Posts filed under ‘Floating’
Welcome to Abaya World!
In less than two weeks, I’ll be heading to Saudi Arabia for a visit – which means time to whip out that black abaya again! I’ve been there only one time before so I’ve accustomed to the cultural regulations. It’ll also be nice to not have to worry about what I’m wearing for a few days while there.
Which brings me to a new product that suddenly seemed very fitting for the occassion: Persil’s Abaya Shampoo. Have you heard of this before?
Brand cultural adaptation at its best!
Personally, I didn’t know such a thing existed, but then again, I’m not exactly their target audience. What caught my eye is that this is a case, similar to McDonald’s McArabia menu additions, of a brand that’s adapting to local culture through its own niche. This is very much an Arab product to meet a certain society need that might not be as prevalent elsewhere.
Curious to find out more about this product, I googled the name and came across a website especially made for this product called “Persil Abaya World”. It’s got plenty of information about how to care for your abaya, featured abaya fashion designers and a fun interactive game to pass the time with.
The Persil "Abaya World" Website
Click on the image to play the "Design Your Abaya" game!
My 5-minute attempt at designing a abaya online.
Game aside, a lot of Middle Eastern women customize their abayas with colorful detailing along the sleeves and embellishments to break away from the rigid black frame. It’s nice to see the personal touch that comes with it and you’ll be amazed by how creative some of these abayas can be (and the high prices some women pay for designer abayas is proof of the value being put on them).
The reason I really wanted to share this new product is that although we might be used to seeing such things (hence, taking them for granted), they reveal a global awareness by brands into what makes us as Arabs unique. Rather than simply plugging their products into the market and hoping we accept them (and of course, buy lots of them), they’re customizing. That, as a result, positions them in a more powerful way as a brand that’s listening (more or less) and you’ve got to respect that to a certain degree.
“Tweeting” the Knot
As Prince William and Kate Middleton were tying the knot last Friday – glamor, glitz and all – I was no where near a TV, so my best alternative was the online community. After scrolling through a few photos on various news websites (mostly to see the dress Kate wore) and reading the unavoidable Facebook updates ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the festivities, it got boring pretty quick.
Enter Twitter and one of my all-time favorite comedians Maz Jobrani, live-tweeting about the event. Below his most memorable tweets of the day:
@MazJobrani: Taking Prince William to Amsterdam for 1 last hurrah b4 the big day. Gonna see some royal stripping!
@MazJobrani: @ The Royal Wedding. Mortified! I’m wearing the exact same red jacket as William. What are the chances?
@MazJobrani: They just exchanged vows. He claimed “I Doth” and she claimed “I doth too!” I’m looking up the word “doth” 2 c what’s going on
@MazJobrani: This reception is taking waaaay too long. Can’t wait for the tequila shots. Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots!
@MazJobrani: Uh oh! William had me hold the ring to hold. Where’d I put that damn thing?
@MazJobrani: Where do I get one of those fuzzy hats that the guards r wearing? This could b the cure to my baldness!
@MazJobrani: @ Buckingham Palace. Gotta take a leak! Trying to do it with royalty. Maybe I’ll salute as I pee.
@MazJobrani: The Queen’s wearing a yellow suit and hat. My pimp in LA has that same outfit!
@MazJobrani: They just kissed. I’m strangely aroused. Is that weird?
@MazJobrani: William’s balding. Kate is hot. This is a victory for bald people all over the world! Way to go Willy!
Classic! Congrats to the married couple – and with every major wedding, may there be a funny comedian making side-jokes for the rest of us watching.
The Hidden Ingredient
There’s something about this billboard ad that seemed peculiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until it sharply hit me in the face the other day: “This looks like cleavage!”
Advertisers are well aware of the power of subliminal messages in their campaigns that often draw on hidden sexual images or references to sell. Sex sells – we all know that already and if you don’t, then you might be feeding into it without knowing it.
I’ve noticed this very subtle sexual imagery in another campaign by Musar of a wine bottle cork being pulled open. Something about the speed and lighting is very provocative. Sex has been used plenty for alcohol ads and perfume ads, but this is the first time I spot it being used for a wine campaign here in Lebanon. This is not saying the ads are not working. After all, wine is often associated with intimacy and a precursor to “romantic times”.
I can’t not pass these billboards anymore without seeing the cleavage in the form of the glasses. It’s strange when you see something in one way, it’s almost impossible to see it differently – hard as you try.
Did anyone else notice the “hidden ingredient” in the Musar ads?
A Thread of Society
We’re all angry at certain moments in our life. We’re angry when we get stuck in traffic, we’re angry when things don’t happen the way we want them to and we’re angry when politicians in Lebanon play with our future and leave us living in uncertainty. The list goes on. And sometimes, we’re just angry and don’t know why (maybe it’s that time of the month).
But by far the most crippling anger is the sort that someone turns towards themselves, and the inmates of Romieh prison have had their big share of that. No doubt you’ve heard of or watched 12 Angry Lebanese (I’ve already watched it twice) by the ballsy Zeina Daccache. I have so much respect for the work she’s done with this project. It can’t be easy to spend a year with inmates of a dingy prison – and no ordinary prisoners of petty crimes. Most of the prisoners (and also the actors of the documentary) are guilty of murder, rape or drug-dealing.
A preview of the film if you haven’t seen it:
But I’m not writing about this to promote the film – its international success speaks for itself. Rather about an interesting turn of events that took place the last time I caught a screening of it at during the Human Rights Film Festival.
Once the film was done, Zeina and one of the prisoners in the film took the stage. With a mixture of anxiety and curiosity, I listened as the public asked questions about his life post-release.
“Life on the outside is just as hard, if not, harder than the inside” he spoke with a swell of emotion into the microphone. When you’re in prison, you know your fate for the next few years. It’s tremendously difficult of course, but you know what to expect and you’re inside with hundreds of others going through the same thing.
When the day of release finally occurs and the former inmate goes about entering society, it’s a whole other story. They are forever stigmatized for a crime they committed and paid the price for. They can never be seen the same as before, especially by people who know their story and that takes its toll on how well they reform post-imprisonment.
Two other former inmates were sitting two rows in front of us and agreed. Being a prisoner undoubtedly changes a person for life and when they are introduced back into society, they need help to get back on their feet. That’s what we’re lacking here in Lebanon.
Fortunately for the former inmate who took the stage with Zeina that night, he’s gotten a job as a driver for their organization. Zeina further promoted his service on stage, asking the audience to contact him if they need a driver. I truly hope he adapts to life “on the outside” and slowly builds back his life.
The more we come to see prisoners and ex-prisoners as humans too, the closer we can get to having a healthy society. And maybe then, we’ll naturally have less crimes and “angry” people.
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Support Catharsis – the Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy: http://www.catharsislcdt.org/
Public Displays
I had second thoughts about writing this post. It lingered in my head for the past two weeks until I realized, “Why not? Someone’s got to open the topic!” I’m sure I’m not the only one to have experienced something like this here in Lebanon.
The first time it happened, I was in Bhamdoun over the summer. My sister, her friend and I were getting into my car, parked on a busy road in broad daylight. A strange man walks past us as we get in and as I rear out of the parking spot, I see him crouched against the car behind us “pleasuring” himself (I don’t know a better way to say this and apologize if this offends anyone reading) My sister and her friend were distractedly chattering away so they didn’t notice what he was doing. He was looking straight in our direction and I rushed as quick as possible to get us away from that disturbing image.
People were all around us but no one noticed! He was just doing that in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon!
I was sick to my stomach and felt violated though he didn’t directly affect me. The idea that someone could do that – on the street in public view to a random stranger – shook me up. I kept peering into my rearview mirror as we drove away, hoping for nothing more than to erase the image of that pervert from my mind. Thankfully, he didn’t try to follow us or harass us further.
This was the first time I’d experience something like this but eventually forgot about it. Well, until it happened again a few weeks ago.
And this time, in Gemmayze. Not in a club, or pub, or anything like that – but rather while I was parked by the side of the road on the phone on a Wednesday evening (not dressed provocatively in the least). I didn’t even notice him until I was about to drive off. He wasn’t hiding like the other man in Bhamdoun and stood in clear view across from my car. I won’t go into the details – you can imagine the gross scenario and my surprise at noticing him.
Is there no laws against this sort of street perversion? Where are the police when these men are so publicly doing this?
It’s disgusting, violates us as women and needs to stop!
