Alors On Danse - Rikky's Faqra

RIKKY'Z

Check out the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10790180247

http://www.rikkyz.com/

ALORS ON DANSE AT RIKKYZ from Sabrina Chammas on Vimeo.

Un Coeur pour Philippe! (R.I.P.)

Philippe a cree un mouvement de solidarite parmi les Libanais sans precedent, notament sur facebook qui a reussit a reunir en 10 jours 23,865 fans...

(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127928617219284).

Introducing Philippe on his dedicated FB group, Un Coeur pour Philippe, he was described by his friends as follows:

"Philippe was born with a cardiomyopathy. He is 25 years old. His condition has changed since last Christmas. He has fluids in the lungs, oedemas in the legs and had a thrombosis on may 9th. His cardiologist as well as other specialists all agree that only a HEART TRANSPLANT can save him. The operation will take place at the Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris. Philippe doesn't have any healthcare coverage in France since he is Lebanese and the operation costs 220 000 euros approximately, and his family can't pay this sum on their own. We call all friends, families, friends of friends and random strangers to help philippe get his operation. A bank account has been created in Lebanon, Paris, and a Paypal account is available for overseas donations. Money has no value by itself, it all depends on what you do with it. Thank you for your help"

L'Orient Le Jour -31.05.2010

by Najib Aoun

Coeur a Coeur

Aujourd'hui, je ne parlerai pas des élections municipales, du cirque ambulant qui a mis les Libanais en émoi quatre semaines durant ; je ne dirai rien des inimitiés que des campagnes grotesques ont provoquées, des rancœurs que des règlements de comptes familiaux ou bassement politiciens ont attisées. Aujourd'hui, je n'évoquerai nullement les armes du Hezbollah, la stratégie de défense qui se perd dans les méandres de l'amnésie délibérée ; je ne m'attarderai pas sur les menaces israéliennes, sur les vociférations prometteuses de destructions généralisées, d'une apocalypse rédemptrice ; je ne tiendrai nullement compte des tirades incendiaires, des bêtises servies sur des plateaux en trompe-l'œil ; je fuirai comme la peste les esprits pervers qui distillent haine et suspicion, qui s'évertuent à greffer la détestation là où tout est convivialité, amour et solidarité.

Solidarité : voilà le mot magique qui redynamise les consciences, qui révèle la vraie nature du Libanais, celle que les guerres fratricides, les séquestrations de la volonté nationale ont tenté d'enfouir sous un amoncellement de doutes, de défiance et d'oublis. Solidarité : celle qui voit le Libanais aller à la rencontre de l'autre, le soutenir dans ses difficultés, dans sa détresse, lui apporter le réconfort dont il a besoin. Solidarité, c'est toute une chaîne qui se met en place, qui torpille les clivages, les différences, c'est un « cœur pour Philippe », cet élan exceptionnel de générosité qui a mobilisé des dizaines de milliers de jeunes et de moins jeunes, qui a transposé sur Facebook l'angoisse des uns, l'espoir des autres, une véritable course contre la montre, un jamais-vu d'amour et de sollicitude pour permettre à Philippe de retrouver son souffle, d'arriver au plus vite à l'hôpital parisien pour une transplantation cardiaque, synonyme de vie renouvelée.
Merci à tous ceux qui ont répondu à l'appel du cœur ou qui l'ont même précédé, des plus connus aux plus anonymes, des plus nantis aux moins favorisés, ceux qui ont répercuté l'appel aux quatre coins du pays, aux quatre coins du monde via Internet.

Un « cœur pour Philippe » c'est le reflet d'une humanité entière, gratuite, sans arrière-pensée, hors de toute tentative de récupération, le reflet d'une bonté infinie, celle d'hommes et de femmes qui ont forgé dans les épreuves une faculté à nulle autre pareille, celle de l'écoute de l'autre, de l'entraide, de la solidarité. Le jour venu, le moment venu, c'est la mère de Philippe, Anne-Marie, qui contera dans les colonnes de ce journal, dans ce journal qui est le sien, le long parcours fait de larmes et d'attentes angoissées, de panique et d'espoir. L'espoir que le cœur de Philippe puisse battre rapidement au rythme, au diapason de tous les cœurs qui se sont portés à son secours...

(http://www.lorientlejour.com/editoriaux/editorial.php?id=2)

http://www.beiruting.com/album/863

Seulement 2 heures plus tot aujourd'hui meme (le dernier jour du mois de notre Sainte Mere Marie, 31 May 2010), le coeur de Philippe a lache.

Messages from Nagy Khoury (family friend):

"Mes amis, Il y a dix jours, un ange nous a mobilisés … Il nous a appris le sens de l’Amour et de la solidarité. Il nous a donné l’espoir d’un Liban plus humain et plus noble. Comme un messager, il est venu … ...Comme un ange, il vient de s’envoler. Prions pour lui.""Mes amis, permettez-moi de partager ces quelques pensées avec vous. Supposons que Philippe soit parti il y a dix jours ... Sa mort nous aurait fait mal, bien sûr, mais est-ce qu'elle aurait été aussi percutante, aussi forte dans notre entourage et dans notre société ? Bien sûr que non ... Le Seigneur nous l'a envoyé, juste 10 jours, comme messager, pour nous donner un sacré coup de fouet et sa mort n'aura pas été vaine ... Merci Philippe pour ton irruption dans nos vies ces dix derniers jours. Tu nous as rappelé l'importance du COEUR dans notre existence ..."

Jounoune's personal note (as posted today on the FB group @ 04:00pm): "Philippe, i am positive that you are now resting in peace within the arms of our Holy Mother on this last day of the month dedicated to Her! You have achieved a great feat in uniting strangers as well as friends to your cause. Your flame is a flame of hope and solidarity that will never go out. Thank you for the valuab...le lessons you taught us: to never loose faith in God or in the people around us, and to never give up... Thank you."

Think Pink 2010 -Charity Dinner

Monday, June 21, 2010 at 8:00pm
Sky Bar - Beirut, Lebanon

JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER

In 2008, we held a dinner at Beirut's Sky Bar and raised over $50 000 USD. The proceeds were put towards prevention and early detection and were used to offer women across Lebanon free mammograms.

In 2009, we held another dinner at Sky Bar and raised over $100 000 USD. This time, the proceeds were put towards treatment and support and offered women battling the cancer free chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation, etc...

2010's dinner will once again be in Sky Bar on Monday June 21. The proceeds will again go towards treating and supporting women with breast cancer (May Jallad Foundation).

A few of the prizes at this year's dinner...
- New 2010 Mazda M2
- De La Cour Ladies Watch
- MEA tickets to Europe
- Tufenkjian jewelry

DINNER + DRINKS (seated 3 course meal + open premium bar + raffle ticket) - $150
DRINKS (open premium bar; non-seated) - $100

FOR RESERVATIONS: +961-3-140-433

http://www.thinkpinkcharity.com

Summer Festivals in Lebanon

Award-winning jazz artist Diana Krall, pop sensation Mika and operatic quartet Il Divo will head the bill in a line-up of stars performing in Lebanon's summer festivals, scheduled to begin next month.

Lebanon, which registered a record year for tourism in 2009, hosts three prestigious festivals -- Baalbeck, Beiteddine and Byblos -- which are major attractions for tourists visiting the tiny Mediterranean country.

The Baalbeck International Festival, which was officially launched in 1956 and is the oldest in the Middle East, runs from June 24 to August 7 and is staged among spectacular Roman ruins in eastern Lebanon. The festival opens with a concert by Lebanese-born pop sensation Mika and features performances by jazz saxophonist Odean Pope, the Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre and Iraqi musician Naseer Shamaa.

The Beiteddine Festival runs from June 25 to August 6 and stars award-winning pianist and singer Diana Krall, multi-national pop opera quartet Il Divo and Lebanese jazz icon Ziad Rahbani.
The Beiteddine concerts are held in a palatial 19th century residence in the Shouf mountains, an area of green hills and traditional villages southeast of Beirut popular with tourists.

The Byblos International Festival, staged against a backdrop of Phoenician ruins in the ancient port of Byblos north of Beirut, will announce its programme on June 1.

The festivals were cancelled in past years because of political crises, assassinations and all-out war, but made a comeback in 2008. They were largely sold out last year with the arrival of a record two million tourists in Lebanon. The three international festivals are widely expected to attract thousands of visitors this year despite rising tension in the region.

http://senatus.net/article/summer-festivals-lebanon/

Links to festivals:

Byblos Festival: http://www.byblosfestival.org/
Beiteddine Festival: http://www.beiteddine.org/
Baalbeck Festival: http://www.baalbeck.org.lb/
Al Bustan Festival: http://www.albustanfestival.com/
Tyre Festival: http://tyrefestival.com/

Project Lebanon 2010 @ BIEL

and

at Project Lebanon 2010

Date: June 1-4, 2010
Time: from 04:00 to 10:00 pm
Venue: BIEL

Come visit stand no. B42

Syndicate of Security & Safety Professionals in Lebanon (SSSPL),

for which Captain Sami G. Zod has been President for two consecutive terms,

will also have a stand at no. C41

More videos of Habib Alberto's violin performance at the Beirut Boat 2010

Habib Alberto: Fiddle to Live and Live to Fiddle!

On 21.05.2010, Habib Alberto performed his extraordinaire fiddling on top of the Azimut Yatch at Beirut Boat 2010 (La Marina, Dbayeh) wearing a Captain and Captain "Dolvor" shorty wetsuit and booties!

A fantastic and extravagant violin performance that was not to be missed for the world!

Check out these videos:

International agency, Eden Yachting, puts Beirut on charter map

Eden Yachting based in the UAE, and one of the few yacht charter agencies based in the Middle East, has demonstrated its support for the Lebanese yacht charter industry this month by adding Beirut as a charter destination on its cutting edge website.

The company, launched last year, charters both sailing and motor yachts for their clients through well established operators in some 25 exotic destinations worldwide and this now includes the Lebanese capital.

According to Philippe Saad, Owner and Managing Director of Eden Yachting, "The yacht charter industry is particularly underdeveloped in Lebanon, however as the country enjoys a 220 km coastline, 300 days of sunshine and borders the Mediterranean, I believe there is great potential in this market for chartering. Of course there are limitations in the sense that there are not many public marinas outside the Beirut area, however this just means that it is currently a day charter market. The Lebanese like to socialise and they love the sea, so what better way to enjoy themselves than to charter a crewed yacht for a day and take a group of friends cruising up the coast."

According to the New York Times, a record number of travellers showed up to discover Beirut in 2009 and if the political situation remains stable, that could mean even more visitors this year. This has had a positive impact on the local yachting industry, demonstrated by a significant 14.5% growth in yacht sales in 2009, with the prediction for 2010 estimated at +20%. Indeed the investment in both tourism and marine facilities along the Lebanese coast, heralds a new era for boating enthusiasts, with $1bn already spent on marinas/ seafront developments and more in the pipeline.

Eden Yachting offers both motor and sailing yachts for cruising, racing, training, team building, corporate hospitality, diving and fishing in a number of Middle Eastern destinations as well as the more usual international charter locations. These include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, the Musandam Fjords, Muscat and the Red Sea.

http://www.ameinfo.com/232966.html

Miss U.S.A 2010 Is The Lebanese Rima Fakih!!

Miss Michigan 2010 Rima Fakih, a Muslim Lebanese born in South Lebanon, has been crowned Miss USA 2010. Fakih won the pageant Sunday night at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas after a swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. Fakih is the second Arab-American to win the title, the first ever Muslim-American Miss USA and the first Miss Michigan to become Miss USA since Kenya Moore in 1993. Julie Hayek was the first Lebanese American to win the title in 1983. When asked how she felt about winning the Miss USA crown, Fakih said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza." Arab all over America danced and cheered the moment Rima beat 50 other beauty queens to the crown.

http://www.wikeez.com/en/people/pictures-miss-usa-2010-arab-rima-fakih-7472

Captain & Captain @ Beirut Boat Show 2010

Captain & Captain - Gifts for Men

in cooperation with

Dive The Med Club

coordially invite you to visit our stand at

Beirut Boat Show 2010 ...

Date: 19-23 May 2010

Time: from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Venue: La Marina Joseph Khoury, Dbayeh - Lebanon

... and request your FREE gift with every purchase during the show!

Captain & Captain, Shop by Personality (www.captainandcaptain.com)

Dive The Med Club (http://www.divethemedclub.com/)

FLY LEBANON 2010

FLY LEBANON 2010

When: Summer 2010 (initial dates postponed)

Where: Tripoli, Byblos, and Jounieh stadiums

"This is dedicated to sky junkies who get high on living to the extreme. Nothing beats the rush of having just the wind on your back, and this summer the sky is definitely the place to be as Fly Lebanon brings the first extreme sports event to the country."

What's Flying: over 100 pilots from 14 countries, 60 Paramotors, 4 acrobatic Cessna, 10 skydivers, 3 hot air balloons, 50 RC planes, 15 Paragliders, 2 Water hang gliders, Helicopters, ...

Crowd's Opening Games: Paragliders, 20 tandem planes, RC planes, hot air ballons, delta planes, ...

*all day packages to be shared soon.

Ground Packages: 2 bunjee jumping, half pipes, climbing walls, flying fox, space ball, running bunji, Xtreme pneumatics, big air bag, along professional shows...

Participating Countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Iran, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, UK, Spain and Hungary.

For more information:

http://www.flylebanonevent.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FLY-LEBANON/110557108978522

Tel: +961 3 920084

Niha, Zahle (Bekaa Valley, Lebanon)

The word neeha is Syriac and denotes to the place the character of calm, peaceful. The village is located about 65 km East of the Lebanese capital Beirut off the main road that leads to Baalbeck. It is 8 km North of Zahle. The village sits in a small canyon at an average altitude of 1,100 m.

Niha is home to four Roman temples that were constructed between the first and third century A.D. The Lower two temples are located on the edge of the village, and the upper two temples are about 2 km above the village in what is known as "Hosn" Niha. The first and smallest temple was built in the first century A.D. As one enters the gate at the edge of the village into the archeological park that is maintained by the Department of Antiquities, the Lower Small Temple appears first and directly ahead to the right of the creek. The temple was dedicated to the Syro-Phoenician mermaid goddess Atargatis and her consort, the god Hadaranes. Hadaranes is the local name of Hadad, the god of thunder, lightning and rain. Atargatis is the goddess of fertility. In the remains of this temple, archaeologists discovered a stone with an inscription mentioning a female virgin prophet named Hochmea. Hochmea was the priestess of Hadaranes and Atargatis; she dedicated herself to those two gods and cut herself off from the world. The stone inscription says: According to an order from the god, she stopped eating bread for 20 years and lived for 100 years. This small temple was apparently used for the public cult, which allowed everyone to participate in purification rituals. Opposite the creek lies the Great Temple which was extensively restored by the government of Lebanon in the 1950s. Towering nearly 20 m, the temple was built during the second and third centuries A.D. and was apparently used for a mysterious cult that spread during that era, similar to the temple of Bacchus in Baalbeck. The temple was also dedicated to the god Hadaranes and goddes Atargatis, as well as to a young god who played the role of their son.

The Small Temple of Niha is oriented north-south, while the Great Temple is oriented east-west. During the excavations of the site, an oratory was discovered in front of the Small Temple. The oratory had an altar representing the goddess of Niha, surrounded by a number of steles sculpted in the local style (not Roman style). The reason for the perpendicular orientation of the two temples is the presence of this monumental altar, which was situated in front of the Small Temple, and which was used as a base for the orientation of the Great Temple.

Two other Upper Roman temples were constructed at the Hosn, approximately 2 km away from the two temples mentioned earlier. Located at an elevation of 1,400 m with difficult road access, these two temples are not restored. Architectural evidence at the site indicates that it was transformed into a small fort during the medieval period (hence the name of Hosn). The altar in front of the temple was destroyed by a Byzantine Basilica that was built over it. The Basilica has three naves and a semi-circular apse to its east end. The second Small Temple opens to the south and was accessed through a stairway that is almost completely destroyed today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niha_Bekaa