we rested

at Mar Mikhael Train Station

And then, we celebrated

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