Lebanon Smoking Ban... Finally!

Here's a news report from BBC News Article by Matt Nash Lebanon, many argue, has bigger fish to fry. So far this summer, the country has dealt with gunbattles in Beirut, warring Sunni and Alawite neighbourhoods in Tripoli, waves of kidnappings, an increase in bank robberies, untold numbers of tyres burned by angry residents blocking roads, and up to 12-hour rolling blackouts linked to an employee strike at the state-owned electricity company. Yet on Monday, the authorities turned their attention to banning smoking inside restaurants, cafes, pubs and nightclubs. Sitting outside the Rabbit Hole pub in Beirut's Hamra neighbourhood, smoking...

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Alternative Healthcare: Emerging Career in Lebanon

According to the popular blog This is Beirut, alternative healthcare offers a promising career in Lebanon. Here is what it says about it: Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Practitioner – I’m a firm believer in Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Care. Probably because I come from a family of advocates who place Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Care Practioners above Traditional Doctors. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about it at first..we’re talking about naturopathy, herbalism, chinese medicine, Ayurveda, meditation, reiki, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and nutritional-based therapies here. But after...

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Cigar Smoking in Lebanon

Cigar smoking is still a big thing among the Lebanese male population. Contrary to Europe or the US, where men go smoke their cigars in select bars, Lebanese do smoke their cigars wherever and whenever they feel like it. I remember an eve having dinner at Napoletana, a pizzeria in Hamra where families come enjoy Italian food. A couple sat next to us, and the man pulled a thick cigar that he started smoking. The odor was so aggressive that it spoiled our dinner, so we decided to continue our dinner on the terrace even though it was a bit chilly. I don’t understand how restaurants allow cigar smoking indoors. But this is another subject....

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Yoga in Beirut - Interview with Mona Nasreddeen

How did you discover Yoga? I started to take yoga classes back in 2006, because I had severe lower back pain and stiffness in the neck, and overall stress. I had done sports before (basketball, training at the gym ...). After like a month or so, I knew that yoga was really working. I felt better about myself and felt my blood circulation improved, stiffness was gone and back and neck pain slowly disappeared. With the practice (which started as once per week but evolved to 3 times per week in one year), the positive change which I was experiencing on the physical level spread to all aspects of my life: mentally, psychologically and...

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