Belbol - a creative missing link in the name of Lebanon

All right, color me perplexed. Very perplexed.

Introducing Belbol - "a decorative spinning top revolving around our Lebanese culture" - of which 10452 copies were done (Lebanon is technically 10452 kms2 hence the number). The item is supposed to be representing the "resilience nd strength of the Lebanese people". And is supposed to be akin to carrying "a piece of Lebanon" with the person in question. It is supposed to be draw "inspiration from the statue of the immigrant at the port of Beirut, representing the longing for the homeland". "Belbol connects every Lebanese who immigrated but never left, who came back yet never returned." You might want to know that "a portion of the sale of Belbol will be donated to different associations dedicated to the education of children in Lebanon". 

Just to be clear, I still don't get it. None of it. Here's a direct link if you care to understand more (here).

Oh and here's the statue of the immigrant in question here. I still don't see the link between the statue and the object in question by the way and I believe the name of the man in the statue is Antonios Sebaali.

But I do like the Belbol logo immensely if you wish to know.

Wooden Bakery and its tasteless discount ad. Moulin d'or Rebukes

Well, I have no solid statistics but I know for a fact that what's with poverty climbing to 55% of the population, what's with inflation hitting all prices, what's with devaluation wiping chunks of purchasing power, and many other factors compounded, a large percentage of the Lebanese population desires to leave the country, and that a huge number of those who are dual nationals have already left, and day on day off we hear about those risking their lives at sea with the "death boats" sailing from places such as Tripoli where people pay smugglers to get them across the Mediterranean. If I say all this, it is because of an ad that appeared yesterday and is of totally poor taste (sorry for the pun).

Wooden Bakery had an ad for its 32,000 Manoushe down from 38,000 (thyme or cheese on a dough) that went "those who immigrated have suffered a loss" (implicitly "cannot benefit from this offer")... To say the ad was met with derision and scorn would be an understatement. The satiric account Peter Wen Maken on Instagram issued a funny rebuke whereby planes are seen getting back to "benefit from the offer" (see here), another frustrated person left a comment on the ad that said "stuff your 5,000" (meaning the presumed discount) to which Wooden Bakery answered "6,000" unaware it was adding fuel to the fire rather than appearing funny.

Seriously, at some point, brands must read the room. People are literally struggling on day to day basis, anyone who is anyone is trying by hook or by crook to leave the land. To say that those immigrated suffered a loss is neither sarcastic nor cute, but rather tone-deaf and demeaning when those who are left here are truly barely making it till the end of the month.

Well, to misquote that comment, "stuff your 6000".

And in one of those strokes of genius, Moulin d'or gives Wooden Bakery the perfect rebuke. "Nope those who immigrated did not lose a good deal, we deliver to the world". Well, at least someone did something smart with this!

Lebanon: No country for young men

Artwork by Tarek Chemaly

If the William Butler Yeats poem said "that is no country for old men", Lebanon, today is no country for young men (or women, or non-binary if they identify as such!)... But I digress. I read a recent statistic that 70% of Lebanese dual nationals have already left Lebanon. Good for them truth be told. What the other 30% are doing is beyond me to be honest. It seems 2500 doctors and nurses have already left Lebanon - not sure how this translates but I also read that 40% of doctors and 30% of nurses have left already. Half of the 72,000 engineers registered in Lebanon already work outside.

In the creative industry - anything from advertising to audiovisual talents - the situation is no better. A friend trying to finish his film tells me that editing, sound design or coloring are taking enormous time since there are very few talents left in Lebanon and they are all overwhelmed with work. 

But again, why stay? Truly, why stay? And please the "patriotic" answer is not a good one - come up with a better answer. Honestly, I cannot even imagine what it is to be a young man/woman in Lebanon today... I am sure they are all dying to go out, to have a normal life, to escape power failures (or any other kind of failures at large!). My generation cheated death too many times (see here), theirs was supposed to be the one to have the ripe fruit of peace. 

We were supposed to have endured all this so that they can carry on with a calm, organized, civilized life. How wrong we were. 

Truly, what are these youngsters thinking? I know, I know. Dubai, Qatar, Canada, US. When most of them only know Turkey where they went on those pre-packaged tours. Actually, if they are thinking logically or not is beyond me (a lawyer I know said her brother in Belgium could secure her a Schengen visa in one week, and then she'd go and override her allotted maximum 90 days. Fact check: Schengen visas take 20 days to be issued, breaking the visa limits, can lead to very serious consequences mind you). Plus, Lebanese underestimate what it is to live in a different society (another fact check: wearing a seatbelt is not optional as it is in Lebanon despite the law somewhere that makes it mandatory).

And still, I cannot blame anyone wanted to go out, especially young educated people. Brain drain and all that, fine. But truthfully, to anyone staying here, let me offer exhibit 1:

Me.

The day we immigrated to Sweden

It was summer, which month I know not. But it was summer. Even the year is a blur, though 1983 is a good estimate. My father came back from work at about 2 in the afternoon, and he had a story to tell.

His colleague was immigrating to Sweden. The government there was offering free houses it seemed, something like guaranteed income or secure jobs. The whole family was in the package. Kids in free schools. The deal was a no-brainer. It was rare for my father to be so excited about anything but he spoke and spoke about his colleague and Sweden throughout lunch.

If a child needed any incentive to dream that would be it. And dreamed I did. Sweden! I went to the Larousse 1981 edition and looked up the country. Oh Stockholm! And indeed, there was effervescence in the air, with my mother even jumping on the bandwagon of stories. Really, there was a bubbling atmosphere all over the house.

And my father went for his daily afternoon nap. By the time he woke up, I needed more Sweden ideas.

There was none.

When he woke up, it was as if the whole thing never existed. He no longer spoke of it, not longer said anything. We were still in Beirut, on the 7th floor, with our balcony overlooking the port and the sea. But there was no Sweden.

If I am telling this story, it is because basically everyone in Lebanon wants to go. To quote that poetic title of the late Pierre Bachelet album - "quelque part, toujours ailleurs". "Somewhere, always somewhere else". Not that I blame them - far from it. When I got my first visa to the US, miraculously I was offered an R B2, that was in 1999 - I could have easily worked there. My brother - who was a resident medical doctor there - asked me if I wanted to stay, but I was a very stable government employee, my consulting career was through the roof, I was dealing with international newspapers as a journalist, making money and managing it exceptionally well. Why leave all this?

By 2001 - funnily after my first very long business trip to Sweden (which had a stamp saying I cannot remain in the country after the end of the visa) - I left all this and went from one day to the next to communication and advertising - which included another very long trip to Sweden. Again, my career took off once more, I was making money and managing it well. Why leave all this?

Which brings us to 2021. I can give you all the reasons to leave all this.

Except, now it is too late. No embassy in its right mind would give you a visa. Our money is basically just paper with all the devaluation. People oscillate between rage and despair. They look to insure the basics but even that is not always a given. 

I said it prior that, somewhere and somehow we will get through this, in what shape or form I know not. 

But I will never forget the day we immigrated to Sweden.