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Ah, the things we thought we'd do but procrastinated... the places we thought we'd go to but didn't... and the so many people we thought we'd meet but never ran into.
We're still exactly where we are: drowning in a monotonous routine.
Here are 5 things to explore in the last days of 2015 that might just put that OOMPH into your day, month... and who knows? Maybe even year.
Tick-tock.
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| Source: Gibran National Committee |
So you've read The Prophet and find that you're well-acquainted with the fella. But if you haven't seen Gibran Khalil Gibran's paintings yet, a visit to the museum in Bcharre would definitely be worthwhile (tourists, I believe, are currently sustaining its existence). Plus, a trip to Bcharre doubles as a road trip and that's always a good idea. (see also: Why Doesn't Anyone discuss Khalil Gibran's Paintings?)
2. Attend a workshop
People are likely to fork out upwards of $5000 to travel for a workshop but would never consider the ones offered right here in Beirut, where many top industry leaders have been offering workshops throughout the year. Whether it's in branding, photography, app development or anything worthy of a short-term workshop - you'll find it in Beirut.
Check out workshop studio Agenda Beirut and entrepreneurship hub AltCity for their current offerings. For cooking, I've heard Kitchenlab is lots of fun.
3. Revisit the Pheonician ruins
If you're like me, you haven't visited the Baalbek ruins (or the Byblos, Tyre, Saida ruins while we're at it) since the 1900s. In my opinion, nothing is ever ticked off your bucket list; each time you re-see something, you see it another light... let alone a UNESCO heritage sight. So go ahead - plan that Baalbek trip before it's too cold and the SAD kicks in.
4. Attend an event you regularly wouldn't
In a small city like Beirut, a routine is your worst enemy - especially when you exhaust all the possibilities your music genre has to offer, the food options your diet allows, and the social circles your events have to offer. Invigorate! Hit the other side of town, or even the other side of the same street. Check out an event you'd never voluntarily attend. Say yes to camping, to that random play, to whatever it is that's usually warrants your firm NO. Who knows what possibilities it'll offer?
Lebtivity - the godfather of Lebanon's event listings - is a good place to start.
5. Buy a locally-published book
We all know the publishing industry isn't doing spectacularly well worldwide. In Lebanon, triple the plummet considering that our market is TINY. If an author penned a book for the Lebanese to read, they need all the readership they can get. When you purchase a local book, on a micro scale, the authors benefit, and on a macro scale, the publishing industry benefits. If my reasoning makes it sounds like a bizarre form of a donation - it's not! Your gains are likely higher than the author's if you pick the right book :)... the Bestsellers aisle can wait.
Got any more suggestions?
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