Hike of Hope

Good morning everyone. I received an e mail today from a dear friend stating the following:

Dear Madame/Sir, 15 July 2010

Hike of Hope is a team of 6 men trekking to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro; the highest peak in Africa; in attempt to support the activities of the Children Cancer Center of Lebanon, raise funds for the treatment of kids struck with cancer and above all promote the cause of fundraising itself.
Children cancer treatment and research is a worthy and noble cause to all of us. The amount of suffering and pain the children go through is heartbreaking. The Children Cancer Center of Lebanon work and achievements in treating, not only children from Lebanon but from all around the region, and enhancing their quality of life are simply awe inspiring.
That is why we chose The Children Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL); a not-for-profit association, as the sole beneficiary of our “Hike of Hope” endeavor.
We will be navigating through five major eco-zones: Rainforest, Heath, Moorland, Alpine Desert and freezing Glaciers, enduring vast variations in climate, from equatorial at the foot of the mountain (30°) to arctic conditions at the summit (-20°) while coping with lower levels of oxygen at higher altitudes (approx 50% less at the top) which can lead to acute altitude sickness as well as other pulmonary and cerebral conditions.
We do this hoping/knowing that this will bring more attention to the cause we are adopting and hopefully inspiring people undertake similar initiatives. For as important as the money we raise from this event, we believe that it is equally important, if not more, to promote fundraising initiatives that will help create a more sustainable income stream for institutions that help and ensure a better quality of life for our society.
We seek your support to our initiative by donating directly to the Children Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) through our Hike of Hope campaign. By doing so, you will be helping two causes in one and fulfilling two corporate social responsibility initiatives at the same time as you will be promoting fundraising itself as well.
We are aware and greatly appreciative of your organization’s contribution to the society, and that is why are asking you again to help people help each other.
Thanking you in advance for your consideration and contribution.

Hike of Hope Team

I am so proud of their efforts that I ask you to spread the word.

Thank you!

Bambi

Would you think 'The Unthinkable'?

Just finished watching The Unthinkable, and I'm disturbed! More like mortified beyond belief.

If you haven't seen the movie then I urge you to stop reading. Lots of spoilers! And if you have seen the movie, please feel free to leave a comment or PM me your views.

I'm not sure how I felt about it, not as a production, because it's effing fantastic, but what message it tries to portray. First few minutes of the movie, I thought to myself, well not really to myself, out loud to a friend of mine (Im A'antar), Muslim?? AGAIN?!? *sigh* When will it end? I can go on and on about how Muslims aren't like that but unless you have an IQ of an 8th grader you would already know. Religious extremists exist everywhere and unfortunately for us, most of the major attacks are led by fascist Muslims; But of course the hundreds of Afghanis, Iraqis and Palestinians that are killed on a daily basis by any other non-Muslims don't count. Why? because their lives are meaningless in front of the lives of .. say.. hmmm I don't know the Americans or Israelis?

Now, if we are to put that aside, this movie isn't really about the war on terrorism (or so I'd like to believe); America and Muslims! It's about how far you would go to get what you want. Machiavelli; yet again! The end justifies the means. This movie gets you thinking, we preach humanity, justice, fairness.. We fear God and ask for mercy.. But what is this? This is inhumane, this is torture, this is against everything we believe in. Is torturing a number of people (counted on one hand) justifiable to save thousands of lives? Does this mean we're letting go of our morality and our ideals if we say yes? Is there a good guy and a bad guy? Good and evil? No! There's always a cause and a reaction. People react to what life throws their way. Mind you, both sides are fighting for the exact same thing, Freedom. Ask a terrorist why, and he will justify his actions. Take the movie for instance:

I love my country and you crap on it.. I love my religion and you people spit on it.. I'm not a coward.. you call me a barbarian.. then what are you ?!? You expect me to weep for 50 civilians.. YOU PEOPLE KILL THAT NUMBER EVERYDAY.. How does it feel??

Fine! Maybe I'm not convinced with his justification (yes, yes, 'm against killings in any way. Murder is murder no matter how you twist it, but then again God knows what I would do if I were in their position), but obviously he is. Religion doesn't create monsters; situations, however, do!

Where am I going with all of this? No clue! But I just wonder, how far would I go to get what I want? How far would you go?

Bambi

The Cowardly Man

Good morning! I hate Tuesdays just as much as I hate Mondays.. OK fine a bit less, but hate it none the less. So anyway, last night thought I'd hit the sack early so I can wake up fresh and be able to endure the long day (followed by a really long week) ahead of me, but nooooo! God forbid I be to sleep for more than 6 bloody hours (6 hours doesn't really cut it for me.. no judgement please). Couldn't sleep till around 4 a.m. so I'm grumpy. Oh I also watched When in Rome, and as cheesy as it is, I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, and my heart aches after each one. Why? Because I want that fairytale love (don't you even try bursting my bubble). So anyway, someone posted a link on a friend's Buzz post and I really wanted to share it with all of you, because I think she speaks for a lot of women in the middle east and maybe even beyond when she calls men "cowards"! You hear that boys, that's right! YOU ARE FRICKING COWARDS! Thank you Jasmine for saying what a lot of us haven't! Read this.

Bambi

Sex Sells; Money Talks!

Good morning bloggers, readers, random passer-byers (I don't even know what that means, but it had to follow the previous 'ers'). Hope your Monday morning started off better than mine. Not looking forward to this week at all, even though wedding season is almost over (keyword being 'almost') but I had a good weekend, my two and a half weddings were fun and I danced till my feet disowned me. Not complaining, I promise!

I was getting a mani/pedi while watching MTV, when Kylie's All the Lovers came on, and I think this could be Kylie's sexiest video yet, and as much as I like her and her music, I just can't help but wonder.. an orgy mountain?? Really? for some reason this eery comparison came to mind; if you've seen True Blood you'll understand.. I hope.. In Season 2, Maryann kind of puts everyone under this 'sex spell' so they just strip and umm.. mate, similarly in All My Lovers, Kylie is Maryann, and that's not really a good thing. You see it?? no? Really?!? Crap that I'm the one who's twisted. YIKES!

So anyway, a few songs later, Katy Perry's California Girls came on, not much to say, she's this cutie pie who shot to fame because of I Kissed a Girl and well from the title of the song, we kinda know why. Anyway the video included: Lots of candy, whipped cream (that scene just triggers Kelis's My Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and by the way, love her new look and 4th of July song, check out PFF's post on that), half/totally naked bodies, cupcake bras.. need I say more? Oh and the whole whipped creamed bra.. or whatever they are on her humps.. or lumps.. which very much resembles the idea of Gaga's -gunned bra (don't judge my wordings on the description, don't think they found words to describe them yet, and yes there were lots of BRAS).

And finally, Xtina's Not Myself Tonight, that's when I noticed, MTV should be R rated. I'd be ashamed to watch these racy videos with my father. AND I'M FRICKIN' 26! It oozes sex and fetishes. Fine, sex sells, I agree! But this is a video? (I miss BSB videos) The bondage video will definitely get most men's (and definitely some women's) heart racing, and we all know what that leads to. It's very S&M Madonna (Justify My Love) meets S&M Lady Gaga (Bad Romance).

And of course when watching all these videos, only one person comes to mind LADY GAGA, and how everyone (well, almost everyone) is trying to.. what's the word? Imitate? no.. that's not it.. Copy? Nope still not the correct terminology I'm looking for. Ah crap, it's not coming to me right now, but you get what I'm trying to say, right? But anyway, even the great Gaga has been labelled as a Copycat in her latest video, Alejandro (hated the song by the way). And no, not in one particular clip, it's like an homage to the even greater Madonna. I doubt that's what the director was going for, and even though Gaga has always been compared to Madonna, there's a big fat line between paraphrasing and plagiarism, as Hugo once said, Don't imitate. Innovate!, and Gaga my dear, your latest video wreaks Madonna wannabe (with a Janet Jackson touch). I won't even get into the whole religious controversy it stirred. But then again, who am I to judge, I will still listen to her music, watch her videos and look forward to what she does next.

Conclusion? Anyway you turn it, if it's not a Madonna clip, it's definitely an imitation or an imitation of an imitation of a Madonna clip! Makes sense? I just felt like sharing!

Bambi

You Little Strumpet!!

Good morning! It's Friday and that means hellloooooo weekenddddddd! Not that I Have any major party-plans for the weekend, or a chance to actually sleep in.. wait.. Why am I excited??? Right! No work! woohoo! That's right people, I have weddingS this weekend.. Emphasis on the S. Oh well, hopefully good music, lots of friends, and alcohol! You know what sounds like a party to me.

Anyway, (I tend to drift away from my point, I think it's the Catcher in the Rye effect), I'm dedicating my post to one of my favourite designers Nicola Helgesen who is the genius behind La Petite S***** (previously known as La Petite Salope which means.. that's right.. The Little Strumpet) Ingenious name for a brand don't you think? Anyway, Ms. Helgesen dropped her career in visual merchandising to pursue a career in fashion, and boy am I happy she did. She's known for her corsetry, which, by the way, is extremely comfortable. When a few years back, my aunt and mom bought me an LPS dress, I thought it was original but never found the occasion to wear it until this year, and I remember getting lots and lots of complements on my dress and when I was at Fenwicks when, honest to God, the only dresses that caught my eye were in fact LPS but they were too $$ for short dresses considering I wanted a long dress. So I left with a broken heart.

Her dresses are so feminine and sexy it would make it almost impossible to be flattering, but no no! Helgesen proves otherwise. The fabrics are divine and the cuts have that vintage glam with a contemporary look; lots of drapery (which I absolutely love) and comfortable corsets, that I promise you, you feel your sexiest when you're in an LPS dress. I'm disclosing a few images of the AW2010 collection, and if you like what you see, I highly recommend you visit the site.

Song that's on repeat in my head? Hey Soul Sister - Train because there's a ukulele in it and something about that makes me feel like it's summer time. I blame it on Jason Mraz. I heart him too :).

Et pui je fume..

Good morning people. Yes I'm still alive, and no I haven't been hit by a bus. But in Beirut it's wedding season (that basically includes weddings, engagements, katb ktebs, pre and post celebrations albeit dinner, party or clubbing) so if I'm not running around for a wedding I'm organizing, I'm running to find something to wear, do my hair, make up and still find the energy to dance the night away on the beginning of a couple's (hopefully) happily ever after.

Each wedding, the bride steps on our feet and pinches us, ('us' being those who are still single), and for those of you who don't know the reason behind this superstitious nonsense, it's simple really, the single ladies will follow in the bride's footsteps by getting married. It's like us being single is a disease; I insist on using the word 'us' and not 'I' because there are tons of others like me (or so I tend to hope). Thank God! I wonder if single hood is contagious! By the way, I started this post with every intention of thrashing the World Cup and writing a fashion post, i even have the pictures and I did my research and everything, but this just comes to show you the frustration that's building up, that the minute I placed my fingers on the keyboard, my thoughts ran away with me! But that's OK, because now I have to be a bit more catering to my blog, and I'll have something good to write about tomorrow.

P.S. I miss slow dancing! Whatever happened to that? We don't do it in clubs (obviously) or in weddings. What a shame!

Ta-ta for now
sending all my love, hugs and kisses to the entire world (if only that would make a difference). and leaving you with my mood today! Enjoy!

Exhale,

Bambi