I remember many years back in one of the Miss Lebanon competitions, one of the contestants who then went on to carry the title, was the biggest mockery in the country. She got asked a question of “What would you talk about Lebanon to those who do not know it internationally?” Her answer was something along the lines of “Lebanon is a beautiful country, we can go to the beach and ski in the same day, and we have… shopping!”

Lebanese identity under the umbrella of Arab identity (for marketing and financial benefits and purpose) has been a big dilemma ever since the creation of the country. Are we more connected to the West or the Arabs? Who do we identify with? Are we an open society or a traditional one? What is our society about, culture, values? How do we deal with a divided image internally let alone what we project on to the rest of the world? We do not want to be linked to any negative terrorist connotations yet part of our society follows and belongs to Hezbollah… You get the picture.

Today, I just stumbled upon someone who apparently seems to have solved these issues - a wannabe pop Lebanese phenomena called Jad Choueiry - oh no wait! He now spells his name Jad Shwery. He has just summed it up in his new “hit” Funky Arabs.

I don’t know where to start here but I will encourage you to see the song and video clip first - FUNKY ARABS

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“I am not a diva, I am THE diva!” Miss Piggy believed herself and we all did too. But she did not just make statements, she created a movement. Like many of my generation, I grew up with the concept of stardom equated to a pig. Only she was never just quite that. She was a genuine character living her life, dating a famous frog. What made her egocentric persona so lovable and well, real, was her sense of three dimensionality and her trueness to self. Over her years of fame, Miss Piggy has gathered, latched on and shared much wisdom about what’s wrong with everyone else and what’s right with her. It was all about her; “Moi, moi and moi” was personified in how she really stole the spotlight. She was the original It-Girl. (more…)

Sometimes we all need a break from our routine and what better way to do that than through music, The Sound of Music. This is a fun, light video performance at Central Station Antwerp in Belgium. Watch it and sing along: Do a deer, a female deer…

SOUND OF MUSIC ANTWERP

I saw this ad on TV and well it’s true: Disney are now selling eggs!!! I have no idea what to say here, this just seems too ridiculous. I mean what will be next - tampons or pears?? What the hell, give me a scrambled Goofy and Pluto with cheese.

Disney Farm Fresh Eggs