Beirutista

I’d heard about writer and creativity coach Nadia Tabbara some time ago. Anyone in Beirut who dabbles in writing has probably come across her name, as she heads a space called FADE IN:  to educate aspiring writers on the creative process. Beyond that, Nadia is a professional screenwriter who’s worked on famous Hollywood productions including “Step Up 3D” and “The Adjustment Bureau.” What I didn’t know is that Nadia and I share a bit in common, namely our American upbringing. In fact, we were both denizens of Boston, though not contemporaneously. She graduated from Emerson College in 2005; I, from MIT, in 2009. We both made the dramatic decision to move to Lebanon in 2011, citing a raw hunger to experience our ancestral home. In her new book Harness Your Creativity , published last month by Turning Point Books , Nadia articulates that yearning ever so eloquently: “A big part of the creative process is learning how to follow a whisper until it turns into a thought, then an...

One of the things I miss most about living in the US is Amazon.com. More than merely a marketplace, it’s a treasure trove that sells absolutely everything under the sun (and then some).  I’m not exaggerating. I used to skip the university bookstore, buying (and selling) ALL of my college textbooks via Amazon. Last Christmas, I stumbled across gorgeous Ivanka Trump navy blue pumps at a steal…on Amazon. Every perfume I have ever procured, from my very first bottle of Burberry Brit back in grad school, was through Amazon. Most recently, my son Stephen’s play pen, stroller, bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer, and organic bamboo bath towel were unearthed…on Amazon. Yes, folks. Amazon is life, and nowhere do you appreciate its existence more than in Lebanon, where it is nonexistent. Here, if you come across an imported product, particularly clothing or electronics, it’s substantially marked up (been to Virgin Megastore recently?). Quite often, too, you won’t even find what you’re ...

In Lebanon, sacramental events like baptism, first Holy Communion, and marriage can easily spiral into lavish affairs. Lebanese love to celebrate big, and that kind of festive spirit extends even to deeply religious occasions. Modesty is rarely the motif! Contrarily, my husband and I tend to be understated in our approach. Two weeks ago, we baptized our seven-month-old son Stephen in the presence of an intimate few. The ceremony was beautiful and symbolic; the lunch reception following it, chic and idyllic; and the keepsakes, lovingly handcrafted with ornate detail. If I were to describe the day in two words, it would be elegant subtlety, and we wanted Stephen’s first sacrament to embody that. The Ceremony St. Paul’s Basilica in Harissa holds monumental significance to our family. It was where Jimmy and I united in holy matrimony over three and a half years ago. It was the church in which Jimmy himself was baptized some three decades ago. And it is where we wished to chr...

Here in the Land of the Cedars, Ramadan is in full swing, and with it, the daily ritual of fasting for many a Muslim faithful. The wave of heat sweeping across the country surely doesn’t help with the dawn-to-dusk abstinence of food and drink, but careful planning and guided preparation can. When it comes to inspiration surrounding mealtimes and hosting, Wesley’s Wholesale is your mecca. As soon as you enter the store, pick up an American Cart flyer and leaf through the innumerable deals carved around the month-long holiday. Prices on staples like Royal basmati rice , Mazola corn oil , Hunt’s canned tomatoes , and Durkee paprika are all slashed, so stock your pantry liberally! Explore table stations throughout the megastore decked with ingredients to stir the senses and get the culinary creative juices flowing. This week, the spotlight’s on pasta, salad, nachos, and garlic bread, so be sure to visit in-store for live demos of delicious mash-ups. One hot item to try is Mike’...

My cousin Josette Cherfane Mezher passed away on Sunday, May 20, 2018, after battling with a very rare form of cancer. Years before, when it first showed its ugly face, she had been treated successfully. But it resurfaced toward the end of her pregnancy in December, and after numerous operations and three months of hospitalization, she breathed her last stifled breath. She was only 33. I still remember meeting you for the first time, in 1991, on my first conscious trip to Lebanon. I asked you whether you spoke English, but you shook your head, so we quickly fell into Arabic. We wore matching Where's Waldo? T-shirts my mom had gotten us from California. I saw you wield a fork with your right hand, and I was so envious that I trained myself to do the same, even though I am a lefty. To this day, I continue to grasp fork and spoon with my right hand because of you. We instantly became best friends. You're the first person I exchanged letters with, and you'd write b...