Qifa Nabki
Lebanon
Should Lebanon Default On Its Debt?
In addition to being responsible for Shakira, the biggest plate of hummus in the world, and Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, the Lebanese can be proud of another dubious distinction: their enormous national debt, which is said to be in the neighborhood of $47-52 billion. Measured per capita or as a percentage of GDP, it … Continue reading
Israel Unveils Plans for Massive Hummus-Themed Resort
TEL AVIV, Israel — Fresh on the heels of a successful Lebanese bid to win the Guinness World Record for the largest plate of hummus, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has announced plans to steal back the record by launching a massive “hummus-themed luxury resort and spa” in the north of the country. “Hummus-Land” (pronounced … Continue reading
Fighting Climate Change on the Corniche
Feast your eyes on Rami Eid, an environmental activist who is staging a protest about climate change by spending three days ankle-deep in water in a glass cube on the Corniche, Beirut’s busy seaside thoroughfare. Follow him on his blog here, and check out +961’s photos here. My hat goes off to the guy for … Continue reading
Maronites, Arabs, Phoenicians, Klingons…
I’ve been on the road for the past week, conducting dissertation research at the wonderful collection of Arabic manuscripts at Leiden University. A note: when in Holland, eat Indonesian food. Nothing seems to be happening in Lebanon these days, so allow me to take this opportunity to wax ascerbic about one of my favorite subjects: … Continue reading
When Bashar Met Abdullah
The news is full of speculation about the potential consequences of yesterday’s meeting between King Abdullah al-Saud and President Bashar al-Assad. The Saudi king paid a landmark visit to Syria this week, commandeering two of Damascus’s largest hotels for his entourage, and sitting down with the Syrian president to discuss important matters such as the … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…