Beirut For Dummies, By Dummies
Yet another, euh, weird piece about Beirut in the Western media.
At Gauche Caviar in Gemmayzeh (source)
The fact that Czech Airlines sponsored a London-based writer to write about Beirut for a Canadian newspaper is not the only odd thing about this piece on Beirut.
The writer, who is staying in the Albergo hotel, doesn’t get her facts straight: “Labneh is a creamy white cheese” and Kibbeh nayyeh was “rather like beef tartar”, indulges in clichés: “[Beirut youngsters] spend, party and live for today” and spews intelligence-insulting hyperboles: “with [Beirut's] glamour easily putting New York or Paris to shame.”
Worse, the writer seems to believe this stuff: “Although it’s all said with a smile, the party-loving girls who act like they don’t have a care in the world are deadly serious. Wise beyond their years, they are admirably pragmatic.”
If you’re into the “western reporter comes to Beirut, enjoys the nightlife in Monot and Jemmayze and is amazed at how the war torn youth enjoys life to its full” genre, then go ahead and read it. Otherwise, don’t bother.
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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You are too tough on the reporter Mustapha. The piece is not as bad as you make it out to be. Slightly mischarecterising certain Lebanese specialty foods is understandable if its coming from foreigners.
From experience, I can tell you that going out at night in Beirut clubs and restaurants and the kind of clubs and restaurants in Beirut (decor, size, music and ambiance) more than measures up with clubs and restaurants in NY & Paris. She was referring to the going out at night experience rather than Beirut as a city “putting NY and Paris to shame”
At the end of the day keep in mind that the context is to encourage more people to fly to Beirut using Czech airlines. It’s a promotional piece by the airline. As promotional pieces go – this passes as an more than OK.
I tend to agree with MM, though will go back to read the article. Mustapha, in the US, even the Arab manufacturers sell labneh as cheese (“kefir cheese”) no kidding!!!
She definitely puts a positive spin on things– which is sort of an irresponsible one for her as a journalist to do. She obviously didn’t visit the not-so-touristy and glitzy areas of the city to give the “bigger picture” to everyone. But, alas, she probably didn’t have cajones to. Or couldn’t find someone with them to escort her– we Americans (and most other Westerners) are urged by our State Department to not travel to Lebanon, and if we’re there, to get out. And if we’re hell bent on going, to avoid certain areas where the government has “less control” (i.e., the southern part).
I wouldn’t blame her for not knowing what labneh is– it’s sort of a difficult one to put into words! “Somewhere in between yogurt and cheese as far as taste, appearance, and description goes” is what I’D say as an American trying to describe it to someone else in the West. And then it sounds rather unappetizing, eh?
All in all, I agree with you– kinda blah. And typical of travel writers here in the West.