A Tribe of T-Shirts.
Inspired by local Jordan culture and street slang, the Amman-based shop Jo Bedu sells t-shirts, pillows and bags with a pop culture edge. The majority of the expressions printed on the shirts are very specific to Jordanian culture and may not be so clear at first to non-locals, but that’s also their charm.
Once you grasp the ideas behind them, you’ll like them even more and may find yourself introducing them into your own vocabulary. Even English slang has found it’s way into Jordanian vocabulary with phrases like “يا الهي شو اني اوسوم” “My gosh I’m so awesome” where the word “awesome” is directly written as it sounds in arabic, no translation. Others are take a twist on Western pop culture, shirts like Rababa Hero (inspired by the game Guitar Hero), Campbell’s Adas Soup كامبلس عدس سوب and Yir7am Jiddak يرحم جدك (with the KFC icon).
Enough talking, check them out for yourself at their online store and tell us your faves!
Filed under join the tribe jo bedu amman t-shirts trends pop culture online shopping jordanian expressions souvenirs Arabic phrases
One of the most original gifts you can give to a photographer.
Sitting on my desk by my laptop and stapler is a “Kabok” camera phone (gift from a special someone in my life). Tested and tried, it’s officially my favorite desk accessory - and a good way to break from the corporate phones with flashing buzzers.
It would be interesting to receive a call on it during a client meeting in my office ;-)
Filed under Lebanon gifts for photographers Kabok film roll phone desk accessories Valentine's Day Gifts 2011
shitphotojournalistslike:
Basically, if you don’t get a major in photojournalism, you clearly aren’t a real photojournalist. Without that $100,000 piece of paper, how will anyone know that you are a real photojournalist?
Filed under photojournalists degree shit photojournalists like
Have your cake, and eat it too.
Designing your own furniture is a trend that’s been catching on in Beirut. Why settle for hi-end prices and limited options when you can customize your own pieces to fit your lifestyle?
Bokja and Loft 01 offer great options for customizing what was once perceived as “demode” into trendy pieces for your home or office. Think of it as retro-chic meets DIY. It looks so easy, doesn’t it? Suddenly that ugly chair in your grannie’s living room from the 60s has lots of potential. Don’t throw it out just yet Grannie!
For a while I’ve wondered why Ikea hasn’t moved to Lebanon yet - but when you see the creativity flourishing in the furniture design field, that’s not such a bad thing. Who wants to see their furniture in everyone else’s home anyway?
My studio is currently a work-in-progress and I’m slowly collecting my own pieces to give it that edgy touch. Designing my own furniture is an option that would certainly fit the small space I have to work with.
Filed under Beirut Bokja Lebanese designers Loft 01 furniture design retro-chic DIY
98 Weeks is a non-profit project space for artists to develop their ideas, share their resources and exhibit their projects. Located in Mar Mikhael, the emerging arts’ neighborhood in Beirut, 98 Weeks is opening a platform for local artists to meet and exchange ideas. The space itself houses the following: a reading room, exhibition space, reading group, open crit sessions and round-table discussions.
Filed under 98 Weeks Mar Mikhael artistic space projects exhibitions Lebanon
The “Wild” Middle East
Who would have ever expected cowboys and rodeos to be a hit in Lebanon? All last week, rodeos, bull-riding competitions and other “western” festivities have been taking place at El Rancho. They even managed to bring over the Rednex (remember “Cotton-eyed Joe”?) to perform for two nights. Serious blast-from-the-past and guess what, they’re Swedish.
The participants in the bull-riding events were from all over the middle east and they take the sport very seriously. Some of the riders have had serious injuries but jump on that angry bull each time hoping to beat their records. It takes 8 minutes to win the challenge, but trust me, it’s not that easy.
All around me were Lebanese families clad up in cowboy hats, girls in frilly cowboy boots and men in plaid shirts tucked into washed-out jeans. Even outside the ranch, the “western” trend is picking up in Beirut..
“Which miss are you?” is the tagline for a new t-shirt line that’s launched in Lebanon. The idea plays on a similar concept to the little miss and mister people, except culturally-adapted to Lebanese women.
The line of 20 t-shirts uses common adjectives that have the sound “miss” in them and reinterprets them. For example, “missmarra” (tanned), “misst2imeh” (pregnant) and “missta3jleh”(in a rush). My mom bought me the “misscall” t-shit for my habit of miss calling her all the time.
The illustrations of long-legged women look like something out of Cosmogirl. I could see teenagers going crazy over them. The printing quality could be better, especially since they are selling for $30 a piece. (A bit expensive in my view for a basic t-shirt)
What I liked about this line was the playful idea and that they were printed on tank t-shirts. The Lebanese are naturally business-oriented and a walk through any artisan fair will reveal the next new trend. And that’s one thing the Lebanese cannot miss out on.
Filed under which miss are you t-shirts Lebanon trends
Good luck, kittie.
A popular decorative item for any house or shop is this yellow Chinese cat. I was in Barcelona just last year and only the Chinese-owned shops had them, usually the Chinese Bazaars where it takes a game of ‘Where’s Waldo?” to actually find it. But it’s always there.
The Maneki Neko, literally “Beckoning Cat”, can be seen moving its paws in many window displays within the Gracia neighborhood. Pay close attention to which paw is up. A Maneki Neko with its left paw up is usually smiling. This smile attracts wealth. On the other hand, a kittie with it’s right paw raised is more cautious. This warning is what protects your income from any evil.
Filed under good fortune cat chinese shops collection
A Battle Won! (but not for the souvenir industry)
Catalunya won its battle against bull-fighting yesterday as the government finally banned it. People have been rallying against it for a while. Just last week I saw this stand in Borne by the city hall building. This opposition to bull-fighting is one of the things that differs between this region of Spain and others.
As an outsider here, one question that popped to mind is what’s going to happen to all the bull-fighting souvernirs one sees displayed along the Ramblas? What was once a symbol of a cultural pastime is now only a memory. Who’ll buy a bull statue now that the story is lost? Or will it become a kitsch collector item - something that will get more valuable because it no longer exists?
Filed under bull-fighting spain catalunya souvenirs
