#raouche

lebanon in pixel

the music video for a3da2 inspired me to make pixel snapshots of lebanese landmarks because it was a really nice feeling seeing parts of beirut in a pixel game setting, and also the song itself is an absolute banger

I spent a couple of days there in May 2018. It wasn't the best time as a tourist, because I randomly ended up there during the time of the first parliament election after 18 years and the city was mostly closed down. Restaurants and a couple of big museums were opened but according to locals, it wasn't the same as it usually is. The shops and clubs were closed (Beirut is famous for its' techno & party scene), and as far as I remember, even the famous B018 was closed.

Even though I remember the city wasn't in the best shape already then (depending on which neighbourhood you were in, there was no garbage collection and electricity fallouts were quite common) I still always wanted to come back to get a glimpse of the beiruti nightlife. I've seen the nightlife of quite a couple middle eastern cities and Beirut is alongside with Tel Aviv a city, that is supposed to have on hell of a techno scene. I remember meeting palestenians and Israelis as well in Jordan as in Israel & the Westbank and a lot of them really admired the Lebanese for their attitude to keep partying even if hell breaks loose around them (which is ironically something that they have in common with Isrealis, who are famous for their trance scene, that they kept nurturing through all the wars, but I suppose this is not something people of both nationalities like to hear too much? It is kinda sad, because both nationalities' love for techno&trance, food, wine and a good smoke is unmatched in the middle east. Even though Israelis are somewhat stiff on the dancefloor. If you want to get your blood pumping on the dancefloor, you gotta dance with the Palestenians. But yeah, I'm drifting off. There's history between Lebanon and Israel and it isn't too good. ://).

That being said, I'm really sorry for the loss of lifes and the loss in infrastructure and I hope the damage that was done by the explosion is being able to repaired and the lebanese government GETS THEIR FUCKING SHIT TOGETHER. NO ONE LIKES AN INCOMPETENT GOVERNMENT, YOU HEAR THAT?? AND YOUR GOVERNMENTAL POST-ELECTION AFTER-PARTY WAS LAME! (no one showed up, people deadass just partied by themselves in other parts of the city. The musicians practically played to themselves. It was like Corona-MMA...without crowd. Except.... there was no Corona.)

I dropped my camera back then and the screen broke, so I didn't really get to see what I was photographing and I didn't really see what filter and mode I chose, so the pictures of the city are somewhat shaky and in bad angles & different filters (and I lost a couple of pictures :/), but I still hope they do the city some justice and you guys get a bit of a picture of how nice it is.

doggo was excited to see me and I was excited to see him/her :)

this was the treasure room of the mineral museum (MiM). It’s practically a huge collection of minerals by some guy who has shitloads of money and it’s located underneath the campus of the university.

beach promenade and the Rouche Sea Rock. 

somewhere in the city center close to the place d’ecolé.

place d’ecolé (is this how it’s written?).

the entrance of Beirut’s McLaren store. It was POSH.

somewhere on the Corniche.

Mohammed-al-amin Mosque

I don’t remember where this was but I liked the building. I really loved how in Beirut there is such a distinctive combination between old and new/modern architecture. 

a cut off picture of the Sursock-Museum of modern/contemporary art.

some contrary modern architecture. I don’t remember if it’s a building with appartments or some kind of company though.

street corners in Mar Mikhael, a little part of town that is supposed to be some nightlife/hipster-neighbourhood or something like that. Has lots of cute little bars & restaurants. 

I almost couldn’t tell there were elections going on. Almost.

and here’s a shaky picture of the government party that barely anyone visited. I don’t know. Maybe I was too late or too early, but there were like...4 people, maximum.

So, I hope I was able to catch quite a bit of the nice vibe of the city, even though when I was there, the circumstances weren’t exactly “daily life”.

edit: I enjoyed being there on my own as a young woman, because I didn’t get harassed ONCE. I only got yelled at by a taxi driver once because he tried to rip me off but I just yelled back & he shut up. But apart from that, I was really, really safe and I definitely loved that.