Paper dress.

On a time I was vainly obsessed with  beauty.

back when you looked delicate. Like you could do no harm.

Like a paper dress

sketched, perfectly drawn

hug my figure,

flirt with my emballage

fold in half – bend twice

twist the rules, skip to 12

Your delicate chiffon sound

lingers in my brain and reverberates

My dead cells invigorates

As I look at you in awe

by Comme des Garcons

Hug my bones, Grip me tight

So thin and bean sprout-like

Careful not to crush my skeleton, beau

For tiny particles are most difficult to sow

Sketchy dress, drawn

Perfectly executed

you wet me with your mollusk licks

It’s not because we stick that we mix

Your cling is so intense!

Determined to take hold of me

I’m so wary it’s too tight

I’m wary we might break, dear

Go on and flirt with my emballage

Little wafer dress

Don’t you origami your way out of me

I’m inked forever on your pages

you know how hard I prayed

for you to come to life

the day my pencil outlined your features

I vainly thought you needed my grace,

and a wire hanger to replace

but you stood on your own

took me aback when you hardened

paper,rock,scissors

Perhaps my sweat caused you to freeze

now paper cuts pound in every inch of me

Not that I’m trembling

it’s the cuts throbbing

like paper wings in the wind

fluttering away from this macabre shindig

erasing every mark they ever left

hovering up up and away

they snap, crackle and pop!

in a delicate chiffon sound

lingering in my brain at a slow reverb rate

Leaving haunting chiffon sounds

echoing in my brain like acid rain.

(Than you Rayan for the song)

with a little humor. So you don’t think I’m emo.

Dancing Lana Del Rey … Yey!

So I came across this Uber Cool website with a dancing Lana in random locations.

And I thought I’d share it!

In case you didn’t see her now infamous SNL ‘performance’ to know what I’m talking about, here it is:

Beware: this.is.trippy.

Lana Dancing with Madonna

Keep Calm and Spin

dancing her sorrows away to Celine Dion

Dancing at the barn

Dancing with Mark Wahlberg's foot

The Blender dance

Dancing with Tupac

Dancing with MJ. Beat it.

Relax B

Valse with Angelina Jolie's right leg

The website also invites you to make your own. And yes I’m bored, so here:

Dancing with Britney Spears

Dancing Queen!

Dancing in Baalback

Dancing in Paris

Dancing troubles away

I know you want moah (because too much is not enough) , so here:

http://lanadelreydancing.tumblr.com

What does Lana think?

errrr

This made my day,

Perhaps yours too?

@GhPhilippe on Twitter / http://pinterest.com/gimmemoah/ on Pinterest

Cancer is not just a horoscope.

I have always wanted to be part of a good cause.

You might think being Mean is sexy in the game of power we succumb to in our daily lives, but I’ll allow myself to say that being good is sexier. Orgasmic even.

NICE IS THE NEW MEAN

-Try it.

When I was contacted by Leo Burnett a couple of weeks back, I was asked if I’d like to perform any kind of street art to raise money and awareness on Children who have cancer as part of a campaign for the CCCL (Children Cancer Center of Lebanon); I immediately said yes. I proposed the idea to my co-worker, Madonna – a graffiti artist and she agreed to do it.

We bought our Montana sprayers feeling as bad ass as ever and dragged ourselves (and each other) on a Saturday morning, out of bed at 9 am to be on Location at 10 am sharp. Madonna starts showing off her fabulous skill recreating the sketch first with chalk with everyone joining in on the fun of spraying later.

the wall before it was sprayed with awesomeness

This symbol represents the Cancer Star Sign, and NOT the 69 SEX position. Although we had a few remarks on the matter, but no it is supposed to be a symbol of a mother, breastfeeding her child, PERVERTS.

The message we want to convey is that while we are known for being intrinsically superstitious as a society, many of us review their horoscope every morning through any of the countless resources (or all of them combined for a more accurate forecast) on a daily basis.

What's your star sign?

Although I am not criticizing the science of astrology, we should remember that while we check if the stars are aligned correctly for us today as Gemini’s, Aquarians, Sagittarians, Leos, Libras, Capricorns and so on, some children live through cancer, The bad cancer, The one that kills and not the Star sign.

Proudly posing with our final artwork

Child Cancer can be completely cured, with enough money to proceed with the therapy.

So while you read your daily horoscope tomorrow, I hope you will give a thought to the Children who have Cancer, without having to be tragic about it, just send them your warm thoughts and good intentions. Well, it won’t hurt if you donate every now and then too.

Enough Angelina Jolie goes Gandhi for today. Watch the Stop motion animation to see the progress of the project (Thanks Ahmad for taking the awesome pictures!) .

.

And the beautiful TVC by Leo Burnett:

I’d like to thank the PR team Aphy, Jen, Leti and Jimmy for making this fun; Diego and Tania for being empowering.

If you want to see the graffiti live, head to the end of Hamra (after Roadster’s) keep going till you see a parking lot. It’s there. Don’t forget to tweet me about it @GhPhilippe

We want more good causes!

Give Moah! X

In the Land of Oh!

My album review for today isn’t exactly new, but I’m sure it hasn’t been discovered by all of you.

Since I never read any album reviews and I form my own opinion (I urge you to do the same), I most certainly enjoyed listening to this album.

The Sound is contemporary, the arrangements intricate yet fresh and the references varied: it’s Oh Land I’m talking about.

It helps that the lead singer has enough good looks/svelte allure (that of an ex ballerina)/style to make an eye candy factory:

and talent in the ear Milk department! Watch this:

Highlights from the album Fauna include:

Fauna Artwork

•  “Rainbow” especially in this live adaptation. HOW CUTE IS SHE ON 3:30! I like the use of onomatopoeias (pronounced ono-mato-peeas) Click! POP! CLICK! POP! – They mix well with the modern instruments.WATCH:

• “Perfection”: it is basically about stalking someone to the point where you can master actually becoming them in order to please your lover. This song is an ode to the girl that Oh Land is stalking to get her perfection. Then she replaces her, kinda. Peachy. Listen here:

:

• There’s also “Wolf & I”.

• “White Nights” with its feel good arrangements; given the signature Oh Land signature of happy, layered, nostalgic but bright songs.

Now go buy the album, it will play in your car/office/bedroom for long hours.

So please Oh Land….Gimmemoah!

P.S: I recently joined Pinterest, If you care to follow; photography/desgin/Pop musings.

and Twitter! http://twitter.com/GhPhilippe

Xx

Put it in your mouth (with some manners)

We all do it, we enjoy it by moaning in appreciation, and the whole experience can be quite orgasmic.

EATING – Or the act of stuffing your face with food.

(even Leann Rimes does it)

As a top notch people watcher, I sometimes go deep in thought as I watch someone eat.

It’s funny, you open your mouth, put a fork/knife/burger/chopstick in and BAM it disappears.

Then you go on chewing, either delicately moving your jaws in circular motion, or clapping your jaws and showing the world how the food is decomposing in your mouth (I personally prefer the former) and then GULP, you swallow…

Eating says a lot about us. Through body language, through what we choose to eat – because you are what you eat, remember?

So I’ve noticed a lot of people attack their food. It’s not very chic (to say the least). They curl over their food (an indication of protection/guarding territory) with their arm covering the meal; Their head is tilted downwards and the fork is going into their mouth at a fast pace – repeatedly, even after they are full. This is what I call an aggressive eater.

DUDE, I won’t eat your chicken, you can calm down now.

It is both trivial and touching at the same time.

The act of eating is primitive: Whatever the meal is, whoever the Chef who made it is (or how many Michelin stars they have), the end is still the same. You are still stuffing your face to satisfy a basic need, like everybody else.

Since I was a little boy, the thought haunted me. I feel so much compassion towards an eater; he is reduced, from bully at school, Boss, Politician, murderer, Justin Bieber to a person with the most basic need.

The Bieber needs to eat too

Moral of the story : Do not eat.

I’m kidding.

On a more serious note, I came across a group of people who actually don’t eat: Sun-Eaters.

Sun-eaters look at food as being a secondary source of energy, the Sun being the primary one. Kids don’t try this at home, this is an advanced meditation technique that requires years of spiritual practice. Read more about those who devour sun rays for lunch here: http://onlyinukraine.blogspot.com/2006/06/yea-sun-eaters-are-found-everywhere.html

After reading this, you will never look at eating the same way. (Yes, I am brainwashing you) You will eat more consciously, you will enjoy your food and be aware of what you put it your mouth. I am talking about conscious eating.Read more about it here:

http://oshotimes.blog.osho.com/2010/07/the-%E2%80%9Chow%E2%80%9D-of-eating/

I’m gonna go grab something to eat now y’all.

Namaste

A stroll along the Corniche

Last weekend was beautifully sunny in Beirut-Finally!

A sun bathed winter day means waking up early and going for a long walk/jog/push-up/stretching marathon with my friend O.

We ditched the party the night before, to be fresh/awake and wore our Sports outfits à la sporty Spice.

10:30 am-As the ritual says, we start off from Manara, next to Mc Donald’s and walk fast towards the American University of Beirut. I will skip the “you will see people from all walks of lifes talk” because we already know that. Seriously. If you go to the Manara expecting people not looking at you, not talking randomly to you or not getting touchy with you then you are delusional.

This.will.happen. And for what it is, it’s cool. Everyone seems adapted to the somewhat unusual mix of bedwins, CEOs, celebrities, tourists, young students, fit men and women, burkas, crosses and the whole pesto sauce.

Be sure to lookout for macho men getting their shoes taken care of with that orgasmic “I am so superior” glare in their eyes – it’s funny, considering the shoes they’re actually wearing.

Also if you hear a man talking REAL LOUD in English like they just landed from Brooklyn, it’s just Abou Ali; He’d be more than happy to have a convo with you and talk about American politics while making his fragrant Turkish coffee.

11:00 am O screams at me for stopping to take pictures. “Yalla JOG!” he says. 20 minutes later, we crossed the entire lower bay, and are now by the “Beirut Eye” or the kitsch and not-so-well-maintained Ferris wheel. We go up the hill (I’m already exhausted).

photo courtesy of beirutpost.tumblr.com

11:30 am- We finally get to Raouche, for a thirst/hunger quenching avocado juice from Barbar. (get it without the condensed milk and extra sugar) . It’s surprisingly good, with fresh avocado and real honey, I wasn’t going to be a pain and ask for it to be organic. I WANT MOAH!

We cross the street for yet another breathtaking (and breath enabling) view of the sea. I try to look at the horizon to relax my computer fed-up eyes. (FACT: looking towards the horizon will relax your eyes).

12:00 pm – It is time to hike.

We have a somewhat secret passage we take down the hill in Raouche. It is just after the rock towards the Movenpick Hotel to the right. The hill goes all the way down to the sea, and it gets very picturesque in Spring with all the wild flowers growing. It’s also an entertaining venue because of all the action going on. You see a lot of men walking down the bushier parts, or even cute girls in their hijabs holding hands with their boyfriends who have a little more than love growing inside them.

photo taken by myself - Spring 2011

But hey we are not voyeurs “focus on your breath, tighten your stomach and ass” says O. So I do tighten my stomach and eventually forget to breathe as we hike down the hill. I’m getting hot.

We go all the way down and up again; I’m so tired that I wouldn’t care less about the gangbang happening behind the bushes.

1:00 pm We leave the area to walk ——————————————————————————————————- all the way back ———————————————————————–to our Starting point.

2:00 pm We finish off the work-out with a delicious light meal at Bread Republic Hamra.

photo courtesy of http://thisisbeirut.wordpress.com/

4:00 pm It’s not so sunny anymore, I’m freezing, and I have to go home and blog about this.

Tomorrow is sunny in Beirut too, we will be biking this time. Join 😉

Gimme Moah Design!

I just designed this and I love it.

The 25 Types of People on Facebook

So, which one are you?

1-The “artist”

2-The person who only posts close-ups of their face (and who thanks God everyday for the “Crop” feature)

3- The person who’s trying to get over their ex

4- The person who uses a lot of exclamation marks!!

5- The Traveler

6- The person who thinks Facebook is their diary

7- The Slut

8- The person that likes their own profile pictures/posts

9- The person who’s always threatening to delete Facebook

10- The person that doesn’t know the difference between “then” and “than”

11- The person who can’t sleep and wants you to know about it

12- The Drama Queen/King

13- The Philosophizer:

14- The hypocrite:

15- The person that quotes themselves

16- The “model” / Bad Photoshop Job

17- The idiot in denial

18- The person that thinks Facebook is #Twitter

19- The delusional one

20- The Farmer

21- The Person with strong language skills

22- The “activist”

23- The FAG HAG

24- The awkward dad (and girl with daddy issues)

25- The Jesus freak

& feel free to add moah!

My 99 minutes with Marilyn*

Avidly eating popcorn, I was ready to hear the story of one of the many over-mediatized and over-hyped Hollywood stars:

Marilyn Monroe (in a breathy voice).

The story recaps the shooting of “The Prince and the Showgirl” and the romance with a young crew member (Colin Clark) it enticed. The film shows a 30 year Monroe plagued with insecurities about her looks and age, a need to be loved, and the fatigue of “playing” herself all the time.

There’s quite a difference between the sad, depressed, codependent Marilyn and the sexy pinup fantasy:  Michelle Williams captures that and masters the on and off button, suddenly lighting up or turning off her characters’ persona. Probably Williams’ best role to date; she managed to express the vulnerability of a fragile Norma Jean in an incredible performance for an otherwise bland movie.Monroe could easily have been perceived as a vapid, frustrating pill-popping blonde bombshell, if it weren’t for Williams’ subtle distinctions of Monroe’s mood swings and capricious behavior.

Based on the memoirs, the film retraces the facts quite accurately, catching the highlights of the story which glamorizes Monroe even in her lowest moments but doesn’t reveal anything we didn’t know. It all comes out as thin on content but high on charm, entertaining and rather enjoyable, albeit a bit depressing – to me personally.

Did you notice that Emma Watson’s scenes could have been taken from any Harry Potter movie? Her role couldn’t be more bland; She’s put on hold during most of the film, and her deceptive fling with Clark is drowned in the main plot without any serious consideration. Here’s to Hermione Granger being her one and only role

It’s worth mentioning that Williams won a Golden Globe for playing the part. Adorable acceptance speech.

*Based on guest blogger Lil’ Kim’s text.

NY Retrospective pt.2

Meeting all those trendy young women in New York, you can’t but think of the popular series Sex & The City.

You see, the series is pretty accurate. I MET those girls: they are pretty, made-up, wore designer clothes and all that “fabulous” jazz. They live alone and a lot of them are single. Because men are hard to find in NYC. Those girls are touchingly desperate, I thought.

There was this particular one; she lived in a skyscraper. You can’t be soft when you live in such an immense structure, but she was still vulnerable, so I called her Baby, and I wrote her this. I hope she sees it one day:

Baby is part of the cityscape

Up From her Manhattan sky-loft

she draws the lights

for the man sleeping on the park bench

somewhere in Brooklyn heights

Baby lives on the 38th floor

where the ground is only a blur

she never meant to ignore you

but the view bedazzled her

she was bedazzled

by the life that pumped beneath her

 

and as you looked from affar

saw her lights come off

she made your life less bright

redrew the light in your eye

to an ever-changing pattern

to which  you will never adapt

You will never belong

so let her go to bed

for tomorrow is another big day

in New York City.