Category Archives: Lebanon

Farsi Is A Required Language At Some Lebanese Schools, More Important Than French & English

Khosh Amadid Lebanon Farsi Iran Hezbollah

You gotta give it to us Lebanese, we sure are languages aficionados. Of course, most of us are not born as such but are spoon-fed three languages over the course of a thirteen year education system before we head out to higher education centers. But, as the saying goes, throw us in any country around the world and we’ll land standing.

Add Iran to one of those countries.

Some schools in Beirut’s Southern Suburb are now teaching Farsi, Iran’s main language, as curriculum requirement. Students would then get to choose between French and English as their third language, according to the previously linked source, because – as we all know – French and English have no commonplace in today’s world, being imperialistic languages and all.

The schools in question are all private schools and as such can teach whatever language they want, according to Lebanese law. Public schools, on the other hand, have not had the same curriculum change.

I get that political ties exist between the country where Farsi reigns supreme and the people running the schools that have adopted such curriculums. I get that those political ties are crucial for the well-being of the parties running those schools. I get that those parties sure love Iran, their culture and believe it should be imported over here – but at the expense of the educational well-being of all students attending those schools?

How does it make sense to teach students a language spoken only in one country, a language that doesn’t have any international reach whatsoever? What benefits does teaching Farsi bring to the students who will be forced to learn it? I can only think of them understanding that Farsi MBC channel. How does it make sense to give such a language importance over others than can simply make or break a person in today’s world? Teaching Farsi doesn’t count as “resistance.”

If those schools are so hell-bent on teaching Farsi, let them make it as the third optional language for their students instead of the other more crucial languages they relegated to that level. That way, they’d fulfill the apparent needs of their political ties by giving that culture more importance and still preserving the fundamental right of those students to get the best education that they can get. Our economy and their upcoming jobs are not contingent upon Iran.

Would I have had the same reaction had some schools opted for teaching German, Italian or Spanish as a required second language? Probably not, because this isn’t against Iran and their culture as much as it is keeping intact that last good thing that we  – as Lebanese – have: our global competitiveness. Those languages can help it. Farsi does not.

Khosh amadid to you.

Demonstrate For Peace, Live from Beirut, Online

Demonstrate for Peace Beirut

The next age of protests is upon us. A new initiative has made its way online today, called Demonstrate for Peace, which calls on an online gathering on September 21st in order to protest for peace. It will be the first of its kind. It is orchestrated by the United Nations.

You can join the movement by following this link. This demonstration, despite the website listing Martyr’s Square, will not take place in any physical locations in Lebanon but is simply Lebanon playing its part in International Peace Day.

I have to ask: what effect could such a rally truly have? Is an online protest as efficient as a real life one that requires people to go down to Martyr’s Square and ask for peace using their voices, not their keyboards? Or does the UN know that such protests may not be as effective or as enticing to people?

I’m not really sure what a protest such as Demonstrate For Peace could do, especially that real life protests – complete with bloody faces – in this country have failed to do much as a general rule of thumb. But I guess there’s no harm in logging in with any social account and expressing the simple and extremely important need to live in peace, especially in a country like ours. I assume we’ve all come to appreciate the beauty in the quietness of these past few days, which have been oddly calmer than their predecessors.

Demonstrate for Peace Beirut 2

 

Let’s hope that those who actually dictate peace log in as well?

Lebanon’s Phone Registration Procedure Needs To Be Rethought

My iPhone 5 fell in water almost a month ago. I didn’t know, so it sat in a puddle absorbing all the moisture it can get until its screen went bust.

We don’t have certified personnel for the iPhone in the country who can fix it and I’ll be sure they’re providing the best possible material. The man I took my iPhone to wanted to switch the screen to something that looked fishy, cost $200 and didn’t even work that well. He blamed my phone.

That same screen would cost about $300 in places around Beirut. So I decided to follow my instinct and send my phone to my family abroad for an out of warranty replacement, which is what happened.

The phone was brought into the country by an old man I barely knew and who had no idea he should register the phone at the airport. I figured it’s not a big deal, I’ll just take my passport the following day and head out to the nearest telecom center to get the procedure done.

That wasn’t possible. My passport didn’t work because I had been in Lebanon for more than a month since I traveled last. Obviously, dragging the 85 year old man who brought in the phone to one of those centers was out of the question. So what was I supposed to do to get my phone working on our networks?

I was lucky enough to know an exchange student who had been in the country for two weeks. So he did me a favor, fetched his passport and registered the phone for me. The process, advertised to be easy and seamless, took half a day and several car trips around Beirut just for something that should be second nature to anyone who gets a phone: the device getting reception. I have no clue what I would have done hadn’t the exchange student been available.

It is said these procedures are to prevent illegal smuggling of devices, provide another source of income for our government and basically make our life “easier” when it comes to phone purchases. But is that happening with phone prices taking a hike and the procedure having many parts of it that are apparently not thought out?

What if a relative sends you a gift from abroad with someone you don’t know at all and that person doesn’t register it. Are you supposed to take a trip to Syria just to get your passport stamped in order to get your phone to work?

I checked the online brochure the ministry posted back in May to see if there was a workaround on the matter. There was none. If you purchased a device online, you’d have a way to get it registered after paying the exorbitant taxes and using the customs’ receipt. But you’re basically out of luck in case you don’t have a recently stamped passport at your disposal.

Buying a phone and getting it to work by inserting a sim is apparently too simple for a country like this. But it’s all okay as long as we keep providing revenue for the government.

Giving Lebanon’s Indie Bands a Chance

Wickerpark - Batroun

I was talked into going to Wickerpark yesterday. Sure, it was almost literally taking place next door. Sure, it was only $20 for an entire music festival of sorts. Sure, it was for a good cause. But it was a place for music that I had come to brush off. And I refused to be sucked in.

Wickerpark yesterday introduced me to several bands, three – technically two bands and one performer – of which I can’t seem to shake off. I went to Wickerpark yesterday and got exposed to some great music. I guess it’s a good thing I went.

Postcards:

I absolutely loved these people. Of course, they’re  right up my musical alley of folk music. But their songs are really well-written. They perform those songs extremely well. I never thought I’d use such a word to describe anything but if there was anything to be described as “organic,” it’s them singing by the sea a song called “Lakehouse.” Granted, the Mediterranean isn’t a lake but as they belted “come home” to the echo of the waves crashing behind them, I was simply mesmerized.

Postcards covered a song by Fleet Foxes as well. Yes, I know who those are. And their cover was impeccable. Their EP was released less than two weeks ago and I couldn’t wait to buy it off iTunes. I’d love to see them cover songs by “The Civil Wars,” so in case they read this: make it happen!

You can buy their EP here and check their Facebook page here.

Charlie Rayne:

How cool was this guy? He was apparently globe-trotting around Europe before heading to Wickerpark, performing gigs all across Paris, Prague, Berlin, etc…. His music is folky, akin to Postcards. I especially liked the one about a girl’s “velvet garden.” Don’t fret, there’s nothing overtly raunchy about the material. Rayne is an excellent guitar player. He was the only act to command the stage solo. If you like Philip Philipps’ songs, Rayne is your Lebanese version.

Check out Charlie Rayne’s Facebook page here.

The Wanton Bishops:

I have to admit, this band was intriguing me the most about Wickerpark. I had never listened to their music before but wrote about them having their visa to the UK refused. Thank you Lebanese passport! After yesterday, I have to say that music festival in the UK they couldn’t go to definitely missed out.

They reminded me of the few songs I knew by The Black Keys. Their music isn’t my cup of tea though I’m warming up to such music lately. What drew me to them, however, was the sheer energy with which they performed. That energy is something to behold. They played with a multitude of instruments on stage seamlessly, never missed a note and their lead singer could play that harmonica forever despite him being such a smoker he couldn’t not do his set without a cigarette.

Check out their Facebook page here.

Why the hell aren’t they more popular? 

Yes, I know asking that question puts me on all the Lebanese hipster watchlists. But I can’t not ask it: why aren’t Postcards, Charlie Rayne and Wanton Bishops as known, if not more, than other Lebanese bands, some of which are are dubbed “revolutionary of arab pop” with horrible enunciation to boot?

It’s not like Lebanon doesn’t have the platforms to truly launch their careers. We have four english-music radio stations. They all play the same music. On weekends, three of them play the exact same house music endlessly until your ears start bleeding – unless, of course, you’re a house music fan. None of those radio stations, however, give a shot for these local acts who are truly doing an enormous job given whatever limited resources they have. How many bands have you heard of get their visas for musical festivals rejected?

You’d think though that Lebanese radio would try to put Lebanese acts in the spotlight more often. I guess not. Perhaps they think we like to listen to Applause in a loop 24/7.

It may not matter much, but Lebanon’s indie scene gained an extra fan in me yesterday.

The #1 Rule To Get a Job in Lebanon: Have a Religiously-Appropriate Name

Hassan is the name. Let’s play a game of guess his religion in front of an imaginary crowd. I’m not psychotic I swear, although I guess that’s what a psychotic person would say as well.

100% of my fictive crowd say he’s Muslim. Is he Shiite or Sunni? Let’s say our lovely crowd goes 70-30 for Shiite. All are educated guesses, all are well-reasoned choices. I wouldn’t call such thought process sectarian – after all, they were primed to answer. Our imaginary crowd is 100% wrong.

Hassan is not Muslim. Hassan goes to Church every sunday. He is as religious as they go. He is not eccentric enough to have had a name change. You can say he was born that way.

And yet Hassan is sitting around at home, nearing his 30s, unable to find a job just because of the name his parents decided to give him.

The areas he’s searching in, close to home and familiar, are all Christian. But they don’t believe him when they ask about his religion during job interviews, a question that is getting increasingly popular lately. Companies would definitely not admit to this, obviously.

The #1 rule to get a job in Lebanon is, therefore, to have a name that is appropriate religiously to the region you’re applying to. If you’re a Hassan in Jounieh, odds are you will have a terrible time in getting to the point of receiving a paycheck. Of course, other areas in the country are not exactly better.

It wasn’t enough that most of the jobs in the market today are being taken by highly trained and much less salary demanding Syrian incomers.  Lebanese people are having another hurdle develop in front of them lately, apart from all the wastas. Instead of having Lebanese judged by their capacities and qualifications, they are being increasingly judged by the way they pray and, lately, by where they live. And to think I was doubting my friends from Tripoli who were getting increasingly wary of putting up their city of residence on their CVs.

Bass fi a7la men lebnen?