An (Lebanese) American in Paris

I have been a very, very bad blogger and I am très desolée. Excusez-moi

When I was stuck in my NYC office, it was very easy to blog, a little too easy--I was up to 3 blog posts a day.

Now that I am in Par-ee, this is simply not the case.

But alas, my return is long overdue. Poor Baba has been blogging all on his own, and what is Baba without LZ?? rien. de. tout. (ahh, mais je blague!)

Is my insertion of random french words ridiculously annoying? too bad, i love it. it screams "yes, i live in paris! be very jealous of me!"

i apologize. the parisians have gotten to my head.

also, can we please discuss how EVERY FRENCH MAN is ridiculously attractive? i'm not kidding. from the métro drivers to the security guards to the construction workers, they all look like models. its wonderful.

also, i would like to say that my arabic has been more useful than my french here. really.

everyone loves lebanese people in paris! not only are there lebanese people EVERYWHERE(in my area alone there are 6 lebanese restaurants that i have discovered, if you're standing in one particular spot you can see three of them at once) but there are plenty of algerians/moroccons/tunisians that love lebanese people, especially lebanese girls, which means i have been getting free things and first class treatment everywhere.

like the cute little old tunisian man that works at the épicerie near my place that always gives me free stuff and kisses my hand every time i see him (in a non-creepy way guys, trust me!)and the algerian bouncers that weren't going to let me and my 6 girlfriends into "World's Place" (some show-offy club that thinks its the sh** because its owned by Johnny Depp and Sean Penn) until I spoke with him in arabic and we floated on through and the egyptian men who owned the hookah bar that somehow found room for me and my friends even though the place was full.

yep, speaking arabic can really help you out in paris--maybe not actually being moroccan, algerian or tunisian--somehow i get the feeling that they are not adored here, but speaking arabic or being a lebanese girl; you got it made baby.

On a side-note, if a lebanese guy who is give-or-take 10 years older than you tells you to consider him as your brother for the duration of your time in paris, do not believe him. i repeat, DO NOT believe him.

if he asks you what perfume you were wearing or invites you to eat mnaeesh for breakfast, don't think he's just being friendly and trying to make you feel at home; RUN FOR THE HILLS. or lie and tell him you have a lebanese boyfriend who's father is (a) elie hobeika,(b) samir geagea, (c) hassan nasrallah, (d) milheim barakaat (what? i think he's really creepy...). that is all i have to say about that.

Just to show you how much the Lebanese are adored here:









Yes, I am THAT important, Sarkozy put this up all along the Champs-Élysées, in front of the Arc de Triomphe, the Grand and Petit Palais and the Invalides just for me, oh, and for Michel Suleiman's 3-day visit at the end of March (which was Sarko's first visit by an Arab head of state).

But really, it was for me.



Promise to write again soon!

xxx

Bisous

~LZ

PS: If you are in Par-ee and crave a quick shawarma or falafel sandwich, try Al Dar or Chez Le Libanais

Baba Saab & Mama Acra

Paris Fashion week is going on! (And wouldn't you know it, right before I head off to Paris myself!)

I called Elie Saab and asked him to postpone his fashion show for a few days until I get there, but he apologized, something about finding another venue in time....

Anyway, even though I couldn't go, doesn't mean no one did. (Shocking, I know) Kanye West, actress Mischa Barton and glamour girl Dita von Teese were all there representin' for me:

To see a slideshow of his dresses from the runway show, go here:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2009CTR-ESAAB

Also, just to keep you updated on who's been recently wearing my 2 favorite designers:

Actress January Jones from Mad Men in Elie Saab

Actress Gabrielle Union in Reem Acra

Mischa Barton in Elie Saab at the Elie Saab fashion show in Paris

Angelina Jolie in Reem Acra

Maybe Reem and Elie will see this and take pity on me and send me a dress? Or how bout you two just adopt me? Please?!

Reem, Elie--i love you!

~LZ

Return of the Phoenix...Returning again

As surmised before, the Rahbani brothers' "Return of the Phoenix" playing at Casino du Liban has been extended. You can buy tickets for Jan. 29, 30, 31 and Feb. 1, and the Casino du Liban site says it will be playing up until the 27th of February. (Actually, it's very possible it was not extended and that Virgin only sells tickets up to a certain date...haha, oh well, point is, it's playing longer than initially stated)

Buy tix here: http://www.ticketingboxoffice.com/Events.asp?code=238&EventTypeCode=G

Has anyone seen it and can give us an opinion?

I know it stars Ghassan Saliba, often the star of Rahbani plays. I love his song "Watani By3arifni" or "My country knows me" to be quite literal, which you can listen to here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC5imPe1iXs

Unfortunately, it's not the official video, I don't know if anyone can find it, but the official video was quite bad and involved one of the Rahbani brothers (Usama?) playing the piano on a beach and Ghassan in some odd traditional Lebanese outfit--I thought it should have been a much better touristic plug for Lebanon, but oh well, maybe they had a time/budget crunch? Meanwhile, i'll try to find the video, but you should listen to the song, its really nice.


~LZ

Lebanese American Appointed Envoy to MidEast by Obama

The 75-year old George J. Mitchell has been appointed Middle East Envoy by Obama.

Apparently, he's known for being fair and neutral.

An American with Lebanese roots? Not bad Obama.

According to the NYTimes:

"Other Middle East specialists said Sunday that if Mr. Mitchell was named to the job, he would be seen by both sides as a tougher but more balanced negotiator than recent envoys, which could make some Israelis nervous. Mr. Mitchell has Lebanese as well as Irish roots: his father, Joseph Kilroy, was an orphan adopted by a Lebanese family whose Arabic name had been anglicized to Mitchell, and Mr. Mitchell was raised a Maronite Catholic by his Lebanese mother."

Wonder what the original Arabic last name was?

Also, hilarious that a "more BALANCED negotiator" would makes the Israelis nervous...think about that for a second

To read the full article from Jan. 18:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/washington/19diplo.html?ref=politics

~LZ