From expat, to local - My 1st job in Beirut

So I’ve officially starting working in Lebanon, a country that was a holiday destination for me. I used to spend my days here lounging, partying, visiting family members, then taking off on a plane at the end of the summer; now the dynamics have completely changed! I’m a local! I get stuck in Lebanese traffic, (a 7 min ride stretches out to an hour) and I endure the nerve wrecking electricity crisis. On the flipside, I get to live the good life. Which I’ll be elaborating on in future posts. But right now, I’ll focus on my new job…

In the past couple of years, I’ve taken on this new spiritual moto in life that’s proved to be extremely successful. I’ve acquired this strong belief in the universe and the laws of attraction with the mere practice of consciousness. I have this habit of spending about 10 minutes before I sleep fantasizing. Imagining things I want to do/ accomplish, a lifestyle I’d like to live, a situation I’d like to be in, a place I’d like to visit…etc They would start off as visions in my head, driven by so much passion that eventually they would take form in real life. Sometimes I’m even scared of the things I imagine, in case they come true.

During my 2^nd year of university I began volunteering at the Toronto Fashion Week. I was overwhelmed by the glamorous lifestyle of the fashion industry, as I watched the shows from behind the curtains, when I should’ve been working. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be some hot shot designer, or to work for a hot shot designer, or anything hot shot for that matter. Just out of mere curiosity, as I am curious about many things. And so this is it. The vision has come to life. It's meant to be there, so I will live it with all my heart...

As the new managing director of a very talented designer here in Lebanon. After a long job hunt, and months upon months of interviews…finally something spoke to my heart. The atelier is a nostalgic trip down the roads of a country filled with so much sorrow, that it lives off the memories and stories of a long lost peoples…Armenia…Beautiful Armenia. You come alive through the eyes of your people, through the strong voice of your descendants who hold your name high above their heads and speak of you with such great honor. The antique chandeliers, a grandmother’s sowing machine, a framed photo of Echmiadzin, pomegranade ornaments and framed black & white photographs of an Armenian Grandmother. A vintage atelier situated in the center of one of Lebanon’s most historical sectors.

From the balcony, I’m facing two old buildings, with brick lined rooftops and burgundy shutters. They look minuscule in contrast to the structures around them…I instantly compare them to two old men, sitting on their stools and playing Tawle (checkers) surrounded by young hunks sipping on whiskey and smoking cigars while talking and laughing loudly. Their weakening façade, is engulfed in those plants that stretche across buildings…And one of those days, they will have covered the whole surface and formed a sort of cocoon, sheltering an important piece of history. One that’s been drowning in a sea of zmamir, overshadowed by towering dollar signs. In my pocket sized map book, called Zawarib, I could see that the whole area is dominated by banks and pharmacies. "Maybe if there were more public parks, we wouldn’t need as many pharmacies" words of wisdom courtesy of Zawarib… 

I’m having constant deja-vus, I’ve seen this all before in my head….
Maybe soon it will be time for my “dancing in a musical” vision! Can’t wait for that one!