…In Awe of Howling…

To fear change is to be locked away,

Away from the ticking of the clock whose pendulum swings you by.

Away from the impending and slow droppings of the sand grains in an hourglass…watching as you are trapped behind the glimmering glass of misfortune and disbelief!

Stuck in a suffocating state of mental masturbation watching the pseudo innovative faces of the people that pass you by in a crowd of delusional businessmen on their way to their capitalistic machines of torture that they call life.

Sitting in a rocking-chair of retirement beneath the window with a scene of plastic trees and battery-operated birds perching on branches set aglow with the fire of corruption and loneliness.

Chewing away at the carcass of a body that you once possessed prior to prostituting yourself in the realms of illusion, clutching onto the neon dreams of fame, power and substance!

Screaming with screeching sighs of pleasure from the top of the roofs in a concrete maze of a city that you dream to one day call your home, knowing in the back of your mind…that it will forever remain your master, whipping away at your flesh as the days run by, powered by the stench of sweat from your labor and indecisive attempts of social acceptance.

Smoking away at the cigarettes produced from the forests of advertised canvases illuminated by the lights of superstitious agencies from within the vaults of bankers on the streets of high fashion and watered down drinks served with an umbrella and a smile.

Penetrating the wounds of innocence with fists of iron and spiked-balls of gluttony and greed.

Forever wishing to return to the womb of the one that carried you helplessly for nine months of desperation and nonchalance, while sucking at the tit of the money making moron jumping from one room to another desperately trying to make ends meet before the pendulum swings and the end of the month is once again here.

Howling at the moon that drapes the sky at night!

Jumping at the tires of the wealthy and the politically incorrect imbeciles, in the hands of which lies the future of wars, rape, destruction and a world set aflame.

Crying in the corners of the institutions which feed you sugar-coated pills of everlasting youth and beauty while mocking your possession of natural charm and independence, the liberal views and strong voice with a message to spread.

Until the light from the hole disappears and you are once again in chained to the bed of invalidity, nudity and despair.

…HURT…

We all think that some things in our life will never change…
But everything changes…
And the only thing that will always be there waiting for us is Pain…
The people will come, and sooner or later they will go…
No matter how hard you try, you can never hold on to anyone forever…
And it is at times like those that we realize…
“If we love something(someone) we must set them free”
I never really thought that this quote made any sense
But it is now, more than ever that I realize just how true it is…
And all that will be left is…
A memory
A smile that will cross our face when we hear a certain song
And a reminder
That somethings will never be the same…

I hurt myself today,
To see if I still feel,
I focus on the pain,
The only thing that’s real,

The needle tears a hole,
The old familiar sting,
Try to kill it all away,
But I remember everything,

What have I become,
My sweetest friend,
Everyone I know,
Goes away in the end,

And you could have it all,
My empire of dirt,
I will let you down,
I will make you hurt,

I wear this crown of thorns,
Upon my liars chair,
Full of broken thoughts,
I cannot repair,

Beneath the stains of time,
The feelings disappear,
You are someone else,
I am still right here,

And you could have it all,
My empire of dirt,
I will let you down,
I will make you hurt,

If I could start again,
A million miles away,
I will keep myself,
I would find a way,

…Fistful of Love…

 

I was lying in my bed last night staring
At a ceiling full of stars
When it suddenly hit me
I just have to let you know how I feel
We live together in a photograph of time
I look into your eyes
And the seas open up to me
I tell you I love you
And I always will
And I know you can’t tell me
I know you can’t tell me

So I’m left to pick up
The hints, the little symbols of your devotion
So I’m left to pick up
The hints, the little symbols of your devotion

And I feel your fists
And I know it’s out of love
And I feel the whip
And I know it’s out of love
And I feel your burning eyes burning holes
Straight through my heart
It’s out of love
It’s out of love

I accept and I collect upon my body
The memories of your devotion
I accept and I collect upon by body
The memories of your devotion

And I feel your fists
And I know it’s out of love
And I feel the whip
And I know it’s out of love
And I feel your burning eyes burning holes
Straight through my heart
It’s out of love, ooh hoo
It’s out of love

Give me a little bit serious love
Give me a little full love
Be full of love

Fists, fists, fists full of love…

…HELEN…

As has become a custom, from time to time I like to blog about the Up and Coming local designers.

It is true that lately almost EVERYONE has become a designer and the word itself has lost all meaning. But every once in a while we see real talent and it’s always a pleasure to see these young talents creating pieces that are simply breath taking.

So with no further blabbing from me, take your time to check out this new designer who I am sure will make a name for herself not only in Lebanon but hopefully everywhere!

HELEN

She focuses on quality and individualism. Drawn to the unusual, the romantic and the unexpected. High end designs with an edge.

Most designs are available to order and some on pre-order, however make sure to order in advance for gifts. Colors and stones can be changed according to your choice.

Matt Gold plated ROSE AND THORN ear cuff and earing with emerald green zircon, also available in a silver color with fuchsia zircon stones, and in different sizes.

Rhodium plated SPINAL necklace BACK. Also available in gold (plated) color.

Gold plated and rhodium plated HEART BEAT bracelet. Adjustable to any wrist size.

Rhodium plated- Gold plated RIBCAGE bracelet.
Adjustable to any wrist size.

Rhodium plated CLAWS bracelet holding burgundy agate stone (which is available in different colors).
Adjustable to any wrist size.

Gold and rhodium plated Rock’N'Roll bracelet (also available gold plated hands and rhodium plated bracelet)
Adjustable to any wrist size.

Gold and rhodium plated SPEAR rings, adjustable to any finger size.
Gold and rhodium plated INFINITY bracelet, adjustable to any wrist size.

Gold plated WINGS bracelet. Adjustable to any wrist size.

For full collection and any inquiries please check out the info below:

Phone number: +96170811827

E-mail: contact@helendesigns.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designshelen

Twitter: @designshelen

…Elysium…

Finally, one of my all time Favorite bands have released a new album!
PET SHOP BOYS

“ELYSIUM”

Not only is this album everything and more I could have only wished for, but it is such an amazing addition to my collection that I have decided to write  a detailed review of each and every song. Now, since I had gotten the deluxe version of the album on which there is a track by track documentary by the band itself, I have decided to write my review along with pieces that I have found to be interesting from that interview. The entire album, according to many fans, and even the band itself is somehow reminiscent of their album “Behavior”.
So here we go:

LEAVING = A really catchy song, that was originally titled “Heaven”. This is the kind of song that grows on you instantly and you find yourself humming the tune for days to come.

INVISIBLE = This is a song about growing older. It is about how people feel like they are invisible as they age. Apparently one of the inspirations behind the song was an article that the band had read in a newspaper about a woman that said that after reaching her 50′s, she had felt invisible whenever she attended pubs. It is one of the slower songs on the album. Beautiful lyrics and incredible mood throughout the entire song. There are also a lot of backing vocals on this track, which is one of the new directions that the band have tried on this album.

WINNER = This was the first single off the new album. It is one of my favorites, if I can actually say that, since every single song on this album is incredible. It was also a song that they had performed during the Olympics ceremony. Even though the repetitive “I’m a winner” part can sound cheesy…but that is never the case when it comes to Pet Shop Boys.

YOUR EARLY STUFF = I found it really interesting to hear the band saying that almost every lyric in this song were taken from conversations that the band had with Taxi cab drivers. It is also a kind of Fuck You to everyone who always wants a band to stay the same! LOVE IT

A FACE LIKE THAT = Is one of the love songs, a bitter sweet love song. It is about seeing someone and falling in love with them simply because they are gorgeous. The setting for the song is a tropical one, since we can hear the rain and the birds, and that is what the band imagined while recording it. I personally really enjoy singing this, with my better half in mind

BREATHING SPACE = Another slower track. It originally started as an acoustic ballad on the guitar, but they later decided to added more instruments and electronic beats to it. It is about having a place to escape to! It can also be thought of as a song when we wish to escape from ourselves. Lovely track!

EGO MUSIC = To me this is a satire to all the new and upcoming Pop stars that seem to be too involved in themselves. It is about how Pop stars seem to have understood music and their music as their diaries. And this is something that Pet Shop Boys are against. It is an interesting take on the music these days. I love the lyrics myself, and Neil’s ability to get at the heart of the nowadays music scene.

HOLD ON = A 60′s band called 5th Dimension was the inspiration to this song. Neil at first wanted the backing vocals to completely have them sing this song, but since technically if they had done that, it would no longer be their track, so that idea didn’t really work. It is based on a pre-existing song called “Handle” . It is not really an outstanding song but nice nonetheless.

GIVE IT A GO = This is Neil’s way of trying to convince someone to fall in love with himself. A really interesting song and another trip into the mind of Neil and Chris. Lovely song! Great beat and lyrics.

MEMORY OF THE FUTURE = Another one of my Favorites from the album. This is about a feeling that you are so in love with someone, that you can see the future and you are 100% sure that it is going to work out! A Beautiful track! Beautiful beat and lyrics! A must listen to everyone out there!

EVERYTHING MEANS SOMETHING = This about being in love, about an argument, about feeling paranoid and people misinterpreting things and understanding things completely different from the way that you had meant for them to be understood. A very atmospheric track! It is also one of the songs that the band did not plan to have released on the albums and wanted to keep for a b-side release, but eventually changed their mind.

REQUIEM IN DENIM AND LEOPARDSKIN = The final track of the album, and the song that was written for the last album “YES” but never made it on it. But luckily it made it on Elysium. Just a great track!

In conclusion, an AMAZING ALBUM FOR AN AMAZING BAND!

LOVE THE ALBUM

LOVE PET SHOP BOYS

…My 2013 Wishlist…

So since I can wish, here is my wishlist for the 2013 Holidays and my upcoming Birthday!

COMME DES GARÇONS

HALF-ZIP LEATHER WALLET

HUNTER

BALMORAL ROYAL WELLINGTON BOOTS

 

BOTTEGA VENETA

SLIM INTRECCIATO WOVEN-LEATHER BELT

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

FULL-GRAIN LEATHER MESSENGER BAG

PAUL SMITH SHOES & ACCESSORIES

CHUCK BURNISHED-LEATHER OXFORD SHOES

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

TEXTURED-LEATHER MESSENGER BAG

 

BURBERRY PRORSUM

STUDDED LEATHER GLOVES

 

BOTTEGA VENETA

TORTOISESHELL D-FRAME SUNGLASSES

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

SKULL-PRINT COTTON T-SHIRT

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

WRAP-AROUND LEATHER BRACELET

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

SKULL-PATTERNED COTTON-BLEND SCARF

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

SKULL-PRINT CASHMERE AND SILK-BLEND SCARF

 

So…is this really a lot to ask for ?

…حبيبتي، رجعي ع التخت…

Last night, some friends and I decided to head down to Hamra, in order to check out Lina  Abyad’s “Habibti rja3i eal Takhet” or Dear, come back to Bed. I never really have any expectations when heading down to a local theater, since most of the times I end up being disappointed, but last night was different. Since theater is meant to be a cathartic experience, an escape into the surreal second dimension and the opportunity to vicariously inhibit the body of a character different from yourself in order to share life experience that you might not face in your own life, most of the plays fail to deliver. So as we entered the space yesterday, and found ourselves sitting in a square around a disproportioned minimalist bed, something in me told me that this play wasn’t going to be like most of the others that I had seen lately.
In order not to spoil the experience for those that will be intrigued to share my experience after reading this review I will not go into the details of the play, but mention only the surface of the plot. The play is an invitation into the bedroom or specifically the bed of a couple that have been married for seven years with a six-year-old child, during once specific night when the wife wakes up at night to a panic attack that she no longer loves her husband. The events that follow are the dialogue the couple has while trying to figure out what has happened to them and what obstacles lead them to this state.
What I loved the most about this play is that it allowed me to analyze the symbolism that was weaved into the performance. Just like most of the times, it seems that this symbolism was all in my head, and not really the intention of the director or the writer, and that is the beauty of art, its opened and unlimited allowance to the audience’s interpretation.

At one instance during the play, the couple that is at the beginning dressed as follows:
(Husband in his boxers and a pajama top
Wife in pajama pants and a wife beater top) attempt to have sex. This scene is meant for the audience to hear and not see, and thus takes place in complete darkness. That element in my opinion allowed the audience to mentally orgasm along with the couple, since the building up to the scene is one that would trigger these thoughts in anyone. The couple fails to reach that ecstasy, but personally, a mental orgasm of emotions took place in my head.

Once the light is back, we notice that the couple is not dressed differently. The wife is in her underwear and the pajama top, while the husband is standing in the pajama pants and a tank top. This to me symbolized the exchange of the active and passive, dominant and submissive roles in the couple, which to me seemed like a very smart choice of hinting to the roles that at times change within every couple!
At another scene, while the couple is fighting, the only prop available throughout the entire play is the bed sheet , is being tugged back and forth between the couple. Now it is interesting to notice that the sheet is only tugged during the times when their child is being discussed, which lead me to interpret it as being symbolical to the umbilical cord. My interpretation was further affirmed since the wife (mother) was the one who was tugging at it with more more intensity and assurance.
After a continuous discussion of the play with my friends over a delicious dinner in one of the Hamra’s restaurants, my friend Maria Achkar shared another very interesting observation. Every time the husband rose his voice, the wife would bring up their son Nino. Maria saw that as a symbol of society and the neighbors. Since the wife attempted to calm him down in fear that the child, Nino, will hear their quarrel. So the link of the child to symbolize the society came into her mind. Everyone wishes to keep their issues locked in their bedroom, so I thought that it was an interesting point.

All in all, the more I think about the play, the more I find myself falling down the hole of my own imagination and interpretation, and since this was the first play that I have ever seen for Lina Abyad, I am truly happy to have found another unique character in Lebanon, whose name I will be following with hope for more of such extraordinary experiences.