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A Lebanese Blog

Tag: Lebanon

  • Inside The Middle East Airlines Training and Conference Center

    On the way to airport, and just before you reach its entrance, you can’t but notice “The Dome”. This intriguing structure is part of the Middle East Airlines Training and Conference Center, where their staff get most of their training at. And since I have always felt curious to know how would it be like inside such training facility, I simply contacted someone I know there a couple of weeks ago to check if I can visit the center.

    A few days later, the the cool people at MEA quickly arranged an appointment for me to tour the facility and I was lucky to be accompanied by one of their engineers, a training manager, and of course a communications officer.

    I think people know very little about the things that happen behind the scenes at an airline, so here’s everything I saw at the 43,500 m2 MEA training center.

    Flight Training

    First things first. When I initially asked MEA to visit their training center I was mostly interested in checking the equipment that help their pilots achieve their flight training, so the tour started by first visiting the available simulators.

    MEA currently has a full motion Airbus A320 flight simulator, and two other fixed-base simulators. As you can see below, the full motion simulator gives the same feeling as being inside a real cockpit with the surrounding screens displaying very realistic scenes. It can simulate turbulences and any required weather condition, and once you’re inside you simply feel like you’re in a real flight due to all the movement feedback that the device provides. Training on this simulator counts like flying a real airplane for the pilot and it is the only one of its kind in the middle east, that’s why pilots from other airlines in the region come to Lebanon to train on it.

    There’s currently only 1 full motion simulator but the space where it is installed can actually accommodate 3 others. I heard they might soon be getting additional ones but I couldn’t figure out of what model series.

    The other two fixed-base simulator are for the Airbus A320 and A330 but they of course don’t feel as real as the one above.

    In addition to the simulators, the center has 20 stations for CBT (Computer Based Training) as well as a facility for pilot’s license renewal. As I was informed, pilots should undergo certain tests every 6 months to renew they licence and the MEA has a dedicated accredited facility for that.

    Cabin Crew Training

    My second stop was at the division where the cabin crew are trained. Again, real airplane models are used with simulators to train the crew on several evacuation scenarios including jumping into an adjacent swimming pool.

    The material inside the airplane mockup (photo below) are the same that are used in a regular Airbus, while the windows are in fact screens that can simulate different scenarios like a  fire, cracked window, emergency landing, etc… and according to each situation the crew is trained on a course of action. Note that the pilots get similar training  in order to be able to cope with incidents inside the cockpit.

    The Conference Center

    Apart from the available training facilities, the building has many conference areas. People are probably familiar with the Riad Salaeh auditorium (also known as The Dome) since it shows in the news every now and then, but there’s also a much larger hall, The Mohammad Al Hout hall, which extends over an area of 680 m2 and has a very large attached kitchen to it in order to serve the events.

    The conference zones of the center can host various events and are therefore not for the exclusive use of MEA as they can be rented to any company willing to host an occasion or event.

    The same also applies to the training areas since other airlines in the region pay the MEA sometimes to use the center in order to train their staff. Some of the airlines that recently used the facilities are Cyprus Airways, Air India, and Turkish Airlines. So basically the whole center contributes in generating additional income to the MEA.

    All in all, I really enjoyed the tour and it felt cool getting exposed to the aviation world with all the info that experts were telling me. More importantly, it was also nice to know that a center of such caliber does exist in Lebanon and serves regional airlines from neighboring countries.

  • Susan Sarandon and Ben Stiller Are in Beirut!

    I just stumbled upon a post by Beirut Digital District showing Susan Sarandon and Ben Stiller along with Nadine Labaki attending a private screening of the documentary film Soufra at BDD.

    The film follows the story of a Palestinian refugee, Mariam Shaar, from Bourj Al Barajneh camp as she establishes a catering business with the help of other women from her community and succeeds to expand it into a food truck business with the funding and support of Alfanar venture philanthropy.

    Soufra follows the unlikely and wildly inspirational story of intrepid social entrepreneur, Mariam Shaar – a generational refugee who has spent her entire life in the Burj El Barajneh refugee camp just south of Beirut, Lebanon. The film follows Mariam as she sets out against all odds to change her fate by launching a successful catering company, “Soufra,” and then expand it into a food truck business with a diverse team of fellow refugee woman who now share this camp as their home. Together, they heal the wounds of war through the unifying power of food while taking their future into their own hands through an unrelenting belief in Mariam, and in each other. In the process, Mariam is breaking barriers, pulling together Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian and Lebanese women to work side by side and form beautiful friendships while running this thriving business.

    Soufra will shine a new and revealing light on people inside of the largest refugee crisis in human history, but ultimately this film is about hope, grit, passion and the common bonds created by bringing people together around food as a bridge to overcome all barriers. Though Mariam is officially considered “stateless” she is a beacon of hope and home for thousands upon thousands of women in the most unlikely of places. Mariam and her team will be just that for thousands more once her story is told through Soufra. Source

    Susan Sarandon is in fact the executive producer for Soufra and she decided to contribute into this documentary after learning about Mariam Shaar’s inspiring story.

  • Dr. Inaya Ezzeddine, What Do You Know About Momo?

    The internet was buzzing over the past week with articles about the “Momo” YouTube character that was enticing kids to hurt themselves, and threatening to kill them if they don’t comply. I personally was concerned about it since my 5 year old boy watches YouTube sometimes, but a few searches later on google I learned that it was a hoax, and in fact several articles were published on popular news outlets in the last two days to inform people about it.

    However, just when everyone started to know that this whole “Momo challenge” thing is false, ex-minister Inaya Ezzeddine felt like pitching in by calling the ministers of Interior, Educations, and Telecommunications to take the necessary measures in order to ban the Momo “game” in Lebanon. Okay madam but what game do you exactly mean?

    From a doctor turned minister, everyone would expect smarter statements. But just like a typical know-it-all Lebanese, she decided to contribute to the mass panic without even a minimum knowledge about the topic. And what’s with the fake belief in the power of censorship? An educated doctor in our age seriously believes you can actually ban things on the internet? How about simply providing some internet safety tips instead? Lebanese politicians are seriously so cringy that they make you feel uncomfortable even when they mean good!

    Still, the worst is yet to come. Wait for Joe Maalouf and company on Monday night when they discuss the issue on their upcoming episodes!

  • Samsung Galaxy S10 Now Available for Preorder in Lebanon

    Samsung unveiled yesterday the latest version of its Galaxy S series, the S10, and this year it is coming in 3 models. The S10e (relatively cheaper model), the S10, and S10+ with 5.8 inch, 6.1 inch, and 6.4 inch displays respectively.

    In comparison to last year’s version, and without going much into numbers and detailed specifications, the S10 now has a bigger display with more screen rel estate and smaller bezels, an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint reader, an upgraded triple-lens camera with the ability to take wider scenes, and reverse wireless charging allowing you to use your phone to charge other devices. I am personally currently using the S9 and already feel tempted to do the upgrade (I hope I’ll be able to get my hands on a test unit).

    The S10e, S10 and S10+ are already available for pre-order on Samsung CTC website for $779, $929 and $1,029 (for the 128GB models) and they all come with free gadgets (Galaxy watch and wireless charger for the S10 and S10+, or a bluetooth Speaker and battery pack for the S10e).

    I also noticed you can also save $179 on the S10 and S10+ if you preorder via Phonefinity.net who is offering the same bundles at a less price with 1-year CTC warranty, which is a pretty good deal tbh!

  • A Government of Publicity Stunts

    After a 9 month political deadlock, we finally got a new government that won the vote of confidence in the parliament last week. And with all the challenges ahead of the country, you’d think the new ministers are busy planning a way out of this shit we are in. However all I’ve been noticing lately are nothing but pathetic publicity stunts to make a positive impression, while in fact everything is still steadily deteriorating like the electricity supply for example.

    Over the last 20 days, and according to social media which supposedly reflects the people thoughts, here are the major achievements of the new government.

    Raya El-Hassan – Ministry of Interior

    Just like every previous minister of interior, she started by claiming she will ban all illegal vending kiosks and tents that cause traffic on the highways, in addition to banning illegal motorcycles. Yep, good luck with both decisions in areas like Ouzai! But anyway, fast forward two weeks, everybody will forget about these decisions and everything will be back to “normal again”.

    El-Hassan also called for establishing civil marriage in Lebanon (that is partly ruled by religious figures), while she knows very well that implementing it will definitely backfire on her political party and she would never allow that to happen. The move is only an attempt at scoring with civil and secular movements.

    Mohammad Choucair – Ministry of Telecommunications

    Cellular communication is expensive, and DSL internet is SHIT. So what does he do? He simply promises people an awesome level of service soon, and of course never forgets to mention fiber optics plans in his statements.

    Fadi Jreissati – Ministry of Environment

    There was a dying plant in the office of the previous minister, so the first thing he did was replacing it with a new one and posting about it on social media. And he also decided to drive to the parliament in an eco-friendly car. Meanwhile, Litani.

    Nada Boustani – Ministry of Energy

    Shortly after the formation of the government, the electricity supply was reduced due to shortage in fuel. So what does Mrs. Boustani do? She makes it public that working hours at the ministry should be highly respected. Ok.

    They’re all against corruption

    One thing all ministers are currently agreeing on is to make fighting corruption as one of the main goals of this government. So they all want to stop whoever is robbing the country’s wealth and resources. Because you know, it was the Italian Communist Party that has been ruling our land for the past 40 years.

    Anyway, the whole thing makes me wish I was a minister. Making promises is quite easy, and the benefits are pretty cool. Who would object a high salary, cool circle of colleagues, getting worshiped by the people, driving like an asshole in tinted cars, and making TV appearances?! SIGN ME UP PLEASE!!!

  • Pick a Flower, Snap a Photo, and Win $500 This Valentine’s Day

    If you pass by Mar Mikhael today then you will definitely notice red flowers bouquets hanging around the place and up for grab to anyone roaming the street. I first thought it was some sort of a practical joke when I was passing by last night since red flowers tend to get expensive around Valentine’s and you would not expect someone to just give them away for free during this period.

    As I got closer, I figured it was Banque Libano-Française who staged that stunt around their e-branch in the area, and aside from giving people flowers to offer to their loved one they are also giving them an opportunity to win $500.

    To qualify for winning the prize, all you have to do is taking a cool picture of the hanging bouquets or the flower that you pick (they’re staying there until tomorrow evening), share it it on Instagram via post or story tagging @blflebanon or @luckytobeyoung, and wait for their jury’s decision ext Wednesday February 20th.

    You know everybody hates overpaying a red flower on Valentine’s, so there’s nothing wrong with getting one for free this year and even having a $500 on top of it! So Happy Valentine’s and good luck winning.

  • Adonis New Music Video and Concert

    The music scene in Lebanon saw the rise of several local bands over the last few years, but one of the my favorite Arabic performing bands remains “Adonis” which was formed in 2011 by Anthony Khoury, Joey Abou Jawdeh, Nicolas Hakim, and Gio Fikany.

    Their music isn’t sophisticated and I simply like how they mix Arabic lyrics and traditional sounds with international influences. They first started with “Daw El Baladiyyi” in 2011, and then followed it with “Men Shou Btishki Beirut” in 2013 and “Nour” in 2017.

    Adonis recently released a new music video titled “Shayef” which I recommend you check below. And if your like their work, then you have a chance to catch them in concert tomorrow night (February 13th) at HNGR Beirut and you can reserve your tickets here.

  • Cement Blocks Near The Ministry of Interior Finally Removed

    Security forces in Beirut is finally removing the cement blocks that were set in place a few years ago due to security threats. People who work in Hamra know how badly positioned were these block due to the traffic they were causing everyday, so it is a relief to have them removed at last.

    The funny thing though is that the former minister of interior (Nohad Machnouk) and the new one (Raya El Hassan) both claimed they ordered the blocks removal which really sounded childish (here and here).

  • The Cheesecake Factory Closing Down For Good in Lebanon

    A friend of mine shared with me yesterday an end of work notice that The Cheesecake Factory employees were getting from their management which states that April 30th 2019 will be their last working day due to the restaurant closure. (You can check it here)

    The notice attributed their closure to the bad economic situation that Lebanon is going through right now, but I don’t think it’s only that. I personally loved The Cheesecake Factory but always thought it failed to really compete with other american diners here for two reasons.

    They never justified their prices

    Items at The Cheesecake Factory are expensive if you compare their menu to that of other diners in the country. However their portions are really big and definitely meant to be shared.

    Unfortunately, that’s was one thing people failed to get at the beginning, which left an impression that the restaurant is quite expensive while you can in fact share a main dish and a salad with another person and end up with almost the same bill you would get from Roadster or Crepaway.

    They never bothered to convey that message to the masses and I never recall they promoted some special formulas for two like other diners do sometimes.

    When was the last time they made an advertising campaign?

    I recall they made a buzz when they first launched but that was it I guess. My timelines across the different social media platforms is always infested with sponsored posts from food places but I can’t recall the last time I saw an ad from The Cheesecake Factory. On the other hand, I have no idea if they follow the same strategy in the UAE but their outlets there are much busier and I remember I once had to stand in line for a good time to get a table. So I’m not sure whether they should be blamed or the Lebanese market simply has different preferences.

    Anyway, as much as I hate to see it going, I think a lot of us were expecting it, and foreign brands who are planning an expansion to Lebanon should definitely take lessons from The Cheesecake Factory experience here.

  • 2019 AFC Asian Cup Starts Today – Good Luck to Lebanon!

    The AFC Asian Cup starts today in the United Arab Emirates, and football fans throughout Lebanon will be rooting for the national team to hopefully advance to the knockout stage!

    Our first and only participation in the tournament dates back to the year 2000. Back then, we were automatically qualified since we were hosting the event, so this this counts as the first time we make it to the tournament with our own effort (bear in mind that the 2019 tournament was be expanded from 16 teams to 24 teams).

    In Group E, Lebanon will be facing Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and North Korea, and our matches schedule will be as follows (all in our local time):

    • Lebanon Vs. Qatar – Wednesday January 9th at 6:00PM
    • Lebanon Vs. Saudi Arabia – Saturday January 12th at 6:00PM
    • Lebanon Vs. North Korea – Thursday January 17th at 6:00PM

    You can of course watch the games on biIN Sports channels, and Télé Liban seems to have bought broadcasting rights but I have no idea for how many matches.

    So until our first game against Qatar, here’s to Lebanon making good results and hopefully advancing to the next stages. Good luck to the Cedars!