Rag Mag April 2013

www.ragmag.
co | R A G MA G | 1 A P R I L 2 0 1 3
JR.
JR.
M
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A P R I L 2 0 1 3
THE
TRANSITION
ISSUE
STARRING
ALEXANDRA
KAHWAGI
GET HITCHED
CARTIER
REEM ACRA
GUERLAIN
LEBANONS FIRST ANNUAL
SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
BEIRUT GOES
DIGITAL
MUSICS HISTORIC HALL OF
FAMER IN RETROSPECT
DAVID
BOWIE
EXCLUSIVE
*
HOLLYWOODS MAN OF
THE MOMENT
IRON MAN 3
ROBERT
DOWNEY
ROBERT
DOWNEY
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RAGMAG is a division of Raycon s.a.l.
Copyright RAGMAG 2013
All Rights Reserved
w w w . r a g m a g . c o
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not reflective in any way of RAGMAG, a division of Raycon s.a.l.
ON OUR COVER
ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
Image courtesy of Disney
@R A G MA G Ma g a z i n e
R A G MA G Ma g a z i n e
R A G MA G
Media Representative
EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES
COPYCAT
REAL LIFE RUNWAY
PRETTY IMPACTFUL
OUR FASHION SHOOT

BACKSTAGE PASS
GEORGE HOBEIKA SS2013

OUT + ABOUT
THE MAESTRO MAKING MOVES
CHOPIN VODKA LAUNCHES IN LEBANON
CULTURE CLASH
LEBANESE CELEBS IN TRANSITION
HAYDA LEBNEN
IN TRANSIT
ON THE MOVE IN LEBANON
EXCLUSIVE: IRON MAN 3
HOLLYWOODS ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
UP CLOSE + PERSONAL

SPOTLIGHT: DAVID BOWIE
V & A RETROSPECTIVE ON THE MUSIC ICON

FML

REALITY CHECK
SNOWBOARD LIKE A BAWS
YOU + YOUR COUNTRY
ORGAN DONATION IN LEBANON
LIFE IN TRANSIT
FINAL FRONTIER
GOOGLE GLASS
TECH
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES
SCIENCE
SEE, SPEAK + HEAR NO EVIL

SOUND CHECK MUSIC
READEM + WEEP BOOKS
PLAY NICE GAMES
WATCH OUT FILM
THE TRANSITION ISSUE
ULTIMATE THE
SHOWMAN
HOLLYWOODS BADASS
BIGGEST INFLUENCER
+
40
90
110
108
28
58
20
40
30
54
18
24
138
134
135
136
137
28
+
EDITORS OPINION
ITS ALL A SHAM
LEBANONS FAKE TRANSITIONS
MON AMOUR, MON AMI
PRSD
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME SINGLE AGAIN
RESISTING THE CHANGE
WHY I DONT WANT TO GET MARRIED
MIND, BODY + SOUL

HELP ME NOUR + RABIH
ADVICE
TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROBLEM
VAGINAL ATROPHY
MIRROR MIRROR
ARCHIES GIRLS!
M.A.C DOES BETTY + VERONICA
LIVE THE GOOD LIFE
DIOR

SPOIL YOUR BRIDAL PARTY
SPA REVIEW

BRIDAL FRAGRANCE
FOR HIM + HER
BRONZED + BEAUTIFUL
GUERLAIN

GET THE LOOK BY CHANEL
YOUR BRIDAL COSMETICS GUIDE
EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY
RESTAURANT REVIEW
YOUR OWN PRIVATE RESTO
GO VEGAN!
RECIPES
THE ART OF PASTRY
CHEF CLAIRE CLARK

TAKE ME WITH YOU

THE ISLANDS OF CROATIA
TRAVEL
BRAINFOOD
QUIZZ. DINBATS. CROSSWORDS. SUDOKU.
108
THE TRANSITION ISSUE
PRETTY
IMPACTFUL
STARRING
ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI
110
14
66
68
60
65
72
78
74
88
76
80
148
150
146
140
155
www. georgeshobei ka. com
We Are Celebrating
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Center of Excellence & Home of Hope
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Robert Downey Jr. was my teen crush; I have loved
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ultimate dream has come true and though I know that
this is as close as I can get to that crush, Im very happy
to have Robert Downey Jr. gracing RAGMAGs 34th
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Finally, the Social Media Awards are happening this
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or Twitter accounts and make your voice heard and
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Send your emails to
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PUBLISHERS LETTER
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Its Your Magazine.
S
top! Dont attack for the terrible pun. I do it almost
every issue so you all should be accustomed to my
corny sense of humour by now. I want to thank you
all for the huge amount of love that came our way:
Zeina Daccache on the cover was a big hit and we
are pleased that you hopped on the bandwagon with us. My
interview with Mr. Nicolas Sehnaoui got some social media
commentary and so did our science features last month. Your
online feedback also indicated that you all agree with me on
censorship in Lebanon, so thats a relief. My absolute biggest
thrill this past month was seeing our readers tweet why RAG-
MAG is their magazine. Youre all right, for those reasons and
more, its absolutely, unequivocally, your magazine!
This issue weve got the eternal David Bowie for our music
lovers. Weve also got everything bridal going on, but more
importantly, weve got the reason that Youmna Chagoury,
Assistant to the Editor, doesnt want to get hitched. Shes the
anomaly in Lebanon and weve sort of forced her to share the
private side of her life with you this issue. Read it and let her
know if you agree by tweeting at @YoumnaChagoury.
Now for my big news: I am pleased to announce that the
RAGMAG Social Media Awards After Party, to be held on April
29th, will be staged in collaboration with BlackBerry Middle
East. We are honoured to partner with the tech experts, and
seeing as the whole RAGMAG team are BlackBerry addicts,
toasting the SMAs with the worlds sexiest device is the only Fida Z Chaaban | Editor in Chief
EDITORS LETTER
BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE,
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE
TRANSITION
ISSUE
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FOR OUR MARCH ISSUE WE CONTINUED TO TALK TO YOU VIA OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS- PINTEREST, TWITTER + FACEBOOK. WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
COMMENTS AND PARTICIPATION AND HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH US ONLINE.
IF YOURE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE A PIC WITH YOUR FAVORITE ISSUE, SEND IT OUR WAY
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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND SCRIBBLE ON OUR WALL TO WIN,
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WIN THIS
WERE GOING TO TAKE YOU
TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
F
or the frst time in my
life I am residing in a
country that has no gov-
ernment. Its a strange
feeling. I was born and
raised in Canada, one of
the most stable and consistent nations
in the world. Ive never lived in a place
like Lebanon, a political hotbed. Youve
got the bad guys and the good guys,
sort of. It all depends on who you ask,
really. They all change teams, some of
them more often than others, and they
form collation governments. A lot of
this team-changing revolves around
toppling current cabinets, if I under-
stand the situation correctly.
At a lunch this weekend for the Social
Media Awards, I was seated with the
British Ambassador to Lebanon, Tom
Fletcher and the Minister of Telecom,
Nicolas Sehanoui.
I for one was caught unawares, and
I found his Friday evening broadcast
calculated and disturbing. When an an-
nouncement of this calibre is made on
a Friday evening after the establish-
ment has closed for the weekend, it is
done so as not to threaten the stability
of a nation. Its so the banks dont see
a rush, the currency doesnt plummet,
and (in Lebanon) chaos doesnt ensue.
It is also so that it doesnt cause the
mainstream media to go into a frenzy,
and subsequently propel the public at
large into mania. While I understood
the reasoning behind Mikatis timing, I
still didnt like it. Beirut appeared to be
business as usual, the people seemed
bored with the whole topic.
My conversation with Nicolas
Sehanoui went like this
Are you still the Minister for Telecom?
Yes, but we [the government] cant do
anything that requires legislation.
My conversation with Tom Fletcher
went like this
Tom, whats going to happen now?
Its going to be fne. Keep calm and
carry on.
These were the kinds of reassurances
I got from both Sehnaoui and Fletcher.
They seemed cool and collected. Im
not sure if they were being careful with
their remarks as they are both aware
that Im a member of the press, or be-
cause they are both genuinely unfazed
by the turn of events. It stands to reason
that both of these men were privy to
inside info and that they werent wholly
shocked by the announcement that the
now former Prime Minister of Lebanon,
Najib Mikati, would resign.
THE WAY
WE WERE
A NATION THAT MAY (OR MAY NOT) CHANGE OVERNIGHT
LEBANON IN TRANSITION
EDITORS OPINION
UNDER THE HOT LIGHTS | INTERROGATION + INTIMIDATION | CENSORSHIP IN LEBANON
THE WAY
When I expressed disbelief that we had
no government, and incredulity at be-
ing without a leadership base, all of the
people I spoke to the night of the resig-
nation negated my concerns.
One time we had no government for
over six months. It was better actu-
ally. People were so calm, refected
one woman. Someone else laughed
and said, This is normal for us, its
happened maybe over 10 times in my
life! One man pointed out that its
better without them, they dont do any-
thing for us, and several other people
chimed in and agreed with him.
They arent running the country, said
one man.
Then who is?
I really dont know. How does a country
function without a stable government in
place? As I write this, Nicolas Sehnaoui
tweeted: Until a new government is
formed every step in our plan which
does not require Council of Ministers
will get executed and stay on track.
I call Odette (RAGMAGs Creative Lead)
and tell her we have no government.
She is a good benchmark for me usu-
ally. She says its no big deal and that
this happens all of the time. Then she
laughs at my reaction.
I guess my reaction is laughable. The
idea that the government of this country
is actually running the show is a farce
and a joke. Last issue I featured Nicolas
Sehnaoui because I felt he actually was
doing something, anything, to move Leba-
non into 2013. Well, he and a few others
cannot do it alone. If I am going to discuss
effcacy and results, it is going to be really
diffcult for me to fnd someone else to
quote. So now we have an interim gov-
ernment until the reshuffe happens and
then well have the same cast of motley
characters all over again, but maybe in dif-
ferent positions.
Since we have no government, and the
people of this belaboured country are
tired of the existing establishment, lets
just stay this way. I dont want to see the
same faces and hear the same speeches
over and over again. Why bother?
I started writing this article with the idea
that the lack of government is a tragic
and fearful thing. The more I write and
the more I recall my Friday night con-
versations with Lebanese citizens, the
less afraid I am. Sometimes when you
start out with a complex concept like
the abstract idea of government cogs
turning in the background, unseen and
unacknowledged, then you realize that
is not how it works everywhere. In Can-
ada, yes government cogs turn and make
things happen. Here, it isnt the case, and
if it is (doubtful), then the public certainly
dont think so. I started writing this article
with the intention of lambasting the idea
that we have no government, and now I
realize its business as usual. In Lebanon,
as of Friday March 22nd, we are a state-
less state. And it may be all to the good.
Yes, the country changed overnight. Yes,
Najib Mikati stepped down. But no, Leba-
non is not in a worse situation than be-
fore. Sad but true
YES, THE COUNTRY CHANGED
OVERNIGHT. YES, NAJIB
MIKATI STEPPED DOWN. BUT
NO, LEBANON IS NOT IN A
WORSE SITUATION THAN
BEFORE. SAD BUT TRUE
EDITORS OPINION
In 25 different hospitals in Lebanon there
are hospital staff who act as Coordina-
tors, they usually work in the Intensive
Care Unit or the Emergency Room, be-
cause this is where they are most likely to
spot a potential organ donor. A potential
organ donor is someone with functioning
organs who is near to being brain dead,
a state when the brain ceases to send sig-
nals- the patients organs are only func-
tioning due to life support (respirators
and the like). Three medical profession-
als must agree that a patient has reached
this state. Then the race is on.
To successfully transplant a heart it must
be done within six hours, with a liver
you have a 12 hour window, and with
a kidney a comparatively relaxing 48.
In this time Younan and the team have
to locate the perfect recipient (a person
with the same blood type and who is ap-
proximately the same age) from their vast
database. The medical staff in the hospi-
tal then have to remove the organ and
safely transport it, often at great speed,
something which the army have been
helpful in assisting with. Then the opera-
tion must be performed at one of seven
hospitals in Lebanon, fve of which are
in Beirut, hence the push on time and
coordination. Not an easy feat.
F
arida Younan felded approx-
imately 15,000 phone calls in
2010, that works out to about
41 calls per day. Shes the Na-
tional Coordinator for the Na-
tional Organization for Organ & Tissues
Donation & Transplantation (NOOTDT).
Theoretically up and running since
2009, organ donation has really been ac-
tive in Lebanon since 2010. The whole
practice represents an enormous logisti-
cal feat that Younan and Vice President
of the NOOTDT, Dr. Antoine Stephan,
began handling alone. Every single day
of managing organ transplantation is
like completing a mission impossible.
IN THE BALANCE
THE NOOTDT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE
HANGING
SURVIVAL
BY IMOGEN KIMBER
YOU + YOUR COUNTRY
TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPLANT
A HEART IT MUST BE DONE WITHIN
SIX HOURS, WITH A LIVER YOU
HAVE A 12 HOUR WINDOW, AND
WITH A KIDNEY A COMPARATIVELY
RELAXING 48
DAILY DONATION
RED TAPE
Stephan gave the account of a man
who donated the organs of his 17 year-
old son. The man sadly experienced
the loss of both his mother and his
son; when his mother died she was
buried. When his son passed away he
gave permission for his sons organs
to be donated. As the sons body was
to be buried next to his mothers, her
body was exhumed. At this point his
mothers body had decayed. On seeing
this the man declared that he was so
happy that hed donated his sons or-
gans, allowing another 17 year-olds life
to continue rather than give the organs
to the earth. For him it gave him com-
fort to know the organs of his son were
helping someone else and there was a
father out there who didnt have to go
through what he was going through
For many people who have just expe-
rienced a loss, the idea of giving away
a part of their loved ones body can
feel like it furthers the trauma and ex-
acerbates the grief. Many fear that the
dead body will be mutilated. This is
not the case. The organs are removed
with the same respect and precision
that would be given to a living person
and the body is then embalmed so it
appears as it would have prior to the
procedure. Its important to remem-
ber how much one person can give:
they can donate a heart, liver, kidney
and corneas, which could offer three
or four people a chance at life. In fact
even if the person arrives at the hos-
pital dead it is still possible to donate
the corneas which can give someone
the gift of sight.
THE NOOTDT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE
MANY FEAR THAT THE
DEAD BODY WILL BE
MUTILATED. THIS IS NOT
THE CASE. THE ORGANS
ARE REMOVED WITH THE
SAME RESPECT AND
PRECISION THAT WOULD BE
GIVEN TO A LIVING PERSON
AND THE BODY IS THEN
EMBALMED SO IT APPEARS
AS IT WOULD HAVE PRIOR
TO THE PROCEDURE
MANY FAMILIES CITE
RELIGIOUS REASONS AS
WHY THEY DONT WANT TO
DONATE THE ORGANS OF
THEIR RECENTLY DECEASED
LOVED ONE. TO COMBAT THIS
YOUNAN HAS MET WITH ALL
THE LEADERS OF THE MAJOR
RELIGIONS IN LEBANON [...]
THEY WERE ALL VERY MUCH IN
FAVOUR OF THIS LIFESAVING
PROCEDURE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NOOTDT
AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
www.nootdt.org
RIGHT:
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR ORGAN &
TISSUES DONATION & TRANSPLANTATION
(NOOTDT) WEBSITE
None of this is possible if people are
not willing to allow their relatives or-
gans to be donated. Even if a person
has been carrying a donor card their
whole life, permission must be sought
and granted from their parents or clos-
est living relative. This can be as diff-
cult a task as the organ transplant itself.
When they frst began organ donation,
Younan and Stephan were really facing
an uphill struggle. As has been common
almost everywhere people are sceptical
about organ donations, until it becomes
widely accepted and practiced.
Many families cite religious reasons as
why they dont want to donate the or-
gans of their recently deceased loved
one. To combat this Younan has met
with all the leaders of the major reli-
gions in Lebanon. All of them are un-
equivocally onboard with organ dona-
tion; there is not one religion that does
not support the practice, in fact quite
the opposite, they were all very much
in favour of this lifesaving procedure.
Keen to end this misunderstanding You-
nan has a hotline of sorts- when she is
with a family member who is having
doubts that their religion permits dona-
tion she can make a direct call to one
of these leaders and have them explain
in person. On several occasions this has
worked in persuading reluctant people
and therefore has gone on to save lives
in Lebanon.
Waiting by the side of the road it takes
around a minute before a bus pulls
up. Yelling out my location - Jounieh
- and using wild hand gesticulations I
communicate to the driver where I need
to go. He replies with his own hand
gestures, and yells out something about
Dora. With the wind in my hair (the slid-
ing door is ajar) and the exhaust fumes
behind me, we lurch towards Dora. Ap-
proaching Dora the driver starts acting
as wingman for another minivan; I re-
alize he is negotiating me a place on
my onward journey, so with both buses
almost still in motion I transfer onto the
new bus. Since I am the only passenger
we swing around the Dora roundabout
twice (possibly three times, I may have
blacked out as my head hit the win-
dow). A few more on board and we cat-
apult onto the highway, next stop -two
minutes down the road- for a small fam-
ily on a fshing trip. No problems at all
shifting seats for the tackle box, nor for
the refrigerator fan that must come in
handy. Once were in the moving traffc,
the journey resembles that of one in a
private car very, very slow due to the
copious amounts of traffc, albeit with
a soundtrack that I might not have se-
lected and certainly not at that volume.
Nevertheless I arrive at my destination,
we overshoot my stop enough to war-
rant a small walk back. And all for the
bargain price of 2,500 LBP, slightly un-
der three US dollars.
MY ROUTE
The service is very effcient and the buses
come very often, to get onto a bus you must
stand at the side of the road and signal with
your hand as a bus approaches; the buses will
stop anywhere.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Beirut
LA LIBANAISE PUBLIC TRANSIT
HITCH A LIFT
BY IMOGEN KIMBER
CULTURE CLASH
Sound familiar? Not so much? Its a descrip-
tion of the Beirut bus system from Wikipe-
dia, and actually, Im inclined to agree.
My favourite bus route is the one which
runs along the Corniche, its the number
15. It means I get to travel from Sporting
Club to Gemmayzeh with no negotia-
tion on route or price, and Im usually
picked up on the spot without having
to move. Treasuring anonymity, I value
this journey in near silence and no phys-
ical contact (by that I mean that Im not
sitting elbow to elbow with someone
else in the back of a car that takes me
on a small detour before I get home).
Most trips go without incident, certainly
within Beirut. It has happened: on a
trip back from the beach, a friend and
I thought some other bus travellers who
appear to be in collusion with the driver,
were behaving in a manner unsavoury
enough to warrant us feeling justifed
in dismounting the bus without paying-
Ive seen worse as a result of walking
along the street though. Of course a fair
few people glance in my direction, but
frankly I would do a double take too
considering that the demographic on the
bus is wide and varied in some senses,
but usually differs from myself.
EN ROUTE
system is a lot easier if you are simply
travelling up the coast, the buses run
up and down very consistently. For a
more complicated journey, the mak-
ers of Zawarib are here to help you
out with that. Along with their handy
book of maps, they include a small
map of the bus routes. It takes some
basic knowledge of the city already
and it does not include times, so you
certainly cant be working on a strict
schedule, but then you cant if you are
travelling by car either.
The bus system is a dichotomy. A
cheap ride that picks you up anywhere,
but the downsides are very apparent
too, so apparent that a vast number
of people are unwilling to use it. The
problem is exacerbated by the fact that
most people have resorted to private
transport and therefore do not feel the
need to demand public transport, leav-
ing it to be increasingly side lined with
little impetus for improvements

Like so many other parts of the infra-
structure in Lebanon the public trans-
port system is far from perfect. It does
however cover almost all of Beirut, can
certainly get you to any major town,
and often beyond. The buses oper-
ate with regularity and for extended
hours (far beyond the public transport
of say, London). It also wins on price,
less than a dollar can get you across
the city and two dollars covers half the
country. The buses arent always that
crowded either, one person to a seat
and usually no one standing, theres no
need to stand when theres always an-
other bus just around the corner.
The city has three transport hubs,
which you can use to start your jour-
ney around the country and beyond:
Charles Helou for Damascus and the
coast road, Dora for anywhere North,
Cola for anywhere South. This means
I can affectively transverse the whole
of the country. The Stop and Hail
HITCH A LIFT | PUBLIC TRANSIT LA LIBANAISE
FOR A MORE COMPLICATED JOURNEY, THE MAKERS OF
ZAWARIB ARE HERE TO HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT. ALONG
WITH THEIR HANDY BOOK OF MAPS, THEY INCLUDE A SMALL
MAP OF THE BUS ROUTES
I VALUE THIS JOURNEY IN
NEAR SILENCE AND NO
PHYSICAL CONTACT (BY
THAT I MEAN THAT IM NOT
SITTING ELBOW TO ELBOW
WITH SOMEONE ELSE IN THE
BACK OF A CAR THAT TAKES
ME ON A SMALL DETOUR
BEFORE I GET HOME)
QUESTIONS
FIVE
THE WORLD IS ASKING
CAN WE FINALLY
CURE AIDS?
The miraculous story of Timothy Ray
Brown was first reported in 2010: the
Berlin man underwent a stem cell trans-
plant to treat leukemia and his doctors
were surprised to find that it rendered the
HIV-positive patient cured. Up until last
month, Timothy Ray Brown was a medical
anomaly. In comes a Mississippi baby born
with the HIV virus. Doctors administered
antiretroviral drugs less than 30 hours af-
ter her birth and continued with follow-up
treatments of antiretrovirals until the age
of 18 months, followed by a rest period
of 10 months. Shes now two and a half
years old and her blood work results do
not indicate her former HIV-positive state.
Scientists say the babys functional cure
-traces of HIV genetic material are appar-
ent under testing- is a result of receiving
treatment in the very first days of her life,
preventing the formation of viral hideouts.
RAGMAGS VOTE ENCOURAGING
WHERE IS IRAQ AT
10 YEARS LATER?
March 2003: An invasion force led by
the United States of America strikes
Baghdad, Iraq. March 2013: over 50
people die in explosions marking the
10th anniversary of the invasion. A sur-
vey led by Opinion Research Business
estimate the Iraq conflict has taken
over one million human lives between
March 2003 and August 2007, and the
numbers continue to climb. According
to some, the capture and death of for-
mer Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein,
was not the best thing to happen to the
country. The Telegraph quotes former
war veteran Andrew Gilligan: Life un-
der Saddam under the last 10 years
would not have been pleasant but it
would have been better for most people,
and a lot fewer people would have died,
than it has been under so-called libera-
tion. Public opinion is still divided with
pro-war and anti-war camps still debat-
ing hotly whether or not the Iraqi invasion
was warranted. Former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair defends the debacle:
How can you regret removing a mon-
ster who created enormous carnage?
If Saddam had still been in power, its
true there would have been, probably, an
uprising amongst his people. But I think
it would look a lot more like Syria and
probably a lot worse than Syria.
RAGMAGS VOTE ATROCIOUS
HOW DID WE MISS THE
RUSSIAN METEOR?
On February 15, 2013, a relatively small
meteor enters Earths atmosphere, land-
ing in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. At
15 to 17 meters with a mass of 7000
to 10000 tons, it left over 1000 peo-
ple injured. According to the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), its the largest reported meteor
since the one in 1908 that landed in
Tunguska, Siberia. The question on ev-
eryones lips is how space control agen-
cies didnt see it coming, especially since
another asteroid, 2012 DA, was tracked
just 15 hours later. Scientists claim that
the Chelyabinsk meteor was too small to
register on radar, but is a mere 13-meter
difference between 2012 DA (30 me-
ters) and this one enough to make one
traceable and not the other? Moscow
daily Noviye Izvestia published their
survey indicating that 50 percent of their
readers dont believe the official reports
stating that a meteor caused the blast.
The readers offered up a number of the-
ories including a secret US weapon test,
an alien spaceship crash, and a message
from God.
RAGMAGS VOTE IMPLAUSIBLE
FIVE QUESTIONS THE WORLD IS ASKING
FOOD LABELS?
CAN WE TRUST
Were not talking nutrition facts al-
though admittedly that is a problem,
were talking ingredients. Since January
of this year, several European countries
have been plagued by horsemeat scan-
dals. Frozen foods labeled bovine meat
have been tested and the results came
back with various percentages of equine
meat, sometimes as high as 100 per-
cent of the product. Vendors and sup-
pliers have been pointing fingers, and
no one has owned up to the allegations
of fraud or negligence as yet. The issue
is not strictly health-oriented as horse-
meat can be eaten and some people
even like it, but any horsemeat enter-
ing the food chain should be tested for
bute as it can cause aplastic anaemia.
The bigger issue is that thousands of
people have been unknowingly ingest-
ing equine meat, and were all wonder-
ing whether or not the labeling fiasco
applies to other package ingredients.
Allergies, spiritual beliefs, and eating
lifestyles are not being taken into con-
sideration. If we cant trust a label on
a store-bought item, how do we know
what were eating?
RAGMAGS VOTE SKETCHY
We were waiting with bated breath for the
release of the much-hyped Samsung Gal-
axy S 4G. Why? Because it looks pimp. We
havent had the chance to take it for a spin
yet, but whats not to like in a 5 inch full HD
screen with a 441ppi? One of the cooler
features weve seen demoed? The ability
to operate the screen touch-free: Air View
allows users to hover over content for pre-
views, and Air Gesture allows the user to
change tracks and even answer a call with
a wave of the hand. The best part is that
the new device fully supports the 4G LTE
networks. We can almost taste the sweet
rush of download speeds of 100 MB/s and
uploads of 50 MB/s.
RAGMAGS VOTE INTERESTING
IS THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S 4G ALL HYPE?
T
he word glass has a new
defnition: it describes a
new transitional technol-
ogy. Something with the
potential to be very big
To change the way we interact with the
world around us and the digital world.
Something which could even threaten
the prominent place of smartphones.
Google Glass is being dubbed by many
as revolutionary and you dont have to
be a genius to fgure out why. But be-
fore we go into the thrilling features and
juicy details, you might want to watch
How It Feels [Through Glass] on You-
Tube so you can see Googles idea of
how incredible this technology is. You
might also want to watch How Guys
Will Use Google Glasses; this amusing
parody shows how irritating this tech-
nology might prove to be. Is Google
Glass the beginning of something won-
derful, or does it mark the start of more
tech driven anti-social behavior?
Google Glass is wearable technology- it
looks like sleek yet funky eyewear from
a 60s sci-f show. Despite the name,
Google Glass doesnt really look like
glasses as there is no full lens. Instead
theres a thin strip of aluminum and
plastic with a small prism-like lens on
one side. Its lightweight and yet very
durable. And best of all, it comes in
different colors: shale, tangerine, char-
coal, cotton (white), and sky (blue). It
certainly isnt the height of fashion but
what it can do is super sexy. Glass uses
simple voice commands and nothing
else (its hands-free). All you have to
do is say Ok Glass to get its attention.
You can then ask it to take a picture
or to record a video and share it live
with your friends and family. If youre
walking around a city or are on a hik-
ing trip, you can use it to fnd your way
around and youll actually see the direc-
tions displayed right in front of you. If
youre on holiday or are an expat work-
ing abroad, you can ask it to translate
things for you and to tell you phrases
in many languages (Ok Glass, say half
a pound in Chinese). You can send
messages by speaking. You can Google
whatever you want while on the go
(How long is the Brooklyn Bridge?).
It even displays important info such as
the departure time of your fight when
youre at the airport. Glass is linked to
the web through its own Wi-Fi or by
tethering with the 3G/4G on your An-
droid or iPhone. While Glass doesnt
have a radio, it does have GPS.
THE FINAL FRONTIER
BY J.E.N.
GOOGLES
NEWEST PROJECT
IS ON THE MOVE
IF YOURE WALKING AROUND
A CITY, YOU CAN USE IT TO
FIND YOUR WAY AROUND AND
YOULL ACTUALLY SEE THE
DIRECTIONS DISPLAYED RIGHT
IN FRONT OF YOU
THROUGH
THE LOOKING
GLASS
new product and its not just a piece of
software. We want to learn from people
how its going to ft into their lifestyle.
Is Glass going to ft nicely into our life-
style or change it? Well all be able to
fnd out once its released. But since
its based on voice commands, we can
already imagine the challenges of get-
ting it to understand what youre saying
when youre in noisy surroundings or
if youre a non-native English speaker
with a unique accent
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS | TAKE A WILD RIDE WITH GOOGLES NEWEST PROJECT
The Glass project was launched around
three years ago by Babak Parviz, an
engineer at Googles X Lab. Now prod-
uct director Steve Lee and lead indus-
trial designer Isabelle Olsson are two
of the key people behind this project.
Lee describes the motivation behind the
project: We all know that people love
to be connected. Technology allows us
to connect in that way. A big problem
right now are the distractions that tech-
nology causes [like fddling around to
fnd the camera option]...We wondered,
what if we brought technology closer
to your senses? Would that allow you to
more quickly get information and con-
nect with other people but do so in a
way with a design that gets out of
your way when youre not interacting
with technology? Thats sort of what led
us to Glass.
Google has a pre-release Explorer
program in place. It gives people the
chance to test drive Glass and also helps
Google discover how people will actu-
ally use Glass. Lee explains: What were
trying to do is expand the community
that we have for Glass users. Currently
its just our team and a few other Google
people testing it. We want to expand that
to people outside of Google. We think
its really important, actually, for the de-
velopment of Glass because its such a
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS
SAY OK GLASS TO GET ITS
ATTENTION. YOU CAN THEN
ASK IT TO TAKE A PICTURE
OR TO RECORD A VIDEO
AND SHARE IT LIVE WITH
YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 won
the Best of Innovations awards in
design and engineering for 2013
at CES. This device looks similar to
Glass and yet is more a companion
to your smartphone. In fact CES
2013 featured a deluge of wearable
tech (from watches to bands), so
the biggest competition for Google
Glass might not come in the form of
eyewear.
RAGMAG IS PLEASED TO STAGE THE OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY IN COLLABORATION WITH
BLACKBERRY MIDDLE EAST TO BE HELD APRIL 29TH, 2013 AT MOMOS AT THE SOUKS ON THE
OCCASION OF THE FIRST ANNUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS IN LEBANON. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK
OUR SPONSORS CHAMPAGNE POMMERY, CHOPIN VODKA AND LABEL 5 SCOTCH WHISKY FOR THEIR
FORWARD THINKING ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE ONLINE COMMUNITY.
Voting will commence April 1st, 2013
www.smabeirut.com
AWARDS
SOCIAL MEDIA
THE FIRST ANNUAL
#BeirutGoesDigital
OUR OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS AFTER PARTY TO BE STAGED IN COLLABORATION WITH
BLACKBERRY MIDDLE EAST
FOLLOWING A ONE-MONTH NOMINATION PHASE FROM THE ONLINE
COMMUNITY AND WITH OVER 600 NOMINATIONS COLLECTED ACROSS
32 CATEGORIES, THE FINALISTS FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL SOCIAL MEDIA
AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED BY THE JUDGES DURING A PRESS
CONFERENCE HELD AT THE PHOENICIA HOTEL.
Organized by the Online Collaborative in partnership with RAGMAG, the
Social Media Awards seeks to reward the individuals and organizations
that have demonstrated an exceptional presence in the social media
space. Since inception, RAGMAG Magazine has been actively engaged
with the Lebanese social media community. A great deal of our focus is
maintaining an engaged dialogue with our readership, said Fida Chaaban,
Editor in Chief, RAGMAG. Were pleased to stage the official Social Media
Awards After Party in collaboration with BlackBerry Middle East. As firm
believers in Lebanons online community, we look forward to continuing
the ongoing conversation.
On behalf of Alfa, Mrs. Aline Karam, Alfas Chief Communication Affairs
Officer said, We as Alfa are playing a major role in fostering a support-
ive environment that caters to the needs of mobile users and tech-lovers
in Lebanon, by providing latest technologies in mobile especially 3G and
4G-LTE. The panel of judges includes Lebanese Minister of Telecom H.E.
Nicolas Sehnaoui who expressed his support and hoped that this event
will encourage social media in Lebanon and the process of online con-
tent creation, and British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher among
other notable personalities from the business, academic and media fields.
Following online nomination submissions from the online community the
judges have evaluated the nominations across different criteria and have
announced the nominees that will advance to the next round, passing the
torch back to the online community that will have a fifty percent say in
voting for the winners.
By making the SMAs an annual event,
the Online Collaborative wishes to em-
power the alternative online medium
and its active collaborators promot-
ing and demonstrating the undeniable
power the internet has in driving change
across all aspects of our lives. RAG-
MAG, as the Strategic Partner, is joined
by the following sponsors for the So-
cial Media Awards: Gold Sponsor Alfa
Telecom managed by Orascom Telecom
Media and Technology, Silver Sponsor
Cornerstone Holding, Bronze Spon-
sors AddBloom and Eastline Marketing,
Venue Sponsor Hotel Phoenicia Bei-
rut, Exclusive PR Partner MIRROS Com-
munication & Media Services, Media
Partners Naharnet, Beirut.com, Commu-
nicate Magazine, NRJ Lebanon, Nostal-
gie, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal, and Commu-
nity Partners Ihjoz and AltCity.me
www.smabeirut.com
RAGMAG IS PLEASED TO STAGE THE OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY IN COLLABORATION WITH
BLACKBERRY MIDDLE EAST TO BE HELD APRIL 29TH, 2013 AT MOMOS AT THE SOUKS ON THE
OCCASION OF THE FIRST ANNUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS IN LEBANON. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK
OUR SPONSORS CHAMPAGNE POMMERY, CHOPIN VODKA AND LABEL 5 SCOTCH WHISKY FOR THEIR
FORWARD THINKING ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE ONLINE COMMUNITY.
www.smabeirut.com
We got out and about, and more than a little dazzled, at the
launch of CHOPIN Vodka! The opulent event was attended by
hundreds of guests in the transformed space of La Magnanerie
on February 28th, 2013. We were enraptured by CHOPINs
entertainment for the evening that ranged from striking
mimes to an animated concert violinist, and certainly a DJ that
continued to spin dance hits late into the evening. Segmented
into several sections, the CHOPIN Vodka launch space housed
a lounge adorned with wall to wall chandeliers, settees and
impromptu divans, all brought together specically for the
event, in addition to a museum and an ice bar zone. Its only
tting that CHOPIN Vodka should launch with such grand
fanfare since it is an International Spirit Competition winner
several times over. The three varieties of CHOPIN Vodka,
potato, rye, and wheat, were also awarded the noted title of
Worlds Best Vodka by the International Beverage Testing
Institute. Known as the Celebrity Vodka, stars such as
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Colin Firth (our favorite leading
male), have endorsed the brand as their spirit of choice.
RAGMAGs favorite part of the evening? Customized cocktails
developed for the launch event that were free-owing all
night long! CHOPIN, cheers to you for inviting RAGMAG to a
symphony that we wont forget. Can we do it again next year?
OUT + ABOUT
THE MAESTRO
HAS ARRIVED
CHOPIN VODKA LAUNCHES IN LEBANON
THE
MAN
WHO
SOLD
THE
WORLD
DAVID BOWIE
IN RETROSPECT
L
ast month Londons Vic-
toria and Albert Museum
(V&A) opened its doors
to a much anticipated ex-
hibition: David Bowie is.
Considered the face of the 70s glam
pop scene, David Bowie redefned
pop and live performance; confrming
his star status, thousands of fans pre-
booked their entry to the show months
in advance. David Bowie is show-
cases the many personae of the great
pop chameleon. Selected by the V&As
Theatre and Performance curators Vic-
toria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, the
exhibit features some incredible stage
outfts including the Union Jack coat
designed by Bowie and Alexander Mc-
Queen in 1997 as well as instruments,
album cover artwork, photographs,
flms, videos, and handwritten lyrics.
Were uniquely positioned to present
this exhibition at the V&A, as we not
only cover rock and pop as part of
the Theatre and Performance strand,
but our diverse collections also refect
the breadth of David Bowies artistic
output and infuence across music,
fashion, photography, graphics, flm,
theatre and art, said the exhibitions
co-creator, Victoria Broackes. Bowie
is also unique in creatively directing
every aspect of his work from his cos-
tume, album covers, tour sets to even
the merchandise that goes on tour
with him. The exhibition will illustrate
how Bowies immense creative infu-
ence continues to shape contemporary
culture in its broadest sense. Even the
creative director of the exhibitions
sponsor, Gucci, cites David Bowie as a
major source of inspiration.
BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES
CULTURE CLASH
OPPOSITE PAGE:
ALBUM COVER SHOOT FOR
ALADDIN SANE, 1973
PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN DUFFY
DUFFY ARCHIVE
T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E
www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 31 A P R I L 2 0 1 3 www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 31 A P R I L 2 0 1 3
32 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E 32 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E
THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD
So, who exactly is David Bowie? It would
be unfair to assume that everyone born
after the 90s outside the Western hemi-
sphere is familiar with him. In 1972,
dressed in a skintight Lycra psychedelic
onesie and red lace up boots, David
Bowie performed Starman on the UK
music show Top of the Pops broadcast
into fve million homes across the UK
and rock n roll gave way to descendant
outrageous glamour pop. A visit to You-
Tube will put you in the picture. But,
before he reinvented himself as David
Bowie, he was plain Davy Jones liv-
ing a dreary life in Bromley dreaming
of escape. After studying music, art and
design at Bromley Technical College he
worked briefy in an advertising agency
in London, before retreating to a Bud-
dhist community in Scotland in 1967.
In 1970 he married Angela Barnett who
fed his creativity and encouraged his
embrace of androgyny and man-dress-
ing for the cover of his album The Man
Who Sold the World. Bowies daring
approach went on to produce albums
Hunky Dory and Scary Monsters (and
Super Creeps) with his surge of ingenu-
ity infuenced by the likes of writers like
William Burroughs, Bertolt Brecht and
George Orwell, and artist Andy Warhol.
It was his 1974 Diamond Dogs album
though that brought him mega stardom
featuring a cover image that depicted
Bowie as half-man, half dog. It led to
the frst big-budget touring live show of
its kind in the States with elaborate sets
and mechanical props conforming Bow-
ie as an all round performer: a singer, an
actor, a musician and a dancer.
IN 1970 HE MARRIED ANGELA BARNETT
WHO FED HIS CREATIVITY AND
ENCOURAGED HIS EMBRACE OF
ANDROGYNY AND MAN-DRESSING FOR
THE COVER OF HIS ALBUM THE MAN WHO
SOLD THE WORLD
OPPOSITE PAGE:
PHOTO COLLAGE OF MANIPULATED FILM STILLS
FROM THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
DESIGN BY DAVID BOWIE, FILM STILLS BY DAVID
JAMES, 1975-6
COURTESY OF THE DAVID BOWIE ARCHIVE 2012
FILM STILLS STUDIOCANAL FILMS LTD
CULTURE CLASH
CULTURE CLASH
DONT LOOK DOWN
THEYRE MAKING SORTA CRAZY SOUNDS
DONT LOOK DOWN, NO
DONT KNOW WHO ELSE CAME TO KNEEL
ON THIS EMPTY BATTLEFIELD
LYRICS FROM DONT LOOK DOWN
TONIGHT ALBUM, 1984
BELOW: THE ARCHER, STATION TO STATION TOUR, 1976 JOHN ROBERT ROWLANDS
electronic pop album. Bowies success
and enduring appeal is due to a number
of reasons. He combines commercial
success with critical acclaim; hes a pio-
neer not only of great music, but also of
rock theatre, videos, internet and digi-
tal downloads, said Victoria Broackes.
He always responds creatively to new
technology and he is and always has
been personally and actively in charge
of what he creates. The exhibition co-
incides with the release of the 66 year-
olds new single Where Are We Now
While touring the United States he ab-
sorbed the soul of black America and
released Young Americans in 1975
from which the single Fame was re-
leased as his frst American number one.
But, for all its funkiness, Fame puts
you where things are hollow sang
Bowie, refecting on the dark side of his
personal life. Relentless touring and de-
pendence on cocaine were taking their
toll and he decided to move to Berlin.
After a reclusive period he came up
with Low and Heroes, a pioneering
OPPOSITE PAGE:
STRIPED BODYSUIT FOR ALADDIN
SANE TOUR, 1973
DESIGN BY KANSAI YAMAMOTO
PHOTOGRAPH BY MASAYOSHI SUKITA
SUKITA | THE DAVID BOWIE ARCHIVE 2012
DAVID BOWIE IS
The V&A from 23 March - 11 August 2013
In partnership with Gucci,
sound experience by Sennheiser
vam.ac.uk
A LOOK BACK ON THE GREAT DAYS OF
BOWIEMANIA, BOOK YOUR VISIT IN ADVANCE
CULTURE CLASH
BALL-AND-CHAIN
BOX OFFICE
GOLD
There are many ways to refer to your signifi-
cant other, but one of the most widespread
pejorative expressions is the ball and
chain. Historically, the iron ball and chain
was mostly used by the British Empire and
its former colonies, between the 17th and
the 20th centuries. Consisting of a leg iron
(or shackle) bound to a 90cm shackle and
ending in an 18kg iron sphere, this physical
restraint signifies someone holding you back
from what you want to do.
If Windex has become your choice rem-
edy for ailments, then youve watched the
highest-grossing wedding movie of all, My
Big Fat Greek Wedding. This 2002 sleep-
er hit, starring Nia Vardalos (who wrote it)
and John Corbett, made 368.7 million USD
worldwide, followed by the hilarious 2011
Judd Appatow production, Bridesmaids,
starring Kristen Wiig and Melissa Mc-
Carthy in an Academy Award-nominated
performance; the movie grossed 288.3
million dollars. The 2005 comedy Wed-
ding Crashers, starring Vince Vaughn and
Owen Wilson, with 285.1 million dollars
ranks third place.
RAGGED
TRANSITION FACTS
The expression runaway bride first
emerged in the second edition of Maggie: A
Girl of the Streets by author Stephen Crane,
back in 1896 (I knew this is the way it would
be. They got cold feet.); and while specific
scientific research on the actual phenom-
enon is rare, a UCLA study found that cold
feet before a wedding predicted marital
troubles and divorce down the road.
READY, SET, GO!
LAWFULLY
WEDDED
In the American state of Delaware, couples
filing for a divorce annulment can blame
their friends, who dared them to tie the
knot! You read correctly: in Chapter 15 of
the Delaware Divorce and Annulment Act,
1506, the Court shall enter a decree of
annulment of a marriage entered into under
any of the following circumstances (6)
One or both parties entered into the mar-
riage as a jest or dare. And if you have a
crush on your first cousin, dont fret! In Utah,
you can get married after you both turn
65, of course. Title 30, Chapter 1, Section
1 of the Utah State Legislature allows mar-
riage between first cousins only if theyre
both over the age of 65 or if theyre older
than 55 if theyre both unable to reproduce.
RAGGED TRANSITION FACTS
FREAKY FRIDAY
Wife/mother-swtiching was the topic of the
2004 ABC reality TV show, Wife Swap.
The concept was easy: swap wives/moth-
ers or husbands for up to two weeks, but the
swapped individuals must come from starkly
different backgrounds and/or have impossi-
bly different characters (think control-freak
versus free-spirit). The first week sees the
swapped mothers/fathers adhering to the
rules of the household hosting them, and the
second week sees them imposing their own
rules, often creating friction and hostility.
SECRET KEEPER
Janet Jackson secretly married Qatari billion-
aire Wissam El Mana in a simple, beautiful yet
quiet ceremony. Another recent hush-hush celeb
wedding is the union of Kate Winslet (her third
marriage) and Richard Bransons nephew, Ned
Rocknroll they reportedly tied the knot this past
December. In a top-secret wedding ceremony in
southern Italy, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
got hitched in October after a five-year relation-
ship while Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds ex-
changed vows in mid-September in South Caro-
lina, surrounded by close friends and families.
The approximate cost of Kate Middletons gown that she
wore to wed Prince William. The world sighed collectively at
her stunning ivory satin and lace Alexander McQueen gown
with a 2.7-meter train. The gown reportedly took months
to make and was made with delicate and expensive fab-
rics: French Chantilly lace, English Cluny lace paired with
white and ivory satin Gazar. Other ridiculously expensive
wedding gowns included that of Kates late mother-in-law,
Lady Diana at $115,000, Catherine Zeta-Jones $140,000
Christian Lacroix beaded dress, and Victoria Beckhams
$100,000 Vera Wang gown.
08-08-08
$400,000
Opening day of the 29th Olympic
Games in Beijing, breaking the record
for the most weddings held in one day.
Another extremely popular wedding
date was the preceding year, on the
07-07-07, a date chosen by Desper-
ate Housewives star Eva Longoria
and her then-beau Tony Parker.
THE
www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 41
ULTIMATE
SHOWMAN
HOLLYWOODS BADASS + BIGGEST INFLUENCER
ROBERT
DOWNEYJR.
TAKES YOU FOR A RIDE
IN IRON MAN 3
BY FIDA CHAABAN
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. SERVES AS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BE COOL ENOUGH. NO
MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, THE TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE, BAFTA WINNER, AND ALL AROUND BALLER
IS STILL GOING TO ONE UP YOU. GIVE UP. DONT TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS UNDENIABLY
WITTY, LIKE SOME MODERN MARK TWAIN OR A STRAIGHT OSCAR WILDE. DONT TRY AND RATIONALIZE HIS
EFFORTLESS PANACHE, AND DONT COMMENT ON THE KENNEDY-LIKE CHARISMA. DONT BOTHER TO POINT OUT
THAT HE IS A TOP NOTCH PERFORMER AND DEFINITELY DONT SAY HES AS GOOD AS DANIEL DAY-LEWIS (WITHOUT
THE WHOLE METHOD ACTOR DRAMA). WE KNOW ALL OF THESE THINGS. AND WE KNOW YOU KNOW. THE TRUTH OF
THE MATTER IS THAT ROBERT DOWNEY JR. IS ALMOST FUCKING PERFECT. ALMOST.
CULTURE CLASH
E
xpect to be continually surprised, says Robert
Downey Jr. when asked what you should an-
ticipate walking into the theatre to take in the
spectacle that is Iron Man 3. Yes, you should
walk in and the cryptic face of RDJ will meet
you there, and he doesnt want you to antici-
pate anything other than the fact that he is going to deliver
the performance of a lifetime. And yes, hes trying to defect
the question: This is intentionally a mislead into a redirect
into a turnaround into a bait-and-switch into a red herring,
he says, bringing out a bit of the rake personality that RDJ
channels so well. Just look at our cover, the aristocrat in the
frame is RDJ too, and hes the man about town with a devil-
may-care affectation. But, being the gentleman that he is, he
isnt above giving you a meaty slice to chew on: I think that
in some ways that this [Iron Man 3] is the most emotionally
satisfying, and the most technically, and [the most] action-
wise and superhero-wise entertaining of the three. Oh and
he also wants you to know that, Its fun.
RDJ also has a way of making the implausible sound per-
fectly plausible. Everyone knows he can really deliver a line,
but when hes donning a suit and actually making you be-
lieve in Tony Starks alter ego, thats a whole other story. He
even makes it sound factual. On a certain level this stuff is
real and its also kind of feasible technologically. So I think
thats what made it successful. We had a group of talented
people and we did something that kind of bridged a gap be-
tween the unfeasibility of most superhero
genre movies and the kind of movies like
a James Bond or Mission Impossible that
are grounded in things that we think could
happen, he argues. He can even bring ab-
stract concepts in; alluding to the evolu-
tion of the technology in the triptych per-
meating the group mind. On this he thinks
that part of what really made it work was
it was tangible. And with Legacy, the hu-
man beings who make all the tech in the
movie, its as if you can reach out as we go
from movie to movie and you are feeling
more and more like youre seeing some-
thing thats become part of the collective
unconscious. And then he is straightfor-
ward, At this point, with the frst two Iron
Man movies and then The Avengers and
now doing Iron Man 3, there is obviously
this sense of continuity. Obviously. How
could you not have noticed? This is Robert
Downey Jr., and this is how we get down
to business. Iron Man 3 is here and in
some ways, you might never be the same
again, especially if the collective vision
(and collective thought) is adopting RDJ
as fact. And they are.
I ABSOLUTELY
INSIST ON
HAVING FUN
CULTURE CLASH
ABOVE:
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. AT THE 2013 AMERICAN
CINEMATHEQUE GALA WHERE HE WAS
HONOURED WITH THE 25TH ANNUAL
AMERICAN CINEMATEQUE AWARD AT THE
BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL IN BEVERLY HILLS
RIGHT:
AT THE PREMIERE OF IRON MAN 2,
APRIL 26, 2010 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
What happened to the fun? he asks.
Indeed, what did happen to the fun? I
ask myself that all of the time, but with
RDJ, I mean isnt it always fun? Fun be-
ing him, fun being the coolest actor on-
screen today, and certainly fun playing
Tony Stark! Thats the frst thing I was
thinking, and I always have to remind
myself as I absolutely insist on having
fun. Why do I forget? Why do I become
someone who is just in the slog of the
pressure of the schedule? Tony Stark is
a joy to play and charity starts at home,
says the several time Oscar nominee. He
must be having a ball since playing Iron
Man in The Avengers was rewarded
by audiences globally: it is the third
highest grossing flm of all time. The
Avengers also reinforced the idea that
good or bad, Downey is one of the big-
gest box offce draws on earth. To the
delight of diehard Iron Man fans, he also
cameoed as Tony Stark in 2008s The
Incredible Hulk, based on another Mar-
vel Comics storyline. The man, who has
done tons of wrong, can do no wrong
in the eyes of audiences worldwide, and
this is what matters.
Downey, celebrating his 48th birthday
this month, has always been Holly-
woods bad boy. Think along the lines
of Charlie Sheen, without the ridiculous
comedic marketing ploys. Winning!
aside, Downey has struggled with drug
abuse issues over the years, widely doc-
umented in the media, and unlike many
stars of his calibre, hasnt taken the dam-
age where it counts: his career. A child
of show biz parents, Downeys acting
career began at an early age; his cin-
ematic debut was in his producer/direc-
tor fathers flm, named Pound, at the
age of six. This means that he has been
onscreen for 42 years, even with all of
the hiccups down the line. Having faced
legal repercussions due to his forays
into heroin, cocaine, marijuana, other il-
licit substances and prescription drugs,
Downey has been in and out of rehab
centers and hes even been incarcerated.
Detractors of his, and even those who
championed him, lamented what they
considered the ruin of his lengthy career-
just as he proved them wrong. For any
other actor, this mayhem would have
been the end of starring roles (not to
mention the promotional leper label). In
Downeys case, the very minute he was
released, he was snatched up and cast
in the critically acclaimed TV series Ally
McBeal opposite Calista Flockhart; this
role later added a Golden Globe for Best
Supporting Actor to his long list of ac-
colades. Eventually, the shows produc-
ers wrote his character out of the plot
due to recurrent clashes with the law
involving drugs. Prior to this, many of
his pending projects were put on hold
during his stint in the pen producers
and directors alike were willing to wait
for Downey- despite the fact that he was
publicly linked to substance abuse and
subsequently, jail time. For someone
heavily associated with the Hollywood
crash-and-burn scene, Downey contin-
ued to be untouchable.
PLAYING IRON MAN IN THE AVENGERS WAS
REWARDED BY AUDIENCES GLOBALLY: IT IS THE
THIRD HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF ALL TIME.
THE AVENGERS ALSO REINFORCED THE IDEA
THAT GOOD OR BAD, DOWNEY IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST BOX OFFICE DRAWS ON EARTH
CELEBRATING HIS 48
TH
BIRTHDAY THIS
MONTH, DOWNEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN
HOLLYWOODS
BAD BOY
46 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E 46 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co
HAVING FACED LEGAL
REPERCUSSIONS DUE TO HIS
FORAYS INTO HEROIN, COCAINE,
MARIJUANA, OTHER ILLICIT
SUBSTANCES AND PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS, DOWNEY HAS BEEN IN AND
OUT OF REHAB CENTERS AND HES
EVEN BEEN INCARCERATED
Disney, who has a notorious reputation
for distancing themselves from their fa-
vorite stars facing scandal (think Lindsay
Lohan), has frmly stuck by Downey,
proof is the Iron Man flms. His latest
appearance at Comic Con caused near
pandemonium, with Downey sporting
the Iron Man glove and a dapper tailored
suit. He has won a few Teen Choice
Awards and a Kids Choice Award for
Favorite Buttkicker, and parents dont
seem to mind one bit that the actor their
children idolize has struggled with ad-
diction reportedly since the age of eight.
But thats RDJ, nothing seems to stick-
or nothing negative anyway. He might
be better at defecting publicity than the
Tefon Don himself, the late John Gotti
Sr., another native New Yorker who
made splashy crime headlines yet still
managed to keep the public charmed.
It seems that four decades of success
hasnt convinced Downey that hes here
to stay. He thinks everything good must
eventually come to an end, negating the
idea that he is a perma-fxture on the
big screen: You know, theres a half-
life to an arc of a career, an arc of a
franchise or whatever, so I think theres
been a lot of just goodwill this time
around because we all feel like its a re-
ally nice ride, and again, the audience
has driven the success. Thats whats
been cool, he says crediting the cult-
like fanbase for the triumph of the Iron
Man flms. Whether or not that is true,
he admits that he feels the passage of
time. This is just such a sweet time to be
with this group of men and women. So
I dont necessarily feel the whole grief
of time is running out, again delivering
one of those contradictory statements
that characterize his interviews over
the years. Its quite diffcult to nail an
opinion of Downeys, he is the type of
person who can state two very different
ideas on the same topic in one breath.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Pepper in
the Marvel Universe, is brought alive by
Downey. Some have called the icy star
(like Downey, she is also the child of
Hollywood royalty) remote on flm
-not so in Iron Man- I start thinking
in terms of whats in it for my co-stars,
and what is it that keeps this interest-
ing for Gwyneth. Weve addressed that
because she has a pretty remarkable arc
for a love-interest, female heroine in
this flm, adds Downey. And is there
something unexpected this time around?
Thats probably one of the things that I
am most excited about. Without giving
it away, lets just say she has a pretty in-
credible arc this time. He also hastens
to point out that Tony Stark is the only
superhero who has cultivated and main-
tained a relationship with one woman
over time that doesnt go south entire-
ly. His other female co-stars are equally
engaged says Downey, Rebecca Hall,
who plays Dr. Maya Hansen, has just
become one of my favorite people in
the world. The relationship between
Tony and a girl from the past that he just
shared a night with is also really cool to
motivate some changes and drama for
him and Pepper.
UNCONSCIOUS
THATS BECOME PART OF THE COLLECTIVE
ITS
[...]
LIKE YOURE SEEING SOMETHING
CULTURE CLASH
Kind of echoing the Stark/Downey
likeness, he points out that its also
nice because we always saw Tony as
a playboy but we never thought that
there was someone he actually maybe
would have spent a little more time
with. Its interesting that there is this
history between them that comes into
play in the story and the theme. His
real-life love is also a partner in Team
Downey, a production company cre-
ated in 2010 with his wife Susan.
Downey himself says that hes evolved
since the frst Iron Man flm, Im fve
years older, so back in the day, all I
cared about was, Have I taken enough
creatine? Do my arms look big? Hows
the light? and then, Am I kind of
charming and funny? And now? This
time around the relationship with Pep-
per is obviously the kind of center of
the movie. Contrary to my own de-
signs, it seems like this time Im much
less thinking about, How do I come
off? and this and that. I am thinking
about the other characters. Im think-
ing about this kind of a checklist of
stuff that we always thought maybe
we should do. This checklist includes
some details that fans of the franchise
will appreciate like we always felt like
Tony and Rhodey should be at Nep-
tunes Net because it is up the road
from where Tony lives and its a biker
bar. He says that Iron Man 3 Direc-
tor Jon Favreau (who directed Downey
previously in smash-hit Chaplin),
Shane Black and Joss Whedon have
all contributed to this creative pro-
cess. We never got to execute [these
elements because of] story or time or
money or whatever got in the way.
And it seems like, without it being con-
voluted, a lot of those wishes are com-
ing true- this time around, Downey
says its different.
RDJ will bring you back to the Marvel
Universe: youll fall in love with Pep-
per and your blood will rush as you
live vicariously through Tony Stark. RDJ
thinks so, after all he says that when
[they] started Iron Man 3, he has quote-
unquote perfected a heart without ac-
tually dealing with the wound to begin
with. So once you have all those things
in play you go, Okay, with all of those
plates spinning at the same time, what
is he supposed to do? And I think that
there really is only one thing to do, and
we tried everything else and wrote ev-
erything else and talked about every-
thing else and the one weve chosen I
think is absolutely delightful.
With all of these plates spinning at the
same time, RDJ has reinvented the jug-
gling act and there is no room left for
the competition. Hes the best at what
he does- thus far signing an ironclad
deal with the devil has paid off many
times over. Three times to be exact
TONY STARK IS THE ONLY
SUPERHERO WHO HAS CULTIVATED
AND MAINTAINED A RELATIONSHIP
WITH ONE WOMAN OVER TIME THAT
DOESNT GO SOUTH ENTIRELY
CULTURE CLASH
EXPECT TO BE
CONTINUALLY
SURPRISED
LIVING IT
LIKE TONY STARK
MEN DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
TO BE OUR IRON MAN?
WITH
JACK & JONES is hosting the only avant-
premire of Iron Man 3 in partnership with
Italiafilm the beginning of May and RAGMAG
wants to make sure youre the first one there! In
honour of the biggest movie release of the year,
weve teamed up with the mens fashion experts
at JACK & JONES to recreate the Tony Stark
look with their Premium line. Can you pull off
a modern blazer like Robert Downey Jr.? Have
you got the style to rock a dress shirt and make
it look like a million bucks?
If so, you could be RAGMAGs Tony Stark!
WHY RABIH SALLOUM OF SLUTTERHOUSE?
Because this man has got it going on- he can rock a blazer
better than anyone we know! Hes going to live tweet your
style session at JACK & JONES and hes also got some
legit fashion expertise under his belt: Rabih has done
modelling and styling work for a slew of top notch brands,
including Paris Fashion Week! @Slutterhouse
WHO MEN WITH THE TRADEMARK TONY
STARK CHARM AND IRON MAN EXECUTION. WE
WILL HAVE TWO WINNERS OF THE STYLING
SESSION AND AVANT-PREMIRE TICKETS.
WHAT A FULL STYLING SESSION BY
RABIH SALLOUM OF SLUTTERHOUSE AND A
COMPLETE HEAD TO TOE PREMIUM OUTFIT
COURTESY OF JACK & JONES. WHAT ELSE?
RAGMAGS TONY STARK WILL BE TAKING FIVE
GUESTS OF HIS CHOICE TO THE EXCLUSIVE
INVITE ONLY PREMIERE OF IRON MAN 3!
STEP 1 Choose ONE of the four JACK &
JONES Premium looks shown here, and tell
us why you think that this look is more Tony
Starks style than the others.
STEP 2
Email letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com with
your choice. Extra points if you add a link to the
official Iron Man 3 trailer!
NOW GO!
HOW
1
2 3
4
RULES + REGULATIONS
All entries must be male and above the age of 18 years-old.
Contestants must be a resident of Lebanon and have valid
government issued identification. Contestants must complete
both steps to qualify. Send us your entries as soon as possible,
well be choosing the winner at the end of April.
WIN THIS
@JackandJonesME Jack & Jones JackandJonesME
I
fnally graduated from college and
joined the full-time workforce. Ill
admit that I was really excited to
work after fve years of university. Lit-
tle did I know that the transition from
college life to the professional world
would be this depressing. I mean wak-
ing up at 6:30am, driving over an hour
to work, sitting at a desk for over 10
hours, then spending another hour
driving home- fve or six days a week!
Why am I telling you all of this gher ta
fesh khel2e publicly? It is just to share
that particular feeling eno law shou
ma kenit ra7 tna2ile Fida for my FML
this month, it wouldnt have compared
to the FML Im experiencing on a daily
basis. Yes, anything that doesnt in-
clude traffc, a desk, and a computer
doesnt scare me at all, even skydiv-
ing, paragliding, and bungee jumping!
(3am bemza7, mesh hal2ad.)
Your FML is snowboarding, Fida
tweeted. On the Delicate Sarah scale,
it counts as an FML -given that my pre-
vious FMLs include dancing, bartend-
ing, Capoeira and Aqua Gym classes,
which are all relatively risk-free ac-
tivities. On the new Working Sarah
scale, mountain and snow sports are
equivalent to a relaxing day off; 7atta
law ma kharje abadan snowboarding!
EDITORS NOTE
Every time there is a physically challenging
FML, I send it Sarahs way. What I get is a
good attitude, but little in the way of physi-
cal prowess; she always tries her best even
if she cant actually make it happen. And
yes, I was aware of Sarahs new job, it had
become difficult to reach her and shes ex-
hausted whenever I speak to her.
FML [F**K MY LIFE]
BY SARAH HOURANY
FEAR FACTOR FOR RAGMAG
LIFE TRANSITIONS
IN MORE WAYS
THAN ONE
REALITY
CHECK
ON THE DELICATE SARAH SCALE, IT COUNTS AS AN FML
-GIVEN THAT MY PREVIOUS FMLS INCLUDE DANCING,
BARTENDING, CAPOEIRA AND AQUA GYM CLASSES, WHICH
ARE ALL RELATIVELY RISK-FREE ACTIVITIES. ON THE NEW
WORKING SARAH SCALE, MOUNTAIN AND SNOW SPORTS
ARE EQUIVALENT TO A RELAXING DAY OFF
REALITY CHECK IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE | LIFE TRANSITIONS
LIFE TRANSITIONS
PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA
FML 3al Tari2itude
Its rainy and cloudy but Jason and I
insist on heading to complete the as-
signed FML. We arrive at the Achkout
roundabout, where the real (and un-
planned) FML takes place. Jason had
offered to pick me up from Jeita- I
bet he regrets it now! The thing is I
have Nebulaphobia (fear of fog), and
I didnt expect the weather to be this
bad. As we cant see anything, I beg
Jason to stop driving insisting enno ma
bedde mout! I call George, my snow-
boarding instructor, hoping to hear
something like, The weather is really
bad, lets postpone the session, but all
I get is, The weather is clear and sun-
ny on the slopes. So I have no choice.
Tayib, lets go, I tell Jason in a trem-
bling voice. Neme w wa2ta nousal, I
will let you know, he says trying in
vain to calm me down. Barke nemet
w ma w3it forever? is one of the
numerous existential questions yalli
tawashto fyon kel el tari2.
Inte aktar benet khawife shefta bi
7ayete, he eventually concludes as I
made his life miserable bi kel ma3na
el kelme.
EDITORS NOTE
This is truly hilarious. I dont know why Ja-
son would be shocked- he should know by
now that you are little Miss Delicate from
all the FML stunts! You actually asked him
what if you never wake up? Sarah, chill!
Snowboarding... finally!
We eventually make it thanks to my
nonstop praying and Jasons driving
superpowers. I thought eno hayde
hiye: I take the snowboard, slide on
the slopes w ou3a tobb 3a wejje. I was
very uninformed: before being ready
to go, weve got several things to do.
George helps me choose snowboard-
ing boots and then checks out whether
Id be a regular who uses a lead left
foot or a goofy who uses a lead right
foot. He then magically sets my snow-
board stance by adjusting the setback,
width, and angle -which I think I will
never be able to do, ever. Things al-
ready look more complicated than I
thought. I can barely walk with the
boots and the snowboard is bigger and
heavier than I thought it would be.
We haul our snowboards and hit the
slopes, w ana elet khalas, seret snow-
boarder. Not yet. I need to become ac-
quainted with the snowboard elements:
nose, tail, base, and edge (terms that
eventually feto bi rasse). Then I have
to do a fve minute dynamic warm-up
to increase the heat in my muscles and
prepare them for exercise. I also have
to learn how to strap my boots into
the bindings by pushing my heel into
the heel cup, buckle the ankle buckle,
then buckle the toe strap last. In addi-
tion, I have to move the board up and
down and turn it left and right. Ok, I
admit that I cheat and use my hands
to move the board, bass 3anjad it was
heavy. Ba3den even George tells me
that he worked out extensively ahead of
the season, as snowboarding requires a
lot of leg strength. Once these skills are
mastered, I learn how to glide from a
place to another (did I mention we were
on a fat snow surface?). Finally, George
fnds a gentle slope, and teaches me
how to maintain my balance, push with
my back foot and start moving downhill.
Mazbout eno khefet shway but seeing
all the 10 year-old girls skiing around me
khaletne eskot, eno bala jorsa!
I NEED TO BECOME ACQUAINTED
WITH THE SNOWBOARD
ELEMENTS: NOSE, TAIL, BASE,
AND EDGE (TERMS THAT
EVENTUALLY FETO BI RASSE).
THEN I HAVE TO DO A FIVE
MINUTE DYNAMIC WARM-UP
TO INCREASE THE HEAT IN MY
MUSCLES AND PREPARE THEM
FOR EXERCISE
FML [F**K MY LIFE]
EDITORS NOTE
Sarah I can totally imagine all of these kids
winding around you and you just barely
moving the snowboard! At least you tried,
thats what is important. (Sort of)
The funny thing is I really thought
what I was doing was actually snow-
boarding, but it wasnt. I only complet-
ed stage one of the beginners lessons,
which means that I have to attend a
truckload more sessions to acquire
snowboarder status. So Jason, will you
pick me up?
REALITY CHECK IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE | LIFE TRANSITIONS
NEWBREED SNOWBOARDING
& WAKEBOARDING SCHOOL
+961 3 007 346 | +961 3 653 468
NewBreedRiders | wearenewbreed.com
www.beirutmotorcycleshow.com
The Ride Starts Here!
> Showcase your latest models, accessories and
services to the regions top riders
> Position your brand as a pioneer among the
worlds top motorcycle manufacturers
> 12,160 visitors, 99 exhibitors and 281 brands
in Beirut Motorcycle Show 2012
26 - 30 June 2013
BIEL, Beirut
Organized by: In partnership with:
P.O. Box: 55576 / Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: + 961 5 959 111 / Fax: + 961 5 959 888
Email: info@ifpexpo.com
www.beirutmotorcycleshow.com
The Ride Starts Here!
> Showcase your latest models, accessories and
services to the regions top riders
> Position your brand as a pioneer among the
worlds top motorcycle manufacturers
> 12,160 visitors, 99 exhibitors and 281 brands
in Beirut Motorcycle Show 2012
26 - 30 June 2013
BIEL, Beirut
Organized by: In partnership with:
P.O. Box: 55576 / Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: + 961 5 959 111 / Fax: + 961 5 959 888
Email: info@ifpexpo.com
PUBLIC RELATIONS
REPRESENTATIVES, PLEASE
INSTALL A SPELL CHECK
PROGRAM FOR YOUR
STARS! ENNO MA3LE WE WILL
CONSIDER FREIND AS A TYPO
SHE MAKES ON A DAILY BASIS
O
nce upon a time, maga-
zines were the only tools
used by Lebanese celebri-
ties to communicate with
their fans (yreddo 3a ba-
3don el ba3d) and promote their work
(their dresses and jewelry collections).
Back then, kenit iza tol3it one of them
3a cover Jameli insisting that she wore
that yellow dress frst, tol3it el tenye
bi Khamse bi 3younkon magazine
and proved her wrong. W iza sarra7it
we7de mennon la Najmet el Noujoum
that she is the best singer in the Arab
world, raddet 3laya el tenye in majjalit
La2ale2 accusing her of buying all of
her awards. Men el ekhir, they annoyed
us for years bil 2elle ta 2ellak taba3on
magazines that we had to read while
waiting at the salon (since we had noth-
ing better to do) But suddenly ev-
erything changed: the stars fnally em-
braced social media and we all thought
2enno khalas rta7na! These bala ta3me
magazines ra7 ysakro, which will save
paper and help Mother Earth. Besides,
2elna that we could get to know these
celebrities for real, enno what if the
journalists made up all these useless
stories? Bass unfortunately, la2 ma 3re-
fna wala rta7na. We followed them on
Twitter, hoping to discover who they
really were, their thoughts, and what
they love doing. W ya ret ma ktachafna!
TALK TO THE HAND
Even though she didnt fnish high
school, this singer saret 2ettarghil ktir
mni7 English all of a sudden. Halla2 ok,
she might have learned the I, she, he
in the English center next door, but her
excellent command of English men wen
jebeto? Were not fond of celebrities
hiring PR frms to run their twitter ac-
counts. Enno we want to read her own
tweets and not those of her English-ed-
ucated assistants.
CULTURE CLASH
MRS. LOGHAT
If Mrs. Perfect bothered you with her
perfect-but-fake tweets (enno wala
ghalta, ever!), Mrs. Loghat will drive you
crazy by her chronic misspelling (Public
Relations representatives, please install
a spell check program for your stars)!
Enno ma3le we will consider frEind
as a typo she makes on a daily basis
and we will assume that she is directly
talking to God whenever she tweets:
ThankS God its raining, bass Were
are you now dear fans? or Wat are you
doing wright now?, kif men2atte3la ye-
hon hol, kif?
BY SARAH HOURANY
MAKHARJKON
TRANSITION
#
HAYDA LEBNEN
S
SHE PERSONALLY TWEETS
W IN ARABIC KAMEN- ARYA7
FOR HER AND FOR US.
SHES THE ONLY LEBANESE
CELEBRITY YOUD WANT TO
FOLLOW ISNT SHE? WELL,
IF YOUD LIKE TO STAY
INFORMED ABOUT ANIMALS,
THEIR NAMES W 2ASLON W
FASLON, AKID
HAYDA LEBNENS #MAKHARJKON TRANSITION
SHAKESPEARE NTA7AR
Halla2 we could just Google quotes
and get more than 700,000,000 results
but la2, our beloved star moussera
tsa2efna shakhsiyan bi one copy-past-
ed quote per hour. Her so-called wis-
dom quotes include: What do you do
when the only person who can make
you stop crying is the person who
made you cry in the frst place, that
youve probably read hundreds of times
before, or Shame on you if you fool
me once, shame on me if you fool me
twice yalli zabbalit 10 years ago. Does
she ever post her personal thoughts? Bi-
wjoud brainyquote.com, lashou?
KIM MEN WEJJE
She constantly shows off her curves,
rings, cars, nails, la Kardashian ma3
fare2 zghir that she doesnt have Kims
looks or fame. Enno Kim reportedly
earns up to $10,000 every time she
mentions a product or brand, bass our
star mesh reb7ane ella shawfetna! Kim
has over 17 million followers, hiye ma
byotla3o 10,000, the equivalent of el
7ayy 3and Kim ya3ne. Kim herself is
bad enough, and now weve got a local
version!
But lets be fair, while some ma ken
kharjon transition to social media, oth-
ers succeeded in it. So unfollow those
who annoy you, and vote for those
who dont on the Beiruts frst annual
Social Media Awards website!
www.smabeirut.com
Ma deyman f 2el mni7 w f 2el 3atil, ma
hayda Lebnen ya 3ayneh!
ANIMAL KINGDOM
She represents what we exactly want-
ed from the two performers listed
above. She personally tweets w in
Arabic kamen- arya7 for her and for
us. Shes the only Lebanese celebrity
youd want to follow isnt she? Well, if
youd like to stay informed about ani-
mals, their names w 2aslon w faslon,
akid. Our star likes to spoil her fol-
lowers with words such as ja7sh w
kalb -original ma hek?
TO ASK A QUESTION
send your problems to
helpmenour@ragmaglive.com

TO JOIN THE READER RESPONSE PANEL
and give feedback to women
across Lebanon, send your name, age,
and email address to
helpmenour@ragmaglive.com
subject line: Interactive Panel
We will contact you if you are chosen to
participate.
At a party the other night, I was helping clean
up. When I walked by my friends husband, I
had to ask him to move so I could get plates.
I happened to look down and saw that he
was watching a video on his phone that was
clearly not from his wife. Two things I want to
make clear to the panel: his wife told us (her
best friends) that she thinks he is having an
affair and also I only saw a quick glance but
it was more than enough. I dont want to tell
anyone. Am I right to stay the hell out of it or
should I spill it to her?
Sarah, 24
I would never say anything. If I saw my best
friends husband cheating, I think I would say
something, but a fringe friend no way. Even
if you see someone in a compromising posi-
tion, that doesnt mean your take on the situ-
ation is correct, you have to be one hundred
percent sure before you open your mouth.
What if it was just porn and not another real
life person?
Rani, 26
Mind your own fucking business! How do
you know that its a girl who sent the video?
You know how many times I received videos
MIND, BODY+SOUL
from guys with obscene content? Me nei-
ther! And maybe the party was boring and
he was browsing the web for later fun with
the wife. Maybe he just likes weird stuff.
Maybe he works as a part-time pornstar and
he was conducting scientific research? If
you had more concrete evidence, I wouldve
still told you to mind your own business.
Najla, 36
You stay out of it. Firstly, his wife can know
herself whether hes really cheating or not
if she decides to investigate. Its not that
complicated. A quick glance? Maybe the
guy was just watching porn, and even if he
wasnt and the video featured him and a
kinky blond, its not your business.
Nours Vote
Stay away silly. For starters, it is doubtful
that a man who is carrying on a secret re-
lationship would be so careless. If you tell
her what you think you saw (not know for a
certainty), what would you say? I think I saw
your husband watching some kind of scan-
dalous video on his phone for a split sec-
ond? You have nothing concrete to share.
If she thinks her husband is having an af-
fair, then she needs to pull up her socks and
discuss it with him, not rely on second hand
information that may or may not be incrimi-
nating.
Rabihs Vote
Is the Pope Catholic? Of course youre stay-
ing out of it! Besides, it may have just been
a video that one of his buddies sent to him.
We all have guy friends that send videos
around. Delete this event from your memory
and move on.
help me
NOUR+RABIH
BY NOUR OBAJI + RABIH FEGHALI
MAYBE THE PARTY WAS BORING
AND HE WAS BROWSING THE
WEB FOR LATER FUN WITH THE
WIFE. MAYBE HE JUST LIKES
WEIRD STUFF. MAYBE HE WORKS
AS A PART-TIME PORNSTAR AND
HE WAS CONDUCTING SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH?
HELP ME NOUR+RABIH
I havent heard from my ex-boyfriend in six
months, now hes back in town and hes
passing subtle messages through mutual
friends that he wants to talk. Hes also
saying that hes scared of my reaction, as
though Im the monster here. We were do-
ing fine in our relationship until one day he
decided that we should break up. I didnt ar-
gue the point much, I was too shocked at
the time to say anything but the few days
before he had been weird. What would you
do? Should I initiate the conversation now
that he is here? We still have each other
on Facebook but he doesnt use it much so
should I send him an SMS?
Tala, 21
Take it from someone who has been there,
forget it and forget him. Six months have gone
by and you said it yourself, you havent heard
from him. Being out of town is no excuse not
to talk to you. If he really wanted to, he would
have sent you a message or something. Plus,
its been six months, its time that you both
move on. Talking might complicate things for
both of you or bring back unwanted memo-
ries and emotions. Why open past wounds,
right? But in any case, if you do in fact decide
that you want to meet up and catch up, make
sure you have someone with you.
Aida, 28
I dont really see what the big deal is. If you
want to talk, text or call him and just go, Hey,
heard youre in town, do you want to have
coffee to catch up?. If you have nothing to
tell him, dont contact him. Hell man up and
call you himself if he wants to talk.
Amal, 24
Under no circumstances would I reach out to
him. If he wants to talk to you, he should man
up and call you. By telling friends he wants
to talk instead of telling you, he is being dis-
respectful of you as a person. Unfortunately,
you are a bit vague about what you mean
by weird so I cant speak about his motives
for breaking up and then deciding that you
shouldnt have broken up. And by the way,
delete him from your Facebook account!
Nours Vote
He sounds like a coward and a loser. When
I want to talk to an ex of mine to resolve
some residual problems, I message or call
them myself. Why is he passing comments
and messages through people? You need to
ignore this guy because he clearly cant deal
with facing you directly. Why would you want
to talk to him anyway? It sounds like youre
still confused and a bit put out about your
breakup, if you really need closure, then I
guess you have to follow up. If it was me, I
would leave it alone and wait for him to act
like an adult. The ball is in your court, and
Nour thinks you should keep it there. He
needs to get a backbone.
Rabihs Vote
You should ask yourself other questions like
what does he want now? Is he just bored? Is
he missing the physical stuff? Did you ever
wonder why he broke up with you this eas-
ily? Dont do anything. If he truly cares and
wants to see you, he will muster up the cour-
age and endure your presumed wrath.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOURE STILL
CONFUSED AND A BIT PUT
OUT ABOUT YOUR BREAKUP,
IF YOU REALLY NEED
CLOSURE, THEN I GUESS YOU
HAVE TO FOLLOW UP. IF IT
WAS ME, I WOULD LEAVE IT
ALONE AND WAIT FOR HIM
TO ACT LIKE AN ADULT. THE
BALL IS IN YOUR COURT, AND
NOUR THINKS YOU SHOULD
KEEP IT THERE. HE NEEDS TO
GET A BACKBONE
YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF OTHER QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT
DOES HE WANT NOW? IS HE JUST BORED? IS HE MISSING THE
PHYSICAL STUFF? DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY HE BROKE UP
WITH YOU THIS EASILY? DONT DO ANYTHING. IF HE TRULY CARES
AND WANTS TO SEE YOU, HE WILL MUSTER UP THE COURAGE
AND ENDURE YOUR PRESUMED WRATH
GUYS CORNER
HELP ME NOUR+RABIH
MIND, BODY+SOUL
IT MAY SOUND EASIER SAID
THAN DONE, BUT THERE ARE
ONLY TWO ROADS HERE AND
REMAINING IN THIS CYCLE
IS DETRIMENTAL TO YOU
AND YOUR CHILDREN. I SAY
IGNORE RABIH
THERE ARE LOTS OF FISH
IN THE SEA AND YOU
NEED TO BROADEN YOUR
HORIZONS. IF ALL ELSE
FAILS, ASK FOR INTROS
STRAIGHT OUT. THE
SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS
THE GREASE
I really want to get married. Im kind of
religious I guess you can say, so Im in-
terested in finding someone that matches
my morals. The problem is I think I missed
the boat here because a lot of the girls
in my age group that suit my lifestyle are
already married. I dont want a big age gap
between us and the women I am meet-
ing are way younger, thats all that seems
to be available. Any suggestions for a
conservative guy with family values that
wants someone in his own age group?
Where are all the ladies hiding?
Nours Vote
This one is difficult. My initial reaction
was to go old school and ask people to
introduce you to likely matches. Upon
further consideration, I think you need to
try harder first before you go the family
route. Where are you going to meet these
women (girls)? Have you tried taking a
class that youre interested in? Enrolling
in a volunteer program? Hanging out with
couples that have a common ground with
you and seeing who their social group is
made up of? There are lots of fish in the
sea and you need to broaden your hori-
zons. If all else fails, ask for intros straight
out. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Rabihs Vote
What youre saying is statistically incor-
rect. Unmarried Gen X women are the
fastest growing and widening demo-
graphic in Lebanon today. Im not sure
how old you are, but there are plenty of
quality conservative and non-conservative
women that are no longer in their 20s.
Send me your email address, Ill have 10
women your way by tonight latest 6pm
Have been in a bad marriage for years and
even my in-laws know it. They tell everyone
that Im a saint for staying with him and they
are really good to me to try and make up for
his behavior. Hes not abusive but hes an ad-
dict. I make progress with him then he goes
back to his old habits. Were really in debt
and part of the reason I dont want to leave
is because of the financial situation we are
in. What would you do? I do still love him but I
need to figure out my plan, its been five years
of this and it keeps going and going. We have
kids together and the kids always complain
that hes never home.
Anna, 35
Get your shit in order. Get a decent paying
job and move on with your life- you need to
leave him. Take the kids with you and go to
court for this, thats what I would do.
Jelena, 31
Staying in this relationship will only make
things harder for you in the long run. You
cant change a person no matter how hard
you try. Focus on your future and on your
kids, get a better paying job, have your in-
laws or parents help you with the kids, and
move on with your life. Staying with your
husband will only bring you down.
Nours Vote
So this is a modern day marriage- for debt
and finance purposes you are staying com-
mitted to an addict? The basic psychologi-
cal premise about addicts is thus: if they
dont want to kick their habits, no force on
earth including counselling can make a dif-
ference. I dont know why you mentioned
the part about your in-laws, I fail to see
what relevance this plays in the situation.
The neighbour, the cousin, and his buddy
from college all think youre a saint, and so
what? You want to play the martyr forever?
You didnt mention what kind of addiction(s)
your husband is suffering from, so I cant
give you an accurate game plan. About
the debt, staying with him is not lessening
the debt, but leaving him can reduce the
amount you personally incur going forward.
So lets say its $10,000 now, the longer you
stay, the higher it climbs. Get divorced and
get your kids out of this nasty situation. It
may sound easier said than done, but there
are only two roads here and remaining in
this cycle is detrimental to you and your
children. I say ignore Rabih.
Rabihs Vote
Beyond the debt and the financials, is he a
good husband in general? Does he love you?
If the answer is yes, then you have to con-
tinue doing everything you can to help him
and to get your lives straightened out. Re-
member through thick and thin, in sickness
and in health? Thats what you promised and
committed to five years ago... See it through.
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,
Zoya Awky, lecturer at Notre Dame University, produced a 15
minute documentary on menopauses effect on womens lives.
None of the women featured in the documentary mentioned
vaginal atrophy even though some were suffering from it. To
Awky, it only highlights the embarrassment most feel about the
[] condition. A refection backed up by numbers: according to
Dr. Faysal El-Kak, LSOG President, 50 to 75 per cent of women
going through menopause suffer from vaginal atrophy and only
25 percent of them speak up. The problem is a double edged
sword: women are reluctant to talk about their symptoms be-
cause theyre ashamed and doctors rarely address the symptoms
up during routine check-ups because theyre not sure how their
patient will react to their questions.
The general malaise created by vaginal atrophy can easily be
treated and women now have access to several types of treat-
ments, the best being estrogen therapy- in other words, estrogen
hormones are given to the body to counterbalance the decrease.
Studies have shown that Hormone Replacement Treatments can
increase a womans risk of getting cancer if taken over a long
period of time but Dr. El-Kak says there are other forms of estro-
gen intake. Local application of estrogen in the vagina is a very
simple way to do it. The quantities of hormones in that type of
treatment stay below the upper limit from which hormone intake
can lead to cancer and other side effects because of the low
absorption level.
The LSOG hope their campaign will make women aware of the
risks theyre taking by keeping silent and of the easiness of the
treatment. Its time to speak up women of Lebanon, and not let
your pain stay 7aki neswen
T
hrough their new campaign, launched at a press
conference on March 15th, 2013, the Lebanese
Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (LSOG)
and healthcare company Novo Nordisk call on
women and healthcare professionals to address
the menopause-related issue and lift the taboo
Lebanese women are facing.
Atrophic Vaginitis (or vaginal atrophy) is a chronic condition
that usually affects postmenopausal women but is not exclu-
sive to that age group. An intense dryness caused by a decline
in estrogen, the hormone produced by the ovaries it creates a
thinning and infammation of the vaginal lining and can affect
any woman whose estrogen production drops drastically any
multitude of factors can contribute, from breastfeeding, radio-
therapy, chemotherapy to immunologic disorders. Menopause,
most often associated with hot fashes and mood swings, can
cause painful and unpleasant symptoms and conditions, and
vaginal atrophy is one of them. Vaginal dryness, burning, itch-
ing, and soreness, leading to very painful intercourse, and
multiple urinary tract infections that upset the regular urinary
process leading to incontinence, are some of the symptoms a
women affected by vaginal atrophy can experience. The real
problem is, rather than requesting treatment, women are hid-
ing their discomfort.
According to Rita Sfeir, Novo Nordisk Lebanon General Man-
ager, the taboo surrounding aging and sexuality and womens
reluctance to discuss what theyre going through is not specifc
to the Middle East, but it is all the more present in the region
because of the way we view sexuality. Supporting the point,
Ma Tkhalli Waja3ik 7aki Neswen
SPEAK
UP
VAGINAL ATROPHY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
LAUNCHES IN LEBANON
MON AMOUR, MON AMI
A
s much as we try to convince
ourselves and others that we
lead a zen, stress-free life, we
have to face the facts: most of us are un-
der pressure in every aspect of our lives,
be it the stress of meeting a deadline,
the pressure to provide for our families
or people expecting us to act a certain
way while drunk! And while sometimes
a relationship can be a pleasant way to
relieve some of that stress and pent-up
frustration (minds out of the gutter, peo-
ple), it can sometimes add way more
stress than we need, leading us to break
it off. Under normal conditions, this eas-
es off the pressure, but it can sometimes
lead to a condition we like to call PRST-
Post Relationship Stress Disorder.
1. I NEED YOU TONIGHT
Ladies, weve covered the topic of V-
Men in the December 2011 issue of
RAGMAG, so Im sure you all know
what were talking about. Gentlemen,
Ill admit women arent perfect and will
sometimes exhibit neediness, clinginess
and whininess after a breakup. The best
way to deal with that is to completely
ignore your ex. Do not give into their
whining and moaning just to have the
satisfaction of shutting them up, unless
its a case of force majeure. Acknowl-
edging them and answering their pleas
will only give them hope that you might
get back together. But in the words of
breakup expert Taylor Swift, you need
to tell them that you are never, ever,
ever getting back together. Like, ever.
2. RE: I NEED YOU TONIGHT
So youve had a little too much vino and
your phone wound up in your hand,
suddenly transforming into a Weapon
of Mass Destruction that could ruin all
your efforts to steer clear of your ex!
When youre tipsy, drunk or completely
plastered, its easy too easy to dial
your exs number to moan about your
breakup, admit you were wrong (even
if you werent), confess your undy-
ing devotion and even chat about the
weather. This is where your best friend
should swoop in and snatch that WMD
from your hand for the night, just to be
on the safe side. You could also change
ALL your exes names to HE WHO
MUST NOT BE CALLED and DONT
CALL THIS NUMBER AND SOBER UP
trust me, it works.
BY MARIA-ELENA KASSAB
CHANGE
DEALING WITH THE
STATUS
LADIES+GENTS YOU ARE NOW SINGLE
DIAGNOSIS
POST RELATIONSHIP
STRESS DISORDER
IN THE WORDS OF BREAKUP
EXPERT TAYLOR SWIFT,
YOU NEED TO TELL THEM
THAT YOU ARE NEVER,
EVER, EVER GETTING BACK
TOGETHER. LIKE, EVER
RIGHT: TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE BRIT
AWARDS 2013, O2 ARENA, LONDON.
PICTURE BY STEVE VAS
3. DATING GAME
Imagine yourself at the movies with
your friends when you spot a girl with
too much makeup and too little cloth-
ing or a guy with greasy hair and a bad
case of jerk-itis (a very common disease
among men). Youre just about to com-
ment on how ridiculous they are when
you see your ex strutting in that direc-
tion and planting a wet one on them,
right in front of everyone. You must
resist the urge to gag and the burning
desire to snatch your ex away from that
silicone doll/Neanderthal because they
could do so much better. Think of it
this way: you were so damn amazing,
you ruined your ex for all other regu-
lar people and they now have to aim
way lower. Then again, you might just
be seeing their new partner through ex-
coloured glasses.
4. EGO BOOST
Lets go through the same scenario as
number 3, but with a twist: the girl
looks like Eva Effng (not her real mid-
dle name) Mendez/the guy is as hot as
Ryan Ablicious (should be his middle
name) Gosling. You soon learn shes
part of Doctors Without Borders and
he saves baby seals for a living. This is
where you must resist the urge to sink
to the foor and sob over how you were
replaced by the 2.0 version of yourself
and take this as an opportunity to boost
your own ego: clearly, your ex has im-
peccable taste in lovers since they chose
you and then moved on to the epitome
of perfection. Despite all the other infu-
riating faws, your ex sure can pick em!
5. SAY WHAT?!
When your ex isnt needy or clingy,
when they go through the hatred/re-
sentment/raging anger phase, there is
no telling what secrets theyre going
to spill to third parties. Now if you ig-
nored your mamas advice to not tell
your current sweetheart all your dirty
little secrets (especially if you change
sweethearts more often than favorite
songs), youre gonna have a bad time.
Now your ex might be telling friends
that youre easy, high-maintenance,
dumb as a rock or clinically insane
(hey, it has happened), but remember:
those people whore hearing all these
stories are no longer your friends! You
dont have to see them, hang out with
them or even think about them again.
So let the tongue-wagging happen, you
know everyone will be thinking your ex
should never be entrusted with a secret
since hes so eager to spill those of a
person he once was in love with.
Now if you think you have PRST, there
are a few things you might want to do:
change your exs name from Habibi
to Voldemort, entrust your phone to
your friends when you drink, and lis-
ten to plenty of Taylor Swift songs. Just
dont sing along that would stress ev-
eryone else out
DEALING WITH THE STATUS CHANGE | POST RELATIONSHIP STRESS DISORDER
WHEN YOURE TIPSY,
DRUNK OR COMPLETELY
PLASTERED, ITS EASY
TOO EASY TO DIAL
YOUR EXS NUMBER TO
MOAN ABOUT YOUR
BREAKUP, ADMIT YOU
WERE WRONG (EVEN
IF YOU WERENT),
CONFESS YOUR
UNDYING DEVOTION
AND EVEN CHAT ABOUT
THE WEATHER
MON AMOUR, MON AMI
T
he seemingly stagnant status of
my relationship is driving the
people around me crazy, and
by default, their reactions are driving
me crazy. I cant tell you how many
times Ive had the When are you get-
ting married? convo. They dont get
it. When Fida asked me to write about
why I didnt want to get married in our
wedding-themed issue, I jumped at the
chance. Maybe putting it in print and
making my entourage read it will im-
print my reasons in their minds (pun
very intended). Here is a bit of back-
ground for you: Im 27 years-old and
Ive been in a committed relationship
for four years. In Lebanon (and the
rest of the Middle East), this situation
screams marriage. Ive never let any-
one meddle in my personal life and
harangue me with proclamations about
the future of my relationship, but a few
friends and family slyly manage to work
their way in. I dont know how they do
it; I just know that I always end up de-
fending not only my views on the sub-
ject but also my relationship, over and
over again.
MY AUNT
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
You went to university, you traveled,
youve even worked! Now its time to
build a family. I usually shrug and
mumble something along the lines of,
Yeah, whatever. But what Im actu-
ally waiting for is fguring out what I
really want out of life. Do I want to live
in Lebanon or will I move abroad? Be-
cause Id make that decision with my
signifcant other. Do I want to open my
own business? Because I sure cant deal
with a marriage and a start-up at the
same time. Am I ready to invest a good
part of my income in a house and the
expenses that come with it? Because I
still didnt get that Chanel bag Ive been
saving up for since 2009. So Aunty, Im
waiting on all those things and a thou-
sand more. When I fgure out what it is
that I want, Ill let you know.
BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY
I DONT
WANT TO GET
MARRIED...
YET
LOOKING BEFORE I LEAP,
DESPITE THE PRESSURE
SO WHERE ARE YOU HEADED WITH M.?
DUDE, I DONT KNOW!
WELL, ARE YOU EVEN HEADED SOMEWHERE?
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY BY ODETTE KAHWAGI
REPRINTED FROM RAGMAG MAY 2010 COMMITMENT ISSUE
I SURE CANT DEAL WITH A
MARRIAGE AND A START-
UP AT THE SAME TIME. AM I
READY TO INVEST A GOOD
PART OF MY INCOME IN A
HOUSE AND THE EXPENSES
THAT COME WITH IT?
FRIEND OF A FRIEND
SO YOURE JUST DATING?
If the only three stages of a relationship
are dating, engaged, and married, then
yes Im just dating. However, my notion
of a relationship also includes a com-
mitment phase that does not include
a ring on your right fnger and a lame
proposal on the beach. Is marriage all
about validating your long-term rela-
tionship? Does your relationship cease
to count if you dont end up signing on
the dotted line? Because my relationship
is very valid. It has always been, and
not getting married now doesnt mean
were not one hundred percent com-
mitted to one another. People that have
been together for an extended period
of time think they have to get married
because its what people -parents, fam-
ily, friends, society, and the neighbors
dog- expect from them; its the norm.
Im happy just dating my signifcant
other, even though our concrete plans
only go as far as next summer, we know
we want to really be together at some
point (read: plan a future together).
MY (EX?) BEST FRIEND
YOURE LIKE MY OTHER FRIEND,
WHOS ALSO VERY CAREER-ORI-
ENTED. SHE DOESNT PLAN ON
HAVING A FAMILY ANYTIME SOON.
SHES SELFISH.
Is loving your job and working your
ass off because youre still young and
have the energy (and no kids to swal-
low it up like a giant black hole) con-
sidered selfsh? I dont think so. Selfsh
people are those who let go of all their
dreams to ft into societys requirements
and later end up taking it out on their
children. I do have a type of selfshness
in my personality: being in a commit-
ted relationship, I take my signifcant
others opinion into consideration when
making life-changing decisions.
I DONT WANT TO GET MARRIED... YET | LOOKING BEFORE I LEAP, DESPITE THE PRESSURE
I DONT
WANT TO GET
CAN I JUST DROP
EVERYTHING AND TAKE A
TRIP? NO. WHEN I HAVE KIDS,
CAN I GO A WHOLE YEAR
WITHOUT TAKING THEM TO
MY IN-LAWS? NO. UNTIL
IM READY TO GIVE UP ON
THIS TYPE OF FREEDOM, I
WONT GET MARRIED. IF YOU
CONSIDER THIS SELFISH,
THEN SO BE IT
But being married, Ill have to take him
into consideration for most decisions,
not just the big ones. Can I invite 10
friends over for dinner without giving
him notice? No. Can I just drop every-
thing and take a trip? No. When I have
kids, can I go a whole year without tak-
ing them to my in-laws? No. Until Im
ready to give up on this type of free-
dom, I wont get married. If you con-
sider this selfsh, then so be it. Id rather
be selfsh while Im single than while
Im married.
MY SISTER
HEY, I SENT YOU LINKS WITH
COUNTRYSIDE WEDDING
PICTURES, DID YOU SEE THEM?
And what exactly am I supposed to do
with those? Drool over them? My parents
and sisters only recently found out that
my signifcant other and I were actually
considering tying the knot (someday). It
came as a shock to them and my sister
Hiba immediately took on her maid of
honour responsibilities. Themed wed-
ding pictures, honeymoon packages
she fooded me with emails and mes-
sages, only leaving out the white dress!
Her reaction was actually funny but it
got me thinking that they might have
been wondering (and maybe, worry-
ing) if my partner and I were ever re-
ally considering marriage. A woman not
talking about her wedding every second
of every day ever, in my case- does
not mean she doesnt want one at some
point. It means shes not there yet, or
in my case not obsessed with the walk
down the aisle.
I do want to get married in the future -I
excluded cohabitation from my possible
lifestyles a long time ago for several rea-
sons that will have to be explored in
another article- but most importantly, I
want to decide when and how I will get
married. All I know is, the time hasnt
come for me. Yet
MON AMOUR, MON AMI
A WOMAN NOT TALKING
ABOUT HER WEDDING EVERY
SECOND OF EVERY DAY
EVER, IN MY CASE- DOES
NOT MEAN SHE DOESNT
WANT ONE AT SOME POINT. IT
MEANS SHES NOT THERE YET
I DONT WANT TO GET MARRIED... YET | LOOKING BEFORE I LEAP, DESPITE THE PRESSURE
This spring, M.A.C brings you the best in
nail lacquer colours for both day and night.
We like Bettys Pep Pep Pep, a light peach
nude, to wear with a spring dress at a Sun-
day brunch. If youre going out on the town,
dress up your nails with Veronicas Double
Trouble in deep navy.
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
MIRROR, MIRROR
Archies Girls
Remember the retro cool Archie Comics?
Prepare to get excited: M.A.C Cosmetics has
brought Betty and Veronica to life! M.A.Cs
new limited edition collection, Archies Girls,
celebrates the iconic comic personas in a
limited edition collection that everyone will
be lining up to grab!
There are 16 products for Betty and 16
products for Veronica- lipsticks, glosses,
eyeliners, loose pigments, nail lacquers, eye-
shadows, face powders, and even mascara.
Bettys range features spring pastel-like co-
lours peaches and pinks, light greens and
frosty yellows- while Veronicas range is all
about deeper hues violet, red, blackened
plum, and dark berry. The only rule to follow?
If youre blonde, get Bettys Powder Blush
in Cream Soda, a satin light neutral coral. If
youre a brunette, get Veronicas Prom Prin-
cess in a mid-tone violet pink.
We cant decide on one lipstick from the Archies
Girls collection so were going with two: Bettys
Betty Bright, a light vibrant peach, and Veronicas
Ronnie Red in bright red for a seductive makeup.
Dont forget to tone down the eyes if youre going
for the latter, as Ronnie Red is already a state-
ment-maker! If you prefer a lip gloss texture, we
recommend Bettys Stay Sweet Lipglass (a laven-
der pink) and Veronicas Strawberry Malt Lipglass
(a bright red).
KISS + TELL
BETTY
+
VERONICA
IN THE FLESH
M.A.C COSMETICS BRINGS THE WORLDS
BEST KNOWN FRENEMIES TO LIFE
IF YOU WANT TO COMPLETE YOUR
COLLECTION, GET THE JINGLE JANGLE
COIN PURSE AND THE JUST A FLIRT
MAKEUP BAG! THESE MAKE GREAT
GIFTS FOR YOUR BESTIES!
266SE Small Angle Brush
226SE Small Tapered Blending Brush
242SE Shader Brush
168SE Large Angle Contour Brush
167SE Bronzer Brush
GO PRO
THE ARCHIES GIRLS
BRUSH KIT
For the Transition issue, we suggest you reward your bridal attendants with one of
RAGMAGs top treatments, just in case youve been a Bridezilla. Here are our treatment
recommendations in Lebanon for your pre-wedding pampering ritual (or post-wedding if
you all need a breather!). Gentlemen, we havent forgotten you and you shouldnt forget
about your groomsmen- check out our top treatment for men. We hear wedding bells!
SPA SELECTION
THE WEDDING
EDITION
REWARD THE BRIDAL PARTY FOR THEIR HARD WORK
WHAT
Zen for Body &
Mind Ritual
WHERE

TAO SPA
Le Mirage Plaza Building
Ren Mouawad Street, Verdun
01 744905/6/7
Tao Spa & Health Club
WHAT
Cleopatra Bath
WHERE
EDD SANDS HOTEL & WELLNESS

RESORT
Byblos Riviera, Jbeil
09 542222
www.eddesands.com
Edde Sands Hotel & Wellness Resort
@eddesandsgroup
WHAT
Hydro Massage
WHERE
GRAND HILLS HOTEL & SPA
Main Road, Broummana
04 868888
www.grandhillsvillage.com

Grand Hills Hotel and Spa Broummana
MIRROR, MIRROR
SPA SELECTION | THE WEDDING EDITION
WHERE
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BEIRUT SPA
Minet el Hosn, Beirut
01 761000
www.fourseasons/beirut
Four Seasons Hotel Beirut
FSBeirut FSBeirut
WHAT
Sodashi Man
Maintenance
MOMENT
MENS
THIS ONE FOR THE GUYS CAME HEAVILY RECOMMENDED
BY THE GENTLEMEN AT ADAM LEVANT MAGAZINE!
WHAT
Volcanic Hot Stone
Therapy
WHERE
LE GRAY PUREGRAY HEALTH CLUB & SPA
Martyrs Square, Central District Beirut
01 962885
www.campbellgrayhotels.com/le-gray-beirut
+
BRONZED
BEAUTIFUL
We dont really need to introduce Guerlains cult Terracotta
Bronzing Powder, after all one Terracotta product is sold every 20
seconds somewhere in the world. The fine texture gives you the
perfect illusion of a sunkissed skin, with the right balance of colour
and transparency. This year, Guerlain aims at catering to women of
all skin complexions by releasing the Terracotta 4 Seasons range,
four new shades for a tailor made glow year-round. To the existing
coordinated shades palettes for blondes and brunettes, Guerlain
has created four new harmonies to suit every skin tone: 02 Natural
Blondes, 03 Natural Brunettes, 08 Ebony (paired with a red blush
for a dark complexion), and 00 Nude (paired with a pink blush for a
pale or Asian complexion).
MIRROR, MIRROR
Winter Sweep the two lightest shades across the prominent
areas of your face forehead, cheekbones and chin- to redefine
its contour
Autumn Combine all of the shades and sweep across the entire
face, focusing on the most prominent areas
Summer Blend all four colours and apply using Guerlains 3
technique: with your brush, trace a 3 on each side of the face
-from the forehead down towards the cheeks, then down along
the jaw line to the chin and down the neck.
Guerlains Olivier Echaudemaison tells you how to add your
finishing touch: mix the two darker shades and sweep them
across the raised areas of the face, the places that catch the sun
most the forehead, nose, cheekbones and chin.
INDUSTRY INSIDER TIP
HOW-TO
SUMMER
BRIDAL SCENT
AQUA ALLEGORIA NEROLIA BIANCA
BY GUERLAIN
Every year since 1999 Guerlain has introduced a new
Aqua Allegoria to its existing opus of Eaux Fraches
permanent collection: Pamplelune, Herba Fresca,
Mandarine Basilic, and Lys Soleia. For 2013s limited
edition fragrance, Nerolia Bianca, Guerlain perfumer
Thierry Wasser gathered everything the bigarade orange
tree has to offer in terms of scent: the fruit with bitter
orange essence, the flower with orange blossom
absolute and neroli essence, and the branches from
which petitgrain essence is obtained. Top notes of bitter
orange and petitgrain, middle notes of neroli essence,
and base notes of orange blossom absolute and ylang-
ylang essence finish with subtle white musk, white amber
and cedar wood notes. This is the fragrance to wear to
your summer wedding- a bridal bouquet to remember.
GUERLAINS NEWEST
TERRACOTTA COLLECTION
BRIDAL SCENT
Guerlain has more than one trick up
their sleeve when it comes to getting
you sun swept! The Terracotta range
also features Sun Serum, which helps
you acquire, deepen and prolong a
tan. Add two drops of serum to your
usual skincare product and four drops
to your body care product. Not only will
it stimulate the natural production of
melanin to give you a long-lasting glow,
it will also sooth and moisturize the
skin. Its a win-win situation!
STAR PRODUCT
GUERLAIN SUN SERUM
What can you expect from Diors newest
eye innovation? A brightened eye area in
addition to silky hydration! This treatment
hydrates and reinforces the delicate
eye area and diminishes bags and dark
shadows for a refreshed, protected and
illuminated look. Dior EYE REVIVAL
technology treats the major signs of
fatigue: dark shadows are diminished,
puffiness is reduced. Jisten, from the
Surkhandarya gardens in Uzbekistan,
helps to amp up water circulation. Centella
from Madagascar firms the eye zone and
encourages collagen production, leaving
the skin plump and decongested. The
preventative Black Rose from Brittany
reinforces the defence mechanism of the
skin. Hydra Life BB Eye Creme exists in
two shades Luminous Beige (01) and
Luminous Peach (02).
GOOD TO KNOW
This product is a beautifier and acts as a concealer as well. It also boasts as SPF to
prevent harmful sun damage and aging!
ITS ALL IN THE EYES
DIOR HYDRA LIFE BB EYE CREAM
MIRROR, MIRROR
HYDRA LIFE BB CREME
BY DIOR
Diors Beauty Balms, developed with both their skincare
and makeup experts, are a new advancement in
luminosity. To add to the existing range, two new shades
have been made available as well as the new eye
product. Youll be kissing tired skin goodbye and treating
your dehydration is one smooth application! The original
shade, the bestselling BB Creme in Golden Peach
(02), will be available alongside the two new shades:
Luminous Beige (01) and Sunny Amber (03)!
LIVE
THE
GOOD
LIFE!
DRESSED BY DIOR COUTURE,
STARS CHARLIZE THERON
AND BEST ACTRESS WINNER
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, WALKED
THE RED CARPET FOR THE 85TH
ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS.
BOTH OF THE STUNNING CELEBS
ARE FACES OF DIOR, SO ITS
ONLY FITTING THAT THEY WOULD
CHOOSE TO WEAR THE HOUSES
HEAD-TURNING DESIGNS
GET CHARLIZES LOOK
FACE Diorsnow White Reveal Moisturizing
Lotion and Diorsnow Fresh Cream |
Diorsnow White Reveal Illuminating Eye
Treatment | Diorskin Nude BB Cream.
CHEEKS Nude Tan Radiance Powder
#001 Aurora
EYES Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in
Incognito | Dior Twin Set Eyeshadow in
Beige Ribbon #530 | Diorshow Art Pen
Diorshow Overcurl Mascara in #090
Podium Black | Dior Brow Liner #453 Sand
LIPS Dior Nude Lip Liner | Rouge Dior
Nude in Indiscrete #228
FACE Diorskin Forever Foundation | Diorskin
Nude Tan Bronzer
CHEEKS Diorblush in Peachy Keen #553
EYES Dior 5-Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow in
Smoky Design #008 | Diorshow Overcurl Mascara
in Podium Black #090 | Dior Style Liner in Black
LIPS Dior Addict Lipstick in Beige Casual #222

GET JENNIFERS LOOK
CELEBRITY MAKEUP
AT THE OSCARS
GET THE
LOOK
This issue, we help you choose your bridal style and were also going to
show you all the tricks and tools you need to get the perfect wedding day
look! As a bride-to-be, youve probably pictured all your wedding day
details down to the last rose petal, but what about your makeup? No doubt
youve taken time to plan a wedding celebration that is reflective of your own
personal style. Your wedding day makeup should also reflect the ambience
of your event. Obviously, the makeup you wear to an intimate beach wedding
will not be the same makeup you wear to a black-tie affair. Take a gander at
our selection and choose what fits your best.
WEDDING WONDERS
THE CHANEL SELECTION
*Exclusively for RAGMAG
BRIDES
CHOOSE THE
LOOK
THAT SUITS
YOU BEST
BY LESLIE IDDISON
Pale pink petals and
candlelight at twilight
GOWN
Flowing and frilly with
touches of antique lace
accessorized with pearls
The key to this look is balanced features. Choose one colour
and wear it in varying shades on eyes cheeks and lips. For
a spring or summer wedding we suggest coral. Brush a soft
shimmering peachy-coral shade across your eyelids. Select
a subtle sun-kissed coral blush and build its intensity on the
apples of your cheeks for a romantic flush. Finally a kiss of
coral on your lips, topped with a sheer shimmering gloss.

Chanel Joues Contraste 76 Frivole

Chanel Le Vernis 569 Emprise

Chanel Rouge Allure
Extrait De Gloss 70 Attriance
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 43
La Favorite
MAKEUP
BRIDES
THAT SUITS YOU BEST
CHOOSE THE LOOK
MIRROR, MIRROR
WE LOVE
WEDDING
ROMANTIC
YOUR BRIDAL STYLE
WEDDING
A formal affair, with no
expense spared. Think crystal
chandeliers, glimmering
silverware and a work-of-art
wedding cake.
GOWN
Vera Wang, Vivienne
Westwood Your dress will
be a real showstopper! The
question wont be will you
have a train, but how many
meters it will be.
Chanel Le Vernis 573 Accessoire
Chanel Yeux Waterproof 70
Black Shimmer
Chanel Rouge Allure 114 Prcieuse or
Chanel Rouge Allure 119 Captivante
Chanel Les 4 Ombres 42 Sduction

MAKEUP
For this look youll definitely need some added drama! Play up
your eyes with a fun twist on a traditional smoky eye. Choose a
rich jewel tone, like a warm bronze or plum. Blend it out with a
matching smudgy eyeliner pencil and highlight your brow bone
with a sheer shimmering shadow. Create contours by brushing
the hollows of your cheeks with a neutral blush. Go easy on your
lips with a medium-toned creamy lipstick.
BRIDES
THAT SUITS YOU BEST
CHOOSE THE LOOK
MIRROR, MIRROR
WE LOVE
GLAMOROUS
YOUR BRIDAL STYLE
CHANEL - Didier ROY
CHANEL - Didier ROY
This look lets your lips do the talking. Create a perfect canvas of
smooth, matte skin. A high quality pressed powder will be your best
friend on your big day. Use a liquid eyeliner to create sleek definition
that wings out slightly at the corners. Two coats of the blackest
mascara and your eyes are ready. Next, choose an intense pink blush
and use a fluffy brush to apply two sheer coats to the apples of your
cheeks. Finally, line your lips and apply a fun fuschia lipstick and blot
with a tissue to really lock in the colour.
YOUR BRIDAL STYLE
Crisp white linens with pops
of punchy colours, floral
arrangements are orange
orchids, fuchsia peonies and
yellow calla lilies
Chanel Illusion
DOmbre 91 Apparition
Chanel Les Ombres 41
Fascination
Chanel Le Vernis 571
Fracas
Chanel Rouge Allure
Velvet 42 Lclatante

GOWN
MAKEUP
WE LOVE
WEDDING
A clean cut with an asymmetrical
silhouette paired with some edgy
silver earrings
BRIDES
THAT SUITS YOU BEST
CHOOSE THE LOOK
MIRROR, MIRROR
FUNKY
Bronzed and beautiful, this look is all about
showing some skin. Skip foundation and choose a
dewy tinted moisturizer. Next, get that golden glow
with a sheer shimmering bronzer. Use a fluffy brush
to apply the bronzer to your temples, cheeks,
chin and down the bridge of your nose. Some
waterproof mascara and a sheer bright lip gloss
and youll be ready to sail off into the sunset!
HIPSTER
C
H
A
N
E
L

-

D
i
d
i
e
r

R
O
Y
An intimate outdoor
event with sand and the
sunset setting the perfect
backdrop for your big day
A simple silk sarong will do
the trick. Skip the sandals
and go barefoot in the sand
with an orchid pinned in
your hair.
MAKEUP
Le Volume de Chanel Mascara
in Prune 30
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof
in Taupe 84 or Chanel Stylo
Yeux Waterproof Gris 35
Chanel Le Vernis 167 Ballerina
Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De
Gloss 69 Merveille
WE LOVE
WEDDING
BRIDES
THAT SUITS YOU BEST
CHOOSE THE LOOK
GOWN
86 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co
YOUR BRIDAL STYLE
WE ARE ALL ABOUT CHANCE BY
CHANEL, AND NOW YOU HAVE TWO
OTHER VERSIONS TO CHOOSE FROM! THE
ORIGINAL CHANCE IS NOW JOINED BY
CHANCE EAU FRACHE AND CHANCE EAU
TENDRE. YOU CAN ALSO OPT FOR THE
EAU TENDRE HAIR MIST OR THE 100ML
EAU TENDRE DEODORANT.
CHANEL - Helmut STELZENBERGER
FIRST
FRAGRANCE
CHANCE BY CHANEL MIRROR, MIRROR
Eau pour Homme indeed represents
masculine elegance, and thats why the
RAGMAG staff picked it as the wedding day
fragrance for men in the know! Citrus fruit
bitter orange and tangerine- and peppery
coriander top notes make way for neroli and
spicy middle notes of nutmeg and cumin,
all warmed up by woody aromas of cedar
and patchouli. If youre a real Best Man, get
Armanis Eau pour Homme as a pre-wedding
gift for the groom and pick one up for
yourself too (the Maid of Honour wont be able
to resist you)! Your other option? Eau de Nuit,
the latest Giorgio Armani fragrance for men
with a touch of iris. Eau de Nuit by Armani is
presented in a streamlined bottle, a sure hit for
both scent and sensibility!
MEN
WE HAVE A
WINNER!
Eau pour Homme
by ARMANI
With Eau pour Homme, I wanted to
give an olfactory signature to my idea of
masculine elegance: strong, serene and
luminous. Giorgio Armani
MIRROR, MIRROR
CACHARELS PLAYFUL PERSONALITY
FOR YOUR SPRING WEDDING
CACHAREL HAS ALWAYS HAD A THING
FOR SENSUAL AND SUBTLE FRAGRANCE,
AND CATCH ME IS NO EXCEPTION.
WHILE ALMOND MILK BRINGS FORWARD
A SMOOTH FACET, FRESHNESS IS
EMPHASIZED BY PETITGRAIN AND
MANDARIN NOTES. THE AMBER WOOD
BASE NOTES MAKE IT A WARM AND
ENVELOPING FRAGRANCE THAT CONVEY
A SIMPLE AND ENCHANTING INTIMACY.
We like the dynamic and fresh Catch Me
campaign by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. With an
engaging sense of humour and tenderness, he
portrays the power of seduction of the young,
independent woman.
RAGMAG SAYS YES
RAGMAG SHOWS YOU HOW
TO REPLICATE THAT
RUNWAY TREND! SEE OUR
TAKES ON HOW TO MAKE
THE READY TO WEAR,
ACTUALLY WEARABLE
REAL RUNWAY
MIX N MATCH
prada
ss 2013
cristiano burani
ss 2013
IVORY
INTIMATES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE KAI-PIPER
ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL MCKELVIE | HAIR BY NIKKI B | MODEL OHLA
LINGERIE BY FRED & GINGER | LONDON
96 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 96 96 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co
www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 97 A P R I L 2 0 1 3 97 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E
104 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E 104 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E 104 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E
www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 105 A P R I L 2 0 1 3 www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 105 A P R I L 2 0 1 3 www.ragmag.co | R A G MA G | 105 A P R I L 2 0 1 3
Saad and Trad, the exclusive agent for
Jaguar and Ashti held their 9th consecu-
tive draw to award the lucky Lebanese
winner, Mrs. Helen Warde, with a brand
new 2013 Jaguar XK 5 liters coupe in the
presence of Mr. Michel Trad and Ashtis
CEO Mr. Tony Salam. The announcement
was made at an outdoor ceremony held in
front of Ashtis flagship store in Downtown
Beirut; the event is regarded as the reitera-
tion of a long term cooperation between
two of the most elegant and trendsetting
nametags in the fashion and automotive
industries and a celebration of the Leba-
nese sense of style, finesse and glamour.
We are proud of our longstanding partner-
ship with Ashti, the exclusive retail seller of
some of the most fashionable brands in the
world, said Mr. Michel Trad, CEO of Saad
& Trad. Through such alliances, we allow
our mutual esteemed customers to benefit
from exclusive promotions that truly reward
their sense of luxury and refinement. Our
sincere congratulations to the lucky winner
of the 2013 Jaguar XK 5 liters coupe, he
added. The sleek red two-door Jaguar XK
Coupe was on view when the winning tick-
et was picked by a representative from the
Lebanese National Lottery. The annual joint
sweepstake entitles customers to enter the
draw for a Jaguar, a vehicle that embodies
the opulent lifestyle that Ashti has come
to symbolize. The 2013 Jaguar XK coupe
represents the excellent balance of perfor-
mance and comfort; undeniably a very plea-
surable motoring experience.
SMOOTH MOVES
WELCOME HOME
The first Versace Home boutique in Lebanon was lanuched at a
ceremony attended by H. E. Mr. Fady Abboud, the Lebanese Min-
ister of Tourism. Located in Downtown Beirut, the new boutique
exemplifies the Italian designers contemporary style, featuring
white and neutral shades of luxurious materials including marble
and crystal. The interiors collections showcased at the Versace
Home boutique are displayed in settings designated of either Liv-
ing or Dining. In addition to furniture and furnishings, the store
houses Versaces sumptuous collection of textiles and magnificent
services of fine porcelain and exquisite giftware in precious crystal.
Beirut is often referred to as the Paris of the Middle East and
there is good reason for this, said Ziad El Chaar, from DAMAC
Luxury, the Middle East franchisee of Versace Home. People living
in Lebanon are extremely stylish and are familiar with global fash-
ion houses and luxury goods brands. The Versace Home boutique
will provide an avenue for those wishing to extend their love of the
fashion brand to their home dcor. Versace CEO Gian Giacomo
Ferraris said, The new Versace Home boutique is an exclusive
journey through the pure Versace lifestyle; a world of luxurious,
innovative and contemporary living spaces. There are already suc-
cessful Versace Home boutiques in Milano, New York, Los Ange-
les, Dubai and Hanoi, and Beirut is a natural next step for us. The
Versace Home boutique is an ideal complement to Lebanons first
Versace Home-branded residential tower, located in the fashion-
able Solidere development. The 28-storey DAMAC Tower is cur-
rently under construction, a collaboration between Versace Home
and luxury Middle East developer DAMAC Properties.
HOME
NEW + NOW
George Hobeikas newest collection for SS13 has our hearts all
autter. The Georges Hobeika range for this season is mainly pastel
and gentle shades of blue, pink, white, and grey, while the fuschia
and green elements are impactful. With custom sequin-work, inlaid
pearls, and crystal embellishment, the attering lines are created
with crepe georgette and organza. The inspiration for Hobeikas
latest triumph? The globetrotting damsel spreading a nirvana-like
message of peace and hope.
SPRING SUMMER 2013 MOVES US
GEORGE HOBEIKA
BACKSTAGE PASS
THIS IS THE WAY WE JIVE
PRETTY
IMPACTFUL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ODETTE KAHWAGI
JEWELRY BY CARTIER
DRESSED BY REEM ACRA
MAKEUP BY GUERLAIN
STYLED BY JONY MATTA
| MODEL RIGAS ZAFEIRIOU HAIR BY ROGER GABRIEL
STARRING
ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI
ROUND TRIP
BY MEYAR AL ROUMI
ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI AMAR HAJ AHMAD
TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR WOMEN
RAGING RUNWAY
RAGMAG
VERSACE SS 2013
TOP CATWALK CHOICES FOR MEN
RAGING RUNWAY
RAGMAG
LANVIN SS 2013
BOOK YOUR
SPACE NOW!
T: +961 5 959 111
F: +961 5 959 888
E: beirutboat@ifpexpo.com
2013
L
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c
a
t
io
n
D
o
c
k
in
g

a
t th
e
N
e
w

D
o
w
n
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B
e
ir
u
t
Come Discover the New Yachts
& Boats on Display
15-19 MAY
PORT OF BEIRUT I PIER 1
FROM 5 - 10 PM
Ofcial Watch Ofcial Magazine Ofcial Insurer Ofcial Car Ofcial TV Organized By
www.beirutboat.com
son. In addition to the designers stands on
ground, Beirut Designers Week will include
an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, an
evening bash featuring VIPs, fashionistas
and fashion presentations by international
models, and also a fashion conference by
a leading Lebanese fashion designer. We
believe that the Lebanese people have an
exquisite and refined taste when it comes
to all design aspects. Lebanese designers
have penetrated international markets for
decades, and with the launching of Beirut
Designers Week, we truly hope to provide
a serious boost to local designers by giv-
ing them access to an ideal platform that
allows them to showcase their latest cre-
ations and meet thousands of potential
buyers, added Ghattas. BDW is a splash
of creativity hitting Zaitunay Bay this May
23-26. See the latest updates by visiting
GATA Events & Promotions s.a.r.l.s official
website www.gata.pro and Beirut Design-
ers Week Facebook Page.
NEW + NOW
DESIGN DAZE
Talented designers in Lebanon have found
the ultimate address to showcase their
creations with the launch of the first edi-
tion of Beirut Designers Week (BDW).
Organized by GATA Events & Promotions
s.a.r.l., the professional event and exhibition
organization company, BDW comes as an
ideal platform for creative designers look-
ing to bring their talents to light. More than
60 fashion, jewelry, and interior designers
will gather at Zaitunay Bay from 23 to 26
May 2013, showcasing their SS13 collec-
tions to thousands of visitors. What truly
distinguishes Beirut Designers Week is its
unique setup on the lower promenade of
Zaitunay Bay with stands placed between
the restaurants and the cafes, ensuring
maximum visibility to our exhibitors, said
Sandra Ghattas, Managing Director at
GATA Events & Promotions s.a.r.l. Guests
are expected from all over Lebanon to en-
joy the sunny outdoors and discover the
latest design trends for the summer sea-
ATA
EVENTS & PROMOTI ONS SARL
WERE IN LOVE
The Mothers Day C&F campaign by Impact
BBDO was awarded the Pikasso dOr trophy as
the Best Creative Outdoor Campaign of 2012
in the presence of H.E. Minister of Environment
Mr. Nazem El Khoury. Les Affichages Pikasso
staged its annual Pikasso dOr 2012 ceremony
at the Pavillon Royal at Biel, on Friday, February
22nd, 2013. The campaign was held throughout
March 2012 on the occasion of Mothers Day.
C&F, being one of the leading beauty chains in
the Lebanese market, announced the occasion
as Happy Fathers Day. The campaign intro-
duced a tongue in cheek play on words approach
to promote Mothers Day at C&F. The Pikasso
dOr is a prize that rewards the best creative out
of home advertising campaigns, according to
internationally recognized parameters. For the
20th edition of the Pikasso dOr 2012, 176 visu-
als (78 campaigns) were presented by 20 agen-
cies. This year, C&F has been nominated as the
most creative and innovative campaign, a model
of what should be considered excellent advertis-
ing. C&F LOVE YOURSELF!
Jimi Hendrix
PEOPLE, HELL AND ANGELS
Madeleine Peyroux
THE BLUE ROOM
Since Jimi Hendrixs death in 1970, hundreds of
releases have seen the light, ranging from compi-
lations to rarities, to demos and unreleased tracks.
The bulk of these releases leave something to be
desired with the exception of a few interesting
songs and recording sessions. On People, Hell
and Angels most of the material is being released
for the first time and it is unlikely that even the
most devoted fans have heard these recordings
before. The album is comprised of different ver-
sions of previous releases and songs that were
works in progress when Jimi died. The sound
quality of the songs, really quite amazing for demos and
early outtakes, allows you to feel that you are listen-
ing to finished, properly mixed compositions. This good
quality helps emphasize the different versions of some
known tracks: Earth Blues has a more powerful guitar
section and different lyrics, Hear My Train a Comin
-which can be heard in the movie Jimi Hendrix in an
acoustic version- has a faster and more electric rhythm
in this rendition. All the other tracks with their differ-
ent arrangements and additional instruments bring you
back to this genius glory days. Hendrix still hasnt had
his last word, apparently.
BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN
CHECK
When Madeleine Peyroux exploded on the
Contemporary Jazz scene with her first album
Dreamland in 1996, she was dubbed the
Billie Holiday of the 90s due to her passionate
personalization of Classic Blues. Holiday pioneered
this over half a century ago, paving the way to a
new approach to music by female singers. Peyroux,
raised between SoCal, New York, and Paris, was
submerged in the diverse approaches these
different places take with Jazz and Blues. She
began singing at the age of 15 and surrounded
herself with great musicians including Cyrus
Chestnut, Vernon Reid, and Leon Parker. This time
around, for her new album, Peyroux revisits Ray
Charles groundbreaking 60s work- it goes quite
well on The Blue Room, collaborating once again
with luminaries of the modern Jazz world. Using
her Billie Holiday influenced phrasing to brilliant
effect, Peyroux navigates through the tracks of late
giants and still breathing contemporaries, giving a
new twist to Charles Take These Chains, Buddy
Hollys Changing All These Changes and even
taking on Leonard Cohens Bird on a Wire. A bold
move by an ever-evolving artist.
SPEAK, SEE, HEAR NO EVIL
Atoms for Peace
AMOK
Radiohead enthusiasts are cheerful now that Thom
Yorke, the bands revered vocalist, has released a (kind
of) second solo album under the moniker Atoms for
Peace. The first solo album The Eraser was released
under Yorkes name back in 2006, but he chose the
Atoms name for this project, enlisting the help of
longtime engineer/producer Nigel Godrich (who was
monumental in Radioheads worldwide success) and
Red Hot Chili Peppers weirdo master bassist Flea,
along with session drummers and percussionists.
Amok continues where The Eraser left off, this
time the concept of sounds rather than songs being
pushed a little further. Yorkes vocals work here as
another element in the overall soundscape, more than
as a lyrics dispenser, and Fleas agonizing low bass
lines add warmth and drives the music to fascinating
places. Do not try to distinguish between the clear
passages from the mutated ones: the production and
recording techniques are so intense that everything
seems to come from a cosmic scenery. The latter
being part of the appeal when submerging yourself
in this exotic and experimental Electronic/Rock world.
Make sure you have some respectable headphones
before embarking on this journey; youve been warned.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
PUSH THE SKY AWAY
Nick Caves work on movie soundtracks for the past
few years with Warren Ellis, his eternal faithful acolyte,
left many of his adoring friends wondering when the
slim devil was ever going to work on a proper new
Bad Seeds album again. Those fears were put to rest
when Nick announced a new album in the works. True
to his promise, Push the Sky Away saw its release
amid enthusiastic reception from fans and critics alike.
Eerie pianos, 12-string guitars, and Ellis soul-cutting
violin, with their trademark sound, blend perfectly with
Caves razor-sharp, dark humor lyrics. At first the com-
positions seem very fragile and vulnerable, their true
form lying underneath the framework where moaning
and sharp biting teeth slowly emerge. Stories of both
human qualities and despicable dramatic behaviors
suspend the listener on a heartrending tightrope,
which at times seem like the logical continuation to
the work theyve been doing for a while. These tales
of sociological scrutiny can best be heard on tracks
like Waters Edge with its reference to the death of
romance or in the humorous Mermaids which talks
about the disappearance of naive spiritual myths in
the Western world. Business as usual for the Seeds,
and we love them for it.
The Spark: A Mothers Story of Nurturing Genius
Kristine Barnett
The Dinner Herman Koch
Why you should read this book
It acts as a reminder that strengths and weaknesses go hand in hand
People will do the unthinkable to protect those they love
readem+
weep
In the lexicon of self-help books, very few are geared
towards not just examining your own behaviour and the
behavior of others, but also examining how your behaviour
interacts with the universe around you. Whyology seeks
(and mostly does) to fill this void. The book starts out
with a background on the author and how he discovered
his true passion for behavioural psychology and moves
forward to how his perception grew in pace with his
passion. The author goes on to critique noted names in
One cold, clear evening, a family is kidnapped
from their home and vanish seemingly into thin
air. To make the case more perplexing, all of their
valuables are left behind in a pile on the kitchen
counter. When the police and a private investigation
firm are called, there are few clues and no ransom
demand. As they race against the clock to find the
family, the investigation is akin to peeling back
layers of an onion each level leads to a new one.
Meanwhile, the victims are learning some stunningly
the psychology world such as B.F. Skinner and Freud,
but offers little in the way of scientific evidence as to why
he feels the way he does. Jomha also posits that the
debate between nature and nurture is all but over though
it likely never will be. The book is tremendously useful in
breaking down how addictive behaviours can occur and
how to apply your newly acquired methods of perception
to your everyday relationships. As far as self-help books
go, this is one of the better ones.
uncomfortable truths about themselves and about
each other, leading to the why and the how of the
kidnapping. Under the tutelage of anyone else,
the kidnappers might become caricatures but with
Gardner steering the pen, they are menacing, and
just a wee bit crazy. Prior to this book, this author was
very much in danger of becoming formulaic. She has
taken back her title of number one suspense author
with a bang as the plot in this book is multilayered,
complex, and somewhat startling.
This is the story of a family whose oldest child was
diagnosed with autism at an early age and were seeing
no gains from therapy. When Kristine Barnett decided
to take matters into her own hands and remove her
son from formalized therapy, she knew she was taking
the biggest risk of her life. The result of that single risk
was something she never could have imagined. It turns
out that the whole time her son was unresponsive to
therapy, he was responsive to light and shadows. While
Two couples agree to meet in one of the tonier
restaurants in town for dinner. Each is aware
of why the other wants to have dinner but also
wants to stay away with every fiber of their
being. Each comes to the table with thoughts,
feelings, and secrets though were only privy
to the thoughts of one person specifically. His
thoughts are wild, scary, and damaging and aid
in building the wonder and suspense of this
novel. This is no ordinary dinner as the men in the
his behaviours made little sense at the time, when his
parents find out the scope of his capabilities, things
come together. Kristine Barnetts son Jake is 12 years-
old and in line for a Nobel Prize in Physics because
he may have developed an entirely new theory. While
autism wreaks havoc with the most basic of social skills,
Jake is in fact a mathematical and scientific genius.
This book will make you re-examine your preconceived
notions about achievement and disability.
couples are brothers and the four are meeting to
decide about what to do with their children. Their
children have committed a horrific crime and as
dinner progresses, the cracks and strains in the
couples relationships start showing through. Our
narrator is in turns perfectly reasonable and then
clearly not altogether normal. There was a great
deal of buzz about this book when it first came
out, especially about the ending and it is all true.
This is a jaw dropper of a novel.
Whyology T.J. Jomha
Touch and Go Lisa Gardner
BY AMAL CHAABAN
Understanding behaviour is just as important as how you behave
Every family has secrets, especially from each other
If youve ever sliced an alien in half with a chain-
saw bayonet, then chances are youre familiar
with Gears of War. The ground breaking third-
person shooter series has sold millions of copies,
thanks to its blend of blood, guts and sci-fi. Now
the inevitable fourth entry in the series has been
released. As a prequel, Judgment follows the ex-
ploits of several fan favorites through a series of
flashbacks as our heroes battle both their own
military and the slobbering subterranean aliens
known as the Locust Horde. Unfortunately, most
of the drama has been sucked out of the story, since
you know everyones going to make it out in one piece.
And while all of the mechanics and visuals of past en-
tries are there, Judgment doesnt feel like it has quite
the same level of polish or heart. The multiplayer is also
fairly shallow, with the promise of more downloadable
content coming in the near future. That being said,
Judgment does offer plenty of action, some crisp visu-
als and solid level design. If nothing else, it gives Gears
of War fans a chance to fire of the old chainsaw bayo-
net one more time.
It takes a lot to keep a city running. Just look at Beirut,
what with the traffic jams, power outages and general
day-to-day insanity. If you think you could do a better
job running things, then SimCity might just be your
chance to put your taxes where your mouth is. A
reboot of the popular series (which was first published
waaaaay back in 1989), the game offers some
noticeable improvements, including new 3D graphics
that let you zoom in and out to an insane level of detail.
The game also lets you control a number of elements,
including traffic, air pollution and garbage collection,
law enforcement and public transit. With an interface
inspired by Google Maps, the game is surprisingly
easy to jump into, despite the level of complexity
that develops as you build you burgeoning burg.
SimCity also offers a rich multiplayer experience.
Unfortunately, a number of bugs at launch got the
game off on the wrong foot, and even if you want
to play the game alone, youll still be required to play
online. Still, those issues aside, SimCity offers up
plenty to keep would-be city planners building the
metropolis of their dreams.
playNICE
BY ADAM VOLK
Publisher Microsoft Studios | Developer Epic Games | Platforms Xbox 360
Gears of War: Judgment
SimCity
deserted island and fighting for her life against a bizarre
cult. More than just eye candy for lusty geeks, the new
Lara is smart and nuanced. The gameplay, however,
doesnt quite live up to the solid narrative, but theres
still plenty to love, with the game offering a third-person
blend of action, exploration and puzzle-solving. Theres
also the inclusion of a brief, yet satisfying multiplayer
experience, not to mention some incredibly polished
visuals. The end result is a more grown up Lara Croft
whos less about looking good in a tank top and more
about kicking ass.
With her trademark short-shorts and - ahem - dan-
gerous curves, Lara Croft has become a prime
example of the sexist attitude the video game in-
dustry often takes when it comes to female hero-
ines. Fortunately, that outdated attitude has been
thrown out the window - along with the short-shorts
- in Tomb Raider, a reboot of the popular genre-
defining series that was first launched in the mid
90s. With a razor sharp script from writer Rhianna
Pratchett, the game follows a young and inexpe-
rienced Lara after she ends up shipwrecked on a
Publisher Square Enix | Developer Crystal Dynamics
Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Tomb Raider
SPEAK, SEE, HEAR NO EVIL
to retrieve the daughter of a wealthy industrialist.
Of course, Booker has a few tricks up his sleeves,
not only in terms of being quick with a gun, but also
being able to use a variety of powers, including
shooting electricity out of his hands and summoning
swarms of crows to engulf his enemies. Like the
previous games, Infinite offers a nuanced and well-
crafted story. Unfortunately, the gameplay follows
the same run, gun and superpower formula of its
predecessors, resulting in a shooter thats fun to play,
but still overly familiar despite its high-flying concept.
The BioShock series has cemented its mark on
gamer culture with its inspired first-person gameplay
and novel storytelling. Originally set in the underwater
city of Rapture in an alternate 1950s, the first games
in the series combined the Objectivist philosophy of
Ayn Rand with solid superhero shooter mechanics.
Now, the third-entry in the series has finally been
released. This time out the game takes place high
above the clouds in the city of Columbia. Set in an
alternate version of 1912, players take on the role of
Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent who is sent
Publisher 2K Games | Developer Irrational Games
Platform Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
BioShock Infinite
Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer Maxis
Platforms PC and MAC
You would think after reading some reviews
for Escape from Planet Earth that the critics
who wrote them seem to be encouraged by
Pixar to negate this animated feature, because
having seen the movie, in my opinion it was
quite enjoyable -to some extent. Perhaps one of
the reasons these critics didnt take the movie
seriously is Weinstein giving the lead role to
an actor who plays secondary roles in general.
Rob Corddry (What Happens in Vegas, The
Heartbreak Kid) voices an alien in a mission
control center who is always looking out for
his dim but famous astronaut brother Scorch
(Brendan Fraser). Scorchs mission to the Dark
Planet (Earth) gets him captured by the military,
and Gary (Corddrys character) runs to his rescue
and ends up a captive in Area 51. Yes, a lot of
the visual elements and the plot are taken from
animated flicks like Monsters vs Aliens or
Despicable Me, but so are all animated features
these days. As long as the comedy is generated
by funny, loony characters, theres no reason not
to enjoy it. A computerized Ricky Gervais, who
can resist?
Author L. Frank Baums tales of Oz - forever
immortalized by the 1939 musical The Wizard of
Oz- are being given not one, but three makeovers
this year. Two animation features will appear later
this year: the first one, The Wonderful Wizard
of Oz is a direct adaption of the book, while the
second, Dorothy of Oz, will be a 3D musical based
on Dorothys character making a second trip to the
fantasy land. The third, Oz the Great and Powerful, is
based primarily on the character of the Wizard in the
original story and tells the story of how he became
the ruler of that land. Oscar Diggs (James Franco),
I feel bad for Scott Stewart, the unfortunate
director of Dark Skies. His two previous works,
2010s Legion and 2011s Priest were not
greeted with much enthusiasm by both critics
and movie-goers alike, due to the fact that both
movies lacked consistency and coherence. Ditto
for his third feature- aside from a few palpable
improvements and some good acting, the same
issues resurface. One such concern comes in
the form of the best scares taking place halfway
through the movie, delivering a big blow to the
a shady illusionist who performs tricks to mesmerize
audiences at a local Kansas circus, is mysteriously
transported to a strange and wonderful land where
he meets three witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis),
Glinda (Michelle Williams), and Evanora played
by Rachel Weisz. The witches entrust him with a
challenge: fighting an evil force that is decimating the
kingdom. Flying monkeys, talking dolls, and creatures
of all shapes and sizes are on the roster, directed
masterfully by Sam Raimi with an army of first rate
digital and special effects masters creating the most
wonderful of worlds. Dont miss it.
momentum, a disappointment enhanced by
the fact that no other powerful scene occurs
until the end. Even then it cant be compared
to the mid-movie intensity. Josh Hamilton and
Kerri Russell play a couple with two kids who
experience strange events taking place in their
house. When their son develops a connection
with whatever is visiting them, the couple sees a
specialist (J. K. Simmons) to help them out with
what turns out to be an alien visitation. Another
near-miss for Stewart.
watchout
Oz the Great and Powerful | 127 mins
James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz
Dark Skies | 95 mins
Josh Hamilton, Kerri Russell, J. K. Simmons
Escape from Planet Earth | 89 mins
Rob Corddry, Brendan Fraser, Ricky Gervais, Jessica Alba
BY JACQUES TCHABARIAN
Jeff Chang is passed out drunk after consuming
enough alcohol to hospitalize a small hippo and
the two others dont have a clue where he lives
on campus. The problem? He has a major career-
making interview early in the morning. Borrowing
a lot from movies of the same genre, mainly
American Pie and Old School, the directors
succeed at keeping the standard (if there is such
a thing with these movies) high enough to pass
the first test, but I could do without the throwing
up from a mechanical bull scene. For amateurs
of this genre.
A lot is riding on the success of 21 & Over,
mainly the credibility as first time directors for
duo John Lucas and Scott Moore, best known
as screenwriters for megahit The Hangover.
The plot is very simple: two college friends
arrive at a school where a third friend is a
medical student and about to turn 21, which of
course is cause for celebration. Its decided that
Jeff Chang -who is referred to by his full name
during the entire movie- must get drunk as hell
to ring in his passage to adulthood. The main
problem for the three pals is that at some point
21 & Over | 93 mins
Miles Teller, Justin Chon
W
hat happens when
we transition from
life to death? Do we
see a glowing light at
the end of a tunnel?
Does our life fash before us? Do we
get to peak into heaven? Are we faced
with nothingness? Can near death expe-
riences provide us with some intriguing
answers? Maybe. Near death experienc-
es or NDEs have been attracting atten-
tion since ancient times and now even
scientists are keen to learn more. The
experiences range from seeing things
(loved ones, a light, a show reel of your
life) to feeling euphoric and having
an out-of-body experience. Despite
the interest there is still a bit of vague-
ness surrounding the term. How close
to death should a person be to have a
NDE? What causes them?
In 1975, doctor Raymond Moody de-
scribed the term as a sudden and impact-
ful realization experienced by someone
who wouldve passed away if it werent
for medical intervention. Not exactly the
clearest defnition. Science has moved
on since then and several attempts to
better explain it have emerged. These
include Bruce Graysons NDE scale that
poses several questions that explore
what the person experienced. And this
lack of total agreement is where one
of the biggest catches to scientifcally
explain NDEs lies.
Three percent of Americans have re-
ported having a near-death experience.
Many have shared personal accounts
of the experience. For instance neuro-
surgeon Dr. Eben Alexander fell into a
coma and found himself in a place that
was full of clouds, shimmering beings,
and a woman sharing words of love and
hope. A scientifc survey on 58 partici-
pants who had near death experiences
was conducted by the University of Vir-
ginias Health Science department (Di-
vision of Personality Studies). The ab-
stract sums up interesting fndings: all
[participants] later remembered unusual
experiences occurring at the time... Pa-
tients who really were close to death
were more likely than those who were
not to report an enhanced perception
of light and enhanced cognitive pow-
ers. The claim of enhancement of cogni-
tive functions despite the likelihood that
brain function had probably become
disturbed and possibly diminished, de-
serves further investigation.
Neuroscientist Dean Mobbs (University
of Cambridges Medical Research Coun-
cil Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit)
believes that many of the phenomena
associated with near-death experiences
can be biologically explained. A paper
Mobbs published alongside Caroline
Watt explains his view more clearly:
NDEs classically involve the feeling
that ones soul has left the body, ap-
proaches a bright light and goes to an-
other reality, where love and bliss are
all encompassing. Contrary to popular
belief, research suggests that there is
nothing paranormal about these experi-
ences. Instead, near-death experiences
are the manifestation of normal brain
function gone awry, during a traumatic,
and sometimes harmless, event.
THE FINAL FRONTIER
THE SHIFT TOWARD THE LIGHT
SCIENCE EXAMINES
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES
FACT OR FICTION?
BY J.E.N.
THE CLAIM OF ENHANCEMENT
OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS
DESPITE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT
BRAIN FUNCTION HAD PROBABLY
BECOME DISTURBED AND
POSSIBLY DIMINISHED, DESERVES
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
into overdrive when were in danger.
This could explain the NDE scenarios
that involve seeing loved ones or your
life fash before your eyes.
Needless to say, there are skeptics who
frown upon sciences attempt to ex-
plain NDEs. They see NDEs as proof
of the afterlife and the existence of the
human soul. But it is interesting to note
that NDEs vary to a certain degree from
culture to culture. So while someone in
France might see angels, someone in
Thailand might see a Buddhist monk.
This scores points for the science camp.
Scientifc explanations to NDEs seem to
hold more ground. This doesnt mean
that heaven doesnt exist, it just means
that NDEs arent proof that it does
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES | FACT OR FICTION?
Dr. Sam Parnia from the School of Med-
icine at Stony Brook University stud-
ies people whose heart has stopped
and were successfully resuscitated. He
hopes that this will pinpoint what ac-
tually causes NDEs. Stay tuned for his
fndings soon. But what are the factors
that scientists believe are causing NDEs?
One could be loss of blood fow. Dr.
Kevin Nelson, author of The Spiritual
Doorway in the Brain says one of the
most common causes of near-death ex-
periences is fainting. This would ex-
plain NDEs that happen when a person
is actually nowhere near death (and
this surprisingly happens more often
than youd think). When the blood fow
and hence the oxygen to the eye stops,
tunnel vision kicks in. Since the loss of
oxygen which happens when we faint
is just like the loss that occurs during
death (death obviously being a far more
permanent loss), NDE-like experiences
occur for some people.
Another is the release of chemicals.
The potent mix of adrenaline, epi-
nephrine and steroids (and possibly
ketamine) that the body naturally
secretes in times of distress can also
prompt NDE-like experiences when
someone is not actually near death. A
third explanation could be that NDEs
are actually a form of REM sleep, the
part of the sleep cycle most strongly
linked to dreams. In other words,
our brain still knows its in peril even
though were asleep. So were caught
in lucid dreams where you are asleep
and yet are being affected by a fght-or-
fight response. The last possible cause
is our memory. According to Nelson,
research shows that our memory goes
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE
THAT NDES VARY TO A
CERTAIN DEGREE FROM
CULTURE TO CULTURE.
SO WHILE SOMEONE IN
FRANCE MIGHT SEE ANGELS,
SOMEONE IN THAILAND
MIGHT SEE A BUDDHIST
MONK. THIS SCORES POINTS
FOR THE SCIENCE CAMP
CROATIAS
ISLANDS
TRAIPSING ACROSS
BY ALICE HLIDKOVA
YOU DONT HAVE TO BE RICH TO ENJOY A LUXURIOUS
MOMENT ON THE ADRIATIC COAST. BOASTING THOUSANDS
OF MILES OF SEAFRONT AND MORE THAN A THOUSAND
ISLANDS, CROATIAS COASTLINE, WITH ITS HUMBLE
STRETCHES OF ROCKY SHORES AND INVITING NOOKS THAT
OVERLOOK COUNTLESS OF NATURAL MARINAS, IS KNOWN
AS EASTERN EUROPES RIVIERA.
TAKE ME WITH YOU
PREVIOUS SPREAD:
DUBROVNIK OLD TOWN
AND THE LOKRUM ISLAND
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM:
DUBROVNIK TOWN
HARBOR OF ROVINJ TOWN
DURING BALMY SUMMERS,
HORDES OF EUROPEAN
FAMILIES SET UP CAMP ON
THE MANY FREE, NUDE,
AND STRAIGHT OR GAY
BEACHES PEBBLED WITH
ROUGH SHELLS AND SHEER
LIMESTONE THAT SCRUB THE
HEAL CLEAN.
TRAIPSING ACROSS CROATIAS ISLANDS
C
roatia attracts the landlocked
Europeans on a budget with
an appetite for island hop-
ping. On holiday-sailing ad-
ventures in white or blue motorboat
rentals they scout the many islands for
skinny dipping, isolated beaches and
24-hour parties. For a good buck these
luxuries are supplemented by the ferry
service which accommodates inter-is-
land transport serviced with a fun crew
and inexpensive entertainment. Unlike
hopping between the Greek islands on
numerous ferries, catamarans and taxi
boats that halt service during nation-
wide strikes, the adventure along the
Croatian islands never stops.
During balmy summers, hordes of Euro-
pean families set up camp on the many
free, nude, and straight or gay beaches
pebbled with rough shells and sheer
limestone that scrub the heal clean.
Since the coast is mostly rocky with
protruding cliffs, caverns and crevices,
the visibility is great everywhere. There
are plenty of spots for small fsh and
various underwater animals, like the oc-
topus, to hide and live. Renowned for
its longest shoreline and its delicious
sheeps milk cheese, the northern is-
land of Pag has become Croatias top
summer beach club destination. Since
2007, Zrce beach, near Novalja, is the
only place in the country where night-
life establishments are granted 24-hour
licenses. Long summer days end with
after hour beach parties hosted by in-
ternational DJs like Tisto. The all-night
dancing extends to the nearby island
of Krk. Here exhausted travellers bed
down in boutique hotels supplied with
organic wines and later settle in basic
cottages with no running water or elec-
tricity once their holiday cash expense
accounts are depleted.
Hooking around the islands of Krk, Cres
and Rab is the peninsular of Istria, the
largest in the Adriatic Sea. The unique
topography of gentle green slopes roll
by tacky tourist towns with its share of
seasoned campers. The town of Rovinj,
surrounded by water on three sides,
serves recreational campers year-round
who would rather retreat to their tents
and caravans than rent affordable apart-
ments in the city center. In the main
square, a bell tower with a rickety
wooden staircase looks like a souvenir
from the Medieval era. From the top, a
patron saint boldly faces the direction
of women in scarves pushing grappa
and homemade fruit bandies. Along the
backstreets the cart pushers hand out
free walnut samples but along the main
drag a high price is set for the produce
and everything else.
TAKE ME WITH YOU
Though Istria is quickly gaining a repu-
tation as a hot spot, the fame settles on
its southern rival, the Dalmatian coast,
home to Croatias top tourist destina-
tion of Dubrovnik. Jutting confdently
into the sea, the city is ringed by thick
medieval walls containing a no car zone
within sections of the Old Town. From
the jumble of cobbled back lanes- a
warren of marble and stone-paved nar-
row roads, miniature shops and open air
cafs- its easy to recognize the wealth
the city amasses. The perfect postcard
moment: fshing boats laden with shells
for sale rock in their fairy tale harbor
next to polished yachts arriving from the
nearby island of Hvar. The fshing vil-
lage as enticing as Italys Venice across
the Adriatic Sea has developed a mature
taste for an upscale-ritzy Croatian Riv-
iera. But the fashionable island destina-
tion warrants exploring beyond its 16th
century architecture positioned along
the seafront. The charm, in fact, takes
place along the rugged landscape of lav-
ender and rosemary felds and hillside
vineyards with enough production of
Plavac to fll the countrys wine cellars.
The boxed wine is excellent and served
with bread that when hardened tastes
good. Its common for wine and sports
enthusiasts to crave the natural setting
of South Dalmatia. The Mediterranean
vegetation on the island of Mljet lends
hikers a respite in vineyards and tiny,
old villages. Any lover of stark and un-
spoiled nature, limpid waters and soli-
tude can be found trekking along the
hiking trails of the Kornati National Park.
The heavily forested islands of Elaphiti
is more green per cubic square than
other places in Croatia, and also gives
visitors the option of sea-kayaking.
There are endless opportunities for ex-
ploration on the contour of the Croatian
coast. Its pebbled shores afford inex-
pensive travel to magnifcent islands
that range from tiny, verdant and un-
populated to massive, arid and sporting
ancient towns and villages. What is truly
magical are the hundreds of mostly un-
inhibited islands and reefs, carved with
cracks, caves and cliffs, and dotted with
tufts of unspoiled evergreen forest
LEFT TO RIGHT:
WOODEN PIER ON THE
ISLAND OF HVAR
AERIAL SHOT OF DORCULA
OLD TOWN, DUBROVNIK
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO
BOTTOM:
KORNATI ISLANDS,
NATIONAL PARK
BOATS ON BRAC ISLAND
TRAIPSING ACROSS CROATIAS ISLANDS
THOUGH ISTRIA IS QUICKLY
GAINING A REPUTATION
AS A HOT SPOT, THE FAME
SETTLES ON ITS SOUTHERN
RIVAL, THE DALMATIAN
COAST, HOME TO CROATIAS
TOP TOURIST DESTINATION
OF DUBROVNIK
TAKE ME WITH YOU
S
he never dreamt that one
day she would be conjur-
ing mini Faberg eggs,
complete with hand paint-
ed pictures, trellis work,
butterfies and gold leaf for a New
Years Eve party. Or, baking a dreamy
wedding cake for Gwen Stefani. Brit-
ish chef Claire Clark actually wanted
to be a musician, but I wasnt good
enough so [I] chose cooking instead,
inspired by the French pastry chef
Pierre Herm, who made headlines
for conjuring up fancy macaroons. Her
choice paid off big time.
Today she is regarded as one of the
top pastry chefs in the world. After
baking in some of Londons top spots,
including Claridges Hotel and The
Wolseley, she moved to Napa Valley
California in 2005 to take up the posi-
tion of Head Pastry chef at The French
Laundry, voted The Best Restaurant in
the World in 2005, where she worked
under double three-star Michelin chef
Thomas Keller. More recently, she ran
a pop-up tea restaurant at Harvey Nich-
ols department store in London. In the
UK she is also in huge demand when
it comes to baking exclusive wedding
cakes. For Gwen Stefani she conjured
up a massive white chocolate and al-
mond cake with apricots, fnished with
handmade chocolate curls and back to
back piped white chocolate G inter-
locking for Gavin and Gwen. I had
to make everyone an individual replica
of the cake for dessert.
This month she will be in Lebanon to
showcase her pastry skills at the 20th
edition of Horeca hospitality trade fair
at BIEL (Beirut International Exhibition
and Leisure Center). I have had the
pleasure of working with [Lebanese
chef] Joe Barza twice cooking for char-
ity dinners in Dubai and Amsterdam.
He is a super guy and he was kind
enough to invite me.
EAT, DRINK+BE MERRY
FOR GWEN STEFANI SHE
CONJURED UP A MASSIVE
WHITE CHOCOLATE AND
ALMOND CAKE WITH APRICOTS,
FINISHED WITH HANDMADE
CHOCOLATE CURLS AND
BACK TO BACK PIPED WHITE
CHOCOLATE G INTERLOCKING
FOR GAVIN AND GWEN
LEFT:
GWEN STEFANI AND
GAVIN ROSSDALES WEDDING
BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES
WHIMSICAL
PASTRIES
AWARD WINNING UK CHEF CLAIRE CLARK GETS SET
TO BAKE UP FANTASTICAL CAKES IN BEIRUT
FABERG EGGS
+
This will be her frst visit to Lebanon
and she admits that she is really look-
ing forward it, if everyone is as lovely
as Joe Barza then I am going to have
a very special time, she says. I am
fortunate that I do travel a lot for my
work. I love to visit different countries
and meet new people and experience
their culture. I normally make everlast-
ing friendships along the way.
Always up for a new challenge she
entered the chef competition Meil-
leur Ouvrier de la Grande-Bretange
(MOGB) and became the frst person
in the UK and the only female recipi-
ent of this award coveted by chefs all
over the world. MOGB was the hard-
est competition I have ever entered,
it remains my biggest achievement to
date. I was the frst person and frst
female ever to be awarded the MOGB
in England. One for the girls! She
was also awarded the title of Best
Pastry Chef by Restaurant Maga-
zine, has won medals for the British
Olympic culinary team and was one of
the youngest examiners for City and
Guilds advanced pastry.
Her book Indulge: 100 Perfect Des-
serts, published in 2010, showcases
her repertoire of delectable desserts,
cakes and puddings from around the
world, from classic baking to gorgeous
patisserie. If you cant tackle the bak-
ing just admire the amazing images
that give a visual account of just why
she is considered one of the top pastry
chefs in the world. Her advice for a
new generation of chefs? Be creative
but at the end of the day its food so it
has to taste as good as it looks. Leba-
non, get set for some seriously good
looking and delectable puddings
www.claire-clark.com
WHIMSICAL PASTRIES + FABERG EGGS | AWARD WINNING UK CHEF CLAIRE CLARK
HER BOOK INDULGE: 100
PERFECT DESSERTS, PUBLISHED
IN 2010, SHOWCASES HER
REPERTOIRE OF DELECTABLE
DESSERTS, CAKES AND
PUDDINGS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD, FROM CLASSIC BAKING
TO GORGEOUS PATISSERIE
AMUSE - BOUCHES
If theres one thing I learned from all these hours spent watching the Food Net-
work TV channel when I was still a college student, its Ina Gartens idea of an
amuse-bouche, those appetizers you munch on while having a pre-dinner drink:
you have to keep it simple. Get a nice Parmigiano Reggiano block or good qual-
ity parmesan and cut it in chunks. Serve with a selection of cherry tomatoes
presented in bowls. For drinks opt for white wine or champagne. Its your call.
YOUMNAS TIP
I have a hard time finding dried tomatoes in regular supermarkets in Lebanon but if you can get
your hands on a jar, use them instead of the fresh cherry tomatoes.
DIY
INTIMATE DINNER
FOR TWO
YOUR OWN
PRIVATE RESTO
BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY
The easy/tasty ratio is perfect for
this entre. Its fresh and wont fll
you up before the main course.
INGREDIENTS
4 medium-sized tomatoes 150 grams
buffalo mozzarella 8 basil leaves
Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Salt
DECONSTRUCTED INSALATA
CAPRESE
ENTRE
METHOD
Slice off the tomato tops. They will serve as
lids. Scoop out the pulp. You wont need
it. Dice the mozzarella and the basil leaves.
In a bowl, mix with olive oil and balsamic
vinegar. Stuff the tomatoes, replace the top
to act as a lid, and serve!
YOUMNAS TIP
Instead of the olive oil and balsamic dressing, you
can make a pesto sauce in a couple of minutes
using an unorthodox but winning recipe: in a food
processor mix one garlic clove, a small handful
of pine nuts, a big handful of fresh basil leaves, a
big handful of parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt, a
pinch of pepper. While mixing, gradually pour olive
oil until you are happy with the texture.
PARMIGGIANO
REGGIANO
F
or this months wedding-oriented
issue, I thought of all the couples
out there celebrating their anni-
versaries. Rather than review a fne din-
ing restaurant as an option for those of
you who like to celebrate, I thought Id
share my own idea of a meal celebra-
tion: DIY -Do It Yourself. I went for
easy, hassle-free recipes because Im not
a chef and I dont have a lot of free time
on my hands. I planned and executed a
cohesive Italian meal with a little help
from my friends at Google and The Food
Network.
EAT, DRINK+BE MERRY
DIY | AN INTIMATE DINNER FOR TWO
MAIN DISH
Your main dish will literally take minutes to pre-
pare, and like the appetizer, the entre, and the
dessert, it can be made in advance.
INGREDIENTS
200 grams tagliatelle pasta 200 grams fresh mushroom
1 garlic clove 120 ml fresh cream
Butter Salt and pepper
METHOD
Cook the pasta following the instructions on the
box. You want them al dente. Reserve. Dice the
garlic and the mushroom and cook them in a tea-
spoon of butter, until the water from the mush-
room has evaporated. Add the cream, the salt and
the pepper and stir until you get a creamy texture.
Serve with the tagliatelle, topped with some fresh
parsley.
YOUMNAS TIP
When youre grocery shopping, pick the nest-assembled
tagliatelle. Cook them following the instructions DO NOT
STIR!- and remove them individually with a large slotted
spoon. Pour the sauce over them and serve three nests per
person or four if youre hungry!
DESSERT
CAF
GOURMAND
I cheated on this one. Initially, I had a ti-
ramisu in mind but after preparing all of
the other recipes (and because Im really
bad at making desserts), I decided Id cre-
ate what I think the French do best: a caf
gourmand. Basically a coffee served with
a selection of mini desserts. I served an
espresso lungo with a chocolate muffn, a
pistachio macaron and a Chantilly cream
with strawberry sauce but you can basi-
cally get any mini treats you like.
The CD with music you both like to listen to
create ambiance. The candles this will make it
more romantic. The flower arrangement a table
arrangement always looks better with flowers.
This month RAGMAG readers, forget about
celebrating publicly. Make it a private date and
get your apron on!
THE EXTRA TOUCH
CREAM +
MUSHROOM
TAGLIATELLE
A P R I L 2 0 1 3
150 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E T R A N S I T I ON I S S U E 150 | R A G MA G | www.ragmag.co T H E L U MI N A N C E I S S U E
VEGANOPIA
NO MEAT + GOLD PEAS
BY LARA ARISS
Each edition of RAGMAG Lara Ariss will present a meal in several courses that
you can try at home. Lara trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London, England.
For this issue of RAGMAG, Lara has compiled a selection of vegetarian recipes
for those of you who are going meat-less this spring.
For her menu selection, check her out on the web
http://www.bylara.me
@laraariss bylara laraariss
INGREDIENTS
4 cucumbers, sliced 6 spring onions, sliced
300 grams soya beans 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tablespoons soya sauce 2 tablespoons honey
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh
ginger, grated 1 garlic clove, crushed Juice of 2 lemons
METHOD
In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss and serve.
INGREDIENTS
2 x 400 grams cans white beans
(cannelloni or butter beans), drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice 1 lemon
Large pinch smoked paprika + extra for garnish
PREPARATION TIME 10 MINUTES
SERVES 8
LEVEL EASY
METHOD
In a food processor, blend all the ingredients to make a
smooth but thick mixture.
Drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle
with the extra paprika.
Serve with your choice of chips or toasted pita bread.
SERVES 4
LEVEL EASY
ASIAN SALAD
WHITE BEAN
+ GARLIC DIP
EAT, DRINK+BE MERRY
EAT, DRINK+BE MERRY
INGREDIENTS
50 grams light brown sugar
400 grams dried apricots
1 teaspoon rosewater
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
400 ml yogurt
50 grams pistachios, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons dried coconut
METHOD
Put the sugar into a medium saucepan with
150 ml water. Heat gently until the sugar
dissolves.
Add the dried apricots and simmer for 15
minutes until soft.
Remove from heat, add rosewater and set
aside to cool.
In the meantime, add the cinnamon to the
yogurt and whisk until smooth and silky.
Spoon into glasses. Serve topped with 100 ml
of yogurt, the pistachios and the coconut.
INGREDIENTS
400 ml semi-skimmed milk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, roughly chopped 300 grams basmati rice
1 tablespoon curry powder 3 cardamom pods, split
teaspoon turmeric 1 cinnamon stick, broken in 2
250 ml vegetable stock 3 medium eggs
175 grams peas Handful coriander leaves
Lime wedges, to serve
COOKING TIME 20 MINUTES
SERVES 4
LEVEL EASY
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions for 5
minutes until soft.
Stir through the rice, curry powder, cardamom, turmeric,
and cinnamon.
Pour the milk and the stock over the rice. Stir well to
combine. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
until the rice is tender.
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring
to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes. Peel the eggs and quarter
them.
Stir through the rice with the peas, coriander and eggs.
Continue to heat for 2-3 minutes until warm.
Squeeze over the lime to serve.
POACHED
APRICOTS
+ ROSEWATER
VEGETARIAN
CURRY RICE
COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES
SERVES 4
LEVEL EASY

M
e
a
l
s

s
e
r
v
e
d

a
l
l

d
a
y
POACHED
APRICOTS

M
e
a
l
s

s
e
r
v
e
d

a
l
l

d
a
y

Happy Hour at its fnest!
BEIRUT
Find yourself at the highest point in Hamra at our Top 21 bar & restaurant
enjoying the happy hour-50% of on all beverages from 6:00pm till 8:30pm
including free Wif access.

CROWNE PLAZA BEIRUT
TO BOOK CALL 961 1 754755 OR VISIT CPBEIRUT.COM
2013 InterContinental Hotels Group. All Rights Reserved.
EASY
In which sport would you find the
centre of the target at a height of
exactly 5ft 8 ins. (172.72cms)?

The Marquis of Queensbury rules
were introduced to govern what
sport?
How many spots, in total, are there
on a pair of dice?
Where is the US Masters Golf
competion always held?

What is the fastest creature that is
raced for sport?
What sport uses a ball that is
38mm in diameter and weighs
only 2.5 grams?

What sport is generally associated
with Santa Pod in the UK?

In which computer game would
you play with Michelle, Ben, and
Pauline?

In F1, what does the black flag
mean?

What sport, according to its rules,
must be played using only the right
hand?
By what other name is the Red
City better known?
Who walked the Via Dolorosa
on the way to his execution?
What is the only city in the
world that is still split in two by
a wall?
Which famous Russian monk
was shot, poisoned and finally
drowned in the river Neva in
1916?

What is the only country in the
Middle East that does not have
a desert?

What is the only European
place where you can find wild
monkeys?
Where was Keanu Reeves
born?
Mumbai, in India, was previously
known as what?

Who supposedly dictated the
Koran to Mohammed?

What river flows through
Baghdad?
Sports + Games History + Geography
ROUND #1 ROUND #4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Red, white, blue, yellow and green
are the colours on a Rubiks
Cube. What colour is missing?

What timing device, found in the
kitchen, has the most moving
parts?

What is the most commonly used
expression in any language in the
world?

Where in the world would you
find Friday coming before
Thursday?

How many spices are mixed
together to make the spice
known as All Spice?
How many times can the number
5 be subtracted from 135?

In 2012 some months will have
31 days and some will have 30.
How many will have 29?

What, on the human body, gets
bigger as the day progresses?

Which country makes the most
films in a year?

What is the name of the Hong
Kong stock exchange?

Trivia
ROUND #3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What car was voted
European car of the 20th
century?

What device, found usually in
the office, was voted as the
greatest product of the 20th
century?

In computers what does
BIOS mean?
In what country is the Nokia
company based?
On a pencil what do the
letters HB mean?
What gas is usually used in a
refrigerator?

What is the SI standard of
measurement for resistance?

A computer does a POST
when switched on. What
does POST mean?

Nitrous Oxide is also known
as what?
What was the first production
car to have a transverse
engine?

Science + Technology
ROUND #2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
6 9 1 3 4
2
8 7 4
2 7
6 4
7
5 9 1
8 2 5
2
3
1
5 8 1
4 9
3 9
1
4 8 7
2 8
5
4 2 3 1
7 4
5 3 4
9 7
1 6 4
3 8 9 7
4
3
3
3
8 2
3 6
5
3 6 1 7
2 5 3
9
2 1
1 9 7
7
2
6 1 5 2
4
8
2
6
7
5
4
3
8
1
9
3
1
6
2
5
7
4
8
9
6
8
9
7
2
4
5
1
3
3
9
8
7
1
4
2
6
5
8
5
3
6
4
9
1
2
7
2
1
6
3
5
4
8
7
9
5
3
9
1
8
7
2
6
4
9
7
1
2
8
3
5
6
4
7
5
1
4
2
9
3
8
6
6 9 1 3
4 8 7
2 8
5
4 2 3 1
7 4
5 3 4
9 7
1 6 4
3 8 9 7
4
3
4
3
9
8
5
6
7
1 5
3
6
1
7
2
7
1
5
9
6
8
6
5
2
8
4 9
3
8
6
1
7
2
4
6
6
2
9
1
8
5
2 5
3
9
2
5
9
2
7
1
8
3
5
8
6
1
3
6
9
3
1
7
2
5
4 5
7
9
3
4
9
2
6
5
7
3
8 7
3
6
4 5
1
6
2
6
8
9 5
4
7
8 7
9 8
1
6
9
3
2
1 2
4
6
8
4
2
8 7 4
2 7
6 4
7
5 9 1
8 2 5
2
3
1
5 8 1
4 9
3 9
1
ROUND#1 1. Darts 2. Boxing 3. 42 4. Augusta, Georgia 5. Pigeon 6. Table tennis 7. Drag racing 8. Microsoft Hearts 9. Cars to go into the pits 10. Polo
ROUND#2 1. Mini 2. Paper clip 3. Basic Input Output System 4. Finland 5. Hard Black 6. Freon 7. Ohm 8. Power On Self Test 9. Laughing gas 10. Austin mini
ROUND#3 1. Orange 2. Egg timer 3. OK 4. An English dictionary 5. None. It is a single spice 6. Once, because it then becomes the number 130 7. All of them 8. Feet 9. India 10. Hang Seng
ROUND#4 1. Petra 2. Jesus 3. Nicosia 4. Rasputin 5. Lebanon 6. Gibraltar 7. Beirut 8. Bombay 9. Angel Gabriel 10. The Tigris

6
8
5
3
9
5
3
4
8
1 7 2 5
7 9
8
2
3
7 5
4
8
7
1
6
1
6
8
9
3
7
4
1
9
6
8
4
5
9
2
4
4
2
8
9 4
5
7
6
1
9
6
4
3
3
8 2
3 6
5
3 6 1 7
2 5 3
9
2 1
1 9 7
7
2
6 1 5 2
4
8
BRAINFOOD

Happy Hour at its fnest!
BEIRUT
Find yourself at the highest point in Hamra at our Top 21 bar & restaurant
enjoying the happy hour-50% of on all beverages from 6:00pm till 8:30pm
including free Wif access.

CROWNE PLAZA BEIRUT
TO BOOK CALL 961 1 754755 OR VISIT CPBEIRUT.COM
2013 InterContinental Hotels Group. All Rights Reserved.
4. Mix the cards.
6. The worst type of filling?
7. He has a sting in his tail.
8. Small ones are sometimes
pickled.
11. Sum or goal! {Anagram}.
12. American whiskey?
16. A place for kids or flowers?
18. Ten Charms. {Anagram}.
19. Up it Mom. {Anagram}.
22. A dragon or a dress?
23. Talk quietly.
27. A lethal projectile.
31. A type of radiation device?
32. Make longer.
33. We all need this.
37. A sharp jerk!
39. Adding a sound track.
40. A long story?
42. Can be used as an anaesthetic.
43. A bullet is one type.
44. Part of the neck.
46. A Bishops hat?
47. American taxi!
49. Was she a French executioner?
50. A good lubricant can reduce this.
51. Another term for height.
53. Backwards tea?
54. Is this being tied up?
56. Theres a place available.
60. A bad break?
61. Or nice rush. {Anagram}. [NB.
Spelling Error]
63. A woodsmans tool?
64. A Martial art?
65. A famous chocolate maker!
66. Is an owl this?
67. A lock or University?
68. For storage or to fight?
70. Opposite end of the anode!
73. Any Reign. {Anagram}.
74. Done to kill unwanted pests.
76. The noise of an explosion.
77. Our feline friend.
79. A rivers deposit?
80. Mass panic!
82. Strange!
83. Painting is one form of this.
84. A masochists friend?
85. A small truck!
86. The most available.
87. A fishy aphrodisiac?
1. Is it a wild dog?
2. Almost a sergeant
or a form of
punishment?
3. A special type of bag?
5. Annoying little
creature.
8. More sides than a
square.
9. One of the Kings
gifts.
10. Spread around!
13. An argument?
14. A water horse?
15. Sha? {Anagram}.
17. The girls like a bit
of this.
20. A reward.
21. Do they care for the
orphans?
24. Live out no.
{Anagram}.
25. The study of the
planets.
26. Its no good!
28. A makeshift boat!
29. The finish.
30. FTC is in ice.
{Anagram}.
34. Employ.
35. Confirm.
36. Artwork in stone.
38. Round Topic {Anagram}.
41. An old fashioned
slimming garment?
44. Not in the affirmative.
45. Can be hard to do
without the picture.
48. A volcanos hole?
52. Grade men turn.
{Anagram}.
55. Heads or tails on
a coin?
57. A golfers servant?
58. Tutu is iron. {Anagram}.
59. Writings about
prostitutes?
61. A wedding party?
62. Is it for one or all?
69. Part of your family.
71. Belonging to.
72. Elm Mba. {anagram}.
75. Not You!
78. In no danger.
81. Exercise to keep this.
ACROSS
DOWN
A C R O S S
4 . S H U F F L E - 6 . R O O T - 7 . S C O R P I O N -
8 . C U C U M B E R - 1 1 . G L A M O R O U S -
1 2 . B O U R B O N - 1 6 . N U R S E R Y - 1 8 . M E R C H A N T S -
1 9 . O P T I M U M - 2 2 . K I M O N O - 2 3 . W H I S P E R -
2 7 . A R R O W - 3 1 . R A D I A T O R - 3 2 . E X T E N D -
3 3 . E D U C A T I O N - 3 7 . J A R - 3 9 . D U B B I N G -
4 0 . S A G A - 4 2 . C H L O R O F O R M - 4 3 . P R O J E C T I L E -
4 4 . N A P E - 4 6 . M I T R E - 4 7 . C A B - 4 9 . G U I L L O T I N E -
5 0 . F R I C T I O N - 5 1 . E L E V A T I O N - 5 3 . E A T -
5 4 . B O N D A G E - 5 6 . V A C A N C Y - 6 0 . F R A C T U R E -
6 1 . R H I N O C E R U S . ( N B . S p e l l i n g e r r o r . R H I N O C E R O S )
- 6 3 . A X E - 6 4 . J U D O - 6 5 . C A D B U R Y - 6 6 . W I S E -
6 7 . Y A L E - 6 8 . B O X - 7 0 . C A T H O D E - 7 3 . Y E A R N I N G
- 7 4 . F U M I G A T E - 7 6 . B O O M - 7 7 . C A T - 7 9 . S I L T -
8 0 . H Y S T E R I A - 8 2 . O D D - 8 3 . A R T - 8 4 . S A D I S T -
8 5 . V A N - 8 6 . M A X I M U M - 8 7 . O Y S T E R
D O W N
1 . C O Y O T E - 2 . C O R P O R A L - 3 . D I P L O M A T I C -
5 . F L E A - 8 . C U B E - 9 . M Y R R H - 1 0 . S C A T T E R -
1 3 . R O W - 1 4 . H I P P O P O T A M U S ( N B . S p e l l i n g E r r o r ) -
1 5 . H A S - 1 7 . R O M A N C E - 2 0 . P R I Z E - 2 1 .
G U A R D I A N S - 2 4 . E V O L U T I O N - 2 5 . A S T R O N O M Y
- 2 6 . U S E L E S S -
2 8 . R A F T - 2 9 . E N D - 3 0 . S C I E N T I F I C - 3 4 . U S E -
3 5 . P R O V E - 3 6 . S C U L P T U R E - 3 8 . P R O D U C T I O N -
4 1 . G I R D L E - 4 4 . N E G A T I V E - 4 5 . J I G S A W -
4 8 . C R A T E R - 5 2 . U N D E R G A R M E N T - 5 5 . F L I P -
5 7 . C A D D Y - 5 8 . N U T R I T I O U S - 5 9 . P O R N O G R A P H Y -
6 1 . R E C E P T I O N - 6 2 . U N I S E X - 6 9 . S I B L I N G -
7 1 . O F - 7 2 . E M B A L M - 7 5 . M E - 7 8 . S A F E - 8 1 . F I T
CA R JACKTON
A childs toy?
ETUNIMANI
I wont be long
HOROBOD
Prince of Thieves?
words
words
words
words
LOST
I dont know
what to say!
XMASCARA
Do this after an
argument?
BAN ANA
Nice to eat!
Am I this?
GOOD
1000000
What are the odds
of winning?
c h a n c e
KNEE
Used for advertising
LAMP | TORCH | FLASH
G O O D L O O K I N G - N E O N L I G H T S - L O S T F O R W O R D S - C H A N C E I N A M I L L I O N - B A N A N A S P L I T - B A C K I N A M I N U T E
J A C K I N T H E B O X - K I S S A N D M A K E U P - R O B I N H O O D
FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM
JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM
THE ANCIENTS BELIEVED THAT DURING A LUNAR ECLIPSE, A GIANT INVISIBLE SPACE
DRAGON SWALLOWED THE MOON. THE ASCENDING AND DESCENDING LUNAR NODES ARE
STILL SOMETIMES CALLED THE DRAGONS HEAD AND THE DRAGONS TAIL. THE PARTIAL
ECLIPSE ON APRIL 25 WILL BE BRIEF AND BITE-SIZED. IT WILL LOOK MORE AS IF THE
DRAGON IS HAVING A NIBBLE THAN A GOBBLE. BUT IT SHOULD BE VISIBLE FROM EUROPE,
AFRICA, ASIA, AND AUSTRALIA. LIKE ALL ECLIPSES, IT SYMBOLISES A CHANCE TO REBOOT
YOUR LIFE. REMEMBER THAT RESOLUTION YOU COULDNT QUITE KEEP IN JANUARY? MAYBE
ITS TIME TO GIVE IT ANOTHER GO.
April.2013
Zodiac
ARIES
The Suns passage through Aries this year
is accompanied by a visit from Mars. Venus
also passes through your sign, until the
middle of April. That is a clear indication
of your potential to manifest great power
and influence. You can make people sit up
and take notice. You can encourage them
to see things from your point of view and
you can rightly consider yourself safe from
any apparent threats to your emotional or
material well-being. Strength will come
easily to you but you may have to strive for
some sensitivity.
March 21 - April 20
As you enter April, you feel unsure about
whether you are winning or losing. You
are facing changes that you never really
expected to have to deal with. These are
causing you to re-evaluate your relation-
ships with various people and situations.
Old aspirations no longer appeal to you as
they once did, yet you are nervous about
giving wholehearted commitment to new
plans and possibilities. It may take you
some while to adjust to changing circum-
stances but you will end the month feeling
happier and more secure.
April 21 - May 21
TAURUS
They say, If you seek success, it often
comes down not to what you know but
who you know. There is an element of
truth in this at all times - but this month,
it is very much the case. You are better
connected than you realise. If you wish to
change a situation, you really just need to
have a delicate word in the right ear. Make
sure that the word is delicate and that you
have carefully thought through your re-
quests before you make them. The ques-
tion in April is not, Can you get what you
want?; but, Are you sure that you want it?
May 22 - June 22
GEMINI
FROM JONATHAN CAINER
TAYLOR KITSCH
JENNIFER GARNER
RAGMAG ASTRO
We dont always realise just what a pow-
erful effect some situations are having on
us. We do our best to shrug off intense ex-
periences and carry on. Only some while
later, do we see how they have subtly (or
not so subtly) affected us. April brings you
the chance to look at a habit you have
fallen into or a problem that you seemingly
cant escape, and to think again about
what really lies behind all this. One joyous
moment of revelation will bring enough
enlightenment and inspiration to start dra-
matically improving your future outlook.
You keep hoping that something will hap-
pen, something in particular, something
special. You can see that its possible but
you also see that to some extent it doesnt
matter how much effort you make, you are
going to need a degree of good fortune.
What if you dont get it? Then how will
you feel? Do all that you can this month,
to make it easy for luck to help you. Try as
hard to be as wise as you can. Then dont
worry. However things turn out, you will
eventually benefit greatly from the story
that unfolds in April.
When other people want things from you,
you are usually keen to comply if you can.
You take pride and pleasure in being help-
ful. But sometimes you start to feel as if
you are being pushed too hard and too
far. Where should you draw the line this
month? What constitutes an unreason-
able request? Will you be ultimately help-
ing someone more if you stand up against
them, than if you just meekly allow them
to bulldoze their way past your doubts and
reservations? Dont let a fear of conflict
drive an unwise choice.
April brings a partial lunar eclipse in the
part of your chart that governs risk-tak-
ing. It is not due to be the most spec-
tacular phenomenon that the world has
ever witnessed but, for you as a Cance-
rian, it has great symbolic significance.
It speaks, not of some gamble that you
may be about to make, but of your con-
cern about a choice that you made some
months ago. Was it wise or foolish? You
fear the latter. Here comes much-need-
ed reassurance that you have already
chosen the best possible path.
Towards the end of April there will be a
partial lunar eclipse in Scorpio. Thats in-
teresting. Where a total eclipse implies
the need to let something go completely
and embrace a significant change, a par-
tial eclipse speaks of a chance to rene-
gotiate a vital aspect of an arrangement,
adjusting the one thing that has proven
hardest - and creating a future in which a
commitment is easier and more rewarding
to keep up. Even if it seems now as if you
face a problem, you will soon see the big
opportunity that is hidden within it.
When you wake up in the morning and
look out of your window, what do you
see and how do you feel about it? Events,
this month, are inviting you to reconsider
some key aspects of your domestic situ-
ation. If it isnt time to think about moving,
it is time to think about strengthening your
sense of connection and commitment to
an existing arrangement. One way or an-
other, April brings your chance to swap a
nagging sense of insecurity for a lasting
awareness that you are fully safe and at
home with your surroundings.
Think back to the way you were feeling
at the start of the year. How hemmed in
and held back did you seem to be? How
much fear and frustration was colouring
your view of the world? You have to admit
that things are looking a lot better now. If,
as you read these words you think, No, I
dont. It can only be because Aprils most
important astrological influences have yet
to bring you their full benefit. It is not just
your own view that will alter for the better
this month. Someone else will form a more
encouraging opinion.
The world is full of people who keep hav-
ing new ideas. Why dont we do this?
Why dont we try that? Yet, the world is
also full of people who resist innovation.
That will never work. We dont want that
happening round here. Thats why most
changes are hard to achieve. What should
you do this month? Struggle to introduce
the new in the face of resistance? Or sur-
render to the naysayers? Your vision is so
bright that you simply must pursue it and,
though it wont be easy, you will slowly
start to succeed.
September 24 - October 23
June 23 - July 23
October 24 - November 22
July 24 - August 23
November 23 - December 21
August 24 - September 23
December 22 - January 20 January 21 - February 19
LIBRA
CANCER LEO VIRGO
SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN AQUARIUS
Why does life sometimes seem unfair?
Why do bad things happen to good peo-
ple and vice versa? You and I are not really
qualified to say what is ultimately good or
bad. Nor should we pass judgement on
other individuals. Success, this month, de-
pends on you rising above old entrenched
ways of looking at the world. Be positive,
even about what seems negative. Where
faith is being challenged, find yet more
faith. Despite your fears, you are travelling
down a road that can only lead to a more
peaceful and prosperous tomorrow.
February 20 - March 20
PISCES
GETTING TOUCHY
For the first time in Lebanon, media mem-
bers can take advantage of a 50 percent
discount on their postpaid mobile lines for
local talk time and local text messages
thanks to the newly-launched Syndi-
cates Offer by touch, the leading mobile
telecommunications company in Leba-
non managed by Zain Group. This special
plan offering 800 minutes and 80 SMS
for only 49 USD was officially announced
March 7th. Commenting on the dynamic
relationship between mobile technology
and journalism, the Corporate Commu-
nications & Relations Manager at touch,
Ghada Barakat, said: It was inevitable to
introduce a procedure that accounts for
the journalist and medias constant use
of telecommunications to complete their
work in general. Based on the need of the
Lebanese media, touch devised a new
offer exclusively for the people working
in the domains of journalism. Minister of
Telecom, Nicolas Sehnaoui, stated: We
stand here today not in the name of touch
and the Ministry of Telecommunications
but rather in the name of the Lebanese
peoples support to the press and freedom
of expression. We are very well aware of
the importance of phone calls for journal-
ists in their daily work especially during
this phase of technological advancement,
as communication is becoming their main
working tool overall. The Syndicates Of-
fer is the latest release from touch and
comes on top of a whole new range of
customized products giving customers
the opportunity to experience great cost
efficiency on their mobile phones.
DEVILS ADVOCATE
Boggi Milano, a symbol of Italian style and
elegance since 1939, has renewed its
agreement with the Red Devils team. To-
day, Boggi Milano is recognized as one of
the Italian leading menswear retail brands
with more than 120 stores all over the world.
Michel Fabrizio will be the rider of the Team
Red Devils. Fabrizio, 29 years-old, is an ac-
complished motorcycle champion, compet-
ing in the top five of the strongest riders in
the World Superbike Championship. He lays
claim to an excellent record of important re-
sults and attendance from the Moto GP to
Superbike having raced with all brands. I am
very satisfied with my new position in a team
that is a source of great pride for me, said
Fabrizio. Im back on an Italian bike that is
going to defend the world title won in 2012
and I believe that our potential is to play for
the top positions in every race. I am very
happy and confident for the presence of a
sponsor elegant and important as Boggi that
will allow us to give an image of Italy, which is
the one we like most.
NEW + NOW

Rag Mag April 2013

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