Let's hug a person infected with HIV today...

Two weeks ago, I had a chat with an acquaintance who was telling me of a “weird” event in Hamra Street. He said he was having coffee and a guy was on the road holding a card saying: “I have HIV. Give me hug”. People were roaming around, some hugging him and some were not. When I asked this same person what he did, he said: I stayed away of course, what if he had HIV?! “shuallah jabirné in3idé”.

(I believe all that was happening was part of a campaign for World’s Aids Day but I would not find anything online. Please share the link if you find anything!)

The person in question was a guy I had met. His answer made me lose all interest in him because it reflects a lack of culture, knowledge and a lot of rudeness. I would hug a person who has HIV. I would hug him, be friends with him, go out, hang out. I would hug a person who has AIDS as well.

Am I not scared for my health? Those who know me enough would know how much I am. For God’s sake…. I run an HIV test every time I visit my dentist (okay I hope my dentist doesn’t read this!). But this does not mean I do not have enough common sense, knowledge, education and above all humanism that pushes me to refuse the stereotyping and the social refusal people suffering with HIV and AIDS face on daily basis.

They CAN work, go out, have friends. And we NEED to know more about them, their case and how to deal with it in 2016.

So let’s have together a recap about the Red Ribbon day!

What is the World’s aids day?

The world’s Aids day is held on December 1^st of each year to remember all 35 million + people living with HIV worldwide, raise awareness about the infection and commemorate those who have lost their life in the battle.  Since 1998, people worldwide wear a red ribbon in support on this day whereas many Red Ribbon sales events are held and the money would go directly for the support of the cause or of those infected.

What’s the difference between HIV and Aids?

As defined on healthline.com, “HIV is a virus that may cause an infection, but AIDS is a condition or a syndrome. Being infected with HIV can lead to the development of AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS develops when HIV has caused serious damage to the immune system.”

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV is spread through: Blood transfusion, semen and pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluid, vaginal fluid, breast milk, infected needles/syringes/any other infected object (ask your beautician, dentist or doctor about the safety measurements they use to sterilize everything. It can also be transmitted during pregnancy (the risk is of 30% but can be reduced to 4% with the right medicine) or from inter-contact between wounds and broken skin.

HIV is not transmitted by air, water, mosquitoes or other insects, saliva and tears and sweat (that is not mixed with the blood of an HIV infected person), shaking hands, hugging, sharing toilets, sharing cutlery or dished or drinking glasses or any other social body to body contact (talking face to face, cheeks kissing,etc).

How can you be protected from HIV?

It’s quite easy!!! Be safe in your sexual relations (by using protection) and avoid everything mentioned in the section here-above with persons testes HIV positive!

What are the common myths about HIV?

- Whomever has HIV will die within a year;

- You can tell if someone has HIV by looking to their face;

- Straight people can’t have HIV;

- HIV-positive people can’t have children;

- HIV always leads to Aids;

- If two partners have HIV, there is no need for further protection;

And above all, the biggest misconception is the reason of my post today:

HIV can be spread through casual contact with an HIV infected person.

Stay safe!

November: With great beard comes great responsibility!

While many men grow their beards and moustaches during November to be trendy, “in”, and join the overall movement, No-Shave November is initially a movement that targets both men and women and invites them to drop all hair removal activities for a full month, to show support for the cancer-ill people who lose their hair during chemo treatment and, in parallel, raise money from abstinence of grooming and donate it to raise awareness and educate about cancer prevention and aid those fighting the disease.

Yes, you read it right (as yucky as it might be), women also are invited to join the no-shave movement during November – and this is one cause I will proudly not take part of, honestly!

So for all of you men out there (women, I will not encourage you to support this case!) here are some easy steps on how no-shave November should be done:

1- Shave clean at the beginning of November (it’s never too late to start now though!)

2- Grow a beard throughout the month (the ladies will dig that beard!)

3- Get a piggy-bank and insert all money you would weekly spend on grooming or shaving in-there

4- On the last few days, shave your beard into a unique moustache (you will look silly!)

5- Donate the piggy-bank gathered amount (and a little more if you wish) to any cancer center you see fit!

Don’t forget to take some pictures and spread the word!

بات لنا رئيس

Facts:

I don’t talk politics.

I don’t write politics.

I joke about every politician out there.

I annoy everyone who supports any political party in particular.

My own parents do not understand who I support politically.

My own friends do not know who I vote for (or even if I vote or not).

Why?

Not because I am ashamed of my political colors, of course! But because, just like religion, I believe politics is something personal. I listen to all, get affected by none, and at the end of the day support and vote for whomever I see fit!

Exception of the day:

I will talk about Presidency...

Today I vote for Michel Aoun.

I vote for him as a Lebanese President.

Not as a member of a political party. 

Not as a Christian.

Not as a leader of a certain idealistic politically related dream.

I vote for him as my (and our) hope of change in this country; a country I learned to love endlessly without being taught to, a country I believe in and refuse to leave, a country that has been bleeding for years and years now…

Let’s put politics aside….

Today, on October 31^st of the year 2016, we have a new President.

We have a President who, for once, was elected internally. You may say he was agreed upon and not elected. And I’ll say it might be true. But at least it was an all-internal decision. That deserves a clap and some points.

Today we have a President who comes from a normal, non-political Lebanese family. His father was a butcher. He worked to reach where he is today. And that of course deserves another clap and some extra points.

Today we have a President who made his dreams as a young man come true; A military man who dreamt, failed, tried and fought until he reached. Aside from politics and debates on how he reached and how he led his political life, I admire this man. I admire his will. I admire that at 81 years he still stood still and made his dream come true. It gives me hope, courage, strength. It makes me believe that dreams DO come true if you fight hard enough for them. And this deserves a clap and some more points and a big bow in respect.

Actually, we have tried every single political family out there for years and years, and no one is satisfied. Because they (the politicians) fail to satisfy us.

So I say let’s give that man a fair chance.

Today, let’s open a new book and start judging. He wanted to be elected President to show us change. Let’s be fair then and watch the change. Let’s cut the insults (not the joke! I’m sure he can take jokes, who can’t?!)

After all, like an old famous saying goes:

عند الإمتحان، يكرّم المرء أو يُهان

Men might get Breast Cancer too!

October is Breast Cancer awareness month (Did anyone not know this?)

And though I wouldn’t like to turn my blog page into a copy of every article about subjects you can simply google (yes, google is an official verb now) around, I still found it critical and important to highlight the subject in a brief manner for those who do not like to research and read long articles!

- 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer in their lifetime (if it’s not you, then it will be one of your family members or friends – Sorry!)

- When caught early, Breast Cancer has a survival rate of over 95%! (thus the big “fuss” about #PinkOctober)

- Breast Cancer does not run in the family!

- Exercising and healthy dieting reduce the risk of Breast Cancer (One extra point for exercising!)

- Women can still have children after Breast Cancer treatment.

Last but not least:

- Men can have Breast Cancer too! Though they don’t have breasts, men do have the breast tissue and this is where Breast Cancer grows and develops!

How to get checked?

I couldn’t find a better, more innovative and more supportive video than the one shared earlier this month by Jebran Atallah! I came across it by pure chance and took the approval from Jebran to share it with you all:

Watch it here!

Yes, I am a sapiosexual.

“What do you like about me?”, he asked.

“Your brains”, I replied.

Yes, I am what modern dictionaries define as a sapiosexual. I find someone else’s mind being their most attractive attribute. 

This mainly applies to my relationships with men in general; I can deal with girlfriends who are not brainy and intellectuals (though I can only count two or three of those in my entourage), but when it comes to men, being a brainy is a total turn on (not that the physical doesn’t matter equally!).

Being blonde (mistashe’ra to be more specific), being always on the run to take care of what I look like (hair, nails, outfit), having my full focus on creating healthier life and eating habits as well as a steady exercising routine, people often mistake me to what society defines as a “blonde girl”. Men, women, family, colleagues, friends and acquaintances tend to think I am silly, shallow and superficial… well until they catch me in the middle of a debate, reading a book or simply interested in thought-provoking and stimulating happenings.

My perfect date? Take me to an Art Gallery or a Museum followed by a dinner and you got half of my attention and all of my interest to think a step further into getting to know you!

When I was younger, my friends were always interested in the hot guy who would go partying all night long. I was an still am interested in the fairly looking guy who knows how to enjoy a party and a chill-out evening every now and then (a boring brainy wouldn’t win with me neither). I always wanted someone like me -not that I am perfect in any way- but I wanted someone who would combine everything: someone who would enjoy fast food, partying till dawn, a day out chilling and doing nothing, a beach day, a silly activity, karting, bungee jumping, silly movies, sitcoms, etc. BUT someone who would also enjoy good food, reading (an actual book – magazines and online articles don’t really count!), hiking and nature discovery, traveling, art galleries, museums, someone I could spend an afternoon at the library with, etc…

I always wanted someone who would be mentally challenging for me. Someone “better” in order to turn me into a better version of myself. Some would say I am far from being a womanizer by admitting this but what can I do? I am only driven by men with brains, men who would challenge me in their conversations, men who would push me to go home and research about a certain subject, men who keep a book next to bed, men who know the proper use of vocabulary and who -above all- know their spelling (their, there and they're are not the same!), men with confidence, men with education (damn it, it’s sexy!)…

Summer Blues.....

After a long summer break it’s kind of time to come back to blogging.

Hello you all, you’ve been missed!

And while I am extremely happy to go back to writing and pick back my ignored modest skills  that went missing between tanning sessions, weddings and sunset drinks, I must admit I almost got tears in my eyes reading all those “Hello September” posts.  What’s so special about September after all?

While I must admit nature’s colors look oh-so-lovely with the beginning of autumn (well at least on the professional pictures everyone shares on my various timelines), I see nothing similar to that flaming orange and wonderful red in reality. In fact, summer is coming to an end, there is nothing fun in that.  The weather is more unpredictable than a woman on her PMS period! The wind blows every 10 minutes ruining those last tanning days. The water is cold (bye bye swimming!). The nights are breezy  and chill ruining those last rooftop nights and crazy parties. Viruses hit the block. Everyone got allergies, flues and all type of sickness one can imagine. And yet I still see those Hello September posts popping around as if it was the trend of the season… when you got nothing to post online, you post what everyone else is posting right?

Soon it will be winter time again and those long gloomy mornings where I (and many of you) would be dreaming back of the next summer break and counting down the days to it.

Until then, there is one good thing going on, at least for me: dear readers, my summer break is over and I’m back to blogging!

I don't need a Prince Charming, I need a man...

As I was running through Facebook applications and quizzes, I thought it was amusing to take the “Who is your Disney Prince" test... And this is how I got to know the personality of MY Prince Charming:

“Your Prince knows what he wants and will go to any lengths for those he loves. He is definitely the romantic and will never fail to sweep you off your feet."

So it hit me...

The blurry thoughts disappeared, everything became clearer in my head and there I was: smiling, happy and ready to accomplish "mission impossible" and find that prince!

Oh… how I would like us to meet at a shopping mall where I would be window shopping for jewelry when he will approach me, hold my hand, drag me into the store and choose a fine diamond necklace that he fixes around my neck before asking me to join him for dinner… “But I’m in jeans” would I say… And this is when…

**REALITY SLAP**

CUT CUT CUT

My neighbor, just broke up with her husband of 10 years; she said all the jewelry, the trips, vacations, parties, etc… were amazing but she missed the shoulder she needed when she had a thought to share, a suggestion to make.

My childhood friend, has been engaged for 3 years now and even though she’s about to get married next August, she is very concerned about her husband’s family. “They are extremely nice but his mother asked me in front of his uncle last Sunday if I wear thongs or briefs, and he blushed instead of telling her how inappropriate her question was… What’s next? She’ll ask for my virginity proof and discuss with me sex with her son while sipping morning coffee?”.

And then comes another friend who is dating a much younger guy who cannot afford getting married now; she’s constantly smiling and patiently waits for him to get established.

And another friend who is dating the guy who used to be the ugliest between the guys at our high school, while she was crowned school queen for 3 consecutive years… With an everlasting smile on her face she explains: “The respect he shows me is one in a million, I never thought I would easily find a guy who would look across my physical beauty… right into my soul”.

One of my closest girl friends just informed me she is getting engaged. “I’m scared, he is lovely, charming, I have fun with him, we share so much, he’s honest, he lets me take all the decisions and do whatever I want… (and then it comes, the dreadful word) BUT I don’t know … I feel when we argue, it gets too intense! I’m happy he loves me this much!”
Few days later, we meet again for coffee....
“You know what? It’s not worth it… I’m not spending my life with a guy I cannot talk to… With time I’ll get old, he’ll get old… We’ll be too tired and sick to go out, we won’t be interested in trips no more, we’ll be alone, just the two of us... I need a man to talk to, a man to understand me, my needs... a man that will encourage me not to cry yet will hold me tight if a do; a man that will protect and honor me, not only look at ways to have fun with me and tour the world; I need a man...”

There it was; reality really slapped this time...

I won't be idealistic and say I won't like receiving gifts or going on a world tour;

I won't be stupid and say I would rather live alone with no friends if my husband was next to me;

BUT

I don't need gifts from a "Prince Charming" who cannot look at me in the eyes and say he cares;

I don't need trips from a "Prince Charming" who cannot stand up for me in front of the whole world and defend my pride and dignity;

I don’t need a “Prince Charming” who doesn’t know how to say no without hurting me;

I don’t need a “Prince Charming” who will let me take all the decisions…

I don't need a "Prince Charming" who will sweep me off my feet JUST because he's handsome, rich and caring...

I don't need a "Prince Charming"... I need a man.

(This post was originally published as a Facebook Note on July 28, 2009)