Serious events call for serious actions. In this opinion piece I reflect on love stories that crashed and those that thrived from the period of October 2019 to present. …

It’s hot and it’s crisis. Lebanon wins the lottery in terms of collecting crises. The country even made it in the top 10 most severe crises globally since mid-19th century as ranked by the World Bank. Electricity crisis? Check. Economic crisis? Check. Banking crisis? Check. Financial crisis? Check. Social crisis…

I am a Dutch national, my husband a Lebanese national. We live in Beirut, Lebanon. When we decided to get married, we knew we did not want the only option available in Lebanon: a religious marriage. Let me explain, first of all, what a religious marriage in Lebanon signifies. This…

Reporting on the events in Sheikh Jarrah, Al Aqsa, the Gaza Strip and Tel Aviv by numerous governmental figures, influencers and major news outlets start the story with Israel having to react to Hamas throwing rockets. This post aims to shortly dissect the stages leading up to the pretext for…

I initially wrote part of this post for an ex-employer who dismissed it altogether as ‘sounding like someone that experienced a tragic event.’ That was me, the someone who experienced a tragic event and was tasked to write about it that same month. I post it here, slightly edited, because…

WITH LOVE, LEBANON — 7AM — I wake up to check whether electricity has come. I look from the balcony wishing to see the determining light off. Of course not, the generator is on. This means a day of concessions. Just with the arrival of sweaty temperatures. I guess I will start the washing…

Countless reports will tell you the country is facing an unprecedented multifaceted crisis. The United Nations says so. The World Bank. Other NGOs. The people. Living here, you don’t need to read the reports nor follow the news. …

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has become known internationally for his dictatorial rule whose regime has violated — and continues to violate — numerous human rights of Syrians. In-depth and comprehensive reports have been issued by international organizations, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). …